What the Hell Are You? (2)
“Keurk!”
With that guttural cry bursting from Disera’s mouth, his head slammed into the ground.
Disera wore a dazed expression, as if he still hadn’t grasped what was happening.
Kim Joo-hyuk swung his leg without hesitation, aiming to smash it into Disera’s gut, but in that split second, Disera snapped out of it, rolling away to escape the kick’s range.
“Oh? Dodged it?”
Kim Joo-hyuk said it like he was amused.
But Disera, scrambling to regain his stance, stared at him with eyes full of shock and bewilderment.
‘What the fuck is this guy...?’
Disera was strong.
Or more precisely, he’d lived a life where he couldn’t afford not to be.
From childhood, born as a branch member of the Ventrek family, he’d devoured every elixir in sight, growing stronger with each one. And above all, his innate talent was exceptional.
Training while chugging elixirs that cost hundreds of millions per handful, like they were water.
No one could stay weak doing insane shit like that.
That’s why Disera had become ridiculously strong for his age within the family’s shadow. But as a side effect, his arrogance ballooned, and he got kicked out of the family.
He’d committed atrocities so heinous even the Ventrek family couldn’t cover them up.
Still, Disera didn’t think getting exiled was so bad.
He’d already stockpiled countless elixirs and training through the family’s money. With that, he figured he could do anything.
In reality, even after getting booted, he lived without any real shortages.
No, once he fully dove into the underworld, he started raking in serious cash with every job.
And why? Because he had a student ID. In the underworld, plenty of gigs were easier to handle with a “student” cover.
Of course, those jobs often required force, but to Disera, they were easier than snapping a kid’s wrist.
He already had the power built up, and having killed an instructor before, dealing with random students was no big deal.
Kim Joo-hyuk? Just another nobody, he thought.
Sure, when Disera got Kim Joo-hyuk’s name from Rockdil Ventrek and dug into his background, the resume was flashy: top of Valhalla’s freshmen, told off the scouts, stirred up incidents inside Valhalla that shocked the instructors.
But none of that stirred any real emotion in Disera.
If anything, mild curiosity. What fun would it be to crush Valhalla’s number one?
That was it. He had that much confidence in his strength.
But then.
Smack!
“Gurk!”
Disera took Kim Joo-hyuk’s flying fist head-on, feeling the convictions he’d held all this time crumble.
“Dodge? Dodge??”
Thwack! Thwack!
Even as he tumbled from the punches, Kim Joo-hyuk’s fists kept slamming precisely into his face. Disera flailed a desperate counterpunch.
“You’re countering!”
Thwack!
“Are you!?”
Crack!
Kim Joo-hyuk effortlessly sidestepped Disera’s swing and began pummeling him one-sidedly.
Disera’s vision bounced everywhere in an instant, his whole body plastered with excruciating pain.
“Assholes like you need a beating like a dog on a hot summer day!”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Argh, fuck!”
Disera spat a curse as Kim Joo-hyuk’s kicks hammered the same spot relentlessly.
But Kim Joo-hyuk just grinned wider, speeding up his strikes.
“Swearing!? You’re swearing??”
“!!”
Crack!
“Wa—wait! Argh!”
“Swear! Swear more, you fucker!”
Kim Joo-hyuk swung like a maniac.
For some reason, Disera felt a primal crisis—like his life was about to snap.
“You dog bastard!”
The instant Kim Joo-hyuk cocked his fist, Disera yanked a dagger from his back and rolled away.
Before Kim Joo-hyuk could charge again.
Rumble—!
Disera began emitting black mana.
The air trembled in an instant.
With his battered face from Kim Joo-hyuk’s blows, he flashed a lopsided grin.
“Heh heh heh, you’re done now!”
As he unleashed his mana, Disera felt an otherworldly constellation power flooding his body, curling his lips.
‘Didn’t think I’d have to pull this out...!’
The power Disera was drawing in was none other than a constellation’s.
From the infamous villain group “Illyujong” (First-Rate Breed)—the constellation “Blade Behind the Curtain”.
So why could Disera wield a power worshipped by villains?
Because he’d joined Illyujong and become one himself.
Even after diving into the underworld and signing up, he’d never revealed this power publicly.
Two reasons: First, he was strong enough without it. Second, flashing it meant no more outside ops.
