Ch.359Archbone

-“The world is changing. I don’t know who you are, but it would be better if you followed this flow.”

-“If the flow means making money with stolen technology, I have no intention of standing by and watching.”

Click.

EJ’s suit begins to clank with a rigid mechanical sound.

Far inferior to the one made by Tony Stark.

A simple mass of weapons that can’t fire pulse beams.

But even so, its power is undeniable.

Ratatatatatatata!

The minigun attached to his back swings over his shoulder and fires toward the opponent.

Auto-aim that doesn’t require separate targeting.

All he needs to worry about is heat and recoil.

‘I just need to push through that with my body.’

His natural physique, which had received numerous NFL offers, absorbs it all.

However, EJ’s bullets never reached the enemy.

-“Too predictable, with just this? Our technology is on a completely different level!”

Like a child showing off a new toy.

EJ’s opponent, Motherless, flew freely through the sky.

Movements as free and unpredictable as a butterfly.

It reminded him of Iron Man he had seen before.

-“How about this?”

Ziiing, bang!

Something threatening, though less powerful than a pulse, lands on EJ’s arm.

From the fingertips of the Motherless suit to his arm.

EJ couldn’t even properly respond to what it was.

-“I’ve been watching your activities, various… activities? Dismantling and fixing different suits.”

EJ’s weapons can’t reach Motherless floating in the air.

Should he temporarily fly up to get to Motherless?

That wasn’t a good option.

The opponent is free in the air.

And while EJ’s suit can fly, it’s limited.

He had to save it for the absolute last resort.

‘Otherwise I’ll fall straight into the river.’

EJ’s gaze briefly becomes disoriented.

Himself in the middle of the bridge where people are still evacuating.

And Motherless flying high, looking down at all those people.

Despite the clear power difference as evident as their height difference.

EJ didn’t give up.

Thump thump thump thump!

Along the cables supporting the bridge.

He climbs toward the pillar.

But even that process wasn’t easy.

-“Are you putting on a show? Just give up quickly, you think you can match our technology? We’re Stark here!”

What’s a light jab from the opponent becomes a fatal blow for him.

EJ’s suit was gradually being stripped away.

The armor plates added for durability were falling off one by one.

Ratatatatatatata!

The bullets he sprays at Motherless still don’t reach.

But as they continue to fall away, the suit becomes lighter and lighter.

Faster and more agile.

He climbs up the cable toward the pillar.

Believing that an opportunity will surely come.

Bang!

Bang!

Even as beams graze near his face causing bleeding.

He moves forward without concern.

‘If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already.’

The reason they don’t finish it means they want something.

With that thought alone, EJ continued to advance.

And when he finally climbed to the top of the pillar and was at the same eye level as Motherless.

Motherless opened his mouth with an amused shrug.

-“You look so young, it would be a shame to kill you… Are you sure you don’t want to join us?”

Us.

At those words, EJ raised his head and looked straight at Motherless.

He had thought they were just individuals acting simultaneously.

So it was a collective action with some intention from the beginning?

Motherless, misinterpreting EJ’s shock as agreement.

Cackled as he saw the minigun stop spitting bullets.

“Haha! Yes, isn’t it cool? If Stark could do it, why can’t we? We keep making suits… and eventually, we’ll create one identical to Iron Man’s.”

That means gaining that much firepower, and being able to negotiate with nations.

Isn’t that cool? Becoming a massive armed group that can negotiate with countries!

And then, you know, someday I’ll surpass Stark! What do you think?!

Motherless’s excited words continued.

EJ listened quietly to those words.

And when the right timing came, he opened his mouth.

-“I need to subdue you here for sure.”

-“What?”

It’s impossible to catch up to Tony Stark’s technology.

Even the AI source he’s developing was with Morgan Stark’s help.

He doesn’t even know how to make an arc reactor.

But that’s okay.

Because he has something else.

-“Harley!”

Whiiiiiiiiiiir!

As soon as he calls Harley, right behind Motherless.

The drone that had been quietly approaching finally attaches to the back of Motherless’s suit.

-“W-what is this!”

Motherless was over the river to take advantage of being able to fly.

And EJ climbed to the top of the pillar to be at the same height as Motherless.

