Chapter 60
Gates show signs before manifesting in reality. As short as 30 minutes, as long as an hour. Even in the case of the previous gate outbreak, there are times when the precursors are unusually brief, but it's almost never without any warning at all. One of the rare exceptions is a direct manifestation by one of the Eight Kings. But I wasn't sensing anything like that monstrous qi. So, that left the other exception. An "artificial gate overload incident"?
"No way, not at this point in the story? That event shouldn't happen for at least another half year!"
I had no idea. No clue, but I had no choice but to deal with the situation at hand. I kicked open the fitting room door and unleashed Sense Qi. If I could sense qi directly, the darkness was no obstacle. In my vision, like an infrared camera switched on, I spotted a large human figure charging straight at Yujin and Esmeralda.
"I'll smash that filthy Dorardo bitch to death! Die!"
I confirmed a massive concentration of qi packed into the sharp object gripped in his hand. Getting stabbed by that without Gather Qi would definitely be fatal, and even with it, a sloppy defense would leave my life hanging by a thread.
Yujin grabbed the wrist of the assailant lunging straight at Esmeralda. The pressure from this thug was laughably weak compared to the massive monster that even made unflinching Yujin hesitate to run. In this space, now mimicking a gate environment and making qi manipulation easier, no civilian could beat a proper technician.
Once caught in Yujin's grip, the thug had no way to resist... or so I thought.
"Ngh!?"
Yujin was pushed back by the thug's unexpected strength. This wasn't just some random punk—he was a real technician who knew how to use Gather Qi properly. Still, Yujin didn't give up, holding the thug's wrist to block the weapon.
"Get lost, you fucking retard! Don't get in my way!"
The thug switched targets from Esmeralda to Yujin. Anyone trying to stop him was just another pest to slaughter without exception. That frenzied trait unique to knife-wielding maniacs came bursting out.
Of course, with Yujin jumping in first, neither of us was about to stand idle. Esmeralda's precisely aimed qi shot nailed the hand clutching the knife.
Crack! The sound of hand bones shattering. Followed immediately by the clang of the knife hitting the floor.
"Gaaaaaaaah!!!"
The maniac's roar turned into a scream of agony. It was a nice effort, but since it was bothering civilians, I followed up with a side kick to his ribs to make sure he couldn't scream again. Crash! The clear, crisp sound of a display rack splintering. In the darkness, with vision blocked, every sound rang out with crystal clarity.
The merchandise damage wouldn't be light, but hey, it was all to save lives—hope they forgive me.
"Hey, you okay? Anywhere hurt?"
"I'm fine. Took a few hits from his flailing arms, but nothing major."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Even if Ayumi's a healer, it's not like a game where you can just say it's fine." Real people hurt when they get hit. A wound brings tears to your eyes. Even seeing a stranger get hurt makes you wince—what about a friend?
"Stop charging in without thinking front or back! What if you get hurt? Ever consider how worried people get??"
"S-sorry. It was urgent... but you do it too!"
"I'm strong!"
'I'm pretty!' level logic! But it's true, right? The strong step forward, the weak hang back—it's the natural order. So why do you, who's not even that strong, keep jumping in?!
The first time I saw it, it looked badass, but now it just makes my flesh crawl—I can't just watch.
"Even if you hadn't, we could've handled it. Take better care of yourself."
"If I was gonna do that, I wouldn't have joined the academy in the first place! Sacrifice is the hero's foundation!"
"Save that for when you're an official hero! What kind of cadet... "
"You're a cadet too!"
"You two. Lovers' quarrels are natural, but mind your surroundings. The enemy's not down yet?"
Lovers?! Why the ridiculous misunderstanding again? I seriously couldn't comprehend it. Sigh.
But absurd as Esmeralda's nonsense was, she wasn't wrong. Amid the collapsed racks and scattered clothes, a human qi signature writhed. For a normal person, that strike would've pulped ribs and organs, leaving them at death's door. Yet the thug staggered to his feet, growling low—not so much in pain as rage.
"What the hell is his deal? Seemed like he was after you."
"I wouldn't know, I suppose. Nor is it worth knowing. Petty jealousy and inexplicable grudges always cling to those of noble blood. He's just another of that sort."
Not a random disaster, but targeted malice aimed solely at her. For an ordinary person, that alone would make their legs shake, but Esmeralda remained composed. She believed such burdens were natural for one of noble lineage.
I diverted some of the gathered qi into light. We were fine fighting in the dark with Sense Qi, but I worried about the panicked civilians' sanity. A single beam pierced the dim department store floor, revealing our attacker.
A broad-shouldered man in a deep-hooded hoodie. The suspicious guy I'd clocked lingering by the swimsuits earlier.
"Kill, kill, kill, kill... I'll erase Fernando, that bastard's treasure, from this world forever."
Muttering nonstop without twitching—textbook dangerous psycho vibe. Waiting for other heroes would just spread the damage. We'd have to handle it ourselves.
"It seems you had business with my father. I don't know your grudge, but rampaging without regard for bystanders? You're clearly from that rotten criminal scum."
The assailant glared at Esmeralda with bloodshot eyes in response to her sharp rebuke. She scoffed as if his killing intent meant nothing, ordering the maid.
"Linne! We can't let customers suffer due to our family affairs! Evacuate everyone on this floor, not leaving a single one behind!"
"His target is you, miss, so you must evacuate too!"
"Nonsense! For a daughter of the Dorardo house to flee in the face of the enemy? That would tarnish Father's honor!"
From Linne's perspective, it was frustrating, but Esmeralda's stubbornness helped us. More hands were better against a half-mad criminal. In the end, Linne yielded to her mistress's will and vanished to evacuate the remaining civilians. The thug's focus was solely on Esmeralda, so Linne wasn't targeted.
"Hey, Yujin. Can you make a weapon? Using that Creation trick from last time."
"...Sorry. Might be tough. Honestly, I still can't wrap my head around using Creation. Even if I could, it'd probably just be something simple like an iron rod. A katana? No way."
Yeah, figured. No real expectations anyway. Just having Creation was already a massive original-work surpass. No point asking for more.
So, unarmed combat it was. Tough break.
"Grrrrr..."
An ominous qi whirlpool swirled around the thug. Like a maelstrom at sea, the raging winds sucked in clothes, racks, electronics, floor tiles, mirrors, fitting room walls—anything not nailed down, nearly pulling people in too. When the pressure subsided, a massive golem-like thing stood there.
What can I say? It looked like modern consumer culture satire art—convincing enough if I claimed it was.
"...Not civilian-level, nor even a normal technician's feat. And the sudden blackout, qi flooding the floor... Could a gate really be opening?"
"Who knows. If we take it at face value without bias, yeah."
In the original, this should've happened way later. Was I causing another butterfly effect? If so, cleaning up my own mess was only fair.
"Diiiiie!!!"
The goods golem bellowed in a gravelly voice, launching a punch. The fist, nearly as big as my upper body, was intimidating. But no need to fear.
I clenched both fists and unleashed a straight punch. The fist shattered to pieces.
The golem's, of course.
"Hmph! Compared to Instructor Sonya, this is fucking nothing!"