Attack
Outskirts of Thousand Bears City.
Crowley had brought Xavier to a simple and crude building that was still under construction.
Past a board that covered up the basement was a huge place. Flickering neon lights illuminated a place with a cold, hard, metallic lustre, causing Xavierâs palms to sweat slightly.
âThis is the Bloodline Allianceâs stronghold in Thousand Bears City. Itâs impossible for the two of us alone to attack a branch of the empireâs Special Forces ourselves, so weâll need some helpers. Come, letâs introduce you.â
Crowley brought Xavier to a place that seemed like a little meeting room, pulling the door open. Instantly, many judging and distrustful or threatening gazes fixed onto him, causing him to stiffen up.
âAlright, alright. Donât get too overboard with your greetings!â Amidst this perilous situation, Crowley was like a huge reef. His words caused a large amount of the pressure to dissipate. Only then did Xavier get the strength to raise his head and size up the people in the meeting room.
Everybody here had a grim aura about them, causing the teen to feel extremely uncomfortable. However, there was one person amongst them he recognised.
âIs that⦠Invigilator Bobbi?â He focused on one of the many females.
âHaha⦠You shouldâve seen her at your greater skill test. Let me introduce you once more. This is Bobbi. She has the bloodline of the ancient enchanting witch, and sheâs also an official of Thousand Bears City.â
Crowley rubbed his nose, âBe careful. This old woman likes to prey on young thingsâ¦â
âWho are you calling old, you smelly snake?â Bobbi twisted her slender waist as she approached Xavier. She was one head taller than him, and it gave him much pressure.
âCan you do it, kid? This isnât playing house, you really might lose your life in this operationâ¦â
Xavier looked up at the roaring sea and gulped, before turning resolute, âI⦠I must go!â
âHaha⦠Donât underestimate Xavier. Heâs genius enough to have mastered the Snakebite Fist at his age! With an additional set of armour, heâll definitely be powerful!â Crowley patted Xavier on the back.
âMastery over the Snakebite Fist?â The crowd began to get restless, and what followed next was Bobbiâs fearless laughter, âHaha⦠how interesting. This is too interestingâ¦
âHeâs not even twenty now. Considering his age, it canât have been all that longâ¦â She turned her waist and sized Xavier up and down as if watching a rare animal. She then shot a glance at Crowley with her slender eyes, the challenge and disdain within them obvious, âDidnât you take two hundred years to do the same thing? In comparison to him, what are you?â
âCan we not discuss this now?â Crowley could only surrender to this taunt that struck at his weak spot. Xavier, on the other hand, was shocked, âIs the Snakebite Fist that difficult? Then why could I succeed in a matter of daysâ¦â
He now understood that what had happened to him was something unusual. He decided to keep it a secret, it was something that could not be made known.
âAlright! Since heâs gained mastery of the Snakebite Fist, he meets the requirements to join us,â Bobbi nodded and sat down, âLetâs continue what we were discussingâ¦â
âThatâs the kind of person she is. Try not to provoke herâ¦â Crowley awkwardly pulled Xavier to sit at a corner, no longer bringing up meeting anyone else.
âBased on our intel, the empireâs special forces have destroyed four or five strongholds of the resistance in Thousand Bears City. Theyâve become more ruthless and brutal, and the number of young bloodline carriers they took away has increasedâ¦â A screen flashed with many images as a young man in a wheelchair spoke. A picture of Golden Flower Primary School caused Xavier to clench his fists.
âWe can surmise that they mustâve faced a huge loss of sorts recently, so theyâre eager to get new bloodâ¦âThe young man on the wheelchair lifted his glasses, full of confidence, âThanks to them, numerous organisations are now willing to pledge their loyalty to us. Of course, itâs on the condition that we destroy their base in Thousand Bears City and save their relatives⦠Whatâs most important is that the other side is unscrupulous, to the point that even the mayor is disgusted. We can make use of this and break off their most powerful support from authoritiesâ¦â
âDo you understand the general situation now? Prepare to move out!â Bobbi clapped her hands, and people left the meeting room one after another. Only Xavier, Crowley, and a few others were left behind.
âYou donât have a weapon yet, right kid? Come with me!â Bobbi placed her hands on her hips and brought Xavier to the young man seated in the wheelchair.
