Chapter 87: The Psycho's Confession
"…Haha."
Even with his head gripped in a brutal vise, Paul laughed.
He still couldn't figure out how he'd failed to read Hwang Jae-min's movements. But on the other hand—
"Now that things have come to this, I guess we can drop all the damn formalities, right?"
—he felt like it had worked out perfectly. Thanks to the bastard striking first.
The atmosphere was set for an all-out slaughterfest.
"Hwang Jae-min. I've been waiting for a chance like this—to twist off your limbs with my own hands."
And that chance had arrived sooner than expected.
How could he not smile? A sinister sneer twisted across his face, engulfed by Jae-min's grasp.
"What're you doing, just holding my head? Gonna pop it like a watermelon? Go ahead, try."
If you can, he added silently to himself. Paul raised both arms, trying to pry Jae-min's hand off his face.
But…
"…Huh?"
Something was wrong. His arms should have moved, but they wouldn't budge an inch. It felt like his muscles and bones were outright defying him.
It's just my head that's caught… why does it feel like my whole body's locked in a vice…!
As a dry swallow caught in Paul's throat amid the baffling situation, Jae-min finally spoke.
"Hmm. Looks like you can still yap with your mouth, but your body's frozen stiff. Whoa, and this is with barely any strength…"
"W-What?"
"Ah, man. Guess I can't even shake hands casually anymore. How am I supposed to live my daily life from now on…"
Paul, who didn't understand Korean, had no clue what Jae-min was saying. Not that it mattered—it was just mumbling to himself anyway.
But that tone… is he mocking me?
Reason snapped. Volcanic rage erupted inside Paul.
"You trashy Asian fuck, what the hell did you just— Gaaahhh?!"
His boiling fury was overwhelmed by excruciating pain in that instant.
Thud!
A skull-crushing agony hit him, knees slamming into the ground involuntarily.
"A mountain of a guy like you, whining like a baby."
Jae-min had only tightened his grip a tiny bit. Just an inch more.
Of course, to Paul, it didn't feel tiny at all.
"Guh… grrrk—?!"
"Hey. I'm focusing hard on controlling my strength right now, so I'm extra sensitive. My head already hurts—don't yell."
"L-Let… go! Gah! Hrk… haa…!"
"Damn punk. I even spoke short English for you, and you ignore it."
Paul wasn't ignoring him—he didn't have the luxury to listen. Lightning was repeatedly striking his brain.
This… bastard…!
Suddenly realizing one fact, chills crawled up Paul's spine.
He's not emitting a single drop of mana right now…?!
In other words, this insane force that had him speechless was pure, mana-free grip strength.
Caught in a hand with no mana reinforcement, screaming like a pig? Me, Paul Holt?
His pride was shattered, but the physical agony drowned it out. As Paul kept screaming,
Jae-min looked up at the sky.
"Anyway."
This wasn't a great spot for a fight. Leaving aside the risk of other squad members hearing the commotion, there were definitely civilians inside that restaurant.
"Let's move somewhere quiet."
Flap—!
Wings of the Ascendant
Two pairs of pristine white wings sprouted from Jae-min's back. Still clutching Paul's head, he soared high.
Soon, they reached a dizzying altitude where London's nightscape sprawled below.
"Mm. That looks good."
Spotting an uninhabited wild hill, Jae-min raised his fist.
And sincerely requested,
"Hey. Survive. I wanna hit you more."
"W-What…?"
Right after.
KABOOM—!!
Jae-min's casual straight punch slammed into Paul's solar plexus. The ensuing roar was anything but casual.
"Kah… hack—?!"
Paul's organs churned as he spewed blood, hurtling toward the hillside like a missile at full throttle.
All strength drained from his body—no thought of landing properly.
Just as his form was about to crater into the valley floor—
—halt.
Suddenly, his body froze midair. Only three meters from the ground, head barely spared.
Sensing something off, Paul fully opened his narrowed eyes.
"Whoa. That was close."
Wondering why he hadn't hit, Paul saw Jae-min had flown up and grabbed his collar.
Maintaining glide, Jae-min exhaled in relief.
"Brought you to the mountains to beat you quietly, but damn, almost pulled way more aggro."
If Paul had slammed down, it'd have made a massive boom. Releasing his collar, Jae-min let Paul drop limply to the ground.
Paul heaved ragged breaths, periodically vomiting blood.
"Hey, London Psycho No. 2."
Jae-min sat on a nearby boulder and spoke.
"This your brothers' doing? Sending Yoon Chang-wook to kill those kids."
"……."
"Won't ask why. Not that curious, and I can guess anyway."
The story was infamous—easy to find online. The Holt brothers weren't originally two; they were three siblings.
Between Milo Holt and Paul Holt was Judy Holt.
But Judy died to a monster less than half a year after awakening.
A polymorph into human form, no less.
Miserably. Pointlessly.
Didn't that explain it all? Why they despised chimera kids enough to riot.
"Trite story, but I get it. Tragic. I'm a destroyer too—lost Mom and Dad to a bastard who deserves a thousand deaths."
Saying that, Jae-min touched the communicator at his waist.
From here, his intent needed crystal-clear transmission. No clumsy English.
Beep—.
He activated the high-tech device borrowed from Lee Tae-ho.
"So, in that spirit, how about I play the generous idiot for once."
With a one-second delay, his words translated flawlessly into English, piercing Paul's ears.
"I'll let you live. On one condition: By tomorrow morning, you publicly admit to the world that you and your brother are behind this terror attack."
