Chapter 43.
[Forest Path — Ren's POV]
"Damn…"
Irritation crept across my face as my thoughts circled back to him—that manipulative bastard who couldn't even last two rounds and still had the audacity to call himself a man.
"Tch."
My jaw tightened.
"Arghhhhhh…!"
Ruffling my hair with my hand.
Ever since I transmigrated, my mind never seemed to rest. Techniques, theories, timing, force output—everything kept piling up. And after eating the Pulverize–Pulverize Fruit, it only got worse.
Too many possibilities.
Too many calculations.
"At least I've gotten the hang of the first move…" I muttered, slowing my steps as the forest path crunched beneath my boots.
"But it still drains a ridiculous amount of stamina.....Still needs perfection."
My fingers flexed unconsciously.
"One mistake and it tears my muscles apart. One miscalculation in timing, and the output collapses."
"Arghhhhhh!"
I ran my hand roughly through my silver hair, tugging at the roots as if that would pull the frustration out with it. My chest rose and fell heavier than usual.
Then—
My thoughts derailed.
"…Come to think of it," I mused, catching my reflection faintly in a shard of polished stone by the roadside,
"this face is definitely a girl killer."
A grin slowly spread across my face.
Like a light bulb flicking on—
"Huh?"
My head snapped toward the distance.
The port.
A familiar pressure lingered in the air. Not hostile exactly—but loud. The kind of presence that came from chaos, violence, and strong fighters without restraint.
"If I want to master this technique…" I said softly, the grin widening,
"why the hell am I stressing myself with all this thinking?"
My muscles coiled.
"I should just fight. Let it flow."
"Hehehehe…"
The ground cracked beneath my foot.
In the next instant, I vanished, shaving through the forest toward the port jurisdiction at terrifying speed.
[Market Jurisdiction]
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Bullets tore through the air, smashing into crates and walls as the former king and queen ran through the warehouse district. Their breaths came short, robes torn and dirtied.
"Your Majesty!" one of the soldiers shouted as they ran.
"Shouldn't we stop and deal with them first?!"
"No!" the king roared, spinning briefly to glare at the soldier. His eyes burned with fury and pain.
"Do you know how many lives are being lost right now?!"
The soldier flinched.
"If we stop—DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MORE WILL DIE?!"
The king turned forward again, teeth clenched.
"As long as our soldiers are not injured, we keep moving!"
Another volley of bullets slammed into the walls behind them as they disappeared deeper into the market's ruins.
[Palace Jurisdiction — Keptyn POV]
BOOOOM!
The floor exploded again as I narrowly dodged, Silent Step activating at the last second. The fat brother crashed into the ground where I had been, creating another massive crater.
I reappeared behind him in a blink.
Slash.
A thin red line carved across his arm.
Blood sprayed.
"Nooooooo!" the short, fat bastard screamed, clutching his arm.
"Big brother! I'm losing so much blood! I don't want to die!"
I stared.
"…That wound isn't even deep," I muttered under my breath.
Still—good.
I'm gaining ground.
My chest heaved as sweat rolled down my face, stinging my eyes. Their bodies were covered in shallow cuts now, but it was frustrating.
Their skin was tougher than steel.
"Just keep slicing," I thought, steadying my breathing.
"Find a weak point. Joints, eyes, tendons—anything."
The brothers regrouped, huffing heavily.
"Hey, big bro," the average-height one said nervously,
"I think we have to use that."
"The trio weapon?" the tallest asked.
"Which weapon?" the short one blinked.
"I don't know where I kept mine," the tallest added, scratching his head.
"They're in your pants," the average-height one replied flatly.
I froze.
"…What?"
They reached down.
And pulled out three massive weapons from their trousers as if space itself had bent to accommodate them—oversized bazookas, thick-barreled and crudely reinforced.
My eyes widened.
"Hehehe…" the short one grinned, blood still dripping from his arm.
"You're dead. Nobody has ever survived the combined shot of the Trio Brothers' weapon!"
They raised the bazookas.
My instincts screamed.
"SHIT—!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The palace hall detonated.
A shockwave ripped through the structure, columns shattering, walls collapsing inward. Fire and debris swallowed everything, the blast tearing a massive hole straight through the palace's outer wall.
I was flung through stone and smoke, barely managing to twist mid-air and crash through the opening—
—straight into the open streets leading toward the port.
I slammed into the ground hard, rolling several times before stopping. My lungs burned as I sucked in air.
Behind me, the palace collapsed further, chunks of marble crashing down like thunder.
"…Damn..." I coughed, pushing myself up.
The destruction was massive—too massive.
The civilians would definitely not survive this.
Hmmmmm...the port.
"HEY!" I shouted, turning back toward the smoke.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!"
Roars of rage answered me.
Good.
I bolted toward the port jurisdiction, leading the chaos with me.
[Port Jurisdiction — Convergence]
Two of the brothers chased after me, their heavy footsteps cracking the streets beneath them.
Behind them—
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A familiar voice rang out.
Digil.
Keptyn's brother stepped forward with the Chief Guards, blades drawn, eyes sharp.
The remaining two brothers were intercepted, weapons clashing violently as the street erupted into another battlefield.
Only one of the Trio Brothers broke through.
And that was when—
The air shifted.
A blur slammed down between us.
The ground fractured outward.
Dust rose.
I skidded to a stop, eyes widening.
Silver hair. Calm posture. A faint grin.
Ren straightened, rolling his shoulders once, his breath steady despite the speed he arrived with.