Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 012
Chapter Title: Moonlit Path (1)
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"Captain! Callsign Luna's signal has been lost!"
"What?!"
The instructor who had been monitoring the screens shouted, causing William, Delta Team's commander, to widen his eyes in shock.
She was one of Delta Team's top assassins.
Luna's signal had vanished?
"What about her body cam?!"
"It's dead! Communications too! No connection to the entry team at all!"
Something seriously wrong was unfolding.
"William!"
At Joseph's call, he nodded and issued orders.
"All standby Alpha and Delta Teams, back up the entry team..."
"Urgent report from Alpha Team!"
The female officer turned to them, her face drained of color.
"Ambush detected—they're currently engaging unknown hostiles!"
"What?"
"Delta Team too! They're under attack from ambushers!"
She yelled.
"Suspected heretic mages!"
"Damn it!"
Bam! William slammed the table, his eyes bloodshot.
"Is this a Moonlit Path trap?!"
"Calm down, William!"
"I know!"
"Like hell you do!"
Joseph glanced at the situation board as he spoke.
"First, request support from nearby units and resolve the ambush situation."
"What about the entry team?!"
"Don't worry about them. Alex can hold out with the best of them... and besides."
His eyes narrowed.
"As long as that prisoner's with them, we'd better focus on rescuing the ambush teams first."
William stared back, utterly baffled.
"What the hell does 43471 have to do with anything?"
Joseph lit a cigarette and muttered.
"Just... trust me."
A massive flash swept right past them, leaving Alex's eyes trembling.
"Our protective gear got pierced?"
They had come prepared, knowing the enemy was a lightning mage.
But sometimes, overwhelming power rendered all preparations meaningless.
The lightning's output had exceeded expectations, punching straight through their carefully equipped defenses.
In the midst of this dire situation, Alex grabbed his communicator in a panic—only to find it completely dead.
...Did the surrounding charge cause it to discharge?
At that moment, the hairs on his skin stood on end once more with a prickling sensation.
Kyle instinctively looked up.
It's coming again!
He sensed it on pure instinct.
This time, it was aimed at Alex—at the officer.
"Damn it!"
Kyle hurled himself forward, shoving Alex—who held the shield—with all his might to the side.
"...What?!"
Alex gaped at him, eyes wide.
In that instant, a brilliant bolt of lightning pierced the ceiling and slammed down.
KABOOM!!
"Prisoner!!"
"Gah...!"
Kyle felt his heart stop from the sheer output as he thought to himself.
Good... died once at least...!
The reason he'd saved the officer was simple.
He felt uneasy watching someone die right in front of him, but more importantly, he needed to die to lightning magic to unlock its skill tree.
Two birds with one stone, so to speak.
I'm immortal anyway.
But Alex was stunned by the prisoner throwing himself into the attack in his place.
A prisoner saving a cop like me... why?
"Y-You..."
His body had revived good as new, but residual electricity still coursed through him, making his mouth hard to move.
"I-I'm... f-fine."
Kyle forced his trembling body upright as he spoke.
"My... b-body's... pretty tough."
He had no idea what ability the prisoner possessed.
But tough or not, that was no ordinary spell. Even a hardening-type ability user couldn't guarantee survival against potential cardiac arrest.
"What the hell were you thinking...!"
Kyle pondered how to respond to keep Alex entrusting him with tanking.
One death might not unlock the skill tree.
He met Alex's eyes with sincere resolve.
"It's... my role. So leave it... to me."
"!!"
Alex felt like he'd been struck in the back of the head.
What kind of prisoner is this guy?
He'd thought him odd from the start, but...
This was on another level compared to any penal unit member he'd seen.
Is he really a heinous criminal?
It looked like a sense of duty.
A resolute determination that he had to do this, no matter what. As if seeking out suffering for atonement.
Huh...
He'd never seen a prisoner throw his life on the line for a cop before.
Nor one who felt any duty toward the penal unit's "meat shield" role.
This was utterly unlike the heavy criminals he'd known.
...Just who is this guy?
For the first time, Alex felt pity for the prisoner.
His emotions surging unbidden, he barked.
"Are you insane?! Don't ever do that again!"
Alex smacked his own shield.
"My shield isn't that flimsy—this is an order!"
"......"
Kyle eyed him coolly.
Ah, this guy's hopeless at listening.
I have to tank!
Ignoring him, Alex stepped forward protectively and added.
"And... thanks."
"......"
Suddenly covered in chills, Kyle rubbed his arms.
"Man, what intense camaraderie."
Then, a hooded man emerged from the darkness.
"...! Ron Dito!"
"I suspected as much. So our intel really did leak to the cops."
"What?"
At that moment, an eerie voice slithered into their ears like an echo from a cave.
"Told you. There's a rat in Moonlit Path."
Thud! A massive figure appeared, drawing an involuntary gasp of awe from Kyle.
"Whoa."
The 3-meter giant's maw bristled with vicious fangs.
In the moonlight filtering through the ceiling, red beastly eyes gleamed, set in steel-gray hide.
Alex swallowed hard.
"Werewolf...!"
Those pure white stripes marked it as the apex predator: a Bearwolf.
And as far as he knew, only one Bearwolf operated in the 8th Special District.
"Moonlit Path. You've finally joined hands with devil worshippers!"
Gerald Hudson, the Baal Cult's fallen werewolf who massacred his own kind. He stood right there.
Ron Dito sneered at Alex.
"Luther Family's lapdog. Moonlit Path will use any means for our cause."
