Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Thunder Emperor (2)
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Honestly speaking, I had no clue how to deal with him.
The man standing before me wasn't just someone who wielded lightning.
He could transform his very body into lightning.
Up until now, my overwhelming power had let me bulldoze any opponent with sheer force, no matter who they were.
But this guy was different.
'Can I even punch lightning...?'
I wasn't even sure if physical strength would work on him.
And that wasn't the only issue.
Would that lightning attack even affect me?
My Stat Cheat made me nearly immune to mental-type powers, but electricity was pure physical force.
Of course, I'd tanked worse attacks than that without a scratch, so my durability had to be insanely high thanks to the Stat Cheat.
'Still, I don't wanna get zapped...'
Who in their right mind would volunteer for a lightning strike?
Besides, this wasn't ordinary lightning.
The Thunder Emperor was widely regarded as one of the pinnacle S-Rank Heroes in Korea.
With my Stat Cheat, I'd probably be fine, but who knew what could happen? Better to avoid hits as much as possible...
"Shall we get started?"
The Thunder Emperor rolled his shoulders and tilted his head.
"Don't worry. This place is rigged with special devices and superpowered reinforcements that soak up most aftershocks. Means I can cut loose a bit more."
Suddenly, the air around him ripped with a crackling tear.
That's when instinct kicked in.
This wasn't ordinary lightning.
It was high-voltage, high-current fury hot enough to scorch space itself.
A crushing pressure slammed into me, like a storm tearing through empty air.
"Let's see if you live up to what that old man said about you."
In that instant,
Zzzzt!
My vision flashed white and shredded apart.
A blue trail streaked past me in a blur, and I widened my eyes.
The searing burn of incinerated air lingered on my cheek.
'Was that... an attack?'
I'd heard lightning clocks in at 100,000 km per second.
Sure, he probably couldn't hit that mark, but pure lightning blasts from him would rival nature's own speed.
Even I couldn't track that attack with my eyes.
"No matter how fast, it's still slower than brain signals, huh..."
Dodging was impossible.
How do you evade something that laps the Earth two and a half times a second?
"Oops, missed."
He said it like it was nothing.
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
"You missed on purpose, right?"
"Who knows? Don't sweat it—I'll hold back. Won't kill ya even if it lands."
The Thunder Emperor smirked.
Boom!
The ground erupted around him like an explosion, overwhelming lightning firepower whipping up a frenzy.
"Next one might actually connect?"
'Crazy bastard...'
Planning to hurl attacks like that?
The graze hadn't been enough to gauge the damage.
No...
'That wasn't even an attack?'
I finally caught on to what he was doing.
He was turning into lightning right now.
Zzzzt!
His form vanished.
The instant I spotted the flash rocketing my way, instinct twisted my body aside.
The flash grazed past and rematerialized.
It was the Thunder Emperor, his whole body blazing with eye-stinging light.
"Whoa, you dodged that? Never seen anyone pull that off before."
"Seemed slower than real lightning speed."
"Haha... yeah, obviously. Can't zip around at true lightning pace. You're the first to clock that. Still..."
The corner of his mouth hooked up.
"Doesn't mean you can hit me."
This time, it was real.
Like the last was just messing around, currents surged in like a storm.
"That girl said I'd lose."
"Huh...?"
"So I gotta win. Can't have fun teasing her otherwise."
"Whoa..."
This wasn't flying.
He was seriously underestimating me.
I clenched my fist tight.
Just flexing sent the floor shattering, my feet sinking deep into the earth.
"Hm...?"
He tilted his head, sensing something off.
"You should go all out."
I'd never pushed full throttle myself.
Maybe time to get serious?
"Hah... fine. I'll knock you out quick, kid."
Space flashed blue again, flashes slashing every which way.
No solid form.
"Try keeping up."
His voice boomed from all directions at once.
He'd become the current itself, surging freely.
All I could see were light trails, naturally.
But it didn't matter.
'Clear as day.'
If he was moving lightning, my body knew it could track—and match—that speed, no sweat.
I dropped into stance.
Currents alone charred the inner walls black.
Scorch marks on the rock-solid underground arena.
'Going.'
Boom!
My toes slammed the floor, detonating a massive blast from the ground.
Boom!!
Compressed air rocketed backward off my step, recoil slingshotting me like a bullet.
I blurred into a line, overtaking his trajectory in a heartbeat.
'Gotcha...!'
Up close, I cocked my fist and swung at the lightning—no hesitation.
Or tried to.
The lightning bent mid-air, veering off course.
Then rematerialized.
I skidded to a halt right there.
'Hmm...'
My wake alone had wrecked the area big time.
The floor I'd dashed over was pulverized, dirt and rock exposed.
"Uwah...!"
The Thunder Emperor stared at me, flustered in his reformed body.
"Whoa, fuck... you psycho?"
He gawked at me in shock.
"Why?"
"You seriously asking that?"
What's his deal?
"Dude... even if I'm not true lightning speed, I'm hauling ass, and you kept pace?"
I nodded at his words.
"Your moves are crystal clear."
"Yeah..."
Like he hadn't been trying before, he shifted to lightning again.
"Catch this."
Now he ramped up the speed.
Before, it was like chasing a flying dodgeball; now, a soccer ball.
Both trackable by human eyes—and mine could still react.
This time, nailed it.
'Got it...!'
Just once.
One solid hit, victory mine.
BOOM!!!!
The roar shredded space.
Air detonated, shockwaves blasting out.
The Thunder Emperor, shifting to current to bleed the impact, buckled and flew off trajectory.
Lightning flares in the air sputtered out, trail severed.
"Guhk..."
Rumble...!
Wedged in the wall, he heaved ragged breaths and groaned.
The shock-absorbing wall buckled halfway.
"Huff... huff..."
His lips twisted.
"Kuh, heh heh heh..."
Breaths came heavy.
Residual sparks jittered unstably over his body.
"Holy shit... you caught that? Real talk?"
I brushed off my knuckles, breathing steady as ever.
"Didn't expect to snag it myself. Never thought I'd live to slug lightning with my bare hands."
My casual words drew a grin across his face.
"...Fun. This is legit fun."
He flashed teeth in a chuckle.
"Fine, you win that. You're faster than my lightning form. So..."
Then space ripped anew.
High-heat currents bloomed around him, thunderbolts thundering like they'd shred everything.
"Still slower than pure lightning, yeah? Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted back there."
"..."
"Can you dodge this?"
Close quarters off the table—ranged now?
I let out a sigh.
No dodging that.
Hoped maybe, but couldn't even twitch at the earlier bolt. 100,000 km/s was a no-go.
Stat Cheat or not, limits existed.
But...
"Who knows."
No need to dodge anymore.
Lightning touched my hand direct—no sting.
Even as high-heat, high-voltage, high-current flow, zero effect on me.
Punching him confirmed it.
No dodging required.
"Didn't think you'd hang this long, honestly? Fighting me full tilt is nuts already. Heart stops? I'll revive you. No dying here. Rewards galore too."
"Hm."
"Incoming?"
Lightning arcing around him lanced straight at me.
Zzzzzzt!!!
No reaction time—a thunderbolt packing visible firepower hammered my body.
The world bleached white.
With thunder's deafening shriek.