55. Successful Upgrade
"Swish—"
This cold gleam came swiftly and sharply. Ji Mingzhu instinctively leaned to the side, but the opponent was clearly well-trained. While delivering a slash, the other hand swiftly aimed for his face. Ji Mingzhu raised his hand to block, only to feel a cool sensation on his shoulder.
The sharp blade cut across his body. Fortunately, Ji Mingzhu was wearing a Titan pilot's mecha suit, and the high-strength fibers played a crucial role at this moment. The blade encountered resistance during the cut, and at the same time, Ji Mingzhu lowered his body and rushed towards the opponent. The slash only managed to cut through the mecha suit, leaving a shallow wound on his body.
"Axiu, send a distress signal!"
"Communication in this area is jammed."
In the first second of the attack, even before Ji Mingzhu could speak, Axiu had already sent an urgent request for assistance to Calamity Control Bureau. However, all communication in this area seemed to be blocked by some special device. It tried several times but failed to go through: "Watch your back, attack from 4 o'clock, blade deflects 60°, attack blind spot eastward 25!"
"Swish—!"
Another sharp sound pierced through the air. Following Axiu's instructions, Ji Mingzhu immediately moved, tilting his body backward at an extremely subtle angle to narrowly evade the opponent's blade aimed at his throat.
However, he was not as skilled as Tian Quan and lacked professional combat training. Though he managed to dodge the attack, his body coordination couldn't keep up. This evasion caused him to lose balance, but fortunately, Ji Mingzhu quickly used his palm to support himself on the ground, preventing a direct fall.
The assailant hesitated for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
As he was the ace pilot of the Netherworld, they had studied information about Tian Shu before the mission. They knew that although he was a genius in piloting mechas, close combat was his weakness. Yet, he managed to narrowly evade two attacks. Despite not having agile movements, it seemed like he could predict the opponent's intentions the moment he made a move and preemptively dodged.
"Three people coming from the right!"
Axiu's voice sounded in his ears. Ji Mingzhu breathed a brief sigh of relief, but soon realized something was wrong. The attacker in front of him showed no intention of retreating and lunged at him again.
There was a problem.
Ji Mingzhu retreated once more, but his left arm was still cut, and blood flowed out. The pain struck him immediately. Faced with the threat of death, Ji Mingzhu couldn't afford to scream in pain. His intact right hand swiftly grabbed the opponent's wrist, using the force to twist it. With a precise motion, he took the blade from the opponent's hand!
"Puff!"
Ji Mingzhu reached out to snatch the knife and stabbed directly at the opponent's chest without even looking!
However, the opponent's gaze remained calm, showing no ripples. The knife pierced into the right chest, not even causing him to furrow his brows. Instead, Ji Mingzhu felt the blade being caught by the opponent's muscles, making it difficult to move downward or pull it out.
It was as if facing a fearless warrior willing to die.
Before Ji Mingzhu could react, footsteps from the right had already appeared in front of him. Three guards dressed in Calamity Control Bureau uniforms swiftly ran from around the corner.
"They have guns."
Axiu's voice sounded, and Ji Mingzhu decisively released the knife handle, not looking back, and ran in the opposite direction through the passage!
No need to think; since the other party came to kill him, they must have set up an ambush in advance. These three guards couldn't possibly be from the Calamity Control Bureau.
Ji Mingzhu didn't even bother to ask the identity of the assailant. On one hand, he had no time to speak, and on the other hand, there was no need to ask. At this moment, besides the Netherworld Organization, no one else would come to kill him.
"Bang!""Bang Bang!"
Sure enough, just as Ji Mingzhu ran away, three gunshots echoed behind him in the dim passage, sparking sparks. The three guards immediately opened fire at Ji Mingzhu's back. If he had been a bit slower, he would have been riddled with bullets on the spot!
Ji Mingzhu lunged forward and rolled into the corner of the passage. A fiery sensation in his calf indicated that he had been shot. Ignoring the pain, Ji Mingzhu quickly got up, not looking back, and ran deeper into the passage.
