Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 247

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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247
When I told Rockrel to hide behind the worm, he bristled at the suggestion and beckoned me forward with a flick of his finger.
Provocation always worked well on stubborn creatures like Rockrel.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since I fell to this cursed land.”
I cracked my knuckles with a sharp sound and immediately pushed off the ground to charge forward.
I drained the life force from five weeds to recover my vitality, allocating a substantial portion of it to boost my speed.
Moving at the fastest pace since arriving in Cagron, all of Rockrel’s small eyes widened in shock.
I channeled aura into my fist, determined to burst every last one of those enlarged eyes.
He extended his arm to block my punch.
Though his carapace was said to be the hardest among the Exos, beneath it lay only the same tough hide as any other Exos. If I could transmit even part of the impact to his interior, I could inflict significant damage.
Moreover, with this level of aura, I was confident I could shatter even the hardest carapace.
But when my fist made contact, I felt no weight behind it. It was as though I’d struck a cloth suspended in the sky—nothing but a feather-light resistance.
Rockrel, sent flying backward by the force of my punch, spun his body like a top to dissipate the accumulated force in his arms, then suddenly dropped.
After landing, Rockrel flew straight at me with movements so light they completely defied Cagron’s gravity.
I was beginning to understand his ability. He was manipulating gravity itself.
As Rockrel flew toward me, he slashed his claws at my face.
Rather than dodge, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him into my embrace.
I’d intended to throw him over my shoulder, but the momentum from his charge vanished, replaced by a crushing sensation as though a mountain were pressing down on me. Rockrel was heavy, but never to this degree.
The unexpected weight and altered direction of force threw my stance off balance.
He sharpened the fingers of his left hand and thrust them toward my throat, pinning me beneath him.
Normally, I fight crudely with brute strength, but when my abilities are restricted and I face a powerful opponent, I must maximize efficiency.
Hong Long had taught me such techniques without reservation. Fighting a single powerful enemy with minimal strength—his Tai Chi was practically designed for situations like this.
Rather than resist his increased weight, I used his own force to spin my body, and as he rotated with me, his attack missed.
Rockrel tried to pin me down, but in an instant, I reversed the situation and he crashed to the ground first.
Thud!
Following Hong Long’s teaching not to channel aura only through my hands or weapons, I unleashed a barrage of aura through my back, which was in broad contact with his body.
Boom-boom-boom!!!
“Krrgh!”
Crushed by his own weight and struck by this mysterious force, a cry of pain escaped Rockrel’s mouth.
“It didn’t break?”
I already knew this shell could defend against external attacks and energy to some degree, but I hadn’t expected it to block most of my aura as well.
If I could take this shell with me, Jae-in could put it to good use.
“You’re impressive, I’ll give you that, but I’m grateful you didn’t die in one hit.”
It was time to release the resentment and stress I’d accumulated in Cagron.
I drove my aura-infused fist down at the face of the creature on the ground, but a powerful repulsive force pushed me back, and I struck the earth beside Rockrel instead.
It was like trying to force together the same poles of a magnet.
In that moment, Rockrel lightly kicked off the ground and slid backward through the air, flying low above the surface.
I withdrew my fist from the hard floor of Kagrun, which I’d driven through, and brushed it off.
I’d thought he manipulated gravity, but he was actually controlling attraction and repulsion. It was a more troublesome ability than I’d anticipated.
“An Outer… hiding your true strength, were you?”
“I didn’t hide it—I lost it. Why? Getting scared? Want to hide behind the bug now?”
Crunch.
Rockrel ground his teeth as if they might shatter.
“Not hiding? Then come on.”
This time I flicked my hand, and Rockrel’s body shot toward me like a rubber band.
There were magics that could manipulate attraction and repulsion between oneself and a target, but I’d never heard of anyone switching between them so rapidly without any casting time.
But that was all.
I swung my fist infused with aura.
Rockrel shifted his ability’s target to my fist, and it slid past harmlessly.
With a triumphant expression, Rockrel drove his claws toward my throat.
“B-Boss!!!”
O-gun, watching from the side, squeezed his eyes shut.
Boom!!
“Huh? Boom?”
O-gun, who had braced for a horrific tearing sound, cracked one eye open.
I remained standing exactly where I was, untouched by the claws.
I’d dodged Rockrel’s nails by a paper’s thickness.
Spinning my body, I burrowed into his embrace and drove my shoulder directly into his solar plexus. The generous amount of aura I’d packed into my shoulder was a bonus.
Rockrel, struck with the combined force of his own speed and mine, was hurled to the ground without mercy.
“Ugh… cough… another strange technique…”
Rockrel coughed dryly from his mouth.
“It’s called Tai Chi, something I learned from Hong Long, a Hunter I respect. It’s a martial art for facing stronger opponents with minimal effort.”
“I’m faster and stronger… so why… why can’t I win?!”
“It’s a difference in skill mastery. Why don’t you come to the Colosseum and build up some real experience?”
No matter how freely Rockrel could manipulate attraction and repulsion, he was the one using it. If he couldn’t deploy the right ability at the right moment, this was the result.
“Argh!!!”
Rockrel, consumed with rage, charged again.
After that, Rockrel kept pushing and pulling me. The training I’d done circling with Hong Long overlapped in my mind.
When my opponent pushed, I didn’t resist the force—instead, I used it to amplify and return it.
