32: The Whale Song is Gone

In the split second it took for these thoughts to flash through his mind, White Star had already turned around. Its crimson pupils locked onto him once more. Its limbs clawed at the ground, kicking up gravel as it prepared to launch a new, even more violent charge!

There was no time for second-guessing!

Lu Jianchuan reacted almost entirely on instinct—he had to create an opportunity, a chance to position that steel beam in the perfect spot!

He immediately changed direction, utilizing his speed advantage to perform a swift zigzag run. He bypassed White Star's front and lunged toward the heavy steel beam!

He bent down, wrapping both arms around the cold, heavy steel. The armor on his waist and legs erupted with immense power simultaneously. With a muffled grunt, he managed to forcibly lift the steel beam!

By now, White Star had finished gathering its strength and charged forward like an arrow released from a bowstring!

A flash of determination crossed Lu Jianchuan's eyes. He twisted his waist violently, channeling his entire body's strength into his arms. With a clear sense of exertion in his movements, he hurled the steel beam fiercely and accurately toward the path ahead of White Star's charge!

"Whoosh—!"

The steel beam let out a shrill whistle as it cut through the air, shooting straight toward the empty space in front of White Star!

This wasn't an attack; it was a setup!

White Star's charging speed was incredibly fast. Seeing the flying "toothpick," it didn't even slow down. Relying purely on combat instinct, its thick limbs exerted force, and it made a nimble leap to the side. Its massive body displayed astonishing agility as it easily avoided the incoming steel beam.

“Clang!”

The steel beam grazed its side and flew past, one end plunging deep into the mess behind it—a pile of debris made of collapsed stage planks and metal fragments. The other end pointed diagonally toward the sky, vibrating slightly. It was wedged perfectly tight, its position nearly flawless—just to the side and rear of White Star's landing spot after its dodge!

Success!

Lu Jianchuan's heart pounded violently from excitement and tension. The "arrow" of the trap was in place!

But he didn't pause for a second, for White Star's attacks followed one after another! He fell back into a state of frantic dodging and maneuvering, with sharp claws and the tail hammer constantly exploding around him.

However, this time, his maneuvering had a brand-new purpose. His gaze was no longer just looking for gaps to dodge through; instead, it was like a high-precision scanner, rapidly sweeping across the entire battlefield—the fixed lampposts driven deep into the ground, the sturdy metal railing bases at the edge of the plaza, and even the thick steel rebars exposed within the destroyed building facades...

Those were the ones! The vague tactic in his mind quickly became clear and ferocious!

Use magnetism... to connect them... turn all these immovable giants... into my strength...

This concept made his blood boil. He was no longer merely evading; he began to execute highly risky tactical maneuvers.

A perilous claw strike grazed his back. He used the momentum to roll forward. During the roll, his left hand—seemingly just to maintain balance—slammed onto a metal lamppost buried deep in the ground beside him!

The moment contact was made, he activated his intent!

“Zzt...”

The faint sound of current was masked by the roar of battle. A surge of Bioelectricity was instantly channeled through his palm into the lamppost. He could clearly feel the drain of energy and the faint feedback of the current coursing through the metal.

A touch and a release! Without lingering, he immediately sprang away, dodging the following sweep of the tail hammer.

During the next dodge, he appeared to stumble into the metal railing at the plaza's edge. His right gauntlet pressed against the railing base for a split second before moving on, once again completing the contact and energy transmission.

He was like a dancer moving through a minefield; every brush with death was accompanied by a brief and precise contact. He passed by exposed rebars and ran his fingertips over twisted metal frames... every touch was a silent "Magnetization," an attempt to convert the environmental forces for his own use.

He relied only on the contact he saw with his own eyes and the physical sensation of energy draining from his body. There was no Xuanhuan-style sensing, only the most basic observation and judgment.

It’s not enough! I need more! I need stronger power and a perfect moment to detonate it!

