Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Chapter 7: Murderer (6)
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Their hideout had been discovered in just three days.
As long as he stayed in the country, it was something he’d expected—getting tailed eventually.
But he wasn’t too worried.
He’d stockpiled an insane amount of mana over the past three days.
Han Chang-sik grinned at the dozens of gun barrels trained on him.
The bullets flying his way were all stopped by a translucent barrier.
“It’s a shame, but…”
Mana? He could just kill these bastards and suck it right out of them.
Smacking his lips from inside the barrier, Han Chang-sik glanced down at his feet.
There lay the shattered remnants of the skill stone he’d just used.
Five minutes had passed since the special forces tossed in flashbangs and stormed the factory.
At first, he’d dodged behind structures, but once cornered, he had no choice.
In the end, despite the regret, he’d activated the skill stone.
He’d been skeptical when buying them up, but the barrier was even blocking bullets.
What an astonishing power!
“Hahaha!”
Han Chang-sik threw his head back and cackled wildly from within the barrier.
Ever since he’d beaten that charging dog to death in his first tutorial, a future like this had been inevitable.
This game was the massive stroke of luck that had crashed into his life, and he deserved to revel in it.
‘No more watching these pathetic worms scurry around.’
How exhilarating was that?
After laughing for a while, Han Chang-sik began studying the bullets’ trajectories.
‘If I time it right, I might even be able to dodge them…’
Guns were powerful weapons, but they had a fatal flaw.
They could only strike in straight lines.
Stray even a little from the aiming point, and you could avoid the bullet.
With this body, it might just be possible.
To turn his hunch into certainty, Han Chang-sik focused on the bullets’ paths.
“The target’s not getting hit!”
“What the hell is that thing?”
At that moment, some magazines ran empty, and the barrage thinned out.
The barrier started to flicker in response.
Han Chang-sik clicked his tongue inwardly with regret.
‘Ten minutes, my ass.’
For 400 mana invested, the skill stone’s barrier duration was way too short.
But with its power waning, he couldn’t rely on it anymore.
Pulling another skill stone from his inventory, Han Chang-sik dove sideways the instant the barrier vanished.
“The wall’s down—fire! Shoot him!”
Right after, the red stone in his hand shattered.
A massive fireball hurtled toward the heavily armed special forces.
“Dodge—dodge!”
“Captain!”
“Arghhh!!”
“Uhahaha!”
Amid the explosions and screams, Han Chang-sik’s mad laughter echoed.
Mana flowed into him with every corpse added to the pile.
To grow this strong just from killing?
‘I’ve been chosen!’
Face twisted in ecstasy, Han Chang-sik bolted into motion.
Now that he was really moving, the guns aimed by those who’d escaped the fireball hit only empty air.
‘It works!’
*Thud, thud.* Muffled gunshots rang out through the suppressors.
Dodging the bullets nipping at his heels, Han Chang-sik closed in with a dagger already in hand.
“Dodge!”
There was no hesitation as he charged the armed operative.
Before the man could scream, Han Chang-sik slashed more than halfway through his neck.
The corpse made an excellent shield.
Leading with it, Han Chang-sik lunged at the next target.
After dropping three in quick succession, a *ping* sounded.
Han Chang-sik reacted without a second’s delay.
He hurled his dagger toward the noise.
*Thunk!*
It buried into the head of the man who’d just pulled the pin on a grenade.
Han Chang-sik immediately ducked behind a nearby pillar.
“It’s gonna blow—!”
A frantic voice rose from beside the dead man, but it cut off unfinished.
The grenade detonated, swallowing the words in a deafening blast.
Once the shockwave faded, Han Chang-sik charged his prey again.
But suddenly, a chill crawled up his neck.
He whipped out a longsword and swung behind him.
“What the—!”
*Clang!*
The clash of blades rang out heavier than expected.
Han Chang-sik yelled at the sudden interloper.
“Who the hell are you?!”
The masked assailant ignored the question.
Instead, he blocked the sword and drove a kick into him.
Han Chang-sik raised his arm to guard his left side, but the heavy impact sent his body flying.
He tumbled through the air before crashing to the floor.
“Report to Captain Yang Jo-cheol. We’re pulling back.”
Only then did the attacker speak in a vicious tone.
* * *
*Thud.* The man who’d flown back was Han Chang-sik.
His face matched exactly what I’d seen in the USB footage.
The problem was he wasn’t alone in this abandoned factory.
Mana detection had picked up way too many signatures, so I’d rushed over—and sure enough.
‘Captain Yang Jo-cheol’s doing?’
Seemed like the NIS had tracked Han Chang-sik’s location and mobilized.
There were about thirty of them surrounding him, armed to the teeth.
Surrounding? Hardly.
‘They were just scattered everywhere.’
They’d never truly pressured him.
Han Chang-sik had outpaced their gun barrels, turning them into easy prey.
A body forged from 1,000 mana could dodge gunfire. Confirmed.
I scanned the surroundings, eyes the only thing visible outside my mask.
Fires on the scrap piles were growing, bit by bit.
And right beside one lay a prone figure.
‘…Dead.’
No movement even with flames licking his body.
The stench of burning flesh was foul. Mixed with the reek of blood, it turned rancid.
The carnage before me churned my stomach.
Monsters aside, piles of human corpses carried a different weight.
I wanted to hurl right then.
But I swallowed the nausea and barked at the men still aiming their guns.
“If you don’t wanna die, tell Yang Jo-cheol and get lost!”
No way was I going soft on these idiots handing mana to Han Chang-sik.
As I spoke, Han Chang-sik staggered to his feet.
I kept my eyes on him while glancing around.
Corpses littered the ground—easily over ten at a glance.
