Chapter 134: Mother’s Ability
Chapter 134: Mother’s Ability
“Whine… whine…”
The motorcycle emitted a feeble and dejected sound.
After Lu Xin fell victim to the Puppet-Type Ability User’s “Compulsory Imitation” ability, this Man in Red Suit had already dashed through the warehouse’s side door, intending to escape immediately. But the motorcycle had only roared out before abruptly sputtering to a stop. No matter how hard he stomped on the kick-start pedal, it only let out pitiful groans and refused to start properly.
“Damnit!”
The man cursed under his breath, then abandoned the motorcycle and stretched both hands upward.
He grasped at empty air as if seizing something invisible, and his body suddenly sprang skyward.
He seemed to be pulled by an unseen force, about to soar into the sky.
Unfortunately, just as his body lifted barely a meter above the Motorcycle, Lu Xin had already appeared beside him with ghostly swiftness. Lu Xin seized the man’s calf and yanked him down from mid-air, plopping him back squarely onto the Motorcycle seat.
Lu Xin’s hand pressed down on the man’s shoulder, his expression finally relaxing.
Psychic Threads.
Threads woven from psychic energy, which wrapped around targets to remotely manipulate objects—or even levitate them—over a certain distance.
Lu Xin had seen this ability before when dealing with Psycho-modified Humans who had stormed Satellite City No. 2.
This was the third ability of a Puppet-Type Ability User, granting them flight-like mobility.
However, this ability was far more commonly utilized by Psycho-modified Humans.
The Puppet-Type Ability Users themselves, burdened by heavier bodies and lacking the necessary reflexes and balance, rarely employed it.
Additionally, the Psycho-modified Humans under their control would enter a dormant state while this ability was in use.
“Whoosh!”
By the time Lu Xin hauled him back onto the vehicle, the man’s face had turned deathly pale.
The seven Psycho-modified Humans he’d prepared earlier were completely depleted.
His “Compulsory Imitation” ability seemed to have been countered as well.
For some unfathomable reason, struggling as he might, the Motorcycle refused to start.
And at such close proximity, attempting to use Psychic Threads for escape was impossible.
The moment he landed back on the Motorcycle seat, he felt the hand clamping down on his shoulder. Every nerve in his body screamed with tension.
“Shhht!”
He violently whipped out the gun from his waist, pivoted, and aimed point-blank at his assailant’s head, squeezing the trigger desperately…
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Ear-splitting gunfire echoed violently through the confined space.
The muzzle flashes illuminated Lu Xin’s face, which wore a faint, unsettling smile.
With unnerving speed and at an impossible angle, his neck twisted sharply twice, emitting crisp crack sounds.
The bullets whizzed harmlessly by.
The Man in Red Suit still held the gun; its chamber wasn’t empty yet.
But his hand trembled violently now. A Spider-Type opponent was upon him… and this close…
“Clatter-clatter-clatter!”
Lu Xin merely kept his hand resting on the man’s shoulder. He did nothing more.
Yet, the gun in the man’s grip began disintegrating. Components flew off one by one into the air. Next went his fingers, then his wrist, and finally his arm—piece by piece, scattering through the air before littering the ground like wilting petals of a Rose.
“AAARGH!!!”
The man’s agonized scream ripped from his throat as he tumbled off the Motorcycle.
He curled up on the ground, wracked by piercing agony, his body convulsing and contorting painfully.
This torture, however, lasted only the briefest moment.
Somehow—perhaps through sheer will or another hidden ability—his struggle ceased abruptly.
After lying prostrate for a few breaths, he gasped, pushed himself up onto trembling legs, all traces of anguish wiped from his face.
…………
“You… you don’t seem like Spider-Type…”
Once standing, the Man in Red Suit seemed to have surrendered completely to his fate.
A bitter smile twisted his pale lips as he stared at Lu Xin. “I never knew Spider-Types were… this terrifying…”
“……”
“You’re not the first person to say that.”
Lu Xin didn’t answer directly, merely offering a small smile. He plucked the Motorcycle key from the ignition and tucked it casually into his own pocket.
He recalled the introduction to Puppet-Type Ability Users. Several professors had emphasized in the materials that the weakness of Puppet-Type Ability Users lay in their true bodies. As long as one located their true body and got close to them, it would be relatively easy to subdue the Ability User.
He just hadn’t expected it to take so much effort.
Neither the Psycho-modified Human disguised as an ordinary person hiding nearby, nor the Bomb concealed inside the modified human’s abdomen, was easy to deal with.
He remembered the three lines of red text on the information he had brought with him. They were both a warning from the Special Clean-up Department and the first lesson he hadn’t yet learned from the Ability User combat training course. The most crucial part covered the Three Principles for Ability User Confrontations:
First, an Ability User never initiates an unprepared fight.
