legendary mechanic

Chapter 8

Baltar's face darkened as he felt his chin. As he gave chase, he shouted into the transmitter on his collar, "All agents, listen up! Come to the tuning room on the second floor at once! Test subject Zero has gone rogue!"

All the guards who heard the news were stunned.

"Zero? Gone rogue? Are you sure"

"Wasn't he brainwashed?"

"Is this a drill?"

"Are you dumb? Didn't you hear the gunshots"

Han Xiao became strangely calm under the assault of Baltar's gunfire. As his brain began to process all the variables and data in his surroundings, the world before him astonishingly changed. Han Xiao's surroundings began to be reduced to 3D lines, as though his mind were filtering out all the clutter - making everything look clear to him. Somehow, he had entered a state of mind in which all his brain's functions were heightened.

"2.0 seconds to reach the tuning room. 3.7 seconds for Baltar to catch up. The three guards will not pose any threat for another 4.2 seconds. Roughly 30.0 seconds before reinforcements arrive..."

Han Xiao had been through countless battles before. Although they were all from his time in the game, it was still experience. And it was precisely experience that enabled him to tap into this special state.

He started to run in an irregular pattern to dodge the bullets.

"Interesting. The toy wants to resist," mused a frenzied Baltar. "You asked for it!"

Baltar was an elite agent with over 20 years of experience. No matter how terrifying Han Xiao's learning capability was, he had essentially trained for only 6 months. To him, the outcome was already decided.

As soon as Han Xiao neared the tuning room, he jumped inside and locked the door.

Baltar burst out in maniacal laughter as he paused to reload his gun.

"Hiding in a room? You have sealed your fate!"

Suddenly, the door was blasted into smithereens by what appeared to be a gigantic mecha arm that appeared out of nowhere. It followed through to smash into Baltar's chest.

-95!

Baltar was sent flying into the wall. 4 or 5 of his ribs were broken by the force of the impact. As he got up, he coughed a mouthful of blood and looked at the newly emerged Han Xiao in disbelief.

"What the hell is that" Baltar stared in shock at the gigantic mecha arm that was enshrouded by the black smoke it was pumping out.

The three guards raised their guns to fire, but Han Xiao was a step quicker. With his right hand, he drew his enhanced 73-WASP and fired two consecutive shots.

With the accuracy bonus provided from his skills and DEX, Han Xiao's current shooting abilities were extremely frightening. Each bullet hit either guard squarely in the throat.

The third guard opened fire, but Han Xiao simply raised the mecha arm.

Clank!

The bullet deflected.

_____________________

Lightweight Mechanical Arm (Left) has lost 8 durability.

Han Xiao fired another shot.

The guard collapsed to his knees with an expression of disbelief.

The corridor quietened down. Han Xiao and Baltar faced each other off.

"The nearest guard will take another thirty seconds to arrive," calculated Han Xiao.

Han Xiao flexed his mecha arm tauntingly.

"I really feel like crushing your throat with my bare hands to thank you for all four hundred and twenty cuts."

Baltor furiously spat out some blood and laughed coldly as he unsheathed a dagger that had been concealed within his boots.

"That was quite a punch, but don't think that you can defeat me with a piece of junk like that!"

"We'll see."

"I can kill you ten times in thirty seconds!" howled Baltar as he suddenly pounced forward.

Han Xiao charged forward to meet him.

Sparks flew as Baltar's knife clashed with Han Xiao's mecha arm.

In the moment that they passed each other, Baltar bent down and aimed a kick at Han Xiao's knee with his foot. To trip the enemy from behind was an extremely effective tactic that Han Xiao had learnt from Hila, and, unfortunately for Baltar, Han Xiao had anticipated the move. Seemingly with superhuman reflexes, Han Xiao swung the entire mecha arm back to smash into Baltar's foot.

Baltar's foot was fractured by the blow. He crumpled to the gruond.

-87!

The Mechanical Arm had a power level of 38. Added onto Han Xiao's own power level, the might of blow was already at the level of an E-grade Superhuman. It had essentially doubled Han Xiao's damage.

Han Xiao estimated Baltar to have a max HP of 300. Coupled with that destructive blow from earlier on, Han Xiao knew that he was probably at half health already.

Baltar was indeed extremely weakened. However, he endured the pain and continued to attack. Unfortunately, his actions had grown dull, and Han Xiao easily caught his arm.

"Impossible... How could I... You..."

Baltar howled indignantly as he struggled to break free from the grip of the mecha arm.

Suddenly, the world before him darkened as Han Xiao wrapped the mecha arm around his head and slammed him into the wall.

Splat!

Baltar was no more.

Han Xiao dragged the already unrecognizable Baltar against the wall.

"Sorry, I lied. I didn't crush your throat. Why don't you get up so I can do it properly?"

Baltar did not reply, not that he could.

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You have killed Baltar, Vice-commander of the Valkyrie Lab, gaining 1,500 experience!