Chapter 453. Artificial Awakening Syndrome (4)

The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

But before the disguised Kim Giryeo could say anything, he acted faster.

Damn it!

Someone had suddenly appeared in his private space and even blocked his punch with a skill. From the homeowner's perspective, it was only natural to jump in shock, right? Japan's fifth S-rank used all his strength to barely break free from the psychokinetic restraint. While he was pondering how to calm the intruder, something happened. Through the archmage's translator, a dumbfounded electronic voice soon came out.

[Calm down.]

But all efforts to initiate a conversation were in vain, as violence broke out immediately. The Japanese resident dashed into the wide living room like a streak of light. And behind him, the S-rank hunter, using his body-enhancement skills, was hurting furniture recklessly.

[I have no intention of harming you—]

He wondered if confessing that he had simply followed the man's movements like a primitive hunter, then teleported right before the front door opened to make this meeting happen, would make the other guy foam at the mouth. While that thought crossed his mind, the intruder decided to respond quietly instead.

Heukh!

Contrary to the shrill scream one might expect, the response was carried out gently. At the same time as making a hand gesture that might have seemed meaningless, he merely stopped the flying furniture with magic.

Swish!

This was likely the homeowner's taste. The yellow leather sofa and the metal chairs made by a famous designer, among other items, were silently held in the air. But when a heavy projectile, powered by an S-rank awakener, seemed to freeze in midair as if it had no inertia, it looked strange in ways. From the homeowner's perspective, everything unfolding before his eyes was alien and unlike usual.

What the—anyway, even a poor unlucky soul like me gets a chill just from drinking cold water.

The fifth S-rank panicked in the unusual situation and took more aggressive action. The opponent was an awakener pretending to be using psychokinesis. So even if he tried to put some distance between them, it would make no difference—he'd still get hit.

[Sir, I said stay still, didn't I?]

In fact, this Japanese S-rank hunter had artificially gained the mysteries of the modern world, but the rest of his abilities were honed through diligent training. In other words, the jiu-jitsu technique he was using now was one he had earned assumed to be using psychokinesis. So even if he tried to put some distance between them, it would make no difference and lunged at the man, attempting to twist his neck.

You damn intruder!

Whoosh!

Once the throat is compressed, concentrated can falter, and skills might not come out properly.

If the enemy gets too close, you'd have to keep pushing them away with psychokinesis—but could a body-enhanced fighter, like a cicada, really be lifted and thrown like those pieces of furniture?

Earlier, you tried an impossible strike with a hitting technique. Anyway, the only thing that foreigner just held with psychokinesis was your arm!

Suddenly, there was a thud. As the jiu-jitsu expert charged with all his strength, surprisingly, the disguised mage didn't know what to do and collapsed to the floor.

Oh! You damn idiot.

Given the weight of the one who charged, it was a natural reaction.

Yeah. This chokehold isn't going to be easy to break.

But the brief satisfaction from landing the attack didn't last long. It happened about five seconds later. Only a few ticks of the second hand had passed, yet the Japanese resident, who had attempted the acrobatic choke, began trembling in his gaze.

_-

With pressure like this, a normal human would be gasping for breath and reflexively flailing their arms.

Damn it.

The unknown skilled fighter who had been grabbed didn't even twitch an eyebrow. Even with his neck caught in joints whose muscles were wildly tensed, the disguised intruder stared intently at the ceiling, as if pondering, "What should I do with this person?" Moreover, the discomfort created by the alien mage didn't stop there.

[I've clearly shown consideration for you several times.]

He hadn't even moved his lips, yet...

[This will sting for a moment.]

How on earth is Japanese flowing out of the translator? It was truly a phenomenon worthy of being called a miracle. Kim Giryeo used magic to manipulate the Pixy Corp translator in an abnormal way, and as soon as the mechanical voice finished, he took action.

it!

The Japanese permanent resident fainted and then woke up.

Ugh!

For a brief moment, his vision flashed, and when he came to his senses, the chokehold was completely released. He had even lost the strength in his limbs and was kneeling before the blond intruder. The S-rank hunter, flustered, averted his gaze.

What... did I faint for a moment? The... carotid artery? Wait, was it my carotid that got pierced instead? But is such a precise attack even possible with a psychokinesis skill?

But the alien mage didn't waste any more time.

Crack!

The meaningless fight came to an end. Kim Giryeo pressed the opponent's head down with his right hand to keep him from rising. Then, he lightly swung his left hand from top to bottom, like hammering, and in time with that motion, the person's bones broke.

Aaaaagh!

The locations where the cracks echoed were the opponent's shoulders and both ankles. Clearly, this was the strength of someone who didn't know the first thing about martial arts, yet the opponent had been subdued by such a simple, brute-force motion. The person's normally dominant right arm had been twisted along with the scapula. Both legs were injured, making even the confident running impossible. With three joints snapped, the Japanese resident was immediately left with no room to resist.

すいません (I'm sorry)...! Please, stop! Sorry!

It meant he at least still had his left arm intact enough to raise it and apologize.

I'll surrender!

Crunch!

For reference, the archmage was still holding the fifth Japanese S-rank in place. So the homeowner, struck by a bot from the blue, began spouting every English word he could think of. The translator was still on, but just in case, he tried pleading for his life in a language close to a global common tongue.

Surrender? Ah, I can understand that much even without the machine's help.