When he pulled, well, that was even easier.
After being slammed into the ground repeatedly, Rockrel could no longer rise and lay flat, writhing on the floor.
“Since it’s come to this, I need to see it through.”
I approached Rockrel, whose joints were twisted at unnatural angles. One finishing move and it would be over.
“Gahhh!!”
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my head. I rolled across the floor and looked back.
The Guard—the one I’d been purifying food for, the one I’d shared the rare stone with just moments ago—was mercilessly squeezing Met.
“You bastard…”
* * *
“Hey! You shameless bastard!”
As I came to my senses and jumped up, I found myself in the warriors’ Underground Prison.
“What? When did you get back?”
“The boss took a hit, and the Guard hurried back after cleaning up.”
“Damn it….”
“Boss.”
“What?”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Yeah.”
“But there’s something…”
“What?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Crack!
“Aaahhh….”
This time I hit quite hard, and with the Rare Stone coursing through my system, the pain didn’t seem as severe as it should have been.
“Why are you picking a fight again?”
“No… you knew Met was there, so why did you charge in?”
“Could you have held back after seeing Rockrel’s face?”
“No, I couldn’t. So you weren’t insane after all. I understand now.”
Fighting Rockrel had burned through half the life force I’d gathered from the weeds, but it wasn’t a waste… it wasn’t a… damn, it was a waste.
But in that moment, there was no choice but to throw a punch at that bastard’s face.
* * *
In a place unusually bright for the always-dark Cagron, the three titans of the Colosseum gathered.
A single Rare Stone embedded in the wall cost more than a commoner Exos could earn in a lifetime, yet dozens of them were embedded here for the sole purpose of illuminating this chamber.
“Chon, have you changed your mind? Will you hand over that outer warrior to me now?”
“Os-na, do you still want him? Do you really think I’d give up someone who defeated Rockrel so easily?”
Though Rockrel, his own Elite Guard, had fallen, for Chon it was merely gaining one more powerful piece on the board—a piece he knew how to control through Ji-seok.
“…So why did you call us?”
“It’s time we brought this to an end.”
“Brought it to an end?”
“Isn’t this what you want?”
Chon opened the chest and revealed its contents, causing Os-na to jump to her feet in shock.
For a moment, thick black smoke erupted from around her in all directions, but Os-na regained her composure and reined in the energy.
“Is this that item we’ve been after?”
Bae-sho also leaned forward with interest, but Chon slammed the chest shut.
“Chon, why would you risk your life showing us this?”
“My life? Risk my life? You think the two of you together could lay a hand on me? How pathetic!”
As Chon’s voice thundered, the entire chamber shook, and one of the glowing jewels fell from the wall and shattered on the floor.
The energy contained within seeped like smoke into the earth of Kagrun, but the three titans didn’t even spare it a glance.
“Excessive confidence is poison, after all.”
“Oh? Since when do you speak without an offering?”
“…An offering? It is the hearts of the faithful.”
“Bullshit. You drain people’s lifespans and use that power as your own, yet you have the audacity to boast about it.”
“Charlatan cult leader….”
Os-na shot Bae-sho a contemptuous glance.
“You manipulate your soldiers’ minds and control them however you please—what nonsense are you spouting?”
At Chon’s words, Os-na’s head snapped around.
“Tsk tsk, anyway, let’s end this tedious three-way stalemate now. If you win, I’ll give you this. If I win, the Colosseum will no longer be divided among three factions—I’ll monopolize it.”
“What makes you trustworthy?”
“You don’t know me? The merchant Chon?”
“I know you well. A ruthless merchant who traps people in debt and plunders their fortunes.”
“I have never broken a promise! It’s those who fail to honor contracts that are the problem!”
“Hmph…. Sophistry. But I’ll accept it.”
“As will I.”
“Good. This contract is sealed in the sacred heart of Kagrun. Whoever breaks it shall be dragged to the Abyss and crushed to dust.”
“Crushed to dust.”
“Crushed to dust.”
Os-na and Bae-sho echoed Chon’s words.
* * *
“Outer, this is the final match. Win here, and I’ll show you how to return to Earth.”
Chon made his way to the Underground Prison, dragging his massive frame through the depths.
“How do you know about Earth?”
“I know what I know. Don’t worry. As the king of this world, I have no interest in your realm.”
“…Fine. But why?”
“Why what?”
“Why haven’t you disposed of me?”
“Why should I? You’re my undefeated warrior.”
“Because I might target your neck someday?”
“Hahahahahaha!!!! Do you think Met holds your leash?! Someone like you is no match for me!”
“Is that so? Then why not spare the insect?”
“I can’t follow all my slaves around. But fine. If that’s what you think, come at me. If you win, I’ll kill Met and set you free.”
“Heh…. Fat chance. Are you going to hide behind the insect like Rockrel does when you need to?”
Crunch crunch crunch….
Behind Chon, Rockrel lay flat on the ground, grinding his teeth savagely, but he couldn’t utter a word with Chon standing before him.
“I promise you. Regardless of the outcome, I won’t use the insect.”
…”
“Um…. Boss. Chon’s promises are certain. He’s famous for keeping them as sharp as a blade.”
O-gun approached me and whispered, his body trembling despite standing before Chon. In moments like this, I found him endearing.
“Is that so? Then let’s go to the Colosseum and have a match.”
I rolled my neck and stood before Chon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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