🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 36
Even being a rank 2 is enough skill to make a living as a fixer.
There’s no way he went down from a single punch from a wizard.
“Get up. You’re rank 2, aren’t you?”
Alibek, lying under the collapsed table, slowly got to his feet.
“…Heh. Interesting.”
Yeah, that’s more like a rank 2.
Alibek wiped the blood from his mouth and let out a short laugh.
“You dare pick a fight knowing who I am? You’re insane.”
“Then why pick a fight with someone who knows, not someone who doesn’t?”
“Isn’t that usually how it goes?”
Hmm.
Here’s another point where our thinking differs.
But thinking about it, usually third-rate thugs pick fights with strangers.
Not like me, provoking in the middle of combat.
And probably, those third-rate thugs make up the overwhelming majority of people starting fights in the world.
Damn. I’m not the industry average.
Completely crushed by logic.
But since I’m not an industry expert, this kind of thing can happen.
Fortunately, in this line of work, there’s a persuasion tool stronger than logic.
I raised my fist toward Alibek and spoke.
“Lots of talk for no reason. No one told me the lower half was gender-swapped, though?”
“You… you have a bad mouth.”
Alibek’s temple veins bulged as he raised both arms into a fighting stance.
Judging by his stance, he’s had some training.
But that’s actually good.
It’ll be a good experience for me.
Let’s see how this plays out.
Thud!
Was he listed as 2.1 meters on paper?
That meant I couldn’t give him any distance.
Hoo!
“You little—!”
Sure enough, as soon as I got within reach, he quickly thrust out his hand.
Swish!
But I just shifted my upper body and dodged.
Here, my [Perception] skill truly showed its worth.
I easily avoided his attack, moved inward, and threw a punch.
Thunk!
Blocked by a quick face guard.
Well, that’s expected.
But it’s not over yet.
I loaded weight onto my left leg as if to strike a heavy right.
Still, he didn’t react.
But if I twist my upper body a little more?
His gaze naturally followed my right hand, expecting a real strike.
As his guard naturally rose…
“Easy.”
Wham!
An uppercut.
My left fist landed straight into his mouth.
“Gah!”
A body power at rank 3.
Normally, this punch could have smashed his skull.
Whoosh—!
As I moved in, he swung his arms desperately.
I didn’t go further, just kept my distance.
Thud!
Spit!
I backed up, and he spat blood and saliva onto the floor.
“…You pack a punch, skinny guy.”
Alibek Kibizo’s lowered voice.
I replied,
“Bragging is…”
Finally catching a breath, the surrounding crowd murmured in awe.
“Ooooh…”
“What’s with him? He actually landed a solid hit on the champion!”
“Did you see that? He dodges all the attacks like an eel and hits back alone? Not an ordinary guy.”
“Yeah… he’s so fast, you can barely see him…”
I lightly loosened up as I heard the crowd chatter.
[Strength], [Agility], and [Perception] were all greatly improved from before.
Even though his stamina might make my [Strength] look weaker, I know how much force I’m putting into each strike.
He’s just a solid physical type.
But I’m not exactly skinny either.
I’ve got a muscular build, after all.
While I was warming up, Alibek lowered his stance slightly and growled,
“…Thanks to you, all the alcohol I drank is gone. It takes a lot to get me drunk… How are you planning to pay me back for this?”
“Want me to feed you some snacks?”
“Snacks…?”
His eyebrows twitched.
I lightly raised my fist and tapped his cheek.
Tap. Tap.
In the fusion-punk era, even corn is chrome.
It felt like forcibly removing an old man’s implant…
Weirdly satisfying.
I must be a bad guy.
Meanwhile, as I lightly tapped his cheek, he seemed to understand the gesture and his face turned red.
Not completely clueless, then.
“Alright, then! Come at me if you can!”
He charged like a rhinoceros.
I dodged all his attacks, and now he’s trying to grapple?
I kept my distance and threw light punches to keep him at bay.
Still, he kept advancing, taking hits to his guard and face.
“I’ll kill you!”
His eyes gleamed dangerously.
“Not your time to die.”
Crack!
“Gaaah!”
His enraged scream sounded pitiful because my low kick had landed on his legs.
Trying to do whatever he wants, huh?
Think I’m that easy?
Bam!
As he staggered from a leg strike, I landed a counter on his face.
Attack? I dodge.
Opening? I strike.
With boosted stats and my sharp [Perception], his attacks were crystal clear.
