72
Ch.72 Kill before being killed.
Among all the infected heroes, the one emitting the strongest wavelength unleashed formidable Telekinesis. A simple yet overwhelming supernatural ability; countless powers rained down like a storm over me as I resisted the pressure crushing my entire body.
So this is D-City’s S-rank heroes. By using Telekinesis to decisively suppress powerful monsters, it seize absolute offensive dominance.
Amid the torrent of supernatural abilities, I quickly analyzed the tactics and characteristics of D-City’s heroes and shifted my form to resist the Telekinesis. Against Telekinesis, I countered with my own monster’s form of Telekinesis. A white fox’s head, a deer’s antlers—I clashed opposing wavelengths to move my body, causing the S-rank hero, the host, to have a nosebleed.
My output was superior. The overloaded, infected brain couldn’t withstand it and screamed. Among all the S-rank heroes I’d faced so far, this one seemed the weakest. With blood vessels rupturing in its eyes, it shed crimson tears and laughed like a madman.
"Impressive. A different form? So you’ve succeeded in multiple syntheses after all?"
Their reaction was eerily calm, and in that instant, it output surged abnormally.
In the blink of an eye, the host’s ability closed in beneath me, emitting a bizarre wavelength. Neither monster nor superpower human, the dissonance of two conflicting wavelengths tangled together as its psychokinetic force equalized mine, creaking under the strain.
"Then, is the Black Cat’s form a Nightmare? Or perhaps a type of Assassin? And that incredible durability—is it Indestructible? You can merge multiple monsters into a single form, can’t you?"
It felt no pain.
The moment I realized this through the scent of its emotions, the host clapped in admiration. Several heroes infected nearby synchronized with the host’s Telekinesis.
A resonance of abilities—the strengthened Telekinesis now surpassed my output.
"Grrr…!"
I tore open space under the crushing pressure and moved behind the host, slashing with my claws. But the host reacted as if it had eyes on its back, blocking me.
It wasn’t just a superpower human reflex tracking my movements. The shifting gazes around me—the other heroes’ eyes were being shared with them.
A hive-mind trait, parasites sharing consciousness—they were many, yet one.
I dodged the cascading abilities and transformed into an amorphous monster. My mist-like body was pierced by fire, ice, and metal bullets.
"Just how many monsters have you absorbed? How can a single person harbor so many?"
In this state, Telekinesis wouldn’t work properly, but neither could I attack effectively. I reconstituted my body outside the range of its Telekinesis and swung my claws at the host’s arm.
Schwak!
The severed arm was caught mid-air by Telekinesis and reattached seamlessly. Wriggling parasites stitched the wound like needles, and the fingers flexed mockingly.
"You’re strong. Is it because you’re the 111th? Even just sensing your core’s output, I can tell you’re a far superior model."
Its regeneration speed far surpassed Starlight’s. Was this the parasites’ doing?
Sharpening my senses, I scrutinized its body. The parasites inside writhed strangely, coiled around the heart, the core of it human form, boosting its output. When the body broke beyond exceeding limits, the parasites replaced the damaged parts.
[Kroooaaah!]
Disgusted by this revolting symbiosis, I wreathed my body in crackling electricity.
If it regenerates after injury, then I will have to kill it before it can.
Kwa-rrung!
The instant I transformed into a lightning tiger, I pierced straight through the host’s body.
Unless it possessed a unique ability, even an S-rank hero’s body couldn’t withstand this. The host’s entire form blackened from the overwhelming force.
As the host plummeted to the ground, I thought the rest would be a matter of time.
But the moment I did, the core’s pulse intensified from within the host’s charred body amidst the cathedral ruins.
Thump… Thump…
With a wavelength growing so close to a monster’s, white worms crawled from the wreckage and burrowed into the host’s skin.
Skin, organs, eyes—parasites replaced most of it human body, disguising themselves seamlessly as the host’s form.
"Ah ah… Excuse me. The vocal cords are a bit complicated."
Could this still even be called an infected human? Now more parasite than human, the host stabilized it rippling skin with Telekinesis.
As I watched the host shed it humanity further, I pondered how to deal with them.
[You no longer need to maintain a human form, do you?]
"Unfortunately, it's not that convenient for a monster."
[Without a human form, you can’t use human abilities, can you?]
"Oh? You’ve figured out my weakness. How troublesome."
Without any signal, the heroes unleashed their abilities again as the host activated Telekinesis.
A massive water sphere unfolded, impossible to evade completely—until freezing abilities solidified it into a colossal net. A sonic wave shattered it into icy shrapnel, and the host’s Telekinesis locked me in place to ensure the attack landed.
But B-rank and A-rank abilities? Even if it hit, it couldn’t leave lasting damage.
An S-rank ability was barely equal to mine. So as long as I neutralized it Telekinesis, any wounds I took would regenerate in an instant.