He could only delay, delay until Tian Quan noticed the problem, delay until others from the Calamity Control Bureau realized he was missing, and then he might have a chance to be rescued.
Two seconds later, four members of the Netherworld Organization arrived at the corner where Ji Mingzhu had just disappeared. One of them squatted down and touched the residual blood on the ground.
In front of them was a dim passage with several room entrances on both sides. The exit door on the other side of the passage had already been closed. Tian Shu could only be hiding in one of these rooms.
One of them had blood flowing from his chest, but his expression remained indifferent. He coldly said, "Finish it quickly."
...
Tian Quan followed the staff to the location of the award ceremony scheduled for two days later. However, he felt that something was off.
"What's wrong?"
The staff, seeing Tian Quan's pace slow down, turned back and asked curiously.
Tian Quan asked, "The award ceremony in two days should be handled by the Fire Division's security department. Why are we assigned to patrol?"
The other person looked puzzled, "I don't know either... This is an order from the Jupiter Division."
This is even more unusual... Tian Quan was assigned as one of the personal bodyguards to protect Ji Mingzhu by Zuo Quanzong. Logically, their transfer orders should have been handed over in advance to the Titan Combat and War Command Office, where the Red Guard Commander is located. For the Jupiter Division to issue orders bypassing the office seemed illogical.
A slight twitch occurred at Tian Quan's brow, sensing the scent of conspiracy. "Where is the pilot of Ji Mingzhu?"
"He and the other two Titan pilots are supposed to report to the Red Guard Commander's office later. They should be in the lounge now... Let me check."
Seeing Tian Quan's expression turning grim, the staff member took out a communicator to contact the lounge personnel. However, the communication did not connect. Perplexed, he said, "Huh? Why can't I get through... Could the signal tower of the Thunder Division be damaged too?"
He turned around and found that Tian Quan, who was behind him just a moment ago, had disappeared without a trace.
"Red Guard Commander!"
Tian Quan hurried towards the direction of the lounge, using the emergency communication to connect to the office where Zuo Quanzong was located.
Zuo Quanzong, upon receiving Tian Quan's message, also felt surprised. After listening to Tian Quan's report, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. "If the Jupiter Division wants to mobilize you, you should have applied to me first. This is not normal."
"There's a problem within the Jupiter Division."
Tian Quan kept moving, speaking decisively.
A large-scale purge within the Calamity Control Bureau a few days ago exposed a significant number of moles from the Netherworld Organization. They initially thought that the Netherworld Organization would calm down for a while, but they never expected them to be so audacious, directly tampering with the orders issued by the Jupiter Division.
Tian Quan swiftly arrived at the driver's lounge of Ji Mingzhu. Inside, it was empty.
"Mingzhu is not here."
Tian Quan took a deep breath. "Before I left, I saw him in this direction. But there's no issue with the surveillance. Someone must have tampered with it... In such a short time, the Netherworld Organization should not have had a chance to move. He must still be inside the Thunder Division building."
Zuo Quanzong's gaze turned cold, quickly issuing orders, "Notify the Fire Division, deploy all personnel, and search with full force!"
The alarm sounded immediately, and a large number of personnel from the Fire Division mobilized. Under Zuo Quanzong's instructions, they directly entered the Thunder Division building, starting a thorough search for Ji Mingzhu.
Tian Quan ended the communication, feeling uneasy.
Although, according to Ji Mingzhu, he still had value for the Netherworld Organization, and they wouldn't harm him for now. The current situation was clearly abnormal. He even suspected that the Netherworld Organization had already targeted Ji Mingzhu for assassination. More importantly, as a member of the Northern Dipper Seven Stars team, he surprisingly had received no hint from Yu Heng before this incident.
Please don't let anything happen... Ji Mingzhu.
Tian Quan gritted his teeth, scanned the surroundings, and ran in the direction where Ji Mingzhu had left earlier.
...
"Drip."
"Drip."
