Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 034
Chapter Title: Succubus Incident (8)
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The ecological park was filled with bare trees, their skeletal branches exposed without a single new bud sprouting yet.
-Kwaang!!
In that forest illuminated only by moonlight, nineteen superhumans were locked in combat.
-Kwaaang!!
Kim Sung-hak's massive fist slammed into the ground. It was covered in a rocky surface.
Rock Skin. A simple ability that hardened the body's surface.
However, his overwhelming physical prowess transformed even this defensive power into a weapon of offense. Every time his fist, tougher than most monsters, shot out, the air trembled and the earth shook.
"Quit running around like a coward!"
Kim Sung-hak bellowed, and Ryu Tae-hyun tilted his head in confusion. Was this guy seriously expecting him to fight fair and square, even in a life-or-death battle?
'He's fixated on head-on clashes, so probably a pure power type. That means if I get pushed back in strength, I'm done for...'
He dodged attacks here and there, gauging Kim Sung-hak's physical abilities, but there were limits to what he could discern with his eyes alone.
'Should I clash with him directly once?'
The deliberation didn't last long. Ryu Tae-hyun planted his foot hard against the ground and thrust his fist toward Kim Sung-hak's incoming strike.
-Kwaaaaang!!
Collision.
The moment their fists met, an invisible shockwave rippled through the surrounding air.
Soon, a smile crept onto Kim Sung-hak's lips. It was a blow that could shatter the bones of a B-rank monster. Since Ryu Tae-hyun hadn't dodged but met it head-on with his fist, his arm bone must be pulverized by now. Or so he thought.
However.
-Plop, plop.
What shattered wasn't Ryu Tae-hyun's bone, but Kim Sung-hak's fist. Rocky fragments stained with blood scattered across the ground.
-Paht!
The two leaped back, creating distance. It was the first direct clash of the battle, and they both wanted to check their own conditions.
"Hm."
Red blood dripped from Ryu Tae-hyun's fist. But it wasn't a serious wound. Just some skin scraped off by the rocky surface, a minor abrasion. His bones hummed a bit, but that was it.
Kim Sung-hak, on the other hand? No blood, but the rocky covering on his surface had half-shattered and peeled away. And that was from the knuckles he'd specially thickened for impact. Not only that, but when he clenched his fist, a sharp pain shot up—his bones hadn't broken, but they were cracked at least.
Shock spread across his face. Meanwhile, Ryu Tae-hyun calmly shook out his fist.
"Pretty tough, huh."
But that was all. Ryu Tae-hyun smirked, and a translucent blue aura swirled around him.
His innate superpower was Body Enhancement.
An ability that boosted overall muscle strength, agility, reflexes, and durability in proportion to the mana invested—a perfect match for the term "superhuman."
Its only flaw was poor efficiency. Normal activation lasted just an hour. At maximum output, his mana depleted in under three minutes.
However, the Talisman of Mana Absorption erased that sole weakness perfectly.
Right now, he had both Body Enhancement and Mana Absorption running near 100% capacity. Ahn Su-ho's body couldn't handle such strain, but Ryu Tae-hyun was different. His baseline durability was superior, and his power even reinforced resilience to damage and mana resistance, making it an ideal match for the talisman.
On top of that, his unique insight allowed him to vaguely sense "mana" and infuse it into his attacks.
That single blow from Ryu Tae-hyun easily stripped away Kim Sung-hak's defenses.
Kim Sung-hak was strong. Strong, but not quite protagonist-rival strong.
Ryu Tae-hyun smirked at the man, still reeling from the shock.
"What, did that sting surprise you?"
"You bastard...!"
Kim Sung-hak charged with his hulking frame, and Ryu Tae-hyun met the rush head-on.
Papapapabat! Their fists crossed paths. Kim Sung-hak ignored defense entirely, as always, going all-out on offense. Ryu Tae-hyun focused on evasion, occasionally slipping a counter into his openings.
-Thung!
But those counters weren't ordinary. The fist that sank into his side shook Kim Sung-hak's internals. Shattered rock fragments sprayed everywhere.
A flicker of anxiety crossed Kim Sung-hak's face.
His attacks weren't landing.
The enemy's attacks overpowered his defenses.
The outer armor could regenerate even if shattered. But his internals couldn't. With every opportunistic strike from Ryu Tae-hyun, real damage was accumulating in Kim Sung-hak's body.
Clearly, he was at a disadvantage.
Yet a thick smile crept onto Kim Sung-hak's lips.
'...A bit disadvantaged, but this is fun.'
How long had it been since he'd fought someone who could make him feel this way? Kim Sung-hak thrived on the tension and thrill of battling the strong. His rusty combat senses began to awaken in the heat of this long-lost fight.
He was what they called a slow starter. As his senses sharpened, his punches, once swinging at empty air, started tracking Ryu Tae-hyun's movements.
'He's grown already? No, he's adapting to my moves!'
Ryu Tae-hyun's instincts rang alarm bells. But at the same time, an inexplicable thrill welled up. He enjoyed battle just as much.
