Ch.85Shadow (2)

A translucent purple whip cuts into the surface of the city made of marble blocks.

I rolled my feet and jumped back.

The whip slices through the air, passing beneath my feet.

I also counterattacked by flicking my tail as I retreated.

Barbed hairs pour down like a rain of arrows.

The whip she was holding, as if possessing free will, changed direction on its own and swept away the barbed hairs.

Meanwhile, after landing on the ground, I pulled out a blood-sucking tentacle from my uncut upper left arm.

The tentacle shot out like a spear and pierced the ground beneath her feet.

Whether she predicted my attack or not, she had already dodged to the side.

Before she could cut off the tentacle with her whip, I quickly retracted it.

‘She’s strong.’

Though we’ve exchanged several offensive and defensive moves in a short time, I can clearly feel she’s a formidable opponent.

‘She has more than one or two abilities.’

She’s only shown two abilities so far, but that can’t be all she has.

‘When I saw the yak horns forming, I knew she wasn’t a Cult.’

Cult members have no way to hide their horns except by artificially cutting them off.

In other words, the enemy is a genetically modified human who received Cult genes.

I know someone similar to her.

The one who attacked the research ship with the Space Dog, and the woman who tried to terrorize this space city.

‘Siheyon Yujin.’

She died and became nutrients for my body, but now House Yugin has appeared and is attacking me.

‘Well, the board meeting is happening now.’

It’s not particularly strange that people from Noble Capital’s House Yugin have come here.

Of course, I never expected to meet them in this wide city, especially in a regular residential area rather than the Monument.

‘She said she would capture me.’

I don’t know why she’s targeting me, but I can roughly guess.

Coming to the Autopsy Team Leader’s house was probably to get information about me.

‘Maybe I should have been more cautious.’

I felt a moment of regret, but I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Now is the time to focus on the battle.

‘What I can confirm right now is transformation ability and Psychic Whip. Plus she has additional abilities I don’t know about.’

I glanced at the cross-section of my severed arm.

Thanks to my regeneration trait, the cross-section itself is healing, but it will take quite some time for the arm to grow back.

‘This is too powerful for a Psychic Whip.’

The Psychic Whip trait, which is used as material for my Ghost Claw, is normally used as a mid-range check.

It’s not a technique powerful enough to cut off my arm from dozens of meters away and turn the road into rags.

‘She has an auxiliary ability that enhances traits and skills.’

And its level is powerful enough to rival my unique trait.

It would be impossible to enhance to this degree with an ordinary auxiliary ability.

‘This won’t work.’

It seems I need to use ‘Insight.’

The Insight trait I obtained from capturing William randomly reveals some of the enemy’s equipment, skills, traits, and so on.

It’s limited to 5 times a day so I wanted to save it, but the woman in front of me is a formidable opponent.

I activated Insight.

Purple light emanated from my eyes, and information about the enemy was organized into translucent text boxes that appeared before me.

「Name: Code Black (Real name ■■ ■■)

Race: Human (Genetically modified state)

Status: Enhanced (Psychic Master, Dragonization, ■■ ■■)

Equipped gear: ■■ ■■■■ (Unique grade)

Possessed skills: Psychic Whip, Psychic Master, Body Transformation, ■■■■, Dragon’s Heart, ■■ ■■■, and many others…)

While the information was appearing, a purple whip flew from the enemy, no, from Code Black.

I dodged the whip by pressing myself flat against the ground, and in that same position, I opened my mouth wide.

The ignition organ inside my throat activated, spewing out a massive flame.

“Fire. You cannot harm me with such things.”

Her voice is heard from beyond the flames burning the road.

‘I know.’

The fire and smoke are just a diversion.

I shot barbed hairs into the black smoke, then ran away without looking back.

While her whip was deflecting the barbed hairs, I needed to quickly escape from that place.

I thought as I ran.

‘Code Black has also been implanted with Gallergorn genes, just like Siheyon Yujin.’

And not just any Gallergorn, but Black Gallergorn genes, which are superior to White Gallergorn.

Among her skills, Dragon’s Heart is a special skill that only comes from Gallergorn of Black Gallergorn level or higher.

