The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 186

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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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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 186
Chapter

Episode 186: Mana Engine (1)
“This damnable woman….”
Kim Gwang-gyu’s entire body trembled violently.
He looked ready to cause a scene at any moment.
But Kim Gwang-gyu suppressed his outrage and sat back down in his chair.
“Just now, my Yeol-jin was caught off guard! Watch carefully—from here on, I’ll show you his true power!”
He seemed to trust his son enough to swallow his anger.
‘His skill is quite impressive.’
Kim Yeol-jin was strong.
Even Hae-in had to admit that much.
Despite his youth, he wielded a sophisticated dual-sword technique.
It was likely skill honed through real combat, following in his father’s footsteps.
‘But it won’t work against Older Brother.’
Those insane eyes that pierced through any technique after seeing it just once.
That deranged absorption ability that assimilated everything on the spot.
Mincheol’s talent was so extraordinary that even Hae-in, who had witnessed countless geniuses as a member of the Goseong Clan, was astounded.
‘What does it matter if he’s the Crimson Arena’s champion?’
Everything would be seen through before Mincheol.
And a dual-swordsman at that? Older Brother’s specialty?
This was a duel impossible to lose.
In fact, he had already demonstrated the skill gap from the very beginning.
‘That man really does excel at everything he does.’
Hae-in glanced at Mincheol.
As an Awakened, Mincheol was flawless, but there was one thing that bothered her.
It was his tendency to back away before even starting!
His nature of avoiding danger first rather than confronting it was frustrating.
‘Perhaps it’s because he grew up ordinarily.’
They say even a lion, if bound by a thin rope from childhood, cannot break free even as an adult.
Perhaps he simply hadn’t properly realized how strong he truly was.
‘Ah, he’s gotten up again.’
Kim Yeol-jin, who had been clutching his chest the entire time, straightened his waist.
From every wrinkle of his contorted face, killing intent dripped relentlessly.
His rage had reached his very bones.
‘Amateur. Losing control of emotions like that puts you at a disadvantage in combat.’
Hae-in sank deeper into the backrest of her seat.
‘Might as well appreciate Older Brother’s skill then.’
* * *
“This damn bastard….”
Kim Yeol-jin wiped the spittle from the corner of his mouth and growled.
No matter how careless he’d been, he couldn’t believe he’d taken a hit from some greenhorn participating for the first time today.
And this greenhorn was using spear techniques while wielding a staff in the arena.
It meant he wasn’t prepared to kill.
Yet he’d allowed this fool to land the first effective strike.
His stomach churned with the urge to vomit.
“Looks like the Champion is really pissed off?”
“Once Red Crown’s eyes flip, nobody can stop him.”
“This is great for us! The angrier he gets, the more brutal he becomes!”
“Kill him! Tear him apart!”
The crowd’s fervor intensified.
They all still had absolute faith in Kim Yeol-jin’s victory.
“Damn it, I’ll kill you right now.”
Kim Yeol-jin’s feet scraped roughly against the ground.
In an instant, he reached the nameless spearman and launched his attack.
The movements were less like swinging and more like thrusting.
Not for show, but focused entirely on killing.
Clang- Clang clang-
But.
The nameless spearman parried with ease.
His movements were minimal. The twin blades bounced away with just slight shifts of the staff.
A growl escaped him.
Veins bulged prominently on Kim Yeol-jin’s neck.
No matter how furiously he swung his twin blades, he couldn’t close the distance.
He couldn’t seem to get rid of that cursed iron staff.
At this rate, it looked as though my technique was inferior to his.
“Stay down beneath me!”
Kim Yeol-jin crossed his twin blades and brought them down on the staff.
The staff dropped away, leaving the nameless spearman’s front completely exposed.
A perfect opening.
Kim Yeol-jin lunged forward and thrust his twin blades.
This would pierce right through his shoulder….
Then, the nameless spearman grabbed the front of the staff.
And he spun the falling staff in a complete rotation.
The rear end shot upward and came crashing down.
Crash-
A searing impact struck Kim Yeol-jin’s shoulder.
“Gaaah!”
The pain of crushing bone left his mind reeling.
The only reason I hadn’t lost consciousness was my pride as a champion.
“You bastard…!”
And it was thanks to the fierce, blazing fury that consumed me.
Using rage as fuel, Kim Yeol-jin attempted a counterattack.
But the Nameless Spearman didn’t remain idle either.
While Kim Yeol-jin was shaken by the impact, he secured a proper grip on the iron rod.
A barrage of consecutive strikes followed.
Thrusting, swinging, smashing downward.
Unremarkable attacks continued in succession. The problem was that Kim Yeol-jin couldn’t properly defend against them.
Crash— Boom—
The iron rod struck Kim Yeol-jin’s body repeatedly.
The sound of flesh tearing.
Immediately after, Kim Yeol-jin’s screams erupted.
“Argh! Cough!”
