fynovel Chapter 789 Escape (3)
Chapter 789 Escape (3)
Chapter 789 Escape (3)
Erik and his clones pressed on through the building's corridors, moving towards the exit gate that connected Caelora city to the outside world.
However, the journey wasn't without problems. As they navigated the maze-like interior, they encountered ten more groups of guards, each comprising about ten members, strategically positioned to thwart their escape.
Battling those guys wasn't easy at all, due to those damned brain crystal powered laser rifles, and those guards seemed to be stronger than usual, making easier for them to aim due to their enhanced reflexes.
These weapons leveled the playing field, making each skirmish a time-consuming and dangerous endeavor that Erik and the clones could get past only thanks to his ability to affect their minds.
Erik, tapping into his instability brain crystal power, manipulated the guards' minds, inducing overwhelming fear to create openings for his clones to strike. Exactly as he did the first time.
The process, however, was taxing. It drained a considerable amount of mana and demanded intense concentration, especially when dealing with so many people.
Those guys were smart, and it wasn't simple for him to breach their minds. Yet it was Erik's most effective strategy to neutralize the guards without sustaining casualties.
The guards had around 25 neural links each and were almost as strong as Erik's clone.
There was, of course, still a difference in pure statistics between them, but, again, the laser rifles made everything complex.
Having seen what these weapons could do, Erik surmised that brain crystal powers were going to be outshined.
It was weird to think that the only thing that allowed humans to survive until now was going to be replaced as this technology spread.
Despite facing armed opponents, the clones capitalized on the brief moments of vulnerability Erik created.
Each skirmish followed a similar pattern: Erik would incapacitate the guards, and the clones would then rush in to eliminate the threat. Erik even leveled up.
However, the continuous battles against armed groups took a toll on their progress. Time was slipping away with each confrontation, and Erik grew increasingly aware of the urgency of their situation.
As they cleared each group of guards, Erik and the clones moved closer to their goal.
The building's complex layout, combined with the continuous engagements, made their journey feel endless.
The corridors seemed to stretch on, each turn leading to another guarded checkpoint.
After what seemed like hours of relentless fighting and navigation, they approached the last stretch leading to the exit gate.
"We made it!" Alexander said.
Erik glanced back at his group, a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion on his face.
However, he noticed someone behind them, and he realized the time they had lost to face those guards had been enough for those guys to reach them.
It was at that moment that Dreadnought rushed in, followed by the other Blackguards.
"INCOMING!"
The other clones turned to see what was happening, though they were too late.
Dreadnought used her power. Based on what Erik learned, her power allowed her to change her density.
Though the same ability could have different outcomes. In Dreadnought's case, she could either increase her resistance to attacks, or increase her strength.
She hurled spheres that opened, revealing a net which the woman turned sticky before the battle. It ensnared Erik, immobilizing him.
At that moment, Shadowstalker emerged from a shadow behind Erik. Trapped in the net, the young man found himself unable to dodge the impending onslaught he had anticipated.
Shadowstalker's ability, though limited to shadow jumping, came with a significant advantage: he could amplify his speed by jumping.
This meant that each of his punches would deliver a substantially more powerful impact.
Using this tactic, the man leaped through shadows, gaining momentum with each jump.
He emerged from his shadowy realm thirty times in rapid succession, striking Erik repeatedly in the face with enhanced force.
The speed and intensity of the attack left Erik reeling, each punch landing with increased ferocity due to Shadowstalker's clever use of his unique ability.
"Mother fucking Blackguards!"
Erik used his monstrous strength to get the sticky net out of the way, but as soon as he did, Dreadnought came crashing like a tsunami.
She summoned all her strength and used a lot of mana, ramming her shoulder into Erik's midsection.
The impact lifted him off his feet, sending him crashing onto the floor several meters behind.
"Bitch!"
"YOU ARE DEAD, ERIK ROMANO!"
The force of the blow left Erik struggling to catch his breath, but he knew he couldn't stay on the ground any longer.
Erik quickly rebounded to his feet, executing a nimble somersault to regain his balance.
But the Blackguards were relentless, giving him no opportunity to counter.
In an instant, Techmagnet unleashed a massive electromagnetic pulse.
The force of it hit Erik with the might of a freight train, propelling him at an impressive distance of about 30 meters.
He was sent hurtling through the air until he collided with a wall; the impact echoing the sheer power of Techmagnet's attack.
"UGH!"
Erik started feeling apprehension. It looked like the Blackguards analyzed his fighting style, and albeit not having seen all his powers, they found a way to counter him.
That was by using their numbers and some of their members' powers to attack him without giving the young man a chance to retaliate.
That was a difficult situation, even for him. It was the first time in a lot of time that he was put on the defensive.
That showed how dangerous brain crystal powers were and how physical statistics could only help up to a certain point.
These guys had many more times his mana. This meant they could make their defenses strong enough to resist Erik's attacks, and strong enough to bypass any of Erik's ones.
Though Erik wasn't done. No, he didn't even start yet.