Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Dignity (6)
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Thud-kwang!
The sound of thunder cracked through the arena.
At the same moment, flames erupted from my shotgun, scattering buckshot in all directions.
A normal shotgun works by exploding gunpowder on firing, using that force to hurl the pellets inside every which way.
But those individual pellets are small and light, so they quickly lose their kinetic energy to air resistance.
That's why shotguns are mainly for close range.
But what if my 'Super Accuracy' got applied to that shotgun?
Pababababat!
The scattered buckshot ignored air resistance entirely, flying straight toward Arthur in unison.
But not a single pellet touched Arthur's body.
Chaechaechaechaechaeng!
He kept up his running speed while batting away the buckshot at invisible velocities with his sword.
'Yeah, I figured as much.'
Then how about this?
I hoisted the shotgun above my head.
And started unloading.
Thud-kwang! Thud-kwang! Thud-kwang!
Tiny bullets embroidering the air.
They were losing power fast to air resistance.
But then 'Super Accuracy' kicked in, twisting their paths toward the target I was focusing on.
I voiced my inner thoughts at the sight.
Ahh, a rain of steel bullets pours down—this is the Full Sky Flower Rain.
The Sichu Tang Clan's legendary technique, recreated in modern fantasy!
Shotgun - Style.
Full Sky Flower Rain.
And its effect was...
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Shotgun - Style: Full Sky Flower Rain Buckshot rains relentlessly from above, ignoring all evasion.
Pibibibibibit!
Like a downpour of black rain, countless bullets hammered down on Arthur's head at ferocious speeds.
Instead of deflecting them, Arthur tried to dodge.
But he couldn't evade the bullets.
Bullets enhanced by 'Super Accuracy' would pursue their target relentlessly until they hit.
The only ways to stop the pursuit: get hit or knock them away.
"...Hm."
Realizing he couldn't escape, Arthur halted in place.
Then he raised his sword toward the swarm of incoming bullets and traced a circle.
Ziiiiing.
Golden mana erupted from his sword, coalescing into a round shield that blocked the bullets surging toward him.
'Okay, that's one skill identified.'
The mana shield Arthur just made wasn't mere mana—it was the skill 'Heavenly Fortress'.
Heavenly Fortress blocks a set amount of damage, and that amount is insanely high, just like the name suggests.
But what made him think it'd work on me?
Arthur was overlooking one thing.
'Super Accuracy'.
To reiterate, this cheat has more than one effect.
If the first effect is pursuit of the target and transcending speed limits...
Titititititing!
...Jjjeok.
...The second effect pierces through mana-based fire resistance.
Kyaang!
"......!"
The skill Heavenly Fortress shattered into pieces, mana fragments scattering through the air.
For the first time, surprise flickered across Arthur's impassive face.
But it was fleeting.
He quickly regained his composure and kicked off the ground, charging straight at me.
Dragging the bullets along.
'Aha, so that's your play?'
If you can't dodge the bullets, just barrel right into me.
So I'll either slice them with my sword or get pelted by your own bullets.
That's what he seemed to think.
Fair enough—the number of bullets made deflecting them all impossible.
But wasn't that a bit too simplistic?
I smirked and fired the remaining shells in the shotgun.
Thud-kwang!
I fired one shot at the ground first, locking eyes with Arthur.
Pabababapak!
The ground-bound pellets suddenly veered, splitting into two streams.
One toward his left leg, the other his right arm.
Arthur's blue eyes, meeting mine, flashed for an instant.
And his response was...
Paaaaang!
Not batting the bullets with his sword, but exploding mana from his entire body.
'Bingo.'
He's using 'Fairy Eye' after all.
That confirmed one talent and one skill.
Just one more of each to go.
Or end it before then.
Hududuk.
The bullets, striking mana instead of their target due to his mana burst, fell limply to the ground.
But it was fine.
I didn't give him a full-body bullet massage, but his complexion had worsened a bit.
Mana burst is exactly what it sounds like: expelling mana.
Like a mana version of a shockwave.