Possessing the Dragon’s Heart skill puts one in a special state called ‘Dragonization,’ which has effects similar to my Mark of the Hunt.

‘Enhancement of Psychic Power skill effects, rapid charging.’

Just looking at the part about only enhancing Psychic Power skills, it might seem inferior to Mark of the Hunt, but the important part is the rapid charging.

With Dragon’s Heart, one can spam techniques like Psychic Breath that consume enormous mental power and energy.

‘Psychic Master and Dragonization. No wonder she seemed excessively strong.’

Psychic Master is a kind of passive effect automatically granted to Cult members with yak horns.

It has the effect of enhancing Psychic Power traits and skills in melee, ranged, buff, and crowd control categories.

With two skills doubly enhancing her state, that ridiculous power makes sense.

Also, Black is using two or more skills simultaneously.

‘She’s using Psychic Power skills while in Dragonization state.’

When fighting Siheyon Yujin, I achieved victory by exploiting the fact that she couldn’t use multiple abilities at once.

That strategy is impossible against Black.

‘Plus there was a unique grade equipment and enhancement state that wasn’t visible through Insight.’

I’m not sure about the enhancement state, but I can guess what the unique grade equipment is.

If it’s in the form of black mourning clothes and is unique grade equipment, there’s only one thing I know of.

‘Black Shroud.’

One of the relic-grade enhancement suits that only Cult members can obtain, allowing the wearer to avoid death once every three days.

Even if hit by an attack that turns the entire body to dust, as long as it’s not in cooldown, the wearer will definitely survive.

‘In other words, to defeat Black, I need to kill her twice.’

Whether it’s her skills or equipment, she’s an opponent I absolutely cannot face with this body.

If I had Psyonium like when I fought Siheyon Yujin, it might be different, but there’s no such liquid here.

‘I need Mark of the Hunt.’

Now is not the time to worry about side effects.

I broke into a random nearby house and hurriedly activated Mark of the Hunt.

‘Insight didn’t show it, but she probably has tracking abilities too.’

Even as my body was transforming into its combat-optimized form, I continuously scanned the surroundings with my auxiliary organs.

‘She’s coming.’

I can feel Black approaching beyond the wall.

And I can also feel the intense Psychic Power emanating from her body.

‘Oh no!’

As the whip struck the wall, the house began to collapse. The Psychic Whip not only demolished the house but also shattered the furniture and rushed toward me.

‘Ugh!’

The whip struck my head, which had just barely completed its transformation.

It was a similar impact to being hit by a plasma launcher.

The difference was that back then, I wasn’t in Mark of the Hunt state.

Now I am.

‘I can endure this.’

The outer shell where I was hit was torn off, but it wasn’t a fatal wound. This level of injury will heal quickly with the enhanced regeneration effect.

I put strength into my legs and then kicked the floor hard.

My body flew through the collapsing house toward the enemy.

It was faster than she expected, as her eyebrow twitched slightly.

Her right hand waved elegantly, and the whip aimed for my side.

I defended against the Psychic Whip with the shield-shaped outer shell that had formed on the wrist part of my arm due to the Mark of the Hunt effect.

There was a sound of metal being scraped and sparks flew from my arm.

Even an enhanced Psychic Whip couldn’t penetrate my outer shell, which was strengthened by three effects: type, trait, and Mark of the Hunt.

“…Not bad.”

Just before my horn could pierce her abdomen, her left hand spread wide.

At the same time, my body froze as if fixed in mid-air, then was thrown back hard.

Even as I was being pushed back by the invisible force, I extended my tentacles and struck at her.

As if anticipating my counterattack, she floated her body sideways, narrowly avoiding my tentacles.

After this clash, I was the one who suffered the loss.

I was thrown into a collapsing house.

Debris from broken wooden furniture and concrete from the ceiling poured down on my head.

‘Tsk.’

I had guessed from her yak horns, but she also possessed defensive psychic abilities.

The skill she just used was Reflection.

It’s a Psychic Power skill that reflects attacks coming from the direction she’s looking.

It can’t reflect all attacks; it can’t block Psychic Power attacks. Or attacks from angles she’s not facing.

Among the psychic traits I currently possess, I only have one attack trait.

Just Psychic Breath, which I use with the Monster’s Tentacles.

