Watching the colossal mobile fortress approach from the distance, the people tasted despair once again. Knowing of its existence was one thing, but seeing it in motion was another entirely.

  Fortunately, it didn't rain shells in every direction, but the mere movement of such an entity was terrifying. With every step of its massive legs, everything it touched was pulverized.

  Faced with this unforeseen catastrophe, people trembled in terror. They fled, driven by the primal instinct to survive.

  In the chaos, children who lost their parents' grip burst into tears, and parents swept away by the surging crowd screamed for their sons and daughters. If they were lucky, perhaps these families might reunite somehow.

  But reality was cold.

  The machine trampled over everything without hesitation. With a heavy thud, the tears of families separated forever seemed as though they would form a river.

  The massive mobile fortress, however, possessed no emotion; it simply walked its path. Trampling over whatever lay beneath it as if it didn't matter, the machine brought to mind the Beast of the Apocalypse described in scriptures. The fortress marched on, as if silently performing a task of destruction ordained by a god.

  Where on earth was it headed? Those who were lucky enough to survive harbored that question in their fear. How far would it walk, and how many people would it plunge into despair?

  There was no answer. Only the sound of its stride.

  With slow, deliberate steps, it crushed whatever was caught under its feet without mercy. This nightmare, which nothing could obstruct, continued forward. No one knew how much blood would flow or if the number of broken things could even be counted before it came to a halt.

  There was nothing here that could stop it.

  The titan moved according to the orders of its master. It would soon reach its destination. The survivors wailed as they watched it pass. Fear was driven into the depths of their souls like a thorn, and the nightmare flowing from that wound would haunt them forever.

  But such things meant nothing to the mobile fortress.

  CRASH.

  The ground shook. An earthquake erupted with every single step. Buildings swayed, and those poorly constructed collapsed instantly.

  Hell on earth was right here.

  Souls shattered. In the fear that filled that void, the survivors could do nothing but stare, lost and helpless.

  Jihyeon had successfully neutralized one mobile fortress by collapsing the ground. However, that wasn't the end. This was merely the beginning.

  He now had to find a way to achieve total neutralization. Although he wasn't sure if he could do it alone, Jihyeon mentally scanned every resource he possessed to find a way.

  "It’s worth a shot, but I don't know if my body can take it..." Jihyeon muttered, as if a thought had occurred to him.

  Some of the Tools he possessed could display overwhelming performance if combined correctly. However, Jihyeon wasn't sure if he could handle the risks associated with using them. Of course, it was also true that there were no other options left. While his powers, including the force of electricity, were fearsome, there were limits to whether they could destroy such an overwhelming object.

  But a combination of two specific abilities could generate power far beyond his normal destructive capacity.

  These were Haeun’s Tool, which he had recovered earlier, and the defense-fortifying Tool he had retrieved from one of the two assassins who had attacked him.

  Haeun’s Tool would provide him with immense defensive power and regenerative capabilities. That should allow him to endure while maintaining consciousness.

  And the other one.

  The defense-fortifying Tool. Jihyeon had refined its principles to awaken a new ability: Damage Reflection.

  If Jihyeon used it now, he could amplify the attacks directed at him several times over and hurl them back. With that, he could surely shatter the mobile fortress.

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  The problem was whether his mind could hold out when he allowed an attack to land in order to trigger that ability. No matter how superior Jihyeon’s abilities were, he was still human. Regardless of enduring through the power of Tools, the pain was something Jihyeon had to bear entirely on his own.

  That was a terrifying prospect.

  No matter how much he played the hero, fearing that level of pain was only natural. Jihyeon found himself hesitating instinctively. Before this very human fear, his courage did not come easily.

  "Tch!"

  Clicking his tongue, Jihyeon focused for now on dodging the incoming shells. If there was some other weakness, he wanted to avoid using his final trump card.

  However, there seemed to be no other way to destroy the mobile fortress, which protected itself with a force field incomparable to the barriers Jihyeon created with telekinesis.

  "I guess I have no choice..."

  Jihyeon gritted his teeth. It seemed he would have to make the most physically painful decision since the day he was born.

  THUD.

  It was then.

  Another massive presence revealed itself behind him. Jihyeon let out a sigh as he saw a new fortress appear in his rear.