Spreading it omnidirectionally instead of one way? Even Arthur's vast mana reserves would take a serious hit.
As I pondered that, Arthur kicked off again, charging at me.
Woooung.
Vast waves of mana rising from his sword.
Soon solidifying into another blade atop his own.
The power of destruction permitted to mid-to-high-rank heroes.
Sword aura.
'Already pulling out your trump card?'
Arthur's sword aura activation time was limited to one minute.
Using it this early meant he really hated the idea of a bullet pounding.
Fat chance!
Arthur, what you're permitted isn't victory—it's a full-body bullet massage!
Thud-kwang!
I pulled the trigger, unleashing the last buckshot.
Arthur's eyes, locked on mine, wavered slightly.
He seemed a tad flustered.
Why?
Chaechaechaechaechaeng!
Aim straight for the sword and it's weird?
No reason to think it's strange.
You experienced it earlier, right?
Your 'mana shield'.
The moment that thought crossed my mind—maybe reading it via 'Fairy Eye'—Arthur's gaze shifted to his sword.
The sword aura gleaming brilliantly.
But he'd notice.
The mana composing it dwindling bit by bit.
'No matter how dense the blade formed from your vast mana.'
Sword aura is still made of mana.
'Arthur, unless you're a top-tier hero right now.'
You can't block my bullets forever.
I held his gaze, thinking that.
Go ahead, read my mind if you can.
I'll shatter your sword aura, then the sword itself.
And pummel your whole body with bullets.
Reading that, Arthur stopped deflecting the bullets.
Paaaaang!
Mana burst again.
But this time, directed solely at the bullets' path.
Hududuk.
As the bullets fell powerless, he seized the moment.
Arthur hurled his sword upward.
It soared up, then—like my cheat—veered sharply toward me.
Arthur's skill, 'Meteor Fall'.
⚔ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚔ Meteor Fall Hurls sword like a meteor; pursues target relentlessly.
'Second skill confirmed.'
That accounted for all of Arthur's skills.
One talent left.
But first...
I had to shoot down that sword plummeting from above.
'Got just the weapon for it.'
Before starting the duel with Arthur, I'd gotten Instructor Kang Cheol-su's permission to swap gear.
Sacrificing a longsword to bring this.
Grenade Launcher - Stand Alone.
Aka, Sawed-Off Style grenade launcher.
I used Transfer to reload the shotgun with bullets while raising the grenade launcher and firing at the falling sword.
Tung!
A crisp sound like a basketball bouncing, and the grenade shot out.
'Super Accuracy' took effect.
Whiiiing!
No parabola—the grenade streaked in a straight line at absurd speeds unfit for a grenade, straight at the sword.
Seogeok!
The grenade got sliced by the razor-sharp sword aura.
And simultaneously...
Thud-kwaaaang!
A massive explosion from the severed grenade unleashed a shockwave.
The sword charging at me got blasted far away.
But it wasn't over.
Sword flung aside or not, Arthur was still coming.
And with mana gauntlets on both fists, it looked like...
He was about to use his talent, 'Outstanding Fighter'.
Unlike pure swordswoman Lee Seo-yeon, Arthur excelled not just in swordplay but hand-to-hand combat too.
But that outstanding talent only shines when it connects.
I had zero intention of giving him distance.
Chulkeok.
I chambered the freshly loaded shotgun.
Thud-kwang! Thud-kwang!
Pouring buckshot at the onrushing Arthur.
He wrapped his body in mana.
Chaechaechaechaechaeng!
Bullets clanged off his mana armor, chipping away at it.
It thinned, but he kept infusing mana, so it regenerated repeatedly.
'Oh, going with that approach?'
Rely on mana armor and charge blindly, no thought to consequences.
Even with godlike stats, that's not smart...
Feeling a bit disappointed, I decided to personally instill some caution in Arthur's half-baked plan.
Thud-kwang!
On the third buckshot volley, I slipped a non-lethal grenade amid the pellets via Transfer.
Arthur reached out like he'd been waiting, snatched it, and hurled it back.
