Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Chapter 6 - Kapu #2
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-Boom!
Luther's fist shot out like a missile, slamming into Kapu's chest.
“Guh!”
Kapu’s breath caught in his throat from the impact of his ribs shattering, and he was flung backward. Luther could precisely predict Kapu’s next move.
The process of regaining his stance.
The attack he would unleash while charging forward.
Kapu’s movements unfolded before Luther’s eyes as if he were foreseeing the future.
But that wasn’t all.
Simply predicting wouldn’t be enough to fully counter Kapu’s abnormal speed and monstrous strength.
That’s why there was one more thing.
[Karen and Max’s combat patterns have been added to Kapu’s combat pattern.]
[Basic Martial Arts Lv1 has been upgraded to Lv2 based on the accumulated combat patterns of the master so far.]
An improvement in combat skills themselves.
Of course, that didn’t mean anyone could react instantly like this.
As Integra had explained during the previous fights with the Geists, the user’s aptitude for the combat program was also crucial.
And Luther possessed that aptitude.
“Grrrraaah!”
Kapu, pushed into a defensive position, roared like a beast and charged.
The momentum was impressive, but it boiled down to a simple attack with his right fist thrust forward.
‘So that’s it.’
Luther finally understood.
Kapu’s martial arts were rudimentary.
The reason they had seemed so formidable until just now was that Luther’s own level had been far lower.
But not anymore.
With eyes sharpened by a level of growth, he could now see through Kapu’s true nature.
‘No technique.’
Kapu’s fighting style was no different from a beast’s.
Sharp instincts and raw power, bolstered by superior physical abilities.
Impressive, yes—but simple because of it.
Purely linear.
An attack that was all too easy to read.
This time was no different.
He lunged forward, thrusting out his right fist.
Several countermeasures flashed through Luther’s mind in an instant.
Dodge to the side and strike from the flank.
Use the momentum of his charge to grab his right arm and flip him over.
Either would be effective.
But Luther chose neither.
The method he selected was far more primal and straightforward.
-Crack!
Kapu’s fist was caught in Luther’s right hand.
Despite the brute force behind it, it was completely locked down by Luther’s grip.
How?
Bewilderment flashed in Kapu’s eyes.
And that bewilderment made Integra smile.
[Behold the power of superior science.]
[Did you really think the master—anyone other than you—would be overpowered by the likes of you?]
[Of course, it’s limited to the right arm for now.]
Her last words were very soft, but Luther heard them clearly.
So he gave a small laugh and twisted Kapu’s arm with the nanosuit-equipped right arm, yanking it forward.
“Gah?!”
Kapu’s upper body lurched forward, his balance crumbling.
In that instant, Luther released Kapu’s right arm like ripping it free, then drove his right fist into his abdomen.
-Thud!
With a heavy impact, Kapu’s body lifted off the ground.
[Master! Follow up!]
Luther agreed.
He stepped forward in pursuit, uppercutting Kapu’s waist with his left fist, then smashing his head with his right.
Kapu took three hits in a blink, struggling to endure and counterattack, but by then Luther’s next move was already in play.
Luther’s palm on Kapu’s thigh.
-Pop pop pop!
“Argh?!”
Kapu’s thigh was pummeled by energy rounds, and he lost his balance, collapsing to his knees. Then Luther’s knee crashed into his face.
-Kaboom!
With the sound of bones shattering, Kapu’s upper body snapped back, head first, and flew.
“Kuhek! Cough!”
A handful of teeth spilled from Kapu’s mouth along with a gush of blood.
It felt like his entire jaw had vanished.
But Kapu suppressed the pain and raised his upper body.
Exactly as Luther had predicted.
-Snap.
Luther’s palm touched Kapu’s forehead.
It was so natural, it seemed like Kapu’s head was drawn to it.
This time, it wasn’t a strike.
Luther grabbed Kapu’s head firmly and shouted.
“Integra!”
[Pika pika!]
Lightning erupted from Luther’s palm, ravaging Kapu’s brain.
Luther didn’t stop there, shoving his head toward the ground.
-Thud!
Kapu’s skull cracked on impact, blood spraying.
Kapu screamed and thrashed.
But Luther didn’t let go.
He pressed down even harder, unleashing the remaining energy rounds.
-Pop pop pop pop!
Point-blank energy rounds pulverized Kapu’s already ruined forehead once more.
Red blood and white brain matter sprayed together, shards of shattered bone and flesh flying.
But Kapu wasn’t dead yet.
In a final spasm of desperation, he grabbed Luther’s arms with both hands and twisted like he was wringing them out.
The force was so immense it threatened to crack the nanosuit.
But Luther didn’t panic.
Instead of resisting the brute strength, he conveyed the surest solution to Integra, who granted his wish as always.
[Nanosuit disengaged.]
Luther slipped his arm out of the nanosuit like shedding armor and spun around to grab the large axe lying abandoned nearby.
Kapu realized too late and hastily shed the nanosuit, rising to his feet—but by then, Luther’s axe was already descending on his head.
[Booster!]
-Boom!
The large axe blade, dropping like lightning, cleaved Kapu’s body in two.
His upper half, head included, slid to the side, while the headless lower half toppled over, spilling blood.
[Large amount of combat data acquired.]
[Victory in combat achieved!]
Letting out a short breath in time with Integra’s gentle voice, Luther turned toward Karen and Max.
They were pushing back Cateradon as well.
