Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

Shu didn't move as the [Champion] continued to shrink.

He was thinking, realizing he'd made a mistake from the very beginning.

Of all the attacks he could unleash, cutting, blunt force, burning… he'd given the [Champion] ample opportunity to develop resistance to them during his information gathering.

His remaining options included corrosion, melting, radiation… but these had a fatal flaw.

They required time to take effect.

Even the Black Abyss White Flower, which left only ash and desolation in its wake, needed time to spread, to infiltrate, incubate, and erupt.

And he was facing an opponent specifically designed for adaptation…

He might end up giving it a terrifying power-up.

Imagine a walking Black Abyss White Flower, or a real-life Godzilla…

Those options were off the table. Gambling on a 30/70 chance wasn't his style.

What other attacks did he have?

Blunt force was a large-area, instantaneous pressure. Cutting was a small-area, instantaneous, high pressure. All physical attacks operated on this principle.

And only instantaneous attacks were effective. Slowing them down, using the principle of a hydraulic press to crush the opponent…

Great idea. First, let's find a way to hold it still!

The [Champion]'s speed had already broken the sound barrier. Shu couldn't hit it with his instantaneous bursts, let alone slow, sustained pressure.

Build a wall? It would be smashed. Use some special ability to contain space?

…Might as well try to catch it.

"Hah…" Shu sighed, his rigid body suddenly regaining its flexibility.

He reclaimed control of his body. Almost simultaneously, the [Champion], now two meters tall, launched itself again.

The lingering pain had significantly diminished. He regained control within a second.

He landed softly, looking up at the [Champion] crouched in the distance.

Without a doubt, he was facing a creature immune to magic damage, with 99% physical damage reduction, and high mobility.

And now, it had a "miss" effect.

Fortunately, it wasn't invincible. Shu still had "true damage." If he could grab it, hold it still long enough, he was confident he could one-shot it, given its current size.

The strategy was clear.

"Come on… Challenger," Shu said, his body ready, [hope] gathering in his hands. He crouched, poised to strike.

"Are you ready to run?"

He murmured, then vanished in a blur, a sonic boom echoing behind him.

But the escaped eyeballs weren't just for show. Even with Shu's incredible speed, the [Champion] moved a fraction of a second sooner.

He missed. He braked sharply, stopping at the wall, glaring at the [Champion], which had instantly traversed the vast eleventh level.

He was still faster, but the [Champion]'s "preemptive strike" was incredibly effective.

And he could feel the [Champion]'s speed increasing in the latter half of its movement.

Its speed was evolving at an alarming rate.

Of course, the biggest obstacle was still the floating eyes.

Shu realized the [Champion] wasn't reading his facial expressions. It was likely monitoring his heartbeat, muscle contractions, even his adrenaline levels – the most fundamental aspects of his physical actions.

That's how it reacted so quickly.

Shu feigned a forward lunge. A gust of wind whipped past him as he spun, reaching for the [Champion], which had instantly appeared beside him.

He felt contact. Without hesitation, he unleashed his stored power.

Predicting behavior patterns was also part of the [Champion]'s "evolution." And in its entire existence, it had likely never encountered a "feint."

Its dash when Shu had relinquished control of his body proved it couldn't recognize such maneuvers.

So, it fell for the trap, rushing right into Shu's grasp.

By the time Shu registered what had happened, his hand was empty. Dark red bloodstains on the floor confirmed that he had grabbed the [Champion].

A detached eye fell to the ground. Nearly a hundred grotesque eyes plummeted from above, splattering on the floor.

Avoiding the flying debris, Shu approached the twitching remnant of the [Champion].

It was still using its abilities, morphing into a malleable blob of flesh, struggling to find an escape route.

Before it could transform, Shu grabbed it.

Holding the [Champion] aloft, he finally had time to examine it.

Ignoring the rudimentary tentacles sprouting from the mass of flesh, he scrutinized it closely.