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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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It can’t be stressed enough: Ki Ju-seon had absolutely no combat abilities.
Years of pushing his inherently weak body to its limits through relentless research had left him with the physique of an average person, at best.
For someone like him to evade a charging high-rank demon? That was utterly impossible.
‘What?’
The moment Garan vanished from sight, Ki Ju-seon lost track of him completely.
He understood, logically, that the demon was coming for him, but he couldn’t pinpoint the direction of the attack.
Despite the bright daylight, Ki Ju-seon felt as if he were surrounded by an impenetrable darkness.
‘Am I going to die?’
Unable to evade or counterattack, Ki Ju-seon forced himself to remain calm, suppressing his emotions.
Even as Garan materialized before him, dark mana swirling around his raised dagger, aimed at Ki Ju-seon’s neck…
He focused on maximizing the few remaining seconds he had, desperately searching for the most efficient way to use them.
To reminisce about his lost love, to replay his past? To lament his unfulfilled dreams, to wallow in regret?
That wasn’t the way of a researcher.
To always strive for the next step, to push forward, no matter the circumstances—
That was how Ki Ju-seon had lived his life.
“Take this!”
He roared, feigning an attack, putting all his energy into the desperate bluff.
Simultaneously, he threw the Manaplate Armor he’d been clutching towards Lee Seok-hyun with all his might.
Ironically, it was Ki Ju-seon’s seemingly empty gesture that gave Garan pause.
He’d been about to strike, but the unexpected movement made him hesitate, searching for a hidden attack.
The Manaplate Armor soared through the air, and Garan, realizing there was no hidden threat, redirected his dagger towards Ki Ju-seon’s neck.
The delivery had been made; now he just needed to collect his due.
He didn’t bother infusing his dagger with dark mana—killing an ordinary human didn’t require such effort.
Ki Ju-seon, having done all he could, closed his eyes, a bittersweet image of his departed lover filling his mind.
Swish.
The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed through the hallway.
Garan, believing he’d extinguished Lee Seok-hyun’s last hope, smirked triumphantly.
But…
“Hmm?”
Contrary to his expectations, Ki Ju-seon hadn’t died.
“Thank you.”
For not using dark mana.
The figure standing before Garan wasn’t Ki Ju-seon.
A man stood there, smiling brightly despite a deep gash, bone-deep, running from the back of his hand to his forearm.
It was Lee Seok-hyun.
“Let’s start over.”
If Garan had been serious, he could have easily evaded Lee Seok-hyun and killed Ki Ju-seon.
Indeed, when Garan turned towards Ki Ju-seon, Lee Seok-hyun reacted instantly, but the difference in speed was undeniable.
Whirrrrrr!
Even as Infinite Track roared, signaling his body was nearing its limit, Lee Seok-hyun didn’t stop.
He desperately prayed for a miracle, for some unforeseen event to buy him just a few precious seconds.
Clang!
His prayer was answered. Garan, momentarily startled by Ki Ju-seon’s shout, hesitated. And in those few seconds, Lee Seok-hyun managed to position himself between Garan and Ki Ju-seon.
His arm was mangled, a bloody mess, but that was a small price to pay for Ki Ju-seon’s life.
And since the dagger hadn’t been infused with dark mana, the injury, while severe, wasn’t fatal.
Bang!
Capitalizing on Garan’s surprise, Lee Seok-hyun slammed his fist into his own abdomen, using the recoil from Flash of Insight to create distance.
Garan, accustomed to having his way, was clearly taken aback by this unexpected resistance from someone he considered beneath him.
In that brief moment of confusion, Lee Seok-hyun quickly equipped the Manaplate Armor.
Whirrrrrr.
Click, click.
The Manaplate Armor attached itself to Lee Seok-hyun’s left arm, its metallic components sealing the wound like sutures closing a gash.
Clank, clank.
It adjusted itself to fit his arm perfectly, the clattering sound of its components shifting and resizing echoing through the hallway.
Clank, clank.
With each movement of his fingers, the Manaplate Armor responded, mimicking his gestures with a sharp, mechanical precision.
