I Became the Final Boss in the Game

Chapter 88 : Chapter 88

Chapter 88 World of Art (8)

The moment Riman stepped onto the iron plate.

A triumphant smile appeared on Francis's lips.

'That stupid bastard...!'

High-voltage electricity was flowing through that iron plate.

Yet he voluntarily stepped onto it, so Francis could only be grateful.

Like that, Riman climbed onto the iron plate.

ZZZT!

Sparks flew as soon as Riman stepped on it.

However, at that moment.

HMMMM-

After seizing the flow of that power with his mana, Riman began to encroach upon it with his own mana.

The technique he had demonstrated several times on the first floor.

Magic that projects one's own mana into external matter and energy to make it one's own.

Seizure.

CRACKLE...!

The current flowing through the iron plate soon flowed into Riman's grasp and began to coalesce into pitch-black electricity.

Seeing that, Francis intuitively felt that something was going wrong.

The opponent definitely stepped on the high-voltage current platform.

Yet far from being electrocuted, he was pulling that power and manipulating it at will.

"This bastard...!"

Of course, regardless of her reaction.

A spell had already been completed within Riman's grasp.

[Lightning Net]

From Riman's outstretched fingertips, a net of electricity split into dozens of strands burst out.

And that net covered the Death Puppet as it was.

ZZZT!

The electricity began to sear the Death Puppet's entire body.

[Lightning Net], it was a spell that spread multiple strands of electricity over a wide area to attack numerous enemies.

However, in exchange for gaining a wide range, the lethality itself wasn't that great.

So usually, it was magic used as a wide-area paralysis skill.

But it was different for the Death Puppet.

Due to its unique massive size, all the damage of the Lightning Net, which would normally be dispersed among many, was focused entirely on that one Death Puppet.

On top of that, Riman was currently standing on a platform flowing with high-voltage electricity.

Energy was being continuously supplied.

Like that, the net of black lightning seared the Death Puppet's entire body without hesitation.

SIZZLE!

"Grrrrk......!"

The Death Puppet twisted its whole body and helplessly shriveled up.

Using [Lightning Net] to suppress the bastard was a good move.

Because he could completely stop the Death Puppet's movement and simultaneously accumulate continuous damage.

The electricity constantly seared the Death Puppet's body, and the bastard's body slowly stopped moving.

But this alone wouldn't end it.

A core exists within the Death Puppet's body.

It is the key center responsible for the Death Puppet's regeneration and operation.

Unless that core is destroyed, the Death Puppet cannot be completely stopped.

Ultimately, a situation where he had to figure out the location of the core and destroy it.

Riman quietly stared at the Death Puppet's movements.

The bastard's body, which had been convulsing, was slowly coming to a halt.

Riman closely examined from which part the movement stopped.

Because the further away a part was from the core, the faster its movement ceased.

Tracing the bastard's movements like that, it wasn't difficult to pinpoint the location of the core.

'Found it.'

The location of the core was above the bastard's solar plexus.

Riman concentrated the Lightning Net, which had been spread wide, into one spot in an instant.

The moment the current that had been flowing widely gathered sharply to a single point.

SNAP!

The concentrated electricity instantly dug into the core and smashed it.

It was the end.

Regeneration was cut off, and the command system was shattered.

This giant corpse doll, having lost both its power and objective, finally stopped operating.

SSSS...-

The black lines that had been binding the corpses disappeared as if evaporating.

As the lines snapped, the corpses bound to them also collapsed.

The giant's form soon broke apart and scattered into dozens of bodies and hundreds of severed parts.

Ending the long insult, the dead finally returned to a proper death.

The only one feeling misfortune at this moment was Francis.

"No...!"

Francis's skin, which was already pale, turned even paler.

It was understandable since her trump card for battle was smashed right before her eyes.

"You... what the hell are you...!"

Francis stepped back little by little.

Riman approached such Francis bit by bit.

"I'm a Headhunter."

"What?"

"If you went around cutting off other people's heads, you should have been prepared to have your own head cut off too."

"This damn...!"

WHOOSH!

At that moment, a dozen tentacles burst out from the back of Francis's head.

These tentacles were an application of thoughtography.

A technique of extending and manifesting one's concept into reality, then pouring mana into it to grant physical force.

Francis extended these tentacles in all directions.

But the direction those tentacles headed was not toward Riman.

It was the surroundings.

CRASH, BANG!!

Francis began to make a mess of the studio.

She indiscriminately knocked down tall shelves and toppled furniture.

Shelves high enough to touch the ceiling began to collapse one after another like dominoes.

On top of that, the junk and human corpses that had been on the shelves poured down like a tide.

RUMBLE!

The things that poured down piled up as they were and became a barricade.

In other words, Francis had no intention of beating Riman from the start.

Her only goal was to delay Riman's advance somehow and then flee.

And that strategy hit the mark.

"Tsk...!"

Riman struck away and blocked the pouring and surging things with his barrier.

In fact, someone of Riman's level could break through this degree of obstruction anytime.

But to protect Woo Yeong-tae behind his back, he couldn't move carelessly.

Because if buried under a falling shelf, an ordinary person like Woo Yeong-tae would die instantly.

Riman said to Woo Yeong-tae.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes? Ah, yes."

