Chapter 1116

〈Chapter 1116〉 Dark Moon

“The first method that comes to mind… is a trap.”

I recalled the first day I entered the Rumel Forest.

Back then, I dealt with the trackers using Air Traps.

“……Traps are out of the question. The ones I can set up are limited.”

While I know how to create booby traps, I don’t even have any bombs to use right now.

Magic-based Air Traps consume a massive amount of mana.

“Besides, there’s a high chance they’re aware of Air Traps.”

Judging by the number of people tracking us, it’s clear that Lieutenant Vag of Squad 105 and the Resistance are working together. Naturally, they would have shared information about Air Traps.

There are 15 trackers chasing me. Two of them are Level 1 Mana Awakeners.

And I am a Level 3 Battle Mage.

The calculation is done.

“I will fight. I’ll kill the enemies and ascend from prey to predator.”

I quietly inspected my equipment.

After about five minutes, I could vividly sense their presence. They appeared between the trees, aiming rifles at me and quickly dispersing. Using the trees as cover, they advanced toward me.

Unlike Squad 105 who were wiped out on the first day by Air Traps, these guys were cautious.

“Didn’t expect you to just sit here, did we? Are your legs too tired to move after running all day?”

“Our legs are tired too.”

“We took turns tracking you. And we’ve already adapted to the Rumel Forest unlike you. Stop this meaningless resistance and surrender.”

“Surrender? You’ve said what I wanted to say.”

“You’re quite arrogant for a Battle Mage. Do you really believe in that paper-thin barrier? What are you waiting for, shoot! Let’s teach this arrogant guy that numbers mean nothing against magic!”

They all pulled the triggers simultaneously.

Sensing the small explosion of mana, I immediately activated ‘Moment’. The world slowed down. I could see the bullets firing from the muzzles.

“They’re magic bullets. There are so many. Even my Level 3 Barrier would easily break under this barrage. Good thing I activated Moment the moment I sensed the mana.”

They made a mistake.

They approached within 10 meters to ensure my death.

“My telekinesis range is 15 meters. They’ve entered my range.”

It’s difficult to snap their necks with telekinesis.

Living beings naturally possess some degree of magic resistance. Telekinesis is greatly affected by the target’s mental strength and magic resistance. It’s more efficient to manipulate objects rather than directly grabbing the target’s body.

“These magic bullets are pretty tough… but still better than trying to grab someone directly.”

I decided to catch all the flying magic bullets with telekinesis. A total of 72 bullets. Quite a lot for 15 shooters.

“They were determined to kill me with this many bullets plus a barrier.”

There are too many magic bullets. It’s beyond my capability to control them all.

“I’ll give up full control and just redirect the bullets. As long as they don’t come toward me, it’s fine.”

Activating Mana Circuit canceled Moment. This means mana movements are also affected by Moment. Thus, activating Mana Circuit accelerates it. The spell formula has already been calculated, leaving no room for error.

The activation of telekinesis was faster than the speed of the magic bullets.

The magic bullets changed direction and started flying wildly. Red, blue, green, yellow, purple – dozens of colorful trajectories were drawn in the air. It was like watching some kind of artwork. However, the result was far too gruesome to be called art.

“AAAAAAHHHHH!”

“My arm!!!”

“H-Help! My leg is frozen!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

One red magic bullet passed by me, hitting a tree and causing a small explosion. It’s an explosive bullet.

“Looks like the tree caught fire. Another tracker will arrive soon.”

Out of the chaos of magic bullets, 6 survived. Of course, surviving doesn’t mean they’re unscathed.

I picked up my rifle to finish them off. I need to conserve mana. There’s no need to use magic to kill trackers who’ve lost their fighting ability.

The gunshots rang out six times, sounding dry and lifeless.

I left the scene before other trackers arrived.

“I was tense because there was a Mana Awakener involved… but they’re not much different from regular humans. Is it because he’s only Level 1?”

•••

6 AM at dawn.

Just as the sun began to rise, I found their temporary base camp and killed the remaining 8 there. It was indeed Squad 105. The tents forming the base camp were from the Freesell Kingdom Army.

While burning the tents, I gathered supplies. Food was the top priority, followed by bullets. Unfortunately, there weren’t many magic bullets.

“This is ridiculous.”

A weighty voice filled with authority came from behind.

I jumped in surprise. No matter how exhausted I was, I didn’t expect someone to approach without triggering my senses. Cold sweat ran down my neck. Though I had prepared a barrier, being hit with a preemptive strike wouldn’t be good.

I dropped the emergency rations in my hand and turned around.


There was a tall middle-aged man dressed in a black military coat. The smell of oil emanated from his mechanical right arm.

“Hmph… I never thought I’d be wiped out by some punk kid, not even the Leopard of Ross Squad…”

“How should I take this fact, huh, punk?”

“Simple. Think about your last words.”

The rifle was aimed at Lieutenant Vag.

“Of course, I have no intention of hearing the last words of someone like you.”