Realizing this, the host twitched a mass of parasites around its eyes.
"Hmm… Truly, you’re a proper test subject. Compared to ordinary Despair-class monsters, your resilience is incomparable. At this rate, forming the Ring is pointless."
D-City’s forces couldn’t kill me. The only way to truly harm me was through resonance between multiple S-rank and B-rank abilities.
In the end, our compatibility was absolute.
To them, I was just a troublesome test subject that took time to capture. My output, compatibility, and durability—all superior.
And yet… Why?
They remained utterly composed.
"Hesitation always leads to mistakes… A shame, but it can’t be helped."
They sighed, feigning regret.
Then, an unknown wavelength spread.
Uuung…!
With a deep resonance, every infected human touched by the circular wave melted instantly.
Acidic venom—parasites committing suicide, releasing lethal toxins.
As D-City’s heroes dissolved mid-air, the pulse from the host’s core grew stronger.
Neither human nor monster, the infected human existed in a state neither alive nor dead.
Monsters grow stronger by devouring humans.
And heroes? They’re premium nourishment for a monster core.
The liquefied heroes were absorbed through an unknown process, fueling the host’s monstrous core.
A core that wasn’t even Terror-class surged instantly to Crush-class.
Merged with an S-rank hero’s heart, the monster core amplified its power, skyrocketing its output.
"Well then, is this enough to face you?"
As the host activated Telekinesis again, mine was slowly pushed back.
An S-rank hero and a Crush-class monster—a hybrid of human and abomination.
Creeaak—
Space twisted before me as the host’s lips curled.
"Still not enough?"
Another bell-like resonance spread.
Infected citizens, distant infected heroes—all rushed forth tirelessly.
The moment they neared the cathedral, they melted into brown liquid.
With each death, the core’s pulse neared Disaster-class.
Evolution of existence didn’t apply, because they already qualified as something beyond Disaster.
It trait, a hive mind. The parasites were fragmented pieces of it body.
Now, it was uniting to face me.
Their psychokinetic output, once equal, now surpassed mine.
I twisted space itself, warping the direction of it Telekinesis.
Surprised by the countermeasure, it suppressed its ability’s flow toward me.
"Absolute offense, absolute defense… The interpretation of the ultimate has changed very much. Multiple abilities to exploit every weakness, multiple traits to resist every power… In the end, simplicity is best, no?"
Uuung…
Floating above me, the host smirked and turned away.
"At this rate, fighting will only increase D-City’s casualties… No choice. A few more sacrifices won’t matter. We can always replenish by consuming W-City."
Whoosh.
The host vanished soundlessly, leaving me alone in the ruined cathedral, bewildered.
What was it planning? Just moments ago, its output had surpassed mine.
The situation felt too strange for a retreat when another pulse echoed in the distance.
Daaeng—
The bell-like chime, followed by the resonance that forced parasites to suicide, absorbing infected humans.
"Grrk…!"
Realizing what it was doing, I gritted my teeth and vanished from the spot.
The simplest way to counter multiple abilities? Overwhelmingly higher output.
Currently, its monster core is at Disaster-class. If it absorbed more infected humans and reached Despair-class, with my level, killing it would become impossible.
I had to stop it before then.
But the host only needed an instant to kill the infected human.
Its hunting method—spreading a wave to force parasites to commit suicide and consume its hosts- was nearly unstoppable.
Yet, there was a way.
Rather than spreading another wave, the host had chosen to relocate to absorb more infected humans.
The infected human drawn to the cathedral by the earlier wave only melted upon reaching its vicinity.
Those outside the wave’s range were still alive.
Meaning, the host could only command infected humans within its wavelength to die.
Monsters must devour living humans to gain nourishment.
A fully dead infected human is just rotting meat stuffed with parasites.
If I could kill the infected humans outside its range faster than it could absorb them—
I climbed the cathedral’s broken bell tower and turned into my most monstrous form yet.
The head of a raptor, capable of pinpointing prey from great heights. The upper body of a lightning-wielding tiger. The lower body of a flaming bird. A fox’s tail. A body pulsing with dark energy.
Here, I didn’t need to suppress my abilities.
I would kill every human.
Kooong!
Responding to my bloodlust, the monster's core quaked violently.
[Ooooooh!]
Unnatural storm clouds blanketed D-City’s sky, transforming into thunderheads.
Kruuung!
Lightning struck—one bolt, then another, multiplying, the thunder growing deafening.
Dozens, then hundreds of infected humans, were incinerated in an instant.
Deluded, they fled the lightning, gathering in an open area they mistook for shelter, only to be vaporized by a single strike.
Above, rain of fire fell, ensuring no infected humans, either still alive or dead, escaped the flames.
The sheer speed of this ability’s devastation—
Then, I sensed it.
The S-rank hero, rushing back in desperation.