Let's Finish This Quick, Kirius.

"Let's end this quick, Kirius."

With Kirius's rage-filled shout, spears of lightning poured endlessly from the blue magic circle.

I dodged the barrage of bolts and maneuvered the five greatswords ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hovering in midair.

Kwarung!

One slip-up, and I'd be electrocuted into a crispy roast. Damn, with my focus scattered, it was tough to control the swords as precisely as before.

"Only someone like you could pull that off, Mom?!" This wasn't like drawing a star with one hand and a hexagon with the other. Mom and son aren't as smart as you think we are!

"Go!"

With a shout, I hurled two of the swords infused with my intent. It was a desperate shot with no real expectations...

"...Huh?"

<Damn it!>

I hadn't expected much, but the swords' trajectory headed straight for Kirius with surprising accuracy. It felt like watching a bowling ball roll right toward the head pin.

<Mind Formation!> A yellow magic circle appeared under Kirius's feet and began to spin. At the same time, debris scattered across the ground gathered in front of him, forming a barrier.

The moment the two greatswords collided with the barrier, a massive roar echoed out. The swords were blocked and couldn't reach Kirius, but—

Pababak!

<Kwaak!>

The barrier shattered, sending sharp fragments flying into Kirius's body, carving deep wounds. Cracks spiderwebbed across the skull mask covering his face with a creeeak.

"The talent boost must be huge!" I could feel it now. These swords were connected to my will at 100%... no, 200%. They moved as freely as my own limbs, bending perfectly to my intent.

Pandora's Box, you gave me weapons too good to use just once.

Sensing the tide turning in my favor, I smirked.

Drip... By then, the fully cracked mask revealed Kirius's face. Pallid blue skin that looked devoid of any blood. His murky eyes, those of a soul sold to forbidden sorcery, fixed on me.

I met his gaze, gauging the emotion in those eyes.

"You look scared, Kirius."

<Shut your trap, you—>

"Guess humans and monsters both get shaky pupils when they're terrified?"

Pajijijik! The blue and yellow magic circles spun simultaneously. In the next instant, the most powerful lightning and cannonball-like fragments yet surged toward me.

So, smoothly... I controlled the remaining three swords. They floated up and swirled fiercely in front of me, forming dozens of lines that became a protective wall—

Kagagagang!

—deflecting every bolt of lightning and fragment raining down without a single one getting through.

<Kraaaah!>

Kirius spun his magic circles madly, ramping up the firepower, but no dice. This perfect safe zone had me covered airtight.

"Ditched the polite act from the start, huh, Kirius? Though it was kinda cringy anyway."

<Shut up! You're barely blocking and acting all smug...!>

"Me, barely blocking?"

This guy has no clue. With six swords, handling offense and defense simultaneously was a given.

They should be coming back about now...

Just as the thought crossed my mind—

Whiiing— Kwajik!

<Guh, ugh...!>

—the three swords I'd thrown earlier boomeranged back, piercing straight through Kirius's back. Blood gushed like a waterfall as his body plummeted.

I recalled the swords and glared at him with narrowed eyes.

The core... destroyed for sure.

Kirius's core was in his solar plexus. And my swords had just pierced precisely above his back there.

Kugugugu! His body, sprawled on the ground, began to twitch. The air trembled, forming an ominous aura.

Here it comes.

From my first timeline, I'd seen Choi Kwang-hyun's fight with Kirius. I knew the guy had two lives.

Wooong! A green magic circle, absent before, appeared over his vibrating form. On a hunch, I flung one sword to destroy it, but—

Pachink!

—it bounced off like an invisible wall, not even reaching the circle.

Tensing up, I activated Throw Eye.

As expected. During this wraith transformation, even a nuke wouldn't faze him.

But that didn't mean I had time to catch my breath.

This was why Choi Kwang-hyun struggled. Just when you think you've won, phase two kicks in—and you have to fight a horde of golems before it even starts.

But he won in the end. S-rank players really are monsters.

"Guess I'll turn into a monster myself."

And in this life, the one claiming victory over Kirius wouldn't be Choi Kwang-hyun—it'd be me.

My figure darted into the heart of the oncoming golem army.

***

"No breather, huh!"

A massive man, too bulky to tell if he was monster or human, raced through the city streets like the wind.

His name was Choi Kwang-hyun, one of Korea's top five S-rank players. He'd just cleared a Rank 2 gate and was now heading to Guro-gu on Association orders.

"What a lucky day! Finish one raid and boom, another massive outbreak! Haha!"

It wasn't sarcasm. The battle-loving Choi Kwang-hyun was genuinely thrilled. He hurried, desperate to fight ASAP—wall-jumping between buildings like he was gliding.

And one more thing. A tidbit that piqued his competitive spirit had slipped from the Association staffer he'd just spoken to.

Choi Kwang-hyun, hurtling toward the scene at insane speed, grinned toothily.

You know my standards, and you straight-up call someone 'skilled' to me?

Anyone below S-rank wasn't skilled in his book.

Better not be hype. I'll chew out the Association when I get back.

Just then, entering Guro-gu, his senses caught the battle's aura.

Tak! He landed atop a skyscraper with the best view.

Perfect vantage. The scene unfolded below.

And in his sights—

"That the guy?"

A young man battling the golem horde filling the streets. As described, fighting bare-handed without armor. He steadily thinned their numbers with gravity-defying mobility.

