Chapter 147 The Eighth Vanguard Officer?

* * *

Boom, boom, boom—

On the ochre-colored earth, the two figures collided again and again, like dragons and snakes locked in combat, traversing the land. Fists flew back and forth, repeatedly slamming into each other, unleashing shockwaves that seemed to stir up a hurricane.

The aftermath of the battle rapidly devastated the terrain, leaving the area pockmarked and riddled with craters.

Mazat's total level was very high, and his raw strength was even greater. Although melee combat wasn't Han Xiao's forte, fortunately he had [Violent Throw], which he used to hurl Mazat away like a softball, interrupting the martial artist's explosive combos.

Han Xiao could switch to travel mode at any time to escape, but he was very interested in Mazat's origins, so he decided to stay and fight for a while. In any case, the Blacklight Stealthers were already patrolling in the sky, providing an escape route at any time.

Activating the nano-deformation function of the Mad Ape mech, he switched to [Giant Ape Form]. The mech seemed to undergo cellular proliferation, suddenly sprouting a large number of components, layered upon layered, rapidly transforming into a mini-giant whose height still dwarfed Mazat's. The strength amplification soared again, and even the power of [Violent Throw] increased.

Both sides were Calamity Grade, with equally powerful defenses and recovery abilities. Han Xiao stabilized his position, and the situation stalemated.

After a while of intense fighting, Mazat's eyes flashed, and he suddenly spoke, his tone tinged with excitement. He was a combat fanatic, and for him, finding an opponent who could allow him to unleash his full potential was far more pleasurable than mating.

"You're stronger than the rumors suggest. I'm going to get serious now, so don't die too easily."

In the next moment, Mazat softly chanted a long string of demonic words, like a low murmur. The flames around his body suddenly surged, his eyes like burning fires. Black-red flames poured out from the gaps in his armor, his aura rising sharply. The temperature around him rapidly increased, and the air became distorted.

"A Demon Race talent, True Name Unleash at an advanced stage!" Han Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. In this state, the Demon Race's overall combat power would increase dramatically. With Mazat's Calamity Grade strength, the increase would be extremely terrifying.

Bang!

In a blur, the ground in his vision rushed past him as Han Xiao, in Giant Ape form, was sent flying into the sky. The next second, Mazat, still on the ground, closed the distance in the blink of an eye. A whip-like leg, entwined with purplish-black aura and black-red flames, lashed out at Han Xiao's head like a guillotine, swift, unparalleled, and ear-splittingly loud.

If he were struck by this kick, his spine would likely be torn apart, paralyzing his entire body. Recovering would take half a second, and for a martial artist of Mazat's caliber, half a second was enough to unleash a simple explosive combo.

Directly canceling Giant Ape Mode, Han Xiao shrank his body, and the whip-like leg brushed past his mech's helmet, missing by a hair's breadth. The scorching wind whipped across his face.

Missing his strike, Mazat clasped his hands together, preparing to hammer Han Xiao into the ground and follow up.

At this moment, Han Xiao's helmet suddenly opened, revealing a vortex of flames deep within his pupils. The next moment, his eyes suddenly shot out two beams of incandescent flame, giving Mazat a face full of loving Yanblaze technique.

Boom!

Mazat's attack was interrupted again.

Demons came in different races, and they could be clearly distinguished when using True Name Unleash. For example, those who spewed fire were Flame Demons, and those who spewed frost were Frost Demons. Mazat clearly possessed Flame Demon blood, so he had extremely high flame resistance. This attack did limited damage, but it successfully pushed him away.

Han Xiao had placed some gene serums in the mech's injection module, and he had just injected Beverly's serum, using his one-time character card.

Seizing the opportunity to catch his breath, Han Xiao didn't hesitate and directly activated the Mad Ape's third transformation, Berserk Overload Form!

The micro-high-density nuclear reactor operated at high power, significantly increasing the weapon power and mech attributes!

Han Xiao brought his arms together and activated the nano-weapon module. The arm guards on both arms merged, forming a huge cannon barrel, which spat out beams of light, remotely striking the incoming Mazat, detonating small mushroom clouds on the ground.

Rumble—

Mazat pushed forward through the artillery fire, raising his hand to launch waves of remote energy blasts.

Explosions rang out all around as the two exchanged fire, one advancing and one retreating. Mazat's speed also soared after releasing his True Name, gradually shortening the distance. Soon, he was once again in front of Han Xiao.

A fist wrapped in flames headed straight for Han Xiao's chest.

Buzz!

At that instant,

Han Xiao's body exploded with astonishing electric light. A heavy punch, wrapped in leaping arcs of electricity, landed first, like a lightning bolt, striking Mazat squarely in the face.

Bang!

The punch seemed to detonate a thunderclap in the air!

The shockwave, carrying with it arcs of electricity, spread out from under Han Xiao's feet, cracking and sinking the ground over a hundred meters in diameter!

As for Mazat, he had already turned into a shooting star in the sky, disappearing from sight.

[Might Blast]!

—If it is a close-range attack, this damage is +650%~700%, with energy blast and splash damage, and a 65% chance of causing a critical hit, with negative status such as knock-up, knock-back, crush, and stun!

He not only used a skill, but also used [Gene Liberation] at the same time, which was [Will Burning] strengthened with a skill upgrade card!

The power bonus had accumulated to a terrifying level!

Mazat had been blasted away at least a dozen kilometers!

He would be flying in the sky for a while before he landed!

"Haa… haa…"

Han Xiao panted softly. Melee combat was the most physically demanding. His health and energy were both healthy, but his stamina had dropped significantly.

Fortunately, stamina recovery was generally in percentage form, so the higher the limit, the faster the recovery.

"This guy is so strong, much stronger than Degulish and Nagokin. That last hit probably only caused him minor injuries."

Han Xiao hesitated whether to continue fighting, but suddenly had a flash of insight, remembering Mazat's origins.

"A core cadre of the War Realm, one of Heber's eight vanguards… Is he a subordinate of a Super-A Grade?!"

Han Xiao immediately became vigilant. Another Super-A Grade's cadre, why would he come looking for him?

At this moment, a rolling plume of smoke appeared in the distant wilderness as Mazat strode back from afar. This time, he didn't charge over but stopped dozens of meters away from Han Xiao, having already dispelled his True Name Unleashed form. There was a red fist print on his face.

"Well done, Black Star. You're an opponent worth going all out against. I enjoyed the battle just now."

Mazat smiled appreciatively.

Even after activating True Name Unleash, he hadn't been able to completely overwhelm his opponent, and had even suffered a slight loss. Black Star was strong, even stronger than many had guessed. There was no doubt about that.

He had achieved his goal for this trip.

"I know your identity, Mazat, someone from the War Realm."

Han Xiao didn't want to fight anymore and just wanted to quickly learn Mazat's intentions, frowning as he said, "What are you attacking me for? And how did you end up here?"

"I came specifically for you." Mazat touched the broken horn on his head.

Black Star was a trusted cadre of Dragon Emperor, and the Black Star Army had recently been in the limelight. He had been instructed to pay attention to Black Star's movements and find an opportunity to probe him.

When the Purple Snake Star Pirates kidnapped mercenaries from the Black Star Army, it happened to be discovered by the War Realm's intelligence network. Mazat happened to be nearby, so he snatched the pirates' spaceship and waited for Black Star to come to his door, to figure out Black Star's strength in an undisturbed setting.

If he was strong enough, then…

"Longtan is only burying talent like yours. You should have a greater purpose. With your strength, you're enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with me and become the ninth vanguard." Mazat finally revealed his intentions, extending an olive branch.

"So… are you interested in joining the War Realm?"