The Champion's Path
When Kim Ilshin opened the cage door and stepped inside, the onlookers assumed he was just a cleaner entering to tidy up the ring. It was hard to imagine that the relatively youthful-faced boy had come there to fight. Consequently, they had no inkling of the chaos he was about to unleash.
WREEEEEEEEEEE—!!
“What the! What is that noise?”
“No way…! Hey! Look over there!”
“Holy shit….”
As Kim Ilshin pressed the bright red button centered on the cage wall, the atmosphere, which had been momentarily hushed, erupted into a frenzy. The ear-splitting siren and the roar of the crowd combined to create a scene reminiscent of a full-scale disaster.
“Whoa, how long has it been? Looks like we’re in for a fun show!”
“Wow… I didn’t think there’d be another idiot brave enough to press that. Good luck, you moron!”
Because it had been such a long time since anyone had pressed the button, everyone in the arena was genuinely stunned. The moment he pressed it, the electronic display above the cage flashed a message.
[NEW CHALLENGER]
It wasn’t just a fight; it was a declaration to challenge for the title of the new Champion. “What, it’s just a kid?”
“Does he even know what he pressed? He’s wearing a sword? Looks kinda fancy, though?”
“Tsk, the mood was great, and now this guy ruins the flow. Hey, you little shit! If you don’t want to die, go home and eat some more of your mom’s cooking!”
“We might be holding a funeral today.”
“Kid! You’d better start begging for mercy and say you pressed it by mistake! Keep this up and you won’t even be able to hold a spoon with those hands!”
However, most of the gathered crowd reacted with disappointment and disapproval. Naturally, there were plenty who mocked him. It was only expected; no one believed that a boy as young as Kim Ilshin could complete the ‘Champion Road’ required to become the Champion.
The process of the Champion Road is simple. If you achieve 20 consecutive victories without a single loss in matches against opponents known as ‘Trials,’ you ascend to the throne of the Champion. It might sound easy, but once a few rules are added, the difficulty skyrockets beyond comprehension.
First, the challenger cannot choose their own trial opponents, nor do they have the right to refuse a match. They must achieve 10 consecutive wins against whoever volunteers on the spot. It meant that preparing a strategy or anticipating the opponent was impossible.
‘This is tricky, but it’s not the second rule.’
Second, the challenger must continue the matches without any rest. There is no break time between rounds, and the challenger must secure victory against Trials who swarm like jackals while their stamina steadily drains. Because of these rules, very few had ever succeeded in completing the Champion Road. Even those who had won countless matches here were reluctant to challenge for the Champion’s seat.
“Will he even make it to the third?”
“He might be finished from the start.”
“I really don’t know what he was thinking when he pressed that.”
Because of this, almost no one expected Kim Ilshin, a newcomer, to finish. Everyone assumed he would be knocked out quickly, and that thought only strengthened when the first Trial appeared.
“It’s over, it’s over.”
“I’ll be happy if he doesn’t end up a cripple. I should start praying for his soul.”
“How does that giant bastard come out first? He’s got the worst luck.”
The audience shook their heads as they watched the person approaching the cage door where Kim Ilshin stood. Then, the cage door swung open, and a man entered, bowing his head. It wasn’t to show respect to Kim Ilshin, but because the cage door wasn’t built for his massive frame. Even a door over two meters tall was far too small for him.
‘He’s filthy big.’
The moment Kim Ilshin thought that, the host’s voice boomed from the ceiling speakers, revealing the identity of the man standing opposite him.
[The first Trial is none other than!! The giant Trevor, with 31 matches, 26 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses!]
“Woooo! Trevor!”
“I’m betting on you again! Just crush that blockhead!”
“Don’t show any mercy, just stomp him!”
Trevor looked like a common drunkard. Long, greasy yellow hair reached his shoulders, and his entire body was covered in thick layers of fat. His hooked nose, protruding beneath bulging eyes, made his already dirty impression even more sinister.
‘Is this the homeless style?’
