Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Coincidence for the Protagonist (5)
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On the way to the black market exit.
Jang Man spoke up toward Iron Dung Beetle, who was now pulling a carry-on packed with weapons instead of money bags.
"If you're thinking of using weapons in the city center, plan your escape route first. It's a hassle if the cops tail you after the fight ends."
He didn't ask Iron Dung Beetle anything. Not about the necromancer, not about revenge.
"The weapons you bought all have long ranges. If possible, go for a close-quarters fight and end it quick."
He simply offered the old man's advice like a passing breeze.
It wasn't particularly delicate, but it carried its own brand of concern and wisdom.
Perhaps this was Jang Man's way of showing care.
With that thought, Iron Dung Beetle silently followed behind Jang Man.
...They retraced their steps for a while, the path Jang Man had spoken along and Iron Dung Beetle had listened.
Finally, they arrived at the warehouse entrance where they had descended rusty stairs. A familiar mask greeted them.
"Hello? We meet again?"
The woman in the black dog mask.
She sat leisurely, having crushed the three gatekeepers below her.
"Tch, the young one's persistent."
Jang Man clicked his tongue, and Iron Dung Beetle quietly set down the carry-on.
"Excuse me, sir. I don't want to fight. This is all just a little misunderstanding with these guys."
"Is that so? Then there's no misunderstanding on our end, so we can go now, right?"
"Nah, that won't do. I was waiting here because of you, sir."
The dog-masked woman hopped lightly down from atop the gatekeepers.
"How about a deal?"
"And if I refuse?"
"I get that the situation looks suspicious, but really, truly, it's not a bad deal at all. In fact, it's a positive one that'll fill your pockets way more than whatever you're doing?"
She said that, but Iron Dung Beetle could sense something flowing through the dog-masked woman's body.
It was an unfamiliar sensation. Feeling something flowing through someone else's body, not his own.
But regardless of Iron Dung Beetle's new sense, Jang Man and the masked woman continued their conversation.
"Want to hear it out?"
"No interest in chatting with a lunatic."
"Hmm... that's a reasonable answer, but no choice. I'm in a bit of a hurry myself."
With those words, she stomped her foot.
A short leap. She charged at Jang Man with near-flying speed.
In that split second, Iron Dung Beetle reflexively threw himself in front of Jang Man to block her attack.
Smack!
It started with a kick. Iron Dung Beetle raised his right arm to block it. The next instant, his body couldn't withstand the force and floated up, flying sideways.
'Crazy bitch.'
The flying Iron Dung Beetle rolled on the ground twice, crashed into the alley wall, and only then managed to plant his feet back down.
Eeeee—
The kick had been so powerful that his right ear, where it had landed, rang with tinnitus.
"Two superhumans in one day... not sure if that's good luck or bad."
As Jang Man's voice reached his ear, the dog-masked woman was already charging at Iron Dung Beetle again.
Thud!
Before Iron Dung Beetle could react, a kick slammed into his side. But unlike the first, it didn't end there.
Abdomen, thigh, side again, shoulder, and... jaw.
Smack!
A heavy impact sound, precise combo attack. She drove a perfect finishing kick into Iron Dung Beetle.
"Hoo."
After Iron Dung Beetle collapsed to the ground.
The black dog-masked woman leisurely turned her back and looked at Jang Man.
"Feeling like making a deal now?"
"Nope, not yet."
"Not yet?"
In that moment, her senses reacted to something.
She immediately kicked off the ground and leaped back far. Iron Dung Beetle's hand, grabbing for her ankle, sliced through empty air.
"...How?"
The dog-masked woman tilted her head as she watched Iron Dung Beetle rise.
Even for a superhuman, that level of impact should have knocked him out cold.
"Your durability is insane. Did you eat something good or what?"
Ptoo. Iron Dung Beetle spat out the blood pooling in his mouth. His head still buzzed from the shock, but he raised both hands into a fighting stance.
"Enough talk. Come at me."
"If you insist."
The masked woman stomped again. She moved at the same untouchable speed as before, but one thing had changed.
Iron Dung Beetle's eyes.
In his vision, where he'd poured all his focus into his eyes, the incoming kick's trajectory appeared as a long line.
'I see it.'
Iron Dung Beetle twisted his waist out of the trajectory's path. It was glacially slow compared to her footwork, but enough to create a tiny opening.
Swoosh! Her kick, aimed at his jaw, barely grazed the hair on his forehead.
And right after came the counterattack.
Iron Dung Beetle snapped his waist back and swung his fist toward her face.
But just as his fist neared, she slipped out of his attack range with bizarre footwork.
"...You're pretty good?"
This time, Iron Dung Beetle charged first. Unlike her, it was just crude punches, but Iron Dung Beetle was a superhuman.
Of course, so was his opponent.
Iron Dung Beetle's fists cut the air with menacing whooshes, but not a single one touched the masked woman.
Her bizarre footwork.
No matter how Iron Dung Beetle attacked, she evaded his range with a single step.
Instead, she exploited the openings each time with short kicks, stacking damage on Iron Dung Beetle's body.
