novelraw Chapter 52 : Chapter 52
Chapter 52 : Chapter 52
Chapter 52. The Prodigal Son (8)
Hearing Riman’s sneer, Ha Do-yeol raised his voice once again.
“You bastard……!”
But while he was angry in his heart, his brain coldly ran calculations.
‘I don't know what method he's using, but he’s blatantly ignoring my long-range heating.’
However, no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out why his long-range heating wasn't working.
The reason why heating didn't work on Riman was simple.
“Shahaaaa…….”
It was exactly thanks to Saya wrapped around his body.
One of Saya’s abilities, ‘Climate Manipulation.’
Manipulating the climate starts with controlling the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere.
What's important here is ‘temperature.’
Saya could seize control of and manipulate the temperature of a certain area around him.
From intense heat to bitter cold.
Of course, he couldn't raise or lower the temperature indefinitely yet.
But he could ‘fix’ the temperature of a certain area to a specific temperature.
That was what Saya was doing right now.
Fixing the temperature of the area within a 1-meter radius centered on Riman to 20 degrees Celsius.
As a result, Ha Do-yeol’s long-range heating could have no effect on Riman.
Even if he projected high heat onto Riman using the atmosphere as a medium, the temperature around Riman was fixed at 20 degrees Celsius.
In other words, the heat itself couldn't reach Riman.
Therefore, no matter how much he glared and heated, he couldn't singe even a single hair of Riman.
Of course, this method wasn't completely versatile either.
What could be protected by this method was just about Riman alone.
He couldn't cover an ability that applies heat of hundreds of degrees Celsius or more at once over a wide area.
But the current situation was one-on-one anyway.
Since there was no need to fight while protecting other people, it wasn't a problem.
Anyway, with this, Ha Do-yeol’s long-range heating attack was sealed.
The defense against the trickiest attack was completed like this.
‘I don't know the reason, but my gaze doesn't work on that guy.’
Ha Do-yeol still hadn't figured out Riman’s defense measure.
But he wasn't so tactless as to miss the timing by obsessing over something he couldn't figure out.
If unknown, pass.
Combining the information visible right in front of him, Ha Do-yeol’s side also devised countermeasures.
‘First, looking at the electric bullet he just fired, he is a guy with long-range techniques.’
On the other hand……
‘His physical level is poor just by looking at it.’
Actually, Riman’s body strength or muscular power was at a quite weak level.
Then-
‘I must force close combat.’
Ha Do-yeol still had cards left.
Once he gets close and touches him even with a fingertip, he could kill him instantly unconditionally.
Whish……!
Ha Do-yeol spread the heat inside his body to the fullest and pulled up his doping level to the maximum.
Dash-
And immediately the next moment, his figure disappeared.
High-speed movement.
Compared to pure speed-type ability users, it was slow, but it was fast enough that ordinary eyes couldn't track it.
But Riman was also a monster of senses.
Not to mention the sense of perceiving and manipulating mana, even the precision of his five senses was at its peak.
Therefore, he sees it.
Ha Do-yeol’s movement, the trajectory of his sprint.
From which direction, in what posture he strikes in.
Everything is perceived.
If perceived, the next step is response.
Riman unfolded a barrier.
[Protection]
Crash!!
Ha Do-yeol was surprised inwardly while striking Riman’s barrier with his bare hand.
‘A barrier?!’
Making the ground soar, firing electric bullets, and on top of that, even a barrier.
Seeing abilities with absolutely no consistency popping out consecutively from one person, Ha Do-yeol was confused.
‘What is this guy doing?!’
But Ha Do-yeol wasn't stupid enough to stop the attack just because he was surprised.
He pushed the hand touching the barrier forward as is.
It wasn't a simple bare hand, but a hand with high heat concentrated on the fingertips.
The heat transmitted from there was sufficient to melt and tear Riman’s barrier.
Sizzle……!
