Ch.228The Butterfly Effect-Observing NPC (7)

“A good man added?! I can’t stand th…?!! Kuhuk!!”

“This is driving me crazy, what the hell happened?”

“S-Senior!!”

“Johnson, what on earth is going on? Why are the rangers suddenly acting like this?”

“I don’t know, sir!! Everyone here was stationed at the Poria Barrier and nearby villages, kuk?! Th-they’ve all gone strange…?!”

“Hah, if you don’t know, that’s fine. Don’t strain yourself answering, let’s just clear this area first.”

After telling him to focus on the battle rather than trying to answer me while fighting enemies—which seemed to be making him too busy—I looked at the ranger guys alongside him. Two in front of Johnson, four in front of me. All of them level 400-ish. Hmm.

“Chikuyo, Miho. Please cover Johnson.”

“Leave it to us!!”

“Johnson, we’ll help you!!”

“Be careful!! All these seniors are better rangers than me!!”

Well, looking at their levels, I don’t see much difference? But he seemed quite tense, saying they were stronger than him. With him being so nervous, Miho and Chikuyo fighting alongside him could be in danger too. Hmm, in times like this…

“Strike first, win first.”

-THWACK!!!

“Kuhuk?!!”

“Hmm, Johnson. They don’t seem that strong? No need to be so tense, right?”

“Huh?!”

As I lightly kicked off the ground, moved forward, and slammed my fist into the solar plexus of the guy in front, sending him on a trip to Seoul, the tense man’s eyes widened into perfect circles.

No need to let your guard down, but no need to be overly tense either. With the skills Johnson showed earlier today, he should be able to hold his own against these rangers. Conveying that meaning with a slight smile, he either understood my message or felt reassured by my abilities—either way, he responded with noticeably less tension.

“Understood!! I’ll fight with everything I have to stop these seniors!!”

“Chikuyo and I will stick close! Don’t worry about being chased!!”

“Attack freely!! We sisters have your back!!!”

As Chikuyo and Miho continued their encouragement, seemingly having read my intention, Johnson smiled broadly before charging straight at his opponents. Meanwhile, the guys in front of me, suddenly reduced to three after one was taken out, seemed slightly tense as they kept their distance and started speaking.

“Johnson’s senior? What are you? Are you a ranger too?”

“Never seen you before? Which ranger division are you from?”

“So young? A ranger with two beast-women companions, never heard of such a thing?”

“Are you all in your right mind?”

“We’re all perfectly sane.”

Hmm, it seems confirmed that they’ve all lost their minds. People who’ve gone crazy never admit they’re crazy. I casually loosened my shoulders and slowly approached the closest one, who tensed up and raised his fists in preparation…

-SWOOSH!

“Wow. You’re fast?”

“!!!”

Sensing my attention was focused on the ranger in front of me, another ranger swung a hunting dagger at my eyes with incredible speed. Of course, I wasn’t one to miss dodging that. With the flexible movement I learned from Elder Ferna, I simply moved my neck in place to easily avoid it, then immediately drove my knee into his abdomen. He let out a short scream before his eyes rolled back. And then…

-THUD!! WHACK!!

“…For people who’ve lost their minds, your coordination is no joke.”

“This guy…!!”

“Just what are you?!!”

Taking advantage of the opening after I took down one guy, a man and woman rushed in with precise attacks aimed at my temple and leg, but I blocked both attacks just by moving my arm and knee.

Wait, but their attack power is no joke? If I take a direct hit, even I might pass out?

“I won’t kill you, so don’t worry too much.”

“Wha…?!”

“Huh?!!”

After pushing away the man who had aimed for my leg using just leg strength, I grabbed the hand of the female ranger whose punch was blocked by my arm and slammed her into the ground. However, perhaps because I held back too much saying I wouldn’t kill her, she counterattacked with a kick to my face as she hit the ground. I dodged it by a paper-thin margin and then stepped on her face, not too hard.

-THUD!!

“…Didn’t I just say I wouldn’t kill you?”

“She’s not dead. Probably…?”

[Being Consumed by Demonic Power: Level 400]

Right, her death notification didn’t appear. Though only the whites of her eyes are showing, the status window doesn’t say she’s dead, so she must be alive. She doesn’t seem to be breathing, but anyway, she’s not dead. The ranger consumed by demonic power frowned with confusion at my words and actions, but I confidently kicked the unconscious ranger aside and approached him. Oh, look at that, she’s coughing. She’s breathing.

It feels like she started breathing again because I kicked her back, but anyway, looking at the not-dead female ranger, I smiled smugly. The last remaining guy became even more tense and started to distance himself.

“What’s this? You were charging in just fine earlier, but now that you see the difference in skill, you’re thinking of running away? Johnson was saying something about Sherpas, so I thought rangers had become somewhat impressive, but I guess a lowly profession remains lowly no matter what?”

