Ch.61Chapter 61 – Skyscraper (3)

“Huk, huk. I need to find somewhere inconspicuous…”

In the deserted Central Park at midnight, Shin Jaehyuk was searching for a place to hide. However, it was nearly impossible to find a suitable hiding spot among the open fields and sparsely placed trees.

‘Damn, there’s nowhere to hide. And I can’t escape to the city either…’

He had considered fleeing into the inner city, through the forest of buildings, but he judged that fighting in the open park would be safer than on narrow streets if a pursuer came after him. Moreover, if the pursuer was Skyscraper, he wouldn’t be able to shake off a New York native who knew the geography well.

“There’s only one answer. Whoever comes, I’ll take them down here and leave New York on the first flight tomorrow morning…”

That was the best plan Shin Jaehyuk could come up with. Having made his decision, he gripped his spear firmly.

He had completed his mission, so there was no reason to remain in New York. If he contacted Mr. B for an emergency extraction, he could disappear from New York without a trace by tomorrow morning.

So the greatest challenge was this moment—defeating whoever was about to confront him…

Boom, BOOM, BOOOOM-!

Just then, a thunderous sound echoed from the distance. The explosions were coming at regular intervals and growing louder. Shin Jaehyuk recognized the sound. Footsteps. Their meaning was clear.

“…They’re coming!”

Recognizing the signs of an impending attack, Shin Jaehyuk tensed every muscle in his body while simultaneously drawing up both mana and divine power.

‘Who is it..! Kwak Taewoo? Skyscraper?’

Shin Jaehyuk anxiously swallowed.

KWAAANG-!!

After one final explosion, the loudest yet, the vibrations suddenly ceased.

‘Did they stop…?’

As the intermittent sounds fell silent, Shin Jaehyuk was momentarily confused. Had his opponent stopped in the middle of a full sprint?

‘No, that’s not it. That sound is-!’

Shin Jaehyuk jerked his head up. A massive presence was rapidly approaching from beyond the leaves that obscured his vision. He realized what the earlier sounds had meant.

‘A running start..! With this level of jumping power, the opponent must be Skyscraper!’

Shin Jaehyuk could guess the winner between the two superhumans. Skyscraper must have defeated Kwak Taewoo.

Despite the good news that his attacker had been defeated, Shin Jaehyuk’s face didn’t brighten. He remembered the near-teleportation movement speed and the terrifyingly powerful abilities demonstrated by the 2.5-meter giant.

“WOORAAAAAAA-!!!”

As Shin Jaehyuk had sensed, the attack came from above. The giant crashed through the leaves.

KWAAAAAANG-!!!

Shin Jaehyuk twisted his body to avoid the attack. Unlike Kwak Taewoo, Shin Jaehyuk was clearly at least S-rank, allowing him to perceive and dodge the lightning-fast movement. Of course, dodging was one thing; facing the opponent head-on was another matter entirely.

As soon as the first attack failed, the next one followed immediately. Shin Jaehyuk shouted:

“Protect!”

A celestial barrier deployed instantaneously, deflecting the greatsword. However, the tremendous impact remained, sending Shin Jaehyuk flying backward with the barrier intact. This was partly intentional—as he created distance from Skyscraper according to plan, Shin Jaehyuk continued his incantation:

“To my hand!”

Thirty-six lightning bolts shot forth, sizzling through the air.

‘-!’

Skyscraper was startled by how easily his attack had been blocked when the lightning came flying toward him. Despite his delayed reaction, Skyscraper’s response was terrifyingly fast. His sword moved with whip-like precision to deflect the attack.

“WOOOAAAAAAH!!!”

Twelve simultaneous sword strikes batted away all the lightning bolts. The sword made from Death Worm’s spine contained powerful magical energy, making it possible to parry even formless lightning.

“Keuuuk..!”

Though he avoided a direct hit, even Skyscraper wasn’t immune to the high-voltage current flowing through his sword. The electrical energy lingered in his muscles, making his movements awkward. The giant’s attacks, now hampered by paralysis, were easier to counter.

