Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
Ho Sung fell to his knees in front of Callis. Looking down at him with displeasure, Callis kicked him in the stomach. Rolling across the ground, Ho Sung vomited blood mixed with stomach acid.
“Eugh! Cough!”
Looking disdainfully at Ho Sung, who was on the ground, grasping his stomach, coughing and vomiting, Callis furrowed his brow and said, “It’s a good thing we have work to do. Otherwise, I would’ve killed every single one of you.”
Intimidated by the fierce glare in his eyes, the clansmen dropped their heads and avoided looking directly at the American hunters. Walking over to Ho Sung, Callis kicked him in the stomach once again, sending him flying. After slamming against a tree, Ho Sung fell to the ground. Despite being level 500, he was no match for Callis.
“Sir! Please! You’ll kill him!” Min Wook said, looking down while shaking uncontrollably. At Min Wook risking his life for Ho Sung, Callis scoffed, walked over to Ho Sung and picked him up by the neck. Because he was suffocating, Ho Sung’s face turned bright red, and his legs kicked in the air.
“I should’ve known better than to treat you scumbags like human beings,” Callis said, letting go of Ho Sung. Looking disdainfully at Ho Sung, who was on the ground, coughing, Callis added, “Now, if you know what’s better for you and your men, keep your mouths shut and follow our lead. Got it?”
Listening to Min Wook’ interpreting nervously, Ho Sung stared into the distance, coughing and chuckling. Although he had never been beaten that severely before, Ho Sung was far more terrified of the champion than of Callis. As Ho Sung remained quiet, Callis’s twisted his lips, and his eyes became filled with a fierce urge to kill.
“This is your final warning. Follow our lead, or else.”
Looking at Callis cautiously, Min Wook walked over to Ho Sung and said, “Boss! Say something!”
To which, Ho Sung nodded weakly and said, bleeding from his mouth, “Whatever you say.”
“He says he will!” Min Wook said to Callis, who scoffed at Ho Sung and said, “Sometimes, it’s better to let your fists do the talking. Especially with dimwits like you.”
Then, just as Callis turned around, a figure appeared out of the dark, making a series of rustling sounds. When Ho Sung, who had been sitting against a tree and breathing laboriously, looked up at the figure, his jaw dropped open. It was Min Sung Kang.
—
Looking at the American hunters and at Ho Sung, who was bleeding profusely from his mouth, Min Sung furrowed his brow and asked, “What are you doing?”
“S-sir,” Ho Sung let out, staring intently at Min Sung in a daze, who added, “Shouldn’t you be hunting monsters?”
“Forgive me, sir,” Ho Sung said in a serious tone, dropping his head. While Callis chuckled at their conversation, the clansmen blinked awkwardly, befuddled.
“Min Wook, tell him what happened. All of it,” Ho Sung said, coughing up blood. However, intimidated by Callis, Min Wook couldn’t bring himself to walk over to Min Sung.
“On your feet,” the champion said, and at his order, Ho Sung, clenching his teeth and exhausted from the pain, staggered to his feet. While Callis watched with his arms crossed as if he found it all too ridiculous, Min Sung walked up to Ho Sung, who locked eyes with him while still breathing laboriously.
“Why are you all beat up and on the ground when you should be out there killing monsters? Explain yourself.”
Swallowing bloody saliva, Ho Sung started to explain what had happened prior to the champion’s arrival. Meanwhile, the clansmen, including Min Wook, were perplexed as to why their leader was speaking to a man who appeared to be a civilian with such high respect.
“... So, here we are.”
When Ho Sung finished his story, Min Sung smiled bitterly and said, “Ho Sung Lee.”
“... Sir.”
“Did you think you could be a hero now that you’ve appeared on TV, reached a higher level, and got your hands on some decent gear?”
While Ho Sung remained silent, his eyes shaking, Min Sung added, “I, too, have killed your clansmen before. Surely, you remember.”
“...”
As Ho Sung shook with his head dropped down, Min Sung kept on, “Your clansmen died because of your greed. Your choices.”
Ho Sung looked at Min Sung with teary, bloodshot eyes. Locking eyes with him, Min Sung said with a subtle smile, “Why are you acting like a leader when you’re not cut out for it?”
“...”
“Your clansmen are dying and getting hurt because of your incompetence. Do you agree?” Min Sung asked, poking at Ho Sung’s chest with his index. “If you weren’t confident that you could take care of your men, you shouldn’t have started your clan from the get-go.”
As if getting bored, Callis uncrossed his arms and started walking toward Min Sung. At that moment, Min Sung looked back at him, and a tremendous presence surrounded the champion like a tornado. Caught off guard, Callis stopped in his tracks, frozen in place, overwhelmed by the champion’s presence. Then, turning toward Ho Sung, the champion said, “Ho Sung Lee.”
