Infinity Armament Volume 4 Chapter 28

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Time is something that we always lacked, especially when we needed it the most.

Translated by: LaPhong

Edited by: vbguy2011

Book 4 Chapter 28: Human-Vehicle Integration

The SUV sped crazily on the road to Los Angeles city and left the Harvesters far behind.

Based on  their performance, those robots did not intend to madly chase after them. It could be assumed that this had not been the official second round of pursuit. They had encountered one Harvester all due to bad luck.

From another point of view, it might  not have been bad luck. Encountering one early helped Shen Yi understand the properties of Harvesters.

 

Because of this, a strange feeling arose in Shen Yi's heart - he felt that his luck had always been very good.

This luck was invisible, intangible, yet the feeling it gave Shen Yi was strong.

There seemed to be something favoring him, but he could not tell what it was.

While he was lost in his thoughts Zhou Yiyu's voice interrupted: "Hey, if you already have a T-1000, how about giving it to me?"

Shen Hao did not respond well: "T-1000 still isn't in hand. Getting a Harvester was just the first step. What are you in a rush for? If you can't collect all four different types of Energy Core, even if you have multiple of three types, it's all waste. Don't worry, I'm usually fair. Your contribution is in here, and half of it belongs to you."

Zhou Yiyu shouted: "I see you are a fair man. You are good to your own team members, and are a bit clever. How about you invite me to join your team?"

"It sounds like you expect me to feel honored?"

"Hey, I have a rare talent!" Zhou Yiyu called out: "In the whole Bloody City, you can't find another good driver like me."

"That is the problem! Given your driving skills are so good, why do people still not want you? Don't tell me those boring reasons like 'no one knows'. You can't possibly have never fought alongside someone before."

"Because I'm modest."

"Oh, really? Please allow me to give you this." Shen Yi gave him a middle finger: "Don't take me for a  fool. You better be simple and straightforward, how about it?"

 

Zhou Yiyu shook his head helplessly, raised his hand, and said: "Ok, ok, I can tell you the truth, but you have to sign a contract to keep it a secret."

"OK." Shen Yi agreed.

"My driving skills are directly related to my innermost secret. After I say it, you have to tell me the secret behind your ability too. How did you control the saw blade that came out of the Harvester? Of course I will also sign a contract to keep your secret. Is it fair?"

"Yes."

After signing the contract, Zhou Yiyu said: "My driving skills are actually my own skills."

Shen Yi was shocked: "How is this possible?"

There were many kinds of skills in Bloody City, offensive, support, special, etc…

But all these skills, there is a basic principle: bare-handed or based on weapons.

In other words, the adventurers' skills couldn't be used with any other items outside of weapons. For example, there was no skill like: "if you get a computer, you will be able to summon the cartoon characters out of it", or "let the car make a long jump" like Zhou Yiyu had done. These crazy things would absolutely not happen.

Therefore Zhou Yyu's car maneuvering could only be his personal driving skills, not a skill especially made for cars.

Shen Yi was completely certain about this point because he had collected information on all skills in the city. It was precisely because of this that he was curious about the car prowess  Zhou Yiyu had demonstrated.

He knew that even the Grandmaster-level Driving Forte also couldn't maneuver the car so superbly.

So the moment Zhou Yiyu said his driving techniques were actually skills, Shen Yi's jaw dropped.

Noticing Shen Yi's disbelieving eyes, Zhou Yiyu sighed and said: "It's really hard to believe, but do you remember the move 'Spiral Dance' I used before?"

"Yes."

"In fact, it was a Rank D skill, Spiral Drill. It makes the user rotate spirally, hitting the opponent at high speed, causing continuous damage to the target."

"No wonder it looked so familiar. It turned out to be that skill."

"There are still the upwards jumps of the car, which in fact is Shoryuken (Rising Dragon Fist) from the game Street Fighter. But what I used is a weakened version."

"So what about the rollovers?"

"That is a real driving skill!" Zhou Yiyu replied very seriously: "As long as you have enough ability and Driving Forte, you can do it."

"On the roof as well?"

"That was the item skill of one of my equipments, which causes a target to ignore gravity for twenty seconds."

Shen Yi understood: "Do you have a certain ability to use all the skills and abilities for vehicles? For example, an Innate Talent?"

Zhou Yiyu nodded and smiled. "You finally understood? Yes, I awoke my Innate Talent. It is called Human-Vehicle Integration. I can control the vehicle as if it is an extension of my body. The car becomes my body. I am able to make the vehicle perform actions that my body can do. Of course, that must be the whole body action. I can't make it do actions like bending fingers… the car does not have fingers."

"It's an amazing Innate Talent."

"Unfortunately, the cost is also great. With this Innate Talent, the damage of all my skills have permanently decreased by 15%, thus greatly affecting my combat effectiveness …" Zhou Yiyu said helplessly.

Shen Yi finally understood.

