Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1553 Shameful Iron Fist
The midnight wind, carrying a biting chill, swept across this vast abandoned construction site on the edge of the city, like the sigh of some cold, behemoth.

The broken steel bars, like the ribs of a giant beast, stabbed menacingly into the leaden-gray night sky.

The neon lights of the distant city shimmered on the edges of the low-hanging clouds, faint as an otherworldly phantom, unable to penetrate the thick darkness and deathly silence of this place.

Hiratsuka Shizuka wrapped herself tightly in the thin white bathrobe.

She rushed out too quickly.

At that moment, the source of the sound was under a pile of twisted, abandoned scaffolding ahead.

A small, thin figure huddled in a corner, shivering, its sobs so faint they were almost swallowed by the wind. And standing between the child and Hiratsuka Shizuka was a monster.

It has the goblin's signature, hideous profile—long, twisted ears, jagged, prominent cheekbones, and skin that is a repulsive, dark green mixed with filth.

However, its size completely overturned Hiratsuka Shizuka's understanding of this low-level monster.

That was definitely not the skinny, hunched creature of legend.

It stood there, almost as tall as Hiratsuka Shizuka, as thick and sturdy as a stone block haphazardly piled up from inferior clay. Its bulging muscles rose and fell beneath its rough skin, and each heavy breath caused its massive chest to rise and fall.

He carried a thick-backed machete in his hand, the blade reflecting a cold, greasy gleam in the thin moonlight, the tip of the blade tilted slightly downwards, almost touching the dusty hair of the child curled up on the ground.

A stench mixed with the smell of blood and rotting flesh hit her, making Hiratsuka Shizuka's stomach churn.

The monster seemed to have just finished a "job," and thick, dark red liquid was slowly dripping down the thick spine of its cleaver, creating small, unsettling dark stains in the dust.

It grinned, revealing jagged fangs, and made a low, satisfied, and cruel gurgling sound in its throat, its greedy eyes fixed on the small, trembling prey in the corner.

There was no time to hesitate, and no time to shout "Let go of that child!" like in the movies.

Any extra noise could alert this beast, which is immersed in the thrill of hunting, and render the only advantage of the sneak attack meaningless.

Hiratsuka Shizuka's gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings like a searchlight, passing over the cold precast concrete slabs, broken bricks, twisted iron bars... finally locking onto a concrete block half-buried in the ground at her feet.

The stone pier has jagged edges and is covered in mud; it must weigh at least a hundred pounds.

I took a deep breath, and the cold air, mixed with the smell of dust and blood, filled my lungs.

She bent down, her ten fingers gripping the cold, rough edges of the stone block so tightly that the ties of her bathrobe almost burst open from her taut chest.

A surge of power, a mixture of fear and resolve, suddenly erupted from his waist and legs, pulling the hem of his bathrobe upwards by his taut thigh muscles, revealing more of his smooth calf skin.

The shame surged through my spine like a tiny electric current, but at this moment it seemed to be ignited, transforming into a brute physical force!

She actually managed to pull the heavy stone block out of the soft soil and lift it off the ground!

The muscles in my arms were burning from the extraordinary strain, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

She gritted her teeth and moved through the cold gravel and dust, holding her breath, like a shadow gliding along the ground, silently and swiftly circling behind the massive monster's thick neck.

The goblin's heavy breathing and gurgling sounds were right next to her, and the stench was almost suffocating. Its massive body completely obscured the small child. Now!

A fierce glint flashed in Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes, and a suppressed growl burst from her throat. With all her might, she lifted the heavy stone block in her arms high and slammed it down hard on the dark green nape covered with bulging muscles!

"Bang!!!"

A dull thud, like a heavy hammer striking tough leather.

The stone pier shattered into pieces in an instant!

Countless sharp concrete fragments and tiny pebbles suddenly exploded, shooting outwards like shrapnel.

Several sharp shards grazed Hiratsuka Shizuka's bare arms and calves, leaving a burning stinging sensation, and warm beads of blood immediately seeped out.

However, the goblin's massive body only swayed violently, like a rock being struck by a giant wave, and staggered forward a large step.

Its thick neck muscles bulged and writhed violently, making a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound, as if it were readjusting its misaligned bones.

On that dark green skin, only a patch of white stone powder and a mark from friction remained; not even a decent cut was left.

"Roar--!!!"

A deafening roar ripped through the deathly silence of the night.

The goblin suddenly turned around, its huge head swung, and its murky yellow-green eyes instantly locked onto Hiratsuka Shizuka!
The look in his eyes was no longer the greed of predation, but the fury of being provoked by ants!
Like boiling magma, it was about to completely engulf and melt her!
The massive cleaver, accompanied by a piercing shriek that seemed to tear through the air, was already slashing horizontally towards us!

A chilling aura of death instantly enveloped Hiratsuka Shizuka's entire body.

The instinct for survival overrides everything!
Before she could even think, her body jerked backward at the last second, and the blade, carrying a chilling edge, narrowly missed her by grazing the collar of her bathrobe!
The goblin's fury, fueled by the missed attack, completely ignited its rage.

Its massive body unleashed a terrifying speed disproportionate to its size, and its heavy cleaver transformed into a deadly storm of cold light, sweeping towards Hiratsuka Shizuka like a tempestuous downpour!

Chop, slash, sweep, flick... each strike carries a terrifying power capable of splitting stone and tearing through the air with a mournful howl.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was completely overwhelmed by this ferocious offensive.

All her will and all her spirit were compressed into the most primal bodily reaction—dodging!
Each time the blade approached, the skin tightened instantly, and the hairs stood on end.

She rolled backward in a disheveled manner, the broken pieces of gravel and steel bars digging into her back and arms; she fell sideways in a disheveled manner, the cold dust and mud instantly covering the hem of her bathrobe and her bare knees; she leaned back at a dangerous angle, almost breaking her waist, the blade carrying the chill of death grazing the tip of her nose... Each movement was accompanied by the crisp "rip" sound of her bathrobe tearing.

Each dodge drains the last bit of strength from the muscles.

[Host detected generating shame energy: +0.5 units...]

A cold, impersonal system notification suddenly rang in my mind.

Another flash of light grazed past his lower abdomen, tearing a long gash in the front of his bathrobe, letting in the chill of the night.

(End of this chapter)