Chapter 37: Runaway Train

Chapter 37

The mana hawk controlled by the 1-1 defender was swiftly flying above the forest. Flying at such a high altitude, it was in a position that even the awakened would struggle to notice easily, higher than the surveillance drones scanning the forest. However,

Bang!

Suddenly, there was a gunshot from within the forest and the mana hawk exploded with a blast. Ceasing his shooting stance was a massive figure – it was Kang Minhyuk.

After silently watching the direction from where the mana hawk had come, Kang Minhyuk slung the sniper rifle he had acquired from a defender over his shoulder and started running towards the area.

At that moment,

The 1-1 defender team, positioned far away, had to halt their search upon hearing the gunshot.

“That’s a gunshot!”

“It came from right in front of us!”

As they all took a defensive stance, listening to the sound ahead, the 1-1 defender from the back yelled out,

“It’s Kang Minhyuk! He just sniped my mana hawk with his rifle.”

“Kang Minhyuk..?”

“Uh…”

Hearing the name, some instinctively flinched. These were the people who had firsthand experienced Kang Minhyuk’s might atop the Area 2 wall.

“Don’t be scared! There are 18 of us! We can easily take down one person!”

Sensing the collective unease, 1-1 shouted loudly to invigorate the group. The effect was remarkable.

“Yeah, that’s right! We can win!”

“No need to fall apart before a fight!”

“Let’s move out!”

As everyone was about to charge forward, the 1-1 defender raised his voice to stop them.

“Stop! There’s no need for us to move first. Kang Minhyuk will come to us.”

“What?”

“He’ll come to us?”

Members of the team showed doubtful expressions.

1-1 insisted firmly,

“I’ve seen Kang Minhyuk fighting a few times through the mana hawk today, and he’s always the one rushing towards the defenders.”

“Really?”

“Trust me! Can someone check the front, please?”

Upon his command, a few team members with infrared scopes quickly scanned the area ahead. Suddenly, they cried out urgently,

“It’s Kang Minhyuk! He’s just 100 meters ahead!”

“He’s actually running this way!”

With the alarm raised, everyone pulled out their weapons, and from within the pitch-dark forest ahead, a colossal figure – Kang Minhyuk – was seen charging towards them at an astonishing speed.

“Everyone, take your positions!”

Following the lead of 1-1, the group scattered in pre-arranged directions. 1-1 shouted to the one right beside him,

“Prepare the freezing skill!”

“I’m ready!”

The defender stretched forth both palms toward the rapidly approaching Kang Minhyuk. Simultaneously,

Crackling.

The sound of freezing was followed by Kang Minhyuk’s motion halting as he was caught in the freezing skill. However, it didn’t hold him for long; moments later, a shattering noise erupted as the ice confining him burst into pieces, thanks to Kang Minhyuk’s sheer strength.

Just as he broke free from the chill,

1-1’s comrade on his left channeled mana into both palms and directed it at Kang Minhyuk. A grayish mana enveloped Kang Minhyuk’s head completely.

His eyes shook violently.

Suddenly, his vision spun dizzily – Kang Minhyuk, who had never felt dizzy nor seasick in his life, was experiencing vertigo.

He immediately realized,

‘Mental disruption magic!’

There had been just one occasion when he had symptoms like these – during the assault on the Bangtaesan Clan when he had fallen into a strategically placed mental magic circle.

That was the first time, totally unexpected, nearly cost him his life due to the extreme disorienting effect. But not today,

‘I have an antidote for abnormal state.’

He had tied an antidote on his waistband, anticipating such emergency situations. Just as he quickly grabbed the potion bottle and was about to uncork it,

Thud!

Bang!

With the sound of a gunshot, the potion bottle exploded from his grasp. His surprise turned into panic, and through gritted teeth he heard,

“Nice shot!”

1-1’s cry of triumph mingled in the air while a teammate lifted their eyes from their rifle scope, having just exhaled in relief.

Perfect strategy – they had selected the member with the best shooting skills precisely to target the potion at the moment Kang Minhyuk reached for it.

“Next!”

Another member flung a spell at Kang Minhyuk as a thin layer of blue mana that had surrounded his armor disappeared.

“Neutralization successful!”

The Neutralize skill had suspended all enchanted spells for a time, causing the protective shield around Kang Minhyuk’s armor to vanish.

“Now! Attack!”

1-1 ordered, his voice booming. The whole group initiated their assault.

Ratatatatat!

A barrage of gunfire sprayed out.

“Attack from distance only! If you get close, his great sword might get you!”

1-1 was the only one not attacking – instead, he closely watched the battleground. Kang Minhyuk appeared in anguish.

“Arrgh –!”

Moans squeezed from clenched teeth; the first sounds of strain he had made since entering the preliminaries. The high-quality armor, its magical shield gone, was no longer impenetrable.

The relentless gunfire had already perforated it numerous times, leaving Kang Minhyuk bloodied all over. Had he not fiercely concentrated mana to bolster his defenses, those bullets might have penetrated and killed him already.

‘I need to attack…!’

