Chapter 516 (1/2)

For years Hank had wondered what his father was talking about, but fighting against Paolo, it snapped into place. And as it did so, several other mysteries shifted, forming a clear picture that Hank could easily read.

He had wondered how these people had survived so well, even prospered, when all they had were bladed weapons and leather armors. Because while the people from Zone 1 used high tech equipment to focus their growth and protect their mentalities, the people here had been forced to fight the wildness of the System with their eyes facing forward. There was no buffer to protect them. Those that couldn’t adapt, died.

These were the women and men who believed they could live here with all their heart. They embraced this lifestyle without hesitation. They became people who lived and breathed with the System. Within the past year and a half, they had sharpened themselves until they had mental images with such strength that they could strike at their opponents like a weapon.

Strangely, Hank’s smile snaked open in a wide curve like a smuggler’s river. In the past, he had believed his father’s stories superficially, but never truly accepted them; he didn’t believe it was possible. But pushed here, this powerful man bearing down on him, something clicked into place.

Congratulations! Your images have grown to such strength that you begin to condense your own Skill. Warning, if there is insufficient ambient energy in the air, the energy will be taken from your body. This may result in injury or death. Do you wish to proceed?

Congratulations, your Soul Skill “Humanity’s Last Cowboy” is evolving. Warning, if there is insufficient ambient energy in the air, the energy will be taken from your body. This may result in injury or death. Do you wish to proceed?

Hank blinked, and the notifications were gone. Paolo raised his hands. Hank drew his revolver, his father’s revolver. Without taking time to aim, he fired off the draw and followed it up with several slugs from the repeater empowered with Trick Shot.

The speed of the revolver bullets caught Paolo by surprise, and they nicked him on his shoulders and arms. The revolver shot arrived at his chest. Now all noises had faded back and there was only the pounding of Hank’s heart. It filled the very sky with its force, a shuddering, heaving beat.

“Crushing Blow,” Paolo bellowed, smashing his hand forward to meet the bullet. There was a huge impact, and the bullet was actually knocked to the side. It ripped a long gash up Paolo’s arm, but otherwise, he seemed fine; Hank stepped forward to finish the job.

His first two jabs definitely caught Paolo by surprise, and the man took them both in the chin. After that second hit, however, his stance shifted, and he was ready for the third Sharp Left from Hank. The Hard Right still sent him sprawling backward, despite his preparations.

Roaring with laughter, Paolo stepped back forward, but Hank’s left hand had drawn his pistol with all the swiftness of lighting, spraying bullets at his midsection. To Hank’s surprise, Paolo didn’t react at all, aside from a small grunt as the bullet hit him. Apparently, he had decided that the best idea was to just push through the bullets.

Yea, Hank had fought those types before. So he reached out and touched the small marbles of Mana that he put in every bullet.

“Mana Detonation.”

This time, Paolo’s grunt was much louder, but Hank was shocked at how little of an effect it had. Some blood sprayed out of the wounds, but there were none of the usual explosions of gore that resulted from this attack. Generally, only a monster could endure through multiple Mana Detonations without being reduced to ground beef. How high was his fucking Endurance?

Paolo, if anything, was speeding up as he rushed towards Hank. It forced him to Dodge Roll to the side once, and then backward, in order to open up some space. But even then, Paolo was already there, rushing forward like a bull.

Paolo head slipped under the Hard Right, grinning.

“That won’t work twice. Good punch though, mate. I really underestimated ya. But this is-”

Hank faded a half step backward from Paolo, opening up just enough space to draw both pistols. The air was humming and thumping with his heartbeat. The cheers of the crowd were rising upwards towards the crescendo, and Hank knew he couldn’t let it get there. Firing twice, Hank put a bullet directly up in the air and another towards his heart.

The part of Hank that was hesitant to go as hard as he could have long ago stepped to the side to make way for the brutal, vicious survivalist. His head was throbbing, but after the two shots he shot out the remaining four bullets in the repeater and reloaded it. Without thinking about it, he emptied another clip. At that moment, Hank knew that he had to.

Congratulations! You have created the Skill “Hope for the Future (A) Lvl 1”.

Congratulations! You have created the Skill “Bulletstorm ® Lvl 1”.

Congratulations! You have created the Skill “Western Justice (Un) Lvl 1”.