“…What?”

I have no intention of letting him escape. Besides, with Miho and Chikuyo here, it makes no sense for me to let him get away. As I deliberately provoked him with a sneering tone, the guy who was backing away stopped abruptly and began to stare at me with a gaze full of anger. Oh, it seems that even though he’s consumed by demonic power, the ranger’s spirit remains…

“Unforgivable. You especially…!!”

“Pfft. If you can’t forgive me, what are you going to do? Rangers who are manipulated by demons and attack people, acting like you have some honor…”

“We, we have changed!! Thanks to Ranger Jack, we have changed!!!”

“What?”

Suddenly shouting my name and emitting quite a strong killing intent, the guy charged straight at me. I was slightly surprised and deflected his swinging fist a bit harder than intended, then tried to drive my foot into his solar plexus…

-GRAB!!!

“Huh?”

“How dare you insult rangers who became Sherpas through his sacrifice. With your life…!!!”

Was the first guy whose solar plexus I hit not knocked out after all? Gritting his teeth and groaning, he grabbed my ankle to prevent me from attacking the guy in front, causing me to pause. The guy who had charged at me saw his opportunity and immediately aimed a kick at my face.

Wow. Looks like I’ll have to take this hit?

“Die!!!”

-THWACK!!!

A rather intense blow struck my face, snapping my head back without even giving me time to scream. Wow, I’ve thought this before, but is there really no defense based on level difference? This hurts like hell.

“Ha, haha!! How’s tha…?!!”

“But why are you laughing?”

-GRAB!!

“?!!”

Did he think I’d fall from one kick? As the guy was still in mid-air, I grabbed the extended leg of the laughing man. His face contorted with shock.

“You won’t die, but it’ll hurt like you’re dying. Grit your teeth.”

I grabbed the guy whose ankle I had caught in mid-air and dropped him right onto the back of the guy who had grabbed my ankle, creating a small crater in the ground with a sound like a pig being slaughtered. The guy on the ground might have broken his spine, but I did control my strength anyway.

“Gaaahk?!!”

“Kuluk…”

After confirming that both guys were coughing up blood with their eyes rolled back, I tried to move, only to realize that the hand of the guy who had grabbed my ankle was still wrapped around it. Huh, this guy’s tenacity is really something else.

“It would have been better if you’d just chosen the right side.”

-Kick!

After lightly kicking to free my ankle, I turned my head to join Miho, Chikuyo, and Johnson in their fight…

“Now!!”

“HYAAAAH!!”

-THWACK!!!

Somehow, Chikuyo had managed to position two opponents back-to-back, and from both sides, a partially transformed Miho and Johnson were simultaneously driving powerful attacks into their solar plexuses.

No matter how you look at it, that should finish them off, right?

“Haa! Haa! Haa!!”

“Huh, huh. W-we won, sir!!”

“Haak, haak! How about that?! Isn’t my little sister amazing?!”

Like some prosecutor with a glass heart from a rough neighborhood, Chikuyo had turned the surroundings into a battlefield and was breathing heavily. Johnson gave her a thumbs up with a bitter smile at her words, while Miho sat down saying, “No, big sister did everything.” They had secured their victory on their own and slowly turned their heads toward me.

“…My goodness, I was just catching my breath before coming to help you.”

“Hah. Too bad, but I was a bit faster…”

“Jack?! Y-you have a footprint on your face?!”

“You got hit?! You actually got hit by one of them?!!”

Miho and Chikuyo stopped catching their breath, jumped up, came over, grabbed my cheeks, and screamed “Are you hurt?! Are you injured?!!” I couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, I just took one hit because I was trying not to kill them. You two look more of a mess than I do. I’m fine.”

Cute little ones. Without realizing it, my hand moved to pat the heads of the two sisters. As we caught our breath there for a while, I could hear the sound of heavy armored footsteps approaching from the distance.

“Johnson!! What on earth happened here?!”

“Ah, Knight Captain. I don’t know what’s going on either, sir. The civilian casualties…”

“The guards took quite a beating, but there were no civilian casualties. I heard someone helped out, perhaps… the people beside you…?”

They explained they were knights protecting the lord of this city, who had helped evacuate the citizens before rushing to the scene. Johnson introduced us as adventurers who had helped, hiding my true identity.

“Thank you! For the help your city has received from you, I will report to my lord and ensure you receive proper rewards!!”

“Ah, that… you really don’t have to…”

I don’t want to risk being discovered by receiving such rewards?! But not understanding my concerns, the burly man called the Knight Captain slapped my shoulder strongly and laughed off my modesty, saying not to be humble. Damn it…

And so, our first day in Poria began with all sorts of complications right from the start.