Busan Showdown: The Immortal Apostle
Situation grasped.
Quick takedown is key, they say.
And that Murcielago was one of them.
'I caught her on a fluke, but still, I did it. I can do this. I can do this.'
Fuck. How the hell am I supposed to survive this?
It's so damn unfair, I can't just sit here.
I'll make them squirm... safely...
"We need to grab that apostle right now. Should we?"
"Is that an order, Captain! I'll give it my all! As expected of you, Captain! So cool!"
I checked the situation report and photo on the guy called Ombros who'd just appeared.
"Gasp!"
I saw Jenny flinch.
"......"
Yeah. Let's not go.
"Scary..."
"As expected, Captain will take down even this guy coolly... Huh? Captain? Scary...?"
"Heavy... the weight of a hero..."
"Gasp! Sorry! I won't mishear you again! Don't carry that burden! I'll lighten your load for sure!!!"
"L-Let's go! We're doing this!"
"Ooooh!!!"
The Hunter Universe app from the Management Bureau even had the coordinates pinned.
The high-ranker he's facing is Kim Chi-gon.
'Hmm. Rank 2, right? Should I butt in?'
No. I thought about it. But helping even a little boosts my survival odds. Let's go!
Damage output is my thing, after all. I took down Murcielago. Let's go!
"Jenny! Ready?"
"Yes!!!"
My legs were shaking.
"You can do it, right?"
"......Yes!!!"
They started shaking even more.
《Busan》
Ombros Defeated [0/1]
『Worship...』
That lump only seemed to know one phrase.
『Strong, strong! Don't come closer!』
No idea what that one's deal was.
Kim Chi-gon adjusted his waistcoat, neatly straightening his clothes.
"Hoo."
He took a deep drag from his cigarette, tossed it on the ground, and ground it underfoot.
"Come on in. Let's start."
『Worship...』
『No! No! I don't want to!』
But it didn't look like things would progress anytime soon.
"Fine, I'll come to you. Noisy bastards..."
As he powered up, surging his heavy frame forward—
Need situation support?
"T-Team Leader. I'll handle this, so don't worry."
You sure?
"Heard apostles are popping up elsewhere too. I'm good. Hang up. Oh, and tell Cheon Seung-hyuk not to come. I'm holdin' back a ton on that punk."
......!
Click.
He cut off Kim Chun-gyu's support check roughly. Then,
"Let's begin."
Kim Chi-gon's massive body vanished in an instant, reappearing right in front of Ombros.
The coward's eyes were still fixed on where Kim Chi-gon had been originally.
A speed even the apostle's gaze couldn't follow.
Martial Arts
Street - Head Grab Crush
He grabbed the lump's head and slammed his massive fist into it in a flash.
『......』
『Aaaah! Help! Save me!』
The lump's eyeless head exploded, half its body vanishing without a trace, but Kim Chi-gon didn't let up and finished it off.
Joint Technique - Triple Strike Break
He drove his fist into the remaining lower half.
His fist not only obliterated the lump without a trace but cratered the ground deeply.
"Ptooey."
As he moved to crush the coward next, the little bastard was already soaring high, babbling nonsense.
『No! No! Scary!』
'Did that puny thing have wings? Annoying.'
Aerial combat wasn't his forte, but
"Hup."
Kim Chi-gon gathered killing intent in his leg muscles and rocketed into the air.
The coward was right in his path, and his charge was unavoidable.
"Let's end this."
『Eeeeek!』
As the coward shrank back, accepting death—
"?"
A weird sensation in his leg. Something slimy gripped it hard,
and his momentum halted, preventing him from reaching the coward. Looking down, Kim Chi-gon's eyes met
"What the."
『Worship......』
The lump had revived in its filthy form and followed him into the air.
'I definitely obliterated it without a trace.'
Pulled down by the lump's monstrous strength, Kim Chi-gon's body plummeted.
It kicked up a massive dust cloud, but Kim Chi-gon took no damage and charged again to rip its throat out.
"Damn, got some annoying tricks."
At that moment,
"?"
An explosion from behind. Decent damage.
'Stings a bit. What the hell?'
Turning around,
『Scary! No! Scary! No!』
The coward flying in the air was blasting black mana at him.
Pretty annoying, he thought, when
This time, black mana blades erupted from the shadows below.