‘Yes! This is it! That Kwak Taewoo was the weird one. This is normal!’

Unlike with Kwak Taewoo, Shin Jaehyuk was delighted to confirm that his lightning spear was effective. Feeling reassured, he continuously channeled divine power and fired lightning spears in rapid succession.

‘Two people who can match me so easily in one day..!’

Skyscraper’s mind was racing with various thoughts. Countless questions flashed through his mind in an instant. He thought the lightning was a skill, but what about the barrier? Moreover, he could only detect B-rank awakener level mana from his opponent, so why did he sense divine power from the barrier? Could he use both mana and divine power?

Of course, he couldn’t continue this train of thought. Lightning was flying toward him right now. Faced with the immediate danger, his questions dissipated like smoke.

Skyscraper knew that the more his body became paralyzed, the more lightning he would take. If this continued, electricity would accumulate in his body until he couldn’t move at all. He had to avoid the worst-case scenario. But how? He needed to get closer. His opponent wouldn’t recklessly fire lightning at close range…

Having made this judgment, Skyscraper uprooted an entire tree nearby. After spinning it around a few times, he hurled it at Shin Jaehyuk with the same rotational momentum.

Even though it was meant as a light feint, when thrown by an S-rank body strengthener, it was by no means something to be taken lightly. Shin Jaehyuk momentarily paused his incantation and swung his spear shaft to deflect the incoming tree. When he cleared away the obstacle blocking his view, he finally spotted the giant who had been charging behind it.

“Shit!”

The giant emerging suddenly from his blind spot was like a nightmare. The aura he had been carefully concealing was now released to pressure Shin Jaehyuk, and the mana discharged along with his killing intent disrupted the electromagnetic waves, causing the streetlights to flicker. As the park alternated between darkness and light, Shin Jaehyuk shouted to secure his vision:

“Light-!”

A soft glow emanated from his divine power-enhanced spear, illuminating his opponent. The yaksha-shaped mask and the clearly defined muscular body with distinct engravings appeared even more terrifying. The shoulder muscles twitched explosively.

Seeing the signs of an attack, Shin Jaehyuk moved his spear as well. To counter movements still as fast as bullets, even if slowed, he had to move first. Thinking would come later…

In the span of a few seconds, countless offensive exchanges crossed paths. The spear tip, blazing with divine heat, deflected and twisted the greatsword. As the divine-infused spear blade eroded the demon corpse-made sword, the blade developed jagged gaps. Each time the superhuman attacks clashed, the air ruptured with thunderous sounds.

Eardrums tore and healed, then tore again. With blood flowing from his ears, Shin Jaehyuk felt that the battle was more manageable than expected. His body enhancement, pulled to maximum output, made it possible to match Skyscraper’s strength. However, his magical power was draining like an ebbing tide with each clash, so time was not on his side…

As he moved his arm, Shin Jaehyuk thought:

My strength is similar, but my durability isn’t at Skyscraper’s level. If even one hit is dangerous, I can’t afford to take any hits. But I don’t have enough magical power to parry all consecutive attacks. I need to break the chain. To do that, I should target the opponent’s arm rather than deflecting. And since my spear has longer reach than his sword, I can touch his arm.

The giant swung his greatsword horizontally. With eyes wide open, Shin Jaehyuk observed the movement while simultaneously moving his spear. Instinct and calculation harmonized perfectly to guide its path. The spear tip, cleverly evading the sword’s trajectory and penetrating inward, pressed down firmly on Skyscraper’s wrist. The master’s spear technique was so exquisite that the hand with its pressed tendon was about to drop the weapon…

“My sword-!”

Skyscraper was shocked not only by his failed attack but also by nearly losing his weapon, and in that moment, Shin Jaehyuk immediately murmured:

“Radiance-!”

A divine shockwave burst from his body. The divine spell, highly effective against demons, not only deflected the Death Worm bone sword but melted and corroded it. It had already been weakened from clashing with the divine power-infused weapon. Skyscraper’s symbolic greatsword broke in half unceremoniously and flew far away. It looked beyond salvaging.

