How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 014

Classics Are Timeless

*

Despite his polite introduction, the man who called himself Lloyd exuded a sharp, beast-like aura. His appearance matched that aura, so there wasn't much else to remember about him.

"Well, Mr. Doberman. What do you mean by saying it turned out as the young master said?"

"Aren't you Yang Hu? Not many people can demonstrate this level of skill. Especially not in times like these."

Though his youthful appearance was at odds with his sixty years of age, Lloyd held his tongue. This was an era where even Mars was being colonized. Looking young was hardly surprising anymore.

"So, are you admitting that you killed Thomas?"

"My answer would be meaningless, wouldn't it? After all, you've already arrived here."

"Indeed, it was a foolish question."

Shin quietly stored his sword in the long guitar case.

Seeing this, Lloyd, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, mounted—no, boarded—the weapon waiting beside him.

"Given all that's transpired between us, I suppose our conversation ends here."

A sealed full-body enhancement suit.

Also known as a 'powered armor.'

A design with sleek curves that belied its 3-meter height. The well-balanced weapon rose with a heavy rumble.

Shin narrowed his eyes at the giant's awakening.

Though not yet released to the public, he had heard about it from all the buzz. A masterpiece that New Delvier had poured their heart and soul into.

4th generation powered armor.

'Phalanx.'

Its catchphrase: 'The Wearable Tank.'

Reportedly, its titanium alloy armor was resistant to various firearms, and with its graphene battery, it could operate independently for up to two weeks—a true rampaging machine.

Moreover, its estimated output was 1,500 horsepower.

The built-in artificial muscles not only assisted the wearer's movements, dramatically enhancing physical abilities, but also guaranteed MUG-3 level operational capabilities.

MUG, short for 'Military Utility Grade,' was a term referring to military effectiveness ratings.

Naturally, the higher the number, the broader its range of applications.

Level 1 meant an advantage in personal combat. Level 2 was for urban warfare, and level 3—

'Local warfare.'

Of course, as this rating system focused more on tactical significance than basic specifications, the actual combat capabilities could fall short of or exceed these ratings.

But one couldn't afford to be complacent about this fact.

The very idea that a single individual could rival an entire unit just by wearing this was absurdly unfair.

Fortunately—

"If it's something similar, I've got one too."

He dropped the long guitar case he had been carrying on his back to the floor.

The cover with the famous brand logo was just a disguise.

Its true identity was Blacksmith, an integrated storage case for bladed weapons. And it was a warehouse for storing 'The One Blade.'

The moment Shin stepped on Blacksmith, with a hiss of escaping steam, its contents leapt up to about chest height.

"Another sword, is it?"

"Classics are timeless, you know."

As Shin snatched the sword from mid-air and adjusted his stance, Lloyd took a step closer.

"Your confidence makes me curious about just how extraordinary this Yang Hu really is."

The ground beneath Lloyd's feet crumbled in a spider-web pattern. It was a prelude to destruction.

Reflexively, Shin tucked his elbows to his sides and crouched—

Boom!

A powerful shockwave raced across the floor.

Shin, meeting the devastating blow head-on, skidded back, leaving skid marks on the floor.

"Hm?"

Lloyd paused for a moment.

He had intended to continue his fierce attack, but the armor on his chest had peeled off as if shedding.

An inexplicable phenomenon, even if it had been cut immediately after the collision.

This was no ordinary occurrence.

It was then that Lloyd's eyes caught sight of the transparent blade.

'A monomolecular blade?'

A weapon that embodied the concept of cutting by breaking the bonds between molecules.

MUG 1.

While it was at a level that gave an advantage in personal combat, it was the most efficient killing weapon of all. After all, it exerted absolute power upon contact.

However—

"It's outdated, isn't it?"

A yawn, applied locally only to the contact surface, not the entire blade.

Lloyd was right.

The monomolecular blade Shin was holding wasn't genuine.

Its limitations were also clear.

[●●●●◐]

The battery level displayed near the handle was proof of this. It had already started to fluctuate after just one swing.

Boom!

Lloyd persistently exploited this point. He was a soldier perfectly designed from birth.

Not only did he have a muscle density five times that of a normal person, but he had also mastered numerous martial arts.

Among these, his highest proficiency was in Abram, the CQC (Close Quarters Combat) technique specifically for powered armor.

This hand-to-hand combat system, which shifted the center of gravity to fully utilize the enormous volume and heavy mass, gave Lloyd unlimited freedom.

Covering distances of tens of meters in an instant was just the basics.

Simply swinging his arms mercilessly generated strong winds that pummeled the area.

Shin's martial arts, which countered this, were no less formidable.

What he had mastered was a high-level martial art that utilized centrifugal force to the extreme, focusing it on a single point. By using inertia, he could overcome the disadvantage of the size difference.

Even so, at its core, it was a battle between a giant and a dwarf.

The two stood at opposite ends of the spectrum.

However, from a kinetic perspective, there are limits to the movements the human body can express, and it was inevitable that they would converge into a single flow.

