Chapter 21. The One Who Wins the Fight Takes It All
Chapter 21. The One Who Wins the Fight Takes It All
[Meeting him and immediately insulting his looks...]
[Brutal lololol]
"Nice to meet you."
["Nice to meet you" he says lmaooo]
[This reminds me of when this bastard first debuted]
The monster raised its fist at my greeting and tried to slam it down.
"Warm welcome."
With my hands still shoved in my pockets, I didn't even flinch.
That kind of attack wasn't worth dodging, and besides, Laila had my back.
Immediately, Laila clasped her hands and chanted a spell, and a hemispherical golden barrier formed around me.
─ Craaaash!!!
[What's that???]
[Wasn't that just a simple protection spell?]
If it blocks an attack, isn't that a protection spell?
"I may not look it, but I was the Saintess who stood by the Hero when we took down the Demon God, you know?"
[Right, that was her concept...]
[They said Saintess is C-rank!!!!!]
[By that logic, the Hero's still C-rank too lolol]
The monster, seemingly enraged that we were doing other things while ignoring it, kept hammering at the barrier.
─ Crash! Crash! Crash!
"Hit it all you want. That won't break."
Whether it had some level of intelligence, the monster shifted its gaze to Laila.
Judging that I wasn't an easy target, the monster swung its fist toward Laila.
[Saintess, hurry!!!!]
[Isn't that dangerous?]
─ Kwaaaaaang!!!
The enormous forearm slammed straight down, leaving a long crater in the ground.
But Laila simply took a few light steps and dodged the monster's attack.
"If you can't catch the dealer or the tank, isn't it obvious you'd target the healer?"
[Well, that's true...]
[Feels like my common sense is crumbling]
I drove my hand deep into the monster's forearm.
To the beast, it would be nothing more than a pinprick.
[It's not even fazed?]
[Probably just stings a little]
But then I tore into its tendons and wound them tightly around my arm.
With the absolute resolve to never let go.
"Like this, I definitely won't slip."
[What's he doing?]
[Couldn't it just shake him off?]
"Hrgh...!"
My deltoids, biceps, triceps, and forearm muscles swelled in sequence, as if my shirt was about to burst.
And then I planted my legs firmly into the ground, twisted my waist, and lifted the beast right up.
"Shoulder throw!"
The monster's body was ripped out of the lava, swung in a wide arc through the air, and slammed straight into the ground.
─ Kwaaaaaaang!!!
The monster, clearly not having anticipated that a creature the size of its fingernail could lift it, blinked its countless eyes in confusion.
[...?]
[What did I just see???]
[That's a judo black belt's shoulder throw right there]
[Shoulder throw lmaooo]
─ Kraaaaaa!!!
"Looks bigger than an apartment building."
[Yep, looks about the size of the 63 Building?]
The monster rose and tried to stomp us flat with its massive foot.
But Laila simply hopped and dodged to the side.
─ Kwaaaaang!!!
[Saintess, what about the Hero?]
[Totally abandoned like trash lololol]
"Hmm... I dodged because it looked like my clothes would get dirty."
[Now that you mention it, she's wearing white but it's spotless lol]
[At this point, is it not cosplay clothes but an artifact?]
[Mong!!!! How dare you call it cosplay!!!!]
The monster, stomping in apparent rage, suddenly staggered and toppled over sideways.
And from underneath it, I emerged, dusting off my clothes.
"Ugh... bastard... kicking up nothing but dust..."
"Hero! You mustn't use bad words!"
"Ah, okay..."
[Lololololol]
["Okay" he says lmaooo]
[He totally shrunk down]
"Ugh, my neck hurts..."
[What? Did you get hurt somewhere?]
[Getting stomped like that would hurt]
"No, not that. It's just sore from looking up the whole time."
[...]
The monster's breath flared up, literally blazing like fire.
And lava dripped from the beast's jaws.
It then clenched its fist and prepared to drive it down.
"Since this is a gate raid stream, let me explain how to handle an attack like this."
The beast's strike was fast, but it was aimed squarely at the crown of my head.
"A monster's brute but powerful attack can be countered by..."
I put power into my arm once more.
The sound of the functional tee's fibers tearing and crackling could be heard.
I launched my fist to match the timing of the beast's descending blow.
It looked like a clash between a giant hammer and a toothpick.
─ Crunch...!
The moment my fist precisely met the equivalent of the beast's middle finger.
The sound of bones shattering and tendons snapping rang out as all the blood vessels in the beast burst apart.
─ Guweoooork!!!
"...you just smack it back with an even stronger attack."
Beside me, Laila clapped with a bright face.
