Chapter 639 - 400: Moment of Reckoning (Part 2)
Seeing his subordinates were no match, Nick could only step up personally.
Nick was an implant user with a full body replacement of "Vanguard Level 3" prosthetics, his power had preliminarily reached the Fifth Stage of the Extraordinary System.
His stature was tall and burly, both arms implanted with high-strength alloy blades, which gleamed with a cold light when drawn.
His mechanical prosthetic eyes were also fully powered, capturing all of Ivan’s movements, and each swing of his blade forward came with a sharp sound of cutting through the wind.
Ivan skillfully dodged using his body technique, avoiding the chilling light that confronted him, his arm switched into laser cannon mode, and fired a series of high-energy beams.
Nick swung his blades, creating afterimages, shattering the beams, but the energy blast’s residual embers caused his footing to falter temporarily.
Ivan seized this moment, launching a fierce assault, condensing energy into a high-energy laser beam for close combat, casting a dazzling curtain of light with each swing.
Their weapons collided back and forth, blades intertwining with lasers, each clash producing scorching sparks, and the clangor sounded like a torrential storm.
Nick became more alarmed as the fight went on, realizing he couldn’t suppress Ivan.
According to the intel, the prosthetics of Ivan, the Anti-Violence Captain of New Moon City, should be Fourth Stage "Fearless Level 1", having a considerable gap with him.
Yet, based on these rounds of encounter, Ivan’s power, speed, and weapon power of prosthetics were all formidable, on par with his own.
"Your prosthetics are Vanguard Level too?" Nick’s eyes revealed astonishment, "How is this possible?!"
Conglomerates have a special management system for high-tier Extraordinary Beings.
Take Iron Blood Alliance as an example, for prosthetics of Fearless Level and below, they would provide according to circumstances, without much reluctance.
But from the Fifth Stage onward, Vanguard Level, High Risk Level, Apocalypse Level, these three types of prosthetics are strictly managed.
If you have the talent and wish to upgrade to these high-level prosthetics, it’s possible, but there are requirements.
One, you must work for Iron Blood in the future.
Two, voluntarily accept ultimate insurance.
Nick’s Vanguard Level 3 prosthetics had ultimate insurance, with backdoor programs in the prosthetics, disobedience leads to termination.
He never minded this, after all, Iron Blood wasn’t insane, wouldn’t blow someone up for no reason, just do the job obediently.
But Ivan’s case was very strange, his prosthetics seemed to be Vanguard Level in terms of performance.
Leaving aside when he changed to this set of high-level prosthetics, he dared to oppose the Upper Court?!
Is he seeking death? Isn’t he afraid of being blown to pieces by Iron Blood?!
Or... his prosthetics didn’t have backdoor programs, so he acted recklessly?
But how is this possible?!
Iron Blood absolutely wouldn’t allow such a situation to occur!
Especially after the event at Heaven-Reaching Tower three years ago, conglomerates valued ultimate insurance more, now many Extraordinary Beings are required to have ultimate insurance as they reach Fourth Stage.
Where did Ivan get these "clean" high-level prosthetics from?!
Nick was distracted by shock, and the exposed flaw was instantly seized by Ivan.
Ivan penetrated the defensive gap, rapidly closing in, blue light of high-voltage current surged from both arms, sharply hitting Nick’s chest.
Strong current surged into Nick’s body, causing him to spasm all over, prosthetic system interface filled with warning entries, many prosthetic components fell into malfunction.
Nick roared unwillingly, activated the auxiliary engine to ram Ivan away, entering Second Level Overload state, attempting a final struggle.
However, Ivan’s talent regarding prosthetics was no less than Nick’s, he also activated Second Level Overload state, the explosive airflow shattered the glass throughout the restaurant.
The two attacked each other once more, the outcome was clear.
Nick had just suffered severe damage, his energy core was already unstable, while Ivan was in prime condition.
"Boom——"
Ivan utilized subcutaneous prosthetic armor to withstand a strike, being injured while using a combat blade to break through Nick’s vital point again.
Nick heavily fell to the ground, multiple prosthetic parts shattered beyond repair.
He attempted to stand again, Ivan did not give him the chance.
Ivan approached and pierced his chest with a combat blade, directly destroying the energy core, pinning him to the ground.
As the commotion settled, people hiding in the corners looked on in fear, only to see Nick’s body sparking with prosthetic malfunctions, already dead.
Charles had been seated too far from the door earlier to flee, still hiding behind a table, he shouted hoarsely: "Stop him! Cover my retreat!"
Undeniably, the Upper Court Guard was well-trained, even though the captain was dead, the remaining did not retreat, immediately attacking Ivan.
"Boom!"
At this moment, the restaurant door burst open suddenly, over twenty warriors in uniforms with skull insignias charged in.
A reporter exclaimed: "It’s Alpha Squad!"
The ones charging in were none other than the most elite armed force of New Moon City, Anti-Violence Fourth Section Alpha Squad, directly counter-surrounding Upper Court Guard, engaging in battle.
It was a brief, decisive battle.
With Nick, the captain, dead, with Ivan leading an entire Alpha Squad, the remaining Upper Court Guard resisted strongly but were quickly defeated.
In merely seconds, the entire restaurant was under Alpha Squad’s control.
Charles was surrounded in the middle, looking around flustered, quakingly demanded: "Sikinkov! What are you doing?!"
Sikinkov emerged from his cover, glaring at him fiercely, as if fire was about to burst from his eyes: "Three years, I endured you bastards for three whole years!"
"Three years ago, my best friend came to me to talk, saying he was ready to do something earth-shattering."
"I was really scared, trying desperately to persuade him that the World Government might have all sorts of issues, but it hadn’t come to flipping the table."
"So I’ve been waiting, waiting for after each tragedy, after each disaster, that you would reform and truly care about the people beneath once."
He grabbed the moldy bread from the ground, gnashing his teeth as he said: "But what I finally got was this!"
"After the war broke out, you repeatedly pressured the lower class, how many people struggled in death, dignity lost, stealing, robbing, kneeling at store doors, just for a bite of this."
"And you? You were indulging night after night, regardless of how tense the frontline was, no matter how much the lower class was squeezed, it didn’t affect your continued debauchery."
"I’ve been disappointed in you, truly disappointed. So I endured, endured until today, until now, finally no need to endure anymore!"
Seeing the murderous intent in Sikinkov’s eyes, Charles panicked and sweated, hastily calming him: "Sikinkov! Hear me out! If you’re rebelling for a bit of food, it’s too unworthy!"
"Do you want to improve New Moon City’s living standards? No problem, we can sit down and talk, it doesn’t even need command approval, I can decide directly!"
"Starting today, taxes in New Moon City will be halved, all living supplies prioritized, I’ll ensure everyone a better life, how’s that?"
Sikinkov let out a brief cold laugh, seemingly mocking Charles’s naivety.
He forced the bread into his mouth, chewing vigorously, those eyes burning with resolute fighting spirit.
"Too late, I’ve lost hope in you, all of humanity has lost hope in you."
"From the moment you chose to execute Wolf King, when you slaughtered civilians for self-interest, or perhaps even earlier, when Upper Court Council turned into puppets, when those three monsters tainted the World Government’s sacred mission, and even back in Dawn 29th Year, when the concept of conglomerates first emerged... it was all destined."
"No negotiation, no retreat, no compromise, your time to atone has arrived!"