Chapter 205 The Real Mandarin
The reason for not testing now was that Finney didn't want to do anything he wasn't confident about. Even without the Fourth Bullet, he was confident he could defeat Killian.
Under the night sky, the battle on the cruise ship was exceptionally fierce.
Although Killian had many subordinates, with the addition of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Tony wasn't in much danger. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, evolved to four stars, had greatly increased its defense.
As long as it wasn't subjected to the Extremis self-destruction at close range, the opponent couldn't break through its defenses. A casual swipe from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon could cause massive damage; not everyone's Extremis recovery was as stable as Killian's.
However, while Killian's recovery was powerful, encountering Finney actually caused him more suffering.
"You researched human bombs!"
"You messed up terrorist attacks!"
"You didn't come to me sooner!"
"You delayed my skill extraction!"
Finney complained inwardly as he beat Killian.
After all, aside from being inferior to Killian in terms of recovery, Finney far surpassed him in strength, agility, awareness, and fighting skills. Unless an unexpected situation arose, he was virtually invincible.
Finney rained punches upon Killian, his powerful regeneration causing wounds to heal almost instantly. So, although Killian appeared to be badly beaten, he didn't suffer any serious injuries, only pain.
Of course, this was because Finney wanted to vent his anger first and wasn't deliberately targeting vital points.
Killian was beaten speechless, but his anger continued to build, his internal and external body temperatures rising, causing his wounds to heal faster and faster.
The Extremis Virus, while powerful, was extremely unstable, like a powder keg, easily exploding.
Under Finney's relentless beating, Killian tried his best to remain calm and not explode, but the physical pain and inner rage were almost overwhelming his reason.
Fortunately, although Finney was angry, he hadn't forgotten his purpose. If Killian self-destructed and he didn't gain much experience, he would suffer a huge loss.
So when he saw Killian's entire body begin to glow red, he finally stopped attacking temporarily, giving Killian some time to regain consciousness.
"Where did you hear the name 'Mandarin'?"
Finney asked suddenly, looking at Killian kneeling on the ground, panting heavily.
Trevor was an actor hired by Killian, a puppet Killian used to hide behind the scenes, but Finney didn't understand why he was using the name "Mandarin."
"Huff...huff..."
Killian panted heavily, not answering immediately.
Finney wasn't in a hurry, quietly watching Killian slowly suppress the red light flowing over his body. He was actually more worried that Killian would suddenly self-destruct.
"The Mandarin!?"
Killian raised his head, stood up, and stared intently at Finney, saying coldly, "It seems you've already met Trevor!"
"I just want to know where you got that name from!"
Finney frowned and asked again. He felt that Killian's Mandarin, played by Trevor, wasn't just a figment of his imagination, especially considering the ten rings on Trevor's hand. And considering the existence of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin might have actually existed.
"Hahaha, I am the real Mandarin!"
Killian laughed wildly, then his feet turned crimson, burning through the deck as he fell, seemingly unwilling to continue fighting.
Finney was slightly taken aback, then quickly gave chase. Even if it meant losing the other Extremis Virus warriors, he couldn't let Killian go.
Killian fled desperately. From the battle, he had temporarily realized one thing: he was no match for Finney, so he decided to retreat.
Tony's pigeon had taught him one thing: conceal yourself.
He felt that ruling from behind the scenes was the safest method, which was also why he had Trevor play the Mandarin. However, he was currently unsure where things had gone wrong, leading to Finney's discovery.
But he believed that as long as he escaped this place first, there would always be a chance to make a comeback.
Unfortunately, Finney wouldn't give him that chance. Finney was superior in speed and agility, so even though he ran with all his might, he was easily caught.
"Fine, I surrender!"
After being stomped to the ground again, Killian finally stopped running. Looking around and finding no chance, he finally raised his hands in surrender.
Finney wouldn't pay him any attention. He hadn't intended to let Killian go in the first place. Now that he'd fought and his anger had subsided, all that was left was to reap the experience.
Exhale.
Like a whale inhaling water, the surrounding oxygen was instantly depleted, and with the system skill's enhancement, his blood frantically absorbed the oxygen.
Exhale.
A hazy red light flashed on 'Haunted by Evil,' and Finney's figure vanished in the blink of an eye, reappearing in front of Killian. Before Killian could even be shocked, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest. Looking down, he discovered that Finney's fist had pierced through his chest.
With his heart damaged, even the most potent Extremis virus couldn't repair it instantly.
"You…"
Killian opened his mouth, trying to say something.
But Finney didn't give him the chance. Fearing he might self-destruct, Finney immediately extended his other hand, using the solar energy converted from his breathing technique, and aimed a powerful 'Explosion Magic' at Killian's head.
With two fatal wounds to his head and heart, even Jesus might not be able to save him.
So, after only a few seconds, the Extremis virus within Killian completely dissipated, and his body collapsed to the ground, slowly coming to a stop.
After checking the experience gained from the system, Finney confirmed Killian's death.
After clearing away any trace of Killian's presence with a 'Explosion Magic', Finney returned to help Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Tony deal with the remaining Extremis soldiers.
"Where's Killian?"
Seeing Finney return but not seeing Killian, Tony quickly asked.
During the earlier battle, he had been keeping an eye on Finney's situation. When he saw Killian escape, he even sent Jarvis with a suit of armor to help, but they were intercepted en route.
"Dead!"
Finney replied, climbing onto the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's back and bombarding the Extremis warriors within his line of sight with 'Explosion Magic'.
"Dead!?"
Tony was taken aback, then fell silent, finally sighing and saying nothing more.
Although the Extremis warriors were stronger than ordinary humans, they were no match for Finney and Tony, so by the time Rhodes arrived to provide support, the battle was already over.
"I'll leave the cleanup to you!"
Finney patted Rhodes on the shoulder and continued, "Killian's been dealt with. As long as we announce that you've captured the Mandarin, there shouldn't be any more bombings."
"By the way, I just interrogated a few people. That guy seems to be cooperating with the Vice President, which is why he was able to so easily infiltrate all the TV stations. You guys collect the evidence yourselves. I'm off!"
After saying this, Finney disappeared through a portal, leaving Rhodes and Tony bewildered.
Finney didn't go straight home but went to his usual skill practice spot to check his newly acquired eighth skill again, preparing to test the effect of 'Zadkiel: Fourth Bullet'.
Actually, I initially wanted to choose either the Twin Heavens Return Shield or the Rewind-Rewind Fruit for the eighth skill, but after thinking about it, I still felt that Zadkiel was the coolest, so I decided on Zadkiel. When choosing skills, I generally don't choose what I'm familiar with, but rather what looks the coolest...
Read 50+ advanced chapters ahead on Patreon!
patreon.com/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)