Chapter 29: Brawl
Whoosh! A lightning-fast kick...
A sudden flying kick came right at him, and Cheol-du brought his left hand up to guard his face. His right hand naturally swung out, aiming a low blow at his opponent's knee.
Whoosh! Thwack! The sounds of his fist and a connecting blow...
Surprisingly, Warrant Officer Oh spun in the air like a whirlwind, letting Cheol-du's punch glance off, and aimed another kick at the opposite side of Cheol-du's face.
Whoooosh! The air whistled...
Cheol-du tilted his head back to dodge, and the kick, having lost its target, sliced through the air and landed on the ground.
"Whoa, this guy's something else."
Warrant Officer Oh grinned broadly.
"Haven't seen a real talent like this in a while."
"Passing grade just for reacting, but his counter and dodge were clean as a whistle."
"You do any training?"
"......"
Cheol-du stared at his opponent expressionlessly.
"Guy's got issues, but his moves are legit."
"Warrant Officer Oh! Cut it out."
At that moment, Lieutenant Choi stepped forward and stopped Warrant Officer Oh.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kang Cheol-du. I'm from Army Headquarters. Lieutenant Choi Seung-ah."
"......"
"So, a lieutenant does outrank a warrant officer."
Warrant Officer Oh immediately stepped back.
"Compensation money?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. But there's a lot to talk about, should we do it here?"
"I got nothing."
"......"
Choi Seung-ah looked blankly at Cheol-du, and Warrant Officer Oh, behind her, chuckled and then burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha, wow, this guy's really something. He doesn't even bat an eye at the Army HQ's poster girl."
"Hey, Warrant Officer Oh, just you wait."
Was her pride hurt?
Choi Seung-ah got down to business.
"Mr. Kang Cheol-du, you're 19 years old right now. And I see you're not going to college."
"Hmm?"
Cheol-du tilted his head, looking at the letter-like envelope Choi Seung-ah handed him.
"Draft notice?"
"Yes, you're subject to enlistment next year. As it stands, you'll be serving as a private for 2 years, or 10 years in Nova time."
"......"
"Since you're going to serve in the military anyway, wouldn't it be better to be commissioned as an officer rather than rotting away as a private? After that, even if you want to be discharged, no one will stop you, right?"
"......"
Kang Cheol-du remained silent, but Warrant Officer Oh behind him retorted.
"Ha, that's a bit of a frustrating thing to say."
"Warrant Officer Oh! Please be quiet!"
"Ha, you women don't get drafted, so you don't know how frustrating this is, do you?"
Choi Seung-ah clenched her teeth.
"Goddamn it, shut your trap!"
Cheol-du looked at the two of them and tossed the draft notice back to her.
Looking at the envelope that fell to the floor, Choi Seung-ah let out a frustrated breath.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not going to the military."
"?"
What did she just hear?
"No, it's not a matter of wanting to or not, you are subject to mandatory conscription."
"You wanna take me? Come and get me!"
"No, what is this..."
Choi Seung-ah was speechless.
"Is this guy even more of a hard-ass than I thought?"
"Hahahaha, he's a real headcase. Lieutenant Choi, step aside."
Choi Seung-ah reluctantly stepped back, and Warrant Officer Oh stood in front of Cheol-du.
Even with Kang Cheol-du, who was a head taller than him, Warrant Officer Oh's face was confident.
"Let's make a bet."
"What bet?"
"If I win, you're under my command."
Cheol-du was taken aback by Warrant Officer Oh's words.
"Is this dude a barbarian?"
"Finally, someone who speaks my language."
"Hehehehe. Seriously. This is fun. Okay. If I win, you come straight to the DP (Deserter Pursuit)."
"If I win, you become my subordinate and go to Nova."
"Wahahahaha. Okay, okay. Deal."
Warrant Officer Oh was quite excited now.
"A promising rookie like this is worth taking around and nurturing."
"Social skills you can teach, but that physique and battle sense? You're born with that."
"It's going to hurt a bit."
Whoosh! A lightning-fast kick...
Warrant Officer Oh's kick flew in.
Papapapat! A rapid flurry of kicks...
Six kicks flew in in the blink of an eye, but Cheol-du guarded against all of them.
"Huh!"
Warrant Officer Oh, stepping back, was surprised.
