Chapter 70
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Rat's Scheme
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To get a clearer grasp of the situation, I kept asking Sohee questions over the phone.
"Are the guys coming in cars still on the move?"
"No, it looks like they're gathering in one spot first before moving out all at once."
"Got it. Where exactly are they?"
I bolted toward the location Sohee had described while still on the call with her.
Just in case, I told her to head back to base. I could handle myself fine, but she couldn't take on guys armed with guns, and I didn't want to see her taken hostage for no good reason.
Sohee had been rescued by me more than a few times already, so leaving her nearby felt like asking for her to end up as bait.
Still, what kind of guts did these guys have to show up here?
I doubted they were coming out in full gear just to talk peace.
From what Sohee had told me, it felt more like they were here to pick a fight with me. And knowing how strong I was? That made even less sense...
I wondered whose brilliant idea this was.
The rat bastard hanging around the Gorilla Boss?
The Gorilla Boss I'd seen didn't strike me as the type to charge in blind, not knowing who I was or what I could do. He seemed more like someone who'd hate seeing his men put in danger because of his own actions.
Anyway, I'd figure it out once I got there.
I figured they were here for a showdown, but who knew? Maybe they'd come to offer up their weapons as tribute.
A very slim chance, but still.
I raced south as fast as I could and soon spotted a group of people—not zombies—huddled together, deep in discussion.
From the rooftop of a nearby building, I peered down to check if the Gorilla Boss was among them.
But even scrubbing my eyes raw, I couldn't spot him anywhere. He was built bigger than most, easy to pick out in a crowd, yet there was no sign of him amid all the armed guys.
The rat bastard, though? Easy to find.
Nothing they said carried up from the rooftop, so I slipped down and hid in the shadows to eavesdrop.
These guys were all decked out in heavy gear, clustered around the rat bastard at the center. He stepped forward slowly and shouted loudly.
"Is everyone here?"
One guy grumbled at the rat bastard's calm tone.
"Is this really okay? We came all this way because you said the boss ordered you to take out that Kim Jaehwan guy here."
"Did the boss really give that order? Hard to believe..."
The rat bastard smirked mockingly at them, like they were clueless, and spoke up.
"Of course. You think the boss would just tell someone like me to come under him? The boss isn't the type to go down easy. If we all team up, that guy won't stand a chance."
What gave this rat bastard the confidence to talk like that? I'd gone to where the Gorilla Boss was last time and shown off just enough of my power.
I'd tanked a hail of bullets head-on without a scratch. Thought he'd seen that clear as day, but here he was...
"Kim Jaehwan... He's number one on the zombie kill rankings, right? Can we really take him? That kill count is insane."
One of them must've recognized my name on the rankings, because he looked worried as he asked the rat bastard.
But the rat bastard just laughed it off like it was nothing.
"Haha! You guys worry too much. Sure, the top ranker there has racked up a ridiculous zombie count. But... do we even have proof that's Kim Jaehwan?"
Everyone's eyes widened as realization dawned on them.
"Now that you mention it, we only heard the name. Never confirmed if it's his real one."
"Exactly. Anyone can claim a name like that. The top ranker's easy to see on the rankings, so if I wanted, I could pretend to be him too."
What a novel interpretation. He had a point—the rankings show who's strong by name, so impersonating one wasn't impossible.
"Fine, that makes sense. But what about what he pulled? We unloaded our guns like crazy, and it didn't faze him."
"Huhu... hahaha! That's just bluffing."
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence as he laughed heartily.
"Yeah, even I was surprised the bullets didn't work. True, no idea how he did it, but blocking bullets is ridiculous. But think about it—why would someone who can shrug off our attacks like that just walk away without doing anything?"
"...Don't tell me. He's got defense but no offense?"
"Bingo. Someone that strong had no reason to leave without finishing us off right there. So why didn't he? Simple: he didn't have the power."
Most of them nodded, looking impressed by the rat bastard's logic.