The spectators watching the match were utterly dumbfounded.
“What is this? Why is the champion getting beaten?”
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
“Red Crown can’t possibly lose like this! Wait! He’ll counterattack any second now!”
True to their words, Kim Yeol-jin did attempt something.
Blocking the iron rod, deflecting it while attempting counterattacks.
But the result remained unchanged.
Crash—!
The Nameless Spearman effortlessly suppressed Kim Yeol-jin’s resistance and drove his attacks home.
A one-sided exchange.
By this point, the spectators couldn’t help but notice.
“The newcomer… is actually pushing the champion back?”
“Does this mean a new champion is being born…?”
“Damn it, a new champion! Red Crown’s legend has ended!”
A warrior becoming champion on his debut match?
The spectators erupted in fervor at this historic moment.
“Nameless Spearman! Nameless Spearman!”
“Crush Red Crown to pieces!”
In an instant, all interest in Kim Yeol-jin vanished.
Simultaneously, as if responding to the crowd’s cheers, the Nameless Spearman’s movements grew more expansive.
That was when it happened.
A blue light flashed across Kim Yeol-jin’s eyes as he continued to take blows from the iron rod.
The Nameless Spearman immediately sensed the change in Kim Yeol-jin.
He pulled his body back and blocked head-on with the iron rod.
Immediately after, Kim Yeol-jin’s form blurred. A sword whipped out like a lash, striking the iron rod with tremendous force.
Boom—!
With a deafening boom as if a bomb had detonated, the Masked Spearman was driven backward.
After steadying his stance, the Masked Spearman looked up at Kim Yeol-jin.
Though his face was hidden behind the mask, his astonishment was palpable.
Uuuuung—
A strange vibration emanated from Kim Yeol-jin’s body.
It was a sound no human body should produce.
Even stranger were his eyes.
A blue radiance flowed from them like rippling waves.
Mana Engine.
A skill that granted countless advantages by consuming magical power had been activated.
“Damn it, have you been enjoying yourself until now?”
Behind the blue luminescence, his eyes brimmed with hatred.
Already overflowing, ready to spill at any moment.
“Now it’s my turn to enjoy myself. You bastard!”
Kim Yeol-jin’s body shot forward.
He reached the Masked Spearman in an instant and swung his twin blades.
Screeeech—
The weight felt not like swords but like swinging columns.
The air tore apart and a gale erupted. Sand that had accumulated on the ground scattered, engulfing both fighters.
In that tempest, no one could discern what was happening.
Boom-crash—
They could only infer from the sounds.
The clang of metal colliding rang out in rapid succession.
With each impact, the epicenter of the dust shifted.
It was evidence that the two were moving and fighting across the arena.
Boom-crash-crash—
The entire arena was engulfed in a sandstorm.
The spectators had fallen silent. All swallowed hard, waiting for the outcome.
At some point, the noise ceased entirely.
The sand dust began to settle gradually.
“What happened?”
“Did the Champion pulverize the Masked Spearman?”
The crowd murmured again.
The moment Kim Yeol-jin activated the Mana Engine, his combat ability surged dramatically.
To any observer, the Masked Spearman’s defeat seemed inevitable.
Soon the sandstorm settled completely, and the two figures came into view.
“Haah, haah.”
Kim Yeol-jin breathed heavily.
The Masked Spearman stood across from him.
The crowd quickly scanned the Masked Spearman’s entire body.
Limbs?
They’re intact.
Lacerations?
None.
Clothing?
Just dust clinging to it.
The spectators’ faces went blank.
Why is he unscathed?
What did the Champion do after causing all that chaos?
“Who the hell are you?”
Kim Yeol-jin’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“How could you… I even used my Mana Engine… block everything?”
What had transpired within that sandstorm?
Kim Yeol-jin’s reaction suggested he’d witnessed something incomprehensible.
“Tell me, you bastard!”
The Nameless Spear’s gaze remained fixed on Kim Yeol-jin.
“Wow, this is… really incredible.”
And for the first time, the Nameless Spear spoke.
“Is the Mana Engine really such a powerful skill? What’s its exact effect? What’s the rank? Don’t tell me it’s Rare grade?”
Amid the barrage of questions, Kim Yeol-jin felt something was profoundly wrong.
Were these the questions to ask during a duel where death was possible?
Suddenly, Kim Yeol-jin felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Where had he encountered such a madman before?
Nomasa Mtembu.
An Awakened from South Africa.
A monster who’d reached the upper echelons at an age similar to his own.
A man who’d built his own kingdom in Africa through overwhelming force.
Kim Yeol-jin had met Nomasa Mtembu in person during an outing with his Father.
That man had been similar to this.
Seemingly ordinary, yet something fundamentally off.
A madman consumed by a single obsession, blind to everything else.
To compare Africa’s legend with this greenhorn—it was absurd.
“You crazy bastard… I must look like a complete fool to you, don’t I?”
