Chapter 130. Pursuit (2)
Berserk [?] had been applied in overlapping layers, just as Memoria had done.
However, unlike Memoria, I didn’t create wings. Even if I created them, I lacked the skill to control them properly.
Furthermore, manifesting the Bone Blades alone consumed an enormous number of calories.
If I also manifested wings, I wouldn’t have enough calories left to maintain Draconification [E] or heal my wounds.
The surroundings had already filled with ash-gray mist.
Then—
Booooom!
The mist that had consumed the space pressed down upon my entire body.
My joints were subjected to a tremendous load.
The pressure was powerful enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if my entire body shattered.
But I was fine.
◆ Activating the Evolution Skill, Slime Fluid [U]!
◆ Slime Fluid [U] : When this skill is activated, the player consumes [10 kcal per second] to form [Slime Fluid], maximizing the effects of Slime Cell [B-]. By spreading it throughout the body, the player transforms into a [fluid state].
While in a [fluid state], the player’s [joint range of motion and pressure resistance] are [maximized]. The fluid’s [low friction] increases [Evasion Rate by 25%], while the fluid distributed throughout the body stimulates [internal energy circulation], increasing [recovery speed during combat by 20%].
<This skill can be toggled [On/Off].>
<This skill is an Evolution Skill evolved from Slime Cell [B-].>
The mist surged around Blake once again.
“Isn’t it only natural to replace a defective component?”
The raging mist exploded all at once. A violent torrent of mist blasted through everything ahead.
Could I dodge it?
The distance was too short.
In that case—
I would redirect the pressure and impact.
I swung the Bone Blade.
The mist was severed.
The effects of Monomolecular Blade [S] immediately followed. The mist’s bonding structures were severed.
Crackle—!!
The mist lost its power.
Blake finally became visible. His brow twitched for an instant.
I closed the distance.
“What’s your reason?”
Then I asked—
“Wasn’t she still your mother?”
“Do you mean Marceline?”
Rumble—!
◆ Rigid Body Transformation [U] : Upon acquiring this skill, the player’s skin and bodily tissues transform into a [rigid body]. This [maximizes] the player’s [body-temperature regulation] and, in addition to the effects of Hardened Skin [B], reduces [all damage] concentrated upon a [single area] by up to [70%].
Furthermore, by utilizing the [reaction force] generated by impacts inflicted [directly] upon the player, a certain percentage of that damage is [reflected].
<This is a passive skill whose effects are permanently applied upon acquisition.>
<This skill is an Evolution Skill evolved from Hardened Skin [B].>
Wasn’t it said that when force was applied to an object, the object exerted equal force in the opposite direction?
—Striking a rock is the same as the rock striking you in return.
I endured the impact inflicted upon me.
Booom!!
At the same time, I returned an equivalent impact.
Craaaash!!
Then came the effect of Draconification [E].
◆ 344 kcal has accumulated.
One percent of the reduced damage was converted into calories.
In other words, the original damage had amounted to 34,400.
My Stamina, currently amplified through Draconification [E], was 11,990.
Without the damage-reduction effects of Rigid Body Transformation [U] and Draconification [E], I would have died instantly.
Beyond the mist scattering in every direction—
Blake extended his hand.
I launched myself toward him while regenerating both twisted arms.
“A defective component?”
“There are far too many unnecessary people in our kingdom.”
The mist extending from Blake’s fingertips transformed into blades.
“They wield pity and sympathy as weapons, regard consideration and relief as rights they naturally deserve, and refuse to do anything for themselves—”
Blake swept his hand through the air. A storm of blades surged forward.
“I’m talking about the ‘weak’.”
My eyes widened as I swung the Bone Blade.
Crackle—!
The mist blades disintegrated upon touching Monomolecular Blade [S].
“You asked why I killed Marceline? I didn’t kill her.”
I watched Blake through the dispersing mist. His eyes radiated profound darkness.
“She died because she was weak. Because she was incompetent. Just as nature eliminates the weak, I merely eliminated Marceline.”
“......”