I pulled the trigger.

The muzzle spewed fire. Spent shells clinked as they fell. 12 explosive rounds, 4 lightning rounds, 5 shock rounds. I unleashed all the magic bullets without hesitation.

It was enough firepower to shred Vag’s coat to rags.

“Punk’s got guts…”

But only the coat was shredded. The magic bullets barely peeled off his artificial skin, revealing gray steel underneath the tears.

“…Wasn’t it just the arm that was mechanical?”

“With age, my body isn’t what it used to be. I’ve had it upgraded with the money I’ve earned over the years. And I needed some performance tests… A monster secretly cultivated by the higher-ups wouldn’t be a bad opponent.”

I pulled out a magazine preloaded with magic bullets from my coat. Though calm on the surface, the magic bullets must be having some effect on him. I need to deal more damage.

Lieutenant Vag extended his right arm toward me. Part of his right arm glowed blue.

Wheeeeee!

“Kid, that’s too dangerous for you to play with. Time to confiscate it.”

“Wha…?!”

My rifle flew into Vag’s grasp. Not just the rifle – the backup pistol, elemental sword, magazines, knives… Even the artifact bracelet given by Lexi was taken. All metallic items were stuck to his hand like flies to honey.

Fortunately, Vag didn’t recognize the elemental sword or bracelet as artifacts.

“I’ll commend you for not being too attached to weapons. Most people come prepared to lose them anyway. But how do you plan to fight without any?”

I connected mana to the elemental sword. Non-awakened Vag wouldn’t notice the obvious mana manipulation.

“You’re mistaken. My weapon is mana – a substance beyond your comprehension.”

Those who haven’t awakened to mana often feel inferior to those who have. Even a little control over this world’s mysterious energy makes life easier in many ways. Especially in special organizations like the military, mana users are favored and promoted faster than non-users.

“Did you learn provocation from that woman too?”

Vag’s face twisted grotesquely. For a machine, his expressions were surprisingly vivid.

Click.

His left wrist bent, revealing a gun barrel. White light gathered at its tip before firing at me. It was a laser. I narrowly dodged by dashing sideways, though the beam dissipated against my Level 3 barrier, leaving a hole.

“…One more hit and the barrier will vanish. Reinforcing it would leave my mana dangerously low for counterattacks.”

I’ve already expended considerable mana up to this point.

“Focusing solely on defense won’t let me survive.”

Another laser shot. I couldn’t evade. The barrier disappeared.

“Haha! Finally broke through that shell!”

He grinned widely while aiming at me. Light particles gathered at the gun’s tip. It takes three seconds for the laser to charge.

‘Finally let his guard down.’

Completely confident in his victory, his focus is entirely on the laser. He plans to hit me precisely and end it.

‘Water.’

Water streamed from the elemental sword stuck to his right hand.

“What?!”

Vag reacted a beat late. Being mechanical seems to slow his responses.

‘Spark.’

The attribute shifted to lightning. Even with basic waterproofing, lightning would be different.

“Graaaah… You brat and your tricks!”

His right arm crackled repeatedly, small explosions emitting black smoke skyward. The magnetically held weapons clattered to the ground. His right arm was definitely unusable now.

“Damn it. Just thinking about repairing this arm makes my head spin. Die!”

‘Fleeting Moment.’

[Using Fleeting Moment. Remaining stacks: 1]

I dodged the laser but lost balance and fell due to poor technique. Glancing up, Vag was charging another laser.

Only one Fleeting Moment left.

‘One is enough.’

Feeling the sweat trickle down my jawline, I extended my hand toward Vag and activated telekinesis. The artifact bracelet fell from the dropped weapons. Immediately, I activated a Level 4 barrier. The laser targeting my head was blocked.

“Tch. That bracelet was a barrier artifact?”

“Level 4. At least three more direct hits from your laser would be needed. Though, that’s assuming you have the energy…”

Regaining my composure, I stood up.

No laser came.

Even with excellent optical weaponry like lasers in this world, they’re rarely used because their cost-effectiveness is terrible. In Vag’s case, he clearly doesn’t have enough battery power to spam lasers.

Click.

His left arm transformed. The gun barrel widened as cartridges loaded with audible clicks. Soon after, flames erupted from the barrel. Magic bullets flew toward me. I dashed behind a tree, though some weren’t fully evaded and were blocked by the Level 4 barrier.

‘These magic bullets are high quality. The Level 4 barrier won’t last long. I need to finish this before it disappears.’

I moved the fallen elemental sword with telekinesis. The sword silently approached Vag’s neck…


I’m going for it.

“Think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?”

He unleashed a spinning back kick. The enchanted blade soared through the air, embedding itself into a distant tree. This was no ordinary human’s leg strength.

‘Figures his lower body was mechanical too. The enchanted blade flew beyond the telekinesis range.’

It was expected. The enchanted blade had already served its purpose by drawing his attention.

‘Shock Wave.’

