My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 147

For three years now, specifically since his rapid rise to fame and his ascension as a faction leader, Bryce had never found the necessity to replace his personal security detail.

In his home city, he held countless meta-humans under his thumb, and from those ranks, he had carefully curated his personal guards.

This did not mean that he lacked access to more formidable metas, but he had hand-picked these specific men for their specialized, tactical roles.

Their abilities were not common.

While other metas possessed similar gifts, few were as potent or as meticulously cultivated as those within this unit.

Twelve personal guards in total.

Three of them possessed the rare capacity to project a durable protective barrier around themselves and anyone they chose to shield.

This energy was emitted directly from their bodies, expanding outward to cover a designated perimeter.

It could remain active for as long as they desired—provided their reservoir of meta-force remained sufficient.

Very few things could penetrate these localized fields.

For maximum security, Bryce kept three of these specialists positioned tightly at his side, almost as if joined at the hip, ensuring they could react instantly to any sudden or surprise assault.

Another three guards were endowed with the gift of super strength, allowing them to dismantle any physical opposition with the ease of a rampaging monster.

Two guards possessed superspeed, intended to intercept arrows, bullets, or any high-velocity projectiles that might be launched at Bryce before the barrier guards could even register the threat.

The remaining four meta-humans utilized wind manipulation.

However, two of those specialists had been neutralized by Van earlier, having foolishly underestimated the supposedly helpless boy.

The remaining pair were currently locked in a fierce, high-stakes battle with Kai.

Bryce himself was not an inherent physical threat.

He lacked any formal combat experience and did not possess a meta-human ability of his own.

All his influence was derived from his immense wealth, his fame, and his political power as a faction leader.

Any tactical edge he held came from advanced technology—either stolen from unrecognized inventors or purchased directly from Elysa.

This was why, as he watched Felix systematically hold his ground against the superspeed guards, Bryce felt a cold knot of dread tighten in his stomach.

He gulped loudly at the unfolding scene.

’This is far beyond what I calculated. Damn it! If the momentum of this fight doesn’t shift soon, I will be forced to retreat just to ensure I don’t lose my life here. Damn it all! The plan is the most important objective right now.’

’I must safeguard this nuke; otherwise, every ounce of my effort and capital will go to waste. Let’s hope the others can somehow turn this situation around, otherwise...’

Elysa, meanwhile, remained kneeling behind an overturned metal table, peeking out at the chaotic clash raging through the room.

’This is bad. This is completely ruined. I don’t even have an ability to defend myself. Forget defense—with this level of destruction, if the Corps uncovers the truth of what is happening here, I will lose more than just my career. I’ll lose my life.’

’But will the Corps even take the word of a few students? Ah, crap. Why wouldn’t they when there is literal physical proof everywhere?’

She fidgeted nervously, her eyes darting around the laboratory as she searched for a viable escape route.

’... As the old saying goes: live to fight another day. If I remain here within the Corps, there is a very high probability that that damned Van will eventually gather enough evidence to bury me.’

****

Meanwhile, Kai was in a tight position against the remaining two wind metas.

The two gigantic wind swords were still pressed against his defenses, and he was straining to prevent them from cleaving through him.

Taking advantage of his preoccupation, the second wind meta lunged, a powerful punch aimed directly at Kai’s head with a sharpened wind spike protruding from his knuckles.

It was a killing blow!

”Now what will you do?!” the meta snarked, his face contorted with malice as the wind spike closed in on Kai’s temple.

Clang—!

The spike struck Kai square in the face, but instead of slicing through soft flesh, the pressurized air smashed into a diamond-hard surface.

Crystals.

The blonde-haired boy had reacted with instantaneous precision, coating his face in a protective layer of translucent mineral.

Being a grade above his opponents, his mastery over his ability was far superior; he could manifest the crystalline structures across his body with a speed these two couldn’t hope to match.

Without losing a shred of momentum, Kai snapped his hardened head forward, bashing it violently into the meta’s face.

The impact split the man’s flesh apart, sending a spray of crimson droplets bursting into the air.

The guard let out a guttural scream, tumbling backward in tremendous agony.

Quickly pivoting to the side, Kai released his hold on the engagement.

The two gigantic wind swords he had been obstructing tore into the ground, gouging massive holes into the laboratory flooring.

The meta who had conjured the blades immediately swung his hands forward in a desperate follow-up; a dozen wind slashes erupted from his palms, whistling through the air with lethal velocity.

”Ack....”

Blood continued to dribble from the guard’s mouth.

He was dangerously close to exceeding his Meta-Force limit, but he no longer cared for his own safety.

His only drive was to take down the youth standing before them.

Crossing his reinforced arms in front of his face, Kai felt the slashes ricochet off his crystal gauntlets.

Even with his defenses, the sheer kinetic force pushed him steadily backward across the tiles.

Before he could even lower his guard, the meta with the split face was already upon him again.

A wind-boosted kick lashed out, smashing directly into the boy’s beautiful face.

Kai’s head jerked violently backward, his neck snapping in tandem with the blow before his entire body was overtaken by the inertia.

He was sent rolling across the marble flooring.

As he ricocheted across the surface, the crystal gauntlets around his hands reshaped themselves into a pair of jagged daggers.

He drove them downward, seeking purchase in the floor.

He met stiff resistance at first, but with a burst of additional pressure, the blades sliced through the marble, allowing him to grind to a perfect, controlled halt.

The guard who had his hand mangled earlier was already lunging at him, bolstered by a final dash of wind-enhanced speed.

Seeing the man charge, Kai remained unnervingly calm.

His eye remained fixed on the man’s trajectory, but instead of focusing solely on the frontal assault, the boy spun low on his knees.

Tchakkkk—!

He sliced through the air, a red mist erupting as the blade found its mark.

Before him, the stunned expression of the second wind meta froze.

The man stared down in disbelief at his arm, which had been cleanly sliced by the crystal dagger in Kai’s grip.

Before the guard could even blink, Kai lunged forward with predatory efficiency, driving the second dagger into the man’s chest.

The crystalline blade tore through the reinforced chest plate of his armor as if it were parchment.

Blood began to fill the man’s vision as he stared into Kai’s singular, piercing amethyst eye, searching desperately for a flicker of emotion.

He looked for guilt, perhaps, or a trace of hesitation at the prospect of taking a human life.

But to his utter horror, there was none.