#36 The Item Boost is Too Strong.
Whoosh—!
Flames engulfed everything around him. King's entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. There, across from him, stood Kang Tae-wang, spewing fire from his mouth.
Just seeing that face made King shrink back instinctively.
"Die, you bastard spawn."
He muttered the words. King stepped back without thinking. Scary. That face twisted into a demonic grimace.
Roarrrrr—!
The bastard became flames himself. Towering like a mountain, blazing fiercely. Flames sprang up everywhere, forming a fence that hemmed King in on all sides.
Thump, thump, thump.
An old nightmare. The recurring one that plagued him periodically had begun again. His heart pounded ominously. Scary. So scary...
Suddenly.
A man burst through the flames. King stared at him.
"......"
It was Kang-ho.
Kang-ho was stretching. Crack, crack—the sound of bones popping echoed.
The trembling in King's body stopped.
Right. Maybe the flames weren't such a big deal after all. Compared to that guy, they were just child's play. Getting hit by him would hurt like hell. You might actually die. And the scariest part? You couldn't even resist. No matter how hard you screamed and braced yourself, it was useless.
That guy.
Thud, thud.
King flinched as he watched Kang-ho approach. That guy...
"Alright. Shall we get started?"
That guy was an absolute being.
* * *
Flinch!
King's eyes snapped open to find Kang-ho standing there.
What the—?
Kang-ho extended a hand to King, who was glancing around in confusion. As he grabbed it and stood, Kang-ho grinned.
"Shall we start over?"
"......Huh?"
Only then did King realize it. He'd passed out after getting pummeled by Kang-ho.
"......"
Smack!
"Gah!"
Wham!
"Yelp!"
[......]
Perched on the cabin roof, watching from afar, Theo shuddered violently.
That day, King blacked out a total of fifteen times.
. . . . . .
Daejeon city buzzed with activity. Ranking battles always drew massive crowds. Especially popular were the clashes between S-rank and SS-rank fighters.
S-rank #1: Pyro.
SS-rank #10: King.
The rumor that the bottom of SS-rank was comparable to the top of S-rank was a perennial favorite among gossips.
What made this ranking fight meaningful was the gap between S and SS ranks. If King lost, he'd drop below an S-rank despite being SS-rank himself. Pyro was all but guaranteed a promotion to SS-rank this year, but everyone agreed there'd be no greater humiliation for King.
It would also be a fatal blow to the image of Napa, one of the Big 3 guilds contracted with him. In other words, defeat could lead to contract termination for King.
On the morning of the ranking battle, the domed stadium in Daejeon was packed to the brim.
"But if King just refuses the challenge, that's it, right? Why'd he accept?"
"Maybe the rumors are true?"
"Rumors?"
"That King and Lebadon don't get along."
"The family drama thing?"
"They call him the Wind God's bastard spawn."
Plenty of people were whispering. Lebadon dominated Daejeon, but their family scandals were notoriously infamous. Especially the youngest son's personality issues.
Over there.
A man in his late twenties appeared at the stadium entrance. His narrow, slanted eyes brimmed with venom. Rings adorned both hands, and he wore flashy battle gear.
—It's Pyro.
—He's decked out in artifacts head to toe.
—Planning to kill him outright?
Awakener rankings weren't just about raw combat power. Gear counted too. Acquiring equipment, having a powerful family backer—that was all part of an awakener's strength.
Lebadon, one of the Four Great Houses and a mage clan, naturally possessed top-tier magic artifacts.
—That sword's the one, right?
—The magic sword from last year's Antares raid.
Pyro, whose gear cost astronomical sums, gazed arrogantly at the crowd. His face oozed conceit and superiority.
Lebadon's direct bloodline followed behind him.
—That's the fourth son?
Trailing Pyro with a grim expression was the fourth son, Kang Tae-hoon. S-rank #3, expected to rise to SS-rank this year.
Then came the first, second, and third sons. Scattered at the bottom of S-rank and A-rank. It was clear why talent was said to be concentrated in the fourth and fifth sons.
—With that much gear layered on, even King won't land a punch.
Pyro—Kang Tae-wang—closed his eyes briefly, then smirked viciously.
"Bugs."
"Watch it—they can hear you."
The fourth son, Kang Tae-hoon, scolded him. If Kang Tae-wang was a total scumbag, Tae-hoon was his polar opposite in character.
"Today, I'm crippling that bastard spawn's mana core."
Kang Tae-hoon sighed deeply at his brother's words.
"Tae-wang..."
He glanced at his brother, sighing again. He knew exactly why that personality had formed. Their father's worldview.
He turned to look at his older brothers. They held nominal family roles but no real power. Their father's philosophy: ignore the untalented.
Among the brothers raised in that household, the youngest had been utterly spoiled. He possessed the greatest talent of the five. Everything went his way; arrogance became habit.
Sigh...
And their father.
What the hell is he doing in seclusion?
It had been a year since he'd vanished without a trace. Aside from messages via proxy, Tae-hoon hadn't seen him either.
As these thoughts swirled—
—When's King showing up?
