Chapter 34: You're Not the Protagonist! Rune Abilities!
Haze configured his abilities instantly.
"One," he whispered.
In a blur of supernatural speed, his body reached the reinforced door.
His finger pierced the knife-wielder's forehead, driving clean through his skull.
The telepath's eyes flew open the look of death frozen in them.
"Two," he counted again.
He appeared beside the middle-aged man, Sam, and drove his arm through the man's back. Half of Haze's forearm burst out of Sam's chest, gripping the pulped remains of his heart.
Only then did Bot and Nasha react
Haze's speed had become even faster than before!
Even with his legs still bound by lead, his movements weren't slowed they'd increased.
Impossible.
Two comrades dead in the blink of an eye…
A chill ran through Bot's spine.
"Don't move!"
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed inside Haze's mind.
Instinctively, he halted at the command.
In that fleeting pause, Bot swung his fist
He fought like a cornered beast!
Something was wrong.
Ever since Haze unleashed his telekinesis, his power had risen to an incomprehensible level.
Bot had to coordinate with his girlfriend strike first, distract him. If Nasha died, he'd be next.
As Bot's punch came flying, Haze twisted his ankle to dodge, activating the Summoner skill Phantom Sprint, boosting his body's reaction and movement speed severalfold.
"Left."
But then the woman's voice intruded in his head again, throwing off his focus.
When the mind is honed to its limit, even the slightest outside disturbance can disrupt it let alone a voice suddenly resonating in your mind.
Bang!
Bot's punch smashed into Haze's shoulder. Fortunately, Haze had reinforced the impact point with telekinetic flow, minimizing the damage.
But Bot was an Enhancer his physical power was monstrous. The blow tore through Haze's suit, leaving a gaping hole.
He had blocked it, but the pain told him it wasn't over.
As Haze prepared to finish Bot and turn on the woman, his exposed shoulder muscles began to twist and swell, forming a deep fist-shaped mark.
His shoulder blade dislocated with a pop.
"Hm?" Haze's pupils shrank.
Penetrating damage?
No… a delayed secondary strike!
Even after contact ended, the same damage echoed a moment later.
"Hmph… You might have good physical strength and refined technique," Bot sneered, licking his lips, "but you're no Enhancer. You can copy our fighting style but not the mind behind it."
Haze ignored him. His acceleration was still active. In an instant, he turned and lunged toward the woman on the sofa.
"Behind you!"
Panicked, the woman used her telepathic skill again, projecting the illusion that Bot was right behind Haze
But this time, it failed.
After only two attempts, she realized: this man was immune to her mental whispers.
His mental fortitude was absurdly high.
Her Nen ability required gradual mental intrusion most users needed several minutes of exposure to take effect.
But Haze's accelerated state made his mind move too fast to be influenced.
Besides her trick might work on extras, but twice on him was already impressive.
Nasha's face went pale. She rolled off the sofa, trying to flee.
But Haze dove like a hawk, wrapping his arms around her.
Crack!
Her body twisted grotesquely from head to toe, crushed by Haze's brute force.
She collapsed face-first onto the sofa like a broken doll.
Bot, about to charge, froze at the sight.
Haze turned slowly. The swelling on his shoulder was already subsiding healing rapidly.
"Forty-two seconds," he said calmly.
"…"
Bot's scalp tingled with terror.
"AAAH!"
He roared, eyes bloodshot, and poured all his Nen into his body, attacking wildly.
As an Enhancer, close combat was his only chance.
Haze's acceleration faded, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he met the charge head-on
Fighting in pure Enhancer style!
Their fists collided like thunder, violent and feral two beasts locked in primal combat.
Haze abandoned traditional martial arts, relying only on raw fists and finger strikes.
Bot specialized in enhancement so Haze decided to beat him at his own game.
But within seconds, Bot noticed something wrong.
His blows landed yet Haze's movements kept growing sharper, heavier. His telekinetic power made every strike terrifying.
Bot's aura reinforcement began to collapse shredded like paper under Haze's piercing blows.
"Is he really a Conjurer…?"
