Facing the Leo S that came charging as if determined to fight it head-on, the Sphinx-type did not react too violently.
It merely raised one hand, still appearing rather leisurely.
Yet the next second, a deep and dark sphere appeared out of thin air in the direction the golden giant’s raised hand pointed.
Its position was exactly intercepting Yu Xiao’s Leo S along its path of advance.
Yu Xiao knew clearly that this was the Festum’s primary means of attack, the micro black hole!
An ability capable of annihilating everything it touched, no matter the thickness of the armor, as if it were the materialization of the “nothingness” they pursued.
The attack came fierce.
Fortunately, Yu Xiao was not one to be trifled with either.
Leo S sharply turned, changing its advance into a leap into the air, grazing narrowly over the top of the micro black hole.
Though it could not avoid having part of its trailing diffusion cloak damaged, that was still better than being swallowed whole by the black hole.
Its thrust spent, Leo S straightened slightly after landing, quickly adjusting its posture.
Then it passed the saber to its left hand, while its right hand drew the beam shotgun from its waist, firing two bursts toward the Sphinx-type.
In Yu Xiao’s plan, the purpose of these two shots was to serve as a decoy to distract the enemy.
Only afterward did the dark muzzle truly aim at the Sphinx-type’s “head,” firing at maximum output!
This shot was Yu Xiao’s true goal.
Yet this whole chain of carefully planned actions produced only a meaningless result.
Facing the first two distracting shots, the Sphinx-type neither dodged nor avoided.
It just stood there in place, letting the highly threatening beam particles sweep past its side.
And as for the final shot, it seemed to have anticipated it all along.
Twisting its body, the Sphinx-type escaped perfectly from the trajectory of Leo S’s beam shotgun.
“…Tch.”
Seeing such a sight, Yu Xiao could not help but click his tongue.
…So it did read my movements after all, he thought.
Though he did not know what kind of code the developers had written, they had really reproduced the Festum’s unique mind-reading ability… quite accurately.
This feeling.
How should he put it, “Truly disgusting…”
Gazing at the Sphinx-type’s movements in his view, Yu Xiao muttered with a hint of disgust.
He was not referring to the other’s appearance.
If anything, it was the “inner self” projected through their every move.
Previously, no matter how formidable a simulated opponent he fought, like Amuro or Char, Yu Xiao could tell from their movements that they were not judging the situation through bug-like settings such as pre-reading commands. Read the latest chapters at NovelPing.
They truly relied on superb computational power to analyze the situation, then responded to the player’s every move with the most appropriate counter.
So even if he lost, he could only be wholly convinced.
But these Festum gave off a different feeling.
It was as if… no, it clearly knew everything about him.
What he wanted to do, what he would do… whatever his thoughts, they were all taken in at a glance by it.
This feeling of being completely seen through gave Yu Xiao a somewhat physiological discomfort.
No matter what purpose the developers originally had in designing it… but made like this, in a game it was absolutely a shit enemy, a shit enemy!
Sometimes, fidelity to the source has to give way to gameplay, okay?
Yu Xiao complained inwardly.
But regardless, now was not the occasion for him to express his laments.
The Sphinx-type opened its right palm, then its five fingers abruptly contracted and stretched, ultimately extending into tendrils with sharp tips, shooting toward Leo S at a tricky angle.
Yet no matter how Yu Xiao manipulated the controller to evade, it was hard to match the nimble opponent.
In the end, Leo S’s blade-holding left wrist was tightly entangled by the golden tendrils.
At the same time, jade-green crystalline objects abruptly sprouted in clusters where the two touched.
This phenomenon was… the enemy’s assimilation ability!
Yu Xiao, well-versed in the original work’s setting, judged the other’s intent in an instant.
Knowing that at this rate the entire unit would be devoured and destroyed by these seemingly harmless green crystals, Yu Xiao grit his teeth, intending to abandon the controlled left arm.
But after pressing the shortcut key, the unit itself actually did not execute the command?
Then he suddenly realized: it was probably because the crystals from the assimilation phenomenon had already clogged Leo S’s internal mechanical circuits, making it impossible for the command to be transmitted accurately.
…The developers had actually designed even this kind of detail?
He really did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Yu Xiao thought.
With no other choice, while sighing, he could only manipulate Leo S’s right hand to draw the other stored beam duel saber.
Then reversing the blade, he slashed forcefully toward the unit’s own left shoulder.
The high-heat beam particles dissolved Leo S’s composite armor as easily as butter.
Then seizing the moment, Leo S swung the beam saber in its hand, slashing and chopping vertically at the tendrils the Sphinx-type had not managed to release in time.
The purpose was obvious: to trade one’s own arm for the enemy’s five fingers.
Even if it failed, it could still force the opponent back.
And this act of a hero cutting off his own wrist unexpectedly achieved a miraculous effect.
Leo S not only thereby escaped the crisis of being assimilated by the Sphinx-type, but also, with the follow-up motion, cut off all five of the opponent’s tendrils in one stroke.
He manipulated Leo S to thrust backward and open distance, but Yu Xiao was not delighted by this momentary victory.
On the contrary, he felt a sliver of doubt.
…Strange.
If the opponent had mind-reading ability, how could it have failed to dodge the previous move?
Yu Xiao could not help but think suspiciously.
“Could it be that it did not read my commands…? That’s impossible. Or else… no, wait!”
While muttering to himself, before long, Yu Xiao understood.
The answer was actually very simple.
It was not that it “could not read,” but that it “could not react.”
Because Leo S’s action just now had actually occurred within a few fleeting instants of a thought flashing through his mind.
Even if it perceived Yu Xiao’s true intention, the Sphinx-type’s actions could not keep up with the abrupt change.
Only then did Leo S seize the opening and complete a rather rewarding counterattack.
So, right, making a plan in advance was useless.
It would be seen through by the Festum, putting himself in a passive position.
Then, the present plan…
Rather than considering any battle plan, it was better to simply choose to adapt on the fly.
Thinking of this, Yu Xiao actually felt an indescribable calm.
…Right, no longer carefully considering any countermeasures.
Just choose to entrust everything to that near-reflexive instinct born after becoming familiar with the game.
Next, while defending, seize the opening the first-striking enemy might reveal, and counterattack at the earliest moment.
As long as one acts immediately the moment one thinks.
…Perhaps, there was still a sliver of a chance of victory to be found!
Leo S, with only one arm left, lowered its body.
As if bracing itself for battle, yet seemingly wide open.
—And even Yu Xiao himself seemed not to have noticed.
In front of the monitor screen, his gaze… had also grown increasingly ethereal and sharp.
Just like an ancient fierce beast bracing itself for battle.