Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 386: It Didn’t Fall From the Sky - 5

The Eight of Spades—Elixir. With a single card from the Golden Mirror, I drew a barrier. The intricate principles of alchemy transformed the coated steel walls of the Lightning Tower into cards. Hundreds of steel-winged butterflies fluttered and scattered, creating a magical spectacle as I slipped away through the gap.

“Haaaaah!”

From behind, the Thunder Overseer’s iron fist came crashing down in pursuit. Her lightning-infused punches tore through the fluttering cards, aiming straight for me...

But unfortunately for her, even cards made of steel aren’t so easily dismissed. The spinning, scattering steel butterflies flinched and clung together in a panic.

Another martial artist might not have been able to block her attacks, but the Thunder Overseer’s reliance on her unique style worked against her.

‘All of this is alchemical steel! The moment she touches it, it disrupts her lightning...! Almost as if someone knows her every weakness!’

The Thunder Overseer’s movement relied on pulling herself forward. By extending lightning along metallic surfaces, she created a magnetic force to launch herself at incredible speeds.

In other words, if I could interfere with that lightning, I could neutralize her mobility. The alchemical steel cards disrupted the magnetic pull and clung to her like heavy steel blocks.

“So be it!”

The Thunder Overseer shifted tactics. Instead of pulling herself forward, she launched her lightning outward. A bolt of electricity ripped through the floor and raced toward me.

It brushed past, a sharp tingle prickling my skin.

‘Her lightning doesn’t work? It’s not that I’m deflecting it... It’s like it’s being devoured!’

The idol of the Earth Mother proved its worth—lightning is naturally absorbed by the earth.

Placing my hand against the Lightning Tower’s wall, I spoke with confidence.

“How about now? Do you believe me when I said it’s a fifty-fifty chance?”

“You’re awfully cocky for someone relying on parlor tricks.”

“Parlor tricks? If my skills are tricks, then what are yours? Expert techniques? Please, even static electricity can be created just by rubbing your hands together.”

Sure, her techniques might be larger in scale, but fundamentally, they weren’t all that different from static discharge.

Frustrated by her failed attacks, the Thunder Overseer paused to catch her breath and reassess. Sure, I might be more winded than her, but confidence comes from psychological advantage.

This was my chance.

“You know, I thought you were a practical person like me. Turns out you’re more like an innocent maiden, believing in a sudden voice in your head and blindly following it.”

“Your mouth never stops moving, does it?”

“No, really! You’re the Thunder Overseer, right? Why would you suddenly turn against me because of some mysterious voice you heard in your head?”

Born and raised in this city, chosen to become the Thunder Overseer, her life had never intersected with the Holy Crown Church before. Yet after receiving a ‘revelation,’ she had become its most fervent believer, attacking me without hesitation.

It didn’t make sense. Surely, she could see that too...

“That doesn’t matter. Who you are, who I am—it’s irrelevant.”

Her tone was firm as she clenched her fists tighter. The lightning flowing outward grew more concentrated, heating her body to its limit.

“What matters is what you’re planning to do. And I must stop it.”

“And what exactly do you think I’m going to do?”

“Uncover all of Claudia’s secrets, reveal the truth, and destroy this city—regardless of what those secrets may be.”

I couldn’t deny it. It was the truth, and even if I tried, she’d trust the ‘revelation’ in her mind over anything I said.

Damn. So much for reasoning with her.

The Sacred Sword Order—the chosen warriors of fate.

The Thunder Overseer had been lucky. Amidst the countless tragedies of the fragmented kingdoms, she had been born with a perfect body. Struck by lightning and surviving it, she discovered her talent and accessed Claudia’s power source. Recognized by the previous Thunder Overseer, she was chosen as the city’s protector.

A series of coincidences had convinced her that she was special. When she uncovered part of the city’s secrets, she accepted the responsibility that came with them.

