I'll Fold Your Spine, Diorque, You Bastard
"You'll pay for this, Diorque. I'm really going to fold your spine in half when I meet you later."
I spat the words, but my voice trembled uncontrollably. It must feel like this to be a mouse facing a cat. I wanted to back away, but my legs shook so badly I could barely stand my ground.
[…….]
The being in the shape of my mom stared at me with indifferent eyes. A crushing pressure pierced my heart from those serene pupils.
Damn this 'Trial of the Central Plains'. It posed just one question: Could I trample a precious being for the sake of my goal?
Impossible. Not an emotional issue...
'It's a matter of power, damn it.'
How the hell was I supposed to beat a human called the pinnacle of all players?
Clutching at straws, I called out to the fake.
"M-Mom? It's me. Your one and only son. Hwa—"
No use. It's too obvious to bother explaining. Were you hoping to muddle through this trial with such feeble optimism? Don't disappoint me with your pathetic efforts, human.
"……."
I swear, I'd fold that bastard's spine three times—no, ten times. The problem was, I had to survive this trial first...
'I have to. Damn it.'
I steadied my crumbling resolve and assumed a battle stance. If only I had Pandora's Box, maybe a breakthrough...
Damn. The more I thought about it, the more unbalanced this fight felt—
Right in front of me was Mom.
"……?!"
How? Before I could even question it, my feet had kicked off the ground backward. Not a deliberate dodge—more like survival instinct yanking my body away.
Boom—!
A scream-like whoosh ripped through as the Sword of Salvation slammed down where I'd stood. My god. Was this the destructive power of a blade striking earth? Even dynamite wouldn't do this.
But no time to gawk...
"Ugh, kuh...!"
A long gash from my left collarbone to my right side burned like hell. Insane. Hadn't I dodged perfectly? I hadn't even felt the metal touch my skin.
Then—
Whoosh...!
Suddenly, ferocious flames roared along the blade.
'Those flames are extending the sword strike's range insanely...'
Not ether enchantment—that was my unique power. This was just plain fire.
'Attribute Endowment (S)...'
I remembered seeing it in Mom's stats during the Reverse Dungeon. I hadn't realized it was this terrifying.
Whoosh—!
I swallowed the tearing pain and wrapped explosive ether around both fists. My skin sizzled audibly, but no choice. My only weapon now was Explosive Ether.
By the time I blinked, the space around me was filled with Mom's form. Not just fast—physical distance erased.
'Probably <Shrinking Earth (S)>.'
Whoosh—!
I thrust my fist at the vertically plunging blade tip. Dodging would just repeat the earlier slash. Better to pour everything into a counter.
In that instant, my punch clashed with her sword in midair. A ferocious shockwave shook the pitch-black void.
My right arm throbbed; I grimaced. Blood from my knuckles evaporated in the ether flames.
"Honestly, I thought my arm might get sliced off."
[…….]
"But as you see, it didn't."
The fake Mom, pushed back a few steps, glared coldly. My feet hadn't budged. I'd won that exchange.
Her gaze shifted from me to the Sword of Salvation. The flames that had cloaked it were gone.
Explosive ether burned even fire... no, it incinerated skills themselves. I sensed it instinctively.
"If my arm had been severed in this hopeless situation, I'd have just given up and died. But... luckily, I can thrash a bit more."
My lips curled not just from grasping ether's essence.
"You're weaker than the real Mom."
[…….]
"You might've perfectly replicated her power originally. But not now. Even you can't escape losing 70% combat strength."
It hit me now—if this fake had 100% of her power...
'That first shockwave alone would've shredded my limbs.'
This fake could only muster 30% of Mom's strength. Still, victory wasn't assured. Her stats from the Reverse Dungeon—vaguely recalled—all over 1400. Even 30% outclassed me.
'No room for carelessness. One slip and I'm dead.'
And equal stats didn't mean equal skill. If she retained Mom's full technique despite the nerf...
'...I'd rather fight Cheonrang again.'
As despair crept in, my face twisted unwittingly.
Click!
Suddenly, the fake sheathed the Sword of Salvation.
Then crack! She rolled her head side to side, loosening muscles.
Was that...?
"Since I'm barehanded, you'll fight barehanded too?"
[…….]
Irritation flared at being so underestimated. If she weren't a monster with Mom's skills...
I almost said thanks.
"Even in Mom's form, you're fake. I'll beat you mercilessly."
No sooner said—
Bam—!
We lunged simultaneously, shaking the earth on collision. I unleashed a storm of ether strikes, but none landed damage. Every gap I spotted was blocked by her fists.
'Monster...!'
Whoosh-whoosh!
Our flurry of afterimages left me accumulating wounds. Each bone-rattling hit blurred my focus.
Then, briefly—my stance faltered.
Thud—!
