Chapter 29
Chapter 29
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Fist Emperor (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Dangerous.’
As a soldier, he had to be over level 300 at least.
But with the Fist Emperor’s battle sense, that level gap could be easily overcome.
“You seem to have drunk just the right amount, so let’s call it a night.”
Kang Hyun-soo said, placing a hand on the Fist Emperor’s shoulder.
Grit!
The Fist Emperor ground his teeth, holding back his anger.
“Kekeke, as expected of a beastman, tucking your tail like that.”
A foxkin soldier saw this and mocked the Fist Emperor again.
Just as the Fist Emperor’s rage was about to explode once more.
Kang Hyun-soo spoke first.
“Hey, idiot, if you’re so tough, why don’t you go first?”
“What?”
“You’re swinging your uniform around like a shield and just flapping your gums—step up already. What, too scared?”
“You bastard! Don’t talk like you’ve got a death wish! Who said I’m scared?!”
“Then come at me.”
The foxkin soldier trembled with rage at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
But that was it.
“Scaredy-cat, tucking your tail real good.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words, the foxkin soldier’s fury finally erupted.
“You arrogant punk!”
The foxkin soldier drew his sharp claws and charged at Kang Hyun-soo.
At that moment.
Thwack!
The Fist Emperor’s fist smashed into the foxkin soldier’s lower jaw.
“Gahk!”
Thud!
The foxkin soldier, who had charged in so boldly, tumbled to the ground.
“You bastard?”
“Kill him!”
Two more enraged beastkin soldiers rushed at Kang Hyun-soo and the Fist Emperor.
However.
Thwack! Thwack!
They too were sent flying by the Fist Emperor’s fists in an instant.
“Ughhh.”
“Grghhh.”
All three soldiers groaned in pain.
‘These guys are so weak? No, is the Fist Emperor just that strong?’
Their movements didn’t suggest low levels.
But they seemed severely lacking in combat experience.
‘Well, they were fighting barehanded without weapons.’
The Fist Emperor specialized in hand-to-hand combat.
Meanwhile, these guys mainly used claw techniques, so their punches were clumsy.
“You bastards dare ambush and assault the regular army of the Muran Kingdom!”
The first foxkin soldier to fall glared at Kang Hyun-soo and the Fist Emperor with furious eyes.
“Huh?”
The Fist Emperor looked slightly flustered.
No matter how you sliced it, the Fist Emperor wanted to enlist in the Muran Kingdom’s army.
But in that situation, he had beaten up potential future comrades from the Muran Kingdom’s army.
It was obvious that the already poor image of beastmen would plummet even further.
The surrounding stares weren’t friendly either.
Legally, the Fist Emperor was innocent since they attacked first.
But laws were often twisted to fit the narrative.
If these witnesses gave statements against the Fist Emperor?
He could end up getting punished instead.
Kang Hyun-soo spoke up on behalf of the flustered Fist Emperor.
“Ambush my ass. You guys came at us first.”
“I was coming at you! That guy ambushed me in the middle!”
“Shut your long tongue after losing. Then what about those other two?”
“Either way, I was ambushed!”
The foxkin soldier quibbled.
“Want to go again, fair and square?”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words, the foxkin soldier shut his mouth.
He’d talked about ambushes and all that.
But it was just to save face.
The foxkin soldier had no confidence in beating the Fist Emperor head-on.
“If I’d had my weapon.”
The foxkin soldier grumbled, blaming his lack of weapon.
“Bunch of weaklings with nothing but mouths... Anyway, what’re you gonna do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You three ganged up on a beastman you looked down on and got wrecked. If word gets out, you’re screwed.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words, the foxkin soldier’s face paled.
The other two, who were groaning as they got up, looked the same.
“If you don’t want to be humiliated, keep your mouths shut. Let’s go.”
Kang Hyun-soo grabbed the Fist Emperor’s shoulder with those words and headed out of the restaurant.
“You think it’ll be okay?”
The Fist Emperor asked Kang Hyun-soo with a worried look.
“Of course. They’ll desperately cover it up to avoid the embarrassment. They attacked first anyway.”
“Still, rumors will spread. I should’ve held back more.”
The Fist Emperor muttered regretfully.
“Well, it can’t be completely hushed up.”
Like the saying that rumors travel a thousand miles, this incident couldn’t be fully buried.
Naturally, more people in the military would view the Fist Emperor negatively.
“But doesn’t it feel good inside?”
“Well, yeah, it does.”
The Fist Emperor smiled sheepishly at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
Despite proving his skills, he’d only been ignored and mocked.
He’d held back until now, but this time he’d paid them back thoroughly.
Of course it felt good.
“Thanks.”
“Huh?”
“For stepping in for me.”
“Didn’t I just make things bigger for no reason?”
“Still, thanks. You said what I wanted to say. And thanks to you, I got a chance to beat them fair and square.”
“Then join our party.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Huh?”
Kang Hyun-soo jumped in surprise at the Fist Emperor’s response.
It was just a casual throwaway line.
He’d expected a refusal.
But the answer was that he’d consider it.
“You mean it?”
“Yeah.”
“Haha, I’m staying at room 305 of the Red Fox Inn. Come find me anytime if you want to meet.”
“Red Fox Inn? That’s a top-class place. Must be loaded.”
“Thanks to you, I made a good haul.”
The Fist Emperor chuckled at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“I’m staying at an inn nearby too, so I’ll walk you there. Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you from Gula?”
Kang Hyun-soo asked with a puzzled expression.
Kang Hyun-soo was a human from another dimension, a foreigner who had recently come to the Muran Kingdom from the Terra Kingdom.
In contrast, the Fist Emperor had been active in Gula, the capital of the Muran Kingdom, since the early days.
