kscans

Chapter 250 - The Atmosphere

And so, here I am, after more than two hours of adjustments.

Somehow, despite showing up without a disguise, deciding it was pointless at this stage, no one ended up talking to me.

Somehow, due to a minor unforeseen circumstance, two of my armaments became unusable.

Somehow, a message I sent to someone who logged in a while ago has been on 'read' for nearly an hour, and I'm being seriously ignored… but for now, I'll just put a lid on all of that.

"C'mon, what's wrong, you little runts?! Runnin' out of steam already? You're slowin' do—BOOM!?!?"

Having made my way to the [Spiral Crimson Tower], I was, in truth, losing my mind.

My avatar, which had been zipping through the air, was blasted from all directions, exploding into pieces for the umpteenth time—and then,

"—Hah, 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] worked in perfect concert, launching my avatar into the air with little more than the faint sound of a foot pushing off.

Instantly, a swarm of familiar crimson bullets closed in. The number of projectiles heading for the idiot who had leapt into the open central shaft instead of taking the proper spiral staircase was estimated to be in the triple digits.

After my first clear, the [Ruby Bullet Rabbits] had become enemies I could toy with, a reliable source of income. But that was only when I fully utilized the patterns I had memorized for the standard route.

Thinking back, I probably only conquered this tower because the gift of 'memory' was working so effectively. If you can memorize every single appearance and attack pattern along a fixed path, then yeah, of course you can clear it.

However, even if I can memorize it all—

"Ah, wait, hol—BOOM!?!?"

—when faced with a number of bullets coming from every direction that is physically impossible to dodge, it's just a losing game.

Logically, my repeated attempts to retry this death trap would make me look like a madman. So why do I keep doing it? Because I'm not being logical, of course.

At least, this time, it's not about me.

It's the new skills that have taken root in my avatar. Every single one of them is completely unhinged.

—Allow me to introduce new skill #1, [Hare Real].

It retains all the previous effects of [Rabbit Run]—assisting with running and jumping, reducing wind-up motions, and boosting DEX at max speed. It was basically a grab bag of everything a high-mobility warrior could want. On top of all that, it gained a new ability.

And that ability is—the power to hit the void while airborne.

"Hngh—there!"

A hand that looked like it was cutting through the air instead pushed firmly against an invisible wall, shifting my posture.

It's an effect that would make most people tilt their heads in confusion just hearing about it. If used correctly, it allows for instantaneous mid-air evasions that defy all logic, like this.

"Grr… Wha—!?"

But then my foot unintentionally snagged on the void, and I lost control of my body with a lurch.

And if you misuse it, like this, you'll throw yourself off-balance and—

"—BOOM!?!?"

—this happens.

The problem is, this skill 'misfires' way too often. It's supposed to be activated instantly via thought command… but it's like the sensitivity is cranked up too high, and it reacts to the slightest waver in my thoughts, resulting in it trying to kill me.

I can use the effect up to four times per jump—once for each limb. Since it's a passive skill, there's no cooldown; the count resets every time I touch a surface. And it doesn't have to be the ground; walls and ceilings work too.

Through sheer repetitive use, I've managed to gradually reduce the frequency of misfires, but I don't think I can master this thing in a day or two.

If it had an ON/OFF switch, I'd slam the OFF button without a second thought. But it's a passive skill, so I'm stuck with it. Hahaha—damn it all…!

Also, it's just a 'hit,' not powerful enough to produce a full-on air jump. It's just enough to shift my position or change my posture.

I know it'll be insane once I master it… but man, this is tough. For all things mid-air, I used to—well, let's not get into that.

I scattered into pieces and continued. Taking full advantage of the merciful system that waives the death penalty inside dungeons, I began my endless retry, take… who even knows anymore.

As for [Hare Real], I feel like I can probably come to an understanding with it soon enough. The real problem is this one—

The evolved form of [Ignition], the signature skill of the Acrobat and the cornerstone of my strategy.

"[Rock—"

My vision filled with killer rabbits. I set my course for a gap between them—and in that instant, a crimson flash shot through my avatar.

Target charge: ten percent. The wind-up should be… about this m—

"—eeeeeeeet]!!!??"

Thwack!

Thud!

BANG!!

Literally, a self-destruction so fast you couldn't even see it.

The future brought about by the power I finally obtained—to kick the void and run through the sky—was…

…a fluid death, followed by a merciless respawn.

"Damn it all…!!"

There's no way I can control this thing! Give me [Ignition] back!

No matter how much I beat the floor or scream, what's lost is lost.

People gave me strange looks for all the self-harm, but I never once took you for granted, and this is how you repay me…!

New skill #2, [Rocket]—its name is an annoyingly accurate representation of what it does. It's none other than Arcadia's first-ever 'air jump' skill.

It inherits the specifications of its predecessor, [Ignition], as an active skill with a self-harm cost and no cooldown… so far, so good.

Unlike its previous form, the cost is now paid automatically, which I can appreciate. There's a risk of misfiring, but this one's sensitivity isn't as haywire as [Hare Real]'s, so it's controllable.

However, that's only limited to its activation. As for the main air jump itself, I might 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 clashing, creating a monumental disaster.

Activation is automatic via thought, but power adjustment is manual via physical movement. And that power adjustment is where things get messy—

"Dammit…! Too much power again!?"

Exactly ten percent. If I could adjust the cost to the same line as its predecessor, the output would be almost identical to my old zero-to-one-hundred acceleration.

It doesn't rely on [Panga Fool] and allows for a pure air jump. On paper, it's a complete upgrade to [Ignition]—

—but the mechanic of determining output based on 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 toes outputs not just ten percent, but closer to fifty—and even if I manage to avoid slamming into a wall and dying, the cost equivalent to the output is mercilessly taken from me.

By the way, it can output one hundred percent. Not that I'd survive without the power of my unique title, 'Acrobat,' and its skill [Crown Crown]. Hahaha—damn it all!!

"No, seriously…! Do you hate me, gods, Buddhas, and system-sama!?"

And to top it all off—

"I can't even do my 'switch jump' anymore!!"

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 torn away… remained unaware that, as always in the face of adversity, the corners of his lips were unconsciously turning up into a smile.

As he raced through the crimson frenzy, time too refused to stand still, passing in the blink of an eye.