Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Victory Roar
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A massive flower of flame bloomed in the skies over Mute Town.
The heat was palpable even from afar.
Countless eyes watching from below were dyed red.
The resistance survivors catching their breath amid the slackened pursuit, the Beast soldiers rushing to Flat Iron after the call for reinforcements.
And even the city government agents observing everything from a distance.
All of them witnessed the explosion.
The next moment.
They all sprang into action.
Each heading to their assigned tasks.
Nothing was visible.
Nothing could be heard.
But there was something he felt.
A thick, rough texture filling his mouth.
The acrid stench of charred flesh.
And excruciating pain that felt like it was ripping his entire body apart.
In a world where all senses had vanished, leaving only raw agony behind, Jin regretted it.
Fuck, I shouldn't have taken that hit.
Of course, regret always comes too late.
He'd survived as expected, but ironically, surviving made it hellishly painful.
His inexplicable regenerative power had revived dead nerves.
And the first thing those restored nerves did was flood his brain with unrelenting torment.
Thus, ugh! Ack! Urk!
It was literal hell—too alive to die, amplifying the suffering.
Stand... up... damn... it.
How many times had he blacked out and woken in seconds just to form that short sentence in his mind?
At some point, blurry outlines began forming before his pitch-black vision.
His retinas, denatured by the horrific heat, were rebuilding. The old, liquefied eyes had melted like jelly, streaming down his cheeks like tears.
Good thing he couldn't see.
If Jin had witnessed that gruesome regeneration, he would've been horrified.
Human transmutation? Fullmetal Alchemist?
...he might've muttered.
Lucky to avoid that spectacle, he groped the ground with hazy vision.
Something felt off.
His strength wouldn't come, and his balance was shot.
Wondering what was wrong, he pulled his palm right up to his face.
Revealed was a bloody truth.
Crazy—why only four fingers?
One vague, elongated flesh outline was cleanly severed.
Bending them one by one from thumb to pinky: fuck, middle finger's gone.
Would this regenerate too?
Even breathing hurt, but Jin worried first.
Not that he planned to flip anyone off with eye-gunk smeared on his cheeks—it was just practical concern since he couldn't see.
What if he could never give the bird again?
At the same time, certainty dawned.
If he was this messed up, Taha was definitely dead.
The round with 1,000mm armor penetration had exploded inside Taha's gut.
Overwhelming pressure and heat would've shredded him from within.
No matter how tough, he had to be dead in a just world.
Jin thought that as he rose.
Dead flesh his body had given up on rained down.
Brushing off reconstruction debris, he propped himself on a knee, swept his tongue around his gritty mouth, gathered spit, and hawked it out.
Sniffing, the fading char mixed with thick blood scent.
Naturally lifting his head, he saw blood-soaked ground.
And something sprawled atop it.
Jin narrowed his eyes, straining his vision.
But it was still blurry.
His unfocused eyes couldn't resolve images properly.
All his wrecked sight caught was a vague, pale lump.
Still, he knew it was Taha.
No other lump that white could be but the white lion.
So what?
Right now, Jin stood on two feet; Taha lay fallen.
His mad plan—judging he'd lose a prolonged fight—had succeeded.
Relief that it was over brushed his mind.
Then—
Stumble.
Jin reflexively backpedaled.
He'd checked instinctively: no experience points incoming.
Next instant, blood sprayed from his shoulder.
Hair-raising chill.
No time to check the wound.
He leaped away bodily.
With eyes and ears failing, only touch was reliable.
Reading the attack's trajectory from wind on skin, Jin arched back.
Something grazed past razor-close, whipping back like a released spring.
At its end: Taha rising against gravity from the blood sea.
"---!!!!"
He bellowed something—inaudible.
Didn't matter anyway.
Taha's appearance was key.
Dark red blood threads loosely stitched his shredded body like frayed doll stuffing.
A poorly sewn plush toy.
Even blurry vision screamed abnormality.
Phase 3's too much!
Jin scowled.
Then Taha's overlong arm slapped the ground, becoming a massive quadruped beast that roared massively.
Spotlights flared around, bathing Jin and Taha.
What the hell?
Startled, Jin faced TB troops encircling them thickly.
Drawn by the blast—hundreds by rough count.
Even executives mid-beastman shift among them.
At least company-sized.
If they'd hit the building, his crew was doomed.
Good they came here instead...
But why aren't they shooting?
Jin squinted at the dragging standoff.
Expecting triggers any second—but no.
His clogged ears caught murmurs of unrest.
...No way?!
Hurried glance at Taha confirmed.
A snarling monster scanning surroundings.
Not normal.
Especially as TB's leader.
Jin figured:
Subordinates brain-frozen by beastman gone feral and boss's horrific change?
Life's full of surprises—no one dictates death.
Grabbing concrete chunk, Jin hurled full-force; the pebble streaked air, smashing into the lion's head.
