Jo Jeonghu (1)
It wasn't even a single exchange. Not really.
"Amazing......"
Jeonghu, benefiting from the mirror learning effect, watched Jeonghyeon's single strike and felt the mana resonance, his heart pounding wildly.
It was like stepping into a VR game and watching his own battle unfold before his eyes.
But this wasn't just a fleeting sensation—it was etching itself deep into his body, a pure rush of ecstasy.
Boom!
Jeonghyeon pierced the acrobat's abdomen in one devastating blow with enough force to punch straight through the wall on one side, then casually dusted off his fist like it was nothing.
"Fucking insane."
Even Jeonghyeon was shocked.
'Mana stone weapon or not... this efficiency is way too good.'
Attribute: Mana Stone Weapon, S-rank
Traits: Manticore claws have melted into the gauntlet, carving fine, sharp grooves. Mana distributes through these gaps, unleashing terrifying power.
Epic Weapon Liberation: 1/100
This mana stone weapon perfectly preserved the manticore claw's traits. Even a trickle of mana from Jeonghyeon automatically spread through the gauntlet's crevices.
'Normally, you'd channel mana into your fist, then pull it outward to coat the gauntlet...'
But with Red Roar's Claw, just loading mana into the fist was enough—it spread to the gauntlet on its own.
"I can't believe I have to give something like this away. Did you get a good look?"
Jeonghyeon turned and asked. Jeonghu nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I saw it perfectly!"
Mirror Effect allows the dominated to experience combat more vividly.
Dominated's Loyalty Level rises. Lv.1 → Lv.2
'Loyalty goes up just from showing him once...?'
Looking at him closely, this Jeonghu guy seemed to be missing a screw somewhere.
"Anyway, your turn next."
Jeonghyeon had deliberately aimed for the gut to avoid killing him outright. Shifting his gaze from Leo, who was being carted off on a stretcher, to Jeonghu, he said it plainly.
"M-Me...? But the arena usually has a wait between matches after one fight..."
Whether it was a lack of confidence or just no courage to fight yet, Jeonghu started making excuses.
"Don't worry about that."
And of course, Jeonghyeon had expected as much. He'd racked up plenty of experience fighting countless humans on his way to becoming the Demon King in his previous life.
"I already told the drone. Why do you think we have such a huge crowd and the drone's so hyped? It's not like I'm fighting the Jo family."
"What... what is it?"
"The drone mentioned it earlier. There's a Royal Rumble."
Royal Rumble. The underground arena's signature matchup—brutal and a crowd favorite.
One fighter enters the ring, then challengers come one by one. The defender must defeat them all in endless 1v1s to win.
Fail, and you die. If the defender falls, the next challenger becomes the new defender against the remaining foes.
The rule that brings out the most desperate fighting—and shatters viewership records.
Of course, tailored to Jeonghu's current level, it was only five rounds, and Jeonghyeon had handled one already, so it wasn't impossible.
"Oh, and just so you know, I'm not helping anymore."
To Jeonghu, Jeonghyeon dropped the bombshell casually, then removed the gauntlet from his hand and tossed it over.
"I-I'll... give it a shot."
Catching the gauntlet on reflex, Jeonghu knew no amount of questions would change things, so he reluctantly slipped it on.
Jeonghu's first opponent, introduced by the drone, burst onto the scene singing his own theme song from the start.
The man called Matador wore a flashy red jacket embroidered with gold thread. He had sharp Western features and a thick black beard.
"Hello~! Ladies and gentlemen~! Your idol~! Mata~~~dor!"
Unlike typical dual-wield swordsmen, Matador wielded two wide, long curved scimitars.
Cling! Cling~!
Bouncing his blades to hype the crowd, Matador seemed the perfect opponent for Jeonghu.
For a raw beginner who could only fight simply, nothing grew skills faster than facing a tricky technician.
"Hang in there. I won't help even if you die."
Jeonghyeon plopped down right there, wishing he had popcorn.
"I'll... give it a try!"
Jeonghu clenched his gauntlet-wrapped fist tight and assumed a stance.
"Ooh~! Young boy. You sure about this? Against me?"
"......!"
Unlike Matador, who seemed to have seen it all in this arena, Jeonghu had no room for trash talk.
"Hmph, no fun. Guess I'll go first!"
Matador clanged his blades one more time to grab attention, then charged at Jeonghu.
"To think I get to fight a direct Jo family heir! This is gonna be fun!"
Right up in Jeonghu's face, he suddenly twisted his body, spinning wide with a slash.
'Rotating Sword Dance, huh. As flashy as he looks.'
A technique using centrifugal force for massive power. And with dual blades, one spin meant two cuts.