Kim Chi-gon grabbed the mana blade barehanded, his expression souring.
Extremely dense dark-element mana.
Not enough to wound his body yet, but accumulate it or get careless, and who knows.
『Don't step on the ground! Don't step on the ground!』
'The coward's doing that too?'
The lump had closed in and grabbed Kim Chi-gon's head, swinging a massive fist.
'Isn't that my technique from earlier?'
Kim Chi-gon's head snapped back. He tried to counter using the impact to grab and kill it, but
His body wouldn't move.
His shadow overlapped the lump's, writhing unnaturally.
『Don't move! Don't move!』
Annoying tricks from range.
"...Hah. You bastards."
As he tried to break the bind, the lump pressed against his back, wrapping its arms around his.
『Worship......』
It arched back and suplexed Kim Chi-gon's head into the ground.
Suplex. One of Kim Chi-gon's favorite wrestling moves—it had copied his habits perfectly.
Five mana blades surged from the ground toward him.
'Annoying. This'll jack up the price. Director won't pay more. Maybe call for backup now...'
He surged his aura, shattering the shadow bind head-on.
With a roar like exploding muscles, he twisted despite the bind, batting away the rising blades.
Then slammed his fist into the ground.
The earth split, cracking the bind. Kim Chi-gon rocketed into the air.
Grabbed and crushed the coward. But simultaneously
"......"
『No! No! Don't wanna die!』
The coward respawned instantly from the lump's shadow. Then flew off far again.
"Fuck. What the hell."
Absurd, as he free-fell toward the duo,
『Don't come closer! Don't come closer!』
Dangerous energy gathered.
High-tier unique boss-level mana expenditure.
Forming in the lump's mouth now.
Aimed at him mid-freefall.
Looked like he'd have to block it properly.
'Stronger and trickier than expected.'
As he raised his guard to tank—
A massive boom echoed.
"......?"
'What?'
Sounded like a boulder exploding.
Peering through his guard, Kim Chi-gon saw
"!"
It exploded. The lump.
The thing he'd thought tough as rock when punching it burst like tofu.
Dodged that powerful mana attack thanks to it.
'That just now... no way.'
Familiar sight. Exploding mid-air suddenly.
'Unregistered?'
No doubt.
Checked the situation report quick. Damage logged, sure enough.
Guy who took Murcielago must've come here.
Anyway, just the coward left. Finish quick.
But,
The lump respawned from the coward's shadow this time.
『Worship......』
『Don't step on the ground! Don't step on the ground!』
Blades rose from Kim Chi-gon's shadow too.
"...Damn me. Filthy tricky bastards."
Kim Chi-gon started pondering how to kill this apostle Ombros.
Kill the lump, and
the coward blasts mana from behind. Lump revives.
Kill the coward, lump counters, coward revives quick.
Blades nonstop from shadows, even standing on ground is a pain,
and engaging the lump always tangles shadows into binds.
"Hoo."
About 10 minutes of combat.
Stress hitting max.
Even the great Kim Chi-gon felt damage accumulating.
"Hooo."
Sweat beaded up. Back wound from coward's hit bleeding a bit.
Meanwhile, the shadow apostle
『Worship...』
『No, no, too strong, no!』
Back to square one, keeping distance like start.
Pondering briefly, Kim Chi-gon suddenly veined up on his forehead. Spat toward empty air with phlegm.
"Ptooey. How long you gonna spectate? Say somethin', unregistered!"
......
That power, definitely unregistered. Report shows damage logged.
This guy, ally or enemy? Been watching since earlier?
"Hey. Unregistered. You unregistered, right? Don't care why you're hiding or actin' weird."
......
No reply, as expected. Whatever.
Kim Chi-gon ignored it.
"Work with me now. I'll pay ya. Huh? You seem decent, I'll pay well. Whaddya say."
......
"I'll take this one, you take that. Gotta hit 'em simultaneous, so match my timing! Got it!"
Pointed the coward as his target, told unregistered to take the lump.
Plan simple: 'Kill both.'
Shadows seem respawn points, so obliterate both traceless.
Perfectly their specialties, both self and unregistered acknowledged experts.
......
No reply. Ah, whatever. Now.
"......No answer. This unregistered's just as hopeless. Whatever. Goin' first."
Kim Chi-gon charged the coward.
Gripped by tension and courage half-half, dove into battle. We're fucked...
