Exploded mechanical spiders lay shattered on the ground, surrounded by fragments of steel.
"Unicorn, can your armor accelerate?!"
Gwen quickly walked over to Hode, her eyes filled with envy as she admired his battle armor.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She couldn't help but stand on her tiptoes, continuously reaching out to stroke the bright red horn.
"Mm!"
Hode watched her tiptoeing and decided to lower his head, making it more comfortable for her to touch.
"What's the principle behind this?"
Noticing Hode's gesture, Gwen's joy intensified.
This armor was incredibly cool, and the fact that it could be played with like this was astonishing!
And that bright red horn had an amazing feel to it!
She was truly shocked by everything that had happened tonight.
No...
To be more accurate, it had been the whole day.
After all, Mr. Hode she encountered today was quite mysterious.
"Are you done touching?"
Hode slightly turned his head and gently patted Gwen's small head. "We should head out to findKingpin!"
"Yeah, I just think touching it feels great!"
Reluctantly, Gwen withdrew her hand; after all, this thing was just too cool.
Even though it had been bombarded with missiles, its surface was still incredibly smooth.
"I'll let you touch something even bigger in the future!"
Hode smiled mysteriously.
"What? You have other battle armors?"
Gwen's eyes widened in excitement as she looked at Hode.
She really hadn't expected that there were other armors.
...Oh, pure little Gwen!
Hode didn't respond and led the way into the factory.
As soon as they stepped in, a pungent smell hit them.
"Ugh, it stinks! What are they doing in there?!"
Despite wearing a mask, Gwen still covered her nose against the stench.
"It seems they have a lot of transactions going on tonight!"
Hode quickly realized the warehouse's purpose from the smell.
What appeared to be an abandoned factory was actually their storage area.
Judging by the surrounding boxes, it seemed the entire warehouse was filled with their goods.
Bang!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from behind them.
Even the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly from the impact.
Turning around, they saw that the damaged warehouse door had been blocked by a thick iron plate!
From the overhead mechanism, it seemed this reinforced plate was specifically made to fend off intruders.
The so-called warehouse door was just for show; the real defense was this iron plate.
Thud thud thud...
At that moment, the dim factory lit up suddenly, with overhead lights being turned on.
"Welcome to my lumber factory!"
Following the voice, they saw a tall, strong figure leisurely walking out from the second-floor corridor, leaning on a cane.
As he emerged, a group of armed men rushed out from various positions, all aiming their weapons at Hode and Gwen.
"Jin Bing!"
The moment Gwen sawKingpin, her voice trembled with suppressed rage.
Hode could feel the tumult of emotions within Gwen.
"You and I really must be fated; I came all the way here and still ran into you!"
Jin Bing smiled and beckoned slightly, and his subordinate immediately handed him a cigar and helped light it.
"I'm here specifically for you!"
Gwen gritted her teeth and shouted.
Little Gwen's hatred...
Hode sensed the deep loathing Gwen felt towardKingpin.
"For me?!"
Jin Bing inhaled deeply from his cigar, his gaze shifting to the red and silver figure, anger filling his eyes. "If it weren't for your friend, you would have been dead by now!"
He truly hadn't expected anyone would go out of their way to help that cursed little spider.
"If I had come earlier, you would have died even sooner."
Hode's voice was calm, even filled with a hint of disdain.
This was also because he hadn't heard ofKingpin's appearance; otherwise, he would have acted long ago.
"Is that so?"
Jin Bing gritted his teeth, eyeing Hode cautiously. "We have no grudges; why must we spoil the peace?"
"Are you trying to buy me off?"
Hode's tone carried a teasing lilt.
"No!"
Jin Bing slammed his cigar onto the ground, sparks flying.
He pushed himself up with his left hand and suddenly leaped down from the second floor.
When his massive weight hit the ground, it produced a loud thud.
"I'll never yield, even if it costs me my life!"
He slowly took off his suit jacket, grabbing the collar of his shirt with his right hand.
With a fierce tear, he discarded the wine-stained clothing.
Underneath was a remarkably muscular physique.
"Impressive determination."
Hode nodded in appreciation; he actually admiredKingpin's bravery.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought his way out of the chaotic Hell's Kitchen to become a dominating underground emperor.
"Come on! I want to see just how strong you are!"
Jin Bing revealed a grotesque smile, his breathing turning heavier at that moment.
"Be careful…"
Gwen wanted to warn Hode to watch out, but remembering Hode's armor, she swallowed her words.
After all, given his capabilities, safety was probably a trivial concern.
"In that case, I'll remove my armor for a fair fight!"
Hode stepped forward lazily.
He had two reasons for doing so.
First was his respect forKingpin's bravery.
Secondly, it might trigger a reward.
After all, he would be defeating an underground emperor.
"What?!"
Gwen's head buzzed.
She couldn't understand why Hode would give up his advantage.
His armor was clearly his greatest strength.
He was actually planning to fight the underground emperor hand-to-hand?! Was there something wrong with his mind?!
Jin Bing had more raw power than even her, and she couldn't guarantee victory if she went up against him, let alone someone who relied on armor, deciding to take it off?!
"Is this guy really going to grapple with the boss?! Hahaha!"
"I bet this guy's head is stuffed full of cheese!"
"Is he bored with life and just here to entertain our boss?"
"It looks like we've got this one in the bag!"
"..."
Jin Bing's subordinates whispered among themselves, their disdain evident in their eyes.
They knew all too well the terror of their boss; even together, they were no match for him.
If that man had been wearing his battle armor, it would have been a different story, but without it, they felt confident.
"You..."
Jin Bing felt a surge of joy; his wariness of Hode was entirely due to the battle gear.
But without the armor, the outcome was uncertain. He sneered and said, "I didn't expect you to be such a blooded man. If you beat me, we'll call it even."
"Deal!"
Hode nodded slowly, then turned to Gwen and said, "Little Spider, don't interfere. I'll put on a great show for you!"
Gwen immediately grew alarmed: "But this isKingpin! Are you insane?"
"You'll find out soon enough if I'm crazy or not. Besides, who's stronger and who's weaker is still up for debate."
As he spoke, Hode reached for his waist and pulled out the Insect Device.
Buzz!
A humming filled the air.
His crimson battle suit billowed off, and a rhinoceros beetle flew away.
Under the lights, it looked incredibly dazzling.
And Hode's handsome profile was revealed as the mask disappeared.
"This guy..."
Gwen's large eyes widened behind her mask.
This man...
Is actually Hode!
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