‘It won’t be easy, but…’

It’s not impossible.

I rose from the pile of ruins. At that moment, Black swung her whip, precisely targeting my position.

Convinced that she had tracking abilities, I dodged the whip and then picked up a wooden table from the collapsed pile and threw it at her.

“Petty tricks are useless.”

With that cold voice, the table was cut in two.

‘Petty tricks, huh.’

This is all necessary work.

I escaped from the building ruins and ran. Behind me, she followed with her whip summoned.

Whether it was due to the enhancement effect of the Black Shroud or a skill that increases physical abilities, she was following me without difficulty.

The long whip lashed at my back like a snake flicking its tongue.

Even while fleeing, I was concentrating my senses on my auxiliary organs as much as possible, but it was still impossible to completely avoid it.

Blood streamed down as my outer shell was broken, but I gritted my teeth.

‘…I must endure.’

To lure her in, appearing weak is most effective. As long as it’s not a fatal wound that would kill me or disadvantage me in battle, it’s fine.

Of course, even so, the pain of having my back torn open while fully conscious was hard to bear.

‘Thankfully I have Pain Reduction.’

Without this trait, I would have screamed pathetically.

“Is this not enough?”

After saying that, Black now pulled out a Psychic Whip from her left hand as well.

A two-headed snake hisses, making threatening sounds.

‘Oh no.’

I didn’t expect that.

Originally, I was planning to run to the subway station within the ground.

But if I keep taking those attacks, my body will be completely torn apart before the luring operation even begins.

‘Let’s go to the basement.’

I changed direction and charged into a nearby house.

The Cult members inside screamed when they saw me.

Ignoring them, I went down to the basement.

Behind me, the Cult members who were screaming and making a commotion were torn to pieces by the Psychic Power unleashed by Black.

Blood splattered down the stairs, followed by the sound of her footsteps.

“In the end, is a beast just a beast? To flee only to choose a dead end.”

A voice from the top of the stairs. I flicked my tail to shoot barbed hairs upward.

“Useless.”

She deflected the incoming barbed hairs with Reflection.

The barbed hairs, having lost their target, stuck into the ceiling above her head and various other places.

“Before I take you away, it seems some education is necessary.”

She steps down the stairs.

Even in the dark basement, the horns on her head glow clearly with a purple light.

As if revealing her confidence that nothing could harm her.

‘How far will that arrogance go, I wonder.’

From the corner of the basement where I had already taken position, I fired the Psychic Breath I had prepared.

“?!”

A purple sun gathered from the Monster’s Tentacles emits a flash.

The essence of pure Psychic Power stretches from a spherical form into a heat ray.

A heat ray that destroys everything.

“Kuh!”

She canceled her Psychic Whip and hurriedly raised both hands toward the heat ray.

A black sphere formed in her hands, which then became a heat ray identical in form to the Psychic Breath I had fired.

The power of the purple dragon and the power of the black dragon clashed in the underground.

Not just the basement, but the entire foundation of the administrative district shook greatly.

The concrete and steel surrounding the basement turned to dust from the concentration of tremendous Psychic Power.

‘Urgh!’

Even just from the shockwave of the clash, my outer shell was being stripped away. The acidic blood evaporated as soon as it flowed out due to the influence of the Psychic Power, and the ends of the Monster’s Tentacles were not just split but turned to powder and scattered.

“Kuugh!”

Not just me, but she too seemed to be feeling extreme pain, as her expression greatly distorted. Her body, protected by the Black Shroud, was intact, but both hands firing the breath were covered in blood.

Thus, the Psychic Breath fired by me and her mutually annihilated without either gaining the upper hand.

But if someone were to see us standing on the ruined basement debris, they would surely think she had won.

Me with almost all of my outer shell torn off, and her intact except for her palms.

Looking at appearances, it was clear who had the advantage.

“It was unexpected, but it seems I’ve won.”

She said that in a leisurely tone. Ignoring her words, I threw some collapsed building fragments at her.

The fragments hit the remaining ceiling part above her head.

The broken ceiling part shook greatly, and dust poured down onto her shoulders.

“Have you gone blind now? Though it doesn’t seem like you had much of eyes to begin with.”

