The Battle Against Tie, Leader of the Tiger Tribe
Tie, leader of the Tiger Tribe.
A warrior who led the Beastman Union to stand against Grid’s invasion.
Though his somewhat aggressive personality was a flaw, his strength and unwavering resolve made him the anchor of the Union.
Even though the Union was defeated and his homeland, Tiger Island, was seized by Grid, Tie did not give up.
He led the survivors and resisted Grid’s tyranny.
Later, when the Anti-Grid Alliance was formed, he became a pillar of that alliance, contributing significantly to Grid’s downfall.
In other words, she was a woman who could be the turning point for Jung Kang-rim in avoiding his ruinous ending, and a boss he absolutely had to defeat if he wanted to survive in this world.
“Ugh?”
Kang-rim was kicked by that very boss.
With an immense blast of wind pressure, Grid’s body soared into the sky like a soccer ball. If he hadn't held his hammer upright to block in time, his body would have been split in two.
“Damn it….”
The game had often mentioned that Tie was ridiculously strong, but to think it was to this extent.
An immense pain surged through both hands gripping the hammer, so intense that he momentarily mistook it for his bones cracking. The impact was so severe that the trembling in his hands wouldn't stop.
It wasn't just his hands. His body and mind were all trembling.
'Get a grip, you damn fool. Focus on the fight!'
Barely composing himself, Kang-rim prepared for the next attack.
No, there was no need for that.
“…!”
Something was coming.
The moment he realized it, an immense impact struck Kang-rim from behind. Before he could even scream, Kang-rim plummeted vertically into the sea.
Just before hitting the water, Kang-rim barely managed to see who the culprit was.
'That tiger bastard, when did he get all the way there….'
It was Tie. The guy who should have been on the deck had appeared in mid-air.
He didn't possess the ability to levitate.
He had simply leaped in a single bound to where Kang-rim had been sent flying.
The shock didn't end there.
'This bastard, when did he get here!'
The moment Kang-rim, who had fallen into the sea, barely held onto his fading consciousness and tried to surface, something entered the water.
It didn't even take a second to realize it was Tie.
“Kuruk?”
It didn't even take a second for his neck to be grabbed.
'Th-this crazy!'
His neck was being squeezed with such terrifying grip strength that he thought his neck bones might snap. Already underwater and unable to breathe, Kang-rim found it hard to endure.
Kang-rim struggled to break free, but against the solid tiger physique, it was nothing more than child's play.
The grip on his neck tightened, and Kang-rim’s resistance grew weaker and weaker.
The vitality in his black pupils began to fade away.
If this continued, he would drown.
'Ah, come on….'
Kang-rim had no intention of accepting such a fate.
'Cut it out already!'
Mustering all his strength, he pulled his head back and delivered a headbutt with everything he had toward Tie’s forehead.
In an instant, stars spun before his eyes.
Because he had slammed his head directly into a skull as hard as stone, blood flowed down Kang-rim’s forehead.
And then,
“Kurrrrr….”
Suddenly, the strength strangling his neck vanished.
The moment Kang-rim looked forward, wondering what was happening, he saw Tie with his head slumped down.
'Wh-what? Did he faint?'
From just one headbutt? It was unbelievable, but Kang-rim didn't miss this opportunity.
Flailing his arms and legs like a frog swimming, he surfaced.
“Puhah! I survived.”
Barely reaching the surface, Kang-rim gasped for air.
'Let’s go that way.'
Kang-rim moved toward the wrecked sailing ship that was completely capsized on its side.
Although half the hull was smashed from cannon fire, there was a space to catch his breath for a moment.
Barely climbing onto the side of the ship, Kang-rim managed to steady his body.
'Damn it, to be put in such a state like a fool.'
Fighting Tie was inevitable. To establish his empire, Kang-rim had to defeat the Beastman Union, and the current leader of the Union was Tie. Therefore, there was no way for Kang-rim to avoid a clash with him.
So, Kang-rim had agonized over how he could win the fight.
Even though he had possessed Grid’s body, he couldn't fully exert everything the guy had. Occasionally, whenever he recalled Grid’s memories, the techniques he could use increased, but it was far from enough.
