Chapter 76
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 076
Chapter Title: Spatial Ability User Kim Geuk - [5]
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And, ah...
Slight dizziness washed over me, but when I snapped back to my senses, I could feel several changes in my body.
First off, my body felt noticeably lighter. It wasn't like I'd actually lost weight—more likely, the rigid outer shell coating my skin was distributing the load evenly.
And the gross, gritty texture from gripping the bear's jaws barehanded? That was gone too.
No doubt about it. I'd awakened to Force Field Exoskeleton.
HuntWeb had articles about hallucinations other Force Field Exoskeleton Awakeners experienced during their awakenings, but what I'd seen was different. None of that mattered now.
I glared at the bear in front of me.
Hand over my kin, you beast bastard.
I poured strength into my arms and wrenched open that filthy maw. Up until moments ago, its jaw strength had overpowered my arms, but not anymore.
Finally, the bear's jaws cracked wide open.
Shin Mi-rae's head came free. I shoved the bear with everything I had, and she was finally out.
"Eh!"
Of course, the situation was still razor-thin. One wrong twitch from me or the bear, and that tiny body would be crushed flat.
Sure enough, her mother's frantic voice rang out.
"Mi-rae!"
But it looked like there was no need to worry. Before she could even finish yelling, someone came sprinting in, scooped up the sprawled girl from the ground, and hauled her off to safety.
It was Naito-san. Talk about a guy who shone in every way. Might be worth considering a slave contract so this irreverent non-Awakener could keep serving Incheon's citizens.
Meanwhile, the bear—stripped of its emergency rations and knocked flat on its ass—finally seemed to grasp the situation.
The bear hauled itself upright, revealing that its height matched mine pretty closely. It had a slight edge, sure, but whatever.
As if sizing me up as a real threat based on height alone, the bear let out a roar. "Krraaaang—" That nasty bellow echoing everywhere was music to my ears? Hell no.
Shut your trap, beast bastard.
Instead of words, I made it obey with action.
I whipped my fist straight into the bear's wide-open, howling mouth.
A few teeth shattered as my fist burrowed inside and smashed its palate. Its mouth tore open, splattering blood across my face.
The blow made the bear reel, but it reacted on reflex.
The bear clamped down on my fist. It bit hard—no shaking it loose—but I felt zero pain. That's when the reality of my new power really hit home.
"Hyung!"
Seong Mun-yeong shouted anxiously from behind, but I ignored him. Sure, this locked us in close quarters, but the beast bastard was just as stuck.
And my read? I was stronger. Much stronger.
I decided to go all-out in this brawl.
With one fist still trapped in its jaws, I swung my free fist at it.
A punch that felt way faster and lighter than before—but packing way more power.
Now, swinging my fist cut through the air resistance like it was nothing. No more awkward drag from the over-bulked muscles I'd built for hauling heavy hunter rifles.
It wasn't just my muscles anymore—my skin itself exerted the same force, assisting every motion.
Power surging from inside and out, I hammered its thick hide relentlessly.
'Boom!' Each punch boomed like a shell exploding. Like ordnance slamming into solid armor and detonating.
I dodged a swipe from its forepaw and drove another fist home, ripping through its hide. Blood sprayed from its body.
Cameras flashed in response. Aimed at me... Not bad at all. Spotlights blazing on a fighter's stage? That's just how it should be.
I twisted from the hips and slammed its bulging gut. The bear staggered.
By now, folks realized I wasn't in any real danger—cheers erupted from all around.
"Oh!"
Gunshots rang out amid the chaos. Heavy, thunderous reports. Everyone knew assault rifles barely scratched a beast this size, so they'd brought the heaviest firepower they could.
Baek Dam-bi was even sniping with a .50 cal monster from somewhere, and she'd already tagged it a few times.
But a monster like this wouldn't drop from a few rounds. It wasn't that fragile.
Bleeding from everywhere, the bear still wouldn't release my fist. And through it all, those savage eyes stayed locked on my face.
That beast bastard was probably surging with adrenaline right about now.
So was I.
The instant I landed another punch, the bear counterattacked. Its forepaw sliced through the air like a jet wing, blotting out my vision in a flash.
Tough to evade while grappled, so I didn't. I smashed it aside with my elbow and hammered its exposed chest.
Something snapped—probably a few ribs.
The bear froze, struggling to breathe. The ref hadn't called a stop, so no mercy from me.
I pounded its softened belly again. Hard.
My fist cleaved the air and sank into its gut. Deep into its guts, that is.
The moment my hand touched its entrails, I was grateful for the Force Field Exoskeleton. I grabbed the filth and yanked it out.
I didn't know if this bear had Super Regeneration, but it couldn't tank this. Gunfire kept pounding its back, spraying more blood.
Bleeding from front and rear, the bear finally collapsed.
Only then did I wrench my fist free from its jaws. Roughly, no mind for wounds—just brute force.
A few more teeth cracked as my fist came loose. The bastard was vomiting blood from its mouth; my hand was drenched.
