Chapter 149: Desperation at the Edge
Desperation at the Edge
Seeing Lucas step toward him one slow step at a time, Julian D’Aurelius’s expression finally grew grim.
The shift was subtle—but real.
Until now, he had relied entirely on the Undestroyable Barrier Skill to tank attacks.
It had been his safety net. His arrogance. His excuse to stand still and take hits like they meant nothing.
But that trick clearly wouldn’t work anymore.
Lucas’s previous kick had already shaken the defensive aura badly.
He could still feel it.
A faint tremor lingering beneath his skin—like cracks spreading through glass that hadn’t shattered yet... but would.
Another few hits like that...
And the protection would collapse completely.
Julian clenched his fists slightly.
Not tightly. Not confidently.
Just enough to feel something real.
The Tyrant System had just given him the skill Chaotic Punch.
But there was a problem.
It could only be used five times.
Five.
A number that suddenly felt ridiculously small.
And worse—
He had absolutely no idea how strong it actually was.
No test run. No reference. No margin for error.
His lips twitched.
Great.
Just great.
A hollow kind of humor flickered in his chest, dry and bitter.
Maybe switching to Favour Return Strike would be better?
But the problem was...
He didn’t even have time to properly think.
Lucas wasn’t the kind of opponent who waited.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
Julian felt genuine panic creeping up his spine.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t explosive.
It was quiet.
Cold.
The kind that settled in your bones and whispered—
You’re about to die.
Damn it...
I’ve been hiding carefully all this time.
Every step calculated.
Every move cautious.
He had survived by staying in the shadows, avoiding risks, playing the long game.
And now—
Please don’t let me crash and burn here.
His breath caught, just for a second.
Then suddenly—
Something strange happened.
A flicker of unfamiliar memories flashed through his mind.
Not thoughts.
Not imagination.
Memories.
Sharp.
Violent.
Uninvited.
Images.
Broken scenes.
Fragmented like shattered glass.
In those scenes—
He saw himself being beaten to death.
Again.
And again.
Killed by different people.
Different situations.
Different endings.
A blade through the chest.
A fist crushing his throat.
A body left broken in the dirt, eyes wide, empty.
Julian’s breathing paused.
His heartbeat stuttered.
What...?
For a split second, he had the strange feeling that...
He had actually survived longer in some other versions of this story before.
Like this moment—
This exact moment—
Had played out in countless ways.
And every time...
He lost.
But the moment he tried to think deeper—
To grab onto those memories—
They slipped.
The images blurred.
Faded.
Like mist in sunlight.
Gone.
Leaving behind nothing but a hollow echo and a rising sense of dread.
Lucas’s mocking voice cut through the silence.
"Panicking on the brink of death?"
Lucas sneered.
His eyes were sharp, predatory, already certain of the outcome.
Looking at Julian’s momentary daze, he felt nothing but contempt.
Such a useless rich kid.
And yet Evan had actually lost to someone like this?
What a joke.
Lucas moved.
No warning.
No hesitation.
In the blink of an eye—
He charged forward again.
His body blurred, closing the distance like a predator lunging for the throat.
His movements were terrifyingly fast.
Not flashy.
Not exaggerated.
Just clean, brutal efficiency.
Like a hunting leopard.
Low. Precise. Deadly.
Julian barely had time to register it—
Before the first strike came.
BANG!
The impact slammed into his side, the force tearing through the weakened barrier like a hammer striking cracked stone.
THUD!
A follow-up hit drove into his abdomen, stealing the air from his lungs as his body jerked back.
BOOM!
A heavy kick crashed into his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain ripping down his arm.
Each strike crashed into Julian’s body like iron hammers.
Relentless.
No pause.
No mercy.
The barrier flickered violently with each hit—its once stable glow now trembling, unstable, on the verge of collapse.
Julian staggered, his footing breaking for the first time.
Behind them, the thugs who had been beaten badly earlier finally regained their courage.
They had been crawling, groaning, clutching bruised ribs and bleeding mouths—
But now?
Now their eyes lit up again.
Because power had returned to their side.
Seeing a powerful master step in—
They immediately began shouting.
"Beat him!"
"Kill that bastard!"
"Teach that rich boy a lesson!"
Some even grabbed weapons again, eager to kick him while he was down.
Meanwhile—
Julian’s confusion had completely disappeared.
His mind became frighteningly clear.
Inside his body, the Undestroyable Barrier Skill was draining energy rapidly.
He could feel it.
Like water leaking from a cracked container.
At this rate...
He wouldn’t last long.
Julian wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
Five chances.
I still have five chances.
Lucas’s fist came crashing down again.
Julian raised his arms and took the hit head-on.
BOOM.
Pain exploded across his ribs.
At the same time—
Julian finally activated his new skill.
Chaotic Punch.
He swung his fist forward and shouted instinctively.
"Ora!"
Yes.
The power of this ridiculous skill depended entirely on whatever words he shouted while punching.
Julian didn’t even know what he was yelling anymore.
His fist collided with Lucas.
BANG.
Lucas unexpectedly took two steps back.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lucas studied Julian carefully now.
This man clearly had no inner energy.
Meaning—
He wasn’t an Old Martial Arts practitioner.
And yet...
His Undestroyable Barrier Skill was cultivated to a nearly perfect level.
Even more surprising—
That punch just now carried the strength of someone at the peak of the Iron Realm.
Lucas’s lips curled faintly.
But unfortunately—
That level of power meant nothing to him.
Lucas moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
More vicious.
His attacks turned even more brutal.
Punches, elbows, knees, kicks—
A continuous barrage.
Julian was forced to retreat again and again.
Each strike slammed into him like iron.
The protective aura inside his body was weakening rapidly.
Lucas could feel it too.
Good.
Very good.
At most—
Another minute.
After that, Julian would lose the protection of the Undestroyable Barrier Skill entirely.
And once that happened—
He would die instantly.
Meanwhile—
Julian tried again.
Another punch.
"ORA!"
BANG.
Lucas barely moved.
Julian tried again.
"ORA ORA!"
BANG.
Still nothing.
Julian cursed internally.
He sincerely greeted the ancestors of the Tyrant System in his heart.
You useless garbage system!
What kind of clown skill did you give me?!
The aura protecting his body flickered weakly.
Time was running out.
Julian gritted his teeth.
He threw three more punches.
Each time shouting different nonsense lines.
"Take this!"
"Die!"
"Super punch!"
But none of them caused any real damage.
Lucas finally lost patience.
His eyes turned cold.
"Enough."
He lifted his leg.
"Go to hell."
His kick came like a thunderbolt.
BOOM.
The strike slammed directly into Julian’s chest.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
The protective aura inside Julian’s body shattered completely.
The energy of the Undestroyable Barrier Skill finally dissipated.
Gone.