Athanasia: My Hacker System-Chapter 213: Meeting the Twelve!

As John expected, the provocation hit its mark. The next second, a massive figure jumped over the high walls. The giant landed on the ground with the force of a falling meteorite, the impact cratering the earth a little, and sending a shockwave through John’s boots.

John didn’t flinch. He calmly watched the giant, a warrior similar in build to Lanmar and others, straighten up. The Bulltor held a serrated long-knife that was nearly as tall as his own massive frame.

"I’m Galnar, a descendant of the Twelve, the Sacred Bloodlines factions, and I am here to honour our sacred traditions by teaching you a lesson you won’t survive long enough to forget," Galnar’s face contorted into a savage mask of predatory glee. He stepped forward, the ground trembling under his weight.

"Don’t worry, little pet. I won’t kill you, not yet. I’m going to toy with you until your spirit breaks and your body cracks. By the time I’m over, you’ll wish for the mercy of the Bulltor. I’ll make sure you live in a hell of my making..."

"Just shut up already," John interrupted, his voice flat and laced with a weary boredom that stung worse than a snake bite. "You speak as if you’re reciting some third-rate, ugly prose. If you’re going to fight, then fight. Show me what you’re actually made of. And where are the others? I was told there were twelve of you, not just one loud-mouthed loser."

"What did you just say?!!"

Galnar’s features twisted in a fit of rage. He let out a roar that vibrated in John’s very bones. "Screw you, you damn fallen human! I take back what I said. Today won’t be a tutorial; it will be your funeral! Do not resent me in the afterlife for what I am about to do to you..."

"Fck off!"

John had reached the limit of his patience. He didn’t wait for the giant to finish his grandstanding nonsense. He instantly activated his Frame Recognition ability, then dashed forward, his body turning into a blur.

’Speed Lock, Object Lockdown, Code Destruction, Code Destruction, Code Destruction...’

John knew that today wasn’t just about winning; it was about psychological warfare. To lure these giants to properly fight him, he had to leave a scar on their collective pride that would never heal except by trying their best to kill him.

He could have ended Galnar in a heartbeat using his Logic Bomb ability or the lethality of his sword’s Triple Slash special effect, but those would have ended the fight too soon. Instead, he chose a more torturous, slow, and agonising path for Galnar.

He moved fast, darting inside Galnar’s guard and starting a barrage of bloody attacks. Every time he used Code Destruction, a hole appeared on the giant’s body.

Each strike resulted in a gruesome-looking wound that shredded Galnar’s body. The giant’s arrogant roars quickly transitioned into heart-curdling, agonising screams that echoed against the base walls. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Fck you, you damn monster!"

The sheer agony finally jolted Galnar out of his blind arrogance. With a desperate grunt, he activated his protective shield ability, a shimmering dome of Mana manifested around him. Under normal circumstances, it could withstand a barrage from a behemoth, but it was useless against John’s dual abilities’ relentless assault.

John’s Object Lockdown froze the shield’s code structure. Then, the Code Destruction slammed into the frozen lattice, shattering a hole through the centre of the defence.

John didn’t use any other flashy abilities; he simply repeated this two-step process, crushing the sturdy Bulltor shield as if it were made of cheap glass.

Galnar stood frozen, his eyes wide with a terror he hadn’t felt since the trial began, watching his body get destroyed by a human’s little, harmless-looking hands.

"You really have a talent, kiddo!"

Just as John prepared to deliver another blow to the kneeling Galnar, a heavy snort echoed from the direction of the walls. John paused, his eyes shifting toward the battlements. Eleven silhouettes leapt into the air simultaneously, landing with a synchronised thud tens of meters away, forming a loose semicircle around him.

"You’ve grown soft, Galnar," one of the newcomers mocked, his voice a low rumble of disappointment. "Getting beaten by a human? A member of a fallen race? Come on, man. Have some self-respect and dignity and fight properly and seriously next time."

"Easy on him," a female Bulltor countered. Her facial features were sharp and fierce, reminding John of Elena in the middle of a high-intense fight. "He lost his brother to those damn machines a few days ago. His mind isn’t on the blade."

"That’s not a proper excuse," a third Bulltor grunted, shaking his head while lazily swinging two massive sledgehammers. The air whistled around the heavy iron heads.

"This human is from the same world those despicable machines came from! Galnar should have fought with everything he had right from the start and killed him. To lose in such an embarrassing way... It’s a disgrace to the Twelve..."

"Stop fooling around," a fourth Bulltor commanded. He was noticeably larger than the others, his presence radiating a density of power and authority that made John flag him as a high-threat target. He looked at the wounded warrior on the ground. "Galnar, you lost fair and square. Go back inside and heal your wounds. Leave this cub to us; we’ll teach him a proper lesson in humility."

"He won’t be taking a single step away from here," John said calmly. He didn’t raise his voice, yet the threat in his tone cut through their mockery like a blade.

"This is the Blue Sacred Challenge. You should know your own laws better than I do. No one leaves this circle unless they are dead, or a supreme winner is declared, and you join his side."

"Oh? Are you familiar with our people’s ancient rules? How?" the fourth Bulltor asked, narrowing his eyes. He carried himself with the natural gravity of a leader, the true First of the Twelve.