I shook off my gore-soaked hands. Blood had splattered my body, but no need to grimace. It was on the field, not me.
I stared blankly at my spotless hands for a second, then thrust one high into the air.
The beast was dead. Time to bask in the cheers exploding in my head.
'Kim Geuk! Kim Geuk—!'
Cameras flashed again.
Under the octagon's dazzling spotlights, I stood still, soaking up every eye as the undisputed victor.
A round girl sidled up and whispered.
"It's not over yet, right? There's still one in the Gate."
Ah, right. One more bear inside that Gate.
This one had awakened to Ice Ability, but ice spirits were among the weakest, so smashing it wouldn't be hard.
Inside the Gate, I spotted the bear's silhouette scrambling away. Had it woken from its daze after watching its kin die? Fast runner for a quadruped, but not fast enough to escape me.
I teleported. Dragged it out, finished it off easy. Only then did people swarm me.
"Hyung? That blood just shook right off your clothes— was that..."
Surrounded by hunters and reporters, I spotted Shin Mi-rae—barely conscious—and her mother clutching that tiny body.
In the Gate, they'd only seen silhouettes of each other. This was probably their first real look in ages.
"Mommy," Shin Mi-rae whimpered, bursting into tears. Her mother followed suit.
I'd never gotten much love from my own mom growing up, so scenes like this gave me that proxy warmth.
I grinned, bursting with pride at having made this moment happen.
No rest even after dropping two bears.
Hounded by reporters' questions for ages—and even now, riding home in the car, it continued.
"So, you awakened to Force Field Exoskeleton, right?"
"Told you."
"Physical Enhancement, Teleportation, and now this... Insane. For real."
Lee Jong-ho muttered as Seong Mun-yeong chimed in.
"Hyung, that makes you A+++ now, right?"
"Yep. So?"
"Nah, just... insane. Even your solo Physical Enhancement wrecked Kim Seok-hee, who had both fields and enhancement."
"Did it now?"
"Add Exoskeleton, and your strength's probably doubled? Calling you A-rank feels off at this point..."
Their praise didn't feel off at all. I soaked it up without a shred of modesty.
I'd earned it.
Awakening again drove home what I'd long suspected: Awakeners were born to dominate the lowly masses.
My latest awakening? Heroic, even if saying it myself feels weird. Shattered the stereotype that only society's weaklings got Force Field Exoskeleton.
New power forged from trials and hardship? Divine intervention wouldn't be a stretch.
Every awakening of mine had followed the pattern. Victory in the octagon. Protesting for my sister. Rescuing a kid. Fruits of greatness.
Proof that awakening was a gift for the elite. Non-Awakeners didn't qualify.
That explained the gulf between us.
Even fellow Awakener Baek Dam-bi seemed envious as she approached.
"You said you wanted another ability last time... and you pulled it off. Satisfied?"
"Thrilled. Absolutely killer."
No empty words. I was ecstatic.
Force Field Exoskeleton. Exactly what I wanted.
Power to grow harder, stronger. To make the normals tremble more.
Baek Dam-bi had suggested Force Field Blades since I could already teleport, but nah.
Blades might make Kang Jun-chi quake and watch his step around me, but that's not the goal.
Why scare one friend when I wasn't joining the special forces anyway?
Blades were a government favorite to boot. Great damage ignoring class, but no toughness or speed buffs—cops with guns would shred you. Useless against group violence.
Didn't need that crap.
Force Field Exoskeleton? The one ability that gave the government nightmares.
Trivializes personal firearms. Send in half-assed squads? Good luck suppressing it. And the user? Among the fastest, strongest supers.
Perfect for one Awakener rampaging against a group. Most global Awakener revolts? Led by Exoskeleton users. That's why I prepped for it.
A voice boomed from the car TV. Field report—low rumble you'd feel in your bones as a Physical Enhancer.
"Make America Great Again—!"
I eyed the Donald on screen.
Just a few years back, I knew him as some famous businessman from movies. Now? Most influential politician in America short of the president.
Guy was the lock for next prez. Rivals assassinated—ice Awakeners by all signs—but no rival left to challenge him.
Unlike most nations, America wasn't cracking down on ice users.
Because Donald—a powerhouse Awakener—spoke for them, blocking every purge attempt.
Physical Enhancement, Force Field Exoskeleton, and Heat Beam. Claimed S-rank—not quite, but close enough not to dismiss.
Old man once, but Super Regeneration from Physical Enhancement turned him young. Blond stud on TV now. Superman vibes from looks and powers? Probably his popularity secret.
Me with three abilities too—felt a weird kinship. Like him protecting his kind in America, I had the duty here.
Stronger now than ever. And I'd get stronger still.
Make the non-Awakener trash fear me. Watch my every move.
The article on this blew up online. Not just the rescue—my new awakening too. One comment caught my eye amid the praise-fest.
That teleporter bastard's now tough enough bullets won't even dent him—how the hell do we stop that fucker now?
Only a rare negative amid all the praise. Sweeter than any compliment.
I smirked and fired up HuntWeb, resolve burning.