novelraw Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88: Raid (4)
“I see them!”
Looking up, Spike Blue inhaled.
It was a mysterious sight.
Water droplets were forming one by one in the empty air.
Countless dots twinkling with light stamped in the air.
What that meant was only one thing.
That there was ‘a place to form’ something.
Steel wires.
The wall made of invisible steel wires set up by Gonta.
Water droplets forming on them were revealing the existence of the hidden steel wires.
“Did you aim for this?”
Spike Blue's eyes shone as he looked at me.
“Because fountains are placed all over Hero Land.”
We looked at the bursting stream of water.
The water pipe flowing underground had burst, and high-pressure water was surging like a fountain.
Due to the nature of a theme park where decorative fountains are installed in each zone, water pipes are densely connected underground.
Moreover, unlike sewers, water supply pipes always maintain high pressure.
Digging the ground, finding the water channel, and breaking the surface.
Water flowing at high pressure naturally bursts out like an oil field, embroidering the sky.
That was the core of the plan I came up with.
Gonta's ability is strictly to make objects wrapped in his magic power transparent.
It is not an ability to erase existence itself.
So the moment water touches them, water droplets form on them.
The steel wires are still transparent, but water indirectly reveals the invisible boundaries.
Thus, the situation improved slightly.
Because what we were helplessly suffering from while constricted by invisible fear became at least visible.
But watching that scene, Spike Blue let out a low sigh.
“It’s good that they became visible but…… Damn it.”
He was amazed at first.
But not long after, his expression hardened.
His gaze scanned everywhere while fixed upwards.
The trajectory connected by water droplets.
The moment he recognized how many and dense they were, his pupils began to shake.
“In the end, it means that many steel wires are surrounding us.”
His voice trembled.
It was different from before when he despaired at invisible fear.
This time, the fear visible all too clearly brought despair.
Spike Blue had noticed that the situation improved but at the same time hadn't improved at all.
“……No, maybe we can just hold out here?”
He asked me as if he realized something.
A light of hope flashed briefly.
“No matter how much they tighten the steel wires, they won't reach underground. For now, this place is safe, isn't it?”
“No.”
Unfortunately, that hope wasn't something to rely on.
I shook my head immediately.
“Hiding in a tunnel doesn't make us safe. Thinking simply, if the enemies throw something like a bomb, we’ll be hit helplessly. Without anywhere to dodge.”
“……That’s also true.”
Spike Blue lowered his eyes as if convinced.
“Then what do we do.”
He was lost in thought for a moment, then gripped his polearm firmly.
“In the end, we have no choice but to cut as much as possible.”
He inhaled sharply and looked up with resolute eyes.
Steel wires retaining light were swaying between the water streams.
“Still, the situation is better than before. Before, I was swinging at empty air trying to cut invisible things. At least now they are visible, right?”
Then he asked me as if seeking agreement.
Perhaps he needed assurance himself.
But I couldn't give him the answer he wanted.
‘It’s impossible.’
I thought quietly.
I knew without being told.
He was already at his limit.
He endured continuous attacks while the pain of his severed arm hadn't even subsided.
Right now, Spike Blue's body was trembling madly.
Looking at his shaking legs alone, his muscles couldn't hold out anymore.
It seemed to scream that just standing now was tremendous mental strength.
He was literally barely holding on.
I raised my head.
The vertically surging water stream, transparent steel wires cutting between that light and water vapor.
“Spike Blue.”
When I called his name, he looked at me.
“Do not think about cutting the steel wires.”
“What?”
He asked back in surprise.
“What does that mean. If we don't cut those, we stay trapped here. Besides, didn't you just say staying here is dangerous?”
“That’s right.”
I nodded.
“That’s why I am telling you. ‘You’ don't need to cut them.”
“……What did you say?”
“You wield wind attribute magic power, right? I think I saw it in the AOH description section.”
“Right. What about it.”
To him who couldn't grasp the point, I continued speaking quickly.
“If you happen to have any strength left.”
I looked at Spike Blue's figure.
The blue combat uniform was already torn in places, and his right arm was cleanly severed.
Rough breathing and collapsing posture.
Literally a situation where only the last bit of strength remained.
What mattered now was where to use that strength.
“Please scatter the water as much as possible. All over the surroundings. As wide as possible.”
I simply asked him.
Then Spike Blue furrowed his brow and opened his mouth.
“You, surely…….”
Spike Blue's expression sank in an instant.
He looked at me quietly with his mouth shut for a moment, then spat out in a low voice.
“Are you saying you will cut them all?”
At his question, I nodded.
“That’s impossible.”
Spike Blue's voice cracked.
“Just looking at what's revealed now, they are so dense, how are you going to cut them all alone? I’d rather push myself a little more…….”
“You know yourself that you’ve already pushed yourself way too much.”
I cut him off immediately.
Spike Blue shut his mouth tightly as if at a loss for words and looked down at his body.
His whole body was trembling like an aspen tree.
The muscles of his remaining left arm twitched irregularly, and one eye was almost closed due to burst blood.
Spike Blue himself knew.
That even standing right now was a miracle.
Spike Blue looked alternately at his body and me.
He didn't say anything for a while.
‘It’s natural that he can't trust me.’
It was understandable.
I understood Spike Blue's worry and anxiety.
I have no magic power nor name value.
To his eyes, I was just one cadet he had to protect.
An immature kid who mistakenly thinks he can do anything with just one sword in hand.
I would look like nothing but that.
But there was no time to delay.
Because dragging on was no different from giving the opponent a chance to unfold a new move.
“If we delay any longer, the opponent will find a countermeasure too. Quickly! Don't dawdle!”
I raised my voice.
