Chapter 766: Everything

After being struck by Dud, Abby realised that his incredible healing and strange inability to feel pain weren’t the only things she needed to worry about. His strength was dangerous as well, and the punch to her stomach had made that painfully clear.

She desperately swung her wooden sword, trying to keep him away. One of the strikes landed across Dud’s face, but it did almost nothing to stop his advance.

No matter how hard she hit him, Dud could continue moving as long as his body allowed it.

Until now, he had struggled to overcome the instinct to avoid attacks. Years of fighting had taught him to protect himself, and switching off that part of his mind wasn’t easy. Even knowing that he could heal didn’t immediately erase the habits he had developed.

However, his fight against Abby was helping him understand what his new body could do. He was learning to ignore the strikes and trust that the damage would repair itself.

Dud pushed through her attacks, closed the distance, and grabbed her around the neck. Before Abby could break free, he hurled her down, slamming her body against the ground.

"I really have to thank you," Dud said, looking down at her. "Because of you, I’m learning to use my powers even better than before. This is exactly what I needed."

Abby struggled to recover from the impact while keeping hold of her sword.

"I’ve been so obsessed with dealing with Max that I haven’t given much thought to what comes afterwards," Dud continued. "But once he’s gone, there are other things I need to deal with. Those people at the invitation were rather annoying."

He lifted his foot and stamped down, aiming directly at Abby’s face.

She raised her wooden sword just in time, gripping it at both ends. Dud’s foot crashed against the weapon, and Abby strained beneath the pressure, holding it above her head to stop him from reaching her.

"You interfered in this," Dud said. "You aren’t part of my revenge, but you’re getting in the way of it!"

He pulled his leg back and clenched his fist. Abby was still beneath him as he drew his arm back, preparing to drive it straight down.

Before the punch could land, a hand reached out and caught it.

Dud’s fist stopped completely. Despite the force behind his attack, the person holding it hadn’t moved an inch.

"Dud..."

At the sound of the voice, Dud lifted his head. Max was standing beside him, having returned from wherever he had gone. However, there was something noticeably different about him now.

"You thought you had the upper hand from the moment you started all of this?" Max asked. "You’re wrong. I’m pretty sure the Billion Bloodline has already dealt with the others and rescued the hostages."

Max kept a firm grip on Dud’s fist.

"From the beginning, this wasn’t just you coming after us. It was my chance to get rid of you!"

Max threw a punch so fast that Dud barely registered the movement.

His fist smashed into Dud’s face, breaking his nose and cracking part of his skull. The impact lifted Dud’s entire body from the ground and sent him flying backwards before he landed and skidded across the docks.

When Dud lifted his face from the floor, his injuries were already beginning to heal. However, he couldn’t hide his shock at how far a single punch had thrown him.

"I guess whatever you’re wearing isn’t just for show," Dud said.

Max looked down at his hand, impressed by the result. He had expected an improvement, but feeling the power behind that punch was something else entirely.

Before this whole situation had begun, Max had already considered the possibility that he might encounter someone he wasn’t ready to defeat. The example he had kept returning to was a person like Hercules, whose strength was far beyond anything an ordinary fighter could handle.

That was why one of the first tasks he had given the Gilt Rats was to build a full exoskeleton suit, like the one they had created before.

It should have been easier the second time. They already possessed the knowledge, and although the original equipment had been damaged, many of its parts could still be used. The main obstacles were funding and the time needed to complete the work.

Even so, Max hadn’t known whether the full suit would be ready when he needed it.

The others had already received their individual pieces of equipment, but his request was much larger. He needed something that would support his entire body, and that meant there was a greater chance it wouldn’t be finished in time.

To give the Gilt Rats as much time as possible, Max had asked the Fallen Rose to stop by their base on the way back.

They could collect the suit at the last possible moment while he went ahead to face Dud. It had been a risk, but Max was also fighting against the clock. He couldn’t afford to wait without knowing what Dud might do next.

Fortunately, everything had come together.

The full exoskeleton was now fitted to his body. Max could feel his own strength working alongside the equipment, supported by his years of experience and the power of his Vow.

The Gilt Rats had designed these exoskeletons to give their users a chance against superhumans. Putting a complete suit on someone who was already superhuman had produced exactly the result Max had hoped for.

The punch he had just thrown was proof of that.

Dud’s healing was still troublesome, but Max now possessed far more power than he had during their earlier exchanges. For the first time since facing him, Max felt certain he could deal with the man in front of him.

As soon as Dud got back onto his feet, Max was already beside him.

He reached out and grabbed Dud’s face, giving him no chance to retreat. Then he forced him down, slamming the back of his head against the ground and pinning him there.

"Dud, you made the biggest mistake of your life the day you met me," Max said.

His grip tightened as he looked down at the man who had caused him so much pain.

"I never want to lose anything again. And you were the one who took the people precious to me!"