“You rat-like bastard…!”
Unable to even touch a hair on me, his eyes went wild.
Eventually, he prepared a major strike.
Click! Click!
A straight hydraulic-knuckle punch came flying.
My heightened [Perception] reacted sharply.
I tilted my head slightly, dodged, and countered with a punch.
A counter.
The moment our fists crossed, he grinned, showing chrome teeth.
“I’ll bite right through!”
He must’ve cyberware in his left knuckles.
He was ready to bite down on my fist.
Angered by my corn-taunt, apparently.
But—
Swish!
“What?!”
Thought it was a head strike again?
I had already predicted this.
Why did I only strike his head and legs during our exchanges?
Smash!
My counter dug deep into his unguarded abdomen.
Like punching through his back, sinking deep.
“Gahh!”
His torso bent, head lowered.
Thud.
His back leg anchored firmly to the ground.
Twisting his torso, his left leg shot upward.
A high kick.
His exposed right face took the strike.
Wham!
The impact snapped his head back.
To a normal person, it would’ve crushed the skull like a watermelon.
But he’s a rank 2 physical powerhouse.
Instead of his head exploding, his lower body lifted, and he flew backward.
Whoosh!
He crashed into nearby spectators.
“Gaaaah!”
People watching the huge body fly were stunned.
“Crazy… That sound… from hitting someone?”
“Are we in danger just by watching?”
“I don’t even see combat implants. How is he doing that?”
Well, normal people only usually see rank 1.
Seeing a rank 2 vs rank 3 fight up close is rare.
Amid the excited, awed crowd, I gestured to Alibek Kibizo on the ground.
“Get up.”
Finally getting warmed up, and already done?
Sure enough, he slowly got to his feet.
Not easily, though. His eyes barely clung to consciousness.
Rank 2 is rank 2. Mental fortitude is decent.
As I admired him, he opened his mouth, but before he could speak…
Drip.
Blood and debris ran from his mouth. Chrome corn.
“…Izbro will be different.”
He slurred the words but took a fighting stance again.
Different from now on?
Hearing that, I smiled with satisfaction.
His mouth was wrecked, but his eyes were calmer than before.
Seeing him approach, I tightened my fists in anticipation.
We can still play a bit more.
I stomped the ground again.
Thud.
A solid impact echoed under the table.
“Stay still.”
Eating and yet… this brat.
Under the fast-food table, Alibek Kibizo struggled, restrained perfectly. I kicked him.
After one kick, he calmed down.
People dining around stared from a distance, scared, but oh well.
I need to eat too.
Seeing him quieted, I picked up my spoon and took a bite.
Ouch.
“…Ugh.”
Eating after exertion made it taste better, but chewing brought the pain from earlier.
Even a rank 1 wizard can’t avoid being hit when facing a rank 2 physical powerhouse without magic.
Only taking one hit? That’s impressive.
If a rank 3 wizard lost magic and faced a rank 2 physical powerhouse? That’s basically a death sentence.
[Perception] really shines when fighting lower-ranked foes.
Just as I prepared another bite…
“Uuuugh…!!”
Really? Eating in peace…
As I was about to kick him again…
“Uuugh!!”
Something’s off.
His reaction differs from before.
As if he desperately wants to say something, screaming, perhaps.
“Uuuhhh…!”
Suddenly, he convulsed.
I raised magic to see if he was hurt from before.
I could kill him for bounty, but capturing alive pays more.
If possible, I’ll heal him.
[Low-Level Regeneration]
As the healing spell took effect, his eyes rolled back.
Shivering, fully restrained.
In pain? Of course. I’ve been there.
It hurts, but the body recovers.
While observing him…
Crunch.
“Hm?”
That wasn’t a sound from low-level regeneration.
Low-level regeneration forces the body to heal.
Even if bones break, it doesn’t correct them. It just fuses them, often deformed.
As I realized this…
Crack! Crunch!
His bones twisted, muscles bulged, body contorting.
Every fiber writhed like a living eel.
Crack!
His chest muscles bulged, tearing his clothes, skin splitting, flesh exposed.
Snap! Crunch!
The tension, pressure, and expansion inside his body felt excruciating.
“Ughhh…!”
“G-go! Run!”
“Eek!”
Civilians nearby gagged or ran in panic.
The fast-food place went silent.
Only the horrific sounds of Alibek Kibizo’s twisting body echoed.
And from that, I realized one thing.
This… is a potion side effect.
