Chapter 16: Face-Off
‘This isn't gonna work.’
Regardless of the fight’s outcome, Cheol-du is a ticking time bomb.
‘He’s the type to make enemies.’
A troublemaker can’t be brought into the Shinsung Group.
Team Leader Kim Young-do was starting to give up on Cheol-du, but he was still curious about the result of the fight and continued to watch.
Anyway, if it’s not my problem, isn’t it an interesting spectacle?
‘This is gonna be good.’
Now, a bulky high school senior has challenged a gang boss to a fight.
“Which one of you sons of bitches is calling the boss by his name!”
Lee Jung-ho, the organization's number three, came out of the barracks and his eyes widened when he saw Cheol-du.
“You, you son of a bitch! Surf Taxi!”
He's still pissed and embarrassed about getting his ass handed to him after getting out of the car.
After that...
“What? Jong-du, you bastard, why are you over there?”
Lee Jung-ho still doesn’t know the situation.
Stubborn Jong-du told the truth.
“I have decided to follow Kang Cheol-du.”
“What? You son of a bitch, you traitor!”
Lee Jung-ho rushed in, enraged, and Cheol-du lightly brushed aside the outstretched fist, and in the meantime, landed a counter punch on the face that came forward just right to hit.
Crack!
With a very unpleasant sound, a scene unfolded that made one wonder if a person could fly that far.
Lee Jung-ho, who flew faster than the speed he charged in with a single punch and collapsed, crushing a tent, was knocked out cold.
His cheekbone was caved in.
“Where’s Yong-gu?”
“……”
Cheol-du’s question silenced the surroundings.
Clap, clap, clap!
Then, with the sound of applause, two men came out of the largest barracks.
A sharp-looking guy was smirking and clapping, and next to him was a guy as big as Cheol-du – looked like the dude who got out of the passenger seat earlier.
“Bravo!”
“Are you Yong-gu?”
“You son of a bitch!”
Yang Mun-sik, the organization's number two, tried to step forward, but Yong-gu stopped him.
“Mun-sik.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Yong-gu stepped forward and stood in front of Cheol-du.
“Are you Kang Cheol-du?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, cat got your tongue? Why so formal?”
“Says you.”
Jeon Yong-gu almost lost his cool, but laughed even louder.
“Hahahaha, these days, MZs are like this. Well, fine. In our world, might makes right.”
“Now you're talking.”
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Jeon Yong-gu’s eyes lit up.
Cheol-du’s agreement sounded different to him.
It sounded like, ‘I’m also interested in the gang life.’
He likes it.
Has he awakened to this romantic world where ranks are decided by fists?
Then there’s no need to drag this out any longer.
He almost made a simple job complicated.
“Good. Let’s not drag this out, and I’ll make you a bet.”
“Tell me.”
“If you fight me and win, come under my organization. I'll make you my number two.”
Yang Mun-sik, the number two behind Yong-gu, flinched at Yong-gu’s offer.
“If I win?”
“I’ll become your subordinate.”
“Don't need it. Six is plenty.”
Cheol-du looked around and nodded.
“If I win……”
I didn’t come here because I particularly wanted something.
“I got a question for you.”
“Hahahaha, I really don’t understand these days’ MZs. Fine. I’ll answer everything. Very good.”
Yong-gu didn’t really care what he bet.
Because he could never lose.
‘I've popped 12 stat stones.’
Five of 'em were strength stones.
No way a superhuman like me is gonna lose.
And I get a promising new lackey out of it.
“Good. You pick the rules, kid. Boxing? Judo?”
“Huh.”
Cheol-du snorted.
“Last man standing.”
“Hahahaha, MZs these days are all fire. Good, when is a good time?”
“Now.”
“Hahahaha, these days’ MZs……”
Whack!
Cheol-du’s hand flew out, and Yong-gu, who was unexpectedly slapped on the cheek, was dumbfounded by the momentarily spinning vision.
Pat, pat.
As soon as he realized it, he stepped back to create distance.
“Y-you cheap shot! No honor with you MZs.”
“Bring it.”
Cheol-du beckoned him closer, taunting the broken record.
“……”
Yong-gu felt that it was no longer possible to resolve this with words.
‘Damn it, I can’t stand being hit once.’
His subordinates are all watching, he can’t lose face by trying to talk it out here.
‘His power is the real deal.’
The problem is that the shock felt in his cheek is quite significant. That guy must have consumed a few stat stones too.
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“How many stat stones have you eaten?”
“You talk too much.”
“You son of a bitch. Just 'cause I was going easy on you 'cause you're a kid.”
In the end, Yong-gu’s temper exploded.
He’ll beat him up first and then make him surrender.
“Bring it.”
“I said it first.”
“You son of a bitch!”
Yong-gu charged, screaming like a banshee.
Whether he’s an elite athlete or whatever, it’s still just sports.
Sports and fighting are different, and the experience gained from countless real fights is worlds apart.
Whoosh!
Thud!
He was the one who threw the punch, but somehow the pain is felt in his side.
‘Ugh!’
He can’t breathe.
“Oh.”
Cheol-du was surprised.
He'd put some real power into that gut punch, but the guy was tough.
He hadn't faced many fighters, but this guy was the second-toughest he'd met.
The first is, of course, Ogre Junior.
Whack!
Yong-gu curled up like a shrimp from the pain in his side. It felt like he just needed a moment to recover, but Cheol-du’s hand kept dancing relentlessly.
