Chapter 7

Did this guy flip the situation?

I stood at the front with my shield up, scanning the body of the Security Chief glaring at us.

His clothes were torn in a few places, but no wounds.

According to the telepathy Sang-hoon sent before he died, this guy has the physical ability to kill a User with enhanced strength in one hit.

Definitely not an easy opponent.

Right now, my ability allows me to pull or push objects weighing around 100kg.

Unfortunately, brute force isn’t an option.

If I carelessly use my ability against a physically enhanced User, my head might roll instead.

If it were the original Quaker, he’d have turned a guy like this into minced meat in the time it takes to yawn…

Since I’ve been possessed, do I at least have some kind of ability?

Like a status window or something?

…Never mind.

I should stop escaping reality.

“Aim for the guards behind him, not him!”

The trajectory of the bullets whizzing past me noticeably widened.

The strategy is to ignore the guy who’s immune to bullets and take out his underlings first.

“You cockroach bastard…”

“You’re the one kidnapping people and experimenting on them. A dog should bark like a dog.”

That was the first response that came to mind.

We need to reduce their numbers to deal with him.

The problem is, to execute that plan, I need to draw his attention.

So, I held up the medicine I had prepared earlier.

“What’s this?”

“How did you get that…!”

“Thanks for telling me.”

I don’t know what it is, but it must be really important.

I started pushing and pulling the medicine with my ability, grinning as obnoxiously as possible.

And just as he was about to charge at me, I launched the medicine bottle behind him.

The bottle must’ve been precious because he stopped his charge to catch it.

But the bottle, flying at a speed that could crack a human skull, couldn’t withstand his grip.

Shattered glass and purple liquid fell to the ground.

“You damn bastard…”

“The survivors have been evacuated!”

“Everyone, retreat! Regroup at the rear!”

“Yes!”

“And deploy all the tear gas! Don’t let them advance!”

We immediately pulled back the front line.

Not perfectly coordinated, but still a quick move.

The tear gas we threw slowed their advance a bit.

But relying on gas masks alone wasn’t enough, as more injuries piled up.

From the sounds of agony, the gas must’ve seeped into their wounds, causing them pain.

“I wish they’d just drop dead.”

The Security Chief and his men broke through the tear gas smoke.

The Security Chief closed in on us.

It was my job to hold him off, now at the very front.

“Looks like you’ve been treated here. How about a deal? We leave, and you get what you want.”

“I don’t negotiate with bugs.”

So firm.

Well, no choice then.

[Did you find the power room?]

[Yes, we did.]

[Cut all the power.]

I aimed my gun and pulled the trigger.

A deafening explosion filled the passage with gunfire and flames.

Then, darkness fell.

“You’re pulling some cheap tricks.”

“Maybe.”

Since they don’t have night vision, their sight should be sealed now.

I recalled the distance in my memory.

About 20 steps.

I gathered repulsion at my feet and shot myself forward.

“You think I can’t see just because it’s dark?!”

The distance closed rapidly, like a bullet leaving the chamber.

His presence grew larger and larger.

Maybe I’ll die as meaninglessly as the others.

But…sometimes you have to risk your life to see a way out.

Now, just a second before our bodies collide. In that split second, I released my shield and pushed it away with repulsion.

At the same time, I used gravity to stick my back to the floor and slipped between his legs.

A brief opportunity.

I pulled the trigger, aiming for his groin.

“You damn bastard!”

“Persistent.”

But it must’ve hurt.

I immediately rolled away to dodge his falling fist.

“You rat bastard!”

A loud explosion muffled my ears.

But there’s no time to wait for my hearing to return. I used repulsion to bounce myself up and stuck to the ceiling.

If I stayed on the ground, I’d be turned into mincemeat!

“Where are you?!”

“Over here.”

I pushed myself along the ceiling toward the guards’ rear.

A bizarre sight, moving with my back stuck to the ceiling, but it was the most necessary move right now.

Me taking the high ground was the most crucial chance.

*Click.*

The sound of a new magazine being loaded.

As soon as the sound echoed, all their gun barrels turned toward me.

I dodged the barrage of bullets, pushing myself backward.

The experience of bullets whizzing past me like a movie protagonist was unnecessarily thrilling.

I never want to experience this again.

But seeing that experience being updated in real-time, I pulled the trigger again.

Aiming for their heads.

The sensation of hot blood splattering on my body was vivid.

Two, no, maybe three.

“Damn it!”

“Raise the shields!”

