Chapter 27

My ability—to be precise, the abilities I can currently handle are gravity and repulsion.

I’m not exactly a science whiz since I majored in liberal arts, but I guess you could say it’s something along those lines.

If I dug deeper, I’d probably get into the whole “principle this, principle that” talk, but that’s not my job.

What’s important now is… I need to use this ability to deal with those bastards.

I glanced sideways at the guys rushing at me from all directions.

A siege that made it seem like there was no way to escape.

Getting out of here is simple.

But… it would only make things more complicated.

I clenched my fist.

The fist covered in tightly packed iron balls looked grotesque, but at this moment, it gave me a sense of security no less than an infinite gauntlet.

First, the guy who’s most blatantly showing off his ability.

I stomped the ground as a guy wielding a pipe emitting cold air charged at me.

The distance between us was about ten steps.

Normally, that’s not a distance you can ignore… but with my ability, it’s no different than a single step.

I used repulsion to push myself forward, launching like a bullet from a slingshot.

“What the hell?!”

As I accelerated instantly, the startled ice guy swung his pipe.

Getting hit would hurt.

But I already expected that.

The moment the pipe was about to hit my temple, I used repulsion to push it away.

Naturally, his arm was forced open, leaving his upper body defenseless.

So, I’ll finish him in one go.

“You damn—”

A heavy sensation spread through my fist.

At the same time, seeing the guy collapse, I immediately turned and covered my head with my right hand.

“Damn it…!”

“This bastard, he’s got some tricks up his sleeve, huh?”

A guy who looked like a goblin or some kind of rattlesnake glared at me, his hand turning green.

The ominous green glow hovering over his palm made it clear that touching it would be dangerous. He glared at me and said,

“I didn’t want to use this because it’s a hassle in daily life…”

Is that poison, by any chance?

Is that why he’s called the Rattlesnake?

Anyway, it’s clear that touching that hand would be bad news, so that’s one more thing to watch out for.

If possible, I’ll fight from a distance.

I reached out toward the vipers trying to close the distance again.

At a glance, it looked like I was trying to grab a weapon.

The mohawk guy charging at me seemed to think the same, as he retracted his weapon and puffed out his cheeks.

“Disgusting, what the hell are you doing?”

“Hoo—!”

What the hell is this guy?

A ninja?

He’s spitting fire from his mouth?

It’s ridiculous, but also very threatening.

I instinctively pushed my body to the side, escaping the range of the fire stream.

If I had been even a second slower, I might have caught fire.

I clenched my fist and shifted my weight to my right foot, stomping the ground.

Strong power requires a solid center of gravity.

The only martial art I know is Taekwondo from the military—

But I know that much.

However, the guy had already noticed the trajectory of my fist and twisted his body to the side.

His cheeks puffed up again.

I could probably push him away with repulsion.

But that would only buy me a little time.

There’s one more guy besides the Rattlesnake and this clown. He’s approaching from behind.

If that guy is a User who can counter my ability, I’m dead.

So, I had to go on the offensive without hesitation if I wanted to survive.

Die.

The iron balls attached to the back of my hand fired toward the mohawk clown.

Like a shotgun, dozens of iron balls mercilessly pierced holes into the mohawk’s face.

Holes so bad they could give someone trypophobia.

But I didn’t have time to admire the horror I’d created.

There were still two enemies left.

“You won’t die cleanly today.”

“If you had just stayed still from the beginning, you wouldn’t have died. What’s the big deal about taking one kid?”

“We have to make an example out of anyone who causes trouble in Viper’s Domain.”

Angry eyes locked onto me.

But I’m indifferent.

In this place, such looks are just a greeting.

I rolled on the ground to dodge something swinging toward my back.

A kitchen knife, maybe.

“I definitely suppressed my presence, how did you…?!”

“So that’s it.”

I don’t know how, but he’s suppressing his presence.

What a troublesome ability.

If I hadn’t felt the repulsion I’d spread behind me being pierced, my back would’ve been slashed. That would’ve been the end.

I sighed and stretched my palm forward.

Now that they’d figured out the meaning of my actions, the two attackers charged at me simultaneously.

