Reading settings
Chapter 49: Companions
Tony scurried out, one hand tightly pressing the wig on his head. He was troubled, feeling that this couldn't go on, and had begun seriously considering whether to buy some hair growth tonic, rumored to work quickly.
The Old Bartender egged him on from the side: "I don't think you need to bring UV Grenades when fighting Vampires. You just need to stand at the entrance of the Night People Club, take off your wig, and reflect the Sunlight to burn those beasts to death. It's simple and economical, and most importantly, effective and quick."
Tony scowled. He couldn't communicate with the Old Bartender; the two were simply on different wavelengths.
"Alright, enough with the useless talk. We should prepare for tonight's battle. Let's get some food now and rest up. Deacon is said to be a very cunning fellow." Tony was serious. Tonight, it would be best if he could capture Deacon and kill him in one go. If not, then he would have to fight to the death against Deacon's backup forces.
He wasn't worried about ordinary Vampires and Ghoul Tribe. What concerned him more was whether Deacon would achieve Deification, and how far Deacon's plan had progressed.
With a Blood God, this type of artificial High-Level creature, Silver Weapons and Sunlight would be completely ineffective. The Vampires' obvious weaknesses would no longer exist. A Blood God could also regenerate infinitely, instantly recovering no matter how severely they were cut down.
Tony had always suspected that the existence of Blood Gods was an attempt to solve the Vampires' weaknesses, and they had succeeded: super Regenerative Ability, invulnerability, disregard for Sunlight and silver, incredible speed and strength, plus potentially greatly enhanced Infection Ability...
If Deacon, after becoming a Blood God, were to be let loose, he would be an unimaginable catastrophe.
The two returned to the car. The Old Bartender went to a roadside store and bought some food and water. After eating and drinking, Tony closed his eyes to rest, preparing for the evening's battle. Bits of Allspark Energy were released, permeating five upgraded Transformers. Five was the number he currently considered most cost-effective; adding a few more as Cannon Fodder would also work, but he was still reluctant to wantonly squander the Allspark's energy.
Tony had already discovered that the Allspark's total energy was also slowly increasing. It was as if, even though the bottle was broken, the water inside, before overflowing the crack, was of no real consequence. The bottle's damage temporarily didn't impede his power growth in the short term.
"Level Four Mutant..." Tony murmured. Everyone said the terrifying fluctuations he displayed during his Awakening were Level Four. The power that erupted at the moment of his Awakening was second only to the two foremost Mutants, which was why anyone with the relevant detection instruments called him Level Four.
But what level exactly constituted "Level Four"? While Level Four Mutants were rare, they weren't that rare. The most famous were undoubtedly the two foremost Mutants, Professor X and Magneto. Others like Gambit, Shaw, and Apocalypse were also Level Four.
Take Professor X, for example: his Mind Control was utterly unreasonable. But as long as there was that special Telepathy-Blocking Helmet, Tony suspected that any weakling with a small dagger could kill Professor X.
Theoretically, Professor X and Tony were somewhat similar in certain aspects, both capable of commanding large-scale forces in battle; one controlled people, the other controlled Transformers. It was just that Professor X, out of morality and his innate nature, refused to do so.
"Born Level Four, yet not reaching Level Four..." Tony closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. He seemed to understand how he should proceed in the future.
When he dealt with Abomination, he could say he experienced a Power Burst, and it was his only one. It left deep scars on his Allspark, and at the painful cost of burning his Allspark, he decapitated Abomination. Just as Level 5 Jean had part of her Host Personality annihilated every time she used the Phoenix Force, the cost of a Power Burst was far too great. It meant teetering on the edge of life and death, a price so immense that it could take a lifetime to repay.
When killing Abomination, did his Allspark merely enhance Optimus Prime's materials? Or was it... that Allspark energy itself was an external augmentation?
Tony let out a soft sigh. The Allspark in his mind continued to flicker intermittently, constantly leaping. Tony could feel that the Allspark was absorbing Free-floating Particles from the outside world, using them as fuel for its continuous recovery.
...
Time quietly slipped away. As Tony and the Old Bartender rested their eyes, the sun set, and darkness descended.
Pedestrians rushed back to their homes. There was a local rumor that Ghosts would appear at night, specifically to prey on lone individuals outside. To ensure their own and their families' safety, people were advised not to go out at night.
