Chapter 354 - 350: Acceleration

Ryder didn't want the Thirteenth King to see him flying now that he was already here. He wanted to keep that a secret for now until he really needed it since the Thirteenth King could catch up to him even if he flew. 

"You're fast," Ryder muttered as he turned back. "Where are your partners?"

"Sigh, do you really think I need anyone to crush you? You would be already dead by now if I weren't curious as to who you actually are. So tell me, little rat. Who are you and why, and how did you steal the bombs?" the Thirteenth King asked Ryder as he frowned.

"I didn't take the bombs. Do you see anything in my hands? It's still inside the room. I synced the bombs and left. Why are you after me? Let me die in peace now that I have finished my work," Ryder said as he took a step back. He was just one step away from falling down.

The Masked Man didn't respond as he started stepping closer. Ryder understood what the man was trying to do. Currently, there were more than twenty meters of distance between the two of them. The man probably wanted to decrease the distance to less than twenty meters, but Ryder knew that he couldn't let the man do that. If the man managed to get within the attacking range, then Ryder would lose his hands and legs before he could even speak. 

If it happens, it would be easy for the man to know that Ryder was the person they were looking for when his body starts healing right before the man's eyes. 

"Wait! Don't come closer, or I'll jump. You will never find your bombs after I die!" Ryder thundered just when the man was five meters away from the attacking range.

The Thirteenth King's right leg was in the air and about to land on the ground, but he stopped and placed it back. He didn't move ahead.

"So you did confess that you know where the bombs are. Tell me where the bombs are and who you are. I can let you leave," The Thirteenth King told Ryder in a grim tone.

"Also, if you think you can die in peace after jumping, then you can't be more wrong. The Twelfth King is standing on the ground. You have no path of escape," he continued as he looked at Ryder with a smile.

'Ah, his partners are on the ground? That does make things more complicated, but it also gives me a great opportunity,' Ryder thought as a subtle smile formed on his face.

'Janus, I don't know if what I'm to do is a part of that one in ten thousand possibilities in which I'm successful, but I'll do all it takes to take him down,' he thought as if he was talking to Janus.

His hand was behind his back as he started walking towards the Thirteenth King. "I'll show you where I hid the bomb. Don't harm me."

The Thirteenth King scoffed at Ryder, not knowing that Ryder had pulled out his gun behind his back that he was still hiding.

As Ryder walked slowly, the sky was covered in dark clouds, and rain started falling. The Thirteenth King didn't move and waited for Ryder to get close to him.

Ryder continued walking closer until he was just twenty-one meters away from the man.

The man took a step towards Ryder, while Ryder took a step towards the man. Both of them were within twenty meters of each other. The Thirteenth King grinned as soon as Ryder was within his range.

"I don't think you'll need your hand to show me the direction," he suddenly let out as he waved his right finger. 

He waited for Ryder's scream when his hand was cut; however, nothing happened to Ryder's hand. His hand was perfectly fine.

The Thirteenth King didn't understand how it was possible. How could his ability fail? How was Ryder's hand still intact?

"I disagree, big guy. How would I kill you if I don't have my hands," Ryder let out as he grinned. 

He flew towards the man who was still shocked. The man kept attacking with his invisible blades, unaware that Ryder was under the Protection of Aria and he was invincible for the next sixty seconds.

"H-how is this possible?" the Thirteenth King exclaimed as he moved back. 

Even though he was stunned, he didn't let Ryder get close to him. He kept moving back like lightning. As for the Bullets that were coming out of Ryder's guns were also unable to hit him. Even though Ryder was invincible, it didn't stop the Thirteenth King from using his powers to protect himself. 

The Thirteenth King's speed was also a big problem. Even when his speed was being compressed, and Ryder's speed was being enhanced, he was still much faster than Ryder. With each passing second, the distance between them only increased.

" Do you think your speed can save you? I already know it's a problem. I won't let it save you anymore!" Ryder said as he pulled out something from his inventory while he continued chasing after the man.

It was a yellow pill that he had purchased from the excess points he had left after buying Protection of Aria from the store. 

In the previous timeline, when Ryder fought the Thirteenth King, he had already realized that his speed under the effect of the rain was just a tiny bit slower than the Thirteenth King. He had realized that he needed a little stimulant to get himself above that threshold to get faster than the man.

Seeing enough Origin Points with him, he decided to buy two things, one of which happened to be <Pill of Acceleration>.

It was a pill that could increase a person's speed by twenty percent, but it was a one-time use item, and its effect lasted for only five minutes. Ryder didn't care about the time, though. He only had forty seconds remaining. It was obvious that the pill would outlast his protection anyway. 

As he ate the pill, his speed increased, which stunned the Thirteenth King. He was surprised at how fast Ryder had suddenly become when he watched suddenly.

"Alright. You have intrigued me. You can't be that simple. Are you that little undying hero or a new obstruction that appeared in our path out of thin air? Whatever it is, you should be happy. You have forced me to use my true abilities now. You can die in peace," The Thirteenth King stopped moving back as a grin formed on his face.