In the quiet darkness, Ji Mingzhu hid behind a piece of equipment, blood dripping incessantly from his wounds. His face turned pale, and not a single sound escaped his lips.
Following the route guided by Axiu, he ran all the way, but the door on the other side of the corridor had already closed. He could only continue downward, taking refuge in the backup database room below.
It was the same location where he encountered Huo Zai earlier, facing a similar situation. The déjà vu was almost overwhelming.
However, the difference was that Huo Zai had some rationality and was willing to negotiate. On the other hand, these members of the Netherworld Organization came with a hundred percent intent to kill. Judging from their ruthless actions and decisive gunfire just now, there was no intention to take him back alive.
Miscalculation.
Ji Mingzhu had analyzed Bai Weng's personality from various angles, and from any perspective, Bai Weng was unlikely to be so resolute in wanting to kill him. Ji Mingzhu thought that the trouble he caused for the Netherworld Organization would give him a brief respite. However, he overlooked the determination of the Netherworld Organization to kill him, leading himself into such a dangerous situation.
Simultaneously, the extent of the Netherworld Organization's infiltration into the Calamity Control Bureau far exceeded his imagination. After undergoing a purge, they could still mobilize internal assassination forces...
"Your injuries are severe. Without timely treatment, you may face the risk of extensive infection."
"I know."
Countless thoughts flashed through Ji Mingzhu's mind, but none of them were feasible in the current situation. Axiu couldn't send a rescue message, so there was no way to report his current location to the Calamity Control Bureau. The Netherworld Organization's assassination was obviously well-prepared—four people outside, each armed with a gun, and all experienced fighters in combat and assassination. Even if it were Tian Quan standing here, there would be no way to break through.
If only Axiu could activate that "Asura Mode"...
This thought crossed Ji Mingzhu's mind, and then his eyes lit up as he looked at the instruments in front of the database room.
"Axiu."
Ji Mingzhu communicated in his mind, "How long does it take for your module upgrade to be completed?"
"According to the progress of self-upgrade, it will take about seventy years."
"Just upgrading the Asura Mode?"
Axiu replied, "Half a year."
"If we utilize all the computing power in the Thunder Division's database room, how long would it take to upgrade only the Asura Mode?"
"If I take over the computing power of the Thunder Division's server room, it will be very fast, but my presence will be exposed..."
Without the support of external computing devices, the time required for Axiu's self-evolution was too long. However, if Axiu took control of all the server room equipment in this backup database, using the computing power of the Thunder Division's mainframes to fully upgrade Axiu, this progress could be significantly accelerated. However, it would also raise the alarm for the Calamity Control Bureau, especially with Jin Qing currently at the Calamity Control Bureau. There was a high probability that Jin Qing would notice Axiu's presence.
"I can't worry about that now."
Ji Mingzhu took a deep breath. "We'll talk about future matters later."
The three Netherworld Organization members outside would soon arrive here. Waiting for the Thunder Division to find his location and come to his aid, Ji Mingzhu estimated that his body would have cooled by then.
"I understand."
Axiu said, "Taking control of the Thunder Division's mainframes now."
"Hum—"
As Axiu's voice fell, all the equipment in this database room emitted a simultaneous hum, and the previously smoothly running instruments suddenly accelerated.
At the same time, the lights throughout the entire Thunder Division building began to flicker. The Red Guard Office, the Operations Command Center, and even the surveillance equipment all experienced a momentary pause at the same time.
In the Command Center, Zuo Quanzong was checking the surveillance of various locations with a furrowed brow. "What's going on?"
"Red Guard Commander, the Thunder Division's mainframes have been invaded, and all computing power has been transferred!"
A panicked officer said, "An unknown data stream has taken over the mainframes..."
The speed of this computing power transfer was like a robbery. The computing power that maintained the Thunder Division's various mainframe devices was hijacked by this unfamiliar data stream, and this couldn't even be explained as hacking. With the current level of human technology, a single device couldn't withstand such a massive computing power surge...
