'Rumble...'
The incomparably heavy steel club descended with a deafening sonic boom. Like an exploding bomb, it stirred up terrifying gusts of wind as it smashed straight toward Fang Li.
The sheer force behind the attack made the devastation below seem completely understandable. A human head would be softer than tofu before such a blow, a human body more fragile than mud, and even solid steel would be crushed into scrap by that overwhelming power. No ordinary person could possibly withstand it.
'If the target had been an ordinary person.'
'CLANG, !'
A thunderous metallic impact echoed through the air as a ring-shaped shockwave exploded outward.
"W-What?!" the mechanized Savage Leader cried out in disbelief.
His massive steel club, thicker than a human body, had been stopped. Stopped... by a single foot. A foot so small compared to the enormous weapon that the difference was almost absurd.
The strike that could have swept away an entire building had come to a complete halt. Fang Li didn't even tremble. Not even slightly.
Then Fang Li's calm voice reached the Savage Leader's ears. "So your strength really has increased considerably. Unfortunately for you, the Battle Suit's shock absorption is even better than I expected. I blocked that attack without even using Prana. It seems I don't have to worry about my defense anymore."
The moment he finished speaking, Fang Li moved.
'BOOM!'
A muffled impact sounded. His other leg shot out like a flash of lightning, slamming heavily into the mechanized Savage Leader's body.
But something unexpected happened.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
The mechanized Savage Leader didn't budge a single step. Relying entirely on the incredible durability of his steel armor, he forcibly endured Fang Li's kick. The engines on his back roared louder, and the thrusters erupted with brilliant flames.
Then, with a heavy 'clang', the mechanized Savage Leader released his steel club. His two massive steel arms shot forward and wrapped tightly around Fang Li.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
With a furious roar, he hugged Fang Li in a vice grip and dove straight toward the ground like a meteor, clearly intending to drag Fang Li down to die with him.
A moment later, they crashed.
'BOOOOOOM!!'
A deafening explosion erupted. The meteor-like impact struck the Earth with astonishing force, unleashing a terrifying blast wave. Wherever the shockwave passed, the ground shattered apart. Concrete, rocks, and debris were swept up like grains of sand in a raging hurricane.
It was pure destruction. Viewed from above, it looked as though an entire section of City F had been obliterated. The blast surged skyward, and a mushroom-shaped cloud of dust rose high into the heavens.
Everyone watching stared in horror, their scalps tingling with fear. Perhaps this was exactly the level of destruction a real meteorite would cause. If the battle continued like this, the disaster would eventually escalate from 'Demon' to 'Dragon' level, forcing even the neighboring cities to evacuate.
But before long, a cold voice emerged from within the dust.
"Let go."
The instant those words fell,
'SHING, !'
A dazzling sword flash burst forth.
'Slash!'
The enormous explosion and the towering dust cloud were split apart as though an invisible giant blade had sliced cleanly through them, dividing everything in its path.
"ROOOOOAAAARRR, !!"
A scream of agony shot into the sky. Within the parted dust cloud, two enormous steel arms flew into the air. The severed cross-sections crackled violently with sparks as countless cut cables dangled from the cleanly sliced ends.
At the center of the enormous impact crater, now nearly a kilometer in diameter, the mechanized Savage Leader stood motionless. Its arms had been severed, and sparks crackled wildly from the exposed joints.
Although all of its flesh had long since been replaced with machinery, it still seemed capable of feeling pain, letting out a miserable scream.
What answered it was a figure that shot forward like a sound wave. Fang Li's ice-blue eyes shone brilliantly.
'Clack...'
He tightened his grip on the 'Moon Blade'.
"Flash Scabbard - Illusionary Prison Monk."
Countless flashes of sword light erupted. Like a sword formation capable of slicing a person into thousands of pieces, the blades rained down upon the Savage Leader's steel body.
'Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!'
The sound of metal being cut apart merged into one continuous note.
A moment later, the swordsman carrying the Moon Blade landed quietly behind the gigantic steel body, as though he had simply passed straight through it. The ice-blue glow of the 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception' flashed briefly before disappearing once again.
Only Fang Li remained. He casually flicked his Moon Blade, its blade completely free of blood, and returned it to the sheath at his waist.
Time itself seemed to stand still. Fang Li stopped moving, and the mechanized Savage Leader also froze. Its agonized scream ended abruptly, as though someone had cut it off mid-cry.
Then, with a heavy 'crash', the giant mechanical body broke apart. Like shattering glass, it split into countless pieces, collapsing into a heap of scrap metal.
Fang Li didn't even turn around to look. Because he already knew: that thing had merely been a weapon sent by someone specifically to attack him.
"So... I've been targeted." Fang Li smiled faintly. "Fine. I'll look forward to seeing just how many Killing Points these heaps of scrap metal you keep sending can earn me."
Leaving those words behind, Fang Li turned and walked away.
---
"Destroyed, huh?"
Inside a dimly lit laboratory filled with all kinds of advanced scientific equipment, a scientist in a white lab coat sat before a bank of monitors. One of the indicators on the screen had gone dark. Another displayed live footage of the massive meteor-like crater that now occupied part of City F.
The scientist fell into thought. "Directly converting the bodies of Mysterious Beings into weapons certainly improves their performance... But controlling them is still rather difficult. And that rookie is surprisingly capable. I only intended to use him as a test subject to evaluate the new weapon's performance while gathering some combat data. It seems he may have already seen through my intentions. But it doesn't matter. There's no way he'll find this place. As far as I'm concerned... he's nothing more than a test subject for my new weapons. Time to begin the next project."
After reaching that conclusion, the scientist began operating the computer. Lines upon lines of incredibly complex data and engineering designs appeared across the monitor, signaling the start of his next experiment.
(End Of This Chapter)
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