Second, the fight itself is never the deciding factor for victory or defeat—preparation for the fight is.
Third, ensuring one doesn’t Lose Control is more important than defeating the opponent.
…
The surrounding environment’s impact on an Ability User’s strength was significant enough to change the outcome of a confrontation. Thus, every Ability User worked to create a battlefield advantageous to themselves. In this regard, this Puppet-Type Ability User had actually done quite well.
Though the threat wasn’t immense, it was at least capable of causing some Chaos, or even facilitating an escape.
Fortunately, they truly lacked experience in dealing with someone like him.
…
…
“And the others?” Lu Xin asked softly, his hands tucked into his pants pockets.
“They’re not here.”
The man let out a helpless laugh. “When we failed to record the Psionic Bomb Experiment data, the Boss sensed something was off. Though there was no concrete evidence afterward, they decided to play it safe and split up.”
“I didn’t think much of it at the time. I just planned to rest here and gather some new puppets. I hadn’t expected you to arrive so quickly… Seems like someone capable of being Boss has skills. Qinggang City is indeed formidable.”
“…”
Lu Xin paid no attention to the man’s words. He only frowned slightly. “Where did they flee to?”
The man in the Crimson Suit glanced at Lu Xin, a hint of mockery in his smile.
Lu Xin studied him seriously for a moment. “If you refuse to speak… I have other ways to ask.”
“Hah…”
The man laughed, his voice gradually turning somber. “You underestimate me, friend. On the Wilderness, rules and promises matter above all. Since I’ve fallen into your hands, I admit defeat. But you don’t honestly think I’d spill everything at once, do you? Losing trust and reputation—that’d be a fate worse than death!”
“And another thing!” he added, seeming to relax a bit. A sly grin spread across his face. “A kindly reminder: I’m a Puppet-Type Ability User. I can control myself like a Puppet. So even if you dismember me, I won’t feel any pain.”
“…”
Lu Xin looked at him calmly, then replied, “It’s alright. We will surely find a solution.”
The man stared blankly, unsure how to process this seemingly friendly statement.
Meanwhile, Lu Xin turned his gaze casually to the side.
His Mother still stood not far away, watching him like one watching a child at a sports meet.
When Lu Xin’s eyes met hers, she smiled softly and whispered, “You think this matter has really ended?”
Lu Xin frowned slightly, pondering carefully. “Then… what else is there?”
Unlike Little Sister, his Mother didn’t lend him her abilities—and seemingly didn’t need to. But when he faced problems, she actively assisted him.
Like that time on Jiujiang Road in Satellite City No.2, when she blocked the bullet for him.
Like the countless times she shielded him from Father’s oppressive presence.
And even during the earlier battle, she had meticulously reminded him of crucial details and cautionary points.
She paid attention to the little things—subtle signs others might overlook. Her prompts were always valuable and critical.
However, because her abilities were so enigmatic, Lu Xin himself had to carefully observe and interpret her words.
Regardless, if she said it wasn’t over yet, then he must have overlooked something.
But this Puppet-Type Ability User truly had no strength left to resist. At this distance, Lu Xin could end his life at any moment. If there still was a problem… where could it lie?
As he contemplated this, noisy shouts echoed from the distance.
“Hey, brother! Let’s talk this out, alright? Listen, I have an important position in Qinggang City!”
Light beams swung wildly as a group, jostling and pushing Gecko, marched him toward them.
This crowd was armed with various firearms—Handguns and Submachine Guns.
Their lighting gear was equally varied. Some wore miner’s helmets with lamps mounted on top; others carried flashlights, lights ranging from intensely bright to dim; a few even held torches aloft.
The only common feature was a snake-insignia armband on each person’s upper arm.
Evidently, these people were the security force of Blackwater Town.
Among them, likely the bona fide Sheriff and his deputies were those clutching powerful flashlights and carrying Submachine Guns. Others seemed to be staff members from the poker house—Security Guards or just townsfolk swept along by the Sheriff’s posse for the spectacle.
Gecko trudged with his hands locked behind his head, still shouting incessantly. He cut a rather pathetic figure.
“Just what is this Deputy Captain doing…”
Seeing this crowd approach, Lu Xin stood up, tossed the cigarette stub—burned down to the filter—onto the ground, and crushed it under his heel.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Countless flashlight beams instantly converged on his face. From within the mob emerged a bear-like figure, clad in a black trench coat and towering almost two meters tall. Burly and barrel-chested, both his thick arms were entirely covered in tattoos. He strode forward briskly, leveling a gun as he barked, “The fuck you causing trouble here? Didn’t you know firing a gun in Blackwater Town is strictly forbidden?!”
“Wherever you came from—make trouble in Blackwater Town, and you’ll regret it!”