Ubermensch – Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There were ruins.

Miserable ruins where civilization once flourished, but now all of it had turned into ancient history.

Buildings that once seemed to pierce the heavens now stood with broken backs, shedding shards of glass like tears. Cars that used to race across the earth were now rusting and rotting, grotesquely abandoned on the straight roads.

Everything achieved by humans was disappearing beyond history.

Fading away, buried by time like tears in the rain.

“This is… Seoul?”

The name of that city was Seoul.

Seoul of the 21st century.

“Damn it.”

And there stood a man in that place.

A man clad in a dented helmet, breastplate, and blackened plate mail.

It was a sight all too familiar to him.

Cities taken by monsters always ended up like this.

But he never imagined it would be like this, even here.

Seoul.

And what’s more, Seoul of another dimension.

“Uncle…”

Robert had sent Mason here, at the cost of his own life.

But the sight that greeted Mason’s eyes was nothing but ruins and debris. And if one looked closely, monster corpses could be seen scattered throughout.

There was no mistaking it.

This dimension had also been attacked by monsters, and this city had been destroyed by them.

It was unfortunate, but Robert Park’s last attempt had ended in failure.

Mason sat down on the hood of a wrecked car. With a clang of metal, the hood crumpled further.

He looked around at the desolate surroundings.

Seoul, where nothing remained intact, not even a trace of humans.

Thanks to Robert, he had survived, but now he had to live alone in this deserted ruin.

He would have to scavenge for leftover supplies and seek shelter in a ruin with a remaining roof.

Like a barbarian living off gathering and hunting, he would have to survive amidst the remnants of civilization.

‘No.’

No. It wasn’t like that.

His purpose was not mere survival.

If a whole world had perished just to keep one person alive, wouldn’t that world be too pitiful?

Mason had to live. He had to survive because there was something he had to do.

‘To slaughter… the monsters.’

If he was the only human left in this world, he would single-handedly kill every monster in it.

He would kill and kill until there were no monsters left for him to kill. Then, he would find a way to another world and kill the monsters there.

The absence of people didn’t change anything. It would just take a little longer.

And anyway, Mason had an immortal body…

Clank, clank.

Mason started walking.

The sound of his armor’s footsteps was strangely grating.

Mason briefly glanced down at his armor.

Old, worn armor, riddled with holes and dents.

‘It’s the last thing Uncle left me, but…’

This armor’s defensive capabilities were not that impressive. In a future where he would have to fight defensively, he would need to add even a thin layer of protection, but right now, it was unnecessary.

If he could defeat an enemy whose attacks could be blocked by this thin metal, he could win barehanded. And if not, it was better to shed the extra weight.

He ripped off his armor.

He was practically bare-bodied, with only his gauntlets remaining.

Mason walked on, carrying his chipped two-handed sword.

Aimlessly, without a specific destination.

Either he would find a monster, or a monster would find him.

One thing was certain: his search wouldn’t be in vain.

At that moment.

Thump!

A heavy sound echoed from afar.

The sound of something massive crushing something beneath its feet.

A sound that a wild creature would never make.

Reassurance.

It was the footstep of a being that had no natural predators, not even a rival.

And that was exactly the kind of being Mason was looking for.

Mason didn’t rush.

If it wasn’t in a hurry, why should he be?

He followed the sound.

It led him to an empty lot, like an arena.

Steel bars protruded like bones. Walls had crumbled.

And there, amidst the ruins, appeared an empty lot, resembling an arena.

“Is that you?”

Mason grinned ferociously.

Long arms and a burly silhouette.

The appearance of a troll.

But it was too big, too strong to be just a troll.

Especially the two horns on its head, gleaming with an ominous light.

‘A variant or a mutant, I guess.’

It didn’t matter.

To Mason now… it didn’t matter who his enemy was.

And it seemed the troll felt the same.

“Rooooaaaaar!”

One who stood before the king. Nothing but prey.

It displeased him that the prey didn’t tremble. And the crime of displeasing him could only be punished with violence.

Thump, thump, thump, thump…

Without a doubt in its own kingship, the troll charged without hesitation.

And so did Mason.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

A monster from another world, incapable of imagining defeat, clashed with a superhuman from another world, not even considering defeat.

Slash!

The first strike was Mason’s sword slash.

His blow severed the troll’s thick arm and arced towards its neck.

Crack!

But the old sword, lodged in the troll’s neck, snapped in two before it could cut through the bone.

“Rooooaaaaar!”

Simultaneously, the troll’s reflexive kick sent Mason flying.

Crash!

Mason’s body slammed into a concrete wall. Several steel bars pierced his abdomen and protruded outward.

“…Ugh.”

Mason got up.

The steel bars were pulled out, and his wounds rapidly healed.

But the troll’s wounds were also healing.

The severed arm and the gash on its neck were closing up, emitting smoke.

Mason moved forward.

He hadn’t come here to be beaten and cower.

And the troll felt the same.

“Rooooaaaaar!”

