Legend of the Cyber Heroes-Chapter 76 - Ground Technique

76: Chapter 76 Ground Technique

76 -76 Ground Technique

Ulster Granddog was certain of his luck at that instant.

While searching the area, he had indeed found two or three entrances.

However, the bodies strewn about the entrance made him hesitate slightly.

He quickly discovered the EMP mines on the ground.

The technique of their placement was passable, but it was clear that the enemy had not anticipated a Cybermen with an acute sense of smell like him finding this place, and thus they had not taken appropriate precautions.

There was a scent of disturbed soil, and an excess of biological odors compared to the background environment.

But the Old Dog did not rashly enter.

He knew that the tunnels beneath the Green Forest Stronghold were intricate and maze-like.

And judging by the situation, it seemed that the hero known as “Will” had probably succeeded in assassinating all of the Green Forest outlaws inside the stronghold, taking over their place.

He couldn’t be sure what types of mines lay within.

Although only EMP mines were seen in the outermost area, there could be more traditional explosive mines hidden better inside.

Of course, the damage from explosive high-temperature gases and shockwaves was greatly reduced for Cybermen thanks to external armor and cushioning layers, and shrapnel was unlikely to cause significant damage.

But the problem was, these were underground tunnels.

As long as explosives were placed at both ends of a section of tunnel and the trigger was set in the middle, it could potentially bury you alive before you managed to escape the blast zone.

The Old Dog wouldn’t bet on that.

Artificial muscle fibers had great advantages in explosiveness—their contraction and relaxation were extremely quick.

However, if used for grappling with a prosthetic body and enduring sustained counterforces, the muscle fibers would rupture and deteriorate quickly.

If he were buried alive by rock, he might not be able to dig himself out.

At that moment, his ears filtered out a discordant sound amid the background noise.

Naturally, Granddog went over to investigate.

Then, he saw a person.

As he had expected, “Will” had indeed made use of the resources of the Green Forest Stronghold to replace his prosthetic body.

He looked somewhat different from the information he had.

But the face and the characteristic protective structure for the prosthetic eye around the eye socket, identified his identity.

It was him.

This was “Will,” no doubt about it.

This martial artist seemed to be trapped in a state of mental derangement.

He cursed at the clouds and sky in madness at someone, as if he harbored anger greater than heaven itself.

The Old Dog faintly saw the light flickering within the character’s prosthetic eye—it was disordered neural activity being mistakenly recognized as “meaningful commands,” causing parts of the prosthetic body to run amok.

This was a descent into madness.

The Old Dog found this contemptible.

The most important thing for a martial artist was to restrain oneself.

The Martial Ancestor once said that human instincts are a negative legacy, and everyone should fight against their “naked ape” instincts rather than letting their nerves fire wildly.

This guy hadn’t even passed the first barrier of being a martial artist?

The Old Dog didn’t want to take advantage of this, chuckled, and said, “What madness are you spouting, hero?”

The reply came half a beat slower than expected.

The Old Dog swiftly bit down.

In that instant, the martial artist was jolted awake from his delusion.

He raised his left hand high, supporting Ulster Granddog’s chin.

The Old Dog arched his waist, attempting to leverage himself free, but Will’s hand slightly retracted, dissipating the force of the counterattack.

Then, the world turned upside down.

Will’s right elbow shot up, hammering the unbalanced Old Dog and sending him flying.

The Old Dog somersaulted in mid-air.

With additional weights at the ends of his limbs, his prosthetic body had a lower center of gravity compared to traditional Imitation Beast Path prosthetics.

He could recover his stance faster with limited movements.

Perhaps due to emotional instability, Will did not pursue further.

He didn’t even stand up but remained kneeling at the entrance of the tunnel.

“Seems like you finally got yourself a body with a bit of fighting capability, hero,” the Old Dog laughed.

“Then, let’s have our fight!”

With that, he lunged out like lightning once again.

As Will watched the oncoming dog, a torrent of memories flooded his mind.

“You…”

In a critical moment, Will’s calves powered up, and without moving his upper body, he sprung from the ground and then pressed his palms towards the Old Dog’s head.

Distant memories, recollections of the past few months, and the current scene seemed to converge.

Will felt as though he was trapped in a bizarre hallucination.

He was the former director of the United Nations Institute for Civilization Studies…

He was the Ancestor of Martial Arts, the first hero…

He was also…

A wandering ghost…

Xiang Shan let out a loud howl and exchanged dozens of moves swiftly with the Old Dog’s front paws.

The Old Dog twisted its neck 120 degrees, trying to tear at Xiang Shan’s wrists.

Xiang Shan stepped back again, moving in the opposite direction of the Old Dog’s twisted neck, attempting to cut into the blank area of the opponent’s attack.

However, the Old Dog twisted its waist and abdomen, its hind legs stamped on the ground, and it pounced behind Xiang Shan once more.

Xiang Shan swept back with his left leg while simultaneously twisting his waist a full 180 degrees, reaching with both hands to capture the large dog over a meter tall.

The Old Dog’s neck suddenly stretched three inches.

Xiang Shan was slightly caught off guard, but he still managed to press down on the side of the opponent’s neck and guide it with gentle strength.

The Old Dog bit down on the armor on his shoulder.

A teeth-grating sound ensued, and silver fragments spewed from between the Old Dog’s teeth.

