Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Gotham (4)
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Boom! Bang!
Explosions erupted everywhere.
- Grrr!
- Keeek!
Monsters with glowing red eyes clashed chaotically with Lee Dam's forces.
Melee.
"Fight!"
"Swing! Stab! Clash! How have we survived this long? We can't give ground here!"
The warriors of 「Lee Dam」 were brave.
Like independence fighters who had lost their homeland.
They fought back without yielding to the monsters' momentum.
Feeling their fighting spirit.
"......"
I raised my spear as well.
My opponent was Zima, world rank 79, The Ruthless.
'Don't get careless.'
No matter how confident I was, he was a high ranker.
He might be hiding some trump card.
'And right now, it's just me alone.'
If the system's ranking was truly fair.
My skeletons' abilities would be factored into my rank.
But right now.
No bones were by my side.
They were all faithfully carrying out their roles on the battlefield.
This was the first time I was clashing with a high ranker using only my own power.
"Hah!"
With a spirited shout.
My thighs exploded forward like a burst.
"Hoh, I thought you were a necromancer, but you're charging in yourself?"
Zima lowered his stance and touched the ground with both hands.
Sss!
Dark energies.
With a ghostly wail, they swirled around his body once.
Sss!
Then surged toward me along the ground.
'If it's the ground.'
Just dodge upward?
Ta-at!
I kicked off the ground mid-stride and soared into the air.
At that moment.
A ranker's eyes flashed from afar.
'That guy......'
One of the rankers behind Zima.
World rank 150, Speed Shot Anastasia.
One of Russia's top rankers.
Though overshadowed by Andrei and Zima, she was a famously skilled archer.
Shing! Shoo-shing!
Arrows fired in an instant flew toward my jumping trajectory.
She was already nocking another as they flew—the speed was insane.
'Well, now.'
I twisted my lips.
Not a 1:1 after all?
Didn't matter.
Combined attacks in battle were fine.
Just solid tactics.
"......"
Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the arrows' paths.
I wanted to dodge, but being airborne made it tricky.
"Hmph! You gonna try to bat them away?"
Anastasia burst into laughter.
"You think you can deflect these while hanging in the air?"
Pew! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Anastasia's hands moved without pause, like a machine.
That was when.
Anastasia's brow furrowed suddenly.
"......Huh? What is it?"
She felt an ominous presence at her back.
Swoosh!
"What else?"
A black shadow appeared with a faint wind.
A dagger in its grip stabbed toward Anastasia's throat like lightning.
"The one here to deal with you."
"Huh?!"
Anastasia twisted away and kicked off the ground from the sharp ambush.
Her barrage of arrows naturally halted.
"......You."
Anastasia, barely dodging, stared at the figure before her.
"Dark Emperor......! You're that woman who just entered the ranks right below me?"
World rank 151, Dark Emperor Gi So-yul.
"Yeah, and I think I'll climb a few more spots soon."
"Hmph, nonsense! You think an assassin can dodge my arrows?"
"Who knows. I've dodged arrows plenty back in the day—got sick of it."
Sss!
She melted back into the shadows.
Launching repeated attacks.
'Nice.'
I smiled.
Archers had poor matchup against assassins.
She'd have a tough time against Gi So-yul.
And for me.
Anastasia's arrows were no issue.
Why?
If I couldn't dodge, I'd deflect.
If deflecting was hard, I'd just block.
Fwoosh!
I instantly transformed my spear into a massive shield and covered myself.
Ting! Tang! Tang! Claaang!
The arrows bounced off lightly.
A mere rank 150's arrows couldn't pierce a Godslayer-grade weapon.
"Wooow!"
Floa, watching, cheered.
"A weapon that turns into a shield? Totally broken!"
Pazzzik!
She sparked electricity across her body again and charged at Bong Jae-young.
"Hey! Joo Dong-hoon! I'll handle that iron-fisted moron, so don't worry about him!"
Boom! Crash!
Winds swirled around Floa.
"Uahaha! Let's have some fun!"
Her laughter mixed with Bong Jae-young's roars amid the whooshes.
Iron Fist was handled.
Now back to Zima?
Whoosh!
This time, I turned the shield into a sword.
Landed on the ground at the same time!
From the landing stance, I charged again.
"Hoo, hoo!"
I steadied my quickening breath as much as possible.
Cooled my heating heart while running.
And.
Dodged Zima's incoming black energy with shadow arts—sss!
Whoosh!
Followed up with an immediate strike.
A horizontal slash.
"Damn it!"
Zima hurriedly kicked back.
My blade just grazed his cheek.
'Close.'
A bit deeper and it would've been lethal.
Zima's lips trembled in surprise.
"......You're pretty good, huh?"
Then he thrust his fist straight at me.
"Let's see how you take this!"
The Ruthless.
Secret technique.
Black Dragon Wave!
Skwaaaa!
A roar erupted from his fist as black dragon energy burst forth.
'Whoa, this one's nasty.'
That'd hurt bad if it hit.
Chilled, I quickly stepped into shadow and dodged left.
And.
Kwarung! Kwarung!
The massive energy swept my previous spot like a tsunami.
So powerful it cratered the ground behind.
'Brutal.'