Tony and the Old Bartender opened their eyes almost simultaneously. The moon hung high, and the night was silent—a good time to clear out Vampires. Tony looked at the Old Bartender with a hint of surprise. This old man was unusually keen. Observing him quietly organizing his weapons and equipment, it was clear he was an experienced gun-handler.
It seemed this old man was truly versatile; he had accidentally brought along quite a capable helper...
The Old Bartender noticed the gaze and looked up in surprise: "What is it?" As he spoke, he skillfully attached a row of UV Grenades to his waist and placed several small Silver Daggers on his leg.
"Nothing, I just suddenly felt... that you, old man, can occasionally be reliable. A rare occurrence..." Tony said with a smile.
The Old Bartender curled his lips. He had reason to be proud. Fleeing for most of his life, he had endured countless overt and covert attacks. Many of his skills were self-taught or acquired through life-and-death battles.
He followed Tony out of the car, staring at the young man walking ahead. This kid, who had shed his immaturity and matured rapidly, might actually be a good teammate. At least there was no need to worry about him holding them back; sometimes, he even brought a strange sense of reassurance...
The night was still, and several figures quietly lurked.
To their surprise, there was another individual who, like them, had chosen to take action tonight.
This was a tall, burly man. His imposing figure, coupled with his menacing muscles, made it clear at first glance that he was not someone to be trifled with. He carried two Tang Daos on his back, grenades on his waist, and held a specialized firearm as he slowly approached Tony.
"Enemy? Ally?" Tony narrowed his eyes, his newly forged Allspark Armor already poised for action.
The Old Bartender silently raised his gun and clicked off the safety.
"I'm a companion. Like you, I'm here to slaughter Vampires."
The big man walked over openly, slowly removed his glasses, and revealed a set of striking white teeth. Among the upper and lower rows, four teeth were notably pointed and elongated, extremely conspicuous.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Blade. The Vampires call me the Daywalker. I've been waiting for you for a long time. When it comes to killing Vampires, we are companions." The big man showed his white teeth, which seemed brighter in the darkness than Tony's own head.
(end of chapter)
Tony scurried out, one hand tightly pressing the wig on his head. He was troubled, feeling that this couldn't go on, and had begun seriously considering whether to buy some hair growth tonic, rumored to work quickly.
The Old Bartender egged him on from the side: "I don't think you need to bring UV Grenades when fighting Vampires. You just need to stand at the entrance of the Night People Club, take off your wig, and reflect the Sunlight to burn those beasts to death. It's simple and economical, and most importantly, effective and quick."
Tony scowled. He couldn't communicate with the Old Bartender; the two were simply on different wavelengths.
"Alright, enough with the useless talk. We should prepare for tonight's battle. Let's get some food now and rest up. Deacon is said to be a very cunning fellow." Tony was serious. Tonight, it would be best if he could capture Deacon and kill him in one go. If not, then he would have to fight to the death against Deacon's backup forces.
He wasn't worried about ordinary Vampires and Ghoul Tribe. What concerned him more was whether Deacon would achieve Deification, and how far Deacon's plan had progressed.
With a Blood God, this type of artificial High-Level creature, Silver Weapons and Sunlight would be completely ineffective. The Vampires' obvious weaknesses would no longer exist. A Blood God could also regenerate infinitely, instantly recovering no matter how severely they were cut down.
Tony had always suspected that the existence of Blood Gods was an attempt to solve the Vampires' weaknesses, and they had succeeded: super Regenerative Ability, invulnerability, disregard for Sunlight and silver, incredible speed and strength, plus potentially greatly enhanced Infection Ability...
If Deacon, after becoming a Blood God, were to be let loose, he would be an unimaginable catastrophe.
The two returned to the car. The Old Bartender went to a roadside store and bought some food and water. After eating and drinking, Tony closed his eyes to rest, preparing for the evening's battle. Bits of Allspark Energy were released, permeating five upgraded Transformers. Five was the number he currently considered most cost-effective; adding a few more as Cannon Fodder would also work, but he was still reluctant to wantonly squander the Allspark's energy.
Tony had already discovered that the Allspark's total energy was also slowly increasing. It was as if, even though the bottle was broken, the water inside, before overflowing the crack, was of no real consequence. The bottle's damage temporarily didn't impede his power growth in the short term.
