54 Beaten Back

Zel opened the forums to find out his current ranking, not bothering with the two men who were urging him to set them down. They were too slow compared to his speed in this form, so he didn't accept their request. He needed to go back quickly and evacuate this place, and the swiftest way to accomplish that was in the 23rd floor.

"Zel! Put us down!" Billy tried to convince Zel as he felt they would be faster if the two just ran alongside him while Matthew glimpsed at the two abdicates wreaking havoc.

Chu Yang had ran away with the rest of the Coalition when they saw that Zel ran away. The reporters had also run away, while a few brave souls kept recording the incident as the whole world watched.

"Billy! Stop talking!" Matthew gave Billy a light tap on the shoulder while pointing towards the direction that seemed to be heading directly for them.

Its size was not similar to the others, being much smaller at 12 meters. But it wasn't something the two of them had any chance of escaping from if they were delegated on their own. If they were dropped right now, they would die.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Billy patted the threads while rushing Zel who was still reading through the forums. Opening the official post of the system, he found out the meaning of being a part of the 'Top 10'. He was part of it as well.

 (Top 10! The rankings are based on contribution towards protecting your dimension during the jump! It's all about how the dimension overseer judges you so don't even try to argue with it!

(Top 1 - Tiger : Soul Assessment Stone 1x, One Violet-rank Mana Crystal.)

Zel felt no happiness at the recognition as he opened the Side Quest function to receive his reward. The stone appeared on his right hand while a mana crystal appeared on his left hand. He then stopped his retreat and faced the lone Heftpound who didn't see the sudden stop coming.

"Die!"

The mana crystal shone brightly while a thread appeared behind Zel. It was supposed to be a thread but what appeared was a three-meter-thick tail that stabbed through the Heftpound's gaping mouth and left through its stomach. The Heftpound had left a shocked face behind while its eyes which glowed yellowly slowly changed to a lifeless gray.

"Wha-what the hell!"

Billy's face couldn't have been more shocked. The precipice of reason dictated the threat of an abdicate at that level would have devoured them with ease, and yet, it got one-shotted. He turned to Matthew whose eyes were glowing red from overuse, it was because he was scrutinizing the color of Zel's tail.

"How is your mana violet?!"

"It's from this…" Zel looked at the direction of the other Heftpound while clenching the seemingly unchanged mana crystal. He had been tormented about what could happen should the two abdicates be left on their own, but the reward bestowed by the system was something he had more than a little experience using.

Though the grade was considerably more superior, this violet crystal was one of the coveted concentrated mana crystals that only appear within alien rocks that get thrown out of portals. It wasn't just abdicates that get left behind on dimension remnants after all. Matthew was only now able to see the violet crystal that Zel possessed in his hands. It was when Zel suddenly let them go and disappeared that they finally got to recover from the shock.

"Ow!" Billy caressed his aching butt while Matthew looked towards the direction of the other Heftpound.

Its very large body hid a half full mana core, one that's the size of a small car. If it executes what he expects it wants to execute, there is no escaping for anyone in a 50-kilometer radius area. He was scrutinizing the abdicate's raised arm that had been up there for a minute now, flames of blue mana surrounding it.

"Go!" Chu Yang, who had seen what happens when that arm hits the ground couldn't help but turn back to, at the very least, lessen the force of the impact. Even at the cost of his life. Because that's what heroes do.

'Sorry father, I've let you down again...'

Chu Yang's eyes watered when thinking about how much the day had given him no trivial amount of stress and disappointment. He had yet to mourn for his men when he had to attempt to defend whatever was left. When he looked at the dregs of mana cores left behind on the ground before the Heftpound, he felt like he had committed another mistake.

"Stay your hand!" But regrets were for the weak, he wasn't going to try and blame himself now.

He had no idea that it would return just as quickly as how it left. This wasn't something he had to take the blame for. But if that arm falls and brings destruction to this land without him arranging anything to thwart it, that's when he makes a mistake. That's when he loses himself.

"Fuck you!" Chu Yang extended both hands while his middle fingers raised themselves to the sky. He subsequently used his system watch to access the store.

Buying three mana vials and drinking all of them in one go. The man then raised one hand over his head while planting his feet firmly in the ground. He closed his eyes, not caring if it was the last time he ever took in light through his eyes and focused. Focused more than he had ever done in his life.

'I'm sorry Mia, looks like I won't be there for your birthday after all.'

Tears fell from his shut eyes while a field of ice appeared around him. The use of mana cores earlier made him realize that quantity can never beat quality when using mana. It's more of a qualitative change that was needed rather than just letting it spread out. He focused on performing what he considers his most used skill. Creating a giant pillar of ice, but this time, it would establish a tower.

"Ha!" He flung his hand down and a 3-meter-high pillar made out of dark blue ice formed that was 10 meters in diameter. Outstretching the other hand simultaneously.

