Machine God with EX-rank talent (Deus ex machina)

Hyun Suho hadn’t acquired any active skills for combat by the time he reached Level 6.

The only skills he had were the Black Hole magic and a few psychic abilities that he learned from skill books.

Perhaps he couldn’t use plasma, which converts mana, but it wasn’t a significant issue.

If they couldn’t use mana together, it meant there was no reason for him to be at a disadvantage.

Click!

Hyun Suho drew a pistol with one hand, and Butcher quickly raised his hand axe to block it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He barely managed to block the shots, but a heavy sensation ran through his wrist.

It was unbelievable that bullets without mana could be this powerful.

“Ugh!”

Butcher couldn’t comprehend the situation.

With mana frozen, the use of skills was prohibited, and the plan was to overwhelm the opponent with physical combat.

This was Butcher’s foolproof strategy, which had brought him to where he was today.

Even renowned rankers, whose names everyone knew, had been defeated by his small hand axe, bleeding as they fell.

But Hyun Suho was different.

Even without being able to use skills, instead of panicking, he was pressuring Butcher with increasing momentum.

As the situation unfolded differently than he expected, Butcher retreated, catching his breath, and stared at Hyun Suho with a terrifying gaze.

“Who the hell are you?”

He had assumed that one swing of his axe would be enough to bring Hyun Suho down, so he hadn’t even bothered to ask for his name.

He was certainly not a ranker.

Butcher, a ranker killer, knew all the rankers.

He also knew there were hidden powerhouses in the world, even stronger than the rankers.

But he never imagined that such a young hunter could stand up to him.

Butcher spoke again.

“If you’re as skilled as this, you must have a nickname, don’t you?”

For a moment, Hyun Suho hesitated about whether to respond.

Until now, he had maintained a mysterious strategy.

If he wanted fame and recognition, he would have already revealed his rank.

‘There’s no need to answer.’

Just as he thought that and was about to draw his sword, someone from Jin Seo-yeon’s camp cheered loudly.

“Light Bringer, fighting! Knock that guy out!”

They had naturally introduced themselves while waiting earlier.

And now, they had revealed Hyun Suho’s identity.

Everyone who heard it began to murmur.

“Light Bringer? The one who with the Silver Knight cleared the Dungeon Break?”

“I’ve heard he’s an incredible prospect, but to think he could fight Butcher…”

Whether they liked it or not, when talking about Hyun Suho, the story of Silver Knight always came up.

Until now, he had been considered a young hunter assisting the remarkable talent, Silver Knight.

But those who witnessed the fight in person had a different opinion.

“If he’s this strong... isn’t he even stronger than Silver Knight?”

Silver Knight had been growing rapidly with government support.

But he was still just a prospect, not someone to be compared with rankers yet.

Many believed he would one day become Korea’s first top ranker, but that was seen as a prospect for decades down the road.

Becoming a ranker usually wasn’t possible until one was over thirty, even at the earliest.

But Hyun Suho was already fighting on equal footing with Butcher.

No, it wasn’t just equal footing—he was actually overwhelming him.

Butcher felt this fact most painfully.

“Damn it!”

Butcher swung his hand axe in disbelief, but the situation didn’t change.

As the fierce exchange of blows continued, the tide of battle began to clearly turn.

Butcher was now covered in cuts and bruises, his body soaked in blood. Although none of the wounds were fatal, they weren’t insignificant either.

In contrast, Hyun Suho remained as unscathed as when the fight began.

His breathing was steady and unbroken.

“Damn it! I never thought I’d have to use this…”

Did he think he couldn’t win at this rate?

Butcher suddenly leaped back and extended his hand.

Then, the air that had been stifling became breathable again.

‘He released the mana freeze?’

As the situation turned against him, Butcher had deactivated the area expansion skill.

Now, Hyun Suho could use mana, but so could Butcher.

For the first time, Butcher used a skill.

“Hell Spawn!!”

As Butcher shouted, something incredible happened.

Black smoke began billowing from around his body, slowly forming into the shape of a person.

At first, people thought it was some kind of summoning spell like a spirit, but as the figure became clearer, familiar faces emerged.

“Look at that! It’s Dead Hound! The ranker who died to Butcher last year!”

