BXBX NOVEL Chapter 69: Hunched Old Woman
They turned tail and fled into the forest, their howls of fear echoing as they vanished into the underbrush.
With a swift swipe of his claws, he slit the last remaining wolf\'s throat, leaving their bodies lying around the truck.
He stood over the creature, panting heavily, his heightened senses still alert for any sign of other threats.
The forest was silent once more, except for the sound of his heavy breathing.
Mai quickly assessed the situation, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any more potential dangers.
When she was satisfied that they had cleared the immediate threat, she gave a curt nod. "Good work, everyone. Let\'s regroup and make sure no one\'s injured."
Sid reverted back to his human form, his muscles shrinking and his features softening as the fur receded.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the lingering tension. "That was a decent warm-up," he muttered, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips as he looked at Liam. "Looks like I still left you in the dust, though."
Liam returned the smirk, "Alright, don\'t get too cocky. And what\'s with the werewolf transformation? Wasn\'t it supposed to be a bear?"
Sid\'s grin widened at Liam\'s question. "Hah...hah...aha," he was about to reply, but before he could answer, an eerie, chilling laughter echoed through the forest, cutting through the silence like a knife.
It came from all directions at once, surrounding them, and sending a shiver down everyone\'s spine.
"Wonderful," a raspy, mocking voice called out.
"What a talented young batch, just right for my experiments, ha-ha." The laughter trailed off into a sinister chuckle, filled with dark amusement.
Everyone snapped to attention, their weapons raised as they scanned the trees.
Out of the shadows, a figure slowly emerged—a hunched old woman, her body grotesquely modified with prosthetic limbs, a mechanical eye glowing ominously in her gaunt face.
Her skin was pale and wrinkled, hanging loosely over the metal framework that replaced much of her body.
Every step she took was accompanied by a faint whirring noise as her prosthetics adjusted to the uneven terrain.
Following her, three fully armed robots came into view.
One was a humanoid machine, sleek and agile with limbs that ended in sharp, clawed like monsters, its metallic surface glinting menacingly in the dim light.
The other two were much larger—a towering ape-like robot with powerful arms designed for crushing, each movement causing the ground to tremble.
The third was a serpentine machine that slithered forward with mechanical precision, its body covered in sleek, overlapping metal plates that shimmered as it moved.
The old woman\'s mechanical eye scanned the team, her twisted grin widening. "You\'ve done well to survive this long, but your luck has run out," she hissed. "Let\'s see how you fare against my creations."
Mai\'s mind raced as she quickly evaluated the situation. This was no ordinary enemy; as a mechanic just a look at the old woman she knew that the other person was also a mechanic like her.
The old woman and her robots were clearly the result of advanced, possibly experimental, cybernetic enhancements.
She was a dangerous opponent, one who had clearly been lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.
[ Name: Edith Wright]
[ Age: 71/96]
[ Race: Human]
[ Profession: Tier 3 Mechanic]
[ Physique: 17(+20 prosthetic)]
[ Spirit: 42]
Ram immediately used his Spiritual eye to look into her details, looking at her attributes she is not much stronger than any other ordinary professionals.
However, the mechanical robots behind her seemed to be all Tier 3, with their own individual advantages.
But before he or Mai could alert the others, the old woman\'s mechanical eye locked onto Sid and Liam.
With a quick, fluid motion, she lifted her prosthetic arm and aimed it directly at them.
A small compartment in her arm opened, revealing an array of sharp, needle-like projectiles.
"Let\'s see how fast you really are," she sneered, her voice dripping with malice.
With a flick of her wrist, the projectiles shot out with terrifying speed, whistling through the air toward Sid and Liam.
Sid and Liam barely had time to register the attack before the projectiles struck them.
The needles embedded themselves into their limbs with a sharp sting, and almost instantly, thin, metallic cords unraveled from the projectiles, coiling around their arms and legs like living snakes.
The cords tightened, pinning them to the ground with a force that left them both momentarily stunned.
Sid strained against the restraints, attempting to transform into Bearman, but the cords released electric currents, and cords tightened further, digging painfully into his flesh.
"Damn it!" he growled, his voice a deep, guttural snarl as he fought to break free.
Liam, on the other hand, tried to reach for his knife, his fingers inching toward the hilt as he attempted to cut the cords.
But the old woman\'s design was too effective; every movement only made the cords constrict more, and he quickly realized that his efforts were futile.
"These things... they\'re too tight," he grunted, his voice strained.
The old woman cackled with delight, her mechanical eye whirring as it zoomed in on the two trapped fighters.
"Oh, you thought you could fight me with brute strength? How amusing, don\'t bother. My little toys are specially designed to handle troublesome pests like you effortlessly."
Mai\'s eyes widened in alarm. "Sid! Liam!" she shouted, her mind racing for a solution.
She knew she had to act fast; it seemed the cords weren\'t just meant to immobilize—they were likely designed to kill if the captives struggled too much.
"Su Mu, Ram, cover me!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Su Mu, who had been lining up another shot at the serpentine robot, quickly shifted her aim, firing at the old woman in an attempt to disrupt her control.
Ram, his Sword leaves swirling around him protectively, advanced on the ape-like robot, trying to draw its attention away from the trapped Sid and Liam.
The old woman sneered at Su Mu who fired at her, she didn\'t even bother to move or do anything.
Before the bullets hit her, an energy shield appeared covering her as it absorbed the impact with a faint hum.
"Fools! You can\'t save them. They\'re already mine!" she taunted, her voice dripping with malice.
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