〈Chapter 359〉 Part 1, Chapter 15, Section 17
The second phase of the Nuclearian Raid commences with four consecutive battles taking place in separate zones.
Among the seven attributes, Nuclearian’s avatars and a single true body appear. This battle, where one can obtain all S-Rank cores at once along with the world’s sole SS-Rank core, begins as Nuclearian divides the battlefield into four sections.
First up: Fire Attribute and Wind Attribute.
With just three shots of my trusty magic cannon, I took down the two ‘assigned’ Nuclearian avatars given to me. The Wind Attribute Nuclearian went down instantly due to its disadvantage against me, while the Fire Attribute was felled by sheer firepower with two precise shots.
Woooom!
The two Nuclearians collapsed unconscious, soon fading away and leaving behind only their respective cores. Even if they were SS-Rank, there’s no way they could match me—especially these two weakest avatars among Nuclearian’s clones.
Did I finish them off?
In Phase 1, after being bombarded with countless attacks, Nuclearian heard the words of insult and, feeling humiliated, proceeds to fight as its true form, identifying the one who spoke those words as the “weakest entity” and sends an appropriate avatar to face them.
“Arrogantly calling the Fire Attribute the weakest really pisses me off.”
You’re opening the lid on people’s tempers here. Sure, the Wind Attribute is fine, but placing the Fire Attribute at the first stage is outright disrespectful to me.
But interfering in other zones is not allowed. Nuclearian has split the battlefield into four areas, dispatching suitable avatars for each party.
Who does Nuclearian consider the strongest?
Only the most powerful among the three spirits will earn the honor of facing Nuclearian’s true form.
And so, Nuclearian decides its weakest target.
KAAAANG!!
Two Nuclearians charge toward Seok Harang.
Then three more rush towards Hwanryong.
The deployment of avatars is complete.
Grrr…
Nuclearian’s true form leisurely strides toward Karna.
According to Nuclearian:
Seok Harang << Hwanryong << Karna.
I completely agree.
* * *
Caaack!
A brown-furred Nuclearian bursts out from a hole it dug underground. Seok Harang erects an ice wall to counter its frontal assault.
AANG!
The Nuclearian slams its head into the ice wall and collapses, tears streaming down its face. Feeling sympathy but steeling her resolve, Seok Harang hurls an icicle at it.
Grrr...
The brown Nuclearian hastily rises to dodge the icicle. Though fast, its fluffy scarf-like fur sways with every movement, driving Seok Harang mad.
Judging by the flow of magic, this brown Nuclearian is clearly of the Durability attribute. However, compared to other Nuclearians, it’s relatively small in size, with unusually bright eyes that captivate the heart.
“So damn cute!”
Its tail flutters away, making Seok Harang's heart sink. Meanwhile, her assigned black Nuclearian approaches slowly like a night cat.
Though slower than the brown one, its power is formidable.
Thud!
The black Nuclearian leaps lightly. Extending its front paws skyward, it aims to smash Seok Harang from above. She spreads her magic forward, reinforcing the ice wall.
KAANG—!!
“Ugh?!”
The black Nuclearian’s front paw strikes the ice wall forcefully. With just one attack, the wall nearly splits in half, forcing Seok Harang to panic and add more magic to reinforce it.
BOOM!
The brown Nuclearian, emboldened by the black one’s strength, starts running around in circles, kicking up dirt. Radioactive soil lands on Seok Harang's igloo-like final defense line, while the black Nuclearian confidently climbs atop it.
KA-BOOM!!
The black Nuclearian strikes again with its front paw. Sacrificing speed for power, Seok Harang has no choice but to take the blow.
‘This isn’t going anywhere!’
Brutal fighting like this isn’t Seok Harang’s style. Despite getting scolded a few times by Phoenix, she strives for what she calls a “stylish” battle.
But contrary to her aspirations, the only tactic Seok Harang truly excels at is one.
"Haaa!"
With a shout, Seok Harang gathers all her magic into her hands. The immense magical aura causes both Nuclearians to retreat from the igloo, which then crumbles like smoke.