Blind? Surely not.

When in Mark of the Hunt state, my senses are enhanced far beyond what can be compared to seeing with eyes.

In other words, my attack just now was intentional.

The barbed hairs that had been precariously hanging above her head fell onto her neck.

The second weakness of Reflection: it cannot defend against attacks that don’t come from the direction she’s looking.

‘Then I should aim for her blind spots.’

The barbed hairs stuck into her unprotected neck.

As she was coming down the stairs, she felt a stinging sensation and touched the back of her neck.

Upon touching the barb, her eyes widened.

“Ugh, urgh? Th-this is…?”

There have been many enemies lately, like Egerton’s knight, who wrap their entire bodies tightly, but originally the true power of my barbed hairs comes from elsewhere.

An unstoppable neurotoxin quickly spreads through her body, binding her.

Staggering, she tried to lean against the wall, but it was useless. Her arms and legs refused their owner’s commands, and she tumbled ungracefully down the stairs.

“……”

By now, she was in a state where she couldn’t speak.

I approached her to finish her off.

‘I need to kill her twice to end this.’

Just as I was about to strike her head with my combat arm, her body glowed purple.

‘Light? Could it be?’

I hurriedly twisted my body.

As I dodged, a purple spear tore through the edge of my waist.

‘Ugh!’

If I hadn’t dodged in time, the weapon made of Psychic Power would have pierced through my organs and heart.

I grabbed my bleeding side and retreated.

Behind me stood Black, somehow completely unharmed without a single wound.

“Excellent. Without Code Red, I would have been done for.”

I spewed fire toward her.

Creating a smokescreen with fire and smoke, I escaped from the basement through a gap in the collapsed ceiling.

The phenomenon that just occurred with Black was due to the effect of the ‘Astral Tuning’ skill.

Astral Tuning is a supportive Psychic Power skill where the caster applies it to one subject, and it has a very powerful effect.

Namely, the caster can teleport the subject at will.

When teleporting, the subject’s body is temporarily etherealized by powerful psychic abilities, completely removing the poisoning effect caused by the neurotoxin.

Of course, the teleportation distance is short, and the caster cannot move while the Astral Tuning effect is active, but it’s an unbeatable skill for catching an enemy off guard like now.

‘There are two enemies!’

When I checked Black’s status with Insight, there was an unlocked enhancement state, and I wondered if it might be the Astral Tuning state.

Astral Tuning is among the advanced skills in various Psychic Power techniques.

In terms of rarity, it’s comparable to Dragon’s Heart.

‘Moreover…’

While fleeing, I checked my bleeding side.

The skill that Black used to stab me from behind after teleporting was a skill called ‘Pain Spear.’

It’s a Psychic Power skill with high penetration effect that worsens the recovery ability of the attacked enemy for a certain period.

Because of this, my wound was healing at a much slower rate than usual.

‘This is bad.’

Black alone is a formidable opponent, but there’s another enemy somewhere around here who’s on par with her.

The range of Astral Tuning is a maximum radius of 1km. While maintaining Astral Tuning on a subject, the caster is completely incapacitated.

‘I can guess where the caster might be hiding, but…’

Black won’t let me get there.

‘Running away isn’t a good choice either.’

Continuing to run from here is just buying time. Seeing how Black tracks me instantly, she’ll easily find me no matter how much I run.

‘When Mark of the Hunt ends, that’s when it’s truly over.’

Their purpose is capture, so they won’t kill me. If it were elimination, they could just bombard me with Psychic Breath.

‘They’re also wary of me.’

Having been thoroughly beaten by me once, they’ll fight cautiously for a while.

Of course, that time won’t be long either. Once all my tricks are exposed, that’s when it’s really over.

‘How should I break through?’

While thinking about that one thing, the Monster’s Tentacles part at the back of my head tingled.

「■■ boy.」

‘How should I attack…’

「Big boy!」

At the familiar wavelength, I jerked my head up.

The wavelength tickling the Monster’s Tentacles was sent by No. 26.

And the ground where I was standing shook.

The concrete laid on the road split, and dozens of long, thick tentacles rose from within.

「We’re here.」

What emerged from the exploded concrete hole was a giant pink jellyfish over 5 meters tall.