“Crazy bastards.”

Using their comrade’s corpse as a shield!

They’ll do anything dirty and despicable!

If they do this, it’s hard to deal damage even if I shoot the iron balls!

And I can’t fight that poison guy head-on either!

If the poison is as strong as his Rattlesnake nickname suggests, the moment I let him hit me even once, I’d be writhing in pain until I die.

Of course, I could counter with repulsion, but I couldn’t be sure if that was the extent of his ability.

In a world like this, you have to hide at least 30% of your strength, like in martial arts novels.

Having made my decision, I created distance before they could close in.

Fortunately, since they were carrying the corpse, they couldn’t catch up to me.

It looks like I could just run away like this, but… if I let them live, it’s obvious there’ll be bigger consequences later.

I can’t afford to show mercy.

I have to wipe them out completely.

The Rattlesnake and I stared at each other from a distance.

Would he drop the corpse he’s using as a shield and approach me, or would he keep holding it and struggle to close the distance that will never shrink?

The worst dilemma I’ve presented.

Either way, the moment I created distance, the tide turned in my favor.

Since they haven’t pulled out a gun yet, it’s likely they don’t have one.

In that case, I’m in full control of the situation, able to attack from a distance unilaterally.

So, I’ll end this now.

I kicked off the ground and charged. My target… wasn’t the Rattlesnake, but his subordinate.

But my body was charging toward the Rattlesnake.

At my sudden charge, the Rattlesnake pushed the corpse forward and extended his poisoned hand.

He’s probably planning to finish me off the moment I get close.

But my target wasn’t the Rattlesnake.

“What, what the hell?!”

My ability is gravity and repulsion.

Just like I used gravity to attach iron balls to my hand as a makeshift gauntlet, I stretched out my left hand and pulled the guy next to the Rattlesnake toward me with the strongest gravity I could muster.

The guy, caught off guard by my ambush, was helplessly dragged between me and the Rattlesnake.

In the blink of an eye, the face of the gloomy hunter with his sinister ability turned green.

Just how potent is that poison to work so fast?

I quickly averted my gaze from the withered guy and glared at the now-alone Rattlesnake.

“Damn it…”

“Now it’s just you.”

If I interrogate this guy, maybe I can find out who’s behind all this.

But even if I do, there’s not much I can do about it right now.

With kids to protect, it’s hard for me to recklessly pick a fight with the vipers, and the leader of the vipers is no pushover.

I needed to confirm whether this attack was ordered by him or if it was just some underlings acting on their own.

“Hey, if you want to live, answer my question. Did Salmusa send you?”

“How do you know about Salmusa—?”

A flustered face.

Probably because I know exactly who the enigmatic leader of the vipers is.

“That’s none of your business, just answer.”

I casually raised my right hand over my shoulder.

I still have plenty of iron balls.

And even if he tries to pounce on me, he’d have to cover nearly five meters.

No matter how fast he is, I’d punch a hole through his forehead faster.

He can’t just rely on the corpse, since I can kill his subordinate with it.

I could just push him away along with the corpse and then shoot the iron balls.

“…Yeah. He sent me.”

“Just to catch me?”

“You caused quite a stir in our territory.

Lately, those Crocodile Bird bastards have been acting up, relying on their master’s influence, and then you caused trouble in our territory too. It’s been a mess.

The Boss ordered us to capture you as an example.

To show what happens to anyone who messes around in Viper’s Domain.”

“Bullshit.”

Criminals talking about setting examples.

“What a waste of time bothering people over nothing.”

“Why don’t you just join the vipers? If you join—”

“Shut up.”

“Agh!”

Cleanly pierced.

I looked down at the guy bleeding profusely and collapsing to the ground.

“I have no intention of joining the vipers. And… you’re not the only ones who can set examples.”

“What?”

With that short question, the light faded from his eyes.

Of course.

The iron ball had pierced his forehead.

I looked down at his corpse for a moment before turning away.

They’ll come looking for him soon.

I should leave a warning.

I gathered the corpses, propped them up against a wall, and wrote the word “Salmusa” in their blood.

“…Time to go home.”

I left the blood-soaked scene and headed home.