World-Saving is a Skill

Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Once the bulkhead closed, Sung Sihoon tore the metal from the floor as if he had been waiting for that exact moment.

"Oh, the taxpayers' money."

Tearing up the floor that the citizens had earned with their blood and sweat so casually. I wondered what the countless citizens would think if they saw this sight.

Before I could say another word, the massive metal fragments Sung Sihoon had torn away were launched with a vicious whistling sound. Each chunk of metal boasted a size nearly equal to that of a car.

"If my memory serves me right, I believe it was psychokinesis."

Psychokinesis. That was the ability Sung Sihoon used. It was simple, intuitive, powerful, and capable of being applied in various ways.

However, the range in which he could freely use his psychokinesis was limited. At the distance between Sung Sihoon and me, my arm would not suddenly snap in some strange direction. I simply had to avoid approaching the range where he could freely use his psychokinesis.

Or, I could prepare a countermeasure and enter that bastard's territory.

"You may be overconfident after winning the fight against Choi Yeoreum, but from now on, I will show you that this fight is entirely different from such child's play."

It was a story I already knew. In the sparring match with Choi Yeoreum, there was no equipment advantage. The duel with Sung Sihoon, who stood before my eyes now, certainly had different fundamental premises compared to the one with Choi Yeoreum.

"Do you think a high school student can beat a gold-medalist track athlete if they race on the street instead of a race track?"

I didn't know what to say. My heart was truly complicated.

I swung my spear toward the massive metal chunks flying toward me. With a thunderous roar of metal clashing against metal, the flying chunks stopped dead in mid-air and fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

After spinning the spear lightly a few times, I watched him and slowly shifted my steps. I could tell well enough from that attack just now.

"You’re strong."

The power was such that I could not call it weak even if my mouth were torn. Well, even if he was currently unemployed, he was still the representative of a company like Taebaek.

However, the newly completed spear more than satisfied my expectations.

Therefore, the conclusion I reached was simple.

There was no need to be fast. The Paradoxical Flame swirled around the spear. At the same time, Sung Sihoon’s expression stiffened.

"It seems that is the mana pattern of yours that everyone is talking about."

"The government must be busy analyzing it right now, right?"

That was why I told them to come here. They would at least need to know specifically what the Paradoxical Flame I use is so they could even try to prepare a countermeasure.

Go ahead. Try hard to analyze it, create hypotheses, strain yourselves to verify if those hypotheses are correct, gather data, and conduct experiments.

Regardless, this thing crawling up my spear and burning is a monster that lies beyond human understanding.

Sung Sihoon raised both hands with a smooth movement and then crossed them. The ground where he stood was mangled as if it were being put through a blender.

And the small, sharp fragments of steel created in that process rose into the air.

"Die."

"Am I some kind of monster to you?"

Telling me to die right away? Those were harsh words. I told him to raise his left hand if it hurt. I was being quite considerate in my own way, but it seemed that the bastard had no intention of doing the same. The fragments of steel surged toward me, raging like a typhoon.

At a glance, it was a massive vortex of destruction that seemed impossible to block or avoid, letting out a monstrous roar as it devoured the air.

I didn't know if he lacked learning or if all famous, successful hunters were like this.

"I will show you what it means to be beyond the realm of understanding, friend."

Raising my black, burning spear, I charged toward the raging storm of steel. The flickering Paradoxical Flame instantly spread into a vortex.

The burning spear stretched out and pierced the side of the storm that was raging with all its might. It spread out from that spot.

The raging storm lost its driving force. As the storm subsided, the metal fragments that had been swirling on the wind fell to the floor one after another.

"Surely this is not the end."

Sung Sihoon lightly shattered the sound barrier and flew toward me with a sonic boom. His intention was to close the distance and bring me within the territory where his psychokinesis could take effect.

As he approached me, the sharp metal fragments scattered on the floor and the massive metal chunks were clumped together into one, like a meatball.

The metal fragments clumped into a massive mass were squeezed like a wrung towel and instantly took the form of a long skewer. The sharp end of the skewer approached right before my eyes.

"Regardless, this is,"

I reached out one hand and gripped the skewer tightly. While the skewer and I were pushed back together, I twisted my body and avoided it.

He could not follow up. That attack just now was only possible because the tip of the skewer was within the space where Sung Sihoon’s psychokinesis was being exerted.

"Simply,"

Sung Sihoon’s psychokinesis was similar to having thousands of hands capable of exerting immense power within a certain range around him.

He used it to grab things and throw or swing them. To mock it, it was merely that kind of ability.

To think of it seriously, he reached that position with only that ability. His offensive became increasingly fierce. Finally, unable to bear it, I threw out a question.

"Do you plan to tear apart and dismantle the entire underground testing ground? I do not think the Ministry of Defense will be happy."

I was asking this seriously. Sung Sihoon held his hands tightly while floating dozens of massive metal chunks around his body.

I wondered what he wanted to do with those...

"Good heavens."

And I finally witnessed the act that the bastard named Sung Sihoon had been aiming for.

"I've seen all sorts of madmen, but this,"

It was a sight where the floating metal chunks were being split and refined. Screws, armor plates, joints and seams, ropes made by twisting metal threads, and a harpoon attached to the end.

While creating something like that, the bastard didn't stop tearing away all sorts of things from the surroundings, clumping them into fist-sized masses, and throwing them at me.

