Ch.115115. Evolved Form

The Apocalypse Cult was in a state of panic. Strategically, they were at a disadvantage against multiple enemies, but they had an enormous advantage: hostages.

They had planned to occupy Incheon Airport and cause massive damage with this leverage.

But that plan crumbled from its foundation.

It started with the sudden attack of a mechanical wolf. As the hostage situation began to collapse, they hurriedly sent reinforcements, but time dragged on and the White Dragon Guild stormed in.

The moment they could no longer buy time with hostages, their fate was essentially sealed.

It was true that they were stronger than Jaegers of the same rank. With monsters helping them, it should have been a fight that the Jaeger side could never win in equal numbers.

But the problem was quantity. Even with monsters fighting alongside them, their advantage was useless against forces four or five times their number.

As soon as the Incheon Airport occupation began, the Korean government urgently mobilized Jaeger guilds. To make matters worse, the White Dragon Guild, which happened to be “on business” nearby, attacked the rear where the hostages were held, and the remaining guilds all switched to offensive mode.

The Apocalypse Cult was being overwhelmed by the attacks of hundreds of guild members.

[We’re stronger! They’re just relying on numbers! These bastards!]

The mutants were certainly strong enough to handle 2-to-1 odds, but they were hunted down one by one due to the extreme power difference that widened to 3:1, 4:1, and even 5:1.

Even when they inflicted damage, they were ultimately subdued.

As they were rapidly being suppressed, one mutant chose to flee.

“Huff… hah…”

As he ran after returning to human form, he realized he had lost sensation in his leg.

He was shocked to see his cleanly severed leg getting farther away from him.

“Who… are you?”

“Where do you think you’re running, mutant? You should die here.”

“You… who are you?”

Si Woojin appeared before the mutant, his hair tied in a ponytail.

“Si Woojin! How did the White Dragon Guild get here?”

The mutant shouted, enduring the pain from his severed leg.

“No, that’s not it. There was some kind of warning. Incheon Airport is quite important, right? Plus, it was attacked by codename Devil before. So our guild got a request. We were on standby nearby. Do you have a spy or something? Information keeps leaking. I didn’t originally want to come to Incheon Airport. Thanks to that, I have to watch my ‘compatriots’ die.”

“…Wait? Compatriots?”

At that moment, Si Woojin slightly revealed his true form.

“Yes, you’re a human…mut—”

“Shh. It’s top secret. I have no choice if I want to take down our guild master who’s more of a monster than monsters themselves.”

“Wait, was that attack just now from you? Why are you doing this? Please spare me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Mutants must die. I’m a White Dragon Guild member in name, after all.”

“P-please let me go. You could just hand me over.”

Si Woojin’s expression showed that such pleas were absurd.

He immediately stomped on the mutant’s palm.

“AAAAGH!”

“Cut the crap. Inferior trash. If I let you go, I’ll be under suspicion. Do you know how hard I worked to reach this position? You want me to risk suspicion by letting you escape? Do you think that human who awakened as a Priest would show any openings? He probably knows you’re trying to escape. That’s how terrifying he is.”

Si Woojin glanced inside.

‘When he lets his guard down and gets closer, I’ll kill him. Even in the midst of this battle, he’s maintaining vigilance in all directions.’

He knew well that rushing recklessly at Dok Gojun in his current state would mean death.

He was targeting Dok Gojun cautiously, fearing the man who had easily crushed Doh Jonghyun’s mature form.

That’s how formidable the power of Dok Gojun, one of humanity’s strongest Jaegers, truly was.

“And why do you think I showed you my form in the first place? It means I’m going to kill you right here. Since you’re going to die anyway, it doesn’t matter if you see.”

“W-we are the same…”

But Si Woojin coldly smashed his face with his foot.

“One down. Things will settle soon.”

Though it was still chaotic, the guilds were clearly on the offensive.

‘All that’s left is that human’s fight. No, can it even be called a fight?’

It would be no exaggeration to say that no Jaeger could defeat Dok Gojun who was now wielding the power of a Priest.

Si Woojin was about to check inside to watch the fight when—

“What is that?”

His eyes widened in shock at the rare sight of Dok Gojun being thrown back.

*

This level of pressure and force was something I hadn’t felt since Si Woojin. No, this was even greater.

