Like many, Lex's father wasn't given a choice of what he could choose to be his 'Job Class'.
Only being able to become 'Jobless'.
Though it was true that the first passive Gift of the Class: 'Flexible Affinity' gave it the potential of allowing citizens to mix and match contrasting abilities regardless of synergy. It had the same glaring weakness.
Being unable to surpass proper 'Jobs'.
Even the second Stigmata Gift: 'Ability Learning' only allowed two weaker copy of other Stigmata Gifts. It couldn't even be used to learn Gifts from other people or sources.
The selection wasn't that varied, and other Stigmata Gifts weren't really groundbreaking.
They were rarely used as main abilities.
Mostly being relegated to supportive measures. Trying to improve a Combat Gift.
The main benefit of a Jobless was that it'd usually be hard to ascertain their abilities.
However, Goldie Dreadlocks already knew.
He knew the two Gifts the man had chosen.
Raising his eyebrows when he realised that they weren't exactly what he had expected.
'Arcane Intellect' was chosen. As a degraded version, it couldn't perceive worldly laws.
Only able to make the user more attuned to magic. The most important point of a Mage.
Back before the 2nd Eruption, it was still widely used as the best Gift to be chosen.
However, the lack of worldly energies and the fall of the common Mage had changed this.
'Arcane Intellect' was only chosen by those who wanted to boost their path of magic.
A benefit, rather than a crucial Gift.
The second Gift was a rather powerful ability that he realised was only chosen just now.
A situational ability that made its debut.
The smiling face of Goldie's paired with eyes that seemed to judge what happened earlier.
"You're smart- No, you're cautious." Goldie made a distinction as the man took a breath.
The corrupted energies of the world were swallowed by Lex's father. Then converged.
Death Force in the surroundings was being converted by the Stigmata Gift now chosen.
'Miasma Core'.
It was the best Gift when being surrounded by Miasma, which was the antithesis to life.
This was the only Stigmata Gift that was related to the 'Death Attribute' law of Life Force. It was the only ability that could temporarily boost abilities in this situation.
Using the breathed in Miasma as fuel.
"You must like talking nonsense." Lex's father pointed his gun while Cartridge Loading with the other. Five fingers coiled and scratched the surface of reality. It was a special move.
A particularly unique gesture.
"Right. You're that guy's father, aren't you? It almost made me want to let you live, but… err, well… someone has to do their job." There was a hint of unwillingness in Goldie's eyes.
He had an urge to kill the living and was having a rough time ignoring the voice inside.
So basically, he was like a minimum wage office worker. Truly maturing with age.
'Better end this quick.' Goldie thought while hiding something. His true thoughts within.
Although he wasn't sure about any bodily cultivated personal skills, his experience with Lex made the zombie keenly aware of the man's techniques. They simply felt familiar.
Especially when he started to emit a familiar Red Wind. He didn't his Gift to understand it.
That made him certain of getting his kill.
"I only have one question." While in his Riot Mode, the zombie didn't feel like using tricks.
He asked this without malice.
"…What?" Hearing the change in tone, Lex's father thought about it and decided to speak.
His loaded arm relaxed, and he flipped the gun onto his pinkie instead of his index trigger finger. Since it looked like the zombie wasn't going to attack immediately, he took out a cig.
Lighting it up with regular flames manifested out of the MagiPistol. Showing his arcane art.
Goldie immediately zeroed in on such a conspicuous action. Realising that the man likely had mastered his 'Arcane Intellect' to the level of being able to use tools as mediums. That, along with mysterious magic.
That wicked Red Wind…
The man could have learnt proper military methods like 'Colour Ignition', which would've allowed him access to the reinforcement colours of 'Cellular Crimson' or 'Null Onyx'.
The former allowing better regeneration, and the latter giving the ability to numb pain.
They both had clearly documented uses that he could predict via access to information.
Red Wind, however, was a completely new reinforcement Goldie didn't understand.
The limits and dangers were too unclear.
He was only certain for now that the opponent had only loaded one 'bullet' in his system.
Ready to throw it or use this to dodge.
Moreover, there was something else:
"If you could regain strength so easily, why wait until this moment?" It didn't make sense.
He couldn't imagine anyone else doing the same. This was way too memorable.
"A kid like you would never understand." A dark look appeared on the man's expression.
He breathed in a puff of smoke and blew it out. The gun hanging by his pinkie was twirled back onto his hand, and the other reached out to pull a holster of paper charms.
The rectangular yellow paper with red ink drawing lines all shot out to surround him.
A supernatural barrier surrounded him. He was bringing himself to his highest peak.
His gun aimed very precisely.
The pressure on the trigger became stronger.
Again, at this decisive moment, time seemed to have slowed for everyone but Goldie.
The zombie aimed to impale the man through the chest. Hitting such a large weakness.
He wasn't worried about the barrier at all.
Others would only see a blur going past, but Goldie himself was just casually walking close. He was looking at the frozen eyes and face of his opponent. The man knew nothing.
He couldn't even perceive his current speed.
So how was he planning to use 'techniques'?
This was what they meant when it's said that absolute power was better than techniques.