“Big Mouth is there too!”

They were all rankers who had been killed by Butcher.

Amazingly, Butcher was using them as his summoned minions.

Hyun Suho finally understood why Butcher had been hunting rankers.

‘Necromancy?’

Many had speculated that Butcher was hunting rankers to break through the wall of Level 9.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to gain enlightenment in fierce battles.

It was a complete miscalculation.

He had literally been hunting to collect trophies.

As one might expect, Mana Freeze wasn’t the only skill Butcher had gained.

He also had black magic that controlled the dead, specifically those he had personally killed.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Butcher’s class wasn’t that of a warrior but a dark mage.

“Kill him!”

At Butcher's command, the rankers who had been turned into undead flew towards Hyun Suho.

[Screech!]

There were five of them in total.

Although they didn’t retain all their strength from when they were alive, the fact that there were five of them made them more powerful than a ranker.

This was a scene even Hyun Suho hadn't foreseen with his future vision.

A powerful black magic attack, unleashed immediately after lifting Mana Freeze.

This was truly Butcher’s trump card.

In an instant, various strategies to counter Butcher's skill flashed through Hyun Suho's mind.

From powerful plasma beams to swordsmanship, magic, and telekinesis, he had many options to choose from.

What mattered was the probability of success.

He chose the most efficient method.

Closing his left eye and focusing all his energy into his right eye, his pupil began to glow brightly.

Whoosh!

He activated the skill he had acquired from Doom Eye, using its powers to modify his body.

Just as he had expected, he could use Doom Eye’s abilities.

It possessed more powers than he had anticipated, including x-ray vision and a scanning spell that allowed him to assess an opponent's level and abilities.

But the most important power was the Anti-Magic Field.

It was a perfect counter to Butcher’s Mana Freeze technique.

No matter how powerful a summoned creature was, it couldn’t be maintained without a supply of mana.

As Hyun Suho's eye lit up, all the summoned undead vanished.

Boom!!

As the undead exploded, black mist filled the surroundings.

With the sudden reversal, Butcher panicked and glanced around, bewildered.

“What, what’s happening?”

Butcher had always toyed with his opponents using Mana Freeze. He never imagined that the same tactic would be used against him.

With his magic halted, Butcher’s mind froze, just like those he had previously defeated.

It was the same fatal mistake that all of Butcher’s victims had made.

And the result was no different.

Whoosh!

As Hyun Suho emerged through the black mist, Butcher reflexively swung his hand axe.

Even in his panic, Butcher's reflexive action was commendable.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Over Technology.”

Buzz!

The blade of the Sonic Blade, which could slice through anything with ease, severed Butcher’s hand axe and cut through his chest and heart.

“Ugh!”

Butcher instinctively pressed his hand against the bleeding wound, but there was no way to stop the blood flow.

“I’m going to die here...?”

Butcher briefly stared at Hyun Suho with a look of disbelief before collapsing to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Thud.

Even though Butcher had fallen, Hyun Suho didn’t let his guard down.

There had been plenty of hunters who survived even after their hearts were cut.

Considering the unusual techniques Butcher had shown, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had a resurrection skill to survive even this.

Especially since he was a dark mage.

Hyun Suho kept his eyes on Butcher’s body until the end.

“……”

But Butcher, clutching his chest, didn’t rise again.

Though he had the skill to resurrect others as undead, he didn’t have a skill to bring himself back to life.

Unexpectedly, Jin Seon-gil, the chairman, was the first to assess the situation.

“This is the end.”

At Jin Seon-gil’s signal, the magic barrier disappeared.

The battle had finally come to an end.

Everyone stared at Hyun Suho in shock.

“Light Bringer won!”

“He... he killed Butcher? The ranker killer?”

“But Butcher was ranked 370th! How is this even possible?”

Shock, disbelief, confusion.

As Hyun Suho secured an unbelievable victory, everyone was too stunned to regain their composure.

Moments later, black-clad figures naturally appeared to handle Butcher’s body.

Even though someone had died in the middle of the city, it wasn’t a shocking event in the age of hunters.

It wasn’t a crime; it was just an unfortunate accident during a legitimate duel.

Butcher, now dead, quickly faded from people’s minds.

A new super-strong figure had emerged.

