#56 The First Ride is Always Special
Horses are more skittish creatures than people realize.
When Cheoldu charged forward, the zebra—true to its nature as a monster rather than a mere beast—let out a thunderous roar.
"Hiiiiing!"
Far from fleeing, the creature charged straight at Cheoldu.
How dare this insolent beast not retreat before the King of the Plains!
You'll taste my horns like all the others.
Cheoldu grinned as he watched the beast lower its neck and stiffen like a bull preparing to charge.
"Hahaha! That's what I like to see!"
With its twin horns combined with Cheoldu's spear, this would make for a perfect triangular charge formation.
He'd already imagined himself mounted on the creature's back, leading a cavalry charge.
Whoosh.
Grabbing the charging zebra's horns, Cheoldu vaulted high into the air and landed squarely on its back.
The sudden movement nearly snapped the creature's neck, forcing it to release its grip on the horns in panic.
"Hiiiiing!"
The zebra bucked wildly like a rodeo bull trying to dislodge its rider, but Cheoldu clamped his thighs tight.
"Hiiiiing!"
Panting heavily from exertion, the zebra suddenly broke into a full sprint.
'The audacity!'
Did this human actually believe it could tame me?
Did it think I'd eventually tire and submit if it held on long enough?
Not a chance.
My stamina surpasses that of ordinary horses.
I am—
CRACK!
A searing pain in its ribs sent the zebra tumbling mid-gallop.
"Heh heh heh."
Even as it fell, the terrifying laughter of the human clinging to its neck echoed in its ears.
This crazy bastard—did he just punch me?
"Submit, zebra."
"Hiiiii!"
THUD!
The roar turned into a shriek as another brutal blow landed on its ribs.
"Gwaaaaah!"
CRUNCH! CRACK!
Its ribs shattered.
Was this human insane?
Didn't he know the proper way to tame a horse?
"Choose—die or obey?"
Hmph! As if the King of the Plains would ever submit!
"Hiiiiing!"
WHAM!
"Gwaaaah!"
Cheoldu gripped the zebra's neck and continued his merciless beating.
The bandits watching from a distance stood dumbfounded.
"No wonder they say to hunt that one first—makes the others easier to catch."
"Damn... We've never even managed to hunt that one, and he just caught it like it's nothing."
"Incredible. Just like with that ogre earlier."
As the bandits murmured among themselves, their leader Kim Chun-bae corrected them:
"He's taming it."
"Huh? Looks like he's trying to kill it."
"He said he's taming it."
"..."
At this point, it sure looked like attempted murder.
THWACK! SMACK!
Perhaps sensing the bandits' concerns, the monster zebra—despite its pride—finally reached its limit. Even monsters have survival instincts, and at death's door, the zebra surrendered.
"Got you."
Cheoldu channeled mana, imprinting his will.
Pop pop pop.
A system message appeared:
<Register pet for 1,520 coins?>
"Pricey."
Activating the coins, Cheoldu watched as the zebra dissolved into light, reforming as a tattoo on his forearm—a rearing, horned stallion inside what had been an empty circle.
"Heh heh heh."
Delighted, Cheoldu summoned his new mount.
Pop.
"Heeeeeeng..."
The zebra that materialized looked thoroughly battered, barely able to stand. Cheoldu's excitement to ride immediately deflated.
"Uh... guess you need to rest first..."
Pop.
Dismissing the injured creature, Cheoldu approached Jintae.
"Want me to catch one for you?"
"Oh. Just grab any decent one."
"Got it."
Pop!
Cheoldu dashed off and returned moments later dragging a brown stallion by the mane—one they'd noticed earlier.
"Heeeeeeng!"
Having witnessed the zebra's brutal "taming," the brown horse resisted desperately as Cheoldu's iron grip hauled it forward.
"Come quietly unless you want the same treatment."
"Heeeeeeng!"
In its panicked struggle, the horse spotted another human approaching.
"Here, let me handle this. Want some treats?"
When Cheoldu released his grip, the terrified horse immediately nuzzled against Jintae.
"Huh?"
So this is how proper taming feels.
Baffled but pleased, Jintae channeled mana into the clearly affectionate creature.
<Register pet for 270 coins?>
"Whoa, only 270."
"Hmph. Yours came cheap."
"Shut up."
Ignoring Cheoldu, Jintae paid the fee.
Pop pop pop.
Eager to escape Cheoldu, the horse bonded with Jintae, transforming into light before imprinting as a tattoo on his forearm.
"Hey, pets have status screens too. Needs a name."
"Huh?"
Cheoldu checked his own pet's interface:
"Obviously, my first ride's gotta be an Avante."
"Yours is more like a Sportage."
"Whatever."
Jintae named his brown stallion "Avante." Cheoldu frowned, deep in thought.
'Mine cost way more though...'
They couldn't possibly be equals.
With its bull-like horns, only one name truly fit:
<Pet name set to "Bullhorn.">
Species: Steel Zebra Grade: B HP: 7% MP: 32% Traits: Dual Hearts Skills: Sprint, Charge Bash
"What's your horse's grade?"