He continued this extremely dangerous dance. That invisible death net, woven from electromagnetic force, was being painstakingly crafted stitch by stitch through his series of narrow escapes and contacts. Meanwhile, the white beast within the net remained completely oblivious. Its crimson pupils saw only the silver figure that kept dodging and occasionally "clumsily" touching the surrounding objects. It let out a murderous roar of perceived victory and pounced again with even greater fury!

The true hunt had only just begun.

Lu Jianchuan's maneuvering was no longer a blind flight; it had transformed into a highly aggressive tactical dance. Every move he made carried a clear purpose. His feet stepped precisely between shattered floor tiles and twisted metal, his body weaving through the gaps in White Star's violent attacks with hair-breadth precision.

Once, White Star's sharp claws swiped down with a foul wind! Lu Jianchuan didn't retreat directly; instead, he performed a swift slide to the side-front, narrowly avoiding the tips of the claws. In the moment they crossed paths, his left arm swung as if to maintain balance, and his gauntlet's exterior "happened" to brush against a broken lamppost base, as thick as a calf, which was embedded deep in the ground.

“Zzt...”

A faint sound, almost swallowed by the roar of battle. At the moment of contact, Lu Jianchuan focused his intent. A surge of pure Bioelectricity poured from his armguard, instantly entering the cold metal. He could feel a faint suction and tingling in his palm—the sensation of successful energy transmission and the initial establishment of a magnetic field. A touch and a release! He didn't linger, his body sliding away like a fish, causing White Star's subsequent tail hammer sweep to miss once again.

He was like a craftsman weaving brocade in a minefield; every brush with death was a masterful stroke of the needle.

Next, to dodge the bone-bladed tail hammer sweeping across the ground, he leapt into the air, twisting his body. As he descended, the armor on his right foot seemingly unintentionally tapped against the end of an exposed rebar as thick as a wrist. A faint current flashed again, and a layer of invisible ripples seemed to pass over the surface of the steel. Using the force to flip and land, he conveniently scooped up a rusted metal buckle from the ruins. Current flowed through his fingertips, magnetizing it. Then, as he rolled to dodge, he flicked his wrist, accurately shooting it next to a pile of broken bricks nearby.

This was no longer a battle; it was a sowing. He was planting the seeds of magnetism in every corner of the battlefield.

Gradually, changes began to manifest, surging quietly like undercurrents beneath the surface.

The metal buckle he had flicked away gave an extremely slight "click" and jumped within the gaps of the bricks, as if pulled by an invisible thread. Not far away, the end of the rebar he had tapped with his foot began to attract a ring of fine iron sand and dust, as if it were wearing a black armband. Further away, the lamppost bases and metal railings acting as the core "Magnetic Anchors" remained motionless, but the air around them seemed to become "thick," and light passing through them underwent imperceptible distortions.

The magnetic fields were strengthening and intertwining!

These signs were extremely subtle, mixed in with the dust kicked up by the fight and the chaotic energy fluctuations, making them hard to distinguish. But Lu Jianchuan caught them! His vision and perception, highly enhanced by the armor, clearly saw the buckle jump and noticed the iron sand's attraction. The flame of hope burned even more fiercely in his heart!

White Star also felt a sense of discomfort. It couldn't understand where this invisible sense of restraint was coming from; it only felt as if the surrounding space was slowly solidifying, causing its violent movements to suffer an indescribable sluggishness. This unknown factor brought deeper irritation. Its attacks became even more frenzied, its claws leaving afterimages, each strike shaking the earth as it tried to crush the source of this unsettling feeling with pure strength.

During a fierce pounce, Lu Jianchuan avoided it by a hair's breadth. White Star's heavy body crashed down, and its front claw happened to press onto the metal frame that Lu Jianchuan had magnetized first.

“Boom—!”

