Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: King of Pushovers Recruitment Operation (2)
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‘It catches the eye right away.’
Towering a full head taller than other players.
Broad shoulders and a packed upper body rippling with muscle, legs as thick as logs.
‘That’s not muscle built from leveling up.’
It was a body forged on Earth before entering the Atlantis Dimension.
‘Wasn’t he a pro MMA fighter?’
His unique skill was unusual too.
Herculean Strength.
Put one point into the Strength stat?
It goes up by ten.
‘Said it started from F-Rank.’
That skill alone must have allowed him to amass nearly three thousand summons before regression.
For an F-Rank to balloon stats by ten times was practically cheating.
‘At EX-Rank, theoretically, one point in Strength would raise it by 450.’
A whopping 450-fold boost.
Innate physical condition.
Temperament.
Unique ability.
All of it.
‘Suited him more for a warrior class than summoner.’
Yet somehow, he ended up with a summoner-class job.
‘Every level-up, he dumped all stats into Strength.’
Then spent those stats to create summons.
‘Maybe that was a silver lining.’
Without Herculean Strength?
He never would have earned the title of One-Man Army.
Sssk!
A smile crept across Kang Hyun-soo’s lips.
‘Long time no see, Ivan.’
Players from all over Earth gathered in the Lockto Empire.
The One-Man Army from before regression.
‘Was Russian.’
And a real man’s man at that.
Thud. Thud.
Kang Hyun-soo approached Ivan.
“Nice to meet you.”
Kang Hyun-soo extended a hand to Ivan.
“What?”
Ivan tilted his head, looking puzzled.
A total stranger demanding a handshake and acting all friendly.
If Kang Hyun-soo were Russian?
He might’ve racked his brain thinking, ‘Do I know him and forgot?’
But Kang Hyun-soo was Korean.
Ivan had never been close to an Easterner in his life.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know me?”
“Aren’t you Ivan Yamelikonen, the pro MMA fighter?”
“Yeah, but how do you know me?”
“I’m a fan.”
Ivan’s mouth fell open at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“You’re my fan?”
“Yes. I’ve watched every single one of your matches since your debut. Especially that disqualification loss against Alvarez—that was heartbreaking. I even booked a flight to see your next one live, but then I got dragged into the Atlantis Dimension.”
“Man, then you must not know about my three straight wins after that.”
“Oh, three in a row? Congratulations!”
“Yeah, let me tell you how I pulled them off…”
Kang Hyun-soo and Ivan chatted excitedly.
In the midst of it.
“But how did you know I was getting discharged today?”
Ivan eyed Kang Hyun-soo with a hint of suspicion.
“Ah, I planted people in the training camps. My family or friends could get pulled into the Atlantis Dimension too, right? Plus, if there’s any outstanding talent, I scout them. That’s why I’ve got informants in every training camp here, feeding me the rosters. That’s how I found out you’d arrived in the Atlantis Dimension, Ivan.”
Ivan jumped at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“You’ve got people in every training camp?”
There weren’t just one or two camps.
Thousands of them.
And he’d infiltrated every single one?
“It’s nothing. Anyone with a bit of money and connections could do it.”
Even as Kang Hyun-soo brushed it off, Ivan’s expression didn’t lighten.
Infiltrating not just a couple, but every camp?
No way that was just “a bit of money and connections.”
It took massive wealth and influence.
Even major guilds wouldn’t dare attempt it lightly.
Ivan realized Kang Hyun-soo was a heavyweight beyond his imagination.
“I enlisted in the Lockto Empire Army.”
Meaning he’d already signed a contract—scouting was off the table.
“I know. I was really bummed when I heard. If I’d moved a little faster, I could’ve scouted you, Ivan.”
“Then why did you come find me?”
“Didn’t I say I’m your fan? This is my chance to meet the fighter I love and respect most. I couldn’t pass it up.”
Ivan’s face brightened.
He’d half-worried it was about scouting based on his training camp performance, but this seemed like pure fandom.
“I hear you’ve got a few days of leave. Would you honor me by letting me hang out with you during that time? I’ll cover all expenses.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s fanboy enthusiasm.
“Of course. But let’s split the costs half and half. Meeting one of my fans is a huge honor for me too.”
Ivan nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Kang Hyun-soo headed with Ivan to the top-class inn he’d reserved in advance.
***
‘Still overflowing with pushover energy.’
He’d declared himself a fan.
Offered to treat him out of pure admiration.
But.
‘Would you just follow along blindly?’
Someone could’ve gotten his info and lied about being a fan.
Even a real fan.
‘Not everyone approaches with good intentions.’
Fans could have ulterior motives too.
‘Classic King of Pushovers.’
Before regression, Ivan was famously gullible.
In nicer terms.
‘He’s a good guy. Pure, full of integrity.’
