Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guests
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# 174
"Haha..."
All my strength drained away.
The crimson cannon hadn't inflicted a scratch on Bashmut.
Right before it hit, it had been sucked into the gravity point he'd created.
The residual energy it carried was too potent to fully absorb, so it had simply detonated on impact.
It was nowhere near enough to pierce his barrier.
"Lemon, you okay?"
"What a monster."
Sahim and Barton stood beside me, asking.
But I didn't have the mental bandwidth to respond.
If even that level of power hadn't worked, there really was no way.
And he hadn't even used his greatsword's ability.
"That's enough."
But contrary to my worries, Bashmut sheathed his sword.
"I'll leave Roze to you."
"...Leave her? She's mine to begin with."
"Think carefully about what's best."
Bashmut ignored my retort and wrapped up his words.
Then he suddenly looked up at the sky.
"I'd love to chat more, but it doesn't look like today is the day."
Something was approaching from far off.
At tremendous speed.
It was still too distant to make out with the naked eye, but there were more than ten of them.
And each one pulsed with a formidable dormant energy.
I'd already sensed it all with my awakened senses, so I asked,
"More visitors today?"
"None on our side."
The response came from Saladian.
He had appeared out of nowhere in the air a short distance away, grinning.
Sahim and Barton tensed up warily.
I'd already known he was there, so I opened my mouth without surprise.
"Then those must be the 'uninvited guests.'"
"Oh? You know about that too?"
"If they're crashing the Superhuman Summit, what else could they be?"
"You're a natural. Hard to believe you're just a first-year."
"Family talent."
Earlier, Saladian had questioned Roze.
Why hold the Superhuman Summit in a place like this?
The reason he'd brushed it off so casually was precisely these uninvited guests.
Uninvited guests were individuals or groups harboring hostility toward superhumans.
The summit gathered all the most important figures at once, so they targeted these occasions, resorting to terrorism since ordinary means wouldn't work.
It was a security measure to prevent that damage.
'Normally, they'd never even dream of it.'
But this was a deliberate vulnerability.
The targets were the elite among superhumans anyway.
Each one could protect themselves no matter what.
So they'd figured: Why bother with elaborate preparations? Better to flaunt it openly.
They could even use the opportunity to flush out any agitators.
Everyone had agreed, and that's why the Superhuman Summit was always held in places like this.
"Here they come."
Missiles launched from the spaceships.
They were fat, packed with whatever payload.
Probably bulked up to maximize firepower while skirting strict security laws.
"Anyone care to handle that? I'm no good at long range."
Saladian groaned jokingly.
His face showed no tension at all.
"I'll do it."
"Barton?"
"Watch closely. I haven't been the only one growing."
Barton stared at the sky.
Ten missiles were streaking toward us.
One from each ship, spread wide as if anticipating interception.
Then a chill swept in.
Frost coated the ground around Barton, and dozens of three-meter ice spears materialized.
They shot toward the missiles at his gesture.
'Fast.'
Matching the missiles' speed.
As the ice spears closed in, the missiles maneuvered to evade.
But even without direct hits, the spears detonated at a certain distance, unleashing freezing mist.
Eight missiles froze solid, lost propulsion, and tumbled to the ground.
The remaining two didn't.
Rather than risk failure, they detonated on the spot.
Boom!!
A brilliant flash and shockwave hit.
Power rivaling a tactical nuke.
No doubt meant to obliterate the entire summit hall.
"Dazzling."
But no one panicked.
With barriers up, they weathered the aftermath and spotted the spaceships gaining altitude to close in.
Barton wasn't done, though.
The leftover ice spears from the interceptions now homed in on the ships under his control.
The ships swerved late, but the lead three froze solid.
"Seven left."
The ships, now almost overhead, abruptly changed course and plummeted vertically.
Dumping their entire payload in a massive barrage.
"How'd they get that stuff on Earth?"
"If you've got money, you can get anything."
Saladian waved his hand dismissively.
Nothing happened.
"What...?"
Before the impatient one could demand an answer, explosions bloomed in the sky.
The weapons from the ships had hit some invisible barrier and detonated midway.
"Not confident at long range, huh?"
"This counts as close range, doesn't it?"
It was at least five hundred meters. Was he serious?
His sense of distance was anything but normal.
"Aren't those people?"
"Hm? Yeah."
They hadn't even hit the ground yet, but people were jumping from the ships.
All in bare flesh, no armor suits.
At that speed, they'd never survive impact.
'...But they can't be ordinary.'
The fallers slammed into the sand.
Pathetically so, defying my expectations.
Limbs shattered, flesh mangled from the impact.
"They're dead?"
"They're twitching."
.
Mid-chatter, a change occurred.