—His SNS has been quiet lately.
King still hadn't appeared.
Kang Tae-wang licked his lips.
"That arrogant bastard spawn—scared and running away?"
"Tae-wang!"
He ignored his less-talented older brothers completely but listened to Tae-hoon alone.
"Hmph."
Around then—
—Huff... huff... huff...
At the stadium's far entrance stood a man.
—Huh?
—Who's that?
The man was covered in bizarre gear, like safety padding strapped everywhere. His face was a mess—wild hair, beaten to a pulp, on the verge of death. Sweat poured off him.
"Eek... eek... eek..."
It was King.
—It's King.
—What happened to him?
"What the hell is that punk?"
Kang Tae-wang let out a hollow laugh.
"What's he playing at?"
King shuffled slowly through the crowd. Kang-ho and Theo followed behind.
The masses parted, staring silently.
—Ugh, sweat stench.
—How does he sweat that much...
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. King stopped in the center.
Kang Tae-wang strode over, planting himself in front.
"Been well, you punk?"
"......"
King glanced at him slowly, then turned. Kang-ho was staring fixedly at Kang Tae-wang, eyes scanning him up and down.
Layered with money gear, huh.
Equipment befitting the famed magic house Lebadon.
Kang-ho nodded faintly.
"Worth the detour to the bank."
"Who's that? New lackey?"
Kang-ho flicked a disinterested glance at Tae-wang, then turned back to King.
"Good work running here. Basic stamina's decent enough."
"Yes, sir."
King nodded slowly.
"Now, strip."
Joy lit King's eyes.
"I can do that?"
"Seeing all that crap wrapped on you, you might die if you don't."
"Yes, sir!"
Then.
Lee Min-ah appeared from the side. She hurried over.
Kang Tae-wang's expression darkened at the sight. Pure hatred burned there.
—It's Flame!
She was always a crowd favorite. Cheers erupted.
—This is why we watch ranking battles!
—Love you, Fire Witch!
"Ugh... huh?"
Lee Min-ah spotted Kang-ho and blinked wide-eyed. Her face bloomed into a bright smile. As she moved to greet him, Kang-ho pressed a finger to his lips.
She walked over quietly, whispering.
"Why's big bro here?"
"This. And things felt off all around."
Kang-ho nodded toward King.
King spotted her and bowed ninety degrees in a fist salute.
"Hmm..."
Lee Min-ah glanced between King and Kang-ho, piecing it together with an intrigued look.
"It's been forever since big bro trained someone. Who's that?"
Theo, unable to wait, was already fiddling with his smartphone.
"Kid I know."
"Got it. Introduce me later~"
Lee Min-ah turned, raising her voice.
"This battle will count as an official ranking match. Guarantor: codename Flame, Lee Min-ah!"
At that moment.
Kang Tae-wang raised a hand, lips curled.
"Hold up!"
"Yeah?"
"What if there's unavoidable casualties in the ranking battle?"
Lee Min-ah's eyes hardened.
"If the gap's too wide, we can halt it beforehand, but..."
In this age of power, ranking battles could turn into deadly duels. But usually, since both belonged to groups, it never went to death or mana core destruction. Group relations prevented it.
However.
For mercenaries like King, there was no backup. Hired by Napa or not, it was a money contract. If his mana core got wrecked, he'd owe massive penalties.
King's got too much to lose.
Then.
Bam—!
A loud crash startled Lee Min-ah. She whipped toward King.
"We haven't even started... huh?"
A wrist guard hit the floor.
—What was that?
—That light thing made that noise...?
Boom—!
The right wrist guard exploded with a roar. Crunch! The tossed vest shattered the ground.
King stripped off his ankle guards too, hurling them aside.
"God... I feel so light. Like I'm gonna float away, bro."
Kang-ho placed a hand on King's chest.
Whoosh—!
The mana Kang-ho had sealed in King's mana hall receded. In that instant, mana surged through King's body.
"Whoaaaaah!"
Mana boiled over him. Wind blasted outward, carrying a refreshing breeze.
"Hahahahahaha!"
King threw his arms wide in triumph.
Kang-ho offered a pill-like object.
"Eat."
"Yes, sir!"
It melted on his tongue, skyrocketing his condition. Fatigue dissolved; vitality surged.
"Wh-what is this, bro?"
"Varkas."
A fatigue-relieving pill that fetched top prices.
"Listen up—that guy's item boost is insane."
"Item boost..."
King blinked.
"I got artifacts too. Not many, 'cause they're pricey."
"Won't cut it."
Kang-ho reached into his pocket, pulling out thin black gloves etched with constellation patterns.
"Borrow these."
Artifacts from the Seoul Bank.
Kang Tae-wang, spotting them from afar, went wide-eyed.
Th-that's...
Kang Tae-hoon beside him looked incredulous.
"Isn't that the Gloves of the Constellation?"
Gloves of the Constellation. A dream artifact for mages. World Rank #3, Carron of Belgium, owned one—the ultimate treasure.
"N-no way. No chance that punk has something that rare."
Kang Tae-wang stammered, voice shaking.