Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: How to Survive in Fusion Punk
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Jin's eyebrows twitched.
A chilling sensation that stiffened every muscle in his body.
As his instincts warned him of the threat, the light pole beside him creaked open its eyes.
Bzzt!
A streak of purple lightning whipped past Jin's face.
It was as if the bolt of lightning had a will of its own, baring its fangs at the enemy.
The man's gaze naturally followed it.
"..."
It was the gaze of a beast.
The eyes of a true predator, leagues beyond those half-baked freaks who'd merely swapped out their heads for animal ones.
Jin didn't know where that difference came from.
He simply clenched his fists tight.
He didn't charge right in only because of Fenrir's voice coming from beside him.
"Taha...!"
The bridge of the nose visible above the goblin mask twisted in fury.
His expression and tone didn't feel like he was facing a stranger.
And sure enough, the man responded.
"So it was you."
Followed by a flat, emotionless remark.
"Traitor."
At the same time, Jin glanced sideways at Fenrir.
Not because of the word "traitor," but because of the growing presence accompanied by a grinding crunch.
His eyes were drawn there involuntarily.
In that moment, Fenrir—who had completed his beastman transformation—grabbed the loosened mask with one massive hand and pulled it down.
Grrrrrr...
A guttural growl unique to beasts rumbled from his elongated muzzle.
The werewolf cracked his neck left and right before speaking.
"Traitor's a bit too grand for someone who just left because he hated all that shitty clique bullshit, don't you think?"
Clique.
It was a jab that crushed TB, now a full-fledged emerging warlord faction.
But the response was surprisingly mild.
"Don't reject the voice within you, Fenrir."
The man—Taha—took a step forward as he said it.
He reached back, gripping the handle of the massive hammer whose head was planted on the ground, and added,
"That's the fate given to us."
"Bullshit... The beast sickness has really taken hold of you."
As Fenrir curled his scarlet gums to bare his sharp fangs,
Jin quickly checked behind him.
Three resistance fighters frozen like statues at Taha's appearance came into view.
Albus was naturally in the worst shape, his face drained white as blood pooled in his abdomen.
The bandages, soaked through despite the tourniquet, had turned red all the way to Den's back where they pressed together.
Judging by the cold sweat pouring off him, shock from blood loss was imminent if they didn't act.
Jin made his decision.
"Run!"
Osia and Den snapped to attention at his shout and immediately turned to flee.
The moment Taha's gaze landed on their retreating backs,
Jin yanked Fenrir's shoulder.
"Let's bounce first!"
"...What?"
"We have to save the client!"
Jin hadn't ruled out fighting.
He'd even prepared to charge in.
But on second thought, this wasn't it.
If they dug in and fought here, not only would Albus be at risk, but the encirclement they'd barely broken through would close again.
All their efforts so far would go to waste.
He couldn't let that happen.
So Jin turned tail and ran.
Who was it that said wounds on the back were a swordsman's shame?
But Jin wasn't a swordsman.
So no shame here!
He'd bare his back a hundred times over if it meant saving his skin.
And so what if he got hurt? It'd heal quick anyway, no scar.
But the werewolf with the twin dragon swords at his waist didn't seem to agree.
"Damn it! Then why the hell did I beast out?!"
"Did I tell you to? Just run!"
That was when it happened.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Footsteps approached, shattering the ground like it was nothing.
Then came a final boom!!
A massive shadow leaped into the sky, hurling something toward the two sprinting figures.
Whirrrrrr!!
The air-tearing spin closed in instantly.
A chill ran up his spine.
The next moment, Fenrir leaped aside dramatically, and Jin blinked forward briefly.
Then the ground flipped over.
Jin, whose stance crumbled in an instant, leaned back to check behind him.
Beyond the flying concrete shards, he saw the hammer embedded in the ground.
Jin's eyes widened on their own.
What the hell. He threw that?
The iron monstrosity looked like it weighed hundreds of kilos easy.
