Volume 9 / Chapter 260

TL: LightNovelCafe

Editor: Isleidir

Drip drip

Blood flows down from the tree. A Lifer wearing his destroyed battlesuit like rags is skewered on a long and thick thorn.

The talkative Nuclear.

There is no noticeable movement, but there are faint convulsions coming from his body. It seems as though he is not dead.

With Nuclear at the center, there are Rankers and Lifers lying around pitifully. There are even those who have been ripped into pieces.

Estimating from a quick look, it seems about half died and half lived. The battle with Evil Queen had been nearly one-sided. The aftermath of the battle reduced many kilometers in radius into chaos. That is how incredible it was.

Regardless of vitality, not a single Lifer was moving. Even those who are still alive may well have been corpses.

When Evil Queen appeared, the skeletons' position changed. They blocked retreat paths so that Lifers could not run away. Iron King who had sustained an injury from his battle with the skeletons, had pa.s.sed out with Evil Queen's. .h.i.t, been swept away, and died.

The rest realized that they could not run away, and desperately fought.

But this was Evil Queen who toyed with 4 level S Lifers. There are a lot of them, but they don't have power when they are mostly made up of level As.

Evil Queen didn't avoid Lifers' attacks and allowed them to get through. Then she killed Glare Gun, Sea General, and Light Shooter with quick and precise counterattacks. There is no need to explain. They didn't even realize they were dying due to the overwhelming gap in their abilities, and were chopped up into pieces.

Her attack strength that is powerful enough to destroy battlesuits and her speed that is undetectable by battlesuit sensors made this possible. Nine Tail raged with Light Shooter's death, went mad, ran forward at Evil Queen, and also disappeared without a trace.

5 people died within seconds.

Even Strategist lost his will to fight and quietly accepted his fate. It isn't a standard that they can fight. Chamma Sword, the only level S Lifer capable of movement, blocked Evil Queen's front and took a few hits, but a few were it.

Only 9 Lifers survived until now.

Strategist, Ice Queen, Nuclear, Ghost Gun, Weapon Master, and Park Jin Hyuk's group.

Of these, Violet and Weapon Master are still stuck to the bone protruding from Evil Queen's body without being able to move or get out. She intends on giving them pain.

5 Lifers didn't die on the World Federation side, but they are on the brink of death.

But Park Jin Hyuk's group are comparatively in a better situation.

"Where did you go? I know you're somewhere here. You hide well."

She speaks gently, but there is annoyance on her face.

Evil Queen is annoyed with the current situation.

"You're human on the inside but a machine on the outside so you get rid of all traces of your scent, you don't make noise, and you hide with transparency."

Bang bang bang!

Evil Queen extended her tentacle wide and whips a wide range in a circle. She went out hundreds of kilometers, but her senses didn't pick up anything.

"I'll have to kill what I can see first."

Evil Queen turns her attention to Strategist's group. There's no point in clinging to the ones that she can't do anything about. She'll need to take care of what she could and then decide whether she'll handle what she can't after.

"Ah!"

"That side's still going."

While Evil Queen was battling Rankers, ordinary Lifers and Evil Queen's army were engaged in a large-scale war.

The mutants had been caught in battle while retreating, so they were being pushed back.

Rankers are unable to battle.

Evil Queen sent the skeletons she had left to block retreat routes to them.

That will restore balance. Evil Queen intends on taking care of the situation here and joining them over there. She will annihilate the Lifers, supplement her nutrients, and go to Asia and Europe.

'Are you just going to watch?'

'There's no solution.'

The sky.

Basil is holding Koharu and Park Jin Hyuk's hand, and floating in the sky.

Stealth function.

It doesn't just hide their visibility but their existence in general, but there is a sharp decline in their combat ability while maintaining that state. Even if they attack Evil Queen in this state, they can't cause any damage.

The exoskeletal armor covering her entire body and the carapace protecting her main body are st.u.r.dier than Iron King's Iron Defense. On top of that, she regenerates. Even if they somehow get through all of that, if they can't kill her with one hit, putting regeneration aside, their location will be revealed and they will die.

Boom boom!

