Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 40

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

40
The gun-wielding bank robber climbed to the second floor to check if anyone was there. Fortunately, the one who entered through the door lacked foresight and didn’t bother checking behind the desk. After a cursory glance around the room, he lowered the window blinds and descended once more.
“Huh? Branch manager, my phone isn’t working?”
I tried to contact the outside, but the signal wouldn’t connect.
“I’ve heard that robbers use communication jamming devices.”
“There’s everything under the sun these days. Then, what about the button from earlier?”
“It’s connected by hardwire to prepare for signal jamming. Security will arrive within three minutes, and the Police will be here in five.”
The robbers forced the bank employees to fill bags with money.
“Hurry up! You want to burn to death?!”
The fire mage urged them on with rising flames, but it backfired. The employees’ legs went weak, actually slowing them down. Then the mage’s threats began anew.
At this rate, it would take all day. If they were satisfied with what they’d already taken and fled before the Police arrived, there might be no casualties. But seeing them continue their threats, that didn’t seem likely.
Soon the Police would seal the exits, and a prolonged hostage situation seemed unavoidable.
I assessed the situation. The gunman and mage could be subdued easily enough. The problem was the lunatic strapped with explosives. He was so tense, his face deathly pale, sweat pouring down as his eyes darted in all directions. His mind seemed unstable—it looked like he could accidentally press the button at any moment.
“Let me observe the situation a bit more.”
I watched as they opened the vault and swept the money inside into bags.
“Sigh… my luck is terrible. I come to the Bank and get caught up in something like this.”
Am I someone who carries misfortune with me?
“I’m… I’m so sorry.”
“No, this isn’t your fault at all. Why are you apologizing?”
“I… I don’t know.”
The branch manager’s face had gone pale with tension too. It was understandable—an ordinary person, neither an Awakened nor a Hunter, caught in a situation like this.
In the meantime, the Police arrived. Faster than the branch manager had said.
“You’re surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender!”
“Damn it! Why so fast?! Who pressed the button?!”
The gunman pointed his weapon at the hostages.
“Ahhh!”
The hostages ducked their heads and screamed.
No one admitted to pressing it. Because no one was there to do it.
“Damn!”
Fortunately, the robber didn’t shoot the hostages out of frustration.
He slightly lifted the window blinds to peer outside.
“I’m coming out!”
The one strapped with explosives shouted to his accomplices, kicked open the door, and stepped outside.
“There’s a bomb! If you approach me or kill me, this whole neighborhood goes up!”
He waved the bomb and dead man’s switch visibly at the Police.
“Stay calm! What do you want?!”
A Police officer with a megaphone attempted to negotiate with the robber.
“Clear the way! Everyone back off!”
“We’ll see what we can do! We need time!”
Of course, they had no intention of meeting his demands anyway. The principle was never to negotiate with terrorists.
“Open the way now! Do you want to watch the hostages die?!”
“Are there any injured? If there are wounded, send them out first!”
“Damn cops!”
When the Police failed to respond, he clicked his tongue in irritation and headed inside.
Looking at the situation, I couldn’t rely on outside help. The Police would never simply let these bastards go, and one mistake from outside could detonate everyone inside. It would be safer to handle this myself.
“I’ll have to resolve this from inside. The branch manager is here.”
“S-sir. It’s d-dangerous.”
The branch manager grabbed my sleeve. Even in this situation, he was thinking of his customers—remarkable professional spirit.
“Do you know what my job is? Don’t worry and just hide here quietly. I’ll take this with me.”
There was a commemorative coin on the branch manager’s desk. I broke the frame and pocketed the coins inside. I expanded my senses to locate the criminals. As my heightened perception sharpened, I could see clearly through most doors and walls. The staircase leading down had no guards stationed on it.
I descended the stairs silently, my footsteps muffled.
The one with the bomb was near the main entrance, the mage stood before the vault, and the gunman moved back and forth throughout the Bank.
I had to subdue all three simultaneously.
I held my breath, pulled the commemorative coins from my pocket, and gripped one in each hand. I watched their gazes and positions, waiting for the perfect moment.
Then finally came the instant when both the gunman and the bomb carrier looked toward the outside simultaneously.
I flicked the coins from my thumbs toward the gunman and mage while sprinting in a straight line toward the bomb carrier.
The coins embedded themselves in their skulls, and the bomb carrier spun around. I was already inches from his face, my hand clamping down on his thumb on the dead man’s switch.
“Huh?”
His face went slack as he saw me materialize before him. I wrenched his thumb backward, preventing him from pressing the detonator.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!! Damn!!”
Rather than be captured, he tried to press the detonation switch with his other hand. But it looked like slow motion to me—I grabbed his wrist and snapped it.
“Aaahhhhh!!!”
I seized his throat and strangled him into unconsciousness. I grabbed the collapsing bomb carrier by the collar and held him upright. Since I didn’t know what would trigger the explosion, I wanted to move as little as possible.
“Everyone get out!”
I shouted to the people inside.
They stared at me in shock, frozen.
“Hurry and get out! Call the Police!”
A couple of people moved first, and then everyone rushed out of the building.
“S-sir, you should leave too.”
The branch manager came over and asked. Even though the crisis was over, he still hadn’t escaped his fear.
“I need to handle this one first, so you go ahead.”
“B-but….”
“It’s fine. Go now.”