Crowley spoke up from beside Xavier, âThis guyâs called Genius, heâs our organisationâs weapons and intelligence officer.â
âHaha⦠did you just say Iâm smart?â The young man called Genius burst into laughter, seemingly full of love for himself. However, Crowley and Bobbi did not say anything, obviously used to his narcissism.
Xavier noticed that this man was stuck with prosthetics from the waist down. Heâd evidently suffered from some critical injury before, to the point that even the empireâs current technology could not allow him to recover.
Genius maneuvered his wheelchair and arrived in front of Xavier, âSpeak! Tell me what you want. Even if itâs the newest version of Rapid Shadow, I can get it for you!â
âMm, I havenât tried the high-grade Rapid Shadow yet, and I havenât even passed the licensing exam. The same goes for laser weaponsâ¦â Xavier scratched his head in embarrassment.
âThenâ¦â Crowley and Bobbi exchanged an awkward glance, but they did not speak.
âJust give me armour!â Xavier had made his choice after some thought. After all, his greatest advantage was the mastery of the Snakebite Fist. Sturdy armour would greatly raise his battle might.
âJust armour? Donât you need anything else? How about tracking cannons? Or an external Weave connection?âGenius trained a piercing gaze on Xavier, as if measuring his body size.
âThatâs not necessary. All I want is something that can protect me well. The metal for my arms must be durable enough, and should not affect my movements⦠And for my legs, Itâs best thatâ¦â
Xavier gave a broad outline of what he wanted and then looked at Genius, âIâve said a lot. Do you remember it all?â
âHaha⦠itâs no big deal. Iâm Genius, remember?â A projection appeared in mid-air as Genius patted his wheelchair, showing an outline of armour that was exactly like what Xavier had described.
âThe only thing that matches your requirements right now is the empireâs Venomsnake Armour. Thankfully thereâs one stored in the base. It can be used after some modificationâ¦â Geniusâ hands moved extremely quickly. In but tens of minutes, Xavier was able to don his armour.
He waved his arm and tested the flexibility of the arms for the armour, and then entered a stance of the Snakebite Fist. âAmazingâ¦â
âBut of course! Genius really is a genius. He used to be from the Imperial Research Institute, anything he alters can be sold at astronomical prices on the black marketâ¦â Crowley had changed into a black windbreaker, âAre you ready? Letâs leave!â
âOf course,â Xavierâs fists punched out, creating dazzling sparks in the air, âJill, Iâm coming to save you!â
â¦â¦
The members of the Bloodline Alliance moved very quickly. In just half an hour all its fighters were surrounding a military base.
âThatâs the base of the Special Forces branch. Once the fight begins Genius will move to break off all communication with the outer world. Weâll have fifteen minutes.â Crowley sounded grim, âRemember to be on time. Any later than that, and weâll have no other way. Once they move out from their garrison to encircle us, all of us will probably be completely decimated.â
âFifteen minutes!â Xavier gazed at the base like it was a malicious beast and gritted his teeth, âThatâs enough!â
âGood! Well then, move out!â Crowley raised an arm, and numerous black figures pounced out. In the next moment, a bright red alarm resounded in the base.
âCommunications down. Haha⦠I really am a genius!â Genius was in the basement of the Bloodline Alliance base, sat inside a huge machine with a silver helmet on his head. His eyes were full of an abnormal fervour.
He hadnât just cut off communications. The military baseâs power had been taken down as well, causing the Special Forcesâ base to quiet down.
*Hss!* Xavier struck out with a right hand that was like a venomous snake tooth. Protected by his armour, he was like a humanoid gundam as his fingers instantly severed the throat of an enemy. The Venomsnake Armour weighed nearly fifty kilos, but to him it was almost weightless.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Black figures were flung away one after the other. Xavier quickly charged out, his armoured hands grabbing onto a fat bald man.
âWhereâs Jill? No, where are those primary school students you took today?â Although his was covered by armour, Xavier understood the he was looking quite sinister.
His fierce murderous spirit immediately caused the man to stammer. His body trembled, and a patch of wetness appeared on his pants. Heâd actually lost control of his bladder!
Just at this moment, a few black-clothed men charged over towards him, firing their laser weapons. The shots only left shallow marks on Xavierâs armour, and in retaliation he struck them ruthlessly, causing them to crash into the wall leaving huge depressions behind. Their bones shattered loudly, and it was obvious that they would not live.
âSpeak quickly, or youâre next!â