Zuo Quanzong was momentarily stunned, thinking, when did the Netherworld Organization gain such extraordinary capabilities?
"Trace the location!"
"Unknown data stream is not from the external network. The Jupiter Division's firewall has shown no response. This is an internal data stream from within the building..." Several commanders quickly operated on the instruments, and holographic screens flashed with numerous complex code streams. "It's... It's from the underground backup database room!"
...
"Hiss..."
At the moment when the instruments emitted a piercing hum, Ji Mingzhu felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. However, this sensation quickly disappeared as Axiu promptly severed his pain receptors. Despite this, Ji Mingzhu could still sense the skin on the back of his neck, where the Axiu chip was installed, throbbing.
"Successfully hijacked 98% of the Thunder Division's computing power, currently undergoing upgrade. Current progress: 16%... 28%... 34%..."
"Bang!"
A gunshot echoed as the door to the control room was blasted open, and four figures entered from outside.
The commotion in the control room was intense and distinct, audible even from dozens of meters away, quickly drawing the attention of the Netherworld Organization members.
The intense illumination from the instruments, operating at full capacity, brightened the dim control room. Ji Mingzhu's shadow was sharply outlined.
"Bang!"
In the split second before the gunshot, Ji Mingzhu swiftly lunged forward. Sparks flew behind him. Before he could stabilize his body, a hand had already gripped his neck, lifting him off the ground.
Ji Mingzhu struggled to open his eyes and was met with a pair of emotionless eyes.
"...45%...53%...64%..."
"Thud!"
The sharp blade pierced Ji Mingzhu's right chest. The assailant's voice was cold. "Consider this repayment."
Ji Mingzhu opened his mouth, blood flowing out, blocking his airway, rendering him unable to utter a syllable.
"76%...88%..."
As if unsatisfied, the next moment, Ji Mingzhu's shoulder, thigh, and arm were each punctured by the blade, creating bloody wounds. The combat suit was in tatters, drenched in blood.
This was the first time Ji Mingzhu had suffered such severe injuries from childhood to adulthood. The intense pain overwhelmed his thoughts. In the next second, he was thrown aside, and the dark muzzle aimed at his head.
"Goodbye, Tian Shu."
Axiu's crisp, childlike voice carried a hint of coldness. "Upgrade complete. [Asura Mode] activated."
At the moment the gunshot rang out, Ji Mingzhu could feel his body being controlled by an invisible force, as if he were a puppet on strings, moving on his own.
"Bang!"
Ji Mingzhu stood up from the ground in a bizarre posture. Even his knees didn't bend; he rose straight from the ground, defying all laws of physics and biology, creating an eerily unnatural scene.
The moment he stood up, his head tilted to the left, and the bullet grazed past his ear. However, Ji Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged.
"What?!"
The Netherworld Organization member who fired the shot stared in astonishment. He shook his wrist, firing several more shots in quick succession.
The angle of the shots, the point of force, the force applied to the trigger, the deviation of the muzzle, the wind speed—every piece of information transformed into a stream of data. In the instant of firing, Axiu dismantled all this data. The world seemed to turn into a scene woven with dense lines, a world of 0s and 1s, where Axiu controlled Ji Mingzhu's body.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a few ghostly movements, as if possessing precognition, all the bullets were perfectly dodged. They grazed his body without deviation. Then, he swiftly approached, facing the frontmost Netherworld Organization member.
"What the hell..."
This astonishing scene actually happened right before their eyes. The Netherworld Organization member instinctively drew a knife.
Axiu moved like lightning!
Empty-handed, he grabbed the wrist, twisted it back, pulled it down, and then kneed!
With a crisp sound of bone breaking, the Netherworld Organization member had just drawn his knife when his wrist was captured. Following that, the emotionless "Ji Mingzhu" in front of him completed a series of actions. Like a master who understood human anatomy and construction thoroughly, in just a moment, he directly snapped the man's wrist, then pulled it down, and finally, a knee strike to the jaw shattered his chin bone!
