Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 212 - 212 132 Star Running in Broad Daylight

212: Chapter 132: Star Running in Broad Daylight 212: Chapter 132: Star Running in Broad Daylight Balbo and Xiang Shan were only inches apart now.

Balbo understood that both of them were trapped in a certain “constraint.” This assassin absolutely could not retract his hand from the control panel, disconnecting it from the war chariot.

Otherwise, Balbo could call other Martial Artists from the troops to surround him.

If that happened, even if the assassin succeeded, he would surely die.

The ultimate goal of a Hero is “to step from the Kingdom of Necessity into the Freedom Kingdom”; they believe their ideal kingdom lies in the future.

Unless there is absolutely no hope, a true Hero would never easily surrender their life.

He could only use one hand to attack—at least visually, this Hero didn’t appear to have any additional prosthetic limbs.

But for Balbo, it was even worse.

He only had a severed arm left.

He absolutely could not allow his left hand to leave the control panel.

At this point, his Inner Strength could still rely on home-ground advantage to organize a counterattack within this war chariot’s operating system.

But if he were to withdraw that hand, then in a moment, the assassin could seize complete control of the chariot, rush back to Iron Dust, and kill him.

There were probably only about ten seconds left.

Balbo swung his severed arm towards Xiang Shan.

Cybernetically Enhanced People long ago erased the difference between “dominant and non-dominant hands.” Unless intentionally designed to differ, there was no strength difference between the left and right hand.

Balbo’s prosthetic performed a bit stronger, but it was just a severed arm.

While the assassin had an intact hand.

But Balbo had no choice but to do this.

In the physical layer, there was still the advantage of “prosthetic performance” between him and the assassin.

But in the world of Inner Strength and algorithms, he was at an even greater disadvantage.

Xiang Shan backhandedly caught Balbo’s severed arm.

Though he nearly got blown away by the limb, the driver’s space was, after all, limited.

And he successfully grappled the opposer’s severed limb.

Balbo’s severed arm was made of artificial muscle fiber combined with electrical joints.

It was because of these artificial muscle fibers that he could, in an instant, snap the blade of a Sonicon Blade.

But this kind of material, while it has explosive power, does not match the sustained force of hydraulic systems.

Just as Xiang Shan had previously grappled the Mad Hunting Dog, Xiang Shan once again grappled this officer at close range.

Balbo tried to kick as a counterattack, but Xiang Shan moved first, stepping on Balbo’s foot.

Balbo’s stance was disrupted.

As he staggered, Xiang Shan’s left arm twisted around his severed arm, while his left hand fingers had already climbed up to the edge of the external armor on his nape.

This was a wound slashed by a Halberd.

Balbo did not know how big the wound on the back of his neck was.

But he knew that if his spine was first struck, his brain’s control over the prosthetic body would then have a millisecond delay.

He yelled loudly and collided with a body slam.

Xiang Shan lifted both feet, braced them against Balbo’s prosthetic abdomen, and again disrupted his stance.

But Balbo also found a tiny space for an explosion of power.

He swung his severed arm, aimed directly at Xiang Shan’s neck, and Inch Energy burst forth instantly.

He missed.

Xiang Shan dodged that strike, his fingers piercing into the opponent’s prosthetic neck.

His fingers crushed a vertebral bone.

Balbo’s prosthetic body instantly malfunctioned as if disconnected.

And Xiang Shan did not miss this opportunity.

His hand pressed on Balbo’s external armor on his legs, tore the armor apart with high-frequency waves, instantly disabling his opponent’s legs.

Meanwhile, in the moment Balbo’s consciousness disconnected, his Inner Strength surged forward unabated.

When Balbo’s consciousness returned, he realized it was all over.

He maneuvered the war chariot, retreating back into the silver mist.

A surge of Inner Strength invaded Balbo’s brain chip.

Balbo felt an algorithm being forcibly activated within his martial system.

That was…

—No, no, no…

Balbo desperately tried to stop his own Martial Studies.

But it was meaningless.

The chariot’s turrets then began to operate.

The sound of gears interlocking came from the ammunition chamber.

A shell was loaded into the barrel.

Apocalypse consecutive strikes, wild horses galloping.

This combination of moves was originally used to carve a bloody path through enemy ranks.

But now, all around him were Balbo’s allies.

Thus, the sound of gunfire shook the heavens.

Xiang Shan used this opportunity to throw out some special ammunition he carried, tossing them through an opening on the ground.

…………………………………………

Amilcare Zhao stood on the rooftop of Pine Eagle Building, looking toward the north.

From this height, the horizon vaguely displayed a beautiful curvature.

Beneath the lingering moonlight, countless soldiers were searching across the wilderness, just like ants fighting for their nest.

And the eastern sky already bore a trace of faint white.

“It’s really lonely,” he said, “In the past at this time, Althus (Mad Hunting Dog Althus Granddoug) would be by my side.”

The Lord couldn’t help but sigh, “There are really fewer and fewer people to talk to.”

“I thought you would head straight to the Wilderness,” Daijiu Tai’a shrugged beside him.

Because he had been “framed harshly,” Daijiu Tai’a could not leave for the time being.

