Clash (5)
Wild Mole, the mole Ma Cheol-hui had summoned from underground, lunged at me.
“Kikiii!!!”
The mole shrieked like a rat cornered in a trap and drove its sharp claws toward me.
I swung Heoksikdo and severed its forelegs, then cut straight through its body.
Thick entrails spilled to the ground in a wet cascade.
“Kik!”
The mole split in two gave a violent shudder and went limp.
Judging by the strength of these things, they were around Ruins Grade.
And from the amount of mana Ma Cheol-hui was pumping out, I could estimate his level, too.
S-class Hunter.
No matter how much of an S-rank villain he was, he couldn’t summon a monster on the level of a Cataclysm Grade.
As long as nothing like the Dirty Kraken showed up, this was manageable.
Bring it on.
I cut down the numbers as fast as I could.
One of the moles slammed into the side of a building, and smoke rose from the impact.
Ma Cheol-hui snorted.
“Hmph. Your swordsmanship’s not bad.”
I looked up.
Above us in the sky, the wyvern and the black crow were clashing.
Pippi seemed to struggle at first, but the tide had gradually turned.
When Pippi felt my gaze, she flaunted her advantage.
“Master. Don’t worry about it. A crow’s easy as pie!”
She flew lazily through the air, hurling fire at the crow again and again.
When one of the bird’s wings caught fire, the black crow flailed wildly, trying to put it out.
If you looked at it from a monster’s natural matchup, there was no way the wyvern should lose to a crow.
This is going well.
Sensing the danger, Ma Cheol-hui clicked his tongue and spun his ritual scythe half a turn.
“Friends of the river. Help me and destroy my enemies.”
The fountain in Gwanghwamun Square began to churn and bubble.
Something crawled out of it.
A strange creature with a horse’s head and a lizard’s body, shaped almost like a seahorse.
A monster native to Scotland.
Kelpie.
Using teleportation, kelpies could move freely through water.
“Puhiiing!!!”
At least ten of them slithered out of the fountain.
But Ma Cheol-hui still wasn’t done.
“Friends of the sky. Help me and destroy my enemies.”
From far away came the sound of flapping wings.
The shape of the monster he had summoned emerged through the clouds.
A monster with an eagle’s head and the lower body of a horse.
Hippogrif.
A few hippogriffs joined the black crow.
Outnumbered and outmatched, Pippi was suddenly too busy running for her life.
“Ugh! These bastards. How shameless, ganging up like this.”
The rest of the hippogriffs gathered around Ma Cheol-hui.
Ground, water, and air.
He was throwing every monster he controlled into battle at once.
“Heh-heh. Feeling a little nervous now?”
Wild Moles, Kelpies, and Hippogriffs were all Ruins Grade monsters.
If they all rushed me at once, it would be a pain.
Doesn’t matter.
When was the first time I’d ever fought an S-class Hunter?
When I went up against Go Ju-hun, the former representative of Dio Guild.
Back then, I had poured every hero ability I possessed into that fight.
I nearly crossed the River Styx doing it.
I only barely won because lightning gave me that sliver of heaven-sent luck.
The me from then and the me now were definitely different.
If it was one-on-one,
then even a villain on par with an S-class Hunter wasn’t a problem.
I lowered my stance, gripping Heoksikdo.
That was when—
“And now, the protagonist enters the stage!”
A guy in a modified hanbok emerged through the thick smoke.
Ma Cheol-hui scowled.
“Han Gae-seok? What the hell are you barging in for?”
“What do you mean, barging in? That’s harsh. We’re on the same side.”
“Tch.”
The man called Han Gae-seok swept back his disheveled hair full of gray strands.
Then he stuck out his tongue.
A black butterfly tattoo was inked on his tongue.
Another executive, huh.
Han Gae-seok lifted a hand in greeting.
“Hey. You must be Purple Devil. Nice to meet you. I’m Han Gae-seok, and I came all the way from Gangwon Province.”
So the Dark Alliance really does have regional executives.
Han Gae-seok kept up his sly, childlike manner, but I couldn’t relax.
The vicious aura rolling off him was no joke.
...He’s strong.
Maybe even stronger than Ma Cheol-hui.
Both of them were powerhouses on the level of S-class Hunters.
Without meaning to, I swallowed hard.
Damn.
Not just one Dark Alliance executive, but two?
That hadn’t happened in my previous life.
Back then, Purple Devil hadn’t joined the Police-Fire War.
No matter how carefully you planned, you still couldn’t respond perfectly to the future.