"Mine? D-minus."
The gathering bandits offered congratulations:
"Fine choice of mount!"
"D-grade is quite respectable."
"E-grade works too, but D and above come with skills."
"Yours has Sprint?"
"Perfect for quick bursts of speed!"
Their praise for Avante sounded genuine—Jintae had gotten lucky.
All eyes turned expectantly to Cheoldu.
None had ever seen someone tame a monster before.
"Mine's B-grade."
"Whoooa!"
The bandits erupted in amazement.
"Damn... We've been doing it wrong, focusing only on affection."
"If this works on monsters, maybe other beasts can be tamed too."
"Right? Never imagined keeping monsters as pets."
"Too bad the pet slot's already used up though."
"Ah true... what a shame."
As the bandits chattered, Cheoldu quietly noted:
'Its stamina's recovering.'
While a pet dies if its owner dies, defeated pets simply return to inventory.
With automatic HP recovery over time, he'd gained a perfect, maintenance-free mount.
"Heh heh, got everything I needed."
Cheoldu turned to Kim Chun-bae.
"Time we part ways."
"Huh?"
Kim Chun-bae hadn't expected such an abrupt departure.
After spending days together taming horses, this clean break felt unexpectedly cold.
Oddly, the bandits—who'd kept their distance—now felt a pang of melancholy.
"Hey Cheoldu... Couldn't we just take these horses and tame them normally?"
"Hmm?"
Cheoldu stroked his chin at Jintae's question.
Was the game's pet system really necessary?
Kim Chun-bae provided the answer:
"These horses die if taken beyond the barrier."
"Why?"
"That's this area's rule. My theory—"
He gazed at the translucent barrier.
"This wall won't last forever. If this is a game stage, we'll need horses when it disappears."
"Makes sense."
"That's why we're rushing progress. Obsessing over territory now will leave Korea behind."
"Hmm."
Cheoldu shrugged.
"The Cyclops is this area's boss?"
"Likely."
"Heh, better hurry then. Might kill it myself soon."
"We'd appreciate the mercenary captain handling it."
"Huh?"
Kim Chun-bae chuckled.
"Do I seem like the glory-seeking type?"
If he were, he wouldn't have spared Major Lee Eun-young—a valuable asset for their nation.
Though they'd deserted over ideological differences, he and his men remained patriots—just not loyal to the current government.
"Wouldn't Korea benefit from having world-first clearers?"
"Hmph. How mundane."
Cheoldu shrugged and extended his hand.
"See you around. My door's always open."
"I'll remember that."
With that, the bandits and Cheoldu's group went their separate ways.
Cheoldu summoned his partially recovered Bullhorn and mounted up, while Jintae climbed onto Avante.
Though they wobbled without proper riding skills, they'd soon get the hang of it.
Kim Chun-bae bowed slightly to his men.
"Thank you for trusting my judgment."
"Captain, please..."
"Why say such things?"
"I know you're frustrated. I'm ashamed to yield without resistance."
"Never!"
Their unanimous denial only deepened Kim Chun-bae's anguish.
"What do you all think of Kang Cheoldu?"
"Honestly? He's beyond normal standards. Best to avoid fighting monsters like him."
"Your decision saved us, Captain."
"We'd all be dead if we'd resisted."
Though his men offered support, Kim Chun-bae's expression darkened further.
Their reactions confirmed what he already knew.
Unofficially, he'd been considered Korea's strongest combatant—until today.
The certainty that he alone could save their nation now crumbled.
'So that's what a true hero looks like...'
No.
If he was an exceptional commoner, Cheoldu belonged to an entirely different category.
The achievements Cheoldu had made in barely a month since entering Nova...
Kim Chun-bae felt hollow.
"I've failed you all. Forgive me."
"Never! We're the ones lacking!"
"We'll train harder to support you!"
"..."
Kim Chun-bae instinctively sensed a crossroads approaching—one requiring a difficult choice.
Army Headquarters
Jang Mi-ran stared in disbelief at the report from Neo Seoul.
"What kind of bullshit is this?"
A Private Military Company? Not even a security firm?
"Was this approved?"
"Already on the Defense Minister's desk."
"That bastard Park Joon-pil—holed up in Nova, completely lost touch with reality."
"What should we do?"
"Do? What can we do? Damn it all."
Major Park Joon-pil of the Neo Seoul Defense Command—
A field commander reporting directly to the Minister.
"We have to stop this!"
"That bastard wouldn't listen if I ordered him personally."
Playing nobleman while acting like some damn scholar.
If you can't control someone, eliminate them.
"Look at this mess."
Never leave dangerous elements unchecked.
Sigh.
As Jang Mi-ran exhaled, a newspaper headline caught her eye:
- Is North Korea Collapsing?
The entire nation was in chaos following last night's events—the assassination of North Korea's leadership by rebels calling themselves "General Lee Seok-gae's Goryeo Army"...
And with the world in such turmoil, they wanted to establish a PMC?
"Damn it."
This was clearly a move to overthrow the government.
