Chapter 299 - Infinite Energy
“Demonification! Dragonification! Vigorous Cells!” Han Wu ensured everything was in place to confront the exhausted Steel Demon.
Power surged through him, and his presence radiated such force that weaker foes would have thought twice before approaching. He then used the Tigerman Legs’ trait, Tiger Step, and fell from the sky while using Detection to pinpoint the Steel Demon’s position with perfect precision.
He descended like a meteor, his momentum building with terrifying speed. At this velocity, he doubted the Steel Demon could evade him.
His landing struck squarely on the Steel Demon’s chest. The combined force of Demonification, Dragonification, and Tiger Step unleashed a shockwave that shattered the demon’s torso. Despite its body being tempered to an almost impossible degree, capable of withstanding most attacks, Han Wu’s strike pierced through. Black blood gushed from the Steel Demon’s mouth, mingled with fragments of its ruptured organs. It was critically injured.
Han Wu seized this opportunity and used Steelcutter. He merged his four weapons to form a colossal, hundred-meter-long wind sword before the terrified Steel Demon and swung it down with wrathful intensity.
The Steel Demon tried to crawl away but realized its movement was restricted. When it looked down, it saw that black ropes had emerged from Han Wu’s shadow, binding its legs. Its focus had been entirely on the sky above, and it failed to notice the trap below.
That was all it took for the wind sword to crash down onto the Steel Demon. Its body was tough, and it was confident it could endure even a critical blow from the giant wind sword.
What it had not anticipated was that the wind sword transformed its wind damage into blunt force. The immense impact pulverized the Steel Demon into a grotesque heap. Black flesh and shards of blood rained across the ground.
Han Wu had won and slain the powerful Steel Demon!
A surge of satisfaction coursed through him as he turned to the Abomination, which was still struggling to reattach itself. He knew he had to finish it while it was still weak. Pain seared through his body from the lingering effects of Demonification, but he forced himself forward and struck with Steelcutter once more. This time, the injured Abomination could not defend itself and was destroyed completely.
After vanquishing two powerful demons in one go, Han Wu gained tens of millions of Demonic Origin and allowed himself a brief moment of relief. The prolonged strain of constant vigilance had left him utterly drained, and both Demonification and Dragonification dissipated on their own. The backlash from Demonification intensified, sending cracks racing across his body. Every fiber of his being felt as though it would shatter into fragments.
Han Wu could feel the cracks spreading through even his resilient crystal bones, not just his flesh. He remained perfectly still, unwilling to move even a single centimeter, as if the slightest motion would shatter him entirely. He had never anticipated that the backlash from using Demonification could be this devastating, powerful enough to kill him outright.
He felt a flicker of relief knowing he was not alone. Xun emerged from his shadow and followed his orders, feeding pieces of energy-infused flesh into his Void Jaw.
Han Wu activated his Dark Locust Stomach to digest the flesh, converting it into energy to mend his injuries. He also spent the 20 million Demonic Origin he had accumulated to enhance his Cockroach Cells.
He was slightly surprised when he saw that enhancing the Blue Cockroach Cells to Stage 9 required a staggering 12 million Demonic Origin. Finally, his cells reached the point where they could select a new trait. As before, three options appeared for him to choose from.
[Option 1: Infinite Regeneration – As long as the user has at least one living cell, it can absorb energy to reconstruct the user's body.]
[Option 2: Infinite Energy – Each cell can store an unlimited amount of energy.]
[Option 3: Infinite Clones – Each cell is malleable enough to absorb the cells of other living beings to replicate their bodies. (Cloning does not extend to their soul or thoughts.)]
Han Wu studied the three options and wished he could choose all of them. Unfortunately, he was limited to just one. He examined each carefully, weighing their potential.
The first option sounded incredible. It promised the ability to reconstruct his body from a single living cell by absorbing energy. In theory, it was like reincarnation. In practice, it carried a massive drawback: the energy required for a single cell to rebuild his entire body and restore him to peak condition was astronomical. Where would that energy come from?
The second option allowed him to store infinite energy within his cells. It sounded broken, yet it came with a hidden limit: his own body. If his body were a handgun and energy the bullets, he could fire endlessly, but his firepower would still fall short of a gatling gun. This trait would only serve to help him a little.
The third option seemed formidable at first. He could, in theory, clone cells from powerful life forms endlessly. He imagined raising a vast army of these clones.
Yet his Epistian Brain immediately flagged a problem. He could clone only the physical body, not the soul or consciousness. A strong body alone was meaningless without the mind that guided it. True strength resided in will and thought. Without them, even the mightiest physique was no more than an empty shell.
Han Wu reviewed all three options and realized none would immediately make him stronger. Still, that didn't make them weak. After long contemplation with his Epistian Brain, he finally chose Infinite Energy. With it, he could store infinite energy now and draw on it later as his power grew.
Upon selecting the third trait, his Cockroach Cells advanced to Stage 9, reaching their current enhancement limit. These were all the traits the cells could unlock at this time.
Nonetheless, that did not mean the cells were doomed to remain a Blue body part forever. A plus sign had appeared next to the Blue quality section of the Cockroach Cells, indicating the potential for future upgrades.
When he tried to enhance them, the interface informed him he needed to kill seven Demon Lords. Having already killed six, he required just one more.
“That’s fine. I will upgrade it in the future,” he promised himself.
Han Wu then poured the remaining Demonic Origin into his Dark Locust Stomach, the body part he used most. He funneled the remaining 8 million Demonic Origin into it, enhanced it to Stage 6, and gained the opportunity to select its second trait.