Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 014
Chapter Title: The Reason She's Strong
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One Flash.
A single swing.
In that one strike, Ahn Su-ho channeled his superpower. His pathetic ability that could only produce black smoke at best.
But the vast mana absorbed by the Talisman transformed that worthless power into something entirely different.
The Talisman's mana allowed him to produce far more smoke, condense it far denser, and eject it far faster.
Changes that seemed trivial at first glance.
But when that instantly generated tens of thousands of liters of gas, compressed it to dozens of times atmospheric pressure, and propelled it at near-sonic speeds... it was no longer mere smoke.
Simple science. No matter how light the gas, the moment it gained overwhelming mass, density, and velocity, it became a force of destruction that couldn't be dismissed as "just smoke."
Following the arc of Ahn Su-ho's sword swing, the inky-black mass surged outward like a massive wave.
-Kwaaaaaang!!!
Everything it touched crumbled to dust and scattered. The air trembled on all sides, a deafening roar echoing through the night sky.
But the aftermath of that strike didn't end there.
The smoke released from his hand swelled explosively all at once. Due to the pressure differential with the surrounding atmosphere, it expanded with ferocious speed.
-Kwaaaaaang!!
The second roar shook heaven and earth. Yet around Ahn Su-ho, who had swung the sword, there was only silence.
Whatever it was, it was still his own power in the end. He perfectly controlled the direction and range of the rampaging smoke. Thanks to that, despite the wide attack radius, not even a hint of the aftermath reached the fallen Ji Ye-won or Chae So-yeon.
The black smoke shot into empty spaces in all directions, dyeing the night sky before him even blacker.
Ahn Su-ho, dazedly watching the scene, snapped his fingers.
-Ttak!
At that instant, the swirling smoke vanished all at once.
The rooftop that emerged was utterly transformed.
The rooftop floor had been pulverized completely, vanishing without a trace. The haphazard pillars beneath had all collapsed, and massive cracks spiderwebbed menacingly across the building's outer walls.
And the assassin was gone. Having taken the black storm head-on, he hadn't even left a corpse behind.
The only remnant was a faint smear of crimson blood on the building's exterior wall.
'...Did I do this?'
In a daze, he looked down at his own hand. The blue gem embedded in the Talisman still emitted a soft glow.
-Shoooooo.
As he focused his mind, he felt the surrounding mana flow into the Talisman and then into his body. His once-empty core gradually filled with mana.
This mana was the source of a superhuman's strength.
Without mana, one couldn't use superpowers, and physical abilities weakened as well. But humanity hadn't yet grasped the concept of mana, so even frontline superhumans judged it vaguely as stamina or superpower traits.
In such a situation, there was naturally no means to recover mana.
Once depleted, mana could only recover naturally over time. No superhuman, strong or weak, was exempt from this.
Except for him, the only one in the world who had awakened the ability 'Mana Absorption.'
But even the Talisman wasn't omnipotent.
-Ulkeuk.
"Kuhk?!"
A metallic tang burst in Ahn Su-ho's mouth. Bitter pain spread through his chest as blood refluxed up his throat.
-Teolkeuk.
He collapsed halfway to the ground and vomited violently. The floor instantly turned bright red.
Startled by the sudden hemorrhage, a system message appeared before his eyes.
⚙ POSSESSED SUPERPOWERS ⚙ 1. Black Smoke (D) Generates and controls black smoke from the body. The generated smoke gradually dissipates over 30 minutes and can be arbitrarily removed at the user's will. Additionally, as the rank increases, various material properties can be imparted to the smoke. 2. Mana Absorption (A) Absorbs mana from surrounding objects or the atmosphere through the right hand equipped with the Talisman. At this time, the user can temporarily hold mana exceeding their own limits within their body. However, absorbing and using mana beyond the body's limits comes with corresponding backlash. 'However, absorbing and using mana beyond the body's limits comes with corresponding backlash.'
Reading that line, Ahn Su-ho realized the cause of this sudden vomiting of blood.
Well, yeah. His E-Rank Endurance body had gone wild, so backlash was inevitable.