First impressions: solid. Good grasp of the battlefield flow, one-shot monster power...

But Choi Kwang-hyun scratched his head and clicked his tongue.

"Everything's good, but pacing's off. Still green."

Pacing. The young man's flaw. His aura screamed unrestrained mana output.

"Full throttle's fine, but ignoring the aftermath? Pointless."

Choi was certain: without control, the kid would burn out in under ten minutes.

Everything else... yeah, the staffer's praise made some sense.

"Barely passing."

Once the kid collapsed in ten, he'd step in. Chuckling like he was watching a fun flick, Choi spectated.

Five minutes passed.

"..."

His mutters faded as ten minutes came and went. The young man kept fighting.

Hoodie soaked in sweat, but breathing steady as a jog. Unruffled.

Fifteen, twenty minutes... until the golems dwindled to a handful.

"What..."

The young man's legs stood firm. Unbeknownst to himself, Choi sat up straight, stroking his scruffy beard—like when he'd witnessed the legendary "S-rank couple" fight years ago.

Finally, sweeping back his hair, he muttered:

"...Where the hell did this monster pop from?"

***

My take after felling the last golem: one word.

I respect you, Choi Kwang-hyun.

S-rank or not, soloing a disaster this scale? Witnessing what followed only deepened my admiration.

Kwaaaa! A terrifying energy erupted from the now-transformed Kirius.

<It's... not... over...!>

An overwhelming pressure crashed down. There he hovered, black flames cloaking his body, eyes blazing murderously.

Wraith Kirius. A presence leagues beyond before oozed from his dark form.

Tough fight ahead, but...

"It's over, idiot."

Still manageable. Battle had dragged, but mana held. Worth scraping by for that Soul Core.

I didn't know details of his fight with Choi Kwang-hyun post-transformation—drones got wrecked by the chaos. Unknown patterns meant quick kill was best.

Decision made, I moved to activate Warrior's Awakening—

Kwakwakwa!

—when a fierce gust slammed into me from nowhere. A blindside, but I didn't budge.

The wind harmlessly grazed past. But—

"What the— guh?!"

A burning sensation spread inside me, like fire in my veins. Head spun like a blown fuse, nausea surging.

"Dam...n..."

Spirit King's Favor did nothing. Mana Burn wasn't a status ailment type.

Mana drained instantly—knees buckled. The haze clouded my mind. Focus broke; the six hovering swords clattered to the ground.

Then a dark mace-like mass smashed down.

Kwaaaang!

"Guhk?!"

Light flashed—my head was buried in the dirt. Blood sprayed from nose and mouth.

Through foggy vision...

Damn... Couldn't rise—balance wrecked. Broken ribs stabbed lungs; breaths ragged.

<Filthy... worm...!>

His resentful voice faintly reached me as his grip crushed my throat.

Kwaaang!

The world flipped—weightless. He rocketed skyward, throttling me.

Altitude thinned oxygen. Already gasping, I might suffocate before he killed me.

"......"

<Then... I'll chew your soul... to nothing...!>

His black-flame fist smashed my face. As he receded, I realized I was falling.

Fading consciousness clung to thought. Bleeding body chilled rapidly.

But still.

"Get ready... for the solar plexus..."

Toward the glaring wretch high above, I flipped him off with a grin.

System strings lit the air as monstrous vitality surged through my dying body.

Level up resets accumulated damage. Full HP/mana recovery was par.

But... ...Ether?

This explosive power surging everywhere was separate from the reset.

Explosive Ether. The system's mystery fueled me.

I didn't know what Ether was exactly. But at least—

Fwoosh!

—these flames on my fists were it.

"How should I know if even you don't? So first...!"

I clenched my flaming fists and grinned viciously.

"Beat that bastard's ass, then figure it out."

Mountainous power rippled from my fist. No doubt—this flame punch would shred Kirius.

One issue, though.

"Mom!"

I was plummeting from the sky at insane speed. No flight skills to counter gravity or sprout wings.

But I had a plan to escape this mess. Whether it'd work? Trial by fire.

"Back-smack! The strongest one's hit me with so far!"

Bracing for agony, I focused mana on my back as much as possible. This should offset most pain...

Kwaaaang!

"Euk!"

...Like hell. Hurt worse than Kirius's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hit.

But thanks to it—

Whiiing!

—the ultimate back-smack launched me vertically like a rocket with thrusters. Even crushing wind couldn't stop me.

And finally.

<How...?!>

The wraith's smug victory-high face appeared.

My obsession to smash it superheated the Ether flames engulfing my fist.

<Struggle... all you want...!>

Black flames rose from him, forming dozens of spears raining down. The sky blackened with deadly javelins, but—

Kwakwakwa!

—I unleashed my Ether fist at them like I'd been waiting.

Hundreds of afterimages from the red combo obliterated the black spears.

<......?!>

Shock colored his eyes. A sinister wind stirred from his dark body.

I knew it: Mana Burn. Trying to push me to death's door again.

"Useless."

If I weren't already in his face. I thrust my flaming hand, seizing his collar roughly.

Through swirling embers like petals, his bulging eyes stared. The emotion writhing there?

"Told you."

No Throw Eye needed—I knew.

Terror. Despair. Resignation.

Did he have these eyes when dying to Choi Kwang-hyun?

"Get ready for the solar plexus."

Thus, my flame fist—

Kwaaaang!

—slammed a killing blow dead into his core.