Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Mad Dog
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Late at night, with not a soul in sight.
Thirty days had passed since I'd captured Lee Chang-hyuk.
BWOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A roar like an explosion filled the empty streets of Jaro-ro.
Dozens of illegally modified bikes spewed out heat, noise, and flashing lights all at once.
Hellhound.
That was the name of the biker gang that had recently taken over Jaro-ro.
They rode in a frenzy without helmets or even the bare minimum safety gear.
A reckless escape for a moment's thrill, or the first steps of madness driven by some primal instinct.
But tonight was different.
The only reason those bastards were racing tonight was to escape from me.
"Fuck! It's still chasing us!"
"Does that even make sense?!"
Even amid the deafening roar of engines and whipping winds, my senses picked up their chatter crystal clear.
These were bikers who'd shaken off any pursuers with their superior mobility.
For one to keep up on foot? They had no choice but to call it monstrous.
Well, not exactly on foot.
One of the bikers finally lost it and screamed.
"How the hell is that piece of shit keeping up with us?!"
Beneath my feet, a chunky skateboard thundered along, belching noise.
My raw strength and agility couldn't pull off these moves, but the spells I'd forcibly enchanted onto the board and my hoodie made it possible.
[Speed Increase]
[Posture Control]
I poured more mana into the board, ramping up the speed.
BWOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A skateboard with no engine unleashed a guttural roar like a monster bike.
"Crazy! What the fuck is that?!"
I'd caught up to the rear of the pack.
"Dieeee!! You monster fucker!!!"
One at the back eased off the throttle, then swung a submachine gun my way.
RATTA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!
[Leap]
SKREEECH!!
Ta-dah!
The freshly enchanted board wobbled with an uneasy screech but shot into the air at my command.
The bikers at the rear screamed at the sight of me soaring overhead.
"Uwaaaah!"
"N-No way!"
"A wizard! That guy's a wizard!"
...You only just figured that out?
Ah, well. They'd probably never seen a wizard charging down the road like this.
At the peak of my leap, my elevated view let me take in the whole gang at a glance.
"Let's see... Jeez, what a bunch of dead-end lives. Not a single helmet in sight."
RATTA-TAT-TAT!! RATTA-TAT-TAT, RATTA-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
Bullets sprayed like they'd kicked over a hornet's nest.
In [Cthulhu World], a lawless hellhole unlike the real world, even punk-ass bikers like these packed submachine guns.
[Protection Circle]
PING-PING-PING! TING, PING-PING!
Bullets ricocheted off right in front of me.
From the front of the pack, one bastard shrieked in desperation.
"What're you idiots doing?! Shoot straight! Take him down!"
"Ah, is that the prick?"
I focused mana into my eyes to spot the yeller.
Red jacket... blond, tanned guy.
Jackpot. Gotcha.
[Hardening]
I hardened the board and slammed a shockwave underneath for double thrust!
[Shock]
KABOOOOOM!
I rocketed across the sky, overtaking the bikers in a blur.
A feat impossible without perfect balance, timing, and mana control.
Even the bikers forgot their panic, mouths agape.
KABAM!
I landed but kept my speed, twisting my head around.
Now they were the ones chasing me, unable to slow down.
"No helmets on any of you—don't make me hurt you worse. Just surrender already?"
Last warning. I'd gone easy this far, but if they kept acting tough...
"Fuck that, you dog bastard!"
A biker in a sky-blue ska jacket revved up, swinging a long iron flail.
Ah, was this the mid-boss?
Didn't even need magic for this one.
I locked eyes with him dead-on.
The moment the guy who'd closed in met my gaze...
The four eyes on my mask gleamed with eerie light.
KIIIIINNNG!
[L-Grade Accessory 'Carcosa's Mask' unique function, 'Yellow Dominion' activated.
// Yellow Dominion: 'Fear Injection' spell auto-cast]
[System: 'Fear Injection' effect triggers forced sanity check on target. Checking...]
[Check passed. Irresistible terror invades target's mind.]
"Uwaaaah!"
The guy's face drained to the blue of his ska jacket.
His body glitched out from failing to resist the fear injection.
Effects roughly... sweating, shortness of breath, light convulsions, dizziness.
"Grkkk...."
Then blackout.
The unconscious biker let go of the handlebars and tumbled off his bike.
"Whoa!"
[Invisible Hand]
CRUNCH! BOOM!
The riderless bike tumbled across Jaro-ro, shattering into pieces.
I had no obligation to save a biker gunning for my death...
My dreams had been rough enough lately—no need to kill. I telekinetically flung him into the roadside brush.
'Guess he'll live if he's lucky.'
"You... monster bastard!"
"Ehey, who's the monster here?"
Dozens of gun barrels swung my way again.
'Too close for this.'
Protection Circle alone wouldn't cut it now.
[Distortion Field]
The moment I triggered the new spell...
RATTA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
The bikers' submachine guns blazed in unison.
The bullets flying at me got caught in the distortion field that warped ranged attacks, veering wildly off course.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!!
