"Thunk…!"

As a heavy impact landed on the cockpit, Chae-yeon let out a scream.

However, the barrage of spatial strikes couldn't penetrate Chimera's outer shell. It only caused some damage.

This hardness was not only due to its inherent durability but also because Chae-yeon had equipped Chimera with a large lightning rod as soon as she noticed Woo-jin's intrusion.

But still.

'The lightning rod…!'

The lightning rod drew the spatial strikes to itself as intended, but it was insufficient to handle the overwhelming high-voltage electrical energy.

In the end, it managed to channel only part of the massive strike to the grounding line, eventually exploding from overload. Fortunately for Chae-yeon, this reduced the damage she faced.

The residual electricity spread out, engulfing the mechanical soldiers. It was like shrimp caught in a whale fight.

Chimera was a weapon for the future.

Using Chimera to defeat Woo-jin was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and Chae-yeon had never considered modifying it for the head of the Student Council.

Moreover, the magic composing Chimera was extremely heavy, requiring a substantial amount of magic to control.

Therefore, forming an immediate insulator to cover Chimera against Woo-jin's intrusion was challenging both time-wise and in terms of magic consumption.

Responding with a grounding design was the best option.

However, this ultimately led to Chae-yeon's regret.

'I said I'd never let my guard down again…!'

It was the first time experiencing Woo-jin's spatial strike.

She hadn't anticipated such a powerful attack and was unprepared, leading to the current situation.

Once again, she had let her guard down against Woo-jin.

The head of the Ah-seong High School Council was an opponent who couldn't be underestimated.

Beep! Beep!

"!"

The screen in front of her displayed a red warning, reporting Chimera's damage status. It was a system Chae-yeon had implemented.

Thanks to the lightning rod, Chimera endured the spatial strike, but its condition wasn't intact.

Even formidable warriors couldn't leave a scratch on Chimera's body.

Chae-yeon sensed something was wrong.

And then.

Thud!

A sound of impact right in front of her.

It seemed like someone had landed.

Feeling instinctive unease, Chae-yeon quickly switched perspectives. The screen in front of her showed the front view.

In front of Chimera's head, at a very close distance.

A man stood, with one foot on Chimera's mouth and holding onto protruding mechanical parts, glaring menacingly at Chae-yeon in the cockpit.

It was Ahn Woo-jin, head of the Ah-seong High School Council.

"Long time no see."

"...Ahn Woo-jin."

Chae-yeon's voice came through Chimera's speakers.

All the surrounding mechanical soldiers were destroyed and scorched from the previous strike, emitting smoke.

Only Chimera remained.

Chae-yeon gauged her remaining strength and spoke.

"You... That wasn't your full power back then?"

'Back then' referred to their first meeting and battle.

A hollow laugh escaped Chae-yeon's voice.

There was a tremble in that laugh. Her tone rose higher. It was absurd.

She had thought Woo-jin fought skillfully even then.

Now she realized that even then, he hadn't shown his full strength. She had been too complacent.

"Think what you want."

Woo-jin drew a baton from his belt.

"I'll execute immediate arrest and severe punishment for the offender."

Snap!

As he swung the baton sideways, an iron rod sprung out from within.

It was a three-section staff made from the outer shell of an armored dragon, boasting the highest hardness.

It was the Iron Dragon Staff.

"I will subdue you."

"Hah, interesting...!"

Chae-yeon laughed provocatively and harnessed her magic.

'No matter how strong he is, he can't destroy Chimera.'

To destroy Chimera, one would need at least a 7th rank warrior, someone like Spartoi Seo Kang-jin or Goliath among the Six Sinners.

Judging this, Chae-yeon regained her composure.

"Did you forget? The ones outside are still within my attack range. Are you going to let them die?"

"No problem."

Woo-jin's eyes were full of confidence.

"Do you think we wouldn't have prepared for that?"

"...?"

Part of the screen in Chimera's cockpit still displayed the ground situation.

