Split Zone No.13

Volume 2
68 Two Arms and a Net

“Zou An, it seems like your prejudice against me won’t be resolved by words alone. If that’s the case, why don’t you just get to the point? What’s your motive? Are you after my life?” My words were without emotions as I posed the questions to the older man, no longer wishing to be entangled in this dispute. If a fight was what they wanted, then a fight they’ll get.

Zou An glanced towards my Piercer, “Even if i don’t kill you, any owner of that Piercer will not survive long either. Li Shen, I have just one question for you.”

“Shoot.”

There was a trace of hesitance in Zou An, but he spoke up eventually, “During your trip to Southern District, have you ever met a person named Gao Qin Jiu Ye?”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye…

Ha, he had to ask about the one person I was most unwilling to think about.

Somehow, every so often, I would inadvertently recall the scene of Gao Qin Jiu Ye’s departure, when he pointed at me and said that he didn’t care about anyone. It would always leave me out of breath, as though my heart was stuffed with clouds and clouds of cotton wadding.

What right did I have to favor you? After all, you’re not Gao Qi, nor had we known each other for long.

Still, what was I secretly expecting out of him?

My chest tightened at the recollection of his ruthless yet enchanting face, “I did, and just like you, he told me that the Piercer brings misfortune upon its owner, and wanted me to return the weapon to where it was last found.”

Zou An was in clear disbelief, “He actually allowed you to return?”

I frowned, “Yes. What’s your point, exactly? Do you know each other?”

Zou An’s eyes shifted darkly and squinted. Upon his gaunt face, there was the similar hint of darkness, “It’s nothing. Even if sacrifices are needed, it seems like there’s no way I’m going to let you get out of here alive today!”

With that, he raised both his scrawny arms above his head and shouted a single word, “Gather!”

There was not an ounce of exaggeration when I say that the action prompted a heap of weapons to emerge from the forest behind him and charged in the direction of his finger, whizzing towards us. The number of weapons were innumerable; ranging from knives to swords, daggers to guns and arrows.

“My barrier won’t be able to block those weapons.” Jie Pa voiced out immediately at the sight before loosening his hand gesture, dispelling the shield to recover his MF.

With the fall of Jie Pa’s shield, the calm and composed Ta Lai jerked his fingers as well. The slight movement gave those 13 giants the green light to charge forward without hesitation; their hands fell onto the ground in front of them. On all fours, they pushed towards us with even more speed than before.

It was when they opened their mouth that I had a clear look of their rows of sharp teeth, which resembled a meat grinder. Those ruthless fangs were coated with a sticky venom-like substance as they roared towards us.

Ugh, how repulsive.

Gritting my teeth, my Piercer was raised in preparation to counter the 13 giants while my mind fell in a frenzy; weighing out the number of weapons that was charging at us at the same time, it searched for a way to dodge them all.

How much MF does Zou An have, in order to control this many weapons at the same time? Also, even if his family owns the weapon shop, was there really a need to waste their resources like this?!

“Argh!” Witnessing the amount of razor-sharp weapons rushing towards us, Bandage Man sprinted forward and took position in the forefront of the group. With the sounding of his sonorous growl, another bang resounded from his back before an enormous net blasted from it. It bore a resemblance to that of a spider web.

It was the first time I’ve seen such a technique and in that moment, I was stunned. I didn’t manage to gather myself enough to produce a proper reaction, all I did was to stare fixedly at Bandage Guy, Mu Li’s back.

Mu Li’s body was fully wrapped in bandage and at the moment of his growl, a protruding lump formed in the center of his back; that was the core of the web. From there, a huge structure made out of densely packed and intertwined bandages was formed. With the web behind him, he looked like a spider spreading its web.

All around the web, there were innumerable bandages which resembled tens of thousands of pedipalp. Some of which were more flexible than the others and seemed to have sight of its own, binding itself around weapons flying through the air without difficulty.

With that, the hundreds of weapons found themselves entangled in Mu Li’s net, as insignificant as insects caught on a spider web. The web in front of me stretched relentlessly on all ends, almost encasing the entire clearing of forest.

Woah… That’s incredible. I could hardly keep my jaw from dropping at the sight.

But that wasn’t the most amazing display.

During the time when I was caught in a daze, the 13 giants gathered. Like a squad, they bolted towards us on their hands and feet with bared teeth.

While Mu Li was preoccupied with his own defense, Muscle Man Tao Lie burst into action as well. Just like Mu Li, he rushed and took his place in front of the group and all I could see was his back. Still wearing his sunglasses, his toned muscles were hidden under the grey sleeveless shirt.

