WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: DereKimchi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Abandoned Tank is a Disaster-class Awakener ◈

Chapter 6

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Knock, knock.

At the sound of knocking,

“Come in.”

Click.

The door opened, and David Miller entered.

“...”

His gaze fell on the ten empty elixir bottles on the table.

“Did you succeed at Evolutionary Awakening?”

“Yes.”

At the brief answer, Miller smiled in satisfaction.

“Congratulations.”

Then, as if joking, he added,

“From now on, all that remains is for South Korea to grow jealous as it watches Mr. Kang’s achievements.”

I smiled faintly.

Of course, he had not come just to congratulate me.

“Then let’s go meet the team members who will be working with Mr. Kang.”

It was obvious, but I would be joining America’s Vanguard.

The Vanguard referred to the elite group that led the country’s efforts to climb the Tower.

And now, I was on my way to meet the teammates who would be sharing that journey.

Step.

As I followed Miller down the hallway, I naturally looked around.

I had checked before, but still.

‘It really is different.’

It was striking all over again, especially compared to the South Korean Association.

South Korea was an awakening powerhouse.

Even so, its Association building and facilities had many shortcomings.

America was different.

The feeling of the air itself changed every time we passed through a door.

Mana measurement room.

Equipment analysis room.

Emergency treatment facility.

Beyond one wall, a huge mechanical arm was striking a shield to test its durability. On the other side, researchers were dismantling monster byproducts.

Compared to the facilities of the South Korean Association, an awakening powerhouse, these were generations ahead.

Judging by its facilities alone, America deserved to be called an awakening powerhouse.

Its facilities, money, and research capabilities were among the best in the world.

What it lacked were Awakeners to fight on the front lines.

“We’re here.”

Miller stopped while I was lost in thought.

Before us stood a thick alloy door.

『Vanguard Combat Training Room』

Hummm.

The door slid open to either side.

The room was larger than most gymnasiums.

The walls and floor were covered in shock-absorbing material mixed with monster materials, while mana-generating devices meant to recreate real combat conditions hung densely from the ceiling.

And at its center, four people were waiting.

A Black man, a white man, an Asian person, and a Latina woman.

‘Quite a mix.’

Of course, America was originally a country where many races and cultures blended together.

But these four had not gathered here simply because American society was diverse.

Their accents.

Their equipment.

Even the fighting styles ingrained in their bodies.

They were Awakeners America had gathered from all over the world over the past few years.

America, called the strongest country in the world, had failed to become an awakening powerhouse.

Because it had suffered two devastating incidents during the early days of the Tower.

After the first failed raid, part of Washington disappeared, along with the headquarters of the first Awakeners Association, which was still being built.

The problem came next.

Before it could rebuild the organization and gather personnel again, it missed the second time limit.

And, by terrible coincidence, the Awakeners Association that was being rebuilt was once again within the affected area.

The facilities were not the problem.

Awakeners with early raid experience.

Instructors.

Researchers.

Even the Association’s administrative staff.

The people America needed most disappeared in great numbers, twice.

That was why America, despite its enormous capital and technology, had been pushed into becoming a latecomer in the Tower.

So America changed direction.

It began actively naturalizing capable Awakeners from countries around the world.

And the four people standing before me were the result of that process.

Including me, of course.

Miller stepped forward beside me.

“Allow me to introduce you.”

He pointed to the muscular Black man.

“Marcus Reed. His awakening is Launcher.”

Marcus silently raised a fist.

He was a little taller than me, but what caught the eye first was his thick upper body.

‘Launcher.’

It was an awakening type I knew well.

Gather energy.

Compress it.

Focus it on a single point, then release it all at once.

It was an extreme burst-damage type that bet everything on a single strike.

However, it also had clearer weaknesses than strengths. Its charge time was extremely long, and even the slightest impact during that time would cancel it.

Miller shifted his attention.

“Eric Halvorsen. Berserker.”

He was a huge blond man.

Up close, he looked even bigger.

Nearly two meters tall.

A thick neck and forearms.

A greatsword as tall as a person hung on his back.

Berserker.

A sustained-combat damage dealer whose battle frenzy accumulated the longer they fought, continuously increasing their strength and attack speed.

The later stages of battle were more frightening than the beginning, and they became fiercer the more injured they were.

If Marcus was one decisive blow, Eric was a storm that never stopped pressing forward.

However.

‘A glass cannon.’