Park Jin Hyuk clenches his teeth as he watches Evil Queen go toward Strategist's group. Basil held Park Jin Hyuk's hand more tightly.

When battle broke out and the situation looked dark, Basil turned his stealth function on, grabbed Park Jin Hyuk and Koharu, and created distance between them and Evil Queen.

If he comes into contact with other battlesuits while in stealth mode, that function transfers to them.

If doesn't have indefinite effect, but it can take on a few people.

Basil gave up on Strategist's group in order to save himself and his close friends. Giving up on them is a good way to put it. In a negative sense, he abandoned them.

'Hope is a word we use when there is hope. If we go out, we all die.'

Basil judged the situation objectively.

World Federation's Rankers were swept out. The 100,000 Lifers probably won't make it either.

'What about Violet!'

'We can't.'

It would be better to rescue Strategist's group. Violet and Weapon Master are stuck to Evil Queen's body. They would have to go past getting close to her, to having to face off with her.

They are far enough now that she won't be able to detect them even if they turn stealth function off. Even if she does see them, she can't get past this distance to attack them. The problem would be if they attack and are discovered. A tentacle would grab them before they could escape into the sky.

Would Strategist's group have stuck to ground war because they are stupid?

They tried to go into the sky as is characteristic with mid and long-range Lifers, but it became like a game of darts within seconds.

'Think about Kyoko.'

'd.a.m.n it!'

With those words, Park Jin Hyuk abandoned hope of saving Strategist's group and Violet.

What could be more precious than family?

Family is priority.

Koharu didn't say anything, but she was just as angry as Park Jin Hyuk. She thought herself pathetic. She was too helpless.

'Let's go back to headquarters and try to get the remaining Lifers at the least. If Evil Queen stays here for a bit, we should be able to save some of them.'

The skeletons will be creating chaos, but they are jokes compared to Evil Queen. They can evacuate the Lifers.

"Look over there."

"Something's coming."

Park Jin Hyuk's group got away from Evil Queen and flew toward the battleground.

It is easy to see everything when high up in the sky. Park Jin Hyuk's group can see something coming toward them through the forest from afar.

A brutal appearance.

There is one head, but 4 faces. 3 pairs of arms as well. It is a total monster from its exterior appearance.

They were able to discover it easily because they are in a high place, but the momentum and chaos it is coming at them in is so incredible that they must have picked up on it from the ground as well.

Evil Queen has superior senses, so there's no way she doesn't know. She looked back when she was about to end Strategist and the others, and this was the prelude to their battle.

Furrows form. Cha Jun Sung is a farmer and his tool is Evil Queen.

Cha Jun Sung has a hold of her face, and is dragging her body along while it is embedded in the ground. A straight path forms where they pa.s.s through. Evil Queen is about a half times larger than Cha Jun Sung who is 12 to 13 meters tall, but he had no problem throwing her to the ground and dragging her.

Before Cha Jun Sung threw Evil Queen to the ground, he moved his tail and pulled Violet and Weapon Master from her body.

They aren't dead.

They sent faint vital signs through his tail.

It was easy to rescue them because the surprise attack worked. If she had been waiting for him, he wouldn't have been able to save them.

'What is this?'

Evil Queen couldn't understand the situation.

She got up in a hurry. She had been moving to finish off the dying Lifers when she felt an intense aura and turned around.

A black palm came at her like lightning to a point a little below her kidney, grabbed her face, pushed, and planted her into the ground.

She feels the full impact of being dragged with her whole body.

It isn't enough to make a fuss, but it isn't an extent that she can just ignore it and move on. She is stuck between the strength pus.h.i.+ng from above and the hard ground withstanding that force from below. She had to take that frictional force.

His grip was incredible as well. If her skeleton and coat had been those of a weaker mutant, her face would have been ripped off or her body would have been destroyed and she would have died. Evil Queen couldn't look at the mutant that had attacked her. Her eyes were covered by his hand, so she cannot see. It is dark.

It has been long since she forgot about the two Lifers she can skewered on her body to feel pain.

Instead, her thoughts became full regarding this situation.

"Will you… let me go now?"

Bang!