"Ha!" This time he flung the other arm, raising a 3-meter pillar made of similarly blue ice but this time, it was only 8 meters in diameter.

"Ha!"

"Ha!"

He repeated the movement four times, but the last one wasn't a cylindrical ice but rather, a cone whose tip was bordering on indigo. His body possessed no more energy left as he examined the arm ultimately fall, heading straight to where he placed the ice.

"Roar! Bang." The arm's momentum had not reached its apex as the 12-meter tall tower had pierced it halfway down, though it seemed to not be stopping with how much force it was still amassing.

"Crack."

The 12-meter tall tower only had 8 meters left on its stature as the arm had crushed it in quick succession. Chu Yang's lying body didn't react though, having reached more than what his body could handle, it took a deep sleep just under that enormous arm that was threatening to level the district yet again.

"No! Chu Yang!" Amanda, who possessed no time to react when Chu Yang suddenly went back, saw that her boss had fallen on the ground.

She felt regret at having too little ability to help him. Someone she had personally seen feel anguish at the loss of his comrades. Her ability erected a barrier that encased Chu Yang from 150 meters away. This instantly caused her mana reserves to bottom out and she passed out as well, not being able to witness the miracle that was about to occur.

"It's over! Mom, dad, I love you! I love you, Johnny! I'm sorry I never accepte-"

Jane was holding on to the camera that was left behind on the ground. The vehicle that she and Gendry used to get here had been crushed by a pair of giant rabbit's feet when the abdicates had first arrived. Fortunately, she was blessed to survive the massive weight that dropped near her, but Gendry was not as lucky as he was instantly crushed.

She operated the drones to then broadcast the situation here live, not caring about how to leave here. No car meant there was no surviving, that was until she noted one of the abdicates fall in the remote distance.

"Bang! What?!"

At that moment a ray of light appeared from that direction, heading directly to where a pillar of ice suddenly appeared. She had no idea that her drones had recorded Chu Yang's final struggle, though, as she was busy giving her farewell to her loved ones.

"Die!" Zel who had a disk of mana underneath his feet appeared above the remaining Heftpound. He then manipulated the mana to form the shape of a cone underneath his feet, causing him to fall. The cone had split apart the abdicate's body from top to bottom, slaying it. The falling arm retained no more force behind it as it straddled against the tower. It was over.

"King!"

Billy and Matthew had run back to the center where Zel's exposed upper body showed itself. The crystal on his hand had been stored inside his storage ring while he merely wore his pants. He felt so tired he didn't care about putting a shirt on, but he would have done so if he knew about the drones presenting him to the entire world.

"Ding." Zel looked towards the system watch he wore, wondering what side quest he had completed now.

[Reputation has reached over 100 points!

For being the first ranker to do so, the system has decided to award the user with a new title:

Prime]

'Oh, my reputation?'

Zel felt so tired he didn't bother thinking too hard. It was when he let his head lie facing up that he finally detected them, a pair of drones hovering in a distance.

"Oh Shit!"

"Zel! You did it!" Billy felt compelled to praise Zel for defeating the abdicates. Even though he felt perplexed about how he did it, the fact remained that he did it. He killed the abdicates.

He raised Zel who had lied down on the ground and hurled him in the air. Something he had more than enough strength to do. Meanwhile Matthew looked at the corpse of the abdicate that was turning into dust, with only the mana core remaining.

He used his eyes to analyze what was going on, and he saw the connection between the mana core and the Heftpound's body had been forcefully disrupted. Perhaps the body of abdicates are being enhanced by the mana core, therefore losing it destroys the body as well.

"What do we do now Zel?"

Billy had belatedly realized that Zel had been listless all this time. He looked at his distracted face and pondered what made him like this. He followed his gaze and saw the drones flying overhead. Not quite discovering why Zel would care though, as he had reclaimed the city from an abdicate, he wasn't going to be hunted down or anything. Especially when he wasn't recognized in the first place, he had armor on after all.

He patted Zel's shoulder and felt that it was soft to the touch, only now comprehending why Zel was like this. He had no armor on. No helmet on. He's been exposed.

'I said his name just now too!' Billy hurriedly lowered his head in shame, kowtowing to Zel who until now displayed no emotion on his eyes as he merely stared at the drone in the sky.

"Shit! I'm sorry Zel. I really am. Come on Zel, let's go! Ze- Smack. Ow!"

Zel had finally stood back up and looked at his surroundings. A fainted Chu Yang was lying down a few meters away from him while the crying Billy caressed his head that ached from the punch of Matthew who only looked at Zel in silence.

"Let's go back, I want to sleep for a while."

Zel had chosen to wear his combat armor again but this time, there was no helmet on. He was going to be found out sooner or later, it didn't matter if it was a little bit earlier. When he did so, Billy and Matthew also removed their helmets. It was time to obtain some sweet Reputation points.