Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem
Chapter 194: When Life Hands You a Stick

Chapter 194: When Life Hands You a Stick

Zain walked deeper into the factory, the air thick with a rotten smell.

His eyes widened as he saw the Sporelord standing at the center.

It was massive, shaped like a giant frog, its skin covered with thick bone armor.

On its back, large fleshy sacs expanded and contracted, oozing with black-green slime.

Long tendrils dripped with venom, swaying in the air.

Its mouth split in four directions, jagged teeth gnashing and drooling acidic bile.

A single giant eye glowed on its head, and smaller eyes blinked all over its body.

Zain’s lip curled. "Disgusting beast."

He pulled out two handguns, the barrels glowing with [Heavenly Demon Ether].

"I don’t want to touch you."

The Sporelord turned its giant eye on Zain, rage burning bright.

It shook its body, letting out a low, rumbling growl.

Zain narrowed his eyes. "Come on, then."

The Sporelord’s back sacs pulsed and split open, releasing dozens of Broodlings.

Their eyes glowed red, their claws sharp.

Behind them, a Sporeguard crawled out, its bony armor shining in the dim light.

The Sporelord’s Hive Link activated, its eyes glowing brighter.

The Broodlings and Sporeguard moved as one, closing in on Zain.

Zain frowned. "Damn it."

He fired his handguns, each bullet glowing with his ether.

Broodlings exploded in bursts of black-green slime, but more took their place.

Zain felt a claw slash his arm, venom seeping into his wound.

He winced, his grip tightening. "Bastards."

A Broodling jumped at his chest, teeth snapping.

Zain ducked and kicked it away, but two more bit into his leg.

He growled, his ether flaring as he shook them off.

The Sporeguard lunged at his side, claws glowing with venom.

Zain spun, shooting at its face.

The bullets hit, but the Sporeguard’s armor held strong.

It swung its claw and caught Zain’s shoulder, blood spraying.

Zain gritted his teeth. "Getting tired, huh?"

The Broodlings swarmed around him, biting, clawing.

Zain felt his strength slipping.

He fired again and again, each shot burning with ether.

Some Broodlings exploded, but more kept coming.

Zain’s breath came in ragged gasps. "Too many."

The Sporeguard slammed into his chest, sending him flying.

He hit the wall hard, pain shooting through his body.

He staggered up, his eyes burning. "I won’t lose."

The Sporelord roared, its bile dripping onto the ground.

The Broodlings charged together, their eyes locked on Zain.

Zain turned back, his breathing heavy.

Every time he fired a bullet, his clip emptied faster than he wanted.

He clenched his fists.

"Damn it," he said.

"My bullets are running out too fast."

The Sporelord watched with its single, giant eye.

Its tendrils swayed and shot forward, aiming for Zain’s legs.

Zain jumped back, but one tendril caught his foot and pulled him down.

He crashed to the ground, pain shooting through his body.

He kicked the tendril away, rolling back to his feet.

"Damn this thing."

The Sporelord’s tendrils kept coming.

More Broodlings spilled from the fleshy sacs on its back.

Zain’s bullets flew, but the more he fired, the faster they seemed to run out.

Zain’s face twisted with anger.

"I need a plan," he muttered.

"I need something stronger."

His eyes scanned the floor. He spotted a broken stick, maybe from a crate.

It wasn’t a sword, but he picked it up anyway.

"Let’s see if I can do this," he whispered.

He gripped the stick with both hands, holding it like a sword.

He took a deep breath.

He let his [Heavenly Demon Ether] flow through his arms, down the stick.

Zain’s face lit up with a grin. "Time for a new trick."

He focused his energy and swung the stick forward. "[Demon Slash]!"

A glowing sword wave shot out from the stick, slicing through the air.

It hit a group of Broodlings, and as it passed, the wave exploded.

The blast sent pieces of the Broodlings flying, taking out others that got too close.

Zain’s smile widened. "Perfect."

He swung again. Another wave of energy burst forward.

Each one cut through the air, exploding with a flash of black-green light.

The Broodlings shrieked, their bodies bursting into dark slime.

The Sporelord roared, its eye flaring. More tendrils shot at Zain.

He ducked, rolled, and swung the stick again, sending another wave of energy that tore through the air.

"Come on!" he yelled. "I’m not done yet!"

The Sporelord’s tendrils slammed into the ground, cracking the floor.

One tendril struck Zain’s side, sending him spinning into a broken wall.

He grunted, coughing. His vision blurred.

He wiped blood from his mouth. "Damn it," he whispered.

"I need to keep moving."

He stumbled to his feet, his stick glowing with [Heavenly Demon Ether].

"Just one more push."

He swung again, another wave exploding and cutting through the swarm of Broodlings.

He laughed, even as pain shot through his body. "You think you can beat me?"

His grin was fierce. "Let’s keep going."

He swung again and again, each strike faster than the last.

Energy burst from the stick, slamming into everything in its path.

The Broodlings fell, one after another, until the ground was covered in their remains.

Zain’s arms shook. His breathing was rough.

But his eyes were still sharp.

"Sporelord," he said. "You’re next."

He clenched the stick tighter, his ether swirling around him.

The Sporelord’s eye glowed, its tendrils rising like snakes.

Its mouth split open wider, drooling thick, acidic bile.

Zain grinned, holding his stick tight. "Bring it on."

The Sporelord let out a deep growl and released [Corrosive Bile Spray].

A thick, green stream of acid burst toward Zain.

Zain swung his stick, trying to send a sword wave to block it.

But nothing happened. No energy came out.

Zain frowned.

"Damn it. My [Heavenly Demon Ether] is gone," he thought.

The bile hit him, soaking his body.

Steam hissed as it burned through his armor and skin.

Zain clenched his teeth. "This is bad."

He looked at his trembling hands.

"I’ve used too much energy on those [Demon Slashes]."