99
Ch.99 The Smell Becomes Stronger
"Since I’m in the position of an educator, I’ll let the student take the first move."
"Student?"
"It means you should attack first."
Stretching out his prosthetic arm, fists raised to waist height, legs lowered into a deep stance.
His gray, wavy hair rippled under the influence of his supernatural ability.
At the sight, a memory from his human days flashed through his mind.
Yeo Woon-jae, back when his hair was still black, cut short.
A man who stood alone before a monster in front of broadcasting cameras, determined to prove that a hero could defeat a monster.
This man was the first human to ever take down a monster single-handedly.
If Meister represented survival, Yeo Woon-jae represented struggle.
"Strange feeling."
Just like Meister, he was now facing a childhood hero.
Not that he felt excited or anything.
Rather, it was closer to the thrill a monster feels when facing prey.
Knowing just how formidable this opponent was, he couldn’t help but anticipate the fun.
"To think I’d get to see Teacher Yeo Woon-jae fight…"
"Gulp…"
"Step back further."
I gestured for the heroes and students to retreat to the far end of the auditorium.
Yeo Woon-jae remained in his initial stance, calmly suppressing his aura as if inviting any attack.
Well then, here it goes.
Pah-pah-pah! Three sudden punches sent shockwaves flying.
Yeo Woon-jae swung his non-prosthetic hand in a circular motion, deflecting the shockwaves.
"Oh."
I reflexively let out a sound of admiration.
A delicate maneuver, like slicing a log with a small knife.
A technical perfection unlike the abilities of other S-rank heroes.
The way he used his ability only when absolutely necessary was naturally impressive.
"W-wow…"
"What was that just now?"
The other heroes were also amazed after witnessing Yeo Woon-jae’s ability.
And for good reason.
The output of the ability he had just demonstrated was incredibly low, so much so that, with some effort, they could probably mimic it themselves.
As expected, shockwaves didn’t work on Yeo Woon-jae.
He clicked his prosthetic arm a few times, gesturing for me to come at him again.
Smirking, I bent my upper body even lower than his, letting my fists hang loosely before pressing them against the floor.
"Hhup!"
Boom!
An explosive sound erupted as my fist shot toward him. Just before impact, Yeo Woon-jae swallowed a breath and activated his ability, meeting my fist with his palm.
In the blink of an eye, a powerful wave of energy spread out, violently altering the trajectory of my punch.
Crunch!
As my joint twisted unnaturally, Yeo Woon-jae bent his arm and drove his elbow into my chin.
The shockwave reverberated through my body, his ability silently striking my insides, dispersing the impact.
A fatal blow that would have knocked out any human.
As our eyes met, his eyebrows twitching, I drove my fist upward into his jaw.
His hand swiftly intercepted my punch, and he used the momentum to float upward before flying backward.
Landing lightly, I licked my lips while watching him intently.
So, this was Yeo Woon-jae’s ability.
From what I knew, he was a hero who manipulated various types of shockwaves.
The taste of his ability spreading through my mouth after the jaw strike filled in some missing details.
The range of his ability extended to all forms of shock, both inside and outside his body, within the limits of his physical form.
The attack just now amplified internal shockwaves, compressing and firing them through my body.
If the shockwaves from the hero Wave felt like rubber mallets used at construction sites, Yeo Woon-jae’s were more like sledgehammers meant for demolishing debris.
"Impressive. Your strength is considerable. And your physical durability… Is monstrous."
"What was that move earlier?"
I groaned as I forcibly straightened my half-bent wrist.
The heroes and students gasped as my wrist joint rapidly regenerated, snapping back into place. Yeo Woon-jae smirked.
"It’s a technique. Against humanoid opponents, it can be used without relying on abilities. As long as the difference in strength isn’t too extreme…"
"Hmm."
Then show me.
I lightly swung my hand, and Yeo Woon-jae, without using his ability, used his prosthetic to twist my wrist.
Given my body’s resilience, it didn’t fully bend, but an ordinary human’s wrist would’ve snapped from that alone.