That was the difference between someone bounding like a spring and someone trudging forward.
'What the hell?'
But at some point, the dog-masked woman furrowed her brow. Her opponent's level was improving far too quickly.
When she'd landed the first hit, he was just a total newbie. Every movement was awkward as hell. He couldn't even roll properly.
But right after collapsing, something changed.
His reactions blocking her kicks grew faster and faster, his punches and kicks more refined by the second.
Hands flew where her feet extended, and he'd start running toward her landing spot the moment she bounced off the ground.
As if he knew exactly how she'd move.
'He's cracking it in real time?'
She felt both intrigue and irritation.
Intrigue at an opponent copying her hard-earned techniques on the fly, irritation at his durability letting him tank kick after kick.
She could pull out other moves and seize control of the fight...
'But pride's the issue here.'
The ensuing exchange ran parallel.
Iron Dung Beetle charged despite the kicks, and the dog-masked woman kept distance while unleashing them.
The balance broke when Iron Dung Beetle began mimicking her footwork.
"...!"
It was closer to pushing off the ground than springing, but it narrowed the speed gap.
The masked woman gritted her teeth and moved her feet even faster.
And up to that moment, she was certain of victory. She'd landed dozens of kicks and blows on Iron Dung Beetle, and she still had plenty of stamina left.
No way she'd lose to some rookie superhuman who wasn't even a hero candidate. She was convinced.
...And she was wrong.
In the midst of the drawn-out clash, Iron Dung Beetle suddenly slipped between her footsteps.
"Huh?"
Perfect timing, impossible to dodge.
"Shit—!"
Realization came too late. Iron Dung Beetle grabbed her kicking leg and hurled her bodily.
Boom! The masked woman slammed into the exact alley wall where Iron Dung Beetle had flown moments ago.
Dust billowed, and the mask she wore flew off far away.
"Urgh...."
She rolled on the ground a couple times, then rose with a short groan.
"Fucking hurts...."
As she laboriously lifted her head, the face hidden beneath the mask was revealed.
A beauty.
At least, the most stunning one Iron Dung Beetle had ever seen in his life.
Sharp features like a god's special creation, topped with ebony hair cascading long down her forehead. Between the silky strands, cold blue eyes met Iron Dung Beetle's.
"You're... pretty good?"
Two breaths, then her foot slapped the ground.
She charged at Iron Dung Beetle again.
Her bizarre footwork-laced kick flew at his head once more, but his eyes were now fully accustomed to her attacks.
Iron Dung Beetle evaded the extended kick trajectory.
And in that brief gap, he replicated the kick she'd shown him.
A roundhouse to the body.
Thud— With the sound, her kick embedded into her body. Like Iron Dung Beetle after the first kick, she lost balance and flew.
But unlike Iron Dung Beetle, who hadn't known how to roll, she quickly regained her stance. She glared at him with an incredulous expression.
"My Flying Leg Art! How in that short time?"
"Flying Leg Art?"
"...Yeah, kinda corny name. I think so too."
She sighed deeply, brushing her hair back. Drip. Blood trickled from her nose, probably a burst capillary.
"Ah, nosebleed after forever."
She wiped it with the back of her hand in disbelief. Seeing the blood seemed to piss her off; she furrowed her delicate brows.
"Anyway, Flying Leg Art's corny name aside, it's not low difficulty. Stealing a technique like that in real time... Ugh, can't even put it into words."
She muttered something starting with "f..." while staring at the ground, then looked up.
"Alright, barehanded, I'm at a disadvantage. I admit it! But pulling weapons means one of us dies. How about we talk it out here?"
Her question was aimed at Iron Dung Beetle, but the reply came from an unexpected source.
"Talk, huh? Not bad. Just don't move anything but your mouth."
Click.
Jang Man, submachine gun in hand from the fallen gatekeepers, aimed it at her.
She merely rolled her eyes at the gun, responding with bold confidence.
"Fine, whatever. My request won't cost you anyway."
"Speak."
"I want to buy something from Yosef, but he won't deal with me."
"Guys like him don't take rookies, obviously."
"Yeah, and hearing that as the rookie stings a bit."
Haa, she exaggerated a sigh before continuing.
"You seem chummy with Yosef, sir. Get the item for me instead, and I'll cover not just the price but a fat commission too."
"Commission?"
"Five hundred million on top of the item cost. More if it's cheaper than I expect. What do you say?"
Five hundred million?
Iron Dung Beetle, still with a cleaner's sense of money, raised one eyebrow at her offering that just for commission.
"The better the offer, the bigger the risk. What item?"
"It's not weapon-shaped. Hmm, how to put it..."
She paused as if recalling, then spoke.
"A staff made from a unicorn horn...? That's the best I got. Doesn't match the original name much."
Hearing her answer, Jang Man and Iron Dung Beetle simultaneously looked at each other.
Strange glances passed through the snake mask and sun mask. The girl suddenly sidelined from the conversation tilted her head.
"...What's with the vibe? You guys aren't thinking something weird, are you?"
It was a bit different from what she expected, but spot on.
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