Chapter 1278

<Chapter 1278> 1278. The Pheromone Monster

On the fourth day of Dark Hero Jupiter’s operations, the time for the decisive battle has come.

I walked proudly toward a high-class hotel famous even in New York. People on the street went wild filming me with their cameras. And yet, none dared to approach me recklessly.

Swish.

I gave a glance to a passing beauty.

The blond beauties screamed and fainted on the spot.

“KYAAAAAAAAAA! JUPITER!!”

“LOOK AT ME!”

“I’M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND! JUPITER! I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABY!”

I smirked.

They couldn’t hold back and rushed toward me. It was the effect of my pheromone perfume. They genuinely desired to conceive my child.

“Everyone, please step back. I am here to meet Jack Taylor.”

Jupiter’s final mission was to rescue Jack Taylor, who was detained in this luxury hotel.

Pew pew pew!

Sirens wailed as the police arrived. They began controlling the crowd. Even though they glared at me, they didn’t dare move without orders from above. After all, if ordinary cops attacked me, they’d end up dead like dogs.

Then, a reporter with a microphone suddenly appeared in front of me. The logo of a famous broadcasting station was printed on her mic.

“Mr. Jupiter! I’m from FKFK Broadcasting! Would you mind giving an interview?!”

The beautiful reporter with long black hair thrust the mic at me without hesitation. I smirked again and placed my finger on her lips. Her lips were soft.

“Not… during… work.”

“…Ah.”

The reporter’s face turned red. Her eyes became hazy due to the effects of the pheromone perfume. She trembled in her thighs before chasing after me again. The police stepped in to stop her.

Walking down the road.

The streets were already completely cleared of vehicles.

‘Did they predict my arrival?’

There might have been a leak of information from Bluecad.

Still, the police’s reaction is lukewarm. And there’s no sign of any Hunter trying to stop me.

‘Perhaps, as Sophia said, the American Hunter Association is helping me.’

‘Or maybe they’re just using me. They’ll capture me once everything is over. That’s what the idiom ‘carrying the coffin after using the dog’ means.’

I pulled out my smartphone and accessed the internet, searching for why the American Hunter Association wasn’t interfering.

‘A large-scale dungeon gate has appeared near Brooklyn, causing the entire New York branch of the American Hunter Association to mobilize… How convenient.’

It made me laugh despite its obviousness.

I slipped my smartphone back into my pocket and continued walking toward the hotel. Whether or not the American Hunter Association plans to betray me doesn’t matter. Once this is over, I’ll return to Korea. Jack Taylor, once freed, will ensure Sophia’s safety.

A light shone from the sky. Glancing up, I saw a helicopter belonging to a broadcasting station hovering overhead. The situation was being broadcast live. Since it was within expectations, I wasn’t surprised. Lowering my head, I headed toward the hotel.

Stopping in front of the asphalt road before the hotel, I sensed a murderous intent cutting through my skin.

And then.

A man leaped from a high floor of the hotel, his heavily muscled body plummeting straight toward me. The asphalt shattered, and dust rose as he landed. With ease, he bent his knees and straightened his waist. Standing over two meters tall, the giant loomed.


stop! Here’s the translation:

He was a man of few words. Dressed incredibly casually in jeans and a white t-shirt. But the aura he exuded was far from ordinary.

“A criminal walking this confidently… Truly, these are the end times.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Standing over 2 meters tall, with a muscular build, a bald head, and sun tattoos under his eyes – I immediately recognized who this was. A Boshi-affiliated figure Sophia had warned me about. Someone she specifically told me to avoid.

“Chad Robel.”

The hunter known by the nickname Bloody Drake.

“Do you know who I am? Heh… Actually, it’d be stranger if you did. After all, this body is America’s newest S Rank Hunter!”

Chad had achieved S Rank just two months ago.

“I’ve met S Rank hunters before. They were all monsters. Their presence alone was extraordinary. But I don’t sense that overwhelming aura from you.”

“S-Rank, huh? Hahaha… I’m curious if you’ll still be spouting such nonsense five minutes from now. I’ll make sure your body fully understands why I’m S Rank!”

“Boshi’s ass-wiping Brown Drake Chad Robel! Did you maybe also suck off Boshi’s dick? Otherwise there’s no way a piece of shit like you could become S Rank…”

Chad’s fist came flying at me. Instinctively, I raised both arms to guard.

Even though I braced my legs firmly, my body was pushed back over 3 meters. Chad’s physical abilities clearly surpassed mine. And that punch probably wasn’t even his full strength.

“You talk big for someone so weak. You’re barely mid-tier A Rank at best.”

Chad smirked confidently, which irritated me.

‘Lightning. Disperse.’

A portion of my mana vanished, and lightning struck down from the heavens. The brilliant bolt of lightning hit Chad square on the head.

But Chad remained unscathed.

His skin had transformed. Into a dark brown, rock-like hide.

‘A-class boss monster Drake’s skin… He used his mutation ability to instantly change his skin to resist the lightning.’

The reason Chad earned the nickname Bloody Drake is because he can mutate into a Drake. The “bloody” descriptor aptly describes his temperament.

‘Skills-wise, probably upper-mid A Rank. But he does possess the minimum power worthy of being called S Rank.’

Physically, Chad has the advantage. So I’ll need to counter with speed and technique. I summoned Stormbreaker into my right hand.

“Too slow, idiot.”

