1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 81: Resolve of The Chosen

While the simple-minded giant was pushed back with a new hole burned through his robes, revealing his swollen abs beneath, there was hardly a scratch left on his calloused skin, "I set the seal, I protect the seal."

He ignored the same words that were starting to grind his nerves, staying vigilant now knowing the quickness of the man twice his size. As he debated on what approach to take in handling the sturdy giant, he was rushed down again.

Snip. Snip.

The scissors closed harshly, snapping like the jaws of a ravenous beast as he was forced to slip back. He ducked down as the blades harshly closed again, swinging his axe at the defenseless stomach right in front of him.

It felt like trying to cut through a thousand stacks of paper with a butter knife; sure, he managed to cut through the giant’s skin, but not much deeper than that.

’...No, seriously, what is this guy made out of?’ The thought stuck in his mind.

The simple cut left drew a bit of blood, though hardly seemed to register to the sewage-reeking goliath, who continued pressing forward while wildly snipping the scissors. Noah stayed on the backfoot, watching the huge figure bump his shoulders into the walls while keeping pace, accidentally slamming the closing blades into the brick on occasion.

While the masked cultist commanded a body of spectacular athleticism, it was like watching a toddler trying to operate themselves.

"Oooah–!" The giant huffed as the end of the scissors somehow ended up grinding along the wall, spawning a fountain of orange sparks.

Noah used the opportunity to run around to the goliath’s defenseless side, throwing his hand forward. With the motion, he manifested a burst of wind strong enough to disrupt his opponent’s footing, causing the peculiar figure to stumble into the same wall.

"Oghhh...?" The giant let out.

In a seamless effort, he motioned the bricks to extend, wrapping around the goliath’s body in thick, stone bindings. He made sure the bended bricks wrapped around each limb while also restricting the hulking cultist’s neck and chest.

["Mage" Proficiency +1] [96/999]

"Stay put for a second, alright?" Noah advised, slowly walking towards the place of the dormant seal, keeping his eyes on the restricted giant.

He set his sights ahead, realizing while having to practically backpedal from being chased by the giant scissors, he had been pushed back a good distance from the seal.

’I wonder if the others have encountered any of these guys on their side? I hope I’m the only one that’s had to deal with this, but that’s been a bit naive, isn’t it?’ He thought.

As his footsteps echoed, he placed himself in front of the ominous magic inscribed onto the wall. In no sense did he consider himself an "expert" on magecraft, but even he could tell there was something truly nefarious about the nature of it.

’Disabling a seal like this...Lamore mentioned it’d just need a strike powerful enough to damage whatever it’s written on,’ he reminded himself, squeezing his axe.

As he raised it, a chill ran down his spine, making the hairs on his body stand. Without needing to turn around, he felt that overshadowing presence looming over–

"I set the seal, I protect the seal."

The fear, given the circumstances within the dark, isolated tunnels, made Noah move without first thinking. He spun around, swinging his axe without any reservation–

[Mega-Shop] [Enhance]

The strike echoed through the tunnels, rumbling the foundation of the colosseum above. Straight through the midsection of the giant that attempted to snip him in half, the bisection was turned th either way.

’How did he break out without making a sound–?’ Noah questioned.

As his mind raced, blood sprayed like a fountain from the severed waist of the goliath. It only registered then as he witnessed the cultist’s top half fall from its bottom what had come from his own reflexes.

[EXP: +15,000] [Current Experience: 40,000/90,000]

["Close-Quarters Combat" Proficiency Up +1] [191/999]

["Dueling" Proficiency Up +1] [41/100]

["Axe Mastery" Proficiency Up +1] [235/999]

["Murder" Proficiency Up +1] [1/10]

[Skill(s) Acquired: "Vital Point"]

"I..." The sound left Noah’s lips, but attempting to speak only formed a lump in his throat.

The sight of such abundant crimson turned his stomach, afflicting him with a sense of nausea that made him want to gag. It was pure reflex that it happened, yet the distinct feeling of guilt swelled in him like a balloon.

