Apocalypse Forecast

The dense fog shook violently, and the rain seemed to roll backward.

Under that chain of firelight forged by converging bullets, everything was torn apart with ease. Then, the emaciated shadow in the midst of the rain and fog was swallowed by the firelight.

In the blink of an eye, it was riddled with holes.

A gust of wind swept by, carrying the remnants high into the sky. They drifted in the rain, leaving only tattered fragments of a raincoat falling to the ground. Yet, there was no sign of a person.

It was as if that shadow had indeed been a phantom conjured by a ghost, vanishing after a mere gust of wind.

"Where is he?"

The mercenary operating the machine gun, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked around in astonishment.

In the co-driver's seat, the middle-aged military man, having put down the phone, pushed the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "Be careful. It might be an invisibility-type Soul unfolding. Everyone switch to thermal night vision. Maintain distance, encircle him, and force him out."

Voices of affirmation came through the walkie-talkie.

Right behind the armored vehicle, several burly soldiers wearing night vision goggles jumped down. They held their weapons and skillfully dispersed, slowly closing in.

Suddenly, from behind the concrete median barriers of the highway, something pitch-black was thrown, tracing an arc through the air toward the armored car.

Fragmentation grenades!

Goddamn fragmentation grenades!

Who the hell are we dealing with, Sublimators or regular military?!

"Fire in the hole!"

Just as a teammate's warning sounded, the massive off-road vehicle began to rapidly reverse, but it was already too late.

The grenade exploded in mid-air.

In that final moment, the entire off-road vehicle skidded sideways due to the driver's frantic maneuvering. Then, flames and shockwaves erupted. Countless shards pelted the bulletproof armor on the side of the vehicle, the sound of shattering glass incessant.

But before they could react, in the instant of the explosion, a figure suddenly leaped out from behind a barrier, rushing towards the nearest soldier at an unbelievable speed.

As if gliding on the wind.

The body, which Raven had adjusted and specialized for sensory perception, burst forth with astonishing speed right after its rapid development phase concluded. The dark shadow, hugging the ground, pulled along mist and rain as it charged forward!

The well-trained soldier didn't hesitate, instantly pulling the trigger. But, as if anticipated, the shadow twisted through the air in a bizarre maneuver, an almost circus-like evasion, skimming past the trajectory of the bullets.

During the leap, the figure's feet skimmed over a puddle on the ground, kicking up a startling splash of water.

Before the water could even fall back to the ground, that youthful face was already within striking distance.

The next instant, they crossed paths, and blood spurted from the mercenary's neck.

The emaciated shadow ducked behind him, pulling at his shoulder. Deftly maneuvering him like a puppet, Huai Shi pointed the man's gun towards his teammates and then gently pressed the inside of his elbow.

Precise control, like a knee-jerk reflex.

The pull of the fascia caused the index finger to contract subconsciously. Before the enemy's body hit the ground, the chamber spat out deadly fire.

Firepower swept across the area.

The mercenary with his throat slit provided temporary cover for Huai Shi. Amidst the enemy's chaotic gunfire, he ran, using the gradually cooling corpse as a shield, and quickly ducked behind another barrier.

Then, he casually threw another fragmentation grenade, listening to the panicked noises from the other side while adeptly removing the magazine from the corpse and comparing the bullet calibers.

They're actually interchangeable. Lucky indeed.

The risky blow seemed to have an effect; the opposition no longer dared to close in but kept up continuous suppressing fire, forcing him to stay hidden behind the barrier.

To avoid them tossing a few grenades over in return, Huai Shi could only attempt blind fire to keep them at bay.

Then, he frantically searched his pockets.

He couldn't find what he was looking for... It should have been in the inner pocket of his jacket.

Not until he remembered the travel bag he had thrown to the ground did he slap his forehead in frustration. What a stupid mistake.

At that moment, the torrential rain grew even denser.

Without a raincoat, the ceaseless rain soaked into his collar and seeped into the soles of his shoes, making him miserably uncomfortable.

Just as Huai Shi hesitated, wondering whether to take another gamble and see if his bicycle could turn into a motorcycle, he heard the horn from the armor-clad Humvee.

"Still alive, Little Brag?" a hoarse voice inquired.

Huai Shi couldn't help but laugh. "What do you think?"

"Seems you're still quite lively."

The person shouting didn't get angry but merely stated bluntly, "You've done well. No, I should say, it's the first time I've seen someone perform so magnificently. How old are you? Sixteen? Seventeen? Are you an adult yet? I guess not, right? Truth be told, I don't really want to kill kids."

"Listen, Little Brag, we've still got nine men here, all armed to the teeth. You don't stand a chance. Why not raise your gun and come out obediently from there?"

"I have a question," Huai Shi suddenly said.

"Go ahead," the shouting man replied, a smile forming on his face. Dialogue is useful. Regardless of how the conversation goes, we'll have the upper hand. With a bit of luck, we can catch this kid without spilling any blood.

"Where are you from?" Huai Shi, his back against a barricade, pulled the bolt of his gun and shouted, "Rome? America? Or the Russian Federation?"

Before the man could respond, Huai Shi continued on his own, "With that cowardly tone, you must be American, right? Don't you know shame? Feel shame!"

By the way, he also cursed in Latin, a phrase he learned from Red Gloves' memory.

The mockery was doubly effective.

The America Community had originally been established by immigrants from pre-split Rome, the local Aztecs, and Indian People, forming numerous free city-states.

Although they had found an opportune moment to rebel during Rome's struggle with the Russian Federation for western dominance, they suffered brutal retaliation from Rome.

By the end of World War I, they were hanging by a thread under Rome's assault. They barely clung to life, surviving until the war's end only because of the pressure the Russian Federation applied on the eastern front.

The fighting capabilities of Americans became a complete joke, laughed at by Romans for over two hundred years.

Even today, you could walk into any bar in Rome and hear people rehash classic American tales, their punchlines enduring and constantly evolving—a veritable fountain of joy for the Roman people.

Now, using this on these freedom fighters trained by the America Community, the effect was remarkably potent. Huai Shi could almost imagine how ugly the shouting man's expression must be.

Inside the vehicle, silence reigned.

"Got a lock yet?"

After getting confirmation from the sniper on the other end, the commander, his face ashen, bid a final farewell to Huai Shi. "Regrettably, kid, you've picked a dead end."

Huai Shi chuckled, wiped the rain from his face, and raised his gun. "You know what? My best record a few days ago was annihilating an elite squad in two minutes and eighteen seconds."

He listened to the distant thunder that had been long awaited, murmuring softly, "I guess this time it'll be even shorter."

In that instant, the delayed flash of lightning, following the peals of thunder, burst down from the Sky Dome.

It illuminated his face.

Thus, the sniper perched on a distant rooftop saw his smiling face.

And the middle finger Huai Shi raised towards him.

Immediately after, something fell from the sky, landing beside the sniper. An oval iron object bounced and rolled in a puddle, clattering noisily.

The sniper, stunned, looked up at the trajectory of the black Flying Bird as it receded into the distance.

"FUCK!"

He closed his eyes.

BOOM!

Flames erupted from the rooftop, lighting up the commander's astonished eyes.

And amidst the roar of the explosion, a grim sort of firework, Huai Shi, from behind the barricade, burst forth in rhythm with the increasingly intense drumbeats resonating in his earphones!

With the screams of the heavy metal band, in the howling wind, the teenager let out a hoarse chant:

"——I am Iron Man!"