Finally, unable to withstand my barrage, they raised their shields overhead.

“Move aside!”

A massive silhouette, visible even in the dark, charged at me.

Pushing past his men for a direct charge.

He must be really pissed.

I kept pushing myself away, testing his patience.

Me sliding along the ceiling like on rails, with the Security Chief chasing after me.

Did he decide his men were beyond saving after I disrupted their formation, or did he just really want to kill me that badly?

I sighed as his fist barely grazed the bridge of my nose.

“Why don’t you just give up and go your way?”

“You cockroach bastard! If I kill you, the rest are nothing!”

“Oh, is that so?”

Am I far enough?

I noticed the light beams shining from behind and realized the time had come.

Probably the final defensive line the guards had set up.

Once I reached that line, I retracted the gravity from my back and dropped to the floor.

Now we can fight in a more open space.

The garage.

Our final destination.

And…his grave.

I walked to the center of the garage and locked eyes with the Security Chief, who was glaring at me with burning eyes.

“If my men were half as sharp as you, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Praising me now won’t change anything.”

I dropped my gun.

No bullets left anyway, so unless I use it as a blunt weapon, it’s useless.

He cracked his knuckles, as if planning to twist my neck.

Is this where the real fight begins?

I checked my condition one last time before he charged.

No weapons.

Body condition: decent.

No items on me.

Is this what it feels like to fight a gorilla bare-handed?

If I mess up here, I’m dead.

As that thought crossed my mind, the fear I’d been ignoring resurfaced.

You could run away alone.

Just go through that open door.

So just go alone—

“No way.”

I caused this, so I have to take full responsibility.

As the Security Chief’s figure rapidly grew larger, I unleashed repulsion from my entire body.

At the same time, my vision flew backward as his figure shrank in an instant.

“…Damn, that hurts.”

Even after deflecting his attack with full repulsion, it still hurt this much.

If I’d been any weaker, I’d have been turned to mush.

I forced my aching body to stand.

Bruises were forming all over, but I didn’t have time to nurse the pain.

“Die, you damn—”

His fist came at me like a speeding truck.

If it hits, I’m dead.

Even if I block it, I’m dead.

My body can’t take another hit like that.

So, I’ll bet my life too.

What I need is to abandon hesitation.

To take that one step forward with resolve.

I stepped forward with my right foot.

Pulled my right arm back.

Made a fist—

And unleashed maximum repulsion as I extended my arm.

A full-body straight punch.

But before my fist could reach him, his fist would smash my head like a watermelon.

So—

I opened my left hand.

At the same time, I generated gravity in my palm and pulled his leg toward me.

“You’re pulling cheap tricks!”

His fist wavered. That means it worked.

I tilted my head, narrowly dodging his punch.

“Thought I was dead.”

My fist landed squarely on his face.

The punch, loaded with repulsion, sent his head snapping back.

And a white corn cob hit my forehead.

His legs wobbled, and he dropped to his knees.

I collapsed to the ground too.

My head’s spinning.

I touched my temple, and my hand came away covered in blood.

“I’m really gonna die.”

I really thought I was dead.

I staggered to my feet and glared at the unconscious guy.

I should kill him.

If I shoved a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger now, it’d be over.

I started walking toward the gun I saw in the distance.

“Ugh!”

Damn.

I thought it was over too easily.

I unleashed repulsion from my entire body again.

At the same time, my body rolled like a ball and flew to the opposite wall.

This is the worst.

He got up after that?

“…Bastard…”

“Persistent bastard.”

Haha.

Hahaha.

Am I really gonna die?

So soon after being possessed?

Was this the wrong choice after all?

I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Others might’ve been able to kill the Security Chief. But I’m going to die.

Right now.

I clenched my fist.

Something was in my hand.

I rolled my eyes to see a single bullet. Must’ve popped out of a magazine.

But what am I supposed to do with just one?

“You’re…dead…”

My feet lifted off the ground.

My neck was being squeezed, and I couldn’t breathe.

I glared into his eyes, filled with rage and hatred, and opened my mouth.

“Die…”

One bullet.

I quietly placed the bullet between my fingers and pressed my thumb against the flat part.

Immediately, I generated repulsion in my thumb and gravity at the tip of the bullet to create equilibrium.

And when the force reached its peak…

I canceled the gravity.

“Guh…!”

“…Now…really…go.”

His final gasp was accompanied by blood pouring from his open mouth.

I fell to the ground, covered in his blood.

“…Damn it…”

That was my last memory.