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Chapter 299: Care to Reminisce?
"System self-check, operational performance test."
Brainiac began to mutter to himself.
He had already noticed that something was amiss. He had confirmed again and again that the coordinate lock was correct—it was indeed the target room. Although he couldn't explain why there were so many strange things in the room, one thing was certain.
The teleportation device was functioning well, which was why people were continuously being absorbed. But the target might possess some form of shielding that could obstruct the process.
"Database update. Race Code: Ultraman. The accuracy of some previously observed data may be questionable, requiring further adjustment."
"What kind of adjustment? Why don't you tell me about it?"
A voice suddenly rang out within the warship. Brainiac whipped his head around, only to see the target he had been so fixated on had finally arrived. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a cage, but right in his face.
Old Bu's brilliant mind reacted instantly. His arm reflexively shot up, his right limb transforming into a cannon and locking onto Orin Vale.
"Target detected, initiating defensive countermeasures—"
*Bang!*
A fist, so fast it was a blur, had already smashed into his face. Old Bu's head snapped back as parts and fragments flew. He was sent flying backward, his body crackling with electric arcs.
It seemed the defensive strategy had been completely useless.
"Security vulnerability, security vulnerability..."
The electronic voice echoed throughout the vast cabin.
Immediately, one after another, hidden panels slid open on the surrounding walls, and mechanical bodies covered in circuits were dropped down. Their black bodies were made of an unknown alloy, and an eerie green light glowed from the components that served as their pupils. Their indestructible structures formed a skeleton-like shape.
The cables detached one by one, and the robot bodies slowly descended to the floor, forming an iron-clad encirclement around Orin Vale.
"Target designation changed. New priority mission: destroy the intruder."
Orin Vale's calm gaze swept over the circle of robots. "You know, when I first discovered someone was scheming something, several thoughts flashed through my mind, and I listed a number of possible enemies. But for a moment, I really didn't think of you. I had almost forgotten about you..."
All the robots opened fire simultaneously.
Upon a closer look, one would notice they even seemed to have some form of tactical coordination, with each one firing a different type of energy beam. Some were responsible for control, others for damage output, and some even for applying shields, standing at the forefront to absorb damage.
With tanks, crowd control, and damage dealers, the team fight was surprisingly logical.
Of course, what was that saying again?
In the face of absolute strength...
As the thought crossed his mind, Orin Vale had already flashed out of position. An electric current tore through space, and a supersonic afterimage elegantly weaved through the crisscrossing energy beams.
Faster than the encirclement could even form, Orin Vale had already broken through the blockade before the first energy beam could reach him. The red and silver afterimage swept through an entire line of robots like a torrent of lightning, a flash flood washing over them.
The robots in its path were instantly overwhelmed, their "indestructible" armor disintegrating with a series of clatters. Orin Vale used a sliding step to brake behind that row of mechas, leaving only a floor of shattered parts behind him.
Of course, these machines felt no fear. The vaporization of their teammates caused no trouble for the remaining troops. Their high-speed AI immediately re-locked onto Orin Vale's position. All cannon barrels swiveled to track him, and bursts of energy and radiant flames erupted, surging toward him.
Orin Vale extended his left hand, and the light from his body coalesced into a barrier. A rain-like barrage of energy pelted the shield. Although all the blasts were blocked, they didn't dissipate, instead seeming to linger on the barrier's surface after the impact faded.
Orin Vale flipped his wrist with a light twist. The shield in his hand spun rapidly, and the light energy transformed into a vortex, swallowing all the absorbed energy. With a change in his hand gesture, the majestic brilliance instantly split into many beams, each one intelligently locking onto a robot's location. It became a volley of light arrows that blasted through every single mecha!
It was a screen-clearing, one-shot kill. The scattered radiance exploded throughout the space, and a continuous series of explosions echoed inside the warship.
Brainiac, who had been knocked away at the beginning, took this opportunity to raise his arm again, locking onto the back of Orin Vale, who was still manipulating the barrier in mid-air.
But the moment he fired his cannon, just as the annihilating particles and intense heat left the barrel, the red and silver body abruptly vanished.
Brainiac's AI operated at high speed, his targeting system almost instantly catching up with the high-speed afterimage and confirming its coordinates...
...right in his own face.
Orin Vale's five fingers spread open, firmly catching the arm Brainiac had swung at him. It was clear that Old Bu's current body was quite formidable; the force behind that sweep was easily in the tens of thousands of tons. However, Orin Vale caught it with ease, his hand even crushing Old Bu's arm out of shape, his fingers embedding themselves into its armored shell.
