Clear the Level in One Life! Genius Player Ray! Breakthrough Battle!
The Hulk stared in disbelief at the mechanical giant standing before him.
This had never happened before.
Since the day his monstrous form first awakened, Hulk had never been overpowered in raw strength. No matter the battlefield, no matter the opponent, victory under brute force was always his domain.
And yet—
Just moments ago, he had been knocked backward by this metal beast.
That was something Hulk's pride could not tolerate.
His breathing deepened. His fists clenched. His muscles tightened. A low, animalistic growl rolled out of his throat, vibrating through the air like thunder.
The soldiers spread out around the perimeter felt dread coil in their chests. Goosebumps crawled across their arms. Even those trained for war instinctively stepped back.
Hulk's anger was a force that distorted the atmosphere.
Inside the cockpit of the towering War Behemoth—the Destruction Mammoth—Ray watched the display panels flicker. A three-dimensional scan of Hulk appeared on the upper-right screen, along with a crimson numerical value rising at a rapid pace.
The Malice Detector.
A device Levi had specially installed—an invention with a function resembling the scouters in old Dragon Ball lore. It calculated the malice radiating from an enemy's body, not from energy levels, but from the emotional and psychic toxicity boiling inside them.
And Hulk's numbers were skyrocketing.
The malice that had been drained earlier was already restored, and now… now it surged even beyond its previous peak. Like molten lava erupting from a volcano, Hulk's hatred spiked without restraint.
With increasing malice came increasing power.
According to the readings:
Hulk's earlier punches measured around thirty tons.
Now, fueled by rising anger, his attacks jumped to forty tons and still climbing.
Ray whistled softly. "Yeah… this guy really is a bug-level boss."
He understood the feeling well.
Like playing a video game where you finally chip down the boss's health bar—only for it to suddenly shift into rage mode, regenerating everything and gaining double power.
Most players would quit.
But Ray?
Ray had never been "most players."
A smile split across his face.
"It's a tough challenge," he murmured. "But that just means it's perfect for me."
He cracked his knuckles.
"I'm Ray. Challenge is what I live for."
Inside him, something awakened—his own technological singularity.
As a certified astronaut enhanced through Vanderbuilt Technologies, Ray had always carried the mark of Challenge Factor, a state where his intelligence sharpened whenever faced with overwhelming threats.
And just now… the switch flipped.
His mind ignited.
Within seconds he understood exactly how to defeat Hulk.
Not through a long battle.
Not through trading blows.
Not through overpowering him head-on.
No—Ray needed to clear this stage in one life.
If Hulk grew angrier, his power would rise infinitely.
The only way to win was to strike a full-power, continuous combo—a perfect chain of attacks—before Hulk could rebuild his malice again.
It had to be fast.
It had to be precise.
And most importantly… it had to be unbroken.
One mistake, and the fight would reset.
Ray grinned. "A one-life clear. Now that's my specialty."
He gestured tauntingly at Hulk through the mech's arms.
"Come on then! Let's finish this!"
Hulk roared and charged.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each stomp cracked the earth beneath him.
He swung his massive fists in a storm of blows that could shatter tanks, smash trucks, and obliterate steel. Sonic booms echoed across the field.
But the Destruction Mammoth—despite its enormous size—moved with shocking agility.
Ray dodged left.
Ducked right.
Leapt backward mere inches from Hulk's smashing fists.
Every time Hulk's blow missed, the ground erupted behind Ray.
If a single hit landed, the mech might be damaged severely, possibly destroying the Malice Absorber. Ray couldn't risk it. Not even slightly.
Hulk kept attacking relentlessly.
Ray kept dodging flawlessly.
Finally—Hulk grew impatient.
With a violent stomp, he launched himself upward, soaring toward the mech like a guided missile, arms spread wide to crush Ray's cockpit.
A huge mistake.
Ray saw the opening instantly.
His eyes gleamed.
His fingers tightened on the joysticks.
"Now… taste my fist!"
The Destruction Mammoth bent its knees, drew back its massive metallic arm, and as Hulk descended—
THOOM!
A brutal uppercut smashed into Hulk's chin.
The giant green monster's head jerked back violently. His vision blurred. His thoughts scattered. For the first time in a long time, Hulk looked lost.
And in that split second of confusion…
Scarlet malice burst from his body, swirling into the absorber on the mech's chest.
Ray didn't pause. This was the moment—
the one-life combo.
The Destruction Mammoth blasted upward on rocket boosters, seized Hulk by the neck, and dove downward like a falling comet.
The ground split open as Hulk's body was dragged across it, creating a deep trench. Dirt and steel flew. Vehicles toppled. Sparks exploded as metal scraped violently across stone.
Ray unleashed a barrage of blows.
Da-da-da-da-da-da!
Hulk's face was pummelled into a bruised, swollen mess. Even hardened soldiers turned away from the sight, unable to watch the savage beating.
More and more malice erupted.
More and more energy drained away.
By the time the mech released Hulk, the monster was barely conscious.
Hulk flew forward, smashing through two Humvees before collapsing.
He staggered to his feet, shaking. He tore the Humvee doors off and wielded them like shields, trying desperately to defend himself.
But Ray simply smirked.
He tapped a button.
From the Destruction Mammoth's waist, two long ivory-shaped blades shot out, spinning like boomerangs.
SWISH—SWISH—SWISH!
Hulk raised the steel doors—
But the blades sliced straight through them like butter.
Then they plunged deep into Hulk's feet, pinning him in place.
"ROOOOAARR!"
Hulk screamed, fury exploding again. Malice surged.
Ray knew he couldn't let a second wave build.
"It's now," he said. "The final hit."
The mech raised its arm.
A glowing projection—the silver Upgrade Key shield—manifested in the sky.
Ray launched it upward.
Then he leaped, landing on the rising shield as if it were a futuristic surfboard.
He rode the glowing disc into the heavens.
And then, with a roar:
"BREAK THROUGH!"
The shield ignited with blazing heat, turning from silver to molten crimson.
The very air around it warped and shimmered.
The Destruction Mammoth descended like a meteor.
Pinned and unable to move, Hulk could only raise his hands in a desperate attempt to stop the incoming attack.
But it was useless.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The molten shield struck.
Hulk was crushed beneath it, his entire body flattened into the ground with a fiery explosion. Only one trembling hand protruded from the blazing crater.
Fire burst outward in waves.
Smoke rose in a towering column.
And at the center of the smoldering battlefield…
The Destruction Mammoth stood triumphantly atop the blazing shield.
Ray's breath echoed inside the helmet.
He had won.
The final remnants of Hulk's malice drifted upward, only to be immediately consumed by the Malice Absorber.
The battle was over.
The rewards—immense.
But something new occurred.
The mech's internal system—formerly powered by fury-sourced malice—now felt strangely saturated. Having absorbed too much pure rage, it seemed to reach its limit.
Malice came in many forms.
But anger alone was too narrow a fuel.
It would need other emotional signatures for further evolution.
Still—
For now?
They had defeated Hulk.
And Ray had cleared the level in one life.
--------------------------------------------------
250+ chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
----------------------------------------------------- .