Ugh.

Then from now on, you really won't go berserk if I let you go, right?

The Japanese hunter nodded as the intruder's words were translated.

OK.

And using that gesture as a signal, the man with golden hair released the person he had been restraining.

Just so you know, breaking your bones was unavoidable self-defense. I didn't come here with any intention of doing this, so relax.

Since he had disguised himself as much as possible to not appear like Kim Giryeo, the voice coming from the archmage was actually clearer than usual.

First, you broke into my place... and yet... y, you didn't even make a sound in my tower mansion when you did...

The victim couldn't have cared less about the perpetrator's voice. From the perspective of someone whose private property had been violated, it wasn't something he wanted to pay attention to anyway.

I'm serious. I still don't know whether you're a good person or a bad person, so I really don't want to hurt you any more than necessary.

What?

Thud.

The man who had twisted the fifth S-rank's scapula bone and all continued speaking.

Let's not fight. Seriously, what kind of nonsense is this, seeing each other face-to-face as fellow Earthlings?

Up until this point, the peace talks had been relatively calm.

Ugh.

But just as Kim Giryeo, wearing a disguised face, sat down on the living room sofa, the S-rank awakened who had obtained Japanese residency panicked at the other's small movement and shouted preemptively.

Um, excuse me, but, Mr. Robber... just so you know, I really don't have much property!

Even though the archmage's finances were hardly easy or substantial either.

E, everything people guessed on the internet is wrong! I've only just awakened, and I haven't earned any money at all.

Huh?

All the furniture here was bought on loans. And more importantly, this place is a rented apartment! So even if you threaten me, r-really I honestly have nothing I can give you right now.

Threaten you...

Ssshk.

The alien sitting on the sofa glanced into a nearby mirror. Once again, he had put on that familiar Western face to hide the name Kim Giryeo. But no matter how he adjusted it—double eyelids or none—humans on Earth always reacted the same way: fear, trembling. It wasn't just because of his strength. They were clearly recoiling from the face itself, as if something about it triggered a deep, instinctive discomfort.

This looks like he's actually more innocent than his usual expression. Or not?

However, an alien sorcerer whose senses were far outside the normal human range could hardly be expected to solve a problem like this. Kim Giryeo quickly organized his thoughts and looked at the other man.

Calm down. I'm not interested in your money. I just came here to ask you a few things, that's all.

The purpose was simple.

I heard you were an artificially awakened person.

Yes?

I'm actually very interested in ability enhancement. If you don't mind, could you tell me where exactly you received the procedure?

Politeness made the sentence long, but in essence, it boiled down to: 'Where did you get the procedure?' Hearing this, the Japanese tower mansion resident began to feel a faint sense of disbelief, as if wondering whether they were dreaming.

An abnormal human...

Even though the front door was locked with an electronic lock, a ghost in ordinary clothes had somehow entered without leaving a trace. At first, it was easy to assume that this must be someone sent by some national intelligence agency. Yet, in this modern society, where even hospital review apps are abundant...

Someone actually came all the way to Japan just to ask a single question like that?

The fifth S-rank, with both arms and legs broken, lifted his head with a sorrowful expression. Then he spoke a word to the unexpected guest standing before him, who seemed to be an untrained powerhouse.

I didn't receive any procedure....

But Kim Giryeo was furious the moment he heard this.

Oh my. Where is the lie in this?

Heuk!

The magic is all over the place and chaotic, so it was obvious from the start that it didn't suit your body.

Ugh.

Listen, the technology of modern humans is still a bit lacking when it comes to intentionally creating something that feels natural.

As Kim Giryeo lightly raised his hand, the Japanese resident quickly apologized and corrected himself.

Ah, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was scared that if I said I had the procedure, it would cause more trouble, so I didn't say anything.

Hmm.

I had the procedure! I did! Back in my hometown, I was introduced to some near the military hospital who could make me an awakened one.

The fifth S-rank hunter recalled past events belatedly. At first, the rumor of 'artificial awakening' had been treated as a joke even in his own area. For a while, he hadn't believed such a procedure existed, but one day, deciding to play along, he met with a guide...

It really did awaken me.

The fifth S-rank Hunter recounted in the events they had experienced last year.

The military hospital nurse was a broker connected to the artificial Awakening practitioner...?

That's right. It's true!

News spread that a nurse officer stationed in a country far from Japan had been the one to create the artificial superhuman present here.

Wow.

At that moment, Kim Giryeo feigned the exclamations of an ordinary human. Yet the Japanese S-rank resident kneeling beside him still spoke with unmistakable tension.

But why on earth do you want to know about artificial awakening?

Because I'm interested.

Still... you already look like someone who's awakened at the highest rank.

Anyone capable of turning a non-awakened person into a superpowered one should be able to make me even stronger, right?

Ah.

Of course, when I actually visit the hospital I'll use a different excuse, but for now, that's a decent example of what I mean.

That makes sense... It definitely makes sense.

With such immense strength, wouldn't you be interested in artificial enhancements? Kim Giryeo explained it that way, and the other person was immediately convinced.

But I absolutely don't recommend artificial enhancement procedures...

Because of the side effects?

You might be surprised, but the aftereffects are actually only the second biggest problem.

But what had just been shown was only a small measure of acceptance. The resident of the tower mansion didn't fully support the intruder's actions.

Author's Thoughts: Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)