As the voices of these two men faded, the cubic test subject monster let out a muffled, thunderous gasp. Then, letting its two unnaturally long arms dangle, it lumbered toward Old Charlie, each footfall sending a slight tremor through the ground. Even the coffee cups resting on the table clinked incessantly against their spoons, producing a jarring clang-clang-clang, a testament to the sheer force it possessed.

Old Charlie didn't even spare it a glance. He picked up his bag, turned, coughed lightly twice, and then ambled slowly toward his private booth, treating the terrifying monster as if it were utterly invisible!

It was important to remember that Test Subject One was still coated in fresh blood and human tissue! How dare he turn his back on such a beast?

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, the onlookers couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration, though they remained unaware of the countless terrifying ordeals Old Charlie had weathered since joining Fang Senyan. A mere test subject like this was hardly worth mentioning.

The test subject strode forward, the blocky muscles on its massive arms actually creaking under the strain, and with a vicious lunge, it snatched out toward Old Charlie!

But just as it lunged, a strange shade of green shimmered across the wooden floor beneath Old Charlie's feet, seemingly generating a powerful upward lift. This allowed Old Charlie to take an unexpectedly vast stride, instantly escaping the test subject’s reach.

Thus, the test subject’s punch smashed fiercely into the wooden floor!

This is where the issue of the flooring must be addressed. During interstellar voyages, building materials are typically standardized, specialized concrete, precisely engineered to set quickly yet remain easy to transport. With flight units now measured in "light-years," transportation costs are a massive concern. Therefore, using wood in other areas is generally considered a profound luxury.

However, the Alps Seven Base possessed unique advantages in this regard.

Less than thirty million kilometers away orbited a planet rich in nitrogen and argon, which fostered a very peculiar form of flora. This plant resembled Earth’s moss, spreading across the planet in dense carpets, yet its sheer size rivaled that of a banyan tree! Consequently, at the Alps Seven Base, utilizing this "Giant Mosswood" as a building material was actually more cost-effective.

The wooden floor that the test subject struck was crafted from this Giant Mosswood. Due to its peculiar inherent texture, the plank immediately shattered. And this Giant Mosswood broke down spectacularly; under the irresistible, massive force, it disintegrated, much like automotive glass, into countless sharp splinters that sprayed outward in all directions.

At that moment, green light flickered again beneath Old Charlie's feet. He immediately shifted from a forward movement to a retreat, then, using his backward foot as a pivot, he spun a sharp 180 degrees, turning back to slam one hand directly onto the face of Test Subject One, whose giant arm had not yet been fully retracted!

At this instant, Test Subject One, which had been wrapping its two terrifying massive arms around Old Charlie’s waist, intending to exert force to brutally snap the older man’s lumbar vertebrae, froze instantly. Five or six seconds later, the cubic, muscular monster convulsed violently all over, then collapsed heavily forward onto its face, utterly lifeless!

The atmosphere in the entire auction hall instantly dropped into a dead, awkward silence.

Only Fang Senyan understood what had transpired during those moments. He had already summoned Ramtas, who specialized in first and second-tier nature magic. The dramatic increase in Old Charlie’s speed was merely a simple first-tier nature spell: Haste Step.

(First-Tier Nature Spell: Haste Step. Utilizes natural energy to trigger the subject's potential, increasing their movement speed by 0.8 meters/second. The spell lasts for sixty seconds. If the vicinity is a forest, grassland, or contains abundant flora, the spell duration will be proportionally extended.)

The reason the subsequent palm strike by Old Charlie was so lethally effective was that, as his hand shot out, he had deftly snatched a wood splinter, about ten centimeters long, out of the air and wedged it between his fingers.

This splinter was completely ordinary. When the Giant Mosswood exploded, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of such splinters were scattered due to the material's nature. Ramtas had cast a second-tier nature spell upon just one of these splinters:

"Animate Wood: Transforms a small or smaller wooden object into an animated entity."

Old Charlie then slammed the splinter into Test Subject One’s right eye. It pierced deeply into the brain, and the splinter immediately animated into a startled hedgehog… This startled hedgehog, finding itself in the warm, viscous environment of the brain, did only one thing instinctively: raise the quills upon its body!