Whack!
It wasn't even a punch, it was a straight-up bitch slap.
‘You son of a bitch!’
Could this get any more humiliating?
In front of all his subordinates watching?
After being slapped about three times, Yong-gu exhaled.
“Ugh, damn it!”
He pulled together every last bit of his rage and guts and charged.
He’ll kill him.
He’ll kill that bastard here!
He charged in with that mindset.
Whack, whack, bang, bang!
But Cheol-du met Yong-gu’s swinging fists with his own fists.
A bit strong durability among humans?
It was like hitting straw, even with the Ogre Skin.
Crack!
When their fists collided, Yong-gu’s hands were crushed.
“Kuaaaaah!”
As he moved in for the kill, Yang Mun-sik, the number two, stepped up.
Not on my watch!
“Don't you dare! You little...”
Whoosh.
Yang Mun-sik was about the same height as Cheol-du and not much smaller in build, so the onlookers around were very excited.
It was like round two was starting right after round one.
Whoosh!
Yang Mun-sik quickly jumped up and threw a high kick, but Cheol-du lowered his stance and instead thrust a straight punch into the opponent’s kick.
Crack!
His knee got wrecked, and his leg bent the wrong way.
“……!”
Before he could even scream, Cheol-du's follow-up smashed into his face.
Smack!
He pulled his punch a little, figuring he might kill the guy otherwise, but it was still enough to shatter his jaw.
Kang Cheol-du, who had quickly dealt with Yang Mun-sik, approached Jeon Yong-gu, who couldn’t even clench his fists and was trembling.
“St-stay back.”
The guy backed away, but there was nowhere else to go.
It was time to finish it.
“What are you morons staring at? Get him!”
The gangsters hesitated to step forward, but then Jong-du stepped forward.
“This is a one-on-one! Anyone interferes, you'll have to deal with me!”
“Jong-du, you bastard!”
Yong-gu trembled, but Jong-du made up his mind.
“A warrior lives and dies for a lord who sees his worth.”
“You, you bastard! You said you were loyal to me.”
“I'm not loyal to any man.”
“You, you!”
He misjudged the man.
He thought he was loyal to him.
Then Cheol-du, who had approached, kicked Yong-gu.
Thud!
Yong-gu reflexively guarded against the kick, which was swung quite strongly, but his forearm bone was fractured.
“Ughhh.”
Cheol-du approached the fallen Yong-gu and placed his foot on his right knee.
Yong-gu looked up at Cheol-du in terror.
His eyes, which had been full of spirit, were now filled with fear.
“Damn, I'm still not as ruthless as my old man.”
Just when it looked like he might show mercy.
Crack!
Cheol-du stepped on Yong-gu’s knee and broke it.
“Kueaaaaaah!”
Cheol-du dusted off his hands, ending it there.
‘Father.’
He could practically hear his old man's voice.
Always worried about him being too soft... He still wasn't cold-blooded enough to take a trophy like a seasoned warrior.
Cheol-du crouched down in front of Yong-gu.
“Kueaaaaaah, kueah!”
The guy, drooling and eyes bloodshot, glared up at Cheol-du, eyes full of hate.
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“Looks like I won. Now, I got a question.”
Cheol-du pointed to Jong-du and the younger members.
“Why did you send them to me?”
“You f...”
Whack!
Yong-gu's head snapped back from the slap, and he went down.
"Don't even care."
‘They're mine now.’
Cheol-du handled things in a Barbarian way.
They are a tribe with frequent inter-tribal battles, and when one tribe is destroyed, they absorb the warriors of the defeated tribe into their tribe.
First, he had to make sure they had no tribe to go back to.
Barbarian tribes, they'd crush the chief and burn their totem – that's how you knew a tribe was done.
‘Yong-gu is defeated, so.’
The Jong-du gang’s flag has disappeared.
Now he can fully bring them under his flag.
“Grab the loot. Let's roll.”
Jong-du trembled at Cheol-du’s words.
‘This is the one.’
He could follow this man to the ends of the earth.
Jong-du steeled himself, remembering a tale from the Three Kingdoms.
‘A wise bird chooses its branch.’
Had the heavens finally answered his loyalty and sent him a true leader?
He's not loyal to any man.
He's loyal to his own code.
“Get on your knees!”
At Jong-du’s shout, the gangsters who had been standing awkwardly knelt down one by one.
The crowd was stunned, couldn't believe their eyes.
“Insane!”
Everyone was buzzing about the one-sided beatdown.
“Holy shit, did he just take over the whole gang?”
“Isn't that guy a senior in high school?”
“How many stat stones did he eat?”
“Damn, he was late from the quest zone for a reason.”
“Crazy. Really.”
Team Leader Kim was floored.
‘Scout?’
It's a whole different ballgame.
You can cage some animals, but others, you cage 'em, you're asking for trouble.
Cheol-du is the latter.
Try to put a leash on that guy?
You'll get your throat ripped out.
Just like Yong-gu...
And damn, he's brutal.
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‘He's nobody's underling.’
Best to stay on his good side.
Just having him as an ally would be huge.
Definitely not someone you want as an enemy.
“Let’s go back.”
Team Leader Kim Young-do completely gave up on his lingering feelings for Cheol-du.
When the fight was over, the onlookers scattered, but some were still watching.
"Show's over, Scram!"
Jong-du and the boys got to work, clearing out the peanut gallery and grabbing the loot.