He had grasped his opponent's level during their first exchange of kicks earlier.
'At this level, he should be blown away, if not killed?'
But the opponent hadn't moved an inch, as if rooted to the ground.
He even flinched the moment the kick landed, reducing all the impact in that short time.
Warrant Officer Oh's body trembled.
Indeed.
"So that's how he took down a field boss in the apocalypse trial?"
"His talent is the real deal."
"You pack a punch, too. I'm gonna have myself a pretty useful subordinate."
"Hahaha!"
Warrant Officer Oh grinned at Cheol-du's compliment.
"This guy is really something else."
"I'm not gonna hold back like you're just some guy anymore."
"Might as well think of you as an Ogre Junior."
"......!"
Cheol-du was startled by Warrant Officer Oh's words.
'Does he know I'm a barbarian?'
This guy is quick-witted.
Warrant Officer Oh lightly bounced on the ground and said,
"Now, I'm going to go all out."
"Welcome news."
"Hehehe, cute, but that's all talk."
Warrant Officer Oh immediately launched a kick.
As if all the kicks so far had been child's play, it was incredibly fast and packed with even more power than before.
'Time to show you what a real veteran can do.'
"I'll show you the grit of a first-generation Nova immigrant."
Papapat!
An incredible barrage of kicks poured in.
"Faster combo than Chun-Li!"
Papapapapapat!
Cheol-du moved non-stop, blocking, parrying, and evading. He took some hits, but rolled with the punches.
Whoooooosh!
Warrant Officer Oh, swinging his leg high towards Cheol-du's head, leaped back to create distance.
For the first time, a non-smiling expression appeared on his face.
"What are you?"
Ah, should I do a barbarian-style introduction?
"I'm Kang Cheol-du, grandson of Kang Yong-cheol."
Cheol-du grinned.
He's fast.
"This guy's stronger than Seo Jong-du, and even Kim Jin-tae, who's just starting to show his potential."
If a guy like him had been a champion in any sport, Cheol-du would have challenged him without hesitation.
"He's a wolf among sheep."
"His bad luck is that Cheol-du was already a beast, and now he's broken through his limits."
"Uwoooooo!"
With a sudden battle cry, Cheol-du charged forward.
"I'll show you the power of a Barbarian who's shattered his physical limits!"
Papapat!
Warrant Officer Oh was startled by Cheol-du's swift kicks and dodged them.
'Fast.'
Unbelievable speed considering his size.
Papapapang! The air cracked with the force...
And so strong, the sound of his blows splitting the air is terrifying.
Papapapapa! He was getting pummeled...
Once you lose the upper hand, there's no opening to counter. Warrant Officer Oh, constantly evading, gritted his teeth, judging that he couldn't turn the tide.
"Gotta uphold the honor of the first-generation immigrants."
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'What is this ridiculous guy?'
"I'll block one and use that gap to land a hit. I need to bring the momentum back to my side first."
Warrant Officer Oh raised his right hand to guard against Cheol-du's brutish kick.
Crack! With a sickening crunch...
And his right hand broke.
"Kuaaaaaah!"
This scream was involuntary.
But he was a first-generation immigrant who couldn't survive without being tough.
With a scream, he dashed forward and threw a punch at Cheol-du.
"One clean shot to the face is all it takes."
Cheol-du grinned as he watched the punch fly in.
Too fast to grab him head-on.
Warrant Officer Oh is the first person Cheol-du has met who has made him use his full power.
If he hadn't gone to Nova and come back stronger, he would have been completely defeated. No, he would have been utterly toyed with.
'So, the real powerhouses are all in Nova.'
Thinking about how many strong people like this might be in Neo Seoul made his heart race.
Whoosh! A punch flew...
He ducked his head to avoid the punch that was right in front of him and threw a counter punch.
Thwump! A heavy, bone-jarring thud...
He held back a little.
To have durability that breaks an arm with a single kick.
A bit disappointing.
"His toughness is crap."
Whirr, thud! He spun through the air...
Warrant Officer Oh, spinning in the air like a top, collapsed to the ground.
"Warrant Officer Oh!"
"......Ugh."
Cheol-du smiled contentedly, seeing that Warrant Officer Oh hadn't fainted.
"Hehehehe."
"Got myself a decent subordinate."