Riman aimed his fingertip at the collar fastened around the guy's neck.

[Incision]

SNIP.

After cutting off the collar and the restraints on his hands and feet like that, he said.

"Wait here for now."

"Where are you going......?"

"I have to catch Francis. If I lose her here, there's no answer."

Because if he lost her now, she would probably hide deeper.

He had to catch her within tonight by any means necessary.

Riman emitted a shockwave from the back of his boots.

WHOOSH!

Riman disappeared from Woo Yeong-tae's sight.

* * *

"Huff, huff......!"

Francis was running while gasping for breath.

The place she was running was the rooftop of the building next to the studio.

She was jumping between buildings using her tentacles like wires.

The reason for fleeing over buildings instead of the road was simple.

Because if she fled along the road, her route could be predicted.

On the other hand, if she ignored the roads and ran over buildings, it was difficult for the pursuer to predict her route.

Thinking she had gotten far enough away, she hid behind a rooftop air conditioner unit and caught her breath.

'Just what is that bastard doing?'

The Death Puppet she made just a moment ago was truly a masterpiece among masterpieces.

Although it was just a prediction, its specs were probably enough to fully engage even a Mage in battle.

Yet to be destroyed by a single electric strike.

'...There's an expert of that level among Headhunters?'

Furthermore, he didn't just destroy the Death Puppet.

The fact that he came up to the floor where the studio was located meant he had wiped out even the security forces on the first floor.

He was an expert whose level was already far beyond the average.

'...This won't do.'

Francis took out her phone.

And made a call somewhere.

"...Yes, Mayor. It's Francis."

To her patron, she requested.

"...Please help me."

A request for reinforcements.

Francis explained the current situation and transmitted her location information.

Simultaneously with her request being received, the private soldiers under the city government began to move.

'...This should do it. When the reinforcements arrive, I'll immediately take an aerobile with them and leave this place.'

When her thoughts reached this point, Francis suddenly felt rage surging.

Not only did she lose her studio, but she also ended up miserably running away with her tail between her legs.

'...Once I succeed in escaping, I should kill about 10 people.'

Without even needing to make them into paintings, I should just catch and kill them.

Because otherwise, I don't think I can relieve this anger.

Just then, while she was hiding in a secluded spot waiting for a chance to escape.

"Are you there, Francis?"

Riman's voice was heard from a distance.

Francis felt goosebumps rising all along her spine.

'Damn it, how did he find this place...?!'

Francis did not respond to Riman's call.

Instead, she just stayed quiet, holding her breath.

'Pass by, you bastard. Just pass by...!'

However, Riman did not move according to her expectations.

"I can see you behind that air conditioner unit. Come out, you punk."

"......!"

Since the situation turned out like this, she couldn't hide any longer.

Francis raised her body from the shadow of the air conditioner unit.

Under the night sky with a half-moon.

At the moment when the hunter and the prey finally faced each other alone.

Riman spoke.

"Found you."

"How much were you promised for killing me?"

"What?"

Francis immediately attempted to negotiate with Riman.

It was for two reasons.

First, reinforcements from the city government were currently on their way.

Delaying time was a favorable situation for Francis.

And second, because she didn't think she could win even if she fought.

'Of course, if I use , I would have a chance of winning too, but......'

However, the timing was quite ambiguous to use that Magic Tool.

So she tried to delay the situation with conversation first.

Francis continued speaking.

"I'll give you my paintings. Two pieces. Just putting one of these up for auction will earn you several times the bounty on my head. let's end this with that."

"I refuse."

"You aren't doing this for money?"

Nope.

Even if I hunt you guys, I only get 5% of the bounty, so would money be my goal?

And especially, the reason I'm trying to catch you is......

"Because it's disgusting."

"Disgusting? Right, I understand. In the eyes of an ordinary person, my art utilizing people might look like that. You might question whether it is right to pay such sacrifices for art. But in the Middle Ages, to obtain purple dye, the sea......"

"I know what logic you're trying to unfold. Just as we kill cows and pigs to fill our hunger, you merely kill humans to satisfy your artistic soul."

"......?"

Francis's eyes narrowed as she looked at Riman.

"...What is this, why do you know so well?"

"Of course, your logic is all bullshit. It's wrong from the premise to the argument. No matter how noble the purpose, using another person's life as a means can absolutely never be justified."

"Here comes the ethics professor."

"But I won't refute it like that."

"What?"

"Honestly, I'm also on the side of making a living off other people's lives. Even if I bring up human rights or ethics, it's not persuasive. Don't you think so too?"

"That's... true......?"

Just what is that bastard trying to say?

At the moment that thought crossed Francis's mind.

Riman spoke.

"So, just for this moment, I decided to follow your beliefs too."

"What......?!"

"You view others as livestock for art, right? I intend to view you that way too."

"......?"

"You are livestock for my game."

HMMMM-

The surrounding mana began to be sucked into Riman.

"Try running away. I will just enjoy this hunt as a game."

"You...!"

"Experience it for yourself."

What happens when your beliefs fall into someone else's hands.

How it feels when you become a victim of those beliefs.

[Electric Bullet] 7-shot burst.

ZZZZT!!

Black electric bullets exploded upon Francis.