Melos was hacking away with his sword, left and right, when suddenly the enemy vanished, and Han Xiao opened the door and walked in. Melos asked in confusion, "What are you doing in here?"
Han Xiao chuckled, "Practicing alone is no fun. Come on, let's spar."
Having reached the Grade B, he hadn't yet made a move, and he was itching to fight. As a gentleman, he wouldn't bully players for no reason. Fortunately, Melos was a veteran Grade B, an evenly matched opponent, which would make the fight more meaningful. Fighting this old B-rank would allow him to understand the extent of his own power.
Only when you have a clear understanding of the situation will you have the confidence to do things that are reckless or dangerous... cough.
"A friendly exchange?"
Melos was speechless, only one thought in his mind—you?
Superhuman rank and bra size are not the same thing. The difference between C and B is like heaven and earth, a completely unequal fighting power. A fight between them would be a one-sided crushing defeat. Only when both sides are evenly matched can it be called a "sparring match".
Melos was reluctant, thinking that he was so strong that he might hurt Han Xiao in a fight.
But then he thought about it again and realized that Han Xiao's actions were like those of the other members of the mercenary group; it should be called "seeking advice." Melos suddenly understood—so that's what it meant; the leader wanted to ask him for guidance.
"No problem, what preparations do you need to make?" Melos readily agreed, looking relaxed. He believed in teaching others and helping each other, and he was happy to guide his companion. Besides, Han Xiao's safety was very important to him, and he would feel more at ease if Han Xiao became even stronger.
Han Xiao didn't stand on ceremony at all. He asked Melos to wait a moment and carried in boxes of mechanical equipment. How could he not test all the weapons to do justice to his hardworking and dedicated opponent, who was also a peer?
Melos, who had initially remained calm, began to twitch as more and more weapons appeared. Then, as Han Xiao laboriously hauled in a prototype electromagnetic railgun, roughly the size of several people, he couldn't help but gasp and shout, "Hey, that's enough!"
Under Melos's protest, Han Xiao had no choice but to abandon his idea of testing the upper limit of a Grade B martial artist's resistance to blows, and put on the Flying Serpent Mecha to stretch his limbs.
Close combat is a strength of the Pugilist Class. The simulation room was limited in space and the terrain was unfavorable, so Han Xiao kept a distance before the fight began, casually asking, "Are you ready?"
"Go ahead." Melos was very calm. Dealing with an enemy who was a rank lower than him required no preparation.
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao flipped his hands, his leg armor slid open to reveal two electromagnetic pistols. He took a Sliding Continuous Fire and fired wildly, the muzzles flashing with blue electricity. The sound was different from the primer firing sound of gunpowder weapons; instead, it was a high-frequency hum with an electric current sound. The needle-like bullets, trailing a faint blue light, poured towards Melos not far away.
The anti-ship sword was raised in time, like a shield in front of him, clanging and clashing. Melos's eyes changed slightly, "An electromagnetic weapon?!"
The core ability of a mechanic is to create mechanical weapons for combat. Being able to create electromagnetic guns would bring their attack power to a new level. Electromagnetic guns have a fast rate of fire, and he almost didn't have time to react. Melos didn't dare to be careless. Although he had his energy protecting him, his physical body was still his own, and he didn't want to be the target of concentrated fire.
Melos didn't know much about mechanics, but he knew that only high-ranking mechanics could create more advanced weapons. He was somewhat puzzled: could Grade C mechanic create stable electromagnetic firearms?
Melos approached with his knife raised, his speed far exceeding that of a sports car. As he closed the distance, Han Xiao slipped and slid across the field, maintaining his distance as a kite. Hidden beneath his armor were numerous firearms; his pistols, assault rifles, and Sniping rifles had all been upgraded with electromagnetic kinetic energy, making them even more lethal. The long-range kiting strategy was becoming increasingly annoying.
Melos lived up to his Grade B reputation with his extremely fast reaction time. His broad anti-ship sword was well-suited for parrying. Han Xiao fired hundreds of shots, but only less than 5% hit. The martial artist's protective energy and strong bones greatly reduced the damage, causing only some superficial wounds. Han Xiao was able to see Melos's stats panel because of this.
"Level 98, Grade B martial artist, high strength and stamina, a semi-tank martial artist, quite a few specializations, almost as many as mine, and all of them are very powerful... Wow, this guy also has Low-Level Lucky Halo."
