Chapter 224: Cyborgs

“Commander, it seems there’s an issue with this mission. Perhaps the intel we received is wrong,” a staff officer on the warship suggested.

“I know there’s something off about this mission. Others think we’re the prey, but are we really the prey?”

“It all depends on strength. Someone has gone to great lengths to set up this stage, how could we not cooperate?”

“The Alliance still hasn’t changed after all these centuries. They haven’t improved even a little.” The commander sneered as he looked into the distant Void.

Hearing this, the staff officer was startled and asked, “Does the Commander already have a plan?”

“Don’t ask what’s none of your concern.” The commander, a young man with a bald head, was quite handsome, almost striking. But his current expression and gaze gave off an incredibly sinister vibe.

The staff officer nodded and left.

“Old Alliance dogs, don’t disappoint me,” the commander muttered as he gazed out toward the void.

Meanwhile, the Bounty Hunter Guild shot down all the drones sent by the rebel forces.

However, by that time, the rebels had already used the drones to map the entire rock crevice.

Yang Bo’s hiding spot was naturally discovered, and the commander transmitted the drone’s findings to the special forces.

“Cyborgs?” Yang Bo muttered from the cave’s entrance as he spotted five figures emerging from the warplane.

These five were different from the others. The rest either wore armor or were inside mechas, as the planet was unsuitable for human survival.

But these five were unique. They neither wore armor nor protective suits.

He could faintly see silvery metal on their arms.

Cyborgs—pure technology at its finest.

The foundation of cyborgs actually stems from super gene evolvers. Some gene evolvers, in their pursuit of greater strength, tried various methods. Eventually, they discovered that combining with machinery could allow breakthroughs. As a result, some super gene evolvers modified their bodies with as many mechanical parts as possible.

Yang Bo understood this well. Back on Earth in his previous life, there were vegetative patients who could live many years thanks to machines.

Cyborgs have a significant advantage. They can forcefully elevate a low-level gene evolver to a higher tier.

Cyborgs are illegal in the Alliance because they involve neural network systems. In the past, an incident occurred where the neural network was used in a reverse attack, bombarding people with a barrage of negative information and horrific imagery. Everyone involved ultimately died, most committing suicide.

The neural network was once praised extensively and was said to have numerous safety measures. At one point, humans didn’t need to move anything—they could do anything just by thinking.

All five cyborgs simultaneously stared at Yang Bo at the cave entrance.

Yang Bo looked back at them. Each of the five cyborgs wielded different weapons. Two held cold weapons, while the remaining three were armed with high-powered laser cannons.

Their armor was oddly designed, primarily protecting their torsos and half their heads. It reminded Yang Bo of characters in comic books—warriors clad in armor but with exposed arms and legs.

Among the two women, one wore red armor, wielding two energy swords, while the other donned black armor and carried a custom-made oversized laser gun. Among the three maale cyborgs, one stood out—a white skull emblem on the chest of his armor, with a red skull on a black background. He carried a black hammer and an energy shield.

The other two wore silver and light gold armor, both equipped with high-powered laser cannons that resembled Gatling guns from Earth.

“Captain!” One of the cyborgs communicated through their internal wireless network as they fixated on Yang Bo.

“Leave him to me. It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of slaughtering a strong warrior,” the red-skull captain said coldly.

The red-skull captain stepped forward, slowly approaching Yang Bo with a black hammer in one hand and an energy shield in the other, walking leisurely.

“Is this guy a lunatic?” Yang Bo wondered as he observed the captain’s peculiar actions.

“State your name, scum on the other side,” a voice suddenly came through the public channel.

“Are you cyborgs always this arrogant?” Yang Bo asked back, puzzled, over the public channel.

“You’re dead!” came the baffling reply from the opposite side.

What Yang Bo didn’t know was that cyborgs were incredibly sensitive to those three words—’Cyborgs!’

It’s like calling a nouveau riche by that name—it’s something they detest! Yang Bo, seeing the captain still strolling leisurely, raised his laser gun and fired..

To his surprise, the captain’s body twisted at a bizarre angle, dodging the laser shot.

“Come on, fight fair. Only weaklings use laser guns,” the red-skull captain mocked on the public channel.

“Third Lord, these cyborgs have been modified so many times that their brains are a bit messed up. Be careful,” the President’s voice suddenly came through Yang Bo’s communication channel.

Unfamiliar with cyborgs, Yang Bo asked curiously, “Why is that?”

The President of the Bounty Hunter Guild was puzzled. How could an A-grade gene evolver not know this?

Still, he explained, “Most cyborgs can revive as long as their brains aren’t damaged. After being resurrected several times, they stop caring.”

“And because of the way their bodies are structured, they can perform moves that defy common sense, which gives them an advantage in battle.”

Yang Bo began to understand. It was arrogance, really. After all, if you couldn’t die as long as your brain wasn’t destroyed, wouldn’t you be a little arrogant too?

“One more thing: their bodies are incredibly strong after the modifications, but their soul strength doesn’t match their physical strength, leading them to believe they’re invincible.”

“The rebel forces had no choice but to go down this route because they have so few people. Losing one in battle is a big deal, but cyborgs not only reduce casualties but also elevate weaker superhumans’ powers.”

“The Azure Blue Empire is the leader in cyborg research. It’s said that some of their nobility, to maintain their power, underwent modifications to extend their lives for many years.”

“In the Azure Blue Empire, there’s a heritage law where if a noble dies, their descendants must pay at least 55% inheritance tax.”

As Yang Bo listened to the President’s commentary, he didn’t stop firing his laser gun..

