Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 54 - 042. Ghost Rider

Chapter 54: 042. Ghost Rider

As the car speed slowed down, the following vehicles immediately rushed up, with two off-road vehicles accelerating simultaneously, attacking from the left and right sides. Agents on both sides drew their guns and fired a barrage at Li Aozi and his companions.

Dang dang dang dang dang—

"Tsk!" The female agent in the vehicle on the left clearly showed displeasure. Nomi would’ve made a mocking face if she weren’t busy concentrating on driving.

"Their car is bulletproof—give me the grenade launcher!" Seeing Nomi ignore her, the agent was furious and reached out to the back for it:

"Hurry up! Hey—driver, maintain speed, the grenade can’t reach that far."

"Agent Luo Fan, the captain wants them alive." Agent Yawen’s reminder came through the channel again.

"I don’t care about that, how can we capture them alive if we don’t stop the car?" Agent Luo Fan retorted without any courtesy, "Do you think now that Ti is dead, your bookish academy style is going to hold up?"

"That’s not the case, Agent Luo Fan. I just believe that using our vehicles to block them is our advantage. Our vehicles weigh 3.4 tons, with wide tires, strong horsepower, and thick armor. According to our training manual—" Before Agent Yawen could finish, Luo Fan interrupted impatiently:

"Oh yeah? If what’s taught in the textbooks is so useful, then follow it!"

As she spoke, she grabbed the grenade launcher handed to her from behind, opened the car window, aimed at Li Aozi’s vehicle, and was about to pull the trigger when the sunroof of the opposing car suddenly opened.

"—Hold on!"

She stopped just in time, her gaze intently fixed on the figure slowly emerging from the sunroof, set against the red and black sky mixed with wind and snow. It was scarcely visible that it was a tall, thin male figure raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. Amidst the roar of the engine and the howling blizzard, she faintly heard shouts from the vehicle on the right:

"Please don’t attack me! I surrender! I dare not run anymore! This woman from the Rose Army kidnapped me, she wants to negotiate with you."

The words were sincere, and the tone was earnest, which made her hesitate for a moment. Just as she was about to determine the validity of the statement, suddenly, a whistling sound arose, and the grenade launcher in her hand was harshly knocked away by a chain.

"When did—?!"

Before she could react, the driver exclaimed as something struck the windshield—fortunately, their steel-tempered glass was strong enough to not shatter. She focused and saw: a metallic canister stuck to the windshield, oozing a colorless liquid down the hood of the car, when immediately, she detected a pungent fuel odor.

"Fuel!"

Li Aozi dangled the gasoline-soaked chains into the car while Qiu Ran raised her hand and lightly touched them.

Boom!

A fierce dragon of flame burst forth from Li Aozi’s hand. He swung his arm forcefully at the car that had been hit by the gasoline canister!

His gray eyes lit up with golden rings, applying gravity to the chains. Initially to help him easily swing them, but as they fell, Li Aozi suddenly altered the direction of the gravitational pull, subjecting the chains to five times their weight.

Li Aozi’s sequence of actions was incredibly fast, much faster than Agent Luo Fan could aim and shoot at him. Just as she raised her gun, the flame-reddened chains had already smashed into the front of their car with a thunderous crash!

Bang thud!

The previously less than 5-kilogram chains, when falling, created an impact equivalent to a shell, the hood was instantly dented and bent inward, causing the gasoline that seeped into the hood to ignite instantly. Flames spewed out from the car’s air conditioner toward the passengers inside, frightening the driver and agents.

"Ahh—"

The people in the backseat hurriedly tried to use the fire extinguisher, but Agent Luo Fan was too late. Her protective gloves caught fire, and she had to quickly pull them off. However, that moment’s delay sealed her fate.

Whoosh crack!

The red-hot iron chains, dragging flames, were instantly flung, striking her neck. The gasoline, influenced by the gravitational field’s effect, spread along Agent Luo Fan’s neck to the back of her neck, seeping into her collar and hair.

In the next instant, the back of her head was engulfed in flames, the intense heat causing her to scream nonstop. She gave up all resistance in an instant, wildly slapping and struggling, greatly interfering with the driver’s ability to control the steering wheel. Already obstructed by the flames and the snowstorm outside, the driver was terrified by the heat wave so close at hand, and with an unsteady grasp, the entire vehicle veered off the road, driving farther and farther away until it disappeared.

Limited by the poor visibility in the Outer World, the vehicles on the right only saw Li Aozi get out and swing the chains, completely unaware of what happened on the left. Agent Yawen on the right side kept shouting in the channel, but she couldn’t get a response.

The vehicles behind, seeing the lead car deviate, immediately stepped on the gas to catch up.

Seeing this, Agent Yawen quickly tried to stop them, "Don’t go over, he is an Arcane User of the gravitational field—"

Before she finished speaking, Li Aozi casually threw another gasoline barrel. Influenced by the gravitational field, the barrel arrived in an instant, smashing onto the windshield of the vehicle behind like a meteor!

"What— Ahhhhhhh!!!"

The glass shattered, and the instant friction and impact ignited the oil barrel on contact—there was no need for Li Aozi to finish them off. The driver of that vehicle was directly hit in the abdomen by the gasoline barrel, and the high-temperature explosion caused panic and confusion, leading to a sidelong flip of the car with all its passengers, which collapsed on the road.

