Chapter 24: METAL Arm (1/2)

Chapter 24: METAL Arm

Translator: OneshotwonderEditor: Tehrn

In contrast to Luv Ma's prediction, Wang Tong's arm did not move to grab the sword senselessly; instead, Wang Tong attempted to deflect the blow, which, all the same, would have left him in a perilous situation, should he miss the target or fail to strike in time, he would be hacked in half by Miao Xiu's deadly strike.

Wang Tong did not hesitate, nor did he flinch, even though this was a fleeting moment of life and death in the PA world where emotions and feelings were emulated so vividly.

This unwavering equanimity was what made Wang Tong good combat material, and after being reformed in the hellish furnace of Norton, hammered a thousand times on the anvil made out of Zerg's body, and quenched in its blood, his will had been forged into steel, immovable and steadfast.

Wang Tong's counter attack had caught Miao Xiu in a vulnerable position as he had opened his chest to Wang Tong's retaliation. After losing the effective range of his sword, the follower of the Templar didn't retreat to a more advantageous position; instead, he lifted his thigh unflinchingly and aimed his knee directly at the abdomen of the incoming attacker.

Miao Xiu had reckoned that it had been too late to dodge Wang Tong's attack; however, he wouldn’t go down without taking Wang Tong with him, for he had aimed at Wang Tong’s dantian, the nexus hub of GN force, should his knee strike land precisely, it would cause more trauma and damage to Wang Tong than Miao Xiu would receive.

Although being forced into a defensive stance, Miao Xiu's calculated retaliations still boasted his ruthless aggression on the battlefield.

Seeing that the clash was inevitable, Wang Tong gritted his teeth as the two bodies collided into each other; an explosive force propagated outward from the center of the impact and threw both of them into the air, away from each other.

They had by then both registered the power of their opponent's attack, especially Miao Xiu whose initial strike was interrupted; a calculating and curious expression rose in their eyes.

”Who are you?” Miao Xiu asked. ”Are you from one of the top six academies? Capth, or perhaps Yaldon?”

Wang Tong shook his head and said, ”Neither, I am from a dingy little school you’ve probably never heard of. It's my turn now, try to block this!”

Wang Tong's body jerked forward abruptly, his footwork seemed elusive and strange to Miao Xiu, who started to feel dizzy as his eyeballs struggled to trace Wang Tong's movement.

Each step taken by Wang Tong carried a strange if not eerie quality. As a martial arts prodigy, Miao Xiu had seen many different types of foot movement for combat purposes, but none of which was as ugly as Wang Tong's. Calling it footwork was farfetched; it was simply an incoherent and disorganized shuffle.

Annoyed by the pestering footsteps, Miao Xiu hacked towards Wang Tong in a fit of pique, attempting to end his opponent’s hideous performance. But Miao Xiu’s strike missed and he was greeted with a powerful punch towards the face.

Miao Xiu deftly jerked his head to one side, avoiding the incoming blow, but Wang Tong's fist suddenly disappeared in front of him and reemerged, as Miao Xiu watched from the corner of his eyes, right in front of his chest, thrusting a devastating blow.

Miao Xiu initiated his METAL armor out of sheer instinct right before the impact. Although unharmed, he was blown away by Wang Tong’s punch, and staggered back a few dozen paces.

Miao Xiu blushed as he felt embarrassed that he had broken his promise of not using his METAL suit. With his own ego working against him, Miao Xiao’s morale tapered under Wang Tong's immense power delivered through his seemingly ragged moves.

”Nice footsteps, where did you learn that?” Miao Xiu asked curiously.

Wang Tong shook his head, ”Nowhere, I made it up.”

Although he felt even more humiliated by Wang Tong's inattentive answer, he swallowed a thick clog of sputum and conceded his defeat: ”You have won this round, whenever you want a rematch, just leave me a message.”

Wang Tong waved his hand, gesturing to Miao Xiu that he didn't want to end the battle yet. ”It isn't over yet, you brought your METAL suit, why don't you use it?” Wang Tong had just sampled a small dose of the thrill of battle which only teased out more of his appetite.

”Do you mean you want to fight me while I am wearing my METAL suit?” Miao Xiu asked in disbelief. Although he had used the METAL armor out of instinct to shield Wang Tong's attack, it did not mean that without METAL, Wang Tong's strike would have ended the fight. After all, the Tactics of Hexa Solaris had quite capable defenses.

After Wang Tong had confirmed his seemingly suicidal challenge, Miao Xiu accepted the rematch knowing his opponent was about to eat crow.

With the help of a METAL suit, Miao Xiu's power increased substantially; however, Wang Tong still looked calm and unfaltering, giving no impression that he perceived any imminent threat.

Luv Ma also felt that Wang Tong's challenge was amusing. He had won the first round out of sheer luck thanks to his bizarre footwork. Luv Ma had reckoned that both fighters’ strength were similar without METAL, but with the enhancements from the METAL suit, there would be no doubt that a decisive victory would belong to Miao Xiu.

”Is this dude really that ignorant of his own limits or...” Luv Ma pondered.