Chapter 39: The Survivors

The black mass rushes toward me. It pierces through my barrier defense—just as the black mist touches my hand, my shoulder, flames spread across my upper body like wildfire, starting to burn me alive.

This is a combo of dark magic and fire magic! I completely forgot to stop time—caught off guard, I frantically tried to douse the flames with water magic, but it didn’t work… not even a bit. The heat burned through my skin, my bones… all of it. Just… gone.

"Ughaaaahhhhh!!!"

I fell, screaming... consciousness fading, a haze creeping over my head. Ah, so this is what "death" feels like...

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The Immortal Wang was intrigued by the human who used magic equal to his own—but in the end, there was nothing they could do against the Wang’s magic. They died. Of course. A human shouldn’t be able to beat a demon.

And then, just as I was about to start producing undead...

"Whoa, that was close!!"

The man was standing. His clothes were torn to shreds, but not a single wound marred his body. The Immortal King was baffled—this situation made no sense at all.

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I was really dead... I mean, I was lucky I had “Super Recovery” or I’d have been a goner. And yet... my upper body turned to ash and then just... came back? That’s some messed-up power... seriously.

Who the hell are you...!? You're not human, are you...!?

Just an ordinary human. Spends most of their salary on Gacha... a bit of a weirdo, but...

I slowly raised both hands.

Magic battle’s your win. I’ll admit it—my magic doesn’t work on you… but…

The Undying King noticed the stones around him beginning to shift. Something immense was wrapping around him.

"This battle... I can't lose! Gravity Press!!"

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*Thud!* An unbearable weight slammed down on me—bones creaking, groaning in agony. I collapsed to my knees, fighting to stay upright, but couldn’t move a muscle.

This is—

"A unique skill... from a demon god... Why... a human...?"

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Even at this level... a monster so high-tier... getting hit straight on with "Gravity Manipulation"—which hits undead with devastating effect—and still trying to hold on.

"But...!"

I braced my hands in front of my chest, forcing my power into compressing the space around me. The air warped violently. The Undying King looked stunned—too late now!!

"Gravity Manipulation" changes in strength based on range. The minimum range can generate 100 times normal gravity—and if focused, the range can be narrowed even further, pushing the gravity multiplier far beyond 100.

The Undying King was sealed inside a cube—completely immobilized.

"What?! What is this!?"

"——Gravity Collapse Space (Gravity Cube)——!!!"

Crack! Crunch! Every inch of my body shattered under unimaginable pressure—there was nothing I could do—my body was turning to dust—

"GIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"

The Undying King vanished, dissolving into black smoke... I wasn’t sure if immortals even *could* die, but still—glad I took him down. Thanks to "Gravity Manipulation," that’s for sure.

It’s a skill usable only in a tiny range—but perfect for an opponent who’s human-sized.

Man, that was tough... Guess there are still people stronger than me out there... Gotta stay on my guard. Just thinking that, and suddenly my "Spatial Perception" picked something up.

Look closer—something’s there where the monster vanished... like a round, reddish bead...

"Wait! Is this... an 'candy' that came from the Gacha?! Did that thing... actually contain a monster's core?!"

If that’s the case, I’ve eaten hundreds… suddenly feeling queasy…

Picking up the candy, I check it with “Identify.”

SSR

No more lifespan. No more aging.

But they can still die from external injuries or illness.

There are times...

"What? What? What?!"