10. First Experience
10. First Experience
No matter how much the Ho-in Tribe and the rest of the Slums dwellers banded together, standing against Sihwan was impossible.
Unless they abandoned them, in the end Rihana would have to step up, which meant her submission.
"Everyone, why are you doing this? Snap out of it!!"
The panicked girl dashed right in front of Sihwan.
She had a face that couldn't comprehend it at all.
No matter how she racked her brain, this was the worst possible choice.
"Rihana! You get over here quick too!"
"Tribal Chief! What the hell are you doing?! Tell them to drop their weapons now!"
"What nonsense is this, Rihana! You, the pride of the Ho-in Tribe, defending the bastard trying to oppress us?!"
"No, when the hell did I ever do that?!"
No dice.
The Tribal Chief had zero intention of listening to her.
Leading the Ho-in Tribe to drive out Sihwan and ultimately become the boss of this district was already a done deal.
"Hmm."
While Rihana bickered with the Tribal Chief, Sihwan pondered deeply, glancing at Eun-hye and Bari.
Dealing with those slum rats wasn't tough, but he was mulling over the best way to put them down.
"I'll say it upfront, but I'm strictly an escort. I don't join unnecessary fights."
Right on cue, Eun-hye fell back.
She wasn't even Sihwan's underling—just dispatched from the family—so it was natural, really.
"Ellie, wanna have some fun?"
"No way. Why me?"
He even asked Eleonore just in case, but she shot it down too.
"You got no loyalty."
"Ha. Loyalty? Give me a break."
"No helping it. Bari, time to show these savages what you're made of. You've got plenty of Nanomaterials now."
"Yes."
In the end, the strike force boiled down to Bari.
She stepped forward, shifting into combat mode.
A vibe totally different from her usual self.
She'd gone combat mode a few times before, but it was always just red eyes, arm transformations, or at best popping weapons from her thighs.
Combat gear guzzled resources like a hippo, so she skimped when things were tight—but honestly, she'd never needed to go all-in.
But now things were different.
Nanomaterial supplies were skyrocketing daily, resources were comfy, and above all, it was high time to flex real power.
And just like that, she started morphing into a whole new look.
Her stoic face—usually with at least a tiny smile—went stone-cold, eyes blazing red enough to hurt staring at 'em.
And it wasn't just arms this time—full-body overhaul.
Her office lady getup disintegrated in a flash, sleek metal Armor layering on top.
The chick version of the 'Absolute Suit' Sihwan had too—absolute defense in pretty much any fight inside a planet.
Theoretically, even at 0.001% output cap, it could tank a Death Star's 100km-class Star-Destroying Cannon.
Weird numbers, sure, but think about it: a 100km Star-Destroying Cannon one-shots an Earth-sized planet. Blocking even 0.001% of that with a puny human frame? Insane defense.
"Ooh. Looking badass, Bari."
She rocketed up.
A little orb over her head—scanning 10,000km all around—spun like mad, forming a blue Angel halo. Her back sprouted wing-like 'Autonomous Strike-type Electromagnetic Cannons,' muzzles glowing blue and oozing creepy killing intent.
Combat power demo.
Type 1 Combat Readiness to shoo some slum trash was like nuking chicken—but yeah, showtime.
"Type 1 Combat Readiness. Objective: Elimination of hostile elements. Executing."
The goddess of machines. The archangel of Androids.
Her way more murderous vibe than usual crushed everyone; the Tribal Chief's crew—who'd been yapping nonstop—went slack-jawed, just gawking.
She hadn't even done jack yet, but they were frozen solid.
That overwhelming pressure? Too much for puny lifeforms.
"Bari! Warning shot first!"
Obvious, but slaughtering 'em all meant bye-bye to Rihana's willing loyalty.
Spare the Ho-in Tribe at least.
Uwoong.
Her back wings—eight Autonomous Strike-type Electromagnetic Cannons—snapped up as one, aiming just past the Dormitory.
Eerie blue light pooled in the barrels, cranking tension to eleven.
What the hell was going down?
No magic, no Nobling.
Pure science dressed as wizardry.
The Tribal Chief sensed bad vibes, mouth opening to yell—but drowned in the thunderous boom.
Projectiles from the eight Autonomous Strike-type Electromagnetic Cannons vaporized everything in a straight line—even air—slamming the target for massive explosions.
Dark mushroom clouds laced with red flames chained for kilometers dead ahead; the ground quaked like doomsday.
The Dormitory, safely off direct hit, still got half-wrecked by the shockwave—dozens blasted to bits on site.
Lucky break: Ho-in Tribe's tough hides meant minimal casualties there.
Direct hit? Poof. Aftermath? They could tough it out.
"Wh-what just...!"
Dormitory down to bones, mega mushroom clouds billowing tens of km high behind it.
Earthquake-toppled buildings all around.
Plus, a chunk of the wall ringing the Slums' rear got ripped clean off, exposing km out.
That view? Sea of fire everywhere.
Rihana, the Slums mob, even Eleonore and Noblesse Eun-hye in Sihwan's crew—all jaws on floor.
They figured she was strong-ish, but one shot this nuts?
Felt like she pulled punches too—what's full throttle look like?
Sure, raw power like that? Elves with some oomph, Demon Race, Noblesse—no sweat.
But one-and-done, then tapped out.
Bari? Still chill as hell post-carnage.
Haughty eyes scorning the rabble below, locked on the Tribal Chief's goons, prepping round two.
Not a whiff of tiredness.
"Mercy comes once only."
Slum folk blasted from buildings, head-to-toe in charred ash and dust.
Wounds everywhere, ground sizzling hot—but no time for that.
Chilling warning drilled into their skulls.
'What the fuck is this...! This is a whole other dimension!'
Pushovers pushed out.
Even Eleonore couldn't hang—basic attack turning hectares to inferno? Will to fight? Gone.
"She said it: mercy once only. So you know what to do, yeah?"
Sihwan strutted out, smug as hell.
Shoe-melting heat? Pfft, nothingburger.
"Grgh... Human!! How dare... how DARE you to us!!!"
Boom!
Tribal Chief, buried in rubble.
Ho-in Tribe boss? Still kicking.
Scorched red skin, veins popping ugly.
Muscles screamed threat—but nobody here bought it.
Pathetic stares from every side.
Even his "kin" Ho-in Tribe? No love.
Knew she was this OP? Wouldn't touch.
Touched? Bow pronto.
Why stiff-neck it and blow up the mess?
Couldn't voice it, but yeah—that vibe from most.
"What? Still not wised up? Think hard. Everyone screws up. Get smacked and learn? Usable. Smacked and still dumb? Irredeemable. Useless trash."
Warning shot, sure—but damage was no joke.
Forget that: downtown direct hit wipes a city.
Sees that and still struts? Peak moron.
"Fr, fr...!"
"No seriously—why? What're you banking on?"
Genuine curiosity.
Tribal Chief's spew? Blind rage bullshit.
Zero answer.
-Master, waste of breath. Pumped their desires sky-high—ears closed.
"Eh?"
Bari's voice in his head.
-Just a lil tweak, now hopeless wrecks. Living things so fragile, huh.
'Bari, you again?'
-Again?
'Nah, nvm.'
Made perfect sense.
Bari's handiwork. Puzzle solved.
"Anyway, keep rebelling? No choice. Don't keep useless rebels as pets. You all—,"
"Wait!!"
Death sentence incoming,
As planned, Rihana jumped in.
Arms wide, blocking for the sprawled Ho-in Tribe and Slums crew.