I quickly assessed the situation.
Two veteran villains.
A two-on-one fight, then.
Ma Cheol-hui curled his lips.
“Well, if Big Black Bear told me to, I guess I’d better listen.”
“Let’s finish this quick and go get drunk.”
Ma Cheol-hui brought his scythe down.
“Go on, you guys.”
At their master’s signal, the monsters rushed me.
The mole opened its jaws wide, aiming for my ankle.
The kelpie spat a water cannon through its teeth.
The hippogriffs whipped up a gale with their wings.
...Yeah. This is it.
Everything slowed.
It felt like time had been compressed to an extreme degree.
Inside that sensation that could only be felt in life-or-death moments, I smiled beneath my mask.
I really am a freak now, aren’t I?
My body moved like flowing water.
Heoksikdo in my right hand, White Revenge in my left, I swung them like I was dancing.
The mole was cut vertically in half, and the kelpie and hippogriffs were decapitated in one sweep.
Just as I was certain of victory over the monsters that were dying one by one—
“Don’t forget the protagonist.”
A man shot out from the blind side.
Han Gae-seok kicked me in the side with his right foot.
“Kuh!”
I flew straight into a statue standing in Gwanghwamun Square.
Han Gae-seok planted himself on one leg, balanced steady, then extended the other in a straight line.
“Oh? I was aiming to smash your ribs, but you twisted at the last second. You’ve got some moves, huh? Not bad.”
Wincing from the pain, I coughed and pushed myself up.
It had only been a single exchange, but I’d already figured out his specialty.
A martial artist specialized in hand-to-hand combat.
Monk.
From a druid to a monk.
Great. Just great.
A hero’s life was never easy.
That was just the fate of someone who had to meet stronger enemies every time.
Still, what could I do?
Defeating the villains blocking my path was also part of the hero’s destiny.
I rose, gripping my sword.
Once the momentum shifted, the two villains started laughing.
“This is fun. Want to play with him a little longer before we finish him?”
“I wouldn’t mind, but let’s just kill him fast and go get drunk already.”
From mid-range, the druid’s monsters launched their attacks.
Then, in the midst of that chaos, the monk’s ferocious blows came flying in at close range.
For all their bickering, the villain duo’s teamwork was surprisingly sharp.
Nasty.
Both of them were masters of different disciplines, after all.
I should be grateful I didn’t lose my head on the first strike.
Ma Cheol-hui rested the scythe on his shoulder and walked forward.
“Hey. Someone at your level could join the Dark Alliance. I’ll put in a good word for you with Big Black Bear.”
Ma Cheol-hui spread his legs and lifted his chin.
“Of course, that’s only if you’ll bark like a dog and lick my crotch.”
Han Gae-seok snickered.
“That vicious bastard. There he goes again with his disgusting habits.”
I let out a long breath.
Was I too cocky?
“Taking on two executive-level opponents alone is still too much.”
When they heard me mutter that, Ma Cheol-hui and Han Gae-seok burst out laughing.
“What the hell is this lunatic saying?”
“Heh-heh. He didn’t even get hit in the head, so why’s he already gone stupid?”
I lowered my shoulders and stood straight.
Then I sheathed the black blade I’d been holding.
“Huh? Giving up because you’re scared?”
“Oh? You really are going to crawl? Between my legs?”
“Be my guest. Come on! Bring it!”
Behind me stood the statue that had once been destroyed by a monster, then rebuilt anew.
Yi Sun-sin.
I slowly lifted my head.
On my own, there was no way I could take on two S-class opponents.
However—
With hero abilities, the story changes.
I pressed my palm to the ground.
Then I activated my power.
Ding.
- Purchasing Assimilation.
: Passive skill. (0 won)
The earth trembled.
Thick plants burst through the asphalt.
“Grrrroooah!!!”
A plant spirit of the beastkin type, known as a tree demon.
In other words, a Treant.
Vines tougher than chains wrapped around Ma Cheol-hui and Han Gae-seok’s legs.
“Hmph. What are you trying to do? With something that pathetic...?”
I dashed forward in the blink of an eye and stopped right in front of Ma Cheol-hui.
Then I pressed my palm against his forehead.
“Wh-what...?”
I closed my eyes and activated the skill once more.
Ding.
- Purchasing Assimilation.
: Passive skill. (0 won)
Assimilation wasn’t just about becoming friends with animals and plants.
You can borrow your opponent’s abilities, too.
