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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Murder Theater
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"Die···"
Before the word "you!" could even finish, the Ignition Booster detonated.
The Rattus King's spiked club tore three people to shreds.
Amid the spraying blood mist, the spiked club sought its next victim.
Crunch!
Whose head had just been smashed? As everyone gritted their teeth, shattered metal shards flew before their eyes.
It was the ability of the avatar 'Centurion,' 'Shield of the Centurion Commander,' that had destroyed the spiked club.
In that split-second opening, the seasoned hunters didn't miss their chance and finished their task.
"Luguru!" "Specularium!"
"X is here! Kill X!"
The swiftly summoned avatars attacked with 'Eyes of the Sun' and 'Claw Storm,' while the rear guard screamed to alert everyone.
The spiked club was nowhere to be seen, and Gonghyeok's hands already gripped 'Nord's Sword' and 'Desert Scorpion Scimitar.'
He flattened himself to dodge the incoming light beams and three trails of claws. The Ignition Booster exploded again beneath his feet. He charged into the hunter group like a beast, low to the ground.
The sharp sword and scimitar slashed wildly between defenseless legs. With a slicing sound, flesh above the knees slid away.
Aaaahhhh!
Kuaaahhh!
Rending screams filled the village. Debuffs like 'Screams of the Hanged' and 'Binding Veil' flew toward him, but.
[Buff 'Unyielding Advance' (540 coins) resists the debuff.]
[Debuff and binding resistance increased, durability stat +50, stamina 300% increased]
[You feel no pain for 5 minutes. You maintain combat power against any injury except dismemberment]
The already-applied buff nullified the spells. Two blades plunged side by side into the faces of the casters.
"What the hell!"
"What is this mess?"
By the time another party arrived, 13 hunters already lay in a pool of blood.
"Attack! Attack right now!"
As the survivors wailed, 20 avatars manifested at once, their faces dawning with realization.
"We've only got 8 minutes left here too, so let's hurry."
Gonghyeok swept the coins from the corpses into his mouth.
[Acquired 698 purple coins], [Acquired 511 purple coins], [Acquired 1066 purple···.].
[Buff effect extended. Consumption cost 1.75x]
[Consumed 945 coins to extend buff 'Unyielding Advance' by 5 minutes]
[Invested 3276 purple coins, avatar Ra-Djehuty (SS) leveled up to LV.10]
Remote avatars unleashed skills at the chilling sight of him shoving corpses into his mouth like snacks.
"Pour it on! Keep pouring it!"
Ranged skills poured in from all directions. Amid the multicolored magic and shockwaves, Gonghyeok licked his lips.
'If I had Prediction Path, I could've dodged while smoking.'
Pulling out the Game Master as X would cause headaches when heading upstairs later. So Gonghyeok pulled out the pheasant instead of the chicken.
[Forced Awakening (U.SSS) activated]
[Ra-Djehuty's third ability 'Wisdom of Time' is forcibly released]
- You are far too swift, mortal. My essence···.
'Shut up and accelerate.'
- ···Hmph!
Just before the magic reached him, a massive papyrus scroll burst from Ra-Djehuty's mouth. The circular calendar inside the papyrus glowed···.
The flow of time stretched strangely. 0.016x speed, a world where 1 second became 60 seconds.
[Wisdom of Time (SSS) activated. 1 second stretches to 60 seconds. Effect lasts 10 seconds in real time]
Gonghyeok leisurely surveyed the magic barrage. The flimsiest spot was where seven wind blades flew. He spotted a gap between them big enough for a body and threw himself through it.
Without full 60x agility, it felt like leisurely swimming through air.
He swam between the blades, scattering ten spears into the empty air.
'Load 10 Ignition Boosters.'
[Spears 1 through 10 activate in sequence. Remaining mana 54/201]
No Prediction Path from the GM, but with this much leeway, he could angle them precisely. Targets: the rear hunters relaxing after casting.
Boom and explosion.
Amid the clash and flames of ten spells, ten spears flew like shells.
Thud thud thud thud
"Guh!?"
"Hngh, hngh."
Two outcomes befell them.
Some stared blankly at holes in their chests before collapsing, others clutched impaled spears and gasped.
Half were neutralized in an instant. Before they could process it, a small gift rained down.
"Mmgh! My eyes, my eyes!"
"Damn it, tear gas! Raise a wind!"
Tear gas and smoke grenades burst, and a shadow darted through the chaos.
"Ugh, wait!"
"Kuhh!"
Iron chains neatly wrapped three necks, twisting them at odd angles. Someone screamed upon bumping into floating corpses, and the one approaching the scream was gutted by a black axe-spear.
"I can't see, where is everyone?"
"Uaaah, stay back!"
"Don't swing wildly··· Graaaah! My arm, my arm!"
"Everyone calm down, No.10 Antonio is here! Over here···."
