68. Lv.5

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Nexus Core : Metallokinesis lv5[0/100]

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It had been a month and about 20 days since I hit level 4.

May 1st.

'......'

I became level 5.

I leveled up by hunting the regenerating Hunters.

Looking at the butchered Hunter, I let out a breath.

'Let's start with some experiments first.'

I immediately entered the apartment where I'd just dealt with the Hunter.

As always, a family home piled high with dust.

I killed a Walker inside and started the test.

10th floor.

Balcony.

Thinking about what to do first, I decided to check speed.

Moving bullet.

It was similar.

The strength seemed similar too.

No, the strength was strong even at level 4. It was enough to crumple a vehicle.

Then, there's the weight.

At level 4, I could only lift about 20kg.

'First, the building.'

I thought about trying to lift the apartment building visible outside.

It didn't work.

Well, I figured it wouldn't.

'Next is a vehicle.'

I tried to lift a passenger car parked in the parking lot.

'......'

It floated.

The car floated up to the 10th floor height.

I roughly set the car down and thought about trying to float the smashed bus over there.

'It doesn't work.'

Afterward, I experimented with several vehicles, including an SUV.

The weight was about that of a passenger car.

It's ambiguous, but it seemed like I could lift about 2 tons.

From 20kg, not 200kg, but 2 tons.

It increased quite a lot.

It feels like the weight I can lift right now has increased about 100 times.

Well, that makes sense. Since level 1, every time I leveled up, it increased by hundreds of times anyway.

On top of that, the difficulty of going from level 4 to level 5 was immense.

Because you have to kill a Hunter that can take on an entire army. In reality, because my defense was so flimsy with only 20kg of weight I could directly manipulate, killing Hunters was difficult.

'Well, it's not like it's not dangerous now, though.'

Being able to slam a passenger car's weight at incredible speed means I've gained strong physical force, but defense was still mysterious.

Actually, I think I might have been going around like an idiot.

'Can't be helped.'

Because there's no other way.

So, that means I can now slam a passenger car at bullet speed.

'......'

I immediately tested it.

I lifted a passenger car and slammed it into the apartment building over there.

ㅡ!!!!!!!!

The vehicle exploded with a loud noise.

Flames burst out.

ㅡWhoosh

ㅡKieeeeek

ㅡKieeek

Walkers and Runners swarmed in like crazy. However, it was a little different from what I thought.

'Doesn't seem to be bullet speed.'

It was incredibly fast, but not bullet speed.

If I had to describe it, maybe the speed of crashing in some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠racing game.

It feels like there's a limit on speed as the weight increases.

Well, seeing as the superpower still has a gauge at lv5, it's possible there's lv6, maybe even 7, 8, 9, so it wouldn't make sense ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be able to launch a building at bullet speed.

'Or maybe not.'

Maybe if it increases more, it will be possible.

Of course, this alone was enough to wipe out most things.

It's just a bit annoying that there's the restriction of 'metal'.

Then, the final experiment.

'Can I demolish a building?'

Even back when it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was 20kg, I could completely crumple a vehicle if I took the time. So, the question is, can I crumple a building that has rebar?

I tried it immediately.

'It works.'

ㅡ!!!!!

I watched the apartment building in front of me as concrete, glass, and clumped rebar fell down in a shower.

It works, but it feels like it's not doing it properly.

'Still, it's something that it works at all.'

Well, a building isn't made only of metal. However, since there is quite a bit of metal here and there, I couldn't stop the building from being smashed.

ㅡ!!!!!

The collapsing apartment.

ㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!!

ㅡKieeee!

ㅡKieeek!

Surrounding Walkers and Runners swarm in.

Thus, the experiment ended.

However, the danger remained.

It's still the same that I have to be careful.

I think maybe something will change when I reach level 6, but that's a distant story.

ㅡ!!!!!!!

Watching the collapsed building and the Infected crawling from afar, I spaced out.

Now, the scenery from before the apocalypse cannot be found.

My strength has grown, and I as an individual have become stronger, but if someone asked me which is better compared to before the apocalypse, I could confidently say that before the apocalypse was better.

Not feeling threatened for my life, being able to eat delicious food to my heart's content, and enjoying leisure time on days off.

Of course, there was stress back then too, but it would be on a completely different level from the stress now.

'Well, it's not like it's bad now, though.'

What on earth are the Infected, what is compatibility, and what are superpowers?

I headed toward the Pureureum Apartment complex.

#

ㅡTap-tap-tap-tap

A Hunter running like crazy without making a sound.