The two natural-born warriors exchanged grins. It was a bizarre sight. A life-or-death real combat that, at a glance, looked like sparring between close friends.
"Uwaaaah!"
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the battlefield, terrified screams echoed relentlessly.
Dawn Corps members sprawled on the ground. In their midst stood a woman with cherry-blossom pink hair, head bowed.
In her hands dangled two members who'd just charged her, their necks gripped tight. The burly men dangled helplessly from the slender woman, gasping and choking.
Jo Yu-ri raised her head. Her cold gaze swept the surroundings.
The Dawn Corps members encircling her tensed and assumed stances under that stare.
She'd declared she'd handle the small fry. But there was no guarantee they'd only fight her. No matter how strong she was, there was a physical limit to how many she could grab.
Yet shortly after the battle began, all members except Park Ji-hyun and Kim Sung-hak had gathered before Jo Yu-ri.
They had no choice.
Three who'd rushed her at the start hadn't lasted even ten seconds before collapsing.
Doubt flickered in the minds of the men surrounding Jo Yu-ri.
What had she looked like before the fight? Shaky eyes, trembling voice, hunched posture. She hadn't seemed like a threat worth guarding against—more like fragile prey than an enemy.
But once combat started...
Everything flipped 180 degrees.
The trembling stopped. Her shaky gaze steadied. Expression vanished from her face, her eyes emitting a chilling glare.
A change like she'd become a different person.
Those who hadn't noticed or dismissed it were now rolling on the ground.
-Gulp.
Tension hung over the battlefield.
No one among the men could move first. Their comrades tumbling on the dirt proved what happened to those who charged recklessly.
Soon, the two men in her grasp lost consciousness and went limp.
Nine remained.
Jo Yu-ri stood silently at their center.
Without a word, she simply stared at the men before lowering her stance.
'If you won't come to me, I'll come to you.'
Her gesture seemed to say as much, forcing the men to charge.
They charged, but...
The desperate assault ended in futility, mocking their resolve.
Jo Yu-ri wove through the enemies like an uncatchable wind.
Physical strikes, superpowered attacks, even supersonic bullets aimed at her—all missed.
Not a single attack landed.
Her speed wasn't faster than bullets. In pure movement speed, she matched her foes.
The difference was in situational awareness and judgment—a step ahead.
Jo Yu-ri's eyes flicked everywhere. Not from panic, but rapidly scanning the field for threats.
'11 o'clock, gun barrel. Fires in 0.5 seconds.'
'2 o'clock, knife. Impact in 2 seconds.'
'7 o'clock, superpower. Electricity from hands. Probably lightning-based.'
She grasped the battlefield in an instant and slid across the ground.
The next moment, lightning meant for her grazed the empty air where she'd stood. Incoming gunfire followed, but chased only her shadow.
The belated knife arrived late. Jo Yu-ri had anticipated it. Her hand blade climbed the man's arm like crossing paths with the knife, gouging his eyeball.
"Gaaah!!"
She propped the blinded, staggering man as a shield. Bullets from his comrades riddled his body mercilessly.
A hail of bullets. Splattering blood.
They ceased fire too late— their comrade was already dead from the barrage.
'Hesitation from enemy panic. Estimated window: 7 seconds.'
Jo Yu-ri caught her breath. But her mind remained as calm as ever—calmer, even.
Her superpower was Metabolism Control.
The ability to regulate all bodily functions, including hormones.
It optimized Jo Yu-ri's body for combat.
Pain hindered, so she blocked nociception. Fear interfered, so she suppressed emotions. Muscles and organs activated only for fighting, wasting no energy. Her heart pumped blood at six times normal speed, thought processes and reflexes accelerated, mind expanded like on drugs.
Every red blood cell delivering oxygen, every neural signal— all under her control.
Jo Yu-ri was a machine. A 100% efficient machine optimized solely for battle.
She scanned the field again. Six enemies left.
The machine finished its assessment in a flash and moved along the optimal path once more.
Meanwhile, at another part of the battlefield.
Red and black mists choked the air amid the dense trees, where Ahn Su-ho gasped for breath.
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Damn it.'
He panted, scanning his surroundings. Red mist everywhere. The willful fog gathered in one spot, forming the shape of a beautiful woman.
"Ahahaha! How many times do I have to say it? None of your attacks work!"
"Like hell they don't. You just turn to mist every time it gets dangerous."
"You get it! That's why they don't work! Kyahahaha!"
Her mocking tone ground his teeth.
She was right—his attacks hadn't landed since earlier.
She probed him slyly, dodging or blocking probes while misting only for killing blows. It was frustrating as hell.
'At least in mist form, she can't attack me, and she can't maintain it constantly.'
But without landing hits, he couldn't win. She had regeneration too. Time was on her side.
'Should I go for a big one?'
He recalled the strike that killed the Dawn Corps assassin, but shook his head.
That finisher left him combat-ineffective right after—a double-edged sword. Even with Yeo In-hyuk's Bone Alignment boosting durability, 2-3 uses were his limit.
Waste it on an uncertain foe? No way.
'If you infuse the ring's power into your attacks, it damages her even in mist form. No idea how, but it works.'
