Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Metatron
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How should I play this to come out on top?
From the start, I had no intention of driving off those attackers and rescuing Metatron like some princess in distress.
Sure, it’d be a heart-pounding thrill, but it’d come with swift agony and regret. Once my flesh tore and bones shattered, rolling in the mud, any shred of honor would be gone.
Hyenas don’t fight those stronger than themselves.
So, achieve the tactical objective and bail. That’s it.
First, I pulled a portable recoilless rifle from my subspace pouch.
A masterpiece called the Carl Gustav M4, weighing just seven kilograms for easy carry.
Its appeal lay in the variety of rounds: anti-personnel high-explosive, anti-tank, flashbang, and more. It was a favorite among hyenas.
Sure, reloading solo without a loader was a hassle, but doable. I immediately grabbed an FFV469 round. Sounds impressive, but it was just a smoke grenade.
No point in anti-tank rounds against a Lord-class monster—they wouldn’t even scratch it. If all I could do was startle it, better to blind them.
Of course, a beast like that might pierce the smoke with ease. But with no physical damage possible right now, this was the best option.
Click.
I swung open the breech of the Carl Gustav, shoved in the hefty smoke grenade, reassembled, and armed the safety.
Good.
Shouldered and aimed at the target.
The nearest Lord-class monster: a giant with two dragon heads and four arms. Grotesque, but powerful-looking.
Through the 3x optical sight, it appeared far clearer than to the naked eye.
Just as I lined up the shot, one of the dragon heads locked eyes with me.
“!”
How, from this distance?
My heart nearly stopped from the shock.
Not just surprise. Meeting a Lord-class monster’s gaze triggered full-body panic for an instant.
Even I, enhanced by the shield, felt it. Normals might drop dead from eye contact alone.
It glared fiercely but didn’t act right away. A direct long-range strike would alert Metatron.
That brief hesitation from the Lord-class monster was my lifeline. The pressure crushing my chest eased for a moment.
Seizing the rebound, I fired the recoilless rifle.
Bang!
The powder roared, followed by the metallic clang from the steel body.
Soon, an explosion bloomed smoke at the impact site.
I snatched up my shield and bolted down the building stairs. The smoke grenade’s noise would warn Metatron. Now, I was the one in danger.
The monster wouldn’t forgive a failed ambush.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
My heart pounded like my frantic footsteps down the stairs.
My position exposed, I was in real peril.
KABOOM!
A deafening roar shook the entire building.
You crazy bastard.
It felt like a JDAM missile strike. Concrete and cement dust poured from above, so I raised my shield and crouched.
“Cough! Cough!”
Hacking, I glanced up. Half the ceiling was gone.
Mid-building, and now the sky visible? Bad news. I sprang up and sprinted.
Had to escape before the stairs collapsed.
KABOOM!
Another blast—I barely made it out.
No time for stairs; from the third floor, I leaped. Instinct angled the shield downward as I fell forward, rolling on impact.
Dropped from three stories, zero shock.
The shield definitely absorbed and negated impacts.
Then, I just ran.
Behind me, a rumble and KABOOM! My building collapsed flat. Damn Lord-class monsters—no concept of restraint.
“Shit! Fuck!”
No sooner had I yelled than a laser-like beam struck the next building.
Rumble! KABOOM!
Whoa, these lunatics.
Laser cannon or what?
Power was insane. A seven-story building crumpled in seconds.
The dragon-head pissed by my smoke was rampaging.
Ambush foiled, now pulverizing the arrogant pest.
Potent, but imprecise.
No detection skills?
I darted between buildings, too small to pinpoint.
ROARRR!
Furious bellow echoed everywhere.
Magic blasts and roars added to the chaos. Metatron’s side had engaged too. Three-on-one—not good odds.
No help from me there. Had to keep the dragon-head Lord-class busy.
If it joined, Metatron was done.
Hiding while running, I spotted it.
Big game hard to find small prey; small prey spots big game easy. Dragon horns peeking over a rooftop pinned its location.
I circled, avoiding its scans. Seoul’s old tangled districts helped. New cities with spaced apartments? No chance. But I tailed it stealthily.
Like WWII dogfighting planes.
One shot in mind, heart raced—I bit my lip, steadying nerves.
Recoilless rifle left behind, but subspace pouch held plenty of firepower.
Out came the RPG-7.
This old reliable still served, beloved by hyena teams.