To be honest, even reading her mind revealed nothing unusual. Like many with exceptional talent, she was simply an incredibly lucky person. That’s why I hadn’t been wary of her before.

But now that I knew about the Sacred Sword Order, it was different.

A chosen body. Miraculous coincidences. The ability to wield immense power.

She was truly chosen. The Holy Crown Church had imbued her with fate, and she had accepted it. She carried lightning within her, hid secrets beneath the city, and vowed to protect it.

There was no reason for her not to. She loved this city and had the power to defend it. To her, it was rational, noble, and deeply meaningful.

But it all served the Holy Crown Church’s agenda.

The Saints had carefully selected and planted seeds of their own choosing—the Sacred Sword Order.

That’s why I couldn’t convince her. As someone ruling within the Church’s observed order, she wouldn’t welcome the changes I would bring.

“I’m not trying to destroy the city or anything. I’m just curious about its secrets.”

“‘Curious?’ Can a King of Humanity really call his actions ‘personal curiosity’?”

“Well... when you put it like that, I don’t really have a good rebuttal.”

Damn. This is why I hate dealing with the Sacred Sword Order. You can’t reason with them, and you can’t change them—they’re already complete as they are.

There’s no choice.

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“I don’t like violence, but... can we settle this with words?”

“Perhaps you should’ve thought of that before resorting to theft.”

“Then maybe you should’ve created a situation where I didn’t have to steal.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll ensure you never steal again.”

Lightning crackled as the Thunder Overseer approached. I slapped the Eight of Spades against the wall and struck it hard, as though stamping a seal.

My hand stung from the impact, but it worked. When I peeled the card off, steel cards poured out like a flood. Using a flick of my wrist, I hurled the replicated cards at her. Dozens of them flew toward the Thunder Overseer.

“Again with those tricks?”

Humans are creatures of habit and learning. Having already experienced my tricks once, the Thunder Overseer didn’t scatter her lightning as she had before. This time, she carefully blocked and advanced, step by step.

Damn, this is getting tricky. I’d put some force into my throws, but they didn’t even faze her.

My strength is about average for a human. In other words, I can hold my own in most fights, creating a balance with tactics. I steal unique techniques, read intentions with mind reading, and exploit weaknesses to create standoffs.

But I lack the decisive power to finish things.

The Thunder Overseer, though not metallic herself, was built like a being of alchemical material forged from the Golden Mirror. Her durability surpassed that of most martial artists. Even after being hit by steel cards, she didn’t have a scratch. The only reason she was approaching cautiously was to stay methodical; if she’d charged recklessly, I wouldn’t have been able to stop her.

“Just scraps of steel with no power. Why do you keep throwing these meaningless things?”

“I call myself a magician, so I try to stick to the theme.”

That was a lie. I’d been giving it my all. It just seemed like child’s play to the Thunder Overseer.

Tch. There’s no way to win like this. As tiresome as this pattern is, all I can do now is stall for time.

‘He doesn’t look particularly strong, but... I won’t let my guard down. He’s the King of Humanity. He could be hiding powers I don’t know about. One step at a time. Think of him as a formidable opponent.’

I appreciate the caution, truly.

Not underestimating your opponent is a good approach—just not against me. The more she focused on me as a threat, the more she overthought her movements. And that gave me plenty to read.

Her hips, legs, arms, and fists moved with mechanical precision. Her iron fist flew straight for my head, a chill running down my spine even before I read her intent through mind reading. Reflexively, I raised my arm into the trajectory of her strike.

A blow like this... even if I saw it coming, it should’ve been impossible to block. Yet her fist stopped short with a dull thunk.

‘Something’s wrong...!’

The electrifying force of her punch dissipated just before it reached me. Lightning coursed from her body toward me, only to fade away. The overwhelming strength that could shatter steel seemed to weaken as it approached.

‘He’s not strong... it’s the opposite. I’m growing weaker. What is he doing...?!’

Simple. I was draining her power.

