Firelight painted half the tunnel red. Smoke rolled along the ceiling, crackling.
Black Shark stood on the pickup hood. Below him, sizzling electricity and burning corpses. His face, full of transverse muscle, was now twisted with shock, rage, and unconcealed fear.
Those two shots were his kill signal.
At this range, no normal human could react. But he watched the mysterious young man wave his long sword casually, swatting the bullets away like swatting flies.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks on the wall burned Black Shark's confidence.
His pupils pinned. Veins bulged on his gun hand. But he didn't fire a third shot. He knew against this level of opponent, the pistol was useless.
"Awakened... You are an Awakened too?!"
He stared at me, voice hoarse. "Which faction are you from? Why help this bitch Quinn?!"
"Who I am doesn't matter."
I held the Tang Dao, inching closer to the fire. Tone calm as discussing the weather. "What matters is, you stepped in my yard, and tried to kill my people."
"Your people?"
Black Shark snapped his head to Quinn. Eyes full of venom. "Quinn! You ungrateful traitor! Colluding with outsiders against me?! Forgot who gave you food in this apocalypse?!"
"Shut up!"
Quinn shouted. Gripping the dagger until her knuckles turned white. Blood from her wound dripped onto the blade.
"Black Shark, you don't deserve the word 'gratitude'! You betrayed us first! You sent the 3rd Squad to die as bait!"
Hatred made her tremble, but her eyes were firm as steel. Like a drawn blade.
"Today, I use your blood to pay tribute to my dead brothers!"
"Hahahaha!"
Black Shark laughed maniacally. Echoing in the burning tunnel. The madness of a cornered beast.
"Just you? A cripple with one arm? And a pretty boy and a dog?"
BOOM!
Black Shark stomped the hood. Metal caved in.
"I am Peak E-Rank! I have [Stone Skin]! So what if you have traps? Fire can't burn me, electricity can't kill me! I'll rush over and snap your necks like dry twigs!"
He moved.
Fight to the death.
"Ability · Full Coverage!"
Roaring, his grey-white skin keratinized rapidly. Darkened to granite grey. The "Stone Skin" covered his eyelids, lips, bursting his clothes.
He became a moving stone statue. Heavy. Powerful.
THUD!
Black Shark leaped from the roof. Ignoring the electric water and fire. Like a cannonball, whistling wind, charging straight for the gate we guarded.
Goal clear: Break the encirclement. Close quarters combat!
Close range, his strength dominates.
"Quinn, back up!"
I narrowed my eyes. Readied the sword to block.
"No! He is mine!"
Quinn didn't retreat. Fire of revenge burned her reason. She didn't want help. She wanted to butcher this animal herself.
She shrieked, ignoring her broken arm, charging Black Shark with the dagger.
"Death wish!"
Black Shark grinned hideously. Massive stone fist punched at Quinn's head.
If it hit, her head would explode like a watermelon.
But Quinn was a veteran captain. She rolled at the last second, dodging the fatal blow. Stabbed the dagger like a viper into his gut.
PING!
Crisp sound.
Sharp tactical dagger hit his stomach like hitting a steel plate. Sparks flew. The tip chipped. Not even a white mark on his skin.
"What?!" Quinn paled.
"Too weak!"
Black Shark sneered. Knee came up like a battering ram into her chest.
BAM!
Quinn flew back. Smashed into the wall. Spat blood. Dagger dropped.
The gap in power was too big.
A normal human, even a trained soldier, was helpless against a defense-maxed Awakened.
"You're next, pretty boy!"
Black Shark ignored Quinn. Turned to me. He knew the threat was me and the dog.
"Shadow, left!"
I ordered, sliding right.
"Wind Blade!"
Shadow lunged from the flank. Cyan blade slashed at Black Shark's ankle.
CLANG!
Metal sound again. Wind Blade cut a bit of stone skin, but that was it. Black Shark stumbled but didn't slow down.
"Useless! I am invincible!"
Black Shark laughed, opening his arms to bear-hug me. "Your abilities don't work on me!"
I inhaled. Tang Dao out.
"Invincible?"
I sneered. "There is no absolute defense in this world."
I didn't block. Using [Agility +2], I slid under his armpit as he closed in.
Scraaape—
Tang Dao dragged a long line of sparks on his waist. Felt like cutting granite. Hand numb.
Didn't penetrate.
This guy's [Stone Skin] was a bug in this narrow terrain.
"Useless! Your sword can't cut me!" Black Shark turned and punched the wall. Stone chips flew.
I dodged again. Brain racing.
High Phys Def doesn't mean no weakness.
Rock... Stone... Heat...
I looked at the fire around us. Looked at Black Shark's body glowing red from the heat.
Got it!
"Quinn!" I roared. "Don't stab! Attack joints!"
"What?" Quinn struggled up, wiping blood. Picked up the dagger.
"He's human, not stone!" I shouted while dodging. "To move, joints must be soft! Armpits, back of knees, neck connection! Stone skin is thinnest there!"
"Also! What is stone afraid of?!"
I jumped onto an abandoned forklift. Looked down at him.
