Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 233
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Exactly three days after the bizarre rumor Kang Seol had spread took hold.
In just three days, everyone in Yocheon was talking about him.
"So, Gwak Seong got scared?"
"That's right. Who wouldn't want to avoid him? His opponent is the heir to that Daesan!"
"Wasn't Daeha the heir to Daesan?"
"They're completely different! Their fighting styles are worlds apart."
"True, Daesan lasted at least five minutes, but Daeha just overwhelms his opponents one-sidedly."
"Gwak Seong's done for too. Is this really the same Gwak Seong who produced two Conquerors?"
"He's just getting old. People get complacent with age."
Kang Seol offered no opinion on these rumors.
He simply carried out his next scheduled matches in silence.
With about half a month left until the deadline set by Yongjaeng, Kang Seol had fought fifteen matches.
Of course, he hadn't lost a single one.
The rumor spread with Shin Yo's help had certainly been effective, but it would have spread on its own anyway.
Fabricating it had merely hastened the spark.
Around that time, one more interesting thing happened.
Soryo—that is, Seolhong—the one who had proposed an alliance, had sent out her Yongseok to the blood fights.
Having seen the rumors spreading in Yocheon and Kang Seol's standing in the Warrior's Heart, she seemed to have tried the same approach.
But unlike Kang Seol, she couldn't subdue her opponents on schedule and suffered humiliation after losing to the next one following two wins.
Shocked, Soryo stopped sending out her Yongseok from the following match.
The fact that her Yongseok was weaker than Seolhong's must have been quite a blow to her.
And now, a fight was about to begin between Kang Seol and a gladiator who ranked high in the blood fights.
"Huuuuh..."
Kang Seol's strength still hadn't returned.
As a summoner, he wondered why he had to engage in this hand-to-hand brawl, and a sigh escaped him at the pathos of his situation.
'Can't someone just come back already?'
He had four summons, yet none had shown so much as a glimpse since coming east.
The announcer's voice soon boomed through the Warrior's Heart.
- Ah! This might be the moment everyone's been looking forward to lately! So many of you have been coming to the Warrior's Heart just to see him, right? Hahaha! I'm the same! The rising star claiming to be the true successor to the demon of the village corner, Daesan! Fifteen wins, zero losses! It's Kang Seol!
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
"I bet on you! I bet on you!"
"Pay up my money! Drop dead right here!"
"Shut up! What about my money then!"
"Kang Seol! You got this! I'm cheering for you!"
The announcer's introductions had grown quite substantial now, and the jeers from the audience had vanished.
With cheerers appearing too, it didn't feel bad heading into the fight.
- And facing him is the powerhouse that many predicted would be the next Conqueror before Kang Seol appeared! Fist fighter Chirang!
"Chiraaaaaang!"
"You're the one! Get rid of Kang Seol!"
"Just kill him outright!"
Kang Seol had studied all the top gladiators of the day while racking up wins in the Warrior's Heart, and Chirang was one he had noted.
'There aren't many in the Warrior's Heart who could match me. Fist fighter Chirang, Conqueror Daeha, yin-yang shaman Seonyu, and former king Gyuho.'
Watching their matches, he had simulated fights against them with his stats-heavy build, and Chirang, Seonyu, and Gyuho seemed like they'd be toss-ups.
And Daeha, who wasn't scheduled right now, was impossible to even simulate.
"I'm Chirang."
"I'm Kang Seol."
No need for lengthy words.
- Then, begin!
Clank...
A mechanical gauntlet implanted in Chirang's wrist sprang out, encasing his hand.
The Khan Empire had a fairly advanced mechanical civilization. Especially in weaponry, their mechanical engineering had surpassed the West.
Kang Seol had felt that firsthand since arriving in Yocheon.
"Ha-!"
[Chirang uses Breaking Fist.]
[The range of destruction expands.]
Clank-!
A strong move right from the start.
'Dangerous!'
Pang-!
Kang Seol bent at the waist to dodge the ominous punch Chirang threw at him.
Whoosh-!
Chirang's fist curved in midair.
There should have been recoil, but his gauntlet seemed to cancel it out.
Fights against those wielding such tools of civilization were tricky because their moves were unpredictable.
Of course, Kang Seol had prepared for this much.
Pop-!
He twisted his waist and flipped backward to evade the follow-up as well.
Kwaaaaaang!
Chirang's fist slammed straight into the ground.
Crunch-!
The destructive power shattered the entire arena in an instant.
Normally, both would have fallen, resulting in a no-contest.
"Haaaaaap!"
"Hngh!"
Groans came from the Taoists and sorcerers all around.
Srrrrk...
The fragments of the broken arena floated up into the air.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
"Chirang! Show 'em!"
Kang Seol and Chirang stood atop the arena chunks, facing each other.
Pop-!
Pop-!
And they clashed once more.
"Hngh..."
Creak...
Chirang's chest muscles swelled massively.
[Chirang uses Rock Throw.]
[Throwing power greatly increases, and the maximum weight capacity surges.]
Chirang grabbed a piece of debris floating nearby—several times larger than himself—with both hands and hurled it at Kang Seol.
Whooooosh-!
The rock flew at tremendous speed.
It was so massive it blocked Kang Seol's entire view.
'Can I break it?'
Dodging wasn't feasible in this situation.
Crackle...
Soon, Kang Seol's hand turned pitch black up to his wrist.
An improvised use of Night Crow, a power he'd adapted through recent real combat.
He drew back his right arm like a bow...
Kwaaaaaang-!
And smashed the debris.
"Amateur!"
