Chapter 186
Angela fired her gun right away without panicking at the Steel Monk’s sudden appearance.
Bang―――!
But the Machine Monk was different from me.
He lightly waved one hand, and with a 'Ting!', sparks flew, and the ricocheting bullet roared as it smashed into the wall of the next apartment.
…What beggar did I just see? Did he really just deflect that with the back of his hand? Is this real life?
As she tried To Fire another shot, he extended his other arm and threw a disciplined hook, and with that single strike, the Russian-made tech pistol crumpled like a disposable toy.
It was hard to believe Angela had predicted this far, but she was indeed no ordinary person.
She immediately threw the ruined pistol, using it like an explosive, and followed up by throwing a clear, transparent metal disc.
Thud-
The disc hit the monk’s forearm and immediately bounced off. Strangely, its color had become much redder.
The Red Disc bounced off the wall and struck down again, much faster than before.
He blocked it this time too, but as it grazed past, the concrete wall and Floor/Ground cracked and gouged.
That heavy and sharp pressure contained in a single disc!
Now it was so red it was glowing crimson like blood.
What kind of weapon is that? By game standards, wouldn’t that be at least legend tier?
Vooom-!
The Disc of Ruin tore through the entire exterior wall of the apartment at the same speed, bouncing around as it headed for its target.
Behind it, just outside its perilous range, Angela exquisitely extended her arm, which had transformed into a Silver Hook, to cut off his retreat.
A no way out situation from which he couldn’t escape!
I felt relieved that I wasn’t in that spot, thinking it was a huge relief that I had called the Machine Monk instead… but then I suddenly got worried.
Can he really block that?
As expected of a Steel Monk, his body must be hard… but Angela’s gear seems insane?
The Machine Monk’s subsequent action naturally drew admiration.
Rather than overcoming it head-on, he brought both arms together, pressing palms together, and twisted his body to the side as if to dodge.
In that short moment, the disc turned his robe into rags and crushed the Floor/Ground, but he didn’t care and took one step forward.
Far from running away, he was advancing head-on!
[Buddha said. If one thinks and acts in the state of emptiness, formlessness, and wishlessness…]
The monk’s body vibrated and trembled wildly, like watching the vibration of a tuning fork. His blurred body slipped out of sight, and the disc ferociously struck that spot.
CRASH-!
Along with the smoke and the sound of tearing air, it collapsed the Floor/Ground and fell deep into the lower floor.
…Isn’t this getting way bigger than expected? They’re destroying a whole luxury apartment.
Should I say it’s a relief? The tide of battle seemed to have completely tilted.
The next moment, the vanished Machine Monk suddenly appeared and stood behind Angela.
[That state is like a bird flying through the empty sky leaving no trace, so it cannot be recognized.]
Teleportation? No, shifting form and position?
What just happened? It doesn’t seem like body acceleration cyberware like Sey.
It’s hard to explain specifically, but it was definitely different!
It was utterly absurd. It would be a lie to say I had no intention of figuring out his hidden skills when I called over that utterly suspicious machine derelict… no, Monk.
But I swear I didn’t know it would be to this extent.
Does one have to be at this level to be called a corporate problem solver?
“Tch!”
Angela immediately spun her body one hundred and eighty degrees, using the rotational force to extend her hook arm.
The Machine Monk took it head-on with his bare body, as if he had no intention of dodging anymore.
[Buddha said, be as firm as the earth and do not anger.]
His faintly golden-tinged torso deflected the hook and brushed off the subsequent spikes as if they tickled.
[Also, stand tall and immovable like Mount Tai; this is called the Vajra Immovable Body Technique.]
A golden momentum that blinded the onlooker!
I was confused whether this was the action of a well-made mechanical device, or truly the harmony of Techno Buddhism’s enlightenment and martial arts.
“Shaolin Monk!”
Her shocked expression at the force that transcended imagination lasted only a moment; Angela put on a determined face and charged head-on once again, as if she still had a Trump Card left even when facing a formidable enemy like the Shaolin Monk.
[Hoho, female patron. Do you still have something terrifying left? Seeing as you seem accustomed to killing, committing evil will inevitably bring retribution…]
“Oh my, Monk. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to commit evil one more time here!”
She shouted sharply and reached into her bosom. What kind of extraordinary weapon would come out this time?
Breaking expectations, what popped out from her bouncing chest was a provocative pink women’s underwear.
The thick bra fluttered through the air and scored a direct hit on the Shaolin Monk’s face.
[…]
“…”
Silence hung in the air for a moment. I was dumbfounded, not knowing what the hell this situation was, and the Shaolin Monk… seemed genuinely panicked?