In this state, fighting Tie was impossible.
So, Kang-rim had wanted to aim for a time after more of Grid’s memories returned, but he had ended up in a situation where he clashed with Tie before that could happen.
He had to think. A way to defeat Tie right here, right now.
However, there was no suitable means.
'Damn it, there isn't a single weakness to exploit….'
The information Kang-rim knew about Tie could be summarized as follows:
He is of the Tiger Tribe.
He is a martial artist with the skill to fight Grid on equal footing.
His homeland was taken by Grid, and many of his tribe became Grid’s slaves.
After Grid dies in Part 1, he sets out to rebuild the Tiger Tribe.
That was all, and among these, there were no elements he could use as a weakness.
He had no choice but to fight with the strength and techniques he currently possessed.
'Still, it’s fortunate I have the hammer.'
Fortunately, Kang-rim hadn't lost his weapon, the hammer. There had been a few times he almost dropped it, but he had tried his best not to lose it underwater. He knew better than anyone that the moment he lost it, his only means of opposing Tie would disappear.
Even though, despite having the hammer, he hadn't managed to land a single proper effective hit.
'Grid used the hammer so well….'
Why couldn't he do it?
Wasn't he supposed to overwhelm him with sheer power like the descriptions in the original game?
Even if he was a fake boss, wasn't he the final boss of Part 1? Shouldn't he have some kind of buff?
What was he supposed to do if he was going to be beaten so helplessly?
No matter how much Kang-rim complained, rice cakes didn't just fall from the sky.
'What should I do? How, how….'
If he fought in this state, his head would be smashed by Tie’s fist. He was holding up well thanks to his durability, but that was it. If he couldn't defeat Tie, everything would be over. He would meet the miserable end he so desperately wanted to avoid right here.
Then what should he do?
How could he catch the tiger?
How could he overcome this crisis….
“So you were here.”
At the sudden voice, Kang-rim immediately moved from his spot.
Simultaneous with his movement, something fell where Kang-rim had been sitting.
Something that pierced the side of the ship dug deep into the interior. Barely dodging to the side, Kang-rim couldn't take his eyes off the hole.
“To dare land a hit on Tie-nim. It’s the first time since Sua.”
A soaking wet tiger leaped out from inside the hole. Orange hair that looked like a lion’s mane and golden eyes that seemed ready to devour everything. Tie, the leader of the Tiger Tribe, clenched his fists tightly. His tail, which had been drooping from being wet, stood straight up.
“I guess you didn't invade just for show.”
“Y-yeah. Do you think I came here for nothing?”
Kang-rim retorted immediately. Mixing words wrongly could just provoke his anger, but Kang-rim attempted a gamble. At least buy some time. Find out what his weakness is. Anything, even a little bit….
“Is that so? Then die!”
The strategy of finding out anything ended in a total failure.
'Damn it, I can't even buy time!'
It was do or die. Kang-rim swung his hammer toward Tie, who was rushing toward him. The hammer only grazed the air.
“What?”
“Too slow, too slow!”
Easily dodging the attack, Tie dove into Kang-rim’s guard. He threw a straight punch toward his solar plexus.
“Keuhuk?”
With a sound of something tearing, Kang-rim was pushed back significantly. If he had lost consciousness right there, Kang-rim would have fallen into the sea again. Enduring the pain as if his flesh were being sliced away, Kang-rim regained his stance.
“Yeah, that’s how it should be.”
Seeing him try to fight back without falling, Tie wore a joyful expression like a master who had met a worthy opponent.
“That’s how it’s worth hunting!”
“Ugh?”
A one-sided offensive continued.
“Come on, hurry up and counterattack!”
A terrifying barrage of blows struck Kang-rim. Kang-rim swung his hammer to block, but it was insufficient. Tears began to appear in his clothes, and blood flowed from the gashes. In an instant, he was covered in blood. Kang-rim couldn't move forward and was continuously pushed back.
Continuing to be pushed back,
'Th-this!'
He had reached the edge. Effectively, Kang-rim had been driven to the cliff’s edge.
