Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Blood Vessel Devourer (2)
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If you asked what I was like before the world went to hell, I'd say I was just your run-of-the-mill fucking nobody.
Nothing special about me, nothing worth noting. Just an ordinary member of society.
Of course, no one ever came charging at me because they liked me, and I sure as hell never had the experience of that "someone" turning into a whole group of "someones."
But now? I'm getting the full experience.
"Everyone, fuck off!!!"
Tudududududu!!!
The muzzle of the AK-47 spat fire.
Spraying bullets in the middle of downtown? I felt like the terrorist of the century.
Blood, flesh chunks, and spent casings flew everywhere in a full-on slasher flick.
But one thing I realized pretty damn quick.
'This thing... doesn't pack as much punch as I thought.'
Setting aside the visual spectacle of casings, blood, and meat spraying all over,
the actual number of mutants dropping wasn't that high.
Even though it looked like I was just hosing them down with bullets, my superhuman physical abilities—honed by martial arts training—were keeping the recoil in check as I aimed my line of fire mostly at their heads.
My shots were clustering on vital points, but the mutants hitting the dirt weren't piling up like they should.
Why was that?
The answer was simple.
'...These bastards have tougher heads than the mutants I'm used to.'
Thinking back, there'd been a hint already.
The first time I got ambushed in this alley, I'd stomped hard on the back of a stumbling mutant's head.
That wasn't for show—it was the most efficient way to put them down for good: crush their skulls.
'But it didn't kill it in one hit.'
Even with a solid kick infused with a decent amount of internal energy, that's what happened.
Combine that with these guys' mysteriously superior physiques compared to regular Type 1 mutants, and one conclusion emerges.
'These fuckers are Type 1.5 mutants!'
Not quite Type 2, where parts of the body fully mutate.
But definitely stronger than your standard Type 1.
Physically tougher, better defenses on their vitals—everything.
My guess? That weird drug the blood vessel monster was pumping into the crowns of their heads.
'Shit, so it wasn't just happy-happy juice?'
Goddamn apocalypse.
In reality, overdose on drugs and your bones rot away, but here in this fantasy genre world, they get tougher instead.
"Grraaaaaah!!"
Clangclangclangclang!!
Even amid all that, the mutants' tidal wave assault didn't let up.
I'd cleared the front line, but they filled in again, charging the water tank I'd climbed like they were set on conquering it.
The whole thing shook like a magnitude 8.0 earthquake.
No matter how elite a marksman I was, precision shooting from up here was impossible.
"Fine, fuck it. Who am I kidding with easy hunting?"
Since the bullets weren't doing shit anyway, I tossed the AK-47 and grabbed my eternal buddy, the sledgehammer.
You might think switching from firearms to a melee weapon is a ridiculous downgrade,
"Get the fuck off!"
but I finally smashed the sledgehammer down on the head of the lead mutant that crested the tank.
It burst open with a crunch, like a watermelon exploding.
Yeah, this was definitely the upgrade.
Why?
A conversation with AlphaGo popped into my head.
'Master. But you don't seem picky about weapons, right?'
'Affirmative. Why?'
'Then why not use guns?'
Swordplay versus gunplay.
At the high-class level of the Martial Gods, sure, but for a civilian scrub like me, wasn't gunplay the superior choice?
That's what I asked, and AlphaGo shook her head mechanically.
'Negative.'
'Huh? Why not?'
'On pure firepower alone, guns seem superior thanks to gunpowder explosions. But when internal energy—directly tied to the world's primal ether—is infused, it changes everything.'
'How so?'
'Using internal energy isn't just about boosting power. It means penetrating deeper into the target's essence, even degrading their very phase. The result? Weapons wielded with internal energy hit harder. There are exceptions, of course... but at the current newbie level where you can't infuse guns with energy, melee weapons can outperform in certain situations.'
As always, over half of it went right over my head.
I let it slide at the time, but now?
I'm understanding it with my body.
'More than anything, the feel is different.'
That satisfying impact the moment it connects.
That tactile feedback screamed this was the right way.
"Alright, let's play."
Bang!!
Trusting that sensation, I leaped out strong.
