Chapter 115

As soon as Jake returned to the rooftop, he heard the rhythmic thumping noise of rotating rotor blades. Glancing around, he spotted the familiar black helicopter off to his right. The futuristic-looking rotorcraft continued to fly around the city, just a few high-rises away from the building, on the rooftop of which he stood.

Suddenly, the helicopter made half a circle in the air and accelerated, moving in his general direction. Jake briefly considered the possibility that it was moving toward some destination that happened to be in his direction instead of making a beeline for him, but no dice. The pilot had indeed noticed him and deliberately changed course to head straight for him.

Why won’t you leave me alone, dammit? Jake thought with a hint of frustration.

The chopper came to a stop near the building, hovering in the air several meters above the rooftop. Even if he decided to attack the helicopter, he wouldn’t be able to jump that high. His only choice was to flee.

The pilot behind the cockpit glass stared down at him for a moment. Jake could see a glimpse of recognition in his eyes as the pilot remembered chasing him across the rooftops a little while ago. Then he pivoted the chopper by ninety degrees so that the door gunner could have a clear shot at him.

Jake spun around and dashed away just as the roar of machine gun fire reverberated through the air. Dodging heavy-caliber rounds that rained down all around him, he raced across the rooftop, the gunfire chipping away at the rooftop and sending sprays of concrete dust into the air.

One of the bullets punched him in the back, staggering him for a second. He quickly recovered and picked up his pace again. He could tell the wound inflicted by the bullet wasn’t nearly as serious as the one he’d received the last time he’d been hit by the door gunner. The Enhanced Durability he’d acquired a few minutes earlier had notably strengthened his body.

Jake reached the edge of the roof and executed a mana-infused jump, propelling his body forward with immense force. He soared across the gap between the two buildings, feeling the wind against his body. As soon as he landed on the other roof, he immediately continued to run, not slowing down even for a second.

The gunfire ceased. Now that he’d put some distance between himself and the chopper, the door gunner couldn’t take good aim at Jake, who was now well ahead of the rotorcraft. The noise from the helicopter’s rotor blades and its engine grew louder as the pilot accelerated, giving chase. Jake didn’t need to look back to know his pursuers were gaining on him.

He leaped across the gap to another high-rise building. He continued to run, but whether he would be able to give the chopper the slip was anybody’s guess. As he already knew, that futuristic helicopter was incredibly fast. Most likely, he would have to seek refuge inside one of the buildings, as he’d done the last time.

Suddenly, the helicopter came into view on his left. It streaked through the air alongside the building, keeping abreast of him. It was incredibly fast, keeping pace with him effortlessly. In his expanded field of vision, Jake saw the door gunner smirk as he drew a bead on him. Then he opened fire.

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Bullets buzzed past him like maddened hornets. Two or three of them drilled into his left side and shoulder, leaving small pockmarks in his hardened flesh. While they caused him to stagger, the bullets didn’t inflict any significant damage. They even failed to penetrate deep enough to reach the mana stored inside his body. Still, he was getting angry. Despite his usually calm demeanor, this situation was starting to infuriate him.

Seeing Jake still on his feet and running seemed to heighten his pursuers’ excitement. This cat-and-mouse game seemed to amuse the two occupants of the chopper. They viewed him as nothing more than a frightened prey running for his life. If they’d known what he was capable of, they would’ve left him alone instead of persistently trying to piss him off.

Knowing he couldn’t outrun the helicopter, Jake suddenly changed the direction of his movement, making a ninety-degree turn to the right. He was now moving away from the helicopter while the door gunner was now targeting his back. The heavy-caliber rounds kept zipping past him, one of which tore into his left shoulder blade area. Jake was beginning to lose his composure. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to stay calm.

Reaching the edge of the roof, he launched himself up and forward, soaring through the air toward another building. The door gunner continued to unleash a barrage of fire at him. Two more bullets struck him in the back while he was still airborne, briefly disrupting his control over his body. As a result, upon reaching the rooftop, he lost his balance and crashed onto his side instead of landing on his feet. However, despite feeling frustrated by the rough landing, he suffered no injuries.

The helicopter accelerated again to catch up with him. He caught a glimpse of the pilot through the cockpit glass. The guy was sneering at him. The two occupants of the chopper must’ve thought he was done for, planning to finish him off. Jake had other plans, though. While he was a sitting duck for them, he knew he wasn’t going to lose to them. This wasn’t going to end the way his pursuers believed it would.

He leaped to his feet and dashed across the rooftop, his mind torn between conflicting thoughts. Rather than fleeing, he felt an urge to confront his pursuers. His desire to fight was so strong it prompted him to glance over his shoulder at the helicopter, calculating the best strategy to bring it down. It was still too high in the air for him to reach with a jump, so if he chose to fight, he was going to have to find a taller building to scale its wall to reach the same height as the helicopter.

Suddenly, the chopper accelerated significantly and streaked through the air over him. It crossed the gap between two buildings before slowing down and hovering above the roof of the building he was running to. Jake instantly realized what was on the pilot’s mind. However, by that point, he’d already reached the edge of the roof and couldn’t abruptly stop without risking losing his balance, pitching forward, and falling off the roof due to the momentum he’d gained. He had no choice but to execute a mana-infused jump across the gap.

Just as he launched himself up and forward, the helicopter turned ninety degrees so that the door gunner’s side faced him. With a shit-eating grin on his face, the shooter opened fire on Jake as he soared through the air toward the building, over the roof of which the helicopter motionlessly hovered.

Heavy-caliber rounds peppered his chest, inflicting no damage on his hardened body other than leaving pockmarks. However, each impact disrupted his momentum. He knew he wouldn’t be able to reach the other roof now. While his body continued to soar toward it, he was now descending at an angle, rapidly losing altitude. Instead of landing on the building’s rooftop as intended, he was going to crash into its wall.

Well, shit, he thought.