I looked at her and gave a thumbs-up in return.
"Easy, right?"
[Thanks for the great lesson, you bastard!!!]
[You son of a bitch lololol]
[Reminds me of that guy with the frizzy hair and the paintbrush]
"Well then, this is getting boring. Shall we wrap it up soon?"
---
"Hmm..."
I got too carried away.
Maybe because it was a sandbag with so many spots to hit after a long time, I'd slammed, smashed, and snapped it so much that the corpse wasn't in one piece.
"What do I do about this?"
[First time I've ever felt sorry for a monster]
[Does this bastard Hero have no chivalry? Can't you kill it cleanly lolol]
[Isn't he a Hero, not a knight?]
[Just let stuff like that slide;;]
"What are the important parts?"
[ User 'Resignation Letter Always in My Pocket' has donated 10,000 Watts! ]
- Normally it's things like blood, hide, horns, heart... but I'm not sure about a high-grade monster like this either.
"I'll just have to pack everything, then."
As I touched the ring on my finger, the monster's corpse was sucked into the ring.
And the donations kept pouring in nonstop, which was naturally from companies wanting to buy the monster's remained.
[Where are you going to sell that corpse?]
[Be a filial son lol]
"No, I'll be selling it this time."
[Hmm... there haven't been many cases of something like that appearing so far...]
[Well, the news said things like that were sold at auction, so you should go for auction too]
[True, there's no reason to hunt something like that unless there's a Gate Break]
"Then let's all go with an auction. I'll announce the auction venue and time later."
---
[ The 'possibility' of clearing an Unclearable Gate has opened! ]
[ Hero Streamer, just who is he? ]
[ A C-rank stronger than an S-rank who suddenly appeared ]
[ Corporations and governments raise funds for the historic auction item ]
As expected, the media was in an uproar.
The clear was an issue, but an even bigger issue was the monster's corpse.
Normally, Unclearable Gates aren't raided.
They're only raided in unavoidable circumstances due to a break.
And there was an uproar from another side, too.
[ China: 'Unauthorized Raid Conducted on Chinese Territory' ]
[ Chinese Association: 'He must return China's property as soon as possible' ]
└ Dumbasses lololol They left it alone because they couldn't catch it themselves, and now they pipe up?
└ Mmm~ Same old taste.
I spent a leisurely time with Laila and then re-entered the territory of the Republic of Korea.
Naturally, reporters were packed densely in front of us.
The moment I got out of the car, they rushed at me again with cameras and microphones.
This scene was definitely being broadcast live as well.
"Step back a bit before I break the cameras. I'll take your questions."
Having likely watched the monster-hunting scene themselves, they quietly stepped back a few paces without a word.
"Those who want to ask questions, raise your hands. I'll call on you, and then you can ask. Easy, right?"
And I made it crystal clear that if anyone asked a question without being called on, I'd leave immediately.
I was not some celebrity whose public image was that crucial, and dealing with them one by one was just a hassle.
As I started taking questions, countless hands shot up.
"There is public concern that the monster's corpse could potentially be leaked overseas. What are your thoughts on this?"
"A hunter simply sells to whoever pays the most money."
"Do you have any intention of clearing another Unclearable Gate?"
"Well, I'll go eventually, but I have no plans to right now."
"The Saintess has demonstrated formidable barrier magic. Are you capable of using other magic as well?"
"Yes, I can use other magic... but I see no need to reveal that right now."
"May I ask why that is?"
"Because I'm not a monkey at the zoo for others to gawk at."
A polite but clear line drawn in the sand.
Faced with Laila's unfathomable spirit, the questioning reporter became speechless as if struck dumb.
"China is currently taking this matter very seriously. So much so that they've sent an official protest to Korea. What are your thoughts?"
A question I'd been expecting.
I had to address this issue and move past it at some point.
"Hm... let me think for a moment."
I rubbed my chin and pondered.
I needed to think of a rock-solid method to ensure no more rumors followed.
"Winner takes it all. Let's do it so the winner takes everything."
"Pardon...? What does that mean...?"
"Exactly what I said."
The condition was to wager the corpse of the Baekdusan Gate monster as the prize, and whoever won a fight against one of us would take everything.
"Ah, but instead, let's each put up an entry fee."
Laila's earrings and my ring, for us. And the Forbidden City, for China.
"How about it? Aren't my artifacts worth more than some measly building?"
"...I don't know if the Chinese side will accept that."
"If they accept, tell them to contact me. But..."
I stared at the camera lens with a cold gaze and curled the corner of my mouth into a subtle sneer.
"If they come, they won't be going back in one piece."