#13 Gangster Ambush
“Huh?”
Jin-tae was startled.
“I think I learned a skill.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, let’s open my status window. I forgot.”
He had gotten an earful from Sergeant Park as soon as he got through the portal, and then he had fallen asleep and forgotten about it.
Status Screen Appears
<Kim Jin-tae>
Race: Human
Origin: Earth
Class: Novice
HP: 100%
Mana: –
<Attributes>
–
<Skills>
Crafting
“Wow, I ate four stat stones and it doesn’t even show up. Does it just not show in the status window?”
It wasn’t that there was no increase.
There was a definite change.
However, the difference between Jin-tae and Cheol-du was adaptability.
Cheol-du had adapted to the increased strength and stamina with just a few movements, but Jin-tae still felt a little unfamiliar.
He would gradually adapt to his changed body in a few days.
“Can you see mine?”
“No, I can’t see it.”
“Hmm, I guess others can’t see it.”
“What does yours say?”
“Probably pretty similar.”
<Kang Cheol-du>
Race: Barbarian
Origin: Valhalla
Class: Novice
HP: 100%
Mana: 100%
<Attributes>
Barbarian’s Heart, Fairy’s Grace, Giant’s Hide
<Skills>
–
“……”
Cheol-du frowned.
‘Is that listed as a trait?’
His eyes lingered on ‘Fairy’s Grace’ in particular.
Looks like that goblin merchant had a way to sneak a peek at other people's status screens.
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Otherwise, there's no way he could've known who Cheol-du was just by looking at him.
“Ah, this is ambiguous. The crafting skill works normally, but if I use MP, I can make better quality items… But I don’t have any MP?”
Jin-tae hadn’t obtained a mana stat stone.
Shaking off his disappointment, he looked at Cheol-du and asked,
“Do you have anything special?”
“……Nothing yet.”
Cheol-du had told Jin-tae everything without hiding anything, but he hadn’t yet spoken about Fairy’s Grace.
Cheol-du guessed that this was the beginning of his family being abandoned by the tribe, and it was the ultimate secret he had to keep hidden.
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Alright, whatever. Let's just fish.”
"Fine by me."
Jin-tae, who had acquired the crafting skill, moved his hands more skillfully, and quickly made another fishing rod.
Since there was no bobber, whether there was a bite or not depended solely on the feeling in his hands. The two friends cast their lines into the river and waited for a while.
“Is this even going to work?”
“If the system gave us a crafting skill, the rod's gotta be good enough.”
“Hmm.”
They waited for a long time, but there was no bite.
“Oh! I caught one!”
At that moment, the two friends’ heads snapped towards the voice coming from beside them.
“Wow.”
“It looks like it's gotta be at least five feet long!”
"Lucky..."
“Right.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Oh, oh. Cheol-du, don’t be disappointed. I’ll catch one for you soon.”
Jin-tae barely calmed Cheol-du, who was trying to go towards the fish as if possessed, and made him sit down. Then, Jin-tae prepared to set the hook more carefully.
Since there was no bobber, he had to hold it the whole time to feel the bite, so his arm hurt, but he was even hungrier.
“Still, it’s a green light. It’s not like there are no fish.”
“Yeah, alright.”
Jin-tae became anxious at Cheol-du’s sullen tone.
Gotta get some food in him before he totally flips.
‘It’s here!’
Twang!
“Heup!”
Jin-tae jerked the fishing rod, and the line became taut.
“Huh?”
Cheol-du’s eyes widened and he stuck close to help.
But was it because he was too eager?
Snap.
The fishing line snapped, and Cheol-du’s patience also snapped.
Splash!
“Cheol-du!”
That crazy bastard.
What the hell's he doing? There could be anything in there!
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The muddy water hid everything underneath.
The other fishermen started whispering.
“What the—? There are gators in there! What's he thinking?!”
“Those newbies haven't seen real monsters yet. This ain't no goblin-level threat!”
“Hey, hey, that, that.”
Cheol-du, who had gone into the water, was nowhere to be seen.
All you could hear was splashing and see water flying everywhere.
“Come out, Cheol-du!”
He shouted at his friend, who had poked his head out and then submerged again, but his eyes were already gone mad with hunger.
Amidst the commotion, while the fishermen were watching, six guys with buzz cuts came up to Jin-tae.
“Hey. Everyone move aside.”
At the appearance of the gangsters, the fishermen moved away.
No point in getting mixed up in that.
The fishermen backed way off, just watching, as the gangsters closed in on Jin-tae, looking mean.
“We’ve met before, right? Where’s your friend?”
“Why, why are you doing this?”
“Heh, trying to hide him won't do any good.”
Jin-tae glared.
This was serious, and these punks...
“If you got business, come back later. I'm busy.”
“What?”
At Jin-tae’s words, the gangsters burst into absurd laughter.
“Hahaha! This punk's getting cocky, thinking his friend can save him?”
Two gangsters grabbed Jin-tae from both sides.
“Hey, let go!”
“Oh, he’s got some guts for a punk.”
“You guys will regret this.”
Jin-tae’s voice sank low.
‘I also ate two strength stat stones.’
Cheol-du took down an ogre with two, so two of these guys should be a cakewalk, right?
“Heup.”
“Oh, he’s using some strength? Hey, grab this bastard.”
“Huuuup!”
Jin-tae figured he should've been able to shrug them off and knock them on their asses, but his arms were still stuck.
"This ain't right."
“Heh heh, did you eat some stat stones or something?”
“You think that makes you Superman or something?”
“……”
Worked for my friend, though.
Why not me?
Okay. If strength doesn’t work.
