This was a state Zheng Zha had envisioned even before arriving in this horror movie world: the instantaneous "Destruction" state. While he was terrifyingly powerful during "Destruction," the accompanying physical strain was almost unbearable, something he could only accept in a fight for his very life... like when facing his own clone. Otherwise, it was best to use "Destruction" only when victory was certain.

The idea was sound, yet reality often forced his hand, compelling him to use the "Destruction" skill in combat. For instance, if he could employ "Destruction" against these Praetorian bugs, he could easily tear them apart... meaning ripping open their joints, as he wasn't confident he could crush the black carapace with his bare hands even with the infinite power of "Destruction."

Since the "Destruction" state was often necessary, Zheng Zha had meticulously contemplated a possibility for this self-created skill: the instantaneous "Destruction" state!

Entering "Destruction" made the surrounding time seem to slow drastically. While only one second passed externally, it felt like several seconds to him within the state. Thus, an instantaneous "Destruction" burst would be enough to execute multiple actions—perhaps a quick "Tempest Kick" (Lan Jiao), a burst of "Shave" (Ti), or leaping and using an instantaneous "Moon Walk" (Yue Bu) to change direction and accelerate. Though fleeting, these actions would be possible, and the physical toll would not be excessive.

When in the "Main God" space, Zheng Zha had already studied the feasibility of this technique. The greatest hurdle was achieving the violent collision between his inner energy (Neili) and his Vampire energy in a single instant, with the collision itself lasting only a fraction of a second. If this synchronization failed, the instantaneous "Destruction" state would remain just a fantasy.

Under normal human physiology, it was exceedingly difficult to instantly converge the inner energy from the Dantian and the Vampire energy from his mind. This was due to the physical constraint of meridians, not high-speed fiber optics; even the mere approach of the energies took time, followed by the violent collision, and then separating the residual energy. This entire process required at least a second. Therefore, his "Instantaneous Destruction" state was theoretically impossible; the shortest possible iteration would still require about one second.

However, a specific item made Zheng Zha's hypothesis a reality: the Charged Mithril Ring. As an energy storage device, the ring released energy based on conscious command, with the release point located precisely where the ring was worn. When Zheng Zha placed both rings on the same finger, the drawn energies would instantly meet. As he guided both streams toward his heart while initiating the collision, he only needed to manage the energy draw duration required for the clash. The moment the "Instantaneous Destruction" state was triggered, the drawn energies vanished, and thus, the instantaneous "Destruction" state was finally successful!

(Still imperfect... the meridian pathway from finger to heart is agonizingly painful; I must have sustained internal injury. It seems this "Instantaneous Destruction" state cannot be overused either.)

Zheng Zha's eyes were momentarily vacant. The instantaneous "Destruction" state allowed him to use moves only available in full "Destruction," and he successfully propelled himself dozens of meters further using the resulting wind pressure. Now, only masses of ordinary ground bugs lay before him, and further out, the solid ranks of the black-shelled Praetorians, layered densely around the Brain Bug at the center. As Zheng Zha approached, the Brain Bug shifted uneasily, but under the intimidating presence of thousands of Praetorians surrounding it, the corpulent creature soon quieted down.

Zheng Zha was still over two thousand meters from the Brain Bug, but his speed was staggering. Virtually every ground bug blocking his path was cleaved in two with a single stroke. The pursuing Praetorians were still hundreds of meters behind him, unable to engage him for the moment. Relying on his speed and the ten-meter blade aura emanating from his Tiger Soul Blade (Hu Po Dao), he carved a bloody path straight through the insect swarm. Moreover, since he was in the unlocked state of his Genetic Lock, any flying bugs attempting sneak attacks from behind were sliced in half by his Hu Po before they could even draw close. Gradually, a hint of madness began to settle in Zheng Zha's expression.

The Brain Bug proved itself to be a remarkably intelligent alien species. Upon witnessing Zheng Zha's combat prowess and velocity, it reacted instantly, dispatching the vanguard of Praetorians to intercept him while he was still over a thousand meters away. The Brain Bug itself began to slowly inch toward the entrance of the passage, moving at an agonizingly slow pace, as if waiting to see if Zheng Zha could truly overcome the Praetorian guard first.

