Although the words were spoken with defiance, Luo Qi felt a profound sense of unease. The seven individuals trailing behind Mo Jue appeared utterly terrifying.
Their muscles bulged, straining the combat suits they wore. Their pupils were dilated, their eyes bloodshot and vacant. Standing behind Mo Jue, they formed a human wall, formidable and imposing.
The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind. 111 stood diagonally in front of Luo Qi, subtly blocking Mo Jue’s gaze.
Mo Jue chuckled, "It seems Shi Shen was right. You do have a system by your side."
Luo Qi looked at the figure entirely shrouded in a black cloak, remaining silent.
Mo Jue raised an eyebrow and sneered, "What? Aren't your little followers always surrounding you? Have you fallen out of favor now?"
Luo Qi frowned, tightening his grip on the dagger. "Only people like you would call friends 'little followers.' And how dare your defective system call itself Shi Shen?"
Mo Jue's smile faded slightly. "Friends? I don't need that kind of thing! My teammates are enough. My system is the best! Only I! Should be the future of this world!"
Luo Qi looked at the "teammates" Mo Jue spoke of. Their eyes were vacant, the whites of their eyes more prominent than the pupils, as if they had lost their minds. A single glance was enough to tell that these people could no longer be considered "human." Luo Qi wondered what the system calling itself Shi Shen had done to them, and if they could ever recover. Perhaps through subtle influence, Mo Jue had also been affected by Shi Shen, becoming irritable and prone to losing his temper.
111 stood before Luo Qi, carefully observing "Shi Shen" hidden within the cloak. Even though a proper system like itself disdained rogue systems that had defected, it had to admit that systems that operated outside the rules gained energy much faster. Destroyed worlds, possessed individuals, and the accumulation of all malevolent thoughts could become energy for this rebellious system, as it had no scruples. 111 wasn't even sure if it could defeat him using its full power today.
The atmosphere grew tense. Shi Shen, who had remained silent, raised a hand and, with a "hiss," tore off its cloak. It revealed a body strikingly similar to 111's, but appearing more robust and powerful. Despite both being made of metal, Luo Qi felt this distinction instantly. Its metallic fingers were unnaturally long, gleaming with a cold light. Sharp spikes protruded from its arms and legs, and its mouth opened to reveal sharp, predatory teeth. Compared to 111, which was also entirely metallic, it appeared jarringly discordant, like a completely different species.
Luo Qi narrowed his eyes. No wonder Shi Shen always wore a cloak, preventing others from seeing it.
Shi Shen flexed its hand and sneered, "Why waste words with them?" It wasn't like that child who took every little bit of anger as a deep-seated hatred. It knew far more than Mo Jue. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for them. It didn't understand why Luo Qi's friends hadn't arrived yet, but it didn't believe they wouldn't discover them eventually. The technology of this world was already very advanced. Although it had disabled the surrounding cameras beforehand, discovery was only a matter of time.
Shi Shen's gaze sharpened, and it charged towards Luo Qi. 111, which had been watching it intently, shoved Luo Qi aside and shouted, "Be careful!"
Luo Qi dodged Shi Shen's attack. Its fist slammed heavily onto the ground, creating a deep crater. His heart grew more heavy. Merely with brute force, this system possessed such power. What about Mo Jue and the others...? Goosebumps prickled his skin. Luo Qi felt a sense of foreboding and retreated faster than his mind could process, narrowly avoiding Mo Jue's incoming light sword. The faint light emanating from the sword sliced through the night, grazing Luo Qi's arm by a hair's breadth. The powerful destructive energy surging from the sword sent a shiver down his spine. This was clearly not a weapon that could be brought onto this small planet; it must have been hidden in the system space by Shi Shen. Luo Qi gained a new understanding of Shi Shen's power. At least, 111's system space couldn't carry such large weapons. This was a rule of the main system. Systems were primarily for auxiliary functions, and such near-cheating behavior was not permitted. Therefore, 111 could only bring small daggers and compact laser guns like the one in Luo Qi's hand. Luo Qi had initially thought the main system was incredibly thorough and considerate in all aspects, but now he felt it wasn't complete enough. At least there should be a plan B to deal with such situations. Luo Qi wryly mocked the main system in his mind as he dodged Mo Jue's attacks.
The few teammates behind Mo Jue also moved. Their actions were slightly sluggish due to their immense strength, but they advanced towards Luo Qi without hesitation. Luo Qi's dagger blocked Mo Jue's light sword, sparks flying. He used the momentum to leap back a considerable distance, taking a moment to glance at 111. It was blocking Shi Shen's attack. Metal clashed against metal with a "clang," and 111's metallic arm actually dented slightly. Luo Qi's heart tightened, a bad premonition dawning. He wasted no more time, spreading his wings and flying into the air. He circled Mo Jue and his men, controlling the scale powder to fall. 111 was not a life form, so the scale powder had no effect on it, thus Luo Qi shook off as much as he could. Even he himself didn't know what reactions this scale powder would cause when it landed on people, let alone those teammates who were no longer truly human. But Luo Qi had no other choice; this was the most effective means he had to deal with them.
Mo Jue reacted quickly, covering his mouth and nose. He had witnessed the potency of this scale powder on his father once before and naturally wouldn't be careless. However, the teammates behind him didn't have such a swift reaction. The pale pink scale powder drifted through the air, appearing beautiful and mysterious against the dim night sky. The teammates, like rusty robots, gradually slowed their movements until they completely stopped. Luo Qi finally managed to catch his breath, hovering in mid-air and staring intently at Mo Jue on the ground. He reached behind his back and pulled out a compact laser gun. This laser gun was small, about the size of Luo Qi's palm. He hesitated for a moment before finally raising the muzzle and aiming it at the now sluggish teammates.