55. Successful Upgrade
"Swish—"
This cold gleam came swiftly and sharply. Ji Mingzhu instinctively leaned to the side, but the opponent was clearly well-trained. While delivering a slash, the other hand swiftly aimed for his face. Ji Mingzhu raised his hand to block, only to feel a cool sensation on his shoulder.
The sharp blade cut across his body. Fortunately, Ji Mingzhu was wearing a Titan pilot's mecha suit, and the high-strength fibers played a crucial role at this moment. The blade encountered resistance during the cut, and at the same time, Ji Mingzhu lowered his body and rushed towards the opponent. The slash only managed to cut through the mecha suit, leaving a shallow wound on his body.
"Axiu, send a distress signal!"
"Communication in this area is jammed."
In the first second of the attack, even before Ji Mingzhu could speak, Axiu had already sent an urgent request for assistance to Calamity Control Bureau. However, all communication in this area seemed to be blocked by some special device. It tried several times but failed to go through: "Watch your back, attack from 4 o'clock, blade deflects 60°, attack blind spot eastward 25!"
"Swish—!"
Another sharp sound pierced through the air. Following Axiu's instructions, Ji Mingzhu immediately moved, tilting his body backward at an extremely subtle angle to narrowly evade the opponent's blade aimed at his throat.
However, he was not as skilled as Tian Quan and lacked professional combat training. Though he managed to dodge the attack, his body coordination couldn't keep up. This evasion caused him to lose balance, but fortunately, Ji Mingzhu quickly used his palm to support himself on the ground, preventing a direct fall.
The assailant hesitated for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
As he was the ace pilot of the Netherworld, they had studied information about Tian Shu before the mission. They knew that although he was a genius in piloting mechas, close combat was his weakness. Yet, he managed to narrowly evade two attacks. Despite not having agile movements, it seemed like he could predict the opponent's intentions the moment he made a move and preemptively dodged.
"Three people coming from the right!"
Axiu's voice sounded in his ears. Ji Mingzhu breathed a brief sigh of relief, but soon realized something was wrong. The attacker in front of him showed no intention of retreating and lunged at him again.
There was a problem.
Ji Mingzhu retreated once more, but his left arm was still cut, and blood flowed out. The pain struck him immediately. Faced with the threat of death, Ji Mingzhu couldn't afford to scream in pain. His intact right hand swiftly grabbed the opponent's wrist, using the force to twist it. With a precise motion, he took the blade from the opponent's hand!
"Puff!"
Ji Mingzhu reached out to snatch the knife and stabbed directly at the opponent's chest without even looking!
However, the opponent's gaze remained calm, showing no ripples. The knife pierced into the right chest, not even causing him to furrow his brows. Instead, Ji Mingzhu felt the blade being caught by the opponent's muscles, making it difficult to move downward or pull it out.
It was as if facing a fearless warrior willing to die.
Before Ji Mingzhu could react, footsteps from the right had already appeared in front of him. Three guards dressed in Calamity Control Bureau uniforms swiftly ran from around the corner.
"They have guns."
Axiu's voice sounded, and Ji Mingzhu decisively released the knife handle, not looking back, and ran in the opposite direction through the passage!
No need to think; since the other party came to kill him, they must have set up an ambush in advance. These three guards couldn't possibly be from the Calamity Control Bureau.
Ji Mingzhu didn't even bother to ask the identity of the assailant. On one hand, he had no time to speak, and on the other hand, there was no need to ask. At this moment, besides the Netherworld Organization, no one else would come to kill him.
"Bang!""Bang Bang!"
Sure enough, just as Ji Mingzhu ran away, three gunshots echoed behind him in the dim passage, sparking sparks. The three guards immediately opened fire at Ji Mingzhu's back. If he had been a bit slower, he would have been riddled with bullets on the spot!
Ji Mingzhu lunged forward and rolled into the corner of the passage. A fiery sensation in his calf indicated that he had been shot. Ignoring the pain, Ji Mingzhu quickly got up, not looking back, and ran deeper into the passage.
