Chapter 65: The BGM of Being Possessed

“Danger! Master Lin is about to bite the dust this round!”

“The Cyberpsycho from Cyberpunk 2077, right? The devs really ‘took inspiration’ from it.”

“Copying once is plagiarism, but copy enough and it becomes a tribute!”

Fight, or flee.

A question worth considering a moment ago no longer required any thought, not after witnessing that woman tear apart solid foam with her bare hands.

Clutching his chest, Lin Zhen turned and ran without a hint of hesitation.

Eh, eh, eh!

Rapid, accelerating footsteps exploded in the forest, his figure streaking like the wind, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

Trees blurred into streaks at the edge of his vision, and the raging wind nearly forced his eyes shut.

Meanwhile, the guard on his right leg grew hotter and hotter, the muscles in his calf searing with a sensation like being torn apart.

This greave came from a set of Colony Armor—imperial bio-tech battle gear, once issued to frail psychic adepts for protection.

Even a remnant piece retained some function, though it couldn’t last long in operation.

That burning heat now signaled the greave was pushed to its limits!

Damn it, of all times—now!

Whoosh!

Lin Zhen’s ears twitched as he caught a piercing sound slicing through the air behind him, and he twisted aside on pure instinct.

A thick wooden staff brushed past his waist and stabbed into the mud ahead with a “thunk,” its tail end vibrating violently.

The next instant, another terrifying sound swept up behind him, and a black shadow entered his peripheral vision. Lin Zhen bent his arm to block.

A savage kick crashed into him, hurling him sideways. He smashed hard against a tree.

The violent impact crushed the air from his chest.

A hot, coppery tang welled up in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down.

Raising his right arm, Lin Zhen saw the Ranger Gauntlet that had absorbed the blow was now visibly dented.

Luckily, it hadn’t broken—his heart eased a little.

If even the Ranger Gauntlet failed, he would have no way to fight back.

The cybernetic attacker charged, but Lin Zhen faced him calmly, using his Martial Technique to barely hold his own.

In strength, speed, even bodily durability, his opponent surpassed him by far.

Only in Martial Technique did Lin Zhen hold the slightest advantage!

This was a skill designed to let the weak defeat the strong, drawing out the body’s every potential.

Cybernetic bodies could never perfectly simulate human movement, making Martial Techniques inherently incompatible.

Even with 95% of their body replaced and a Cyborg Brain installed, a cybernetic couldn’t do more than mimic the shape with AI—they could never truly master it.

So relying on Martial Technique, Lin Zhen temporarily held the upper hand, even driving the cybernetic opponent back several times.

But his foe’s cybernetic body was preposterously tough.

Even a full-force punch with the Ranger Gauntlet left at most a faint dent.

The cybernetic shook its head, then lunged again as if nothing had happened.

Worse yet, as time passed—

That woman had already rescued the criminal wielding a long blade. The two charged together, harassing Lin Zhen’s cybernetic foe.

Lin Zhen’s predicament instantly became even more perilous.

In a moment of carelessness, the two assailants struck, leaving two grisly wounds with flesh and blood torn open.

Blood dripped steadily. The sky grew ever darker.

Leaning against a tree trunk, Lin Zhen gasped for breath, his face pale as paper.

The constant loss of blood made his vision swim with darkness, his limbs steadily weakening.

For a moment, he felt a powerful certainty—perhaps his journey would end here.

So it is… I really won’t make it home after all?

“Is it time for the finale?”

“Throw the flowers! End credits time!”

“BGM incoming—get ready for the last stand!”

Lin Zhen, of course, couldn’t see the scrolling bullet comments.

But in that moment, as he opened his mouth, countless scenes flashed through his mind like a montage.

From childhood to youth, most of the memories were of everyday life with his grandparents, mixed in with images of scraping by with friends on the garbage star.

This was the happiest period of Lin Zhen’s life. Unconsciously, a faint smile curled his lips.

“The sun’s setting—stop dragging this out and finish him now!”

Several meters away, the cyber-criminal barked coldly.

The three of them joining forces against one boy had taken far too long, and rage burned within him.

The cybernetic’s eyes glowed red as he lunged forward, churning the earth beneath his feet into deep pits.

Dirt exploded in every direction.

His body grew huge in Lin Zhen’s vision—yet somehow, time seemed to slow, stretching out each moment.

As if the goddess of time favored Lin Zhen, pausing here to let him gently leaf through the memories of his life.

Yet, even the happiest chapters must turn, and with them came the bitter memories of the war camp.

…..No, perhaps not all bitter after all.

In his recollection, Lin Zhen saw the Blue-haired Girl he had helped to her feet as she wept on her knees. She had shown him the purest smile, even willing to break the rules for his sake.

She was a girl who truly wished the best for him—pure and beautiful, like an angel from a story.

There was also the striking purple-haired girl he had fought beside, unexpectedly reliable.

And the trio—Kaios, Yun Che, Tie An—who matched him in rivalry day to day, yet always fought at his side when it mattered most.

“Even if only to be buried next to family, you have to keep going until you make it home.” —the sly argument he once used to trick Yun Ruoxi now echoed, clear as day, in his mind at the end of his memories.

Suddenly, time snapped back to normal in Lin Zhen’s eyes.

That despair, born from hopelessness and uncertainty, vanished like smoke.

A sharp glint flashed in his pupils as a mysterious power surged up from the depths of his being.

The theme song’s soaring variation began to play in his heart at that very moment.

It’s not time to give up yet!

He was going home!

“Here we go! Classic flashback power-up moment!”

“It’s cliché, but I eat this trope up every time!”

“Old tricks work best—never stop using them, ha!”

Lin Zhen’s right hand swept toward his waist.

Several cold flashes unfurled, forming three identical figures around him.

Illusion Generator—activate!

The cybernetic paused, the red glow in his cybernetic eye scanning out a fan-shaped beam.

Using heat sensors, he pierced through the illusions.

“Found you!”

Muscles coiled and released with a snap, and his punch boomed through the air like a cannon!

Lin Zhen spun quickly, his left hand splaying wide as the dial in his palm burst with blinding white light!

Boom!

A tremendous shockwave exploded between them.

The cybernetic was blasted backward, slamming into a tree trunk.

Lin Zhen, too, was flung over ten meters, tumbling across the ground, every bone in his body screaming in pain.

But that mysterious power within him kept him going.

Swaying, he forced himself upright once more.

Only to see the cybernetic already on his feet, leaping into the air and descending on him in a fury after being toyed with so many times!

Even the high-frequency shockwave couldn’t stop him!

Nowhere left to hide……

Is this really the end?

Lin Zhen’s eyes were wide and unblinking, his jaw clenched tight.

Flooded with emotion, the power within him surged ever more wildly and clearly, nearly bursting free from his body.