Uuuuuuung—
The vibration emanating from Kim Yeol-jin grew louder.
His mana depletion accelerated. The firelight flowing from his eyes intensified.
Kim Yeol-jin’s presence saturated the entire arena.
Gulp.
The spectators swallowed involuntarily.
* * *
‘I could tell him a thing or two. He’s being so petty.’
Mincheol regarded Kim Yeol-jin with a displeased expression.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. If I just endure three rounds, I can obtain it too.’
A legendary-grade mana engine, no less.
The fact that I’d need to clear a Memory Stones Quest was a minor concern.
‘Is Cardmos acting up again?’
The mere thought of it exhausted me.
Boom—
With a thunderous crash, Kim Yeol-jin moved.
His body stretched like taffy, and in an instant, he materialized before me.
A descending slash.
The oppressive weight of compressed air pressed down upon me.
The mana engine had accelerated him explosively.
Mincheol didn’t know it, but the mana engine Kim Yeol-jin had activated was a unique-grade skill.
‘The Lepid Count House’s Mana Cultivation Technique’
A secret art that burned mana to multiply agility and strength several times over in a short span.
Normally, Mincheol shouldn’t have been able to react to this attack.
A Middle Layer Awakened wielding a unique-grade mana engine.
Even if not fully awakened, he was no opponent a Lower Layer Awakened should face.
But Mincheol was no ordinary Lower Layer Awakened.
EX-grade rewards swept up by Auto Looting.
Levels and stats that had skyrocketed explosively as a result.
And on top of that, the trait ‘Superhuman Physique’ that dramatically elevated physical ability and perception.
Mincheol’s ability to withstand Kim Yeol-jin’s fierce assault moments ago was no accident.
The only reason it hadn’t been apparent until now was because Mincheol had unconsciously held back.
Without realizing it, I had dimly sensed something deep within.
That if I unleashed my full power, someone might die.
But experiencing the mana engine firsthand had loosened that mental restraint.
This person won’t die even if I go all out.
No—I need to go all out to win.
Thud—
As Kim Yeol-jin kicked off the ground, Mincheol moved as well.
Two beasts collided in midair. Iron rod and dual blades clashed.
Boom—
The deafening roar swept across the spectators.
The crowd felt a shockwave reverberating through their chests.
Boom-crack—
The two combatants didn’t stop there.
Iron rod and dual blades tangled in a frenzy. With each collision, shockwaves erupted outward.
Matching an Awakened operating a mana engine with bare hands?
Everyone watching the match fell into shock.
Hae-in was among them.
‘My older brother’s skill is at this level?’
Until now, they had only sparred—never fought with true intent.
Because of that, even Hae-in didn’t know the depths of Mincheol’s abilities.
‘Just how high are his stats?’
The battle grew increasingly fierce.
Both fighters unleashed relentless assaults as if they had no retreat.
‘Damn it!’
Kim Yeol-jin was the first to reach his limit.
His mana was nearly depleted from pushing the mana engine’s output to its maximum.
‘Why won’t this bastard tire out!’
If this continued, defeat was certain.
Kim Yeol-jin realized he needed one decisive blow.
‘I never thought I’d have to use this here!’
Kim Yeol-jin threw one of his swords.
The flying blade embedded itself in the ground. In that instant, it shattered and exploded.
‘Weapon Explosion’
While it had the drawback of consuming weapons, the destructive power was considerable.
Even Mincheol had to throw himself aside hastily to evade it.
In that gap, Kim Yeol-jin created distance. From a position far away, he gripped his sword with both hands.
Mana began gathering around the blade.
‘That is….’
Mincheol’s instincts warned him. That skill was dangerous.
Evade? But he didn’t even know what the skill was.
He had to attack first.
But how could he close the distance? Black Horn Bullet Form?
With so many eyes watching, could he use the Butcher’s skill?
As his thoughts reached that point, Cardmos’s words suddenly came to mind.
-The Meteor Spear Technique transmits the mana circulating within the body to the spear and launches it. The spear and body are as one.
If that’s the case, then throwing the spear is an act of separating what has already become unified.
In this moment, Mincheol understood Cardmos’s words.
Just as he said, this was no difficult task.
Since they were already one, he simply had to use it as is.
【The level of ‘Holy Light Descending Heaven’ rises.】
【Lv.2 -】 Lv.3>
A level increase born from enlightenment.
Along with it, mana surged fully throughout his entire body.
Normally, Holy Light Descending Heaven involved channeling this mana into the spear and launching it.
But instead of throwing the spear, Mincheol stepped on the ground.
My body accelerated.
With the illusion of light flickering, I appeared before Kim Yeol-jin’s eyes.
“What?”
I thrust my spear toward the startled Kim Yeol-jin.
Meteor Spear Technique.
First Form: Holy Light Descending Heaven.
Applied variation: Single Flash.
The extending light burst through Kim Yeol-jin’s shoulder.

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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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