The Fifth Specialization (1)

Slicing sounds, tearing sounds, stabbing sounds. All sorts of noises drilled into his ears.

The monster bat's fangs gripped tight in his hand. The jaw of the monster bat under his foot trembled violently.

Every time the Shadow Warrior swung its sword, every time blood and flesh sprayed into the sky, the monster bat's jaw quivered.

And then, it let out a shriek. Kieeeek! His eardrums rattled. It felt like electricity crackled in his ears.

He gagged. Blood surged from the bat's throat and backflowed. Splat—it drenched his body.

The bat screamed again. Kieeeek! It was different. Definitely different. The sound, the jaw's trembling, even the flapping of its wings.

It was in pain. Covered in hot blood, he smirked.

Feeling the pain stabbing his chest, the pressure that made it impossible to breathe, the claws piercing his gut with his entire body. He smirked.

Die. Just die and disappear.

Pfuk! Something snapped. The monster bat's body shook violently.

Then came the sound of something being slashed at tremendous speed. The claws gripping his body loosened and slid away.

He instinctively knew. He was falling. He had no idea how high they'd climbed.

If he fell like this, he was dead. Reflexively, he grabbed the bat's rope-like fur.

Slrrk—the bat's hind claws released him. And they receded. Farther and farther, dropping below.

Ah, right. He'd ordered it to cut. He'd thought maybe the wings, but no.

The Shadow Warrior had severed the bat's waist dozens of times. The monster bat's eyes went blank.

Kieeeek—not a scream. A groan.

He instinctively climbed up the fur. "Urk...!" It hurt. His chest felt torn open. His gut ached.

But if he let go, he'd plummet. No way. Am I... going to die like this...?!

Even its wildly flapping wings were losing strength. The massive pair twitched and flapped erratically.

Its body swayed left and right. "Kuh, heuk!" Enduring the pain, gritting his teeth, bracing against the blasting wind, he climbed up the bat's body.

And reached its nape. Currrruk, kereruk. It vomited blood in gushes.

A giant bat severed at the waist, missing its hind legs. Pfuk, crackle!

At the nape, the Shadow Warrior was still slashing away. He reached out.

Come back. The Shadow Warrior whipped around to look at him and leaped, hand extended.

Tak! The sword landed in his grip. At the same time, stabbing pain surged from his chest. "Hrrk...!"

Its skull sliced open, brains nearly exposed, entrails spilling from the waist down, the bat was tilting slowly downward.

He thrust the sword into its nape. It didn't even scream.

The monster bat, having lost its upward momentum, was plummeting slowly. The ground came into view.

...Feels like staring at Google Maps. Crazy, how high did we go?

The air was cold. In this summer heat. "Hwik, hwik!" Breathing was hard.

The bat's wings caught the wind and flapped, then folded back. It was free-falling. Straight toward the ground!

"Heuk, hwik, krhk." Shit. What now? What the hell do I do?

Nothing around. Just folded wings and flapping fur.

...Right. If I fall into water, maybe...!

He gripped the fur and looked down. The river was just a thin line.

...No way I'd land precisely there. Even if I hit water, from this height, no survival.

Acceleration was all used up. Even if cooldowns remained, it wouldn't save this situation.

If he hit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ground like this, who knew the impact speed? His body wouldn't even keep human shape.

Mad wind howled. No, he was tearing through the air.

Tiny rice paddies grew larger. "...Fuck..." Gale ripping at his hair.

Body whipping in the wind, he stared down. How? How?!

Then something caught his eye. The monster boar that had charged the control tower. It was rising.

Having wrecked much of the building with its head, it burst through onto the runway.

Soldiers scattered in panic. Some fired miniguns. But not enough.

The monster boar charged the tower again. It crumbled. The corner collapsed.

It'd come down in seconds. ...But right now, he had no way to survive either.

Wind made breathing impossible. Ground closing in.

In this hopeless spot, clinging to any slim chance, he opened the status window.

"...Status!"

...!

Shadow Warrior hit max level! From blasting that monster boar!

Gripping the thick fur of the free-falling monster bat, he tapped Shadow Warrior.

Space Explorer. He picked 1 without hesitation.

Wind too fierce. Hard to keep eyes open. Wasn't sure if he tapped right.

A message popped up.

Got it, I know. "...Status!" Skills. The new skill!

[Active - Space Claw] Whoa, Space Claw?! W-wait. Why no auto-cast? No, that's not important now!

He tapped Space Claw.

...What? Teleport through space? ...Impact immunity?!

He looked down. Ground rushing up insanely fast. Seconds left.

How. How do I use it!

Krurrung! Crashing sounds. He glanced back reflexively—the monster boar smashing the building, bursting toward him.

No time. Can't hesitate!

Instinct. He thrust out his hand. Toward the monster boar's back, mere dozens of meters below.

Split-second. He clenched his fist.

Please!

Next instant, the boar's back exploded into view like lightning. Under his feet, knees, fist.

Something touched. Then everything went black.

Wooong—ears rang. Can't see. Can't hear.

What happened? Just... body felt warm.

He slowly opened his eyes. Something faint sparkled in the light.

...Blood and muscle. And skulls crowding around him. Agonized faces. Screaming expressions.

He jerked his head up. ...Bright! Sunlight poured from above.

He realized. He'd pierced straight through the monster boar...

...bones and all.

Looked around. Like a bomb exploded. Everything shattered, mangled around ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him, as if burst from inside.

Splurch, splurch. Blood, flesh, guts oozed around him.

And silence.

"Hoon! Sung-hoon!" A voice. Woman's voice.

...Ga-yeon? ...Hearing her brought him back.

Smoke. Rising from his body. Like when Preservation Gloves fixed a damaged sword—white smoke billowed from him too.

He stood. Feet squelched in gore. Chest hurt. Gut hurt.

But healing. Slowly. Sluggishly. But surely, wounds under his torn shirt knit back together.

Shhh—spewing smoke from his body, he gasped for breath.

...So this is it. The tattoos on his body. What the Soul Tattoo gave him.

And... he slowly raised his hand, stared at his palm.

...No idea what happened. He shouldn't be alive. Surviving that fall, no matter the abilities, was cheating biology.

...Space Claw. ...Space Explorer's power. Grasp space, teleport there.

"Hoo." In the blood-reeking monster boar's innards, bathed in faint leaking sunlight, he slowly looked up.

...My sword. Where'd it go? Must've dropped it mid-air.

...Whatever. One left. He drew it.

Shing—

"Sung-hoon! Sung-hoooon!"

...Shut up, Ga-yeon. Stop yelling.

"Haa..." He slashed hard at the flesh, skulls, hide before him with his sword.

And emerged from the monster boar's body. Sunlight. Bright.

Covered head to toe in blood and sticky gore. White smoke billowing from his body, he crawled out.

"Haa, haa." Panting, he looked up.

People stared. Couldn't read their faces. No clue what those expressions meant.

"Sung-hoon!" Ga-yeon ran over.

Ah, yeah. Come hold me up.

He tried grasping his fading consciousness, but vision blackened anyway. Legs buckled.

Ah, fuck. Embarrassing. Thud.

Someone caught him. ...Soft. Probably Ga-yeon.

He slowly lowered his head. Whatever. Need rest.

Someone muttered in a trembling voice.

"...Jesus Christ."

Don't know, dude. No English.