“Did she seriously expect to remain alive after failing to carry out a perfect plan?”
Useless.
That was how Blake described his own mother.
“This world exists for the strong. There is no place in it for the weak.”
Ash-gray mist gathered above Blake’s hands.
“And I was chosen!”
Then I saw one of Blake’s abilities that had previously been concealed within the darkness.
◆ Scorn for the Weak [L] : All the user’s stats increase by [300%] against [an entity the user perceives as weaker than themselves]. Furthermore, a [target perceived as weak by the user] has all stats reduced by [75%], while all [abilities and skills] of a lower [rank] than the user’s are sealed.
However, the user requires [grounds] upon which to perceive the opponent as [weak].
“There’s no reason for me to stand on the same level as the likes of you.”
A thick sneer spread across Blake’s face—
“You matricidal bastard. You certainly put a lot of effort into spouting bullshit.”
I immediately kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
* * *
Ash-gray mist gathered within Blake’s hands.
Adrian lunged toward Blake.
A pale afterimage stretched behind him, and Adrian’s body disappeared as though space itself had rejected his presence.
He couldn’t be perceived visually. His speed had surpassed the perception of the five senses.
In that case—
Riiiiing—!
Blake’s eyes emitted a brilliant light.
The ash-gray mist gathered within his hands divided into dozens of streams.
Then it divided again into hundreds and thousands of streams before pouring forward.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
Successive volleys of mist swept across the entire area. Thousands of attacks densely filled the surrounding space.
And yet—
‘He’s reacting to them?’
Adrian was reacting to every attack.
Blake had sensed it for some time, but Adrian possessed extraordinary senses and reflexes.
His utilization of his body far surpassed the realm of humanity.
Booooom!
The ash-gray mist exploded once more.
Blake’s body retreated half a step. He gathered the mist-like Mana into his right hand.
Adrian gave him no opening.
The slashes of the Bone Blades swept in every direction.
Blake hurriedly extended his right hand—
But….
He was too late.
Adrian tore through the mist before the mist gathered into a single point could explode.
Blake could no longer afford to remain relaxed.
....This was becoming dangerous.
More importantly—
‘My Authority...!’
It wasn’t working.
Be forgotten.
Be forgotten.
Be forgotten.
He continuously activated his Authority, but Adrian remained unaffected. His movements didn’t stop under the Authority.
No—
On the contrary—
‘Is he absorbing my Authority?’
It was making Adrian even stronger.
Those bizarre bones—
The properties of the blades protruding from beneath Adrian’s elbows suddenly changed.
They were no longer Bone Blades made from ordinary bone. They had become something harder than steel—
Yet something that wasn’t steel.
Blake’s Authority had become completely ineffective.
The moment it touched those blades, it was entirely “nullified” and disappeared.
But how?
Could a weapon with the absurd power to neutralize an Authority truly exist?
Blake’s eyes narrowed.
He could no longer easily convince himself that Adrian was weaker than him.
In that case….there was no other choice.
Blake spoke briefly.
“You’re merely struggling desperately.”
It remained difficult to control, but….
“Stop pretending to be strong.”
Against a powerful opponent like Adrian, Blake had to force victory into existence.
....His presence changed.
Blake’s eyes filled with even deeper darkness.
As though devouring light, his sclera turned completely black, transforming them into inverted eyes.
A sword-shaped tattoo appeared over his left eye, stretching from his forehead to his chin.
Pitch-black currents intertwined around Blake’s entire body.
A darkness deeper than darkness itself—
It wrapped around his hand and gradually assumed a definite shape.
The Jet-Black Sword.
* * *
Blake’s presence transformed once more.
His eyes had become completely inverted and filled with darkness.
Thick killing intent stabbed into my skin.
‘It’s coming.’
By the time I noticed, the Jet-Black Sword had already drawn a crescent arc toward my neck.
It was different. But that was all.
Monomolecular Blade [S] severed bonding structures at the molecular level, completely ignoring durability and defense regardless of the material.
The Bone Blade and the Jet-Black Sword collided. The Jet-Black Sword was instantly severed and disappeared.