Matador swung in a wide arc, grinning but eyes locked dead on Jeonghu.
'A real veteran.'
Whoosh! Clang!
Jeonghu barely blocked one blade, but his balance shook hard.
"You'll die like that~!"
Slipping to Jeonghu's side in a flash, Matador spun again.
His scimitars whirled like a top, carving two massive arcs.
"Ngh!"
He blocked the first, but the second slipped through—Jeonghu staggered back with a long gash across his gut.
Blood trickled from the torn clothes.
"Oh?"
Jeonghyeon was impressed. A weakling like this would usually bawl and run after one hit, but Jeonghu didn't even groan despite the deep cut.
'He's taken some beatings before.'
Direct heirs got trained harder than branches, it seemed—and his durability was innate.
"Hanging in there! Try blocking this!!"
Matador laughed like he was loving the fight, spinning like a top again.
***
Ten minutes later, Jeonghu's body was in tatters.
"Isn't this fun?! That's what fighting's all about. Pure entertainment!"
Matador was getting more excited, pressing harder.
Shwick-!
Spinning two or three times per attack, he suddenly stopped.
"Party time~!"
He flung his arms wide, winking cheesily at the drone, then lunged back at Jeonghu.
'He's actually enjoying this...'
Jeonghyeon had pegged him as just a showboat, but this guy was genuine. Not easy.
'Hmm.'
Time to help a little? Mirror learning needed a Single Strike to trigger fully—getting pummeled to death wouldn't cut it.
As Jeonghyeon prepared to pump in mana via Attribute Domination—
"Hey. I'm an entertainer. I bring the fun. And I love these moments. But you? You're not."
Matador started taunting loudly.
"Enjoy it more, young boy. What's the worst that happens? You die anyway?"
He stopped swinging entirely, strolling toward Jeonghu like he owned the ring. The opening was now.
'Attribute Domination.'
Jeonghyeon infused mana into his Demon King's Eye.
"For starters... let's boost his physicals a bit."
He snapped his fingers.
Dominated senses heighten in response to Dominator's mana.
Dominated receives mana, physical abilities surge dramatically (temporary).
Right on cue, Matador handed Jeonghu the perfect taunt he shouldn't have.
"Truth is... isn't this a better shot for you? Go back, and your life's worse than death anyway."
"......Yeah. You're right."
Resolve hardened in Jeonghu's eyes at Matador's words. Not the dull gaze from before.
Sensing the shift, Matador raised his blades and hopped back for distance.
"Showing your real power now? Get stronger by taking hits? Kinky taste?"
Supercharged by Attribute Domination, Jeonghu closed the gap in a blink.
"Nah. I just don't wanna die."
Point-blank range where scimitars couldn't swing. Even if Storm Dragon Fist's pinnacle was Single Strike, no weapon beat bare-knuckle here.
Jeonghu loaded mana into his fist and drove a straight punch into Matador.
The perfect critical hit tore his flashy jacket and thudded deep into his gut.
"Guh!"
The claws boosted mana efficiency but were like tiny saw blades—lethal even without mana against thin armor.
"What the—?! This is fun!!"
Matador grimaced briefly, then grinned and spun again at Jeonghu.
Whoosh-!
His blade arced wide for Jeonghu's neck.
'He can dodge.'
Heightened senses sharpened his dynamic vision too. Jeonghu sidestepped faster than the spin, circling back to his spot.
"?!"
To Matador, it looked like he'd slashed Jeonghu clean—yet he stood unharmed, like cutting an afterimage or thin air.
"Hup!"
Slipping into blade range again, Jeonghu loaded his waist and shoulder with mana for a long hook instead of a straight.
"Not falling for it twice, rookie!"
Matador barely twisted away, the fist grazing him.
Splat!
But the gauntlet's grooves shredded his nose bridge, blood spraying.
"Guh!"
No real damage, but blood in his eyes ruined his vision.
"Now."
As Jeonghyeon directed, Jeonghu dropped low, extending his left arm and pulling his right to Matador's side.
"Storm Dragon Fist......!"
Then poured all his mana into the right gauntlet.
"Single Strike."
Thud-BOOM!!!!
Not a perfect straight punch.
Instinctively twisting as he thrust, the exploding mana spun like a mini-storm, ripping through Matador.
"Graaah!!"
Like a fighting manga finisher, his shirt shredded as he flew meters back, crashing into the mat.
"Twisting the fist mid-strike... Learned from Matador? Or..."
'Is this that genetic thing.'
Not something Jeonghyeon taught or showed via mirror learning.
Fighters were born different, huh. Jeonghu's improvised twist made the Single Strike land perfectly, surviving the round.
"Good job. Next round right away."
But three more rounds to go.
"Let's grow hard this time."