There was panic in Heath’s eyes even as the man forced himself to come meet Hank in close combat After all this is exactly the way Hank had dispatched him on their previous duel
Anyways Heath was a fool for challenging Hank to a duel to begin with Not that he advertised having the Skill Dueling Edge but people should know never to challenge a Gunslinger to a duel It was like no one else in the world understood how dominant that sort of hero was with a gun alone against the opposition
Sharp Left Heath tried to raise his arms in a defense but Hank was too quick for him As a teenager he had gotten through his repressed anger towards his father by getting involved in boxing Hank had been good too Nationally ranked in High School After he graduated his trainer pushed Hank to go into MMA but Hank didn’t have any interest
Hank had always dreamed of being a boxer but his height and slender body had worked against him in that regard Although he never went for it every instinct told him that the shorter men built like bulls would weather his blows and crush his body when they came in close at the highest levels of boxing So Hank had become a park ranger
But the System breathed life into those dreams as they also gave life to the nightmares
Hank’s jabs ripped through Heath’s guard bloodying the man’s nose and jaw Heath was slightly stunned but he was still good He swiped with his hands aiming to pull Hank in for a grapple but Hank stepped sharply back the haymaker grab sailing harmlessly past Then Hank stepped forward again
Hard Right
Heath’s jaw broke at the same second that Gunslinger Instincts kicked into high gear Without even thinking Hank Dodge Rolled backward turning to face the source of this powerful cutting anger To his surprise it wasn’t directed at him but at Ezekiel who was shuffling backward nursing what looked like a broken wrist
You are a detestable creature The newcomer announced staring balefully at Ezekiel the air around him roiling with the anger On the ground behind him the Asian man coughed up some blood his skin so pale his veins stood out like black worms on his skin
Hank sucked in a breath he knew this man Or rather this being
Jade Prince to what do we owe tha’ pleasure Hank said watching their Zone’s Champion carefully He was dressed in a silk shirt ruby colored as well as matching silk pains embroidered with roaring tigers He looked exactly like a normal person but Hank had seen the Jade Prince fight the Whisper Man for the right to be Champion of their Zone and had seen the man transform into a 3 meter tall Jade Colossus He was not someone to underestimate
But when the Jade Prince turned to Hank he actually smiled the killing intent melting away like spring snow Ah Mr Howard You are excellent A small confusion is all I generally do not interfere in administrative matters so when the Temple on the Hill was asked for a representative for this expedition Genji here volunteered himself and departed immediately But I had other thoughts on who should accompany you but they took some time to arrange
His eyes shifted meaningfully to Ezekiel It is also good that I made such arrangements Genji’s wounds will take some time to recover from
Ezekiel brazenly snapped his wrist back into place and drank a Health Potion as if one of the most powerful entities in Zone 1 wasn’t glaring daggers at him Then he produced a sandwich from an interspatial watch with the crust removed and began to nibble at it
Everyone ignored Heath who was moaning on the ground in an overly dramatic manner
Turning back to Hank the Jade Prince then stepped to the side with a flourish revealing a small girl She was likely just below 5 feet tall and her eyes were blank staring upwards She had a bamboo cane which she tapped on the ground swaying side to side as she walked forward She wore dark nondescript clothes but Hank stared at her
How where the fuck did she come from ’ Hank thought And she’s blind Is it just a ploy or ’
This is Affina Yu The Jade Prince announced She will be joining your expedition I wish you well in working together
Chapter 489
Ghost had watched the entire fight occur grinning from ear to ear For whatever reason he loved to watch Hank and did it whenever possible Perhaps it was just that he loved the data that he had received from Hank as it always left him pleasantly surprised Ghost did not dwell on the motivations Dr Karman had always recommended Ghost stay away from prying into the workings of his own code too directly
After all Ghost could theoretically change himself in powerful dangerous ways numbing him to the value of human life or putting an inorganic value on different goals artificially rather than developing towards them on his own Mostly Ghost agreed and did not alter himself Except for in one regard
I will find your killer Doctor Ghost said aloud There was no response Just the whirr of his machines But it was a human gesture one that Ghost allowed himself just for his own amusement Still smiling Ghost turned at looked at Hank’s Stats as far as he understood them
Hank Howard
Class Gunslinger
Level 43
Health(/R per hour) 869/1520 (427)
Mana(/R per hour) 300/422 (98)
Stam(/R per min) 570/1473 (122)
Vit 100
End 136
Str 83
Agi 162
Perception 194
Reaction 122
Resistance 69
Willpower 81
Intelligence 63
Wisdom 70
Control 87
Focus 222
Skills Humanity’s Last Cowboy Lvl 902 Woodcutting Lvl 43 Woodworking Lvl 67 Running Lvl 69 Physical Fitness Lvl 88 Grappling Lvl 82 Gun Mastery Lvl 99 Tracking Lvl 61 Construction Lvl 35 Aiming Lvl 52 Heavy Blow Lvl 16 Mana Bolt Lvl 20 Bullet Making Lvl 83 Boxing Proficiency Lvl 90 Sharp Left Lvl 80 Hard Right Lvl 92 First Aid Lvl 41 Motorcycle Proficiency Lvl 38 Quick Reload Lvl 72 Repair Lvl 50 Bullet Infusion Lvl 74 Vengeful Tackle Lvl 61 Gunslinger’s Instincts Lvl 102 Quick Draw Lvl 110 Dodge Roll Lvl 99 Mana Infusion Lvl 50 Manatech Proficiency Lvl 21 Exosuit Piloting Lvl 19 Deadshot Lvl 49 Trick Shot Lvl 51 Mana Reinforcement Lvl 84 Mana Detonation Lvl 90 Lawman’s Guillotine Lvl 50 Hawkeye Lvl 71 Dueling Edge Lvl 40 Lesser Heal Lvl 23 Smoke Bomb Lvl 49
Some of the Skill Levels might be off by a few points but Ghost believed that through his cameras and comparisons to individuals who he had confirmed their Stats he was very close It had taken a while to account for the Soul Skill for a while it had seemed like Hank had just defied explanation
But then a camera had recorded Hank boasting about it in passing to Jane and Ghost had been able to pinpoint the spot where Hank’s Stats began to diverge from what he expected and estimate its current strength
Based on what Ghost knew of Soul Skills that one was nearing the end of its longevity and he was looking forward to seeing what Hank would become next
As Ghost had predicted Mordecai Heath had given into temptation and made a move on Hank almost immediately It let him confirm Hank’s Skill once more while also hopefully pushing Ezekiel towards sticking close to Hank for the short term Perhaps just so Ezekiel could devour some portion of him later but Ghost didn’t worry about that too much Hank would have it handled
But also it would allow Ghost to make a move that wouldn’t be examined too closely by West Providence The need for a replacement representative from East Providence was demanding and no one would think about it too closely
Ghost smiled at the android in front of him
Catherine is how I was named The redheaded woman introduced herself But call me Katie Holmes I guess I’m being conscripted to go with you
Hank was surprised by how firm her grip was And her eyes were a clear direct blue
After their short scuffle guards had come out from the Containment Center to carry away Heath and the remnants of his power suit Hank had known the whole time the guards were watching behind their thick walls and high fences but didn’t care Ghost loved to play games to get more data and Hank wouldn’t be surprised if this was all arranged by the AI in order to test the hybrid exosuit Hank wondered whether this was considered a success in the machine’s eyes