BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Chapter 1178: Hands of Destruction



[LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.]

Bill placed his palm against Erik's tendrils. They began dissolving, breaking down into nothingness where his hands made contact. The process spread, converting solid matter into a void with terrifying speed.

Calling it a void wasn't accurate. When Bill's power made contact, the matter broke down into fine particles that sparkled briefly before vanishing completely into the air, like microscopic dust being scattered by an invisible wind.

<Fuck... This is not good.>

Indeed, it wasn't, because it meant he could not touch him in any way; besides, he didn't know if that ability worked on things like the elements. In that case, there was not going to be a single attack that could reach him.

Of course, like all brain crystal powers, they weren't absolute, meaning there still were ways to inflict damage. The problem was that Erik had not had enough information about it. He saw too little.

<The second division commander used his hands to destroy the plants. Maybe he needs to physically touch things to use his powers?>

If that was true, that was a severe flaw in his abilities, like a powerful tank with a glaring weak spot in its armor. The limitation would severely restrict his attack range and tactical options.

However, there was no way the blackguards left the man without a way to use his powers more effectively. If that really was the only flaw in the second division commander's brain crystal power, they would have given him one or two powers that went past that limitation. The problem was what?

<Well, it's not like I don't have a way to get an answer to this question. System, analyze him.>

Name: Bill Asfligate

Physical Description: Physical Description: Bill is a tall man, about 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, with a slim but muscular build. He has burn scars on the left side of his face, covered by a short black beard with some gray in it. He's wearing the standard fighting outfit of the Second Division, complete with their badge.

Brain Crystal Powers:Matter Disruption (Aa3A): Allows the user to break down physical matter at a molecular level through direct contact with his hands. The disintegration effect spreads rapidly from the point of contact. While powerful, this ability requires physical contact through hands.

Speed Burst (Aa3B): Enables the user to move at incredible speeds for brief periods. The speed and acceleration depend on mana input.

Hands of the Martyr (Av3B): Creates multiple invisible hands that function as extensions of the user's own arms. The size, speed, and power of these scales with mana usage. The hands can channel the user's Matter Disruption ability, removing the primary weakness of requiring physical contact.

{Attributes}

STRENGTH: 489

INTELLIGENCE: 200

DEXTERITY: 463

ENERGY: 1450

{Others}

Power Level: 1330

Brain Crystal Rank (Matter Disruption): Aa3A

Brain Crystal Rank (Speed Burst): Aα3B

Brain Crystal Rank (Hands of the Martyr): Av3B

Estimated experience by killing him: 10,743,596.44

As the screen appeared, Erik could do nothing but curse. He was indeed right about the fact that his power required physical contact. What he didn't know was that it could only be used through his hands. However, the blackguards found a way to circumvent the problem, as he assumed.

That came with his third power, Hands of the Martyr. It was simple, really; it allowed him to create invisible hands, which meant Bill could use his powers with dozens, if not thousands, of hands.

The problem was that a power like this, like all brain crystal powers, was as strong as the mana employed to use it. This could affect it in many ways. In this case, it could make the

hands longer, meaning Bill would also gain reach.

The last problem was something else, though.

<Three brain crystal powers... Mother fucker>

The power made Bill fast. There was no doubt the idea for giving him this power was to make him able to keep up with Erik's speed, but that was not the most insidious aspect of the power. It was that Bill could get thrice the amount of attributes. Bill could have easily reached the 700 strength points, which was higher than Erik's, and with the Speed Burst brain crystal power, Erik would find himself at a disadvantage.

Luckily, the man hadn't gotten all 54 neural links for the three powers.

<Yet he got them for two of them. Based on the technique the blackguards have, it means Bill had the powers for a long time. The technique isn't so powerful as to allow him to get many neural links in a short time.>

There was no doubt about one thing, though: each of these brain crystal powers had been chosen with a clear purpose. To kill him.

The commander's body blurred. Erik's tracked him down, but it wasn't easy because the man was apparently using dozens of hands to move. He was fast, really fast. Bill pivoted in a weird way, and, like light, he reappeared behind him, invisible hands already reaching for Erik.

The younger man twisted away, but he felt the air displacement where Bill's invisible hands

passed.

"They prepared you well," Erik said, creating distance between them.

"From your words, I assume you know what my brain crystal powers are."

"Maybe."

Bill's eyes focused on him. The blackguards did not know of Erik being able to learn about his opponents' brain crystal powers. Bill wasn't even sure he had it. Regardless, Erik understood his ability, because otherwise, he would already be dead.

Fighting invisible hands wasn't easy. Of course, Erik could have some other brain crystal power that allowed him to see invisible things or that allowed him to see the future.

Everything was possible if the biological supercomputer was involved.

"The blackguards don't leave things to chance," Bill said. He tried to scare Erik. What he didn't know was that he could read his mind.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

<But even he doesn't.>

His stance shifted, hands raised in a combat position. "Though I must admit, your reputation barely scratches the surface of what you are really capable of."

"Should I take this as a compliment?" Erik asked. There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice as

he kept his defensive stance.

"No."

The space around Bill distorted as multiple invisible hands extended outward. Erik also sensed their presence through subtle changes in air pressure and mana flow, but it was because of the Instability brain crystal power that he knew they were coming.

<I need to stay away from them.>

Each spectral hand could deliver Bill's destructive touch. He would die if that happened. Erik

used telekinesis to fly into the air.

"Tell me," Erik said. "Did they give you Speed Burst just so you could keep up with me?"

"Among the reasons, yes." Bill's eyes tracked Erik's movement. "Though I suspect you've

already deduced most of them."

"Yeah..."

The commander launched another assault, his invisible hands stretched, reaching Erik in the distant sky, and attacking from multiple angles.

<At least this way I should be able to increase the amount of mana he uses.>

Erik evaded them. The problem was that there were at least a thousand of such hands in the

sky. It wasn't possible to see them.

Like a blind man using echolocation, he pieced together their position from the three different sensory inputs, creating a mental map of the deadly invisible threats surrounding

him.

But despite that, at best, he could retreat and maintain distance, since any direct contact with those invisible hands would mean instant death through molecular disintegration. Even with his enhanced senses and combat experience, Erik could only focus on evasive tactics. Water from Erik's earlier attack still covered the hangar floor, reflecting the remaining fires ravaging the hangar. At least, though, the fire was far from the plane.

In the meantime, Erik kept killing the blackguards. Bodies kept piling up. "Your Matter Disruption is fascinating," Erik said as he dodged another series of strikes. "Complete molecular breakdown on contact. But it must be exhausting to do." Bill, the second division commander, then got out of Erik's traps.

His expression remained neutral. "Personal costs are irrelevant when defending the Law Gate." He paused. "Though I wonder what you're buying time for. Since you know my powers,

there is no reason for you to not attack."

Erik was just keeping his distance until that point. He smiled coldly.

They each recognized the other's strategy-neither fully committing to the fight in order to gauge each other's strength.

At the same time, Erik was protecting the remaining aircraft while Bill was likely waiting for reinforcements to come. Even if he lost the battle, the plan had to be destroyed, because if he did, even Erik Romano would not be able to kill Vania, then. The blackguards weren't going to

waste the time Bill was tasked with providing. Vania had plans.

"An interesting standoff," Erik said.

"Indeed." Bill's hands glowed as he channeled more mana into his powers. "Though

standoffs eventually end."

The commander's next attack came from multiple directions. At the same time, his body

blurred as Speed Burst worked. He pumped up the speed of his invisible hands and attacked

Erik from angles.

<Fuck.>

Erik was truly in danger now.