Chapter 249 - Self-Inflicted Blood Rain
—Two hours have already passed since I began my 'adjustments.'
Despite casting aside any thought of a half-baked disguise and showing myself openly, I somehow wasn't spoken to even once.
Due to a slight unexpected event, two of my armaments had become unusable.
And the message I sent to 'someone' who logged in earlier has been sitting on 'read,' completely ignored, for nearly an hour… but for now, I'm putting a lid on all that.
"C'mon, what's wrong, you 'fellow kin'?! You're slowin' down, ya runnin' out of steam—KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!??"
Here in the [Spiral Crimson Tower], I was well and truly losing my mind.
My avatar, which had been zipping through the air, was shot to pieces from all directions, and for what felt like the hundredth time, I exploded into a million pieces—and then,
"—HRAAAGH, LET'S GO AGAIN!!"
Death, revival, and another charge.
The improved jump enhancement of [Land Insulate] and the 'reduced wind-up' effect of [Hare Real], which remained unchanged, were working in full force, launching my avatar into the air with a faint sound of takeoff.
Instantly, a familiar barrage of crimson bullets descended—hundreds of them, by my estimate, aimed at the idiot who had leaped into the open central shaft instead of taking the proper spiral staircase.
The [Ruby Bullet Rabbits] had become nothing more than a source of income I could toy with after my first clear, but that was only when I fully utilized the patterns I had learned on the official route.
Thinking back, I probably only conquered this [Spiral Crimson Tower] because the 'memory' gift was working so effectively. If you can memorize every appearance and trajectory pattern while running a set course, then yeah, of course you can clear it.
However, even if I can memorize them—
"Whoa, wai—KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
—when faced with a number of bullets from all directions that are physically impossible to dodge, it's just an unwinnable game.
Logically speaking, I, who stubbornly keep retrying this suicide mission, must look like nothing short of a madman. So why do I keep doing it? Because I'm not sane, of course.
At least, this time, it's not really about me.
It's that the new skills my avatar has acquired are, across the board, anything but sane.
—Allow me to introduce new skill No. 1: [Hare Real].
This skill retains all the effects of its predecessor, [Rabbit Run]—which boasted a performance that was basically a wish list for any high-mobility warrior, with assists for running and jumping, reduced wind-up, and a DEX buff at max speed—while also gaining a new ability.
That ability is—the power to hit the void while airborne.
"Nngh—HRAH!!"
My hand cut through the air—or so it seemed, but it firmly pushed against an invisible wall, causing my posture to shift.
It's an effect that would probably make most people, myself included, tilt their head in confusion just by hearing about it. If used skillfully, it allows for instantaneous mid-air dodges that defy common sense, like this.
"Gah… Hah?!"
But then I unintentionally snag my foot on the void, and my body's control is lost with a lurch.
If I lose control, it causes me to lose my balance, like this—
"—KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!?"
And then this happens.
The main problem is that this skill 'misfires' way too often. It's basically activated instantly by thought control… but it's like the sensitivity is so high that it reacts to the slightest waver in my thoughts and, as a result, tries to kill me.
I can use the effect up to four times per jump. Or rather, once for each limb. Since it's passive, there's no cooldown; the count resets every time I touch the ground. It doesn't have to be the 'ground,' either—walls and ceilings work too.
Through sheer repetitive use, I've managed to gradually reduce the frequency of misfires, but I really don't think I can master this thing in just a day.
If there were an ON/OFF switch, I'd slam the OFF button without a second thought. But it's a passive skill, so I can't. Hahaha—damn it all…!
Incidentally, it's just a 'hit,' so it doesn't generate enough force to perform an air jump. The most I can do is shift my position or change my posture.
I get that it'll be 'insane' if I can master it, but… honestly, it's tough. For mid-air maneuvers, my old method was—well, let's just put that aside for now.
I explode into pieces and continue. Taking full advantage of the merciful system that waives the death penalty inside dungeons, I embark on the endless retry, take… who even knows anymore.
I feel like I can probably come to terms with [Hare Real] soon enough. So the real problem is this one—
The evolution of [Ignition], the signature skill of the [Acrobat] and the cornerstone of my strategy.
"[Rocke—"
Killer rabbits fill my vision. I set a course through a gap in their ranks—and in that instant, a crimson flash tears through my avatar's entire body.
Target charge: ten percent. The wind-up is probably… about this mu—
"—t]OOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!??"
WHAM!
THUD!
SPLAT!
Literally, a god-speed self-destruction so fast you couldn't even see it.
The future brought about by kicking the void, dashing through the air, and finally obtaining that power was—
A fluid death, followed by a merciless respawn.
"DAMN IT…!!"
There's no way I can control this thing! Give me back [Ignition]!
No matter how I pound the floor in defeat or scream, what's lost is lost.
I was looked down on for its self-harm, but I never once took you for granted, and this is how you repay me…!
New skill No. 2, [Rocket]—a skill that embodies its name with infuriating accuracy. It is none other than Arcadia's first-ever 'Air Jump' skill.
It inherits the specs of its predecessor, [Ignition], making it an active skill with no cooldown that costs HP… so far, so good.
Unlike its previous form, the cost is now paid automatically, which I can genuinely appreciate. There's a risk of misfiring, but this one's sensitivity isn't as screwed up as [Hare Real]'s, so it's controllable.
However, that only applies to activating it. As for the main air jump itself, I might just have to throw in the towel for now.
To put it simply, the mechanics of [Rocket] and the ability of [Hare Real] are… well, they're fighting, creating a cataclysmic disaster of epic proportions.
Activation is automatic via thought, but power output is adjusted manually via physical movement. And this power adjustment is…
"Dammit…! Too much power again?!"
Exactly ten percent. If I could adjust the cost to be the same as its predecessor, the output would be almost identical to the zero-to-one-hundred acceleration I had before.
It doesn't rely on [Panga Fool] and allows for a pure air jump. On paper, it should be a complete upgrade over [Ignition], but—
—the fact that the output is determined by the strength of the action after activation creates a miraculously unnecessary synergy with [Hare Real]'s 'reduced wind-up effect.'
Even an action as light as kicking the air with my tiptoes ends up generating not just ten percent, but closer to fifty percent power—and even if I manage to avoid crashing into a wall, the cost, equivalent to the output, is mercilessly taken from me.
By the way, it can output one hundred percent. I'd die instantly without the power of my special title, [Acrobat], granted by [Crown Crown], but ha ha ha—damn it all!!
"Seriously…! Do you hate me, God, Buddha, Mr. System…?!"
And to top it all off—
"I can't even do my 'switch jump' anymore, DAAAAAMN IIIIIIT!!"
Inside the crimson spire, a single cry—one hundred percent desperation—echoed.
And so, the [Acrobat], who had been given wings only to have them plucked, was… as always, unaware of the unconscious grin spreading across his face in the face of adversity.
As he raced through the crimson frenzy, time too refused to stand still, passing by in the blink of an eye.
Far from being hated, this is the result of being loved with all their might. Cry and rejoice.