  If attacks rained down from both sides, even he wouldn't be able to dodge them all. Thinking he could survive amidst that many shells was a naive delusion.

  "I hate gambling."

  Jihyeon gave a bitter smile and steeled his resolve. He would die regardless. If so, all that remained was to land one final blow before he went down.

  With his mind made up, Jihyeon activated the power of his Tools.

  The Loan Shark took delight in seeing his other fortress move. Although the brat in the hood had made things quite problematic, the hellscape created by the fortress he had summoned to resolve the issue was enough to soothe his mind.

  Ruined streets.

  People screaming and crying in chaos.

  And the corpses of the dead.

  Watching all of this being broadcast live excited the Loan Shark more than words could describe. Of course, it was a shame his hometown was being turned into a mess. Still, the thrill he felt when the elevated bridge was destroyed by the fortress's movement was beyond explanation.

  Now, if a pincer attack was launched from both sides, that cursed brat would die. No matter how fast he was, he was still just a human. His arrogant rampage using the power of Tools was at an end.

  The only regret was that he couldn't personally enjoy some "quality time" with the boy. The Loan Shark had learned many pleasures in his life—specifically, he knew a lot about the screams and pain that could be wrought from a human body. Since the boy had annoyed him for so long, the Loan Shark had intended to torture him thoroughly with all his "affection."

  But in this situation, capturing the hooded brat alive seemed impossible. He would have to be satisfied with killing him this way.

  Once the brat was dead, there would be nothing left to fear. Then, the Loan Shark could become the King of this country. He was currently the King of this small area, but the thought that he would soon be the King of everything made him ecstatic.

  "Attack simultaneously. Make sure that brat dies."

  The Loan Shark gave the order. The penalty for the sin of ruining his grand march by trapping one of the fortress's legs was death. Following the command, the fortress the Loan Shark rode and the one he had summoned began to fire at the hooded brat at once.

  Soon, an immense amount of firepower was projected with a sound that seemed to tear the world apart. Since both fortresses had force fields, their mutual shelling wouldn't cause fatal damage to each other.

  But the one meant to receive the fire was different. Since the attack wasn't a single point but covered entire lines and surfaces, dodging would be impossible. The Loan Shark looked forward to receiving good news soon.

  "He's still alive."

  The Loan Shark muttered in disbelief as the life signal continued to show despite the combined attack of the two fortresses. The hooded brat's life was apparently quite tenacious.

  The boy seemed determined to resist him until the very end. Just as he had always done—processing customers when they went berserk and taking down his competitors—he was likely trying to take the Loan Shark down too.

  But that was only possible if he could stay alive.

  While he had somehow survived for now, it wouldn't last. In fact, the brat was currently standing with great difficulty. He had likely used all his strength just to dodge the attacks.

  However, the boy probably didn't realize one thing: the spot where he was standing was exactly where the mobile fortress's leg was about to descend. Being there meant a death where not even a corpse could be recovered.

  Of course, he probably couldn't move because of the heavy fire. He’d done well for a human, but unlike a King such as himself, the hooded brat was just a worm crawling on the ground.

  "Crush him with the leg."

  The Loan Shark ordered his mobile fortress, as if he were a judge in a courtroom. The fortress raised its foot in obedience. Although it couldn't pull out the one leg trapped deep in the ground, its other legs were not in a state where they couldn't move.

  In particular, the leg currently in motion was completely free to step anywhere. How foolish of him to stand in such a place. If the boy had pledged loyalty and offered to help the Loan Shark enjoy wealth and power, the Loan Shark might have considered treating him quite well, given his abilities.

  But it was too late.

  Along with paying the price for his foolishness, he would die. And the Loan Shark would be the eternal victor.

  The mobile fortress's leg descended slowly. Watching the brat, who looked too exhausted to move, brought the Loan Shark nothing but joy.

  But as he saw the hooded figure lying down, a sudden, inexplicable sense of anxiety washed over him.

  Why isn't he dodging?

  Even if he was exhausted, he shouldn't be at the point of just lying there. He wouldn't do that just to commit suicide.

  What if he has some hidden card?

  What if he’s intentionally taking the hit for a reason?

  A sudden surge of dread flashed through his mind. But the order had already been given.

  And the mobile fortress's leg trampled the hooded brat without mercy.