"Just freeze already!"
Seok Harang smashes her hands onto the ground.
And in that moment, the entire battlefield freezes over. The radioactive land transforms into a pristine snowy field, with Seok Harang standing proudly in the center, fluttering her wing-like cloak and raising her arms high.
"Now it's over—"
Shiver, shiver.
The two Nuclearians cling tightly together, trembling violently. The relatively less furry black Nuclearian is warmed by the brown one snuggling close, sharing its body heat.
"..."
Seok Harang hesitates. Should she pierce them with icicles, completely freeze them into statues, or perhaps start freezing their skin?
Having turned countless monsters into frozen sculptures or statues over the years, Seok Harang finds it hard to bring herself to kill these two.
"If only they looked as grotesque as dragons!"
Fighting Nuclearians feels worse than dealing with Anissakis again.
DING DONG!
Seok Harang quickly sends an SOS, and Phoenix, having already dealt with her own pair of Nuclearians, receives the call.
"Hey, do we really have to kill them?"
[Yes. Don't you know everyone's waiting for your turn?]
Phoenix points to another section of the battlefield. There, Hwanryong faces off against three Nuclearians, while Karna stands calmly before Nuclearian's true form.
Everyone waits for Seok Harang to finish her battle. And so, she mercilessly pours her magic into freezing the two Nuclearians solid.
Absolute Zero.
An ultimate technique that Seok Harang never dares to mention because it's too common and might get mocked. The Nuclearians lose all will to fight.
[If you must save them, kill them to extract their cores. Then reanimate the cores, and at least their forms will remain.]
"..."
There's no other way. Seok Harang tightly shuts her eyes. Far away, in the middle of the snowy field, the two clung together, shaking uncontrollably as they await her decision.
The black Nuclearian closes its eyes in resignation, while the brown one blinks tearfully with cold, frosty eyes.
"Don't... look at me!"
Seok Harang covers her face with her hands, unable to bear looking at them. For a brief moment, her vision is obscured.
AANG!
At that moment, the brown Nuclearian leaps off the ground. Moving faster than lightning across the snowfield, it charges straight for Seok Harang's stomach.
PUFF.
The brown Nuclearian's headbutts strike Seok Harang squarely in the gut. She collapses without even letting out a scream, and the black Nuclearian rushes over immediately.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The two Nuclearians claw and kick the prone Seok Harang, mercilessly beating her. They stomp on her thighs, rake their claws across her cheeks, and perform a celebratory high-five on top of her chest, claiming victory.
AANG!
Standing triumphantly atop Seok Harang, the two Nuclearians raise their heads proudly.
"Hmm, hmm."
And Seok Harang laughs as she grabs their collars. Frost coats her skin, forming armor tougher than any shield.
"These brats..."
She remains completely unharmed physically.
"What did you think you were doing when I was trying to find a way to spare you?"
The two Nuclearians squirm nervously under her grip. While attacking when the opportunity arose wasn't necessarily wrong, Seok Harang feels deeply betrayed that they exploited her momentary blindness.
"..."
Her grip tightens around their necks. The Nuclearians struggle desperately but begin to freeze solid beneath her grasp.
"I don't quite know what to do with you two..."
BOOM!
Seok Harang stamps her foot. The snow-covered field melts into water instantly, and she smiles sweetly at the two monsters as she points downward.
"Anything you'd like to say before the end?"
AANG?
The two Nuclearians rub their paws over their faces, tilting their heads in confusion. Seok Harang nods with a smile.
"Looks like the water knows the answer."
AANG!
Seok Harang plunges the two monsters underwater, keeping her hands submerged.
Gurgle.
Bubbles rise and stop. Seok Harang raises her hands high, now holding two frozen chunks of ice containing the yellow and black cores.
"...I really wanted to raise you guys..."
Seok Harang genuinely feels hurt.
And at that moment, three Nuclearians charge toward Hwanryong.
WHOOSH.
The barrier between Seok Harang and Phoenix dissolves.
* * *
KAANG, KAANG!
