As I stood before the towering headquarters of Dragon Nexus Technologies, my grip tightened around the sword. The weight of its potential bore down on me—not just as a weapon but as a force capable of reshaping the very fabric of existence. If sufficiently imbued with mana, it could annihilate the world. That knowledge lent an almost sacred quality to the blade, a reminder of the responsibility that came with wielding such power.
The air was thick with tension, a suffocating silence broken only by the sound of Li Wei's monstrous footsteps. Emerging from the shadows, his towering, grotesque form radiated menace. His mutated body seemed to pulsate with an unholy energy, veins glowing faintly beneath his skin. His eyes, now blood-red, locked onto me with lethal intent.
With a guttural roar, Li Wei charged, his massive frame barreling toward me with the force of an unstoppable freight train. His speed was astonishing for someone of his size, but I was ready. As he closed the distance, I sidestepped with precision, evading his assault by mere inches. Pivoting swiftly, I countered with a punch fueled by every ounce of my enhanced strength. The impact reverberated through his body, the sound echoing like a thunderclap in the vast space.
Li Wei staggered but did not fall. His physical enhancements had made him nearly impervious to conventional attacks. The blow I had landed—a strike capable of shattering bone—barely fazed him. A snarl escaped his lips, his rage only intensifying as he regrouped and lunged at me once more.
This time, his speed was even greater, his movements fueled by a volatile mix of anger and desperation. I could feel the air shift as he closed in, the sheer force of his approach threatening to overwhelm me. My instincts screamed that this battle needed to end now, or I might not have another chance.
But there was a problem.
The sword in my hands, as powerful as it was, was just a blade without mana. I knew that to unleash its full potential, I had to imbue it with energy. Yet, in the heat of battle, I realized I had never actually done it before. The concept was familiar, but the practice eluded me.
Li Wei's next strike narrowly missed, his massive fist colliding with a concrete pillar and reducing it to rubble. The sight spurred me to action. I couldn't afford hesitation—not with my life on the line. Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I sifted through the depths of my knowledge, searching for clarity.
And then it came to me.
Imbuing a sword with mana was not unlike conjuring a fireball, a process I had mastered long ago. The principles were the same: focus, channel, release. It was simple in theory, but in execution, it demanded absolute precision. With renewed determination, I tightened my grip on the sword and began to channel my energy.
The air around me seemed to hum as the blade absorbed my mana, its surface glowing faintly at first, then brighter with each passing second. A surge of power coursed through me, the sword vibrating in my hands as if alive. When I opened my eyes, I saw it—a weapon no longer bound by the limitations of steel, but something far greater.
Li Wei, sensing the shift, hesitated for the first time. His monstrous form tensed, his eyes narrowing as he gauged the danger before him. But I gave him no time to react.
With a burst of speed, I surged forward, closing the distance between us in an instant. Li Wei swung wildly, his mutated arms lashing out like hammers, but I was faster. Ducking beneath his attack, I pivoted and unleashed a decisive slash.
The blade cut through him as if he were made of paper. The glow of the sword intensified as it completed its arc, leaving a trail of light in its wake. Li Wei staggered, his grotesque body splitting cleanly in two.
For a moment, silence reigned. The towering figure of my opponent swayed, then crumpled to the ground with a resounding thud. His monstrous form began to dissolve, the effects of the serum unraveling as life slipped away from him.
As I stood over his broken body, Li Wei's human form began to resurface, the mutation retreating to reveal the man he once was. His breathing was shallow, his voice weak as he gasped, "Wuji..."
I knelt beside him, the intensity of the battle giving way to an unexpected stillness. "Tell my daughter that I love her," he rasped, his eyes pleading. "And... take the credit card in my back pocket. It holds 50 billion Yuan. Consider it... a reward for liberating me from my suffering."
His words, though strained, carried a surprising sincerity. For all the evil he had wrought, there was a flicker of humanity in his final moments. I nodded solemnly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I promise, I will convey your message to your daughter," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my heart.
Li Wei gave a faint smile, his eyes fluttering shut as the last breath escaped his lips. That was the final exchange I would ever have with him, a man who had walked the fine line between victim and villain.
The room grew quiet once more, the weight of what had just transpired settling over me. In my hand, the sword's glow began to fade, its purpose fulfilled for the time being. I stood, slipping the credit card into my pocket, and took a deep breath.
This chapter of my journey had come to an end, but its repercussions were only beginning to unfold.