As Chen Mo began his attack, Baron Strucker, who had been watching him closely, quickly noticed his intention. Strucker's movements were swift, agile, and unpredictable, making it difficult for Chen Mo to pinpoint his actions. This caused Chen Mo's sword attack to momentarily pause.
Baron Strucker seized this brief hesitation, and his rapier, which had been poised to strike, swiftly thrust forward, hitting the side of the Sword of Kings near the tip.
The Sword of Kings, a two-handed knight's longsword designed for mounted combat, had a blade nearly a meter long. Chen Mo was wielding it with one hand and not using his full strength. When Strucker's rapier struck, it deflected the longsword, causing it to lose accuracy.
Chen Mo's seemingly unstoppable attack was effortlessly neutralized, not even grazing his opponent.
Instead of being disheartened by the failed attack, Chen Mo was pleased.
Baron Strucker's swordsmanship was far superior to what he had imagined, indicating that Chen Mo's own sword skills had much room for improvement.
Chen Mo then focused and resumed his battle with Baron Strucker.
Chen Mo's attacks were powerful and direct, wielding the heavy and sharp longsword with both hands. Strucker couldn't block them head-on and had to dodge or deflect them with his agile footwork.
Strucker's swordsmanship was nimble and cunning, often striking from unexpected angles, forcing Chen Mo to parry and dodge awkwardly.
The control room, not very large, became their battlefield, with their figures flashing and swords clashing.
The base manager, who had been hiding in a corner, was terrified by the sudden intense battle. He crouched tightly against the control panel, fearing being struck by the constantly swinging swords.
He didn't dare to escape during their fight, as their movements were too fast and unpredictable. He couldn't tell where they would appear next.
In this situation, he didn't dare to stand up, fearing that he might be decapitated by a stray sword before taking a few steps.
The battle continued for a while, appearing evenly matched. However, Chen Mo's rigid moves, without using his full strength, made it difficult to completely fend off Strucker's cunning attacks. His combat suit was nearly shredded, revealing the black, hard alloy armor underneath.
Strucker showed no joy on his face. Although most of his attacks only tore Chen Mo's clothing, a few unexpected strikes had indeed hit Chen Mo.
However, the feedback from the sword strikes made Strucker's heart sink. Through Chen Mo's torn combat suit, he saw the black armor underneath.
The armor's design, similar to the head mask, made him realize it was a full-body special defense armor. Subsequent ineffective strikes confirmed his suspicion.
This armor wasn't without flaws. There were tiny gaps between the armor plates, but even with his masterful swordsmanship, it was nearly impossible to hit such small gaps during movement.
Even if he could hit the gaps and penetrate the bulletproof fibers, the rapier's blade thickness wouldn't allow it to fully penetrate.
Only the very tip of the rapier could potentially pierce the armor and injure Chen Mo, but this would only cause minor injuries, posing no significant threat.
As the intense battle continued, Strucker's stamina began to wane, while Chen Mo's attacks showed no signs of weakening. Chen Mo could control his strength and speed but couldn't control his stamina.
Moreover, Strucker made a terrifying discovery: Chen Mo's swordsmanship was improving during their fight. Although not very noticeable, Strucker could feel Chen Mo's progress.
Shocked by Chen Mo's rapid learning speed, Baron Strucker, after failing to gain the upper hand, finally considered retreating.
He realized he couldn't defeat Chen Mo, who was like a powerful and agile turtle, while he was a cunning snake with no way to strike. If the battle continued, he would surely lose!
Additionally, the base's self-destruct mechanism had been fully activated. In a few minutes, the base would explode. If he didn't leave now, it would be too late. The hundreds of super bombs in the base were no joke.
With thoughts of retreat, he immediately took action.
After a few more exchanges, Strucker thrust his rapier towards Chen Mo's left eye, forcing him to parry. But this was a feint. As Chen Mo withdrew his sword to defend, Strucker also retracted his sword and reached for the base manager crouching behind him.
Strucker had deliberately led Chen Mo to this side during the fight, planning his escape. Both were now at the innermost part of the control room, near the control panel, with the base manager crouching behind Strucker.
The base manager, pressed tightly against the control panel, saw the two fighters getting closer and closer, eventually right beside him. He felt like dying and was cursing them in his mind when a large hand suddenly grabbed him.
Before he could react, Strucker pulled him up by his clothes and shoved him towards Chen Mo.
Chen Mo, focused on parrying Strucker's attack, was caught off guard when Strucker suddenly retracted his sword. As he looked up, a figure lunged at him.
Without thinking, Chen Mo's first reaction was to swing his sword. The sharp Sword of Kings sliced through the figure from the right shoulder to the left waist, leaving a long bloodline and splitting the body in two, falling on either side of Chen Mo.
Chen Mo, puzzled by not hitting Strucker, looked closely and realized it was the base manager. His upper body fell onto the control panel, eyes wide open in shock and confusion.
When Chen Mo looked up again, Baron Strucker was already at the control room door.
Realizing Strucker intended to escape, Chen Mo wasn't angry at being deceived. Instead, he smiled slightly.
Strucker had taught him another lesson: in battle, one must always consider the overall situation and control every detail.
When facing a strong enemy, careful observation is crucial. Never focus only on the immediate threat and neglect the bigger picture.