He followed through with a powerful tug, unleashing his immense strength. With a *kacha*, he ripped Brainiac's entire arm clean off his body. Machine oil and electric sparks sprayed from the socket like blood, and a long, chain-like structure resembling a spine dangled from the severed limb.
Brainiac turned his head to face Orin Vale, his mouth opening to reveal a dark heavy cannon. But before he could fire, he saw Orin Vale swing the severed arm and, with a *smack*, send Brainiac's entire head flying. The robot's round head flew far away like a home-run baseball, a long, chain-like structure trailing from the severed neck, looking just like a spine.
The chest of the headless, armless body popped open with a click, revealing another hidden cannon inside, still attempting to resist. Such an unyielding spirit was commendable, though utterly useless.
Orin Vale tossed aside the severed arm and shaped his five fingers into a knife-hand. He thrust it forward in a *Black Tiger Steals the Heart* strike. His entire arm shot through Brainiac's chest like a spear, bursting out from his back with a shower of electric arcs.
The final counterattack was neutralized, the hidden cannon instantly scrapped. When Orin Vale pulled his arm back, he was holding an energy core that looked like a half-biological, half-metal heart.
He squeezed hard. The core burst, and a splatter of plasma and broken parts flew out. The headless body knelt on the ground and went completely still.
Orin Vale recalled his decisive battle with a Brainiac of similar specifications back in Metropolis. That time, it had taken a bit of effort, and the key to his victory had been Old Bu generously blasting him with a Star Cannon.
Though not much time had passed since then, it was the same Old Bu, but Orin Vale had been completely reborn. Facing Brainiac again after a full hardware and software upgrade, it was even easier than he had imagined.
Now, with a single thought, he could come up with at least a hundred ways to dismantle this entire warship. Recalling their previous battle felt like it happened a lifetime ago; it was almost surreal.
However, Old Bu's head had rolled to one side, its eyes flickering on and off, as it managed to stammer out a few words.
"Da... Data update. Race Code... Ultraman. Exceeds... calculation... can... cannot... bzzt..."
"Alright, stop wailing."
Orin Vale walked over and picked up the only thing left of Old Bu—his head.
"This scene feels strangely familiar... but it really has been a while. How about it, care to catch up?"
(end of chapter)
"System self-check, operational performance test."
Brainiac began to mutter to himself.
He had already noticed that something was amiss. He had confirmed again and again that the coordinate lock was correct—it was indeed the target room. Although he couldn't explain why there were so many strange things in the room, one thing was certain.
The teleportation device was functioning well, which was why people were continuously being absorbed. But the target might possess some form of shielding that could obstruct the process.
"Database update. Race Code: Ultraman. The accuracy of some previously observed data may be questionable, requiring further adjustment."
"What kind of adjustment? Why don't you tell me about it?"
A voice suddenly rang out within the warship. Brainiac whipped his head around, only to see the target he had been so fixated on had finally arrived. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a cage, but right in his face.
Old Bu's brilliant mind reacted instantly. His arm reflexively shot up, his right limb transforming into a cannon and locking onto Orin Vale.
"Target detected, initiating defensive countermeasures—"
*Bang!*
A fist, so fast it was a blur, had already smashed into his face. Old Bu's head snapped back as parts and fragments flew. He was sent flying backward, his body crackling with electric arcs.
It seemed the defensive strategy had been completely useless.
"Security vulnerability, security vulnerability..."
The electronic voice echoed throughout the vast cabin.
Immediately, one after another, hidden panels slid open on the surrounding walls, and mechanical bodies covered in circuits were dropped down. Their black bodies were made of an unknown alloy, and an eerie green light glowed from the components that served as their pupils. Their indestructible structures formed a skeleton-like shape.
The cables detached one by one, and the robot bodies slowly descended to the floor, forming an iron-clad encirclement around Orin Vale.
"Target designation changed. New priority mission: destroy the intruder."
Orin Vale's calm gaze swept over the circle of robots. "You know, when I first discovered someone was scheming something, several thoughts flashed through my mind, and I listed a number of possible enemies. But for a moment, I really didn't think of you. I had almost forgotten about you..."
All the robots opened fire simultaneously.
Upon a closer look, one would notice they even seemed to have some form of tactical coordination, with each one firing a different type of energy beam. Some were responsible for control, others for damage output, and some even for applying shields, standing at the forefront to absorb damage.
With tanks, crowd control, and damage dealers, the team fight was surprisingly logical.
Of course, what was that saying again?