He could only delay, delay until Tian Quan noticed the problem, delay until others from the Calamity Control Bureau realized he was missing, and then he might have a chance to be rescued.
Two seconds later, four members of the Netherworld Organization arrived at the corner where Ji Mingzhu had just disappeared. One of them squatted down and touched the residual blood on the ground.
In front of them was a dim passage with several room entrances on both sides. The exit door on the other side of the passage had already been closed. Tian Shu could only be hiding in one of these rooms.
One of them had blood flowing from his chest, but his expression remained indifferent. He coldly said, "Finish it quickly."
...
Tian Quan followed the staff to the location of the award ceremony scheduled for two days later. However, he felt that something was off.
"What's wrong?"
The staff, seeing Tian Quan's pace slow down, turned back and asked curiously.
Tian Quan asked, "The award ceremony in two days should be handled by the Fire Division's security department. Why are we assigned to patrol?"
The other person looked puzzled, "I don't know either... This is an order from the Jupiter Division."
This is even more unusual... Tian Quan was assigned as one of the personal bodyguards to protect Ji Mingzhu by Zuo Quanzong. Logically, their transfer orders should have been handed over in advance to the Titan Combat and War Command Office, where the Red Guard Commander is located. For the Jupiter Division to issue orders bypassing the office seemed illogical.
A slight twitch occurred at Tian Quan's brow, sensing the scent of conspiracy. "Where is the pilot of Ji Mingzhu?"
"He and the other two Titan pilots are supposed to report to the Red Guard Commander's office later. They should be in the lounge now... Let me check."
Seeing Tian Quan's expression turning grim, the staff member took out a communicator to contact the lounge personnel. However, the communication did not connect. Perplexed, he said, "Huh? Why can't I get through... Could the signal tower of the Thunder Division be damaged too?"
He turned around and found that Tian Quan, who was behind him just a moment ago, had disappeared without a trace.
"Red Guard Commander!"
Tian Quan hurried towards the direction of the lounge, using the emergency communication to connect to the office where Zuo Quanzong was located.
Zuo Quanzong, upon receiving Tian Quan's message, also felt surprised. After listening to Tian Quan's report, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. "If the Jupiter Division wants to mobilize you, you should have applied to me first. This is not normal."
"There's a problem within the Jupiter Division."
Tian Quan kept moving, speaking decisively.
A large-scale purge within the Calamity Control Bureau a few days ago exposed a significant number of moles from the Netherworld Organization. They initially thought that the Netherworld Organization would calm down for a while, but they never expected them to be so audacious, directly tampering with the orders issued by the Jupiter Division.
Tian Quan swiftly arrived at the driver's lounge of Ji Mingzhu. Inside, it was empty.
"Mingzhu is not here."
Tian Quan took a deep breath. "Before I left, I saw him in this direction. But there's no issue with the surveillance. Someone must have tampered with it... In such a short time, the Netherworld Organization should not have had a chance to move. He must still be inside the Thunder Division building."
Zuo Quanzong's gaze turned cold, quickly issuing orders, "Notify the Fire Division, deploy all personnel, and search with full force!"
The alarm sounded immediately, and a large number of personnel from the Fire Division mobilized. Under Zuo Quanzong's instructions, they directly entered the Thunder Division building, starting a thorough search for Ji Mingzhu.
Tian Quan ended the communication, feeling uneasy.
Although, according to Ji Mingzhu, he still had value for the Netherworld Organization, and they wouldn't harm him for now. The current situation was clearly abnormal. He even suspected that the Netherworld Organization had already targeted Ji Mingzhu for assassination. More importantly, as a member of the Northern Dipper Seven Stars team, he surprisingly had received no hint from Yu Heng before this incident.
Please don't let anything happen... Ji Mingzhu.
Tian Quan gritted his teeth, scanned the surroundings, and ran in the direction where Ji Mingzhu had left earlier.
...
"Drip."
"Drip."
