The First Rebellion
Han Jeong-do asked the same question he always did. He was speaking to the trait he called Super Intuition, the one Lee Shin referred to as “pull.”
Where did it all go wrong?
Even before the match began, his Super Intuition had been screaming at him nonstop.
Your forces are inferior. If things continue like this, you will suffer a devastating loss. Han Jeong-do had never once ignored the warnings of the trait that had guided him to glory.
That’s why I even swallowed my pride and borrowed the Baekhwageom for those bastards. And that still wasn’t enough?
With the Baekhwageom, he had stripped away Park Su-bin’s defensive power. His Super Intuition had cried out in approval.
He had believed that once the dragon’s waist was severed, even the vaunted Hwarang and Mountain King duo would falter. His Super Intuition had agreed.
The opponents are young. No matter how great their talent, they’re still immature. If we drag this into the extreme late game, we win. You agreed with that too, didn’t you?
Even when they were drawing up the plan, his Super Intuition had been wailing. That was right. That was correct.
But at some point, that same intuition had gone completely silent.
It started the moment that Baek kid drew that bastard’s greatsword.
In truth, Kirin Guild’s plan had never included a lane swap between Baek Yeon-woo and Park Su-bin. There had been no need to worry about it.
Top and mid had distinctly different roles. Mid in particular demanded an overwhelming amount of responsibility—its lane was practically a position in itself.
Swapping with the brainless top laner who only needed to stare straight ahead? If anything, they had been delighted.
I thought it would be easy to cook that rookie who had frantically crawled down here.
That relief lasted only a moment. Soon Han Jeong-do was forced to witness a sight he had hoped never to see again in his lifetime.
Ma Jang-dong… Why is that bastard there?
Yes. The moment Baek Yeon-woo gripped Muksal, he had become Ma Jang-dong.
That bestial nature, that reckless charge, that ferocity—it wasn’t an imitation. He had truly turned into a mad beast and begun slamming the greatsword down exactly like its original owner.
Han Jeong-do’s hands began to tremble.
Just from experiencing one match, this was the result. The terror carved into his very bones was seizing control of his body.
From that exact moment, the flow of the game had spiraled into chaos.
And at the same time—
The pull stopped answering me.
The match’s pace suddenly skyrocketed as the entire Mir Guild charged forward like madmen.
The bottom lane was flooded with the lightning Yu Ri-ra scattered everywhere. The top lane saw the awakening of Park Su-bin’s giant, its set effect fully activated. Hwarang performed a miracle, doubling his already insane roaming presence. And the Mountain King had become a wild predator, mercilessly tearing apart his former colleagues.
A frantic melee.
A slugfest approaching two kills per minute.
The term “bloodbath” was not nearly enough.
And in the middle of that chaotic battle, not a single one of Kirin Guild’s towers remained standing. Not one.
⊳ “This is what command looks like. This is strategy. Anyone can command in a calm battlefield. If they’re skilled, they can even come up with decent plans. But a commander who can lead in a battlefield this chaotic? There aren’t many.”
⊳ “Everyone, allow us to reintroduce him. This is the peerless commander, the Mountain King!”
A sudden shift to all-out offense. Mobility. Then chaos.
And ultimately, the destruction of the objective.
A doctrine and tactic that struck like lightning, piercing straight through the enemy’s core.
Blitzkrieg.
It was Mir Guild’s second option.
If I prepared the Baekhwageom for this decisive battle, then you’ve been hiding this move for it all along.
Baek Yeon-woo, who had learned from the Fighting King, and a lightning-fast blitzkrieg.
This kind of nerve-wracking combat created a serious problem for Han Jeong-do.
When several skirmishes broke out within five minutes and he couldn’t let his guard down for even a single second, the first thing to break down was none other than his aged body.
Damn it……
If it had only been external wounds, the Administrator would have restored him at the end of the match, but stamina was a different story.
His breath, which had climbed all the way to his throat, had calmed slightly, but every muscle and joint in his body was still screaming.
