Chapter 160 : Chapter 160
Chapter 160
‘Let’s think. What’s my problem? Why is End Martin stronger?’
Know-It-All (Lv 4) analyzes strength: Even without future prediction, you’re outmatched in combat power. Physical ability, weapon skills, energy volume—all one step behind.
‘True. I’m overall weaker. But there’s one good thing.’
Nothing overwhelmingly outmatched me. His Chaos bullets, no matter how fast, I could react to. His bizarre movements didn’t leave me helpless.
‘But one thing.’
No matter how I thought… the gap in battlefield intuition was crushing. The cause: End Martin’s future prediction. Where did it come from?
‘I rely on Wild Instinct and Know-It-All for most combat. Wild Instinct plays a bigger role.’
Wild Instinct senses attacks and warns me, almost like future prediction.
He doesn’t have Know-It-All or Wild Instinct. But he has Fallen Sage and Instinct of Great Evil. Given his prowess, likely Lv 5.
‘I keep dying without knowing.’
Shot in the back of the head enough to drive me mad.
‘Thought I did well, but it was a trap.’
That’s it. Thought I’d made progress, but it was a trap. If I ‘regress’ but he ‘predicts’ and lures me, it makes sense.
‘This won’t do. No end.’
I’m weaker overall, lacking battlefield intuition. That’s why I can’t pass 5 minutes.
‘First 2 minutes. Now 5.’
Progress? No. Not growth.
‘Just got used to his attacks, built resistance.’
Now I needed true growth. My only edge was ‘regression.’
‘Use points?’
Quick, easy power boost. But I shook my head. I was certain it wasn’t the answer.
‘No. This is a trial. If I use points to grow, End Martin might appear stronger.’
What I needed…
‘….’
With Know-It-All’s intellect and Wild Instinct’s intuition, I pondered and found the answer.
‘Talent.’
The innate Wild Instinct talent of Ulvhadin’s bloodline.
‘I learned Wild Instinct, but…’
Not through Ulvhadin blood. I bought it with system points. A shortcut.
‘So now…’
Abandon system aid. The honest path.
“Know-It-All, Wild Instinct. Be silent.”
The absolute senses spanning space-time vanished. The intellect piercing the world sank. Anxiety surged, but I endured.
‘From now…!’
This body. Martin’s body. I needed to draw out the talent young Martin discarded.
I didn’t use Black Knight or Peacemaker gear.
‘This trial is a hunt.’
He hunts me, or I hunt him. A fair hunt, no shortcuts, overseen by the hunting god.
…But the start was tough. To face End Martin, I had to see the altar with Wild Instinct.
‘Let’s awaken it.’
Not system-given Wild Instinct.
‘My own Wild Instinct.’
Staring at the altar, I pictured him. End Martin. Black aura, wielding dark dual pistols. His cynical face.
‘Hunt.’
I wanted to kill him.
‘Hunt.’
Put a bullet in his neck.
‘Hunt.’
If he’s my divergence…
‘Hunt.’
I’d kill him, even if it meant dying.
‘….’
I focused, but End Martin didn’t appear.
‘Not it?’
Or something missing?
‘I want to hunt him.’
Why? Pointless hunt?
‘…No.’
There’s a reason. Many. Overflowing. But the biggest…
‘Lilac.’
To protect my beloved, I’d kill myself, be reborn, and grow stronger.
“You’re my original?”
End Martin appeared, speaking with a scowl.
“So pathetically weak.”
No ‘died how many times’ taunt, just calling me weak. Without Know-It-All and Wild Instinct, my strength was that pitiful.
“Humans can’t be trusted.”
He drew one pistol, aiming.
“This is the sorry result.”
A black beam shot straight at me.
[201st attempt, 5 seconds]
“This is the sorry result.”
A black beam shot straight at me.
[211th attempt, 5 seconds]
“This is the sorry result.”
A black beam shot straight at me.
[232nd attempt, 5 seconds]
“This is the sorry result.”
A black beam shot straight at me.
But—
I leaped aside, the bullet grazing my shoulder. Inner stellar force sparked, resisting.
‘Finally dodged!’
32 attempts for success. A joyous moment, but—
“Couldn’t even dodge the first shot? Not worth calling another me.”
I couldn’t dodge the second shot and died.
[246th attempt, 8 seconds]
“Couldn’t even dodge the first shot? Not worth calling another me.”
