A Card In Hand

Chapter 78: Change in Combat Mode, Initiating the Second Phase

After an earth-shattering explosion.

The entire castle vanished.

Not just the castle, the buildings surrounding the street were also destroyed by the shockwave, turning into ruins.

Rustling…

From a pile of broken wood and stones, the Green Python stood up.

Covered in dirt, his face bore an uncontrollable fear.

Fortunately, he had dodged the direct hit at the last moment; otherwise, even with his robust physique, he would have evaporated under that extremely terrifying energy attack.

He didn’t understand where this enemy had come from.

Venomous Fang.

They were in a lurking phase here in Windstorm City.

Moreover, Windstorm City was filled with his people; there were no enemies.

Where did this ‘Silver Cloak’ come from?

And from its actions and behaviors, it didn’t seem human at all but rather like a mechanical life form deliberately imitating humans.

“Green Python, be careful, it’s still here, it hasn’t left!”

Dark Bat slowly emerged from the shadows, loudly warning Green Python to be vigilant.

“Where is it?”

Green Python scanned the ruins fearfully.

Zzz…

Zzz…

Right in the middle of the ruins.

Bursts of electric sparks flickered, and a shadow of a Silver Cloak became gradually visible from transparency.

Green Python cursed under his breath; this eerie enemy was not only extremely powerful in attack but also knew how to mimic the environment and even become invisible.

“Firefly!”

Green Python pulled out a blue card, hastily summoning a firefly.

Though not very powerful in combat, it could transform light waves to brighten the battlefield to the clarity of early morning light.

The current battlefield was too dark, and Green Python found his heat-sensing ability utterly useless in detecting the enemy, proving that the enemy was not a flesh-and-blood life form with body temperature.

“Who are you exactly? Why are you attacking us?”

Dark Bat quickly summoned two big-eared bats.

The enemy’s attack was too terrifying; summoning ordinary war beasts would be a death sentence.

Like Green Python, Dark Bat chose auxiliary class war beasts to use ultrasonic waves to lock the enemy’s position first.

“Answer incorrect.”

Li Ao continued to emit an emotionless mechanical sound.

Two cannon barrels rose on either side.

One was an energy blast cannon.

Firing single shots.

With unmatched power.

The other was a rapid-firing, dense like rain, chain of light-energy cannons.

These were the most common types of offensive weapons among the mechanical killers under the God of Mechanics.

The Shadow Halberd, under Li Ao’s control, could transform into any weapon and execute any type of attack.

It could morph into a scythe to slash, transform into chains to bind, become gloves to block the opponent’s weapon attack, or even become clothes or a cloak on his body, and even morph into an energy cannon for ranged attacks… As long as Li Ao knew how to morph and use it, it could perfectly cooperate.

The only constant was that its total combat power remained unchanged.

No matter what it transformed into.

The maximum combat power of the new weapon was always equal to the original combat power, just with a different mode of attack.

If Li Ao were facing an opponent above the King-level at this moment, no matter what type of weapon he transformed the Shadow Halberd into or how he attacked, he could not shake the opponent.

However, the green python and the dark bat in front of him were just two newcomers who had joined the Venomous Fang not long ago, still considered potential rookies.

The combat power of the green python had just surpassed two thousand five.

The combat power of the dark bat was slightly higher, but still a good distance away from three thousand.

For Li Ao, who was familiar with their various combat styles, even without using a bit of his own combat strength, just using the Shadow Haljarb was enough to defeat them completely!

The reason Li Ao was not in a hurry to kill them was that he wanted to take the opportunity to torture them severely, while spreading the concept of the mechanical killer.

Otherwise.

He could have killed the green python instantly.

Under the bombardment of the shoulder-mounted energy cannon, the dark bat could not have survived either.

“Be careful, here it comes!” the dark bat, disguised as a mechanical killer, noticed Li Ao’s cannon barrel beginning to move and aim, and immediately shouted loudly.

The green python cursed its bad luck internally, as Li Ao had locked his target solely on him.

Dada dada dada…

More dense than raindrops, the light bullets, trailing dazzling arcs of light, sprayed furiously towards the position of the green python.

The ground shattered one after another, and the green python ran forward frantically, making sudden turns now and then to avoid the sweeping light bullets chasing after him.

The dark bat, as a friend, wanted to divert some of Li Ao’s attention, but then he suddenly realized that the other cannon on Li Ao’s side was fully charged and ready to fire at any moment.

The dark bat couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He thought it best to wait and see the situation first.

Without absolute certainty.

Taking action recklessly.

The consequence could very likely be being blasted into a mess of flesh by the enemy’s cannon.

“Green python, just hold on a bit longer, I’ve already signaled the president and the vice president!”

The president and vice president mentioned by the dark bat were the heads of the Venomous Fang’s division lurking here in Windstorm City.

The two leaders were named Crack and Spotted Claw.

Crack was the president.

A King-level powerhouse.

He had lived here for decades, and Windstorm City’s Black Cross Summoning Academy was founded by him alone, recruiting hundreds of disciples, numerous elites. Crack held a high status in Windstorm City, a venerable position, and was a well-known academy president.

Spotted Claw was a near-King-level powerhouse.