Just how many years has it been since I played at this kind of tempo?
It had been more than five years. Ten? Twenty? It had been so long that his body had forgotten.
Of course it had. Han Jeong-do didn’t know, but the match Lee Shin and the Mountain King had put their heads together to create was an ultra-high-tempo game the likes of which had never been seen before.
Not to mention, Lee Shin had declared with certainty that their “Mr. Han Do-gu” would never be able to keep up.
And that was exactly what was happening.
To be honest, it’s too much to keep up……
It wasn’t just his body. His cognitive ability, reaction speed, analytical power—his overall mental judgment had slowed noticeably. Even after drinking the elixir he had prepared for today, there was little improvement.
Perhaps that was why, as he stared blankly at the standby raid team, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. A thought he hated more than death itself……
Should I…… swap out?
For a moment, Han Jeong-do’s eyes widened in shock.
Why……?
……Why was it pulling him?
That was right.
His Super Intuition, which had shown no reaction even after Baek Yeon-woo appeared, was now screaming at him with ferocious intensity.
This judgment you’re making is correct. Swapping is the right move.
In the midst of his confusion, the robed referees entered the waiting room.
“The match will begin shortly. Please prepare.”
All eyes turned toward Han Jeong-do.
In that brief instant, countless memories flashed through his mind. The drinking party where he had bonded with the Mountain King and the Fighting King. The day they had raised Kirin Guild’s signboard together. The first time he had met his father-in-law at the wedding hall. And the countless trophies and moments of glory he himself had lifted.
After a long moment of hesitation, Han Jeong-do made his choice……
“Let’s go.”
Han Jeong-do stepped in front of the gate.
It was the first time he had ever defied the pull of the Super Intuition that had led him to glory, and it was the first decision he had made entirely of his own will.
And therefore, the responsibility for it would fall entirely on Han Jeong-do himself.
“No way, is this a fight? A fight? It is a fight! Mir Guild is drawing their blades right from the start!”
“Oh my god…… What am I even watching right now.”
“Only 45 seconds into the match, the moment they see each other in lane, Mir Guild launches a ferocious offensive. They’re pulling the lane! Attacking! Swarming! They’re accelerating the pace!”
The responsibility Han Jeong-do had to bear was by no means light.
The greatsword and the long blade collided.
Clang!!
Baek Yeon-woo and Han Jeong-do clashed.
Crunch!
The Fighting King dwelling within a young body crossed blades with the Ten Thousand King, whose body had already grown old and worn.
Krrrrrk!
The two men, repelled by the rebound force, turned into streaks of light and charged at each other once more with ferocious momentum.
KKKKKK――!!
The two warriors sliced through the moment and leaped across space.
Sword strikes too fast to follow with the eyes. Shockwaves filling every direction. Mana explosions detonating like mad.
Even breathing felt difficult. The moment you recognized it, you were already too late. Everything the body remembered, instinct and training, talent and effort—every single thing they had built up until now had become a blazing flame that lit up the world.
And in this bloodbath, the first to tire was Han Jeong-do.
Huff……
This wouldn’t do. This war of attrition was absolutely disadvantageous for him. If the pace continued like this, he would collapse from exhaustion just like in the previous set.
Even as he swung his sword, Han Jeong-do constantly searched for clever solutions. He tried desperately to find an answer.
But—
“Stop thinking so hard!”
“!!”
Clang—!!
Baek Yeon-woo’s greatsword flew in with brutal force. Han Jeong-do, who blocked it, was pushed back, leaving scratches on the ground as he slid.
Who said you could think? Today, Han Jeong-do was not allowed to think at all.
That was the role Lee Shin—no, the cold-hearted Professor Lee—had assigned to Baek Yeon-woo.
“Everyone, the professor has already told you everything. The current meta spanning the entire league was created by imitating Kirin Guild. Efficiency, operation, and strategies based on each hunter’s individual weight class. All of it originated from the Mountain King.”