"I'm going to Nova at 9 AM on the 1st. Be in front of my house by then."
"Hey!"
Lieutenant Choi Seung-ah stepped in front of Cheol-du.
"Right now, you are a major threat to national security..."
"Less talk, more fighting."
"What!"
"Then cough up the cash and get lost."
"Huh."
Choi Seung-ah met someone who was impossible to reason with for the first time in her life.
Cheol-du shrugged and tried to go his own way.
"Mr. Kang Cheol-du!"
"......?"
"Give me your account number before you go."
Lieutenant Choi Seung-ah was doing her job.
"Hehe, send it here."
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Cheol-du wrote his account number on the paper that Choi Seung-ah held out, and coolly went home.
"Huh, rude little punk, and only 19!"
He was a whole six years younger than her.
Choi Seung-ah checked on Warrant Officer Oh, who was collapsed and covering his face with one hand.
"Warrant Officer, you crying?"
"Hehehehehe."
Warrant Officer Oh was laughing, covering his face with his palm.
"Warrant Officer, you have a double nosebleed."
"Hahahaha."
"Ugh, not a sane one in the bunch. Let's go back for now."
There's a lot to report.
*
Colonel Jang Mi-ran looked at the two people standing in front of her and sat down with her legs crossed.
"You failed?"
"Yes, that's right."
Lieutenant Choi Seung-ah answered.
"You delivered the draft notice, right?"
"Yes. He was not someone you could reason with."
"I don't understand."
Colonel Jang Mi-ran frowned.
"If you're going to serve in the military anyway, isn't it better to be commissioned as an officer than to rot away as a private?"
She was going to skip all the unnecessary procedures and commission him, so why refuse?
"It's not rational."
"He was not someone you could reason with."
"Is he that much of a stubborn mule?"
"Yes, he didn't seem to have any intention of serving in the military itself."
"Huh, really. He'll only learn his lesson when the MPs drag him away."
"Hehehehe."
Jang Mi-ran frowned and glared at Warrant Officer Oh.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Ha. Isn't it funny? Why wouldn't it be funny?"
"What?"
Jang Mi-ran's brow furrowed deeply.
Warrant Officer Oh, with a cast on his arm, took off his hat and placed it on the floor.
"It's like bragging, but if you rank people in hand-to-hand combat in Korea, I'm in the top ten."
"Bragging. After getting your ass kicked."
"Isn't that the problem? He's someone who can kick my ass, and you're talking about military police? Hehehe."
"Don't cross the line, Warrant Officer Oh."
Colonel Jang Mi-ran scolded him sternly.
"Should I turn the DP guys loose on you?"
"Hehehehe. This damn military never changes. Don't go after the wrong guys. I just put in my discharge papers."
"What?"
"What else? It means I'm a civilian now."
Warrant Officer Oh playfully raised his hand in salute.
"Warrant Officer Oh Jun-hwan is discharged. Later, ma'am."
Jang Mi-ran jumped up.
"What, you motherfucker?"
"Hehehe."
Oh Jun-hwan, who quickly came outside, chuckled.
"Ah, is it because they treat the military like a job? They don't get how shitty military life is. None of 'em."
Oh Jun-hwan unbuttoned his military uniform top and walked out of headquarters.
"Shit, at my age, I'm gonna be some high school senior's lackey."
Oh Jun-hwan chuckled and breathed in the civilian air.
"Ugh, smells like the military."
Meanwhile, the battalion commander of Oh Jun-hwan's direct unit was contemplating the approval documents.
Next to him was a personnel file.
Oh Jun-hwan, 28 years old.
Rank: Warrant Officer
Special notes: First-generation immigrant who was accidentally caught up in the Paju apocalypse trial while working part-time at age 26.
Afterwards, enlisted as a staff sergeant in the military, excellent performance in every operation, achieved the youngest warrant officer rank. Transferred to DP, excellent hand-to-hand combat ability.
Record of insubordination, excessive force during operations, violence, etc.
"Ha, this bastard. This..."
He's too good of a talent to lose.
DP's ace. But the reason for his discharge application is bothering him. He's a crazy bastard, who knows what he'll do.
- Reason for discharge.
If you don't approve it, I'll raise hell. ^.^ b
"Stubborn bastard to the end."
The battalion commander reluctantly stamped his seal.
