Chapter 35: System, Stop Adding More Pages to My Black History!
The sun beat down on the forest below, its trees painted in hues of yellow, orange, green, and brown. It was autumn now, and while the forest wasn't as lively as before, it wasn't silent either. The unmistakable sound of clashing metal echoed through the trees, accompanied by rapid footsteps pounding the ground.
Despite the cool autumn breeze, sweat rolled down Elias's back as he struggled to defend himself against Chameleon's relentless attacks. Each stab and slash came faster, harder to dodge or block than the last. Worse still, while Elias was clearly straining, Chameleon remained calm, his expression glowing with excitement after every clash.The only sign of his increased breathing came from sheer exhilaration, not exertion.
Even with his improved stamina, Elias doubted he could outlast Chameleon if the fight dragged on.
The longer they fought, the more Elias wished he could actually cut atoms with his atom knife. Honestly, at first, he'd thought he'd been scammed. But after spending years inside the capsule and getting no answers from the AI, he believed he'd figured it out himself: he wasn't awakened. The atom knife was probably a weapon that required the unique energy only awakeners could use to unlock its full potential. Right now, it was just a really sharp, overly glorified dagger.
Wouldn't this fight already be over if he could just slice through Chameleon's blade?
'System, could you be less stingy with your benefits? Why does everything have to come with conditions or learning curves?'
Of course, the system didn't respond.
Elias ducked, just barely dodging a punch. It came so fast that a sharp whistle rang in his ears as it passed overhead.
"Distracted while fighting me? Tsk, tsk. I wouldn't recommend that," the beautiful assassin chided, wiggling a finger in front of him with exaggerated condescension.
Elias refocused, he couldn't keep getting distracted!
Chameleon's crimson hair whipped fluidly around him as he moved, each motion so beautiful and graceful it occasionally sent orange and red leaves swirling into the air. For the first time, Elias felt genuine envy toward another man's looks. Damn, he was handsome too, okay? But he currently probably looked like a troll trying to fend off a storybook hero or prince.
It was so unfair!
'Damn it all!' At least with Jackal, even if he'd been outmatched, he'd still had the visual advantage! Elias's frustration surged, fueling a new burst of energy into his movements. It still wasn't enough to keep up with Chameleon's moves, though.
"You're outclassed, kid. Give up while things can still be salvaged," Chameleon jeered, ducking under a roundhouse kick. "As entertaining as this is, work comes first."
He tilted his head again, dodging Elias's knife by a mere inch with ease, his fox-like eyes tracking every movement as if everything were happening in slow motion to him.
"Say, I'm quite impressed. You're handling this remarkably well. Whatever it is you've got, I can see why the boss wants it so badly."
Chameleon's voice stayed maddeningly calm—like they weren't even fighting. That made it worse.
Was he losing the psychological battle too?
'Damn it.'
His blade flashed again, tearing into Elias's sleeve, grazing just close enough to raise goosebumps.
Elias grimaced as he pushed himself to move faster. He didn't trust a word Chameleon said. If he surrendered, there was a real chance he'd be crippled, just enough to keep him from escaping again. Chameleon wouldn't hesitate to get brutal if it served his purpose.
He wanted to turn the fight around, but even in the capsule, Elias hadn't fought anyone like Chameleon. Every strike was clean, efficient, and mercilessly precise—leaving no wasted motion, no obvious openings. He moved like a machine built for combat.
Worst of all, Chameleon wasn't even being ruthless yet. If he'd simply wanted Elias dead, he probably could've done it by now.
He had to create distance. But no matter how he moved, Chameleon was always there—closing the gap like his twenty years of training had meant nothing.
So even twenty years wasn't enough to close the gap between them? Elias gritted his teeth in frustration as he narrowly dodged another one of Chameleon's strikes. What else could he do? How could he flip this situation?
"I can see you doing a lot of thinking up there," Chameleon's voice cut through his thoughts. "If you have to think that hard about how to beat me, then you've already lost!"
His leg shot out, slamming squarely into Elias's ribs and launching him several meters into the air. Elias crashed back-first into a tree with a sickening thud. The trunk splintered from the impact, snapping the tree in half as Elias slumped to the ground. The sound startled all nearby animals into fleeing.
Chameleon lowered his foot to step forward, but immediately felt a throbbing pain shoot through his leg. He furrowed his brows.
'What the hell?' he thought, glancing down in confusion. 'Why are his ribs so damn hard?!'
Meanwhile, Elias groaned as he tried to push himself up. He clutched his side, feeling the swelling around his ribs. Despite the pain, he couldn't help but laugh. 'Thank you, system!' If he hadn't received the Bones of Steel trait, that kick probably would've shattered his rib cage. He might've been a goner, even if Chameleon was trying to keep him alive. His skin would definitely bruise like hell, but at least his ribs weren't broken.
