Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Crushing the Diamond Warrior
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‘What did I just hear?'
Seo Woo-jin blinked and glanced to the side.
Goo Dong-hwan and Kye Soo-ji were scratching their ears, wearing equally bewildered expressions.
"Did he just say he was gonna make us listen by force?"
"I think so... Are our ears broken or something?"
Goo Dong-hwan let out a hollow chuckle.
"Or maybe that guy's lost his mind."
Seo Woo-jin's skills were well-known even within the academy.
There were still some who claimed his victory over Baek Si-woo was pure luck.
But even they wouldn't deny that Seo Woo-jin was strong.
On top of that, they'd heard straight from Seong Yu-ra and Kim Tae-jin that Seo Woo-jin had killed Reina.
And yet, this guy was acting so aggressively. It was beyond comprehension.
"I'm not one for pointless brawls, so it'd be best if you just answer nicely."
Casual tone.
An attitude that showed no doubt he'd come out on top.
Seo Woo-jin let out a snort at Park Jin-han's demeanor.
"And if I don't? Go ahead, make me talk."
There was no reason to be polite to some punk who barged in with that attitude.
'He must think he's hot stuff.'
Looked like he needed a proper lesson today.
About the mistake he'd just made.
"Guess we have no choice then. You brought this on yourself, old man, so don't blame me later."
A smile spread across Park Jin-han's face as he spoke.
It was clear he'd come here planning this from the start.
'Didn't his buddies stop him?'
Seo Woo-jin thought of two of his elite friends.
Seong Yu-ra and Kim Tae-jin.
They'd been there when he fought Reina, so they had a rough idea of his strength.
'They tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen, or maybe he snuck out alone.'
Seo Woo-jin didn't dwell on it.
Whatever they were thinking, it wouldn't affect him.
"You know this, but I'm an S-rank 'Diamond Warrior'—"
"Shut up."
Park Jin-han tried to boast proudly, but Seo Woo-jin cut him off.
"If you're here to fight, just come at me. Stop yapping like a musclehead who doesn't match his size. Your muscles are twitching just from talking, you meathead."
His face turned red, then purple.
No, on closer look, his whole body was flushing crimson.
"You little shit..."
Unable to hold back his rage, Park Jin-han swung his fist.
A simple punch, no skills or techniques.
But befitting an S-rank, the power packed into it was astonishingly immense.
The air exploded as the massive fist shot forward at a speed unbelievable for his bulk.
But that was it.
To Seo Woo-jin, it was pathetically slow.
Even Lee Ji-ah's punches were sharper and stronger.
"What a joke."
Seo Woo-jin had no intention of dodging such a weak punch.
He clenched his own fist and thrust it forward to meet it.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone echoed.
It went without saying—it wasn't Seo Woo-jin's.
"Urk!"
Park Jin-han clutched his fist and staggered back a step.
His eyes bulged in disbelief.
"H-How?"
His class was 'Diamond Warrior.'
A job that far surpassed human limits in durability and strength.
Those muscles weren't just for show.
Even Baek Si-woo had to expend considerable effort just to scratch him.
And yet, not a mere scrape—his bone had shattered.
From a single punch.
No matter how perfectly timed the counter, it was incomprehensible.
It had been ages since he'd felt pain like this, not since becoming a hero. Park Jin-han gritted his teeth.
"What, does it hurt?"
Seo Woo-jin mocked him once more and planted his foot.
Boom—
The cracked training ground floor split further under his step.
Power surged from his foot, through his ankle and knee, twisting through his waist and shoulder into a massive rotational force that exploded into his fist.
"This one's gonna hurt more."
Park Jin-han's chest caved in as Seo Woo-jin's fist buried itself there.
Crunch!
Ribs shattered.
Bones tougher than most metals snapped like twigs.
"Aaaagh!"
Park Jin-han could no longer hold back his scream.
Blood welled up from his mouth, spilling down his throat.
His internals were damaged too.
But Seo Woo-jin wasn't done.
"Shut your mouth. You're spilling your corn."
He kicked off lightly, launching into the air and driving his knee up.
Knee strike.
A technique inspired by Kye Soo-ji's skill, amped up with Chaos Energy for devastating power.
Crack!
Seo Woo-jin's knee smashed into Park Jin-han's face.
Nose bone shattered, and just as he'd warned, teeth scattered into the air.
Park Jin-han's eyes glazed over.
The overwhelming pain robbed him of his senses.
As the man began to topple backward, Seo Woo-jin halted his heel drop to the crown of his head.
He spotted Lee Ji-ah and Kim Da-hye staring wide-eyed.
'Tch.'
It might be a bit too brutal for the young ones.
Clicking his tongue, Seo Woo-jin relaxed his leg and landed.
And then,
Park Jin-han toppled backward like a rotten log.
Thud!
His massive frame hit the ground with a sound like a falling tree.