The balance of confrontation between these two was completely broken by the drone that just arrived for support.

Zzzzzzzzzap!

If it’s not a nano suit.

And if it’s not armed with vibranium.

An electric shock that can’t be avoided when wearing just a simple mechanical suit.

-“Stark would have prepared for this.”

Because it’s power meant to protect rather than harm others.

He would have had a system that could perfectly respond in all aspects.

-“But you’re not him.”

Now he activates the aerial movement function he had been saving.

If he conserved fuel, he could fly for a long time.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

‘Temporarily, just extend at maximum speed.’

Though momentarily subdued by shock, Motherless would recover soon.

He needed to subdue him before that.

So EJ flew from the pillar toward Motherless.

Bang!

There are no safety devices.

No money to care about that, just trust in his body.

The speed of the suit fired at maximum output in an instant and gravity weigh down on his body.

But EJ flew straight toward Motherless.

Thunk!

A few seconds of shock.

And during that time, EJ succeeded in grabbing Motherless’s neck.

-“You can never be like Stark, you can’t be Iron Man.”

The reason why not everyone who wears a king’s clothes can become king is.

Because not just anyone can bear a king’s responsibility.

-“The reason he could be called Iron Man was because he made that choice.”

Not by stealing technology, extorting money from people.

Not that kind of dog-like choice to threaten the weak.

Choosing to sacrifice everything he had to protect everyone.

All those processes, the result of all those choices, that’s what Iron Man is.

-“You don’t qualify.”

He needs to subdue him completely.

Even if they engage, the difference in the variety of armaments is too great.

And the firepower is overwhelmingly disadvantageous.

Therefore, he must make full use of what’s most advantageous right now.

‘Go up and slam down.’

They’re stuck together.

Motherless is still recovering from the shock.

To completely subdue him, EJ instantly rises higher.

Whoooosh!

Then immediately descends toward the river at ultra-high speed.

Bang!

Using Motherless’s suit as a shield, he tears through the sound barrier.

The impact when hitting water at sonic speed?

It didn’t matter.

Motherless’s suit would block it anyway.

It wasn’t that he trusted Motherless.

He trusted Stark’s technology.

The technology of that suit made to protect Stark in any situation.

Kwaaaang!

He trusted it.

Splash!

A column of water shoots up instantly.

People gathered near the river, sensing the situation was over.

And in between, proudly.

Splash!

Grabbing Motherless by the back of the neck and emerging from the river.

-“…Who are you?”

-“Arcborn.”

Hero.

++++++

‘…This, this crazy bastard.’

As the First Sword of Donghu, cursing at Kim Donghu was taboo and a serious crime.

But Lee Kyunghu couldn’t help but curse at the climax of the movie.

‘He actually did that?’

The sonic boom might be CG.

But from the circumstances, it seemed like Kim Donghu really did climb up and fall from the bridge.

‘Wow… no, it’s eerily… so natural.’

<Arcborn>.

Just like its title, it perfectly showed why the character EJ was “created to inherit Arc’s will.”

He couldn’t help but admire the nearly perfect movie.

Is it really this good?

He wanted to turn on his phone right away and brag about this moment.

That I watched the movie too, that it’s incredibly fun.

But he couldn’t.

Because there were still 2 post-credit scenes left.

Thump!

Right after EJ subdued Motherless.

-“…You know you almost died? And in a very miserable way?”

-“As long as I didn’t die and I’m alive, it’s fine.”

-“Will you keep doing this?”

-“Doing what?”

-“If things like Motherless appear again… will you act the same way?”

-“Isn’t that obvious?”

EJ and Morgan meet again and talk.

And Morgan, looking at EJ covered in bandages.

-“Maybe… I could acknowledge you.”

She uttered those meaningful words.

And with that, the ending credits rolled.

‘Didn’t they say there was one more?’

This one comes after the ending credits are completely finished.

Perhaps that’s why no one got up from their seats.

Finally, right after all the ending credits had rolled up.

Thump!

As the sound fills the screen again.

-“Woooow…. Looks like I’ve found someone worthy to be my host?”

With the undulating tentacle reacting to the TV.

Click!

The movie truly came to an end.

It was the moment when <Arcborn> would officially spread throughout the world.