Rescue (Part 6): Am I about to die?

.....

"Heh~." The old man smirks at Shin before charging towards the later, while throwing his right hand fist forward.

Swoosh!

The moment the old man entered the perception range setup by Shin, the later immediately felt it. So Shin close his eyes and read the old man's movements, before predicting when is the most optimal time to counterattack.

Then, he started to full his right arm backwards calmly and slowly. Suddenly, he push it forward, trying to stab something on his front.

"Huh!?" The old man was startled at Shin's actions, what's more that stab was accurately targeting his forehead! Even though he was confident with his regenerative ability, he can still felt an immense threat coming from that incoming sword. 'What was that? And how can he keep up with my speed? Or did he predict it?'

'To play it safe', the old man adjust his movements and lean his head toward his left, planning to dodge the sword. But, mysteriously, Shin also responded on it at the same time. He change the trajectory of his stab by flicking his wrist to the right, following the old man's head.

'Tsk! Annoying brat!' The old man become enraged, because he is forced to stop his tracks and disregard the idea of attacking for now. In short, he was forced to defend the incoming sword!

The old man slapped the sword, to redirect the stab. But, Shin flicked his wrist once again when the sword was hit by that slap even by a little. Then, that sword suddenly bend and wave like some sort of flexible whip, dancing and dodging the old man's hand.

Next, Shin waved his wrist for one more time, making the blade of the flexible sword to strengthen once again, then he slash it upwards targeting the old man's right hand.

The old pull back his arm, dodging the sudden slash. He don't know why, but he keep having a feeling that he need to avoid getting cut by Shin's strange sword, so he try to snatch it from Shin's hand using his other hand.

Unfortunately, when he pulled back his right arm, Shin also pulled back his arm a little, and it is almost at the same time. Then, he stabbed it forward once again together with a greater speed and stronger force.

The old man stopped his left arm form continuing, and forced to dodge once again. That make him pretty much frustrated. 'A mere kid keep forcing me to dodge twice in my current state? What's more eyes close? This is unforgivable! A disgrace on my reputation! I'm done playing with you. Now, I'm going to show you that your desperate struggle is just a futile act!'

"HA!" the old man took a half-step backwards while pulling both of his arms at the same level of his chest. Then, he guided his Internal Qi towards those, until both of his arms turned into some metal like object.

'Qi Reinforcement Skill: Iron Gauntlets'

Then, the old man throw a consecutive punches at Shin.

'F*ck! I'm planning to conserve more strength so that I can still last for as long as I can, but from the looks of my current predicament I can't stopped until all of it will run out dry.' At the same time, Shin pulled his right arm backwards before reinforcing his sword with a little bit more Internal Qi. Then, he thrust his arm forward, sending multiple stabs at old man, trying to block the incoming barrage of punches.

'Yin-Yang Swordsmanship: First Style - Sword Nest'

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Metallic sounds were created every time the sword and fists collides with each other. And that exchange last for at least few minutes, before the deadlock started to become broken.

Even though that Shin is becoming more skilled as the battle progress, and his firm will still want to hold on and continue, his body started to feel some exhaustion. His concentration started to detoriate while his movements were becoming sluggish.

'Looks like I'm almost at my limit. That Old Geezer always said that every time I reach the walls of my limits, I must overcome and surpass it to become stronger. If that was the case, then..... let's put everything on this one and final strike.' Shin is thinking about something when the old man's left hand fist suddenly thrust forward and come straight to his face.

'I commend you for lasting this long against me young man. Even though I didn't used all of my strength, your talent is still not a joke or a laughing matter. Unfortunately, this is where it ends.' That is what the old man think and what he wants to say. But, something unbelievable happened once again.

Shin forced his Internal Qi to the limit until all of the stored Internal Qi's inside his dantian were squeezed dry, and making it empty. Then, he gathered it towards his sword to further strengthen it.

After that, he pulled his arm backwards while turning his wrist in a clockwise motion. Then, he use the surface of his sword to redirect the incoming attack. This skill is the original and real life version of Shin's 'Parrying Stance' inside the game.

