Chapter 58
Chapter 58
“Graaah!”
With a beastly roar, Mad Dog, in a state of Frenzy, lunged at Yoon Sungjun.
“Sungjun!”
“Watch out!”
It was the strike of an F-Rank physical-enhancement Awakened—worse, one that had gone berserk.
There was no way a non-Awakened could block that kind of force with a jungle knife.
Normally his arm would break, or his skull would split open.
But instead, sparks flew with a dull impact.
Yoon Sungjun did not collapse.
Gritting his teeth, he held Mad Dog’s blade back.
His knees bent as if they might touch the ground, and blood burst from the corner of his mouth—but he was holding.
“That makes no sense.”
A non-Awakened enduring the attack of an F-Rank Awakened in a Frenzy state?
Physically impossible.
It could not be explained by adrenaline or mental strength.
“As expected…”
On the screen, a strange phenomenon was occurring inside Yoon Sungjun’s body.
A faint mana circuit that began in his heart was expanding and contracting wildly, as if pumping.
But that was not all.
Unusually, a flickering blue light was also detected in his brain.
An energy mass that had not yet taken shape—vague like mist.
It formed and scattered dozens of times every second.
“Two cores?”
Fascinating.
Magical or production-type Awakened formed their mana cores in the brain.
Physical enhancement types formed them in the heart.
That was the pattern in all collected data.
But Yoon Sungjun had two.
“….”
One thing was certain.
The desperate desire to live.
And the extreme focus needed to kill the enemy before him.
Those forces were hammering against Yoon Sungjun’s blocked circuits.
Just like the moment I grabbed a wrench while being torn apart by wild dogs in that garbage hill.
Yoon Sungjun now stood on the razor edge of awakening.
—Boss! His mana circuits expanded over 400% compared to an F-Rank Awakened!
Picker displayed comparison data between Mad Dog’s circuits and Yoon Sungjun’s.
Amazingly, Yoon Sungjun’s mana circuits were thicker and clearer than Mad Dog’s.
Yet he was still non-Awakened.
The flickering brain and heart cores explained why.
If this moment passed, the boiling mana inside his body would fade.
Then Picker shouted.
—Boss! If we inject the Mana Circuit Softener right now, awakening probability exceeds 85%!
In other words, the blocked wall would break.
Without hesitation I pulled out the vial containing the Mana Circuit Softener.
How do I administer it?
Distance: roughly 300 meters.
There was no time to walk over and say, Here, drink this.
Oral administration is impossible. Then…
It had to be shot.
I originally made the potion for drinking because I thought injecting someone with a needle might cause resistance.
But directly injecting it into blood vessels where the mana circuits were surging would give better absorption.
I gripped the vial.
The glass shattered.
Purple liquid floated in the air.
[Manufacture]
As thin and sharp as possible. Minimize air resistance.
I imagined a projectile casing around the liquid.
Not a normal bullet.
A special warhead that would inject the drug under pressure the moment it penetrated.
[Injector-Type Special Warhead]
Two seconds.
A sleek metal round the size of a pen cap formed in my hand.
The drug was perfectly sealed inside.
—Boss, is this really okay? Direct vascular injection increases side effect probability…
Picker displayed simulation results.
Side Effect Probability: 1.2%
Expected Symptoms: Mana circuit rupture and internal bleeding due to excessive softening.
“Only one percent.”
High enough.
But if Yoon Sungjun continued like this, the probability of being cut in half by Mad Dog was 100%.
“Even if his circuits tear a little, it’s better than dying. If there are holes, we’ll stitch them.”
Medical nanorobot technology existed after all.
If I used the two remaining cores for Imbuement, maybe I could seal it.
I loaded the projectile into Porter’s back-mounted four-barrel launcher, specifically the pneumatic launcher.
“Porter. Target 305 meters ahead. Lock on.”
—Heavy responsibility acknowledged. Target acquired.
On the screen Yoon Sungjun was reaching his limit.
Mad Dog’s axe was about to cut into his shoulder.
His neck veins bulged as he screamed in resistance.
The carotid artery pulsed thickly.
The perfect target.
“Picker. Guide it.”
I needed Picker’s precision.
I had to hit the blood vessel.
Now.
As Yoon Sungjun threw his head back in a shout—
I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Pssshk!
With a sharp burst of air, the thin projectile tore through the darkness.
It was the moment his fate changed.
A sting.
A sharp pain brushed the back of his neck.
Was it an insect bite?
Impossible.
An attack?
Yoon Sungjun felt startled but forced himself to remain focused.
It might have been Invisible Blade.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heart began pumping wildly.
The flow in his veins felt like lava instead of blood.
Heat spread through his body.
Then a strange message appeared before his eyes.
[You have awakened as a Commander-type Awakened.]
The world stopped.
No—Yoon Sungjun’s perception accelerated ahead of time itself.
Swaying branches.
The ragged breathing of survivors.
Even Park Somin’s trembling shoulders.
A blue grid overlaid everything.
[Skill “Tactical Eye” unlocked.]