"Guh, urk...!"
Lightning-fast, she seized my throat. Before I could complain, I was hurled away.
Soaring, I crashed down, skidding across the swampy ground, black water spraying high. Concussion? Cracked ribs? Unbearably painful.
But this damn fake gave no respite.
Whoosh—!
She bullet-leaped, knee-leading toward my prone spot.
"……!"
Body moved first. Hands planting, I backflipped away.
Instantly—Boom—!
Her truck-like knee cratered where I'd lain. Gulp. Half a second slower, and I'd be vaporized. Chilling thought.
But that was the mistake. I should've widened the gap instead of imagining.
Smack—!
"Ku, hugh...?!"
An impossible arc kick whipped me. I barely blocked with my forearm, but shockwaves ravaged my body.
Midair again, realization dawned.
'She's barehanded not from chivalry.'
I knew Mom well. She wasn't the chivalrous type.
'"I can crush you with my fists." Pure confidence.'
Splash—!
Cold black water hit my nape amid hazy senses. Blurry vision showed her leaping for another knee drop.
'If she perfectly copies Mom's style, she won't repeat mistakes twice.'
First knee missed—so this one would hit. At that descent speed, her knee would gut me before I reacted.
'Can't dodge.'
That final thought—
Something burst with a deafening roar.
***
Boom—!
"It's over."
The woman's knee hit ground. A massive black water pillar erupted, filling the hologram screen.
Screen obscured, but the outcome was obvious.
"Bittersweet, really. He could've been decent cannon fodder for our legion."
Diorque uncrossed his arms, clicking his tongue as he turned.
"Foolish fool. Should've accepted the offer."
Indeed. No discernment like that wouldn't last in the legion anyway. Shaking off regret—
[Guh...!]
"……!"
A strangled cry from behind. Not a man's voice.
Startled, Diorque whipped around to the screen.
There, the fool was uppercutting the woman's jaw.
***
It wasn't my gut that burst—it was the fake's lower jaw.
"I told you clearly."
HP reduced by 50% or more — Indomitable activated!
All stats increased by 50%!
Incoming damage reduced by 50%!
"Even in Mom's form, you're fake. I'll beat you mercilessly."
Perfect timing—Indomitable skyrocketed my average stats exponentially. The scales tipped my way.
'No. Screw tipping.'
Thwack—!
The fake, launched upward by the uppercut, hung midair. I kicked off, surging up.
Crossing paths—whoosh—!
Spinning like a top, my heel smashed her face.
Thud-boom!
Her back cratered deep into the ground with thunderous roar. Momentum carrying, I kneed her gut viciously. Payback, you bastard.
'Too early to relax!'
The hit landed solid; she could barely move now. But—per-per-per—!
I hammered relentlessly like a man pursued. No time for guilt punching a Mom-lookalike. Hesitate and die pathetically.
'Finish her. Utterly, no doubt. Or...!'
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ten strikes per second, each laced with killing intent. Must. Half-measures and she survives, activates <Warrior's Awakening>...
Her stats double instantly. Indomitable or not, game over. I'd die unknowing.
Pausing, I raised my right arm high.
Roar—!
Mighty true power-infused explosive ether whirled in flames. One hit could fell even prime Cheonrang—
—Vision darkened.
"……."
No. Not darkened—my eyes faced the ceiling.
'Ceiling?'
Meaning I'm flat on my back...
Rumble...!
A horrific weight crushed me. Like under a semi-truck—immobile.
'What the—how...'
Veins bulging, I craned my neck forward.
And froze.
"Ah..."
I admired my restraint—no scream. The fake, wreathed in red lightning, approached slowly.
She'd activated <Warrior's Awakening>.
...When? I'd given no opening.
More importantly, how long had I been down? No memory of the interim.
Wait. Time sliced?
'Extreme Concentration (S)...'
Amplifies thought, warps space-time. In her perceived time domain, she'd blasted me and activated.
Knowing changed nothing. Death loomed.
Rumble—!
Awful power raged around her, waves crashing. Just sensing it...
"Kuh, urgh...?!"
Pain dwarfed the earlier kick. Helpless as a candle in wind.
'Can't win.'
Her stats with <Warrior's Awakening>... Don't even think.
No contest. Then...
'Run for 3 minutes till it ends...!'
Only option. But pessimism lingered.
'Even frantic, how outrun agility in four digits?'
Brain blanked, no future in sight. But I won't die sitting.
No—I'll live.
'There has to be a way...!'
Clutching hope, I glared, eyes wide for any weakness.
With resolve burning, I activated Throw Eye.
Strongly recognizing the existence of the target in sight!
Throw Eye proficiency increased!
'Throw Eye - Second Form' unlocked!
"What...?"
The moment I yearned for hope—
An unbelievable sight unfolded.