Ryu Tae-hyun's pre-battle words echoed.
'...Damn genius.'
He meant well, but a talentless hack like him couldn't master mana infusion from that alone.
He knew the concept of mana. He felt it intuitively using the talisman.
But that was internal mana.
'Infuse the ring's power' meant drawing it out and coating externally.
External mana coating was advanced. Ryu Tae-hyun grasped it instinctively, sans theory, but Ahn Su-ho had zero combat talent.
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
Lost in thought, her sharp claws lunged.
Claws slashed wildly from all angles—faster than the assassin or special team agents. Even after one Starbreath activation, minor cuts accumulated.
'Can't use the second yet.'
With unknown fight duration, he couldn't squander his 3-stock carelessly. He needed at least one for a desperate 4x burst ambush.
But could he hold out?
-Pshuk!
Blood sprayed from his shoulder. She licked the droplets from her claw, flashing a seductive smile.
"Tasteless? Too weak, maybe?"
"Then don't eat it!"
He channeled his power through the dagger as a conduit. But the lightweight smoke clump was sliced effortlessly.
-Thuk!
He followed with a compressed smoke burst, but she sensed the threat and misted away.
Red mist seeped through the black smokescreen, her laughter echoing everywhere.
"This sucks."
No end in sight. Go all-out with the finisher? Or join Ryu Tae-hyun to drop the big guy first?
-Swish.
A presence behind him.
He turned a beat too late—she'd already closed in, solid form regained.
-Puk!
Long claw pierced his shoulder. Not an attack—to pin him from fleeing. So what was the real one?
The thought hit as her fangs sank into his nape.
"Kuh."
No pain. A brief jolt, then overwhelming pleasure and drowsiness washed it away.
"Hng. Still tasteless. That Ryu Tae-hyun kid was delicious."
His knees buckled, body falling back. She mounted him, sucking relentlessly from his nape. Exponential pleasure surged, drowsiness invaded—eyes heavy, sleep imminent.
'Sleep means death!'
Instinct screamed. He gripped the dagger hilt-first—no, blade-down.
"Grraaah!"
Sharp pain dyed his palm red, snapping him alert briefly.
He raised the blood-slick dagger. But she didn't flinch—planning to mist at strike.
That wouldn't do. Even if driven off, no guarantee he'd recover. This had to end her, or at least wound badly.
But how?
Amid pain, pleasure, drowsiness, fragmented thoughts flashed.
Dagger strike—mists away. No good. Must pierce mist.
Method known: Coat with mana. Impossible for him.
Finisher? Too close—mutual destruction even with control.
Bloody hand trembled. Drowsiness overtook pain. Fading vision fixed on crimson dagger.
Crimson dagger.
My bloodied dagger.
Blood from my body. Mana flows within too.
He knew mana paths: From heart, through veins. Blood flows there too.
Bleeding leaks mana. Blood carries mana. Canon fact.
Mana-infused blood on dagger.
Thus, mana-coated dagger.
'...Ah.'
A spark in fragmented thoughts.
He clung to sinking consciousness, focusing. Weak talisman activation, introspecting mana flow.
Ambient mana absorbed into right hand, up arm to heart, back down to wound, mixing with blood on dagger—then dissipating.
He felt it: Heart mana, arm mana, hand mana, blood mana, even external droplet mana.
External blood mana faint—weaker than internal. Dead blood lacks it? Or air exposure?
Didn't matter. Original lacked details. But spilled blood held trace mana.
Too faint, evaporating instantly.
Obviously. External coating is advanced. Mere blood on weapon wouldn't mimic it otherwise.
"Ha."
Fortuitously.
For talentless him in fighting, one thing overflowed: mana.
-Shoooooo!!!
Talisman maxed, no restraint. Mana surged beyond limits, heart to wound to blood on dagger.
Grip tighter. More blood flows. Exposed mana evaporates. But volume massive—more lingered on blade.
She was careless. Watched dagger, unthreatened. Mist away at strike.
Exploit that.
He swung down. She smirked, demonstratively misting.
Blade pierced intangible fog, parting it like river water.
Next instant.
-KyaAAAAAAAH!!!!
Screams echoed everywhere. The entire mist wailed. Writhing fog clumped raggedly, forming a blood-gushing woman.
"You fuck! Why'd it work?! What did you do?! No way, you too like that guy—!"
Her pained shriek cut off.
"...Huh?"
He fought drowsiness, rising. She ignored him, staring blankly in horror.
Not blank—pupils darted left-right, seeing something invisible to him.
"...What is this? Real? No, eh?"
Her gaze turned to him. No enmity—just confusion, panic.
"...Ah. No, what is this? Eh? Doesn't make sense. Lie, right? But memories... memories lying doesn't add up..."
Her words incomprehensible. She seemed lost too.
Unable to grasp her own ramblings, she fixed him with questioning eyes.
"Hey."
Cautiously.
"What the hell are you saying...?"
Like witnessing a horrific truth she shouldn't know.
"...This world being a novel—what the fuck kind of bullshit is that?"