Chapter Ninety-Five: The Clash

Hark’s words were cut off, yet Ye Zhong’s shot was still blocked.

Hark was deeply wary of Ye Zhong. The strength and rapid growth Ye Zhong had shown in Black Horn had left him shaken. Ye Zhong’s hand speed was absolutely the fastest Hark had ever seen. While speed could not decide everything, there was no doubt it was a crucial measure of a battle suit’s combat power. More importantly, Ye Zhong’s body was so formidable that even Hark considered himself somewhat inferior, which meant Ye Zhong could execute far more complex and unorthodox maneuvers, often gaining the upper hand in battle. In Black Horn, physical training was one of the core courses as well.

For now, Hark only hoped Ye Zhong’s battle-suit piloting skills were not too high.

Ye Zhong’s sudden attack, though Hark had long been prepared, was easily intercepted. Hark was troubled as well. His orders were to bring back Number Fifty-Eight alive and intact, yet Ye Zhong’s strength left him without confidence that he could capture him alive. If the difference in strength between two people was not too great, capturing alive was often far harder than killing; and yet the higher-ups had repeatedly emphasized that Number Seventy-Eight had to be brought back in one piece. Hark even began to wonder whether Number Fifty-Eight might be the boss’s son.

If he had not known Number Fifty-Eight to be a cold and ruthless man, Hark would have used Ji Shangyan’s vicious trick and threatened him with the old man surnamed Qian. But Hark believed that, given Number Fifty-Eight’s nature, he would never care about that old man’s life. That would only startle the snake and waste a precious chance at ambush.

He had not expected Ye Zhong to notice something was wrong and, instead, launch a sneak attack.

This kid was a genius.

Ye Zhong did not hesitate. The shot had missed, just as he had expected. Frost Overture suddenly changed direction, and another point of cold light drifted toward Hark. Hark dared not be careless; with a block and a sweep from the spurs on his right fist, that glint of light was instantly dimmed.

Aside from a somewhat distinctive design, Hark’s battle suit was rather ordinary. Only the spurs on both fists were black and glossy, occasionally revealing a savage edge. No other weapon could be seen on his body. Yet the elbows and knees had clearly been reinforced. Moreover, the short, stout protrusions did not look especially dazzling or menacing, hiding their strength rather than flaunting it.

Ye Zhong was not discouraged. He had long witnessed Hark’s astonishing fighting skill in Black Horn. If one were to say Hark had no skill in battle-suit control, Ye Zhong would not believe it even if beaten to death.

A green and a black battle suit stood facing each other.

Strike first to gain the advantage. Ye Zhong slid a step, and Frost Overture lunged toward Hark’s battle suit like lightning. The bit of cold light at the spear tip traced a heart-stopping silver line. Basic training had long become Ye Zhong’s instinct, and this sliding step carried a strangely natural grace.

When Hark saw Frost Overture execute such an apparently ordinary sliding step, he could not help but show a trace of astonishment. Being skilled in combat, he naturally recognized the high quality of the move. If it were himself, he could perform a sliding step far more perfect than this—but if he were piloting a battle suit, he would have to admit he was no match. Yet Ye Zhong’s seemingly astonishing spear strike did not impress him much. Though it looked terrifying, he had at least several ways to deal with it. In his eyes, the gap between Ye Zhong’s spear technique and his footwork was absurdly wide.

Hark’s battle suit was called Kai, and it had accompanied him for twenty years. After so many years of perfecting their cooperation, it had almost become part of Hark’s body.

Kai retreated sharply, narrowly dodging Ye Zhong’s strike. The spear tip of Frost, flashing with cold light, skimmed past Kai’s face by a hair’s breadth.

Frost Overture shifted again underfoot, and Blue Frost twisted strangely, stabbing toward Kai’s ribs.

Kai lowered its left elbow and struck the side of Blue Frost at an angle, sending the spear shaft flying upward. Ye Zhong was startled; he had not expected the seemingly unremarkable battle suit to possess such terrifying arm strength. Taking advantage of the motion, he used the butt of the spear to block the fist that came roaring at him.

Had Ye Zhong not adjusted Frost Overture’s force control with an order in time, that blow would very likely have sent Blue Frost flying from his grasp.

Before he could even react, Ye Zhong felt his vision tumble and swirl, and Hark’s battle suit seemed to recede farther and farther away. Only then did he realize that Kai had kicked him at some point. Battle intent flared violently in Ye Zhong’s eyes.

What tremendous power. Hark’s battle suit must have significantly reinforced the limb motors in order to suit his fighting style. Ye Zhong silently guessed.

The optical brain sounded a shrill alarm. That kick had clearly done no small damage to Frost Overture. Ye Zhong could not help but be alarmed; he had not even noticed when the other man had moved his foot. What an extraordinary technique.

