E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn't Exist-Chapter 149: Almighty Dilemma

Chapter 147

A man trembled behind the remains of a half-collapsed building, his body quivering with fear as the chaos around him grew more intense by the second. Explosions echoed like thunder, accompanied by the sharp shrieks of beasts and the crumbling of shattered stone. The heat in the air wasn’t just from fire—it was from destruction itself.

Anyone who saw this man hiding in terror would have blinked in disbelief. It was none other than Almighty—the great heroic figure who had boasted of his strength not long ago.

"What kind of cursed luck is this...?" he muttered under his breath, his face pale and soaked in sweat.

After his humiliating loss to Jay, Almighty could have fled the city. He should have. But no—he stayed, convinced that if he kept out of fights, he’d be safe. He was wrong. Catastrophically wrong.

Who could’ve predicted that multiple portals would rip open across the city just as he was about to leave? And now, here he was, trapped in a warzone where even the weakest beast could kill him with a single swipe.

His abilities weren’t suited for combat. They relied heavily on chance—and right now, luck was the last thing he had. Frankly, it was a miracle he’d survived this long.

As the area around him grew more volatile, Almighty decided to make a run for it. With a whispered prayer to every god he knew—and even those he didn’t—he promised repentance, honesty, and even celibacy if he made it out alive.

Eventually, he reached a relatively intact low-rise building and slumped against its wall, chest heaving. The sounds of destruction were more distant now. For a fleeting moment, he thought he was safe.

He closed his eyes. Just one minute of peace. Just one.

Then he heard it.

A voice. Faint. Strained. Repeating over and over.

A scream.

Almighty’s eyes snapped open. Screams only meant one thing in times like this—someone was under attack. Likely by a beast. But what could he do? He was weak. Powerless. He shut his eyes again.

Then opened them a moment later.

"Let me just... check it out," he whispered to himself, convincing no one. "It’s not like I’ll get involved. I’ll be careful."

He moved like a shadow, hugging the walls of the broken structure, careful not to make a sound. The closer he crept, the louder the screams became. And more distinct.

A child.

It was a child’s voice.

His brow furrowed. A terrible sense of unease bloomed in his chest. He reached the edge of the building and peeked around the corner.

His blood froze.

A group of children—six, maybe seven—were huddled together, eyes wide with terror. Their clothes were tattered, but it was easy to see they came from all tiers of society: noble silk, merchant garb, street rags. Status didn’t matter now. Fear had made them equals.

And in front of them... stood a beast.

It was an insectoid creature, its black carapace gleaming like obsidian. Massive pincers clicked in anticipation, dripping with a venomous slime that hissed as it hit the ground. Its many eyes twitched, hungry and wild.

Almighty swallowed hard. He mentally ran the numbers.

Chance of survival: 30%.

Way too low.

He stepped back, trying to melt into the wall, pretending he’d never seen anything. This wasn’t his fight. He couldn’t win. If he ran now, maybe—

His thoughts screeched to a halt.

A boy stepped forward from among the trembling children. His hair was pink, oddly calm amidst the chaos. In his hand... a metal pipe.

Almighty’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What the hell is that kid doing...?" he whispered.

"You’re nothing but a bully!" the child shouted, gripping the rusted pipe tightly.

The insect beast snapped its pincers together in response, its compound eyes twitching with irritation.

Almighty, watching from behind a broken wall, stared at the kid in disbelief.

"That child is absolutely insane," he muttered. "He’s going to die in record time."

The pink-haired boy stomped his foot in frustration. "If you’re so strong, then go fight real heroes! Why do you only attack the weak?!"

With that declaration, he hurled the pipe with all his strength.

Clank.

It bounced off the beast’s hardened shell with all the impact of a paper straw, landing uselessly on the ground.

The beast didn’t even flinch—it just got angrier. Its pincers slammed together in a deafening clack! as it reared back and lunged, aiming straight for the boy’s neck.

Then—

BAMMMM!

A blur crashed into the beast, sending it flying several meters into the rubble. Dust filled the air as the creature rolled, then staggered to its feet, dazed and furious.

Standing in front of the boy, a half-broken axe in hand, was a muscular figure with wild hair and trembling knees.

"You heard the kid," the man said through gritted teeth. "Pick on someone your own size."

The children gasped in shock. The boy’s eyes widened.

"ALMIGHTY?!" the child shouted with joy and admiration, tears welling up. "You saved me!"

Almighty gave them his most heroic nod—calm, confident, borderline majestic.

Internally?

"Damn it, I just signed my own death certificate!"

---

Survival Instinct:

You IDIOT. You jumped in. Knowing full well you’re going to die. You’re going to DIE.

Hero Instinct:

But... if I can save even one life, then dying isn’t so bad, right?

Survival Instinct:

It is when the beast finishes munching your corpse and then goes for the kids anyway! You just volunteered to be dinner with extra seasoning!

Hero Instinct:

It’s worth it.

Survival Instinct:

It’s NOT.

Hero Instinct:

It is.

Survival Instinct:

IT’S—!

Almighty sighed.

"Does it even matter anymore...?"

He steeled himself. After all, he wasn’t that weak. Compared to normal humans, he was at least—slightly less likely to explode on impact. And there was just one beast, right? That gave him maybe... a 21% chance of survival. Not great, but better than zero.