But he was too dizzy to even stand correctly. The dim environment made it even harder to spot where the enemies were hiding. Yet, he couldn’t just stand there and be shot at.

“I’ve got to catch at least one!”

As if desperately clutching at straws, Kang Minhyuk aimed to charge forward and swing his great sword mightily. Landing just one blow would allow his vampiric trait to trigger, instantly recovering the damage he had suffered thus far. But his opponents weren’t going to allow even this single move.

Crackle.

The participant with the freezing skill kept locking Kang Minhyuk’s feet every time he attempted to attack. Each time he was immobilized, he became a sitting duck for the enemies’ bullets.

“Ugh…!”

This sequence repeated until Kang Minhyuk’s mighty figure, thought to be impervious, began to visibly sway. Sensing the moment of weakness, 1-1, the leader, gave a prompt command to one of the participants.

“Now! Finish it!”

Concentrating mana between his palms, the blue light grew into a sphere the size of a soccer ball before he hurled it towards Kang Minhyuk. This ‘Energy Ball’ skill caused a massive explosion on impact.

Boom!

A large blast occurred around Kang Minhyuk, and for the first time, he let out a scream as his knees hit the ground.

“He’s down!”

“He dropped his great sword!”

“Take him out!”

The heated defenders rushed at Kang Minhyuk, ready to strike. But as they were about to plunge their weapons into him, Kang Minhyuk’s body, previously slumped over, exploded into action with lightning speed.

Thwack!

The defender who received Kang Minhyuk’s right fist flew backward, his neck twisted grotesquely. At the same time,

“Ugh…!”

Kang Minhyuk gripped the head of another defender with his left hand. It was then the trapped defender saw Kang Minhyuk’s eyes blazing with red, pulsing with the bloody hue of a vampire in full predatory mode – and that was the last sight he’d ever see.

Thud!

An unrestrained right punch obliterated the man’s face. The entire scene caused a ripple of shock among the advancing defenders.

“What? What’s going on?!”

As Kang Minhyuk seemed to go berserk,

***

“Huh?”

“Is he going faster than before?”

“Is this some berserker mode?”

“Wow! He’s taking them down with his bare hands!”

“Looks like he had an ace up his sleeve after all!”

“I thought he was done for…!”

Viewers and the monitoring room staff were all flabbergasted by the sudden turn of events; they witnessed not just a resurrection of combat, but a dominating force of destruction. Amidst it all, Baek Jun remained composed before the monitor.

‘There it is. The Berserk trait.’

Berserk enhances all physical abilities by twofold when HP drops below 10 percent, but causes the user to lose rationality, driving them to assault every living being around – friend or foe – until the frenzy subsides, much like a ‘Warrior’ mode often seen in games.

‘The defenders overlooked one thing. Someone as powerful as Kang Minhyuk should have been anticipated to possess a final hidden card.’

The defenders were now paying the price for that oversight. With a head crushed and vampiric healing triggered, defenders began to fall helplessly to Kang Minhyuk’s onslaught.

“Aargh!”

“Don’t come near me! Aargh!”

“I can’t block this! Run away, cough!”

As the one-sided massacre unfolded, some of the group, including 1-1, were already gone.

“Ugh!”

“Run faster!”

1-1, quick to react, had already fled with the remaining group, running until their breath caught in their throats. They only stopped their frantic escape once they were far enough to no longer hear the sounds of battle.

“Huff huff… How many of us made it?”

1-1 took a moment to gather a headcount of the survivors.

“Ten.”

In just one fight, nearly half of their group had fallen.

“It’s fortunate so many of us survived. If we had stayed there any longer…”

As 1-1 trailed off, some survivors quickly shook their heads, not wanting to consider the alternative. They were deeply shaken by the ferocity of Kang Minhyuk whom they had narrowly evaded – a monster tearing heads with two fists, his movements doubly fast compared to the solo display they had witnessed atop the wall.

How could the remaining members hope to tackle such a frenzied beast?

At that moment, that same monster was…

“Rooaarr!”

Engaged in bare-knuckle combat with another beast, a minotaur.

Kang Minhyuk, blocking the minotaur’s club swings with his bare arms, counterattacked with punches and headbutts of his own.

The battle was so fierce it was hard to tell who was the monster and who was the man.

In a bloody encounter, it was the minotaur that first faltered. It stood no chance in a melee fight against Kang Minhyuk, who continually replenished his health through vampirism.

Crunch!

The skull was shattered, and the minotaur flopped backward, eyes rolling, defeated by what was previously its famed headbutt technique now rendered useless against a mere human.

“Roaaar!”

Kang Minhyuk’s frenzy trait was still active. Soon he was off, seeking the next living thing to engage. Catching a hint of another presence, he sprinted in one direction and leaped high, bringing his fist down with all his might.

Crash!

There was a sound like metal striking, signalling the stop of the seemingly unstoppable locomotive that was Kang Minhyuk.

He was finally brought to a halt as someone blocked his attack.

“Well, this is a bit tricky.”

A youthful face, a bit confused, scratching his cheek – it was Kim Jinsung.