An interesting technique, exploiting the structure of joints in a body not firmly anchored.
"You’re using my own strength against me."
"As you saw, brute force alone can be subdued by technique."
"I see."
Then let’s see how far this technique can go.
I slowly stepped toward Yeo Woon-jae and threw a series of punches.
He tracked each fist with his eyes, lightly tapping the side of my wrist with his non-prosthetic palm.
Redirecting the force, altering the trajectory.
My attacks barely grazed his hair.
Yeo Woon-jae’s current physical ability was at A-rank level.
Weaker in raw strength than me, but faster and more precise.
"Ooooh! Amazing!"
"Waaaah!"
The heroes cheered wildly.
Realizing that continuing like this wouldn’t work, I stopped my assault. Yeo Woon-jae exhaled deeply and spoke.
"Phew… This is what they call softness overcoming hardness."
"Softness overcoming hardness?"
That doesn’t sound right.
The way Yeo Woon-jae fought didn’t feel soft at all.
Precise strikes, concentrated into single points using his ability and strength.
Attacking joints to redirect my strikes was just exploiting the structural weaknesses of the human body.
Whoosh!
A surprise kick—Yeo Woon-jae placed his palm against my leg and smoothly rotated.
Spin!
My body, twice his size, was effortlessly lifted into the air.
Twisting midair, I landed softly thanks to my instinctive reflexes. Yeo Woon-jae was rubbing his wrist as if in pain.
"Applying the same principle, this is also possible."
"What is this?"
"Like I said—softness overcoming hardness."
"Fun."
I wanted to experience that again.
I kicked once more, but this time, Yeo Woon-jae dodged by bending his body.
Confused, I kicked again—he retreated further.
By the fourth kick, he finally sent me flying again.
Whoosh!
Another amusing experience of floating through the air. I twisted midair and landed gracefully.
"Can’t do it consecutively?"
"Not with this body…"
"Disappointing."
I cracked my neck and unfurled my fists.
Fists still felt awkward.
"Then let’s get serious."
Extending my claws, I let instinct take over.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Kicking off the ground, I charged, swiping at him with both hands.
The shoes I wore burst apart instantly.
At that moment, Yeo Woon-jae, tense, tapped the floor with his twisted leg before shifting into a stance similar to his two disciples.
Thud!
A shockwave spread outward before being sucked back toward him. Like a water pillar rising from a droplet, his momentum surged explosively.
"Ooooh!"
"Incredible!"
Bam-bam-bam-bam!
He deflected my strikes, countering with redirected force.
Attack, deflect, attack, deflect—like a perfectly choreographed exchange.
Growing more excited, I stepped forward and slashed downward with my hand.
Yeo Woon-jae’s prosthetic shot toward my eyes.
I tilted my head, dodging as the prosthetic’s wrist made a hiss and fired its fist.
Avoiding the wire-connected strike, I flicked it away with my fingers.
A rocket punch—truly an attack that brought back childhood memories.
The momentary distraction was enough.
Yeo Woon-jae’s palm touched my body.
"Ha!"
BOOM!
A shockwave tore through me.
Agony as if my insides were being twisted. Clutching my stomach, I staggered back.
"Dirty trick."
Using the rocket punch as a distraction for the real attack.
Yeo Woon-jae laughed, as if misunderstanding my words.
"Combat is about relentlessly exploiting weaknesses. Attacking vulnerabilities isn’t dirty—it’s fundamental."
"Tch."
Gag—
Blood and bits of viscera rose in my throat. I spat them out, feeling my body rapidly regenerate as I removed my hand from my stomach.
A strike that bypassed durability and defense.
This wasn’t just targeting weak points—it was as if anywhere he touched became a weak point.
Thud!
Yeo Woon-jae dashed at me this time.
A kick—no, a wire attack hidden behind a large motion.
I caught the wire aiming for my neck, but Yeo Woon-jae wrapped around my arm like a vine.
Crack!
The joints in my wrist and elbow groaned under the pressure.
"Wha—?!"
But my joints didn’t break.
Grind—
I flexed my arm and grabbed his throat.
