Chapter 29 : Reaction

Huff, huff, so tired.

Bai Xiaonuo couldn’t run any further.

She found a spot to sit down in the Jianshen Club’s activity room, and seeing the place completely empty around her, a chill ran down her spine.

Could it be that I’m going to die?

If that’s the case, it might be better to just endure it and save my life.

Though, I wonder if monsters can be charmed…

“Miao ya, Xiaonuo!” The Ancestor suddenly exclaimed with delight, “I didn’t expect you to have such battle intelligence!”

“…What?” Bai Xiaonuo was stunned.

“I just figured it out myself. Earlier, Zero gave us some information—the energy sustaining the Aberrant is the leaked X Compound, so the energy supply is limited. You deliberately provoked her to consume her energy faster. By the time reinforcements arrive, she’ll be at her last breath.”

Bai Xiaonuo quietly wiped the sweat off her brow: “Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“The reason for choosing the Jianshenshi is that it’s full of metal objects. You can fully utilize your other ability and strike her a heavy blow!”

The Ancestor had it all figured out, and Bai Xiaonuo, well, understood everything as well.

“You’re absolutely right! I’ll wait right here and cut her down like a general on horseback!”

Though it wasn’t intentional, unknowingly creating a favorable situation like this only proves how capable I am.

Knock, knock!

Knock, knock!

The Aberrant, Wang Meng, appeared at the activity room’s door.

Bai Xiaonuo, having just recalled her ability to manipulate metal, was no longer panicked and stood there waiting for her.

It was obvious that the drug’s power remaining inside her was almost gone.

Her once lightning-fast speed was slowing, saliva like resin dripped from her mouth, and her murky eyes locked onto Bai Xiaonuo.

“Bai… Xia… Nuo…”

Even with mental preparation, Bai Xiaonuo shivered involuntarily.

She couldn’t understand what kind of grudge this was.

This person looked like she was about to die, yet she wouldn’t let go of her.

“Honestly, bro—no, sis—if I were you, I’d just sit down and take a break…”

Whoosh—!

A vine whipped past Bai Xiaonuo’s head, and the pull-up bar behind her snapped in two with a sharp crack.

“Stop joking around, Xiaonuo,” the Ancestor reminded her. “Quick, hide behind something.”

Somewhere with plenty of metal objects.

Bai Xiaonuo obediently complied.

By now, Wang Meng was completely losing pace, her feet seemingly rooted to the ground, each step an effort.

The Ancestor kept monitoring her body’s condition: “She’s at her last breath, and she’s spent most of her energy on offense, completely ignoring defense.”

“In that case, I’ll try to kill her in one strike.”

Honestly, this scene still looked pretty terrifying to Bai Xiaonuo.

Wang Meng moved slowly, taking a heavy breath before stepping forward, lingering at the predetermined trap spot—just a few steps away from Bai Xiaonuo—for several long seconds.

“Now’s the time, Xiaonuo, what are you waiting for!”

I’m not waiting for anything… I’m just suspicious of her defenseless posture, thinking there’s some trick, but forget it!

Summoning another surge of power from within her body, silver flashes flickered across her vision.

The gym equipment around her came to life—dumbbells, barbells, treadmill handles, and countless tiny steel rings—all smashed toward Wang Meng.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang… thud!

Most of the metal objects were deflected, barely causing any blunt force damage.

Only two broken rods pierced her skin, green blood flowing out.

Looking closer, those weren’t just rods—they were the broken pull-up bar that Wang Meng’s vine had snapped earlier.

The sharp fractured edges were the key to breaking her defense.

Already on the brink of death, Wang Meng could no longer hold on.

Bai Xiaonuo just let out a sigh of relief when suddenly Wang Meng raised an arm from her left shoulder and lashed at Bai Xiaonuo’s head.

Thud!

The final strike missed.

The light in Wang Meng’s eyes completely extinguished, leaving only a mumble on her lips: “Why…”

“You’re asking why? I want to ask why too! You’re about to die and still have to hit me once!”

Bai Xiaonuo was still shaken.

She really didn’t dodge that last strike; Wang Meng’s blurred awareness caused it to miss.

“Anyway, let’s retreat from the scene,” the Ancestor advised. “Don’t wait for reinforcements.”

No matter how arrogant, no one would stand here waiting for others to come and then proudly say, “I cut her down,” or, “i.am.iron.man.”

“Of course.”

Bai Xiaonuo took a careful look around.

There was no obvious trace pointing to her presence, then quietly climbed out the window.

Because Wang Meng had rampaged through the school, although no casualties occurred, the path was left in shambles.

More importantly, it caused a significant psychological shock to the teachers and students, many of whom were advanced intellectuals.

So when Bai Xiaonuo came out, the school was already in chaos.

Students and teachers clustered together, shouting non-stop.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!”

“Is this a biohazard? Does our school even have a bunker?”

“Don’t panic, everyone calm down.”

“It has to be Hopkins!”

Under the grade head’s orders, the instructor was shouting hoarsely into a loudspeaker: “Everyone, assemble on the playground! Every student in every grade! I repeat, everyone!”

Bai Xiaonuo took advantage of the commotion to blend into the crowd and moved with the flow toward the playground.

…

The man in the gray suit was named Grey.

After sitting comfortably in his office for half an hour, he glanced at the time and stood up, telling his assistant, “Have the people from Yecheng University send over the situation report. We’re ready to make a move.”

The assistant looked at the information he just received and was slightly stunned. “Reporting to Lord Grey, the Aberrant at Yecheng University has already been dealt with. We’re no longer needed.”

“…What?”

Grey snatched the tablet.

On the network platform, several posts were already trending.

[Shocking! Bio-monster spotted at Yecheng University!]

[Yecheng’s top academic institution in crisis: a humanoid monster resembling a dead tree!]

[The secret behind the biohazard: the monster’s original form was a freshman?!]

Obviously, after the battle ended, someone had the nerve to check the Jianshenshi and took photos of Wang Meng’s corpse, posting them online, causing a sensation and various speculations.

Grey looked at the photo—the corpse looked like a withered tree, surrounded by metal equipment.

Two iron rods were directly stabbed into the body, possibly the direct cause of death.

“Contact Mayor Chen immediately,” Grey in the gray suit couldn’t sit still. “Activate all cameras inside and outside the school, especially the roads leading out of the school. Track everyone leaving Yecheng University!”

The ability to control metal was most likely Zero’s!

As for why the power shown in the photos seemed so limited, perhaps it was intentionally suppressed to avoid losing control or being taken over by the second personality.

The message from Mayor Chen’s side came quickly.

“No one has left in the past half hour?”

He opened the surveillance footage.

Outside Yecheng University were three main roads and seven side paths, all empty except for a few passersby.

“She… is still inside the school? She hasn’t left?”