The rust on the steel pipes made the palms itch, and the cold metal touch ran down the tips of your fingers into your bones. Ryan took a deep breath and tried to steer the warmth he had just accumulated with the Stargazing Ideas to his arms, the only thing he could call "power," but when he circled his meridians halfway around, it was like a stuck gear that wouldn't move forward.
"Concentrate! You've put your mind on the escape route you just took?" Alicia's voice fell directly into my head, with a hint of resentment that iron is not steel,"Energy isn't pushed by brute force! It's like leading a stream around a rock, not taking a bucket and throwing it at a wall! Feel the pulse in your arm... Yeah, right here! At this speed, snails can climb faster than you!"
The sweat on the forehead slipped down the cheeks and dripped on the dusty shirt flap. The theory sounded simple, but outside the two murderers' feet were getting closer, and each step was like stepping on his heartbeat. Why didn't there be any thought to think about it? Ryan could "see" the silver dots hooked by the idea to the palm of his hand, but they were as sticky as dripping mud, and his fingertips trembled.
"Damn, that kid slipped so fast! The lean monkey is worthless this time!"
"It won't be far away. I'll certainly hide in the ruins! The archmaester said he wanted to live - the boy was very wicked, don't let him run away!"
The hoarse voices of conversation drifted in through the window, like two venomous snakes puffing letters and making one gasp. A cold light flashed through Ryan's eyes: Capture alive? This gives him scope to maneuver, but it also means that the other side will kill him and defeat his ability to resist, and once caught, the consequences will only worsen.
"He is tall on his left side, has an old injury to his right leg, floats when he walks, and has a very empty lower plate. The short, muscular man on the right looks flexible, but his reactions are half a beat. You stare at his wrist movements."Alicia's voice suddenly sank. Her senses were many times more acute than Rayen's, and she had already known the depths of both enemies."Try your 'time acceleration'. Don't be greedy to cover your body, you don't have that skill yet! Concentrate on the steel pipe first. Can it be faster? Just a little!"
[Skill: Time Acceleration (beginner)]
[Effect: slightly accelerates the time flow rate of a single object or part of the body.]
The system prompt had just flashed, and the tall man had kicked the blocking board and poked his head toward the corner where Ryan was hiding. It's now! Ryan took a sharp step forward, and the tube stung the other person's belly like a suddenly awakened snake - and at the same time, the mind vigorously stimulated the skill, and all the forces pooled in front of the tube!
Hmmmm!
There was a thin, almost inaudible tremor, like a string being strained. In Rayne's perception, the tube was coming out a third faster, so fast that the high pupil was instantly enlarged, and even the hiding motion was slowed by half a second.
"Pooh!"
The pipe hit the target precisely. Ryan himself wasn't very strong, but the force of the acceleration made the tall man grunt and stagger back a couple of steps, his hands on his belly, his face filled with consternation -- he couldn't understand how the modest-looking boy suddenly moved faster.
"Here!" The squat man's roar exploded, and Ryan had just tried to pull the pipe back when a cold light struck. It's a machete! The wind from the knife made the cheeks painful and smelled of a mixture of rust and blood.
"Take half a step back! Use the right side of a steel tube to block! His next move is to hit the left!"Alicia's instructions were as fast as a bullet, without hesitation.
Ryan had no time to think, but his body had already taken the first step - taking a small half-step backward, holding the pipe in his hands and lifting it up.
When!
The machete struck the pipe hard, and the sparks splashed his face and burned. Ryan's arms were numb like electricity, and even the tiger's mouth was throbbing, but he held on to the pipe to keep the man from pressing the knife down. Indeed, the short, strong man could not fight. His wrist turned, and the blade immediately lifted from the lower left to his waist - it was about to open his stomach!
Predictably, Ryan sprinted sideways, the soles of his shoes making a sharp noise on the crumbs of wood, and he narrowly avoided the fatal blow. In the gap between the other party's old strength and the new strength, he once again urged "time acceleration." This time, he put all the strength in his leg!
The step suddenly grew lighter and faster, like stepping on a small wind, and circled the side of the stout man. Before the other person could react, the entire right side was exposed in front of Ryan - a big deal!
"Smack him in the ribs! Don't hesitate!"Alicia's voice was a little short.
Ryan didn't dare to delay. The pipe came out like lightning. This time, he didn'd accelerate, but he won in accuracy and timing. The touch of cold steel pipes penetrating the flesh came, with warm blood.
"Ah!" The short, strong man gave a scream and fell to the ground with his hand on his side. Blood gushed through his fingers and soon lost the strength to struggle.
The tall man recovered now and was frightened and angry when he saw his companion lying in a pool of blood, but his eyes grew a little more timid when he looked at the bloodied steel tube in Ryan's hand. Ryan wouldn't give him a chance to breathe, to take advantage of the victory, to try to attach his newly learned energy to the pipe - although raw, the pipe seemed to sink a little and carry a little strength when swung. With few tricks, the tall man also fell to the ground and passed out.
The battle ended faster than expected as Ryan leaned on a steel tube and gasped for air, his chest rising and falling. After using "time acceleration" twice, my head was sinking, even the scenery in front of me was a little shaky, and my mental energy was almost exhausted. But looking at the two foes who had passed out on the ground, his heart was filled with untold joy - this was the first time he had solved an enemy so cleanly, not by luck, but by his own strength.