Its crude form, fused seamlessly with the handle, screamed primitive cold weapon from a bygone era.
Even Jin couldn't leap into the air and hurl something like that down.
The moment he realized the opponent's strength clearly surpassed his own, a white-haired man dropped from the sky and reached back.
He snatched the hammer handle and swung his arm wide—
The hammer head launched from the ground like a cannon, tracing a 3-meter arc.
Whoosh!
Jin reflexively rolled away from the hammer blotting out his vision.
The invincible evasion technique called a tumble in wuxia novels.
If you could overcome the embarrassment, you should dodge most attacks... but,
Maybe it was the different world rules, but it didn't work here.
Boom!!
He avoided the direct hit, but the shockwave from point-blank range sent his body flying.
At the same time, concrete chunks flew at him like arrows.
They blocked his vision completely.
No blink like this.
Couldn't pinpoint coordinates.
Jin hastily crossed his arms.
Fist-sized debris shattered against them with rapid pattering impacts as he kicked his legs back.
Something touched the soles of his feet.
No time to judge if it was floor, wall, or what—he stopped his body first.
Then wind whistled in his ears again.
Jin reflexively ducked his upper body.
Whoosh!!
The heavy iron mass barely grazed above his head as he dropped low enough for his palms to touch the ground, then slammed his feet down.
Crackle!!
His spinning body slammed roughly into Taha.
It worked.
The guy narrowed his brow and staggered back.
But Jin couldn't press the attack.
The collision's aftereffects were worse than expected.
It felt like slamming full-speed into an iron block.
His bones hummed, rooting him in place for a moment.
Like being stunned in a game—a crisis moment.
Before the massive hammer could smash down, someone yanked his collar.
His breath caught as Jin grimaced and turned his head.
"...You're Zahard?!"
Fenrir's shocked voice.
But he couldn't answer.
His throat was being choked.
"Gah! You bastard...!"
Dragged by the 210cm werewolf's sprint, heels scraping the ground, Jin felt strength return to his legs and flailed them.
He then kicked off the ground himself, twisted free of the grip on his collar, and turned.
"Pulling my clothes—what the hell, you punk!"
Dry coughs mixed into his staccato words.
Fenrir didn't care.
"You want me to just watch your head get smashed?!"
Fair enough.
Jin nodded quickly, spotted Osia and Den rounding a corner ahead, and shouted.
"Why's that bastard so damn strong? The other beastmen weren't like this!"
"Because Taha...! He's a beastman who's achieved Molting!"
"Mol... what?"
"Damn it, incoming!!"
Fenrir yelled.
At the same moment, wind pressure from over his shoulder.
Whirrrrrr!!
Without a word, Jin and Fenrir split left and right.
The hammer cleaved between them, slamming into the ground at an angle.
A deafening boom and shockwave erupted.
Fenrir stabbed his sword into the ground to brace—
Jin said screw it and turned the explosion to his advantage.
Using the shockwave pushing his back for acceleration, he drove a fist into the face of the charging Taha.
Crack!
Taha's head snapped back slightly, but his beastly gaze stayed locked on Jin.
The next instant.
Fists grazing in midair smashed into each other's faces.
Cross counter.
Jin staggered badly. It wasn't on par with Kilgit's sonic boom punch, but Taha's fist hit like a chunk of metal the same weight.
Then Fenrir swung his sword and barged in.
A sharp ambush. The greatsword over a meter long grazed Taha's neck.
It clearly did... but no blood flowed. Even though the flesh was visibly cut.
"...What the hell did you do to your body?"
Fenrir asked, but Taha didn't answer.
He just pressed his hand to the wound and released.
The cut vanished like a lie.
Only then did he speak.
"Come back now, Fenrir. I'm giving you a chance."
"What?"
"We're the chosen ones. Descendants of an ancient race revived beyond the era. You hear it too, don't you? The voice of the wild."
Fenrir raised his sword.