A series of crunching noise emitted from his back when those 13 giants rushed forward, and I was even more dumbstruck than before by the spectacle!

From the gap of his sleeveless shirt, I was able to catch a glimpse of the muscle across his back which had started beating rapidly like a blood vessel. As it pumped further, his shoulder began inflating in size, and as if he had evolved into a beast in that instant, they grew tenfold in size!

Bang, bang!

Crunch!

At such speed of growth, the cacophony of his muscles breaking through its constraints as well as the twisting of his bones reverberated. Soon, they had grown at an unimaginable speed into two gigantic arms.

Despite my hanging jaw, I was still unable to find the words to describe it.

It was about a meter in diameter, and extending to not less than five meters in length. Yet, the combination of appearance was peculiar…

Even though Tao Lie was tall, measuring at almost 1.9 meters in height, he still had the regular build of a person. Right now, however, his arms seemed to be heavily infused with steroids but his body remained in its regular state. Comically, with those huge arms, his body looked like that of an ant’s.

Even so, his comparatively tiny body held steady, as if it contained an unfathomable strength, and began swinging his arms swiftly.

Boom!

With the swinging of those giant arms and the wall of bandage web, Nie Zun, Jie Pa and I stepped back immediately in order to vacate the premise for them.

With our hasty retreat, I turned back in full speed and swung my Piercer with immense force. Numerous Violate Blades whizzed forward at the stroke, cutting down a vast area of trees behind us.

I apologized inwardly, “Sorry trees, the battle calls for it!”

I could hear Nie Zun’s teasing laughter from beside me, “Can’t help practicing on those trees the moment you gained a slightly more combative skill?”

Despite wanting to roll my eyes at him, it was true that I’m proud of the new application to my Piercer. At least he was complimenting the new technique I’ve developed.

As expected, the tactics of fighting are found through actual combat, unable to attain through private practice alone.

When I drew back by almost ten meters, I could see the enormous arms swinging away at the giants, knocking back three of them in succession. My face twitched at the brutality of his fighting style. It’s no wonder he’s one of Jiao S’s most capable underling…

The turn of events had obviously left the 13 giants flabbergasted; they hadn’t expected the appearance of such enormous arms, and much less the fact that they could be picked up as easily as chicks and flung back with overwhelming force.

Be that as it may, there were still limitations to Tao Lie’s arms. Between the intervals of his swings, several of those nimble giants scurried through the gaps and headed towards us.

At high-speed, Bandage Man Mu Li’s web, with its limitless extensions, bound tightly around the variety of weapons that were whirring over from the other side of the forest.

Pulling back when we did, three giants emerged ahead of Jie Pa from the gaps of Tao Lie’s attack.

Just as he was about to step forward and seal us in his force field, I glanced over at Nie Zun. Nie Zun’s eyes met mine swiftly and understood my intention immediately.

I spoke up in haste, “Jie Pa! Hide behind us! Your defensive skills will be able to protect yourself while it assists us. Stop showing off, protecting you is our first priority!”

Wielding the Piercer, I rushed forward with Nie Zun hard on my heels. Nie Zun’s dark silhouette appeared beside me in a flash, staying close to me.

I tossed the Piercer to him just as our eyes met.

With his lack of participation in battles, I was never sure of Nie Zun’s combative skills, but I knew that he didn’t use any form of weapons and thus, was unsuitable for long distance combat.

He caught my Piercer promptly. In the meantime, with my tip of my feet against the ground, I leapt in mid-air and readied my bow, my hands drew out six arrows at once.

Arrows on bow, it struck forward at full speed!

My six arrows shot through their ferocious eyes of all three fast-approaching giants with precision. I infused my MF into them for the first time, and the effect it achieved left me pleasantly surprised.

As if it held the radiance of a blaze, the arrow sunk fully into the giant’s’ eyes!

The strength brought upon by the tip of the arrow was enough to make the giants stop in their steps as well.

“Ahoooo!”

The three giants inclined their head towards the sky, parted their lips, and wailed.

At the same time, Nie Zun’s held up my Piercer unwavering with his right hand, a faint smile decorating his features. Just like me, his gloved hand swung it laterally with force, flicking a stream of Violet Blade forward.

What frustrated me though, was the fact that his Violet Blade was far more powerful than mine!

The Violet Blade in front of my eyes seemed to be ignited by a violet glow and expanded in size as it traveled forward. Like a laser, the giant blade that whizzed past was dazzling.