In the quiet darkness, Ji Mingzhu hid behind a piece of equipment, blood dripping incessantly from his wounds. His face turned pale, and not a single sound escaped his lips.
Following the route guided by Axiu, he ran all the way, but the door on the other side of the corridor had already closed. He could only continue downward, taking refuge in the backup database room below.
It was the same location where he encountered Huo Zai earlier, facing a similar situation. The déjà vu was almost overwhelming.
However, the difference was that Huo Zai had some rationality and was willing to negotiate. On the other hand, these members of the Netherworld Organization came with a hundred percent intent to kill. Judging from their ruthless actions and decisive gunfire just now, there was no intention to take him back alive.
Miscalculation.
Ji Mingzhu had analyzed Bai Weng's personality from various angles, and from any perspective, Bai Weng was unlikely to be so resolute in wanting to kill him. Ji Mingzhu thought that the trouble he caused for the Netherworld Organization would give him a brief respite. However, he overlooked the determination of the Netherworld Organization to kill him, leading himself into such a dangerous situation.
Simultaneously, the extent of the Netherworld Organization's infiltration into the Calamity Control Bureau far exceeded his imagination. After undergoing a purge, they could still mobilize internal assassination forces...
"Your injuries are severe. Without timely treatment, you may face the risk of extensive infection."
"I know."
Countless thoughts flashed through Ji Mingzhu's mind, but none of them were feasible in the current situation. Axiu couldn't send a rescue message, so there was no way to report his current location to the Calamity Control Bureau. The Netherworld Organization's assassination was obviously well-prepared—four people outside, each armed with a gun, and all experienced fighters in combat and assassination. Even if it were Tian Quan standing here, there would be no way to break through.
If only Axiu could activate that "Asura Mode"...
This thought crossed Ji Mingzhu's mind, and then his eyes lit up as he looked at the instruments in front of the database room.
"Axiu."
Ji Mingzhu communicated in his mind, "How long does it take for your module upgrade to be completed?"
"According to the progress of self-upgrade, it will take about seventy years."
"Just upgrading the Asura Mode?"
Axiu replied, "Half a year."
"If we utilize all the computing power in the Thunder Division's database room, how long would it take to upgrade only the Asura Mode?"
"If I take over the computing power of the Thunder Division's server room, it will be very fast, but my presence will be exposed..."
Without the support of external computing devices, the time required for Axiu's self-evolution was too long. However, if Axiu took control of all the server room equipment in this backup database, using the computing power of the Thunder Division's mainframes to fully upgrade Axiu, this progress could be significantly accelerated. However, it would also raise the alarm for the Calamity Control Bureau, especially with Jin Qing currently at the Calamity Control Bureau. There was a high probability that Jin Qing would notice Axiu's presence.
"I can't worry about that now."
Ji Mingzhu took a deep breath. "We'll talk about future matters later."
The three Netherworld Organization members outside would soon arrive here. Waiting for the Thunder Division to find his location and come to his aid, Ji Mingzhu estimated that his body would have cooled by then.
"I understand."
Axiu said, "Taking control of the Thunder Division's mainframes now."
"Hum—"
As Axiu's voice fell, all the equipment in this database room emitted a simultaneous hum, and the previously smoothly running instruments suddenly accelerated.
At the same time, the lights throughout the entire Thunder Division building began to flicker. The Red Guard Office, the Operations Command Center, and even the surveillance equipment all experienced a momentary pause at the same time.
In the Command Center, Zuo Quanzong was checking the surveillance of various locations with a furrowed brow. "What's going on?"
"Red Guard Commander, the Thunder Division's mainframes have been invaded, and all computing power has been transferred!"
A panicked officer said, "An unknown data stream has taken over the mainframes..."
The speed of this computing power transfer was like a robbery. The computing power that maintained the Thunder Division's various mainframe devices was hijacked by this unfamiliar data stream, and this couldn't even be explained as hacking. With the current level of human technology, a single device couldn't withstand such a massive computing power surge...