◆ Activating the Fusion Skill, Monomolecular Blade [S]!
Blake’s inverted eyes trembled.
An opening.
I wouldn’t miss it. I twisted the trajectory of the Bone Blade.
Slaaash!
The landscape split in two with the sound of paper tearing.
Where was Blake?
....He had disappeared.
At some distance away, a cluster of mist expelled Blake from within it.
Whoooosh!
Ash-gray mist rippled around the reconstructed Jet-Black Sword.
‘....He’s moving faster than before.’
It was the effect of Scorn for the Weak [L].
When facing an entity he perceived as weak, all his stats increased by 300%.
In other words, Blake perceived me as weak.
That was possible because the activation condition of Scorn for the Weak [L] depended upon his “subjective perception”.
As a result, Blake had become overwhelmingly faster and stronger.
The mist gathered at the tip of the Jet-Black Sword gradually spread and stained the surrounding space.
The dispersed ash-gray mist rippled sharply like thorns.
Blake swung his sword with tremendous force—
Swoooosh!!
Every part of the space touched by the mist was pierced. It was like a power that eroded space itself.
....But—
Crackle!
The descending thorns of mist disappeared helplessly the moment they touched the Bone Blade.
That was only natural.
Monomolecular Blade [S] severed bonding structures at the molecular level and completely ignored everything.
Blake’s eyes trembled slightly.
I exploited that opening once again.
Booom!
My body shot forward, leaving an extended afterimage behind it.
My stats were amplified through Accelerated Heartbeat [E] and Draconification [E].
I immediately understood.
‘My stats haven’t decreased.’
In other words, Scorn for the Weak [L] hadn’t been fully activated.
My abilities and skills hadn’t been sealed either.
That was because although the activation condition of Scorn for the Weak [L] relied upon “subjective perception”, Blake still required “grounds” to perceive the target as weak.
What if he couldn’t convince himself that his opponent was weak?
Blake had to create those grounds himself. The most reliable method was to defeat the opponent directly.
However, merely possessing superior combat strength wasn’t enough to activate it.
Mental fortitude and the rank of one’s existence—
Presence and an unbreakable mindset—
If even one aspect prevented Blake from regarding his opponent as weak, Scorn for the Weak [L] couldn’t activate fully.
In other words, Blake currently lacked sufficient grounds to regard me as “weaker” than himself.
That was why Blake had drawn out everything he possessed.
He had attempted to gain the upper hand, even if only momentarily, and create grounds upon which to perceive me as weak.
But even stats amplified by 300% couldn’t overwhelm Accelerated Heartbeat [E] and Draconification [E].
His mental advantage through the Authority of Oblivion—
That had also been perfectly countered by Successor’s Will [EX].
Most importantly, Monomolecular Blade [S] rendered every one of Blake’s attacks and defenses useless.
Between Blake and me—
Every advantage clearly belonged to me.
“Impossible...!!”
The effects of Blake’s Scorn for the Weak [L] began fading. His mental strength and presence wavered.
Both hands gripping the Jet-Black Sword trembled slightly. Cracks formed as his confidence in himself began collapsing.
Now I would overwhelm him.
I had to completely erase every possible ground for him to consider me weak.
I would draw out everything I possessed.
◆ Activating the Ultimate Skill, Predator [M]!
* * *
....Adrian’s presence changed.
His red eyes became saturated with even deeper blood.
As though devouring his reason, his sclera turned completely crimson, transforming them into inverted eyes.
Uncontrollable ferocity—
It pierced through Blake.
“It’s useless!”
Blake charged forward.
Adrian had already reacted.
Adrian closed the distance in an instant. His speed surpassed imagination. It couldn’t even be compared to his previous movements.
“What?!”
Adrian’s Bone Blade swung silently.
Blake reacted too late. A long wound was carved across his right arm.
It wasn’t fatal.
But the strike wasn’t without effect.
The arm holding the Jet-Black Sword momentarily wavered.
The sword’s trajectory deviated for an instant, and Adrian exploited the opening.
Booom—!
