Chapter 437: Allen to Intervene in the Future War
"Why doesn't he look even remotely exhausted?"
Lumic stared at the surveillance screen. More and more Cybers were emerging from the factory, yet not a single human had been eliminated.
Of course, a thought lingered in his mind—perhaps he could seize that man's body for research and use it to cure his own paralysis.
Confined to a wheelchair since being afflicted with ALS, Lumic's body had become a prison for his soul, which yearned for freedom.
Had the future Cybers not promised the ability to preserve his consciousness and transfer it to a mechanical body, he never would have cooperated so willingly.
As one of the wealthiest men on Earth, Lumic was not the kind to be manipulated.
The Cybers' display of cybernetic modification technology included the ability to transplant human brains.
And so, he began to covet Allen's body.
'If I transplant my brain into his body, maybe I'll gain some kind of unbelievable power.'
What Lumic didn't know was that the neural device on his head, originally meant to control his wheelchair, also continuously monitored his thoughts.
A covert command was issued by the future Cybers.
Two Cybers approached immediately and came straight to Lumic's side.
"What are you doing?!"
Sensing something was wrong, Lumic looked at the Cybers in alarm and shouted, "Are you turning on me now?!"
"You have been selected for an upgrade. Proceeding with system modification."
A standard Cyber responded rigidly and began pushing his wheelchair toward the factory's workshop.
"No... You can't do this! I'm your boss!"
But Cybers had no emotions—only absolute obedience to the system's commands.
Even when Lumic tried to lock the wheelchair in place, it was no match for the Cybers' sheer strength. The wheels were forced forward until smoke billowed from the rubber.
As he entered the workshop, he saw a massive spatial apparatus shaped like a metallic doorway. One by one, Cybers from all over the world were stepping through it.
It was at that moment that fear took hold.
Lumic finally realized he had made an irreversible mistake.
Clearly, the future Cybers had already begun massive conversions in secret and now possessed the power to dominate humanity. The only reason they hadn't made a move yet was due to a lack of resources.
…
Experience sufficient. Current Taoist class: Level 40.
New skill unlocked: Group Healing.
Group Healing: Heals all allies within a 10-meter radius. The effectiveness depends on the skill's level.
…
Experience sufficient. Current Taoist class: Level 45.
New skill unlocked: Group Invisibility.
Group Invisibility: Creates a fixed stealth field within a 10-meter radius. Stealth is canceled upon leaving the area.
…
With each level-up, more skills were unlocked.
For instance, Holy Light and Demon Binding Curse—the former was a cleansing skill effective on any creature, even the undead; the latter was a wide-area crowd-control spell that stopped the thoughts of any creature with lower mental strength than the caster.
Naturally, the downside was that a single external stimulus could instantly snap the target out of it. And once resisted, the curse wouldn't work again for a time.
At Level 70, two new skills were unlocked: Nether Talisman and Earth Escape.
Nether Talisman imbued the soul talisman with nether-type damage. In other words, it damaged both soul and body, adding a bonus to physical attacks.
Earth Escape was a life-saving evasion technique that allowed Allen to phase through solid objects. As he leveled up, both the duration and speed of the technique improved.
"Earth Escape!"
The moment Allen activated the skill, he felt his body become light and intangible, as if suspended between reality and illusion.
"Wow, this skill really suits my outfit."
He adjusted the frilly one-piece swimsuit he was wearing, then raised both hands above his head in a diving pose. "National women's diving team: water splash elimination technique!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he dove into the ground headfirst.
Like plunging into water, he vanished into the earth.
"Ugh... it's so dark down here."
Suddenly, Allen popped his head out of the ground. Like a disembodied head sliding along the surface, the sight was eerie.
"Butterfly stroke!"
"Breaststroke!"
"Freestyle!"
"Dog paddle!"
Allen had truly achieved land swimming.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten his main task—he continuously summoned skeleton warriors and divine beasts.
At Level 8, Summon Skeleton could summon four elite skeleton warriors at once. Against the Cybers' overwhelming laser barrages, they could hold their ground for several minutes—a remarkable feat.
Meanwhile, his Level 8 Summon Divine Beast skill was beginning to produce beasts with a qilin-like form.
