Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1507 The Hero Who Was Forced to Make a Choice

Under the system's control, his severely injured and dying body unleashed power and speed beyond the limits!

His left hand (the same hand that had pressed "Yes") suddenly rose with a speed that defied the laws of physics. It was no longer trembling and powerless, but like a drawn military dagger, with its five fingers together like a knife, accurately blocking another bone blade tentacle that was stabbing towards his heart!
The collision of flesh and blood with the sharp bone blade produced a crisp sound like metal clashing!
The system's power enhanced his bone and muscle density.

At the same time, he suddenly bent his right knee and kicked upwards with all his might, not at the monster's body, but at the ground beneath it! The enormous recoil instantly pushed his battered body back half a meter from the monster's pressure!

The movement tore open the wound in his abdomen, and excruciating pain signals assaulted his consciousness, but the system remained unmoved, as if it were just an insignificant dashboard warning.

[Warning: Physical injuries may worsen.]

Recommendation: A swift and decisive victory is advised.

The parasite was clearly taken aback by the sudden resistance and the abnormal power it unleashed. Its split head whirled towards Hachiman, its four eyes flashing with disbelief, a mixture of confusion and rage.

It let out a sharp, inhuman screech, and four tentacle bone blades shot out simultaneously like a storm! Their speed was so great that they left afterimages in the air, sealing off all possible escape routes for Hachiman!

This is a speed that no human could possibly react to!

However, it is not human consciousness that controls the body.

The system's combat module had already anticipated its attack pattern.

Driven by the system, Hachiman's body made a movement completely contrary to his own athletic ability. He performed an extremely awkward yet highly efficient side roll, his body almost scraping the ground as he narrowly avoided being pierced by the three tentacles.

The fourth tentacle grazed his left rib, leaving a trail of blood, but the system immediately activated muscle contraction to suppress the bleeding to a minimum.

In the instant before he finished rolling and before he could stand up completely, the system controlled his right hand (which seemed to have been less injured before) to slam into the ground, his five fingers like hooks, digging into the concrete to stabilize his body.

Then, Hachiman Hikigaya's hand swung out at a speed that even he himself couldn't see!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next second, the parasite's split head was gripped by an invisible giant hand, and suddenly collapsed and twisted inward!
It let out a piercing, completely off-key scream, and its four tentacles twitched and waved wildly, but the movements became chaotic and disorderly.

In less than three seconds, the once ferocious and terrifying parasite, along with most of its tentacles, had completely turned into a pool of black, viscous residue emitting blue smoke and a pungent, burnt smell, lying sprawled on the cold ground.

The remaining body tissue was still twitching slightly, but it quickly lost its activity and became like rotten rubber.

The battle is over. From system startup to the parasitic beast turning to ashes, less than ten seconds passed.

The cold, blue data stream quickly faded from view.

Control of the body was suddenly returned to me as if the power had been cut off.

"Uhhh-!!!"

Hachiman Hikigaya's consciousness was instantly submerged in a tsunami of excruciating pain!
The pain that had been forcibly suppressed by the system was now retaliating with a hundredfold intensity!

The tearing sensation of a pierced shoulder blade, the excruciating pain of a ripped and mashed abdomen, the sharp pain of fractures, contusions, and muscle strains throughout the body, and the cold, dizziness, and suffocating feeling caused by excessive blood loss...

All the feelings of impending death came crashing down on him like a tidal wave! Like a fish thrown ashore, his body convulsed and spasmed violently, curling up uncontrollably, each breath accompanied by a hoarse, broken bellows-like sound, spitting out blood foam.

Vision blurred and swayed again, and darkness began to encroach on the edges once more.

But this time, his consciousness did not succumb. The system's forced intervention seemed to have exhausted his last bit of life force, but it also temporarily kept him alive, allowing him to clearly feel this hellish pain.

The cold, synthesized voice sounded again, delivering a flat verdict: [Target: Parasite - Beta type has been eliminated.]

[New player quest: Survival and Counterattack completed.]

[Reward Settlement: Basic Health Recovery (Minor), Hero Points +10.]

[Title awarded: Apprentice Hero (Hachiman Hikigaya)]

[Warning: The subject's vital signs are critical.]

Recommendation: Seek immediate medical attention.

"Apprentice... Hero...?"

Hachiman's mind raced with excruciating pain, each thought crawling on shards of glass. He tried to force a self-deprecating smile, but it only drew out more blood and more intense pain.

Hero? Warrior? What a cruel irony! He loathed being the center of attention, despised the narrative of heroism, and used self-destruction to escape more complex interpersonal responsibilities.

He believed that every "sacrifice" he made was the "optimal solution" after careful calculation, and a proof of his own self-preservation.

In the end, what drove him to press the "yes" button was his body's instinct, the faint warmth brought by his sister's smile, and the bonds he desperately wanted to deny but could not sever.

The process of becoming a "hero" is an utter disaster.

His body was controlled as a weapon by a cold system, subjected to an inhuman massacre. He survived, but felt worse than if he were dead.

This so-called "hero" title is like the most vicious curse, branding the identity label he hated most onto him in the most painful and involuntary way.

He struggled, using the last bit of strength, to move his left hand, which he could still barely move (this hand seemed to have been further injured due to the use of the system), to his eyes.

His fingers, stained with blood and monster slime, trembled slightly. He looked at the hand that had just destroyed the monster's head, now so weak it could barely bend, and a tremendous sense of absurdity and self-loathing nearly overwhelmed him.

"Ha...what...bullshit...hero..."

He roared silently, his consciousness teetering on the brink of collapse under the intense pain and immense mental shock.

Vision began to blur, and Komachi's worried face seemed to reappear before her eyes, overlapping with that cold title of "Apprentice Hero".

He won.

He killed the monster.

He survived.

But he felt that a part of himself, along with the "maverick" he upheld, had been completely destroyed in that cold, efficient, inhuman killing, along with that parasite.

Becoming a "hero" is not the beginning of redemption.

This is just the prelude to another, longer, and more brutal "self-destruction" belonging to Hachiman Hikigaya.

This time, it seems he was even deprived of the right to choose.

(End of this chapter)