Gacha System: Reborn In The Hardest World

Whether it was his own acclimation to battle or sheer desperation to live, he sucked a breath in before–he vanished from sight. The sudden disappearance brought the Venator to a stop as well, attempting to find where the Outlander went. 

"You–this trick again," Dolus mumbled, glancing to the left. 

Moving as an unseen figure, Gael didn't move an inch from the spot he stood, watching the dumbfounded hunter completely spin to the side, lost to his current position. He swung the weapon again, unleashing a slash of wind–

"Ghh!" Dolus winced as the visceral gale cut into his shoulder. 

[Temporary summoning over.] 

–Before another swing could be performed, the weightless greatsword vanished from his grip, leaving him motioning with his hands without producing any threat. 

"Shit," Gael uttered, only able to muster that one reaction to his one saving grace against the unbreakable man. 

Of course, his despair was the joy of the Venator, who laughed at the disappearance of the bane to his impervious body, "Too bad, Outlander! That scared me for a bit there!" Dolus shouted. 

The Venator's body seemed to flex to a higher degree, summoning further strength as the warrior woman rushed him down. 

"Watch out–!" Gael warned when watching the hammer-wielding familiar approach the unpredictable hunter. 

Florentine raised her hammer, swinging it downward, though it was met halfway by Dolus. It collided directly with the man's skull with an impact that would assuredly turn any person's brain matter into paste, yet–

"Huh?!" Florentine let out in shock. 

Dolus remained on both feet, quietly laughing as the massive, blunt underside of the weapon laid on the back of his head. 

"Sorry, hun. Hit me once, you're going to have to hit me harder next time," the shaggy-haired man claimed with a smile, pushing the hammer away with one hand as he lifted his gaze. 

["I was starting to realize it–this world was unfair. Being summoned to another world, shouldn't my special ability make me head and shoulders stronger than everybody? So why am I facing these kinds of superhuman monsters right away?

That's what I thought when watching him–that man was simply unbreakable."] 

"Temporary Summon—!" Gael shouted. 

Without being able to fully get the command out, he found himself somehow face-to-face with the hunter. 

It was too fast; inhumanly so, like trying to react to a single frame in a movie. 

"Hraaah!" 

—As he witnessed the Venator's hand near his face, the commanding shout echoed through the chamber. It was a split-second save from the warrior, who bashed right against the hunter with her armored shoulder. 

There wasn't a moment used to be thankful for his life still being intact, only using the opening to finish what he meant to say–

"Temporary Summon: Skill!" He shouted. 

[Temporary Skill Summoning Initiated | (R ): 50% | (SR): 30% | (SSR): 15% | (UR): 5%] 

While the process of conjuring the randomly gifted ability began, he watched the unbreakable man catch himself, dashing towards him momentarily on all fours like a wild hound before returning to his feet. 

"What's your problem?! Why do you all want me dead so badly?!" Gael shouted, finding the ire of the man all too perplexing as he was rushed down. "--I haven't done anything!"

"Don't get the wrong idea! I don't hate cha'!" Dolus claimed with a thrilled smile, talking while quickly countering a hammer slam from Florentine by striking the woman in the jaw, leaving her unconscious, not breaking his gaze from the Outlander. "It's my job to hunt down your kind and any that harbor you–that's all there is to it! No hard feelings, yeah?! So hurry up and die!" 

"Fuck that…!" Gael responded, waiting for the flashing lights as the man came within meters shy of reaching him. 

"That's the spirit, kid!" Dolus grinned, reaching his fist right for him. 

[Chance Summoning complete…You've obtained…!] 

[Skill Temporarily Obtained: (R) "Minor Gravity Control"] 

Throughout his body, emitting from his stomach and throughout his limbs, the memories of the supernatural power integrated itself into his cells. At that split-second, he flexed his body, swiping his hand down to command authority over that supreme force–gravity. 

"Oh–?" Dolus let out, glancing down. 

Just a few feet shy of reaching him, the Venator was suddenly slammed down to the ground by an unseen pressure. The metal tile caved in from the sudden exertion, enough to crush the bones of a normal man, though "normal" could hardly be prescribed to the eccentric Venator. 

"That's it!" Blythe shouted from the crystal tree. "I just need a bit more time–just hold him there–! Gael, keep it up!"

Maintaining the downfall of gravity over the Venator caused his entire body to cramp, feeling as though his bones were being crushed by his own muscles as he kept it steady. Even as he held it, he could see it–the unbreakable man rose a few inches, struggling, yet rising nonetheless. 

"Nnngh–!" Gael gritted his teeth as his complexion reddened, allowing his eyes to go bloodshot and his nose to trickle with blood. 

["I was surprised by it myself. Just a day ago, I was staring blankly at my computer screen, the same as I've done for years, lazing away without any aspirations–hollow. I'm fighting for my life, though–I feel alive. 

While it felt terrible being hunted for just existing, a part of me was grateful–it gave me meaning. I began to hate them–the Venator, attempting to take my life for nothing."] 

[Temporary summoning over.] 

–The imprisoning gravity vanished as the pressure vanished from his body. It was in that exact second that the impervious man launched up from his laid-out position, pushing off the ground in a mad dash right for him. 

This time, no fear laid in his body, confronting the Venator head-on as he locked gazes with those silver eyes. It was like looking into the irises of a mad beast, absent of reason. 

"Temporary Summon…Skill!" He called upon, ducking down and cocking his fist back. 

It was by pure luck he managed to predict that Dolus' fist would come for his nose, evading it and countering with a wild hook to the man's cheek–CLANG. Of course, it was like hitting steel with nothing but his brittle fists as his knuckles burst further, squirting blood. 

"That's the way! You've got some balls–but you're way too in over your head, kid!" Dolus declared. 

He felt his shoulders be grabbed by the unbreakable man before being bent over, forcibly met halfway by a sharp knee to his sternum. There was a definite "crack", fracturing his bones as all of the air was forced from his lungs. 

'Can't breathe. It burns,' he thought, somehow finding clarity in that painful moment. 

["There was a point in my life when I was somebody. In high school, I was the ace of the varsity basketball team. I worked my ass off, carrying our small school to nations, yet–

When we lost, I broke. I just gave up on everything. It all felt pointless–but, that's bullshit, isn't it? At heart, I'm competitive–I fucking hate losing, more than anything. It was the same for basketball, and it's the same when fighting this unbreakable dumbass. 

C'mon, me–it's the fourth quarter and the team needs a three pointer."]