No matter how skilled a young martial artist may be, an older and more physically gifted fighter would be able to push past such tricks easily. It wouldn't even be a problem to him.
And this was an extreme of that example.
Goldie was so fast and strong that when he reached out his arm, the barrier simply broke.
It collapsed like wet paper.
The ending was already set in stone. There was no way for the man to react to this strike.
BOOM!
An explosion had occurred, but it wasn't Lex's father that had his ribs broken by one attack.
Goldie wasn't sure what kind of reflexes lead to the man lifting his arm to defend early on.
And why didn't he notice?
He could only guess that the barrier earlier was meant to hide his moves via illusions.
The worst part of it all was that this wasn't simply a defence. The man's 'bullet' was way different from his son's. That level of force and impact rocketed them into a nearby wall.
Goldie wanted to move, but a Cartridge Loaded arm was already pinning his collar.
Answer bullet was shot, and he got to see firsthand the level of power it could explode.
The entire solid wall broke down into cracks.
That punch moved with such speed and landed with such magnitude that… it was even more devastating that a bullet. One could more accurately call it a cannon.
It not only was enhanced, but the 'bullet' punch also threw the user in forward velocity.
The speed reaching the level of an ACTUAL bullet. It was a marvel of human ingenuity.
To think techniques could reach this level.
However, unless you destroyed Goldie's entire body at once, he would simply heal.
The regeneration kicked in.
And Lex's father was all out of 'bullets'.
Time slowed down again, and this time Goldie reached towards the head in front of him. They were so close that a direct attack from him would be able to land with certainty.
That weird defensive measure had no use.
It didn't matter how fast he could move his arm to defend himself. They were too behind.
Both this foolish man and his son.
'Slowpoke.' Goldie thought while smirking.
However, he suddenly saw a radiance of a shooting star coming from the man's body.
His shoulders in particular.
'What the-' Goldie didn't have time to finish his thoughts before his entire body was pommelled. 'Bullets' stored from who knew when had been thrown in quick succession.
They continued to strike beyond his ability to regenerate. Regardless of how he reacted.
"You… how…!" Rage appeared in his hysteric eyes. Goldie fought back tooth and nail.
This was only temporary.
Lex from before needed time to create new bullets. He could only 'shoot' one at a time.
But something didn't go right.
"Aaaagh!!!" Goldie roared while matching fist with fist. His injuries boosting his power.
The closer he was to 'death', the more he could tap into endless power from his rage.
Showing absolute battle hysteria.
"Can it." The opponent looked at him with aggression beyond that of a simple hunter.
This was a bear that found its cub had been mauled and injured. It was an angry father.
Papa bear took out the leather belt…
…and it wasn't for his son's disobedience.
No, this wasn't the loose and unfocused aggression driven by the man's fury alone.
This was 'Military Form'.
It was the kind of mentality taught via martial arts to soldiers for kill; not incapacitation.
Wasn't this Krav Maga?
The reliance on reflexes, simultaneous attack and defence, physical aggression, continuing until enemy death, active attacking, using weapons, targeting main physical vulnerabilities, simple form, and awareness.
All these traits were what made Krav Maga.
It was the almost animalistic version of Systema, which also had few traditional moves to teach. The style mostly being framed through the mindset of the teacher.
It made his attacks spectacular.
Goldie focused all his concentration into his eyes to slow down the world even further.
It allowed him to perceive indiscernible acts.
The moment after throwing a 'bullet', Lex's father would load and shoot the next one.
This was done almost simultaneously.
Not only was there no window to stop the endless gatling of strikes. The fists of fury.
The earlier MagiPistol wasn't even used like a gun. The barrel itself pierced him like a baton.
Almost like it was originally a melee weapon.
'I have to keep fighting…!' Even as his bones were being broken down into sand, he fought.
Goldie had too much on the line.
He couldn't…
HE COULDN'T LOSE RIGHT NOW!
HE HAD TO KEEP FIGHTING.
Flashes of memories from the time he and his family were still alive started to rise within.
As well as the cruelties he did after death.
'Will she be alright…?' He was crossing over first, and couldn't be with his family anymore.
The damage finally went past his limits.
…..
….
…
..
.
An explosion rocked the car and started to make the mall collapse. It was the final straw.
Lex woke up to seeing the back of his father's head as they drove out the falling building.
"You awake?" He didn't turn his head, but was somehow able to tell that pretty quickly.
"We're… fine?" Lex was in utter disbelief.
"I had to unalive him to keep him from becoming a Black Death. I was interrupted in the last second by some zombie girl wearing white. Be careful of that." His father told him.
"Where are we going…?" Lex found that they weren't going towards where was designated.
"Home."
"No, wait… There is someone still there."
"Get better, then go try saving her. Sending you there in this condition will kill you." Lex's father didn't listen. There was nothing more important right now than him having rest.
Lex himself glanced next to him to see that his teammate was also in no shape to fight.
They had to listen to reason for now.
"I have to make a call to someone. I'll tell her where we are right now." He took out a walkie-talkie. Relaying his current situation and what events had lead the scenes unfolding.
The person on the other end didn't speak, but it wasn't strange if she checked in on them.
The situation was partially resolved.