Chapter 17: The Unfathomable Chang Wei
Chang Wei didn't dodge, nor did he block in any way. He allowed himself to be impaled by the spikes formed from the Blacklight Virus.
"Is that all?"
He stepped forward, separating himself from the spike as if unaffected.
This was the first time Alex had seen his Graveyard Spike Kill fail. Neither the force of the giant spike erupting from the ground nor the penetrating damage seemed to harm Chang Wei at all. To him, it was as though he were in a game in a state of complete invulnerability.
In truth, this was because Chang Wei had enhanced his neural reflex speed. Coupled with the changes in his body that allowed control down to the cellular level, he achieved an effect akin to "preemptive elementalization," avoiding damage altogether.
It was a highly challenging technique—if he hadn't evaded in time, he would have had to endure the full brunt of the attack. However, even that wouldn't have been much of an issue for him.
"Don't you have anything stronger?"
Chang Wei hoped to see something unexpected from Alex. However, everything Alex had displayed so far was within his knowledge. After all, he had just been playing Prototype before being transported to this world.
While he didn't know Alex completely, he was at least 70-80% familiar with him.
Under these circumstances, the only way Alex could defeat him was if he had an unknown trump card.
But it didn't seem like Alex had any such means.
"Devastator Pain!"
Of course, Alex didn't shout the move name aloud. That would be too embarrassing, and it would also underestimate Chang Wei's neural reflex speed. Only a sneak attack would have any hope of working!
Yet, Chang Wei effortlessly grabbed the massive tendril. While Alex was still in shock, Chang Wei unleashed a potent acid from his hand, corroding Alex's tendril entirely.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
The acid's lethality against the Blacklight Virus was beyond imagination, especially since Alex's virus had never encountered or adapted to it. The pain Alex experienced was several levels above childbirth.
Chang Wei's acid wasn't ordinary. It could indiscriminately corrode both organic and inorganic matter because it was a hybrid acid developed through the Blacklight Virus.
This hybrid acid was maintained in coexistence by the Blacklight Virus, preventing leaks or premature chemical reactions. It contained powerful oxidizers, fluoroantimonic acid, a mixture of nitric acid and HF, THF solutions of hydrogen chloride, carborane acids, and more.
"Digestive fluids from a pitcher plant. How does it feel?"
Chang Wei, instead of telling the truth, deliberately misled Alex at this moment.
Using Alex's memories as its foundation, the prototype quickly pieced together the meaning behind Chang Wei's words.
The Blacklight Virus could replicate and mimic the genetic information of infected hosts!
No wonder Chang Wei was so powerful. Why hadn't Alex thought of this earlier?
"My Blacklight Virus has been hybridized with this digestive fluid, specially evolved to counter the virus itself. My blood and cells are infused with it, so absorbing me is out of the question."
Chang Wei said this with a grin.
It could really be used this way???
Alex's pupils shrank. He realized he wasn't a match for Chang Wei. With just a few words, Chang Wei had terrified him. On Earth, there were countless organisms with unique abilities. Who knew how many genes Chang Wei had absorbed and evolved during his low-profile periods?
He was utterly unfathomable!
Alex decided against fighting to the death with Chang Wei now. Instead, he planned to escape and emulate Chang Wei's evolutionary method to strengthen himself.
That was the only way he could stand a chance against Chang Wei!
"You won't escape, Alex," Chang Wei suddenly said.
"Hmph."
Alex didn't respond.
"Your sister is in my hands."
These words caused Alex's expression to change dramatically.
After experiencing betrayal by his ex-girlfriend and discovering his true identity, Alex yearned for the things that made one human, such as familial bonds. For example, his sister.
"I've deployed plenty of Hunters to monitor your every move. Coupled with the fact that you've made no effort to hide, finding your base wasn't difficult."
Chang Wei always prepared backup plans, especially in life-and-death situations. Even though he felt certain of his victory and that Alex couldn't possibly absorb him, he still evolved defenses against absorption and took the precaution of holding a hostage, even if the plan wasn't foolproof.
At this point, Alex had probably realized he wasn't Alex Mercer himself but rather a virus that had taken his form.
So, would he still care about Alex's sister, Dana?
As it turned out, Chang Wei underestimated Alex's desire and value for familial bonds.
"What do you want?"
Alex was furious, transforming into his armored and blade forms.
"Hahaha, relax. I just don't want you to leave. As for making you surrender and allow me to absorb you? I doubt you'd agree..."
Blacklight Virus extended from Chang Wei's feet, quickly spreading across the area and forming a black-and-red domain.
Alex warily watched the expanding virus, only to find it constructing a strange, enclosed space.
"Come on. Only one of us gets to walk out alive!"