Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 736 - 380

Chapter 736: 380

The Protector’s military formation was also a result of specialized drills. All their middle and low-ranking military officers often checked their watches. Before the mission began, nearly all low-ranking officers leading the squads were assigned a "Pace Chart" from an offline AI.

Each individual squad marched with uniform and rhythmic footwork. For the cybernetically enhanced people, this was a very simple matter. They could maintain "completely consistent" footwork and rhythm until the very end.

However, the footwork of most squads was staggered, with different cycles and stepping points. Over a wide area, this created an effect roughly averaging out, and the vibrations on the ground would cancel each other out. Relying only on sound would confuse people’s senses.

But within this harmony akin to white noise, there was one discordant sound making a rapid advance.

The Ninth Martial God followed this discordant sound, moving forward.

A loud roar resounded.

"Cancer" didn’t make it to the combat zone.

Hundreds of cords were mounted on drones that silently ascended into the mid-air, forming a vertical blockade line. These drones were positioned slightly higher than the metal aerosol. The sky was already dense with drones, serving as ultrasonic emission sources and ammunition carriers, and even as "suspended mines," restricting the three-dimensional movement of the Martial God. So, this particular squad wasn’t very conspicuous.

Similar to the "barrage balloons" of World War II, these devices were also designed to combat Martial Artists. With the advent of high-altitude bombers, the combat altitude of air forces kept increasing, so barrage balloons gradually disappeared after World War II. However, the high-speed mobility of Martial Artists on the ground led to the rebirth of weapons similar in concept to the barrage balloons.

"Cancer" had no sonic radar, and the cords suspended by the drones were too thin, so he didn’t notice them at all and ran straight into them.

The immense force of the impact was directly transmitted via the cords to the drones. These cords remained hanging on the "Cancer’s" prosthetic body, directly pulled down from the drones. The drones themselves were torn apart by this unmatched force.

But this was just the beginning.

The moment the drones were torn apart, an electrical signal was activated. Capacitors at both ends of the cords discharged immediately, and the artificial muscle fibers woven into the cords instantly contracted. Based on the principle that "objects will fall into the lowest energy state," the cords automatically twisted into knots.

This device was only triggered during high-speed impacts, and during normal marches, it was just ordinary suspended cords—specifically designed as a weapon against Martial Artists.

This bunch of cords had an alloy-woven core, interwoven with artificial muscle fibers and carbon fibers, while the outermost layer consisted of numerous tiny scales with an internal structure similar to diamonds. If the outer skin of this device was used as a file or sandpaper, it could even scratch the most advanced alloys. And this material provided unmatched friction.

"Cancer" froze in that instant.

A clicking sound immediately followed. "Cancer" quickly realized what was happening and tried to struggle free. The contractions of the artificial muscle fibers were supported by capacitors. Judging from the quality of these cords, they could not maintain contraction for a long period. Just a few seconds would be enough...

But where were there a few seconds of spare time on the battlefield?

The surrounding soldiers heard the noise and immediately sprang into action. Several thicker cables rose from ten centimeters above the ground and then pressed towards "Cancer"—these were indeed the wired cables used for communication by the troops.

To avoid being easily cut, these cables were also incredibly strong. For the government, such resources were nothing.

And this approach had also led to the development of a unique usage within the Battle Formation Style military martial arts.

Several cables were thus pressed onto "Cancer." Then, more lower-level military officers emitted sonar signals, cryptically calling comrades to quickly join. The two ends of this segment of cable were connected to new ones, with the junction being accelerated by an alloy structure. More squads joined in.

Dozens, hundreds of people pooled their strength, confronting "Cancer."

"Cancer" sensed trouble. As the force from the automatically tightening cables somewhat fell back, its Vector Injector directly activated. All remaining joints on "Cancer" released energy simultaneously.

Then, amid an explosion-like noise, hundreds of soldiers were thrown high into the air.

This was the output of top-tier prosthetic bodies. The Reactor inside "Twelve Zodiacs" was even more efficient and powerful than nuclear-powered ships at the beginning of the 21st century. Although many joints and parts of the prosthetic body relied on magnetic levitation for motion, without actual touch, the energy usage rate wasn’t very high. But a top-tier prosthetic body like "Twelve Zodiacs" could even tow ancient aircraft carriers.

The crowd that was thrown high into the air surged halfway to the sky, even bursting through the range of the Metal Aerosol. A few unlucky ones even triggered the drones’ "Aerial Mines." The shockwave and flames cleared a part of the nearby Metal Aerosol.

"Cancer" clearly saw, amid the flying soldiers, two high-level military officers wielding Sonicon Blades charging over.

"Cancer" no longer hesitated, all remaining internal force in its body combined at once, along with every Vector Injector on its body turning on, including the hidden nozzles. Fusion by-products were directly ejected from the hidden nozzles.

Xiang Shan was instantly accelerated to an inconceivable speed. He surpassed the reaction of one high-level military officer, the thrust horn on his shoulder piercing through the enemy’s neck, directly crushing half a skull while the other half was thrown high into the air.

Unless the opponent’s Biological Brain had undergone modifications to the extent of the King of Godspeed, they were basically dead.

Then, Xiang Shan charged into the crowd. Explosions linked in a sequence.

By the time the second military officer caught up, "Cancer" had already been slashed several times by the Sonicon Blade, its External Armor shattered, barely maintaining its shape by the ropes that bound him. "Cancer" roared loudly and turned to rush towards this high-level military officer.

The high-level military officer’s concealed missiles launched all at once, but Xiang Shan directly pulled off his own External Armor and flung it away. Amid the explosion, a "Twelve Zodiacs" reduced to a mere framework approached this high-level military officer, intercepting his slash with the left hand while the right hand, flying forward, pressed the opponent’s head down with the left hand, ramming the abdomen into the enemy.

The heavy bullets fired from behind at this moment even became a thrust.

In the last few milliseconds before the Reactor lost reaction conditions, "Cancer" pressed the officer’s head into a mass of nuclear fuel undergoing fusion reaction.

Then, the following rocket shells blew "Cancer" into a pile of parts.

When the Ninth Martial God heard "Cancer’s" last long howl, he knew another of the Twelve Zodiacs had gone.

But "Cancer" had already excellently achieved the strategic objective.

Due to the enormous disturbance caused by "Cancer," the pressure on the side of the Ninth Martial God and Xiang Shan was much reduced. Although many realized that "the comrade beside them suddenly disappeared," those a bit further away couldn’t tell the difference between this side and "Cancer’s" side, assuming everything was due to Cancer’s lone actions.