Chapter 118: Soft Body Technique

David was deeply curious about the knowledge orb of Contortion Technique (65% mastery), so instead of following his original plan to merge the previous knowledge orb, he chose to integrate this unique new ability orb.

He instructed his Shadow Servant to transfer the Contortion Technique orb into his body. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he was immersed in an illusion.

The first sensation David experienced was pain—not an unbearable, excruciating pain, but a persistent, tearing ache.

Within the illusion, his body was pushed to its human limits, contorting so that his rear pressed against his head, legs bending to form a perfect square.

Then, his body began to perform an array of unimaginably difficult and extreme stretching movements. His arms rotated a full 360 degrees, defying the constraints of the shoulder joints, and his legs lifted with ease.

Had anyone witnessed David’s movements in the underground gym, they would surely have been astonished.

Whether due to the unique nature of the Contortion Technique or the relative simplicity of this ability, the movements David performed within the illusion were mirrored physically in reality.

Though his real body was drenched in sweat from executing actions beyond its normal limits, his conscious mind was only partially aware of the strain, as the illusion diminished the intensity of the pain he felt.

Contortion Technique is an ability that pushes the body’s ligaments beyond their limits. It is a difficult skill to master, requiring innate talent and natural flexibility.

Forcing oneself to practice recklessly often results in torn ligaments or even broken bones.

As David moved his body, the merged Contortion Technique orb continuously emitted faint, strange energies, reconstructing his ligaments to prevent injury during these extreme maneuvers.

David found the illusion experience peculiar. The time spent merging the orb was brief; after cycling through movements involving every joint, he began to feel himself detach from the illusion.

Upon returning to reality, he was overwhelmed by a pain far more intense than that within the illusion, his body soaked with sweat from head to toe.

“What’s happening?” David murmured in amazement, noticing his body felt astonishingly light and agile.

He had initially been disappointed upon realizing the illusion was merely a stretching exercise.

Despite the exaggerated stretches, he had trained in the Eighteen Forms of Physical Art for years and knew his flexibility could not surpass the human limit, although it was sufficient for executing normal attack moves.

However, after sensing the extraordinary changes in his body, he realized he had underestimated the Contortion Technique orb—or perhaps the abilities of his Shadow Servant.

With his current body awareness, he could clearly perceive the transformation taking place.

Every ligament in his body ached, but they had become noticeably more flexible.

David stretched out his hand to touch his back; his arm extended with an exaggerated reach from one shoulder past the shoulder blade and down nearly to his waist.

Retracting his arm, he began practicing the Contortion Technique he had just acquired. The pain persisted, but having autonomously stretched once within the illusion, it was bearable.

Performing one acrobatic move after another, David recognized that his body had indeed changed. Though he could not yet assess the exact impact on his combat effectiveness, he was certain his control over his body had become more precise.

Next, he absorbed and merged two more knowledge orbs. He deliberately avoided absorbing the Heavy Axe Mastery orb (78% mastery), opting instead to prioritize those at the proficient level.

After finishing a portion of Level 2 Enhanced Meat and completing his practice of the Eighteen Forms of Physical Art, his day’s training was complete.

Eschewing sleep, he piloted his Type-II Land Tiger armored vehicle toward the hideout. The exposure of the hideout had left him uneasy about leaving the Beacon Ship there.

Descending from the air, he immediately used his identity wristband to open the underground entrance in the courtyard.

The Shadow Servant, carrying a pendant, activated the Beacon Ship. In the darkness, the ship silently rose into the sky, with the automated Type-II Land Tiger armored vehicle trailing far behind.

At the aviation station, the cargo hatch atop the Titan S600 transport ship silently opened. The ship was parked in a docking area where numerous scanners operated, yet the Beacon Ship remained undetected—like a ghost vessel.

The Beacon Ship slowly descended into the Titan S600’s hold, where fixed supports automatically extended from the bottom to secure it firmly in place.

Only after completing these arrangements did David breathe a long sigh of relief.

At least now, the Beacon Ship and the 445 bottles of “Elixir of Eternal Youth” stored within were safe. The Titan S600 was parked in a public zone, and no one could approach it without forcibly attacking the aviation station.

David had commanded the intelligent autopilot system of the Titan S600 that, should anyone attempt to attack the ship, energy shields would activate immediately, and it would take off, soaring high into the sky.

Only after ensuring all this was done did David finally rest easy and go to sleep.

In the police station, Kush scowled as he examined intelligence from the Skynet Mercenary Station.

Because David had received the Silver Star Medal, no harmful missions targeting him could be issued for at least a year. This was the mercenary organization’s respect for Silver Star recipients and a compromise with the military and the Federation.

Though powerful, the mercenary organization had to consider many related interests, and such regulations emerged accordingly.

Just as the mercenaries would never accept contracts against those honored with the “National Hero” title, these rules also served to protect the mercenary organization itself.

Every medal recipient was a hero, a warrior who had fought for the survival of their species against the insectoid threat.

Should the mercenary organization dare to issue contracts against heroes, many mercenaries within would oppose it, and externally, it would invite hostility from the military, government, and other organizations.

“That damned brat… Just two more days. When the military cleanses the insectoid forces outside the city, I will personally capture you!” Kush muttered softly.

Several days had passed since the war. Postwar matters were mostly settled, and preparations began to clear out the Level 1 insectoids forcibly evolved from larvae and those who had escaped during the conflict.

Without this cleanup, the surrounding insectoid hunting operations on Perran Star could not proceed. Without the military’s overwhelming force, the hunters dared not venture beyond the city.

The operation was scheduled for February 7th, led primarily by the military’s Armored Knight Squad, supported by interceptor drones in the sky, and symbolically involving some government Armored Knights.

At that time, the military’s focus would be tied up by the operation. Kush no longer intended to delay; the longer the wait, the less secure the “Elixir of Eternal Youth” would be.

He had initially planned to have mercenaries stir chaos in Perran City to exploit the confusion, but plans rarely survive contact with reality.

For the sake of that batch of “Elixir,” Kush was willing to risk exposure.

David was unaware of Kush’s schemes. That morning, he woke, consumed another portion of Level 2 Enhanced Meat, and practiced the Eighteen Forms of Physical Art again.

He felt the transformation of his strength nearing completion; the Level 2 Enhanced Meat accelerated the process.

In truth, if these enhanced meats were handed to an alchemist to produce fortified potions, they could forcibly create multiple digital Armored Knights.

This also reflected David’s solid foundation. With his proficient-level physical art, the absorption effect of the Level 2 Enhanced Meat was excellent, with virtually no waste.

David instructed his Shadow Servant to open his attribute panel. He stared at the unchanging figures and shook his head helplessly.

Since hitting a bottleneck, despite continuous training, consuming three complete Level 2 insectoid enhancement meats, and some Level 1 ones before, none of these resources had boosted his attributes even slightly.

“Wait, why has my agility increased?” David suddenly looked at his agility stat, which had risen from 2.2 to 2.21.

Though a mere 0.01 increase, it was a surprising improvement.

He was certain that before merging the knowledge orbs last night, his agility was still 2.2, unchanged.