But unlike his disheveled appearance, his record was excellent. It was incredibly difficult to rack up that many wins in an underground arena where every notable street fighter gathered.
“Kid. Don’t worry. I’ll at least make sure you can walk out of here.”
Trevor, who had walked to the center of the cage and locked eyes with Kim Ilshin, spoke in a low voice. His lips were curled into a grin visible even from a distance.
“You might not think so now, but later you’ll realize how lucky you were to meet me first.”
He stepped closer to Kim Ilshin and continued.
“Murder isn’t allowed, but other than that, everything goes here. If you’d met someone with a twisted hobby, you wouldn’t even be able to hold a spoon later.”
Trevor was completely ignoring Kim Ilshin. With Kim Ilshin’s frail-looking body, it seemed impossible to pierce his fat and deliver any meaningful impact. Since his main weapon was his immense durability, there was no way he would lose to a brat like this. The sword might be a bit dangerous, but he had no intention of letting the brat land a clean hit.
‘Oh? You want to try with your fists?’
Just then, Kim Ilshin’s fist shot out toward Trevor. It was slower than the punches of an average fighter in the arena. It was aimed at his solar plexus, and Trevor, having finished his assessment instantly, let out a small snort.
‘Go ahead and try to hit me.’
There was no way he would get hit by a punch that slow. Confident in his victory, Trevor even puffed out his belly.
THUD.
Kim Ilshin’s fist sank deep into Trevor’s abdomen. In that instant, Trevor’s confident expression twisted hideously. It was the agony of having his internal organs ruptured from the inside out, not the outside. It was the effect of the Wolgok-gyeong carried in Kim Ilshin’s fist.
“Guh, guh-heuk…! Ugh…!”
Clutching his stomach, Trevor collapsed to the floor and began to weep like a child. Not stopping there, he let out a shriek born of extreme pain, rolling his massive body across the floor.
“What the fuck… what is going on…?”
“What, why is that guy acting like that?”
“No way. It ends like this? Who the hell is that kid…?”
The underground arena was filled with the voices of people in shock. It was an unbelievable result, but it was a fact that had clearly unfolded before their eyes.
“Hey, you fuckers! This is rigged! How does this make sense!”
“Trevor, you dog! Get up! Get up!”
Some were unable to accept the result and began to protest. Kim Ilshin looked out at the pandemonium outside the cage and thought.
‘When is the next guy coming in?’
I want to finish this quickly.
Over ten minutes had passed since the Champion Road began, and Kim Ilshin had yet to be eliminated. Despite that, the atmosphere in the arena had turned deathly cold. No more noise came from the spectators.
“Does this make any sense…?”
“They didn’t drug the drinks, did they? ……So this is reality?”
“Shit…….”
Everyone was too busy trying to process the situation to even watch the match.
“I asked around, and they say he’s actually a student at the Academy. A third-year.”
“…That guy is a student? Is that for real?”
“Yeah. I just heard it from the gatekeeper.”
“……Huh.”
At that fact, the onlookers clicked their tongues. It was because of the practical, seasoned fighter’s demeanor Kim Ilshin had shown, as if he had been through every battle imaginable. His combat style, which trampled his opponents so efficiently and cleanly, made them wonder if a veteran master had undergone a total transformation.
[19th Trial has ended! The winner is~ Challenger Kim Ilshin, once again!]
The 19th Trial had ended in less than a minute after it began.
“That guy couldn’t even hold on….”
“I didn’t think he wouldn’t even land a single hit….”
Kim Ilshin, who had fought 19 matches in a row, looked no different than when he started. Not a single drop of sweat had fallen, and his breathing was completely steady. One could believe he had just stepped into the cage.
‘Is it finally starting?’
“I have a proposal!”
Simultaneous with Kim Ilshin’s thought, a voice rang out. It came from the direction of the bar. Chu Gyeong-seok’s eyes were shining brightly as he raised his hand, and Kim Ilshin smiled inwardly at the sight. The Champion Road was only just beginning.