Zuo Quanzong was momentarily stunned, thinking, when did the Netherworld Organization gain such extraordinary capabilities?
"Trace the location!"
"Unknown data stream is not from the external network. The Jupiter Division's firewall has shown no response. This is an internal data stream from within the building..." Several commanders quickly operated on the instruments, and holographic screens flashed with numerous complex code streams. "It's... It's from the underground backup database room!"
...
"Hiss..."
At the moment when the instruments emitted a piercing hum, Ji Mingzhu felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. However, this sensation quickly disappeared as Axiu promptly severed his pain receptors. Despite this, Ji Mingzhu could still sense the skin on the back of his neck, where the Axiu chip was installed, throbbing.
"Successfully hijacked 98% of the Thunder Division's computing power, currently undergoing upgrade. Current progress: 16%... 28%... 34%..."
"Bang!"
A gunshot echoed as the door to the control room was blasted open, and four figures entered from outside.
The commotion in the control room was intense and distinct, audible even from dozens of meters away, quickly drawing the attention of the Netherworld Organization members.
The intense illumination from the instruments, operating at full capacity, brightened the dim control room. Ji Mingzhu's shadow was sharply outlined.
"Bang!"
In the split second before the gunshot, Ji Mingzhu swiftly lunged forward. Sparks flew behind him. Before he could stabilize his body, a hand had already gripped his neck, lifting him off the ground.
Ji Mingzhu struggled to open his eyes and was met with a pair of emotionless eyes.
"...45%...53%...64%..."
"Thud!"
The sharp blade pierced Ji Mingzhu's right chest. The assailant's voice was cold. "Consider this repayment."
Ji Mingzhu opened his mouth, blood flowing out, blocking his airway, rendering him unable to utter a syllable.
"76%...88%..."
As if unsatisfied, the next moment, Ji Mingzhu's shoulder, thigh, and arm were each punctured by the blade, creating bloody wounds. The combat suit was in tatters, drenched in blood.
This was the first time Ji Mingzhu had suffered such severe injuries from childhood to adulthood. The intense pain overwhelmed his thoughts. In the next second, he was thrown aside, and the dark muzzle aimed at his head.
"Goodbye, Tian Shu."
Axiu's crisp, childlike voice carried a hint of coldness. "Upgrade complete. [Asura Mode] activated."
At the moment the gunshot rang out, Ji Mingzhu could feel his body being controlled by an invisible force, as if he were a puppet on strings, moving on his own.
"Bang!"
Ji Mingzhu stood up from the ground in a bizarre posture. Even his knees didn't bend; he rose straight from the ground, defying all laws of physics and biology, creating an eerily unnatural scene.
The moment he stood up, his head tilted to the left, and the bullet grazed past his ear. However, Ji Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged.
"What?!"
The Netherworld Organization member who fired the shot stared in astonishment. He shook his wrist, firing several more shots in quick succession.
The angle of the shots, the point of force, the force applied to the trigger, the deviation of the muzzle, the wind speed—every piece of information transformed into a stream of data. In the instant of firing, Axiu dismantled all this data. The world seemed to turn into a scene woven with dense lines, a world of 0s and 1s, where Axiu controlled Ji Mingzhu's body.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a few ghostly movements, as if possessing precognition, all the bullets were perfectly dodged. They grazed his body without deviation. Then, he swiftly approached, facing the frontmost Netherworld Organization member.
"What the hell..."
This astonishing scene actually happened right before their eyes. The Netherworld Organization member instinctively drew a knife.
Axiu moved like lightning!
Empty-handed, he grabbed the wrist, twisted it back, pulled it down, and then kneed!
With a crisp sound of bone breaking, the Netherworld Organization member had just drawn his knife when his wrist was captured. Following that, the emotionless "Ji Mingzhu" in front of him completed a series of actions. Like a master who understood human anatomy and construction thoroughly, in just a moment, he directly snapped the man's wrist, then pulled it down, and finally, a knee strike to the jaw shattered his chin bone!