I couldn’t dodge the second shot and died.
[259th attempt, 8 seconds]
“Couldn’t even dodge the first shot? Not worth calling another me.”
I rolled, dodging the second shot.
‘I did it.’
A feat after 27 tries. Less than 10 seconds, my body battered, yet I smiled.
“Hoh.”
End Martin smirked, lips curling with contempt and disgust.
“Utterly shameful, another me.”
The third shot pierced my forehead. My head burst, brains and blood splattering. My body flailed, collapsing backward.
[268th attempt, 12 seconds]
End Martin smirked, lips curling with contempt and disgust.
“Utterly shameful, another me.”
The third shot pierced my heart. Blood gushed like a fountain, clutched by my hands as I fell forward.
[273rd attempt, 12 seconds]
End Martin smirked, lips curling with contempt and disgust.
“Utterly shameful, another me.”
The third shot aimed for my neck. I swung my rifle, deflecting the Chaos bullet.
“…!”
End Martin’s eyes twitched.
“You deflected it.”
He finally saw his pathetic divergence. Me, foolishly choosing to trust others. Until now, I wasn’t worth noticing.
‘That look…!’
Goosebumps rose. Fallen Sage rarely let emotions sway, but that look froze my blood.
‘Like a dragon…!’
I couldn’t accept comparing that wretch to a dragon. But the Instinct of Great Evil reacted fiercely, unshaken by most foes.
‘Calm down. It’s just an aura. He’s weak.’
Look at Fallen Sage and Instinct of Great Evil. At max level, predicting the future. This weak other me dies next.
“…That arrogance ends here.”
End Martin drew his second pistol, aiming to end it fast with dual pistols. Eight shots fired instantly—his main technique, killing most foes.
[307th attempt, 30 seconds]
But—
‘…?!’
I ducked, dodging all bullets, charging straight at him!
He aimed his rifle, but noticing a pattern change, I dodged his swing, countering—
[321st attempt, 35 seconds]
His pattern shifted again, kicking my shin.
“Ugh!”
End Martin struggled to steady his eyes. His predicted future… missed!
“You!”
Retreating, he fired dual pistols wildly. Black Chaos bullets stormed everywhere.
[346th attempt, 1 minute 25 seconds]
“Die! Die! Die!”
How did he dodge everything! Fallen Sage and Instinct of Great Evil always predicted his death, but the future twisted second by second, driving him mad.
[368th attempt, 3 minutes 16 seconds]
[379th attempt, 4 minutes 37 seconds]
[391st attempt, 6 minutes 57 seconds]
[405th attempt, 10 minutes 19 seconds]
‘What’s this!’
But End Martin didn’t know one thing: regression.
[426th attempt, 15 minutes 54 seconds]
‘I’m getting it.’
After 400 regressions, I stopped attacking, focusing on dodging and predicting. The 5-minute wall? Long broken.
His expression, eyes, steps, torso direction, muscle activation, muzzle movement, intuition—all analyzed.
‘His attack target.’
Among countless possibilities, I concluded.
‘Next, legs.’
Mere seconds ahead, but a miracle rivaling future prediction.
‘Here it comes!’
A black bullet aimed for my legs. I tumbled back, dodging, my foresight unrelenting. My senses surged, nerves exploding like fireworks.
‘Three shots at once. Two low, one high.’
Landing, I rolled left. Bullets hit exactly where predicted.
‘Next?’
The future shifted.
“Tenacious. Didn’t want to use this.”
End Martin discarded his pistols, drawing a rifle.
‘Danger!’
A single black bullet fired from the loaded rifle, faster than the pistols.
‘Ugh!’
And far more destructive. It hit my side, obliterating my torso.
[427th attempt, 19 minutes 54 seconds]
I stared blankly at the altar’s numbers. I could last an hour against pistols, but the rifle ended me instantly.
‘Fast.’
His strength was despairing, but…
‘Mastering the rifle to its peak.’
Also hope.
‘That’s possible?’
My strength had no limit. After Wild Instinct, I’d master rifle proficiency next.
‘End Martin is my enemy.’
But also my guide.
Singularity occurs. A bond forms with End Martin, rapidly absorbing his skills and experience!
[431st attempt, 21 minutes 51 seconds]
‘More! More!’
“Ugh, vermin! Didn’t want to use this!”
Learning the future realm through life-staking combat!
Firearm Proficiency level rose from 7 to 8!