Chapter 50: Alley War

[The System notes that running into fifty guns is a bad idea. But numbers have never stopped this Host.]

He hit the first line of soldiers like a falling rock.

Clearwater Palm to the lead soldier’s chest armor. The magic-tech armor bubbled, bent inward, and the soldier fell. Not dead. His ribs were broken by his own melting armor.

A flat Severing Sword Aura wave flew from his blade. The silver light cut through three guns and the hands holding them. Fingers and metal parts hit the stones at the same time. Three soldiers screamed, holding their hurt arms.

He was not counting. He was just fighting.

The second line fired right in front of his face. Heavy shockwave rounds hit his Coating from five sides. His body took the force of the hit. It hurt. It did not stop him.

Clearwater Palm to the nearest face. The soldier’s helmet melted. Then the face under it. The man fell and did not move again.

[Kill 3: Magnus Private Soldier (Level 27). Base EXP: 300. Pool: 7,880 + 300 = 8,180.]

The pool was going up. Every death fed it. And the Fate’s Loaded Dice was still working.

Eight seconds.

The five elite guards hit him together. They were better than the normal soldiers. Faster. Stronger. Their B-Rank Talents gave them real fighting skills.

The first elite — Stone Fist, his skin turned to hard rock — threw a punch that could break stone walls. Alvian caught the fist with his Coated hand. The hard skin melted faster than normal skin. More hard material meant more stuff for the acid to break. The elite screamed as his fist melted down to the wrist.

[Kill 4: Elite Guard (Level 35, Stone Fist). Base EXP: 1,000. Pool: 9,180.]

The second elite tried to attack from the side. Wind Blade — sharp air cuts that could slice through metal. Alvian caught the air blade on his Coating. The air had no solid weight to melt, but the Essence energy broke the skill apart. The blade blew away like normal wind. Alvian grabbed the man’s arm and pushed Clearwater Palm right into his forearm. The arm melted to the elbow. The elite dropped to his knees.

[Kill 5: Elite Guard (Level 35, Wind Blade). Base EXP: 1,000. Pool: 10,180.]

The third, fourth, and fifth elites attacked together in a team move. They had trained together. Their moves worked like a single machine — one high, one low, one from behind.

Alvian dropped into a slide. His Coated hand slapped the alley floor. Clearwater acid spread out in a slippery puddle. The three elites lost their footing on the melting stones. Two cracked their heads on the hard ground. The third tried to run away.

A Severing Sword Aura wave caught him in the back.

[Kills 6-8: Elite Guards (Level 35 x3). Base EXP: 3,000. Pool: 13,180.]

The normal soldiers broke.

Thirty-two of them turned and ran. They scrambled over each other, trying to be the first ones out of the alley. Their guns fell to the ground as they dropped heavy gear to run faster. Order was gone. These were men paid to stand guard at a big house, not to fight something that melted people by touching them.

But eighteen of them did not run. They were the tough ones. Battle veterans. They formed a new line at the alley exit, guns up, faces pale but ready.

Alvian walked straight into them.

It took forty seconds.

He used Clearwater Palm on the ones who stood their ground. He used Severing Sword Aura on the ones who grouped together. He used his bare Coated hands on the ones who got too close. The alley became a hallway of melting armor, melting weapons, and melting bodies.

[Kill count updated: 28 Magnus private soldiers killed. 5 elite guards killed.]

[Pool update: 13,180 + (28 × 300) + (5 × 1,000) + small kills = 43,880 base EXP.]

[DING! Fate’s Loaded Dice integration: 94% complete.]

[Time remaining: 3 seconds.]

Alvian stood in the alley. His HP had dropped to 94 from taking small hits.

One person was still standing.

Warrick Selby.

The army leader stood at the alley exit, her energy blade buzzing, her scarred face showing no feeling. She had watched fifty soldiers and five elites melt in less than two minutes. She had not run.

She charged.

No stopping. No fear. Just a soldier doing her job to the very end. The energy sword was a B-Rank weapon — a shaking blade of tight Essence that could cut through heavy armor. She swung it at Alvian’s neck in a straight down move. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Alvian caught the blade with his Coated palm.

The energy edge met the acid. The blade melted from the top down, metal and energy breaking apart at the same time. In two seconds, the sword was gone. In three seconds, Warrick Selby’s arm followed it.

She fell down, screaming, blood spraying from the stump. Her face hit the stones. She was still awake. Still breathing.

Alvian looked down at her. She had fought bravely. She had charged when everyone else ran. She deserved something for that.

He left her alive.

[DING!]

[Fate’s Loaded Dice processing complete.]

[Gambler’s Delay pool CLOSED.]

[Total pool: 43,880 base EXP.]

[Breakdown:]

[- 2 B-Rank yard guards: 380]

[- Duke Gaius Magnus (recalculated — Level 45 A-Rank): 5,000]

[- 3 A-Rank bodyguards (late death): 6,000]

[- 28 Magnus private soldiers: 8,400]

[- 5 elite guards: 5,000]

[- 2 magic-tech machines: 200]

[- Other combat kills: 18,900]

[- Warrick Selby (knocked out, NOT killed): 0]

[Total: 43,880 base EXP.]

[Fate’s Loaded Dice: USED. Power applied.]

[Next spin: GUARANTEED EPIC TIER (1,000x — 5,000x multiplier).]

[WARNING: Chance modifier detected. Normal chance rules are being replaced.]

[Caution: Changing chance numbers too much may call—]

The message cut off.

The System’s text flickered and shook. For a split second, the screen showed something that was not a normal message. It was deep red. The same color as the World Will warning from weeks ago.

Then it was gone.

[Starting spin calculation.]

[Host command: "Spin" — accepted.]

[The wheel is turning.]