He noticed Chameleon had actually paused, staring at the leg he'd used to kick him.
Did… did that hurt him?
Wait—he could use this. What if he blocked Chameleon's dagger with the atom knife… and everything else with his body? Sure, it would hurt, but he had minor pain resistance. He could take it. Probably. The bigger problem was actually managing to block or dodge that damn knife, it wasn't exactly slow.
Was there a way to increase his accuracy?
A wild idea suddenly sparked to life in his mind, followed immediately by a grimace and a flush of red creeping across his face.
He could do something. It might even throw Chameleon off psychologically. But… he'd definitely suffer emotional damage of his own. Even if he won the fight, his dignity might not survive.
Still… it was the best plan he had.
Chameleon, meanwhile, had already brushed off the pain in his leg. He'd felt far worse before. A small bruise was nothing. He approached Elias, who had just barely managed to stand, the crunch of leaves and twigs punctuating each slow, deliberate step.
"I forgot to hold back on that kick," Chameleon mused. "I was a little worried I might've accidentally killed you… but you seem mostly fine. Interesting."
His gaze sharpened as Elias eased into a defensive stance, wincing slightly.
"You've got some pretty strong bones. Should I try hitting you a bit harder?"
Elias's eye twitched. "Are you kidding me? You're not hitting hard enough? That hurt like hell, okay?!"
Chameleon chuckled without replying. He stepped forward and swung his blade again…this time aiming for vitals.
However, something completely outside his expectations happened next.
"Say hello to my little friend!" Elias shouted. Not only did he block Chameleon's attack—he actually deflected it, something he hadn't managed once during their entire fight.
[You have activated your title (UR) "King of Catchphrases!" For the next 60 seconds, all combat, performance, or social actions performed with overly dramatic dialogue gain +25% effectiveness. (Cooldown: 60 minutes)]
Elias gripped the atom knife. He had to make this minute count.
"Huh?" Chameleon blurted, momentarily bewildered. He swung a punch at Elias's head.
"I am vengeance!" Elias shouted, blocking the punch with his forearm. Chameleon felt a dull throb shoot through his knuckles. Elias felt it too—but not as badly. Still, Chameleon's focus wasn't on the pain.
He retaliated with a sharp kick. Elias braced himself, planting his feet to avoid being launched like earlier. The kick landed squarely against his ribs, sending him skidding backward across the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust. He nearly stumbled—but managed to stay upright, just in time to see Chameleon charging in again, blade flashing.
"Plus Ultra!" Elias screamed, deflecting the strike with another dramatic shout.
"What the hell?" Chameleon's face twisted in pure confusion. "Wait… are you quoting random movies and TV shows?"
Elias launched a counterattack. "Omae wa mou shindeiru!" he shouted.
This time, his blade nicked Chameleon's side.
Rather than getting angry, Chameleon burst into laughter, nearly breaking his stance. His cackling echoed through the quiet forest like it didn't belong there.
"Oh god! You are! Kid, I can't handle you," Chameleon wheezed between laughs. Elias's face turned crimson. He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear—but he couldn't afford to waste even a second.
He charged again, yelling quote after quote with every strike:
"I'll take this potato chip… and eat it!"
"I am inevitable!"
"Do you feel lucky, punk?"
Each line somehow boosted his momentum—deflecting attacks and landing blows, while simultaneously reducing Chameleon to a doubled-over mess of laughter.
If anyone had witnessed their battle, they'd assume both fighters were talented, skilled—but completely insane. One was shouting famous fictional catchphrases mid-fight, while the other was nearly doubling over with laughter as he tried to defend himself. Wasn't this the behavior of lunatics?
"S-Stop! Hahaha! If you keep doing this I might actually get attached to you!" Chameleon howled, not even seeming to care about the damage anymore. "Why are you even doing this?!"
Elias wanted to die of embarrassment. But he pushed on. Just a little longer.
"It ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! How much you can take and keep moving forward! That's how winning is done! Straight from the great man Rocky himself!" Elias shouted.
Then, with every ounce of focus he had, he threw a punch—his fist slamming straight into Chameleon's temple.
The blow landed clean, sending Chameleon flying sideways from the impact. His eyes widened just before he crashed into a tree with a loud crack as the trunk split from the force. He landed hard on his stomach. The three consecutive blows knocked the wind out of him. He coughed, struggling to breathe. The impact had definitely cracked a few ribs, his bones weren't nearly as resilient as Elias's.
He actually hit me? he thought, just as his vision began to fade. Pain throbbed in his temple, disorienting him. It was a sensitive spot, and with Elias's reinforced bones, the blow had been even more devastating.
Blood trickled from Chameleon's nose, splashing onto the ground for the first time. His head grew heavy and his vision spun as he tried to lift it. Through the blur, he saw Elias cautiously approaching.