Where did the Golden Radiance and aura that overwhelmed the opponent go? He had reverted back to the somewhat lacking Machine Monk I usually saw.
While he staggered, pulling off the bra that blocked his vision, Angela flicked her tongue and shouted.
“Monk! This is the taste of the secular world! You can’t get a grip, can you? Well then, I’ll be taking my leave! Thank you for the good words!”
And then she bolted and ran away.
Seeing her flee at an astonishing speed and widen the distance in the blink of an eye, the thought “As expected of a professional hitman!” naturally came to mind.
No, by the way, isn’t he crazy, this derelict monk! Why does he have so little resistance to women’s underwear when he’s just a mass of iron!
“No, that side is human! You’re a Ladam! You’re different species, so why are you panicking so much! Get a grip! Hey, Mister!”
When I shouted in disbelief, the Shaolin Monk finally threw the underwear away and shook his head.
[A-Ah, no. It was my first time experiencing this, so I was slightly flustered. There is no need to worry, patron.]
…Is that right? The way he’s stuttering makes me anxious.
Leaving my suspicious gaze behind, the Machine Monk looked at the fleeing Angela and recited a sutra once again.
[B-Buddha said, a true person has no defilements and has transcended life and death, and having escaped bondage and severed desires, is called an arhat.]
And then he reached his hand into the empty air.
Nothing happened. Just dust quietly falling onto the back of his hand.
[Whether in a village, a forest, a valley, or a plain, wherever an Arhat resides, anyone shall receive his touch…]
But soon, the atmosphere and dust vibrated, drawing a shape. Clack-! The mechanical device inside the Shaolin Monk’s thick fist opened its lid and emitted an invisible, powerful wavelength.
[This is called the Arhat Divine Fist, and by its secular name…]
I could feel something shoot out from his straight punch.
Soon after, a palm blast? A sound wave? A cannon? An unidentified directional energy knocked Angela down and easily subdued her.
Thud!
A clear fist mark left on the wall beyond the fallen, captivating woman.
[…It is called the Hundred-Pace Divine Fist.]
The Shaolin Monk withdrew his golden fist power and spoke in a tone that made him look cool.
As for my impression… Hmm.
It would have been really cool if it weren’t for the scene where he panicked with a bra over his head.
After seeing that, it kind of ruined the mood.
The Machine Monk must have felt awkward too, as he scratched his head and turned to look at me.
[I wondered why the patron called this Monk all the way here… but there was indeed a formidable enemy that is not easily seen! Heh.]
It’s no use trying to cover it up like that, you naive derelict monk!
Just like when I saved him from being beaten by Bobby back then, Vajra Immovable Body Technique and Hundred-Pace Divine Fist are all useless; it seems he just loses all his strength whenever a female form appears.
At my sour gaze, the Machine Monk avoided my eyes and said.
[W-Well, didn’t you say you were trying to catch that female patron because she seemed to be the culprit of the murder case? The surroundings are noisy, so I think we should quickly take her and move to another location…]
That was true. The surroundings were a complete mess. It looked as if an earthquake had struck or a war had broken out.
Having caused such a disturbance in a luxury apartment building, with red sirens blaring, if we stayed still like this, we would definitely be arrested by the city police as a suspect caught in the act.
There wasn’t much time. We had to move quickly.
After calling Hina, I carefully put the fainted Angela on my back and shouted to the Shaolin Monk.
“Then help us get out of here!”
patrol robots would be swarming and heading this way; we couldn’t force our way through, and hiding and avoiding them didn’t seem easy either.
But what if it was the Shaolin Monk?
Seeing how he came in here quietly without a sound, he must have his own know-how on getting out without getting caught by the security device.
[T-That’s a bit difficult. It is related to a Secret Technique that cannot be shown to an outsider…]
“If you don’t help us right now, I’ll spread rumors on the net that there’s a pervert Shaolin Machine Monk who wears women’s underwear on his head, you know?”
[Gah!]
Okay, persuasion complete.
The Machine Monk had no choice but to nod his head.
“What about that Mister?”
Hina pointed at the middle-aged man who had been kidnapped by Angela and was shouting something towards us while tied up.
Did she feel some sympathy and think we should save him after seeing that miserable state?
“Could he be someone who knows something about the case? And was dragged here to be silenced - “
I knew it. There’s no way that cold-blooded girl would do that!
I shook my head and said.
“Probably not. If we leave him here, the police will take care of it, so let’s just go for now!”
We had to leave the area first, and after that, it would be time to interrogate Angela.
Is she really the culprit?