“So let’s flip it around.”
Why did the Mountain King choose this strategy? Why was he forced to? Think about it in reverse.
“It’s because the old man was worried about his friend who was aging just as much as he was.”
Because he had slowed down, he had to use his head. Because he tired easily, he sought efficiency.
Yes. Han Jeong-do might not have realized it, but Kim Jong-pil had considered him a lifelong friend.
“Once you understand this much, the answer is simple. Just do the opposite.”
Relentless skirmishes so he couldn’t find efficiency.
Keep pressuring him so he couldn’t think.
If they did that, Han Jeong-do would undoubtedly collapse.
Therefore—
“Don’t even think about using your head in front of me.”
“You arrogant little……!”
“I told you not to think!”
Baek Yeon-woo increased his speed.
He twisted his waist. His lowered hand whipped around like a lash.
And the greatsword grew even faster.
He struck down. Struck down. Struck down. Struck down. Struck down.
“Ugh!”
Han Jeong-do was continuously pushed back. The counterattacks he had been managing so well suddenly stopped.
Blocking with his sword alone was no longer possible.
He needed time to catch his breath. Han Jeong-do unleashed his magic.
Mana infused with his will exploded outward. The items and equipment he wore began to glow.
Soon a shield was about to envelop both his sword and his entire body……
But at that moment—
Through a gap in the forming shield, Baek Yeon-woo’s other hand swung forward.
Splat!
It was dirt. Dirt he had secretly picked up.
“Ugh!! You coward.”
“Coward my ass.”
“Kgh!”
Han Jeong-do, dirt in his eyes, staggered backward. At that instant, Baek Yeon-woo’s kick flew into his side.
He raised his leg to block it. Then a hand tried to grab his collar.
He used Blink to escape. But Baek Yeon-woo was already in his face again.
“Grandpa, you think too much.”
“……?!”
“You’re always thinking about what’s behind you, aren’t you?”
The Fighting King was a master of dogfighting.
That was why the prestigious Chinese sects had looked down on the Fighting King as a rootless mutt, and why the European knight orders had pointed fingers, calling him undignified.
But in the end, that street-dog fighting style had crushed them all.
It was the reason Baek Yeon-woo had become fascinated with the Fighting King’s style. The kind of strength that only a human willing to throw everything away could possess.
Having walked the tightrope between life and death since he was a child, Baek Yeon-woo resembled the Fighting King in a different sense.
Perhaps that was why he naturally understood why Han Jeong-do had been the Fighting King’s favorite punching bag for a lifetime.
“You’re weak.”
“……?”
“As a human being, you’re weak.”
“!!”
And those short words tore Han Jeong-do’s heart to shreds. Because the Fighting King had said exactly the same thing.
How could you win when, faced with an opponent you might not beat even if you threw everything away, you were still thinking about what came after?
The trauma that had wounded Han Jeong-do’s pride awakened.
For a moment, sparks flew in his eyes, and he tore off the necklace he was wearing.
At the same time, magic circles rose around Han Jeong-do.
Over Enchant. A trait that sacrificed the durability of equipment to raise the power of magic or abilities by several stages.
Han Jeong-do, wrapped in a halo of every possible buff, drew his sword with empty hands.
In his left hand, the Baekhwageom. In his right, Seongun. Holding two legendary weapons as dual blades, Han Jeong-do stood in Baek Yeon-woo’s path.
“You arrogant brat. If you’re going to run wild without knowing your place, fine! I’ll play with you.”
Far from flinching at the intense aura radiating from Han Jeong-do that made his skin tingle, Baek Yeon-woo bared his fangs.
“Now I can finally see your true feelings.”
Baek Yeon-woo’s sky-blue eyes sparkled.
The Ten Thousand King, Han Jeong-do, wrapped in radiant multicolored light.
The two men charged toward each other. The moment their blades met, mana exploded and turned the surroundings into ruins.