Despite their impossible state, the people rose.
Zombie-like, unsteady on broken bodies. Impressive.
Their movements quickened.
Wounds sealed, shattered limbs twisted back into grotesque forms.
"What the hell? Some experiment?"
I eyed the things that were hardly 'people' anymore.
More like monsters.
'And they reek of aliens.'
A thick scent.
They radiated signals as strong as Grade 5 Dread Knights.
"Ships are all down."
"These are the last of them."
Should I step in?
Around three hundred.
If every monster matched a Dread Knight, I couldn't handle them alone.
But one superhuman charged ahead of everyone.
"Uahaha!"
Heavy Tank Rhino.
His aggression unmatched, he was already fired up and bull-rushing them.
As he advanced, the monsters rushed to meet him.
Rhino plowed through them.
Each collision turned monsters to pulp, flinging them back faster than they'd charged.
"They won't die?"
Insane vitality.
Even Rhino should've pulverized them, yet they still writhed.
Some even sluggishly tried to rise again.
"They're coming our way too."
Soon we were dragged into the fray.
The monsters grew stronger over time.
Their movements turned fluid, like they'd adapted to their bodies.
I grimaced, slashing one with my blade.
'Feels familiar.'
Regeneration and physical prowess like this... rang a bell.
Mutant Medical Corp's secret lab.
The ones we'd fought there were just like this.
Rougher execution than those, but closer to aliens, so individually stronger.
'But not their method.'
They valued intelligence.
Even test subjects needed brains as baseline.
These had only enmity, like aliens.
No survival instinct. Erased.
"All cleared."
The fight didn't last long.
No matter their toughness, opponents were vice-captain level or higher.
I checked, just in case: no injuries.
"Roze?"
"...Doesn't look over yet."
Sahim shook his head.
Amid the chaos, Roze and El Quaizer's duel raged on.
But victory was decided.
"Urgh...!!"
El Quaizer sweated buckets, barely blocking Roze's onslaught.
Unlike before, his phantom swords flickered in and out with each hit.
'Tired.'
Blood streamed from his nose, soaking his face—overuse of powers, internal damage.
The outcome was set.
"Eyat!!"
Roze landed her heavy blow on cue.
The phantom sword shattered like glass, exposing a gap.
He tried blocking with his held sword, but it flew from his grip.
Seizing the moment, Roze's eyes gleamed.
As she closed for the finish, someone wedged between them.
Clang!!
The knight commander blocked Roze.
"What the—now?"
"The result's already in. Please show mercy."
"...Ugh, I at least need one good hit."
The knight commander bowed deeply in apology, and Roze grumbled in frustration.
She'd been purely defensive till now.
Minimized damage while wearing him down, but she'd taken wounds too.
Ending like this felt unfair.
Then another aggrieved voice rang out.
"Yul! I haven't lost yet!"
"I believe that's enough, Your Highness."
"Why're you deciding that!"
His face was wrecked, words aside.
The shattered phantom sword had made him cough blood moments ago.
Knight Commander Yul turned to El Quaizer impassively.
"Forgive my rudeness."
"Urk...!"
Yul struck his abdomen hard.
A knockout attempt, probably.
"Y-You..."
It failed.
El Quaizer stared in disbelief.
Yul hesitated, then swung again.
"...Forgive me."
"Urk!! Guh...!"
"Forgive..."
"Gurk!"
Yul turned calmly from the silenced prince, facing Roze.
"Is this sufficient?"
"...Perfect."
"We apologize for today's rudeness. This wasn't His Highness's true intent."
"..."
"I'll repay this debt personally. Farewell."
The knight commander hoisted El Quaizer over his shoulder and walked off slowly.
"Weirdos."
Roze, looking unsatisfied, spotted me and rushed over.
She yelled,
"I almost lost!"
"But you look thrilled."
"Because I almost lost?"
"...Whatever. Let's treat those wounds first."
Now I saw how deep they were.
Muscle clenched to hide it, but any deeper and bone would've been hit.
Four like that, plus countless minor ones.
I scowled, injecting one treatment vial and dabbing another directly on the wounds.
As I finished, Bashmut approached.
"You're doting."
I shot him a glare.
"Don't worry. I'll keep my promise."
"..."
"More importantly, think it over. If you're uneasy going alone, bring her too."
"What?"
I reflexively questioned the unexpected words.
But Bashmut was already walking away.
'Me? To the Cerberus Superhuman Unit?'
Unlikely I'd accept, but the offer alone was shocking.
As with El Quaizer, he had ironclad standards, rejecting anyone short.
Those who joined Cerberus on his invitation all became summit-level war ghosts, sooner or later.
Meaning he saw that potential in me.
I watched Bashmut's retreating figure for a moment.