Chapter 529: Intense (4)
'What am I even looking at here?'
Lee Hyeon-Su was plopped on the ground by the edge of the wide-open space. His legs had no strength to keep standing anymore.
“Just... Just what am I watching here...?!”
This wasn't a battle involving human beings. There was simply no way humans could fight like this! Humans couldn't destroy mountains or fly up high into the air, no?
Yes, martial arts could grant people the strength to perform near-impossible feats. Even so, wasn't this way too over the top?!
'Just what have I been doing until now? What... did I actually know?'
Lee Hyeon-Su never doubted his status as a resident of the hidden martial world. And he considered himself a man who couldn't settle for the current status quo and wanted to shake up this hidden world, to make it move as he saw fit.
However, he was wrong. Like an idiot. Like a blind fool!
Even though he only saw the surface of his world, Lee Hyeon-Su was convinced he knew everything there was to know. That he had seen everything there was to see!
A seagull flying over the ocean would never know the true depth of the massive pool of water below. And Lee Hyeon-Su was that seagull, finally experiencing the shocking truth about how deep the ocean could get tonight!
This knowledge gave him nothing but terror. This particular ocean didn't have foams and waves roaring and rumbling over. No, it felt more like Lee Hyeon-Su's entire body was being crushed by the sheer pressure from the depths of the ocean where not a single speck of light could escape!
The horizon Lee Hyeon-Su knew until now was crumbling. And a new horizon he had never imagined existing before was rapidly expanding before his eyes.
'It's all... meaningless!'
Things like an army of combatants meant nothing to these experts.
Lee Hyeon-Su had been puzzled by something for quite some time now. Why wasn't the Crimson King more proactive in growing his faction? Even if the Three Kings had been keeping each other in check, their inaction still made little sense to Lee Hyeon-Su until now. If it had been him, Lee Hyeon-Su, at the very least, would've continued to grow and strengthen his faction despite knowing the risks. Regardless what!
However, the Three Kings didn't do that. Even the countless experts assisting the Kings didn't seem to bother to spur their leaders on to making more overt moves.
This was the biggest, most puzzling question plaguing Lee Hyeon-Su, a man who tried to keep an eye out on East Asia's power dynamics. But tonight, he finally got his answer.
'No matter how many random riff-raffs are recruited... It will all mean nothing!'
It seemed the faction Lee Hyeon-Su thought of was rather different in concept from what the Three Kings thought of. Regardless of how big a group of small fries was, could it resist one of these Kings?
No. Absolutely impossible!
Lee Hyeon-Su used to think the entirety of the Yeongnam Group attacking together still wouldn't be enough to repel Kang Jin-Ho. However, as it turned out, Kang Jin-Ho had been holding back. In that case, what was the point of having an army?!
One's mindset was bound to change after witnessing the truth about their world.
Just one expert was enough. Fostering such a high-level expert should take priority over a thousand regular martial artists. In that case, what was the point of focusing on growing and expanding one's faction? After all, raising and training a single expert would've been far more beneficial.
It felt like a tangled knot of unanswered questions in Lee Hyeon-Su's mind was finally coming undone.
'Just... How many experts on that level are in the Crimson King's faction?!'
Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly grew even more fearful of the Crimson King. Vator was already a very scary individual, yet the Crimson King could dispatch someone like that as his underling! This was the moment of Lee Hyeon-Su finally coming face-to-face with the stark difference in combat strength between China and South Korea. Even though he thought he had it all figured out...!
'Still, we...!'
Indeed, didn't the South Koreans also have their trump card? A trump card who could fight them on an equal footing! No, never mind equal footing, a man who could surpass them and win!
Lee Hyeon-Su clenched his teeth while locking his gaze on Kang Jin-Ho's back.
Kang Jin-Ho, the representative of the land currently mocked as East Asia's weakest nation... was standing tall and fighting against the enemy!
'Do not look away, Lee Hyeon-Su! No matter what!'
Lee Hyeon-Su simply had to witness this battle. Regardless of what the end result was, he must bear witness to it all!
***
Vator couldn't hide his surprise while looking down at his own body. Blood trickled out from a lengthy cut spanning his massive chest.
