BXBX NOVEL Chapter 101: Just a reaper
This disparity translated into very different mentalities. Even though I had saved 40 reapers from the Colosseum, the arrogant bastard in me felt that I had let 80 die. I knew that kind of thinking was self-destructive. After all, I was neither a god nor a deity.
"I'm just a Reaper," I said through clenched teeth.
Still, it was rare for people to know what they would accomplish in their lives. The only ones who knew were MCs from anime and manga. Unconsciously, I copied them by constantly shouting that I would become the strongest Revenant.
Perhaps there was magic in having a clear vision. If I constantly saw myself as nothing less than a Revenant, then even Rank A's would be nothing, right? Throughout the night, I felt my confidence and faith waver several times.
Less than a week ago, I was simply an auditor for the Department of Transportation. Now I was a Death Seeker for the Reapers. Only one thing could destroy my fear and lack of confidence. It was action and results.
"Aira, can you summarize the results of my deployments tonight?"
[Yes, my Lord!]
For some reason, Aira seemed enthusiastic.
A week ago, I might have been an ordinary human. During the enlistment, I was nothing more than an ordinary Wraith. But after tonight, I was a Death Seeker. This would be my new identity. My new purpose.
[My Lord, here are your deployment records]
Mission 1: Priority 5 - Zone 1063-2 (Lone House)
Enemies: 200 Rank F, 1 Rank E Chief
Fatalities: 3 Wraiths, 1 Phantom
Survivors: N/A
Results: Zone reclaimed, undead annihilated.
Mission 2: Priority 5 - Zone 1084-3 (The Fort)
Enemies: 50 Rank F, 1 Rank E Undertaker
Fatalities: 1 Wraiths, 1 Phantom
Survivors: Scott Davis
Results: Zone defended, undead annihilated.
Mission 3: Priority 4 - Zone 1091-1 (Plains)
Enemies: 570 Rank F, 2 Rank E Cyclops
Fatalities: 21 Wraiths, 1 Phantom
Survivors: Joshua Hwang | Angela Kim
Results: Zone defended, undead annihilated.
Mission 4: Priority 4 - Zone 1093-2 (Wyvern)
Enemies: 150 Rank F, 5 Rank E Undertakers, 25 Rank D Draugrs
Fatalities: 0
Survivors: Isolde Drache
Results: Zone defended, undead annihilated.
Mission 5: Priority 5 - Zone 1023-2 (Ruins)
Enemies: 162 Rank F, 1 Rank E Giant
Fatalities: 0
Survivors: Julius Caytiffe | Blaze | Titan | Santiago Gonzalez | Mike Walker
Results: Zone defended, undead annihilated.
Mission 6: Priority 4 - Zone 1081-1 (Colosseum)
Enemies: 800 Rank F, 25 Rank E Imps, 1 Rank D Corpse Eater
Fatalities: 80 Wraiths, 1 Phantom
Survivors: Krishna Sangan | Yuddha Rakshas x 40 | Robert Acwellan
Results: Zone defended, undead annihilated.
"How many Reapers did I save, how many undead did I kill?"
[My Lord, the total number of Reapers you saved is 54. The total number of undead terminated is 1,625 Rank Fs, 35 Rank Es, 1 Rank D.]
"Wow, I guess the Corpse Eater missile and jumping off a cliff boosted the numbers."
[My Lord, according to the available records, such results for a single night are worthy of high-level Specters].
"Not Revenants?" I asked jokingly.
[My lord, unfortunately, since Revenants are deployed during floor breaks, their kills are usually worth ten times that of the highest Specters].
Feeling a little proud, my childish side of wanting to be praised came out. My parents never gave me much approval. School and work were not much better. I could be proud of my accomplishments, right?
"Did I do well, Aira?"
[My Lord, please have more confidence in yourself. Because of your actions, six zones did not fall and over 50 reapers will see the morning].
Regardless of my failures, the fact remains that I made a positive impact, no matter how small it may have been.
[My Lord, you have done very well. If nothing else, I am proud to serve under such a Mercenary].
"Thank you, Aira."
[My Lord, this is only your first night. Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Should you continue to show such numbers, the change you wish to see will definitely come. It is not just a possibility. It is a mathematical certainty.]
Since Aira had a front row seat to my entire journey, I felt her emotions through her words.
Sometimes I wonder if she really was an AI.
With my heart feeling lighter, I stared at the Rank D Brute coming towards me. If this was going to be my last kill for the night, I wanted to go out with a bang.
"May I ask you to bear with me for one more zone, Aira?"
[Yes, my Lord!]
Hearing her ecstatic reply, I thanked this AI from the bottom of my heart. Then I remembered the promise I had made to Lilly.
'I will kill enough undead so that fewer reapers are needed. I will kill enough so that IRIS doesn't even have to make the world a shittier place. And when I am strong enough. I will close Hellsgate.'
Right, I was neither smart nor talented. But for my goal. I could not stop. With my mind made up and my resolve renewed. I prepared for my last battle of the night.
It was the same enemy, but unlike the last time, I didn't have any of the girls with me. The thought of them made me smile. What would they say about my stories?