The beast's nose wrinkled, head snapping up.
"Kurrrrheong!!"
Jin bolted without looking back.
Straight toward TB troops, naturally.
"Sh-shit!!"
"What do we do?!"
They panicked at charging Jin and pursuing beast.
Even executives.
"B-boss! What the...!!"
Hesitating on orders, someone snapped and fired.
Bang!
That sparked it.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!!!
Muzzles blazed forward; half bullets at Jin, half at Taha.
Jin screamed inwardly.
Shooting me in this chaos?
Trembling at blind loyalty, he shielded only his head hastily.
Arms shredded instantly but he pushed on.
No choice.
Best option now.
No time for full body repair.
Boss he thought dead revived sneakily.
No fair fight possible; rampage it was.
Now.
Charge enemy heart, tangle in.
Outlandish water ghost tactic threw the area into frenzy.
"The great! Beastman! Era is coming!"
Taha, sanity snapped, swung indiscriminately; blood fountains everywhere.
"Boss! Snap out-"
A soldier's head flew mid-shout.
One of the loyal trigger-pullers at Jin.
His death turned half muzzles on Taha.
"Fire!"
Someone yelled; thousands of rounds pelted Taha.
The brawl ignited.
"...Keurk!"
Heart-pierced soldier convulsed, neck snapping; Taha flung corpse skyward, bellowing.
"Bloodline of Kasdru Baal! Reclaim lost glory!"
Jin, looting dead TB gear, whipped around.
Kas-what?
"Blood spilled in struggle! Shall found new dynasty!"
Anachronistic roars continued.
"From blood, king shall rise!"
"Fitly receive the beast king!"
Slaughter-chant hybrid.
Meanwhile, riddled by bullets, grenades, heavy weapons—he slowly shredded.
"Fuck this!"
Executives, lives threatened, forgot boss—clawed and bit Taha.
Enhanced humans too; full-force strikes pierced weakened second-phase hide, drawing blood.
Cost: their lives.
"Kurrrrheong!!"
Taha, solo mulching company arms, wailed.
Enduring terrain-altering barrage focused solely on him, pressing attack—chilling from afar.
Normal fight? Certain loss.
Jin gulped, staring.
"Beastman! Era! Coming!"
Mania—what drives that state?
Too context-perfect for schizophrenia.
Or possessed.
Whatever, fuck it. Important?
Jin gave up understanding.
Instead, moved ragdoll body, spraying guns everywhere.
Reinforcements—no reason to spare any.
Bang!
Back-of-head fleeing soldier.
Ignored Taha-fighters; culled deserters.
Chaos shouts bonus.
"Fleeing scum—summary execution!!"
Everyone but me's enemy mindset.
Brain-empty auto-pilot Jin—no one marked him properly.
Too busy with berserk boss killing indiscriminately.
They missed it.
The one shot to kill Jin.
Crackle!
Heart-area frenzy surge; Jin's eyes widened.
It's back!
Body recovered enough for mana.
Blurry vision sharpened same time—
Gray eyes clearly captured Taha's massacre, dwindling TB remnants.
"Kek!"
Last soldier down.
Jin ignited frenzy instantly.
No hesitation—kicked ground; tearing dark zigzag light hit Taha too fast to track.
Flash solidified human-form behind Taha, arm locked on throat.
Human's sole beast-tamer: rear naked choke.
Not just carotid squeeze, though.
Unyielding resolve, determination.
Next, Jin ground teeth, maxed mana circuit.
Zzzzap!!
Explosive static engulfed Taha.
Most violent of seven families' powers.
Enveloped white lion roared.
"Kurrrrheong-!"
Bucking wildly, slammed back into wall.
Jin spewed blood on impact.
Not over.
Taha's throes wrecked everything—unfathomable power from ruin.
Rider Jin pulverized real-time.
But clung tighter.
Knew falling meant death.
Then teeth cracked—
Taha snorted, spoke.
"Great... beastman... era! Kasd... ru Baal!"
Incomprehensible even now.
Jin frowned.
Mania-swallowed man mirrored his own image fleetingly.
Jin overlaid lost past-memories on everything here.
Desperate alien resistance to changed world.
To remain himself forever.
Jin planned endless fight.
Even swallowed by black waves repeatedly.
Then.
Flame ignited in Jin's chest.
Soundless transparent blaze vented with static; balance tipped toward Jin.
Even the overwhelming monster met limits.
Beast of war crumbled.
With throat-rending scream.
No more lion's roar—just broken human's pathetic wail.
How long?
Endless death-cry faded; charred beast collapsed.
From ashes, Jin rose.
"Hoo-"
Staggering straight, he swelled chest feeling surging experience.
Then unleashed thunderous roar toward Mute Town.
Yes,
So I can be me.
"We won!!!! We repelled them!!!!!"