Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Back to the Tower (2)
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System is shocked! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System asks Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk where the hell he got those grenades from. "I don't know either, you goddamn bitch."
Would you tell me if you were in my shoes?
On the ground below, the seeds of love and justice I'd sown had burst into magnificent bloom.
Clap clap clap!
The sight was so beautiful that applause came naturally. I let gravity take hold and plummeted in freefall.
The sensation of falling from the sky toward the earth was incredibly thrilling. When the ground rushed right up to my nose, I focused all my strength into my lower body.
That's when the 'Safe Zone' effect kicked in—the red ground beneath me gradually turned blue.
BOOOOOM!
The moment my massive foot hit the ground, an enormous shockwave ripped through, cracking the earth outward in all directions. A huge crater formed instantly, and the bodies of nearby summoners were flung into the air.
"Gaaahhh—!"
"Wheee~!"
Looking down, I couldn't help but whistle.
The ground was etched with countless fissures. It looked like a small meteor had crashed down.
"Atchoo!"
I let out a short cough amid the dust cloud.
"Ah, shoulda brought a mask. This dust is brutal."
I released the partial gigantification and scanned my surroundings. Everything within a radius of several dozen meters lay in ruins. It was the aftermath of the dozens of grenades I'd dropped from the sky earlier.
But even in that devastation, some were still clinging to life.
"Guhk... Hack..."
"S-Spare... me..."
They were summoners whose bodies had been turned into pincushions by grenade shrapnel. Whether thanks to the buffs Pellios had granted them or just sheer luck, they hadn't died—they were writhing in agony instead.
"Whoa, you guys are still alive? You're some tough sons of bitches."
"Y-You demon bastard...!"
"Hey, how am I the demon here? Demons are you lot, trying to gang up on one innocent guy. I was just defending myself."
If this were America, I'd win the trial hands down, 100%. Hell, I could've even billed their families for the grenades. What a shame.
"Hngh... Crazy bastard..."
"Wow, guess I need a second opinion on this. Hey, miss over there? Lying next to this guy? Who looks like the bigger bad guy to you?"
I called out to a woman lying next to the man. She seemed relatively intact by comparison.
"I... I don't know..."
A massive shard was embedded in her stomach.
"Got any potions? I could heal you if you do."
Unfortunately, my inventory was on cooldown, and consumables were banned anyway—I couldn't help even if I wanted to.
"N-No... Hic..."
I decided to help her forget her pain quickly.
"Any last words?"
"...Mom. I miss you..."
Her eyes had already lost focus, wandering in her final moments.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Eliminated Summoner 'Jeong-hee'. - Acquired 231pt. The other summoners' eyes changed as they watched. Maybe the endless pain scared them more than instant death.
Soon, they were all gazing at me with desperate pleas.
"Please... just kill me... End this pain..."
The first to beg was the guy who'd called me a demon moments ago. His plea sparked the others, who began pleading in their tortured voices for death.
"I beg you... Make it quick... All at once..."
"Can't... take it anymore... Huhuhu... Mom..."
The absurdity of it floored me.
'These assholes were trying to kill me a minute ago, and now they're begging for a painless death. What a joke.'
"I don't usually grant men's requests... but just this once."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System strongly requests that you stop this! "Fuck off."
I grinned and aimed the M2 Browning machine gun I'd been holding at the summoners, then pulled the trigger.
DRRRRRRT—!
The ear-shattering roar followed as the machine gun spat fire.
I didn't let go of the trigger until every groan around me had ceased. Finally, silence fell, accompanied by a flood of summoner elimination messages.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Eliminated Summoner 'Lee Jin-woo'. - Acquired 1870pt. - Eliminated Summoner 'Park Sang-cheol'. - Acquired 2150pt. ... "Hah, raw stats are the best. Look at that recoil control."
The synergy between the stats I'd grinded in the Tower and the 【Strength F】 talent was beyond imagination.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Silence blanketed the battlefield after the gunfire ceased.
Before the smoke fully cleared, I bellowed at the top of my lungs.