There is no other way.
Also, now was not the time to doubt.
The message I conveyed was powerful.
Instantly, Spike Blue opened his eyes wide.
Soon, gritting his teeth, he shouted as if squeezing out the strength of his whole body.
“Damn it! Alright! Let’s do this!”
A refreshing shout.
Yeah, you should be like this.
Spike Blue raised his polearm high.
Hwiing—!
As he took a stance with his upper body crouched, a residual wind began to rise around his feet.
At first, it was nothing more than a fine breeze.
But soon that wind gained strength.
Swish, swik—!
Air swirled.
Stone dust and water droplets flew up together, blurring the vision for a moment.
From his toes to his waist, shoulders, wind whirled along Spike Blue's body.
Air currents combined, gradually taking shape.
A huge circle was drawn.
Soon the air roared.
Paaang—!
A strong gust burst out.
The surging water stream drew a circle and scattered into the air all at once.
Water droplets glistening in the sunlight scattered within the whirlwind, and those droplets were cast in all directions.
And ‘those things’ revealed themselves.
At first, it was faint.
But as the water spread everywhere, the outlines became clear before long.
Transparent lines cutting through the empty air.
Amidst the scattering of light created by water droplets, everything was reflected in the eyes.
The world twisted beautifully for a moment.
The air was dyed with a delicate net.
Everything hidden twinkled, retaining light and water.
Countless steel wires stretching and connecting like leaf veins of a zelkova tree.
Hundreds, thousands of strands of steel wires crossed the empty air.
It wasn't just steel wires that were revealed.
Invisible ‘pillars’ also existed.
Likewise, wrapped in Gonta's magic power and strengthened, they were firmly supporting the steel wires.
“So it was like this.”
Watching that scene, Spike Blue muttered.
Gradually the wind subsided, and water droplets remaining in the air fell slowly.
And in that fleeting moment, everything was revealed.
The form of this space.
The outlines of the transparent trap set by the enemy.
Thud—
Spike Blue collapsed.
It was clear he had exhausted all his strength.
“…….”
His eyes trembled slightly.
Looking at me with gradually closing eyes, he opened his mouth.
“……I trust you. Junior.”
The solid will conveyed.
I held the tips of my gloves and took them off slowly.
The gloves suppressing the curse strangely suppressed the energy flowing in my body.
And the moment I took them off.
A strange sensation crept up from my whole body.
An insanely itchy feeling like ants crawling under the skin.
Soon, hot energy flowing along the veins filled up to below my neck.
I inhaled. My whole body vibrated.
The suppressed ‘Pain’ swirled inside my body as if it had been waiting.
Energy seeping into the bones.
An unpleasant yet strangely cool sensation covered my body.
Like that, I slowly raised my head.
Kicking off the underground wall, I jumped up and set foot on the ground.
Dust, smell of iron, and scent of water cut through the dim air and seeped into my lungs.
And at that moment.
‘Gonta.’
Beyond the empty air filled with glittering steel wires, the guy's eyes were looking at me.
Long slit eyes.
A gaze full of malice.
The guy raised his hand.
Water droplets in the air vibrated.
Swiiiik—!
A sharp friction sound like iron rubbing.
Immediately after, the steel wires filling all directions began to wriggle.
Waves fluctuating in the empty air, flashing lights cutting through the air.
The guy started attacking.
Steel wires spread around flocked to tighten around me.
Cheolgeok.
I gripped the sword handle.
Invisible things cannot be cut correctly.
Cutting is a fundamental interaction between the sword and the world.
Cutting is ultimately an act proving that it existed in this world.
The steel wires spread in my vision became clear one by one.
Reflected light connected like a path between water droplets.
The structure of the net surrounding the vicinity was vivid in my mind.
It existed.
Also, I perceived it.
Therefore, I can cut it.
Energy inside my body fluctuated.
Muscles trembled minutely and nerves flashed like sparks.
I grabbed the rough energy flowing willfully inside my body and gathered it in my dantian.
‘What’s needed now is speed.’
At the moment I bloomed my will, a tingling sensation brushed under my skin.
[Pain: Electric Shock]
[Electric Shock: Converted to pain of current.]
Lightning ran along the nerves and every single muscle tightened tautly.
Thump, thump—
My heart beat violently and my whole body began to vibrate fiercely.
Violent pain bit me and at the same time awakened me.
Soon the surrounding scenery gradually calmed down.
Water droplets flowed slowly over the air.
Wind, sound, all settled calmly.
Only my body was flowing fiercely like an upstream current.
I lowered the sword tip and looked at the steel wires cast over my head.
Light twinkled and at that moment I understood.
It was a familiar sensation.
Target drones that filled the empty air during specialty training.
Then and now were the same.
‘Just cut the targets.’
The hand holding the sword moved on its own.
Seuseuk—!
The first strike burst out cutting the empty air.
Trajectories of light scattered.
Then the second, the third.
Peojik— Paaang—!
Steel wires in the air snapped in unison.
Water droplets scattered, blocking the view.
The net filling the empty air was torn away.
Air and water mixed and burst out like a storm.
Everything spread as scattered light.
At some point, all sound disappeared.
Only the reverberation of severed metal wires filled the air.
I stood still with the sword tip raised.
It was quiet.
The world began to flow at normal speed again.
Falling water droplets touched the ground one by one.
And beyond that, Gonta stood.
The guy's pupils dilated to the fullest.
Trembling spreading under the mask was distinct.
Deeply cast silence.
Gonta's eyes trembled minutely.
“How did that bastard……?”
A voice flowing out quietly.
At the end of that gaze, I slowly lowered my sword.
A single water droplet rolled down from the tip of the sword.