Chapter 617 - 388: Biting Back in Desperation
From the moment Su Mo accepted the one-on-one duel, everything that followed was part of the trap he set, including the "surprised" reactions of Nuobai and Dongdong.
These two completely cooperated with Su Mo in acting, deliberately showing astonishment to confuse Zhou Hanyan.
What Zhou Hanyan saw earlier was all an illusion under the influence of the Illusionary Blood Code.
Nuobai and Dongdong never moved far to watch; under the cover of illusion, they had been waiting for the right opportunity.
Now the moment was ripe, at the instant Zhou Hanyan used electronic countermeasure components to break the illusion, the two had already broken through the danger zone, rendering him unable to escape.
Nuobai wielded the Tang Blade with rapid speed to unleash a Cross Slash, the blade light intersecting in the air into two icy glows, the sword pressure causing turbulent airflow that made his ink-like black hair wildly dance.
Zhou Hanyan had missed the chance to dodge and could only watch as Nuobai slashed forward. He tried to block with his black blade, but his weapon had been broken by the Moon Concealing Arm Blade before, its structural strength severely compromised.
"Clang—" The moment both came into contact, Zhou Hanyan’s black blade broke without suspense, followed by the solid impact of the Cross Slash on his body.
From right shoulder to left abdomen, left shoulder to right abdomen, his upper body exploded with two ferocious blood marks, crisscrossing in an X shape, flesh torn completely apart, even the Prosthetic Armor implanted under the skin was forcibly split open, injuring some internal components.
Simultaneously, Dongdong’s Dragon Steel Baseball Bat followed closely, swinging at Zhou Hanyan’s head with violent force.
"Boom!!" Under immense pressure, Zhou Hanyan felt his body enveloped by destructive power, his entire prosthetic structure emitting weight-bearing groans.
The ground beneath his feet collapsed, fissures spreading like a spider web, massive rubble flying and crashing into the distance, creating deep pits.
The internal information interface was all red, constantly issuing warnings, even though the pain-compiling chip was running at full power, the severe injuries still made each breath bring unbearable throbbing pain.
With Su Mo joining the fray, the three surrounded Zhou Hanyan, attacking furiously, intending to push him to his doom with this round of offensive.
The Tang Blade slashed wildly, the Dragon Steel Baseball Bat smashed fiercely, and the Moon Concealing Arm Blade continuously targeted vital spots, making Zhou Hanyan quickly bruised and battered.
Still, his prosthetic level was too high, holding on without collapsing.
And amid this adversity, a long-sealed memory inside him was activated.
In this world, besides those born with a silver spoon, the strivers who climbed from the bottom often had embarrassing youthful experiences.
Once the King of the Borderlands, Gordon did.
Now the King of Mercenaries, Zhou Hanyan, is no exception.
In his youth, before joining the mercenary business, Zhou Hanyan was a roguish Inner City punk, idling on the streets every day, fights and getting beaten were a common occurrence.
In these times, the age of ritual collapse and music destruction, no one talked about "rules of the underworld" anymore.
Duel?
These days who plays duel? It’s all brawls.
Either you brawl against others, or others brawl against you.
After getting brawled upon often, you realize, two fists can’t handle four hands, you can’t possibly take down a group by yourself, a punch here and a kick there only makes you a monkey in their eyes.
The best way to deal with a brawl is to focus on one opponent.
No matter how others beat you, you just desperately focus on one, beat them miserably, and they will naturally fear, eventually scattering like birds and beasts.
This street fighting technique, Zhou Hanyan had long forgotten, he was a decent man, as the King of Mercenaries how could he revert to street punk actions?
But at this moment, this King of Mercenaries suddenly recalled, that before he had today’s status, he was just a small street punk.
Zhou Hanyan suddenly opened his eyes bloodied shut, his whole body already bruised, covered in blood marks and gaps, many parts sparking with malfunctions, some delicate and sensitive prosthetic systems even completely dysfunctional.
Yet those mechanical eyes were vibrant, burning with unprecedented fiery rage.
Zhou Hanyan’s hair and beard stood on end, letting out a beast-like roar, charging against the offensive, picking up those street fighting tactics he had as a punk.
Among these three, which one should he focus on beating?
Zhou Hanyan quickly reached a conclusion.
Targeting Nuobai was unsuitable, her combat skills were proficient, body technique agile like an eel, with the Crimson Rose Blood Code inside, if not instantly defeated, she could keep dragging it out, entangling with her was a waste of time.
Targeting Su Mo was also tough, his abilities were too bizarre, no one knew what secrets lay within him, or how many tricks he held, he probably hoped to be noticed, thereby giving his two companions more attack space.
Nuobai and Su Mo weren’t suitable, leaving only one answer.
Zhou Hanyan completely ignored Nuobai and Su Mo’s offensive, using Prosthetic Armor to endure all strikes, lunging madly at Dongdong like a rabid dog.
Regardless of prosthetic hardware level or overload degree, Zhou Hanyan’s standards surpassed Dongdong’s, coupled with such purposeful lunging, she couldn’t pull away.
In an instant, Zhou Hanyan pounced on Dongdong, his thick arms like iron clamps locking that petite body in front, followed by a burst of third-level overload power.
"Crack crack crack crack crack—" Under immense pressure, Dongdong’s entire body echoed like frying beans, bones bearing unprecedented strain, her whole self almost crushed.
Meanwhile, the high-temperature plasma formed by third-level overload was also scorching Dongdong’s body, even with her steely willpower, she was forced to cry out in agony.
"Dongdong!!!" Su Mo was urgently distressed, rushing with Nuobai to rescue, but Zhou Hanyan gave no chance.
As in old brawls, Zhou Hanyan was relentless, utterly fixated on Dongdong.
He violently flung Dongdong tens of meters to create distance between him and Su Mo and Nuobai.
Dongdong crashed heavily against the mountain, coughing blood, before she could struggle, Zhou Hanyan charged full force, raining down furious punches like a violent storm.
"Boom boom boom boom boom—" Zhou Hanyan showed no mercy, brutally ravaging Dongdong’s body, each punch bringing blood spray and fractured bones, embedding her into the wall.
He raged like a beast, venting endless fury, each hit aiming to kill Dongdong.
The muffled punches, cracking bones, and shredding flesh blended into a horrifying symphony.
"Ah!!!!" Finally, Zhou Hanyan uttered a hoarse, fierce roar, his right hand forming a claw, violently piercing Dongdong’s chest.
"Pfff—" Amidst dreadful tearing sounds, Dongdong’s subcutaneous Prosthetic Armor and sternum were completely pierced, and Zhou Hanyan seized the energy core representing the heart for Prosthetic Implanters.