章節 23: Discovering Tunes and Unlocking Vibe Seeker

"Break time is over. Let's do this!"

The epic battle resumed with Hao taking the initiative, striking first with a powerful thrust of his Vibe Edge. Diana, however, had a trick up her sleeve. She called upon a special skill that drastically boosted her physical capabilities by leaps and bounds.

"Lightning Reflex!"

In the midst of activating this special technique, her sword and body became enveloped in a shimmering aura of electric energy. Flashes of lightning streaked around her sexy curves, crackling and snapping as her movements blurred into a dizzying dance of speed and precision. Her newfound agility and power took Hao by surprise. His Vibe Sense strained to keep up with her rapid, unpredictable motion.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

"What the hell? She's even faster than before." Hao's body began to bear the brunt of Diana's relentless assault. As multiple slashes appeared all over him, his clothes became more tattered and bloodied. His frustration grew with each passing moment as he realized he was losing ground in this deadly blade dance.

Meanwhile, Diana's lightning-fast attacks continued to wreak havoc on their surroundings. Machinery was sliced apart, sparks flying and metal screeching as it was reduced to a twisted mess of wreckage.

But in the heat of battle, Hao discovered something new. The Inner Voice of Vibe Edge emerged, guiding him towards a deeper connection with his weapon. He listened to the rare frequency emitting from the speakers and began to understand its significance. The worldview around him started to shift or more specifically, gained a new insight.

"Hmm? What is this…?" Never before seen symbols were buzzing into existence. While he struggled to comprehend the Inner Voice, he simultaneously defended himself against Diana's relentless barrage of attacks. Her lightning-fast strikes were an annoyance that was distracting him from fully unlocking the new ability.

Finally, Hao connected with the Inner Voice and realized a new frequency pattern known as Tunes. Tunes, when visualized, appear as pulsating orbs of vibrant colours, each one surrounded by a rhythmic aura that resonates with the beat of Vibe Edge. The colours within the orbs shift and flow in harmony with the wielder's emotions and intentions, creating an ever-changing kaleidoscope of hues. As the Tunes accumulate and grow in number, the intensity of their radiance increases, symbolizing the user's growing mastery and connection to the power of Vibe Edge.

'What are those glowing orbs?' Moments after he asked this question, Vibe Edge's Inner Voice revealed to him:

"Oh…?" It took Hao a while to process all this information, but when he did, he made sure to zip around collecting all the Tunes he could find. Diana noticed his weird behaviour and thought that he had gone mental. This was so because only Hao was capable of seeing Tunes.

Once he collected all of them he immediately unlocked a new technique called Vibe Seeker. His Sword Details automatically opened for him to view the skill in a more comprehensive format.

Vibe Seeker - Ability Tab

Level 1: Normal

• Description: A heightened form of Vibe Sense that locks onto a specific target and syncs their vibration with Vibe Edge, allowing for increased focus and 70% more predictability. Disadvantage: Limits the user's perception of other objects in the environment, as it only focuses on one target at a time.

• Target: Single

• Range: Medium

• Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds

• Cooldown: 1 minute

Level 2: Enhanced (LOCKED)

• Description: An upgraded version of Vibe Seeker that allows the user to lock onto and track up to three targets simultaneously, reducing the disadvantage of limited environmental perception. Increases the range of target lock, enabling the user to focus on targets that are far away.

• Target: Multiple (up to 3)

• Range: Long

• Duration: 2 minutes

• Cooldown: 1 minute 30 seconds

• Upgrade Requirement: 10 Tunes

"Wow, this is amazing." With Vibe Seeker now activated, Hao's movements transformed. He danced around Diana's attacks, snapping his fingers and shaking his head to the rhythm of the rare frequency. His swordplay became a graceful and rhythmic song, perfectly in sync with the beat of Vibe Edge.

"Huh! How is this possible?" Diana's frustration mounted as she struggled to land a single hit on Hao, who effortlessly danced around her with a smug expression. "Damn you!" she shouted, humiliated by his newfound skill and confidence. "You think this is some sort of joke? I'm going to kill you!" She dashed ahead with much ferocity.

"Let's dance," Hao replied coolly, as the blue beat tones of Vibe Seeker locked onto her grip and anticipated her every move.

He reached into his arsenal of abilities to hold his ground against Diana's relentless attacks. In one clean motion, he executed Quick Draw, unsheathing his sword at lightning speed and slashing at her. However, her heightened reflexes enabled her to dodge the attack narrowly.

"That attack won't catch me! You're too slow!"

Hao didn't let her escape unscathed, though. He activated Night Tamer's Shadowstep Slash, surrounding himself in a veil of dark noise before teleporting a short distance to close the gap between them. When he reappeared behind Diana, she barely had time to react, forcing her to deflect his follow-up attack with her sword.

Clang!

The battle continued with Hao showcasing his skilful swordplay and agile flips, each movement was carefully choreographed to match the rhythm of his Vibe Edge. He parried Diana's powerful blows with ease, countering with his own skilful slashes, leaving her struggling to keep up.

In a desperate attempt to land a heavy hit on Hao, Diana swung her sword with all her might. Hao quickly reacted, using the scabbard of Judgment Day another time to block the strike. The sound of metal hitting together rang out through the factory as their weapons clashed, sending sparks flying.

With his opponent momentarily stunned, Hao sprang into action, displaying his acrobatic prowess with a series of agile turn arounds. He evaded Diana's subsequent attacks and positioned himself for a swift counterstrike.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The factory continued to crumble around them, machinery shattering and collapsing under the force of their battle. Amid the destruction, Hao finally managed to bring Diana to her knees on a conveyor belt high above the floor. With a swift and precise strike, he cut the tendons in her legs, immobilizing her. He then pressed the edge of his sword against her neck and held her life in his wrist. The outcome of their epic showdown was now arriving at its climax.