Everyone was curious about Hyun Suho’s age, class, and level.

Some were already moving quickly to dig up information on him.

If he was strong enough to kill Butcher, he had to be at least Level 8.

It was as if a new ranker had been born in Korea.

Only Jin Seo-yeon truly knew Hyun Suho’s real identity.

‘Just a few months ago, he was nothing more than a porter…’

She knew that Hyun Suho was an EX-rank, one of the most powerful in the world.

But no matter how you look at it, there wasn’t nearly enough time for him to have grown that much.

Even Silver Knight, who had received full support, was still far from becoming a ranker.

She never imagined that he would actually defeat Butcher.

While Jin Seo-yeon was still in shock, Jin Seon-gil, the chairman, who had been quietly observing, clapped his hands lightly and spoke.

“So, as promised, this time the victory goes to Seo-yeon.”

At the end of the banquet, the one who smiled was Jin Seo-yeon.

It was a declaration from Chairman Jin Seon-gil.

Not only did she gain honor, but she would also receive a reward befitting her victory.

Though Jin Sa-geol had orchestrated everything, the outcome was completely unexpected.

While his true emotions were hidden, his trademark gentle smile was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on Hyun Suho, the man responsible for this turn of events.

But only for a moment. Jin Sa-geol then laughed cheerfully and spoke to Jin Seo-yeon.

“Well, I’ve been utterly defeated. I had no idea you’d invite such an incredible hunter. You’re just as impressive as I expected, little sister.”

Jin Sa-geol maintained his magnanimous demeanor, praising his opponent.

Although he had made an uncharacteristic mistake due to Jin Seo-yeon and Hyun Suho, he found himself feeling more composed after losing.

Those who knew his true nature felt a cold sweat running down their backs at his behavior.

‘What a terrifying man.’

He was undoubtedly furious, to the point where his mind was burning with rage.

But to hide it all so perfectly and act so nonchalantly was almost unbelievable.

Jin Seo-yeon, not intimidated by Jin Sa-geol, responded with a victorious smile.

“Thank you for the compliment, brother.”

As their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly.

At that moment, Chairman Jin Seon-gil spoke again.

“Seo-yeon is Seo-yeon... and you’re called Light Bringer?”

Hyun Suho nodded in response to Chairman Jin Seon-gil's words.

“Since you’ve provided such a rare spectacle, you should be rewarded accordingly.”

When one achieves results, they are rewarded accordingly. When one fails, they are punished accordingly.

This was the management philosophy that Chairman Jin Seon-gil had upheld for decades.

That principle applied to Hyun Suho as well.

“Is there something you desire?”

Everyone was shocked and turned to look at Chairman Jin Seon-gil.

He was known for being careful with his words.

A single word from him could shake the global economy and bring joy or tears to many.

Because of this, he had never spoken carelessly.

Even when rewarding someone, he would meticulously assess their achievements and give a reward that matched.

But for some reason, he was now asking Hyun Suho what he wanted.

It was like a blank check.

If he wished, he could ask for wealth that would last him a lifetime.

At that moment, Hyun Suho realized something.

‘So this is what it was all about.’

The reason why his future vision had activated after nearly half a year.

Of course, saving Fireballer’s life was important, but there was a more crucial and precise objective.

Chairman Jin Seon-gil's reward.

Depending on what he asked for, the future of Hyun Suho and the Ex Machina Guild could change drastically.

But no matter how generous Chairman Jin Seon-gil was, the reward couldn’t be limitless.

What would be the best reward?

Money? Equipment? A quest?

‘Got any good ideas?’

Just as he was about to ask Nova for advice, his vision suddenly brightened, and an image appeared.

Future vision.

The future information that had led Hyun Suho here wasn’t finished yet.

Then Hyun Suho knew exactly what he needed to ask for.

“I heard that the Jinryong Guild has a treasure vault. They say it contains many items the guild has acquired over the years.”

“That’s correct.”

“I would like to take one item of my choosing from it.”

At Hyun Suho’s request, Jin Seon-gil raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

But he quickly nodded as if it was no big deal.

“That’s not a difficult request. I’ll grant it.”

With that, the banquet at the Jinryong family ended in a direction that no one could have predicted.