Chapter 76 – A Traditional Hero (2)
–Hmm?
Simultaneously, Superbia noticed the changes happening to Theodore’s body.
Its senses exceeded a human’s by dozens or perhaps hundreds of times, so it could catch even the slightest differences. The analysis was completed instantly, covering the amount of sweat, the speed of the pulse, the body temperature, and the expansion and contraction of pupils.
‘Oddly enough, the fear in the monkey’s body has disappeared.’ Superbia was puzzled.
–You… What type of trick are you playing?
Any creature had to be afraid of Superbia, since it was at the apex of the food chain. It didn’t matter what the creature’s individual strength was as they would be filled with an instinctive fear. Magicians and aura users were no exception, even for those beyond a certain level, and it was the same with monkeys. Unable to understand the phenomenon, Superbia felt uncomfortable.
Theodore slowly raised his body. He lifted his right hand, which was ridiculously small in comparison to Superbia’s claws. Then…
Paang! A flash emerged from his index finger and broke into Superbia’s skull.
“…Ah?” Ellenoa, who wasn’t breathing well, couldn’t help opening her mouth. It was because the sight of the head being broken wasn’t realistic. For a normal creature, it would be an instantaneous death blow.
Theodore—no, Alfred looked down at the body with clear eyes after striking the blow.
He nodded and clenched his fingers. ‘Wise. You realized that it was better to pick me.’
At the present time, there were only two authors Theo could summon with [Overwrite], Alfred and Lee Yoonsung. In the case of Myrdal, the option to use the Overwrite function with him never came up, so Theo only had one of two choices. Theo was torn between Lee Yoonsung and Alfred, but he eventually made his decision… and Magic Bullet’s Creator, the war hero Alfred Bellontes, was loaded.
Gududuk…gududuk…
However, a monster which had killed dozens of elite magicians couldn’t fall to such degree of damage.
The flesh at the bottom of the head started growing back, and the bones rising from the neck were completed. The regeneration was almost like a reversal of time. There was a cold light in Alfred’s eyes as he watched the bizarre phenomenon in front of him.
‘It is more than a troll. This isn’t regeneration but closer to immortality… It isn’t an enemy I can win by killing.’
That was the mistake Herman and the other convoy magicians had made. In order to completely destroy the monster, a master level or someone with Veronica’s or Blundell’s firepower was needed. If they had just focused on tying up its feet thoroughly, the magicians in the 1st and 3rd Cars wouldn’t have been killed.
–You bastard. Monkey, you…! A horrific low frequency scream emerged from Superbia, whose face was already half recovered.
The flesh the monster now had was different, but it still stared at him with six pairs of compound eyes. The fact that it had been attacked by a mere monkey scratched its pride. The will to kill was immediately reflected in its form.
‘Ogre’s power. Minotaur’s power. Cyclops’ power.’
Superbia’s body suddenly swelled up.
It grew beyond three meters and was twice as wide, while the muscle fibres rose above the skin to cover the whole body. Red tendons and muscles tangled together like rope to create a form boiling with murderous impulses.
The incarnation of violence raised an arm which was thicker than a log.
-■■■■■■―!!
The monster’s four fists struck the ground with a furious roar.
-――――――――――!!!
It was literally a great destruction! The earth cracked and shook in the places where Superbia’s fists hit. The sound of the world crying out rang loudly as Alfred jumped up while holding Ellenoa. The shock wave was transmitted through the ground and would explode their insides if it hit them!
“Ellenoa!”
“Yes, yes!?!” Ellenoa replied involuntarily to the powerful voice.
“I will blow you away! Take care of your landing!”
There was no time for a reply. Alfred pulled out wind magic from Theo’s memories.
He used Gust Wind, a blast which could blow a person away like a leaf. Combining that with Superbia’s shock wave, it wasn’t difficult to fly a few hundred meters. He needed to use this interval to shift Ellenoa to a safe distance away.
So, Alfred blew Ellenoa away without any hesitation.
“Kyaaak!” Ellenoa shrieked with an absurd expression as she was pushed and sent disappearing into the night sky. Alfred was anxious about the landing, but it wouldn’t be a problem for a high elf who was loved by nature. He also kicked away from the epicenter of the destruction as he continued to think.
However, as soon as he landed on the ground…
Huuung!
A huge fist emerged from the dust cloud. It was enough power to push away the dust using wind pressure alone!
This hit was three times more powerful than the first. If he were hit with this, he would disappear without a trace. So, Alfred gave up on attacking and concentrated all his strength on his chest. This was the body technique received from Lee Yoonsung—the Iron Board technique.
A red pillar stretched up before his upper body at 90 degrees.
Pik!
He got a nosebleed as the huge fist hit him. However, he raised a hand to his nose while throwing himself to the right. It was overwhelming just being near the violence. As he attempted to open the gap, the monster stretched out the other three fists at the same time.
Aldred smiled coldly as he faced the wall of death. “Fool.”
His body accelerated, momentarily appearing like a haze.
‘Battle Song. Sonata of Speed. Vivace.’
Moving one beat faster meant he would die. Moving two beats faster also meant he would die. If that was the case, then he would move three or four beats faster.