Not long after, a burst of flames erupted from the snowstorm behind them.

"Agent Yawen, what should we do now..."

The driver was somewhat panicked, the fate of the car behind him caused him to fear.

Li Aozi was clearly targeting the car drivers; the driver of the just-attacked vehicle was hit by the gasoline barrel, losing half his life, and then was burned by the flames, dying in excruciating pain along with everyone else in the car.

Death was not scary, but to die in such agony was unnerving.

"We—"

Agent Yawen hadn’t even spoken when Li Aozi didn’t give them a chance to consider their next move. The agent in the backseat howled as the red-hot iron chains completely severed her arm holding the gun. Her clothes also caught fire, and the orange flames made it impossible for her to control her own body.

"Save me, I, I— Ahhhhhhh—"

Her skin visibly shriveled and distorted at a rapid pace, and the fat under her skin oozed out and ignited. The skin first split open, tightly stretched to reveal blood vessels, then turned charred black.

"Agent Char, quickly grab the fire extinguisher!"

"I’m coming—Chu Lin! What are you doing? Don’t come here, I’m trying to save you—ah!"

She flailed and collided with her body, trying to extinguish herself, but she spread the flames to others. Agent Char bent down to look for the fire extinguisher, but she was knocked over by her dazed colleague, setting both of them ablaze. She was swallowed by the flames and crushed under the weight of the other person, crying out in pain.

"No, don’t—ahhhhh—"

She reached out to Yawen, saying desperately:

"Kill me..."

Yawen’s pupils contracted, and she immediately yelled:

"Driver, unlock the doors!"

"What are you gonna do—unlocked!"

Seeing this, Agent Yawen gritted her teeth, immediately opened the door, and the fierce wind instantly snatched her breathing mask away, but she paid it no mind.

Saving people is what’s important!

Yawen hooked the car door with one hand, vaulted onto the roof, opened the door from above, and with a hook of her hand, she dragged the two out of the vehicle.

Yawen was extremely fast; the flames didn’t get a chance to touch her.

The two were swallowed by the wind, snow, and darkness, instantly disappearing without a trace... It was unknown whether the flames on them had been extinguished or if they were too far away to be seen anymore.

"At least it’s better than doing nothing—Hm!"

Whoosh!

A breaking sound filled the air, and Yawen ducked her head, narrowly avoiding Li Aozi’s sweeping chains.

The chains grazed her wide-brimmed hat, sparking and illuminating her delicate face; her gold-green eyes looked up and instinctively met those gray ones lit with golden circles.

Those eyes were filled with a disdain so profound it was repulsive—he seemed to regard no one else as worthy, his demeanor casual and comfortable, provoking a sense of familiarity in her.

Yawen recalled the players at the capital’s arcade who with a flick of the joystick, annihilated countless virtual data "enemies".

A frown appeared on her fine features.

She hated those who had no respect for life.

Click!

Both hands gripping a gun, Yawen stared down the other, poised and ready to strike.

"Eh...?"

Li Aozi was momentarily taken aback.

"At this level, there are still people who can dodge my attack with their back turned."

Not bad at all.

The chains circled back; the gasoline consumed, the flames extinguished. Li Aozi stood on the roof, the chains dangling with residual warmth, sending a faint steam rising from the snow on the roof.

Agent Yawen, half-risen on the off-road vehicle, had her guns drawn, observing Li Aozi’s movements calmly. She did not attack rashly, not knowing whether his gravitational effect would apply to the bullets.

Li Aozi was in no rush either, scrutinizing this Fourth Rule Agent thoughtfully. Her composure and steadiness were a stark contrast to the typical crazed women of the Fourth Rule, which intrigued him.

Was it her luck, or had he become rusty? The latter seemed unlikely—whips, magic wands, and swords were the primary weapons of a Meteor Fall Master.

Li Aozi was confident in his abilities.

Whether it was luck or if she was truly extraordinary would be determined by her next moves.

"Is she a mere minnow or a hidden shark... I hope she’ll provide a good challenge."

As an Ace Bro, at the same level and with similar attributes, there were not many who could compete with his agility.

The sudden appearance of such a person surprised Li Aozi, sparking his interest.

To dominate with attributes was easy, but real competition was far more exciting!

Under the dark red sky, two vehicles like wild beasts roared forward, racing side by side, their grey and gold-green eyes reflecting each other from afar.

They remained in a long standoff, one cautious and wary of the other’s mysterious powers, the other interested, eyeing the other with the eagerness of discovering a new toy.

Time was slow and heavy like mercury. Because of the mental tension, Yawen’s pale forehead beaded with sweat, while Li Aozi maintained his carefree attitude from start to finish.

During those few seconds of pause, Yawen felt as though time slowed to a crawl. Li Aozi’s composure and indifference exerted immense mental pressure on her. And just when her hands on the guns began to waver, a voice from inside the vehicle suddenly inquired:

"Li Aozi, are you done—"

Crack!

The chains and guns swung up, triggers pulled, the still warm chains glowing with a fierce red light.

In that moment, the turmoil of wind and weapons collided. The clash between technology and special abilities marked the start of a bloody battle.