“You’ll regret touching me.”
“Regret what?”
Slap!
One of the gangsters slapped Jin-tae across the cheek.
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“Gonna report us? To who? The freakin' army out in the wilderness?”
“Heh, kid. You're not in Kansas anymore.”
“Go back and report us.”
“Good luck even getting back.”
Jin-tae was suddenly scared and looked at the group of fishermen, but they ignored him completely.
"Don't get your hopes up."
Slap!
The gangster who slapped Jin-tae grinned and leaned his face closer.
“Around here, might makes right.”
Smirk.
“You wanna keep mouthing off?”
“……”
The gangster smirked, seeing the fear filling Jin-tae’s eyes.
He totally shut up.
“Now, I’ll ask you one last time. Where’s your friend?”
In that instant, a thought flashed through Jin-tae’s mind.
Right now, gangsters or whatever, shouldn't he be getting Cheol-du out of the water?
He did defeat an ogre, but he’s in the water, and they had no idea what kind of water monsters might be lurking around.
“He’s over there, in the water.”
The gangsters’ heads turned towards the river at the same time.
Splash! Thump!
All they could see was the head and tail of a gator thrashing around.
The gangster chuckled and looked at Jin-tae.
“Heh, what is this, some kind of buddy movie?”
“Damn it, it’s real!”
“Ha, this bastard.”
Slap!
Jin-tae’s cheek turned redder again.
“You think we're gonna jump in there just 'cause you're lying?”
It was then.
“Uwoooooo!”
A roar ripped through the air, and a head suddenly burst out of the water.
Whoosh.
Right after, something flew through the air and slammed into the hand of the guy grabbing Jin-tae's collar, making it burn like hell.
“Agh!”
The man writhed in agony from the intense pain in his hand.
“Damn it, what is it!”
A stone had flown from somewhere and hit his wrist.
Is it broken?
It hurts like hell?
Splash.
Cheol-du, dripping wet, hauled himself out of the water, dragging a dead gator by the tail.
Cheol-du’s gaze was fixed on Jin-tae’s face, which was teary-eyed.
“Jin-tae. Problem?”
“Yeah, damn it. These bastards are a big problem.”
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Cheol-du put the alligator on the ground and slowly walked over.
“These guys are a real problem.”
How dare they hit my friend.
“Jo, Boss Jong-du got taken out.”
“That bastard.”
“You’re dead. You son of a bitch.”
The gangsters circled around the guy clutching his wrist, all yelling at once.
They looked like a bunch of cornered lizards, all puffed up.
“Get in line.”
As Cheol-du stomped closer, the gangsters started backing away.
At that moment, their leader, Boss Jong-du, whose wrist was injured, shouted.
“What are you doing, you morons! It’s just one guy. Kill him!”
“Eat this!”
“You son of a bitch. This is for the boss, you bastard!”
He dodged the gangster's punch and smacked him with his open hand.
Thwack!
Can a slap even make that kind of sound?
Thwack, Thwack!
As Cheol-du swung his right hand five times, five tattooed pigs fell to the ground.
Those white and yellow things scattered everywhere? Their teeth.
Cheol-du walked up to Jong-du, whose wrist was busted, and the guy, trapped, just glared at him, looking pissed.
“You think you’ll be safe after this?”
“You're a real piece of work.”
Cheol-du slapped the man across the cheek.
Smack!
“Kuaaaaaah!”
Guess being a middle-boss meant he could take a hit. Or maybe the pain in his wrist just kept him awake.
Cheol-du went to grab his collar, but the guy was wearing a V-neck. No problem—Cheol-du's hands were huge, big enough to grab the guy's whole neck.
“Who are you, and why are you looking for me?”
The man’s pupils trembled.
You hit me first without even knowing who I was?
“Keu, keueuk.”
Jin-tae jumped in since the guy couldn't talk with his neck being choked.
“Those bastards, those gangsters from back then. The highway!”
“Ah.”
Cheol-du looked at the man.
He didn’t recognize his face.
“So you're one of that guy's goons.”
“Keuheup, keueuk.”
Cheol-du stared at the guy dangling by his neck. The hate in his eyes had turned to pure fear.
‘He, he’s the real deal. He’s the real thing.’
Jong-du was terrified, looking into Cheol-du's cold eyes.
This guy is the real deal.
Is he some hotshot they've been grooming in secret?
No. Special Forces?
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Maybe so.
That huge physique isn’t just for show.
You can tell just by looking at his eyes.
This bastard's taken down a lot of people.
“Hey, let the boss go!”
Cheol-du clicked his tongue at the guys with missing teeth, who were finally back on their feet.
How dare they talk back?
And even…
“Speaking informally?”
“Hiek!”
Cheol-du glared, and the gangsters shuffled back, looking nervous.
“Tsk.”
They looked scared, not a bit of fight left in them.
Thud!
Cheol-du threw middle boss Jong-du at his subordinate gangsters.
“Ugh!”
As the guys underneath scrambled to get away, Cheol-du asked.
“Are you going to run away?”
“……Aren’t you letting us go?”
“Toll.”
“……”
Cheol-du frowned, watching them exchange nervous glances.
“Leave everything you have and go.”
The gangsters groaned, trying to figure out how to get away with losing as little as possible.
"Wh-what the hell? You can't do this!"
"Didn't you say might makes right?"
“……”
At Cheol-du’s words, Jin-tae grinned and stepped forward.
“Serves you right, you bastards.”
Jin-tae, flinching under their glares, yelled even louder.
“What? Why? You sons of bitches. Take off all your clothes and leave too.”
Cheol-du nodded.
Jin-tae was right.