Average martial artists would've been killed by an injury of such size as their hearts would've been easily cut apart in half. However, it was nothing more than a flesh wound for Vator, thanks to his extraordinary body size.
'How long has it been?'
When was the last time Vator actually bled like this? Vator wasn't the only one who thought that divinity permeated his flesh. Everyone who had fought him said the same thing.
Plenty of experts in this world were stronger than Vator. However, no one possessed a physique tougher and more durable than him. That was the source of Vator's undying pride. However, at this very moment... Kang Jin-Ho managed to crack the heart of his pride.
Vator raised his head, his expression deeply distorted. His burning eyes revealed the unmaskable rage seething within. The knowledge of his body's sanctity being violated gifted him with excruciating humiliation.
“You... You will not enjoy a peaceful death, Kang Jin-Ho!”
Kang Jin-Ho relaxedly retorted back. “You know, it'd be nice if you could match your personality with your looks. That would make dealing with you less stressful.”
“Say what?!”
“All I'm saying is, stop whining like a little kid because of a minor scratch.”
“...!”
Kang Jin-Ho spun the Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne around before tightly grasping their hilts.
Even if one's arms fell off and their legs got cut off, they must march forward. Even if a spear stabbed through one's gut, one should still push forward and cut off the spear wielder's head. That was what was expected of the demon cult's soldiers.
That was especially true for Kang Jin-Ho's personal guards, the Demon Flames. Having lived among such people for so long, Kang Jin-Ho couldn't help but find Vator laughable for losing his cool over a mere flesh wound.
'I see. So he doesn't know...'
This wasn't so surprising, really, considering that Vator most likely wouldn't have experienced the true cruelty in the modern era. Indeed, Vator wouldn't know what it was like back in the past when a man's life was worth less than a good sword found discarded on the floor.
Vator... wouldn't know what it felt like to live in an era where humans didn't even blink an eye while killing another person!
This giant Mongolian used his impressive physique to boast about how much of an untamed brute he was, but he had no idea. He had never experienced the cruel savagery before in his life. It was so plainly obvious to see from the way he acted so righteous and straight-arrow all the time. So righteous that Kang Jin-Ho could only hollowly chuckle at the big man's naivety!
“I am...!” Vator began roaring again.
However, he couldn't finish as Kang Jin-Ho suddenly swung his sword. And, from the tip of his blade, the pitch-black demonic qi flew out in the shape of a crescent moon.
Whoooooosh!
Accompanied by the sounds of a sharp blade cutting through silk, the black sword qi flew toward Vator.
Vator's expression distorted even more. That sword qi was... slow. It was definitely on the slower side for an attack of such caliber. And that was precisely why Vator couldn't back off from it.
Kang Jin-Ho was actually using that attack to question Vator. Would Vator stand his ground and defend that attack with his body? Or would he discard his pride and honor by evading that attack?
However... It was truly humiliating to be forced into making such a decision in the first place!
What was even more humiliating for Vator was something else. And that was the fact that he caught himself wavering! If this question had been asked a few seconds ago, he wouldn't even have bothered to waste his time thinking about it. Being able to withstand the enemy's attack through his body and then counterattacking was Vator's method of fighting, after all. It had always been his source of pride.
However, Kang Jin-Ho's attack managed to injure him. In that case, would he be able to withstand this latest attack?
“Kuh-wuuuuk!”
In the end, Vator chose not to back off. Winning at the expense of his pride was not his style. Such a victory wasn't a victory at all. Winning after enduring the enemy's attacks head-on was the only type of victory that mattered. One where he can proudly smile and pat himself on the back! At least, that was what he believed in his heart.
Vator stomped his feet to the ground to secure himself, then opened up his chest. The qi explosively rousing up from his dantian quickly circulated throughout his entire body and hardened his skin and muscles until they became tougher than forged steel. And then...
Kang Jin-Ho's sword qi slammed into Vator's reinforced torso.
Creeeeeeeeak!
An unpleasant noise similar to when a sharp blade was scraping the surface of a coarse metallic object rang out from Vator's torso. Vator forcibly suppressed the scream trying to break free from his mouth.
Kang Jin-Ho's sword qi didn't cut into Vator's flesh, but that didn't mean the big man was spared from the impact force.
