Chapter 6: Out with the Defense.
As everyone watched Lisa pouring out crimson flames, they felt a shiver run down their spines.
Kuquaaah!
“Wow.”
Especially Satoshi, who was so astonished he couldn’t help but keep exclaiming in awe, nearly spilling his thoughts out loud.
‘What the…? Is this some kind of crematorium incinerator…?’
Just as Satoshi thought, the flames she unleashed instantly turned the numerous corpses and bloodstains in the corridor to ash.
“That person is human, right?”
Satoshi, who had approached Gang-ho by now, muttered as if to himself.
Although he wasn’t expecting an answer, Gang-ho responded anyway.
“You could have hidden too.”
“… But.”
He understood what Satoshi meant, but he couldn’t agree that it was the same ability.
Compared to what Lisa was demonstrating now, Satoshi’s stealth was akin to child’s play.
‘I might have been surprised by my ability too, but this is just too far-fetched, isn’t it?’
It was an unreal yet vivid and unbelievable spectacle.
Just as Lisa described the Energy Core, she truly looked like a sorceress from a fantasy movie or manga.
As Satoshi stared in rapt attention, he finally found a fitting metaphor for the dissonance he felt.
‘Is it like sailing a small boat in the ocean and encountering a gigantic sperm whale?’
While Satoshi pondered such thoughts, Gang-ho’s feelings were not much different from his.
‘Seeing it in person is even more impressive. It’s definitely a different ability from mine.’
Experiencing the capability in reality was entirely different from reading about it in the status window.
By the way, how did she learn to perfectly wield that ability right after acquiring it?
Is it because she’s a genius?
While he was lost in such thoughts, the crazy giant steadily approached, breaking through the overwhelming thermal wave.
Kuwoong. Kung.
Of course, the giant wasn’t completely unharmed.
Its skin was reddened and roasted like meat, and its finger joints were squished like a mitt.
That was even more terrifying.
Before they knew it, the giant had closed the gap to a certain distance.
Whether it was within its attack range or not, it roared, engulfed in flames, and lunged at Lisa in an instant.
“Kraaak!”
In reality, while Satoshi was merely admiring, Gang-ho had already assessed Lisa’s condition.
‘She’s exhausted.’
He had been keenly observing since the moment she gritted her teeth.
Her arms were beginning to tremble, and alongside that change, the power of the flames visibly weakened.
‘So she’s using her first acquired ability well, but it seems comprehension has its limits.’
She probably confirmed the changes happening to her in various ways.
It seemed she had already recognized and adapted the few phenomena and patterns she became aware of into usable techniques.
‘She’s a genius, so that’s only expected.’
Yet that was merely theoretical; the real world operates under entirely different rules.
Lisa likely wasn’t ignorant of that.
Science involves forming theories and conducting experiments to validate and implement them.
However, she simply didn’t have the time for that.
As a result, Lisa was unaware of the giant’s defensive capabilities and the total sum of force she could wield.
For someone who had only studied all her life, it was only natural she wouldn’t have such finesse.
In fact, her level of performance was still quite impressive.
“Stop! Cease the flames!”
As Gang-ho shouted, he immediately set up a high-density barrier in a hemispherical form to shield Lisa.
Seeing his dependable back, Lisa timidly wobbled and nearly collapsed.
Wobble.
Han Gang-ho lifted his left hand to increase the barrier’s density while extending his right to support the collapsing Lisa’s waist.
Thud.
“Hah, hah.”
With rough breaths, Lisa’s face, now soaked in sweat, was nestled against Gang-ho.
“……”
Despite the dire situation, Gang-ho briefly felt flustered.
With Lisa’s moist face and her trembling eyelashes, combined with the hushed breaths near him, things were getting a bit overwhelming.
That wasn’t all.
The heavy and soft weight on his arm made the back of his neck ache terribly.
Be it good luck or ill, a sudden surge of intense shock blew away his stray thoughts.
Kuwoong!
“Ugh.”
They managed to hold off the immediate charge, but the strength was far beyond what he anticipated, pushing Gang-ho back.
He instinctively frowned.
Not just the strength, but the sight of the giant beyond the transparent force field was downright atrocious.
Thanks to Lisa’s flame attack, the giant’s face was completely mangled; its eyes, nose, and mouth were unrecognizable.
‘How does it have such power in that state… It’s truly a monster.’
Gang-ho briefly hesitated.