"Cut the crap. We're just serum test subjects. That 'voice' you talk about? It's just the shitty side effect of the serum."
"No reasoning with you."
As Taha shook his head and stepped forward,
A low incantation echoed from somewhere, and Taha's left knee buckled.
"...?"
He lost balance for a moment but slammed his right foot down to catch himself.
Crack!
Cracks spiderwebbed from his foot. As if crushed by an invisible force.
But he didn't fall, slowly lifting his head—
In that instant, an unfamiliar voice pierced Fenrir and Jin's ears.
"Over here! Can't hold it long!"
At the alley's end.
A man gestured urgently.
Behind him, a boxcar was parked. Osia, Den, and Albus leaned inside it.
No time for deep thought.
Seeing white fur sprouting on Taha's face, Jin and Fenrir spun and sprinted for the car.
The man hopped into the driver's seat after confirming them aboard and floored it.
Vrooom!
In the accelerating car, Jin rubbed his throbbing nose and asked toward the front.
"Resistance?"
"..."
The man said nothing.
Why no answer?
Sensing something off, Jin's hand drifted to his waist—
Click.
Osia suddenly pressed a gun barrel to the headrest and said,
"...Who the hell are you."
The man let out a hollow chuckle.
"I came to help, and that's the thanks I get?"
"State your identity."
"Threatening me? Gonna pull the trigger?"
"Think I won't?"
Jin furrowed his brow at their exchange.
What the hell is this now?
He'd assumed it was resistance backup, but apparently not.
Then why'd they get in? ...Too late to chew them out—Albus looked bad. Real bad.
Full-body spasms in unconsciousness. Even to Jin's untrained eye, his life hung by a thread.
The driver glanced at him in the rearview and spoke.
"Shouldn't we save your buddy first? You gonna shoot my head off and then where to?"
"Nowhere."
"Safe house?"
"..."
"Just a tip, but skip that one. TB's already turned it into a wasteland."
Who the hell is this guy?
Jin and Fenrir exchanged looks, then stared at the driver.
Not resistance or TB by his actions, but he knew too much.
Hell, didn't he use magic? Right, Gravity. Common gravity spell from novels and games.
Reading their suspicious stares via the rearview, the man spoke.
"Ease up. You'll know soon enough."
With that, he focused on driving.
Night driving without even headlights.
Amid groans of pain, the group watched the cityscape flicker past the windows.
Distant gunfire.
Faint screams scattering.
Dark buildings that seemed to turn away from it all.
Suddenly, the boxcar slowed.
"We're here."
The man got out first, followed by the others one by one.
Den, carrying Albus last, scanned around and muttered softly.
"...Bunker Hill?"
To Jin, it looked like a desolate residential area.
No signs of life.
"This way."
The man ahead beckoned.
As the group moved, Fenrir sidled up to Jin.
Back to human form for the car ride, mask back on, he leaned in close and whispered.
"Could be a trap. Attack if anything feels off."
"Got it."
They reached a building entrance.
The man pressed the bell firmly.
A voice crackled from the old intercom.
[Fate whispers to the warrior, 'The storm approaches.' And the warrior replies—]
"Cut the nonsense and open up. We've got wounded."
[...Then don't make a damn password.]
With a ding, the door unlocked.
Following the man inside, a narrow hallway greeted them.
Dim and eerie without lights, it led to a living room with a lit furnace.
People warming themselves there stood up.
One spotted Albus and spoke.
"Bring the wounded this way."
"Be right back."
"No, Den. Come with."
Osia, worried about leaving Den alone, vanished with him somewhere.
Leaving just Jin and Fenrir.
The man glanced at them, then addressed someone still chugging booze by the fire.
"Colonel, sir. Returned."
"Good. Good work."
A curt reply. The middle-aged man hiccuped after downing his bottle in one go and turned.
Jin, still sizing up the situation, went wide-eyed.
He couldn't help pointing and yelling.
"Hit-and-run bastard?!"