Chapter 14: Superpower - Bullet Time

"You can take me away? So I won't have to come back here?" Li Yu asked with some curiosity.

"Of course!" Mountain Chicken declared decisively. This caught the attention of some Scavengers, but the Veteran Scavengers merely scoffed, showing no further reaction.

Was having to return here to pick up trash what restricted them? Of course not!

It was the lack of an officially recognized Identity. Without an Identity, it was the same no matter where they went. Did they really think it was easy to survive in the Black Market?

Scavenging for trash here might be bitter work, but there was no danger. Especially for a Veteran Scavenger like Hunter Kuhl, it was simply paradise.

What was the point of staying in the Black Market? They could be killed at any unknown moment.

"However..." Mountain Chicken suddenly shifted his tone, revealing his true colors. "When meeting my older brother, Mad Snake, you always need to prepare a greeting gift. I think that Leather Suitcase of yours looks quite nice."

Li Yu glanced at him and shook his head. "There is no need."

Third Fatty was still broadcasting live. Most of the Scavengers stared at the rearview mirror without blinking. He seemed completely unresponsive to Mountain Chicken's blatant attempt at poaching.

Li Yu turned his eyes toward this Warrior. With his nostrils flared to the sky, eyes wide and glaring, one foot stepping on a broken chair, and one finger pointing directly at him, the man looked exactly like Cannon Fodder.

He pondered for a moment, then crooked a finger at the Warrior. "Do you know why I said there was no need?"

"Why?" The man bared his teeth and leaned his head closer.

Mountain Chicken was their boss. He had gathered them together, promised them rewards, and painted a picture of a beautiful tomorrow.

He did not want to waste the rest of his life in that foul-smelling Garbage Pile where there wasn't even a single woman.

"Because..." Li Yu paused mid-sentence as his hand suddenly clamped over the man's large face. A terrifying strength pierced straight through his flesh, gripping the bone.

"Ah!"

He let out a miserable wail, the intense agony making it impossible for him to speak.

His back arched, and explosive power burst forth from his muscles. He hoisted the man straight up from the chair and hurled him out the window like a javelin.

Crash!

The glass shattered, and hot wind surged into the carriage. Li Yu casually tossed aside the torn skin from his hand and looked at Mountain Chicken, who was sitting dumbfounded in his chair.

He revealed a brilliant smile, flashing pearly white teeth that were extremely rare among Scavengers.

"One is enough..." Third Fatty's voice rang out, warning Li Yu not to go overboard. After all, they were all paying customers.

It was fine for Li Yu to kill someone who offended him, but if he just slaughtered people at random, where would that leave his reputation?

Li Yu reached out, his hand brushing past Mountain Chicken's face, making the man's heart stop for a second. He then wiped the blood from his hand onto Mountain Chicken's clothes and replied nonchalantly, "Alright."

Mountain Chicken sat frozen in place, not daring to move. Hot wind howled through the hole in the glass, bringing views of the Gobi Desert landscape into sight. There were wire fences on both sides, suggesting they were traveling on a special route.

"Block that window!" Third Fatty barked. Although this route was not exactly a secret, certain things along the way still could not be overly exposed.

Li Yu scooped up Claptrap and pressed it directly against the broken hole, sealing it perfectly.

"Master... Claptrap's buttocks are burning hot..." Claptrap complained aggrievedly.

"Endure it..."

"Oh."

Li Yu closed his eyes and began humming an odd tune.

Mountain Chicken dared not move. Cold sweat constantly beaded on his skin as the scene from moments ago played on repeat in his mind.

The iron-plated vehicle stopped a few times along the way, seemingly undergoing inspections, but they passed through unimpeded. However, Third Fatty's mood grew much angrier, and he kept muttering curses.

After the System Log refreshed twice, they finally arrived at their Destination.

[Day Six: In the house across from Neo, the constant stream of different women coming and going caught the attention of Trinity, who was observing Neo.]

[Upon careful investigation, she was utterly shocked by the Avatar's behavior and attempted to eliminate this scumbag.]

[During the exchange of blows, your combat skills once again shocked Trinity. Furthermore, you revealed that you had also seen through the Matrix World, forcing Trinity to stop and report the matter to Morpheus.]

[When Morpheus appeared before you holding the red and blue pills, you knew it was time to settle things.]

Things were finally on the right track. The Avatar's extraordinary nature made it difficult for him to stay hidden any longer.

Li Yu let out a long breath. While he was stuck sitting in this broken-down vehicle, his Avatar was out there having the time of its life. How could it be like this?

[Day Seven: You did not hesitate to take the blue pill and swallow it. However, Morpheus, puzzled by your decisiveness, used a special power to stop you.]

[You argued vigorously, questioning why he wouldn't let you have the blue pill when it was clearly presented as a choice.]

[Morpheus became even more convinced that you knew the true meaning behind the red and blue pills. Frustrated by your lack of ambition, he forced the red pill down your throat.]

[Discern the Boundary of Reality and Illusion, acquired Supernatural Ability - Bullet Time (D-Rank)]

Sitting behind Li Yu, Mo Duo kept her green eyes fixed on the back of his head.

The Hunter beside her could not help but shake his head. Such emotional attachment was meaningless; even a dog would shake its head at it.

Mo Duo, however, was puzzled. Li Yu's emotions had gone through another rollercoaster ride in a short period of time, and now they were like a dead sea, completely devoid of ripples.

Could it be... She glanced at the Hunter beside her. Was it really as this guy said, that Li Yu was suspected of being a Crazy Person?

The Hunter quietly pulled down the brim of his hat. 'Don't look at me. You can't just shift your affections.'

In Li Yu's mind, there were currently so many ridiculous points that he didn't even know where to begin complaining.

Taking the blue pill, questioning Morpheus, and ultimately being force-fed the red pill—this entire sequence of events, condensed into just a few short lines, brought a massive Impact upon him.

Fortunately, he ultimately gained the Supernatural Ability - Bullet Time. This was one of the most famous things from The Matrix.

"You pieces of trash, we've arrived at the Destination..."

Third Fatty finally stood up and clapped his hands, directing everyone to disembark one by one.

Boom!

The moment they stepped off the vehicle, a fiery dragon roared past overhead, drawing a wave of gasps. Some Scavengers had already skillfully found places to hide.

"Haha... Look at that bunch of country bumpkins. Who knows what small place they came smuggling in from."

In the distance, a few guys with colorfully dyed hair were mocking them mercilessly. Parts of their bodies had been modified with prosthetics, though they were merely standard prosthetics with no real lethality.

The fire dragon flew further away, trailing a line of floating, flaming text across its body: [Tyron Merchant Guild. The Ultimate Experience. Whatever you desire, we have it.]

This was an advertisement. Li Yu had followed Old Lu here a few times before and was fairly familiar with it, so he was not too surprised.