He folded his wings and relaxed. Sitting cross-legged on the boulder, Jae-min stared calmly at Paul.
No more words. As if waiting for his answer alone.
Silence blanketed the windless valley for a moment.
"Bullshit."
In English: "Fuck off." The clear curse grated Jae-min's ears.
"Wondered how far you'd blab if I let you… What? Let me live? Go public? Cocky prick. You think we got shot in the head? Crazy bastard, expecting us to spill that?"
Ptoo.
Paul spat blood-mixed phlegm roughly, hand on the ground as he rose.
"And you… you're misunderstanding something—"
Whoosh—!
Ferocious mana laced with killing intent surged over his massive frame. Paul bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"—I didn't kill those disgusting chimera shits because I was thinking of my sister."
"……."
"Milo might, but not me."
"…Then why?"
"They're gross."
Urk.
Paul stuck out his tongue exaggeratedly, grimacing like he'd swallowed bitter medicine.
"Those half-assed kids, neither human nor monster. Ugly to look at, and worst of all, sharing the same air as them makes me sick."
He chuckled, shrugging.
"So we're stepping up to clean house for everyone."
"…That's it? Anything else?"
"Else? Nah. That's all."
"Okay. Good."
Jae-min nodded with a deeply satisfied smile.
Paul's eyebrow twitched up.
Okay. Good?
What the hell was okay and good? Unease gripped him.
"You're more honest than you look."
—Beep.
Jae-min pressed the red button on the recorder in his pocket.
Seeing it, Paul froze, expression blank.
"This evidence is so airtight, even a divine lawyer couldn't overturn it. Textbook perfect confession—could publish it as a case study."
"You…"
"Wanna hear it again? Your grizzly bear mug comes with a surprisingly sweet voice. Voice actor?"
Jae-min snickered, waving the recorder teasingly.
Then…
"That recording won't spread."
Rage boiled in Paul, veins bulging across his face.
"Your head'll roll first—!!"
Fwoosh—!
His already hulking body ballooned like a balloon. His suit shredded, and long, thick protrusions erupted from his wing-like back.
"GRRAAAAH—!!"
They were human arms, tendons bulging vividly.
Skill No. 18 that made Paul Holt World Rank 50: Spare Arms.
Whistling at the spectacle, Jae-min marveled.
"Not a voice actor—a brute monster, huh?"
"I'll grind you to dust!"
Paul kicked off the ground, charging. Explosive speed unbelievable for his size!
Thududududu—!!
Four fists unleashed a barrage like a rampaging tank. Explosions rained; the boulder pulverized like garlic in a mortar.
But when the flurry paused—
Poof—.
Through rising dust, Jae-min was gone.
"Verdict."
Paul whipped around at the voice behind him.
Jae-min eyed his steaming fists, eyes sparkling.
"You're my first Pocket Monster."
"My verdict too…! I'll rip that yapping mouth first…!"
"Yapping?"
Oh, Pokémon reference?
Chuckle. Jae-min shook his head amusedly.
"Not yapping—dead serious, dude."
"GRRAAAAH—!!"
In a blink, Paul closed in.
Thudududu—!!
Another lethal barrage poured. But this time—Why…!—only empty whooshes slicing air.
Each blow fast enough to etch afterimages. Yet why?
WHY!
Why hasn't a single hit landed!
Not one in that storm of strikes touched Jae-min. Not even grazed his clothes.
[Skill: High Sense predicts the target's attack routes!]
Every incoming angle was crystal clear to Jae-min's eyes.
"First real fight after training…"
Dodging effortlessly, his face bored like watching a dull lab film. Hands even in his pockets.
"Can't even match a fraction of Rebecca's level."
"……!"
"You're really ranked above Choi Kwang-hyun? Bribed your way up?"
Choi Kwang-hyun was World Rank 51, one below Paul. A hair's difference, but Paul was rated higher.
Jae-min couldn't buy it.
"Dude, personality or skill-wise, that guy's leagues above you."
It was too easy—doubting if he was really fighting the world's 50th strongest.
"Expected at least some scratches. But this is ridiculous."
"Ur… URRRAAAHH—!!"
Thudududu—!!
Thudududu—!!
This couldn't be. He was unleashing his ultimate assault.
Why, as time dragged, did despair only grow, gnawing his mind?
Ah…?
For a fleeting moment, amid meaningless flurries, a faint thought surfaced in Paul's mind.
Am I… dying today…?
"You."
Deciding playtime was over, Jae-min spoke. Ice-cold voice chilling to the bone.
"Tried blowing those kids up with bombs."
Period.
Krunch!
His right arm already buried forearm-deep in Paul's gut.
"Eh… guh… ck…."
Paul's endless barrage halted like a lie. Massive blood poured from gut and mouth.
"So explode and die."
Whirrr—!
Rotational mana condensed over Jae-min's embedded arm.
And…
KRRRRRRRRUNCH—!!
Mana blades spun like a blender, shredding Paul's innards.
Only after pulverizing the last heart chunk—
—thud.
—did Paul collapse, eyes wide in death.
Jae-min coldly eyed the mangled corpse.
"Crime's too heinous to even close your eyes."
[Constellation ‘Sung Hyun-sook’ agrees!]
"Yeah, guys like this—"
At Uncle's request, he'd used a teleport array to come to this distant land.
Revenge aside, couldn't return empty-handed.
Steadying his mind, Jae-min focused his spirit.
"—shouldn't wander the afterlife in peace."
For the first use of the skill gifted by the Sublime Transcendent: Spirit Summon.