"Just try to pass." Alicia's voice rang again, the same venomous tone,"Energy is used as brown as unpolished stone, so the timing is fine. It appears that your previous experience playing games isn't all useless."
Instead of fighting her, Ryan searched the bodies of the two enemies - turning out a small compressed cookie, which was wrinkled in its packaging, and a handy knife with a fairly sharp blade. They were about to turn and leave when, in the locker deep in the hall, a faint sob sounded like a frightened kitten.
Ryan and Alicia's shadow looked at each other (although she was only a mass of energy, she seemed inexplicably "vigilant") and leaned over slowly, holding the pipe. The moment he gently pryed open the door with a steel tube, he froze - inside was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with her school uniform so dirty that she couldn't see it, her hair so messy, her face covered with tears, clutching a worn little bear doll whose ears were almost gone.
At the sight of Ryan, the girl trembled in horror. Her voice was crying, almost pleading:"No... Don't kill me... I don't have anything... I'm going to hide here, it's not going to get in the way..."
Ryan frowned. In the end, compassion is the most useless thing in the world, and maybe it will put itself in it. He has seen too many cases of people being bitten back because they are being rescued for being soft on their heart.
"There are energy fluctuations." Alicia suddenly spoke, her purple eyes fixed on the girl, and there was a little curious in her voice."Very weak, but pure... It is the type that favors life healing. It's interesting that none of the adaptive talents in the world can hide like a mouse here. It's just a waste."
Is it a cure? Ryan's heart moved. In this apocalyptic world where medicine is scarce, a man who can cure a sick person is more expensive than a box of compressed cookies. He himself had suffered a shallow cut by the knife wind and was still in a dim pain - if he could heal, he wouldn't have to carry another injury.
He closed the pipe and tried to soften his voice, lest he scare the girl:"Don't worry, i'm not a member of the vulture gang. They've been beaten down by me and won't come to your trouble again. What's your name? How could I be here?"
The girl looked up timidly, not looking like a bad person in Ryan's eyes, and glanced at the two men who had passed out, with less fear in her eyes."I... My name is Lena. When the disaster struck, I and my parents were shopping nearby... Then it got dark, and there were screams everywhere, and I got separated from them... I've been hiding here, afraid to go out..."As she spoke, her eyes fell on the wound on Ryan's arm, a shallow gash still oozing blood and a bit of dust.
Almost instinctively, Lena reached out and a faint green light glowed in the palm of her hand, as faint as a mist, brushed against Ryan's wound.
A feeling of coolness spread instantly, like a layer of ice towel, and even the pain in the wound disappeared. Rayne looked down. The shallow patch had healed, leaving only a faint red mark and no traces of scabs.
Lena herself was stunned, looking at her hand, looking blank:"I... I don't know what's going on... I've run into injured kittens and dogs before. Whenever I touch them, they seem to get better a little faster... I thought it was an illusion..."
Ryan was shocked - it was healing power! And the girl didn't figure out how to use it herself. It was pure instinct. If you can guide well, you will definitely be a "baby" in the team.
"Lina, you're not a delusion. You're a special talent." Ryan said in a very serious voice,"We can't stay here anymore. The vulture gang is sure to come searching. It won't necessarily be so good luck next time. How about coming with me? I'm not sure I can guarantee your safety, but at least, it's better than hiding here alone and waiting to die."
Lena looked into Ryan's eyes. There was no malice in those eyes, only calmness and a little sincerity. Loneliness and fear had pushed her to the brink of collapse. For a few days she hid in a locker, surviving on the little snacks she had. Every day she was afraid of being discovered and of being caught by bad guys. The big brother in front of her, who can bring down bad guys and wield magical powers, is her only life saver. She hesitated for a few seconds and nodded forcefully, her voice choking slightly:"I... I'm going with you."
[Ding!The novice task "Familiar Forces" is updated.]
[Tip: The Spacetime Crystal is located below the original Music Fountain Square in Central Park.Multiple weak energy responses were detected, suggesting that a low-order mutational organism was guarded.]
[Recommendation: Go ahead fully prepared and avoid hasty action.]
On the system map, a small light lit up, alongside a simple environmental information. Ryan stared at the light, thinking - Central Park, once the busiest place in the city, had become a nest for mutations. Lower-order mutations were not strong, but they were abundant, and Lena, a girl with little combat power, wouldn't be able to make a move.
"Low-order variational organisms..." Ryan read in a low voice, glancing at Lena, who was still holding a bear doll close by, her eyes a little brighter, and at Alicia, who was holding her arms next to her and looking like she knew you were taking care of herself.
His team, seemingly without even knowing it, had its first member. The road ahead was certainly more dangerous, confronting not only bad people but also mutational monsters, but he suddenly felt a little more secure - no longer a man struggling in the end, there were people to protect, and there were reasons to move forward.
"Let's find a place to spend the night where we can hide from the wind and rain and rest today." Ryan told Lena, a softer tone, as if confirming to himself and Alicia, "Tomorrow, we'll try to find a way to get to Central Park."
The crystallization of space-time was there, and that was the first step in his strengthening, and no matter how many dangers ahead, this step must be taken.
(End of this chapter)