She Is Not Human

Chapter 17

Thomas, the only son of the Crimson Organization leader, was helped up by Michael. Wiping grime from his refined face, he looked towards the center of the dust cloud where a man's figure was becoming clearer. He involuntarily took two steps back, disbelief etched on his face. "He... he's still alive!"

Impossible! Utterly unnatural! Forget the close-range explosive capable of vaporizing a human body; the powerful current guarding the Soul Bottle alone should have reduced Max to ashes. The combined force could have incinerated ten strong men! How was Max intact, without a single visible wound?

Max was crouched low, his clothes shredded into rags. He pressed a hand to his chest, coughing up several more mouthfuls of blood. It had been a long time since anyone had injured him. The impact force had been immense. Multiple bones were fractured, muscles strained all over, and some internal organs were displaced.

But, as Thomas said, he was alive. And because of that, his attackers needed to prepare for retribution.

For now, moving was difficult. He subtly slipped tiny silver needles between his fingers, driving them into nerve clusters on his body to forcibly activate his latent potential.

While doing this, Max used his other hand to wipe the blood from his lips and grinned. "Sorry, but that tickled."

Michael, however, started to laugh.

He clapped his metallic hands together in a slow, deliberate rhythm. "Admirable. Now, if someone told me you were the one who delivered the Radiant Organization's high command to the Mechanical Space, I wouldn't doubt it for a second. You truly warrant our special trip here. You should feel honored to die by the hand of the greatest existence."

As Michael spoke, the Soul Bottle brought by the City 5 group suddenly pulsed with a crimson light!

A pillar of light erupted through the ceiling, thrusting powerfully into the dark sky.

The heavens seemed to tear open. An overwhelming presence, alien to this dimension, swept outwards, centered on the Radiant Tower. A hundred-meter-tall tornado rose from the ground.

People caught in the periphery of the maelstrom froze, hearts pounding, instinctively turning to look. Inside the tornado's heart, within the Radiant Tower, anyone with weaker constitutions felt like a sledgehammer had struck their chests, coughing up blood involuntarily.

Patrolling machine police in the air, drawn by the disturbance, fired their blue thrusters, rocketing towards the scene like missiles.

Max, under immense pressure, lifted his head. His brow furrowed deeply. He'd seen Soul Bottles before, but none radiated such terrifying pressure. Who was connected to this one?

As the Soul Bottle began to levitate, Thomas looked up at the machine police units breaching the ruined hall. "The remaining human in the hall, named Max, persistently disrupts the order of the Human Space."

Standing three meters tall, their black-and-red metal bodies moved with unnerving, synchronized precision. Hearing Thomas's report, one unit swiveled its massive head mechanically. Its eyes, glowing a steady red, flickered rapidly.

Simultaneously, tendrils of light split from the sky-piercing pillar and connected with one of the machine police units. A chillingly flat voice emanated from the metal form: "This human?"

As the voice spoke, the other machine police units instantly lowered themselves, forced into standby mode.

Advanced unit. Extremely dangerous. Max's instincts screamed a warning.

Seeing Thomas and his group nod to the robot and prepare to leave, Max's body shuddered. He forced several silver needles out of his skin. His form blurred as he lunged forward, closing the distance to Thomas in an instant. No flourish, just a brutally direct punch aimed at Thomas's head.

They thought they could deal him a blow and just walk away? Not a chance.

But he was fast, the supposedly cumbersome machine was faster. A black shadow flashed before Max's eyes. His fist slammed into a colossal metal palm with a resonating GONG! The robot blocking him didn't budge an inch.

"The right to kill belongs to me. Not you." The robot's voice was icy, devoid of inflection, yet carrying an undertone of arrogant dominance over all life.

Max narrowed his eyes. He gathered every shred of energy he could still muster into his legs. Dropping low, he launched a flying kick aimed at the robot's neck joint. This was his first direct confrontation with a machine police unit, but fear was absent.

The connection between the massive metal head and body was incredibly robust, designed to withstand tons of force. But Max had studied more than human anatomy; he knew machines. He knew their weakest points better than anyone. Points that could only handle dozens of kilos of impact. A strike exceeding a hundred kilos would shatter them.

CRUNCH! Metal fractured. Max's foot sank into the robot's neck joint. The force was unstoppable. The head tore free from the body and tumbled away, clattering across the floor.

The light beam connecting the machine police units severed instantly.

Communication from the Mechanical Space wasn't direct with humans; it always required a mechanical host. If the host's primary control system failed, the connection was forcibly cut. Max felt a surge of relief he'd severed the link before the entity behind it could deliver a killing blow.

The feeling emanating from that robot had been terrifyingly dangerous, a brush with death unlike anything he'd ever felt. He had no doubt it possessed the absolute power to end him.

Now, injured and having forced his body beyond its limits, Max spat out another mouthful of blood. He watched as Michael and the others scrambled onto a Phantom Sky-yacht hovering near the platform edge. He knew catching them today was impossible.

Escaped fast enough!