It wasn't quite a wolf diving into a flock of sheep.
Because honestly, the mutants' relentless horde had the water tank on the verge of toppling.
This was basically an emergency evac.
Still, I snagged a prime spot on the way out, and the second I landed amid the chaos, I swung my sledgehammer with every ounce of internal energy I had at the swarming mutants.
Whoooosh!!
"Keeeek!!"
"Gurglegurk!!"
Overwhelming violence.
The energy-infused sledgehammer swung like a log, kicking up brutal wind pressure that swept nearby mutants aside.
This shit was insane!
It burned through half my energy in one go!
But,
"If it's low, just refill it."
Absorbing Star Great Law. Activate.
Shooooong—
I thrust out my other hand, and the primal energy from the fallen mutants started getting sucked into me from thin air.
Sure, using this meant no ether gains—a major drawback.
But restrictions and oaths always come with power to match.
"Okay. Full charge complete."
My energy topped off at 120%, instantly converting into buffs that boosted all my physical stats and more.
Right away, I charged into the crumbling mutant pile.
With my enhanced physique firing on all cylinders, I swung the sledgehammer like a madman.
Target: that blood vessel monster.
Cut its head off, and I win this game. So I skimped on cleanup and focused on carving a path.
Problem was, the blood vessel monster knew it too.
"Greeeeee!!"
The thing in the center of the wide-open rooftop let out a guttural roar.
Suddenly, the pupils of the surrounding mutants flushed blood-red.
And it wasn't just for show—their movements sped up noticeably.
'Fuck. An AoE buff?'
Looked like a brute, but turns out it's a priest class?
The even faster mutants lunged with their brutish claws.
But nothing had changed.
So nothing would change on my end either.
Priority one: break through.
Swing the hammer to knock 'em aside, shove 'em back, bulldoze through, clear the path.
Hot scratches raked my shoulders and thighs here and there, but combat adrenaline more than made up for it.
I didn't know the mutation source, but five years in, I knew damn well you don't get infected from scratches like these. Full steam ahead.
In a flash, I halved the distance to the blood vessel monster.
That instant,
Boom!
A blood vessel root erupted from below.
Whoosh—!
My body flipped at a weird angle.
Heavenly Mechanism Calculation Method.
This passive martial art—ignoring minor stuff you tank with your body—forces you to dodge any life-threatening attack, flipping if it has to.
Thanks to it, my inverted vision caught
one mutant getting skewered with a squelch.
Not just a stab.
The root writhed massively, then slurped up the mutant's bodily fluids with a vicious shlurp.
"Wahh."
Like it'd taken a hit from my Absorbing Star Great Law, the mutant mummified on the spot.
No prizes for guessing what would've happened if that nailed me.
"Kekeke..."
The blood vessel devourer let out a mocking chuckle, like it was disappointed or unimpressed.
The root that'd burst through the rooftop floor slithered back underground, replaced by more mutants.
Distract with buffed or berserk mutants, then ambush from below. Simple strategy.
Simple, but dirty effective. I couldn't help but snort at the blood vessel devourer's tactics.
"Yeah, you wanna play dirty, huh?"
Click—
I pulled the pin.
I hadn't planned on going this nuts,
but the sight it'd just revealed sparked one idea.
The one way to crack that bastard's ultimate nigga defense.
"Here ya go!"
Over the onrushing mutants, I lobbed the pinless grenade.
This wasn't some frag grenade that sprays shrapnel for scrubs.
That pussy shit might take out a few mutants and call it a day.
No, this was the real deal: a tetrogen-packed man's man explosive grenade stuffed to the brim with boom juice.
I don't know if it clocked the difference,
but right before the mutants blocked my view, I caught it.
Through the curtain of charging freaks, a flash of thick panic in the blood vessel devourer's pupils.
"See you in Shabondi Shoto!"
The mutants pouncing on me?
Perfect.
Like a surfer dropping low to ride the wave, I crouched down fully into the oncoming tide.
I wrapped internal energy around me like armor, letting their savage claws rake me like a shell.
The next instant—
KABOOOOOM!!!!
The massive blast from the point-blank grenade rocked the entire battlefield.