Suddenly, Allen had a realization: "Oh crap, I've been playing Legend World, not Legend of Blood! Tch… a pay-to-win grindfest even dogs wouldn't touch."
With four skeleton warlords and one qilin divine beast charging into the ranks of the Cybers, chaos ensued.
"Having these little helpers grind XP while I manually mop up... I mean, come on, who's dumb enough to slave away themselves when you can summon five grinding minions?" Allen muttered smugly as he swam underground.
"Whoops! I'm stuck."
Earth Escape ended, leaving only his head above ground while the rest of him remained trapped.
Luckily, Taoist skills had no cooldown and could be continuously cast to maintain buffs.
However, skills consumed mental energy.
Not that it mattered—Allen's mental strength was now virtually immeasurable. With support from spirit-based techniques, his endurance had reached terrifying levels.
"Tch... why do I feel more energized the more I use skills?"
In any case, Allen felt no fatigue and had zero concerns about sustainability.
After more than an hour, his Summon Skeleton skill maxed out.
Four Reinforced Dragonbone Skeletons emerged.
Clad in dragon-patterned golden armor and wielding blazing poison blades, their lightning-fast movements could instantly slay Cybers. Even high-energy lasers no longer harmed them.
"Damn! These dragonbone skeletons are fast—like watching a tutorial video from a Japanese AV teacher at 2.5x speed."
Allen sighed, "I always feel inferior because I can't keep up at 2.5x playback."
Half an hour later, his Summon Divine Beast skill also maxed out.
A fully enhanced Flame Qilin emerged.
Like a creature straight out of myth, golden flames flickered between its mane, sharp and radiant.
It breathed fire, unleashing a golden inferno that melted entire Cyber formations into molten metal.
"This cheat is too obvious. Hope I don't get banned."
Watching the battlefield littered with defeated Cybers, Allen began to feel a hint of pity.
"This is too brutal… so let's be even more brutal!"
As the Cybers struggled to hold the front line, Tony and Bruce led the others to approach.
"Everyone's here."
Allen poked his head out of the ground and looked up proudly. "Find a nice spot and crack open some sunflower seeds—I've got this."
"…"
They didn't doubt Allen's power.
But the sheer number of Cybers raised alarms.
No single Cyber factory should house this much firepower—and the endless reinforcements suggested something more.
"Allen, we need to shut down their core."
The Doctor said grimly, "I suspect the Cybers have mastered spatial tech and are summoning their forces from all over the world. You can't kill them all. Worse, they might be abducting humans for conversion. To prevent more casualties, I need you to get me into the factory so I can shut down the Cyber program."
"So… can I keep farming the leftovers for XP?" Allen tilted his head.
"You can," the Doctor replied without hesitation.
He had faced the Cybers before and knew that once the conversion process was complete, there was no going back to being human.
Even if only one Cyber remained, it would still follow its directive to build a new mechanical civilization.
Allen's request was unnecessary. The Doctor would have chosen mass extermination either way.
"Armpits of justice!"
Allen leapt from the ground, pointed ahead, and launched a barrage of soul talismans.
White crystal pillars hovered above the battlefield, glowing faintly.
The Cybers caught within the Demon Binding Curse instantly froze.
Cybers weren't purely mechanical—they required organic brains, and not just from any creature, but from intelligent species. Ordinary animal brains wouldn't meet their standards.
"How did you do that?" Morgan asked in shock.
Allen replied bashfully, "That's a personal matter."
"…"
You're insane. Don't use idioms like that.
The Demon Binding Curse could be cast infinitely and didn't conflict even if its zones overlapped.
"Don't touch them—physical contact will break the curse."
Allen called out as he casually tossed more curses and led the group forward.
Thanks to him, the team strutted into the Cyber factory like they were on a field trip.
It was so smooth, it felt surreal. They had been bracing for a desperate battle.
But reality? It was like a joke.
"Blocking the entrance? How childish."
The corridor ahead was packed with Cybers, forming a tight blockade.
Allen immobilized them with his curse, then carved a path using soul talismans.
"What's this?" Morgan pointed at the rows of circular pods that filled the factory floor.
"Cyber conversion chambers," Tony replied with a face full of guilt.
