65 — Chapter 65

I stepped out of my private room, looking like a bloody mess.

I felt damp and lukewarm, and with every step I took, the squelch of liquid echoed.

The smell was pretty foul, too.

I really felt like washing it all off in the shower and getting changed.

“Ugh…”

“Don’t… let… him… escape…”

“Wait…”

Moans drifted out from inside the room.

They all belonged to the servants.

They were crawling across the floor in unison, unable to move properly due to their fatal wounds.

“Don’t push yourselves. Just go to sleep nice and easy.”

After giving the servants the news, I rolled a bomb into the room.

I closed the door with my foot as I left.

A few seconds later, the room exploded.

Blood spray erupted from the gap between the door and the floor.

A moment later, white smoke began to leak out.

Watching this, I clutched my attaché case and sighed.

“To think they thought they could kill me with just this much… I’m really being underestimated. Do I look that weak?”

“You’re very strong, Jack. I know that better than anyone, so don’t worry.”

Alice, who had been waiting in the hallway ahead of me, offered words of encouragement.

She was dressed in a hooded robe over her sleepwear.

Unlike me, she wasn’t covered in blood; she had stayed perfectly clean.

She must have been casually deflecting it all with defensive magic.

She might actually be a bit of a clean freak.

‘Well, this is exactly the development I expected…’

Recalling the servants I had just killed, I gave a small shrug.

We were attacked in the middle of the night, but there was almost no doubt that Dorgu was behind it.

He was the one who had prepared this mansion and the servants beforehand.

He must have set it up so he could have me eliminated with a single order.

It went without saying, but I intended to head to the castle now to retaliate.

Reconciliation or taking this lying down were out of the question.

I was going to blow him away completely.

I had anticipated this even before returning to Black Wall City.

My cooperative relationship with Dorgu had already collapsed.

Since he had terminated it unilaterally, there was no reason for me to hold back.

‘I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of excuses that bastard makes.’

As my fighting spirit began to boil, the wall beside us suddenly exploded and crumbled, leaving the outside completely visible.

A cold night wind swept through the hallway.

“What’s this? Are they playing baseball in the yard?”

I peered outside through the hole in the wall.

An countless number of armored vehicles had surrounded the spacious grounds.

They were the combat vehicles that had been stationed at Dorgu’s castle.

The armored vehicles smashed through the fences and invaded the garden.

The cannons mounted on their hulls spat fire.

“Oops.”

I grabbed Alice and leaped backward.

Immediately after, the bombardment punched through the mansion’s walls, destroying the interior one section after another.

It blew away the expensive-looking decorations and ruined the orderly interior.

Ahead of us, the floor had collapsed entirely.

I could see the dining room buried under the rubble.

“That’s one bold renovation. I’d like to send them a bill for the repair costs.”

Looking around at the wreckage, I let out a breath and gave a strained laugh.

The hallway was filled with thick, billowing smoke.

In various corners, fires were starting to spread.

Leaving them be would surely start a fire.

I kept watch on the armored vehicles through the hole in the wall.

Looking closer, armed soldiers were also beginning to infiltrate the grounds. Their movements were disciplined. They had likely conducted thorough briefings and drills in preparation for this.

“Ha-ha! That’s quite the force! They must really want my head.”

I clutched my stomach and let out a loud laugh. It was a sight I’d seen many times back in my old world. I even felt a twinge of nostalgia.

That said, I didn’t have time to wallow in it. I needed to crush these trespassers.

“That big bastard. He’s finally shown his true colors.”

I gleefully checked my armaments. I had plenty of ammo and bombs. Expecting an attack, I had moved my weapons into my private quarters ahead of time. If I ran out, I could just strip them off the enemy. Even this body of mine was a formidable weapon. I could fight for as long as it took.

This was the perfect situation. In the fight against Minoru, I’d been forced to rely solely on traps and stratagems to counter his time-stop. While that was fun in its own way, it wasn’t exactly what I’d call exhilarating. It was time to blow off some steam.

“What’s the plan? We could probably escape through the back exit right now,” Alice suggested.

“The plan is obvious. I’m going to crush them head-on.”

Answering instantly, I stood before the hole in the wall. I pulled a Spirit Stone bomb—a Spirit Bomb—from my pocket and hurled it.

The Spirit Bomb traced a sharp curve, struck an armored vehicle, and bounced upward. Then, it detonated in mid-air. A manifested humanoid shape of flame shrieked as it dyed the surroundings in a sea of fire. The armored vehicle that took the direct hit was left crumpled and beyond repair. The soldiers nearby were caught in the blast, screaming in their final death throes.

The movements of the vehicles and soldiers outside the blast radius visibly slowed. They looked terrified of a counterattack. It was a natural reaction after witnessing such a gruesome spectacle of death right in front of them.

Meanwhile, I twisted the handle of my attaché case, transforming it into a sniper rifle. It was the same weapon I’d used to snipe Minoru. Dropping to one knee, I leveled the gun.

“We have guests, after all. It’s only polite for the host to welcome them.”

I pulled the trigger. Through the scope, I watched a soldier’s head burst. Smiling, I pulled it again. The neck of a coward trying to hide behind an armored vehicle was torn clean off. Feeling a shell pass right by me, I pulled the trigger once more. The tire of a charging armored vehicle exploded; it swerved wildly before slamming into a warehouse and erupting in flames.

I moved constantly, sniping as I went. However, the opposition was relentless. Though they faltered occasionally, there was no sign of a retreat. Dorgu must have given them strict orders to eliminate me. Sniping alone wasn’t going to settle this.

“Hey now, you’re going to turn the whole neighborhood into ruins,” I muttered with a strained laugh as a stray shell slammed into another building.

It was a reckless assault that showed zero concern for collateral damage. At the very least, Dorgu’s resolve came through loud and clear.

“Whoa, watch it.”

A final volley of shells finally caused the roof to cave in. I scooped up Alice and retreated, barricading us in a room deep on the second floor. This would buy us a little time. A single shell shouldn’t reach us here.

As I loaded shells into my shotgun, I looked up at the star-filled sky.

“Man, talk about impatient. I’d love to send the whole lot of them to the grave at once.”

“I have a good idea.”

Still in my arms, Alice raised her hand. A light flickered at her fingertip. Then, accompanied by a heavy rock beat that rattled my very core, the roar of an engine approached from outside. The sound entered the mansion in an instant.

“…No way.”

I set Alice down and stepped out of the room. Lumbering down the hallway after smashing through the staircase was the Golem Car. The Golem Car split and transformed, its components latching onto Alice’s body piece by piece. Within seconds, the Powered Suit was fully equipped.

It had a large, stout frame and a storage box on its back. The four arms were still present. Its movements seemed somewhat smoother now. While the rugged form remained the same, there was one major change to the Powered Suit. A red, crystal-like object was embedded in the chest. Protected by a transparent plate, it emitted a dull glow.

“What do you think? I used the Dragon’s Heart we were storing as the core. In addition to overwhelming output, it no longer requires a mana supply.”

“That is incredibly cool. It’s the perfect dress for you.”

As Alice spoke with pride, I could do nothing but offer my sincere praise.