The golden Nuclearian dashes toward Hwanryong like a streak of light. Unlike Seok Harang, Hwanryong parries each slashing attack from the golden Nuclearian with his Crescent Blade.
AANG—!
The sealion-like Nuclearian anchors itself to the ground and fires streams of algae-green water cannons. Hwanryong twirls his halberd, dodging the water blasts before leaping high into the air.
KA-BOOM, KA-BOOM!
Rocks from the battlefield rain down on Hwanryong. The twin-tailed Nuclearian glows with its gray core on its forehead, using telekinesis to hurl rocks at him.
SWISH!
Hwanryong slices through the incoming boulders mid-air. In the gap between his movements, the golden Nuclearian charges forward, sparking electricity.
No escape. Cornered by the joint attacks of the Nuclearians, Hwanryong simply smirks with a twisted grin. The golden Nuclearian sneers back.
SWOOSH.
The golden Nuclearian passes right through Hwanryong. Or rather, it phases through him. The sudden disappearance of Hwanryong shocks the blue and golden Nuclearians, while the gray one hastily retreats.
SWISH!
An invisible slash cuts through the air. Deep gashes appear across the entire battlefield, and the gray Nuclearian lands on the ground but ceases to move.
THUD, THUD.
Its gray core neatly slices off and rolls away. The gray Nuclearian closes its eyes gently before dispersing like a ghost.
AANG!
The golden Nuclearian wildly thrashes about, sparking electricity in all directions. The blue Nuclearian liquefies its body to evade the sparks.
But it's futile.
SWISH!
All the spiky hairs on the golden Nuclearian's neck are cleanly cut off. Like a ghost wielding scissors, the quills are meticulously trimmed.
SWISH, SWISH!
AANG!
Terrified, the golden Nuclearian sparks again. The sound of scissors cutting fabric stops, and it leaps toward its ally.
SPLASH.
The golden Nuclearian sticks its nose into the melted slime of the blue Nuclearian, checking its condition. Fortunately, transforming into liquid saved it from death—
SPLASH!
The gooey blue Nuclearian suddenly pulls the golden one down by grabbing its legs. Startled by its ally's treachery, the golden Nuclearian struggles to break free.
SMIRK.
The blue Nuclearian's eyes glow gray within the slime. Sensing something amiss,
SWISH!
The golden Nuclearian's world splits diagonally.
* * *
"Ho ho, this side had two from the start."
"...Such combat is also possible, I see."
Hwanryong rejoices with three cores in hand after dispelling the possession, while Xiao Lin holding the Crescent Blade smiles wistfully as she looks at Karna.
"It seems we weren't chosen after all."
"Eh, don't be like that. Leave the annoying stuff to him. He's itching for a fight right now."
Hwanryong waves dismissively. Although Xiao Lin has nothing particular to say about her lord's lack of desire to fight, she secretly hopes he'll ignite some fighting spirit.
Had she done so, perhaps the one facing Nuclearian's true form wouldn't have been her. Xiao Lin laments with a dry mouth.
"You've worked hard."
As the barrier collapses, three-fourths of the battlefield returns to normal. Phoenix and Seok Harang join forces with Xiao Lin and Hwanryong, awaiting the final battle.
"Hey, can he beat that thing?"
Seok Harang glances at Karna, who stands ready against Nuclearian. Karna has disarmed his golden armor, bow in hand, waiting for something, while Nuclearian remains motionless.
Both are eager to fight, bodies twitching impatiently, yet clearly hesitate for some reason.
"That's obvious. Karna, let me give you the spell of victory."
Phoenix clears her throat toward the barrier and shouts:
"In this barriered world, the toughest barrier ever, even if a supernova explodes inside, it won't break—"
BASHA BI SHAKTI----!!
AANGGGG-----!!
The spirit and monster unleash their ultimate techniques from the start. Phoenix stands dumbfounded, scratching her cheek.
"The raid is over."
A massive explosion capable of wiping out half the planet detonates within the barrier.
The spirits quietly close their eyes as the brilliant light seeps through the barrier.
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