Zheng Zha fought his way forward rapidly for several hundred meters. Then, the dense wall of ground bugs abruptly parted to his sides, leaving only the dark-shelled Praetorians confronting him head-on. The Brain Bug was now roughly twelve to thirteen hundred meters distant, and the leading wave of Praetorians numbered at least several hundred. These bugs showed no fear of his Hu Po Dao's energy blade. Being entangled by them would guarantee his death unless he used "Destruction" to flee.

However, Zheng Zha had another strategy in mind. He knew that brute-forcing through the main blockade was impossible; he would never reach the Brain Bug, let alone drive it away. His only viable option was to use his "Instantaneous Destruction" state for a surprise assault. Whether he could kill the Brain Bug or not, the attack would at least startle it into retreating through that passage, moving it closer to Zero Point’s designated sniping location.

When Zheng Zha was less than ten meters from the advancing Praetorians, he stamped down hard, shattering the rock beneath him as he leaped upwards. Simultaneously, hundreds of Praetorians on the ground jumped too, but their vertical reach fell short of Zheng Zha's lightness granted by his mastery of Qinggong. Reaching the apex of his jump, he stomped forcefully on empty air, chaining together the "Moon Walk" technique, and shot toward the Brain Bug like a phantom stream of wind.

Zheng Zha had initially considered using the Green Goblin Glider. The underground plaza was spacious enough that he wouldn't worry about collision hazards. However, flying bugs were constantly diving at him from above and behind, moving significantly faster than the glider. If he activated the jet boosters, the glider would become too fast to control precisely. Reluctantly, he resorted to the incredibly agile mid-air maneuvers of "Moon Walk" to maintain his forward momentum. Fortunately, "Moon Walk," traversing the air currents, was also extremely fast, allowing him to cover several hundred meters closer to the Brain Bug within just a few steps.

Only now did the Brain Bug’s response shift. It began to retreat steadily into the cavern opening, simultaneously commanding more Praetorians to jump and attack Zheng Zha, while also ordering the flying bugs to attack relentlessly. Zheng Zha was now about four hundred meters from the Brain Bug. He hesitated no longer and fully unleashed the true "Destruction" state.

Zheng Zha plunged down from the air toward the ground at immense speed. The surrounding Praetorians barely had time to react. He landed, stomped hard on a Praetorian bug, and leaped again—the bug beneath his foot was crushed deep into the earth. Zheng Zha vaulted another thirty meters high and lashed out with a powerful kick: the "Tempest Kick" (Lan Jiao) was deployed.

The power of the Lan Jiao was not immense, but its speed was astonishing, capable of traversing hundreds of meters in a second. As this invisible, intangible kick streaked toward the Brain Bug, more than a dozen larger Praetorians suddenly leaped up, interposing their bodies to block the strike. Yet, even though the Lan Jiao's raw power was diminished compared to Zheng Zha's strikes or weapons during "Destruction," it still sent the dozen intercepting bugs flying. Several smashed violently into the Brain Bug, causing the fat creature to frantically scuttle toward the passage entrance. Zheng Zha himself landed heavily on the ground.

The "Destruction" state, while powerful, was unsustainable. The moment he hit the ground, Zheng Zha instantly deactivated it. He had utilized perhaps two seconds of the full state, plus roughly one second for the instantaneous burst. He was now down to his final one or two seconds of "Destruction," with his capillaries rupturing everywhere, spraying blood; he looked utterly ravaged. Yet, upon landing, he immediately transitioned into the "Explosion" state, lest the swarm tear him limb from limb—a fate he desperately wished to avoid.

(Survive! Damn it, after everything I’ve endured in this horror movie, after so many near-death experiences, dying here would be the ultimate injustice, especially after earning so many Reward Points, Sub-Plot rewards, and the impending Sub-Plot reward for killing the Brain Bug! Why wouldn't I fight to the last breath?)

Zheng Zha’s resolve hardened. Despite his body feeling weak and numb, he gripped the Hu Po Dao and relentlessly hacked at the surrounding Praetorians. While swinging his weapon, he roared mentally through his consciousness, "Zero Point! Do you see the Brain Bug? Fire! That’s the Starship Troopers Sub-Plot!"

The words had barely echoed in his mind when, at the opposite end of the cavern, Zero Point silently squeezed the trigger. With a deafening crack, a bullet, invisible to the naked eye, shot into the Brain Bug's body, which was only halfway through the passage, striking precisely in the center of its head. Immediately, a blinding flash erupted, enveloping the passage entrance and the surrounding two hundred meters within its incandescent light... Jumped to