In the face of absolute strength...
As the thought crossed his mind, Orin Vale had already flashed out of position. An electric current tore through space, and a supersonic afterimage elegantly weaved through the crisscrossing energy beams.
Faster than the encirclement could even form, Orin Vale had already broken through the blockade before the first energy beam could reach him. The red and silver afterimage swept through an entire line of robots like a torrent of lightning, a flash flood washing over them.
The robots in its path were instantly overwhelmed, their "indestructible" armor disintegrating with a series of clatters. Orin Vale used a sliding step to brake behind that row of mechas, leaving only a floor of shattered parts behind him.
Of course, these machines felt no fear. The vaporization of their teammates caused no trouble for the remaining troops. Their high-speed AI immediately re-locked onto Orin Vale's position. All cannon barrels swiveled to track him, and bursts of energy and radiant flames erupted, surging toward him.
Orin Vale extended his left hand, and the light from his body coalesced into a barrier. A rain-like barrage of energy pelted the shield. Although all the blasts were blocked, they didn't dissipate, instead seeming to linger on the barrier's surface after the impact faded.
Orin Vale flipped his wrist with a light twist. The shield in his hand spun rapidly, and the light energy transformed into a vortex, swallowing all the absorbed energy. With a change in his hand gesture, the majestic brilliance instantly split into many beams, each one intelligently locking onto a robot's location. It became a volley of light arrows that blasted through every single mecha!
It was a screen-clearing, one-shot kill. The scattered radiance exploded throughout the space, and a continuous series of explosions echoed inside the warship.
Brainiac, who had been knocked away at the beginning, took this opportunity to raise his arm again, locking onto the back of Orin Vale, who was still manipulating the barrier in mid-air.
But the moment he fired his cannon, just as the annihilating particles and intense heat left the barrel, the red and silver body abruptly vanished.
Brainiac's AI operated at high speed, his targeting system almost instantly catching up with the high-speed afterimage and confirming its coordinates...
...right in his own face.
Orin Vale's five fingers spread open, firmly catching the arm Brainiac had swung at him. It was clear that Old Bu's current body was quite formidable; the force behind that sweep was easily in the tens of thousands of tons. However, Orin Vale caught it with ease, his hand even crushing Old Bu's arm out of shape, his fingers embedding themselves into its armored shell.
He followed through with a powerful tug, unleashing his immense strength. With a *kacha*, he ripped Brainiac's entire arm clean off his body. Machine oil and electric sparks sprayed from the socket like blood, and a long, chain-like structure resembling a spine dangled from the severed limb.
Brainiac turned his head to face Orin Vale, his mouth opening to reveal a dark heavy cannon. But before he could fire, he saw Orin Vale swing the severed arm and, with a *smack*, send Brainiac's entire head flying. The robot's round head flew far away like a home-run baseball, a long, chain-like structure trailing from the severed neck, looking just like a spine.
The chest of the headless, armless body popped open with a click, revealing another hidden cannon inside, still attempting to resist. Such an unyielding spirit was commendable, though utterly useless.
Orin Vale tossed aside the severed arm and shaped his five fingers into a knife-hand. He thrust it forward in a *Black Tiger Steals the Heart* strike. His entire arm shot through Brainiac's chest like a spear, bursting out from his back with a shower of electric arcs.
The final counterattack was neutralized, the hidden cannon instantly scrapped. When Orin Vale pulled his arm back, he was holding an energy core that looked like a half-biological, half-metal heart.
He squeezed hard. The core burst, and a splatter of plasma and broken parts flew out. The headless body knelt on the ground and went completely still.
Orin Vale recalled his decisive battle with a Brainiac of similar specifications back in Metropolis. That time, it had taken a bit of effort, and the key to his victory had been Old Bu generously blasting him with a Star Cannon.
Though not much time had passed since then, it was the same Old Bu, but Orin Vale had been completely reborn. Facing Brainiac again after a full hardware and software upgrade, it was even easier than he had imagined.
Now, with a single thought, he could come up with at least a hundred ways to dismantle this entire warship. Recalling their previous battle felt like it happened a lifetime ago; it was almost surreal.
However, Old Bu's head had rolled to one side, its eyes flickering on and off, as it managed to stammer out a few words.
"Da... Data update. Race Code... Ultraman. Exceeds... calculation... can... cannot... bzzt..."
"Alright, stop wailing."
Orin Vale walked over and picked up the only thing left of Old Bu—his head.
"This scene feels strangely familiar... but it really has been a while. How about it, care to catch up?"
(end of chapter)