That was the assessment of Berserkers.

The deeper their battle frenzy became, the weaker their resistance to impact grew. Eventually, even minor impacts became unbearable.

“Sofia Alvarez.”

This time, a bronze-skinned woman stepped forward.

Her full figure and glamorous appearance caught my attention first, but my gaze naturally moved to the two curved swords at her waist.

“She is a Blade Dancer.”

Sofia curled up the corner of her lips and lightly tapped a sword hilt with one finger.

A chain-combo damage dealer who moved as if dancing while continuing her attacks.

Once she found her rhythm, the next attack became faster, and the one after that became stronger.

Her firepower would continue rising as long as her combo did not break.

‘But without a built-up combo, she’s as fragile as paper.’

The last was a black-haired Asian woman.

“Mei Lin. Qi Adept.”

Mei gave a slight bow.

Unlike the other three, she carried no weapon.

“She is a healing-type Awakener who handles qi. She can heal external injuries, directly infuse qi to restore stamina, and stabilize bodily functions.”

I nodded slightly.

The three damage dealers all had clear weaknesses, but if those weaknesses were covered, they could produce the best damage possible.

Of course, covering those weaknesses was not easy.

‘But it’s possible.’

For me, a Super Novice, it would not be particularly difficult.

Miller looked between the four of them and me.

“From now on, the five of you will operate as America’s Vanguard and its elite raid squad.”

Marcus nodded.

Sofia looked at me with interest, and Mei smiled quietly.

But.

“Hmm.”

One person was different.

Eric Halvorsen.

His slightly raised chin.

His arms still crossed over his chest.

The faint stiffening around his mouth whenever Miller introduced me.

More than anything, the way his eyes swept over my body from top to bottom.

I had seen this situation countless times.

They were elites America had gathered from around the world.

As Awakeners, they would know about my reputation. But I was still just a Novice, the first Awakener considered to have fallen behind the times.

And recently, there had even been that incident involving an assault on a civilian.

‘It makes sense that he’d be dissatisfied.’

I met Eric’s gaze.

“...”

He did not avoid it.

Instead, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

‘I see.’

There was no need to drag this out.

If suspicion remained between people who had to watch each other’s backs in the Tower, it would cause trouble someday.

And in my experience, one fist was better than a hundred explanations for this kind of person.

I looked at Miller.

“Miller.”

“Yes?”

“This place.”

I lightly tapped the training room floor with my toe.

“How sturdy is it?”

Miller’s eyes widened slightly.

But he seemed to understand my intention immediately, and the corner of his mouth lifted.

“It will withstand most Awakeners fighting at full strength.”

“Then that’s enough.”

I looked directly at Eric.

“Halvorsen.”

It was the first time I had called his name.

“You look like you’ve had a lot to say since earlier.”

Eric slowly uncrossed his arms.

“Don’t hold back.”

I took a step forward.

“We’ll be trusting each other with our backs from now on.”

Then I crooked a finger once.

“Come at me.”

Eric’s eyes changed.

* * *

Eric Halvorsen knew the name Kang Seong-un.

How could he not?

The world’s first Awakener.

The man who had participated in every first raid from the first floor to the thirtieth.

A pioneer who had stood at the front lines since the days when no one even properly understood what the Tower was.

He also knew that America had put considerable effort into bringing him here.

It had no choice but to.

Experienced Awakeners were rare.

For a country like America, which had lost its early personnel twice, Kang Seong-un’s raid experience alone made him worth recruiting.

But.

‘Leader?’

That was another matter.

Eric looked Kang Seong-un over.

He was not large.

More than anything.

‘A Novice? That was ages ago.’

That might have been impressive at the beginning of the awakening era, but now new traits were pouring out from countries around the world.

The people here alone included a Launcher, Blade Dancer, Qi Adept, and Berserker.

It was an era where traits beyond conventional understanding had appeared, and the changing of generations was moving quickly.

Yet a mere Novice was the leader.

Eric could not accept that.

‘He got to the thirtieth floor first?’

He had only started earlier.

What if Eric himself had been given the chance to raid the Tower from the beginning?

‘I would’ve already broken through the fiftieth floor.’

At the very least, he would not have stopped at the thirtieth floor.

He had that much confidence.

Then.

“Come at me.”

Kang Seong-un crooked a finger.

Eric’s eyebrow twitched.

Instead of answering, he rolled one shoulder.

Crack.

His thick joints popped.

“Fine.”