Han Xiao was filled with envy. According to Melos's own account, he was lazy from a young age but possessed extraordinary talent. He never trained hard and wasted more than ten years, yet he still reached the Grade B- rank. Perhaps this was what genius was all about...
Han Xiao couldn't help but think that if Melos hadn't died like in the original storyline, he might have eventually reached the Grade A- level.
"This is a promising stock."
The thought flashed by in an instant. As his strength increased, Han Xiao's brain worked even faster, allowing him to think about other things while fighting without getting distracted. At this moment, Melos suddenly stopped, ceasing his futile pursuit. His silver-white aura surged violently, then contracted, condensing in his palm into a ball of dazzling silver-white light.
boom--
Melos's face bulged with veins, showing great effort. With a deep shout, he pushed out a palm from afar. A ball of light burst forth, and power continuously surged from his palm. A dazzling silver-white light wave shot out, like a roaring, angry dragon, filling Han Xiao's vision with its brilliance.
Wow, the Sun family!!
Han Xiao raised his hands to block in front of him. The next moment, a wave of light struck his arms, sending him flying and slamming him against the wall. The burst of light engulfed his figure.
Once a martial artist learns the [External Wave] technique, they can unleash a wave. This is one of the skills in the Pugilist Class tree, similar to the Mechanic Class tree. It involves compressing and condensing energy into a ball, and its power depends on the energy level. The downside is that it consumes a lot of energy.
The waves are different. Compared to Grade C, Grade B waves are obviously thicker and more persistent. Even though Melos reduced the energy output for fear of penetrating the simulation room walls, the rapidly rising temperature throughout the room demonstrated the power of this attack.
"That should be enough... Wait, why did I use this move?"
Melos was startled. He had originally intended to provide guidance, but during the battle, he sensed a threat and subconsciously regarded Han Xiao as a formidable enemy, unleashing a powerful attack. He immediately regretted it; such a powerful energy wave would injure Grade C martial artist, let alone a mechanic.
Just as he was about to stop exerting his strength, a crescent-shaped bolt of lightning burst forth from the center of the light wave, cleaving it in two!
Han Xiao leaped into the air, wielding a ferocious Black Scythe, and descended from the sky, slashing down with the scythe, unleashing a torrent of electric snakes!
Melos immediately raised his sword to parry, the scythe slicing against the ship-slaying blade, sparks flying like Rainstorm, the sound of metal scraping mixed with the crackling of electricity. He retreated to avoid the attack and saw Han Xiao lying on the ground, his mech now red-hot in many places from the light waves, his body surrounded by high-temperature white vapor, and agile Mechanical Force electric snakes coursing through his body, the energy reaction rising to a terrifying level.
Han Xiao twisted his neck and joked, "That was close, I almost couldn't hold on." Although he said that, his tone was calm and his voice was full of energy, showing no signs of injury.
Melos's eyes widened. To be able to withstand a shockwave unscathed and still unleash such power, he couldn't possibly be only at the Grade C.
"You're Grade B superhuman?!"
Melos was taken aback. "You weren't this strong back in Sunil!"
Han Xiao shrugged, neither confirming nor denying, "I've improved."
It's only been a few days, and you've already made a leap in rank! Are you even more of a genius than me?!
Melos was dumbfounded. He had always known that he was very talented, and although he was not proud of it, seeing a superhuman who was even more "genius" than himself made him feel complicated and uneasy.
"Don't stop, we're not done yet." Han Xiao reached out and grabbed the equipment box next to him. The mecha's hand was Magnetic Link to the box, and the box seemed to be summoned, flying into the air.
In mid-air, the box opened automatically, and the exoskeleton armor inside popped out. Following the position of the Magnetic Link, it quickly floated over and covered Flying Serpent, instantly forming a [Assault Mode] like a small metal giant, as if it had transformed.
Another advantage of Advanced Electromagnetism is that by adjusting the magnetic force in different parts, equipment can be automatically assembled, eliminating the need for manual clothing and speeding up the process of donning armor.
Sensing the energy emanating from Han Xiao that made his heart clench, Melos's expression hardened. He composed himself, banishing any thought of guidance, and said in a deep voice:
"You're right, our fight was more of a friendly spar!"