20demayo Chapter 565 Fallen Giant
Chapter 565 Fallen Giant
John straightened, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Got it.
Tui Lang sneered at John's seemingly calm reaction. "You're still standing? What a joke. You didn't even mention this so-called power of yours," he taunted, his voice dripping with contempt.
John tapped the gold bracelet on his wrist, unbuckling it and tossing it into the air. The bracelet split into multiple parts, scattering throughout the battlefield. Some glowed orange, others purple, positioning themselves in a wide formation around Tui Lang.
Tui Lang raised an eyebrow, glancing at the glowing markers. "What is this? Some kind of joke?"
Without giving him time to think, John activated his brass knuckles and fired off a shot, the bullet ricocheting around Tui Lang's kinetic shield with a sharp ping. The energy crackled as Tui Lang laughed, his massive frame absorbing the blow. He grinned, his muscles bulging as he rushed at John again, this time faster.
Tui Lang's heavy fist thundered toward John again, the ground beneath him trembling with each step. He barreled forward like a human wrecking ball, his muscles bulging, confidence oozing from every movement. The ground cracked under the force of his advance, the kinetic energy swirling around him in visible waves, like ripples in the air.
John dodged to the side just in time, his body moving with a grace that seemed almost unnatural for someone so injured. His eyes flickered with orange light, taking in the incoming strike before it even landed. His Mind's Eye buzzed with Tui Lang's thoughts—rage, arrogance, and a belief that his invincibility was unquestionable.
He's relying too much on that shield, John thought, rolling out of the way of another swing. The glowing orbs from his bracelets—now scattered throughout the field—buzzed faintly, their positioning perfect. Good. That's what I want.
Tui Lang sneered, his bowl-cut hair swaying with each thunderous motion. "What's the point of dodging?" he spat, lunging again, his fist flying forward. "You can't break me! My Force Dominion will crush you before you can even touch me!"
John smirked. He had seen enough. Tui Lang was formidable, yes—his Blood Iron Body was practically impenetrable, and the Force Dominion around him was a nearly impenetrable barrier of kinetic energy. But there was a gap, a weakness. John had seen it in the subtle lag between Tui Lang's attacks, a moment when the energy around him wavered. It was small—almost imperceptible—but it was there.
John weaved between Tui Lang's strikes, his mind already calculating the next move. He could feel the tension in the air, the hum of his scattered bracelets creating an invisible net around them both. He needed to get in close—close enough to deliver the final blow—but not without setting everything in motion.
Tui Lang snarled, growing more frustrated with every miss. He raised both fists, bringing them down like hammers toward John. The impact hit the ground with a deafening crash, splintering the earth and sending rocks flying in all directions. But John wasn't there.@@@@
Instead, he had already moved, ducking low, letting the momentum of Tui Lang's missed strike leave him overextended. With a swift movement, John tapped his knuckles together, the capsules in his brass knuckles clicking into place. His fingers tightened around the cold metal.
The orange and purple orbs from his bracelets lit up, casting a dim glow across the battlefield. Tui Lang looked up, confusion flashing in his eyes as he realized the orbs were all around him, circling like predatory stars.
John lifted his hand, his bracelets shifting as if alive, retracting one by one back onto his forearm and back into their usual positions. All except for one.
That bracelet hovered over Tui Lang's body for a moment, pulsing faintly. Then, without warning, it turned a pale, ghostly white and latched onto the dead man's form. A faint shimmer surrounded it, and for a brief second, Ty thought he saw Tui Lang's essence, like a shadowy figure, being sucked into the bracelet.
The once-white glow dulled, turning light brown before slamming back into John's arm with a force that made him flinch.
Ty snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell was that?" he asked, his voice sharp.
John turned to him, flexing his wrist as the bracelet settled back into place. Rosana stood as well, her expression just as confused.
"Oh, these?" John said, glancing at the bracelets with a casual shrug. "They don't just create waypoints. They also steal the outward skill of the person I kill. One-time usage kind of deal. It's not great—has a time limit—but it's unique enough. Niche." He scratched his head.
"Never used it much since, well... I don't exactly spend my life killing people."
Ty's eyes flicked from John's bracelets to Tui Lang's body, the unease in his gut only growing. Outward skills? He thought about the implications—what it meant to carry the abilities of those you killed. It was practical, sure, but the thought of using someone else's power like that... it unsettled him.
Rosana crossed her arms, tilting her head as she studied John. "And you've had that... ability all this time? What's the limit?"
John leaned back against the tree, taking a deep breath. "Once I use the skill, it's gone. The bracelet absorbs the energy and gives me one shot with it. That's all. Then it fades, and I move on."
Ty frowned, still eyeing the bracelets. "And what about the other ones? They seem... strange."
John looked down at his wrists, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, they're not from here," he admitted with a faint smile. "Got them from a place far from where you guys are from. They've been useful, though. Saved my ass more times than I can count." Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
Rosana gave him a sideways glance. "Still, you have to admit... it's a bit unnerving. Stealing abilities from people you've killed? That's heavy."
John shrugged, brushing off the concern. "It's not like I go around collecting powers for fun. But in the heat of battle... well, you use what you've got."