Tech Hero in Another World
Chapter 46: [45] Mutant Wasp vs Techno

Chapter 46: [45] Mutant Wasp vs Techno

Ren’s eyes remained locked on Veskar, but he hadn’t forgotten Elaria behind him.

Without turning, he called out in a firm tone, "Princess Elaria, can you run?"

Still shaken by the presence of the enemy, Elaria looked at him in confusion. "H-Huh?"

Ren let out a short sigh. There was no time for lengthy explanations. "Sorry, but this might be a bit sudden... Raven!"

A flash of red light shot out from the darkness. In an instant, the mechanical crow with glowing crimson wings dove down at Elaria. Before she could even react, a force field formed around her, and the mini jets from Raven slammed against her body, pushing her forcefully away from the battlefield.

"W-What!?" Elaria cried out as her body lifted off the ground, quickly dragged to safety.

And at that exact moment—

SWOOSH!

A swift thrust aimed straight at Ren’s chest.

Veskar moved like lightning, his spear slicing through the air at a speed the naked eye couldn’t follow. But to Ren, everything played out in fractions of a second.

His helmet’s system immediately analyzed the trajectory. It read every motion, every shift in ground pressure, every swirl in the wind caused by the enemy’s movement.

"Tsk... Pretty fast."

With reflexes honed to the level of instinct, Ren twisted his body to the side, letting the tip of Veskar’s spear pass just millimeters from the black chest plate of his armor.

The ground behind him cracked from the sheer force of the missed attack, debris and dust scattering into the air.

But Ren didn’t waste the momentum.

"My turn."

Spinning with perfect form, he launched a counterattack. His left foot slammed into the ground, generating the force needed to propel him forward like a bullet.

His fist clenched tight, and with full power, he threw a steel punch straight at Veskar’s face.

BOOM!

The air trembled with the impact, echoing through the night. For a moment, the world stood still—two forces clashing in the dark.

Ren felt the shockwave of the punch surge up his arm. The impact was far heavier than expected, almost like punching reinforced steel. (Damn... That’s tough.) he thought, surprised. Even with his armor’s servos enhancing his strength, it felt like he took more of the damage than his opponent.

What surprised him more was that Veskar didn’t even budge.

The humanoid insect remained standing. He tilted his head slightly, looking at Ren with glowing yellow eyes, then calmly touched his jaw as if checking for damage.

Then, with a tone both calm and arrogant, he let out a low chuckle. "Oh? A strong punch." His eyes narrowed at Ren, like a predator sizing up worthy prey. "But it’s a pity..."

Veskar stepped forward—and with a movement almost invisible to the naked eye, he slashed sideways with his hand.

WHOOSH!

The air trembled again from the speed of the swing. Ren leapt backward, but the sharp wind from Veskar’s attack still scraped the side of his armor, leaving a thin gouge across its surface.

"...My body is made of Exeleston."

Veskar raised his spear again, pointing it at Ren with a casual yet confident stance. Moonlight glinted off his armor, highlighting the golden sheen of his natural plating.

"You may be fast... but not fast enough to beat me."

Ren clenched his jaw. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the enemy before him.

(This is going to be tough... but not impossible.)

He tightened his fists. He knew that when it came to martial arts, he wasn’t exactly a master. His training was enough to hold his own in close quarters, but the gap between him and Veskar was like earth and sky. Without the advanced technology enhancing his movements, he would’ve already been flat on the ground.

Even with it, he was still struggling.

Veskar wasn’t just fast—he moved like a shadow, shifting in the blink of an eye. Every motion was precise, every strike born of refined skill and years of combat experience. Each thrust of his spear wasn’t just an attack, but a calculated execution of deadly technique.

Ren grit his teeth. The pressure of this battle was unlike any he’d faced before. (Shit... He’s got the edge in everything—speed, power, experience. There’s no opening.)

But if there was no opening... then he’d just have to create one.

"Alright then. If you’re too fast to chase... let’s see if you’re fast enough to dodge this."