The comrades from the Evolutionary Language Knights Order hadn’t yet arrived — or rather, the high-ranking members of the Six Dragons Sect hadn’t come, and Daijiu Tai’a didn’t want to leave either.

Amilcare said, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.[Original text from John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, translated by C.

C.

Cha]

Daijiu Tai’a pondered for a moment, “‘So, blow the gentle flutes’?”[Original text: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on, same source]

Amilcare looked at Daijiu Tai’a unexpectedly, “You’ve studied this as well?”

“Look who’s talking, I do study the evolution of languages, so I have some research on ancient languages,” laughed Daijiu Tai’a.

“Yes, the ancients spoke well.

Unheard melodies are sweeter.

Standing here, imagining the scene of the Hero being captured by soldiers, might be more pleasurable than seeing it with my own eyes.

Because in imagination, that Hero could be captured in various disgraceful ways.

But the reality often isn’t as dramatic,” Amilcare said, “Even if that Hero is truly troublesome, once Balbo has restricted his range, I would personally make my move, descending from the sky to slay him.”

“Ho ho,” Daijiu Tai’a nodded, “But, wasn’t there just a report about a significant communication disruption?

That’s not a good sign.”

“Probably an electromagnetic pulse?” Amilcare suggested.

Suddenly, Daijiu Tai’a pondered for a moment, stretched out his hand, and pointed towards a spot in the Wilderness, “What do you think that is?”

Amilcare followed the direction Daijiu Tai’a was pointing and kept adjusting the lens of his Prosthetic Eye.

After a moment, he said uncertainly, “Is that Iron Dust?”

“Isn’t that area behind your search line?”

“Ah…

indeed it is?”

“There really shouldn’t be a need to use Iron Dust in this area, should there?”

Amilcare still remained unperturbed, “In past records, Iron Dust has often been buried underground in the form of landmines.

After all, a sudden burst of Iron Dust from the ground drawing our armed forces’ attention can let a small number of Heroes infiltrate more easily.

It’s a common tactic.”

The Lord remained composed, completely unworried.

“You really are confident.”

“I have great confidence in my subordinates,” Amilcare said, “No matter how ineffective they may be, they can’t possibly be overwhelmed by Heroes face-to-face — the combination of Martial Ancestor and ‘that person’ was just a fleeting occurrence in history, and they failed too.

Heroes cannot just break through the army frontally.”

“Cough cough, as a scholar, I need to remind you, sir, that in the era of the ‘Secret Wars’, an early Martial Artist breaking through an army was a common occurrence.”

“Haha,” Amilcare laughed, “Knight, haven’t you realized?

In the era of Secret Wars, the armies were purely armed with Firearm by Natural People — they were either non-cyberized or minimally cyberized Benchmark Men, whose mobility on this planet really wasn’t up to much.

They feared ricochets, shrapnel, and any mishap on the battlefield could cost them their lives.

To coordinate with Firearm, they had to deploy in a Scattered Troops Line.”

“Cyber Martial Arts were originally aimed at them, and they couldn’t target the early Martial Artists.

But now, times have changed, you see.”

But moments later, a great many explosions appeared amidst the dense fog.

Daijiu Tai’a turned his head to look at Amilcare, “Sir, the times may not have changed as much as you think.”

Old Master Zhao remained silent.

About ten minutes later, Amilcare Zhao’s Ground Effect Vehicle tore through the silver fog and arrived at the center of the battlefield.

There were only limbs and body parts left on the ground.

Countless soldiers had just turned into a heap of debris.

It seemed to be an attack from within, causing these soldiers to counterattack hastily.

Because Iron Dust blocked the communications, they could not distinguish friend from foe, so everyone just fired wildly.

The vast majority died by their own comrades’ hands.

And right at the center of all the attacks…

Amilcare saw the remnants of a War Chariot.

He found a camouflage-hidden QR code number.

This was his Assistant Officer Balbo’s War Chariot.

Amilcare Zhao fell silent for a moment.

He used his three-meter-tall Prosthetic Body to upright the chariot and looked inside.

Of course, only a wreck was left inside.

Meanwhile, Xiang Shan was carrying a head, walking in areas where the Metal Aerosol was relatively thin.

A motorcycle was self-driving from behind.

Xiang Shan got back on the motorcycle.

He forced Balbo’s skullcap to pop open, extracted most of the electronic components, but saved the chip, network interface, and another interface.

He took out a USB drive from the motorcycle and plugged it into Balbo’s head.

Then, the Martial Ancestor, with all his might, threw the head out of the range of the dense fog.

He then rode the motorcycle, cutting through to the southeast.

Moments later, a squad that had received an emergency assembly order passed by.

They heard a faint but high-privilege electromagnetic signal.

This signal used them as a conduit to access the command system.

Then, in the command system of the Protector’s forces, a song was broadcasted.

“Negras tormentas agitan los aires[Dark storms stir the airs]Nubes oscuras nos impiden ver[Dark clouds obscure our sights]Aunque nos espere el dolor y la muerte[Even though pain and death await us]Contra el enemigo nos llama el deber[Against the enemy, duty calls us]”