My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 149

THUD—!

The man’s head hit the floor with a sickening, heavy thud, followed closely by the rest of his collapsing frame.

Crimson life was still surging from his neck—specifically from the jagged space where his skull had been attached only a heartbeat prior.

The sudden, brutal execution caused the remaining two super-strength meta-humans to freeze in their tracks.

They stared in paralyzed shock at the ease with which the boy before them had dismantled one of their elite comrades.

Lifting his crimson-stained claws, Ray stared at the dripping tips with a frigid, unreadable expression.

’I already swore to protect Van at all costs. No one is going to lay a finger on those I care about ever again. If safeguarding them means I have to transform into a monster, then that is exactly what I will become.’

He paused, flicking his wrists with a look of sharp disgust, sending the excess blood splattering across the tiles in a messy arc.

’... I feel absolutely nothing for those who attempt to harm my friends or try to take my life. If you are willing to kill, then I suppose you should be prepared to face death yourselves.’

Van watched the grim scene, his jaw hanging slack for a moment before a sharp wince of pain forced him back to reality.

’Is it just my imagination, or is Ray turning... darker?’

”How dare you, KID?!”

A thunderous, guttural roar from one of the two surviving guards shattered the silence.

Ray turned his head just in time to see the man charging toward him with surprising velocity.

The guard’s teeth ground together audibly as he closed the distance with murderous intent.

”Hm?” Ray tilted his head, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing his features at the sudden, explosive outburst of rage.

The other guard had made no move, nor did he display any visible emotion, unlike the one currently barreling forward.

”Oh! I see. Was he someone close to you?”

The man didn’t even wait for the question to land.

His fist whipped through the air, displacing the wind with such violence that it sounded like a crack of thunder.

The strike sped toward the boy’s face like a falling sledgehammer.

[- 15 energy]

As the punch approached, a delicate weave of light began to manifest around Ray’s head.

It took a few precious microseconds to coalesce—a luxury of time he feared he didn’t truly possess.

But at the critical moment,

Bam—!

The fist collided with a small, circular energy shield hovering inches from Ray’s nose.

Spiderweb cracks immediately raced across the translucent surface.

’The fuck?’

The barrier shattered under the sheer raw force of the impact, and the residual momentum carried through, bashing directly into Ray’s face.

His head jerked violently backward, his feet leaving the ground as the kinetic energy lifted his entire body.

[- 10 HP]

Ray was left with exactly thirty-eight points of health as he tumbled across the laboratory floor.

He skidded for several meters before coming to a stop, fresh blood beginning to trickle from his nostrils.

’Ah, shoot... that actually hurt.’

His instinctive, quick thinking had been the only thing that saved him; without that shield, his skull likely would have caved in from the pressure.

He wasn’t granted even a second of respite, however, as the meta-human suddenly leaped into the air, descending toward his prone form with another crushing overhead strike.

Straining his muscles to their absolute limit, Ray threw himself to the side.

He narrowly avoided the punch, which caused the reinforced marble flooring to buckle and crater under the devastating weight of the man’s knuckles.

Now that the specific meta who had brutalized Van was dead, Ray felt his white-hot anger subside just enough for his tactical mind to re-engage.

That was always his primary flaw: when it came to the safety of his friends, he tended to act first and contemplate the consequences later.

’I can’t rely on Sparkshot for a while. I’m running dangerously low on Meta-Force.’

The guard spun around, scanning the room for his target, only to find the kid still struggling on his knees, clearly reeling from the aftermath of that heavy blow.

Catching sight of him, the guard pressed his toes into the ground, sending spiderweb fissures running through the floor, and with an explosive bang, he burst forward.

’Huh? I thought he had super strength? What’s with this sudden speed?’

That was when the realization finally dawned on him.

It was the armor the man was wearing—and not just him, but the others as well.

That was precisely why they were all significantly faster than they should be.

Now that his mind had cleared of the red haze, he was able to see the mild, pulsating glow radiating from the metal plates.

It seemed that its active skill helped boost the wearer’s velocity, acting as an external skeletal enhancement.

’Uh... focus, fool!’

A sweeping uppercut was now headed for his jaw with crushing, bone-shattering force.

Ray could see it.

In fact, he could feel the shift in the air currents.

Even before the man had fully committed to the attack, his heightened instincts had sensed exactly what he would do.

Which was why, with sudden and uncanny agility, Ray leaned his entire head backward, allowing for the uppercut to cut through the empty air where his chin had been a mere moment ago.

A dull, sonic bang echoed through the laboratory.

Without missing a beat, Ray’s claws lashed forward, crashing through the narrow gap in the armor protecting the man’s arm.

Blood sprayed out in a violent arc as the obsidian claws managed to dig deep into the muscle.

The meta ground his teeth hard against the pain, refusing to relent as he proceeded to swing a heavy knee toward Ray’s exposed abdomen.

[- 15 energy]

His energy pool was dwindling at a rapid, alarming speed, but he had to hold out for just a bit longer so he could find the right position to execute a maneuver he had been meaning to try.

A circular shield manifested around his midsection, but the man’s attack suddenly shifted its trajectory with predatory cunning.

Bam—!

A crushing, roundhouse kick smashed into his side—totally bypassing the localized shield.

[-20 HP]

[Warning: Host has just suffered from broken ribs]

Even before the system notification flashed before his eyes, the sound of snapping bone had already filled his ears, followed immediately by the metallic tang of blood swirling around his mouth.

With a ragged cough, a red mist erupted from his lips before his body was sent blasting backward.

He crashed into the far wall, the impact denting the reinforced structure with the weight of his frame.

Luckily, he remained conscious, his eyes fixed firmly on the man who was still lunging at him with furious, unrelenting intent.

Grimacing in immense pain, Ray pushed himself away from the wall with all his might.

He moved just in time for the meta to punch through the concrete with such incredible force that the entire section of the wall crumbled into dust.

Bryce frowned from his vantage point as a fresh wave of panic flashed across his face.

’There’s no way that the Corps wouldn’t be notified by now. I bet they are even rushing here at this very moment. I need to leave immediately.’

Without hesitation, the man turned around to stare at the exit.

In one fluid motion, he gripped the piece of technology that resembled a pistol—the same device that had been badly cracked by Ray earlier.

But fortunately for him, the internal circuitry was still humming, working perfectly despite the exterior damage.

Crack, Crack—!

’Time to secure my escape...’