Able Is A Bug

Luoshu had finally found a usable ability—Degradation Aura—but it was too little, too late.

The aura needed time to corrode man-made objects, making it better suited for protracted battles or ambushes than frantic combat.

Before it could take full effect on the glasses-mounted Kant Counters, Abel and Barbie were already at the private room's entrance.

A spatial fissure tore through the door, slicing horizontally across the room.

Luoshu ducked just in time—another inch higher, and his head would've flown.

Then the door itself pixelated into fragments as Barbie—emboldened by Abel's aggression—unleashed her own spatial shattering.

Now, both stood framed in the doorway.

Time was running out.

In desperation, Luoshu activated a third ability:

"The Reeds of Jianjia!"

A swamp of towering reeds erupted in the room, entangling Barbie.

But Abel? Unaffected.

As a non-reality bender, the reeds ignored him.

Watching Barbie struggle, Abel scoffed:

"Quit stalling! Fight me properly! Now that the nuisance is out of the way."

Barbie seethed:

"I'm the nuisance?! You're the one blocking my spatial fragments!"

She tried boosting her Hume level to break free—but failed.

Luoshu's Hume had surpassed hers, locking her down completely.

If escape was impossible, he'd at least take her down with him.

Trading 1-for-1 wasn't bad.

As for Abel?

Useless.

The man resurrected. Killing him achieved nothing.

But to eliminate Barbie, he first needed to neutralize Abel's interference.

So Luoshu triggered a fourth ability:

"Enmity of Life!"

Abel staggered briefly, then steadied himself, eyes blazing red:

"Stop with that damned scent! I'll kill you!"

No dice.

Abel was adapting.

His fear wasn't of the ability itself—but of Cain, its original wielder.

Realizing this was a knockoff version, Abel shrugged it off.

Luoshu canceled Enmity of Life, freeing up a slot, and blinked behind Abel, gripping his shoulder.

This time, he used Ability Lock—a power derived from Achilles' Heel's reality-bender restraints, designed to seal anomalous abilities.

Again, no effect.

Abel spun and slashed, unfazed.

His resurrection was passive; locking it changed nothing.

Next attempt: "Cupid's Arrow."

"Love me, or die."

This one landed.

Abel clutched his chest, coughing blood—but didn't fall.

"What's this? More tricks? Pathetic!"

Luoshu gave up.

Abel was literally built different—a walking cheat code.

Cupid's Arrow? Just a flesh wound.

Then "The God" arrived, hovering above the reeds, out of reach.

Seeing him, Luoshu ditched Abel and fired his last Cupid's Arrow at "The God."

If he could take down this old bastard, dying here might be worth it.

But "The God" wasn't so easily killed.

He plucked the glowing arrow from his chest and crushed it.

Luoshu sighed, flipping through The Catalog.

Out of ideas.

His last resort—SCP-1770's Chainmaker transformation—would turn him into an unkillable but brainless metal brute.

And even then, Abel's sword could slice through chains like butter.

How much longer until the glasses degraded?

The entire sequence had taken mere seconds—far too short for the aura's full effect.

Exhausted, Luoshu dropped Unobservability to conserve energy.

Abel blinked. "Giving up? Doesn't matter—you're a lighthouse in these glasses."

Luoshu almost laughed.

The mystery was solved.

The glasses were Kant Counters—revealed by Abel himself.

Thanks, buddy. Drinks on me next time.

He canceled the reeds, activated Perception Block, and vanished again.

Barbie, finally free, snapped.

A deafening hum filled the room as space itself fragmented around her.

Abel, too close, lost an arm to the shattering.

"You psycho! I'll kill you!"

Barbie ignored him, lunging at where Luoshu should've been—

But he was gone.

Not just from sight—the Kant Counter's red marker had disappeared too.