'Yin-Yang Swordsmanship: Second Style - Sword Transmigration'

Pak!

BOOM!!!!

The old man's fist hit the wall behind Shin, destroying it further. But the old man's surprise didn't end there. Because without realizing it, Shin did something even more crazy.

He withdraw all of his scattered Mental Energy and gathered it towards his sword, doing something amazing unconsciously. The gusting tornado made of revolving Mental Energy spin even more faster, and started to shrink down and condense, until it entirely covered the shortsword, making it like a smaller version of a pike.

'Combining Martial-Art Reinforcement and Mentalism Enactment on a single item!!!???' The old man become distracted for a moment, while having a messy mind because of what he had witness. 'The Martial-Art and Mentalism combination is something unbelievable but it is not something impossible. But still....!!! 'It' being done by a 15-year-old kid is something crazy if not unheard of !!!'

When the old man is having that thoughts, Shin's right hand suddenly flash and thrust forward, straight to the old man's chest.

But still, the old man is not that simple either, what's more his eyes there were not for show. Both of it shines with different glow, one read the trajectory of Shin's movements while the other thinks what is the best course to dodge.

The old man moved his body to the right, doing all he can to dodge the attack. But unfortunately, he was not fast enough to do it, or to be more precise Shin's thrust is too fast to dodge completely.

Shin's metal pike like shortsword still manage to hit the old man's shoulder joints, and make something unexpected happen once again.

BOOM!!!!

The Mental Energy and Internal Qi condensed on the sword suddenly exploded, followed by a spiral energy wave after that stab. The old man's entire left arm were blasted off, together with a some parts of his left chest, and it almost reach his heart.

After that, all the remaining energy inside Shin left his body, while his mind is started to become groggy and fuzzy.

At the same time, the look at the old man's face become terrible and hideous. He felt so humiliated because of Shin's repeated counter. "You! Despicable Rat! How dare you humiliate me! I have changed my mind, this time I'm not going to let you live! I'm going to kill you, take your corpse and turned it into one of my puppet soldiers!"

Then, he throw a punch with his other fist, targeting Shin who is about to fall on the ground.

BANG!

Shin is smash on the other portion of the wall, that is remained intact. Then, the old man throw a multiple more punches impacting Shin on the wall more and more.

On the other hand, Shin's eyes went blank while his consciousness is started to fade away. He felt the world is slowing down, while his past experiences are flashing on his mind one by one in an unbelievable rate. 'Am I going to die? Is this the feeling of approaching death?'

BANG!

Shin was hit by one final strike powerfully, implanting him on the wall even more further. Then, his body slowly fall on ground with a soft 'thud' sound followed by the final collapse of the wall, and burying it underneath. At the same time, Shin's mind went completely blank and become an endless darkness. 'Looks like I'm really is going to die.'

As Shin's consciousness started to completely fade away, he felt that his soul and body is being dragged towards an endless abyss. And as he continue drifting deeper and deeper on it, he suddenly heard a laughing voice. "Ke Ke Ke Ke.... Look how weak you've become. Being beaten by mere trash who just have some fake and imitated talents? You started to become a trash just like all of them."

Shin can't really understand what's the voice is saying, but he still replied on it without thinking. "Who are you?"

"Hah! You don't know who am I? Well... That is not important right know. All you have to know is you are about to die." replied the voice.

"I know. But what can I do? I had emptied my dantian dry, while my spiritual avatar is already been exhaust beyond limit. There is nothing more that I can do!" said Shin with a depressed tone.

The voice release a 'tsking' sound as if he had clicked his tounge. " Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, so that was it? You are going give up just like that? WEAK! You have become TOO WEAK! WEAK like a trash!"

Shin sneered at the voice. "Heh, and what do you know about me? Stop talking as if we know each other."

"Ke ke ke ke.... Of course! I know who you are. I know everything about you. In fact, I know you even better than the back of my hand." said the voice, and this time it is nearer from Shin.