An unavoidable attack.
Yeo Woon-jae’s aged, battered body had limits to how much shock it could withstand.
Channeling the killing intent of a monster, I swung him down with full force.
Whoosh!
Slamming him into the ground, the impact rippled outward.
Crack—
The floor split apart.
The moment I sensed something off, Yeo Woon-jae struck my chin.
Thud.
The shock to my brain froze me for an instant—enough for him to wrench free.
"Phew…"
"Hmm."
Blood trickled from my nose. I licked it away with my tongue.
His shockwave had torn through my brain.
A reflexive counterattack, meant to kill, just like mine.
Standing beside me, catching his breath, Yeo Woon-jae bore no injuries.
Shock Domination—he must have redirected the impact into the ground.
"Let’s stop here. Any further would be dangerous."
"W-wow!!"
As Yeo Woon-jae gestured to his shattered prosthetic, the students erupted in cheers.
"That’s Yeo Woon-jae for you! Even after retirement…!"
"A-rank heroes are no match for him!"
"Not a single scratch on him! Meanwhile, the other guy’s bleeding!"
"Teacher Yeo Woon-jae won!"
Amid the noise, I twitched my nose.
No matter how masked by the scent of blood, a monster’s sense of smell never loses its target.
Until now, Yeo Woon-jae’s abilities had been entirely human.
By that measure, he was human.
But… As expected.
In that critical moment, the scent of the lab grew stronger.
"You’re strong. Exceptionally so. Astonishingly strong."
Yet, Yeo Woon-jae showed no hostility. Instead, he extended a hand with what looked like genuine joy.
A human greeting, learned at construction sites.
As I shook his hand, I sensed a familiar emotion from him.
Joy—pure enjoyment of battle, just like me.
Just like me…?
Curious, I twisted his wrist slightly, testing if I could draw out more of that lab scent.
"With your strength combined with technique, a human like you could become even stronger—"
Crack.
His wrist bent, but he spun away, evading my follow-up.
Midair, my palm struck his body.
This was how he did it, right?
Stomp.
Mimicking his footwork, I channeled force from the ground, unleashing it through my hands, without any ability.
BOOM!
Yeo Woon-jae was sent spinning through the air before landing.
Boos rained down from the heroes and students.
"Teacher Yeo Woon-jae!"
"The spar was over! That was a cheap shot!"
"You bastard! That’s cowardly!"
"Typical of a villain-turned-hero!"
"Who do you think will acknowledge you for winning like that?!"
Ignoring them, I stared at Yeo Woon-jae, lost in thought.
That last attack wasn’t particularly powerful.
But I had caught him off-guard—yet the lab scent didn’t intensify.
Probably because it wasn’t threatening enough.
When he did it, the destructive power was immense. Was it because I lacked the ability?
Still, the fact that I could mimic it at all was fascinating.
A mix of interest and curiosity filled me as I continued mimicking his movements in the air.
"T-this is…?"
"Teacher, are you alright?!"
At that moment, Yeo Woon-jae pushed past the A-rank heroes and strode toward me.
"You just copied my technique! After seeing it once!"
"That’s right."
His surface emotions were clear—excitement overriding any anger over the post-spar attack.
A desire to teach me.
Simultaneously, the lab scent grew slightly stronger.
Huh? I thought it only intensified in life-threatening situations.
"That technique isn’t about the stance. Raise your waist higher—don’t mimic my build. Adjust for your body."
"T-teacher?!"
"Like this?"
"Relax your body in that position. Imagine your entire body as a conduit, drawing force from your footwork. Focus on your waist! Twist and pull it up sharply."
"Hmm."
"The force should move vertically, horizontally, then vertically again—spiraling upward. Only apply power at the start and end. Here, try again."
Intrigued by the deepening scent, I followed his instructions.
This time, simply thrusting my fist into the air produced a shockwave.
Bang!
"Oh."
"Incredible! To learn it this quickly! Even this!"
At the same time, the lab scent intensified.
Ah.
I get it now.
It grows stronger when he’s excited.