A large piece of rebar slams into the Hunter's body.

ㅡ!!!!!!

ㅡCrunch

ㅡGrrrind

Another piece of rebar slams into the upper body of the Hunter trying to escape.

ㅡTwitch

ㅡTwitch

Following that, a vehicle, which cannot be compared to the previous rebar, slams into its body from above.

ㅡSplat

One Hunter died instantly.

Since the mass is different from before at level 4, it's natural, but the time it takes to catch a Hunter has drastically decreased.

'But it's still dangerous.'

I stretched.

Then, I brought up the Nexus Core.

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Nexus Core : Metallokinesis lv5[0/100]

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As expected, the Hunter that gave 5 [EXP] at level 4 didn't give even 1 point of experience.

'......'

This means I have to try dealing with an Abomination now.

'It seems possible.'

Because 20kg and 2000kg feel different from the start.

More than that, it's too unreasonable.

It makes no sense to tell someone to achieve level 5 by catching Hunters with abilities like Muscle Enhancement or Arm Enhancement.

And it makes even less sense to tell them to catch an Abomination with those.

'The levels are unlocked, but I guess you could say each ability has its limits.'

Instead, it seems like other abilities with over 90% [compatibility] would probably be sufficient.

The Ignition ability I saw at the Cheongju Branch back then. I remember its compatibility was around 93%.

The Ignition ability, like Metallokinesis, must be trash at level 1 and level 2.

It would have to be level 3 to be enough to harm humans. And from level 4, it would become incredibly strong.

'......'

'Are there any?'

I think there might be, but I'm not sure if I could win if I fought those guys.

Even just at level 4 Metallokinesis, it was an ability that could kill ordinary soldiers or civilians in an instant.

I think I need to think about defensive capabilities.

#

May 1st.

Now that it's a Hunter zone, there's no need to go to the south of the Geumgang River, including the Sejong City Hall, so I returned to I-Pension.

The intact I-Pension.

I thought about making this place a fortress entirely out of metal, but for now, I left it alone. There's no need to pointlessly advertise that "people are here."

Besides, I plan to be here for a few days.

More than that...

'It's fucking bizarre.'

Peep peep

I narrowed my eyes at the chickens that neither chirped nor clucked. Whether they were broilers or not, the chicks had grown up quickly and were almost fully grown chickens.

The base members told A-rin to make the adult chickens shut up because they were noisy.

So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now, only the peeping chicks are huddled around their mothers, wiggling.

'.......'

'They are cute, though.'

Of course, they'll all end up in our mouths eventually.

'That part is a bit smashed.'

There were quite a few animals that targeted the chickens and chicks at night. There are leopard cats, martens, cats, and rats.

That's why I had put up something like a wire fence when I brought them here before.

Even that wasn't in good condition because animals attacked it like crazy.

I manipulated the metal and soldered the broken parts. Almost like a mosquito net, so the inside is visible, but sturdy.

While doing that, my gaze turned back to my ability.

'It doesn't provide defense.'

I thought if I floated iron powder in many places and made it spin around my body, something might happen.

I tried it.

I tore apart a scrapped car and tried spinning it in a way that wrapped around my entire body.

'......'

I went to the nearby forest. The tree was gnawed and fell.

ㅡCrack, the tree turned to dust and fell.

"...It's not like I'm a human blender."

Honestly, this was a bit much to call it defensive.

'The question is whether it can block a Hunter or not.'

It feels like it might be able to block it, and it might not. Still, just in case, it would be better to wrap that around me when moving around.

However, there's no answer for when moving somewhere with others like this.

'I go around alone anyway.'

I returned to the room and took out a piece of paper.

I crossed out number 1.

Now there are 5 left.

Here, base reinforcement... I can do it right now.

'......'

If I embed vehicles or heavy rebar here and there at the entrance, it would be reinforced. But no matter how much I think about it, it's not it.

'Even if I block it like that, it can't stop a Hunter anyway.'

I can kill the others anyway if they come.

Humans are the same, and since making a fortress like that doesn't work on the really important ones, it seemed better to just leave it as it is.

Because it could pointlessly draw aggro.

Then now. It's 2, 3, 4.

I'll exclude 5 for now. Jeungpyeong County and Cheonan City are not yet.

Then, it's 2, 3, 4.

2 will probably have to be done in Cheongju. Because I haven't even seen a living person in the Sejong area, fuck.

However, this is not something to do right now.

Then what is there?

'...I need to find the IN Company Sejong Branch and the guys who went there.'