“Sir.”
“Do you still need a break?”
“No, sir,” Ho Sung said, wiping the blood off of his mouth. Although struggling to stand still, Ho Sung fought with every bit of the strength he had left in him to do so. Staring piercingly at his eyes, Min Sung said, “My orders are your priority. I don’t care who tries to tell you otherwise.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If I catch you fooling around again, you will die by my hands.”
“Of course, sir.”
With that, the champion turned toward Callis and said, “Get lost, all of you.”
At that, Callis put on a scornful smile and said, “You Koreans just don’t listen. I’ve already warned you once, so you’re bringing this upon yourselves. Now, I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson.”
With a confident look about him, Callis walked toward the champion. At that moment, Min Sung disappeared in plain sight, appeared right in front of the unsuspecting hunter, and punched his jaw. Losing his balance, Callis collapsed to his knees, his torso leaning forward. Although he tried to straighten his back and get back up on his feet, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do so. At that point, a look of shock washed over his face.
‘Did I just get decked in the face by some local hunter?’ he thought, staring into the air dazedly.
“You’re not checking out on me, are you?” Min Sung asked Callis, who activated his aura, infuriated. However, before the hunter even had a chance to rise to his feet, the champion took the Orichalcon Dagger out of his inventory and slashed the hunter across the chest diagonally, cracking his armor.
“... Ugh!”
While the American hunters were attending to Callis, who had backed away, vomiting blood, and bleeding profusely from the gaping knife wound, the clansmen stared dazedly at the champion.
Seeing the American hunters pulling their weapons out, a subtle smile appeared on Min Sung’s face. Then, just as they were about to charge at the champion, a voice echoed through the mountain.
“Stop!”
At Calis’ command, the American hunters stopped in their tracks. Classified as a holy knight, Callis had the ability to heal himself. Because of that, the knife wound disappeared in no time. Wielding his longsword, which was glowing in golden aura, Callis glared fiercely at the champion.
“I’ll make it my goal to kill you before we return. You’ll pay dearly for meddling with us...”
But, before he had time to finish his sentence, Min Sung stretched hi leg toward the hunter’s chest at an inconceivable speed, leaving Callis no time to dodge. Raising his sword, the hunter blocked the champion’s kick. However, his arms flung open from the explosive impact, leaving him vulnerable. The longsword left the hunter’s hands and soared up to the sky. Then, while Callis was vulnerable, Min Sung drove the Orichalcon Dagger into the hunter’s chest and side.
“Eugh!”
With gaping holes in his body, Callis moaned in pain, his face deathly pale. Then, the champion’s fist cut through the air and delivered a powerful punch on the hunter’s stomach, sending him flying and rolling across the ground. After vomiting blood, Callis, covered in dirt, sprawled across the ground as if he had no strength left in his body. At that unbelievable sight, the American hunters lost their composure, and a cold, hostile tension permeated through the air.
“Get him!” the second in command said to the hunters, glaring fiercely at the champion. Looking at the hunters charging at him, Min Sung scoffed. However, unlike the champion, the entirety of the Diamond Clan, with the exception of Ho Sung, fell into a panic, paralyzed by the charge. At the same moment, the champion, who had been sneering at the American hunters, released the power of his dagger. With a series of thunderous roars, bolts of white aura fell at the American hunters’ feet, splitting the ground like an earthquake.
“If you cross that line, consider yourselves dead,” Min Sung said in a low, intimidating voice. Although not exactly the loudest statement, it was clearly audible to the American hunters. Callis, their leader, was one of the most well-renowned hunters in the world. Yet, the mysterious local hunter had made a toy out of him.
The crack on the ground reminded the American hunters of that fact. As if the crack was the boundary between life and death, the hunters didn’t dare to go past it. Their minds superseded their emotions.
“Your help is not needed. Get out of my sight while you still can. I won’t ask again,” the champion said. At that, the hunters looked toward their leader, whose face was twisted into a scowl. Glaring at the champion, the second in command looked toward Callis, who kept vomiting up black liquid. However, despite the efforts of the healers, the wound showed little sign of improvement. Then, glaring at the champion, the second in command said, “You will NOT get away with this.”
Breathing a small sigh, Min Sung walked past the crack on the ground, stood in front of the second in command, looked down at him with eyes that resembled the depths of the oceans, and said, “Get. Lost.” At which point, the second in command couldn’t help but look down, his body shaking as if telling him to run while he had the chance.
“Fall back,” the second in command said to his team. There was no objection or a place for pride. Even if it meant being held accountable for retreating, the second in command felt that it was more important to focus on allowing their leader to heal. Seeing the team of American hunters retreating, Min Sung made his way deeper into the mountain in search of monsters.