“That’s right!”

‘This can’t be… Am I… losing?’

While Shin Jaehyuk rejoiced at the greater-than-expected outcome, Henry Clark was dumbfounded. Not only was he unable to defeat his opponent, he couldn’t even touch him and had even lost his weapon. This was the first time since becoming S-rank that he felt such a clear disadvantage.

Shin Jaehyuk didn’t stop wielding his spear. He immediately aimed for the face. He had no intention of killing. Killing one of only seven S-ranks would bring consequences he couldn’t handle.

‘I’ll just seal his vision!’

So the spear tip thrust toward Skyscraper’s eyes. If he could precisely stab just the eyes to seal his vision, it would be easier to escape…

The spear blade, thrust at an angle incomprehensible to Skyscraper who was unfamiliar with spear techniques, landed precisely in the eye hole of the yaksha mask.

“Kwaak-!”

No matter how tough the body, eyes are always the weakest part. The spear, breaking through the yaksha mask and piercing the eye, damaged only the eyeball without harming the brain before withdrawing. Skyscraper retreated, clutching his bleeding eye socket.

“Huh, huuk..!”

He now felt not just extreme anxiety but fear. Had he ever been pushed this far when facing an awakener? He couldn’t recall.

He felt an overwhelming pressure from the ridiculous figure wearing only a helmet. Skyscraper had rarely felt this kind of pressure. It was the kind of pressure he felt when facing S-rank bosses…

“Shiiiiiiit!”

The sense of crisis made his movements follow instinct. Shin Jaehyuk had hoped his opponent would retreat after such an injury, but instead, Skyscraper became more ferocious and charged. His berserk movements lost all pattern, and without patterns, prediction became difficult.

True to the logic of a berserk warrior who had lost his reason, Skyscraper’s movements followed the flow of consciousness. He had no weapon in hand. If he lost his weapon, he needed a new one. Skyscraper uprooted trees with both hands and swung them like clubs. Shin Jaehyuk countered by thrusting his spear with all his might.

Shin Jaehyuk thought: The situation couldn’t be more favorable. Their physical abilities were evenly matched, but in terms of technique and weaponry, Shin Jaehyuk was far superior to his opponent. While his opponent had only picked up a sword a few years ago, Shin Jaehyuk had trained with a spear for almost his entire life. The difference in skill was obvious to anyone.

The advantage in weaponry remained unchanged as well. What Shin Jaehyuk held was a spear crafted by a master from hellish iron ore, while Skyscraper wielded mere ordinary trees. Naturally, with each collision, it was the trees that shattered and broke.

‘Good! If I just maintain this offensive…’

Seeing the possibility of victory, Shin Jaehyuk drove his opponent back with renewed hope. Skyscraper stubbornly persisted. This was a park, and there were plenty of trees to uproot. Whenever his weapon broke, Skyscraper continued to grab new ones and exchange blows.

Each time the trees in the vicinity ran out, the giant retreated to where more trees were available and grabbed new weapons. He seemed to fear Shin Jaehyuk’s approach, occasionally hurling trees from a distance, each one a potentially lethal strike despite being meant as mere feints. Shin Jaehyuk broke into a cold sweat at these terrifying attacks from an opponent supposedly weakened.

“-!!”

As Shin Jaehyuk barely dodged the attacks and approached the giant, Skyscraper suddenly stomped on the ground. The ground, already weakened by aggressive tree uprooting, cracked like a spider web with a thunderous sound, sending up an enormous dust cloud. Shin Jaehyuk coughed as the sudden dust entered his helmet.

“Cough, cough! Damn, I can’t see-“

‘Now’s my chance!’

Skyscraper charged through the smoke screen. This was his last opportunity. His electrocuted body was getting slower by the moment, and there was nowhere else to retreat. He had to take down his opponent now. But how to ensure he wouldn’t escape? He needed to grab him.

The giant ran with his arms spread wide. When he reached Shin Jaehyuk through the dust fog, Skyscraper tried to grab him in a bear hug.