While the branch manager hesitated with concern, the Police entered.
“Come this way!”
The officer practically dragged the branch manager out. Since he’s looking out for me like that, I should buy him an investment product later.
“Are you alright?”
The officer who returned asked.
“I’m fine, but can you disarm this?”
“The Bomb Disposal Team will be here shortly.”
“Then you need to leave. If this goes off, I might survive, but you won’t.”
The Police officer nodded and saluted me before leaving.
Not long after he departed, members of the Bomb Disposal Team arrived wearing suits that resembled spacesuits.
“Lee Ji-seok, please remain as still as possible.”
The expert approached slowly and examined various points, his expression growing increasingly grim.
“This lunatic.”
He cursed under his breath.
“What is it?”
“The capacity is larger than I expected. How did they even get this? If we’re unlucky, everything around us will be obliterated.”
“This building?”
“No, it’ll take out the entire surrounding area. The shrapnel from the explosion will be dangerous even further away. Just a moment. Team leader, we need to evacuate the perimeter. Everything within a 30 to 50-meter radius will be completely destroyed.”
He reported the situation outside via radio and issued a warning.
“Can’t we move it somewhere else?”
I asked.
“No. It would be even more dangerous if it detonates during transport.”
“I can hold it in place, so take your time.”
“Thank you.”
He opened the small box at the center of the bomb, perspiration streaming down his face.
Looking at the wires connected in a chaotic and messy manner, I could discern the bomber’s personality. Definitely not someone meticulous.
“Fortunately, the structure isn’t overly complex. I believe I can disarm it.”
He retrieved tools from his waist and manipulated the wires to examine the interior.
“Phew. If I just cut this one….”
The moment he severed a wire, the numbers 00:03:00 appeared on the bomber’s chest screen and rapidly decreased.
Not three hours. Not three minutes.
Three seconds.
The instant I confirmed the timer counting down, I grabbed the Bomb Disposal Team member by the collar and hurled him toward the front entrance.
Two seconds.
I swept the bomber’s legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground, then enlarged my body. I confirmed the Bomb Disposal Team member crashed through the glass door and flew outside.
One second.
I wrapped my body around the bomber as tightly as possible. I hardened my face and chest, then layered my aura around the front of my body to create a double defense.
Zero.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
The world shook violently, and I lost consciousness.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I saw a white ceiling and bright lights above. Lowering my head, I noticed various tubes and wires dangling from my body.
Beside me, Mother, Bae Na-young, and Yang Sang-heon were sleeping.
Outside the window was dark. I had gone to the Bank this morning, so quite some time must have passed.
I sat up and removed the wires attached to my body.
Beep~~~~~
The machine made a sound, and thanks to that, Mother and Bae Na-young woke up.
“Lee Ji-seok!”
“Lee Ji-seok!”
Both of them sprang to their feet and rushed toward me.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“You should be resting.”
Their frantic concern left me unable to gather my thoughts.
“I’m fine. Really, I’m perfectly fine.”
My body had already regenerated completely.
“Brother, we were so worried. Your wounds were truly severe at first.”
Yang Sang-heon rose and approached as well.
“Yang Sang-heon, what happened?”
He seemed better equipped to explain than Mother and Bae Na-young, who were far too agitated.
A nurse came rushing in at the commotion, but upon seeing I was awake rather than deceased, she checked my vitals.
“From what I heard, you threw your body over that madman?”
“That’s right.”
“Because of that, the bomb’s force was completely neutralized—only the interior of the Bank was destroyed. If it had detonated as intended, the Police outside and the people in nearby buildings who hadn’t evacuated would have all been caught in the blast.”
“No one died, right?”
I’d thrown myself in front of it—I’d feel terrible if anyone had been hurt.
“There are a few minor injuries, but aside from the perpetrator, there are no fatalities.”
“That’s good.”
“Good?! What’s good about this?!”
Mother’s voice pierced the air.
“Do you have any idea how frightened I was?!”
Tears glistened in Mother’s and Bae Na-young’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“You foolish child!”
Mother’s palm struck my back. I relaxed my muscles so her hand wouldn’t hurt.
“I told you not to go anywhere dangerous!”
“But Mother, I only went to the Bank.”
“Don’t talk back!”
She continued striking my back. It seemed she was terrified of losing her only remaining family. Once the tension finally released, she collapsed into a chair.
“It was fortunate we arrived first.”
“You came? Why?”
“Your injuries were severe at the time. But as you recovered, you absorbed the life force of the paramedic who came to rescue you.”
“… Is that person alright?”
“They’re fine. Bae Na-young and I arrived just in time, separated them from you, and administered mana stones and potions. We heard about the robbery and rushed over immediately—it was fortunate we did. We also gave the paramedic a potion.”
“You did well. Thank you. Thank you, Bae Na-young.”
“Son, now that you’re awake, would you like something to eat? Aren’t you hungry?”
“You shouldn’t eat anything yet. Wait until the Doctor examines you.”
The nurse stopped Mother.
“Excuse me. I’m fine now.”
I climbed out of the hospital bed. I had already fully recovered. Checking my status window, I saw that my Robust Body skill had risen from C to B rank. An impact of that magnitude was certainly enough to warrant the increase.
“But still….”
Leaving the worried nurse behind, I headed home.
* * *
“You really can’t push yourself anymore!”
“I understand.”
Since the accident, Bae Na-young’s nagging had intensified.
I felt apologetic toward Bae Na-young and my Mother, but soon I would have to undertake dangerous work once again.

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