I cast the third-tier magic Shock Wave. The shockwave fired from my fingertips hurtled towards Lieutenant Bagh. Trees that got caught in the way snapped, and clumps of dirt shot upwards.

KWAANG!

Lieutenant Bagh, who took the Shock Wave head-on, slid back several steps. His mechanical body withstood the Shock Wave, but cracks formed on its surface which it couldn’t prevent.

‘Should I hit him with another Shock Wave? My mana is running dangerously low. Can I create an opening?’

Among third-tier magics, Shock Wave ranks highly for pure physical destructive power, but it consumes a lot of mana.

The enraged Lieutenant Bagh fired off a magical bullet. The thick tree protecting me caught fire, froze over, and shattered into splinters before collapsing. The magical bullet finally reached my barrier. The barrier wavered. As I startled and prepared to dash sideways, the magical bullets ceased.

Click-click-click.

A hollow sound emanated from Lieutenant Bagh’s left arm.

“Damn it. Out of ammo, huh… Doesn’t matter. You can’t spam spells either judging by your lack of mana reserves. Let me slice you up personally.”

A blade suddenly popped out from his left arm.

“You want to engage in close combat? Confident in your game of tag, are you?”

I taunted him. Am I crazy to fight a cyborg in melee? There’s no way I’m giving him the advantage of distance.

“My favorite game has always been tag. I loved being the chaser. Catching the ones running away gave me joy.”

The propulsion system emerged as Lieutenant Bagh’s back panel opened. I grimaced. Lieutenant Bagh burst out laughing. The propulsion system blasted flames, carelessly colliding with trees and vines as he charged at me.

‘Running away is impossible. I have to fight.’

High-speed combat utilizing the propulsion system. Not exactly a favorable opponent for someone weak in close combat like me. But there’s still a method.

‘Telekinesis.’

I manipulate my body with telekinesis. Magic is a hundred times more reliable than my pathetic motor skills. I easily dodge the charging Lieutenant Bagh.

‘So this is his first time using the propulsion system in combat.’

Lieutenant Bagh surged forward from the front. His speed slightly decreased. I realized the propulsion system’s fuel was rapidly depleting.

‘If I endure a few more hits, I might get a chance to escape. But… I don’t have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with a cyborg. This is where we settle it.’

[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 0]

Calculating the spell formula while keeping an eye on Lieutenant Bagh approaching via propulsion.

His blade aimed for my shoulder. He wasn’t targeting vital points, revealing his intention to prolong the battle. He knows I could collapse anytime now.

Instead of dodging, I lunged forward. The blade grazed my shoulder. It wasn’t dangerous.

‘Holding the recoil with telekinesis…!’

I thrust my palm toward Lieutenant Bagh’s chest. It made contact. Simultaneously, my body was pushed backward, slamming into a tree.

“Lightning Grasp!!”

Using the excruciating pain in my back as motivation, I spat out the incantation.

Mana surged from the Astral plane through the mana conduit, transforming into the prepared spell formula and becoming magic.

Zzzziiiiipppp!

Hundreds of lightning bolts erupted from my palm, surging into Lieutenant Bagh’s mechanical body. The brilliance of the lightning illuminated the surroundings like midday.

“You little brat!!”

Lieutenant Bagh raised his left arm. However, his blade never came down on me. The lightning had damaged his mechanical body. His expression stiffened. The only thing still moving was his left eyeball.

“Lieutenant Bagh. I win.”

Though my mana was depleted, no mana is needed to finish off an empty can.

I broke a nearby branch. Without making a sound, I plunged the branch deep into his left eye.

A chilling sensation traveled through my hand.

‘Replacing the brain with machinery is the limit of cyborgs.’

Replacing the brain with machinery would make it a robot, not a human.

With a deep sigh, I turned my back on the defeated Lieutenant Bagh. Glancing behind, his mechanical body remained upright even in death—a truly impressive physique.

‘I don’t envy him.’

I collapsed onto the ground. Once my mana recovers, I plan to thoroughly dismantle that impressive body. If there’s a camera attached somewhere on it and the data is intact, things won’t just end up being troublesome.

•••

Noon.

Dragging my weary body, I arrived at the meeting place.

Lexi was already there. Her condition wasn’t normal either. Her right arm was broken, and her pink short hair was slightly singed.

“I found the Resistance’s hideout and wiped it out. The target, Lieutenant Olkor, was alive with his limbs severed.”

“Did you kill him?”

“There was time, but it was bothersome.”

She shrugged. I calmly nodded. I would’ve made the same choice. Carrying around such a bothersome lump wasn’t something I’d consider for a second.

Lexi approached me. Her head rested on my shoulder.

“Ah, I feel like having sex.”

“…Is that appropriate to say right now?”

“I merely expressed my true feelings. Let’s go to the stream, wash up, take a nap, and when we wake up… you know what comes next?”

I didn’t mention killing Lieutenant Bagh.

Though our return to base will take longer, Tarzan life with Lexi isn’t bad at all.