Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1692 Cell: Ambush!
For the first time, a crack appeared in Number 18's perpetually icy expression.

Her pupils contracted slightly involuntarily, reflecting the composed figure of the blond warrior before her.

The sensation from the fist was not that of flesh and blood, but rather like hitting an ancient, unyielding, and eternally immovable Vajra mountain!

It wasn't so hard that it couldn't be destroyed, but rather so deep and heavy that it inspired despair—all the kinetic energy, all the power capable of destroying mountains and splitting seas, was completely swallowed up and disintegrated by the vast, star-like energy within the opponent's body the moment they made contact, and even... it began to rebound faintly!
A tremor that was extremely unfamiliar and almost completely forgotten rushed back up her arm bone, slight yet carrying an undeniable warning.

Before she could react at all, Sun Wukong tightened his grip on her wrist, and a subtle, natural force suddenly erupted, sweeping over her entire body like an undercurrent, precisely disrupting her delicate balance.

Almost in the same frame, he slightly twisted his waist, and his right leg transformed into a golden whip that tore through the air, sweeping fiercely towards her waist and abdomen with overwhelming force!
The deadly sense of crisis was like ice water being poured over my head!

A fierce glint flashed in Number Eighteen's azure eyes. Her exceptional fighting instincts drove her to forcefully twist her body while off-balance, bending her arm and sinking her elbow. Her forearm, stronger than steel, narrowly intercepted the fierce side kick!
"boom--!!!"

The heavy explosion was not crisp, but rather like muffled thunder, or like a giant battering ram slamming into a bronze bell. The tangible shockwave rippled outwards in a ring, crushing large swathes of rock below.

Number 18 succeeded; she did indeed block that fatal blow.

But the price she paid was that her entire body became completely unresponsive, overwhelmed by an immense force that she could neither comprehend nor resist.

The feeling was like being hit head-on by a meteorite from outer space, or like being rammed hard by a super alloy train traveling at full speed!
Her feet left the ground instantly, and her body uncontrollably transformed into a blurry white afterimage, shooting backward!

The high-speed friction with the air even produced a sharp whistling sound.

She flew back dozens of meters before her heels finally plowed into the ground with difficulty, tearing two deep furrows in the wasteland. She staggered seven or eight steps, each step causing the rock to crack and pebbles to fly, before she finally managed to regain her balance.

She slowly lowered her crossed arms, a slight but uncontrollable tremor emanating from them.

A distinct numbness lingered in my elbow, and deeper still, a more unfamiliar, burning sensation was screaming at my nerve endings.

pain……

This word, like an ancient memory sunk to the deep sea, was suddenly dredged ashore by this brutal blow and laid bare in her perception.

Since being modified by Dr. Gro, this body has been defined as strong enough to ignore any form of attack on Earth.

Energy beams, physical attacks, extreme environments... everything was ignored.

Pain, a low-level neural feedback mechanism belonging to fragile organisms, has long been abandoned in the distant past, in our human era.

And today, at this very moment, these two Super Saiyans who appeared out of nowhere used their absolute and tyrannical power to force this strange and humiliating feeling back into the core of her sensory system.

The atmosphere on the battlefield changed completely after that attack.

The previous playful, cat-and-mouse game, the arrogant attitude that regarded all living beings as mere playthings, vanished quickly from the faces of Number 17 and Number 18, like a thin mist blown away by the cold wind.

Number 17 narrowed his eyes slightly, his usual relaxed smile disappearing, replaced by a cold scrutiny and rising anger.

Number 18 straightened up, shook his still numb arms, and his eyes turned completely cold, like the permafrost of Siberia, containing the deathly stillness before a storm.

……

Meanwhile, on the edge of the battlefield, a green shadow that blends almost seamlessly into the environment is quietly lurking.

Cell, this perfect artificial life form from the distant future, has been observing for a moment.

His compound eyes darted across the battlefield, his massive stinger swaying nervously, revealing the bewilderment of its master. "The intelligence has deviated significantly..."

He muttered to himself in a low voice, his tone hoarse like that of an insect.

"Where is Dr. Gero? According to historical records, he should be here with Android 19, absorbing Goku's energy. Why did Androids 17 and 18 wake up prematurely and immediately clash with them?"

In his eyes, Sun Wukong was incredibly powerful, his surging golden aura far exceeding any historical records.

Meanwhile, Gohan, who should have lost his fighting ability in his youth, was already an adult, standing calmly to the side with an extraordinary demeanor.

Even more outrageous is that Future Trunks, who was actually able to injure Android 17 head-on and even chased after Android 17 at one point?
This is completely contrary to the history he knows.

"Has this spacetime itself undergone an unknown anomaly, or... has the historical data entered into Dr. Gro's computer been incorrect from the very beginning?"

Cell's mind was racing.

All his knowledge came from the computer implanted by Dr. Groh, including key historical events related to his evolutionary path.

If the basic intelligence is wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable.

But at this moment, he had no time to delve into the root cause.

The most pressing problem at hand is that Androids 17 and 18 are locked in a fierce battle, completely overwhelmed by Goku and Trunks.

There was also an adult Son Gohan of unknown strength standing guard nearby.

"Numbers 17 and 18 must not die here!"

A resolute glint flashed in Cell's compound eyes.

They are the key to his perfection, the components he must absorb.

If they are eliminated, his path to perfection will be completely severed.

Despite the bizarre situation, Cell remained confident in his abilities.

After traveling through time and space, he secretly absorbed the life essence of countless humans, not only completing his development but also restoring and even slightly surpassing his pre-travel level in strength.

According to the original timeline, at this stage, he should be ready to begin implementing his hunting plan.

"Let's deal with that potential variable first, Son Gohan."

Cell set his sights on Gohan, who was watching from the sidelines.

According to records from the future timeline, this Son Gohan, even as an adult, was only moderately strong and easily defeated.

Eliminating him instantly would disrupt the balance of the battlefield, create chaos, and create opportunities for the androids, or... create opportunities for capture.

He perfectly concealed all his ki, like a top-tier assassin, using the terrain and battlefield energy fluctuations as cover, and silently and rapidly approached Son Gohan from behind.

(End of this chapter)