"Thermal Shock!" (Expansion and Contraction)
Black Shark understood. Face changed (though stone face didn't show it, eyes panicked). Didn't expect me to find his weakness so fast.
"Shut up! Die!"
He roared, throwing an iron barrel at me.
I dodged. Yelled at Quinn:
"Water! Splash him!"
Quinn froze. Saw the fire bucket in the corner. Filled with ice-cold groundwater we used to test pressure.
"On it!"
Fighting the pain, she grabbed the bucket. Threw the water at the charging Black Shark.
SPLASH!
Bucket of ice water hit his superheated body.
He had been running through fire. Skin roasted red hot.
HSSSSSSS!
White steam exploded like a sauna. Like hot iron in water.
Then, a dense, tiny cracking sound.
Crack... crackle...
"AAAAHHH!!!"
Black Shark screamed in agony.
His proud, indestructible Stone Skin collapsed under the physical shock of extreme heat and cold. Spiderweb cracks spread all over him. Pieces flaked off, revealing red flesh.
"NOW!"
I roared. "Shadow! Take his legs!"
"Woof!"
Shadow understood. While Black Shark flinched from pain, two Wind Blades slashed his knee pits—where the skin cracked.
SHUNK!
This time, the blades cut in!
Black blood sprayed.
"ARGH!" Black Shark screamed. Tendons cut. Legs gave out. Knelt on one knee.
"Quinn! Do it!"
I threw the Tang Dao.
Black lightning. Pinned his right arm to the ground as he tried to block.
"Ugh!"
Black Shark pinned. Chest open.
A petite figure, with resolute killing intent, charged from the side.
Quinn.
Reverse grip on the dagger. All strength. All hate. Into this one strike.
Not chest. Not stomach.
She aimed for the throat—exposed and cracked because he was screaming, head thrown back.
"DIE!!!"
PLURCH!
Dagger entered the crack. Severed vocal cords. Trachea. Carotid.
Black Shark's eyes bulged. Tried to scream. Only gurgles came out.
Blood geysered. Dyed Quinn's face red. Dyed her vengeful eyes red.
"This is for Big Liu!"
Stab again.
PLURCH!
"This is for Xiao Zhang!"
PLURCH!
"This is for every brother you killed!"
Like a madwoman. Sitting on him. Stabbing mechanically.
Black Shark's massive body twitched. Light faded from his eyes. Turned grey.
Only when he stopped moving completely, neck turned to mush, did Quinn stop.
Let go. Dagger fell in the blood.
She knelt by the corpse. Looked up. Let out a heart-tearing scream.
"AHHHHHHH——!!!"
Pain. Release. Rebirth.
I walked over. Pulled out my sword silently. Wiped it on Black Shark's clothes.
Shadow walked over. Shook his head at the mess. "Tsk. Too violent. Meat is minced. Can't eat."
I patted Quinn's shoulder.
"It's over."
Quinn stopped crying. Turned slowly to look at me.
No confusion. No death wish. Replaced by a toughness forged in blood and fire. And absolute obedience to me.
"Thank you, Boss."
She stood up. Covered in blood, but spine straight. "From today, this life is yours."
"Your life is your own."
I said flatly. "I just need your loyalty."
I squatted. Searched the corpse.
E-Rank Awakened. Local emperor. Must have loot.
Found a hard lump in the lining of his vest.
Pulled it out.
Egg-sized crystal.
Unlike normal grey cores. This one was heavy earth-yellow. Surface textured like rock. Heavy in hand.
[High Energy Item Detected!][Item: E-Rank Awakener Core (Earth/Reinforcement Type)][Quality: Rare][Description: Source of power for a Defense-type Awakened. Absorbing grants chance to awaken "Hardened Skin" or massively boost defense.]
"Good stuff."
My eyes lit up.
Better than my unstable lightning core. Strategic treasure.
"Want it?" I asked Shadow.
Shadow sniffed. Sneezed. "Smells like dirt. Eating mud. No. This Lord is Agility type. Don't need a turtle shell slowing me down."
Fine. Picky eater.
I looked at myself. I have Lightning. Don't want to be a rock man. Doesn't fit my assassin style.
So...
I turned to Quinn.
Staring blankly at the corpse.
"Quinn."
"Boss?"
"Open your mouth."
"Huh?"
Before she could react, I tossed the yellow core to her.
She caught it. Stared at the glowing stone.
"This... Black Shark's power?" She felt the energy.
"Eat it."
I said. "You're too weak. Next time, I don't want to save you again. Want to protect yourself? Protect your future teammates? Get strong."
Quinn looked at me shocked.
Priceless Awakener Core. Just gave it to her?
"Boss..."
"Eat."
Quinn took a breath. No hesitation. Closed eyes. Swallowed.
"Ugh!"
Heavy energy exploded in her body. She knelt in pain. Skin began to glow yellow.
"Endure it." I watched. "Price of rebirth."
I watched the awakening Quinn. Looked at the corpses.
This battle removed the threat. And gained a loyal Awakened soldier.
Sector C Shelter finally took root in this wasteland.