Shin ignored that reply and said tiredly. "Whatever your say. As for me, I just want to close my eyes, lay down and take some rest."

"Tsk, And if you do that, you are going to die. Really! I'm not joking!" said the voice.

"Shut up. You are too noisy for a... a... a... an Angel of Death, Soul fetcher, Grim Reaper, Anubis, Guide or what ever you are. Just keep quiet and let me have my rest." said Shin in an annoyed manner.

Then, a silhouette made of gray smoke appeared beside Shin, and looking down at him. "Hays~♪, I already told you that you can't do that. YOU. ARE. GOING. TO. DIE. If you do that! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"F*CK IT! I already told that I can't fight anymore! So... Just stop bothering me, And let me have my sleep already!" Shouted Shin, this time he really is irritated.

Then, the smoke squatted down and temp Shin with his words. "Then, how about this? Let me do the job and you can have your peaceful rest."

Shin is already too tired to bothered with the smoke silhouette, soon he just replied nonchalantly, since he didn't think too much on what it had said. "Yah, yah, Do whatever you want."

"GOOD! Don't worry, I'll make sure that you are going to become the strongest in the world. You'll never regret it. That is why you should behave there, and sleep for eternally if possible." said the silhouette made of smoke softly while forming a mysterious grin. Shin can't hear what he is saying anymore, since he had already close his eyes.

Then, the smoke silhouette dispersed and fused with Shin. While the later is started to devoured by the endless abyss, pulling him even more deeper.

....

Meanwhile, the old man's left arm just manage to regenerate itself. He open and close his hand to see if there is something wrong with it. "That final attack was powerful. If it managed to hit my chest, I might have died realtime. After all, that is the place where I had place my life core."

And while the old man is doing all of that, he suddenly felt a very dangerous feeling. He jump backwards and look around to see who is it, but he failed to find anyone. So he tried to look carefully on his surroundings, trying to find the source of the dangerous feeling that he was sensing. And when he finally find the source, it shocked him to the core. It is because that eerie vibe is coming from where Shin was buried. "Don't tell me..."

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Suddenly, all of the 'Force of Nature' in the vicinity rush towards that pile of boulders, and creating a gusting sound in the process. Then....

BOOM!!!

A sudden explosion was created, sending all the rocks and boulders flying on all direction. The old man put up some defense to block those flying rocks while keeping his eye at the center of that explosion.

Then, he saw Shin who is supposedly dead started to stand up in a slow manner. And while doing that, Shin's body started to release an immense Internal Qi on all of his pores.

Moments later, Shin become a resemblance of 'Human Torch of Fantastic Four' on his current look. His whole body is being covered entirely by an alternating black and white flame like Internal Qi.

But that was not the end, because the moment Shin opened his eyes, a powerful Mental Energy were release from his body, and started to revolve around him like some sort of mini-tornado. Those newly opened eyes were glowing with golden lights, while the Mental Energy that he was releasing also have some shades of golden color on it. Seconds later, those Mental Energy were sucked at the center of his forehead, forming a flaming spherical jade like object.

"Wa...What A...Are Yo....Yo....You?" The old man is stuttering when he saw what is happening. The expression on his face were full of shock, while his eyes were filled with disbeliefs.

As if 'Shin' had heard that, he turned his head and looked at the old man with piercing eyes. Then, he open his mouth, releasing a very powerful and deafening sound.

HUUUWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!.....

Gurooom!!!!!!….....

Shockwaves were created because of that, and make the whole Laboratory Base to trembled. While also causing tremors on the surface, like some sort of mini-earthquake. And that lasted for at least several seconds.

But that was not the scariest part that the old man had felt, it is the sound that Shin had released. It is as if were formed by different kind of creatures.

A Cry of a Phoenix, a Howl of a Dragon, a Roar of a Tiger, and a Wail of a Turtle, all of those sounds were combined into one, creating a weird, creepy and eerie sound.

.....