Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero-Chapter 56: Combat Override

I stepped backwards allowing him to move forward towards the dust and debris cloud.

Within a matter of seconds, the dust settled and to my surprise, the creature wasn’t dead and blown into a million pieces like I had expected.

It was still standing firm and strong and it seemed even more furious than it already was as the red color of its chest heaved with anger.

[Ongoing Call...]

[Boomerang Man: What? Did a Hero just show up?!!!]

I stayed silent and watched as the creature and Tech Armor squared off into a deadly dog fight of fist and kicks.

As I watched, I accessed everything online concerning Tech Armor.

[Information Retrieved]

[Name: Captain Orion Kael]

[Alias: Tech Armor]

[Age: 34]

[Affiliation: ISA registered hero, A-Class, Rank 16]

[Affiliation: Blue Cross Guild]

[History:]

[Captain Orion Kael was a decorated infantry commander in the UEDF, known for his bravery and loyalty during the Earth-Vega War.]

[On what was meant to be a standard reconnaissance mission on the Martian front, his squad was ambushed by a rogue alien AI faction using advanced plasma-tech weaponry.]

[The explosion tore through his team—Orion barely survived, but the entire right side of his body was obliterated]

[Declared KIA, Orion was secretly retrieved by Project TITAN, an experimental black-ops program focused on cybernetic augmentation.]

[Without consent and deep in a hidden orbital lab, scientists rebuilt him using quantum-threaded alloy, a futuristic metal capable of self-repair and data interface.]

[His new right side—arm, leg, ribcage, part of his face—was now an adaptive exo-metal shell, housing nano-cores and weapon systems far beyond current military tech.]

Waking up months later, Orion struggled with his humanity. The implants responded to his emotions, and the AI core embedded in his neural spine began developing a voice of its own.]

[Feeling like a tool of war, he abandoned the program, going rogue to discover the truth behind the alien tech—and his own transformation.]

[Now called Tech Armor, he fights to protect humanity from threats they don’t even understand—while wrestling with the part of him that’s no longer human.]

I narrowed my eyes to a slit as I stared at the two titans face off, this old war veteran here is more or less like me when it comes to the composition of powers.

Although, I’m not missing half my body parts.

His technology was AI based and had regenerative abilities. Mines was alien technology and I too have regenerative abilities.

His abilities have its limitations, for example his regenerative abilities doesn’t work if a large surface area of his mechanical body part is erased or harmed.

Long story short, he was the earth version of my relationship with the Forever Core.

"Amazing..."

Clang!

A flash of light startled me, dragging me out of my thoughts.

Tech Armor deflected a strike with his armored forearm, sparks flying as sharp claws met the dense steel.

"Skill..."

"Engaging Combat Mode: Predator Override," he muttered.

His mechanical arm collapsed inward, transforming into a high velocity energy blade.

In a blue of motion, he retailed, slashing horizontally.

The creature ducked barely evading Tech Armors attacks and then it countered with a spinning tail strike. It caught Tech Armor right by the ribs, flinging him into a stack of containers.

Boom!

"Huh!" I gasped.

"They have combat intelligence!?" I said softly as the scene unfolded before my eyes.

[Ongoing Call...]

[Boomerang Man: Reno! You said they what?!!!! If that’s true, then who trained them?!!!! What the fuck!!]

My muscles twiched in response to Tech Armor going down, "Tech Armor!" I shouted, my foot already lifting off the ground to join the fight.

Boom!

He immediately shot up from the wreckage, a few scratch marks were visible on his mechanical limbs but they disappeared in an instant and it shone like polished silver.

"Stay back!" He bellowed. "This is my fight!"

"But I..."

"I said STAY BACK!"

He clenched his jaw at me as his natural and mechanical eyes burned a hole through my chest.

He wasted no time arguing further — he launched forward with jets blazing behind his right calf, slicing the air with a trail of light.

Wham!

He clashed with the creature mid air, exchanging rapid blows. Each blow corresponded with a thunderous sound.

They moved like blurs, colliding, rebounding, reenagaging.

Crash!

The creature grabbed Tech Armor by the arm and swung him into the ground like a ragdoll.

He groaned in pain but immediately flipped upright, slamming both fists into the creature’s torso with a charged pulse that created a mini shockwave.

The Calamity Creature staggered, snarling.

"Skill: Quantum Lance!" Tech Armor roared.

Whirring.

From his right shoulder, a cannon extended and almost immediately a blinding beam shot through the air heading straight for the creature.

It leaped aside just in time to dodge the blast, narrowly.

The blast destroyed a great deal of containers in the background.

Then the image of the creature blurred as it darted to the side with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it was behind him.

"Huh! It became even faster!"

Before he could even turn. Rippppp!

A sickening sound echoed as the creature’s claws clamped into his arm and tore it clean off, wires snapped like organic tendons.

Tech Armor stumbled back as sparks of electricity spit out from his shoulder.

"Gahh... Dammit!"

He swung with his remaining mechanical limb, but the creature ducked, them slammed into his legs, pinning him down.

I furrowed my brows.

"That’s enough..." I said stepping forward.

"I said stay the fuck back!" Tech Armor screamed, his voice strained almost eliminating his bass due to the pain.

The creature roared. With brutal efficiency, it reached and grabbed his remaining mechanical limb and with a monstrous strength it ripped it off from the rest of his body.

Shraaaakkk!

Metal shredded. Oil and synthetic fluids sprayed out like a fountain. Tech Armor fell limb to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

He lay there motionless, his breathing was shallow, his mechanical eyes blinking with static. Only the left— humanoid part of his body remained intact.

I walked and stood over him like a deadly volcano.

"... Now it’s my fight."