The serpent tails, temporarily disabled by the spatial strike, began to move again, gathering energy in their mouths.

But then.

Boom!

"!"

Cruise missiles flew in from somewhere and hit each serpent tail accurately.

Explosions turned the serpent heads, scattering the energy gathered in their mouths.

The TV screens attached to the mechanical serpent bodies displayed grotesque, horrified expressions and screamed.

The grenade unit of the Ah-seong High School Council.

They had received preemptive orders from Woo-jin.

To bombard when the mechanical serpents emerged on the ground and prepared for a second attack.

'Cruise missiles!? How...?'

It was unbelievable.

The timing was too perfect.

Ah-seong High School Council equipment couldn't be used in Ma Hyun High School's jurisdiction. The involvement of Ah-seong High School Council would have been easily detected by surveillance drones.

Therefore, the bombardment must have come from a long distance, even invisible through regular telescopes.

The area was covered with Chae-yeon's unique ability like the sea.

It was impossible for the Ah-seong High School detachment on the ground to communicate with the grenade unit via voice or video to provide information.

Moreover, Chimera wasn't visible from outside Ma Hyun High School's jurisdiction.

How could it be?

'...Don't think about it. There must be someone in the Council with that capability.'

In reality, accountant Yoo Do-ha used her unique ability, Laplace's Demon, to execute Woo-jin's orders. Chae-yeon couldn't know the specifics.

So, she stopped thinking and focused on Woo-jin in front of her.

"Yeah, really impressive. You were prepared, huh? But why are you doing all this? It's going to be reeeaaally troublesome, isn't it? Are you doing this to find Oh Baek-seo?"

"......"

Woo-jin didn't answer.

As expected.

If he didn't know Chae-yeon had custody of Oh Baek-seo, he wouldn't have taken such drastic actions.

"I could tell you weren't bringing the Council forces and coming here recklessly with just a few. I don't know how you found out I had Oh Baek-seo, but that's something to investigate later."

Chimera's beast-like face heated up.

It happened in an instant.

"Take her if you can."

Whirr! Clank!

Chimera's head opened, and a large emitter protruded.

Several main cannons and emitters also emerged, pointing in various directions around the head.

Woo-jin narrowed his eyes.

"If you can!"

Chimera.

A monster mentioned in Homer's epics, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and other mythological texts.

Known for its appearance, with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.

Chimera is a vicious beast that brings disasters and breathes out fierce flames.

Whoosh! Fwoosh!

Blue flames poured towards Woo-jin.

A function of Chimera modified by Chae-yeon.

Flamethrower.

The flamethrower spewed ferocious flames and ultra-high-temperature magic projectiles like a waterfall from all directions. It was a massive attack.

However, no matter how widespread the attack, it was difficult to surpass Woo-jin in terms of 'space.'

Crack!

Unique ability: Space Domination. Magic formula type 1: Space Leap.

Woo-jin quickly caused a rift and leaped through space.

"As expected, you're freely traversing space, Council Head!"

Chae-yeon laughed loudly.

The massive flames emitted by Chimera filled half of the vast underground facility.

Flames over 1500 degrees Celsius engulfed the surroundings. Even structures made of steel began to melt in the fire.

"Do you think that ability will be much use here!? Huh!?"

Chae-yeon shouted arrogantly.

She had anticipated that even if she unleashed such a large volume of flames, she wouldn't be able to hit Woo-jin.

Only a fool wouldn't expect Woo-jin to leap through space.

In other words, Chae-yeon's strategy was to turn the battlefield into hell.

Fwoosh!

The flames surrounded everything.

No matter how spacious the facility, it was still underground.

With such a large volume of flames being unleashed in a confined space, oxygen rapidly depleted.

Toxic gases expanded rapidly, and the surroundings, whether ground, walls, or ceiling, were heated to high temperatures.

The flame temperature reached the melting point of steel.