"Plus, his defense probably isn't invincible. The system giving us power doesn't seem designed to make solo gods who can do everything. If he can block bullets, he'd be safe from zombies too. No way the system hands out cheats like that. Bet there's a cooldown or time limit."
The rat bastard had twisted my brief display into whatever fit his narrative.
I agreed the system turning Awakeners wasn't about creating overwhelming solo powerhouses. Without me, even someone strong like Sohee—an Awakener—would turn tail from a zombie horde.
Me wiping out waves and tanking bullets? All thanks to the black magic from my other world, not the system.
But the rat bastard probably couldn't even imagine I wielded black magic. Most who'd seen me first would think the same.
"Alright, I get it now. But where's the boss? Isn't he coming with us to take that guy down?"
"The boss is on his way up."
"Then we wait for him and..."
"No, we can't."
The rat bastard cut the man off and yelled.
"We don't even know where he is right now. We strike fast before he can prepare. That way, he'll be caught off gua—"
"Ah, I can't listen to this crap anymore."
I'd been lurking in the shadows, listening to their plot, but my patience finally snapped. I'd confirmed why they were here, and there was no point hearing more nonsense.
I stepped out from the shadows, approaching from a short distance away.
"Ugh, you!?"
"Yeah, it's me, you rat bastards. Heard everything. You think hitting me first is smart? Pathetic."
The guys with guns snapped them up toward me the second I appeared.
"Walking right into our trap. You're an idiot."
"Idiots are you lot. I gave you a merciful window, and you're trying to stab me in the back? Forgot how your bullets bounced off me last time?"
"We won't know till we try. Fire!"
- Tatatatatatang!
With the rat bastard's order, muzzles flashed, and a storm of bullets rained down on me.
But the outcome was the same as before.
The bullets couldn't pierce my barrier, clattering uselessly to the ground, yet they kept wasting ammo.
No learning curve? Nah, probably not. The rat bastard was watching intently, eyes sharp like he had something up his sleeve. No clue what, though.
Then he suddenly raised his right arm, the pistol from last time in hand. He aimed at me and fired.
The barrage couldn't dent my barrier— no way a pistol round would. Or so I thought...
I flinched in surprise.
The bullet he fired hit my barrier, and for a split second, it nearly shattered right at the impact point.
Like it could ignore the barrier and punch through.
I reacted fast, pumping more demonic energy in to block it.
His minions' bullets were normal, stopped cold by my barrier.
But his pistol shot? It had nearly breached.
No idea what he'd done to that gun, but clearly something I didn't know about.
I wasn't the only one shocked, though.
The rat bastard looked stunned that his shot had been stopped.
"Penetration effect useless?"
Whatever that meant, he'd definitely tampered with the pistol.
"Playtime's over."
I unleashed Black Magic: Shadow Pierce.
- Shhhk!
"Gaaah!"
"Wh-what?! Suddenly— urk!"
Black spikes erupted from the shadows under the guys shooting at me, impaling their bodies.
Some got vital spots pierced and dropped dead on the spot; others dodged the kill shots but were riddled with holes and collapsed.
Of course, they couldn't see my black magic at all.
That probably made it even more terrifying.
No warning—just suddenly skewered by something sharp.
"Huh? You dodged it? Just got your leg, though."
Most hadn't moved while firing and got hit hard, but the rat bastard got lucky, leaping aside so only his right leg was pierced.
Not that it mattered anymore.
"Grr! What... what the hell are you?!"
"None of your business. Just die."
As I prepared to wipe out the rest, someone came running this way.
"Oh, Gorilla. Finally showing up? Or is this the grand entrance?"
His powers were a letdown, but after jumping me today, he'd have to head to the afterlife no matter what.
The Gorilla Boss, now close, panted heavily as he looked down at me—then dropped to his knees.
He slammed his head to the ground and bellowed.
"I'm sorry! This was my subordinate acting on his own! I didn't reject your offer. I'll join you—please, forgive me just this once!"
...
What the hell was this?