The cyborg’s unique body could contort into various shapes to dodge the laser shots, sometimes even using their energy shields for defense.

“Come on, only weaklings need laser guns,” the red-skull captain taunted over the public channel.

“You must have a screw loose. If I approach, your warplanes and warships will just bombard me. By the looks of it, you’re a leader, but you should probably go back and get your brain checked,” Yang Bo taunted on the public channel.

“Since that’s the case, it’s time I get serious. Don’t be afraid when I tell you I’m as strong as an A-grade gene evolver. I bet you’ve never seen one before, right?”

“Tell me your name. I’ll make sure to record it in my diary,” the captain continued to taunt over the public channel.

Yang Bo couldn’t help but think this world’s rebel forces and extremist members all seemed mentally unstable.

When he first saw members of the Red Earl in the Dome Entertainment City, they acted as if they were having fits.

But on further thought, it made sense. Who with a functioning brain would join such organizations?

Most likely, these people had been brainwashed. Their understanding of reality was completely different from that of ordinary people.

It was like those scam victims back on Earth. Even when the police knocked on their doors and told them it was a scam, they still wired money to fraudsters, remaining convinced it was real.

“What an idiot,” Yang Bo muttered under his breath.

Upon hearing this, the red-skull figure suddenly dashed toward Yang Bo.

The cyborg’s combat style was straightforward—relying on speed, the hammer in his hand crashed straight toward Yang Bo.

A super gene evolver’s battles were just that simple and direct. No unnecessary moves—just wield your weapon fast enough and strike your foe’s vital points.

As the figure moved, Yang Bo also leapt back, retreating nearly 100 meters.

But the red-skull cyborg rushed forward instantly.

However, to everyone’s shock, the red-skull figure suddenly fell face-first to the ground just as he neared Yang Bo.

The ground trembled from the impact.

Yang Bo had quietly set up a gravity zone not far ahead. The gravity within that zone was ten times stronger than the outside.

The red-skull captain had been moving at high speed, but upon entering the gravity zone, the force under his feet changed instantly, while the upper half of his body kept its momentum.

He had no choice but to crash to the ground, and he lay motionless.

Metal Superpower +8!

A message appeared in Yang Bo’s mind, leaving him somewhat in shock.

“Why would a cyborg give me this skill?” Yang Bo wondered as he examined the cyborg’s body.

He saw that the body was in complete disarray, utterly shattered inside.

At least 80% of the red-skull’s body was composed of various metals.

Yang Bo quickly understood. The shift in gravity made his lower body slow down, while his upper body kept moving. At such high speeds, even a 1% difference in velocity could cause fatal consequences.

In essence, the real cause of death was the speed disparity between the upper and lower body. The headlong dive was just a façade.

Despite the massive crater his fall created, making the solid ground fissure.

The President of the Bounty Hunter Guild, observing from the distance, was equally stunned by the scene.

Due to the angle, all the President saw was the cyborg suddenly crash, then Yang Bo walking over to pick him up.

The limp figure in Yang Bo’s hand was clearly finished. Its body had lost all tension, resembling a tattered trash bag.

Yang Bo held the blood-red skull cyborg aloft just as the other four members arrived at the cave entrance, witnessing the scene.

Yang Bo examined the hammer he grabbed, realizing it was a high-tech product capable of discharging immense amounts of current. In fact, this hammer wasn’t just a hammer—it was a high-voltage discharger.

“Despicable!” Yang Bo could imagine that anyone who thought this hammer was just an ordinary club would suffer the brunt of its high-voltage shock.

“Cyborgs fetch a high price!” Even the President of the Bounty Hunter Guild was surprised by his own words.

In the next moment, Yang Bo dragged the blood-red skull cyborg and fled deeper into the crevice.

The other four cyborgs had already opened fire, their two high-powered laser cannons and a custom laser gun blazing away in thee tight space.

Though Yang Bo could fight them head-on, there was no need yet. His battlefield was inside the cave, which wasn’t a straight path. If they dared chase him, he’d quickly deal with them.

Besides, Yang Bo’s goal was to lure them in, hoping they’d send more cyborgs his way.

The skill ‘Metal Superpower’ granted by cyborgs was exactly what Yang Bo needed.

First, he’d bait them in. If they didn’t fall for it, he’d go on the offensive.

“Fools!” the commander aboard the fleet cursed after watching the footage. He was tempted to crack open the dead cyborg’s head to see what it had been thinking. Cyborgs were unique within the rebel forces due to the difficulty in convincing anyone to transform themselves into half-human, half-machine monsters. The commander gave an order: “Continue sending reinforcements. Deploy 2,000 self-destruct drones and send two more special forces teams with heavy fire robots. We need the objective in hand within the hour.”

The President of the Bounty Hunter Guild and Yang Bo reached the second defense line. Yang Bo tossed the cyborg corpse over. “You go on ahead.”

“Got it!” The President, eyeing the mutant’s body in his hands, recognized its research value, and knew it could sell for a high price, given that such research was being done internally at the guild.

“Why did the cyborg grant me the ‘Metal Superpower’ ability?” As Yang Bo gazed at the hammer in his hands, he was impressed by its quality.

Suddenly, Yang Bo quickly sidestepped as a drone, slightly larger than a fist, zoomed towards him at tremendous speed, forcing an explosion at his previous position.

Yang Bo barely dodged, only for a second drone to immediately come barreling in towards him.

“Damn it, are they really playing dirty?” Yang Bo cursed as he fired his laser gun..

In the next second, Yang Bo spotted at least dozens of drones, swarming in from behind in such dense waves that he couldn’t even count how many were left. He turned and ran without hesitation.