Chapter 23 - Escape (2)
For now, it was a success. He'd managed to flee from Min Eunjeong like a thief in the night.
Ivan 5 has an unlisted additional ability, huh.
Ivan 5
Activating Ivan 5 summons clones, rendering the "original body"—that's him, the real deal—invisible to others for a brief moment. Just like a magician vanishing in a puff of smoke, his body goes poof, leaving a clone behind in his place.
Why the hell wouldn't they list such a useful trick in the ability description? Are all future abilities gonna force him to figure shit out like this?
Hah, hah... Fuck, I burned through all my stamina running... Does creating clones halve my endurance too? It's brutally thorough in the worst ways...
He leaned against the wall in a nearby alley for a breather. He should be hustling farther away instead of wasting time here, but his side cramped so bad from the sprint that he couldn't move.
"Goddamn it..."
What the hell kind of bullshit was this? Of all people, he had to get tangled with that psycho bitch. Fuck. The stress was no joke. Was it because he'd faced mortal danger too abruptly?
If only I had a smoke... Tsk, that house is probably getting raided already. Staying there ain't an option anymore.
So where the hell was he supposed to run to? As a registered villain now, crashing at any motel or inn felt too risky.
No more running. Just hail any taxi and bail. I ain't doing this shit again.
Earlier, walking the streets with Min Eunjeong, no one had recognized his face. Places needing ID for check-in were out, but grabbing a cab should be fine.
Good plan. Money? Pfft, skip out without paying. Who gives a shit—I'm a villain now. Seems like the more evil crap I do, the more points I rack up anyway.
Having caught his breath and mapped out the plan, he peeked out from the alley.
"What the...?"
An indescribable unease washed over him, like a room chilled from a fridge left open too long. Scanning around, he spotted the change.
"Were there ever this few people?"
The street was deserted. Normally, a few pedestrians would be out at this hour, but it was eerily empty.
Was it always like this? No, this creepy vibe... something had hit him with a unique ability!
Ivan 5!
Ivan 5
Poof—he summoned a clone on the spot. His body turned transparent for a moment, and a clone popped up right in front of where he'd been standing.
"Found yooouuuu!"
Crunch! The clone's face caved in just ten seconds after stepping out of the alley. It burst like a flour sack stuffed full before even hitting the ground, vanishing in a poof.
"Nope, fake. Faker than fake. Ivan's cheeks are puffier, and that ass is way juicier."
It was Min Eunjeong, charging in barefoot from god-knows-where, swinging her fist.
This crazy bitch had already tracked him down?
Instinct? Some sixth sense?
Chills ran down his spine. If he hadn't cloned himself, that punch would've turned him into ground meat in an instant.
"There you are, IIIvaaaan!"
Fuck—he mentally triggered Ivan 5 again, spawning another clone. Poof—his body faded to transparency.
"Quit sending fakes and show yourself!"
Boom! Another clone's face exploded from her fist. He'd ordered it to fight back this time, buying time, but it didn't last a second against her full-force assault.
This is bad. Gotta grab a weapon and counter somehow!
Nothing handy around... Empty cans rolling about, but swinging those would just get him floored and fucked like a dog first.
No choice—burn some points on the shop!
New items marked with 'new' available.
Poof—the shop window popped up, listing various items. Some new ones tagged 'new,' but in his panic, he grabbed the top one and bought it.
9mm Pistol purchase complete! 13 rounds included.
◈ Loaded with 13 rounds
◈ Standard firearm
A sleek black 9mm pistol materialized in his hand. Heavier than it looked, thanks to the full magazine.
Ivan 5.
Ivan 5
Calmly, he spawned another clone. Poof—an identical copy appeared, gripping the same pistol thanks to Ivan 5's item duplication. No time to marvel; he ordered the clone to aim at Min Eunjeong.
"Kill her!"
Bang! Bullets flew from the pistol, the muzzle kicking skyward with each shot.
"Agh! You little shit!"
Min Eunjeong growled, crossing her arms to guard her face. The first two rounds hit true—one in each arm—but the remaining eleven whiffed completely.
I swear I aimed dead-on. Had his marksmanship, once dubbed "Robin Hood reborn" in the 22nd century, gone rusty? No, that couldn't be.
The first shot had nailed dead-center between her eyes, only blocked by her forearm.