A tremendous impact struck Blake. The flesh of his palm burst apart.
“Aaaaaah!!”
Blake roared as he drew out more power. The mist exploded outward and swallowed Adrian.
But that wasn’t enough.
At most, it could merely disrupt him.
Yet the power of Blake’s Authority had been reduced to nothing more than a distraction.
‘Damn it!’
Blake cursed inwardly.
How could something so absurd possibly happen?
The mist surrounding Adrian was torn apart and disappeared.
Adrian immediately moved.
Grind!
Blake ground his teeth involuntarily.
According to Blake’s expectations, Adrian should already have been subdued.
But what was the actual result?
Far from subduing Adrian, Blake was the one being pushed back.
....This was truly dangerous.
Blake created more distance. He needed to escape.
Continuing this battle was genuinely dangerous. But Adrian had no intention of letting Blake escape.
Even as Blake retreated, Adrian didn’t stop. His eyes remained fixed upon Blake.
They contained neither reason nor fear. He was a beast shaped from blind killing intent.
....Dangerous.
He was truly dangerous.
Most dangerous of all were those Bone Blades. They nullified every Authority Blake possessed.
That left Blake with no means of responding.
Could he evade them?
That would be difficult.
The flow of his Authority was forcibly severed, and even his mist-like Mana disappeared.
Before Adrian’s Bone Blades, no attack or defense held any meaning.
‘Is he stronger?’
‘Stronger than me?’
Blake’s thoughts finally arrived at that conclusion.
....No.
That wasn’t true. It made no sense. Such a thing couldn’t be possible—
Nor could it be allowed to exist.
Blake’s inverted eyes became bloodshot.
“Stop pretending to be strong!!!”
His brutally trampled pride surged once again. Blake raised the mist and formed a Barrier Wall.
It was mercilessly severed. The torn mist scattered and disappeared.
Then, as the Bone Blade and the Jet-Black Sword collided—
‘Now!’
Blake concentrated his power into the Jet-Black Sword. The Jet-Black Sword exploded, releasing a burst of darkness.
Booooom—!
Two silhouettes crossed within the explosion.
And then—
Slash.
Blake’s entire left shoulder was severed.
His severed shoulder fell through the air, leaving a crimson trail behind it.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!”
Blake released a horrifying scream.
* * *
A message appeared before my eyes.
◆ The Ultimate Skill, Predator [M], has been deactivated.
My reason, which had been completely consumed by instinct, returned—
“Cough...!!”
A mouthful of blood poured from my lips.
The Ultimate Skill, Predator [M].
The tremendous physical overload left me unable to move.
And that wasn’t all.
When I lowered my gaze, I saw that my chest had been crushed.
Blood continuously poured from the gaping wound.
Regeneration was….impossible.
Predator [M] had overloaded my skills as well.
Furthermore, I had already exhausted all my calories.
I couldn’t….move my body.
Blake had also suffered considerable damage. The sword-shaped tattoo had disappeared.
His left shoulder had been severed.
His eyes had returned to normal.
Blake pressed his right arm against the wound.
Mist wrapped around the severed area and attempted to stop the bleeding, but blood continued flowing.
Sharp pain carved itself across Blake’s face.
At that moment—
Footsteps echoed from the distance.
“Adrian! Are you all right?!”
A familiar voice followed.
Leon and Lucas were running toward us.
Members of the Royal Guard arrived one after another behind them and surrounded the scene.
Leon’s gaze immediately turned toward Blake—
“You are...!”
Present Vision [L] perceived Blake’s existence.
Blake’s bloodshot eyes gleamed fiercely. Then he glared at me with a tenacious expression.
“Don’t think this is over...!!”
At that moment, the mist attempting to stop his bleeding swirled around him.
Blake gradually disappeared into the mist.
Leon’s Present Vision [L] flashed.
“Commander Lucas!”
The moment Leon shouted—
Booom!
Lucas charged forward at tremendous speed.
Swoooosh—!
A brilliantly glowing Aura Blade emerged.
Lucas’s sword tore through space in a single stroke.
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