Chapter 79
Chapter 79
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Giggas Toss
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I confirmed the steel handcuffs shatter the bastard's ribs and burst out his back. No need to say it—a fatal wound.
Of course, the real fight was just beginning.
"You son of a bitch!"
The woman who had been aiming her gun at me from beside the hostages swung her barrel my way and pulled the trigger.
It was a quick reaction, but my big toe kicking the pebble I'd placed on my shoe came first.
Crack!
Her right arm snapped as the pebble launched from my exploding shoe.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
The muzzle jerked upward, bullets stitching the air. I charged in and snatched the gun. Fortunately, it was an outdated model without user recognition.
I raised it and hosed down the terrorists lifting their weapons.
Brat-a-tat!
"Gah!"
"Ugh!"
They crumpled amid screams. I emptied the magazine in seconds and bolted.
"Find cover and hide!"
I shouted that, then whipped my head around to spot the Giggas moving to target me.
Chill!
But in that instant, [Inexplicable Combat Foresight] triggered. Without a moment's hesitation, I threw my upper body back.
Boom!
Space tore as a fist-sized round whipped past where my head had been. The shockwave made my hair whip wildly, but relief washed over me.
'As expected!'
If that shot had come in lower, I'd have had no choice but to block it.
A Giggas round that could punch through composite armor—any civilian caught in it would spell disaster.
But the Giggas pilot didn't.
'Of course. They want to put off murder as a last resort!'
Their leader had pulled off a murder for show, but that just meant how big a deal killing was to them.
For people raised on 34th Earth's basic education, murder was a taboo they couldn't easily cross.
"Get back!"
"Leave it to me and hide, everyone!"
I dashed out alone amid the scattering staff. Before the terrorists got any funny ideas, I had to pull all the aggro.
"You bastard! Where do you think you're—"
Thwack!
"Guak!?"
The terrorist blocking my path flew like a deer hit by a dump truck.
My frame weighed under ninety kilos, but the power packed inside rivaled a massive monster! And I'd spent ages adapting to this monstrous strength.
Boom!
I rocketed out like a missile and stuck to the back of the nearest Giggas.
Chill.
Combat foresight kicked in. Like a squirrel scrambling up a tree, I zipped around to its chest plate.
Clang!
[Graaah!]
Its external speaker blared as another Giggas's shot slammed into its back. By then, I'd already dropped to the ground.
Foresight triggered again.
'Wow, it's brutal every second.'
Thud!
I stomped the ground. Grabbing the right leg of the staggering Giggas from the gunfire.
And then.
"What!?"
[What!?]
[What did you say!?]
"You've got to be kidding—!"
Crash! Clatter!
I hurled the Giggas.
The shot-hit Giggas and the one it collided with tumbled across the ground. The set went deathly silent for a moment.
"He... he just threw a Giggas?"
"Ten tons... no, over fifteen?"
Obviously, I wasn't the one surprised.
Boom!
I charged. Even I couldn't shrug off Giggas fire forever. No stopping now.
'Still no inner energy?'
I tried circulating my qi. Nothing.
Gave up and kept charging.
Ta-ta-ta-ta!
The terrorists finally snapped to and opened fire, but their foresight didn't even trigger. They were too panicked to hit me at full speed.
Thoom!
A high-explosive round detonated. I dodged and pressed on.
[How in the world! Are you dodging!?]
Ignoring their freak-out, I grabbed the Giggas's leg. At three-and-a-half meters tall, I clinging to it looked precarious, like a kid challenging an adult.
But that kid was stronger.
Crunch!
I yanked off one of the lower armor plates. It tore free with a screech, exposing the joint.
Ripped it right out.
Thud!
The Giggas toppled, minus its right leg. It thrashed with the remaining one, kicking up dirt, but up close like this, size and weight meant nothing against our power gap.
Rrrrip!
Tore off its right arm too. Without both limbs, it was combat-ineffective. Just to be sure, I grabbed the gun in its grip—bigger than me.
Hurled it.
Boom!
A Giggas aiming at me took the hit and rolled.
[Impossible. What is this...?]
[What's going on? Is this a dream? Did we get swept into the Dreamwalker's flow?]
[W-We need to wake up...!]
[Hey, you idiots, snap out of it!]
I left the stunned Giggas and cleaned up the quick ones first.
Took out other terrorists while weaving around.
Nothing to it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Guh!"
"Kraaak!"
A casual shoulder check sent them flying, combat-down. I spotted stunt team members and guards scooping up discarded guns.
'Good, smooth sailing! Keep it up...'
But the moment I thought that.
Chill.
Foresight triggered. Unavoidable attack! I curled into a ball like a hedgehog.
Splat!
"Hng!"
I flew dozens of meters. And mid-flight... I locked eyes with someone.
Director Alan Gray was filming me with a massive camera. Face bloodied from an earlier hit, but his eyes burned bright.
"Wait, that guy...?"
Groaning at the absurdity, I slammed into the set's outer wall.
Boom!
