Zheng took out the air cannon as soon as he was hit and pressed the trigger at once. He was still being pushed by the force and was already five meters away from the roof.
"Two!"
Zheng could feel the force weakening then he began to fall. In just a moment, he had fallen from the roof to previous floor. The cannon was still charging.
"One!"
Zheng was falling faster and faster. He held onto both the air cannon and the progressive knife. Then the cannon sent a big recoil effect from his left hand and pushed him toward the glass wall. Zheng stabbed the knife into the glass without activating the knife then used it as a support to jump up using the movement technique.
However, by the third time he stabbed the knife into the glass, the whole wall of glass slid off the building as if it wasn't constructed correctly. The knife was stuck in the glass, thus pulling Zheng down by a few meters. For some reason, the knife stayed firm in the glass. Zheng couldn't pull it out.
"F*ck. Death is here also!" Zheng growled. He lowered himself and stood on top of the falling glass. Then he jumped up and punched one of the glass walls. Using the shattered glass as a stepping stone, he jumped again. He was lucky to have exchanged the movement technique or else there was no way for him to survive. Even if he somehow didn't die, it would be too late to save Lan. He must finish off Jie before Yinkong caught up to Lan.
After a few punches, Zheng's hand was bloody and filled with little pieces of glasses. But he didn't pause and continued jumping up. He activated the air cannon with his other hand when he was only several meters away from the roof.
"Two!"
Once Zheng got up to the roof and saw Jie, he pointed the air cannon at Jie.
The two of them were only ten meters apart. It would only take Zheng a split second with his speed. But before long, a force pushed his hand up.
"One!"
Zheng focused his strength in his arm trying to lower it back down. Yet, the cannon fired before he could expand the muscles on his arm. The recoil effect pushed Zheng down on his knees. Jie was standing right in front of him.
"Zhang Jie is my name. I unlocked my constraint in Nightmare on Elm street and was the first person to do so in my team. Following the rule, I, uh, the Guide part of me began to test me. I passed the test. By God's rule, the movie should end after I fused with the Guide. However, halfway during our fusion..."
Jie took out a cigarette and took a smoke. The force that was pushing Zheng's arm lifted him up. The force was so strong that even Zheng couldn't resist. Then another force struck him in the abdomen.
"Halfway during our fusion, the final boss exited the dream. He killed my body causing the fusion to fail. I still returned to God's dimension right afterward. The half fusion left me with both Jie's memory and the Guide's memory. Though I consist mostly of the Guide since Jie had died in the movie."
Zheng's arm expanded as he gave a shout. He finally gained back control over the force. He began pulling his hanging arm back inch by inch. He had entered the second stage.
"Since I am mostly the Guide, I am under God's restrictions. Even though I can gain and use points like you do, and can use enhancements to their full potential, I can't reveal my identity as a Guide. I also can't revive if I die like a normal Guide. God had been pressing me to start the test when the first person on the team unlocked his constraint, or I will get erased. When I attacked someone other than the potential leader in the last movie was the last straw. God gave its ultimatum. This movie determines our fate. It's either you fail the test and die so I can live, or I die and you obtain the leader position!"
As soon as Zheng pulled his arm back, the force knocked him to the ground, causing a wound on his face. The force continued pressing down on him. A pool of blood appeared on the ground.
"Still don't have the will to fight? Or do you really think I won't kill you?" Jie sneered. He lifted his hand, and also Zheng.
That force was as agile as Jie's fingers. It took the communication device out of his pocket. Jie took over the device and said. "Want to hear Lan's voice? I can fulfill this wish." Then he turned on the device.
Lan said with a rushed tone. "Zheng? You don't have to worry about me. Yinkong is still quite some distance away. Don't worry and fight your own battle."
Jie turned off the device and laughed out loud. "How's it? Nice woman right? Still worrying about you in this situation. Know how far is Yinkong away from her? Maybe just one or two minutes away. And then... Haha. You know about the attacks of an assassin? They only need one hit no matter who you are."
Zheng clenched his teeth. His eyes were bloody red. Some blood did flow into his eyes. He growled and said. "Jie, you really want to die? Why? Why do you have to go so far?"
Jie sneered. "No other reason. I am the Guide and you are being tested. Either you pass the test and I disappear or you fail the test and I live!"
Jie shattered the device as he stepped on it. "She's getting close. You are the one to blame. If you didn't save Lan from me, she wouldn't be getting chased. And you would have been the only one taking the test. The blame is all on you."
Zheng couldn't continue listening to him. His body was struggling. His muscles expanded to twice their normal size and fought against the invisible force. As Jie raised his hand again, Zheng broke through the force and charged at him. His fist struck Jie on the abdomen before the next force could hit him.
Jie's physical strength and speed could not compare with Zheng's. Thus, this strike sent him flying. Zheng grabbed his arm again, threw him to the ground, then punched him repeatedly. Jie's nose and mouth was full of blood in just a few seconds. Yet, he still maintained that smile of his, as if it wasn't him who was getting punched.
Zheng lifted Jie from the ground. He grabbed Jie's neck with one hand while forming a fist with the other. He asked while grinding his teeth. "Tell me, is there any way to stop Yinkong?"
Jie smiled. "Kill me!"
"Fine! Then you can go die!"
Zheng was extremely angry. He punched Jie and sent him flying ten meters before hitting a wall. Jie slid down from the wall without any strength.
Zheng walked over to Jie. Ever since the first time they met, this man with a frank laughter that handed out cigarettes to people, this man who saved him in Alien, faced all the movies together, fought together. Had this all became the past?
As Zheng was getting closer, Jie slowly took out a pack of cigarette and lit one on his mouth, then he smiled. "Yinkong's hypnosis was removed when our fight started. Lan was telling the truth. Take a smoke with me, bro."
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