Chapter 137: Simmilar Skill?
Before Jonathan’s knife could reach him, Nobody reacted instinctively. His right fist shot forward.
BOOOOM!!
The punch landed squarely across Jonathan’s jaw. A shockwave burst through the street. Jonathan’s body flew backward like a ragdoll.
CRAAASH!!
He smashed through an old brick wall before rolling across the pavement. Chunks of concrete scattered everywhere.
The terrified woman stared with her mouth wide open. "...H-He sent him flying..."
Nobody lowered his fist. "That should’ve knocked him out."
But the System remained silent.
Then....
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[Warning]
Power synchronization...
24%
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Nobody frowned. "...He’s still getting stronger?"
Inside the collapsed rubble... Jonathan slowly pushed himself to his feet. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His neck cracked unnaturally as he straightened.
Then...
He laughed. A low, distorted laugh. "Heh Hehehe... Hahahahaha..."
Nobody immediately sensed something was wrong. The atmosphere had changed.
Jonathan wiped the blood from his lips and looked at it with curiosity. "...Interesting." He flexed his fingers. The knife in his hand trembled slightly.
Not because of fear. Because a strange black aura had begun to coil around the blade like living smoke.
Nobody took a fighting stance. "...Now that’s definitely not normal."
The System’s warning echoed once more.
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[Emergency Alert]
Unknown ability successfully integrated into target.
Threat Level Reassessment...
Updating...
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Nobody stared at the glowing screen. "...Don’t tell me..?"
The loading bar continued to rise. The night had just become far more dangerous.
The ruined street fell into an uneasy silence. Broken bricks were scattered across the pavement. Dust slowly settled through the pale glow of the flickering streetlights.
Nobody stood in the center of the road with both crowbars drawn. Across from him... Jonathan Milow rose from the rubble.
The black aura surrounding his body had become denser. It wasn’t like flames. Nor was it smoke. It flowed unnaturally around him, twisting and curling through the air as though reality itself refused to stay still.
Nobody narrowed his eyes. "...What the hell is that black aura?"
Jonathan didn’t answer.
Instead...
A grin slowly spread across his face. "Heh..." He rolled his shoulders. His body seemed lighter. Faster and more dangerous. "Interesting..." He looked down at his own hands. "So this....is power.
Nobody tightened his grip on his crowbars. "Whatever happened to you...I’m still beating you up."
Jonathan suddenly bent his knees. The black aura exploded around him.
BOOOM!!
He rushed straight toward Nobody. "So fast!"
Nobody raised both crowbars. "Come...."
Then...
Jonathan disappeared.
"..." Nobody blinked. "...WHAAAAAAAT?!" He looked left. There was nothing. Then right. Still nothing. Behind him. Still nothing. "What the heck?!"
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[System Notification]
The target has been enhanced with abilities similar to the user’s.
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Nobody slowly lowered one crowbar. "...Huh?" He looked around again. "...Excuse me? The guy disappeared."
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[System Window]
Correct.
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"...But I don’t have invisibility!"
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Negative (ㆆ_ㆆ)
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"...Then where did he go?!"
Nobody immediately began swinging both crowbars wildly through the empty air.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
He spun in circles. Left Right. Above him. Behind him. Even crouching low to sweep near the ground.
The young woman watched from a distance with complete confusion. "...Is...Is he fighting the wind?"
Nobody stopped, panting slightly. "...Huh. He isn’t here."
A few seconds passed.
Then the familiar blue window appeared.
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[System Reply]
(ㆆࡇㆆ")
The user is so dumb.
At least think more smartly.
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Nobody slowly turned toward the floating screen.
"..."
"...You know...You’re becoming more insulting every day."
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[Factually accurate observations are not insults]
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"Seriously? You couldn’t give me one useful hint first?"
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[The system believes in learning through failure]
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"...That’s a terrible teaching method." Nobody scratched the side of his helmet. "Hmmmm... If he isn’t invisible...And he didn’t leave any footprints..." He stopped talking. His eyes slowly widened. "...Waaaaait." He pointed dramatically at the screen. "Did that bitc#" He cleared his throat. "Ahem. Did that idiot.... get teleportation powers like me?"
A loading icon appeared for a brief moment.
Then....
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[System Reply]
Correct.
The target possesses a spatial movement ability similar to the user’s.
However...
It is a superior version.
Unlike the user’s glitched skill.
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"..." Nobody froze. "...Superior?" A vein appeared on his forehead. He pointed angrily at the screen. "HEY! My Zigzag Teleport isn’t bad! It’s just...creative."
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Correction.
The user’s teleportation repeatedly results in unintended movement patterns.
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"It builds character!"
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Correction.
It builds property damage.
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"That’s because your stupid Skill Store gave me a defective version! Don’t blame me!"
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[System Warning]
Does the user wish for the Zigzag Teleport skill to be permanently removed?