Meaning Han Chang-sik had gained at least 100 to 150 extra mana.
‘Not sure what he’s bought, so I’ll play it safe early on.’
I wasn’t leisurely enough to worry about others mid-fight.
Their ignoring my warning twice didn’t sit well.
Finally, I raised my sword and snapped at them harsher than before.
“You’re just fattening him up—get the hell out!”
This time, they reacted properly, ignoring my first two warnings.
They backed off slowly, guns fixed on Han Chang-sik.
Not fully retreating, though.
They took up positions at a distance, barrels still trained on him.
‘They don’t listen for shit.’
Now I’d have to face those guns too if I tangled with him.
“Put the guns down!”
I roared, and the barrels flinched as one.
“You a player too? Alone?”
Han Chang-sik scowled as he spoke.
“You know Yang Jo-cheol? NIS send you?”
“…”
“Not talking?”
“We’re not here to chat amicably.”
My stiff reply made his eyebrow twitch.
I crooked a finger at his face.
“Shut up and come at me.”
The taunt worked—his cheek spasmed.
I smirked and stepped forward.
“If you’re not coming, I will.”
As the distance closed, a stone appeared in Han Chang-sik’s hand.
‘Knew it.’
He’d looped level 1 endlessly to hoard skill stones.
“Tch.”
I cleared my mind and focused on him.
The stone shattered, and flames engulfed his sword.
I countered with my own blade. Our swords clashed.
“Hup!”
The heat was intense—my face felt like it was cooking.
Smoke rose as my mask singed.
But I had the edge over Han Chang-sik.
His sword burned with fire; mine crackled with lightning.
“Guh!”
His body jerked like he was convulsing.
Lightning manifesting sparked blue-hot.
Must’ve been scorching and numbing.
With one corner of my mouth tugged up, I pressed in.
No chance for him to recover—I knocked his sword aside and slashed horizontally.
“Hngh!”
He twisted away in time, but not fully—deep gash across his chest.
‘No dagger on him.’
I’d seen mine embedded in that corpse’s head.
So I closed in tighter, switching to my dagger.
“Eek!”
His frantic block attempt? My dagger carved from wrist to elbow.
Bone-deep wound gushing blood.
‘Good.’
Same physical stats, but my control was superior.
Made sense, really.
He’d had this body for days; I’d perfected mine months ago.
‘He’s just been brute-forcing with raw power till now.’
I read his limits in his movements.
Big swings, lots of wasted motions.
Sharp strikes at vitals now and then, but blockable.
‘Never fought someone with comparable physicals.’
Didn’t know how to maximize this body’s efficiency.
Hardware’s worthless without solid software.
‘Just watch for skill stones.’
Eyes gleaming, I chased his retreat—and spotted another stone shatter in his hand.
I faintly sensed the mana flowing from it.
Not mana detection.
That was for living beings’ mana.
This was from my improved mana operation skill.
Past 30% proficiency, I’d started sensing external mana faintly.
Couldn’t read the structure, but the flow? Clear enough!
Feeling mana gather at his feet, I leaped upward.
Sharp icicles erupted from the ground.
Covering a three-meter radius around him—no safe landing spot.
‘Not ordinary ice.’
Chilling aura promised shredded flesh on contact.
One misstep, and my soles would be pierced.
But gravity pulled me down inevitably.
To dodge, I had to maneuver mid-air.
Decision made, I twisted past his sword aimed at my neck.
Then concentrated attribute mana at my feet.
It coalesced into a bead beneath my soles. I kicked it.
*Boom.* The lightning orb burst.
Using the recoil as a foothold, I sprang off in mid-air.
‘Perfect—nailed it in real combat.’
I’d puzzled out this attribute mana trick.
Use the explosive backlash from tangled lightning as a boost.
Theoretically, I could keep ascending against gravity until it ran out.
‘Air-step knockoff.’
Coiling the mana without premature detonation took mad focus.
Pulling it off now? Thanks to insane grinding.
“What the? How’d you do that?”
Han Chang-sik voiced his confusion as I pivoted mid-air.
I ignored him clean.
No rule saying I had to answer every question.
“That zap when we clashed earlier—you mixing skill stones?”
He rambled as he pulled out a potion.
Wrists-to-elbows lacerated, burns from the shock.
Chugging potion the second he gained distance? Hits must’ve landed hard.
Like I’d let him.
‘Not an idiot.’
Who lets the enemy heal or buff mid-fight?
I leveled my mission spear low and thrust toward him.
The cross-shaped blade, wreathed in red mist, sheared ice in a straight line.
The spikes between us turned to flat stumps.
Now I had footing.
I closed via that path, aiming the cross-blade at his ankle.
“Hup!”
He leaped just as I flicked the tip upward.
The rising edge nailed his hand.
The open potion flew skyward, clattering to the floor.
“Pull out more.”
I’ll smash them all.
My sneer darkened his expression.
Ignoring it, I checked my remaining mana.
‘Burned a chunk twisting mid-air.’
Tallying power precisely, I swung at the wounded Han Chang-sik.
To maximize the cross-blade, I chopped down axestyle.
He dodged—just barely—but his surroundings were all ice.
Stepping into his own trap? Predictable.
“Argh!”
Watching him roll on the ice and scramble up, I was dumbfounded.
‘Thick-headed much?’
No thought to his own skill’s environmental effects.
Just flailing to survive the immediate threat.
All my tension and prep suddenly felt pointless.
Han Chang-sik was clearly a tier below.
Yet the fight dragged on.
Both he and I realized why immediately.
After I punted his gut and he spat blood, Han Chang-sik wiped his mouth and grinned.
Then sneered with real venom.
“Never killed anyone, have you?”
Bullseye.
Damn system