Jack, Part II

Jack let out a cry of agony as he saw his body split into two distinct halves. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, dark, sinewy threads glimmered faintly, tethering the gruesome wound together.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Xiaofeng rose from the ground and caught sight of Jack's body severed by Pandora's blade. He was about to reproach her for ending Jack's life so easily—until Jack's halves began to slowly rejoin, pulled together by those eerie black filaments.

Xiaofeng realized then that the enraged possessed a bizarre regenerative ability, making them nearly impossible to kill.

But unlike others, Jack's adversary this time was Xiaofeng himself.

Just as Jack's body was about to fuse completely, Xiaofeng lunged forward, his right arm clasping Jack's neck with fierce strength, yanking him backward. The barely reassembled form was torn apart once more.

Yet Jack's lower half was still drawn forward, nearly reconnecting again. Xiaofeng shouted, "Giant! Grab his legs!"

Though still prone, Giant stretched out a hand, seizing Jack's feet just in time. Together, their efforts forced Jack's body apart once more.

Jack, sensing the peril, cursed violently, "Bastard! Let me go!"

With brutal force, Xiaofeng pinned Jack's upper body to the ground, sneering coldly, "Let go? Dream on." Raising his fist, he delivered a crushing blow to Jack's face. The impact silenced him instantly.

The remaining Alliance soldiers, witnessing their leader's defeat, raised their automatic rifles to fire. But Tugou's twin machine guns had already roared to life, crimson laser sights locking on their heads.

Bullets sprayed forth like torrential rain, each round felling a soldier. Instinctively, Zeus and Pandora crouched low, wary of stray fire.

Qintian had vanished once again, while Giant remained grounded.

This chaos emboldened Tugou to unleash relentless firepower.

First to fall were the psychic operatives. Though endowed with powers, they were swiftly overwhelmed by Tugou's onslaught. One, capable of stone-like transformation, deflected the machine gun rounds—until Tugou's armor released a miniature missile that struck his chest with devastating force.

A deafening explosion shattered nearby glass as the blast hurled the psychic into the wall with a massive chest wound. His limp body crashed atop the scattered Alliance soldiers before collapsing.

Within mere seconds, Tugou had slain dozens in the corridor.

Remaining Alliance troops hastily retreated beyond his line of sight.

Several grenades were then hurled from around the corner.

Xiaofeng's sharp gaze caught the incoming explosives. Utilizing his metallic manipulation, he instantly seized control of the grenades and flung them back toward their source.

The grenades ricocheted off a wall near the soldiers' cover, detonating violently. Concrete walls cracked and shattered, mingled with shards of broken bodies.

Screams echoed from the surviving soldiers, wounded by flying shrapnel, while those shot dead by Tugou had perished instantly with fatal headshots.

The injured cried out in agony until dragged away to safety by comrades.

Clutching Jack's collar, Xiaofeng stood and surveyed the carnage littering the corridor. A pang of remorse struck him—these were still lives lost.

His glare hardened as he confronted Jack, "See this? All these deaths are because of you, you bastard. Now, will you take me to the envoy?"

Jack's glasses lay discarded; his eyes widened in shock at the bloody devastation. The arrogance and cold malice had vanished from his gaze. "Fine. I'll take you."

Suddenly, the roar of armed helicopters filled the prison's sky. The thunderous chopping of rotors and engines brought a grim smile to Jack's lips. "Reinforcements have arrived. You're finished."

Before Jack could finish, Xiaofeng dragged him to the window with a knowing smile. "Take a good look."

Without waiting for instructions, Tugou vaulted through the window, landing heavily below. His chest and back armor unfolded, unleashing dozens of mini-missiles that fanned out, streaking toward the armed helicopters lined up in the sky.

The unimaginable then unfolded: nearly all the helicopters exploded almost simultaneously, engulfed in flames, plummeting chaotically toward the earth.

From one of the crashing helicopters, two figures leapt lightly to the ground and sprinted toward Tugou.

Xiaofeng furrowed his brow, recognizing them as likely members of the Seven Kill faction by their extended hands. Worried, he shouted, "Tugou, get back!"

Tugou ignored the warning; his targeting systems locked onto the two figures. Yet, their movements were elusive, causing his red laser sights to waver wildly—rendering them impossible to pin down.

With a grim premonition, Tugou began spraying indiscriminately with his shoulder-mounted guns.

The twin machine guns erupted again in a furious barrage.