Chapter 45

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: Chapter 45

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: Goblin Hater

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Reality isn't as romantic as in movies and dramas.

In the final moment, I successfully finished off the Vascular Predator by activating the passive effect of the Heavenly Mechanism Calculation Method,

but that didn't stop the building from collapsing.

No, rather, the thing that had burrowed into the center of the building and become like a pillar—the Vascular Predator—died, accelerating the collapse even further.

Thanks to that, I couldn't avoid the ending where I was crushed under overwhelming mass.

Still.

"Puha!! I almost died!!"

I survived.

Survival is what matters.

A massive lump of material battered my entire body.

In the midst of it, I felt the crisis of death, mutants or not.

But I had two martial arts directly imparted by the Martial God himself.

The Heavenly Mechanism Calculation Method activated, somehow making me react whenever I truly felt death closing in, while my rapidly depleting inner power snatched nearby mutants with the Soul Absorption Great Law and replenished itself by sucking them dry.

Even that couldn't block everything, so I ended up with serious wounds all over,

but here's the key survival point.

The Yin-Yang Five Elements Scripture is the ultimate martial art that pursues 'harmony' in any state.

And this harmony naturally includes physical condition.

'Whenever I took serious injuries, it somehow recovered using the inner power I'd sucked in with the Soul Absorption Great Law.'

Not full recovery, but it came with the bonus effect of keeping me from death somehow.

Honestly, at this point, I wondered if this was even a martial art,

but who cares?!

'Fucking awesome!!'

Yin-Yang Five Elements Scripture is the best!

Anyway, survival is what counts!

"Whew. Finding Ether here is gonna be a pain."

To get stronger, recovering Ether from mutant corpses was crucial.

But given this mess, I doubted I'd squeeze even a single drop per corpse.

Especially since I'd gone wild with the Soul Absorption Great Law just to survive.

'Sucked a ton from the Vascular Predator too—not sure if anything usable's left.'

I had some concerns there,

but first, I headed toward its corpse.

Fortunately, locating the Vascular Predator's body wasn't hard.

In the debris of this catastrophe, I just had to find the especially bright red, enormous pillar.

"This is it. But... its condition is kinda..."

The Vascular Predator, which had boasted such a massive pillar, was bisected.

Its upper body was pulverized, leaving only the red flesh pillar presumed to have sprouted from the ground below.

But,

"...What's this now?"

One thing stood out glaringly.

In the center of the flesh pillar, something like a blood vessel wriggling fresh as just-caught squid.

Fuck, is this thing still alive? As I loaded my hand with inner power,

The sender was Goblin Hater from the gallery—a regular commenter on my posts and streams, but never one for private outreach.

I'd just remembered I hadn't cut the live stream when Goblin Hater dropped a bizarre proposal.

It was,

An offer impossible to refuse.

This world isn't a game.

Mutants appear, humans grotesquely evolve from mutant serums, Martial Gods manifest through the gallery—still not a game.

Because games exist purely for fun.

Unlike games, where even grievous wounds heal to perfection after slaying monsters and leveling up, injuries here are always a hazard.

The Soul Absorption Great Law is just an insane cheat; normally, firearms and ammo are one-way consumables with no real repair options.

This brutal reality was never playful like a game.

Yet one galler spoke up amid it all.

For real?!

I blinked in disbelief.

Gallerers are gods.

True gods.

No matter how unbelievable, nod first.

Proof hit immediately:

The gallerers' reactions were even more hyped.

Like they'd witnessed something miraculous.

What the.

Really, what.

I'm getting all pumped now.

Even my Colorless Bird Master stressed it was a must-grab lifeline.

Already a hard yes, but this sealed it—I nodded furiously and yelled.

"Bro!!!"

A flawless grand kowtow straight out of free-diving!

Adopting perfect submission, I bellowed.

"Truth is, I've admired you forever!!! Please!! Teach this unworthy little bro!!"

Gallerer mockery rained down, but I stood tall.

In an age where survival's a cheap punchline,

what won't I do to live?

And then,

What's wrong with my mace...

Pangs of regret hit for my soul-bound journey partner,

Mace...? Who was that again?

I hurriedly yanked out the Vascular Predator's root and pocketed it.

Back at the shelter sooner than planned.

Originally meant to clear another floor first,

but Goblin Hater's "freshness is life for materials" sent me rushing home.

Once back, I fired off a DM.

With that, I settled cross-legged in a shelter corner, waiting patiently.

Gallerers aren't your average joes.

Which means the stuff they handle isn't ordinary—they're offering to burn one-use items just to teach me.

Realizing anew they're solid gallerers despite the rough talk, I waited. About 30 minutes later, a DM from Goblin Hater.

I opened the sparring grounds with the lava zone backdrop as ordered.

Moments later, the familiar pull summoned me to the steaming-hot lava zone.

"Bro! Here!"

I bellowed at full volume,

"Argh, fifth time—who's your bro?!"

A raspy voice shot back from the steam.

But,

"Huh...?"

Goblin Hater emerged through the thick steam.

Way off from what I'd pictured.

"B-bro?"

"Fifth time—who's your bro."

"Uh..."

First off.

Goblin Hater wasn't human.

I had to look down to meet their eyes.

"What're you staring at? First dwarf ya seen?"

Goblin Hater was a dwarf.

But wait,

"Uh... sis?"

"Yeah, least call me that."

A female dwarf with XY chromosomes.

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