Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 634 - 575: Ascension

"Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Ryan Hunter, a colonel with the Third Expeditionary Force of the US Marine Corps stationed in Japan."

Rainwater relentlessly streamed down the sunglasses of the burly Caucasian man. He simply removed them and spoke with a calm tone that seemed at odds with his physique, "The reason I’ve explained so much to you, Mr. Li Ang, besides demonstrating our strength, is also to clarify that Superpower Users aren’t lab rats but also possess human rights.

"Whether it’s the Superpower User with the ’Always Win’ ability I mentioned earlier, or the one with the ’Bored People Disperse’ ability, they are now working for the United Nations Anomaly Investigation Office.

"This includes these two: Gunpowder and Moon Woman."

Ryan Hunter pointed at the blond young man and the woman wearing a fox mask and continued, "The deceptive and coercive treatment that the Japan Self-Defense Force used on you before is something we strongly disagree with.

"If you’re willing to join us, there’s no need for us to cross swords."

"Is this an attempt to recruit me?"

Li Ang tilted his head to look at the other party and calmly said, "Your words have some loopholes, sir.

"First, this so-called United Nations Anomaly Investigation Office—does it fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, or does it take orders from the United States? If it’s the former, why is the United States trying so hard, utilizing spy satellites and deploying the US Army? 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Furthermore, is the status of Superpower Users really that high?

"If you were desperate to find me, you could simply have the ’Always Win’ Superpower User point at a map of Tokyo or place bets on piles of photos on a million-person scale.

"The fact that you didn’t do this suggests that either the ’Always Win’ ability has its limitations, or it has strong side effects and cannot be used too frequently in a short period.

"If it’s the latter, then in your eyes, Superpower Users are nothing more than slightly more expensive consumables."

Li Ang mercilessly exposed Ryan’s lies; he didn’t believe in the so-called peaceful coexistence one bit.

"Is that what you think, sir? That’s quite... regrettable."

Ryan Hunter sighed, raised his index finger to press his ear, and spoke in English, "You guys can come over now."

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH—

The sound of rapidly spinning propellers grew from far to near as four armed helicopters sliced through the steel jungle, maneuvered around skyscrapers, and hovered near the crossroads from afar.

Each helicopter was fully armed with machine guns, rockets, and missiles at the ready.

Ryan Hunter emphasized again, "You do realize that even a Superpower User would be reduced to mincemeat from a direct hit by a 30mm chain gun or a missile warhead filled with high-energy explosives, right?"

"I know, but the premise is that the helicopters can lock on to me."

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen strings of coins extended from behind Li Ang, pounding the ground heavily. The recoil sent him flying toward the south, the only direction not blocked by Superpower Users.

The helicopter to the south didn’t hesitate to intercept; a rocket sped straight for him but was dodged by the suddenly accelerating Li Ang, striking a vehicle behind him instead.

BOOM!

The missile burst, not erupting in a large flame, but instead releasing a cloud of dense white smoke.

Anesthetic gas, perhaps...

Li Ang’s heart sank. He had already been tricked once; during his entire conversation with Ryan Hunter just now, he hadn’t breathed through his nose or mouth. Instead, he had used slender, hollow tubes of Elemental Material to reach underground, bore up from beneath the earth, and breathe air from afar, all to prevent them from using the same trick again.

After missing the first strike, the helicopter immediately chose to ascend, while the 30mm chain gun beneath the fuselage began to fire.

With a rate of fire of 624 rounds per minute, that meant over ten cannon shells struck the ground every second.

The sturdy cement pavement cracked open, and cars hit by the barrage were pierced through as if made of paper.

Li Ang made a split-second decision, diving and crawling under a delivery truck. The truck’s chassis was high enough to allow a person to pass through. He released Elemental Material, forming a surfboard-like pad beneath him and using the truck to block the helicopter’s line of sight. The instant he cleared the truck, he sprang up and dashed into a skyscraper on the right side of the street, vanishing from sight.

"Where did he go?!"

The voice of the weapons operator in the sky sounded somewhat panicked. Their upgraded Apache Armed Helicopter was powerful, indeed, but no matter how powerful, they needed to lock onto the enemy’s position first.

"Keep gaining altitude!"

The pilot shouted loudly, maneuvering the aircraft to climb higher while adjusting the direction of the M-230 chain gun, keeping it trained on the high-rise building.

BOOM!

An explosive sound came from inside the building. Li Ang controlled his strings of coins to pierce through the top of the elevator shaft, then swiftly climbed up along it to the upper floors of the skyscraper.

Four strings of coins forcibly pried open the protective doors of the elevator shaft, and Li Ang burst out into a spacious office floor.

The armed helicopter, hearing the noise, swiveled its chain gun and unleashed a metallic storm toward him.

However, Li Ang was prepared—he leaped up, his strings of coins clinging to the office area ceiling like spider legs, once again evading the helicopter’s line of sight as he rapidly moved forward.

The helicopter pilot, unsure of the situation, will inevitably choose to gain altitude, creating a blind spot relative to the high-rise ceiling...

Li Ang thought to himself, then suddenly made a sharp turn to the right, flinging out a string of coins that pierced the glass on the right side of the office building, bringing him to the exterior of the high-rise.

The ends of the strings of coins transformed in mid-air into gecko-like suction cups, carrying him as he rapidly scaled the outside of the building.

At this point, an entire building separated him from the helicopter, so the pilot couldn’t see him at all.

Now is the time!

The tips of several strings of coins sharpened into blades, driving into the concrete floor of a middle story, then suddenly contracted. Like hooks, they viciously pulled Li Ang upward with unabated momentum, propelling him past the height of the high-rise itself.

The helicopter pilot caught a glimpse of Li Ang’s figure out of the corner of his eye, but it was already too late.

Several strings of coins raced through the night sky, directly piercing the bodies of both him and the weapons operator.

The Elemental Material was an extension of Li Ang’s senses; through the strings of coins, he could hear the pilot’s frightened yells in the cockpit, as well as the command communications from the US Forces in Japan headquarters transmitted through the pilot’s headset.

"Soldier! Report your status!"

"Official, I—I can’t move!"

The pilot screamed in terror. He had lost control of his body, watching helplessly as his own stiff limbs jerked the control stick, maintaining a steady flight path, while the weapons operator adjusted the M-230 chain gun, aiming the barrel at the street below where Ryan Hunter and his two companions—faces aghast with shock—were rushing over.

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!

The sound of the chain gun firing echoed through the night sky. Ryan Hunter and the others were forced to scatter and flee, mimicking Li Ang’s earlier tactic by taking cover in the buildings on either side of the street.