"Jo and Robyn would be over the moon. Aki and Jas would probably nod silently. Liv and Lilly would ask to join me. Bella would complain about how much I cheated."
"ROOOOOARRRRR!"
The angry bellow of the hulking Rank D broke me out of my trance. I no longer cared about those who died in this zone. I just had to make sure I killed this motherfucker.
"Reload. {Draw} M26, {Pack}, {Carry}, {Aim}, {Snipe}, {Perceive}. Let us say hello with this, shall we?"
Borrowing moves from Joshua and Angela, I coiled my arm and threw the grenades like baseballs. At 15 feet, the Brute was larger than the Undead Giant, but smaller than the Cyclops, yet it was higher than both at Rank D.
The Rank E Giant boasted toughness, but my bullets could still penetrate it. The Cyclops, on the other hand, only took 10-gauge rounds, but even a 5.56 could injure its eye. When I fought the Brute during enlistment, all I had was a 1911 pistol.
But now? I had an entire armory!
The M26 grenades, thanks to Jasmine and Robyn's {Fates}, exploded on the Brute. As the smoke and dust settled. The Brute lumbered forward without a scratch.
"Tsk. {Draw} M24 {Mage}. Lets see if there is a weakness, then {Reveal}!"
A large, round gem on its throat shone like a small sun in my vision.
'Its weakness was its Adam's apple? Well, whatever.'
I squeezed the trigger and fired a shot at the beast's weak spot. Surprisingly, the behemoth raised its hand, blocking and protecting it's neck. The bullet made a pitiful sound and bounced away.
"Tsk. Looks like I have to endure another beating. Fortunately, while the girls are not around to throw me, I can now fly to some extent."
I then pulled out all my grenades and sucked in the explosions with {Store}. At that moment, my soulgem burned and granted me another {Kismet}. Feeling dizzy, I posed like Iron Man as I summoned my newest ability.
"Hell yeah! {Booster}!"
Similar to my experiment with the Corpse Eater, my stored explosions would now be a resource I could use. {Booster} combined the agility of {Thief} with {Regen}, {Suffer}, and {Withdraw}.
This allowed me to fly with an explosive thrust while burning my hands and feet. However, with {Regen}, it would be manageable. The pain from the burning would allow me to charge {Suffer}.
As I shot off the ground like a rocket, I used my hands to stabilize myself. It didn't work as well as I'd hoped. Fortunately, part of {Thief} allowed me to compensate with enhanced senses and agility.
Flying wobbly, I finally made my way to the Brute. I placed my palms forward to break the air and steadied my legs to point at the ground. I stopped about 500 yards from the undead.
"This damn balancing is harder than I thought," I complained.
But no matter the pain or difficulty, being able to fly was too good to pass up. I would probably get better at it over time.
"{Draw} M60. Have a taste!"
I pulled the trigger and fired at the brute's body. I used my legs to direct the thrust, pushing me either to the left or the right.
{Code} allowed {Booster} to follow my instincts. The power of the explosive force on my feet grew stronger or weaker according to my thoughts. While the M60 had yet to be {Fated}, the recoil could be countered by {Booster}.
Unfortunately, as expected, the bullets did little to damage the D rank's armor-like skin. The undead brute simply walked forward, trying to hit me with wide swings of his arms.
"Tsk. Guess we'll have to try the old-fashioned way."
I sheathed the M60 and flew toward the brute's shoulders. Large volcano-like organs occupied the shoulders of this undead. I didn't know what they were for, but they served as excellent blind spots for me to hide in.
"1887. {Mage}. Here goes nothing."
I ran from the shoulders across the brute's body to its neck. Its arms tried to slap me to death as it slammed its open palm across its shoulders.
"This must be how bugs feel," Unwilling to back down, I cocked the shotgun and fired rounds at the beast's fingers.
Almost nothing happened unfortunately, as the bullets were stopped by the skin like bulletproof armor.
"Well, that didn't work. I will need higher caliber weapons soon. Maybe even a portable missile launcher."
As a Formless, I didn't have the ability to evolve my weapons, instead I had to buy them like a capitalist.
Luckily, there were several calibers above the ones I use now. So I wasn't really worried.
I jumped off the shoulder and used {Booster} to move directly in front of the beast's Adam's apple. Then I spin-cocked the 1887, pouring all the kinetic energy from {Suffer} into a single bullet.
"Here, keep the change."
The sound of a powerful gunshot launched my supercharged bullet. It finally pierced the brute's thick skin. Blood and flesh erupted as the weak spot was brutally penetrated by my lead slug.
Before I could finish the final blow, a skybeam fell to the far right of the zone. Along with it came the deafening wail of a horn.
[My Lord, a P1 mercenary has entered the zone.]
"What?! Who?!"
Chills crept up my spine as I imagined a rematch with the Slayer.
[My Lord, it is Dominic Maegester...]
"Who the fuck is that?" I asked in irritation.
[The other high-ranking mercenary of the Savior, the one called Machiavelli.]
"Fuck, give me a break."