Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: A Sudden Change of Plans
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“Hah.”
Haon let out the breath she'd been holding. The mana shield, which had blocked the bullet, shattered in that spot before quickly repairing itself.
‘So the mana engineering defense setting makes the shield break against bullets.’
She wasn't confident in gunfights or close combat, but at least now she could use mana engineering.
Her opponents were three ordinary people, not mana engineers or Awakeners. As long as she wasn't careless, she would win.
“Blue. Keep the shield up.”
[Understood!]
The scowling men started shooting again, but it was just a waste of bullets against the mana shield.
“What the hell is that!”
While they were distracted, Haon formed a sphere of mana and fired a mana bullet from her phone.
“What do you think it is? It's mana engineering!”
Thwump—.
The man, thrown back by the immense force, slammed into the car's body and was knocked unconscious. It was as if he'd been hit by a gale-force wind, not a bullet.
“You crazy bitch!”
“Isn't she an Awakener?”
“No.”
Another man collided with a mana bullet and was thrown into the car. At the same time, the last man lunged at her.
“...!”
With no time to create a mana bullet at such close range, Haon jabbed him in the stomach with her phone.
Bzzzt—.
“Gah!”
The electrocuted man's body convulsed before he went limp.
Haon nudged him with the tip of her toe. Only after confirming he didn't stir did she let out a sigh of relief.
‘That was close.’
In the split second she'd jabbed him, he had tried to knee her. He hadn't been surprised by her counterattack and had already prepared his next move.
‘He's a gang member for a reason. I need to remember that the people who live here are fundamentally skilled at fighting.’
If she carelessly closed the distance and lost her phone, she'd have no chance of winning. It was very different from facing a mana engineer, who rarely fought with physical strength.
The mana shield's default setting was to block only mana engineering attacks, blades, and bullets.
If it were set to block human touch, she could send someone flying just by brushing shoulders with them on the street, not to mention making handshakes impossible.
[Two armed individuals are approaching!]
“What?”
Haon remembered that the fight between the gang and the residents had begun. They might be gang members looking for their comrades.
‘I'll hide first, then ambush them when they're checking on their buddies.’
She glanced around before ducking into a narrow alley and pressing herself flat against the wall. She checked her phone's battery; it was still full enough.
‘Just in case, I should avoid using the electric shock. It drains too much battery.’
Just then, a rough-looking man peered into the alley, and their eyes met.
Startled, Haon was about to fire a mana bullet when the man was kicked and sent flying back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Simultaneously, three bullets pierced the man. The movements were fluid and clean.
Terrified, Haon flinched back to avoid the blood that splattered at her feet. She couldn't let her guard down.
Just as she raised her mana shield and prepared to attack, a large, white-haired old man looked into the alley.
“Doctor. What are you doing here?”
His chiding tone was strangely reassuring to Haon.
“M-Mr. Solmae.”
“Mr.?”
He looked baffled, then turned away abruptly.
“You've really lost it. Go back at once.”
“Wait! Let me come with you. I want to go too.”
“This isn't the time for a leisurely chat with you.”
“I came to help.”
“Help?”
Solmae tripped Haon and fired his gun across the street.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It happened the moment they stepped onto the edge of the battle zone. The old veteran reloaded his magazine and looked down at Haon.
“Do I look like I need help?”
“N-no.”
Dusting herself off, Haon got up and stared dazedly at the bullet-riddled wall.
The bullets had struck right where her head would have been if she hadn't fallen. Though her mana shield would have blocked them.
“Still, I'll help you until the fight is over. I have a lot of questions for you.”
He frowned but didn't stop Haon from following him any longer. He simply used walls and cars as cover while shooting at the gang members.
She had imagined a gentle-looking old man, given that he was a doctor, but Solmae had the fierce intensity of a bird of prey.
Haon observed his natural marksmanship.
The gun held steady in a two-handed grip. Two shots to the body, followed immediately by one to the head. It was a Mozambique Drill, as if he'd been trained.
‘Was he a soldier? Or a mercenary?’
Suddenly, Chacha's words came to mind. Something about being wary of the old people, children, and women who lived unscathed in the Old District.
He certainly didn't look like an old man in need of protection.
‘Still, I can provide support.’
Solmae kept looking for an opportunity to move deeper into the fray, but the hail of bullets made it difficult.