It had taken mere seconds.
From the moment he swung his fist to his collapse.
The party let out disbelieving laughs at Seo Woo-jin toying with an S-rank hero like a plaything.
A stark reminder of his strength.
"Big lump of nothing, almost got himself killed."
Seo Woo-jin spat at the unconscious Park Jin-han and turned around.
"That's it for today, everyone! I'll drop this guy off."
"Want us to come along?"
Kye Soo-ji offered, but Seo Woo-jin shook his head.
"Nah, it'll be fine. No point in a warm family reunion. Easier solo."
"Huh? Aren't you taking him to the infirmary?"
Kye Soo-ji tilted her head.
His injuries looked severe at a glance.
He needed immediate treatment from Iyer's priests.
"The 'Saintess' is his friend. Better than some priests."
Kye Soo-ji's face lit up with realization at Seo Woo-jin's words.
"Oh, right."
"Alright, I'll handle it and be back. See you all tomorrow."
Spotting Lee Ji-ah toddling over, Seo Woo-jin grabbed Park Jin-han's hair and bolted.
No way he was getting trapped in chit-chat hell again.
Thanks to that, the unconscious Park Jin-han was dragged across the floor by his hair.
Like discarded luggage.
"I wonder how it went."
Kim Tae-jin, meditating on his magic, suddenly opened his eyes.
It had been quite a while since Park Jin-han left to question Seo Woo-jin.
"He didn't actually pick a fight, did he?"
Even as he said it, Kim Tae-jin was certain his friend had gone to provoke him.
"...Hope he got beaten just enough."
He wasn't too worried.
Seo Woo-jin was a hero too; he wouldn't go too far.
But that notion shattered soon enough.
Bang!
The door exploded open.
No, it really looked smashed.
As Kim Tae-jin turned, the fine wooden door dangled crookedly.
And beyond it, a familiar face appeared.
'Ah, shit.'
It was Seo Woo-jin.
One look at his icy expression told Kim Tae-jin something was wrong.
"Hey, catch."
Seo Woo-jin called out and tossed something his way.
"...Jin-han!"
It was Park Jin-han, beaten to a pulp and bleeding.
No response even to his loud shout.
Kim Tae-jin spotted the marks of Seo Woo-jin's handiwork.
'Ribs all shattered, right hand mangled... Face caved in too.'
No mercy—he'd gone all out.
"Did you put him up to this?"
Kim Tae-jin's body froze at Seo Woo-jin's tone.
"W-What do you mean?"
He stammered, terrified of ending up the same.
"He comes at me out of nowhere picking a fight?"
"I didn't tell him to."
Kim Tae-jin shook his head vigorously.
He'd explicitly told him not to.
"Yeah?"
Seo Woo-jin eyed him suspiciously.
Meeting that gaze brought back the image of Seo Woo-jin overwhelming Reina.
Gulp.
He swallowed dryly before speaking.
"I tried to stop him. But he insisted he had to ask. I begged him not to start anything..."
He berated himself for not being firmer.
Park Jin-han's injuries were regrettable, but the fear of suffering the same was greater.
"Is that so?"
Fortunately, Seo Woo-jin nodded, seemingly convinced.
"But what was this about Baek Si-woo? And come to think of it, you guys came all the way here for that, right?"
"...Yeah."
"What is it? That guy said something earlier, but I don't really remember."
As Seo Woo-jin pointed at the sprawled Park Jin-han, Kim Tae-jin cautiously replied.
"Why Si-woo suddenly went berserk..."
"No idea."
Seo Woo-jin shook his head firmly.
It wasn't that he didn't want to answer.
The Empire just wanted it buried.
If word about Baek Si-woo spread, the Empire and Crusiel would suspect him.
The emperor had just tried scheming against him.
No need to paint a bigger target.
"Anything else? That's it?"
"...And why he got kidnapped."
"No clue."
It was Reina and the lion's doing, mistaking Baek Si-woo for the Demon King.
Tied to the first question, so no way he could answer.
"I see."
Kim Tae-jin let out a hollow laugh, deflated.
He'd mustered courage amid his fear, but got nothing.
As Seong Yu-ra had said before, interrogation was impossible.
"Ah, but I'll tell you one thing."
Kim Tae-jin's eyes lit up at Seo Woo-jin's words.
"What is it?"
"Forget about Baek Si-woo. Treat him like a stranger, or assume he's dead. Whatever."
Kim Tae-jin's brow furrowed.
Sure, Baek Si-woo had caused trouble, but he was still his friend.
His best friend, irreplaceable.
Forget him?
Kim Tae-jin couldn't accept it.
"Why should we?"
His tone sharpened involuntarily.
Seo Woo-jin chuckled at that.
"I'm just giving advice. Up to you and your friends whether you take it. And..."
His voice grew heavy.
"Whatever consequences your choice brings, own them yourselves. Don't drag others down."