"Dammit, am I the protagonist in some manga who saw a showering girl's naked body?"

Why was he throwing things like that? The only difference was that the speed of the flying objects was almost similar to that of a bullet fired from a rifle.

Why don't you just go ahead and scream "Kyaaa!" while you're at it?

The speed of the flying masses matched a rifle bullet fired from a rifle, and the rate of fire was at least fifteen per second.

Moment by moment, there were fluctuations in the rate of fire, perhaps because the degree of concentration on whatever he was currently making differed, but at the very least, fifteen were flying at me every second.

"Let's see just how much you can do."

And I had the ability to deflect all of them, and the spear in my hand had excellent durability that would not budge even if I displayed my skills at full power.

"You said it would be different from Choi Yeoreum’s time? Yes, it is indeed different."

The masses the bastard launched were deflected in all directions. And, moment by moment, I was using my knack to return the masses flying at me back toward him.

Of course, even so, the masses I struck back would stop dead as soon as they entered Sung Sihoon’s territory and then fly toward me again.

"Try faster. You can do it, right?"

Sparks flew in all directions. While Sung Sihoon was creating something, I succeeded in arriving right in front of the territory where his power was applied.

"This is where it truly begins."

Sung Sihoon stared at me with wide eyes. I also completely wiped away my mocking smile.

The speed at which Sung Sihoon launched the metal masses at me grew faster. And the speed at which I struck those masses with the spear to return them to Sung Sihoon also grew faster.

To use a somewhat absurd expression, it was like a game of table tennis played with dozens of ping-pong balls.

"Ha."

Was the speed at which Sung Sihoon mobilized mana to launch the metal masses faster? Or was the speed at which I swung the spear to return them to the bastard faster?

"Watch closely. This is what will lead you to defeat..."

Utilizing a brief moment, I placed a single blue trajectory in the air.

And with each blow, I poured in the maximum mana I could mobilize to strengthen my body.

Sung Sihoon also mobilized the maximum mana he could pull up in this short moment to launch the metal masses.

"Now."

And at that moment, I took a step into his territory. However, there was no psychokinesis pressing down on me.

Just blocking the metal masses we were launching at each other was already the limit for Sung Sihoon.

The moment he tried to directly attack me as I entered his territory, one of the metal masses I was striking back would strike his body directly.

And judging by the speed of the exchange we were sharing now, the moment it hit, regardless of where it was, he would die or that part would be completely shattered.

Little by little, I grew closer. However, Sung Sihoon could not retreat. Just moving one step back would make things dangerous.

As the distance between Sung Sihoon and me closed, the speed of the exchange between us had to grow faster, even if only by a fraction of a second. Because the distance was closing.

And after the distance closed? Sung Sihoon stared at the blue trajectory floating near me with bloodshot eyes. He was even bleeding from both nostrils now.

"I told you. That would be your end."

This trajectory would punch a hole in that bastard's body. At that moment, Sung Sihoon said a word as if squeezing it out.

"You aren't... normal either."

That was true. While Sung Sihoon was bleeding from his eyes and nose, I was not in a perfect state either. My overworked muscles, bones, and joints were pleading for mercy. My body was also pushed to the cliff of its limits.

"How about you measure the distance between you and me?"

It was a situation where we had both mobilized everything we could. If Sung Sihoon possessed skills superior to mine, I should naturally be pushed back slowly.

However, right now, we were growing closer and closer. In a fight that unfolded this way, I was stronger. The effort of overhauling my entire nervous system in the past was proving its worth here. I could see sooner and move sooner than Sung Sihoon.

To put it briefly.

I am stronger.

The blue trajectory reached a position where it could strike the bastard.

"Kugh...!"

With a thunderous roar, Sung Sihoon’s body was sent flying backward. And I briefly caught my breath and muttered softly.

"Things aren't going well."

A moment of regret. If I had just a little more time, I could have ended this duel with that.

I immediately regained my focus. If I failed, the duel was not over. If the duel was not over, it was not the time to worry about personal impressions.

"Was it to make that thing that you threw that fit?"

What Sung Sihoon had created by carving and molding the surrounding metal was a massive and heavy set of armor. It was so massive that the word "boarding" the armor suited it better than "wearing" it.

Raising the visor of the helmet, Sung Sihoon smirked at me.

"You're so dead. You can't even imagine what's about to happen..."

"It's an enchantment. You intend to use the ability of the necklace that was hanging around your neck."

The bastard flinched at my words. Did you think I wouldn't know? I can appraise items received as rewards for removing an Erosion Core right on the spot.

"It's almost pathetic to see you believing you succeeded in hiding it. To think you went through all that trouble just to make a tin can like that."

"Shut your mouth. Nothing will change even if you know."

The silver-white armor covering his body was slowly stained blackish-red. Rather than being stained, the blackish-red color was wavering on the armor like a wave.

Mana resistance, durability enhancement, impact absorption. The abilities of all the equipment that had been protecting Sung Sihoon until just now were all transferred to that armor.

Naturally, the effect was several times superior to strengthening a human body made of blood and flesh.

"Now..."

The bastard muttered that and then swung a fist stained in red. I drove my spear into the ground and endured the storm that erupted from the swung fist.

"What a disappointment."

It was a moment when I felt a fresh sense of regret for the blow that had almost succeeded just now. Because of the tin can that bastard had completed, the fight was now scheduled to enter an incredibly annoying stage.