Evil Queen had been dragged on lifelessly when she lifted her foot and kicked Cha Jun Sung's stomach.

It is a fatal kick. His stomach is crushed.

This strength exploded from the opposite direction Cha Jun Sung is exerting strength in. the stronger side is bound to win – Cha Jun Sung's hand is forced to relax.

His heavy body goes up high into the sky. Like a level 9, the parts where his bones broke and his skin ripped regenerate within seconds.

Evil Queen's tentacles grab Cha Jun Sung's body as it goes up into the sky. She pulled with force and straightened up.

The reversed scenario – their stances switch and Cha Jun Sung is planted into the ground.

He tried to bounce out more through the law of inertia, but the tentacles prevented that.

"You – you?"

Evil Queen lifted Cha Jun Sung and expressed surprise for the first time. Someone who should be in Asia is right in front of her.

"Evil Queen."

"How are you here? And how did you recognize me?"

Evil Queen's tentacles loosen in her surprise.

Cha Jun Sung didn't miss that chance, swelled his muscles, and snapped the tentacles wrapped around him.

Evil Queen didn't care and only waited for him to speak. Binding him isn't important. She can do it whenever she wants to.

"I came to kill you, and someone told me you're Evil Queen."

"Who's that?"

"Those who made us into monsters, who made the world like this."

Evil Queen's eyes open wide.

What Cha Jun Sung, who she calls Black Lord, is surprising.

"Why? You didn't think we were created naturally, did you? You were human too. You know fully well that it doesn't make sense."

Evil Queen knows that well. That's why it is even more surprising.

To be thinking something and to have that confirmed is a different matter.

"Lifers were hunters created to kill us as well. Shall I state it more simply? We're all subjects for experiment."

Evil Queen's expression grows cold.

Cha Jun Sung watched her as she reacted similarly to Black Lord, and felt that they were very proud.

High or low levels don't matter.

Mutants created through Life Mission's system have the common purpose of testing.

It is the same for Lifers, but they are better off compared to mutants. Other than the risks of death, they are guaranteed autonomy and can live the lives that they desire. It is rather a foothold for success for Lifers.

"Where are they?"

"If I tell you where they are, are you going to find and kill them? No chance. They aren't G.o.ds, but they are like G.o.ds in the world that they've created."

The current Evil Queen couldn't even kill Jigneon.

But a tiger kept inside a zoo isn't able to shake off its instincts as a beast of prey.

Disaster or Nightmare, this is something that applies to all mutants.

"Interesting. If that's the case, you're also basically a lab rat. Why are you telling me this?"

A secret that not even Lifers know.

A secret that only Cha Jun Sung knows and that he cannot tell anyone else.

"Because you're the end."

 /  / 

Volume 9 / Chapter 274

TL: LightNovelCafe

Editor: Isleidir

"End?"

"The experiment ends when I kill you. Why did I come? They said they would grant me a wish if I kill you. And the most important part is…"

Cha Jun Sung paused for a moment. This is why he told her.

"The dead can't speak."

Woong!

As soon as Cha Jun Sung spoke, a giant object opened the s.p.a.ce in the sky and came out.

Evil Queen heard the resonating sound and looked up.

"What…"

"That's going to create a ring for us. No one can interfere in our fight."

It's the Heavy Gravity that Borteth summoned when he had fought against Evil Queen's daughters. Borteth had acted alone then, but not this time.

There was a unanimous decision to use it.

They didn't hold back on any support for Cha Jun Sung's battle.

Though he would be the one fighting her.

The Heavy Gravity unfolds a gravity field.

Cha Jun Sung threw Evil Queen on the ground and dragged her here in order to get her away from the Lifers.

Helpers would have received orders from supervisors by now, deeming this a dangerous area and actions would have been taken so no one could approach.

"Lifers will have room to breathe if you're gone."

He knows the situation.

Even if the level 8 skeletons create a mess, there are a lot of level A Lifers and they will be able to win even if there are a lot of sacrifices.

Cha Jun Sung emanates black smoke.

Eyes visible through the black smoke come to life with intent to kill. It was like looking at the devil descending from h.e.l.l.