And no outside ops meant no payoff from the deal he’d made with Illyujong.
But right now, Disera didn’t give a shit.
‘I’ll kill that dog bastard.’
Staring at Kim Joo-hyuk, feeling the constellation power surge to his fingertips, Disera sneered.
“Don’t expect an easy death. I’m gonna make you—”
“What a fucking retard.”
Crack!
“Argh!?”
Disera tumbled again from Kim Joo-hyuk’s instant fist.
And then.
“You”
Thwack!
“Fucking”
Thwack!
“Retard!”
Thwack!
“Asshole!”
Thwack!
“Did you think”
Thwack!
“I’d wait for your full transformation!?”
Crack!
Disera got savagely beaten before the power could fully settle, grabbed by Kim Joo-hyuk.
Soon, as the constellation power finally took root.
“Hey, answer me: does it take one incense stick or two when you croak?”
Disera was already a bloody mess from the fists, the power dissipating from his body.
And then.
“Ah.”
Kim Joo-hyuk suddenly realized something and reached for Disera’s face.
“Uwaaa...”
Disera stared at him in terror.
But.
Crunch!
“Kuh, ah...?”
Disera realized Kim Joo-hyuk had reset his dislocated jaw, looking puzzled.
“Oh, grateful for the sudden fix? Don’t worry. I’ll dislocate something else, so no need to thank me.”
Pop!
“Arghhh!”
Kim Joo-hyuk wrenched Disera’s shoulder out of its socket.
Soon after.
“Alright, now we can finally have a proper chat, yeah?”
“Hiiik...”
“Hey, don’t freak out too much. I’m kinda a good guy, so if you spill everything without stressing me out, I might let you live. Sounds good? No incense smell for you? But in return...”
Kim Joo-hyuk twisted his lips into a grin.
“You’d better tell me everything, from one to a hundred. All you know. Including that power you just tried to use.”
Rockdil Ventrek was in a good mood.
“Yeah, he went to take care of it?”
“Yes.”
Rockdil sipped his premium red tea with a smile at Yuria’s response.
‘Thought it’d take longer than this.’
Truth be told, Rockdil had expected it to drag on a bit more before dealing with Kim Joo-hyuk.
Couldn’t handle it inside the school, after all.
So he’d hired Disera, made back-channel contacts in various spots to find a kill site, and cooked up a plan.
A plan that cost him a pretty penny, too.
‘Can’t kill him flashy if I don’t want traces.’
Kim Joo-hyuk was famous, and Rockdil knew it well.
That’s why he’d invested heavily—to ensure no solid evidence pointed back even if suspicion fell on him later.
The underworld had plenty who could make that happen, but it wasn’t cheap.
But then.
‘...Sudden trip to that backwater? He’s begging to die.’
Rockdil smiled.
He’d bribed a Valhalla instructor and heard Kim Joo-hyuk was heading out—hoped for it, but didn’t expect him to play right into his hands.
‘Now I can finish him clean without the big spend.’
He’d told Disera to cook Kim Joo-hyuk his way, but he knew Disera would kill him.
And dying alone in some remote spot? No suspicion would reach him.
‘Even if it does, no biggie.’
If suspicion came, killing without the full plan gave a cleaner alibi—no losses for him.
So Rockdil Ventrek savored his tea time with his usual smile.
How much time passed?
Vibrate—
Rockdil checked his secure smartphone buzzing on the table, grabbed it, and saw the caller ID.
[D]
The “D” for Disera—Rockdil instinctively smiled, thinking,
‘It’s done.’
Disera’s call could only mean one thing, so he answered with a grin.
“Yes, bro? All done?”
Rockdil chuckled leisurely into the phone.
But no response came for a long while from the other end.
“Bro?”
-...
Still nothing, even after calling out again.
Anyone could see something was off.
As Rockdil sensed the weirdness.
-Uh.
A short groan leaked through.
“...Bro?”
Rockdil frowned slightly.
-Uwaa...
Then he realized: that was Disera’s pained moan.
“...!”
Rockdil’s eyes widened.
-Uwaaa...
Just endless agony.
The next moment.
-Jaw’s out, so he can’t talk, right?
A voice came through.
-Lemme translate for you.
Rockdil Ventrek forgot to breathe.
-Your bro says light two incense if he dies. Remember that? Rockdil Ventrek.