Even if one wasn't directly touched by the flames, just being near them would cause third-degree burns all over the body.

It would also severely damage the respiratory system and eyes, and could disrupt the body's temperature regulation function, leading to death.

To minimize this damage, one would have to pour magic into strengthening the body, but enduring this extreme environment indefinitely was impossible.

Moreover, Woo-jin somehow knew that Oh Baek-seo was here.

'Even if his expression looks confident, I can see he's desperate to find Oh Baek-seo! No matter how he moves through space, he has to fight here. If he wants to defeat me quickly and take Oh Baek-seo...!'

Running away to the ground through space was not an option for Woo-jin.

He would fully anticipate that the longer it took, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

That was Chae-yeon's strategy.

If the enemy could freely traverse space, then she would limit the space he could move to and turn it into a deadly environment, exploiting Woo-jin's urgency to find Oh Baek-seo.

Though holding Oh Baek-seo hostage was also an option, Chae-yeon somehow didn't want to be that cowardly. She didn't even know why herself.

Fwoosh!

The underground facility was brightly lit by blue flames. Because of the flames, Chae-yeon couldn't see where Woo-jin was.

No counterattack came. Only the sound of flames roaring filled her ears.

'Is he watching the situation for a moment? Planning a strategy? Hah, no matter what, it's useless...!'

Then.

Crack!

Suddenly, a large rift appeared in the air.

Some of the massive flames emitted by Chimera poured into the rift.

Immediately, a rift opened behind Chimera, and the flames were expelled from it.

Whoosh!!!

The flames released beyond the rift engulfed Chimera from behind.

Unique ability: Space Domination. Magic formula type 3: Reverse Space.

But.

"Hah! It's useless even if you try that! Do you plan to roast me to death? This place has a cooling system that controls the temperature! Besides, to melt my Chimera, you'd need to reach at least the melting point of titanium...!"

Chae-yeon shouted mockingly.

"Uh?"

From the flames pouring through the rift behind Chimera.

Woo-jin emerged, cutting through the fire with his arms crossed to protect his face.

Chae-yeon's eyes widened.

Before Chimera's head could fully turn to face Woo-jin, who had leaped through the flames, he reached Chimera's head.

'That crazy bastard...! Is he insane!? He could die jumping into these flames!'

Chae-yeon felt a chill.

Despite the possibility of death, Woo-jin had jumped into Chimera's flames to deceive her.

Meanwhile, Woo-jin had considered this in advance.

Chae-yeon's hideout was underground. The capabilities of Chimera seen in the original work. The fact that his spatial ability was known to Chae-yeon.

Considering all these factors, Woo-jin had anticipated that Chae-yeon would turn the battlefield into a deathtrap to counter his spatial abilities.

All it took was determination.

The Iron Dragon Staff cut through the flames and thrust forward.

Woo-jin drew his magic.

Crackle!

Turquoise lightning surged fiercely along the iron-clad staff.

Like a flash, like an arrow, Woo-jin dashed straight ahead.

With the other hand, Woo-jin held the Wallbreaker Staff, clashing it with the Iron Dragon Staff to unleash a lightning explosion. All this was controlled by Woo-jin as he followed the Iron Dragon Staff.

He had even drawn out the reserve lightning magic for this moment.

It was impossible to break Chimera's outer shell with his strength.

But Chae-yeon, to create a favorable battlefield, had opened Chimera's head and brought out the flamethrower.

Woo-jin aimed for that opening.

He could destroy Chimera.

This was a rare opportunity that might not come again. Missing this chance meant losing the battle.

So absolutely.

Woo-jin had no intention of letting this opportunity slip.

At Ah-seong High School, even when Woo-jin was in the 4th rank, he was regarded as a top-tier fighter.

Even the 5th rank upper echelon fighters, like the head of the Ma Hyun High School Council, couldn't match Woo-jin in physical strength when both were enhanced by magic.

This incredibly strong man was now at the 6th rank.