"Ho ho! You can't beat me. You said I'm the end? That the dead can't speak? You're foolish. Very foolish."

Evil Queen takes a deep breath. The bone armor swells and shrinks repeatedly with the main body's breathing.

Cha Jun Sung focuses on this behavior.

"I can kill you in this state too, but let me show you. My power."

Small skeletons form endlessly from Evil Queen's body. Those skeletons pile up and swallow Evil Queen.

After a first and second awakening, a third awakening.

An energy that stabs at his skin makes Cha Jun Sung shake. Did they say she fused with Bon Load?

It isn't 1+1+ 2, but as though she gained power beyond 3, 5, and 10.

A giant skeleton mountain made up of living, writhing skeletons.

Each of those skeletons change to resemble Evil Queen, who is about 2 meters tall.

The skeletons did not stop multiplying even as they created Evil Queen's form. There was no end to the skeletons or to Evil Queen.

"Do you think they're alters? The entire thing is me. We're all one and we're many. All of us are one. I don't die unless you kill all of us."

[It's true. It seems she's dispersed her nucleus' power into the entire skeleton mountain. If you miss even a single one, Evil Queen will regenerate.]

"She's become nearly immortal. But Odin, I won't lose."

[Gate open! Requesting permission to use… Request granted! System activated!]

'Aren't I a mutant?'

'You are a mutant when considering just the nature. But the thing is… is there a mutant that can act as a Lifer? Even level 8 and 9 mutants wouldn't be able to do this because of their instincts. We restricted your entry into missions because you have mutant strength, not because you're not a Lifer. That means that you can become a Lifer and a mutant. You're the only person who can use the strength of both.'

The last conversation he had with Jigneon.

Jigneon said that he would be able to use the strength of both, but Cha Jun Sung thought it impossible.

Should he wear a battlesuit while in mutant form?

Not only is there no battlesuit he could use, but it would have the worst efficiency if matched to his size.

If a whole body mutating mutant is trapped inside a battlesuit, he will lose as much power as he has gained. In that case, it is better to focus on his given strength.

And it's laughable to have firearms or a vibrating weapon.

It is better to have something than not and it is probably helpful, but that doesn't fulfill the meaning of being able to derive strength from both powers.

'It's not like there isn't a battlesuit you can't use. If it's you, you should be able to exert even more efficiency than Gabenu and me.'

When he heard up to this, Cha Jun Sung realized what Jigneon meant.

It's possible with that. Any mutant could use it.

'I wonder what fighting with level 9 mutant strength will look like. That itself will be the ultimate ideal transcending Life Mission's test result.'

Woong!

The sky opens up with the supervisors' permission.

This is different from with the Heavy Gravity. A pair of light rays come down to Cha Jun Sung.

The silver rays of light change direction to opposite sides and took charge of their own halves of Cha Jun Sung's body. At the end, they combined into one.

[Miracle system activated. Energy 100%, synchronization 100%. I feel good from having been with a great Lifer. It's often said that they couldn't have dreamt it. The same goes for me. I never dreamt that I would be able to use the Miracle.]

Cha Jun Sung's body slightly lifts into the air. He doesn't feel the booster's repulsive force. It was soft and comfortable as though he had wings.

Vitality rushes throughout his body.

He is wearing two Miracles on his own. He felt like he could push over a mountain.

[Don't try to handle the Miracle. There's no need to do so. Think of it as a part of your skin and body. It will follow your will.]

He saw the Miracle's abilities with his own eyes while fighting Gabenu. It has a shape but can't be caught, changing freely. It is water.

Cha Jun Sung spreads his wings. The Miracle reacts and takes the same shape as the wings. It isn't even 0.01 seconds late so as not to interfere with the transformation.

Currently, the Miracle isn't sticking to Cha Jun Sung, but conformed about 1cm off of him. It is in consideration of the reaction rate to his mutation.

Cha Jun Sung warms up his body. His physical ability increased by multiple times. There's no way to express the additional abilities granted by the battlesuit.

"That image."

"What?"

"A mutant as a Lifer."

"Have you put on armor?"

