Arknights: I'm Pretty Strong With Minecraft — Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Minecraft Technology, Kid

Just as the crude steel of the broadsword was about to cleave through the trembling Ursus mother and her child, the world simply stopped. Time froze. The falling dust hung suspended in the air, and the bloodthirsty roar of the executioner was silenced in an instant.

A pixelated block of grass suddenly materialized right in front of Ivan’s eyes. For a split second, he stared at the floating cube, unable to process the sheer absurdity of it.

But as soon as his brain registered that the block was entirely real, an intense wave of adrenaline surged through his mind.

“System? There has to be a starter pack, right? Pop that Beginner’s Gift Pack right now!” Ivan demanded, his voice brimming with excitement.

[Beginner’s Gift Pack Opened]

[Wooden Sword x1]

[Splash Potion of Regeneration x5]

[Ender Pearl x8]

[Totem of Undying x3]

[Steve’s Combat Experience x1]

[Apple x64]

[Minecraft x1]

[Items have been placed in inventory]

[Integrated Mods Unlocked:]

[Annoying Villagers]

[Sword Soul: Max Talent]

[Epic Combat]

[Kelvin’s Player Animations]

Minecraft? Did the system literally drag the entire game world into his head?

However, the frozen blades hovering just inches away from innocent lives meant this was hardly the time for a detailed inventory check. Ivan mentally reached into his newly acquired interface and pulled out the Wooden Sword provided by the starter pack.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the blocky, pixelated hilt, the world snapped back to life. Time began to flow again.

Simultaneously, Steve’s combat memories flooded into Ivan’s mind like a breaking dam. He was briefly taken aback by the sensation; these weren’t just foreign thoughts, but deeply ingrained muscle memories that integrated into his very instincts as if he had spent a lifetime surviving in a world of blocks and monsters.

Before he could even ponder the sheer depth of these new instincts, the Reunion Movement soldier’s broadsword resumed its deadly descent, aiming directly for the mother and daughter.

Ivan moved without thinking. He raised the Wooden Sword in a fluid, practiced arc, intercepting the heavy steel blade.

“Oh, sweet, my cheat finally loaded. Aren’t you going to explode into loot now?”

A deafening metallic clang rang out across the ruined street. The pixelated Wooden Sword collided fiercely with the soldier’s weapon, sending a shockwave through the air.

Defying all logic of Terra, the seemingly fragile wooden toy completely halted the momentum of the heavy steel blade without suffering a single scratch or splinter.

“What? How is this even possible!” The Reunion soldier’s eyes bulged out of his skull, staring at the scene before him in absolute disbelief.

Standing opposite the stunned militant, Ivan appeared exceptionally calm. A confident, almost mocking smile played on his lips.

“What’s impossible about it?” Ivan said lightly. “Minecraft technology, kid.”

Without giving the man a chance to recover, Ivan shifted his weight, raised a leg, and delivered a brutal front kick squarely into the soldier’s chest.

The impact sent the Reunion soldier flying backward. He tumbled end over end across the broken pavement, his uniform scraping against the dirt and debris before he finally skidded to a halt.

He struggled to his feet, clutching his aching ribs. His face twisted into a grotesque mask of humiliation and furious rage, glaring at Ivan as if he wanted to tear the young man apart with his bare hands.

“What are you idiots standing around for?!” he roared, his voice cracking with pain and anger as he pointed a shaking finger at Ivan. “Go! All of you! Kill this brat!”

His furious scream acted like a spark thrown directly into a barrel of boiling oil. The surrounding Reunion soldiers, previously paralyzed by the bizarre display, instantly snapped out of their daze.

Their brief hesitation vanished, replaced by the feral, desperate glint typical of the infected militants. Growling like cornered beasts, over a dozen soldiers brandished their mismatched weapons and lunged at the lone figure standing in the center of the street.

The air filled with the chaotic display of heavy boots stomping against the rubble, ragged breathing, and the grating scrape of poorly maintained steel. Blades flashed with cold, deadly light as they cut through the air, fiercely hacking down from every conceivable angle to completely seal off Ivan’s escape routes.

The closest weapons were mere inches from tearing into his flesh.

Yet Ivan, standing perfectly still in the eye of the storm, showed absolutely no trace of panic.

“Watch this.”

Just as the lethal web of sharp edges was about to shred him, Ivan casually flicked his wrist. A small, dark green orb—an Ender Pearl—sailed through the air, flying in a high arc over the heads of the charging Reunion soldiers to land in an open space right behind them.

Thud.

The moment the pearl struck the ground, a brilliant, deep purple light erupted from the point of impact.

Immediately after, a dense cloud of shimmering purple particles materialized out of thin air, completely enveloping Ivan’s body.

Just as the heavy steel blades swung down to tear through his torso, Ivan gave the bewildered Reunion soldiers a casual two-fingered salute.

Then, with a strange warping sound, he vanished completely.

He left no afterimage. He made no footsteps. There was nothing left behind but the lingering, otherworldly purple particles slowly drifting through the dusty air.

The descending blades struck nothing but empty space. The immense, uncontrolled momentum of the soldiers caused their weapons to crash fiercely into the pavement, kicking up a massive shower of gravel, sparks, and dust.

The entire squad of charging Reunion militants instantly lost their target. Their forward momentum abruptly halted, causing several of them to violently collide with one another in a tangled mess of limbs and weapons.

Dead silence.

A suffocating, eerie quiet enveloped the street, broken only by the heavy, confused panting of the soldiers and the dull hum of their weapons vibrating from striking the solid ground.

“He’s… gone?!” one soldier gasped, frantically rubbing his eyes beneath his mask.

“Gone? Disappeared? How is that even possible?!” another soldier recoiled in pure terror, whipping his head around to scan the empty street.

“You guys should really check your six.”

A chilling, bone-piercing killing intent suddenly washed over the squad from the exact spot where the pearl had landed.

The soldiers froze, slowly turning their heads to look behind them.

Ivan stood there, perfectly unharmed, gripping the blocky hilt of his Wooden Sword in a reverse hold. His thin lips parted slightly as he locked eyes with the terrified militants.

“Rift Strike: Judgment.”