Chapter 5: The Terminator—He Is the Terminator!

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In truth, from the moment he saw the two men, Shen Yu’s gaze was more drawn to the interstellar Shen Yu. The equipment on the interstellar Shen Yu was clearly from a far more advanced technological level. Moreover, when he mentioned that his civilization had entered the interstellar age two centuries ago, Shen Yu was truly stirred. Such scientific progress was of immense significance to a human civilization still in its terrestrial era. Yet, there was more to come—a surprise.

“According to the classifications in those novels I read in my past life, my current world would fall under ‘high martial arts,’” said the ancient-clad Shen Yu with some pride, though he soon sighed. “But unfortunately, mere martial prowess is meaningless against natural disasters that can devastate the entire world’s ecology. If this were a cultivation realm, perhaps it wouldn’t be the apocalypse after all.”

Martial arts, indeed, differ from the conventional notion of cultivation. No matter how high one’s cultivation or how strong one’s power, nourishment is still required. In fact, even more so! One might wield a sword capable of destroying a city, yet cannot forge a city with a single stroke. Even the mightiest martial force, facing a dying sun, can only feel endless despair.

But now, things were different. Martial power may be useless against the apocalypse he faced, but that did not mean it was ineffective against apocalypses elsewhere in the world!

Ancient Shen Yu suddenly looked up at Shen Yu. “Host, how about a deal? Divine power in exchange for food?”

Since arriving in this space, ancient Shen Yu had noticed the cargo—some of which were unmistakably sacks of rice. He was well aware of the current state of his own world: dynasties crumbled, corpses strewn everywhere, even instances of cannibalism. Food was scarce beyond price, no one willing to sell; only robbery remained. Such provisions were invaluable to him right now.

“Of course, no problem,” Shen Yu nodded. “This is a great merit deed, so it will surely attract the gray mist. But don’t be hasty; we should set some rules. If you suddenly take out too much food, it might invite danger.”

Shen Yu could imagine ancient Shen Yu’s situation. Judging by his clothing, society’s productive forces were still quite low. Their ability to resist the apocalypse was severely weak.

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“I understand, I understand,” ancient Shen Yu circulated his cultivation method to calm himself, letting out a self-mocking smile. “This body is only twenty years old; it’s natural to be impetuous.”

He had witnessed too many earthly tragedies lately—helplessness, despair, and pessimism made it hard for him to stay calm when hope appeared. Yet, since everyone present was himself, there was no shame to be feared.

“For now, help me with something,” Shen Yu looked at the two of them. “Outside, there’s a group of armed robbers. Can you handle them?”

Indeed, Shen Yu intended to test them. A group of gun-wielding thugs was no challenge, but this was an opportunity to see if they could go outside and whether their powers would be effective there. If they could go out but martial arts were unusable, or if their technological equipment malfunctioned across worlds, the future would indeed be grim.

The two before him clearly understood this.

“I’ll go,” interstellar Shen Yu said first. “I recently joined the military and underwent initial modifications. I have subdermal armor and an energy shield installed. Ordinary kinetic bullets pose no threat. The material technology of the subdermal armor should not lose efficacy simply because the world is different.”

“In my view, there’s no need to kill them,” ancient Shen Yu spoke up at this moment. “In the apocalypse, labor is crucial. Even criminals have value. Whether for work or as cannon fodder on the battlefield, it’s better than outright killing. I possess a profound Heart-Capturing Spirit Technique that can control others’ souls and consciousness to some extent. These are mere commoners; if effective, it would be nearly impossible for it to be broken.”

Such martial arts existed? Shen Yu recalled ancient Shen Yu’s earlier mention of focusing on the physical body primarily and the soul secondarily, gaining a deeper understanding. This was good news. As always, at this moment, he only wished for the world these two came from to grow stronger.

The next moment, Shen Yu noticed a change in interstellar Shen Yu. Hidden lines within his body emitted a faint glow; his head, eyes, and other vulnerable parts displayed a subtle light screen composed of countless polygons.

“Klein Field Barrier,” interstellar Shen Yu noticed Shen Yu’s gaze and explained, “A one-sided energy circuit with high efficiency in energy conversion. It performs excellently against both kinetic and energy weapons.”

Shen Yu said nothing, but his anticipation grew.

As the gray mist spread, interstellar Shen Yu boldly stepped outside. As expected, a circle of armed thugs intensely watched the spot. Their nerves were taut; the moment the gray mist reappeared, before they could even see what was happening, they instinctively squeezed their triggers.

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Bang! Bang! Bang!

The fierce gunfire roared. The men wielded fully automatic rifles, frantically pressing the triggers, shouting wildly as if that could bring them security.

Even Shen Yu felt a trace of tension.

Yet, facing firepower capable of annihilating most carbon-based life, interstellar Shen Yu didn’t even flinch. He stood with arms crossed, the Klein Barrier appearing wherever bullets touched. The bullets lost all their kinetic energy upon impact and fell to the ground one by one, producing crisp sounds.

The subdermal armor hadn’t even been tested; the external energy shield alone was enough to repel the bullets.

This stunned the thugs completely.

“Fuck! Fuck!”

“Terminator! He’s the Terminator!”

“Shoot! Shoot!”

“Monster! It’s a monster! Run!”

Though they had long known the world was changing, witnessing such a surreal scene firsthand, especially upon an enemy, was overwhelming. Some became incoherent and turned to flee, screaming hysterically as they ran. Terrified to the extreme, when their power no longer provided any sense of safety, even the fiercest thug was but a slave to fear.

Yet, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared before them.

In an instant, everyone froze. Whether or not they met its gaze, their minds exploded with a deafening noise. Their vision, thoughts, even consciousness were replaced by a single pair of eyes—eyes imbued with a strange power, godlike, engulfing their entire world, leaving nothing else.