Max forced himself upright, staggering towards the center of the devastated hall. He pushed aside debris and picked up the energy crystal that had fallen there. Then, his eyes lifted to the Soul Bottle.

One glance, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

The light surrounding the bottle hadn't faded. What did that mean? The connection wasn't broken!

SHLICK! A metal arm pierced through his chest. Max looked down. The arm, now slick with his blood, was slowly withdrawing. He hadn't sensed the attack coming. Not even a flicker.

"As a human, you are merely adequate. Not strong." The machine police unit behind him yanked its arm free, pulling out a gush of blood. Hot droplets spattered its impassive metal face. A red light flickered deep within its eyes.

Max clutched the wound. Blood pulsed hot and thick between his fingers. He twisted to look. This machine police unit was also connected by a tendril of light.

Simultaneously controlling two robots across the vast barrier between spaces... maybe even more... What the hell is this thing?

The wound pierced Max's lung. Breathing became agony. Gasping desperately for air, he still couldn't stop himself from collapsing.

The robot's head rotated a full 360 degrees, scanning the ruined hall. Only Max lay prone. No one else.

A rare visit to the Human Space, just to have the connection severed?

No. It wouldn't accept that. Killing was its essence. One human life couldn't satisfy it.

CLANK. CLANK. It took heavy, deliberate steps towards the exit.

Its life-form scanner showed many living signatures outside. Humans bred too prolifically. A large-scale culling was long overdue.

It hadn't taken two steps when a hand clamped around its ankle.

Looking down, the visual feed still identified Max.

Not dead? Did Max's vital points differ from other humans?

"Release."

Max coughed up blood. "Your target... should only be me."

"Correct. But before my connection window expires, all human life here can be terminated." The robot's voice was unnervingly calm, as if killing were merely a routine process, like clearing system junk.

Max's pupils contracted violently. Maya was outside!

This robot clearly intended a m******e. The earlier explosion blast had already knocked scores unconscious outside. They were sitting ducks. Maya was among them, with no chance to escape. No matter what, he had to protect her!

"Then see if you can finish me before your time runs out!"

Thought became action. Max's arm swept out, fingers jamming into the robot's leg joint. Bones in his fingers shattered instantly, flesh tearing. But he also severed a critical connection line within.

The robot's eyes flared with chaotic red flickers. Its leg jerked uncontrollably, causing it to stumble and crash heavily to the floor.

"You truly are not an ordinary human. Worthy of me acting twice." It spoke as its mechanical arm braced against the floor, levering its body upright with unnatural rigidity. Its head swiveled mechanically, the red glow in its eyes intensifying.

THUD—

Max's body was kicked aside like a discarded rag.

Believing it was over, the robot heard Max's voice. Then, a searing beam struck its chestplate. The chassis emitted brittle cracking sounds.

Max, his face a mask of blood, tightened his grip on the laser pistol he now held. He laughed, a harsh sound. "You didn't foolishly think... I could stop you with one finger... did you? Humans use weapons too, you stupid hunk of scrap!"

The robot ignored the insult. As it transferred its consciousness to a third machine police body nearby, its voice remained icy: "Force calculation error margin less than three attempts. You stole a machine weapon to attack me. You will not succeed a second time."

"Try me." Max had successfully provoked dialogue. Every second bought was precious time.

But how long was the robot's connection window? Max had no idea.

When the robot, now in its third body, sent Max flying again, it tilted its head. Its cold, red eyes held a flicker of confusion for the first time. "You are strange. Very strange."

Repeating the word was unprecedented, yet it couldn't suppress the observation.

Initially, it hadn't taken Max's feeble strength seriously, casually swatting him away, confident the physical trauma would finish the already critically injured human. But Max kept rising. Finally, it gathered a surge of energy, intending to reduce him to ash.

That energy struck Max... and vanished, like a stone dropped into the ocean.

This human's body was profoundly abnormal. It had never encountered a human who could resist its energy attacks. And this human wasn't strong; in its estimation, he was exceptionally weak.

This time, as Max struggled to his feet, the robot finally concentrated all its available energy into its hands. Even if only to kill this single human, it was warranted.

This human was too dangerous. The verdict was absolute: terminate.

Max, pushed far beyond his limits in this desperate fight, was fading. His injuries healed rapidly, but not fast enough to keep pace with the damage. Severe blood loss had pushed him to the brink. His deep black eyes were clouded. Yet, driven by a single, desperate thought, he refused to fall.

Can't let Maya get hurt. Even if I die... can't let this thing near her.

Before his eyes, Maya's smile appeared. Her childhood smile, her growing-up smile, finally settling on the clear, gentle smile she'd given him moments ago. A sudden wave of unbearable loss washed over him.

How wonderful it would be to always guard that smile... If I die, will she cry?

The thought brought a strange calm. At least dead, I won't see her tears. Facing that... I couldn't bear it.

He feared nothing... except her tears.

Darkness surged in, sudden and absolute. He fought it, struggled not to fall... and failed.

"Maya..." he murmured weakly. The words "I'm sorry" formed in his mind but lacked the strength to reach his lips.