“I won again?”
Tie wore the smile of a victor.
“Now, what shall we do?”
“Who said I’d just take it!”
Kang-rim swung his hammer, but Tie just lightly pulled his body back to dodge. Like before, he dove inside and threw a punch. The difference was,
“Goodbye.”
That he showed power incomparable to before. Kang-rim was sent flying by the punch Tie threw with all his might. He was sent flying all the way to the island. Only after rolling on the ground dozens of times and crashing into a tree did Kang-rim finally stop. The tree he collided with snapped with a crunching sound.
“Ughhh….”
Using the hammer as a cane, Kang-rim stood up.
“Damn it….”
Blood flowed from all over his body. Whether his bones were broken or not, his chest hurt so much, and it was hard to breathe. Every time he exhaled, his muscles screamed for mercy. His head was dizzy, making it hard to even judge what he should do now.
Kang-rim was effectively in a hopeless situation.
'I can’t win like this.'
Fighting was just a meaningless death. Hoping for victory in a situation where he couldn't even touch the guy’s toes was impossible. It would be better to plan for the future and flee. It would be better to coordinate an attack with those stronger than him, like Iris or Artria, which was the only way to take down Tie. Since both were on this island, he could hope for help.
Regrettably, that was impossible.
“You’re still alive?”
Because Tie was still targeting Kang-rim. Tie had reached the island with his monstrous leaping power. Wondering if it was strange that Kang-rim hadn't fallen yet, Tie looked at him with an intrigued expression.
“I threw that with the intent to kill, you’re really sturdy, aren't you?”
“….”
“Good, then as a reward, I, Tie-nim, will throw something even more powerful.”
“Ugh!”
Kang-rim raised his hammer and took a battle stance.
'Please, please, please, just once.'
You damn Grid. Please show me a useful memory. You were the guy who treated Tie like a piece of cake. So please show me. Even if it’s just the power to see his movements….
At this moment, something appeared in Kang-rim’s mind.
'Th-this is….'
It was Grid’s memory.
-Keep observing the opponent’s movements.
He saw the master who taught Grid. A woman with bronze skin and blue-black hair.
-If you observe, you will surely see it. Your eyes will be able to capture it.
He saw the image of Grid, who had listened to those words and trained endlessly to observe his opponent’s movements. And then,
-It is so sorrowful that I could not stop my disciple’s rampage.
He saw the image of his master, who had ended up limp while being grabbed by the neck by the disciple who had become a devil.
“Ugh?”
The memory cut off there.
“Now. Goodbye!”
At the same time, Tie’s knuckle appeared before his eyes, and Kang-rim twisted his body to dodge.
“Huh?”
With a face of disbelief, Tie stared at Kang-rim.
“How did you dodge that?”
It should have been impossible to dodge, so how did he? Thinking it was a mere coincidence, Tie threw punches in succession. Kang-rim dodged every single punch thrown at him.
'I see it, I can see it!'
After seeing his memories, it felt like something had awakened inside his body. He could see where Tie’s fists were coming from, just like slow motion.
'It worked, it worked!'
Thank you, Heavens. You damn Grid bastard, I’m truly grateful. Kang-rim was so moved by the fact that he had finally gained the power to oppose this tiger. The opportunity to reverse the disadvantageous situation had finally arrived.
'Good, I’m going with this!'
Reading all of Tie’s movements, Kang-rim swung his hammer. Tie, driven into a defensive position, became engrossed in blocking. While engrossed in defense, the knuckles on both his hands were completely shattered.
Realizing he was in a defenseless state, Kang-rim raised his hammer high.
'I’ll end it with this.'
With this, he would finish everything. With this, with this….
-Clang!
“Huh?”
For a moment, Kang-rim felt as if time had stopped.
“Huh?”
Why was the hammer head flying through the air? Was the hammer head that should have been crushing Tie’s skull flying far away? When did the guy’s fist appear right before his nose?
“This body’s victory.”
Until the moment Tie’s fist struck his face, Kang-rim did not realize the fact that he had been defeated by his own carelessness.