The Evil Queens surround Cha Jun Sung and say what they want to in cut phrases. They are all main bodies with independent selves.

"They said it's the ultimate ideal."

[Evil Queen is going to move. Each body is estimated to be level 7. Looking at the proliferation, you might have to fight with tens of thousands of them.]

"I can't let that happen. The first hit is mine!"

Bang!

With a tremendous driving force of acceleration surpa.s.sing the Overbooster, Cha Jun Sung flies toward the skeleton mountain. He needs to kill that if he is to kill her.

"I'll end Life Mission. I'll see the ending. I'm very ambitious."

[Your helper Odin will support you until the end.]

Hundreds of Evil Queens block Cha Jun Sung wearing the Miracle. He let out a ferocious roar and collided with them.

The Evil Queens are ripped apart with one blow.

But even if dozens of them die, more push forward from behind like sand.

"It won't be infinite proliferation, so let's create a festival of blood."

There is madness in Cha Jun Sung.

All he needs is to slaughter.

He'll kill all of them.

This is when he needs to be faithful to his mutant instincts.

Whether it is one-to-one or one-to-many, the most important thing is to focus on the opponent.

The difference in strength comes after.

No matter how much of an advantage one has over the opponent in all aspects, it is impossible to read behavior patterns without focusing, which means failure.

Even a world champion boxer can be knocked out by an ordinary person if hit properly a few times while not paying attention.

There's no need to even say for equal opponents and even if they aren't equal. A basic in the act of fighting itself is focus.

In that sense, Cha Jun Sung's battle is one of concentration. If he lets his guard down, he'll take a debilitating wound at the least and he'll die if he's unlucky.

Hundreds of Evil Queens surrounding Cha Jun Sung lay out a fierce attack.

Sharp blade tentacles and pointed awl thorns rush at him without end. It is tight like a well knit net. There is no option in which he can avoid them.

The attack range is so narrow that the only solution is to block it with Cha Jun Sung's body.

Cha Jun Sung's tail punctures the Evil Queens coming at him from all around. Then he swung them around like objects and made them b.u.mp into each other.

The Evil Queens that avoided his tail wait for gaps and go at him. Some of them avoided in paper thin margins and the ones that didn't were blocked by a barrier.

Evil Queens' attack began in repet.i.tion and ended in repet.i.tion.

Not a strong one but a weak few went at the barrier. Odin's judgment had been accurate. All of the Evil Queens are level 7.

These came out endlessly from the skeleton mountain. They are born when he kills them in repet.i.tion.

They are weak compared to Cha Jun Sung, but he cannot ignore their level.

They are alters that have Evil Queen's memory, so they have a great sense of combat. And because they are one, they work incredibly well together.

If they had been ordinary level 8, he wouldn't have been able to last the last it takes for a cup of tea to cool. Even level 9 would collapse.

If Cha Jun Sung hadn't had the Miracle, he would have been helplessly pushed back, had at least half his body destroyed, and would have been on the brink of death.

'She is strong…'

He felt something strange while fighting her.

It isn't the strength of a single object, but Evil Queen is properly showing him what a war of quant.i.ty is.

But she falls short 2%.

Did he feel she was lacking because he was concentrating as he fought?

No.

Cha Jun Sung thought about why it was and came to a conclusion.

'I'm getting used to it.'

He's getting used to this one-to-many battle.

It's just tricky because there are so many of them. Each individual's ability doesn't get near Cha Jun Sung's.

He stopped the Evil Queens' attacks early on or the Miracle's defense blocked it. Cha Jun Sung's body didn't sustain a single wound.

This reveals there is a limit to their offensive power.

Is the effect of wearing 2 Miracles?

Had he become too strong?

'Of course not.'

That will be a part of it, but it is too early to a.s.sume it is just that.

His mutant instincts send a signal not to let down his guard.

Cha Jun Sung supported these instincts. He needs to be careful with this.

If he is careless, they are a dangerous opponent as is.

But if he isn't careless, they are just an opponent that he can attack at any time.

Cha Jun Sung said it before going into real battle with Evil Queen.

It won't be infinite proliferation.

 /  /