Luke watched the towering monster being bombarded by his flames. His expression was calm, almost bored.
Even after taking that many hits, the creature was still standing—charred, smoking, but not falling. Its carapace was cracked and scorched, yet the sheer size and endurance it showed were impressive.
He exhaled quietly. "Damn… thick skin. That's almost at Abomination-level."
The truth was obvious. In this monstrous form, the guy had him beat in raw power—stronger muscles, faster movement, tougher skin, and probably endurance to match.
But brute strength alone didn't decide the fight.
Not when your opponents could hit from a distance, control the field, and force you to move on their terms.
He could already see it—his opponent was being forced into defense, barely reacting between each fiery impact.
Then—
"RAAAAHHHHHHH!"
A thunderous roar split the air.
Mark, now fully consumed by rage, charged straight through the flames. His entire body burned, but he didn't care.
Fire clung to his armor, molten patches hissing against his insect carapace as he barreled forward—CRASH! CLANG!—tearing through wrecked cars and shattered concrete like paper.
Luke didn't move. His gaze tracked the charging monster, calm and focused.
"Hm. You've got good instincts…" he said, raising his right hand as the air around him shimmered with heat, "…but you picked the wrong opponent."
FWOOOOSH—
Two small fireballs flared to life behind him—tiny compared to the earlier barrage, but far more dangerous. Their glow was blinding white, the air around them warping and rippling from sheer heat.
Super-condensed flames. The kind that didn't explode—it erases.
Luke's eyes narrowed. "Let's end this."
He flicked his fingers.
The twin orbs shot forward like comets, slicing through the air with a sharp, metallic shriek.
No explosions. No smoke.
Just a blinding flash—FWAAAM!
The searing bolts tore clean through the monster's legs, vaporizing everything they touched. Flesh, armor, bone—gone in an instant.
Mark's roar broke into a choking scream as his body lurched forward.
Momentum carried him into the ground—BOOOOM! The impact shattered asphalt, sending a shockwave through the ruined street
Luke tilted his head slightly, watching the massive insectoid body roll across the cracked road before slamming into the side of a bus—KRRRASH!
Dust billowed. Smoke curled off what was left of Mark's charred shell.
"You know the mistake you made?" Luke asked, voice calm and cold.
Each step he took echoed—tap… tap… tap…—as he walked closer, firelight flickering across his face.
Mark groaned. His once monstrous body twitched weakly, half-melted chitin clinging to scorched flesh.
The stench of burnt meat filled the air.
Using one trembling hand, he desperately tried to crawl away—scrrrk… scrrrk…—fear twisting his distorted face.
"That," Luke continued, tone low and deliberate, "was underestimating me… and making me your enemy."
He raised his hand. Two small fireballs flared to life, their glow reflecting in Mark's terrified, glassy eyes.
"W-wait—! No—please!" Mark stammered, his voice cracking as he scrambled backward, claws scraping the asphalt.
"I-I was wrong! I'm sorry! I didn't mean—ahhhHHHHHHHHH!"
The fireballs shot forward, slamming into his arms. Flesh and chitin sizzled, vanishing in a burst of steam and burnt stench.
Mark screamed, thrashing helplessly, his broken limbs smacking against the cracked ground.
"Ahhh—AAHHH!! Please! I'll do anything! Don't kill me! I can help you! I'll—ahhh—stop—please stop—!"
Luke's expression didn't change. His boots crunched over the rubble as he stopped beside the fallen monster.
"Sorry?" Luke tilted his head slightly, eyes glowing faintly blue.
His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"Fuck your sorry."
He lifted his foot and slammed it down—THUD!—right on Mark's head. The impact cracked the asphalt and sent a dull tremor through the ground.
"You think I'd believe that crap?" Luke said coldly. "If I were the one on the ground right now, you'd be laughing. Isn't that right?"
Mark gurgled weakly, his breath a wet rasp. His mandibles twitched, eyes trembling with pain and fear.
Luke crouched slightly, looking him dead in the eye. "Yeah. That's what I thought."
"If the roles were reversed, you wouldn't have hesitated. You'd mock me. Make it slow. Maybe even enjoy it." He paused, tone sharpening. "That's who you are."
Mark's eyes flickered—shame, fear, regret. He wanted to deny it but couldn't. The truth was suffocating.
Luke exhaled softly. "That's the difference between us. You play the 'main character,' acting like the world owes you. Me? I'm not pretending. I know exactly what I am."
His gaze darkened. "But I do have boundaries."
Luke straightened, his aura flaring faintly blue. "And you crossed them… when you looked at my woman with that filthy gaze."
His mana surged through his leg as he stomped down again. A shockwave rippled outward, cracking the ground and shaking nearby debris.
"AAAHHHHH! Stop—please!" Mark screamed, voice raw and broken. "I'm sorry! Please have mercy! We're both from Earth, aren't we?! We're the same!"
Luke stopped mid-motion, his eyes narrowing. "Hmm…" He rubbed his chin, pretending to consider it. "You know… that's a fair point."
Mark's eyes widened, a glimmer of desperate hope flickering within them.
"Then tell me everything," Luke said quietly. "Start from the moment you disappeared from Earth. How did you end up here?"
Mark coughed violently, black fluid spilling from his mouth. His voice shook. "W-would you… let me live if I told you?"
Luke's tone turned colder. "Do you have another option?"
Mark's body trembled. "…I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."
He gulped, forcing the words out between ragged breaths. "It… it happened about a week ago. I got a system—an Evolution System. It said I could grow stronger by merging with various organisms. I thought it was a joke, but… then I woke up here."
His voice cracked as he spoke faster, desperate. "I used it—merged with bugs, evolved, and kept growing stronger. I just… wanted to survive! That's all! I didn't mean to fight you, I swear!"
Luke frowned slightly. "One week…?"
"Y-yes!" Mark nodded rapidly, trembling. "It's only been one week since I came here!"
Luke's eyes narrowed further. "Do you know who gave you that system?"
"…No. It just appeared in my head. I didn't see anyone, didn't hear anything. It was just… there."
Luke stared at him in silence for a moment.
'One week, and he's already this strong. If this idiot had a brain and waited a bit longer, this would've been a lot of trouble.'
Mark looked up at him, eyes wide and watery, his broken body barely holding together.
"S-so… I told you everything," he whispered weakly. "You'll… let me live now, right?"
His voice shook with fragile hope.
Luke didn't answer right away. The silence stretched, the faint crackle of distant fire filling the air.
Then he smiled—small, cold, and unreadable.
*****
A/N: So, a question for all my readers — will Luke kill him, or will he escape? 🤔
If you want to find out right now, check out my Patreon, where the story is already updated up to Chapter 92, far ahead of Webnovel! 💫
👉 patreon.com/cw/Universal_Peace