The redirected rounds streaked toward the bikers' path, erupting in sparks on the road ahead.
"Uwaaaah!"
SKREEEEECH!!!
And on top of that, I unleashed another spell.
[Whirlwind]
WHOOOOOOSH!!!!
A 1st-circle spell generating fierce winds. Ranked as support, not attack, due to its tier.
But when I poured real mana into it, it could shred amateur foes.
KRRRRSHHHHHHHHH!
A storm shook the road itself.
No intent to hit directly—just slow them down. And it worked; their bikes decelerated sharply.
"There, that should hurt a little less now?"
I channeled mana into one hand, ditched the skateboard, and leaped.
"Alright, racing event's over!"
[Earthquake Strike]
On landing, I smashed the ground with a mana-charged fist.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE... KABOOOOOOM!!!
Jaro-ro's asphalt heaved violently.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Unable to withstand the tremors, the bikers started spilling off their bikes from the lead onward.
CRASH-CLANG! CRUNCH! KYAAAHAHA!
Jeez, if only they'd worn helmets... Speed was down, but still lethal.
Blood and bike parts scattered everywhere.
Jaro-ro turned into a junkyard of wreckage and human trash in seconds.
Still, showing some mercy, I manipulated wind and telekinesis to snag the ones in real danger.
A wide-area pileup like this would've been impossible without superhuman mana control and senses.
It cost me some focus, though...
And I missed one guy's sudden move.
"Dieeee!!! You dog bastard!"
FWOOSH!
A massive roar from outside my view, followed by blazing flames hurtling in.
[L-Grade Accessory 'Carcosa's Mask' unique function, 'Dreamlike Blur' activated.
// Dreamlike Blur: 'Blink' spell auto-cast]
A weird tug from the mask on my face yanked me aside in an instant.
The flames slammed empty asphalt, melting a bit before fizzling out.
"Hey, 30 million won. You see me busting my ass to save your skins and still wanna fuck around?"
The red-jacketed blond tanned guy at the front growled, blood trickling from his head.
"Cut the bullshit... You wreck everything and act like you're saving us?"
Mad Dog, right? Didn't know his real name, but bounty was 30 mil.
"Uwaaaaa!"
Mad Dog threw his arms wide with a roar. Not for show.
Freakish flames erupted from his shoulders, wreathing his arms.
"You know your buddies call you Fire Fist Mad Dog?"
More precisely, pyrokinesis.
Like Lee Chang-hyuk before him, this guy had mana hypertrophy.
Born with innately potent mana, letting him wield primitive magic.
Like a damn psychic.
Mad Dog thrust his flaming arms forward, bellowing at me.
"Get lost, you fucking fuck!"
The heat pouring off him was fiercer than expected. Not something fire resistance alone could tank.
"What'm I running from, you psycho? Have some cold water and sober up."
[Creation: Pure Water]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximize]
KABOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Magic circles bloomed in the air at my will, spewing massive water.
"Tch!"
Mad Dog flinched at the volume but steadied and charged.
Smart call against a wizard—better to rush than flee. Good judgment.
As he closed in, I gauged the distance and enchanted the gushing water.
[Sweeping Wave]
SPLAAAAAAAAASH!!! KABOOSH-BOOSH-BOOSH!!!
Bikers rising to follow their leader gaped in horror and dropped flat.
"Waves like that on a dry road...?!"
A dry road birthing waterfalls, waves, and torrents—quite the spectacle.
The massive wave churned across the asphalt, but me and the broken-spirited bikers stayed bone-dry.
Pure, targeted violence for one man.
GRRRRRUMBLE...!!
"Uwaaa... Aaaah...!!! Aaaaah!!"
[You have defeated 'Biker: Mad Dog']
[You have defeated 'Biker Gang: Hellhound']
[You have gained enough experience to reach the next level. Level increased by 1.]
Tch... Just one level?
Now at 16.
After Lee Chang-hyuk, I'd only tangled with weaklings, so gains were slim.
'Tudor picked easy jobs with good payouts on purpose...'
Appreciated the consideration, but a whole month for one level? Kinda insulting. Time for real action.
I dragged Mad Dog to my feet with the waves.
"Should've let people help you nicely and surrendered."
"Grkkk...."
If he'd come quietly, it wouldn't have gone this far.
He'd been through the equivalent of a violent washing machine cycle—totally limp now.
Grab him and head back—done. I scanned the crawling bikers.
"Anyone else wanna try?"
"N-No, sir!"
"P-Please spare us!"
"T-That guy's orders! Not us!"
"Yeah! Forgive us, please!"
"You disloyal pricks..."
Well, quest was just to nab the leader. No business with the rest.
"Anyway, that's that... But where the hell am I?"
I looked around. Way farther than planned.
Chase was funner than expected—lost track of time.
Taxi at this hour around here?
"Need a ride to the city?"
A weird voice from an odd direction.
Heavy accent. Not Korean—a foreigner.
That way... shadows between the dark trees off the road.
Who the fuck's lurking this late at night, striking poses?