“It’s called a truck!” Ethan answered.
“A truck…” Hjodona and Phel were amazed by the ‘being’ as it roared.
Honk!
“A truck is a large motor vehicle that is used to transport goods or materials on land. Its weight usually ranges tons,” explained Ethan with a darkened expression.
“Vehicle… transport…” Hjodona imagined the ‘being’ having mages on top of them and pulling carriages behind them with its unusual legs.
Meanwhile, Phel felt she heard wrong, “The truck is the vehicle or part of a vehicle?”
Thinking she heard wrong, she dispelled that question instantly.
“More importantly, Ethan said it weighed tons. That worries me.”
Hjodona nodded. The weight would be nothing to her. A flick of her finger usually blows trolls that weigh tons over hills. However, she is not on the fighting field, it is this magicless bastard who just learned how to fight moments ago.
Even if that metallic being is clumsy in a battle like a cattle, its weight is enough to crush Ethan.
But just as they were worrying about this, Ethan added more to the terror.
“It knows karate,” he whispered.
Before their very eyes, the metallic and boxy-shaped being rose and stood up as if it were a bear.
A black band of cloth was tied around the midsection of its body, swaying in the non-existent wind.
Hiss–!
“A black belt karate master truck!” Ethan cried out and clenched his fists, preparing for a tough fight.
“That truck is a martial artist!?” Hjodona, being a master of war, has heard of karate. It is a niche martial art among the magicless people in her world.
The fight started. The truck landed on its four wheels, revved its engine, and accelerated to a whooping 30 kilometers per hour in three seconds!
“Slow!” both Ethan and Hjodona exclaimed.
If it was Ethan before, this would’ve scared him. However, with the power-ups he had gotten, he easily tumbled to the side and dodged the oncoming vehicle.
“Its attack is just like that of a boar,” Hjodona explained, “its trajectory is just one straight line. It’s predictable!”
Just as Ethan thought he had overestimated his opponent, a series of switches were heard from the driver’s seat and the truck unpredictably maneuvered and drifted towards Ethan’s back.
His reaction was too late. The moment he jumped out of the attack range, the truck’s body had already hit him!
Tons of metal hit him head-on, making a loud and painful thud!
“Guh!” Ethan was thrown away and dropped like a sandbag. Energy sapped from within him as he felt his innards shaking in pain. The taste of blood reached the back of his throat.
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Honk! Honk! The truck screamed with arrogance.
Ethan stood up with hardship, wiped the dirt on his face, and scoffed, “Fear you?” He clenched his fist as if he were about to state something heroic, “I have no fear when pretty girls are watching me!”
Hoonk! Honk! Honk!
The truck replied.
“Shallow!? Well, you’re hollow!”
Honk! >:(
“That’s right, you honking bastard! You’re like a goose with wheels!”
Gasped—
Now, the truck’s fully furious. Ethan had crossed the line. The truck is not a goose!
The two then charged at each other’s throats or whatever the truck had for throats.
Phel: ???
Hjodona: ???
However, Ethan was no match for the truck. He tried jumping in to break the front windshield and take control within but the truck knew this and would drift at the perfect time to meet Ethan with its body, instead of its head. Ethan tried running away to get some time, but it was no match for the truck’s speed. He tried climbing on the back of the truck but it would just slam its body upon the thick pillars, sending him off.
He was hit again and again. Blood and bruises compound around his body. He was battered and no bones within him remained unfractured.
This was Ethan’s limit. With one more hit, he lay on the ground, not moving.
“For its shape and size, it is very dextrous. Maybe, it really knows karate in its own unique manner,” Hjodona shook her head. It seems like this was the end of it.
While she could not accept death, there was nothing she could do. Did she really believe that some wacky situation like this could revive her, giving her a chance to beat the crap out of her rival? No chance! She’d rather accept death than rely on this magicless bastard who thinks with his dick.
But just as she was about to accept the result, Phel shouted.
“Ethan, you can do it!” she cheered, “You can defeat that truck!”
Noticing Hjodona’s stare, Phel responded, “It’s the only thing we can do. We can’t join him in the fight.”
Hjodona just nodded but didn’t join. She doesn't believe it will change anything. She was the one who was cheered on the battlefield, not the one who would cheer others. Well, except when she’s increasing the morale of her soldiers.
“Let’s cheer for him!” Phel urged but Hjodona was adamant and shook her head.
“I don’t cheer. Besides,” Hjodona swept her eyes back to the battlefield, “it will not help him-”
In the middle of the battlefield, Ethan was standing upright, full of energy.
“My woman cheered on me!” he screamed, ready to defeat the truck at whatever cost it may be!
“Ugh…! Umm…” After slightly panicking and darting her eyes around, Phel bowed, “Sorry, but I’m not interested in being your woman! I hope you can understand…”
Like a deflating balloon, Ethan crumpled back to his initial stage.
“Ah! I’m so sorry! I just can’t mislead you, thinking we are in a relationship!” Phel began to panic, “As the Northern Maiden, I have a role to-”
Hjodona placed her hand on Phel’s shoulder, calming her down.
“No need, Phel. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Hjodona felt the strong urge to protect this lady. She’s too pure to be in this world!
“But… Ethan will be defeated,” Phel sobbed.
Honk!
As expected, the truck revved its engine and charged forward, wanting to end this fight. Ethan was still unwilling. Using the last bit of his strength, he tried jumping out in an attempt to dodge. But, like all other attempts, this failed. He was too slow and the truck didn’t need to decrease its speed and drift, it hit Ethan head-on, sending him off the air.
Bone and metal cracked as Ethan leaped off the air, leaving blood in his trail.
This was it. It’s the end of the fight. He didn’t even see his babes. As he was in the air, he spun and time slowed down for him. The three women who were supposed to be his harem were nowhere to be seen. He could only hear their voices and see that one mountain of ice.
Mountain of ice…?
…
Ethan dropped to the ground.
Honk! Honk! The truck stood up and danced.
“It’s over…” Hjodona sighed. What will happen to them now?
BOOM!
A wave of energy suddenly burst through, catching everyone off-guard. This wave of energy passed by the women, harming none of them. However, it was a different story for the truck. As the wave passed through it, every part vibrated and deconstructed violently. In other words, it exploded.
Both Phel and Hjodona had their jaws fall. Their widened eyes rolled toward the source of the energy. Even the sleeping cold beauty was woken up by this. They all looked at Ethan whose excess energy surrounded him, bursting off and cracking the ground beneath him. At the moment, with the blood and bruises covering him, he looks like a godlike warrior who triumphed against an unstoppable force of evil.