I stared at him in a daze.
Ultimate move?
Probably.
Come to think of it.
Black Sword, Absolute Invincibility.
Everyone had their signature ultimate, but I didn't.
'Well, I'm a necromancer.'
Greedy to expect more when charging a high ranker in melee with a weapon.
Still, couldn't help envying.
Humans are greedy by nature.
No need to think it's weird.
Greed drives progress.
"Kid."
An old man muttered softly from the air then.
"Want me to teach you one?"
'Huh?'
I blinked.
'What? A secret technique?'
Wait.
You can teach that?
"Idiot. What do you think all techniques are? You've got mountains to learn ahead. You didn't think mastering a few meant you knew it all, did you?"
'No, then why not teach sooner......'
"Gotta take it slow so you'll respect me. Otherwise, you'd keep climbing after me."
Skwaa!
Dodging another black energy blast, I grumbled inwardly in protest.
'No, when did I ever climb after you, sky-high elder! I'm wronged!'
"Tsk tsk, at least you talk right."
He liked [sky-high].
The old man's lips curved upward.
"Now, focus. I'll teach you."
'Yes, elder!'
I focused on the fight, eyes gleaming.
How long since his last lesson?
'Cool technique, right?'
"Of course!"
The old man thumped his chest.
"I guarantee it. Might strain you to use, but it'll fit your style perfectly—lifelong staple."
* * *
At that moment.
'Hic, huff huff!'
Inside Bong Jae-young's body.
His mind gasped for breath.
'Ugh, fuck.'
Beeeeee!
A weird noise rang in his eardrums.
'What the hell? What's going on?'
His mind was a mess.
He'd been fighting red-eyed monsters day and night.
Then suddenly.
Someone stole control of his body.
Why......?
Why was he moving on his own?
Why swing his fist.
Boom!
At the electric girl?
Please stop.
Stop! I said stop!
'Ughhh!'
Agonizing pain stabbed his brain.
The more he tried to regain control.
The more some unknown force devoured his brain.
How did this happen?
'......'
Right.
It started then.
When he thought it was pointless.
Overwhelmed by numbers, power, 「Gotham」 rankers' constant harassment, and bizarre space.
When he lost all will to fight.
[You have been afflicted with 'Oppression.']
[All stats reduced by 30%!]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Vicious Poison Gu has invaded your body!]
That Vicious Poison Gu Andrei scattered—it entered him.
'Crazy!'
Unbelievable no matter how he thought.
A skill that controls your body freely?
'That's way too broken!'
No way such a ridiculous skill existed.
But.
He was living proof.
His whole body ached like it'd been beaten.
His head throbbed like it would split.
"Die already, you monster bastard!"
Amid it, the electric girl's punches hurt like hell.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ribs, gut.
And straight to the nuts.
Worst part: he felt every bit of pain.
'Fuck...... not there......!'
His mind clutched his crotch inwardly.
He could endure elsewhere, but his balls? Torture.
'Please.'
Tears welled in Bong Jae-young.
His real body drooled, but inside, he sobbed.
'I was wrong. All wrong!'
He truly regretted.
Why'd he act out?
If he'd stayed quiet, no such bullshit.
Why feel rivalry with Joo Dong-hoon over glory?
'Uwaaaah!'
No matter how hard he tried.
Regaining control was impossible.
Then it hit Bong Jae-young.
'Normally, I'd be dead, just a body left.'
Like those zombie-rushing monsters.
His body would've become one too.
But.
Why was he thinking, feeling pain?
Because.
'My brain's iron.'
Fuck.
Makes sense?
Others called him Iron Fist.
But Bong Jae-young's whole body was iron-tough.
Brain included—hence this mess.
How ridiculous.
'Just...... kill me.'
Tremble.
His brain wrinkles quivered finely.
His mind turned to Joo Dong-hoon fighting nearby.
The guy who'd pummeled his uncontrollable self senseless.
'Hic.'
Every bone throbbed.
Still hurt, but Joo Dong-hoon's hits ached worst.
'Strong.'
Not a close-range innate, so he'd underestimated.
'Ever gotten beat that bad since birth?'
Even with uncontrolled body.
It output way more power than his normal.
'And yet.'
He got crushed.
Not just crushed—utterly dominated.
'High ranker indeed?'
Why didn't he know.
High ranker spots aren't won by luck.
He should've known better than anyone.
'Damn, no wonder they mock my iron head harder than rockhead.'
His mind fixed on Joo Dong-hoon.
'Fine, I admit it.'
I admit.
'Sorry. I underestimated. Your sudden high ranker status felt absurd. Kwon So-ye and Im Soo-jin, brought as rankers, fawning over you? Jealous. Pathetic, right? That's why. Shouldn't have. I'm scum deserving death......'
But please.
'No matter what. Dying like this? No. Fuck. In foreign lands. Puppet to wormy villains? No. How'd I climb to rank 101? All that effort......!'
Bong Jae-young didn't want to die.
'Save me.'
Kill or save. Whatever.
Just pull him from this pain!
'......'
His inner self clenched a fist.
'If you save me...... no, spare me......'
He resolved.
'I swear on my fist......'
Staking his symbol, dead serious.
'I'll give everything to follow you.'