"Fools...!"
"Enough, Dito."
The werewolf Gerald pointed at Kyle.
"That one's mine."
He let out a low, guttural chuckle.
"Looks tough. Better chew than a cop."
"Eugh."
Kyle grimaced.
I'd prefer the mage.
He'd regret it if one death didn't unlock magic.
"Whatever. Fine."
Ron Dito conjured a magic circle over his hand as he spoke.
"I'm curious myself. Who leaked our internal intel to the cops?"
His serpentine gaze shifted to Alex.
"Know anything about it?"
The air prickled again, and Alex shouted.
"Dodge!!"
A brilliant flash! Lightning arced between Alex and Kyle.
The factory floor crumbled with a rumble, and Alex plummeted underground.
Ron Dito pursued after him.
"Where you looking?"
Suddenly, a concrete slab hurtled at Kyle, slamming into him.
"?!"
KABOOM! He smashed into the wall amid a cloud of dust, blinking in confusion.
"Whoa, what was that?"
It was pure instant death—speed and power beyond measure.
He'd never even registered dying before, leaving him dazed even after revival.
He glanced at his shattered rifle.
"Guess lightning magic's off the table now?"
No doubt about it—this werewolf was the real deal.
As the dust settled, Kyle emerged unscathed, and Gerald's lips split into a savage grin.
"Tanked that and still fine? Ha!"
His muscles began to bulge ominously.
"Been a while since I had real fun...!"
In that instant, the werewolf vanished.
"!?"
"Here it comes...!"
Before Kyle could blink, it was upon him. He raised his guard and instinctively activated Baal's Minor Curse.
"Try this on for size!"
The 3-meter behemoth stomped forward, driving a full-powered Internal Force Fist Punch into his midsection.
An enormous shockwave tore through his body.
WHOOSH!
A massive backlash exploded behind him, and Kyle felt it.
His organs had ruptured—light death.
But Gerald was the shocked one.
What the hell is this guy...?
His fist had been effortlessly blocked by that pathetic guard.
Normally, the punch's detonation would send the target flying in pieces.
But something was off.
The human hadn't budged an inch. Not a single step.
Only then did Kyle grasp the meaning of the greatly enhanced "Toughness" from Baal's Minor Curse.
[Toughness]
[Degree to which the body endures attacks received. Higher values mean tougher, more resilient survival.]
No way—that's what it meant?
"How about this?!"
Another fist rocketed in. Kyle swiftly activated Baal's Minor Curse again.
KABOOM!!
An even greater shock pierced him.
Strength beyond common sense.
Yet Kyle stood firm in place.
As if it were nothing.
"...!!"
Sensing something amiss, Gerald leaped back.
"What... are you? Human."
It wasn't full power, but he'd put real force into it.
To block it that easily?
He narrowed his eyes.
This is bizarre.
His wolf instincts screamed that the human was far weaker.
Absolute prey.
Yet the scene before him contradicted that entirely.
...No, could it be?
The wolf's eyes narrowed further.
He'd heard tales before.
True masters of high realms could suppress their aura, appearing utterly ordinary.
Is this human at that level?
He rejected the thought.
Impossible!
But Kyle was just as troubled.
What now?
In truth, he was only enduring via curse buffs each time.
He couldn't nullify the shock—his organs kept bursting, reviving him steadily.
Dust from the fierce attacks, the pitch-black factory interior, and the impactful stance masked it all from the wolf's eyes.
Can only buy time like this.
The werewolf's caliber was beyond expectations.
Was this a glimpse of the 8th Special District's abyss?
Guess I'll keep tanking infinitely with curse power and wait for backup?
But could they capture Ron Dito like this?
Tch. Need that sentence reduction.
Then it happened.
"No! I can't accept this!"
Black energy of ill omen began leaking from the suddenly enraged Gerald.
At the same time, crunch! Immense pressure bore down on Kyle's shoulder.
Oh no.
He sensed it instinctively.
Curse won't hold this.
He had to avoid total body destruction.
Only then could super regeneration cover it.
Give up half the body.
He prepared to twist away.
"Take this!!"
As Gerald charged—
A voice exploded in the werewolf's mind.
"!?"
The startled werewolf twisted his fist mid-swing. A black something barely grazed Kyle, obliterating the rear manufacturing facility.
Rumble, KABOOM!!
...Close one.
Frozen by the lethal momentum, Kyle gulped.
What kind of monster was this?
What?! Why interfere?!
Meanwhile, the halted wolf snarled mentally at the voice.
The voice scolded harshly.
What?
Finally sensing something off, Gerald sniffed toward Kyle.
"...?!"
He froze in shock.
Faint, but unmistakable—the stench of a curse.
The wolf couldn't stay calm.
A curse? But no sacrifices anywhere?
Realizing the implication, the wolf's eyes bulged.
No way...?
"!!"
Gerald's eyes trembled uncontrollably.
"What...!"
Gerald gasped.
It explained why his attacks hadn't landed properly.
One who wielded curses freely without cost could effortlessly tank his blows if desired.
The voice spoke in rapture.
The wolf's breath caught.
If true, he'd threatened—four times—the one who might lead the cult.
A sin warranting four deaths.
Shocked, Gerald backed away and prostrated before Kyle with a thud!
"G-Great One! Forgive my ignorance! P-Please... mercy...!!"
"...?"
Kyle merely blinked at the sight of him suddenly kowtowing and begging alone.
What the hell's going on now?