Chirang's figure appeared through a gap in the debris.
He had hidden behind it deliberately, aiming for a single strike.
But Kang Seol was no one to miss that.
Pababak-!
Hands clashed dozens of times in an instant.
At this moment, cold sweat beaded on Kang Seol's forehead too.
'Stay focused!'
The two brawled atop tiny debris.
One mistake meant getting hit hard, and a big dodge could send them plummeting.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
"Y-you seeing this?"
- What an incredible matchup!
Pabak!
Pak!
Chirang was all offense.
He focused purely on pressing attacks to find an opening in Kang Seol.
Screech!
Crack!
A fist desperately seeking any successful hit.
Pababak!
Pababak!
In contrast, Kang Seol was the ultimate shield.
He disrupted the flow of Chirang's attacks and deflected them all with his blackened hand.
Chirang grew frustrated.
"Rooooar!"
His earlier composure gone, he overheated in rage, straining his gauntlet.
Sizzle...
His sleeve burned from the gauntlet's heat, curling up to reveal his finely honed arm muscles.
Sizzle...
Chirang's gauntlet began spewing eerie smoke.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Shut uuuup!"
Provoked by Kang Seol, Chirang flew into a frenzy.
Having landed not a single clean hit, even light taunting set him off.
Then.
Puk...
Kang Seol slipped a punch into his chest along his flow.
Urk...
"Time's up."
"K-Kill..."
Kang Seol placed both hands on Chirang's momentarily halted gauntlet.
Chirang cursed him.
"You can't beat Daeha, trash like you..."
Crunch-!
Kang Seol's reply crushed the gauntlet completely.
Whoosh-!
He gave Chirang a light push, then front-kicked his abdomen.
Puuuuk!
Even a simple front kick carried immense power. A normal person would have died instantly.
Chirang plummeted below the debris.
Boom...
Fortunately, the Taoists lightened his body, sparing him fatal injury from the fall.
"Ch-Chirang..."
"Lost just like that."
"Chirang got beaten so helplessly?"
- This blood fight goes to... Kang Seol's victory! He subdued Chirang so easily!
"Waaaaaaaaaah!"
"Kang Seol! Kang Seol!"
"Thanks! Thank you!"
* * *
Having defeated even Chirang, who was tipped as the next Conqueror in the Warrior's Heart, Kang Seol's popularity skyrocketed like a volcano erupting.
It was at the point where he couldn't go outside without hiding his face.
Yin-yang shaman Seonyu and former king Gyuho canceled their blood fights with Kang Seol, citing health issues.
For now, the only one who could stop Kang Seol's storm was Conqueror Daeha.
'The plan's mostly in place.'
Things had progressed steadily; now all that was left was for Gwak Seong to step in.
However, not everything going according to plan meant no problems.
'Daeha might be stronger than me.'
Kang Seol recalled Daesan in his prime, how overwhelmingly strong he had been.
'Even if my stats are much higher now...'
Without summons, he concluded he might lose to Daesan back then.
Those who made fighting their livelihood had a unique edge. Daeha, his brother, had likely inherited that aura too.
While Kang Seol pondered what lay ahead, Cheonju visited Seolhong.
"Lady Seolhong..."
"Yes?"
"Someone's here to see you."
"...Me?"
Kang Seol and Seolhong exchanged glances.
The only ones who knew he was in Yocheon were Yonghwa and the archivists.
Swish...
Kang Seol went out in Seolhong's stead.
Contrary to what Cheonju said, no one was at the door.
Just a note left behind.
Kang Seol picked it up and read the contents.
Creak...
Kang Seol returned.
"Lady Seolhong."
"What is it? Where's the person?"
"This was left at the door."
Seolhong read the note and nodded.
"Finally, Gwak Seong's making his move."
The note said Gwak Seong wanted to talk.
* * *
The meeting spot Gwak Seong suggested was fairly central in Yocheon.
And at this secret meeting was someone Seolhong hadn't expected.
"S-Sister Soryo?"
"Seolhong? You got contacted too?"
"What do you mean?"
"Haa..."
Soryo sighed in disappointment and said,
"Gwak Seong said he had urgent business, so I came. Seeing you got word too, Brother Baeyu must be here as well."
Soryo slyly wove in that Seolhong was beneath them.
But Seolhong ignored it, sensing something off instead.
"Why us three...? How did Gwak Seong know we're here?"
"Maybe Brother Baeyu's contact with Gwak Seong went well."
"Did Brother Baeyu really make contact with Gwak Seong?"
"I don't know. We'll find out when we go."
Seolhong frowned suspiciously and glanced at Kang Seol. He said,
"No matter what happens, we can escape. Don't worry."
"...Got it."
"Act confidently. Gwak Seong will exploit any weakness you show."
Nod...
They ascended to the third floor of the pavilion in tense silence.
"Over here, you brats."
"Hah... Your mouth's as foul as ever."
A middle-aged man was dining with someone. Four seats were prepared.
Two were already occupied.
One was naturally Gwak Seong, the other looked like Baeyu's back.
Soryo sighed and said,
"Haa... Brother Baeyu beat us to it after all."
"......"
"Seolhong, even if you flail around, you're stuck in place—I told you that, but you wouldn't listen... Will you accept it now? The other brothers are even more than you..."
"...Sister."
"Seolhong, let me finish..."
"Brother Baeyu... seems to have met with misfortune."
"......"
Soryo's gaze shifted from Seolhong to Baeyu.
Baeyu hadn't turned around even then. Gwak Seong spoke for him.
"Sit."