Chapter 26 - Seeing the Wall
In that instant when King was grabbed by the collar, he sensed something off.
'Huh?'
He was an SS-rank Awakener. Even if he'd depleted his mana battling Brokken, his baseline physical abilities far surpassed any ordinary human—he was a superhuman.
Yet.
Whoosh—!
Light as a feather. Shhhhk—
He was dragged right in.
* * *
Pulled into the gate, King jolted in shock. What was this bizarre mana prickling his skin?
Suddenly.
Kang-ho appeared before his eyes.
As Kang-ho took a single step forward, King instinctively backed away and plopped down on his ass.
"You've burned through quite a bit of mana."
At Kang-ho's words, King nodded without thinking.
"Y-yeah."
"Then I'll give you some time."
Kang-ho sat down in front of him.
King glanced around. They'd entered a raid dungeon, yet it was eerily quiet all around—silence so profound it defied understanding.
As King took in the unnatural hush, Lee Hyuk and Theo entered next.
Lee Hyuk eyed the dungeon and asked Kang-ho, "Hm... Did you clear it already, sir?"
Kang-ho replied lightly. "That's how I'd put it."
"With all this lingering magi, it doesn't seem like an ordinary job."
"Yeah. It was a field crawling with trash mobs. Big in scale, but flimsy in substance. Does that answer your question?"
Lee Hyuk flinched for a moment at Kang-ho's words, then slowly nodded. "......I'll take it that way, sir."
"Just like you said, it wasn't ordinary. You've been finding dungeons infused with magi more often these days, right?"
"Not frequently yet."
"Any demons?"
"No confirmed cases of demons so far. Did you find any here, sir?"
Kang-ho gave a wry smile.
[Hey hey. What's a demon?]
Theo, who'd been listening with wide-eyed curiosity, piped up.
"Who's this guy?"
Kang-ho silently regarded Theo at Lee Hyuk's question.
Meeting Kang-ho's sunken gaze, Theo suddenly felt as if his heart had been pierced.
'A beast!'
Lurking deep in those eyes was a savage beast.
In that moment of overwhelming pressure, Kang-ho spoke softly. "We crossed paths by chance. He doesn't know much about the world. Doesn't get manners either, so feel free to ignore him."
"Ah..."
Lee Hyuk nodded curtly and explained to Theo. "A demon is a being that transfers magi to monsters. They showed up frequently during the Great War but vanished in recent years."
[Ma...gi?]
"Yes. When monsters get infected with magi, their reason shuts down and their instincts go into overdrive. They turn extremely ferocious."
[Wh-what do you do if you find a demon?]
Lee Hyuk smiled brightly, but there was killing intent in it. "You kill it."
[......]
Theo blinked at Lee Hyuk. [K-kill it? For sure? What if that demon's a good one? Don't you account for variables like that?]
"......?"
Lee Hyuk glanced back at Kang-ho. As Kang-ho waved dismissively like it was a hassle, Lee Hyuk shook his head and replied, "......Yes, sir. At least according to Awakener Association guidelines and our guild's rules. Demons cause catastrophes—we can't let them live."
[......]
Theo swallowed hard and pointed at Kang-ho. [Then you'd kill him too if you found a demon?]
"Well... of course. From what I know, Senior Choi Kang-ho took down over thirteen demons in the last war."
"Fourteen."
Kang-ho, who'd been listening, added.
Hiccup!
Theo started hiccuping.
"......?"
As Lee Hyuk tilted his head, Kang-ho chimed in. "Kid's a bit slow. Don't mind him."
Then he turned to King upfront. "If you're mostly recovered, get up."
King had already picked up on the ominous undertones in their exchange. He racked his brain for the name.
'Kang-ho...'
Was there a ranker by that name? He'd never heard it before.
'Feels familiar, though...'
He dug deeper into his memories.
Slowly retracing, he recalled his school days. That basic education everyone got—the history textbook page he'd skimmed.
'Choi Kang-ho...'
Flash!
Lightning struck his mind.
"You're... Choi Kang-ho?"
"......"
"The Beast King, one of Hero 5?"
"Who I am doesn't matter."
Kang-ho stood and added, "Come at me."
King collected himself. He fixed his disheveled pomade hair.
Mana had welled up nicely in his core.
A boiling fighting spirit rose unbidden.
Rooooar—!
Mana erupted from King's body, whipping the surrounding air into a gale.
"Beast King, huh? Jackpot. What if I get even more famous?"
King grinned and unleashed winds from all directions.
* * *
Bam!
King flew off to the far side.
Bam!
From the far side back to this side.
Bam!
Now back over there again.
One of the two men watching like it was beach volleyball asked, [He's gonna die, right?]
At Theo's words, Lee Hyuk gave a wry smile. "Maybe."
Theo felt cold sweat trickling down his back.
Crash—!
The fallen King panted as he staggered to his feet. Before he could even gather the winds, Kang-ho was right in front of him.
Bam!