Looking back, Si Woojin’s force was manageable, but this was the real deal.

He was the world’s greatest Jaeger, and it would be hard to name anyone comparable.

Moreover, his power as a Priest was truly monstrous.

Aura formed around his body like layers of armor, emitting light.

The silhouettes were already urging me to evolve.

But I couldn’t choose. The reason was Dok Gojun’s movements.

[Solidity Incarnate]

I’ll die. If I try to transform carelessly, I’ll die before completing it.

Just one hit. I just need to block one hit.

That’s why I deliberately waited for my enemy.

Meanwhile, the evolution body purchase completed, and Dok Gojun’s greatsword moved.

No, it was invisible. I only realized I was hit when blood spurted from my body and I tumbled backward.

All I could see was blood spraying as I rolled, and pain crushing my entire body.

Yes, I was hit. Hit so fast I couldn’t even see it.

Before my eyes, numerous silhouettes appeared again.

But I had no time to choose. Rather than diversity, I just needed to make my current form stronger.

I needed power to face this human who was more monstrous than monsters.

No other forms came to mind. I just needed to escape this crisis.

[Evolution Body]

-Evolve further by accepting new genes.

It was like swimming among countless genes appearing as silhouettes.

And in the quick answer, I found the form.

[Adding Human DNA]

-Mechanical Beast-Human Form

It began. My first evolution body, the existence that would help me escape this crisis.

I needed to be more calculating than anyone. I had to survive against Dok Gojun and escape.

Something flashed again. I couldn’t see it, but I could see the greatsword bouncing off in front of me.

“No, what are you?”

Light began to envelop me. Thank goodness. I can block during evolution!

[Evolution Body can equip 7 sub-cards.]

As my body was wrapped in light, I noticed my field of vision improving.

Power was truly surging from my entire body.

[Evolution Complete]

The moment it all ended, I realized information about my surroundings was flooding in.

[Main Card]

-Species: Mechanical Beast-Human Tribe Name: Half-Machine Half-Beast Sura Growth Form: Evolution Body

Traits: Judgment of the Wild (Identify routes through current spatial awareness, determine optimal situations. All stats increase by 1 rank, can increase by 2 ranks according to wildness), Trait Comprehender (Apply traits to sub-cards and ignore opponent’s traits. Also increases skill power.), Steel Roar (Reduce opponent’s skill power with unwavering mind, and attacks suffered once are reduced by half.), Firearm Holder (Stats increase when equipped with weapons that have firepower.), Human Tools (Skill power and stats of hand-wielded weapons increase randomly.)

Strength: SS+(2)

Agility: SS+(4)

Resistance: SS+(2)

Magic Resistance: SS+(3)

Energy: SS+(2)

Mana: SS+(3)

Skills: Wolf Blade, Beast’s Radiance, Will of Pursuit, High-Speed Movement, Missile Launch, Mana Charge, Tracking Laser

[Sub Cards]

-Detachment (Discard equipped weapons to greatly increase speed and mana. Special weapon Primal Claws becomes available)

-Area Destruction (Surround the body with mana energy and release that power with weapons.)

-Machine Conversion (Modify the body to increase necessary stats.)

I could see Dok Gojun’s surprised face before me.

My tail was now completely gone. My entire body was covered in metal, and I was standing upright like a human, facing off against Dok Gojun.

[Judgment of the Wild]

-2 rank increase

Strength: SS+(4)

Agility: SS+(6)

Resistance: SS+(4)

Magic Resistance: SS+(5)

Energy: SS+(4)

Mana: SS+(5)

I stretched out my hand. I could see flawless metal except for my palm.

I saw Dok Gojun charging.

Movements that had been completely invisible until now.

[Skill]

-Wolf Blade

Metal claws began to extend as if I were wearing talons.

The vicious blades grew larger and started merging into one.

Eventually they began to fuse into something like a sword.

It was a chaotic yet sharp and violent weapon.

A sword shaped like teeth. That’s how it appeared to my eyes.

[Human Tools]

-Strength stat increases.

Dok Gojun was already rushing toward me.

If it had been my previous self, I would have been sliced without even being able to resist. But now it was possible.

I could stand against him.

The moment Dok Gojun’s greatsword and my blade finally clashed, I realized.