Thwack!
"Antonio! Why is Antonio's head here!?"
"Shit, come out! Come out and fight fair··· Uh, uhh. My ribs, my ribs are too white."
"Hiiiik, hiiiik. Jack! Mishima! Where are you! My nose is gone! My ears! Someone keeps peeling off my face! Please! Pleeease!"
"Uh, uh, uhhh."
Ranking 39th, Giovanni, had fallen into complete panic.
The smoke blocked vision, tear gas induced excruciating pain and fluid secretion in the respiratory system, stripping normal judgment.
Decisively, his brother and mental pillar Raoul had just been skewered through the face and turned into elegant brain matter on the wall.
The chorus of screams and chaos echoing everywhere forced him to his last resort.
With trembling hands, he pulled from his inventory the iconic submachine gun, the Uzi.
"Uuaaaah don't come, or you're dead!"
Bang
Bang Bang bang
Bang bang Bang bang Bang
Bang bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang
Bang Bang bang Bang Bang Bang!
Bang Bang Bang
Bang bang
Bang
Screams erupted from the wild gunfire spraying everywhere.
"Grah! You crazy bastard, stop shooting!"
"Grab that idiot quick! Or kill him!"
Durability D-rank blocked small-caliber bullets. But for those below, it was deadly. Bundles of bodies thudded here and there.
"You stupid fuck!"
Splat!
A pot-lid-sized fist from behind obliterated Giovanni's skull. It was the owner of avatar Udu Nachal (B+), ranking 3rd, Kim Seongchul.
"Cough, cough. Where's that X bastard. We'll all die at this rate."
Udu Nachal, gatekeeper of Hell's Gate, had a sinner-tracking skill. But no matter how much he activated it, X's position wouldn't appear.
Through Kim Seongchul's stinging, teary eyes, he spotted a fluttering shadow.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.
The rhythmic sound of bone and flesh rupturing spread.
"I··· didn't··· cross the line···."
"Oh, that. Just testing."
Udu Nachal and Kim Seongchul roared in fury.
"Found you! You rat!"
A bull-like tackle slammed into X's waist. Gonghyeok calmly released the hunter he'd been pummeling and rolled with Kim Seongchul.
"Everyone! X is here! Come kill him!"
"Ah, seriously mister. Wait your turn. You're next after the one I was smashing."
Gonghyeok scratched his head with the bloodied 'Aryan Knuckle.' Bare-knuckle weapons weren't great for killing but felt satisfying.
"Your bluffing ends now. If we all pile on···."
Kim Seongchul sensed something off. Amid surging adrenaline, the unnatural silence around him. No way···.
"Ignition."
Boom!
Flat on the ground, his punching space was a mere 10cm. But the explosion from his elbow generated enough force in that space to rip out ribs and organs whole.
"Know why I waited to use the explosion skill?"
Kim Seongchul forgot to scream, staring at the bloodied mask with a twisted face.
"You're the last. Bye."
A right hook exploded forth. Kim Seongchul's head spun dozens of revolutions like in a cartoon.
= = =
"What in the world happened?"
Maria and her group had set up camp far from the entrance.
They'd stood watch and planned to depart in 6 hours, but the house-shaking booms and impacts jolted them awake and outside.
What they saw was spraying blood mist and smoke, and when the smoke cleared.
One freak stood amid the corpses.
"My arm's broken. Detonating at the elbow and swinging right after hurts a bit."
He casually undid the iron chains dangling from the pole like promotional swag.
Splatter
Corpses hanging like laundry thudded to the ground. Pre-death shit and piss mixed with the floor's blood.
"Oh, only 2 minutes left."
He whipped the 8m iron chains a few times like a lash and walked toward the remaining 18.
"Then let's start round two quick since I'm in a rush?"
His reaper-like presence—such words felt too exaggerated.
Everyone lost words at the nonchalant approaching killer.
Then shadow blanketed the sky.
A few feathers drifted down, and an angel in thin robes alighted softly to the ground.
Ruuuuumble
The entire village lifted briefly. Maybe 3m. Houses crumbled like cookies, bricks that paved the ground floated up en masse then shattered with noise.
From the cracked earth came holy radiance, a pillar of light rising.
The angel stood exactly midway between X and the hunters. A wall of light divided them, shining brilliantly.
"Blocking me outright, huh."
"I merely strolled through the village. Insect."
Gonghyeok dragged the chains rattling forward. Splish splash, the chains submerged in blood and gore puddles.
Gonghyeok advanced to right before Azazel, looking down at the 150cm-tall Azazel.
Thus wordlessly for 1 minute. Azazel's red eyes met Gonghyeok's.
"Were you not··· intent on saving everyone?"
"That depends on you."
Gonghyeok brought his face close, until his forehead nearly touched hers.
"Hand it over. Spirit Summoning Scroll."
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