"Level Four Mutant..." Tony murmured. Everyone said the terrifying fluctuations he displayed during his Awakening were Level Four. The power that erupted at the moment of his Awakening was second only to the two foremost Mutants, which was why anyone with the relevant detection instruments called him Level Four.
But what level exactly constituted "Level Four"? While Level Four Mutants were rare, they weren't that rare. The most famous were undoubtedly the two foremost Mutants, Professor X and Magneto. Others like Gambit, Shaw, and Apocalypse were also Level Four.
Take Professor X, for example: his Mind Control was utterly unreasonable. But as long as there was that special Telepathy-Blocking Helmet, Tony suspected that any weakling with a small dagger could kill Professor X.
Theoretically, Professor X and Tony were somewhat similar in certain aspects, both capable of commanding large-scale forces in battle; one controlled people, the other controlled Transformers. It was just that Professor X, out of morality and his innate nature, refused to do so.
"Born Level Four, yet not reaching Level Four..." Tony closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. He seemed to understand how he should proceed in the future.
When he dealt with Abomination, he could say he experienced a Power Burst, and it was his only one. It left deep scars on his Allspark, and at the painful cost of burning his Allspark, he decapitated Abomination. Just as Level 5 Jean had part of her Host Personality annihilated every time she used the Phoenix Force, the cost of a Power Burst was far too great. It meant teetering on the edge of life and death, a price so immense that it could take a lifetime to repay.
When killing Abomination, did his Allspark merely enhance Optimus Prime's materials? Or was it... that Allspark energy itself was an external augmentation?
Tony let out a soft sigh. The Allspark in his mind continued to flicker intermittently, constantly leaping. Tony could feel that the Allspark was absorbing Free-floating Particles from the outside world, using them as fuel for its continuous recovery.
...
Time quietly slipped away. As Tony and the Old Bartender rested their eyes, the sun set, and darkness descended.
Pedestrians rushed back to their homes. There was a local rumor that Ghosts would appear at night, specifically to prey on lone individuals outside. To ensure their own and their families' safety, people were advised not to go out at night.
Tony and the Old Bartender opened their eyes almost simultaneously. The moon hung high, and the night was silent—a good time to clear out Vampires. Tony looked at the Old Bartender with a hint of surprise. This old man was unusually keen. Observing him quietly organizing his weapons and equipment, it was clear he was an experienced gun-handler.
It seemed this old man was truly versatile; he had accidentally brought along quite a capable helper...
The Old Bartender noticed the gaze and looked up in surprise: "What is it?" As he spoke, he skillfully attached a row of UV Grenades to his waist and placed several small Silver Daggers on his leg.
"Nothing, I just suddenly felt... that you, old man, can occasionally be reliable. A rare occurrence..." Tony said with a smile.
The Old Bartender curled his lips. He had reason to be proud. Fleeing for most of his life, he had endured countless overt and covert attacks. Many of his skills were self-taught or acquired through life-and-death battles.
He followed Tony out of the car, staring at the young man walking ahead. This kid, who had shed his immaturity and matured rapidly, might actually be a good teammate. At least there was no need to worry about him holding them back; sometimes, he even brought a strange sense of reassurance...
The night was still, and several figures quietly lurked.
To their surprise, there was another individual who, like them, had chosen to take action tonight.
This was a tall, burly man. His imposing figure, coupled with his menacing muscles, made it clear at first glance that he was not someone to be trifled with. He carried two Tang Daos on his back, grenades on his waist, and held a specialized firearm as he slowly approached Tony.
"Enemy? Ally?" Tony narrowed his eyes, his newly forged Allspark Armor already poised for action.
The Old Bartender silently raised his gun and clicked off the safety.
"I'm a companion. Like you, I'm here to slaughter Vampires."
The big man walked over openly, slowly removed his glasses, and revealed a set of striking white teeth. Among the upper and lower rows, four teeth were notably pointed and elongated, extremely conspicuous.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Blade. The Vampires call me the Daywalker. I've been waiting for you for a long time. When it comes to killing Vampires, we are companions." The big man showed his white teeth, which seemed brighter in the darkness than Tony's own head.
(end of chapter)