After the loud crash, a sudden change occurred! That metal frame didn't stop vibrating like a normal object. Instead, it continued to emit a low, metallic "buzz—buzz buzz—" sound, like an awakened steel beast growling! The surface of the frame even gave off a faint scorched smell, produced by the ionization of the air due to the violent fluctuations in the magnetic field!

White Star was startled by this sudden anomaly and jerked its claws back. It let out an uncertain low growl, and for the first time, an emotion other than rage appeared in its crimson pupils—a trace of confusion and wariness.

It didn't understand, but its beastly instincts told it that something had changed.

Lu Jianchuan's heart beat like a drum. He saw White Star's hesitation and the obvious phenomenon produced by the magnetized objects.

The web had been woven. The power had gathered. Now, only one final condition remained—to transform that steel beam slanted amidst the ruins into a true 'arrow' and guide all the power to complete that earth-shattering strike!

He took a deep breath, his gaze locked onto the vibrating steel beam that seemed to thirst for blood, and... White Star's relatively fragile chest and abdominal area, which were exposed as it tensed up in caution.

The time had come!

White Star grew increasingly frantic due to the previous anomaly. Its thick tail fin, carrying a fury that could crush anything, swept toward Lu Jianchuan's waist once more, its speed and power pushed to the limit!

However, this time, Lu Jianchuan did not choose to dodge to the side or the rear.

A look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he actually charged toward that terrifying tail hammer! At the moment the tail hammer was about to hit him, he kicked off the ground with both feet, using the momentum to leap high into the air and stepping precisely and heavily onto the giant tail covered in bone blades!

"Bang!" With a muffled sound, he was launched like a projectile from a catapult. Using the massive kinetic energy from White Star's tail swing, he moved at a speed far exceeding his usual pace, turning into a silver meteor that shot toward the steel beam slanted in the ruins—the final "arrow"!

While in mid-air, he raised his right arm and spread his fingers, aiming at the steel beam below! He no longer held back, no longer worried about energy consumption, and completely unleashed the last bit of Bioelectricity remaining in his body and squeezed out by the armor!

"Zzzzzzt—!!!"

It was no longer a weak electrical sound, but a clearly audible explosion that sounded like a thousand birds chirping at once! A solid blue-white arc of electricity, as thick as a child's arm, struck out from his palm like a spear of divine punishment, slamming solidly into the steel beam!

Ultimate Magnetization, complete!

At the same instant the arc hit the steel beam, as if a chain reaction had been triggered, every metal object on the battlefield that Lu Jianchuan had pre-magnetized—regardless of size or whether it was fixed in place—began to resonate violently!

"Vroom vroom vroom—!!!"

The nuts, bolts, rebar ends, and metal fragments that had only been slightly vibrating were now jumping and shaking frantically! As if stirred by an invisible giant hand, they broke free from the constraints of the ruins and, drawn like a vortex in a sea of magnetism, began to fly rapidly toward several strong magnetic field sources at the center of the battlefield!

For a moment, it was as if a reverse rainstorm of metal was falling over the entire square! Countless small black shadows cut through the air with a whistling sound; the scene was both eerie and spectacular!

White Star, who was preparing to pursue Lu Jianchuan, was caught off guard by this sudden metal storm that filled its vision! Although these small flying objects couldn't cause substantial damage, they were like countless annoying flies, severely interfering with its sight and perception! It subconsciously waved its front claws to disperse them, and its movements inevitably became sluggish and confused.

And it was this moment of confusion that decided life and death!

The steel beam that Lu Jianchuan had ultimately magnetized with all his energy seemed to be infused with true life after absorbing a massive amount of energy and resonating violently with all the magnetized objects on the battlefield! It was no longer merely "attracted"; it had become one of the cores of the magnetic force!

"Clang—!!!"

An ear-piercing sound of tearing metal rang out! The steel beam violently tore itself free from the ruins where it was stuck! It was no longer moving slowly; instead, pushed by its own powerful magnetic field and the massive reaction force generated by all the surrounding magnetized objects, it gained an unparalleled initial acceleration!

