From the Abyss of Stars

23. Follow Brother Ao, Get Beaten with Iron Rods Daily

 

Ding ding ding bang clang!

 

"I'm dying! Someone's murdering a cute girl—"

 

Nomi screamed, but her movements were agile. She ducked and dodged the pouring bullets, then suddenly sprang forward like a white flash, smashing into an armored guard’s chest. A fierce elbow strike hit the ballistic plate, causing a metallic cracking sound to echo in the corridor.

 

Crash—

 

The shattered steel plate couldn’t fully absorb the force, and the exoskeleton’s mechanical structure held the security guard in place, taking the heavy blow. The guard then raised a mechanical arm to grab the small-sized Nomi.

 

However, Nomi ducked, slipping through the guard’s ribs, and kicked the spine. She skillfully dislodged the exoskeleton’s safety shell and pulled out the hexagonal battery, triumphantly tossing it aside and making a face:

 

"Dumbass! I’m 1.52 meters tall, weigh 43 kilos, can you catch me?"

 

Without the battery, the guard's figure stiffened, collapsing under the weight of the exoskeleton.

 

In the narrow corridor, shooting could lead to ricochets and accidental injuries. The remaining guards quickly realized this, switching to sidearms or drawing combat knives to engage Nomi at close range, moving swiftly and smoothly.

 

"Come on! You think I’m scared of you?!"

 

Nomi tilted her head, dodging a shot to the head. Even with several 9mm bullet holes in her chest, she didn’t pause, her bare feet stepping on the alloy floor as she swung the wrench, smashing the guard's head. With a loud clang, the carbon fiber helmet dented deeply, and Nomi skillfully pried it open with the wrench’s teeth.

 

"Crack! Time to open the lobster—huh, what’s this?!"

 

The helmet revealed not a human face but a cultivation tank embedded in the head, containing a brain filled with bubbles, wires, and electrodes.

 

This wasn’t a living person.

 

Nomi shuddered in disgust, stepping back to avoid a knife swing, retreating quickly:

 

"Are you kidding me? I’m gonna puke—turning people into these abominations—typical of those Medics of the Plague!"

 

【You witnessed the biomechanical security, efficient and powerful, far surpassing ordinary soldiers. Even awakened fighters struggle against them. Yet, every technological advance is a silent testimony of blood and tears.】

 

【Exploration of ‘Unremembered’ increased】

 

【Current progress: 6.5%】

 

Li Aozi decided it was time to stop watching. Nomi was more capable than he expected. He planned to have the 19 Constitution 【Marauder】 girl take the frontline while he provided support.

 

But Nomi, with her excellent combat instincts and movements, had taken down two enemies and stopped the suppressive fire.

 

Judging by the combat panel, these 【Medics of the Plague Guards】 were around level 18, with armor values up to 140. Nomi seemed to have hidden skills that could bypass armor.

 

This girl was unexpectedly useful. This was good.

 

Initially, he didn’t expect to participate much in the fight, just push the plot forward.

 

But now, with Nomi’s considerable combat strength, he saw an opportunity for a big gain.

 

Li Aozi took a deep breath, stepping out from cover, his gray eyes glowing with a golden ring. Simultaneously, a suffocating pressure descended.

 

"Kneel!"

 

Gravity Suppression

 

Buzz—

 

Silently, the gravity field captured everyone in front of him.

 

Unlike psychic interference, Li Aozi’s gravity power was a purely physical attack.

 

The ability's description was simple: control gravity’s direction and magnitude. But gravity was part of the broader force of gravitation.

 

Creatures on the surface were constantly affected by Earth’s gravity.

 

Even limited to "perception" level development and lacking professional knowledge to expand its use, as an Omega-level ability, its destructive power far surpassed lower-tier abilities.

 

Gravity’s strength had four key points.

 

First, as one of the four fundamental forces, gravity propagated at light speed, meaning Li Aozi’s gravity field expanded at light speed, making it impossible to dodge or ignore.

 

Absolute accuracy.

 

All 14 remaining people, including Nomi, crowded in the corridor, were caught in the 15-meter radius gravity field.

 

Creak—

 

The heavy pressure fell, instantly draining 60% of Li Aozi’s energy, but the effect was far more shocking than the consumption.

