Chapter 83 – Iron Fists.

The man named Berton snarled, eyes filled with confidence as he launched another punch. His dark-metal fists moved with unnatural speed and power, denting Rusty’s armor with every blow. Rusty staggered, his towering form momentarily off balance, but he refused to yield. His armor groaned under the strain, but the metal that comprised his form began to shift, repairing the cracks before they became true injuries. His stock of iron had become extensive and he was only limited by the SP he could use in this battle.

‘Careful, Rusty. This guy’s dangerous – he’s a lot stronger than the others and much more experienced.’

Alexander warned his metallic master, but Rusty already knew. This man wasn’t like the common thugs he had crushed earlier. He fought like someone who had seen plenty of battles, a true fighter, and his strange ability made him a tricky opponent. Yet, Rusty wasn’t new to these things, even the strongest ability had a weakness or would falter eventually.

The large man pressed his advantage, hurling a series of rapid punches that clanged against Rusty’s body, each one reverberating like thunder through the chamber. The force of the blows forced Rusty to step back, his metal limbs struggling to absorb the damage. For a moment, he just covered himself up, protecting his helmet where his monster core was from the damage. His forearms were especially thick but they were still dented under the onslaught.

His iron shell groaned under the pressure, it was clear that this Goliath was relying on nothing but brute force. His current form was primed for defense, and Rusty pitted it against this assault. He patiently waited, his opponent grinning as if he was assured of his victory. He even stopped regenerating his body to push his opponent into an unfounded sense of superiority. Eventually, his metallic back slammed into this chamber’s walls and it seemed as if the battle was lost.

‘Rusty, this guy is a Brawler, the skill he is using is only limited to his hands and legs, don’t give him enough space to perform more strikes.’

Alexander called out to him as the hits continued to fly and his body continued to give out. Rusty had faced monsters before that used their claws and teeth for attacking but never a true striker. However, his guide knew of one technique that was effective against them. The man was punching and kicking but he was still keeping some distance between them and there was a reason for it.

“I don’t know who sent ya, but you’ve crossed the wrong man!”

The man shouted, convinced of his impending victory, as he charged forward. However, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Rusty, who appeared to be a man encased in a suit of armor, had something up his sleeve that the man hadn’t anticipated. Just as the man’s fist hurtled toward Rusty’s head, the living armor did something unexpected – he grabbed his helmet and flung it into the air, revealing that there was no human inside.

“Huh?”

Berton hesitated, stunned by the realization that he was fighting a monster. But despite throwing his head into the air, Rusty’s body didn’t stop moving. He could control it without being physically connected and seized the moment of Berton’s hesitation to his advantage. His massive hands reached out and gripped his opponent, activating a skill he’d stolen from a zombie. His grip tightened with unnatural strength, and he could feel Berton’s wrists nearly snapping under the pressure.

“L-let go of me!”

Berton stammered but Rusty wasn’t finished. He followed up by increasing the weight of his body. With a powerful push from his legs, he toppled the man while maintaining a firm hold on his wrists. Even this muscular warrior from the Goliath race couldn’t withstand the sudden increase in weight. Berton crashed to the ground, the rocks beneath them cracking under the force. Now pinned beneath Rusty’s bulky frame, he found himself unable to move.

Although Rusty couldn’t control two metallic shells simultaneously, he had a few seconds of partial control before the switch would occur. Despite being separated from his body, the loadout system was still active. Once triggered, a new frame began to materialize from the helmet Rusty had tossed into the air, while the old shell clung tightly to his opponent. Though the skill-binding Berton would soon deactivate, Rusty still had a moment to act.

As his helmet flew upward, it shifted, and Rusty switched to his regular all-rounder form. With part of his torso and one arm already formed, he had enough to finish this. Sword in hand, he plummeted toward the man’s exposed head, aiming to end the fight. Berton’s eyes widened in sheer panic as he realized what was happening. The towering goliath, who had seemed so confident moments ago, was now immobilized under the sheer weight of Rusty’s old armor shell. His darkened fists were being clamped down by an unmoving force and his strength was not enough to move out of the way.

The blade gleamed in the dim light, its sharp edge descending toward Berton’s unprotected head. The man thrashed violently, his muscles bulging as he tried to break free, but the weight of the previous shell and the crushing hold Rusty maintained on his wrists made it impossible. For a moment, time stopped as Berton’s eye caught the blade’s tip moving down as if in slow motion.

“N-no W-ait…”

His words were cut off by the sharp whoosh of Rusty’s blade slicing through the air, followed by a sickening crunch. The sword pierced through Berton’s skull with deadly precision, splitting his head open. His body jerked violently for a moment before going limp beneath the weight of Rusty’s discarded armor. The goliath’s eyes remained wide open, frozen in shock, as blood pooled beneath him.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Rusty landed beside the lifeless form of Berton, his new body now fully solidified. He took a moment to assess the situation and reflect on his victory. The system’s prompt informed him of the strong enemy’s departure. Despite his success, Rusty wasn’t sure if his actions had been entirely wise. After dispatching the four weaker foes, he could have retreated, but instead, he’d pressed forward, driven by an unusual sense of curiosity.

‘You did well, Rusty. If we’d been any slower, then this poor girl would have…’

Alexander didn’t finish the sentence, but Rusty understood the weight behind it. These people took such matters seriously. The act the man had been about to commit against his acquaintance was a grievous taboo in their society. It was something that should never happen, and yet, these beings of flesh seemed unable to fully control their darker urges. It was something that Rusty found baffling.

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‘A shame… He probably had some good skills.’

Rusty glanced down at the defeated Berton once more while retrieving his discarded shell, depositing it back into his storage system with a shake of his head. Berton had clearly been a person with a unique class. Perhaps he had possessed valuable abilities. The man’s proficiency with hand-to-hand combat had been admirable, and absorbing a passive skill to improve his own close-quarters fighting wouldn’t have been a bad outcome.

‘Does he at least have some coins?’

Rusty glanced at the nearly naked body of the defeated man. It didn’t seem like Berton had been carrying a coin purse. Members of the thieves’ guild were known to stash most of their money in hidden locations, rather than carry it with them, especially when navigating these tunnels where anyone could be forced to pay a toll. There were likely some unspoken rules about not robbing each other too much, but such rules rarely applied to the strong.

‘Rusty, better switch to Albert. If that girl sees you in your current form, things could get troublesome.’

‘Ah, Okay.’

This wasn’t an issue for Rusty; he had planned to return to the guild in a form that allowed him to speak anyway. Odelette the Thief, his previous temporary companion, had advanced in her training and recently acquired the Rogue class. She had leveled up twice during their adventures and somehow gained the third later. Rusty had noticed that only individuals with at least two classes were permitted access to the underground area and its associated black market.