A powerful force slammed into him, and he almost had to gasp out in shock.
'I... I withstood it...! Eh?'
Vator, having endured the crippling pain, looked up... only to witness something else. And that something else was humongous.
Another pitch-black sword qi was heading toward him, but this one was incomparably bigger than the last one! As if the previous attack was nothing more than a polite greeting, this one was as big as a house! And it was flying straight toward Vator.
Vator's irises powerfully quaked. It was as if he was facing a coalesced, materialized lump of malice. This black sword qi was even sizzling like the surface of the Sun! A truly hair-raising sight, as if every strand of energy making up the sword qi was a living, breathing entity!
And Vator was supposed to withstand that?! Seriously?
This new attack was just as slow as the last one. Way too slow, in fact.
].
Even a powerless civilian could've dodged it if they still had their wits about them. That was how slow that sword qi was!
“...You abominable bastard!” Vator gritted his teeth.
Kang Jin-Ho didn't fire that attack to defeat Vator. No, he was trying to make his opponent dodge!
Kang Jin-Ho was forcing Vator to throw away his pride by dodging to the side and preserving his life. Such a disgusting intent was oh-so clearly visible in that sword strike.
Unfortunately, Vator could not dismiss this provocation. No matter how tough his physical body was, would he be able to remain standing straight after taking on such a powerful attack head-on?
Vator could instinctively tell. His defeats so far had been the result of his failing to dodge. He had to kneel in defeat after damage accumulated in him from the exchanges of attacks that transcended the reflexes of human beings.
That was all the defeats Vator experienced in a nutshell. However, his situation was different this time.
Vator never needed to think about whether to tank the enemy attack or not. But that was precisely what Kang Jin-Ho demanded from him. It was as if he wanted to find out just how much Vator trusted in the toughness of his physical body.
“You... You son of a biiiii*ch!” Vator roared in anger while crouching.
KA-BOOOOOOOM!
However, his roar was soon swallowed up by the noise of a massive explosion. Kang Jin-Ho's sword qi exploded, causing a gigantic wall of flames to come to life. Rather than a traditional explosion, though, it was far closer to being a tornado.
The demonic qi collided against the land and billowed into the night sky. It spun and spun around like crazy, until...!
The pitch-black whirlpool of demonic qi madly swirled and lashed out against the surroundings as if it'd devour everything in its path. A short while later...
As if everything had been a dream, the black tornado vanished without a trace.
In the empty plot of land where the sword qi used to exist, a lone figure of Vator stood tall, his fists tightly clenched. However, using the term 'standing tall' might be stretching the truth a bit.
After all, someone who was standing there shuddering in uncontrollable indignation while his expression was distorted in humiliation didn't really fit that description, now did he!
“Hoh,” Kang Jin-Ho cocked his eyebrow. “So, you dodged.”
His voice contained only the minimal hint of ridicule. Kang Jin-Ho didn't even laugh or smirk. All he did was say a few things, but that was enough for everyone present to feel it. They could feel the ridicule and jeer contained in his voice.
Vator flinched grandly as he listened to Kang Jin-Ho.
“Even though I've witnessed this so many times before... I still don't find it all that pleasant to watch,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered snarkily. “I'm talking about people who exalt their gods to high heavens... only to readily discard their faiths to keep their necks intact. It seems the god bestowing divinity into your flesh couldn't instill real faith into you, then.”
“Kang Jin-Ho...!” Vator spoke in a cold, composed voice, which was in stark contrast to his trembling, quaking body. It was as if his previous roarings in anger had been nothing but lies. “You... You have crossed a line that should never be crossed. You've done something unthinkable!”
“Huh? Kekekek!” Kang Jin-Ho laughed uproariously as if he couldn't hold it anymore. “What kind of bullsh*t are you spewing now? That line was crossed a long time ago!”
Besides, your side crossed that line first. Soon, you'll know what it means to provoke me. Because I'll be the one teaching you!
“This is merely the beginning, after all!” Kang Jin-Ho growled quietly.
“Wuooo-oooooooh!” Vator suddenly exploded in an ear-shredding roar, his eyes bloodshot. And then... He charged straight at Kang Jin-Ho next.
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