'...Even pulling pranks with lucky encounters now.'
The protagonist never suffered such backlash when using it. Shaking off the thought, he realized he couldn't compare his pathetic body to the protagonist's transcendent one.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and slumped to the floor.
He had won the fight.
But nothing had changed. Chae So-yeon and Ji Ye-won were still dying, and no quest clear notification rang out.
'As expected, taking out the sniper is the clear condition too.'
The sniper wouldn't just walk into his sightline. Thinking that, he pulled out the smartphone from his pocket.
Even if the quest failed, even if Chae So-yeon died, he had to save Ji Ye-won somehow.
Calling an ambulance would alert the police and outsiders to the incident, but he had no choice.
But at that moment.
-Cheolkeung.
A metallic clank echoed as a dark shadow perched on the rooftop railing.
Ahn Su-ho's gaze turned there.
Southwest railing. A man draped in a black poncho stared at him in shock, a black rifle in his hands.
Ahn Su-ho's grip tightened.
'The sniper.'
That man was surely the other assassin who sniped Chae So-yeon, part of the quest clear conditions.
He hadn't expected the guy to come to him, but perfect timing. He stood gripping his sword. Or tried to.
-Teolkeuk.
But cumulative injuries and the Talisman's backlash had wrecked his body beyond its limits.
Seeing him unable to even stand, the sniper sighed in relief.
Originally, the smoke Ahn Su-ho had deployed had forced him to move to another building.
But the sudden explosion and building collapse, plus no contact with his teammate who had gone ahead, made him rush over to check.
He'd tensed seeing the black slash tear through the night sky, but upon arrival, all enemies were combat-ineffective. Chae So-yeon and Ji Ye-won were down, and the only conscious one, Ahn Su-ho, couldn't even stand.
"Did Min-chul get caught in the blast and blown away?"
He worried about his comrade but prioritized the living enemies.
He aimed his rifle.
-Cheolkeuk.
Target: the only conscious one, Ahn Su-ho.
Even facing death, Ahn Su-ho could do nothing. His body at its limit couldn't fight, much less stand.
'Damn it!'
In desperation, he activated the Talisman. Amid nerve-searing agony, atmospheric mana gathered in his hand.
'End it in one shot!'
Seated, Ahn Su-ho drew his blade. Simultaneously, the sniper pulled the trigger.
-Kwaang!
A roar closer to an explosion than gunfire.
Muzzle flame erupted as a heavy 20mm round spat forth. Flying at three times the speed of sound, it hurtled toward Ahn Su-ho's forehead in an instant.
That moment.
-Teoreung!
Metal clashed, sparks flying wildly.
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
The sniper's and Ahn Su-ho's exclamations overlapped. Both were stunned by the figure that had suddenly intervened.
"...So you're the one who put a bullet in my chest?"
A familiar voice made Ahn Su-ho look up. The voice was familiar, but the appearance was utterly alien.
"Thanks to you, regeneration took forever. Sneaking up like a coward!?"
"...Chae So-yeon?"
"What do you mean 'who'? Who else would it be, me?"
"What happened to that look?"
Chae So-yeon sneered back at him, but her appearance had changed beyond recognition.
She'd grown about 20cm taller. Her youthful face had matured somewhat. Her hair, once to her shoulders, now reached her waist.
If her original form was a young schoolgirl, now she was a full adult.
Questioning how, Ahn Su-ho's gaze went to her chest.
A bright red bloodstain soaked it. Yet her expression and demeanor showed no pain. Her attitude puzzled him.
"Is the wound okay? It clearly pierced your che—."
"Yeah, exactly! Well said. Hey! You have potions, right? If you had them, you should've used one on me right away!"
She yelled at him, laced with grievance and disappointment.
Meanwhile, 20 meters away from the pair.
The sniper broke into a cold sweat watching Chae So-yeon chatter unscathed.
'It clearly pierced her chest.'
The first shot had unmistakably gone through her heart. A fatal wound even for a superhuman.
'No way she's a regenerator too?'
If she had regeneration like his comrade, survival made sense.
It made sense, but his doubts didn't end there.
'Where did the bullet I just fired go?'