The surface of the barrier peeled off, and the guy's fingertips started to dig into the inside of the barrier.
If left alone, a breakthrough was inevitable.
Therefore, Riman had no intention of letting Ha Do-yeol dig in.
Turn off the barrier.
Simultaneously, without leaving any time gap, spew out the next magic immediately.
[Discharge]
Remove directivity, and transform the range to all directions.
Zap!
A large amount of black electricity burst out centering on Riman.
Ha Do-yeol quickly took his hand off the barrier and widened the distance.
However, the distance widened wasn't that far.
Just enough to barely dodge [Discharge], but a distance where he could strike in within one step if he put his mind to it.
An exquisite gap.
And this gap itself represented Ha Do-yeol’s considerable combat sense.
‘Annoying, that barrier.’
It was certain that he couldn't even touch him with a fingertip if he didn't do something about that intangible barrier.
Ha Do-yeol thought while concentrating mana on his fingertips.
‘I’ll go in a single blow.’
More mana than earlier, higher temperature.
That he could tear the barrier itself was confirmed by the attack just now.
Then this time, increase the output, and break through the barrier at once.
Anyway-
‘If I just touch him, I win.’
Dash!
The body that was leaning backward due to evasive maneuver sprinted forward again as if bouncing.
The gap narrows in an instant.
And even at that moment, Riman just stood still on that spot.
Without taking any movement.
Seeing that appearance, Ha Do-yeol snorted inwardly.
‘He’s taking it easy trusting only the barrier.’
Unfortunately, you will die because of that composure.
Whoosh!
The moment Riman entered his attack range.
Ha Do-yeol swung his arm with all his might.
A chain of rotation connecting from waist to shoulder, shoulder to fingertip.
The body strengthened by heat doping completed that continuous motion as if flowing water.
Rotation adds speed, and acceleration adds destructive power.
On top of that, heating became more intense than earlier.
‘I’ll pierce it.’
The touch of instant death that kills just by touching flew toward Riman once again.
However-
‘Huh?’
Swish-
This time there was nothing blocking his hand.
There was no barrier.
Riman hadn't turned on the barrier this time.
A situation where there was no obstacle to block Ha Do-yeol’s strike.
Ha Do-yeol cheered inwardly.
An opponent with a naked body without even a barrier.
If I boil all the body fluids in his whole body and kill him like this……
Slide-
“Uh?!”
Just before his touch reached.
Riman turned his body half a turn and dodged his attack.
Evasion achieved with minimal movement at the precise moment.
‘Kuh……!’
Ha Do-yeol’s body stumbled forward greatly.
Because he moved faster and stronger, the recoil when the attack missed was also big.
And this situation was induced by Riman.
First, he showed that the attack was blocked by the barrier at the beginning.
By doing so, he planted the thought in the opponent that ‘to break the barrier, I must attack stronger.’
Therefore, Ha Do-yeol dug in stronger.
The second attack that flew in like that was lightly dodged.
By doing so, he made the guy's body stumble greatly.
He induced the opponent to reveal a gap himself.
At that moment when Ha Do-yeol’s posture collapsed for a moment.
Riman stuck in the trump card he had prepared.
Thuck.
Something long and sharp popped out and pierced Ha Do-yeol’s abdomen.
A blade suddenly appeared from Riman’s hand.
It was the Caterpillar Sword.
A switchblade capable of storing the blade inside the handle.
Since it didn't look like a knife at all with the blade stored, Ha Do-yeol was off guard.
“This fuck……!!”
Ha Do-yeol quickly backed away and widened the gap.
A much farther distance than earlier.
That gap represented his fear toward Riman.
“Gah……!”
The blade had pierced through the belly skin and popped out through the back skin.
A fatal wound.
But even in that severe pain of the peritoneum being pierced, his head spun coldly.
‘After pulling it out, I will staunch the wound with heat.’