'Figures it wouldn't work.'
He'd seen the same trick in my duel with Lee Seo-yeon—not deflecting or dodging, but catching and tossing grenades back.
'But you wouldn't expect this.'
Arthur flinched, reading my mind, and looked down at the ground.
Too late—his foot was already on it.
It was a 'shock mine'.
The landmine version of a non-lethal shock grenade.
'Flashbangs won't faze Arthur.'
He doesn't even blink at the light from Noah's earnest punch.
So I skipped flashbangs for shock mines.
And when did I plant it?
While Arthur was briefly distracted by my Shotgun-Style Full Sky Flower Rain, right in front of me.
He'd surely reach me there.
Ddal-kak.
The mine's fuze activated under his foot's pressure.
Kwaaaang!
A powerful shockwave erupted from beneath him.
"......This!"
Disbelief spilled from Arthur mid-air for the first time.
I dropped the shotgun from my hand, drawing my revolver from the holster on my right thigh.
And activated my skill.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Fleeting Moment Time slows; perception accelerates for perfect precision.
Jjaekak.
Everything slowed.
In this heightened awareness, I saw Arthur reaching back.
His sword, flung aside by the grenade and lying on the ground, floated up toward him—drawn by mana.
But he wouldn't grip it.
My left hand was already cocking the revolver's hammer.
Jjaekak.
Thududududung...
Sounds stretched out.
But the revolver's cylinder was empty.
Jjaekak.
The sword's hilt neared Arthur's grasp.
Meanwhile, revolver bullets closed in on target.
Jjaekak.
The final clock tick.
The slowed world resumed normal speed.
And belatedly...
Piyuuuuuung—!!
A deafening roar tore through the arena.
Simultaneously...
Pububububuk!
Revolver bullets hammered Arthur's body, his mana armor stripped by the mine.
His airborne body crashed to the ground.
But true to knightly form, he didn't flop—he landed firmly on both feet.
How, though?
Even non-lethal rounds hurt like hell bare-skinned.
Especially where I aimed: solar plexus, pecs, calves—spots that'd make standing agony.
How is he...
Before the thought finished...
Teolkeok.
Arthur dropped to one knee.
Looking up at me, he said,
"......Kuh, finish me."
Spitting out a line straight out of a knightess drama.
......What the hell?
I stared blankly down at Arthur.
His face slightly grimaced from the pain of the bullet impacts.
But... why were his cheeks faintly flushed?
I couldn't find words for the sight.
Arthur's androgynous looks sometimes made him seem more girl than boy.
So when he said that... it felt... off.
'Snap out of it.'
Arthur's a guy.
Arthur's... a guy... right?
'...Come to think of it.'
Something's weird.
In the game Arena Academy, you unlock CGs at certain affinity levels.
Those CGs aren't just for heroines—Noah and Arthur have them too.
Hit a threshold with Noah (a guy), and you get bathhouse or hot springs scenes.
Pure male bonding CGs.
But Arthur's CGs? Just training together or fighting Fallen or aliens as a group.
Nothing like Noah's bromance stuff.
'......'
I gazed into Arthur's eyes, thinking.
Arthur... you're a guy, right?
He flinched visibly.
I instantly drew my pistol from the tactical vest holster.
Chulkeok.
And granted Arthur's wish.
Tang!
A gunshot rang out.
Arthur crumpled.
Blood staining his forehead, he was out cold.
I lowered my pistol hand limply.
Thinking,
'Arthur's a girl.'
I'd had no clue until now.
That he—she—was female.
But I brushed it off.
Happens plenty in novels and manga.
The tomboy childhood friend turns out to be a girl trope.
And gender aside, Arthur was Arthur.
A trusty ricebowl companion who'd slice Fallen and aliens in my stead.
That put my mind at ease.
'But... she seems to have a slight masochistic streak.'
Those flushed cheeks amid the pained expression.
Clear sign of excitement.
I gazed coldly at the fallen Arthur.
Thinking,
Just a little... no, better keep some distance.