'Damn… I lost', Chameleon thought, just before his head slumped back down and darkness claimed him.
The forest fell silent once more.
Elias crept forward, checking carefully to make sure Chameleon wasn't faking. He tilted the man's head to the side with the tip of his finger. Chameleon didn't react.
He was out cold.
Elias exhaled a long, ragged breath and collapsed to the ground. He'd been tense the entire time. But he wasn't safe yet. He still needed to get out of here.
The first thing he'd noticed after waking up in captivity was that his phone was missing from his pocket. He didn't doubt Chameleon had destroyed or tossed it. Could he perhaps use Chameleon's phone? He scanned the area and spotted a broken phone not far from Chameleon's unconscious body.
'So calling anyone's out of the question', Elias thought with growing frustration. And I don't even know where I am.
He wiped sweat from his brow and looked back at Chameleon. The man looked oddly peaceful now, lying there. But Elias wasn't naïve enough to think he was harmless.
"To hell with it all. I won, but at what cost?" Elias groaned, cringing as he remembered all the embarrassing things he'd shouted earlier. He kicked at the leaves around him, sending them flying in frustration.
He spotted the leftover rope from earlier, picked it up, and stood. He walked over and tied Chameleon's hands behind his back. Better safe than sorry. He also grabbed Chameleon's knife and sheath, fastening them to his own belt.
'Wait. What if he has other weapons? Or a gun?' Elias remembered Jackal had carried one too. He needed to be sure.
He began patting Chameleon down, searching his pockets, when Chameleon suddenly flinched.
Elias froze as Chameleon began thrashing, violently struggling in a way that caught him completely off guard. A second later, Chameleon bit him.
"Ow! What the hell—" Elias winced.
But something was off.
Chameleon wasn't fighting like before. There was no elegance, no precision—just panicked, mindless struggle. His eyes were open, but dull and glassy, tears falling freely down his face. His entire body trembled.
"Don't touch me. Please…" Chameleon mumbled, his breath quick and shallow. "I don't want this. I'll do anything else. Please don't do this to me. Mr. Boar, I'll make you happy in any other way, so please…"
Elias froze.
What… what had he just heard?
"I-I wasn't going to touch you like that," Elias choked out, shocked. "I swear."
Was this another trick?
It didn't feel like one.
Chameleon curled into a ball, his body still trembling violently, tears slipping silently down his cheeks. Despite everything—and despite how pitiful he looked—he still appeared beautiful somehow. Elias didn't understand why Chameleon was suddenly acting like this. As he stared at Chameleon's face, His breath hitched as a horrifying possibility crossed his mind.
Could Chameleon be a victim of the very crime he was thinking of?
Even if Chameleon had tricked him before, this didn't feel like an act.
"This… Did you experience…?" Elias couldn't bring himself to finish the question. He wasn't sure what he'd do with the answer even if his guess was true.
Still, Chameleon's reaction spoke for itself. He didn't really need to get an answer.
"I promise I won't touch you again," Elias said gently. "I mean it."
Chameleon relaxed a little.
"Thank you, Mr. Boar," he whispered politely, then fully lost consciousness again.
Elias stared down at him, emotions twisting in his chest. He ran a hand through his hair with a groan.
"Is this really the time to feel bad for him, after everything he's done?" he muttered, annoyed with himself for being so soft. He didn't bother searching him again. Instead, he looked around, trying to get his bearings.
'Where should I go?'
His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of running water nearby—a river? Maybe if he followed it, he could find a road or settlement with a phone.
Without another glance at Chameleon, Elias turned and headed toward the source of the sound.
---
Fifteen minutes later, Chameleon stirred. His eyes opened groggily. A pounding headache throbbed behind his eyes.
"Shit… What happened?" he muttered, groaning as he sat up. A flood of memories rushed back—including Elias's surprise attack and… what had happened afterward.
He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth.
'That damn kid saw something he shouldn't have.'
This was worse than losing a fight to the kid. He couldn't believe he had accidentally exposed the most pathetic side of himself to him.
He searched around, finding no one but himself. The kid had definitely left. His breathing grew heavier as anger flared.
Chameleon glanced back at the ropes tying his hands behind his back. He snorted and pulled his legs through his arms, bringing the knot to the front. That kid definitely wasn't a boy scout. These knots were terrible.
He undid the rope easily with his teeth.
Once free, he wiped the blood from his face. He then headed to the car and opened a hidden compartment in the door. Inside, tucked away for emergencies, was a gun—kept well out of sight in case of police searches.
He grabbed it.
"Now…" he growled, eyes glinting with fury, "where did the kid run off to?"
It didn't take long to spot the footprints headed north…toward the river.
Chameleon sneered and cocked the gun. The metal felt cold in his hands. He ran his fingers through his crimson hair with a sigh, his eyes glowing with ruthless intent.
"It's about time I stop playing babysitter."