‘Danger!’

Shin Jaehyuk sensed the presence emerging from the thick dust and startled, kicking his body backward. However, the 2.5-meter giant’s arms were excessively long, confusing Shin Jaehyuk’s sense of distance. The dense dust inside his helmet already obscured his vision. Though he tried to dodge, the giant’s desperately extended fingertips caught Shin Jaehyuk’s clothes.

“Got you-!”

Feeling the sensation at his fingertips, Skyscraper swung his arm upward with all his might. Before Shin Jaehyuk could think “Oh no,” his body was already flung into the sky like a fish caught on a hook.

‘Wh-what-‘

In the pitch-black view, Shin Jaehyuk couldn’t understand what had happened for a moment. The cool night breeze invaded his clothes. Feeling the sudden acceleration and buoyancy, he finally realized he had been thrown into the sky.

Unable to see, Shin Jaehyuk searched for Skyscraper’s position using his energy sense. Like a baseball player waiting for a falling ball, Skyscraper was waiting on the ground. With his fist tightly clenched to deliver a finishing blow, his aura was ominous. Energy gathered in his clenched fist as if he intended to shatter the sky with a single punch.

‘Shit, is he really trying to kill me?’

Shin Jaehyuk flailed his limbs in mid-air. But his body, with no chance to resist, began to fall according to gravity. Straight toward where Skyscraper was waiting.

‘This is dangerous..!’

***

“This is dangerous.”

Four kilometers away, Mr. B, who had been watching the fight, muttered.

“Damn it. If I had known Kim Jaemin was in New York, I wouldn’t have sent Shin Jaehyuk here even if it meant letting Kwak Taewoo and Shin Jaehyuk fight it out in Korea.”

It was a major mistake. He had been too busy lately to pay attention to Kim Jaemin, and now by chance, Kim Jaemin and Shin Jaehyuk’s locations had overlapped. Mr. B anxiously drummed his fingers on the armrest.

Kim Jaemin was quite a troublesome opponent for Mr. B. They had met before, for unpleasant reasons. If Kim Jaemin saw him now, he would certainly attack with full force. That was definitely not what Mr. B wanted.

‘Kim Jaemin’s energy sense is too keen. If I intervene, he’ll notice me immediately.’

He was concealing his power as much as possible, fearing that Kim Jaemin would sense his presence from kilometers away if he revealed even a little strength. That’s why Mr. B couldn’t intervene when Kwak Taewoo attacked Shin Jaehyuk and could only watch helplessly.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any real crisis during the chase between Kwak Taewoo and Shin Jaehyuk, but now it was truly a critical situation. Skyscraper was one step away from securing Shin Jaehyuk. This time, he had to intervene.

“Tsk… Once should be fine.”

He snapped his fingers while looking into the distance.

***

Shin Jaehyuk sensed he was screwed.

‘If I fall like this, I’m dead..!’

Below, the giant, seizing his golden opportunity, was contracting all his muscles to prepare for the final blow. His aura was so powerful that the mana in the air trembled in response to his will, creating a whirlwind around his tightly clenched fist.

‘Damn, I can’t see to dodge! Is it too late to recite Aria-?’

“WHRAAAAAAAAH-!”

Skyscraper, having gathered all his strength, aimed at the falling Shin Jaehyuk and extended his arm.

That’s when the anomaly occurred.

Between Shin Jaehyuk and Skyscraper, in the empty space, a black dot suddenly appeared. A dot darker than pitch black. A black hole that absorbed all light. Skyscraper’s eyes widened. He couldn’t fail to recognize it.

“What-?”

The black sphere, expanding instantaneously, swallowed Shin Jaehyuk’s falling body. Unable to see, Shin Jaehyuk was sucked into the sphere without understanding what was happening to him. And where Shin Jaehyuk should have fallen, the fist struck empty air.

However, Skyscraper had no time to be disappointed. Shock spread across the giant’s face as his large frame froze in its dynamic pose. Skyscraper murmured blankly:

“A gate…?”