I Can Control Resources-Chapter 46: How About an Air Compression Cannon?
For the past hour, Gao Neng had been racking his brain about the connection between his breakthrough and the mission, but he couldn’t figure it out for the life of him. But now, as he sat his butt down on the pile of ore, it was as if everything suddenly made sense.
Hmm...
Well... it wasn’t *that* kind of breakthrough!
Gao Neng didn’t know how to achieve a breakthrough, but he did know that after the Great Cataclysm, a brand-new profession had appeared in the Human Alliance: the Energy Warrior.
And the origin of this profession was the magnetic pile!
The invention of high-dimensional capsules, the rise of Energy Warriors—all of it was inextricably linked to magnetic piles. Gao Neng hadn’t figured out the connection between his breakthrough and the mission, but he had grasped something far more important.
And that was energy control!
He didn’t understand how to make a breakthrough, but living in this world, he at least knew the basics about Energy Warriors.
Energy Warriors used their own bodies to control energy.
For example, the Energy Extraction Technique involved extracting a type of energy from ores that humans could control. This energy was different from "matter" or "elements" in the conventional sense.
It was a form of energy the human body could control, and if one wanted to convert it into usable "matter," they needed the ’Energy Refining Technique’.
So, how was this energy controlled?
Magnetism!
This was the closest word Gao Neng’s intellect could produce.
Take the simplest example: a magnet has positive and negative poles. Like poles repel, and opposite poles attract.
’The Energy Extraction Technique must be based on this principle.’
’It turns the human body into something like a "magnet," using the principles of polarity to forcibly extract controllable energy from the ore.’
Of course, this was all just what Gao Neng had pieced together himself; he couldn’t be sure it was the official explanation.
But Gao Neng felt there was a high probability he was right, so he decided to test his theory. Before that, however, he needed to confirm one last thing with Shen Ning’Er.
"Gao Neng, are you still not leaving?" Shen Ning’Er’s body was trembling violently, but she still forced herself to her feet, positioning herself in front of him.
And the Furious Golden Ape stood in front of Shen Ning’Er.
However, the Furious Golden Ape was different from before. Its body had shrunk by more than half, and the golden energy covering it was now dripping off like liquid.
"I said I wasn’t leaving, and I meant it. But... can you hold on a little longer?" Gao Neng shook his head, then asked tentatively.
"I am a soldier. *Cough, cough*... Soldiers only die in battle; we don’t cling shamefully to life..." Shen Ning’Er’s lips trembled. She didn’t seem to fully grasp what Gao Neng meant by "hold on a little longer," but she nodded anyway.
"Then let me ask you one more question. Do Energy Warriors control energy using the ’principle of magnetism’?" Gao Neng got to his feet and pressed on.
"The principle of magnetism? Hmm... You could put it that way." Shen Ning’Er nodded again.
"Good. Then you find the exact location of the magnetic pile, and I’ll hold these guys off!" Gao Neng nodded, and before Shen Ning’Er could respond, he had already moved in front of her.
"You... you’re going to hold them off?" Shen Ning’Er asked in disbelief.
"That’s right! You find the magnetic pile, I’ll do the blocking!"
"..."
"Trust me... I’m strong!" Gao Neng turned, flashed Shen Ning’Er a smile, and revealed a set of pearly-white teeth.
Shen Ning’Er said no more.
Because as soon as he finished speaking, Gao Neng actually charged forward, brandishing his iron shovel.
"ROAR!" The Furious Giant Ape let out a bellow. The golden energy on its body stopped dripping, coalescing once more into strands of golden fur.
"You damn brat, you’re looking to die!"
"Kill the man. Leave the woman alive!"
"Hehe, now things are getting interesting!"
A group of men in black charged forward, one after another.
With his back against the Furious Giant Ape, Gao Neng swung his iron shovel wildly. These men weren’t Energy Warriors, so when he’d said he would hold them off, he hadn’t been entirely bluffing.
WHAM!
WHAM!
Two loud thuds rang out.
Two men in black went flying.
Gao Neng clutched the shovel, his face a mask of dominance. But, in a rather anticlimactic turn of events, the handle snapped, leaving him gripping just the shovel head.
"Open fire!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang out.
Gao Neng immediately ducked behind the Furious Giant Ape. Between that and the Golden Armor he was wearing, the handguns these men pulled out weren’t immediately lethal.
After the volley of shots, the Furious Giant Ape’s two massive fists smashed forward.
More than ten of the men in black were sent flying by the two punches.
"Useless trash! All of you, attack at once! You can’t handle a single Alliance Major, and now you can’t even take down some punk kid? What the hell do I feed you for!" Wang Ju roared in fury.
Sweat beaded on Gao Neng’s forehead.
