Chapter 209
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Coin-Flip Reversal
Somehow, it seemed like I needed to royally screw something up just like the other hunters had, if I wanted to join up with them.
First one done. I was hoping to crack open a cold soda and unwind.
"…."
I shifted my body sideways, and something whistled past where I'd been standing just a moment ago.
Behind me, the sound of an entire building crumbling echoed out. Not many could pack that kind of punch with a single arrow.
"Ah, but this isn't an arrow—it's more like a baby arrow, huh."
I muttered that to myself, then looked toward the direction the arrow had come from. A guy in military fatigues with a hood pulled up gripped a bow in his hand.
"Things haven't been going your way, so you decided to step in personally?"
"There's no reason to let you live anymore. In fact, there are plenty of reasons to kill you."
And just like that, three baby arrows rocketed toward me in an instant. I swept my spear out, batting all three aside, and inwardly marveled.
Damn, the guy's got skills. Shooting baby arrows isn't as simple as nocking one on a bowstring and letting fly.
You have to slip the thumb ring onto your wrist, slot the baby arrow into it, and launch. Firing off three in a blink like that is damn near impossible.
He pulled it off with telekinesis.
"Must've practiced that thousands of times."
Manipulating the baby arrows and thumb ring with mana, fusing them together, slapping them onto the bowstring, and firing—all in one fluid motion.
Through telekinesis and insane repetition, he'd drilled it down to pure instinct.
He could probably unleash up to 150 rounds per second. And every single one had enough power to casually topple a building.
"Reasons to kill me, huh?"
I deflected the incoming arrows while eyeing a gap, flicking a few back at him. The hooded soldier had to halt his assault momentarily to counter.
That brief pause gave me my opening. I closed the distance and swung my spear. He tossed his bow into the air, drew a bayonet from his belt, and swung it at me.
"Well, now."
From the way he was positioned, that bayonet wasn't for attacking. It was purely defensive.
Meanwhile, the bow he'd flung into the air autonomously loaded a baby arrow into the thumb ring, drew the string taut, and unleashed a barrage at me.
Fighting like this, even with a bow, meant I didn't have much of an edge up close. But no real disadvantage either.
The muzzle of the pistol he'd suddenly drawn whipped right up to my forehead. I jerked my head aside, and a sharp crack rang out as the mana bullet grazed past.
"You're really putting in the effort."
With that curt assessment, my spear extended straight out, slamming down at him. He raised his bayonet to block, and the ground beneath him cratered.
My attacks crashed toward him like waves, tracing countless blue arcs and hemming him in, but he deftly slipped free from the noose I was weaving.
"I'm not losing to the likes of you. Crises I've overcome, demon realms I've survived, victories I've seized... all those experiences forged who I am now. A fresh-faced hunter like you? No matter how skilled, you're just a rookie to me."
As our spear and bayonet ground together with a screech, he spouted some nonsense.
"You know who I am and how I've lived, and you're still talking like that?"
Experience? Life and death brinkmanship? This smug bastard yapping away knew nothing.
"You're the rookie."
Instead of answering, he toed the ground with his boot tip. The impact sent a spray of dirt straight at my eyes. My vision blurred for a split second, and I raised my spear.
A harsh metallic clang—my spear blocked the bayonet. At the same time, I twisted aside as a gunshot boomed. I swung again, the shock rippling up my arms.
"If you wanna win with playground tricks, go mess around with the kids at the park."
Resorting to cheap distractions like that? Pathetic. He dodged my strike and casually flicked his hand open.
"Question."
As he spoke, a coin appeared in his palm—one side black, the other white. He tossed it into the air.
"Is the enemy I'm facing right now stronger than me?"
A clear ping rang out as the coin bounced. It spun through the air and landed white-side up.
"…."
Suddenly, he froze, staring at the coin on the ground before clenching his fist around it. In that interval, I'd naturally riddled his body with dozens of holes.
Still, he managed to avoid a headshot through sheer grit. And finally, he flipped the coin.
In that instant, a beam of light pierced the clouds and enveloped his near-death form.
"What the hell is this now."
I muttered as I eyed him. Every wound healed over, and his overall power surged explosively. Not just mana—muscle power, reflexes, everything got a massive boost.
"Now you're not stronger than me."