Zhouyi Yu's Innate Talent was indeed very strong, as it could make mechanical vehicles do things an ordinary people could not make it do. However, it would also weaken his own strength to some extent. Therefore, Zhou Yiyu's personal combat was actually not high. Although he had two offensive skills, the power he exerted was not necessarily stronger than that of a person with only one offensive skill. Taking into account the defense and other issues, the 15% damage reduction might result into an actual 20% or 30% damage reduction. In addition, mechanical enhancing direction didn't have much demand for the attributes of adventurers themselves, but had great demand for mechanical products. As a result, some skills whose power depended on attributes couldn't play a major role.

That made Zhou Yiyu develop a crippling overspecialization, allowing him to perform with ease in the mechanical worlds, but becoming relatively weak in other worlds. This was actually quite unfavorable at the initial stage. Especially in a world like Bloody City, barrel theory(1) was extremely important, and a person's shortcomings would often become his or her mortal wounds.

Even though today Zhou Yiyu could actively choose a mechanical world, Bloody City, after a certain time, would likely disrupt his planned missions and make other arrangements. Once Zhou Yiyu was sent to a world that was not suitable for him, he would suffer.

As a result, other adventurers lacked interest in this seemingly ordinary guy.

The reason why Zhou Yi Yu chose the Terminator mission world was mostly because he did not have many choices. He could not shout everywhere "In fact, I can let any vehicle become my best weapon". Not only would that reveal his trump card, but that might also prevent others from accepting him, or make him a target to be taken advantage of. For example, they might join him for mechanical worlds, but discard him him for other mission worlds.

Being misunderstood without being able to explain himself was truly a painful thing for this young man.

Shen Yi's appearance was undoubtedly a ray of light in the eyes of Zhou Yiyu.

His Activation ability was of great benefit to Zhou Yiyu. The primary weakness of all mechanical products was their weak resistance and being easily damaged, leading to his ability to be  just adequate rather than practical. However, with Shen Yi, that weakness was greatly overcome. Moreover, Shen Yi's mind and his care for his teammates let him feel that this was a reliable partner.

So he took the initiative to offer joining Shen Yi's team, and frankly showed his own trump card.

His expression was carefree, but in fact, he was quite nervous.

Shen Yi thought for a moment and asked, "Remember when we met for the first time, you said that you were a model before entering the city? It was not true, right?"

Zhou Yiyu laughed: "A lot of people look down on me and I can't prove myself. Since there is no way to change their minds, then let them look down even more… I used to be a racer, but I became handicapped in one race. I was grateful for Bloody City because it allowed me to stand up again. I love racing, I like the smell of gasoline burning in the air, I like the sound of the engine roar. It is Bloody City that made me become one with the car. Although I paid for it, I still feel I have got enough compared to when I had been disabled. Sometimes I would think that if I had not been disabled before I came here, maybe I would not need to pay such a big price, but my Innate Talent might not have such a strong effect. Since I was born for vehicles, I do not mind being tied up because of it."

Speaking of this, he looked at Shen Yi: "I like my Innate Talent, no matter what it costs me, I think it is worth it."

Shen Yi looked deeply at him - really everyone had their own story.

Maybe it was the feeling that some of his words were depressing. Zhou Yiyu laughed loudly: "I said everything I could. It's your turn now."

Shen Yi also revealed his Innate Talent. His Delicacy didn't have amazing performance, but at the same time, it didn't have a cost, and it had a very high degree of practicality.

Because he could accurately control his strength, and at the same time he possessed Bones and Joint Dislocation Hand, he could adjust the direction of the saw blade like a gimmick.

"I did not expect that you had also opened an Innate Talent." Zhou Yiyu praised.

Innate Talent was the most special power system in Bloody City. Other enhancements could be achieved through hard work. Only Innate Talents would vary from person to person. Even some adventurers who had reached Difficulty Level 5 and became the top of the strongest, were still unqualified from opening their Innate Talent. Therefore, Zhou Yiyu had always been very proud of his Innate Talent, although that Innate Talent also posed a great burden on him. He did not expect Shen Yi also had an Innate Talent which was more practical and did not require a great cost like his.

Shen Yi laughed: "The Innate Talent may be the biggest difference between people. I once thought that a person's development should have goals and directions. Now I suddenly feel that adventurers' direction for development should be based on their own Innate Talent. It is precisely the best way to make use of our own potential. However, also because of that, I don't know how to choose my enhancing direction."

"Why?"

"I had Activation and also a healing skill. My companion suggested that I should follow the enhancing direction of a summoner. I also thought this was a good idea, but now I realize that enhancing direction would  definitely be a waste of my Innate Talent because it would not help much for this enhancing direction."

"If this is the case…" Zhou Yiyu touched his chin and thought for a moment: "If you trust me, tell me about all your abilities. Maybe I can give you some good advice."

"You?" Shen Yi looked at him.

"Yes." Zhou Yiyu said with certainty: "I still have some understanding of reinforcement. For the enhancing system of the city, I am confident that I understand it quite well. Of course, I can sign the confidentiality contract."

TL's note:

Barrel theory: AKA Liebig's law of the minimum: the capacity of a barrel with staves of unequal length is limited by the shortest stave.

Chapter end