'Sniper position!'
Passed through the warp point...
Muzzle hit mysterious dirt ground immediately.
"A-A-Ack!"
"Eh? What's wrong, Captain?"
"Wrong spot! This is the ground!"
"Eh? Eh?"
"Angle's off, position's—what is that, over there!"
Fucked. Warp point aimed at ground.
Start ruined. Thumping sounds far off—need to help quick,
but can't even secure sightline, let alone shoot.
"Gasp! Again, again, again."
Jenny flailed beside me.
"Not... what... just fix the angle somehow?"
"I'll try! I can do it! Angle... change it like this right now—"
Gut feeling told me.
"Never tried this?"
"First time!"
Gut right.
"Good! No, bad, bad. Wait, back a bit."
"H-How, Captain?"
As Jenny stomped anxiously, I peeked my phone for GPS.
Okay. Position correct.
"Alright, this spell's good for position check. Recall the image. Open field far off... you get it!"
"Yes! Got it!"
"Go!!!"
"Aaaah!"
"Heek! Sorry!"
Muzzle hit a tree this time.
Angle good, but tree in way.
'Ugh. This is hard.'
Jenny trying her best, but distance is distance, never seen spot, accuracy suffers.
Plus jumping from Seoul suburbs to Busan suddenly worsened it.
'Gotta mind stamina. Two uses already, third onward Jenny'll tire visibly.'
(00:21 ...)
'Damn, stealth time almost up.'
Didn't expect this, activated stealth first obviously.
10-min cooldown, so must fire at least one now.
Shoved muzzle past tree with effort.
"Good, kinda visible!"
"Thank goodness! Sorry!"
"No! You did great!"
"!!!"
(00:15 ...)
Focused scope on the battle site.
Urgent, straight to 4x zoom.
'What the fuck. Why two?'
Status said [0/1], what's this bullshit?
Whatever. Urgent, decide safest shot, exhale.
"Hoo."
Urgent, exhale less.
(00:06 ...)
Aimed bigger lump—safer hit.
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
Ugly as hell. Massive flesh blob, reeks for sure, why no eyes.
"Fired!"
"Hit!!! "
"Ooooh! Captain!"
Worst focus of my snipes yet, but freaky lump luckily hit—burst instantly, turning to black blood.
Lack of skill made it hit? Skip before self-loathing.
(00:00)
Felt stealth fade's sharp tingle, pulled gun from warp.
"Hoo. Ha. Hoo."
"Success, Captain! You're so incredibly cool!"
"Nothin' special..."
That should do it. I got one.
Rest handled by that cool, badass fist-hunter Kim Chi-gon or whatever.
"Hooo."
As I sighed, wiping cold sweat, Jenny stepped back five paces, cheering.
"Truly the coolest ever! Wow! So cool! Wow! The best in the world!"
"That cool, huh...?"
"Incredibly cool! The world's number one!"
"Well... haven't shown everything yet..."
Felt sparkle in Jenny's gaze at me,
'Wanna see how it's going.'
Nothing more I can do anyway. 10-min stealth cooldown...
Battle without stealth? Dead, won't.
As I caught breath,
⊳ Real-time footage shared to hunters
Management Bureau sharing live video to hunters only,
Kim Chi-gon vs apostle scene...
"...Huh? What?"
Weird.
Video still showed two enemies.
I definitely killed the lump?
Come to think,
Ombros Defeated [0/1]
Was two originally, but no clear notification.
'Stealth cooldown 8 min left.'
"Hah. Hah."
Jenny panting hard from tension too. Can't do shit now.
"What's goin' on?"
"Gasp! Didn't Captain punish it?"
"Afterimage maybe."
"Afterimage...?"
"Like it's dead but doesn't know."
"!!!"
Dunno how it's unfolding, but my job now is regroup.
"Jenny, that was great. Next time, space spell a bit left? Same angle!"
"Yes! Can do!"
Strategy meeting, stamina recovery.
Moment later,
"?"
Video: Kim Chi-gon shouting at empty air mid-fight.
"What'd he say?"
Anyway badass. Leisure to talk while fighting those? Cooler than goblins for sure.
Curious what, but couldn't hear.
10 min passed.
"Can do!"
Jenny flexing already.
"Go!"
"Yes!"
Dunno what,
Round 2 begin.