It wasn’t limited to monsters.
If it was another druid, then...
“Guh?!
Ma Cheol-hui’s eyes rolled back.
A mana of an entirely different nature flooded into my body through my palm.
A broken skill that let me [borrow] someone else’s ability.
It’s exhilarating every time I use it.
If Mr. Eden’s Mirror Turn reflected an enemy’s magic back at them, then Bear Man’s Assimilation...
Stole the monsters a druid controlled.
Starting with the crow, the black crow.
Then the mole, Wild Mole, the black horse, Kelpie, and the eagle, Hippogrif.
They all stopped as if electrocuted.
My forehead flashed, and my consciousness was dragged inward.
In that dark inner world, I connected with Ma Cheol-hui’s monsters.
I gave my newly acquired allies an order.
My friends. Your rightful owner...
I opened my eyes and shouted,
“Execute him!”
The moment the words left my mouth, the monsters surged forward.
Not at me.
They all lunged at Ma Cheol-hui at once.
With both hands, I clamped down hard on his right and left wrists.
“Farewell.”
Ma Cheol-hui’s pupils trembled.
“D-damn it!!!”
He screamed in panic.
“Hey! Han Gae-seok! Help me! Help me, damn it!!!”
“...W-wait a second.”
Han Gae-seok was still struggling to tear the vines off himself.
In that instant, all three monsters fell on Ma Cheol-hui.
The crow’s beak punched straight into his skull.
“H-hik!”
The hippogrif tore into the front of his face.
The kelpie and Wild Mole each ripped at one of his legs.
Hot blood spattered across my face.
“Hah.”
By then, all that remained in my hands was his ruined corpse.
Na Sang-min’s advice had been right.
One enemy, a hundred enemies, or even thousands.
The way to win a battle against many was simple.
One by one.
Deal with them one at a time.
I hurled Ma Cheol-hui’s corpse with all my strength.
The body, with only its arms still intact, rolled to a stop in front of Han Gae-seok.
I looked at him and said,
“You’re next.”
The villain in the modified hanbok went deathly pale.
With the shadow of death falling over him, Han Gae-seok lashed out.
“Die!!!”
Jabs, rights, uppercuts, side kicks, rising kicks...
It was a storm of blows.
I raised my guard and defended patiently.
Each strike was so heavy it made my forearms tingle.
Maybe it’s time.
The cost I’d spent to crush the hundred villains who had crashed the Police-Fire War was zero won.
I’ve kept my promise to myself well enough.
But now that there was a new variable in the form of two S-class enemies...
It was time to...
flex.
“What?”
Han Gae-seok tilted his head.
“Let’s spend some money, shall we?”
Ding. Ding.
- Judgment of the Superhuman is activated.
: 1,000,000 won per use.
- Infinite Acceleration is activated.
: 10,000,000 won within a 1-kilometer radius.
: Duration is 1 minute.
I smashed my elbow into Han Gae-seok’s jaw.
“Ghk!”
He lost his balance and staggered.
“You son of a bitch...”
The eyes that were wiping blood from the corner of his mouth were shaking.
“You land one lucky hit and start acting high and mighty? My body can get harder than diamond if I really put my mind to it—”
“Is that so? Then let’s test it.”
I threw a punch at high speed.
In about one second, I smashed his cheekbone and drove dozens of blows into his torso.
Ding! Ding!! Ding!!!
[Awakener’s Balance]
: ₩487,271,269
[Awakener’s Balance]
: ₩486,271,269
[Awakener’s Balance]
: ₩485,271,269
...
It felt good.
As expected, spending money was much easier than earning it.
And it was fun, too.
Cracks spread through Ma Cheol-hui’s skull, and the bones of his upper body were pulverized into powder.
Thud!
At last, my fist punched clean through Ma Cheol-hui’s abdomen.
“...Ugh.”
With a final gasp, Ma Cheol-hui collapsed.
I looked down at my blood-soaked hand.
“My fist’s tougher.”
A heavy silence fell over Gwanghwamun Square.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Firefighters and police alike, who had been fighting fiercely just moments ago, all stared at me.
Among a battlefield littered with one hundred villains and two executives, I was the only one still standing.
I sensed that it was time to end the war.
I turned toward the firefighters.
Then I drew Heoksikdo and raised it high into the air.
After a brief silence, the firefighters let out a roar like thunder.
“Waaah!!!”
“We won!!!”
The police mobile unit lost all morale and began to retreat en masse.
It was an unspoken declaration of defeat.
---