Her unique art, Thunder Catcher, allowed her to wield lightning by capturing and integrating it into her body like martial energy. By stealing her technique, I redirected the lightning she summoned and discharged it into my cards. The closer I got, the more her “special” power diminished.

I leaned in, whispering with mockery.

“How does it feel to be ordinary?”

“My power! You coward...!”

“Why not call it fair? Now we’re equals, aren’t we?”

We were now in a slugfest, a mudslinging brawl that anyone could win or lose. Fair, don’t you think?

Seizing the moment of her surprise, I pulled her arm toward me and drove my knee into her jaw. The Thunder Overseer, still trying to rely on brute strength, staggered. Without her lightning, her body was left with only raw physical power.

‘It doesn’t hurt. His strength is unimpressive.’

Oh? Even now, she’s still stronger than me?

Makes sense. Prolonged use of martial energy strengthens the body over time. Why else would humans trained in martial energy techniques be considered superhuman? Even without energy, the disparity in physical strength was clear.

‘Fine, I won’t panic. I’ll deal with him purely with my strength.’

The Thunder Overseer launched her fists at me again.

Each blow was heavy. Even without martial energy, her punches made my arms ache. When she missed, her strikes shattered furniture with ease. Her sheer durability was a weapon in itself. She could swing her fists without worrying about injury, making her strikes far more devastating than any ordinary punch.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Her punches crashed into walls and furniture, splintering them as I barely dodged. If it had been me landing such blows, I’d have broken bones by now. But she seemed unaffected, preparing her next strike as though nothing had happened. Fighting her felt like going up against a boulder in a battle of attrition.

‘You’re an excellent escape artist, I’ll give you that. You may have lost your power, but your instincts remain sharp.’

If not for mind reading, I’d have taken several hits and collapsed by now. Fortunately, knowing where her punches would land gave me a fighting chance.

This time, her fist aimed for my chest. I needed to dodge—

Wait. My breath hitched. I hadn’t paced myself well, and in that brief moment of hesitation, her fist slammed into my chest.

I crossed my arms to block, but the impact pierced through, rattling my body and forcing me backward.

The Thunder Overseer followed up, her voice laced with certainty.

“It seems this fight is nearing its conclusion.”

“Haha. Feeling confident after landing a single hit?”

“It won’t stop at one.”

She wasn’t wrong. In a battle of attrition, I stood no chance. No matter how many times I struck her, she remained unscathed. Meanwhile, she continued to press me with her seemingly endless stamina. It was like fighting an immortal.

Using weapons was pointless. Even stabbing her with a blade would only leave shallow punctures in her skin. Worse, if she disarmed me, it would put my life at greater risk. Best not to show my hand at all.

“Hey. Did you notice how I’ve been fighting with my back to the wall this whole time?”

“There you go, flapping your mouth again. Do you fight with words and cheap tricks alone?”

“How’d you guess? Anyway, while I’ve been cornered, I’ve been preparing something to show you.”

It’s terrifying how fast I’ve run out of tricks. This is why I hate fighting.

“Let me show you what I’ve been setting up while dodging and taking your hits.”

“Show me quickly then—before you die.”

Without further banter, the Thunder Overseer swung her leg in a kick. Timing it perfectly, I slid away, brushing my hand against the wall.

Her kick missed and smashed into the wall behind me. The thin structure shattered like glass, unleashing a torrent of thousands of cards.

Countless cards I had painstakingly created by scraping against the wall poured out all at once, cascading onto the Thunder Overseer.

Even with her absurdly durable body, no one could maintain their balance under the weight of hundreds of kilograms of steel cards. The torrent engulfed her, forcing her to the ground.

“Tricks...!”

Despite her monstrous body, the Thunder Overseer was buried for a brief moment—and that moment was all I needed.

As she struggled under the avalanche of cards, I slipped behind her, grabbed her arm, and locked it between my legs, twisting it with precision.