One punch sent King flying into the far wall again.
But he sprang up yelling, "Fuck! This can't be happening!"
Bam!
No sooner had he stood than he toppled again, lashing out with a kick.
Kang-ho caught his leg and casually flung him away.
Boom!
"This can't be real!"
He was up against a mountain of a wall.
He'd fought other SS-ranks before.
But he'd never felt this utterly blocked.
What the hell was this?
King screamed hysterically without realizing it. "Wh-what is this? A dream?"
"Whatever the rules are these days, that's for you modern folks. Honestly, I don't love it—but I roll with it."
Kang-ho, who had appeared before him again at some point, added in a low voice. "If the era's changed, there must be rules for the new era. Can't ignore that."
"Eeeeek!"
"However."
Bam!
King flew into the far wall again.
Kang-ho, reappearing in an instant, added dryly. "If you're gonna live in a world that boils down to raw power, live humbly."
"......!"
Bam!
Another punch sent him tumbling back. King gasped for breath.
'Nothing.'
His mana was spent.
He tried to stand, wobbling, but his legs gave out completely.
He'd been utterly crushed without landing a single hit.
Kang-ho walked over slowly and plopped down beside him. "Talent's a good thing."
"......"
"But talent doesn't make you superior. Live humbly."
"......"
"Stronger ones might show up ahead. If you don't keep learning, you'll hit your talent's wall soon enough."
King had just seen the wall he could never climb.
"If you see that wall in real combat... you'll probably die."
He'd heard rumors about the Five Heroes of old.
They were the war generation, now called the first gen.
This was the second gen's era. First-gen SS-ranks had retired from the front lines, so he'd never had a shot at them.
And he'd never hit a wall against second-gen fights.
But now he had. That massive wall looked down on him.
How much stronger do I need to get to match him?
Imagining it was dizzying.
'Maybe...'
King muttered unconsciously. 'I'm a frog in a well?'
Thwack!
The wall, which had been gazing quietly, suddenly smacked him.
"Ack!"
Why hit me? It was getting wholesome just now.
He grinned. "You probably don't get it yet."
"......I get it."
"Could be a delusion."
"Huh?"
"Keep getting hit till you do."
* * *
As Kang-ho exited the gate, Baekya Guild members were waiting out front.
Mass media was cordoned off in the distance.
Kang-ho nodded to Lee Hyuk, who followed behind. "Shame to waste that talent. No mentor?"
"He's such a smug bastard, he thinks he's hot shit. Total loose cannon."
"I see."
Kang-ho thought for a moment, then nodded. "Smooth things over for me. Feels like I owe you one."
"If you see it that way..."
Lee Hyuk smiled faintly. "We're grateful, sir."
Kang-ho dipped his head.
Behind him, Theo trailed out with a sheepish look.
"Let's go, Furball."
Kang-ho hopped onto Furball, who was waiting in naturalized form, and vanished into the distance with Theo.
"Whew..."
Lee Hyuk sighed, watching Kang-ho and Theo disappear.
He reentered the gate and looked down at the battered King.
"......"
"......"
King blinked up at the sky.
Lee Hyuk extended a hand. "Get up already."
The gate was cleared.
Cleared gates did this.
Rumble—
Far off, the sky began crumbling down slowly.
The gate was starting to vanish.
King stared blankly, then slowly spoke. "That guy... Choi Kang-ho?"
"Yeah."
"Are all the old Five Heroes that strong?"
"Hm..."
Lee Hyuk nodded soon enough. His own master was one of the old Five Heroes—the Sword God, Park Jun-woo.
"Pretty much."
"......"
"I see."
"Even those legends struggled back in the Great War."
"......?"
"My master did too. He said there were demons back then that even gave Senior Choi Kang-ho trouble."
"A monster like that... struggled?"
King pondered deeply.
Then he extended a hand to Lee Hyuk. "Help me up."
Once standing, he mumbled awkwardly. "And... it's embarrassing, so... got a mask I can borrow?"
Lee Hyuk sighed and handed over a mask. King put it on, pulled out his smartphone.
Snap!
And posted to his SNS.
"......"
Lee Hyuk shook his head.
. . . . . .
Kang-ho arrived home in Cheorwon.
Furball's gale-speed run made the trip quick.
Pip!
Seol-a loved Cheorwon. The snow pouring from the sky like fireworks lifted her spirits instantly—she was thrilled.
Pip pip pip!
Watching Seol-a leap from Kang-ho's arms and bounce around, Theo asked, [Um... excuse me.]
"......?"
The guy's tone had gotten weird.
[Just one question, if I may.]
His clasped hands were weird too.
Kang-ho narrowed his eyes at Theo. "What's your angle?"
Theo grinned awkwardly. [Ask me anything you're curious about. I'll tell you straight.]
Theo figured it out.
From what he'd seen in the gate, this guy was on Baal's level.
Better play nice, or he'd end up a corpse in another world. That's the judgment call.