Alfred dispersed the force of the three fists more precisely and accurately than the inexperienced Theodore would have done. He penetrated the gap, which was the size of a needle hole, without any error. Alfred moved like he was dancing and dug toward Superbia’s chest.
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Then his hand, which was sharp like a spear, pierced the monster’s chest.
Puhwakak!
The four Magic Bullets, fired from every digit of the right hand, except for the thumb, cut through the muscles covering the monster’s heart.
–■■■■■――!! Superbia’s body started glowing from the terrible pain.
One attack from Superbia would break down the human body instantly. It would be over in one blow. Just a light scratch would cause a severe injury. Then the human’s breath would be cut off in the following attack. On the other hand, Alfred had the battle penalty of not being able to kill his opponent.
Despite that, the hero was dancing like a storm in front of the monster.
–This rat bastard!
Neither of Superbia’s attacks with its fists or feet worked. Alfred avoided the punches and kicks, and then brutally attacked any gaps which were exposed. It was the essence of a marksman to pierce the vital points. With simple attacks, Superbia was just Alfred’s prey.
Alfred sent Superbia a look of derision. ‘If you can’t die, I’ll just turn you into a living beehive.’
If it continued like this, Alfred would be able to endure for an hour or two. Every time a flash was fired from his fingers, the monster struggled while the hero firmly defended his superiority.
However, that thought was soon overturned.
* * *
Exactly five minutes later…
-….Indeed, I know your trashy trick now.
Its pride was more important than anything else, but Superbia’s intelligence was absolutely not low. Just as Alfred observed it, Superbia was also watching Alfred. This was the type of prey which should be hunted.
As Superbia transitioned into another form, Alfred felt a chill run down his spine.
Crunch… crunch…
Its front legs were like that of an octopus while the tail was like a blade. This was a shape which completely deviated from the human form.
Alfred was able to overwhelm Superbia because he had anticipated its behaviour. It wasn’t difficult to know the timing by reading the movements of the muscles, joints, and cartilages since they resembled humans, no matter how strong they were.
However, he didn’t know the characteristics of the monster. so his responses would be delayed.
–Die.
Shortly after that, the space was cut horizontally. It was Caracalos’ blade tail!
Alfred jumped backwards reflexively, but blood still sprang from a cut in his chest. He didn’t receive a scar due to most of the power being blocked by the fabric, but if his response had been a bit late, his heart would’ve been split in two.
This time, Theo’s knowledge had saved him. Caracalos was a dangerous A rank monster which inhabited the southern swamps. Its tail was small but contained mithril, so it was well known as a weapon which could slash through any metal or defense spell.
‘Damn it, that is more than an aura user.’ Alfred clicked his tongue as he came to know the information belatedly. He had lived in the north all his life, so he’d had no interest in the southern creatures. Moreover, he hadn’t read books like Theodore.
If surprise attacks like this kept on happening, it would be difficult to hold out for 10 minutes, let alone an hour.
Therefore, Alfred talked to ‘him,’ who was watching. ‘Boy, can you hear me?’
–I can hear you. Speak. It was Theodore Miller, the owner of the body.
The two men, who were like the front and back of a coin, finally looked at each other.
Although Alfred was using Theodore’s body, he couldn’t fully utilize his abilities as the skills acquired by Memorize or the artifacts thoroughly belonged to Theodore Miller. Alfred Bellontes was a stranger in Theo’s body, so there were limitations.
‘From now on, I will deeply connect to your consciousness. I need your consent to do that.’
–Sure, I agree.
‘That is a fast response. Is it okay to decide so quickly when you don’t even know what side effects there will be? Connecting my consciousness to yours can be dangerous, even if I am inferior when it comes to magical knowledge.’ The blonde man looking at Theo with an anxious face.
Alfred’s appearance remained unchanged in the world of their consciousness. He had the majesty of royalty and the dignity of a warrior who had been called a hero.
Theo felt strangely impressed as he slowly nodded. He was determined from the moment he decided to fight that monster.
‘…I respect your will, Boy.’
There was no way to withdraw anyway. It had reached the point where Theo needed to rush to the end… at least until Ellenoa’s safety was guaranteed, or when Veronica arrived. Until then, he needed to protect himself from the death appearing before him. Gambling with the hero’s soul was better than having a worthless death.
Then at that moment…
[Object name ‘Alfred Bellontes’ and the user ‘Theodore Miller’ have perfectly harmonized their consciousness. The Overwrite function has been stopped. The user’s self might become contaminated.]
[Hidden feature ‘Transmission’ has been activated.]
[If Transmission is successful, the fragment of Alfred Bellontes will be completely restored. If you fail, you will lose all the skills you have acquired from the essences. The mental shock can also cause the self-destruction of your ego.]
[Are you sure you want to approve ‘Transmission’? – Y/N]
Theo didn’t hesitate, even with the creepy advice.
“Transmission!” As he answered, two flashes of light sprang from the dark mental world. One was the soul of the majestic and brilliant hero, while the other was the soul of a body not yet fully grown. The two lights danced erratically in the air before becoming one stream.
Kiiing!
It seemed like a lightning bolt struck Theodore Miller’s head.