Where Lloyd was, Shin would be,

Where Shin had been, Lloyd would be,

As they continuously switched positions, their exchange of attacks and defenses shook the entire 9th floor. Their killing intent towards each other intensified as much as the distance between them decreased.

The deciding factor would be who could deliver the fatal gift to their opponent first.

Screech.

Although the titanium alloy armor was sliced off like soft tofu, Lloyd pressed forward, unfazed. After all, the range that the monomolecular blade could cut was limited. If used in reverse, it wasn't impossible to create space.

Just like this.

Thud.

The moment Lloyd, who had nimbly burrowed into Shin's embrace, clenched his fist, the booster built into his elbow ignited. A propulsion device to adjust the single strike.

With a violent boom, the arm disappears and reappears.

No, it merely seemed as if the process was omitted due to its sheer speed.

After all, the launched strike had clearly hit its target.

"Ugh."

Although Shin had managed to protect his vital points by a hair's breadth, he couldn't defend against his ribs being broken.

Indeed, one could say this was a display befitting the nickname "wearable tank."

Shin tried to hastily create distance, but Lloyd, having once sunk his teeth in, wouldn't let go easily. He had clung on with his fist buried in Shin's abdomen.

It was then that an ominous clicking sound was heard.

The moment the rotating cylinder mounted on the back of the Phalanx's hand turned, the hand cannon spewed fire.

A bullet fired simultaneously with the unleashing of a single punch.

Crunch.

The abdomen was pierced in an instant.

It was a wound that would have been fatal for a human, but Shin used it as a springboard for recovery instead. He raised the monomolecular blade high, attempting to slice through the Phalanx that was the source of his pain.

A flash of light etched in the air.

In that moment, as the helmet portion of the powered armor was cut, Lloyd's face was exposed.

"Huh!"

Simultaneously, as if in retaliation, the hand cannon fired once more.

Bang!

A storm rages from the collision of forces.

Before the dust kicked up by their fierce struggle could even settle, the two rushed at each other, pouring out their killing intent.

Advance and retreat.

An even match.

It seemed like a perfectly balanced scale, but an unexpected variable emerged.

[●○○○○]

[◐○○○○]

[○○○○○]

The transparent blade of the monomolecular blade had returned to its original state.

"Has the battery run out?"

Shin's strong performance up until now had been possible because of the monomolecular blade. The moment the battery pack hit rock bottom, the outcome was as good as decided.

Lloyd was an experienced hunter. And an experienced hunter never misses a fleeting opportunity.

Lloyd grabbed and broke the monomolecular blade, forcibly knocking Shin down.

A takedown that fully utilized the difference in physique.

As Lloyd naturally mounted Shin like flowing water and drove his fist down, the hand cannon flashed.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

After 6 consecutive shots, the floor supporting the 9th level collapsed. In an instant, concrete debris poured down like heavy rain.

Lloyd, who had indifferently emerged from the debris, could finally catch his breath.

He had definitely blown his head off.

Even from Lloyd's perspective, it was a terrifying sight to see him regenerating and charging despite broken bones and ruptured organs.

But no matter how much of a monster he was, surviving in that state should be impossible.

To begin with, resisting powered armor was nonsensical.

Still, he had expected that someone like Yang Hu would have found a way somehow—

"How boring."

"What is?"

A sound that shouldn't be heard reached Lloyd's ears as he turned his back.

Suddenly, he bent his waist, feeling an eerie sensation coursing through his entire body. That split-second decision saved his life.

What had grazed past his head was an icily sharp folding knife.

"How...?"

How was he not dead, but alive?

Faced with an inexplicable phenomenon, Lloyd froze in place.

However, while it was an unacceptable reality for him, it was everyday life for Shin.

Something he couldn't run from, nor could he ignore.

Shin coughed up the dust accumulated in his lungs, brushed back his blood-soaked bangs, and stood up.

"What an interesting toy."

Powered armor had been released to the market 20 years ago. That is, right after the Millennium Code Gate incident.

It took time to adapt since it was a type of opponent he had never faced before, but by now he was starting to understand.

"Even if you act confident, nothing will change. You shouldn't have any cards left to play."

"Oh, this?"

Not only had the time limit expired, but the monomolecular blade was broken in half. As Lloyd pointed out, it was no longer a usable item.

'But...'

Even so, the situation wasn't at its worst.

Rummaging through his pockets, he pulled out a small case.

As he flipped open the cover, an array of syringes was revealed.

Grasping them all at once regardless of order, Shin unhesitatingly jabbed them into his own neck.

Full-body painkiller.

Metabolism accelerator.

Comprehensive stimulant.

A drug cocktail of such high purity that it would cause permanent side effects. In other words, narcotics.

One of those things you shouldn't even touch unless you want to end your life.

"Are you trying to commit suicide?"

"I'm trying to live."

Although it was a level far exceeding the lethal dose, Shin answered calmly. A body for which the very premise of risk doesn't apply.

Exploding hormones and heated nervous system play in concert.

As if to prove it, soon his veins bulged and his breathing quickened.

"After I win perfectly and completely."