So naturally, Kang Hyun-soo thought he was from Gula.
But he was staying at an inn?
“I’m from Lupi. I came to Gula to make a name in the martial tournament and enlist in the Muran Kingdom army.”
“Ah!”
Lupi was the homeland of beastmen, where most of the population were beastmen.
“Let’s go. Night streets are dangerous, so I’ll protect you.”
At the Fist Emperor’s words, Kang Hyun-soo felt a bit flustered.
‘Protect me?’
Come to think of it, the Fist Emperor had only thrown punches in the restaurant when Kang Hyun-soo was under attack.
‘Does he think I’m weak?’
It made sense if he did.
All Kang Hyun-soo had shown the Fist Emperor was watching the finals and collecting winnings.
‘He must think I’m the type who needs carrying.’
He probably thought Kang Hyun-soo was trying to leech off him by recruiting him to the party.
In that situation, for him to say he’d consider the offer.
‘Still young and naive, overflowing with gullibility.’
Parties were freer to join and leave than guilds.
It wasn’t uncommon to hunt together today and split tomorrow.
‘He said he’d think about it, but he’ll definitely come to the inn.’
The Fist Emperor thought he owed Kang Hyun-soo.
He’d surely want to repay that debt by hunting together.
‘Once he thinks he’s paid it back enough, he’ll leave the party.’
A satisfied smile crept onto Kang Hyun-soo’s lips.
‘He can come as he pleases, but leaving won’t be so easy.’
He planned to show the Fist Emperor his and Song Ha-na’s true strength.
Kang Hyun-soo alone was already stronger than the current Fist Emperor.
Song Ha-na had grown tremendously by picking up achievements with his help.
‘Song Ha-na’s probably stronger than the Fist Emperor.’
If he went to give a ride but ended up riding the bus himself?
‘He’ll be shocked.’
He’d be surprised again.
When he realized Kang Hyun-soo and Song Ha-na weren’t using him but recruiting him as a true comrade to fight alongside.
‘Perfect.’
Kang Hyun-soo resolved to make sure the Fist Emperor could never run away once he came.
“The night streets of the Muran Kingdom are dangerous. So don’t walk alone if possible. Got it? Last time, there was this incident where...”
While Kang Hyun-soo was lost in thought, the Fist Emperor was chattering nonstop, displaying his overly talkative nature.
The main point was that the Muran Kingdom’s night streets were dangerous.
‘Well, not wrong.’
The public safety in the Atlantis dimension was worlds apart from Earth, especially Korea.
Korea had the best public safety in the world.
In contrast, Atlantis had the worst.
Worse than Earth’s Middle Ages.
‘At night, all sorts of crimes run rampant.’
That’s why ordinary people in Atlantis rarely went out after sunset.
‘But that’s for normals.’
Players didn’t need to fear the night.
Players were superhumans with physical abilities and skills beyond normal humans.
However.
Rustle!
‘This is different.’
A group emerged from the darkness, swiftly surrounding Kang Hyun-soo and the Fist Emperor.
Their movement speed was absolutely not that of ordinary people.
‘Players. Who?’
Kang Hyun-soo’s mind raced.
‘After me? Or the Fist Emperor?’
Kang Hyun-soo hadn’t caused any trouble since arriving in the Muran Kingdom.
He’d just hunted quietly and holed up in his inn room.
‘After the Fist Emperor? Or those soldiers from earlier?’
He was curious about their identity.
‘I’ll find out soon enough. Time to rack up some points.’
Whether they were the Fist Emperor’s personal enemies or those soldiers from before, it didn’t matter.
‘Time to show my real skills properly this time.’
If Kang Hyun-soo revealed his true power?
The Fist Emperor’s eyes would bulge.
“Who goes there!”
The Fist Emperor shouted at the sudden enemies.
“Who else appears out of nowhere late at night but bandits? Hand over everything you’ve got. Then I’ll spare your lives.”
‘Bandits?’
Kang Hyun-soo looked puzzled.
‘No way.’
Players were valuable.
They could make good money just from hunting.
For such people to band together for banditry?
‘Doesn’t add up financially.’
Muran Kingdom’s laws were strict.
If caught banditry, you’d rot in prison for at least 10 years.
For players to take that risk?
The target needed to be worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold.
‘Hundreds of thousands of gold.’
Kang Hyun-soo’s eyes gleamed.
‘The payout.’
The arena staff had loudly announced that Kang Hyun-soo had won big.
‘In league with the arena staff? Or just overheard and targeted me?’
Either way, they were bandits.
‘Better to capture them and ask for details.’
Kang Hyun-soo had no intention of just throwing them in jail.
Kill them all and turn the useful ones into summons.
“You think I’d yield to mere bandits?”
The Fist Emperor raised his voice in anger.
Kang Hyun-soo prepared for battle too.
That was when.
“I’ll break through the encirclement. Run for it with everything you’ve got. I’ll handle any pursuers, so don’t worry.”
The Fist Emperor whispered to Kang Hyun-soo.
‘Thoroughly treating me like a non-combatant.’
From the Fist Emperor’s perspective, getting the weaker Kang Hyun-soo to safety was the top priority.
There were too many enemies to fight while protecting him.
“No need. I’ll fight too.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s response, the Fist Emperor frowned.
“Don’t overestimate yourself. If combat breaks out, I won’t have the capacity to protect you.”
At the Fist Emperor’s words, Kang Hyun-soo smiled faintly.
Thud!
He shot forward and swung his sword.
Slash!
Under the faint moonlight, red blood sprayed like a fountain, painting the night sky.
“Aaagh!”
“Gahk!”
Numerous enemies collapsed as cold corpses, rolling limply across the ground.