The sound of crackling electricity shot out before I could even make sense of what was happening, and then I was hit as if by a charging rhino. A crushing weight settled in my chest, and I was flung backward.

I tumbled end over end in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground, immediately struck by dizziness and a burning sensation across my back.

Luckily, I landed squarely on my backside, so the injuries weren't too severe.

Shaking my head, I rolled over and pushed myself up, instantly feeling smoke rising from my back.

I glanced over my shoulder to see that the clothes on my back were actually on fire.

I pressed my back against the wall to smother the flames, then quickly tore off my jacket as well.

Turning back toward the creature, I saw that it was already closing in again.

Ignoring the lingering tightness in my chest, I hunched over and scrambled desperately toward the far end of the corridor.

I hadn't taken more than a few steps when I heard that familiar zzzt of electricity behind me again.

This time, I was smarter; I didn't look back but instead dove sideways into the nearest open doorway.

The instant I crossed the threshold, the door frame exploded in a shower of sparks and arcing electricity, as if struck by lightning itself.

A wave of shock hit me, and I muttered a curse before bolting back out and continuing my dash toward the corridor's end.

I felt like one of the Red Army soldiers making that desperate crossing of the Luding Bridge, charging toward victory while dodging enemy fire.

But when I finally struggled my way to the far end of this passage, I instantly froze.

This end was just like the other: completely blocked by a solid wall!

I ran my hands over the wall surface and found this barrier was even thicker than the one at the opposite end—impossible to get through.

With no other choice, since I couldn't retreat, I braced myself for a fight to the death.

I quickly scanned my surroundings and spotted a steel pipe, maybe a meter long, resting against the wall, though I had no idea what it was for.

I snatched the pipe, gripping it tightly, and waved it at the approaching monstrosity while shouting, "Don't come any closer! Or I’ll stick a few holes right through you."

The creature, naturally unimpressed by my threat, maintained its sinister grin and advanced on me, teeth bared and limbs flailing.

Having no choice, I held the pipe in one hand and drew my gun with the other, aiming it again at the center of its brow for a few quick shots.

The first bullet struck its forehead, making it jerk backward as a spray of sparks erupted.

I then rapidly squeezed the trigger again, aiming for its knees.

I reasoned that even if it had a head of iron and arms of bronze, its joints must be vulnerable points; disabling its legs would buy me a chance to escape.

However, when I pulled the trigger, the gun only clicked hollowly—it was out of bullets.

Cold sweat broke out over my scalp, leaving me momentarily helpless.

By this time, the creature had recovered and fixed me with a venomous stare.

It seemed my single volley had enraged it; it slowly opened its mouth again, and electricity began to flicker within.

The light this time was brighter than before; I sensed it intended to kill me instantly.

Trapped in this dead end, with no doors on either side, charging forward meant only a faster death, and there was nowhere left to retreat.

I had less than a second to process this before a bolt of lightning shot toward my chest.

Instinctively, I swung the steel pipe in my hand forward in a desperate block.

What followed was a blinding, spectacular explosion of light right in front of my chest, accompanied by a violent crackling sound.

The arcs of electricity danced wildly like exploding fireworks against the night sky, stinging my face with fiery pain.

My chest felt hollow and tight; I knew it was over.

The Atlanteans had prophesied Nie Chuan’s death, and I hadn't expected to die first.

I wondered vaguely if my demise would spare Nie Chuan his fate.

Lost in these thoughts, I slowly closed my eyes.

After perhaps two or three seconds of darkness, I concentrated hard on my chest, expecting agonizing pain or the crushing pressure of impact.

I thought, Great, my chest must have been blown wide open, which is why I can’t feel anything.

With that morbid thought, I reached out to touch my chest, only to be astonished to find it completely unscathed!

Disbelief washed over me, and I quickly forced my eyes open to check. It was true; nothing was wrong.

However, when I looked at my right hand, the sleeve was shredded into ribbons by the electrical current, revealing skin beneath that was a deep, strange green.

Surprised, a million thoughts raced through my mind, and it took me a full three seconds to piece together what had happened.

First, the steel pipe in my hand was a strong conductor, drawing the electrical energy to it.

Second, this right hand was not composed of flesh and blood, but seemed to be made of something akin to wood.

Wood is an insulator. Therefore, the electrical arc had merely traced its way across the surface of my hand, tearing my clothes apart, while my body remained unharmed by the current.

Once I understood, the fear of its electrical attacks vanished. However, even without the electricity, the creature possessed immense physical strength, so I knew my chances of victory were still slim.

I looked up at the hideous thing opposite me. Its expression mirrored my own surprise; it clearly couldn't fathom why such a potent blast of electricity had failed to kill me.

It seemed that despite its intelligence, it was perhaps less clever than a human. It reopened its mouth, and the electricity shimmering within was even more dazzling than before.

It must have concluded that the previous charge hadn't been strong enough and was preparing a more powerful lethal strike.

I knew this was my one chance; if I let this opportunity slip, it would play with me until I died in minutes.

My resolve hardened. While its mouth was open and it was still gathering energy, I raised the steel pipe with my right hand and rammed it directly into the creature’s mouth.

My right hand already possessed incredible strength, and now, with lethal intent, I put every ounce of power behind the thrust.

As the pipe brutally jammed into the creature’s maw, a violent surge of electricity traveled up the steel rod toward me.

Though my right hand was non-conductive, the intense shocks felt like impaling myself on a million-volt high-tension wire.

Gritting my teeth against the scorching pain of the electric arcs searing my face and chest, I pushed harder, driving the pipe further down.

This time, there was a distinct snap, and the pipe went clean through its throat, piercing it completely.

With this heavy impact, the electricity in the creature's mouth vanished instantly. Its whole body began to convulse terrifyingly, like an animal suffering a seizure.

Seeing its state, I quickly released the pipe and stumbled back two paces.

The moment I let go, the creature collapsed, twitching violently until, after a brief struggle, it lay completely still.

Once I was sure it wasn't moving, I let out a deep breath of relief, clutching my right shoulder and leaning against the wall, gasping for air.

That moment had been a near miss. If my right hand hadn't been different from a normal person's, I doubt anyone could have defeated that thing.

After resting for a moment until my breathing steadied, I slowly approached the creature's corpse, curious to examine what it actually was.

But just as I neared it, the creature’s entire body became enveloped in a chaotic field of crackling electricity.

The current hissed and spat, surging wildly as if out of control.

The corpse on the floor looked like a leaking power bank on the verge of explosion.

Given the sheer power of the electricity it had wielded, the resulting blast would likely be immense.

I abandoned my investigation of the body, quickly skirting around the corpse and slipping into a nearby room, securing the door behind me.

The moment the latch caught, a deafening BOOM echoed outside, shaking the entire vessel. The door I had just closed was blown inward.

Fortunately, knowing the explosion was coming, I had taken cover behind a thick section of the wall and wasn't struck by shrapnel.

When the smoke began to clear, I cautiously stepped back out.

On the ground lay a crater over three meters wide, filled with shredded clothing and dark, indistinct matter—I couldn't tell if it was muscle or something else.

The ceiling had also suffered a massive collapse from the blast, and I saw a beam of light filtering down from above.

I knew instantly that the explosion must have blown open the passageway to the deck above, and a surge of joy hit me.

The entire corridor wasn't very high, but the pit in the floor made climbing difficult.

However, this wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. I searched through several rooms and managed to find a table and two chairs.

Stacking them together, I just barely reached the edge of the opening.

Grasping the steel lip above me with both hands, I strained and pulled myself up.