Dropped to the ground. Ignored the distant camera and refocused.
'What was that attack? Using power in a mana-null zone?'
No need to wonder who. Far off, a Giggas a head taller than the rest charged with terrifying momentum.
'Command Giggas. That model... green bear.'
A close-combat powerhouse optimized for output. From the prior hit, its pilot had some psychokinetic ability.
[You worm! How dare you touch Her Majesty! I'll kill you!]
It roared in, psychic waves surging around it.
Boom!
"Urk!"
Dodged the charge, but the follow-up wave clipped me, sending me rolling. I scrambled up and kicked off.
Kablooey!
Its strike cratered the ground.
Even with my superhuman durability, that would've killed me.
Boom!
"Come on! It's a mana-null zone! Why can you use energy attacks?!"
Tumbled from another wave, a yelp escaped me.
Human versus Giggas with a weight class gap, and only the Giggas using energy? Way too unfair.
But it didn't care about fair play, hoisting the massive gun on its back.
Whoooosh!
Energy charged the barrel, waves blanketing the area. A sure-kill shot!
I could only lament.
"Man, should've handled this earlier when I had time."
Like a kid facing school after procrastinating vacation homework, I said,
"Log in."
Flash!
The scene shifted instantly. Vast distant earth and endless sky filled my view.
And in the center, the Ice Queen.
[What is this...? That much injury healed in one go? A human?]
I sighed at the gaze like I'd sprouted a second head.
"Sigh. Fight's everywhere, huh."
Looked at my right hand. The +9 Mighty Power Sword (Rare) gleamed after ages. Poured qi into it.
Hummm!
Brief delay—about two seconds—then a barrier shattered, and sword qi erupted.
Whoosh!
Then Kasim on Hayes scooped me from my fall.
"Jaeyeon! You okay? Looked like that ice sword pierced you clean through!"
"Yeah, fine. Check this out."
Gripped the Mighty Power Sword tight, circulating qi.
True qi—the stuff that made the impossible real—boiled fiercely.
"This is what I taught you."
With that, I swung.
Instant Slash Art, First Form.
One Sword Momentum.
Flash!
Light flared. The Ice Queen, mid-cast of a cold blast thirty meters off, stared blankly.
[...What? Suddenly?]
"Not sudden. Lots happened."
[Incomprehensible nonsense...]
And with that.
Sssht.
Her body split diagonally. I'd bisected her once before, but everything was different now.
Awakening to martial arts wasn't just about qi.
It transformed the very quality of the sword intent I harbored.
Crunch! Boom!
Her body shattered, scattering everywhere. Then.
[Congratulations! A guild has defeated the Ice Queen!]
[Top Contributor: Han Jaeyeon.]
World message blared as hundreds of items rained from the sky.
[Ice Queen's Merit Chest (Legendary). Ice Queen's Pride (Legendary). Polar Night (Heroic). Ice Spear (Heroic). Frozen Armor Crafting Recipe (Heroic). Frigid Necklace (Rare)]...
Insane drop quantity and quality. Party bosses and guild raids were worlds apart.
Flash!
Obviously, Kasim's auto-loot sucked them all into my inventory.
[Inventory weight exceeds 75%!]
[Inventory weight over 75%: Movement speed reduced!]
[Inventory weight exceeds 100%!]
[Inventory weight over 100%: Movement speed critically reduced. HP, stamina, mana slowly drain!]
Thud!
Kasim landed. Cheers erupted everywhere.
"The lord took down the ice monster!"
"No way! Flying battles in the sky!"
"Saw that last hit? Aura blade splitting the heavens!"
Steelstone barked at the cheering mob.
"Cut it out! Triage the damage! Check casualties! Clear debris!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soldiers scattered. Steelstone and Hundred approached.
"You alright?"
"Of course."
Answering, I sorted inventory. Dumped heavy gear by the ruined lord's castle, clearing the weight penalty.
Then, in that state.
Pulled out and ate a rice cake.
[Consumed Radiant Jade Rabbit Moon Rice Cake (Legendary)! Recovery and mana recovery +300 for 4 hours! Special resource recovery x5!]
[Defends against one enemy attack every 10 minutes!]
[Removes random status effect every 20 minutes!]
Leftover legendary rice cake from Chuseok's last day, ignored by high-level users past its timer.
I'd hoarded it forever. Its power surged through me.
9:50 passed.
Fatigue melted away as I said,
"Log out."
Flash!
Suddenly, I stood before the Giggas with the weirdly glowing gun. Qi sealed again, I tapped chakra.
Even this unidentified mana-null zone couldn't stop me opening Ardenia.
"Ardenia. Giant Gate. Open."
Raised my right hand.
"Summon. Mighty Power Sword."
A hefty one-handed sword materialized.
[Weapon...? Useless! Die!]
Blue light spewed from the green bear's gun. Fitting for a bombardment!
But then.
[Moonlight Defense!]
[9:59]
The barrage vanished effortlessly.
[What...? Huh?]
Grinning at the shock,
I kicked off the ground.