What happened next completely overturned the little girl's view of mutants.
In her memory, no matter how strong a mutant was, none could ever stand against a sentry robot.
But—
The man before her was crushing one effortlessly, in every way.
It was unbelievable.
Boom—!
Fenric drove his fist into the robot's forehead, slamming it to the ground. Half of its head caved in under the blow.
As he struck, he said coldly, "What's wrong? Aside from that stray laser, is this all you can do?"
He stepped forward, seized the machine by the neck, and added with a calm sneer, "If this is the extent of your strength, then you're worthless."
The words had barely left his lips when a wave of chill surged through his body.
The sentinel's surface shifted, white frost spreading from its frame, crawling up Fenric's arm. In the blink of an eye, half his body was frozen solid.
The sudden change made even Fenric arch an eyebrow.
"So, you can't release freezing directly like the Iceman—you need contact. Interesting." His voice remained level. "Seems you can mimic powers, but not without limitations."
The robot, of course, ignored him. It poured all its systems into amplifying the frost, encasing him completely.
In moments, Fenric stood as a towering ice sculpture, mist curling from his frozen form.
The little girl, watching from the ruins, felt her heart plummet. Despair gripped her.
Then—
Crack!
A sharp vibration rippled through Fenric's body. The ice shattered into glittering shards that rained down around him.
Like Whitebeard breaking free of Aokiji's frost, Fenric had burst through effortlessly.
He brushed stray crystals from his shoulder and smiled. "Not bad. That actually felt cold."
The sentinel's optics flickered, confusion registering for the first time. It had never encountered a "mutant" like this.
Yet its programming was absolute. Without hesitation, it formed a spear with its arm and thrust straight at him.
Clang!
The strike rang as if against steel. The spear snapped clean in two. Fenric didn't so much as flinch.
"How could ordinary strikes hurt me?" he murmured. His skin shimmered black with full Armament Haki, the defense unbreakable.
The sentinel's sensors glowed brighter, and its body flickered. It tried to replicate the same transformation—coating its surface in an imitation of Armament. But the effect glitched, its form flashing erratically.
"Oh? You're trying to copy me?" Fenric chuckled. "I'm not like the others. For you—this game is already over."
In a blur, he swept its legs, sending the three-meter machine crashing to the ground. Pressing his palm against its head, he pinned it easily.
The robot struggled violently, its surface shifting between molten heat, biting frost, and hardened steel. But nothing worked.
Fenric's hand might as well have been Mount Tai itself—immovable, absolute.
High heat, deep cold, brute strength—none of it made the slightest difference.
In Fenric's grip, the so-called killing machine was nothing more than a helpless puppet.
At last, he pulled out the tampered USB drive. He pressed it against the robot, and instantly, the machine went still.
On the drive's surface, a progress bar flickered to life.
1%... 2%... 3%...
No matter how advanced, its systems were still electronic at their core. And any computer, no matter how advanced, had one nemesis: a hacker with a god-like skill.
When the bar hit 100%, the sentinel's optics dimmed, then flared back online.
But this time, it didn't attack.
Instead, it stood quietly beside Fenric, awaiting orders.
A system prompt echoed in Fenric's mind:
"You have obtained a special item."
Fenric's lips curved. With a wave of his hand, the robot vanished, stored neatly into his personal warehouse.
Not bad. Its combat ability was impressive—certainly worth collecting a few more. Even if he had no use for them himself, such machines would make excellent gifts.
"Oh my god!"
The little girl emerged from hiding, eyes wide as she searched for the monster that had nearly killed her. Finding nothing, she gasped, "Sir, where… where did it go?"
"It's been dealt with," Fenric said casually, brushing off the matter.
"Sir, you're amazing!"
Her eyes shone with admiration as she looked up at him.
Fenric studied her properly for the first time. She was no older than thirteen or fourteen, with light red hair, delicate features, and pale skin beneath smears of soot and grime.
His gaze dropped to the bulging bag at her side. "I saw you collecting scraps earlier. What do you do with them?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "Uncle Mark needs them. I help him gather parts, and he gives me food."
So. For survival.
Fenric nodded. "Where is this Uncle Mark?"
"In our camp."
"Can you take me there?"
"Of course!" The girl's eyes lit up. "Sir, mutants like you are rare. Everyone will be so happy to meet you!"
But before they could move, a deep rumble echoed across the sky.
A flying craft cut through the clouds above.
The girl's face went white. "Oh no… those monsters again! Sir, we have to run!"
Fenric lifted his head, calm as ever. "No. We're not going anywhere."