I Became the Final Boss in the Game

Chapter 121 : Chapter 121

Chapter 121. Remnants of Evil (2)

Knox said.

"Universal."

"What did you say?"

"Universal. That is my ability."

Riman was dazed for a moment.

Because it was the first time since elementary school he saw someone confidently refer to themselves as 'universal' like that.

Riman said.

"Excuse me, but I don't quite understand……."

"Do you not know the word universal? I mean I can do everything. Of course, I haven't learned magic, and I haven't undergone any specific body modifications, but still, I know how to do everything that can be done with this single sword, is what I mean."

"Mr. Knox, I wasn't hoping for such a vague answer."

"What?"

"Even for swordsmen, the specialized fields are different. Just as there are swordsmen specialized in surprise attacks, and swordsmen specialized in attacking mechanical equipment. I am asking which field you are specialized in."

"No, I told you I'm universal?"

"……."

Riman shut his mouth.

And quietly took his gloves out of his pocket.

Because he thought asking more questions would be useless.

"Then let's verify it directly."

"What?"

"Pick up your sword. Let's have a sparring match."

"…Are you crazy?"

"Since I can't know the specialized capability of the person I'm supposed to team play with, this is the only way."

"Ha……."

SHING.

Knox lifted his sword.

Without drawing the blade from the sheath.

Meaning he had no intention of harming his sparring partner at least.

At this, Riman said.

"…I will also refrain from using wide-area magic or lethal magic."

Saying so, Riman pulled his gloves tight onto both hands.

The curtain rose on the sparring match.

* * *

The sparring ended.

"Ugh……."

"Shall we stop?"

"……."

The result was too clear.

Riman standing with a nonchalant expression.

Knox sprawled on the floor on the opposite side.

Riman approached Knox and extended his hand.

Knox glared lightly at that hand, then soon grabbed Riman's hand and stood up.

"Damn, you're really filthily strong."

Knox grumbled as he got up from his spot.

The sparring was Riman's victory without any room for disagreement.

Even Knox, who had his own pride, had no choice but to admit it.

'…I couldn't even graze him.'

From Knox's perspective, it really felt like fighting against a hologram.

Because Riman kept staying at a distance where Knox's sword tip almost touched but didn't, yet not a single thread of his collar was cut.

Moreover, whenever he showed even a sliver of an opening, a shockwave flew in as if it had been waiting.

This breathtaking closeness drove Knox crazy.

If he had extended just 1cm more, he could have cut him.

If he had been just a little faster, he wouldn't have shown that opening.

...Countless assumptions like that filled his head.

However, when such impossible subjunctive moods accumulate one after another, emotions soon converge into resignation.

Knox was in exactly that state right now.

For reference, in this sparring, Riman didn't use any magic worthy of the name.

Because if he used big techniques from the start, he wouldn't be able to grasp Knox's capabilities.

Therefore, the techniques used in this sparring were only the boots' high-speed movement, the gloves' shock release, and boxing techniques learned at a neighborhood gym.

With just that, he could suppress Knox without difficulty.

And in that process, he could also know what kind of character Knox was.

He could also understand why Knox referred to himself as 'universal'.

Riman muttered inwardly while looking at Knox.

'This guy is an extreme all-rounder.'

A regular hexagonal spec that was perfectly balanced to a serious degree, infinitely close to perfection.

That was Knox's characteristic.

This guy lacked nothing.

Swordsmanship, mana manipulation, physical strength, speed, body durability, bare-handed combat, etc.

He possessed skills and performance in a tremendous number of fields at an above-average level.

The problem was that although it was a regular hexagonal spec, the size of that hexagon wasn't very large.

In other words, he was reasonably good at this and that, but nothing stood out.

Of course, 'being good at this and that' was a considerable advantage.

However, if those 'this and that' all played separately, the story changes for the worse.

Knox was exactly this case.

His bare-handed combat skills didn't harmonize with his swordsmanship, and while his speed was good, his center of gravity control was very immature.

A state where he failed to organically weave together the various skills he possessed.

Simply put, he was producing absolutely no 'synergy'.

So it was strange.

'What is this guy really?'

Ordinary people naturally weave together the skills they have learned.

Like how someone trained in running naturally uses that footwork when playing soccer.

But Knox wasn't like that.

The skills he possessed all played separately.

As if amateurs from various fields were crumpled into one body.

He couldn't even guess what kind of training one had to receive to become like this.

However, although it was strange, it wasn't a problem that could be fixed immediately.

Honestly, there was no reason to fix it either.

'Even without synergy, if he's an all-rounder of this level, he's actually easier for me to handle.'

This was Riman's conclusion.

Riman said.

"Good. Anyway, since we've confirmed your capabilities with this, let's work well together."

"As long as you pay well, of course."

"Check your account. The advance payment should be in."

"……!"

Knox, checking his bankbook with his phone, barely held back his jaw from dropping.

Because a considerable amount of money had been deposited even though he hadn't done anything particular yet.

Of course, it wasn't money Riman deposited.

It was all money Pyo Seok-jung put in.

Riman said.

"As you can see, the advance payment is that much. Then you can sufficiently expect how much will be added upon mission completion."

"I will do my best."

"Good. Then let's briefly discuss the operation."

Thus, the cooperative relationship between Riman and Knox was established.

* * *

And back to the present.

On the scorched gray earth.

Five men and one dragon were there.

Prison breakers Chae Hong-gyu, Johnny, and Sven.

Knox blocking their way with a single sword.

And behind him, Riman and Saya.

