Exo Seeker: The Strongest Human Woke Up In The Future!

It's always exciting when a sword hits its target—the satisfaction of seeing the blade cut through is akin to eating a perfectly sliced cake, even on all sides, with flavors perfected to perfection.

A bursting flavor that satisfies the eater.

And Kael, even with his wounds and the pain from using the Drakorite Techniques—so intense that even simple breathing could make anyone grimace—wore a smile that didn't disappear.

Using the Energium-coated sword, Kael fought the Third Grade Ghost Behemech more fervently.

His blade kept targeting the same spot on the monster—its chest. Mechanical parts flew alongside pieces of flesh.

For a ghost to have all these components inside its body was strange. Spectres shouldn't have physical forms, but this Ghost Behemech was made of metal, circuitry, and some flesh. What's more, despite all its physical components, the Behemech could pass through objects, rendering physical attacks against this type of monster normally futile.

As Kael continued battling the Third Grade, the Ghost's wails grew louder and louder, flesh and metal constantly falling from its body.

It couldn't land a single blow on the human. Even when using its full speed, Kael dodged its strikes with ease—like he could see the future.

Kael ducked under another swipe of sharp claws before dashing toward the exposed chest. The organs and electrical wiring were now fully visible.

And just before the Ghost Behemech could land a hit, Kael plunged his sword deep into its chest.

The sound of the blade slicing through metal and flesh echoed, and his High Frequency Retractable Sword vibrated at full speed as it pierced the Third Grade's core.

Just inches above Kael's head, the ghost's claw stopped, frozen in place the moment the sword struck the glowing gem.

Kael looked up and twisted the blade, locking eyes with the Behemech as he smirked in victory.

"You put up a good fight," Kael said, though his words were only met by the flickering red eyes of the Behemech.

The Ghost let out a quiet wail—almost a whisper.

"But unfortunately, you weren't strong enough." With those words, Kael pulled out the sword, and the 7 to 8-foot-tall Ghost Behemech collapsed on its back, raising a small dust cloud as it crashed.

Kael took a deep breath, watching the Behemech die. Smiling bitterly, he stopped using the Drakorite Tribe Techniques—and the moment he did, the pain he had been suppressing surged in like a violent tide.

"Ah! F*ck," Kael cursed, falling to one knee with a frown.

His body was in such intense pain that his consciousness began to slip into darkness—a defense mechanism of the brain to protect its user. It might have allowed his body to heal naturally, but falling asleep in a place where Ghost Behemechs lingered was suicide.

Kael closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He could use the Drakorite Breathing Technique again to ease the pain and refill his energy, but the moment he stopped, death would follow.

As he fought to stay awake, Kael suddenly heard a wailing sound.

"Sh*t. Another one," he muttered with a deep frown. Using every ounce of strength left, he stood up slowly, picking up his weapons and the Growth Orb on the ground along the way.

The Growth Orb radiated a blue, ethereal glow—and compared to the Second Grade Growth Orb, this one was small.

Kael concluded that the reason for this must be because of the enemy contained inside.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts—and the headache—he looked around, trying to locate the source of the wailing. But when he finally saw it, his eyes widened before a smile slowly formed on his face.

He walked toward the sound, which came from a Primer woman wearing an Exoskeleton Suit that accentuated her figure, showcasing an hourglass form and the size of her breasts.

The woman was staring at the three mutilated corpses on the ground, gnawed on by the Ghost Behemechs.

Even though Kael was enduring pain unimaginable to most humans, seeing a beautiful woman crying stirred something in him. His chivalry—his so-called 'gentleman' side—wouldn't allow him to just stand by.

The smile on his face faded, replaced by a pained and sympathetic expression.

The woman noticed him approaching and immediately tensed.

She raised her weapon—a cannon with electricity pulsing along its sides. Energy condensed at the mouth of the cannon, ready to fire if Kael made a wrong move.

Holding the weapon with both hands, she took a few steps back, as if shielding something.

Kael glanced behind her and saw a black, box-like bag.

His eyes lit up.

Compression Box?

His gaze returned to her face.

Short bobbed hair, brown eyes, and slightly rounded cheeks. She had the countenance of a bubbly girl—someone who always smiled, even when things didn't go her way. But now… the blow must've been too much.

"Don't… be… scared…" Kael said through gritted teeth, his voice slow and filled with pain. "I…"

"W-who are you?!" the woman asked with a shout, trying to hold back her tears.

"I… helped them… I tried…" Kael said, glancing at the bodies with a sorrowful expression.

"Y-you helped my… team?" she asked in disbelief. The idea that another Primer would help them seemed impossible. She then noticed something else—he wasn't wearing a suit. Just a handgun and a High Frequency Sword.

"Yes… but it was too late…" Kael sighed.

"No suit… You're not wearing a suit! How could you have helped them? Did you kill the Ghost?" she demanded, suspicion rising. "Why would someone without a suit even come here? Are you not afraid to die?"

"Come on… my body's in too much pain… too many questions… how can I answer them all?" Kael said with a bitter smile as he collapsed to his knees. "Help me…"

As those words left his lips, his body gave out—and so did his consciousness.

The woman stood stunned.

"This man… helped my team… even though he's not wearing a suit…" she muttered, eyes wide.

She looked at the corpses, then back at the man lying unconscious before her.

"You tried to help them… even with just those weak weapons…" she said through gritted teeth. "You risked your life… to help them. I admire you."

Although there were a lot of questions in her mind—like what happened to the Ghost Behemechs and how they were defeated—her priority was helping the man who tried to help, even with the high chance of dying.

The woman knelt down and held the man in her arms before looking for a safe place to rest.

There was nothing she could do for her teammates' bodies—it would only slow her down.

It was better to leave this Fissure alive, especially after they helped her escape.

They had known they couldn't defeat the three Behemechs, especially with a leader among them, so they chose to help her escape.

But she didn't. She remained inside the forest, where she could still hear the fighting. It had gone silent for a few minutes before another battle broke out.

And after seeing their deaths—if she died here after they sacrificed themselves—their efforts would become meaningless.

…

The woman carried Kael in her arms, and as she found a place to rest, Kael was having the time of his life, letting her hold him close beneath her generous chest while he pretended to be unconscious.

This is amazing, Kael thought. He wanted to snuggle closer, but because of the mechanical suit, the only thing he could feel was the shape of her mounds.

The woman walked for a few minutes before stopping in a small clearing. A circular lake sat nearby, with one side flowing gently away on its journey.

She laid the 'unconscious' man down on a soft patch of dead ground. Kael slowly opened his eyes.

"W-where… am I?" he asked weakly, feigning confusion.

"Safe place. I hope so," the woman replied, scanning the surroundings with narrowed eyes.

"Thank you… for helping me…" Kael said, trying to sit up.

"I'm only doing this because I pity you. You know you can't just enter a Fissure without a suit—it's suicide," the woman said. "And probably because you said you helped them. In a way."

"Is that so…" Kael smiled bitterly and sighed. "Thank you."

The woman waved her hand. "What's your name?" she asked, her tone commanding.

"Kael…" he answered truthfully. "What about… you?"

"Helen," she replied. "Once you're done resting… I suggest you follow me if you want to stay alive. But if you fall behind, I'm not going back to save you."

"Why… are you doing this…" Kael asked.

"My teammates did the same for me. They saved me… even at the cost of their lives," Helen said through gritted teeth, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Besides... entering a Fissure without suit... I admire your courage and I feel like you are a good person."

"Good person..." Kael muttered as he sat down. "I'm not."

"Everyone is not," Helen smiled bitterly. "But your courage to help... I consider you as a good man."