Deep gashes split across Bot's body deep enough to expose bone.
It made no sense. The man in front of him felt more like an Enhancer than he did.
"Why…?"
Suddenly, Haze stomped on his kneecap.
A sickening crack Bot's energy faltered, and he dropped to his knees screaming.
A white shard of bone jutted through his skin, blood dripping freely.
He couldn't stand.
He tried to push himself up but a leather shoe pressed against the back of his neck, forcing his face toward the cold floor.
"I'm gonna die… I'm really gonna die…"
For a moment, Bot's mind went blank his eyes filled with despair.
The suffocating pressure and killing intent from above almost crushed his soul.
"Fifteen seconds left… You lasted Hazeer than the others," Haze said quietly.
Bot swallowed hard, trembling.
Fighting an Enhancer head-on wasn't smart but Haze's rune talents were specialized in Precision and Resolve.
His main rune skills: Power Strike, Mind Presence, Legendary Resilience, and Cleave.
His secondary runes: Winds of Rebirth and Resolve.
Power Strike was perfect for countering Psychic Enhancers like Bot.
Three consecutive hits inflicted Vulnerability, amplifying incoming damage by 8–12%.
Winds of Rebirth provided healing, while Resilience and Resolve kept him unbreakable.
Against an Enhancer, Haze was a nightmare.
"You seem like… the cockiest one of the bunch," Haze murmured, pressing down.
Bot's cheekbone cracked under the weight the pain was so intense he couldn't even scream.
He could feel his skull being crushed.
"Do you like screaming?" Haze asked coldly.
Bot's body convulsed and then Haze suddenly released the pressure, frowning at the stench.
He looked down Bot had lost control, urine pooling beneath him.
"…Pathetic," Haze muttered.
He stepped back, crouched down, and picked up a dropped cell phone.
Returning to Bot, he squatted beside him, chin resting on his hand, smiling faintly.
"Come on… our dear boss, Shieldgaru, right? Call him. Tell him you won. I bet he can't wait to admire my corpse."
He tossed the phone in front of Bot.
Driven by pure fear, Bot didn't even think of disobeying.
He didn't want to die.
He now understood the man before him wasn't human.
In this twisted food chain, Haze was the apex predator.
The Shield family had provoked a monster.
Shaking violently, Bot opened the phone and dialed.
"Hello," came the voice on the other end.
"Boss… the target… is handled…" Bot stammered.
He hung up immediately.
"According to plan… after killing you, we were to turn the lights back on as a signal," Bot blurted, his mind breaking. "I I just work for him! I'm not part of the Firth family! Please… let me live!"
"How could that be? It's been a full minute already. I've even given you extra time," Haze said, still crouched. "Compared to the others, you're already quite lucky."
"I can help you! I can be your dog! Just please don't kill me! I'll do anything!"
Bot suddenly lunged forward, clutching Haze's pant legs, sobbing.
Even crying.
"But… I don't keep pets," Haze said softly, pretending to think.
"I I…"
Bot froze.
"Forget it… for now. And don't touch me. My clothes aren't cheap."
Haze rose slowly.
Bot clearly knew things about the mafia a useful lead.
Of course, he'd still have to die later.
But Bot didn't know that.
Believing he had a chance, he released Haze's pants like he'd touched fire, apologizing over and over.
He was no Hazeer the smug man lounging with a beautiful woman minutes earlier now just a trembling wreck.
Haze found the light switch and turned it on.
At the same time, he used his Summoner skill Healing.
A surge of bright green energy enveloped him, sealing his wounds instantly.
Then he sat in Shieldgaru's chair, spinning it slightly, eyes fixed on the armored door.
"Well then… let's welcome the great boss."
He smirked.
"Oh, and do me a favor," he added lazily. "Step aside. Don't block the boss when he comes in. You're not the protagonist know your place."
"Y-yes, yes, yes!" Bot stammered, dragging his crippled leg with all his might.
Panic made him lose all composure he couldn't even stand. Crawling on all fours like a dog, he scrambled away.
(End of Chapter)