Chapter 44 Key and the Door

Chapter 44 Key and the Door

The death of fellow mates could be a traumatizing experience, easily plunging into panic and leading to just one more death. However, it could have had the opposite effect - the realization that it was necessary to give one's best for survival.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam ran forward across the metal platforms, gradually getting faster and faster.

Brass Puppet responded in kind. Steam came out of the tubes on his legs, quickly raising the temperature, the metal plates covering his legs turned red, then Brass Puppet, at great speed, rushed straight at Adam.

They both moved at the same speed, using the full power of their legs and skill.

Clang.

The silver needle collided with the sharp blade of the rusty key, causing chaotic air currents to blow dust off Iron Alley.

Then, they attacked again and again, recognizing each other's strengths and limits, each time unleashing a cascade of red-hot sparks. Brass Puppet became Adam's Beginning Monster for a reason - their opponent had to be similar to them. The resemblance didn't have to be literal, the genes had no eyes or ears, but they could sense something that was much deeper - the origin of power. 'Adam, a prolonged exchange of attacks with him is not to your advantage. Unlike you, Brass Puppet has sharpened gears, and your needle can't break his weapon. Furthermore, your Nexus isn't as effective against a single opponent as it is against a group. I'd say you should aim for clockwork. Surely, if you destroy the engine, Brass Puppet will probably die.' Silvana said calmly, turning her full attention to the battle.

"It's not as easy as it looks!" Adad gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain the pace of the battle.

All he had was his speed, reflexes, and needle, but Brass Puppet's arsenal was no less impressive.

Whoooooooooooooooooosh.

Brass Puppet spun around, kicking Adam sharply in the stomach, throwing him more than ten meters away.

Before Adam's back touched the ground, three new gears appeared on Brass Puppet's left arm, and the monster bent its body forward.

'No!' Adam's pupils narrowed as he swung the needle, deflecting the first gear. He dodged the second with a shake of his head to the side, but the third was already critically close to him.

The gear almost hit his arm, but at the last moment, Adam swung his arm, trying to frame his hand, hoping that his gloves could reduce the damage.

Tremble. The strained threads of the gloves collided with the gear, tossing it aside without any damage to himself.

Adam's eyes went wide as he looked at his Nexus with slight surprise.

"Right...? These threads shouldn't be much different from what my needle is made up of... That changes things, that changes a lot..." Adam muttered before reflexively jumping back from the sharp tip of Brass Puppet's key.

Previously, Adam had used his gloves for protection or recoil containment, but only the material they were made of and not the threads. He had only used the threads to activate Nexus's Trait, but now it was time to learn something new. 'Don't relax. You still haven't dealt Brass Puppet a single attack.' Silvana said seriously.

At the last moment, Adam slammed the back of his palms against each other, simultaneously clamping the blade of the key between the threads and letting out an eerie scream like that of a dying siren.

Even the creature of metal and gears couldn't resist it and froze in place for a moment.

It was enough for Adam to rise abruptly from the ground, summon a needle, and attack straight into the clockwork, going through all the cogs and piercing the engine.

Black oil trickled outward, traveling along the snow-white needle and reaching Adam's arm, falling to the ground in droplets, one by one. "Hah, you fight like a human and even understand a bit of strategy, but here's the cunning and insight you clearly lack." Adam smirked, pulled out a needle, and launched about ten more attacks.

Cuts covered the entire body of Brass Puppet, who didn't even try to defend himself. He held onto his chest, as if struggling to stop the inevitable - to save his wounded heart.

Then, due to the accumulated wounds, Brass Puppet fell to one knee, resting his hand on the ground.

'Finish him off! Right now!' Silvana shouted.

"Sure!" Adam rushed forward without delay, aiming straight for the monster's head.

Brass Puppet, feeling the tremors from Adam's footsteps, quickly rose up and did the last thing he could - stab a sharp blade right into his engine.

"What...?" Adam stopped from shock, the first thing he thought was that Brass Puppet was going to blow himself up.

Then, Brass Puppet turned the key right into his engine, as if opening a forbidden door, leading to a destructive force.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

All the air around Brass Puppet was instantly incinerated, turned into nothingness. Brutal torrents of wind rushed away as if trying to escape as far away from the hearth of chaos as possible. Streams of scarlet flames surrounded Brass Puppet, heating his body to the limit, the steam constantly emanating, creating the illusion of a mirage.

The Cogs in the clockwork began spinning at their limits, burning the oil and melting the cut edges of the engine, forcing them to recover. "Hey... You said that in Abyss Souls, particularly strong bosses have what's called two stages, right?" Adam muttered, waves of shivers passing through his body, "Looks like you can congratulate me for getting past the first one..."

Whooooooooooooosh.

Brass Puppet swung the key, from bottom to top, sending a flaming blade across the ground.

Adam took a sharp step to the side, dodging the flaming step.

'That was damn fast...'

Crackle. The metal fist collapsed into Adam's jaw, coating it with cracks with a loud crunch and throwing Adam himself aside, causing him to spin in the air due to the insane inertia from the abnormal force of the blow. He fell among the debris, bleeding with blurred vision.