With a sharp motion, Ren’s armor deployed hidden compartments across his body. In an instant, multiple small barrels emerged from his shoulders, arms, and thighs.

Veskar’s eyes narrowed, sensing the shift in threat.

"Oh? Getting serious at last?" he mocked.

Ren didn’t waste a second.

"Full spread—fire!"

BRAK! BRAK! BRAK!

A barrage of energy rounds, mini-missiles, and electric nets exploded from Ren’s armor, forming a storm of projectiles that flooded the area around Veskar. Bursts of light and small explosions lit up the night, casting flickering shadows over the forest.

Veskar reacted instantly, launching into the air at blinding speed, his spear spinning like a fan to deflect incoming projectiles. But the wave of attacks didn’t stop. Ren had already anticipated his movements.

(You’re not the only fast one, bug.)

From within his helmet, Ren quickly adjusted the firing patterns, locking onto new coordinates and rerouting the barrage to track Veskar’s airborne path.

Veskar grunted. "Interesting..."

Despite the relentless volley, his body remained agile, dodging what he could and deflecting the rest with near-impossible precision.

Ren growled. (Damn... He’s still dodging! But—wait. Something’s off.)

His eyes narrowed further, analyzing Veskar’s movements. There was a rhythm—a nearly invisible pattern in his dodges. A faint hesitation, a slight delay.

A small grin curled on Ren’s lips behind his visor.

(Gotcha.)

He didn’t let the moment slip. His visor locked in on Veskar’s motion with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ambush protocol—engage!"

Ren’s armor hummed as a new system activated. From his back, several disc-shaped drones launched into the air, circling Veskar in a chaotic pattern. Each disc glowed with a faint blue light, and within seconds—

『LOCK-ON!』

Dozens of energy beams shot from the drones, converging on Veskar from impossible angles. These weren’t random shots—they were pre-calculated paths, targeting the very points where Veskar’s movements started to slow.

"Tch—!"

Veskar slammed his spear into the ground, spinning his body rapidly to deflect the incoming fire. Small explosions burst around him, kicking up clouds of dust and flickering light. He managed to repel the onslaught—but now, something had changed.

"You... were aiming for my legs?"

Ren smiled faintly. (Exactly.)

From the start, he hadn’t aimed to defeat Veskar outright. Instead, he wanted to restrict his movement.

In battle, one could have unmatched strength, speed, and experience—but if your freedom to move was taken away, none of that mattered.

"Now, try dodging this."

Ren raised his arm forward, and with a mechanical hum that echoed through the night—

『Plasma Buster—FIRE!』

A bright blue ball of energy formed in his palm, rapidly growing in size before it launched forward at high velocity.

Veskar, his mobility now restricted by the hovering drones and the debris from the earlier barrage, had only a fraction of a second to react. He attempted to leap to the side, but—

"—!!"

A massive explosion erupted. Blue light engulfed the surrounding area, shaking the earth so violently that several trees swayed from the shockwave.

From a distance, Elaria held her breath. Her eyes widened as she saw Ren’s silhouette standing firm against the glare of the blast.

"D-Did he... get him!?"

Dust began to settle. Pebbles rained down from the air. And amidst the destruction—

—Veskar still stood.

Even after that devastating attack, though cracks had formed on parts of his armor and smoke billowed from several points on his body, he remained upright, eyes glowing fiercely.

Ren growled. (Damn it... He’s still standing!?)

But something felt different. Veskar’s movements were heavier than before, his breathing rougher. The wounds might not have been fatal—but they had clearly taken a toll.

"Heh..." Veskar lifted his head, looking at Ren with a faint smirk beneath his helm. "You’re... more interesting than I thought."

Then, with a sudden motion, he drove his spear into the ground once more. But this time, it wasn’t to brace himself—

—it was to prepare for a counterattack.

"Alright then..." Veskar’s voice grew more serious, his presence more oppressive. "Now, I’ll stop holding back."

The night wind swept through the battlefield, carrying with it the tension of a fight that had just entered its next phase.