With my strength halved, accuracy's in the toilet. That explained the excessive recoil too—weak arms couldn't control the kick, tanking his aim.
"Out of bullets?"
"Fuck!"
Confirming the clone's mag was empty, Min Eunjeong dropped her guard and charged. Despite the hits, her arms showed no blood, no damage. Bulletproof skin? He recoiled in horror at the unscratched steel.
She's not human! Not made of steel or anything!
Even the toughest superhumans should bleed and hurt from bullets!
"Outta the way, fake! Give me Ivan!"
Crack—the clone's neck snapped, vanishing in a poof. Her stealth broken, Min Eunjeong grinned.
"Found yooouuu!"
She exploded forward. He frantically raised his pistol, but...
"Outta my way!"
Her knee slammed his gut first. His small frame launched into the air with a whoosh, innards crushed, vomit spewing wildly.
"Gahk..."
Luckily, she wasn't trying to kill him. A woman who could punch through his stomach with that knee had merely sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Hmph."
Min Eunjeong strode over arrogantly. He tried summoning Ivan 5 to create distance, but agony paralyzed him.
Fuck—did damage prevent activation?
"Ivan, sis's heart hurts so bad. You really fucked me up good."
Her arms did show clear gunshot wounds, red against her pale skin. Yet she'd tanked rounds that pierced normal flesh and most superhumans.
Only 100x durability, my ass—not human-level anymore.
Direct damage was impossible. So how the hell was he escaping?
"Crawling's cute. Everything Ivan does is adorable like a little pet."
"Ngh, urk..."
"But this ain't cute! Your prank went too farrrrr!"
"Hiiik!"
Squish—her foot pinned his back as he scrambled desperately. He flailed to shake it off, but the spinal pressure held firm.
"Hah, trying to run from me now? Useless. This area's already sealed with a barrier."
"B-barrier...?"
That explained the emptiness... And how she'd sniffed him out so fast—some Hero Association lackey must've set up a cage around the zone after her quick call to HQ. Sneakier than she looked.
"You know from hero school lectures—one of us has to pass out before anyone escapes. Why cling to false hope?"
Min Eunjeong helpfully spelled out his doom, then lifted her foot from his waist, flipped him, straddled his belly, and pinned his wrists overhead.
"Grk!"
The pressure made him drop the pistol like a hot potato.
Ah, no!
"'Playtime's over.' Hoo, how was that? Felt like a movie villainess, right?"
"Ugh..."
"Suddenly gone quiet... Haha, scared of me?"
She shoved her face in his, tongue dragging hot and rough across his cheek with a slurp.
"Damn right you're scared. Daring to run from your owner and point a gun? You're fucked today. I'll milk that cock dry all week."
"M-mercy!"
"Heh heh, too late to beg!"
Fuck, just a bit more! Black out already! He stretched desperately for the pistol.
"How about anal again tonight?"
"Nooo!"
"Ehehehe, bon appétit!"
She hiked his hips up. That eerie grin...
Is this how it ends?
His struggle, over so pathetically simple? No... Just a little farther...
"N-nooooo!"
"Ehehehe, stay still! No one's coming, so quit yelling."
Then, stripping him?—her grip loosened for a split second. Just an instant.
A winning move flashed in his mind—simple, powerful. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? Luck and disaster both strike unannounced.
Now!
That fleeting freedom—he snatched the pistol and triggered Ivan 5.
Ivan 5
Transparent again, he slipped out from under her.
He'd played dead under her to recover. Her gloating had handed him the opening.
"Still pulling this shi—"
Superhuman reflexes kicked in, lunging at the clone—but he was faster.
Bang! The shot echoed everywhere.
"Useless if you kno—KYAAAAAH!"
Squirt—blood sprayed from both her ears. Eardrums ruptured, inner structures shredded.
Right—if external hits failed, go internal.
Right after Ivan 5, he'd triggered Sensory Amplification.
Sensory Amplification
Her hearing amplified 1000x turned the gunshot into a train whistle on steroids. Damage transferred to the clone for him; she took the full brunt.
"Hah... hahk..."
"Hoo..."
She'd said the barrier drops on knockout, right? From that first shot, he'd planned to drop her.
If she'd stayed vigilant, full fight, he'd be done. Luck had smiled.
"I win."
Gazing at the fallen hero on the ground, he declared it definitively.