Rapid footsteps echoed down the tunnel as he tried to compose himself. He clenched his axe, readying himself for another confrontation–

"Hey! I heard some–oh."

Turning the corner with her claymore ready for action was Sylvan, though her excitement for a potential fight was thwarted by the sight of what bloody remnants were left of the giant.

"I...I tried to stop him, but he came up behind me," Noah explained himself while his heart was slamming against his chest.

Sylvan walked over, standing over the remains before leaving an encouraging pat to the rookie’s shoulder, "Good job. Far as I see it, one less cultist makes this world a better place."

"--"

He didn’t know what to say. While he understood the severity of their madness, and their thirst for chaos, taking a life was a leap he didn’t know for sure he was willing to take.

’I thought I was prepared to do it, if it really came down to it, but I’m just left with the thought lingering in my mind of "Did I try hard enough to find a different way?" I’m not sure I could’ve ever reasoned with that guy, but still–I’ll never know,’ he thought, watching the fresh blood drip from his axe.

Sylvan stood in front of the seal, looking it up and down before swinging her blade against the wall it was written on. The sharp claymore cut through the brick, severing the inscription as the humming faded.

"--Done," she huffed, resting her weapon on her shoulder before looking back.

Noah stood there frozen still, processing what happened, attempting to wrap his head around the situation.

"Don’t get hung up on it, alright?" The swordswoman said as she walked over to him, giving a light tap of her fist to his back. "Giving these guys the respect of being human is doin’ way too big of a service. They’re the worst-of-the-worst scum, y’hear?"

"I get it, I know, it’s just..." Noah lamented.

RUMBLE.

The walls shook with dormant dust raining down from the old ceiling. They both looked in the same direction at the exact same moment, knowing where the unknown impact came from.

"Stuff is finally getting interesting ’round here!" Sylvan sprinted down the tunnel with a fiery smile.

Without a second thought, Noah followed, keeping up with the agile swordswoman, "I’d like it to get a little less interesting, if I’m being honest–!"

–

["I didn’t choose the path of the warrior, but it found me."]

In the quiet library, the boy of silken, gold hair sat at a table with books piled high, flipping through the pages. As his eyes scanned each page, the studious smile never faded. In all forms of academics, he excelled, praised by each tutor.

["A genius. I was set to follow my father’s footsteps and become a member of the Astroms as a scholar at this world’s summit. A cushy position, where I could live out my days in peace.

However, that was not the path set for me–"]

In the lush gardens, the small boy stood before the crater, looking upon the colossal hammer that had crashed down from the heavens.

["I, a child that had never raised a fist, was chosen. The moment my fingers grasped the handle, I accepted my calling."]

–

In the heart of the arena, the agitated hero tried time and time again to squelch the life from the stitched man, though nothing sent him to the other side. He dragged the hammer through the ground, flinging chunks of stone in its path as it smashed right through the cultist.

A shocked look on Blank’s face was as fake as they come as his pulverized chest immediately rewound itself anew, "Bam!"

’What’s the trick to it?’ Galileo considered with sweat dribbling at his chin. ’True immortality wouldn’t exist in the hands of a vile man like this. Whatever it is, there are conditions. That’s the reality I need to wager on if I hope to claim victory.’

"At a loss?" The patchwork man taunted casually. "You’re not allowed to concede, either. Until one of us drops dead, this match is continuing on. I’m sure the crowd will love it."

Ignoring the words of the inhuman figure, Galileo pursued relentlessly, bringing the hammer up. If brought down as it was, the blunt end of the weapon was large enough to completely pulversize a grown man–

As it descended, the carefree expression from the cultist changed. That brief shift was noticed by the hero as the hammer slammed down. Many in the crowd held their breath, others clutching their hands together in prayer for the hero to end the villain:

"Oh, you missed me, by the way," the taunt came from a few feet in front of the fallen steel as the unkillable man brushed the dust out from his face.