He inhaled deeply.

Then exhaled.

Then did it again.

Each exaggerated breath caused the children to cheer louder.

"GO ALMIGHTY!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

In their eyes, he was invincible. A true hero. A living legend.

Almighty stood taller, his spine straightening in reluctant pride. Well, if they believed in him... maybe he could believe in himself.

He raised the broken axe high. "Don’t worry, kids," he declared, voice trembling but loud. "I’ll make sure we all get out of here alive!"

He turned to face the beast—

—and his soul nearly left his body.

Where there had been one insect beast...

There were now six.

Six enormous, fanged, pincer-snapping monsters, crawling from the rubble like they heard someone just yelled "buffet’s open."

His hands went limp. The axe nearly dropped.

His face turned pale.

"I take it back," he whispered. "We’re all going to die."

Almighty stood frozen as the insect beasts crept closer—mandibles clicking, legs skittering, eyes gleaming with hunger.

He glanced at the pink-haired boy, still cheering him on with starry-eyed admiration, completely unaware that they were all one dramatic pause away from being protein snacks.

"What do I do...?" Almighty thought, sweat dripping down his temple.

Option A: Run and possibly survive.

Option B: Stay and definitely die.

There was a tiny, microscopic chance that if he bolted now, zigzagged a little, screamed like a lunatic, maybe tripped a few times for dramatic effect—he’d make it.

But then... the kids would be doomed.

The beasts inched closer. Pincers raised. Fangs twitching.

And just as they were about to lunge—

CRACK-BOOM!

A blinding flash of silver light tore through the street. The air snapped with static, and the very ground trembled.

Then he appeared.

A figure clad entirely in silver.

Silver robes.

Silver lightning crackling up and down his body like living veins.

A single sharp horn protruded from his forehead.

And that smile—oh, that terrifying maniacal grin.

Almighty blinked. "What... the heck..."

The silver figure didn’t even glance at the monsters at first. He turned to Almighty and spoke with casual certainty.

"Get the kids out of here. Find the rescue team."

Almighty, not needing further convincing, gave a sharp nod.

He grabbed the boy and bolted—though not before throwing one last pitiful glance over his shoulder. Good luck, Silver Lightning Weirdo.

---

The beasts stood their ground, clearly wary of the new threat.

Thunderwrath’s grin only widened as more pincer-beasts emerged, their reinforcements arriving by the dozen.

"Ah... they’re smart enough to call for backup."

He cracked his neck.

"Too bad that won’t save you."

He raised both hands.

Twin swords formed—each made entirely of pure lightning, sizzling and hissing as if eager for blood.

He brought them together in a cross, blades shimmering like molten stars.

"Voltage Tempest Fang."

He shot forward.

A vortex of spiraling lightning erupted around him, arcs slashing and swirling in every direction as he moved with supernatural speed—cutting down limbs, heads, and entire torsos with each pass. The beasts barely had time to scream.

Then, as Thunderwrath skidded to a stop, the lightning cyclone compressed inward—and exploded outward in a final, fiery surge.

BOOM!

Everything within a wide radius was incinerated—nothing left but smoke, ash, and the faint scent of fried insect legs.

Thunderwrath looked around.

"How was it?" he asked casually.

Dead silence. Because, of course, everyone he had just fought... was now extra crispy.

He chuckled, scratching his head. "Right. Forgot you’re all dead. Well, I know your answer anyway. ’Incredible, Thunderwrath!’" he said in a deep, mock voice, clearly quoting himself. "Such majestic blade work!"

He twirled his swords proudly, the lightning dancing in celebration.

Then, his grin softened slightly.

A memory flickered.

A teenage boy with wild yellow hair, eyes full of lightning, wielding a sword with unmatched grace.

"I wonder if you’re still alive, master..." Thunderwrath thought, gaze distant.

But then he sighed.

"Thousands of years have passed. Probably not."

The memory faded like mist. Thunderwrath sheathed his lightning blades and disappeared into the smoke.

---

Later...

Almighty stared out the window of the airship, watching the city of Muarina shrink into the distance.

Relief mixed with pity.

The city had nearly killed him. Multiple times. In increasingly ridiculous ways.

And yet... it had been beautiful, once. Now, it was mostly smoke and rubble.

He leaned back in his seat and exhaled. For once, he could rest.

Or so he thought.

Something tugged at his sleeve.

He jolted upright, half-expecting another insect.

But it was just the pink-haired kid.

The boy smiled brightly, eyes still full of awe.

"Thank you, Almighty! You’re the greatest hero I’ve ever seen!"

Almighty stared at him.

"Kid, we were one unlucky sneeze away from becoming appetizers..." he thought. But he didn’t say it. He just nodded slowly, managing a small smile.

Then the boy held something out.

"I want to give you this. As a reward."

Almighty expected a drawing. Maybe a rock.

What he got instead was a black cloth, unwrapped to reveal—

A glowing pink crystal.

Almighty froze.

His heart skipped.

His pupils dilated.

No way. No way.

He slowly reached out and picked it up, hands trembling.

"This is..."

The glow, the pulse, the energy—it was unmistakable.

"The Evol Shard..." he whispered.

To be continued.

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