Ki Ju-seon, watching the Manaplate Armor come to life, couldn’t contain his emotions.
– Professor, what name did you have in mind?
– Hmm? The name I was thinking of?
– Yes, you said it wasn’t as good as Manaplate Armor.
– Ah, that.
A past conversation replayed in Ki Ju-seon’s mind.
A time before the Manaplate Armor had a name, a time when Ki Ju-seon nurtured his dream, waiting for it to bloom.
– Sunflower.
– What?
– I was going to call it Sunflower.
– May I ask why?
A question he would normally never have answered.
But in that moment, Ki Ju-seon had felt a strange premonition.
A feeling that he had to explain, that this was the right time.
– My fiancée told me to always stand tall, like a sunflower.
My beloved flower, the brightest sunflower in the world.
Malena Melr, his fiancée and his last love.
In her memory.
Now, after a long winter, the sunflower had finally bloomed.
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Activating Infinite Track alone wouldn’t magically change the situation.
But with the Manaplate Armor equipped…
“The tables have turned, asshole.”
…the story was different.
The core principle of the Manaplate Armor was drawing external mana and converting it into usable energy.
And this principle was remarkably similar to Infinite Track.
In other words, with another cycle added, Infinite Track and the Manaplate Armor would synergize, amplifying each other’s power.
Whirrrrrr.
Whirrrrrr.
Infinite Track and the Manaplate Armor resonated, circulating and amplifying power, channeling it into me.
Under the midday sun, the Manaplate Armor continuously drew solar energy, fueling my body.
The problem was, heat was detrimental to healing wounds, and my body was already overheating from Infinite Track.
‘I need to end this quickly.’
Despite my confident boast, this was still a race against time.
[Setting Manaplate Armor to maximum output.]
[Energy supply rate increased to maximum. Be cautious of potential strain on your body.]
A more refined version of the Manaplate Armor would have offered various functions, but this prototype only had output control, energy circulation, and energy release.
However…
‘This is more than enough.’
I was grateful for even this much.
Thud! Crack!
The sound that had resonated from Garan’s footsteps as he charged now echoed from mine.
“You could achieve this state anytime as a demon, why take the long way around?”
Ignoring his condescending remark, I responded with my fist.
“Shut up and die.”
Crack.
I shattered the bones in his outstretched hand, my fist connecting squarely with his face.
Sizzle.
The solar-charged Manaplate Armor added a burning effect to the impact.
The searing heat cauterized the wound, preventing immediate regeneration.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
By the time he registered the unexpected pain and voiced his clichéd villainous line, it was too late.
His abdomen, already weakened from repeated attacks and the designated weak point, was slow to heal.
He’d never imagined that the ant he’d been toying with would bite back.
Whirrrrrr.
Whirrrrrr.
Infinite Track and the Manaplate Armor whirred in unison, building up energy, and I pressed the Manaplate against his abdomen.
The superheated energy surged, seeking release, concentrating in my palm, and finally,
KABOOM!
Erupted in a deafening explosion, tearing through Garan’s abdomen.
His continuous underestimation and the unexpected attack had proven fatal.
The combined assault inflicted a wound he couldn’t regenerate, and I immediately seized his neck.
Sizzle.
Instead of uttering a clichéd line and waiting for him to collapse, I finished the job myself. That was the more efficient approach.
Crack.
I tightened my grip, the searing heat of the Manaplate Armor cauterizing the wound as I severed his head from his body.
[High-rank demon Garan has been eliminated!]
[Reward…]
[Special Reward…]
The flood of messages filling my vision and the rewards that followed confirmed Garan’s death.
“Kyaaaaa!”
And then, as if waiting for this moment, Gainard cleanly decapitated Roomlau, ending the battle on the training grounds.
It was a classic Final Destiny move—withholding support until the playable character had resolved the main conflict.
‘This game is such bullshit.’
Despite the victory, I was exhausted. The prolonged battle had taken its toll, my body nearing its limit.
Even as I thought about checking on the students in the research lab…
Thump.
I collapsed, unconscious.
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Good Mod