He needed to lower the barrier to find an opportunity for attack, but that could lead to the giant’s club smashing his head in first.
However, he couldn’t just hold his ground endlessly.
Grrrr.rrr.
The creature was not just strong.
For some reason, his barrier started to thin out.
Gang-ho looked to Lisa and said,
“Can you move now?”
Lisa, still relying on his arm, managed to nod with great effort.
“Stay as far back as possible.”
As Lisa distanced herself from Gang-ho’s hold, he clenched the right fist that had been holding her.
The familiar, small lightning began to flicker vigorously.
Zzap.
Pzzzt.
They needed to synchronize the plasma explosion with the moment the barrier dropped.
Yet this would inflict some damage on their side too, which felt rather risky.
‘Still, out with the defense.’
It was, in a sense, an all-or-nothing gamble.
Right then,
“Kuhaaaagh!”
The giant unexpectedly screamed, and its balance faltered slightly.
Gang-ho quickly realized the reason.
Swish.
He sensed the unusual movement of a shadow behind the giant.
‘Satoshi!’
Now that he thought about it, blood was spreading from the giant’s ankle.
While Gang-ho and the giant were in a power struggle, Satoshi must have positioned himself behind the enemy in a perfect stealth.
The giant belatedly recognized the adversary behind him and swung its metal club over, scraping the ground.
Clank clank clang!
Sparks flew on the ground, and in that moment, Satoshi’s stealth dropped, causing him to roll away.
“Ugh.”
Fortunately, he was safe.
In his hand was a dagger emanating dark red smoke.
It looked unfamiliar but didn’t seem ordinary.
He must have sliced the giant’s ankle with that dagger.
Gang-ho shook off the many questions flooding his mind and quickly lowered the barrier.
Satoshi created the precious moment he had been longing for.
He couldn’t afford to miss such an opportunity, and by now electricity swirled around Gang-ho’s forearm.
Kwaaaah!
He swung his fist with all his might.
Swish!
Pzzzt pzzzt pzzzt!
Gang-ho’s fist didn’t hit the giant.
He realized that some kind of rebound force was being produced from the monster’s body.
It seemed to be the reason why the barrier’s density quickly dispersed as well.
However, Gang-ho’s plasma was not physical force.
The high-concentration ion molecules wrapped around his arm rapidly diffused friction energy into the surrounding air.
‘Lightning.’
Small static electricity rapidly concentrated at a contact point, leading to a tremendous explosion in the confined space between the giant’s solar plexus and Gang-ho’s fist.
Kwaaaaah!
Bam! Crack!
“Craaaah!”
Finally, the ragged golem-like giant fell to the ground, letting out a long scream.
Thud.
One knee crashed to the floor, followed quickly by the other.
Its body lurched forward as both hands braced against the ground.
Thud. Thud.
Rumble.
Gang-ho stepped closer to the giant, which was making a sound like boiling blood as it quaked.
A blue electric wave enveloped his hand, extending outward like a lightsaber.
Vroooom.
Without a second of hesitation, he struck down the neck of the ragged golem.
Swish.
Thud.
As the giant’s head fell and moments passed, it scattered into dust just like the other zombies.
And in its stead lay a deep green Energy Core.
‘The size is the same, but the color is darker.’
It felt like the value he would gain might be different.
Just then, Satoshi, who had been further away, approached.
“Earlier, I thought it seemed like Dr. Lisa had received a vitamin injection or something…”
Gang-ho exchanged no words as he looked from Satoshi to Lisa.
‘Would it be better to give this to them than to keep it for myself?’
While he pondered, Lisa was still heavily breathing.
It seemed the energy she consumed using her ability was quite substantial.
If that was the case, giving the Energy Core to Lisa seemed like the right choice.
‘Since he mentioned it first, maybe Satoshi is feeling somewhat greedy too.’
Thinking he should ask Satoshi for his agreement, he turned to him.
However, Satoshi wasn’t looking at the Energy Core.
‘… I need to change Lisa’s shirt.’
He suddenly noticed that all of Lisa’s shirt buttons had burst.
And there, the ample fullness, clad tightly in her underwear, was quite evident.
Feeling Gang-ho’s gaze, Satoshi startled, bowing his head low as if he hadn’t seen anything wrong.
“I’m sorry!”
Gang-ho couldn’t understand why he was apologizing, but decided to take the opportunity that arose from it.
“If you’re sorry, how about letting that Energy Core go to Lisa?”
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