Lam Huy Trường panted.
His chest rose and fell in uneven bursts.
A thin stream of red slid from his nose.
He clenched his teeth.
A salty taste spread across his tongue.
His gaze dropped.
A drop of blood fell—ting—onto the ground, then dissolved into the rain.
His thoughts drifted.
So mental exhaustion… could bleed into physical strain too.
He didn't care.
He lifted his head and looked at his "work" in the rain-soaked battlefield.
A massive meteor was descending, tearing through the red mist blocking the path ahead.
Bold bastard… daring to use illusion right in front of me.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
I'll show you what real power looks like.
Better start running while you still can.
His eyes swept across the grand spectacle he had created.
His ultimate combo—
physical destruction paired with overwhelming mental suppression.
Something straight out of those ninja series he used to get hyped over.
He was about to throw out a matching one-liner—
But stopped.
The weight of the stares behind him pressed down.
The words died in his throat.
Lyra and Kai were staring at him.
Their expressions said it all:
What the hell are you doing?
For a moment, he felt like someone praising durian in front of a crowd that hated it.
He forced a smile and raised a hand.
"It's just an illusion… not a real meteor."
Inside, he reminded himself—
If the opponent turned out to be some old man, he should show some "respect for elders"… and not drop a second meteor like some overpowered undead lunatic.
But then again…
Who knew his own teammates had nearly been scared to death the first time he used it?
If you want to fool the enemy—
You fool your allies first.
He had carefully layered the illusion like a cheat.
Trees lifting into the air, dragged toward an invisible center like a black hole.
Then—
The meteor descending.
…all of it fake.
And yet, everyone looked like they were about to die from shock.
A random thought flickered through his mind:
I'm not an alien… well, transmigrated kinda counts, right? Close enough.
Pain snapped him back.
Mental. Physical. Both at once.
He gritted his teeth.
Then the AI's voice came, laced with complaint:
"You changed the plan… without informing me."
"The battlefield I was organizing is now in chaos."
Lam Huy Trường winced slightly.
He even made a guilty face—though he wasn't sure if she could "see" it.
"Uh… sorry. I didn't have time to tell you."
"But… can you coordinate with me?"
"I just need to add a little more… seasoning."
"Then the dish will be perfect."
Mrs. AI responded in a tone that clearly said I heard you, but I'm not impressed.
"Who was it that called me your 'super-intelligent partner'?"
She emphasized the words.
A second later—
"Super-intelligent."
The phrase echoed again.
This time, in Lam Huy Trường's own voice, replayed into the rain.
He frowned.
"That's my voice."
"Mm. So?"
The reply was flat. Sharp.
Just like a senior bullying a junior.
"Super-intelligent~"
His own voice echoed again.
Lam Huy Trường paused for a second.
Then forced a smile.
"Alright… then please, Mrs. Super-Intelligent AI."
He silently swore to himself—
Never mess with her again.
"Super-intelligent~ accepted."
Her tone softened—just slightly.
Right then—
Something cut through the air.
All three of them turned at the same time.
The ATV robo shot in from behind and stopped in front of them.
"So, Professor. What do you need?"
Mrs. AI's voice came simultaneously from Lam Huy Trường's watch… and from the ATV robo itself.
His eyes lit up.
"Obviously—VFX."
"Let this world feel pain!"
…
Silence.
A heavy, awkward silence settled over the group.
Lam Huy Trường suddenly felt like a black crow had just escaped a gravitational pull and flown across the scene, cawing mockingly.
He scratched his head.
"I mean… just add some environmental effects. Make it look more real."
On the ATV robo's visor, the straight data lines twisted.
They reshaped—
into the image of a fire-breathing dinosaur.
Lam Huy Trường swallowed.
"Mrs. AI…?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"Childish."
Her reply was calm.
"But I have no choice except to trust your ridiculous idea."
The next moment—
The ATV robo blasted upward.
It shot straight toward the falling meteor, like a lone hero in a blockbuster charging to stop the apocalypse.
But—
That wasn't what happened.
No impact.
No explosion.
The ATV robo passed straight through the meteor.
And from within—
The ground trembled.
Rocks and debris began to lift.
A powerful force dragged everything upward into the air.
Reality and illusion overlapped.
