"So you were here."
The light flickered, and Buzzshock appeared on a rock ahead.
"You just don't quit, do you? I'm not someone you can mess with!" Rojo snarled.
She raised the cannon on her wrist and fired a dazzling beam of violet light. The blast tore through the leaves and shot straight toward Buzzshock.
The blinding glow expanded rapidly in Buzzshock's eyes, moments from striking.
"Not bad speed… but you're still lacking in power."
Buzzshock extended a hand, unleashing a surge of green lightning that wrapped around the searing violet beam, grinding it away in midair until it vanished completely.
What had been a devastating blast dissolved into waves of heat that slowly faded into nothing.
Seeing this, Rojo growled and shifted her iron claws into a chainsaw. With one powerful swing, she cleaved a nearby tree in two, seized the severed trunk, and hurled it straight toward Buzzshock, aiming to crush him into dust.
The massive black shadow of the falling tree swallowed the light below, wind roaring as the trunk came crashing down with terrifying force.
Buzzshock only chuckled. He stood calmly atop the rock, unflinching, as if patiently waiting for the tree to hit.
"Still laughing?" Rojo's fury flared, her chest rising and falling sharply. "We'll see if you can keep laughing after this! Anyone who crosses Rojo never has a good end!"
BOOM!
A deafening crash shook the forest as the heavy trunk slammed down where Buzzshock had stood, shattering the rock beneath it. Dirt, stones, and green leaves burst upward, swept high into the air.
Even after burying him beneath the wreckage, Rojo wasn't convinced.
She unleashed her full firepower—her shoulder-mounted lasers rotated, the cannons on her wrists flaring to life. A relentless barrage of scarlet beams rained down on the shattered trunk, determined to obliterate everything underneath.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions echoed through the mountains, sending birds and beasts fleeing in every direction, terrified by the chaos.
After a long barrage, Rojo finally stopped, panting heavily.
The great tree was gone—nothing remained but scorched fragments and piles of ash scattered across the clearing. The nearby forest had suffered as well; the once-vibrant trees now stood blackened and broken, smoke curling up from their smoldering remains.
Rojo surveyed the destruction with a mocking smirk. "Let's see if you're still alive after that, little lightning freak."
Ssszzzt…
The faint crackle of electricity buzzed through the air. It was soft at first but grew sharper, ringing in Rojo's ears.
Then her eyes widened in disbelief.
From beneath the scorched ash, streams of black energy surged upward, spiraling into the air—before splitting apart into countless Buzzshocks!
Hundreds of tiny electric creatures floated above her, green lightning crackling across their bodies. They all stared down at Rojo with mischievous grins, emitting shrill, piercing screeches.
The sound shook the forest. Trees swayed violently, leaves raining down like green snow as if the entire forest were bowing to the god of lightning above.
Rojo's face went pale with terror. Fighting one Buzzshock had been nearly impossible—hundreds were a nightmare.
The swarm hovered in midair, exchanging curious glances before raising their small hands, as though testing their own existence.
It was a strange sensation. For Buzzshock, it felt as though his body had been split into hundreds of fragments, yet there was no pain—each part remained linked, bound by an invisible thread. With a single thought, he knew he could pull them back together.
But then, the light around the many Buzzshocks began to dim, like lanterns running out of power.
Lucian's expression hardened. His gaze swept across the forest.
It made sense—maintaining hundreds of Buzzshock copies demanded an enormous amount of electricity. Without enough energy, they couldn't last long.
He recalled the words once spoken by the blue-shirted park manager back at Sparksville.
"The more power, the greater the strength…"
Faced with the swarm of Buzzshock surrounding her, Rojo panicked. The thrusters on her back roared to life, spewing flames as she shot into the sky, desperate to flee the area.
"You're ruthless!" she snarled through gritted teeth, regret flickering in her eyes. If she hadn't hurled that tree earlier, none of this would've happened.
But just as she was about to escape, dozens of dim Buzzshock clones shot forward, swarming her in a tight formation. They crackled with blue-green electricity, weaving their power together into a glowing net of lightning that trapped her completely.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Buzzshock raced toward a nearby power tower, greedily absorbing electricity like whales gulping down seawater.
Within seconds, Rojo was bound tight inside the electric cage.
She raised her laser cannon, firing crimson blasts again and again. Each time she tore open a gap in the net, it was instantly repaired by the swarming Buzzshock.
The repairs came at a cost. Some of the smaller Buzzshock grew dim and sluggish, their light fading, while others completely burned out—dispersing into static and vanishing into the air.
Fortunately, the hundreds that had finished charging returned just in time.
They chattered gleefully, releasing streams of electricity from their tiny claws to recharge their exhausted comrades. Power surged through the air, and the dim lights blazed bright once more.
Soon, more than five hundred Buzzshock hovered densely in the sky, their bodies brimming with power. The entire forest pulsed with their energy.
Even Vilgax himself would have struggled against such a force.
"Let me out!" Rojo screamed. "I was wrong, Little Monster—no, Big Brother! Please, let me go! I'll do anything you want! I'll serve you forever!"
Pride meant nothing when death was staring her in the face. Better to live and plot revenge later.
If he dared humiliate her, she'd bide her time… and strike back when the chance came.
The countless Buzzshock shook their heads in unison, movements eerily synchronized.
Then, as one, they raised their arms. Above the forest, a colossal sphere of lightning began to form—blindingly bright, its radiance dimming even the sun.
Rojo's eyes widened in horror. Her face drained of color as tears welled up. "No… please! Don't! I'm begging you!"
Just then, a familiar digital chime echoed in Buzzshock's mind.
[Ding~ Alien Hacker Mission triggered.]
[Suppress yourself and do not destroy the controlled Rojo.]
[Complete this mission to receive a mysterious reward.]
Buzzshock froze. His glowing eyes narrowed before the massive lightning bomb faded away. The countless clones dissolved into streaks of light, merging back into his core body.
The crushing pressure in the air vanished. Rojo collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.
"Thank you, little monster. I'll make sure to repay you…" she said, patting her chest, still shaken—though behind her trembling words, a treacherous glint flickered in her eyes.
"Shut up."
Buzzshock shot her a cold glance, then flicked his wrist. A surge of electricity wrapped around her, forming a glowing restraint vest that pinned her to the ground. She couldn't move an inch.
His body crackled with raw lightning, power surging through him like a living storm.
But Lucian's expression turned contemplative.
This mission was different from all the ones before. Previously, completing the System's objectives had required defeating an enemy or saving someone.
Yet this time… simply letting go of his killing intent seemed to be enough.
Was it because of something connected to the original timeline?
The thought lingered. Buzzshock frowned, unable to make sense of it.
[As a reward for relinquishing yourself , no random hero will be generated for this mission.]
[Instead, three Alien Cards have been prepared. Choose one to unlock as your new Alien Hero.]
A cascade of mechanical tones echoed through his mind.
Three holographic cards appeared before Lucian, glowing softly as they floated in the air.
When he saw the images on them, his pulse quickened.
Big Chill.
Brainstorm.
Echo Echo.
!!!