[Battlefield recognized as 3D data. Enemy movement paths, attack ranges, weak points, and optimal firing angles for allies are displayed.]
Information flooded his mind.
But it didn’t hurt.
Instead his mind felt clearer than ever before.
Invisible lines appeared.
Who should move where.
Which angles were blind spots.
Where enemies were aiming.
[Skill “Weapon Calibration” unlocked.]
[Equipment handled by the user receives correction values. Accuracy, penetration, and destructive power increase.]
The old jungle knife in his hand suddenly felt like a legendary blade.
Its weight vanished.
His senses extended to the tip of the blade.
[Skill “Command Network” unlocked.]
[All allies within voice range or connected through communication share your tactical data.]
A shiver ran down his spine.
This… is awakening?
But there was no time to reflect.
A red warning flashed in his mind.
Enemy.
Visually he saw nothing.
But on the 3D map drawn by Tactical Eye, a red distortion appeared three meters to his side.
A ripple in the air.
Invisible Blade, using Stealth, slipped past him with a cruel smile.
Idiots. They don’t even know I’m right beside them.
He had encountered survivor groups like this countless times.
Capture the kid sniper and it’s over.
Take the girl hostage and escape.
What happened afterward was obvious.
Just as he smirked and passed Yoon Sungjun—
Yoon Sungjun’s eyes flashed coldly.
He did not even turn his head.
Instead—
He gripped the jungle knife in reverse and stabbed behind him.
[Efficiency Maximization Activated]
[Penetration Correction]
Thud!
Hot liquid burst into the air.
“Guh—!”
Invisible Blade’s stealth broke.
His body twisted into view.
The jungle knife pierced his heart.
“How…?”
Blood foamed from his mouth.
He stared at Yoon Sungjun in disbelief.
He had been invisible.
How could the man stab his heart without even turning?
Yoon Sungjun’s eyes remained cold.
No fear.
No anger.
Just the gaze of a commander reading the battlefield like data.
Invisible Blade collapsed.
The blue glow faded from Yoon Sungjun’s eyes.
His legs nearly gave out.
He used his rifle as a cane.
“C… Captain?”
“Sungjun, what just happened?”
The survivors stared in shock.
Yoon Sungjun himself felt confused.
That sensation moments ago—
It did not feel like his own power.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Slow applause echoed from the darkness.
Everyone turned their weapons toward the sound.
Then froze.
Thud.
A massive silhouette emerged.
A grotesque exoskeleton covered in black metal.
More steel giant than human.
Red lenses glowed from its mask.
It was Thunder.
Yoon Sungjun swallowed dryly.
But he understood immediately.
The sting at his neck.
The power flowing through his veins.
That man awakened me.
The giant stopped.
A distorted mechanical voice echoed.
[Congratulations. You passed the test.]
Perhaps years of surviving after being expelled from shelters had sharpened their reflexes.
They quickly looted rifles and magazines from the dead raiders.
They captured fleeing Blade-Beak Chickens.
Their faces were bright.
The reason was simple.
Yoon Sungjun had awakened.
Yoon Sungjun suddenly dropped to his knees.
“Thank you! Truly… thank you!”
He looked ready to slam his head on the ground.
Worship.
But I answered coldly.
[Do not misunderstand. This was not kindness. It was a transaction.]
The mechanical voice echoed.
[You can become tools I need. I merely fulfilled the contract.]
Despite the harsh words, Yoon Sungjun looked deeply moved.
It was the first time in my life I had received such a gaze.
Expectation.
Gratitude.
Uncomfortable.
I quickly changed the subject.
[By the way… are you suicidal?]
“…What?”
[Non-Awakened attacking an Awakened nest? If I hadn’t arrived you would all be dead.]
It was a blunt rebuke.
No matter how good their tactics were, the difference in specs could not be overcome.
Without my intervention they would have been wiped out by Invisible Blade.
Yoon Sungjun lowered his head.
“We had no choice… the children were starving.”
His voice trembled.
“Most of the people expelled from Ahyeon Shelter are elderly and children. Adults can starve for a month. Kids can’t.”
He explained the situation.
Mapo’s power structure had collapsed.
The war between Pig and Karambit.
Their mutual destruction.
Smaller raider factions now flooded the area.
Chaos strangled the weakest first.
“Safe farming zones were seized by raiders. Mutants roam unchecked.”
Listening to him, I felt a bitter realization.
I was the one who wiped out Mapo Boulevard’s rulers.
I had gained enormous profit.
But the collapse of order had pushed the weak to the edge.
Of course it wasn’t my responsibility.
The law of this world was survival of the fittest.
But…
This will happen again.
As I grew stronger, I would inevitably clash with existing powers.
Guro Foundry had already begun reacting.
Soon Union Tech would notice.
To survive that, I needed my own faction.
Eventually the power of the Workshop Owner class might surpass those limits.
But until then—
I needed stable order.
If no one else would create it…
I would.
[Listen carefully.]
[I intend to take control of Mapo Boulevard.]