Maybe that’s why.
He assumed everyone else was like him.
So he trusted people easily.
His young age probably played a part too.
But.
‘The Atlantis Dimension isn’t a place to survive with that mindset.’
The pure, gullible Ivan gradually adapted to the Atlantis Dimension.
And became a ruthless lord.
However.
‘He couldn’t fully shake his true nature in the end.’
Ivan was betrayed and killed by those he trusted most.
Assassinated, the worst way to go.
‘Not this time. He won’t die so pointlessly.’
Plus, before regression, Ivan’s personal combat prowess was nonexistent outside his summons.
But not now.
‘Especially in raw Strength stat, he probably outstrips mid-level players already.’
Kang Hyun-soo and Ivan walked along, chatting.
In the meantime.
[Using unique skill Replica – S-Rank.]
[One stack is consumed.]
[Creating Replica of Herculean Strength – E-Rank.]
[Replica skill Herculean Strength – F-Rank has been created.]
[The Replica skill possesses 160% of the original’s power.]
‘Got it.’
He’d copied Ivan’s unique skill, Herculean Strength.
Kang Hyun-soo kept casting Replica skill while talking with Ivan.
Unbeknownst to him, Ivan had handed over his ace skill.
But Ivan remained blissfully unaware.
‘Well, Replica’s undetectable even to top-level players, so no surprise.’
The real issue.
‘He fell for so many obvious lies.’
From tutorial stories, Ivan joined the Lockto Empire Army because of his tutorial buddies.
He could’ve joined a major guild with better terms, but chose the army instead.
And that wasn’t all.
During the contract with the Lockto Empire Army, he volunteered a pay cut to get his tutorial comrades hired.
‘Already pulling pushover moves.’
If the leave they gave him for topping the training camp could be shared?
He’d split it willingly.
‘You think those tutorial buddies will thank you?’
They might at first.
But later, they’d demand his share as if entitled.
Refuse?
They’d paint him as the bad guy.
‘Definitely a problem right now.’
He needed to grind in the Lockto Empire Army for three years, taste the world’s bitterness, to wise up.
“Here we are.”
Kang Hyun-soo guided Ivan into the top-class inn.
“This is too much. I don’t have much money.”
Ivan meant it—he really planned to cover half.
“Don’t worry about costs. It’s on me.”
Kang Hyun-soo smiled and pulled Ivan along.
Ivan’s eyes widened as they entered the top-class inn.
Its facilities rivaled Earth’s finest hotels.
After tutorial homelessness and five weeks in training camp, it must’ve felt like paradise.
“Here.”
Kang Hyun-soo booked the inn’s best room.
Clap! Clap!
Food streamed in at his applause.
“Th-this!”
Ivan’s eyes bulged.
It couldn’t be helped.
The dishes the servers brought.
Were Russian cuisine.
“How did you…!”
Ivan startled at the familiar foods.
“They can recreate Earth dishes here to some extent. Not perfect, but dig in.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Ivan’s eyes sparkled as he devoured the food at terrifying speed.
True to his massive frame, he ate enormous amounts.
‘Nothing hits like home cooking when you’re homesick.’
Players pulled from Earth to the Atlantis Dimension all suffered nostalgia to varying degrees.
The best cure?
Homeland food.
Kang Hyun-soo and Ivan finished eating amid chit-chat.
Then Kang Hyun-soo led Ivan to another room.
It brimmed with A-Rank items.
“Now, here’s my gift list. Pick what you like.”
“How could I accept such expensive stuff?”
Ivan had gushed over a D-Rank item when enlisting in the Lockto Empire.
But these were A-Rank.
Worth millions of gold each.
“Just a little something for my hero. How about this one?”
Kang Hyun-soo smiled and offered items.
“It’s too much.”
Ivan kept refusing.
But true to form, he couldn’t outstubborn Kang Hyun-soo.
That was the start.
Kang Hyun-soo showered him with “fan gifts.”
And so, Kang Hyun-soo and Ivan spent three days together.
“Time to part ways.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“I’m so bummed. If I’d met you sooner, I wouldn’t have enlisted. We’ll meet again, right? I’ll grab leave ASAP and…”
Ivan poured out regrets like a machine gun, vowing to reunite.
He wouldn’t miss blood relatives this much.
In three days, the pushover king Ivan was fully cooked—believing anything Kang Hyun-soo said, even red beans for soybean paste.
“One last gift from me.”
“Last gift? No, you don’t have to. It’s too much.”
Loaded with presents already, Ivan found it overwhelming.
He knew Kang Hyun-soo had bottomless wealth.
But taking nonstop felt too guilty.
However.
Pushover as ever, Ivan couldn’t resist Kang Hyun-soo’s insistence.
Kang Hyun-soo’s final gift to Ivan.
Was an officer commission.