Even hunters used it.
Against sub-rank-7 monsters sans barriers, hunters relied on guns.
Top hunters overflowed mana, but below? Mana conservation meant firearms for trash mobs.
“Hmm…”
Rough aim via iron sights.
Optics spoiled me; old-school felt clumsy. But target so huge, point and shoot.
Click.
Trigger pull—warhead hit, explosion boomed.
BOOM!
Blast wave and heat tore at it. Useless beyond noise. I bolted post-shot.
Smart move.
KABOOM!
My spot became a crater.
ROARRRR!
I slipped away like a rat; it was pissed. Started blasting everywhere.
Glancing back: beams from its maw.
Like fantasy dragon breath.
Brute.
No cooldown?
Couldn’t taunt forever. Patterns predictable. Push more, it’d flatten the district.
Ignored it, dashed through alleys toward Dongjak District Office.
Arrived to a fierce battle.
Metatron alone against three.
Her fight: beautiful, brutal.
Gray hair matted with blood, body lacerated.
Opponents: two Lord-class monsters, one stronger Grand Lord-class.
One Lord-class pre-wounded by Metatron. But the fresh pair tipped scales—hopeless.
Soon, dragon-head Lord-class joins.
Escape looked tough.
Metatron would fall. No more watching—I intervened.
My presence couldn’t dictate this monster melee. But epic shifts start small.
Powerless? Who says I can’t be the wildcard.
Charging, I prepped Solar Flare Burst.
Whirr!
Shield glowed white-hot as an incandescent bulb. One-shot a rank-3 monster, but my limit: once.
Target clear.
The Lord-class already battered by Metatron.
Four horns on head sparking like a crown. Wielded a three-meter greatsword with terrifying whooshes—heart shrunk just hearing.
No hesitation from me. It, weakened, reacted slow to my ambush. I halted, thrust shield forward, aimed.
“Raaagh!”
With a shout, poured everything into activation.
Flash.
Radiant heat struck.
Silhouetted in light, it burned white. Flare ended—greatsword-wielding Lord-class writhed, tumbling.
ROARRRR!
Agony clear.
Indigo skin charred. Metatron seized gap, zipped to my side.
“Hunter! This is my fight. Get out. You’ll die!”
Urgent, flustered by my intrusion.
Huh? This Metatron? Notorious angel who slaughtered her own retainers for necessity. Now retinue-less, ruthless.
Yet worrying for a stranger human first.
“Two corrections, Metatron.”
“What?”
“First, I’m no hunter. Second, this fight involves me now.”
She parried enemy magic with sword, stared incredulous.
Lord-class monsters paused at my entry. One spell to check Metatron’s escape, then murmured among themselves. We whispered fast.
“Headache of a human. Stay, you die.”
“My head’s fine. Feared death, wouldn’t interfere. You missed: another Lord-class.”
“Noisy, yeah.”
Dragon-head Lord-class—call it Dragon-Head Lord. Sounds of it wrecking buildings reached her.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Speak of the devil—it stomped in, abandoning my hunt for original plan.
Spotting me, both heads roared ferociously.
Found me, huh.
GRRRRUMBLE!
“Looks furious at you, human.”
“Yeah. Kept it busy. For you, Metatron.”
She looked shocked.
“Who are you? What do you know?”
Shook head.
No time.
“This phase might fail. Onto next. You spotted ambush—can preempt.”
“Cryptic talk, human.”
“Yoo Je-a.”
“What?”
“My name’s Yoo Je-a. Remember it.”
Shook head, corrected.
“No. Remember my name.”
“What! Strangest human ever.”
I grinned. Priceless: proud, cool angel flustered. But her face crumbled in horror.
I charged, shield first, still smiling.
“What are you doing! Lunatic!”
Suicide, to any eye.
“Giving them the finger!”
Simply: ruin their done deal.
Three Lord-class, one Grand Lord-class. Total four.
Metatron couldn’t evade. But flee into time?
No strength catches a time-leaper.
“Raaagh!”
Fearless, I charged the beasts.
Lightning, laser breath, powers rained—would atomize me.
Whirr!
Shield blazed golden.
In that instant, I saw it.
Grand Lord-class monster’s shock.
“#^@$@^#$!”
Babbled in dismay.
How’s it feel? Screwed by powerless human.
Last glare at Grand Lord, smirking. Its face twisted.