Its teeth also had the ability to produce high-frequency vibrations.

By biting down and holding firm, the Old Dog could effectively deteriorate the alloy armor.

But at this moment, their positions were fixed.

The Old Dog was anchored to Xiang Shan’s shoulder by its own mouth.

Xiang Shan decisively lunged forward, leaning into the move.

The Old Dog’s entire body was made of artificial muscle fibers and prosthetics, giving it explosive power, but it struggled to maintain tension against a force for an extended period.

It could certainly kick away Xiang Shan’s half-ton prosthetic body without opposition, but if Xiang Shan was careful enough and it found no opportunity to exert force, he could still maintain control!

So Xiang Shan made a decision in an instant, to engage in ground combat.

Before they hit the ground, the Old Dog guessed Xiang Shan’s intention, released its bite, and used its tail to push off the ground, attempting to change Xiang Shan’s sinking body posture with a surge of power.

But Xiang Shan followed this force, twisting his waist 180 degrees forward, charging ahead with the dog’s body in tow.

The Old Dog’s neck was twisted by Xiang Shan, and both front limbs were restrained.

It kicked backwards forcefully at Xiang Shan’s lower abdomen.

Xiang Shan felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed motorcycle, his body involuntarily bending at the lower abdomen.

The Old Dog’s body swung back, its lower half lifting while the upper half sank, its head almost slipping from Xiang Shan’s control.

Xiang Shan’s hands shot out like lightning, pinning the back of the Old Dog’s head while forcefully slamming it down as he sat down from the kick, also smashing the Old Dog’s head onto the ground.

The Old Dog’s lower body folded over, tail sweeping.

Xiang Shan protected his prosthetic eye with steel eyelids and then hooked the Old Dog’s hind limbs with his left leg.

In a fury, the Old Dog opened its jaws wide again to bite ferociously.

Its oral hydraulic system and high-frequency vibrating teeth had immense destructive power.

Just a grip on the neck could shatter the armor, followed by severing the spine.

At this moment, their heads were nearly touching.

Xiang Shan’s most vital brain was exposed under the Old Dog’s strongest attack.

But Xiang Shan fiercely headbutted downward.

Of course, this was not advantageous.

Xiang Shan’s biological brain was inside his skull, while the Old Dog’s biological brain was, like the one he had seen before, within its abdomen.

Using his head to strike the opponent’s head was naturally more damaging to himself than beneficial.

Yet Xiang Shan’s head resisted the dog’s upper jawbone, also ensuring his own neck stayed far from the adversary’s metal teeth.

Man and dog pushed against each other like two bulls locked in a contest.

It was as if Xiang Shan was using his head to perform “Tai Chi Push Hands.”

Then, Xiang Shan exerted force with his waist and abdomen, and the power system attached to his spine granted him core strength beyond what a Natural Person could compare.

Man and dog switched positions once more.

He used his own weight to clamp down on the Old Dog’s tail.

Xiang Shan felt like he was pressing his knee down on a python — the slender tail possessed strength that belied its appearance.

The dog’s neck jutted upward frantically, seeking to break free from Xiang Shan’s skull to reclaim the distance for attack.

But Xiang Shan applied a principle similar to “Listening Skill” and “Push Hands,” pressing his forehead tightly against the opponent’s upper jaw, giving the Old Dog no chance.

However, that oral cavity was not a vocal organ, so this did not prevent the Old Dog from speaking.

The Grand Master of Bionic Fist Technique chuckled, “Excellent kung fu.

I haven’t seen such impressive ground techniques in many years, and you also made a decision instantly, playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses.

Impressive, indeed!

If it weren’t for your distracted mind and confusion by inner demons, I might not have found an opportunity.

My disciple dying at your hands is no injustice.”

Xiang Shan growled, “You…

Is it…

for revenge…”

“It seems your emotions have not yet settled down, Hero,” the Old Dog chuckled.

“Revenge?

Was Will such a man that I would seek revenge for him?

For Martial Artists, killing or being killed is a matter of fate.

Why should one doubt one’s fate?

I approached you simply to exchange Martial Studies.

To determine superiority and decide life or death.”

——What…

A flicker of astonishment passed through Xiang Shan’s mind, but it was quickly covered by another complex emotion.

That emotion came from Will Grand Duke — the little dog who had never been treated as a human being in its entire life.

And so Xiang Shan understood.

This was the “father.”

“After determining superiority, we must decide life or death!” Ulster Granddog laughed heartily as his entire body’s internal force burst forth, reversing the positions of the two once again.

They rolled together into the cave, maintaining their mutual grip.

The greatest advantage of synthetic muscle fibers was their instantaneous explosive power.

——Damn…

In the next instant, random spots of light appeared in the prosthetic eye.

It was an EMP mine.

Xiang Shan naturally hadn’t forgotten this path and had set mines as well.

On his way here, his prosthetic body’s auxiliary AI had naturally bypassed the self-set triggering device.

But Ulster Granddog noticed the mine.

From previous surveillance, it was known that Xiang Shan preferred EMP mines.

Moreover, in the ground scuffle, the Old Dog noticed Xiang Shan’s exertion — he must have switched spines.

And from common sense, such a short time would not be enough for the spinal nerves to completely integrate.

In that instant, the Old Dog’s body convulsed as if struck by an epileptic seizure.

And the intense phantom pain once again crushed Xiang Shan’s entire body.