"Drop your weapons and surrender, all of you! Surrender now, and I promise a quick, painless death!"
Life is suffering. My kind offer to end that suffering was met with curses from all directions.
"Bullshit, you murderer!"
"That bastard's just toying with us! Better to fight to the death than surrender!"
'Ugh, these assholes. Even when I offer mercy, they bitch about it.'
They were goners anyway, but ignoring my consideration for their final moments?
'Fine. If they choose a painful death, no need to stop 'em.'
The battlefield smoke began to clear. As visibility returned, the survivors came into view.
"Mages, prepare your chants!"
"Archer squad! Rain arrows on him before he pulls another weird trick!"
From the rear, faint chants from mages echoed, archers nocked arrows aimed at me, and warriors readied shields for a charge.
It was quite the spectacle. And every bit of it targeted one person: me.
My vision filled with red once more.
【Threat Detection】 was blaring warnings like mad.
Countless red trajectories sliced through the air toward me—arrow paths, AoE spell impact zones, even warrior charge routes. It all unfolded before my eyes.
The old me might've freaked out at this. Back then, I'd have spammed Warp like crazy just to dodge it all.
Not anymore.
I'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"Whoa, this is straight-up legal aimbot. I can see every position."
No more frantic hide-and-seek.
"Alright then, let's party—Time!"
*
DRRRRRRT—!
The .50 cal rounds literally pulverized the enemies in front of me. The shop-bought armor and iron shields in their hands tore like paper.
They weren't facing some cute assault rifle or thin plating—this was a machine gun that punched through armor plating. Enhanced by 【Tactical Marksmanship】, no less.
Keep hosing until the threats vanish. Usually works.
"Kyaa! Feels so damn good!"
Against the machine gun's overwhelming firepower, they were powerless.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Spare me! Please!"
All they could do was scream in terror, praying they weren't next.
The .50 cal lead slugs pierced everything equally within range.
Of course, sporadic attacks flew my way amid the barrage—desperate spells from lucky surviving mages or arrows from archers.
But to me now, those half-assed attacks were no threat at all.
'Yup~ I see all your attacks coming~.'
Even while spraying the machine gun, I lightly shifted my body with my high Agility stat, dodging most of it.
Like strolling leisurely between raindrops in a downpour. Oh, and my clothes didn't even get wet.
"Insane... Is that even human?"
"Attacks aren't landing! He's reading every move!"
"Fall back now! Running is our only shot!"
Someone's shout was the signal—the surviving summoners bolted in panic.
"Oh? What's this? Trying to run?"
I swung the barrel toward their retreating backs.
Just a click of the trigger, and pt poured in like a fever dream.
I wanted this moment to last forever.
But all parties must end.
Click. Click.
The machine gun, which had been roaring for ages, ground to a halt.
"Oopsie. Already out?"
The thousands of .50 cal rounds in my backpack belt had vanished.
I gazed wistfully at the glowing-hot barrel. Ammo aplenty, but no spare parts for a barrel swap. The M2 Browning was now just a heavy hunk of scrap.
I ditched it without regret.
"Good work. You did your job—now rest easy."
I muttered like bidding farewell to an old friend, then opened my reset inventory and pulled out my backup gear: a fully loaded tactical vest and assault rifle.
"Alright, time to keep the hunt going?"
That was when it happened.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System requests mediation! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System requests mediation!! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Tower System requests mediation!!! Urgent system messages popped up before my eyes, more frantic than ever. But I brushed them off.
'Hah, look at it begging for mediation now that it's losing?'
I hosed down even harder, as if to show off. Imagining the Tower System panicking and Pellios jumping in surprise doubled the thrill.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Warning to Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk! Further acts of slaughter may undermine the Tower's foundation! Severe penalties will apply if you do not cease immediately! The system's tone grew harsher, but I kept ignoring it.
"Yup~ Go ahead~ I'll just nuke the place with a nuke if you do~"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ……. Of course, the nuke in my inventory was a bluff. But I always had the power to make it real.
The Tower System fell silent at my threat.