There was no way Chae-yeon could anticipate the explosive power of Woo-jin's all-out strike.

Finally, Woo-jin reached Chimera's head.

"Get out."

With a menacing tone, he muttered.

Gathering all his strength, he swung the Iron Dragon Staff.

Boom!

A fierce barrage struck.

The Iron Dragon Staff split the heated air and flames at an incomprehensible speed.

Relentless shockwaves battered Chimera, and the fierce flames and powerful lightning magic collided, causing an overload.

In the end.

Boom!

A dense magic explosion occurred.

Even Chimera couldn't withstand the impact of the blow to the opened part.

Chimera's body shattered and scattered in all directions. Chae-yeon was thrown from the cockpit and crashed into the wall, suffering severe injuries to her internal organs and bones from the explosion's impact.

Woo-jin was also caught in the explosion, but he quickly escaped through space leap. However, he still took the full brunt of the explosion before escaping.

The aftermath of the explosion left a thick cloud of dust. Cracks formed on the floor, and Woo-jin emerged from one, rolling on the ground.

"Huff…!"

Woo-jin propped himself up, holding his ribs and gasping for breath.

His arms were scorched. The heat still lingered on his body, burning his skin and insides.

From the brief clash, he could tell his body was in shambles.

"Hah…, hah…."

Conscious of his labored breathing, Woo-jin raised his upper body. He stared intently at the dust cloud.

Chae-yeon was not yet down.

So he couldn't fall either.

At that moment, someone suddenly hugged Woo-jin.

"Are you alright?"

It was Geum Yang, a girl in Ah-seong High School's uniform with long silver hair.

Without her timely arrival, Woo-jin wouldn't have been able to endure the excruciating pain of the unique ability's penalty. He was grateful for her appearance at that moment.

"Yes, I'm alright."

Woo-jin steadied his breathing and answered, cradling Geum Yang's head.

"Let's win and go back."

"Okay."

Geum Yang blinked and then disappeared into her labyrinth.

Woo-jin slowly stood up. The dust was gradually settling.

In the hazy view, Chae-yeon's figure was becoming visible.

Chae-yeon's eyes were filled with determination as she struggled to her feet. Her protective goggles and mechanical armor were partially destroyed. She was panting, one hand on her face.

Having been directly caught in Woo-jin's full-powered strike in the Chimera's cockpit, her condition was a mess. A deep crater marked where she had collided with the wall.

"Hmph!"

Chae-yeon suddenly laughed.

"Ah…, I'm really stupid…."

She used her unique ability to form a mechanical spear in her right hand.

The same weapon she had used when she first fought Woo-jin.

"Why did I… live such a life…."

Chae-yeon wobbled as she stood on her two feet, trying to maintain balance.

"This is just stupid…, dammit…. Haha…."

Chae-yeon chuckled.

It was a self-deprecating laugh.

She was ridiculing herself, finding herself pathetic.

"Hey, Council Head."

Chae-yeon, her face covered in blood, glared at Woo-jin and pointed behind her.

"If you go past me, you'll find Oh Baek-seo. She'll die soon if you don't hurry. I'm extracting her unique ability, and it will kill her eventually."

Blood filled her mouth and dripped as she spoke. With every word, blood trickled from her mouth.

Chae-yeon's pupils shook violently as she desperately clung to consciousness.

"Her unique ability…?"

Woo-jin was surprised by the unexpected revelation.

Chae-yeon waved her hand playfully.

"Surprised, aren't you? It's an outrageous claim, isn't it? Well, I'm too tired to explain…. And do you think I'll let you pass until I die?"

Chae-yeon gripped the mechanical spear with both hands and barely managed to take a combat stance.

"So."

Chae-yeon smiled brightly.

"You'll have to kill me first, okay?"

"……."

Without a word, Woo-jin tightened his grip on the Iron Dragon Staff.

The two locked eyes briefly, then gathered their remaining magic and charged at each other.