Although these men were just normal people, they had clearly received some training. They didn’t pull their punches and were much stronger than the workers from before.
He glanced behind him.
At some point, Shen Ning’Er had disappeared. Where she had been standing moments before, there was now a hole about the size of a person.
’She ran off? No way... Yeah, she wouldn’t do that.’ Gao Neng was slightly startled. He had no idea how Shen Ning’Er had managed to dig a hole in the pile of ore, but he trusted that she wouldn’t just abandon him.
’Time to go all out!’
In Gao Neng’s hands, the broken shovel head became a makeshift blade.
He smacked anyone who came near!
Of course, he took his fair share of punches, kicks, and even a few blows from blades and axes. But thanks to the Golden Armor, his injuries weren’t severe.
At this point, Wang Ju was clearly getting anxious.
He looked ready to step in himself, striding forward while brandishing two machetes.
Just then, Gao Neng suddenly heard a voice.
"I found it!"
’She really found it?!’ Gao Neng was overjoyed. He then saw Shen Ning’Er climbing out of the hole in the ore, her face covered in black dust.
"Mhm, I destroyed this magnetic pile’s ’Spatial Magnet Point.’ This whole pile will disappear in less than an hour!" Shen Ning’Er nodded.
"Wha—?! The what Spatial... what Point?"
RUMBLE!
Just then, the entire ore pile began to vibrate violently. The ore cracked and splintered as fissures spread rapidly outward.
"Dammit, that bitch destroyed the magnetic pile!" Wang Ju cried out in alarm.
The mysterious person turned his head at that moment. In his eyes, which seemed untouched by a single speck of dust, a flash of icy coldness appeared.
"Useless," he uttered with a soft cry.
The mysterious person was suddenly in front of the Furious Golden Ape.
BOOM!
A single palm strike.
The Furious Golden Ape instantly disintegrated.
"Gao Neng, I never thought I’d end up dying with you. Thank you for buying me time." The corners of Shen Ning’Er’s mouth curved up slightly, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at him.
’Buying time?’ Gao Neng was completely dumbfounded. He had asked Shen Ning’Er to find the magnetic pile’s location, not to destroy it!
’Oh, for crying out loud...’
’...Was there a problem with how I said it?’
’The magnetic pile!’
’That was supposed to be my medium!’
RUMBLE!
The entire pile of ore finally burst apart completely.
At that moment, Gao Neng finally saw the true nature of the magnetic pile. It was a distorted space that seemed to hold both light and shadow, yet at the same time, nothing at all.
It was a contradictory existence.
And yet, it was intensely real. It was a strange sensation, one that couldn’t be put into words.
If he were forced to describe it, the magnetic pile was like a "civilized world" existing beyond what the naked eye could perceive—ethereal and illusory. But when it materialized before you, its presence was undeniable.
"Hold them back for me!" Gao Neng yelled, then sprinted toward the magnetic pile.
"Huh? I’ve already destroyed this magnetic pile; it’s going to dissipate any moment. You won’t be able to get any ’Magnetic Crystal Ore’ out of it!" Shen Ning’Er was stunned for a moment. Then, sensing a cold presence flash behind her, she snarled, "Hmph! You think you can get past me? Not a chance!"
BOOM!
Two palms collided.
Shen Ning’Er stumbled back three steps, spitting out another mouthful of fresh blood.
The mysterious person, however, also fell back three steps. His feet slipped slightly, and he barely managed to regain his footing, leaving three deep footprints in the ground. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"To be so formidable even as a spent force... If the Human Alliance had a few more people like you, it probably wouldn’t be in its current predicament..." The mysterious person nodded at Shen Ning’Er. "Hmm. A genius is about to fall. Consider this small magnetic pile a parting gift for your grave!"
"Screw your parting gift! How about you try and take a hit from my Air Compression Cannon!" Just then, Gao Neng’s voice suddenly rang out.
"Hm?!" The mysterious person glanced over and saw Gao Neng standing right in the center of the magnetic pile’s "distorted space."
"What’s that kid trying to do?"
"Air Compression Cannon... Is he kidding?"
"Does he think the magnetic pile can give him power? Heh... what a fuc—"
"..."
BOOM!
Amid the crowd’s jeers, a massive explosion suddenly erupted.
In that instant, the very air in the underground factory seemed to be forcibly compressed by some unknown power, only to detonate a moment later.
*(Usually, during the free-to-read period, Chapters are 2,000 characters long. This one is 2,700. I wrote all the way until Gao Neng made his move, so it’s not a cliffhanger, right? Xin Yi knows what’s up. I just wanted to ask for some recommendation votes, that’s all. Please stop fighting in the comments, everyone! It breaks my heart!)*