I looked up at Chad’s voice, but his figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Over here.”

Chad appeared behind me and launched a kick. Struck in the side, I went flying like a skipping stone.

Gritting my teeth against the impact, I moved my mana. I couldn’t keep getting beaten down like this.

‘Lightning…!’

Five bolts of lightning struck down at Chad. Not ordinary lightning, but lightning infused with my mana.

“Know what? Drakes swim around in lava for fun – they have incredible durability. Your pathetic lightning won’t even scratch me!”

Chad’s right arm mutated into a Drake tail over 10 meters long. He swung it like a whip.

[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 6]

I dodged Chad’s attack and summoned Huallian Sword into my right hand.

Kwang!

The Drake tail smashed into the asphalt road, sending fragments flying everywhere. Chad cackled as he continued swinging his tail wildly – though upon closer inspection, there was method to his madness. It was a whip technique honed through years of combat experience.

[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 5]


[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 4]


[Using Flash. Remaining stacks: 3]

I used Flash repeatedly. To get close to him while avoiding that Drake tail swung like a whip, this was the only way.

Raitenryu – Reikou.

Spinning my body, I slashed across Chad. A red streak of lightning deeply pierced his side. Blood splattered from Chad’s wound.

Internally, I cursed. The wound was shallower than I expected. Still, I didn’t show it and mocked him instead.

“The supposedly lava-swimming Drake skin can’t stop my blade after all…”


“Hey, what’s your problem?”

Chad can transform his body into a drake form, but compared to a real drake’s abilities, it’s still lacking. Meaning, there are limits to his transformation powers.

“This brat…!”

Switching his drake tail back into his original right arm, he charges at me, attempting close-quarters combat.

‘You seem pretty confident. Let’s dance then.’

I swing my sword, Chad extends his fist.

Blood splatters.

Most of it was coming from my body.

It was impossible to counter with just skill and speed; the physical ability gap was too large. At least two levels higher. Plus, I’m not fully accustomed to the Brain Heaven Flow yet.

The lightning-infused blade pierces Chad’s shoulder.

A mere 1 cm. But in this situation, the fact that the blade pierced his body is crucial.

Brain Heaven Flow Supreme Technique: Seal Lightning.

Red lightning flows into Chad’s body.

“Ugh?!”

Chad’s drake-skin reverts back to human skin. This is the temporary sealing effect of Seal Lightning. It removed Chad’s annoying defense.

Of course, this didn’t weaken Chad to an ordinary person’s level. Seal Lightning only suppresses mana temporarily; it doesn’t eliminate physical abilities.

[Using Flash Moment. Remaining stacks: 2]

Like my counterpart in the ‘Dark Moon’ world, I used Flash Moment. Slowing down the world to plan and prepare my next attack.

Brain Heaven Flow: Ten Thousand Lightnings.

I’ve remodeled the original Ten Thousand Lightnings into the Brain Heaven style.

A red lightning vortex rotates around the Fire Lotus Blade. Thousands of lightning strands spin and sweep through all directions.

“Aaaaargh!”

Chad lets out a terrible scream while moving his hands. He grabs the Fire Lotus Blade with both hands and pulls it out from his shoulder. Then he grabs my neck and mercilessly slams my body into the ground. Clenching my teeth, I control the lightning. It turned into a brute-force battle.

I couldn’t hold out. Midway through, the effects of Seal Lightning wore off, allowing Chad to use mana. His skin transforms back into that disgusting drake hide.

“Hahaha! I win!”

Laughing, he casually throws me aside.

Thrown like trash onto the ground, I can’t move my body. My legs are broken, shattered bones piercing my internal organs. My right arm is relatively fine, but all I can do is weakly grip the Fire Lotus Blade. I don’t have the strength to stand.

‘Complete… Recovery…!’

[Using Complete Recovery.]

My battered body returns to peak condition.

I stand up. The wise decision would be to flee without taking risks, but when there’s a chance to kill him, I don’t want to turn my back. I’ll kill this guy here.

I summon Stormbreaker and merge it with the Fire Lotus Blade, gripping the giant spear with one hand.

Zzzziiiiip!

Red lightning surges into the spear.

With all my might, I throw the spear at Chad.

The spear flies like literal lightning.

Chad transforms his right arm into a drake’s hind leg. A massive rear leg resembling a carnivorous dinosaur deflects the lightning spear upward. Stormbreaker shoots skyward, leaving a crimson trail.

I slowly walk toward Chad.

Chad laughs.

“Hahaha! No idea how you came back from near death… but perfect! There’s a camera, and an audience! This is the perfect scene for an execution show!”

Chad’s body inflates. Over 4 meters tall, his figure resembles a mix between a carnivorous dinosaur and a human. Dinosaur enthusiasts might go wild over this appearance, but I just feel disgust.

“Lizard freak…”

BOOM!

Stormbreaker, which had soared into the sky, crashes down and embeds itself into the ground. Coincidentally, it lands right between me and Chad.

Stormbreaker shatters into tiny fragments. The silver-blue pieces fly toward me and attach to my body, forming a solid suit of armor.

Ke-e-e-eeng.

Stormbreaker responds to my will. The five swords split from Stormbreaker align behind me through magnetic force.

Zzzziiiiip!

Threatening red lightning crackles from the armor and swords.

Brain Heaven Flow: Gale Swift Lightning.

I grab one of the floating swords behind me and charge toward Chad.