The moment he peeked around the corner he was using as cover, gun first, a bullet flew straight for his head.
Solmae flinched, then his eyes widened as he saw the bullet bounce off a mana shield and clatter to the ground.
“What in the...?”
“I told you. I came to help.”
Haon grinned, waving her phone.
* * *
The residents fighting the gang from across the street were gradually being pushed back.
They were only just holding on thanks to Chacha's machine gun.
“So you bastards are making an enemy of our gang, is that it?”
“You're the ones who made an enemy of me first!”
Leaning against a lamppost, Chacha began to spray bullets from her light machine gun.
The dull roar of gunfire echoed—*rat-tat-tat-tat*—and the gang members cursed as they dove left and right.
“Damn it! Where the hell did she get a gun like that!”
“Dr. Eun must have made it!”
As the gang members hesitated to approach Chacha and her menacing machine gun, their boss, Halla, pushed through her subordinates.
“I'll handle her! The rest of you, wipe out the others!”
One of her arms, belonging to a woman who looked like a Viking warrior, transformed into the massive paw of a bear. It was the ability of Halla, an Awakener.
Chacha ducked behind a van with shattered windows and rubbed her chest.
“Oof, that hurts.”
The powerful recoil made her collarbone throb as if it were broken.
Hearing Halla approach, smashing through obstacles with loud *crashes*, she readjusted the belt holding her machine gun.
The moment she braced the gun against her shoulder, her back to a wall, the few streetlights flickered and went out all at once.
Plunged into sudden darkness, the disoriented people scrambled in confusion.
“I-I can't see!”
“What kind of trick is this!”
Unsure of who they might hit, they could only shout instead of firing their guns blindly. Chacha was in the same boat, quickly crouching and resting the machine gun on her thigh.
“Aargh!”
Then, starting with someone's scream, people all around began shaking their gun-wielding hands or were knocked over by an unseen force.
“What the fuck! What's going on!”
Halla, too, fumed and looked around wildly. Just as their eyes began to adjust to the dark, the streetlights flickered back on all at once.
Squinting against the blinding light, the people saw that their hands were empty.
Only Chacha was left holding her machine gun, a look of bewilderment on her face.
Halla's expression twisted as she scanned her subordinates with confused eyes.
Quickly grasping the situation, Chacha aimed her gun squarely at Halla.
“Halla. It's bad manners to suddenly tell people to move out in the Old District. You never know who might be squatting in an unmanaged, empty house.”
As Chacha took a step forward, Halla scoffed in disbelief.
“So? You gonna kill me?”
“It's not like I can't.”
“If you kill me, what happens next?”
“...”
“The other gangs will swarm in to take over Sector 2.”
Halla glanced around at the residents and shrugged.
“If not me, who's going to stop the other gangs from roaming this neighborhood?”
Chacha stared at her sharply, her face hardening. It was an undeniable truth.
The Old District, divided into five sectors, was controlled by different gangs in each one.
The police left all the crimes here to the Heroes, but even the Heroes didn't bother with the petty incidents in the Old District.
Each gang was constantly looking for a chance to expand their territory and collect protection money.
If Halla disappeared, this place would immediately become a war zone.
“So you're telling us to live on the streets? In the Old District?”
“You think I like this? It just so happens to be my building, and you happen to live in it. What can I do?”
“Right! I moved in because it was a gang boss's building, so even petty thieves wouldn't dare break in! But if you're going to be like this...!”
Just as Chacha grit her teeth and was about to pull the trigger, a cute ringtone blared loudly.
“...”
“...”
The tense atmosphere shattered, and Halla's brow furrowed.
“I'm busy. What is it?”
Despite the machine gun pointed at her, she answered the call, her expression turning grim.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? That's not what we agreed on!”
The bear paw swiped out irritably, leaving sharp claw marks on the crumpled car body.
Chacha and the others flinched, but Halla's expression soon softened.
“...You want to buy that one instead of this one? It's more expensive. Fine, let's do that.”
A satisfied smile on her face, Halla turned to leave without a second thought.
“We're pulling out.”
“What? Boss. What about them?”
“Just leave them. Let the vermin live together in some shithole like the cockroaches they are!”
Halla spat in the direction of the machine gun and left.
Standing there with a dumbfounded expression, Chacha shot up her middle finger.
“Have a safe trip, you fucking landlord!”