The corner of his mouth rose.

“I’ll see for myself.”

At that moment.

Boom!

The floor burst beneath him.

His huge body filled the field of view in an instant.

The first punch was straightforward.

But.

Whoosh!

It was fast and heavy.

A hook that seemed capable of taking his entire face off.

Kang Seong-un did not dodge.

He merely leaned his upper body back by the width of a palm.

Swish.

The fist brushed past the tip of his nose.

Eric’s eyes flashed.

He twisted his waist immediately.

Before he could even retract his missed right arm, his left elbow drove toward Kang Seong-un’s ribs.

Whoosh!

A chain of attacks, hard to believe from such a huge body, swallowed Kang Seong-un.

But... they did not touch him.

Kang Seong-un’s movements were small.

He tilted his head.

Twisted his body.

Moved one step to the side.

That was all.

Yet he dodged with perfect precision, as if he already knew where Eric’s attacks would come from.

Tap, tap.

Startled by those near-miraculous movements, Eric retreated.

‘Damn it!’

His expression immediately twisted.

Then, the next moment, his heart pounded hard.

Thump!

[Berserker’s battle frenzy rises.]

Heat spread through his veins and across his whole body.

His muscles swelled.

His breathing deepened, and his vision sharpened.

“Let’s see how long you can keep dodging!”

Only a few seconds had passed.

But it was different from before.

His left hand shot toward Kang Seong-un’s face.

Kang Seong-un twisted his body in response.

But it was a fake.

Bait meant to block his vision.

The real attack came from below.

Eric’s foot swept across the floor, cutting off Kang Seong-un’s escape route.

At the same time, his right fist surged upward from below.

An uppercut aimed at the jaw.

There was no room to dodge.

‘Got you!’

However.

Clack.

Eric’s fist stopped.

“...?”

Kang Seong-un’s hand was gripping it.

Eric gritted his teeth.

‘How dare he!’

He was confident that he would lose to no one in strength.

Boom!

He planted his feet into the floor.

He poured the strength of his entire body into one arm.

Pop!

The veins in his forearm bulged as if they would burst.

Even so.

“Ghh!”

His fist did not move.

It was not pushed back.

It did not even shake.

“What...?!”

Kang Seong-un asked indifferently,

“This can’t be all, right?”

A shallow taunt.

But.

“Don’t make me laugh!”

Eric’s face flushed red.

He roughly pulled his hand free and spun his body around once.

Whoosh!

A large heel swung toward Kang Seong-un’s temple.

Kang Seong-un raised his left arm.

Boom!

A fierce blow strong enough to produce an explosive sound.

But.

“Crazy!”

Kang Seong-un was unharmed.

Only the floor beneath his feet had sunk slightly.

For the first time, Eric’s expression hardened.

Thump, thump!

[Berserker’s battle frenzy rises.]

[Strength increases.]

[Attack speed increases.]

The Berserker’s battle frenzy did not stop.

His body continued to grow stronger.

Then Eric abandoned thought.

He gave himself over to instinct.

“Aaargh!”

He charged with a roar.

A fist flew.

Kang Seong-un knocked it aside with the back of his hand.

The other fist.

He twisted his head.

A knee was blocked.

A kick caught against one arm.

Boom! Bang! Crack!

The sounds battering the training room grew faster and faster.

Eric’s movements were now fast enough to leave afterimages.

True to the Berserker’s reputation, the more his battle frenzy accumulated, the heavier his attacks became and the shorter the gaps between them.

Before one attack even ended, the next one came crashing in.

Like a storm.

Yet Kang Seong-un, standing in the center of that storm, was different.

One hand.

One foot.

Sometimes just one shoulder.

That was all he moved.

Fists were blocked by his palm.

Kicks caught on his arm.

Body slams missed with nothing more than one step to the side.

No matter how fast Eric became, no matter how powerful he grew, the result was the same.

‘Why?’

Eric’s breathing grew rough.

‘Why is this man...?’

Kang Seong-un was exactly as he had been at the start.

His breathing had not even grown heavier.

His expression.

His stance.

His eyes.

“Aaargh!”

Rage surged at that fact.

Eric’s heart pounded wildly.

[Berserker’s battle frenzy reaches its peak.]

Now.

Eric kicked off the floor with all his strength.

Boom!

The shock-absorbing material sank deeply as his huge body shot forward like a cannonball.

The force that began at his toes ran through his thighs, waist, back, and shoulders.