It was obvious both he and Bruce had helped Lumic's company perfect the conversion tech.
As they advanced floor by floor, they encountered little resistance.
Inside the factory, Cybers were the only threat.
They had likely grown overconfident and hadn't installed other defenses.
Which made sense—Cybers were practically invincible in the human world. With every person connected to a smart device, they had already embedded themselves deeply into human society.
Too bad for them, one unpredictable variable had appeared.
Allen came to a halt. "This is the final floor. The boss is inside."
A metal shutter door sealed the way forward. There were no buttons or keypads.
"I've got it."
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned along the edge of the door. In less than a minute, he turned to the others. "Done."
Allen bent his fingers into a wavy peace sign. "Don't worry. The moment it opens, I'll freeze them all."
Psshh!
A hiss as the door vented pressure.
As soon as a crack appeared, Allen flopped to the ground and unleashed a torrent of soul talismans.
He flooded the entrance with Demon Binding Curses.
With enough volume, no one could escape.
The gate fully opened.
"Raise your feet! In the name of justice, the Pretty Boy Warrior desecrates you!"
Allen was the first to roll inside. The immobilized Cybers were mid-assembly, working on a circular arch device.
"Cyber Elders?!"
The Doctor's eyes locked on two distinct Cybers.
The ring-shaped device was a sign of high-level Cyber hierarchy. In the absence of the Cyber Emperor, Cyber Elders could assume control and prevent chaos.
"What's with the round light on the back of your head? Planning to livestream and become an influencer?" Allen quipped.
"This isn't simple," the Doctor muttered, stunned and puzzled. "Cyber Elders were first developed 26,000 years into their evolution. There's no way these should exist now."
"Cybers evolved through countless wars, refining their flaws until they became a feared war race—even by cosmic standards."
"There's only one explanation: they've traveled from the future."
He turned toward the circular gate and instinctively scanned it with his sonic screwdriver.
"As expected—they're building a stable time conduit to connect two timelines."
Hearing this, the others rushed to see for themselves.
Time travel… in modern Earth, it was the stuff of sci-fi films.
But here it was, real and tangible—so unbelievable it barely felt real.
Tony and Bruce wore expressions of utter bewilderment, like elementary schoolers facing a college exam.
Their minds were filled with one thought: What… the… hell… is this?!
In their confusion, all eyes turned to Allen.
"…Why are you looking at me?"
Allen blinked innocently. "Do I look like someone with a science degree? Ask the Doctor. He's the expert."
Because of Allen's previously jaw-dropping performance, everyone naturally saw him as the backbone of the group, subconsciously assuming he understood everything.
In truth, if it weren't for the cheat, Allen wouldn't know a damn thing. He used to be quite the pro at finding risqué websites, but since most foreign sites charged money, he eventually gave up the habit.
Otherwise, the computer of Arkham Asylum's Warden Quincey would've looked like a digital farm—infested with all kinds of Trojan viruses.
"The time tunnel is nearly complete. We just need to upload the final program before it can run. Also…"
The Doctor paused slightly before continuing, "It uses Time Lord technology."
Since it was from his own civilization, there was no way the Doctor could be mistaken.
"Destroying the time tunnel—would that stop the disaster?" Damian asked.
"No way."
Allen's eyes lit up as he cut in ahead of the Doctor: "He already explained this part to me—time travel must be spaced at least a year apart. So destroying the tunnel now would only buy us one year of safety."
"That's right."
The Doctor added, "The Cybermen definitely have a one-way time tunnel. They can keep sending reinforcements from the other end without interruption, until they meet their goal. The most logical explanation for such massive Cyberman conversion is that they're in the middle of a war—and they need an overwhelming number of troops to carry them to victory. Forget about making those hard-headed Cybermen back down—it's just not going to happen."
"Then what do we do?" Bruce asked urgently.
"Go to the other side of the timeline and end the war," the Doctor said solemnly.
"..."
The moment he said this, everyone fell silent.
Travel to the future and end a war far beyond reach—it sounded like pure fantasy.
"Doctor, I've got to say—your suggestion fits my current mental state perfectly," Allen nodded meaningfully.
"But first, I need to find out who the Cybermen are fighting."
The Doctor turned and walked toward the Cyber Elder…