Ye Zhong’s hands moved like a wisp of smoke, issuing a series of commands on the main console.

Frost Overture’s engine roared to life. Before the battle suit had even landed, it traced a beautiful arc in the air and stabilized itself. Hark was not surprised that Ye Zhong had not been thrown down; with Ye Zhong’s hand speed, that was perfectly normal. Hark manipulated Kai like a parasite clinging to bone. The instant Ye Zhong steadied himself, his fist came whistling in like a meteor.

The spear tip flicked upward, and Blue Frost, like a venomous snake suddenly rearing its head, spat out its tongue.

Hark was slightly surprised. He had not expected Ye Zhong to use an ancient-style spear so well. He could not help but admire Ye Zhong’s agility and adaptability. One had to know that an ancient spear required a very specific set of skills; in the hands of someone who did not know how to use it, it was not as effective as an ordinary metal rod. Yet this weapon had long since been buried by history. Even in Black Horn, a place full of experts, there were really not many who chose a spear as their battle-suit weapon.

In his haste, Kai crossed both arms to protect its vital points.

Trying to block it? Ye Zhong sneered inwardly.

Clang. For the first time, Blue Frost’s spear tip kissed its opponent with true force.

The result was entirely different from what had been expected. Instead of piercing through, Blue Frost only drove halfway into one of Kai’s arms. Ye Zhong suddenly understood: Hark’s battle suit must have undergone a special hardening treatment. Reacting immediately, Ye Zhong withdrew the spear and widened the distance between himself and Kai.

Hark was completely stunned. He could hardly believe there was actually a weapon capable of inflicting such damage on his battle suit. A surge of fury followed instantly. Kai had been with him for more than twenty years and had never once been wounded; yet today it had suffered such a loss at the hands of this brat.

Hark’s expression darkened at once.

Ye Zhong watched Hark’s battle suit coldly, his emotions unmoved. He knew the best opportunity had already been lost. Hark would certainly not allow his battle suit and Blue Frost to make direct contact; with his skill, he could easily avoid that.

Ye Zhong felt as if he were coldly calm, like a block of ice.

Frost Overture’s speed suddenly rose to its maximum, and Ye Zhong charged at Kai with Blue Frost in both hands. His past experience told him that if this strike landed cleanly, it would definitely pierce Kai straight through. The force generated by a high-speed impact was several times that of an ordinary attack.

Though enraged, Hark had not lost his rationality. Knowing he could not take this strike head-on, he judged its momentum and abruptly turned sideways to evade the sharp edge.

Just as Ye Zhong seemed about to brush past Hark, Ye Zhong smiled coldly, and countless blurred hand-images flashed from his hands.

The compound folding wings on Frost Overture’s back suddenly spread wide.

The edges of the wings were as sharp as blades, and after hardening treatment they were no less formidable than alloy knives. Frost Overture’s top speed could reach seven times the speed of sound. The piercing howl of air being sliced apart was enough to chill the heart. Hark’s expression changed drastically.

A thunderous crash rang out. Kai stumbled backward repeatedly, a long wound splitting across its chest, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading around it.

Ye Zhong fared no better. The tremendous impact caused the folding wing to snap the instant it met its target. Even with Ye Zhong prepared in advance, he was flung far away, and it took him great effort to steady himself while the optical brain’s alarm shrieked even more wildly.

Hark’s mood was utterly terrible. Clearly his own strength had been greater by a margin, yet he was the one who had suffered. Worse still, all of Ye Zhong’s tricks were sly and underhanded, making Hark feel as though he had swallowed a fly. Not to mention this was the very person who had once studied under him. And today, the battle suit he had cherished for twenty years had suffered such a grave wound. How could he not be furious?

Hark’s face grew even darker, his eyes seeming ready to spit fire.

Ye Zhong could only smile bitterly. He had no choice. Their strength was too far apart, and he had no real way to deal with the opponent. He could only resort to a style that wounded the enemy a thousand while costing him eight hundred. He had not expected Hark to truly transplant his own fighting style into battle-suit combat.

At last he understood that Hark’s combat techniques when piloting a battle suit were indeed somewhat inferior to what he could do in person, but against him, they were still more than enough.

Unconsciously, Ye Zhong found himself thinking of retreat. If he fled now, what were the chances he could get away?

From the way Hark’s battle suit had performed just now, its engine power was definitely no weaker than Frost Overture’s. If he ran now, Hark would certainly stick to him like a leech; and who knew whether they had companions? If they did, then the one who would break first would surely be him. Being surrounded and annihilated would probably be the only ending.

Ye Zhong’s mind raced at lightning speed, yet his eyes could not help drifting toward Kai’s engine.