His identity here was as Crack’s friend, extremely adept at summoning war beasts of water and earth systems.

Spotted Claw and Crack jointly founded the Black Cross Summoners Association, with a reputation in Windstorm City second only to Crack, who was both a King-level powerhouse and the summoning academy president.

They were not here.

They happened to be attending a banquet at the lord’s mansion in Windstorm City tonight.

In the upper echelons of the Dark Cross Summoners Association, only the potential new talents Green Python and Dark Bat remained behind.

When Li Ao launched his attack, how could they not be in a state of panic?

Green Python, seeing that Dark Bat had not initiated an attack to restrain Li Ao, felt an immense anxiety within.

The enemy’s light bullets increased in number.

Their speed increased as well.

If the two presidents didn’t return soon, he would meet his end here!

“Danger!”

Dark Bat noticed Li Ao taking aim with his bombardment cannon, predicting a spot right in front of where Green Python was frantically running.

Given the advance aiming and the cannon’s timing, the oblivious Green Python was highly likely to run straight into the blast area.

Dark Bat could no longer care about saving himself.

With a sweep of his cape, he vanished into the darkness and reappeared in an instant at Green Python’s side, swiftly tackling him to the ground.

Less than half a second passed.

Boom!

A terrifying pillar of energy grazed by them as it blasted towards the distant darkness.

Every building in its path was obliterated instantly, leaving a barren corridor of destruction that extended into the distance.

The fierce shockwave swept across the entire battlefield.

Rumbling sounds followed!

As they were still disoriented.

The relentless rain of light bullets resumed with a rapid-fire onslaught.

Dark Bat quickly gathered his black cape around him, taking Green Python with him as they escaped into the shadows, only to emerge clumsily from a pile of ruins.

He turned his head back towards the enemy.

To his horror, the terrifying energy cannon was charged up once again.

And even more terrifying was its target—now bizarrely aimed at the pile of debris they were using for cover. The targeting reticle was fixed directly on their terrified faces, and the next second would likely be their last.

“No!”

Dark Bat cried out in despair.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a massive blade wave cut through the air towards Li Ao at high speed.

Li Ao knew that a true master from the Venomous Fang had finally returned.

He immediately retreated.

The energy cannon was retracted.

His movements mechanically sprang into a leap, landing on an adjacent pile of rubble.

The blade wave brutally carved a deep, hundred-meter-long gash into the ground…

“Who are you?”

A short, fat man with a bald head and white beard suddenly appeared across from Li Ao on a pile of stones.

He realized that the castle had completely disappeared and that the Dark Cross Summoners Association’s base had been flattened, which infuriated him to no end: “No matter who you are, if you can’t give me a satisfactory explanation, I will tear you to pieces and scatter your ashes!”

“Wrong answer.”

Li Ao wanted just this effect, otherwise he would have already killed Green Python and Dark Bat and left.

“?”

The short, fat man was stunned.

“Be careful, Lord Spotted Claw, this guy isn’t human; he might be some kind of mechanical lifeform! He suddenly barged in and attacked us, and we have absolutely no clue what’s going on!”

Dark Bat cleverly shifted the blame onto Li Ao.

“It has three types of energy cannon attacks; besides the two on its arms, there’s also a shoulder-mounted energy cannon that’s tremendously powerful!”

Green Python quickly added, hinting at a trump card Li Ao hadn’t yet played.

His statement served both as a reminder to his superiors and as a way to minimize his own culpability.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried.

It was just that the opponent’s attack was too strong, leaving no chance for defense.

The short, plump, bald, white-bearded elderly man was named Ban Claw, possessing the mighty strength of a near-king level.

He was proud and hot-tempered, often quick to anger and fight, and he was also extremely protective.

“When the president comes back, you’ll apologize to him! For now, watch closely and see the only fate that awaits those who provoke our Black Cross Summoners Association—death!”

Ban Claw pressed forward with his right hand, and a gigantic octopus tentacle, dozens of meters long, swept down from the sky, smashing Li Ao deep into the ground from atop the rubble.

Boom!

The massive tentacle caused a terrifying shockwave that swept across the battlefield, nearly blowing away strong fighters like Green Python and Dark Bat.

Ban Claw’s face was filled with disdain: “Daring to provoke the Black Cross with your scrap metal?”

He slightly lifted his right hand.

The giant octopus tentacle dug up the earth as it retracted, bringing the now motionless target before Ban Claw.

“It seems somewhat mechanical, just disguised on the surface. Let’s dismantle it and see which clan’s symbol it bears!”

Ban Claw, still angry, flexed his fingers as the tentacle continued to retract, tearing at the silver cloak, attempting to forcibly rip it open and reveal the mechanical core within.

Zzzzzz…

A series of electric currents flashed across the silver cloak.

Several deep red lasers appeared suddenly, slicing rapidly across the giant octopus tentacle.

The tentacle was instantly severed, and countless chunks of flesh fell to the ground, scattering everywhere.

“Combat mode change, initiating the second phase.”

An emotionless mechanical voice sounded, followed by bursts of light from the silver cloak.

It rapidly transformed… Countless parts, coming from nowhere, moved quickly and orderly in an incredible reassembly…