He declared that and unleashed a volley of baby arrows. Each one hit way harder than before. I barely dodged or blocked while responding.
"You ask a question, the coin gives the answer."
"If you successfully flip it, the outcome flips too. It's my ability. I've only shown it to a handful of people."
Not that I had room to talk with my Paradox Flame, but that was one bullshit power. Obviously, not every question could be flipped.
If he could reverse any result, he'd have asked something like "Can I dominate the Erosion Core?" flipped the coin, and taken control...
Or "Can I steal that guy's ability?" flipped it, and bam—mine.
He'd probably tried those already and failed. That's why he was here, tossing out this question instead.
"Happy you pulled off a reversal with that wordplay gimmick?"
"Wordplay."
He glanced at me, clearly regaining his composure compared to before.
"Call it what you want. The coin's flipped, and the situation's reversed."
"Bullshit."
The hooded archer wasn't stronger than me. Flipping that answer didn't make him stronger.
It just made him not weaker. Not some wild guess—this was the actual power I was sensing from him now.
"If we're evenly matched, then—"
"Yeah, yeah, experience will make the difference."
And since he figured his experience outstripped mine, he thought his odds were solid. No need for me to point out how laughable that was.
He'd learn soon enough. Paradox Flame coiled around my spear.
"That ability... looks like you won't be keeping it after all."
"Disappointed?"
"Don't need it anymore."
He said that, rapidly widening the gap while pouring arrows nonstop. Waiting for him to run out was pointless.
No telling where they came from, but his baby arrows kept getting replenished.
"Might as well keep using it since I started. Question. Is this a favorable environment for me to fight in?"
He tossed the coin again. Black side up this time. Unlike before, he flipped it in a flash. Not a tough question, apparently.
The moment it turned white, the surroundings warped. Massive trees sprouted thickly, dense underbrush and vines obscured vision. The ground turned to sucking mud riddled with hidden swamps.
"Playing right into it."
High-speed baby arrows streaked from the limited visibility.
And it didn't stop there. He'd clearly anticipated this setup.
"Traps."
He wasn't just firing baby arrows. Spiderweb tripwires linked traps between trees, and the ground bristled with mines and bear-trap lookalikes.
But whatever.
"Hazard Environment Analysis."
Why else would I shell out for top-tier gear?
The suit I wore reacted instantly, scanning the area and projecting holograms of the dangers.
I could've spotted them myself, but splitting focus dulled my movements.
Of course, this system wouldn't last forever. If he tossed that coin and pulled some wordplay, he could probably disable the suit's functions.
"…Oh-ho."
But even after a good while, the fatigues-wearing archer didn't throw his coin. I grinned.
"Limited uses, huh."
No clue how many he had left, but there was definitely a cap.
Why hold back if he could spam them? He was saving them because he couldn't waste them on crap like this. Still, he had some countermeasure, even if imperfect.
"Knew it."
A bunch of the hazards displayed on my suit glitched out and vanished. The traps that could hide mana signatures had cloaked themselves.
No biggie. Hidden mana or not, they couldn't fool my senses. I could find the traps, but the real issue was the fatigues guy sniping baby arrows from hiding.
"Trajectories shifted. Sneaky bastard with mirrors."
The arrows' flight paths didn't match his position. Basic trick for any decent archer.
Of course, getting duped by it in a jungle felt like pure shit.
Arrows even rained down from above now. He'd shot them skyward, letting gravity do the rest.
The slogging mud slowed me, the enemy stayed hidden, and arrows flew relentlessly. Flipping that coin hadn't summoned the jungle for nothing.
Perfect playground for him.
I deflected incoming baby arrows while scanning, then suddenly accelerated and thrust my spear into the underbrush.
"Found you. Hid pretty good."
Took a bit. The fatigues guy, busted, spoke in a flustered tone.
"How."
"Got lucky. Hide again."
Not giving him time to, though. If he could, let him run.
The fight dragged on without a single opening. Muddy ground and sight-blocking foliage couldn't stop me.
He darted around, trying to lure me into his traps, but I saw through it and never bit.
Fired arrows clashed midair, ricocheted off trees and rocks, still gunning for me.
Curves and straights flying wild. In my head, I tracked their paths while keeping up the pressure.