(｡•̀ ⤙ •́ ｡ꐦ)
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Nobody’s body instantly stiffened. "..." He coughed awkwardly. "...Ahem. You know... Let’s not make emotional decisions. The skill has sentimental value."
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Request to insult Skill Store acknowledged.
Ignoring request.
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"Good. Let’s pretend that conversation never happened." He looked around the empty street once again. "So...Where did he teleport?"
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Analyzing...
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The System projected a holographic map of the surrounding area. Dozens of blue circles appeared across nearby buildings. Possible teleportation points.
Nobody sighed. "...You’re kidding."
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Spatial residue detected.
Target’s ability leaves temporary distortions.
Tracking available for approximately sixty seconds.
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Nobody’s eyes lit up. "Oh! Now that’s useful." He looked closely at the map.
Several faint black trails snaked through the nearby streets before converging on a point almost four hundred meters away.
"...He’s running?"
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Negative.
The target is relocating strategically.
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"Meaning...? He’s looking for another angle."
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Affirmative.
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Nobody nodded. "That sounds more like him. He isn’t panicking. He’s adapting."
The playful mood vanished. Jonathan had realized he couldn’t win in a straightforward fight. So he was changing tactics. That made him much more dangerous. Because a calculating killer with supernatural movement wasn’t just a murderer anymore. He was becoming an assassin.
Nobody twirled one crowbar in his hand. "Well...I guess it’s my turn to hunt." He looked toward the frightened woman standing a short distance away.
She hadn’t moved. Her grocery bags were still lying on the ground where she’d dropped them.
She stared at Nobody with trembling eyes. "...A-Are....Are you...really...here to save me?"
Nobody looked over his shoulder. He gave her a thumbs-up. "The one and only Crimson Bunny Biker."
She looked ready to say something else, but no words came out. The entire night felt unreal. First, she had almost been attacked by a serial killer. Then a mysterious biker had literally fallen from the sky. Then the killer had vanished into thin air. She wasn’t sure which part was the hardest to believe.
Nobody walked over and picked up her grocery bags. One of the bags had torn slightly, but nothing inside appeared broken. He handed them back with a small nod. "Here."
She accepted them with shaky hands. "T-Thank you..."
Nobody scratched the back of his helmet. "Miss."
She looked up.
"Don’t worry. He’s not coming back here. I’ll make sure of it."
She slowly nodded. "I...I don’t even know how to thank you."
Nobody laughed. "No need. I’m just doing my night job."
"...Night job?"
"Yeah." He shrugged. "Daytime... I mean, nighttime is my bad guys hunting job time." He pointed toward his crimson helmet. "I am Biker Bunny, who hunts criminals in the shadowy night."
The woman couldn’t help it. Despite everything that had happened... A small laugh escaped her. "...That sounds ridiculous."
"I know. It really does." Nobody stepped backward toward his motorcycle. The crimson bike’s engine ignited with a powerful roar.
VROOOOOOM!!
He placed one foot on the pedal before turning back toward her. "Miss. Go home safely. If the police ask...Just tell them the serial killer escaped."
She hesitated. "...What about you?"
Nobody lowered his visor. A confident grin spread beneath the helmet. "I’m going after him." He raised one hand in a casual wave. "Byeeee."
The motorcycle shot forward, disappearing into the night in a blur of crimson light.
The woman remained standing in the middle of the damaged street. The wind gently blew through her hair as she watched the disappearing taillight. "...He’s.....actually kind of cool."
Far away, hidden atop the roof of an abandoned apartment building, Jonathan Milow silently watched the crimson motorcycle race away. The black aura around his body pulsed softly. His expression remained calm. "...Interesting."
Instead of fleeing the city...The hunter had chosen to hunt more prey. Jonathan slowly tightened his grip around the knife in his hand. Then, for the first time in years... He felt something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Excitement. A cold smile crept across his face. "So...let’s see how much prey survives this night."
Jonathan slowly stepped backward until the darkness completely swallowed his figure. The black aura rippled around his body like a living shadow. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. The new power coursing through his body felt... intoxicating. "So this is what it feels like..."
He disappeared again.
FWOOSH!
Only a faint distortion lingered where he had been standing.
Meanwhile, several rooftops away....
VROOOOOOM!!
Nobody sped through the city, his eyes constantly shifting between the road ahead and the holographic map projected by the System. "System."
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[Reply]
Listening.
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"If that higher being can randomly give powers to villains...does that mean he can make the next enemy even stronger?"
A brief silence followed.
Then....
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[System Reply]
Probability: Extremely High.
Recommendation:
Prepare accordingly.
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Nobody sighed. "...Great. So now I have to stop criminals...and survive the higher being’s questionable balancing decisions."
Above the city, dark clouds rolled over the moon. The hunt had only just begun.