It turned into a blurred, light-distorting gray lightning bolt! Its speed was far beyond the speed of sound, leaving only a vacuum channel and a deafening sonic boom cloud in the air!

White Star had just swiped away a patch of flying metal fragments when its crimson pupils suddenly contracted. It felt the devastating threat coming from its rear flank! It wanted to dodge, but its physical sluggishness and the interference of the surrounding metal storm made it lose its final chance.

"Puchi—!!!"

A dull, teeth-gritting sound of penetration drowned out all the noise on the battlefield!

The gray lightning shot into White Star's rear abdomen, carrying a mist of dark red blood and shattered tissue as it burst out from its chest near the heart! The massive kinetic energy even caused its giant body to stumble forward several steps before it let out a cry of extreme agony and crashed to its knees.

But it was not yet dead.

Life force drained rapidly through the horrific wound in its chest. In those crimson pupils, madness and hatred receded like a tide, replaced by a rapidly spreading emptiness and lack of focus. Its heavy head hung down weakly, and its heavy breathing turned into intermittent, bloody rasps.

Lu Jianchuan remained in his armor form, standing not far away and breathing heavily. His blue Visor stared fixedly at the kneeling beast, not daring to relax in the slightest. He clenched his fists, preparing for the opponent's final deathbed struggle.

White Star moved.

Using its remaining strength, it struggled to lift a forelimb. Its movements were slow and stiff, every shift seemingly bringing immense pain, leaving a viscous trail of blood on the ground. It moved toward Lu Jianchuan, one step, then another, dragging itself along with extreme difficulty.

Lu Jianchuan's eyes sharpened, and he immediately slid to the rear flank with agility, easily avoiding this seemingly futile, slow "attack."

However, White Star's target was not him.

It seemed not to see Lu Jianchuan's dodge at all. Those unfocused pupils looked past the silver armor standing ready and gazed straight and emptily behind him.

Not far behind Lu Jianchuan, a giant electronic screen that had luckily escaped total destruction was repeatedly playing a science video clip about cetaceans due to short circuits and interference. At this moment, the screen showed the deep blue ocean, and from the speakers came the intermittent, ethereal, and distant sound of Whale Song, filled with endless sorrow and longing.

It was a call from home, a memory buried deep within its genes.

White Star's dying, massive body shuddered violently.

It no longer looked at Lu Jianchuan, nor did it attempt to attack. Using the last trace of strength in its life, it adjusted its direction and moved toward the screen where the song was coming from, more determinedly and even more staggeringly, step by step.

Blood continued to pour from the hole in its chest and the corners of its mouth, dragging a long, shocking trail of blood behind it. Its steps grew slower and slower, its body swayed more and more violently, and the whimpering gasps gradually faded.

Finally, just a few steps away from the screen playing the deep blue ocean and ethereal Whale Song, its tortured and mutated massive body, which still retained a trace of the white behemoth's silhouette, could no longer hold up.

It let out an almost inaudible final sigh-like breath. Its forelimbs gave way, its massive head hit the ground first, and then its entire body collapsed like a falling mountain, crashing down.

Its giant head was turned exactly toward the screen, toward that deep blue home for which it had given everything and suffered so much, yet ultimately failed to return to.

It was dead.

Those pupils that were once full of rage and pain, and finally only held emptiness and longing, remained fixed on that fake, flickering ocean, frozen still.

Until the final moment of its life, all it thought about was going home.

Lu Jianchuan stood where he was, his silver-white armor silent under the city's neon lights and the cold glow of the screen. He slowly lowered his defensive stance, his blue Visor watching the massive, lifeless body and the direction it had gazed in at the end.

There were no cheers of victory, no weakness from deactivating the transformation. There was only a deathly silent battlefield and a heavy, suffocating desolation spreading silently through the night wind.