Test Subject One’s thick hide could barely be penetrated by bullets, but that absolutely did not mean its brain could remain functional after such an impact! Otherwise, why would they construct its cranium from alloy steel?

This was the reason Old Charlie’s seemingly casual palm strike instantly felled the fierce and blazing Test Subject One.

The gazes of those nearby now fixed upon Old Charlie, filled with sheer terror. Frankly, because of Old Charlie's former status as an Imperial Noble, his entire family had been subjected to even greater bullying and humiliation after his downfall. Who among the assembled had not scorned or insulted him? Some had treated him like dung to be stepped on, refusing to get close, and others had cursed him merely for being within ten meters.

But this man, forced by circumstance to become a sold-out artificial human, had now turned the tables spectacularly. That powerful bio-engineered test subject, clad in military-standard advanced combat armor, had been felled by a single palm strike from this old man whose bones seemed long dissolved! What kind of farce was this?

Most critically… if this old man decided to target them, wouldn't he just flick them away?

With the death of Test Subject One, the pretense between the factions was completely shattered. Fang Senyan didn't even need to issue an order; Old Charlie knew exactly what to do. In the past, a moment of indecision led to his reputation being ruined and his entire family sinking to the lowest dregs of society. Now, armed with formidable strength, he was completely unrestrained!

Therefore, immediately after striking down Test Subject One, Old Charlie hunched his body and charged toward the private booth. Old Charlie's current agility was twice that of a healthy adult male on Old Earth, translating to roughly three and a half to four times the agility of a modern human—and this was compounded by the potent boost from Haste Step!

Thus, upon charging, Old Charlie reached the man named Glang with blinding speed, seizing him and using his neck as a grip, forcibly shoving him into the private booth as a shield.

Old Charlie maintained his hunched, skulking posture, yet his movements were ghost-like. The people inside the booth reacted instantly, opening fire. Smoke billowed and wood chips flew, momentarily exposing the occupants within.

There were four individuals inside the booth:

One was a youth, perhaps twenty years old, with a pale complexion, drifting eyes, and unsteady footing. However, his eyes held a distinctly sinister glint. His attire was unique—it resembled a swallowtail coat, but the collar was a high, standing roll-neck, creating an air of distorted opulence.

The fabric of the clothing was equally peculiar; as the wearer moved, the material emitted ripples like concentric waves on water, truly breathtaking to behold.

Only this youth remained seated.

The other three were standing, but even while standing, the difference in their status was clearly discernible.

The man closest to the youth was also a muscle-bound type, but his build was like Fang Senyan’s: broad and athletic, not the bulky, muscle-piled type of the test subject. This man wore dark glasses, his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly dismissive of everything.

It was clear he served as the youth’s final line of defense.

In front of that man was an older gentleman, clearly the butler or secretary type, responsible for arranging all manner of affairs, and perhaps occasionally offering ill-advised suggestions. To put it plainly, if Fang Senyan were to assume the role of a profligate young master, Old Charlie and Jin Kuang would be playing similar supporting roles.

Standing at the outermost edge was a monster whose entire arms had been modified into weaponry. This creature was firing maniacally. The corpse of the unfortunate Glang was brutally shredded into several pieces by its bullets, yet it failed to even scratch Old Charlie’s skin, only forcing him behind cover, peppering the pillar in smoke and sending chunks of concrete flying!

At this moment, the remaining auction attendees needed no encouragement; chaos erupted as they scattered in a panicked rush. Fortunately, this was not a concert, and the gathering had been hastily arranged. There were only about ten main attendees, plus their retinue, totaling perhaps thirty people; they could certainly flee quickly.

Amidst this confusion, a gray shadow shot out like lightning, piercing the chest of the modified man whose arms were weapons! Electricity instantly flared, crackling and popping with fierce snaps, accompanied by plumes of black smoke.

The gray shadow was none other than a quill fired by Ramtas. The modified man appeared not to have been hit in a vital spot; even as electricity surged and black smoke poured from his chest, he attempted to turn and return fire. Furthermore, his left arm was rapidly morphing, unfolding a mounted energy weapon, preparing to aim and fire.