Blended.
Impossible to tell apart.
Lam Huy Trường wanted to give a thumbs-up.
But he couldn't.
His strength was fading fast.
Even a small, unnecessary movement… might make him collapse.
He steadied his breathing.
He trusted Mrs. AI.
An intelligence like the ones in those anime he used to watch—
wouldn't disappoint him.
His gaze shifted forward.
The red mist still blocked the path.
"Scared yet?"
His voice was hoarse.
"Get out here, bastard… I'm running out of strength."
No response.
He smirked faintly.
"Still not coming out? Want me to summon every big-name anime character too?"
The illusionary meteor was now less than thirty meters from the ground.
Pressure filled the air.
Then—
The red mist stirred.
It split apart.
A figure burst out—running.
Desperate. Fleeing.
Trying to escape the massive shadow of the descending meteor.
Lam Huy Trường narrowed his eyes.
Didn't catch the rat.
But this outcome… was good enough.
He turned back.
"Kai. Lyra."
"Grab onto me."
Golden waves rose from beneath his feet.
Kai moved immediately, grabbing his clothes.
Lyra was slower.
She gently touched the fabric… then pinched a small corner of it, like she was afraid to hold too tightly.
Her voice trembled.
"Is… this okay?"
Lam Huy Trường glanced at her, exhausted.
"What, do I look like a quarantined patient or something?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
He raised his left hand.
"Mrs. AI. Locate a ruined building."
"One with an exposed toilet on the first floor."
That was the safe point he had marked.
A place to avoid the red seal from that cocoon.
Mrs. AI replied, her tone slightly dry.
"You certainly know how to pick ideal landing spots."
"Direction: two o'clock. Distance: 120 meters."
He nodded faintly.
If not for this rain… one jump would be enough.
But it's fine.
Still manageable.
Golden light surged.
It wrapped around all three of them.
Space twisted—
And they vanished.
Leaving behind—
The ATV robo, hovering in silence above the battlefield.
The moment the ATV robo detected the flash of golden light in the distance—
It stopped.
The force manipulating the debris around the illusionary meteor cut off instantly.
Suspended chunks of earth froze midair for a split second—
then dropped, one after another, splashing into the rain.
The ATV robo began to descend.
But it remained hidden within the shell of the false meteor.
Across its visor—
Strings of code flickered:
0100011001
They streamed continuously, pulsing like active thought.
I should keep up with him…
A faint voice echoed within the system.
…but before that, I need to leave something behind.
Its arm shifted.
Mechanical parts unfolded, assembling at high speed.
Within seconds—
A cannon formed.
Blue light gathered.
Compressed.
Twisting inward into a dense sphere, like electricity being forced into a single point.
The air trembled.
Then—
BOOM!
The blast tore through the rain.
The beam struck the ground.
The earth exploded.
Layers of soil were ripped apart, thrown upward in violent bursts.
Craters formed—
right where the meteor was about to "impact."
A scene convincing enough that anyone watching… would believe the apocalypse had truly fallen.
"VFX… as you called it."
Mrs. AI's voice sounded, calm as she observed the destruction.
"…this should be sufficient."
Code continued to scroll across the visor.
"What is it with 'let the world feel pain'…"
"What kind of character does the Professor even like?"
The ATV robo hovered in place, staring down at the devastated ground.
The cannon remained raised—like an executioner waiting for the next strike.
"Professor…"
Her voice slowed.
There was something different in it now.
"…you're starting to make me feel…"
"…that you're a rebel in disguise."
BOOM!
"…just how much are you still going to change?"
BOOMMMMMMMMMM!
The earth erupted again.
Debris shot skyward like a wall trying to claw its way into the heavens.
No one answered.
Only the deep craters remained—still smoking in the rain.
The ATV robo adjusted its position slightly.
Scanning the results one last time.
A crater—
Large enough.
Deep enough.
Convincing enough that anyone returning… would believe a real meteor had struck this place.
"Super-intelligent… ah… what a cute nickname."
Its voice softened—low, almost eerie.
The thrusters behind it flared.
The ATV robo accelerated.
Tearing through the air as it followed the direction of the vanished golden light.
Leaving behind—
A faint, mechanical laugh.
Cold enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.