Despite shock waves whipping around and destroying everything, I wasn’t being pushed back.

“What?”

Who else would ever see Dok Gojun’s surprised expression this close?

Was it because of our clashing strikes? I could hear the ceiling cracking.

While we glared at each other up close, I used another skill.

[Mana Charge]

Mana began to emanate from my entire body.

Endless mana like water from a bottomless well.

With this, I could do it.

At this moment, with this power, I could push back Dok Gojun.

Yes, Dok Gojun himself. At this point, Dok Gojun’s expression was one of great surprise.

His expression seemed somehow complex. Should I say it contained joy? It might have been my imagination, but Dok Gojun seemed to embody both anger and pleasure simultaneously.

*

Genius.

Monster.

These were the epithets used to describe Dok Gojun.

From the time he began his activities, everyone took notice of his talent.

His achievements were tremendous, growing as expected to earn the title of world’s best.

Some countries would have already fallen if not for him.

But as time passed, Dok Gojun felt anxious.

The cause was stagnation. Dok Gojun was now called one of the world’s best, rather than the world’s best.

Partly because latecomers were catching up, but largely because his skills had stopped improving.

‘There are no monsters in the Crevasse that can properly face me anymore.’

He had no problem taking down even SS-class monsters.

As for exchange battles, no one could go all out, and everyone tended to hold back.

They only fought with full power against monsters, their true enemies—who would fight all out against fellow humans?

It was like not throwing breaking balls in baseball practice games between teammates.

Dok Gojun was deeply dissatisfied with his stagnating skills.

‘I must kill monsters. Only then can I atone for that person’s death. Only then can I pray for the souls of those I couldn’t save. I must become stronger! More! More! More!’

He was a man driven by pride in being the strongest and a thirst for vengeance.

He couldn’t remain as he was.

This Incheon occupation incident was a rare case where he had to transform into a Priest due to its scale and severity.

But once he transformed, everything fell like autumn leaves.

Predictable tactics—even if several monsters attacked, one swing of his greatsword ended it all.

‘How about it, wolf? Are you also a human monster?’

Even facing this mechanical wolf, Dok Gojun didn’t expect much.

After all, once he released the power of a Priest, no one could stand against him.

But now before his eyes, this mechanical wolf transformed.

‘What? What’s happening? It’s getting bigger.’

Being a veteran, Dok Gojun realized the opponent was becoming more powerful and prepared to attack—others might have just stared blankly.

‘It’s grown taller.’

From about 2 meters to around 2.2 meters.

It was completely covered in mysterious black-blue metal, as if armored.

The tail that had been visible until now disappeared, and the hunched back straightened to stand upright like a human.

There was something like a gun mount near the shoulders, and strange energy swirled around the wrists.

At this moment, Dok Gojun’s heart, which had been almost bored, began to race.

This was a sight he had never seen before—a monster he needed to kill had become stronger?

And it transformed its claws into a sword and faced him squarely.

‘Strong. This one is the strongest monster I’ve ever seen! Yes, this is the kind of monster I wanted to kill!’

When it pushed him back with mana, he felt complex emotions.

Hatred for a monster that could overcome him, but also joy at meeting a strong opponent who could push him past his limits.

He drew out the Lion Heart King’s Axe he received upon becoming a Priest.

“You can withstand enough.”

Missiles were being fired right in front of him.

Dok Gojun struck them with the mana of his axe. As each explosion grew large enough to engulf the place, his axe glowed again.

[Absorption]

All the explosions began to be absorbed into the axe.

The Terminal 2 building, which had nearly collapsed, barely avoided destruction.

“Impressive. Come quickly! You are strong. Strong enough to make me feel fear! That makes you worth killing!”

Dok Gojun was full of anticipation as he cleared the smoke. But there was an abnormal amount of smoke.

“Smoke screen? Could it be!”

With one swing, Dok Gojun cleared the thick smoke instantly.

But the mechanical wolf-human was nowhere to be seen. His keen senses detected something fleeing outside at incredible speed.

“Why did you run away! You had enough power to fight me!”

His voice was tinged with irritation, but his expression was smiling.

‘Finally, someone has appeared who requires my full power. And a monster at that! I will definitely kill you.’

He turned his body.