They were staring at the opposing camp with cold eyes.

Chae Hong-gyu spoke.

"…What is that again?"

The 'that' Chae Hong-gyu mentioned naturally referred to Knox.

To this, Knox retorted nonchalantly.

"Me? I'm a mercenary. Heard I'd get money if I kill you guys."

"A suicide volunteer who thinks he's a mercenary. Well, a case we've seen often so far."

"Well, misunderstand all you want. But……."

Knox's eyes looking at the escapees somehow narrowed.

A look like, 'Where have I seen those guys?'

Then at some point, Knox's expression hardened.

Knox shouted to Riman with a flustered voice.

"Hey, wait a minute. Aren't those guys Mugan escapees?!"

"You recognize them immediately."

One of Knox's main sources of income was headhunting, bounty hunting.

So those three faces had to be familiar.

Knox said with a voice bursting with resentment.

"Hey, you crazy bastard!! You didn't say those things were the enemy?!"

"Seeing that Mr. Knox also knows their faces, isn't it because you memorized them wanting to catch them? Take this opportunity and just catch them with me. Besides, it worked out well. I've gathered three of them all at once."

"Gathering them is the problem!! Why did you gather all the guys that are hard to defeat even one by one?!"

"Instead, if we just catch them all, we secure three people's worth of bounty in one go. Don't you want to make a big score?"

"That is……."

"You take the bounty and split it half-half with me. Receive the remaining balance for this request separately from Mr. Pyo Seok-jung. Isn't this worth risking your life for?"

"……."

Thinking only about the amount he would receive, it was a proposal that would make eyes spin.

The problem was that the guys in front of him were insane-level strong enemies.

It was a situation where he really had to risk his life.

A rational human being should have chosen to flee here.

Because no matter how much money one has, it's useless if they die.

But he didn't have the confidence to flee after antagonizing those escapees.

In other words, there was no retreat.

Only advance remained.

Knox gripped his sword tightly and said to Riman.

"…If I die, I will kill you too."

"If you die, Joseph will rush to kill me anyway. Nothing changes. So-."

BEEP.

"…Just listen to my instructions well."

"……."

Knox felt Riman's voice burrowing deep into his ear.

Right at this moment, Riman's voice was audible only to Knox's ear.

Because Riman manipulated the propagation path of vibrations in the air with mana, twisting it to reach only Knox.

Magic that conveys one's voice only to a designated target, [Sound Transmission].

Furthermore, Riman even accelerated the transmission speed.

With this, Riman's voice could be delivered to Knox at a speed faster than sound.

This communication was the core of this operation.

A guy with no special strengths, but capable of many things.

He had to control this universal tool-like guy to kill those escapees.

Instruction and joint attack.

Using this, Riman intended to clear away those remnants of evil.

Riman spoke with [Sound Transmission].

Riman's words pierce into Knox's ears at a speed faster than sound.

'Coming.'

"……!"

Again, the battle begins.

Johnny struck first.

WHOOSH!

The guy opened his mouth wide, filled with mana.

Johnny Paul.

His charge was cannibalism.

He was a guy who had raised and eaten a tremendous number of people at his home ranch for years.

When the police raided, the number of people trapped in his ranch was 45.

And in the backyard, human bones amounting to several times that poured out.

And in the warehouse for making dried meat... things hard to even mention were hanging in clusters.

The moment they saw that scene, the police and headhunters felt it.

That the moment we lose, we will be the ones hanging in that warehouse.

So they fought desperately.

They poured thousands of bullets toward that single guy and unleashed all kinds of techniques sparingly.

As a result, they barely managed to capture Johnny alive and confine him in Mugan.

Such a guy was rushing toward Knox now.

The worst cannibal in history opened his mouth toward Knox.

CRACK-

The moment Johnny opened his mouth.

A huge and transparent mouth appeared in front of him.

A giant mouth with a diameter reaching 3 meters.

Transparency so high that it was almost invisible unless one squinted their eyes heavily.

That mouth closed down toward Knox just like that.

And Riman said.

'8 o'clock, three steps.'

Knox quickly stepped back according to Riman's words.

And at that moment.

CRUNCH.

Johnny's mouth closes.

Everything swallowed by that mouth disappeared cleanly as if excised from the world.

The concrete block caught in that bite disappeared by half leaving only a smoothly cut cross-section, and the air equivalent to what entered the mouth also disappeared, creating a temporary vacuum.

This was Johnny's ability, Virtual Oral Cavity (Heosang Gugang).

Ability to project a giant mouth made of mana into the empty air.

That mouth cuts everything it bites with formidable cutting power.

And the scariest point of that mouth.

That it completely annihilates everything swallowed like that.

An annihilation skill whose principle cannot be identified.

A technique guaranteeing complete death.

Therefore, if swallowed by that mouth, it was over at that moment.

Even that virtual oral cavity was transparent.

So seeing and dodging it was also almost impossible.

However, if one possesses extremely keen senses, the story changes.

For example, someone like Riman.

"Crazy, what is that……! Suddenly the rock was cut and disappeared!!"

'Don't get excited. You didn't die.'

"Keuk……!"

'As long as you do as I say, you won't die. 4 o'clock three steps. After that 2 o'clock one step.'

WHOOSH!

The mouth flying in again.

Knox couldn't even see that mouth properly, but he dodged as instructed by Riman for now.

TAP!

4 o'clock direction, three steps.

After that 2 o'clock direction, one ste…….

"That's enough."

FLARE!

Just then, pure white flames poured down from above.