Usually, when stabbed by a knife, one shouldn't rashly pull out the knife.
Because it leads to excessive bleeding immediately.
But if hemostasis treatment is possible as soon as it is pulled out, the story is different.
Ha Do-yeol grabbed the knife handle.
And at that moment when he was about to pull out the knife.
“No, keep it in.”
Black electric light flashed at Riman’s fingertips.
Zap!
The electricity extending from Riman’s hand struck Ha Do-yeol’s abdomen as is.
To be exact, it hit directly on the knife stuck in his belly.
“Kuh……!”
Ha Do-yeol stopped moving while clutching his belly as is.
Pain as if all the muscles in his body were crumpling assaulted him.
Riman said.
“From now on, all the current I flow will flow entirely into you.”
“……!”
“The knife stuck in your belly, I made that into my exclusive lightning rod.”
“W-What……!”
Before entering combat.
Riman had finished magical settings on the Caterpillar Sword in advance.
[Lightning Imprint]
If an imprint is engraved on an object through the relevant magic, all electric magic generated by Riman flies toward the place where that imprint is engraved.
In other words, magic that makes a specific object a limited lightning rod.
As long as this was stuck, there was no way to escape from Riman’s electricity.
Riman said.
“As you also know, you are a very tricky opponent.”
The range of ability is wide, has an instant death skill, and on top of that, close combat physique is good.
To hunt a guy like this, he shouldn't simply suppress him with force.
Because if he clumsily clashed strength against strength and even got grazed, Riman himself would die.
So through a precise strategy, he drove him into a situation where the guy had no choice but to die certainly.
Like this.
[Discharge]
The electricity flowing from Riman’s fingertips was guided directly to Ha Do-yeol.
Zap!
“Argh……!”
“Now, whatever you do, you cannot escape from my attacks.”
“You……!”
Pew-pew!
Riman shot [Electric Bullet]s up over his head.
Five electric spheres flew toward the ceiling.
They suddenly changed direction sharply and plunged down onto Ha Do-yeol.
Bang-bang-bang!!
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Thrilling, isn't it?”
“This son of a bitch……!”
Ha Do-yeol scraped up all the energy remaining at the bottom of his body with doping.
Moved his legs with that.
And started running toward Riman.
‘Just one hit……!’
Just one hit, with just one hit, I can kill that guy.
It doesn't matter if my body becomes a wreck.
That guy, just that guy alone……
‘I’ll kill him.’
1 step, 2 steps, 3 steps.
Those precious steps, he consumed not for escape but for assault.
It was truly tenacity worthy of praise.
If only the guy weren't a heinous criminal of the century.
And Riman sensed intuitively that the time to end it had come.
Crackle-
Electricity of thick concentration flows out from the palm.
The scattered electricity soon focuses into the shape of a long spear and takes form.
[Lightning Spear]
Riman let go of the spear of electricity he was holding.
Whish!
The spear that left the hand flew toward Ha Do-yeol in an instant.
The spear of lightning pierced his belly.
Zap!!
The moment the lightning hit.
Ha Do-yeol’s steps also stopped.
The crackling electricity cleared, and his upper body burnt black was revealed.
The heartbeat stopped with that.
But even until that moment, his fingertips were pointing toward Riman.
Looking at Ha Do-yeol who died standing, Riman muttered.
“…Tenacious bastard.”
Riman took out his phone.
And after photographing and scanning Ha Do-yeol, he collected blood and transmitted the information.
A moment later, the bounty was deposited into Riman’s account.
For reference, Ha Do-yeol’s bounty was 250 million Credits.
However, what entered Riman’s account was 5 percent of that, 12.5 million.
“Stingy, stingy, really.”
Or not.
Is it correct to say the price of freedom is expensive?
“Well anyway, this hunt also ends like th…….”
“Shahaaaaaa!!”
“Eh?!”
At that moment, Saya tightened around Riman’s body sharply with a shrill sound.