Superhuman and monster charged at each other.

Bang!

Mason’s fist, smashing into the troll’s jaw, turned its lower jaw into a bloody mess.

But the troll’s fist also struck Mason’s head.

Crack!

The sound of a neck bone breaking.

But in the next instant, both the troll’s head and Mason’s neck snapped back into place.

And as if by agreement, their second clash followed.

Thump!

Like a pre-arranged play, the superhuman and the monster’s blows were identical to before.

The trajectory of the fists, the shattered heads, and the broken neck bones.

Both had figured out their opponent.

They possessed an abnormal, transcendental regenerative ability.

And both knew.

If there was a weakness, it was the head.

To be precise, they had to crush the brain that issued the regeneration command.

So naturally, wouldn’t the head be the target?

“Uwaaaaaah!”

“Rooooaaaaar!”

Thump! Bang! Thump! Bang!

The monster and the superhuman stood rooted in place, exchanging blows and receiving them in turn.

The gauntlets had long been crushed.

Mason’s fists, unable to withstand their own speed and destructive power, shattered every time they struck the troll’s bones.

But the shattered fists regenerated before the next punch was thrown.

The same went for the troll’s fists.

The fists that shattered every time they struck Mason were already healed before the next punch.

This fight was a contest of monstrous strength and regenerative ability.

However, the deciding factor lay elsewhere entirely.

“Give them back!”

Bang!

“The people!”

Bang!

“My world!”

Crack!

“And… give me back my Uncle!”

Thump!

Mason was making progress, however slight. The troll was being pushed back, however minimally.

It wasn’t a battle of physical strength, but of willpower and murderous intent.

Mason’s frenzied blows were hammering something into the troll’s mind.

Something it had never felt before.

Fear… of its enemy!

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Bang!

Mason’s punch crushed the troll’s left arm.

Crack!

The right arm followed suit.

It took a split second for the arms to regenerate.

But Mason’s willpower was too fierce to miss that split second.

Thud, thud!

His two hands plunged into the troll’s neck.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Rip… rip…

The sound of the troll’s neck being torn apart.

“G… grrr… grrrr…”

The troll’s eyes, bloodshot with pain, were filled with terror.

It grabbed Mason with its regenerated arms, trying to crush him or at least tear him away.

But Mason ignored it and put more force into his arms.

“Aaaaaah!”

Snap!

The neck was torn. The troll’s head was ripped clean off.

Thud…

The troll’s massive body slumped down, lifeless.

Hot blood and flesh splattered like a fountain, raining down like rain.

Simultaneously, something hot and primal surged within Mason’s chest. Giving himself over to that heat, Mason roared, still trampling on the troll’s body.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Kill. Kill the monsters. Kill all the monsters.

If his world and this world were both destroyed.

Then he would kill the monsters for the sake of other worlds.

Crunch!

Mason crushed the troll’s head.

๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑

As the heat of violence and excitement began to subside, Mason’s body started sending signals from various places.

His regenerative ability wasn’t free. But it was practically free.

The ‘smart cells,’ the omnipotent cells that made up his body, were a product of future biology. With just calories and water, they could synthesize ‘Barbarigen’ to use as an energy source.

In other words, he could eat anything as long as he swallowed it.

For example…

“…”

The troll’s brain and blood.

Mason lifted the crushed troll’s head above his head.

The flowing blood and brain matter poured into his mouth.

The smell and taste were nauseating, but as long as he swallowed it, it would become an energy source.

Gulp, gulp…

It was at that moment, as he was swallowing the troll’s brain and blood.

Clank.

It was a small sound. But it was definitely the sound of metal clashing against metal.

In that instant, Mason turned, throwing the troll’s head.

“Hah!”

Thud!

Even though it was a crushed head, it carried Mason’s monstrous strength. It wouldn’t be strange for an ordinary monster to have its torso burst open from this.

But his throw was deflected by a shield.

‘…It’s armed?’

Werewolf.

Judging by its appearance, it could only be a werewolf.

A tall figure with human limbs, clad in heavy armor with an animal pelt draped over it.

But what stood out the most was its head.

Beneath the helmet was the head of a wolf, baring its fangs.

It was a species Mason had never seen before.

But… this was another world, wasn’t it?

It was possible that there were monsters he didn’t know.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Mason lunged.

At that moment, the werewolf lowered its stance, holding its shield forward.

It seemed intent on receiving Mason’s attack head-on.

And that was a mistake.

Thud!

Mason’s fist crumpled the shield with a single blow, sending the werewolf flying.

Crack!

The werewolf crashed into the remaining debris of a wall.

“Cough!”

The werewolf’s fangs were stained with blood mixed with bits of its internal organs.

The problem was, Mason’s attack was just a normal punch.

“Uwoaaaaaaah!”

Mason charged like a bull.

Thump!

Mason slammed into the werewolf, and the concrete wall crumbled like styrofoam.

Mason grabbed the werewolf’s head and smashed it into the ground.