Chapter 026: The Battle Beyond Limits - Part 2

The problem, however, was that every battle record of an Overlimit Warrior contained a wealth of information about their individual abilities. If leaked, not only would it allow others to study and analyze their capabilities for targeted countermeasures, but it might also expose fatal flaws in their behavioral patterns. Should such information fall into the wrong hands, it would be as if they were stripped bare, left with neither privacy nor secrets.

Thus, even when battle records were to be sold, Overlimit Warriors would typically delete their personal data from the footage and edit it before releasing it, never handing over the unaltered recording as the other party demanded. It was clear the opposition’s plan was to seize this precious battle record from Squad Seven, intending to profit by selling it.

If faced with imminent danger, handing over the battlefield recording to avoid disaster might be acceptable. The issue, however, lay in the fact that Maya’s battlefield recording not only contained information on the anomaly but also captured, in full detail, the various abnormal changes occurring with Bai Yuxi. If revealed, it would be far more than simply surrendering a recording; there was every chance he himself would be abducted and sold off to an underground paranormal research lab as a test subject.

The members of Squad Seven were tense, while Bai Yuxi, oblivious to the situation, gazed at the standoff between the two sides with innocent curiosity, completely unaware that he might soon become a highly valuable experimental specimen in someone else's eyes.

“So, it seems you have no intention of cooperating…” The middle-aged team leader, unfazed by Squad Seven’s vigilance, nodded dismissively, then suddenly hurled a peculiar crystal into the air.

The crystal exploded between the two groups, unleashing a barrier of light that swiftly enveloped both sides. Wearing a pair of metallic gauntlets, the leader leaned forward and, with blinding speed, burst toward Luo Fei. His iron fists swung fiercely at Luo Fei’s delicate face, while his four subordinates simultaneously launched attacks on the other Squad Seven members.

In the world of the paranormal, strength seemed to have nothing to do with age or gender. Though the middle-aged leader was older and in his prime, Luo Fei—delicate and seemingly frail—matched his presence without the slightest sign of weakness. As he moved, Luo Fei’s thick-bladed sword flashed down in a ruthless arc, utterly disregarding the iron fist aimed at her head, embodying a style that fought life for life.

Her ferocity took the leader aback. He had assumed that Luo Fei, so young and petite, would panic and instinctively retreat under sudden attack, allowing him to unleash a relentless series of follow-up blows and defeat her in one swift move. He hadn’t expected that she, despite her youth and fragility, would fight with such savage determination. Forced to change tactics, he withdrew his punch mid-swing and hammered it sideways at Luo Fei’s sword, deflecting the blade that had been about to slice into his neck.

The other members of the unknown underground Overlimit team encountered similar problems. Their planned ambushes failed, and they became entangled in fierce, chaotic skirmishes.

Among Squad Seven, Drumstick, wielding a square shield, was the fiercest. He charged forward, shield raised, before his opponent could even reach him. Though the enemy managed to dodge, Drumstick’s heavy wooden mallet swept out from behind the shield with a whistle and struck his opponent’s side with brutal force. Even though the blow was parried with a weapon, the man was still sent staggering backward, unable to resist the impact.

Yet, having landed a hit, Drumstick did not press the attack. Instead, he pushed off the ground and sprang back like a cannonball, curling up behind his shield. A thunderous boom resounded as a searing orange fireball exploded overhead, blossoming into a fiery lotus that scattered in every direction—Drumstick had thrown himself in the path of a blazing orb hurled at Xia Youyou.

Xia Youyou, engaged in a fierce struggle with another Overlimit Warrior, was startled and glanced back instinctively. Her distraction gave her opponent the opening he sought—a blade flashed toward her waist, aiming for a vital spot. If struck, she would likely be severed in two!

Though paranormals were protected by superactive shields that absorbed harm, this protection was relative. If the damage exceeded the shield’s capacity, they could still be injured or even killed. The “X-Weapon” fireball, crafted through advanced techniques to compress X-particle energy, was designed to overwhelm such shields with devastating effect. If hit, the X-particle stream would instantly destroy the shield and threaten the target’s life directly. Even the more advanced warriors, relying on thicker superactive shields, would find their strength and X-energy rapidly depleted, leaving them increasingly vulnerable.

Xia Youyou, having narrowly avoided disaster, saw Drumstick roll to his feet after blocking the fireball. With his shield intact, he seemed unharmed, and she let out a breath of relief. But then, humiliation and anger flaring, she shrieked, and six iron spikes shot from her fingertips like Wolverine’s claws. She crossed them to block her enemy’s blade, while a spike popped from her toe and silently stabbed at his abdomen.

He managed, just barely, to withdraw and retreat, but not before Xia Youyou’s toe-spike grazed his armored vest, leaving a shallow mark—half an inch deeper, and he’d have been gutted, cold sweat pouring down his back.

But Xia Youyou, now a berserk little firecracker, gave him no chance to escape. As he withdrew his blade, she flicked her wrist, sending six iron spikes flashing through the darkness at his eyes, throat, heart, abdomen, and groin—every vital point. No sooner had the first volley been released than she flicked out six more, launching wave after wave until all the space around him was sealed off.

Her opponent, alarmed, spun his blade in a wild defensive blur, barely managing to deflect the spikes aimed at his face, then twisted and dodged left and right, retreating like a startled lobster, barely avoiding the onslaught.