 

Five times gravity!

 

The mechanical armor deformed under the weight, and all the guards of Medics of the Plague fell to their knees. Under five times gravity, each person bore five times their body weight.

 

Second, gravity was one of the rare abilities that caused indirect damage.

 

Ordinary people felt extreme pain at twice gravity, like carrying another person.

 

Even fighter pilots, with the best anti-g suits, could withstand only 9 to 10 times instantaneous overload, and any longer would cause dizziness.

 

Even top astronauts, in space suits, would faint and die under prolonged 10 times gravity.

 

These guards’ armor was too heavy, its material not comparable to high-strength aerospace alloys.

 

Li Aozi approached, the guards trying to lift their guns but couldn't raise them ten centimeters before hearing a cracking sound.

 

Snap!

 

The heavy armor and implanted cybernetics separated from flesh under the extreme gravity.

 

They watched helplessly as their own mass killed them.

 

Thanks to Nomi’s prior "taunting," the group was clustered, allowing Li Aozi to stroll in, the guards prostrating like humble subjects before a monarch.

 

A group of collapsed lobsters posed no threat. Li Aozi flicked his fingers, launching blades, tacks, and staples, finishing off the guards.

 

【You killed a lv15 Medic of the Plague Guard—total damage ratio below 60%, over-level kill, team bonus, extra rewards, calculating…】

 

He earned a lot of experience. Never having leveled up, he was still at level 0, making this an over-level kill.

 

After killing the last guard, he had gained 12,750 experience points.

 

"Despite the 80% experience penalty for teaming with higher-level characters, it’s still a big gain."

 

Li Aozi tried to dismantle the guards’ exoskeletons but found them integrated with the body—he realized this wasn’t the work of a mechanic.

 

"Biotech, wetware brain implants, composite vessels, it’s a biochemist."

 

【Biochemists】' equipment often had genetic encryption and bio-virus traps, so he gave up.

 

He didn’t dare touch the dropped guns either. 【Biochemists】 were worse than mechanics, their gear custom-made. Unauthorized weapons were like carrying a tracker, they’d find you anywhere.

 

But overall, it was a good haul. Li Aozi invested the experience in 【Mutant】. Early experience was valuable, best to boost the main class level.

 

"For the next plot, Nomi might not be able to stay with me. I need self-defense capability."

 

Although relying on others could quickly gain experience, Li Aozi didn’t want to risk his life for a few thousand points.

 

Anyway, Frost didn’t lack specialization grinding, and finding professional knowledge would take time. Increasing combat power meant boosting the main class.

 

【Main Class [Mutant] upgraded to lv.7】

 

【Based on your specialization, you gain: Charisma +3.】

 

+3

 

With specialization, the main class gave an attribute boost every 5 levels. Without it, he’d only get 2 points of 【Charisma】.

 

Too bad.

 

【Mutant】’s early attribute boosts were low. Someone like Nurse Leader Nordley easily had double 20 points.

 

Li Aozi had a good foundation but couldn’t boost other attributes early on.

 

Abilities were useful, but low attributes were a problem.

 

Low attributes meant difficulty lifting heavy objects, resisting extreme temperatures, toxins, radiation, and passing certain checks.

 

Most crucially, failing to meet standards meant he couldn’t equip gear.

 

Especially 【Constitution】 and 【Strength】, crucial for wearing defensive gear.

 

"This familiar feeling…"

 

Li Aozi’s eye twitched, feeling like he was back in prison.

 

The call of the prison echoed, imagining himself unable to equip gear or weapons, fighting barehanded in regular clothes.

 

His hand trembled slightly.

 

Yes, exactly! This was his past blood and tears from pioneering!

 

"Forget it, gravity abilities are useful. Glass cannon it is. At least I have a tank."

 

Li Aozi steeled himself, deciding not to grind other attributes, focusing on maxing 【Charisma】 and advancing as a glass cannon.

 

"Speaking of, where’s my tank?"

 

"Hey… idiot…"

 

Nomi lay on the ground, gasping painfully, her face flushed. The fivefold gravity was torture, her organs felt crushed, her tongue almost hanging out:

 

"You… (civilized Frost)… ease up! How… ugh… can you hit your own… ha… people too?!"