All of it went into his right fist.

Whoooosh!

It was a strike powerful enough to shove the air aside.

Marcus unconsciously narrowed his eyes, and Sofia’s hair scattered in the wind.

But Kang Seong-un, standing closest, did not dodge.

Instead, he raised his right hand and received Eric’s fist head-on.

Boom!

A shockwave swept through the training room with an explosive roar.

Eric naturally thought Kang Seong-un would be pushed back.

No matter how experienced an Awakener he was, this was a strike thrown with a Berserker’s battle frenzy at its peak.

But.

Scrape.

The one who moved was Eric.

Kang Seong-un’s feet had not moved an inch from where they stood.

Eric’s fist had stopped completely in Kang Seong-un’s grasp.

“...What?”

Eric gritted his teeth and put more strength into his arm.

The two legs braced against the floor trembled, and the muscles in his shoulders and back swelled as if they would burst.

Even so, Kang Seong-un’s arm did not move at all.

Only then did the excitement begin to fade from Eric’s face.

Kang Seong-un asked calmly,

“Is this the end?”

At that moment, strength entered his hand.

Crunch.

It felt as if Eric’s hand bones were screaming.

Even with pain dulled by the Berserker’s battle frenzy, the back of his hand throbbed.

The next moment, Kang Seong-un pulled Eric’s arm.

“Ghk!”

Boom!

Eric reflexively planted both feet into the floor.

But his nearly two-meter body was dragged forward anyway.

It was not a technique that stole his balance.

It was not a clever joint lock.

It was simply strength.

Even when Eric resisted with his entire body, he could not overcome Kang Seong-un’s one arm.

Zzip.

The distance vanished in an instant.

Kang Seong-un’s other fist moved in a short motion.

Thud!

The moment it struck Eric’s abdomen, his breath caught.

Then, a beat later, the impact exploded.

Boom!

His huge body was sent flying backward.

Eric slammed onto his back, bounced once, and slid several meters before finally stopping.

“Ghk...”

Eric gritted his teeth and tried to stand immediately.

The Berserker’s battle frenzy had not faded yet.

He could still fight.

But before he could even rise, a shadow covered him.

It was Kang Seong-un.

“...!”

Eric’s eyes widened.

‘...When?’

Kang Seong-un placed a hand on his shoulder.

Then he pressed down.

Crunch!

Eric’s body slammed into the floor again.

“Ghhhhh...!”

He braced himself against the ground with both arms.

Pop, pop!

His thick forearms swelled, and veins rose on his neck, but his body would not rise.

Kang Seong-un was using only one hand.

That fact alone was enough to shatter Eric’s pride.

This was not a difference in technique.

Nor was it a gap created by experience alone.

Eric had drawn out the Berserker’s strength to its peak, and Kang Seong-un had received that force head-on.

Then he had pulled him in with even greater strength, sent him flying with one punch, and now held him down with one hand so he could not rise.

Their bodies themselves were on different levels.

Kang Seong-un removed his hand.

“Huff, huff!”

Eric remained on one knee, breathing heavily.

Meanwhile, Kang Seong-un looked down at him, unchanged from the beginning.

“Eric.”

Eric raised his head.

Kang Seong-un stood while he knelt below him.

He spoke in a low voice.

“Do you need to see any more?”

The training room fell silent.

Marcus had already uncrossed his arms, and the playful smile had vanished from Sofia’s face.

Mei also watched Kang Seong-un without a word.

A Berserker, the highest tier when it came purely to physical ability, had been completely overwhelmed at their strongest.

Who could deny what they had seen?

Eric also looked up at Kang Seong-un for a while before slowly lowering his head.

He did not raise his chin as he had before.

After staring at Kang Seong-un for some time, he spoke quietly.

“...I admit it. I lost.”

Even the excitement of battle faded before such an absolute difference.

Then.

“And I apologize for my behavior earlier. You are... a true warrior.”

If it had been a difference in technique or experience, he might have refused to accept it.

He might have believed that he could win once he gained the same experience.

But this spar had been an overwhelming defeat caused by a pure gap in physical strength.

That was why even the proud Eric could not help but acknowledge it.

Kang Seong-un gave a short nod at that acknowledgment.

Only then did everything fall into place.

He was no longer a leader the American Association had forcibly placed before them.

He was the true leader whom the four prideful Awakeners had seen for themselves, tested for themselves, and accepted.

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