[Master, how about a finishing blow?]
[You can claim ownership of the mana stone.]
Yeah, that’s the Integra from Star Savior—throwing in lines like that every now and then.
Luther gave a wry smile before swinging the large axe at Cateradon’s unguarded back, its attention fixed on Karen and Max.
Not to claim the mana stone, but to end the fight as quickly as possible.
‘If they asked, I’d just hand it over anyway.’
Karen seemed more interested in earning Luther’s favor—and competing with Yunho—than fighting over it, whether because she saw him as angelic or because he was truly her benefactor.
[Combat data acquired.]
[Life activity of the red-feathered alien lifeform has ceased.]
As he listened to Integra, Luther turned to Karen and Max.
Max’s arm seemed slightly injured, but fortunately Karen and Lilia looked unharmed.
“Haa… ha…”
Drenched in cold sweat from overusing her powers, Karen collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Lilia, who had been sitting already, slumped in relief with a sigh.
Max clutched his injured arm and said to Luther.
“Mr. Luther, once they learn the leader’s been taken down, the bandits will flee.”
[A valid point.]
[It’ll also let everyone know of the master’s achievements.]
“Yeah.”
Replying to both Max and Integra, Luther caught his breath, then swung the axe to sever Kapu’s head.
It was still a human head, so revulsion was strong, but surprisingly, no nausea came.
Was it the lingering battle high, or the result of a desperate fight for survival?
Either way, it was proof he was growing accustomed to combat.
[Master, the main street would be best.]
“Yeah.”
Luther briefly agreed, picked up Kapu’s head, and headed to the main street, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Kapu has fallen! The bandit leader has been slain!”
Amid the chaos, Luther’s booming voice spread through the entire village in seconds.
Adventurers and bandits locked in fights everywhere flinched or turned toward him, and those who spotted Kapu’s head shouted loudly.
“Kapu’s dead!”
“The bandit leader is dead!”
The bandits had been outnumbered by the adventurers and vigilantes from the start.
Having invaded relying on Kapu’s personal might, they scattered the moment they witnessed his death.
[The bandits are fleeing.]
[The master’s victory.]
[An adventurer who doubted the master’s strength at the market is staring this way with a mesmerized look.]
[Seems he’s finally realized the master’s power.]
Luther smiled faintly at Integra’s voice, affectionate and excited as usual, then plopped down on the ground.
[You seem quite fatigued.]
[Still, it was a splendid victory.]
[Granting 2 shop points to the master for the splendid victory.]
Luther listened quietly to Integra chattering excitedly, then asked as if something had just occurred to him.
“By the way, Integra.”
[Yes, master?]
“What can you do with shop points?”
Like, give some kind of reward?
Integra didn’t answer right away, pausing dramatically before suddenly appearing before Luther’s eyes.
The same HUD augmented reality as always.
But unlike before, she appeared life-sized, crouching to meet his gaze and smiling shyly.
[Something good.]
“Something good?”
[Yes, something very good.]
[But it’s a secret for now.]
Sticking out her tongue playfully, Integra gazed at him, and Luther felt his face flush slightly without realizing.
[Master’s heart rate is increasing.]
[Blood rushing to your face.]
[What kind of reward did “something good” make you imagine?]
[How cute.]
And with a giggle.
Integra smiled seductively again, slowly standing and giving a little curtsy with her short skirt before vanishing.
A few seconds passed.
Luther, who had blankly watched her disappear, muttered softly with his reddened face.
“She’s teasing me.”
[Hee hee.]
[You like it.]
Integra’s mischievous laugh made Luther smile the same way in the end.
‘What the heck is going on?’
The Integra from Star Savior wasn’t like this.
They called her a gentle, super-intelligent AI, but she was still a machine, not human.
A little conversation would reveal her mechanical nature.
But the current Integra was entirely different.
Not only did she joke around, she even teased her master Luther like this.
‘Is this a butterfly effect too?’
The reason Integra had become like this.
‘Well, she’s cute, so whatever.’
Honestly, Luther preferred this Integra over the one from Star Savior.
No functional issues, so no need to complain.
‘The real issue is Kapu.’
Luther glanced at Kapu’s head on the ground.
Kapu of Dismemberment.
A named enemy randomly encountered in the western and southern regions of the Holy Empire.
Originally, the bandit gang he led would have grown much larger, contributing to the chaos in the west.
But now, that wouldn’t happen.
‘Butterfly effects are starting to scare me a bit.’
Still, eliminating a future enemy early should help protect the world somehow.
It was a serious dilemma with no easy answer, so Luther brushed it off lightly and headed back toward Karen and Max.
With his own accumulated damage heavy, pursuing the fleeing bandits was impossible.
[By the way, master.]
“What is it, Integra?”
[Recovering mana stones from the alien lifeforms should enable the next upgrade.]
[Which ability would you like to enhance?]
Energy gun, nanosuit, drone.
All incredibly useful.
But Luther’s deliberation didn’t last long.
He’d half-decided already, and today’s battle had only solidified it.
“First, I want to upgrade this one.”
The drone, smashed by a single palm strike from Kapu.
Picking up the tiny thing smaller than his hand, Integra responded warmly.
[Understood.]
[I’ll prepare blueprints for various drones.]
“Yeah.”
Drones could transform endlessly depending on how they were upgraded.
Combat types, recon types, rideable types, and more.
Luther gripped the compact drone lightly in his hand and stepped toward Karen and Max.