A capsule-shaped blue metallic object, about the size of an egg, transformed swiftly in mid-air. It resembled a changing Transformer, and by the time it landed, it had astonishingly morphed into a robot gunman with a blue metallic exoskeleton covering its entire body. The robot gunman had a metal holster slung across its waist and a metallic cowboy hat perched atop its head.
The Supersonic Gunman, standing a full head taller than the average human, had a face resembling a metallic skull, its hollow eyes glinting with red light that flashed on and off. The sight was eerie yet disturbingly beautiful.
"That's… the Supersonic Gunman…" one of the Mutators in the crowd below gasped with envy and astonishment.
Supersonic Gunmen, rare Alloy Creatures, were typically only seen in video recordings. For most Mutators in the audience, this was their first time seeing one in person.
"Using a Supersonic Gunman as a trial stone—isn't that a bit excessive?" Ye remarked.
Ye was fully aware of the terrifying power of a Supersonic Gunman. If encountered in the wild, he could rely on terrain, equipment, and the strength of his mutated pets to defeat it, which wouldn't be excessively difficult.
But the arena they stood in was small, and the use of equipment and pets was forbidden. Even Ye wasn't confident he could take down a Supersonic Gunman under these conditions. There was even a possibility he might be injured by it.
If that were to happen, stepping in for Lin Shen would no longer be feasible, and Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er would undoubtedly force Lin Shen to participate anyway.
Although Lin Shen had impressed everyone earlier with his skill in disarming an opponent with his bare hands, leaving the crowd in awe, Ye knew deep down that Lin Shen hadn't even completed his Base Mutation yet. There was no way he could let Lin Shen face the Supersonic Gunman directly in battle.
"I think it's a good idea. We can't let everyone laugh at our three families, can we? It's rare for Mr. Qi to be so generous, taking out such a rare Supersonic Gunman as a trial stone. I have no objections—what do you say, Mr. Lin Xiangdong?" Wang Tian'er and Qi Shuheng spoke in unison, practically cornering Lin Shen into compliance.
Ye prepared to step in and shield Lin Shen, but Lin Shen spoke up calmly, "You know, I always hit a bit too hard when I make a move. If such a rare pet were to be destroyed, it'd be a real pity."
"A mere Alloy-level Supersonic Gunman is nothing special. Since Mr. Lin Xiangdong seems to have no objections, we'll settle it that way," Qi Shuheng declared, cutting off any possibility of retreat.
*Ye sighed deeply in his heart, thinking: "Lin Shen might be clever, but he hasn't faced enough situations like this before. His lack of practical experience makes it impossible for him to counter Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er. I'll have to take a gamble—no matter what, I need to help Lin Shen overcome this hurdle. But with the Supersonic Gunman's speed, there's no chance in a head-on confrontation. If there's no other way, I might have to take one of its hits directly, risking everything, and hope for mutual destruction. As long as the Supersonic Gunman is destroyed, I might be able to get us through this. Whether Qi and Wang's families grow more suspicious afterward is something I can't worry about now."*
"There's only one Supersonic Gunman, yet there are three of us. If you're all staring at me, don't tell me this was prepared specifically for me?" Lin Shen locked his gaze on Qi Shuheng and asked coldly.
Qi Shuheng coughed lightly twice and replied, "Mr. Lin Xiangdong, you're overthinking it. Naturally, we'll take turns—everyone needs to step up. There's no way it's exclusively prepared for you. We wouldn't miss such an opportunity to showcase our power either. But if you're so eager, we can let you go first."
"Enough of your childish tricks; there's no need to humiliate yourselves in front of me. You want to see me act, right? Let's keep things simple, and get it over with." Lin Shen lifted his right hand, extending a single finger toward Qi Shuheng.
"What does that mean, Mr. Lin Xiangdong?" Qi Shuheng frowned, not understanding Lin Shen's gesture.
"One hit. Just one hit, and I can subdue it. If I succeed, it's mine," Lin Shen said, pointing directly at the Supersonic Gunman.
"Mr.…," Ye began, alarmed. In his mind, Lin Shen was merely trying to force Qi Shuheng into backing down, but this strategy was far too naive. Qi Shuheng would never retreat at this juncture.
While Supersonic Gunmen were indeed precious, for the Qi Family, using one to verify Lin Shen's true capabilities was worth the cost.
Lin Shen raised a hand to stop Ye from speaking further. He said no more, merely shooting a disdainful glance at Qi Shuheng.
"Since Mr. Lin Xiangdong is so eager, I'll gladly oblige. Go ahead and show us what you can do. If you manage to subdue the Supersonic Gunman in a single strike, consider it yours. But according to our prior agreement, you can only use your Base Mutation powers—no pets or other equipment permitted." Qi Shuheng squinted, speaking slowly.
"It's over!" Ye mentally sighed deeply. The situation had reached a point where Lin Shen could no longer let him step in to fight on his behalf.
*Ye's thoughts raced, searching for a way to resolve this crisis, but Lin Shen unexpectedly agreed by saying "Good" and stepped forward.*
Ye froze for a moment, stunned by Lin Shen's boldness. He had no idea what Lin Shen was planning, but this was an Alloy-level Supersonic Gunman, and Lin Shen hadn't even reached the Steel Level yet. What was he going to do? Even if the Supersonic Gunman stood still and allowed Lin Shen to attack freely, Lin Shen likely wouldn't be able to breach its defenses.
Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er, though less informed than Ye about Lin Shen's capabilities, also couldn't believe Lin Shen could subdue the Supersonic Gunman in one strike.
While they did believe Lin Xiangdong was powerful, the notion that he could subdue the Supersonic Gunman with a single move seemed far-fetched.
They might entertain the possibility of him killing the Supersonic Gunman in one strike, but subduing it—capturing it alive—was exponentially more difficult. The difference between slaying and capturing lay in how the Supersonic Gunman would be rendered utterly incapable of struggle or resistance.
If Lin Xiangdong could achieve such dominance, the Supersonic Gunman would likely be on the verge of death—and in that case, it would be of little use to him.
"Lin Xiangdong is far too arrogant." Wang Tian'er gritted his teeth, starting to suspect that this man truly was Lin Xiangdong. After all, aside from Lin Xiangdong, who else in the Dark Bird Base could exude such audacious confidence?
"Even if he is Lin Xiangdong, his chances of victory are slim." Qi Shuheng sneered in response.
As Lin Shen took deliberate steps toward the Supersonic Gunman, a flood of thoughts raced through Ye's mind, none offering a clear solution to this conundrum.
*"I cannot let Lin Shen come to harm. Even if it means exposing myself, I must protect him at all costs,"* Ye silently resolved, steeling himself for what might come.
"Mr. Lin Xiangdong, aren't you going to use your Base Mutation powers?" Qi Shuheng asked, eyebrows furrowing as Lin Shen approached to within two meters of the Supersonic Gunman without showing any signs of transformation.
"A mere Supersonic Gunman—why would I need Base Mutation powers to subdue it?" Lin Shen shot a glance at the Supersonic Gunman and responded loftily.
That statement stunned not only Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er, but also Bai Shenfei and Wei Wufu, whose gazes now carried a hint of curiosity toward Lin Shen.
The Mutators below began whispering among themselves, thinking Lin Xiangdong was being outrageously arrogant.