Unexpected

Alex sensed that something was wrong. He looked up at Mandarin’s hands and, without a moment’s hesitation, abandoned any thought of seizing the rings. Instead, he controlled the steel balls around him, stretching them into thin shields. The ten steel balls became ten shields, layered one over another in front of him.

"Quick reactions!" Seeing Alex’s movements, Mandarin snorted softly and slowly raised his left thumb. The golden ring, set with two white gemstones like eyes, gazed coldly upon everything in the world.

Alex watched Mandarin with utmost vigilance when he suddenly discovered that an enormous force was pushing his body. He flew uncontrollably toward Mandarin, and the ten steel-ball shields before him were smashed aside.

Alex struggled with all his strength, controlling the ten steel-ball shields to fly back in front of him and desperately exerting force in the opposite direction. Yet, to his dismay, the shields were forcibly crushed apart by his body, but they still could not withstand the immense force acting upon him.

With no other choice, Alex could only activate Teleportation.

"Coward. All you know is how to run!" Mandarin sneered disdainfully as he watched Alex vanish from before his eyes.

Alex acted as though he had not heard Mandarin’s mockery. He recalled the ten steel balls, then said calmly, "Now, let’s have a real fight!" It seemed impossible to seize the Ten Rings through Metal Control. From here on, he would have to rely on his actual abilities.

Mandarin had just opened his mouth to offer a few more sarcastic remarks when he inadvertently caught sight of Alex’s eyes. His heart suddenly tightened, and an inexplicable unease rose within him. But the feeling vanished in an instant, leaving Mandarin unsure whether he had merely imagined it.

Before Mandarin could figure it out, Alex’s attack had already begun.

Alex possessed many abilities. Aside from Teleportation and Energy Control, he had specifically copied several extremely powerful skills: Erik’s Metal Control, Sebastian Shaw’s Energy Absorption, Alex’s Red Impact Beam, and an invisibility ability. As for telepathy, Alex had already learned it from Emma, so there was no need to use up another copying slot.

Energy Absorption and invisibility were not suited for direct combat, so Alex’s attack still relied on Metal Control—more precisely, the ten steel balls under his Metal Control.

Under Alex’s control, the ten steel balls shot toward Mandarin at speeds comparable to rockets. Alex followed close behind, rapidly closing the distance.

Mandarin gave Alex a dismissive glance and raised his left thumb again, seemingly intending to repeat his previous move.

The moment Alex saw Mandarin move, his footsteps abruptly became unsteady. He swayed from side to side as though drunk.

"Hm?" Seeing Alex’s reaction, Mandarin lowered his gaze toward his thumb in surprise, as if wondering whether he had used the wrong ring.

Just as he was distracted, Mandarin suddenly snapped awake. He realized that he seemed to have been bound by an invisible rope and could not move. Yet he remained calm. He first tried to rely on his physical strength, and only after finding that he could not exert any force at all did he activate a ring.

The golden-yellow gemstone on the ring around Mandarin’s right ring finger flashed with light. A golden ray shot out from the gemstone, curved through the air, and circled around Mandarin.

After several faint hums, Mandarin effortlessly broke free. By then, Alex’s steel balls were already close at hand. Even so, Mandarin remained completely unhurried. With a soft shout, the purple gemstone on the ring around his right thumb glimmered faintly. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the ten steel balls speeding toward him were stretched infinitely long. The ten balls became ten slender steel wires that passed over Mandarin like ten swimming dragons, finally piercing through a chunk of earth and rock behind him before disappearing from sight.

Alex had already prepared himself when Mandarin activated his ring, but he had not expected Mandarin to turn around and control his steel balls. At first, Alex was startled, until he realized that Mandarin could not truly control them. He had merely used another ability to alter their state.

"Now it’s my turn!" Mandarin looked at the astonished Alex and smiled with pursed lips. A sinister chuckle squeezed out from the depths of his throat, raising goosebumps all over one’s body.

Alex immediately came back to his senses and readied himself.

Mandarin suddenly lowered his raised hands. After staring at Alex for a long while, he unexpectedly began to speak of what was on his mind. "I was extremely unwilling to accept my defeat at your hands back then." After a slight pause, he took a light breath and continued, "In order to take revenge, I trained in secret. Today, I want to have an honorable fight with you, without using the magic rings."

Alex looked at Mandarin with a strange expression, though he remained in a guarded stance.

Mandarin was indeed arrogant. Since he said he would not use the magic rings, he truly did not. He let out a fierce cry and leaped into the air, pouncing at Alex like a tiger hunting prey. His hands spread slightly like eagle talons, his sharp nails enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Alex was a proud man as well. Since Mandarin had said and done this much, he naturally could not show weakness. Besides, Alex had studied under Nick Fury, Logan, and others. He considered his fighting ability far from weak.

Thus, the two supremely confident men abandoned their powerful abilities and began fighting hand-to-hand.

Alex’s combat skills came from Nick Fury and Logan: true battlefield killing arts that emphasized defeating the opponent in the fastest, simplest manner possible. As a result, every one of Alex’s strikes was sharp and fierce, carrying a hint of bloodlust.

In complete contrast, Mandarin’s martial arts originated from China’s millennia of tradition. They held less killing intent and more nimbleness and grace, possessing a unique beauty. But anyone who underestimated Mandarin because of that would be in for trouble.

Alex did not underestimate Mandarin. He had fought Mandarin before and knew his martial arts. Yet the instant they exchanged blows, Alex realized he had still underestimated him.

The moment their fists and palms collided, Alex felt as though his palm had been struck by an impact drill. The piercing pain made him instinctively want to withdraw his hand.

Unfortunately, before Alex could move, a powerful force passed through Mandarin’s fist into his palm. It surged forward with unstoppable momentum, crushing everything in its path, as though it had ground Alex’s hand bones to dust. In a single instant, Alex lost all feeling in his entire right arm.

"How does that feel?" Mandarin did not press his advantage as Alex clutched his right arm with his left hand. He stood where he was with a faint smile, casually watching Alex. Beneath his calm gaze, he could not conceal his satisfaction and pride.

Alex staggered backward. After great difficulty, he steadied himself, lifted his head to look at Mandarin, and wore a complicated expression.

Thanks to Ziye Longkuang for the update ticket. Unfortunately, Scorpion had the will but not the strength…