The Demon's Recovery
"Young Master, that last attack consumed 1.5% of the energy. We currently have 89% energy remaining."
"What's the damage report?"
"Minor abrasion on the right arm detected. Repaired."
"Understood."
Luke stepped out of the church, coldly observing the Hellish creature a hundred meters away. This thing was the thick-skinned type—slow, highly tenacious, and covered in an extremely hard layer of scales. Punching it felt like hitting solid steel.
However, Luke had put nearly full power into that last punch. Forget steel, he could pierce tungsten alloy. Judging by the sound of cracking bone, its abdominal bones must be fractured, and its spine likely affected.
"Ava, examine its physical condition."
"Understood, Young Master."
Luke's view shifted. A holographic human-body image of the Hellish creature appeared on the internal display, clearly showing the massive injury on its flank.
"Not that tough after all!"
Luke muttered to himself. Before the words left his mouth, the wound healed at a visible speed. In just a few seconds, the abdomen was restored to its original state.
"..."
"Young Master, the energy fluctuations on its surface are increasing."
The demon swayed as it climbed to its feet, staring at Luke with its charcoal-like single eye—venomous yet cautious.
That last punch had left a deep psychological shadow. If its body hadn't undergone a strange change, it might have died.
Thinking this, it reached out to touch its stomach, a look of confusion in its eye.
As a Higher Demon, the great Kaptun possessed unparalleled handsomeness, an indestructible body, strength comparable to an Abyss Lord, and flames that could burn everything—all blessings from the Lord of Hell. However, none of these included rapid regeneration.
Did eating human corpses grant me a new ability?
Kaptun was bewildered. Deciding to test this, he squinted and searched the surroundings. He quickly spotted Constantine and Casper hiding in the nearby storage room by the road.
Hiding inside the storage room, Constantine and Casper both shivered simultaneously. They turned and bolted without a word.
Kaptun licked his lips excitedly, his eye flashing with fierce avarice.
Damn Constantine! The endless Abyss Lord has placed a bounty on your soul. Delivering it will earn a generous reward.
What a pity. Such a delicious soul, filled with the flavor of depravity. Alas, I can only devour your flesh.
Come now, give your flesh to me, and grant me greater power!
Kaptun roared with laughter, pouncing at the two men at full speed. The demon and the two humans chased each other across the lawn, having a grand old time.
They seemed to have forgotten the other person present.
Luke's face darkened. He asked impassively, "Ava, have I been ignored?"
"It appears so, Young Master."
"What do you think I should do?"
"The armor's energy is sufficient. This is a good opportunity to test its multi-form combat performance."
"Excellent. Initiate long-range attack mode."
An Unkillable Foe
Phantom Unit 1 began to transform. Its shoulders split open, revealing two energy cannon ports. Eight spider-like long legs shot out from its back, each housing an energy gun. These weapons, derived from Kryptonian technology, were a practical application of mass-energy conversion.
Luke leaped onto the roof of the storage room. His palms opened, the cannon ports shifted, and the eight spider legs locked onto the demon below.
A piercing hum suddenly filled the air. Twelve energy beams lined up, converging into a thick energy column that slammed into the Hellish creature.
CRASH!
The demon's scaly arm was instantly vaporized into bloody mist. Kaptun wailed in agony. Its chest exploded with flesh, and the brutal energy column slammed it deep into the soil.
Luke soared into the air, blue flames jetting from his feet. He flew and fired simultaneously.
Blue energy beams poured down like a torrential rain, blasting countless craters into the ground. Dust billowed, spreading like a thick fog. From a distance, only a dense, continuous stream of blue electric light could be seen.
Constantine and Casper swallowed in unison, speechless with shock.
Where did this deity come from?
He was too powerful, beating the Hellish creature into submission with zero resistance.
Constantine opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. To prevent the demon from causing widespread destruction, he had made some minor modifications to the summoning array.
Of course, magic is a precise thing. Even a slight change can lead to a fundamental difference. For instance, the Higher Demon currently being pummeled had its maximum presence time limited to twenty minutes, but the cost was that it would not die for the duration.
This was the result of his "minor modification."
This means...
Constantine swallowed hard. Seizing the moment when no one was looking, he slipped away into the woods.
The Hellish creature was trouble, and the freak in the black armor was even worse trouble. With two troubles at once, it was better to run. As for the payment, he could worry about that later.
As a renowned scoundrel, Constantine never worried about people failing to pay their debts.
Unleashing the Strong Attack Mode
The Kryptonian energy cannons caused immense damage to the demon, practically reducing it to a pulp. An ordinary creature would have been dead instantly, but this one was different. Its soul did not dissipate; instead, it grew stronger.
"What is going on?"
Luke stopped firing, his brow deeply furrowed in confusion.
The bloody fragments scattered on the grass seemed to possess an independent consciousness. Pulled by some unseen force, they rapidly merged. Soon, a completely new Higher Demon was born.
Luke's eyes widened in shock. Ava flashed a series of question marks on the internal display, clearly stunned as well. The sight before them transcended the bounds of explainable science.
He had never heard of a body being shattered and then recovering completely.
Kaptun was also clearly surprised by this situation. He felt his body, his expression bewildered.
Why did I come back to life?
Could it be that the great Lord of Hell favors me, granting me the power of eternal life?
Kaptun hammered his chest with excitement and began to laugh maniacally, making various provocative gestures at Luke hovering in the air.
Come on, you iron freak!
What if you can smash me? The great Lord of Hell favors me! I, Kaptun, am invincible!
Luke narrowed his eyes, suppressing his frustration. "I need a tissue sample of its flesh."
"Understood, Young Master."
"Activate Strong Attack Mode!"
The shoulder cannon ports vanished. The eight spider legs retracted into the body. The armor pulsed with dense blue current. Its limbs grew thicker and longer. Tiny scales combined with the blue energy, forming a tightly woven, elastic, semi-charged armor.
The armor began to increase in height, growing from 1.85 meters to 2.6 meters. The arms, enveloped in blue electricity, seemed to possess endless power, resonating with a deep thud at the slightest touch.
The Hellish creature stood at 2.9 meters, not much taller than Luke in his Strong Attack Mode. Their sizes were now comparable.
Luke raised his right leg and began walking toward the demon. Each step left a deep indentation in the lawn.
Kaptun roared and charged. As a Higher Demon, it was never afraid of a brawl.
The two colossal figures slammed into each other, exchanging punches and kicks. Steel fought flesh, and every collision produced a deafening roar.
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