He'd aimed squarely at Ahn Su-ho's forehead. 20 meters was point-blank for a skilled sniper like him.
Dodged? Blocked? Deflected? By whom? How?
One question led to another as he bit his lower lip hard.
"Fine, whatever. Potions cost as much as a house, so I get hesitating to use one. But when Ji Ye-won got hurt, you were ready to use it right away? Is a criminal you just met today more important than me? What, did you develop feelings after seeing her naked while washing her when she passed out?"
Chae So-yeon accused Ahn Su-ho in a resentful voice. The sniper aimed at her chest.
-Cheolkeuk.
'Doesn't matter what happened. They're distracted talking—now's the chance.'
Her relaxed attitude facing an enemy was suspicious, but he pulled the trigger without hesitation.
-Kuwoong!
-Teoreung!
The next instant, shock froze the sniper's face.
Chae So-yeon turned to him. Despite the bullet in her chest, she showed no pain.
'...Impossible.'
He'd clearly seen it: right after he fired, brilliant yellow sparks flew from her chest as the bullet ricocheted.
"...."
She sighed in exasperation and shed her coat.
That moment.
-Pputuk! Ppaduduk!
With harsh sounds, her form began to change.
Coarse scales erupted on her exposed wrists. Sharp claws grew from her fingertips, deep navy horns sprouted from her head. Her eyes glowed brilliant yellow, illuminating the night, pupils slitting vertically.
Transformation complete, Chae So-yeon bared her fangs in a grin.
That was the true nature of her superpower.
Dragon Humanization.
Among transformation superpowers, one of only nine worldwide, taking the form of the mightiest monster known: a dragon.
Not just enhanced physical stats from transformation, but immense defense, superior regeneration, heightened senses, flight capability, and even the dragon's signature roar and breath.
The undisputed strongest superpower, infusing a human body with draconic might.
That overwhelming power was why Min Chae-ryeong had scouted her for her team.
'What the hell.'
Ahn Su-ho panicked at the sight. Every character with Dragon Humanization in the original story was among the world's strongest.
'That airhead's power is Dragon Humanization? That make any sense?'
He couldn't accept it. The ditzy Chae So-yeon he'd dismissed inwardly possessed world-top-tier strength.
Meanwhile, the sniper couldn't accept it either.
No, for him it was worse. Unlike Ahn Su-ho, this dragonkin was the enemy.
-Cheolkeuk.
His trembling hands raised the rifle. He knew it wouldn't work, but he couldn't just take it lying down.
"Hmph."
But the dragonkin allowed no such thing.
-Spang!
Air burst as her figure vanished.
She reappeared behind the sniper.
Having closed the gap in an instant, her fist slammed into his unguarded back.
-Kwaaaaaang!!
Like a bomb detonating, his body cratered into the rooftop. Cracks radiated from the impact.
"Ku, heuk!"
Not even knowing what hit him, the sniper lost consciousness.
That moment.
-Dding!
🎉 QUEST CLEARED! 🎉 Congratulations! You have splendidly protected Ji Ye-won from the Dawn Corps! We send our heartfelt applause and praise for your brilliant performance as an Academy Guard! The following rewards will be provided for quest completion. Activate the Rewards tab to claim and view details! <Rewards> 1) Guard Rate Increase +3% (Current Guard Rate: 5%) 2) Intermediate Recovery Potion 3) <Skill: Academy Guard> Rank Up "Ha."
Ahn Su-ho let out a hollow laugh at the system message. A surge of injustice welled up from his chest.
He'd fought for his life. Stared death in the face multiple times, desperate to survive. He'd barely eked out victory against the assassin.
'Does this make sense?'
But it had all been pointless.
'Does this shit make sense?'
His fight, his ordeal, his reversal, his hard-won victory.
If Chae So-yeon had fought properly, if she hadn't taken that first sniper shot, she could've ended it in seconds.
"See? I told you! Fighting's the one thing I'm confident in!"
Oblivious to his feelings, Chae So-yeon flashed a V-sign and grinned.
Watching her, he thought.
'Plot consistency wrecked.'