Chapter 145
“It is refreshing to see three heirs of ducal families standing together.” Unlike Roxanne, Wolfgang knew Jae-Hyeok’s face. He smiled with interest while gently pressing his fingers into a restrained gatekeeper’s collarbone.
Bones snapped, and the woman’s scream rang out.
Jae-Hyeok’s expression twisted. He lunged off his bike toward Wolfgang, but before he could come near, Shinra Kyeong stepped in front and swung his huge Zweihänder, forcing Jae-Hyeok to step back.
Jae-Hyeok locked gazes with Shinra Kyeong, his black eyes devouring the light shining from Shinra Kyeong’s golden irises. “Get out of the way.”
Seeing the hatred and anger in Jae-Hyeok’s eyes, Shinra Kyeong sighed inwardly.
You resent me, but it was the world that abandoned you. Kang Jae-Hyeok, you’re a fool for caring...
Wolfgang interrupted their staring context, “Of course, although you’re all the sons of dukes, you are not all the same. One is simply far beneath the rest.”
As he spoke, the female gatekeeper in his hand continued to twitch from the pain of her crushed collarbone. The way she jerked like a fish out of water was so tragic that Do-Jin couldn’t help but look away.
Wolfgang continued, “Kang Jae-Hyeok, strictly speaking, you aren’t even the heir of a ducal family, right? I heard there’s still the eldest son of the Kang family. Let’s see, what was his name? Dae-Guk... or something?” The corners of his mouth twitched. “Oh, no, that can’t be right. I forgot Dae-Guk is the Yaksha’s name. Sorry, I can’t be bothered to remember all the names of a ruined house's descendants. You understand, right?
Jae-Hyeok took his eyes off Shinra Kyeong and glared at Wolfgang.
Was he angry at the foreigner who dared to mistake his father’s and brother’s names?
No.
Jae-Hyeok was used to such humiliation, so that level of ridicule didn’t move him.
“Uh... Ahhh...”
What really angered Jae-Hyeok was Wolfgang's treatment of the gatekeeper. Injury and death in battle were natural, but Wolfgangs' slow torture was needless. He was worse than an animal—at least animals only hunted when they were hungry.
“Hmm, what’s this? Do you two know each other?” Wolfgang hadn’t missed Jae-Hyeok’s fleeting glance at the female gatekeeper and smiled gleefully. “It’s always fun to ruin a pretty face, so I was going to play with her a bit longer. But since she’s related to Your Excellency, should I just let her go?”
“Wolfgang.” Loren was fed up with his subordinate's gross behaviour and frowned.
Wolfgang ignored Loren’s displeasure.
Just a bit more; Young Master, you don’t know, but the humiliation I suffered at the hands of the Yaksha was far worse than this.
Back then, he had been treated like a pest, trampled on, and had to act like a pig while crying. Only then had he managed to survive. But at what cost? He’d completely lost his human dignity. Nearly twenty years later, and Wolfgang still couldn’t eat pork, and every night, he was plagued by nightmares of that horrific day.
Since he’s here, isn’t it okay to vent my anger on the Yaksha’s son?
Wolfgang reached down and gently held the female gatekeeper’s wrist. Then, his smile widened, and he folded her wrist as if closing a book. The woman wailed as her knuckles touched the back of her own forearm.
“Get lost!” Jae-Hyeok’s patience reached its limit. Mana swirled around his palm as he shoved the Zweihänder aside. The blade let out a strange ring, and the patterns etched on its surface warped.
Shinra Kyeong’s expressionless face became even stiffer.
This... Jae-Hyeok’s move resembled the Shinra family’s mana control technique. It was completely different from the Kang family’s technique, which specialized in gathering and releasing mana.
How was this possible?
Did he really learn what he saw back then? Shinra Kyeong’s heart became cold as he recalled the day he’d first met Jae-Hyeok in the cafeteria. To think he has such extraordinary comprehension. Shinra Kyeong was happy, but also frustrated.
Fool. Fool! Why are you so set on wasting your talent?
Jae-Hyeok’s current behaviour said it all. Fighting an S-class player just to save one person? He was bound to die a meaningless death and send his talents to waste.
“I decided to cooperate with the Baus family, so I can’t get out of the way.”
It all happened in an instant.
Shinra Kyeong cycled his mana in reverse, neutralizing the rotation of Jae-Hyeok’s mana and freeing his Zweihänder. He rammed the long, two-handed hilt of his weapon into Jae-Hyeok’s cheek.
Jae-Hyeok staggered back. Before he could gather his wits—“Just stay here”—Shinra Kyeong kept his blade low and quarter-stepped around Jae-Hyeok. He lightly flicked his wrist, and the tip of his Zweihänder bit into Jae-Hyeok’s right achilles.
Shinra Kyeong reached into one of his pockets, intending to give a potion to Jae-Hyeok before he collapsed.
But unexpectedly, Jae-Hyeok didn’t buckle.
“Save it for yourself.”
He stood firmly on one foot and drew his sword. Even on one leg Jae-Hyeok’s stance was as steady as a pine tree—his sword-drawing technique, flawless.
Before Shinra Kyeong knew it, his chest was bleeding.
Amazing. He’s trained his core and lower body to the limit. Shinra Kyeong stepped back and used the potion on his chest. He’d noticed something else just then: “I always thought your level was oddly low. Tell me, did you awaken after training all your stats to the human limit?”
“...What?” Loren, who was in the middle of summoning a skeleton to restrain the thrashing Do-Jin, almost doubted his ears.
“Huh?” Wolfgang was equally stunned.
“Of course,” Jae-Hyeok replied as if it were natural. “I think such trials must be endured if one is to become the head of a ducal family.” While speaking, Jae-Hyeok removed a small potion vial from his sword belt and broke it against his leg. The serum rolled down his calf and went to work healing his ankle.
“This cheeky kid... you’re bluffing.”
Wolfgang finally let go of the gatekeeper in his hand. But it was still too early for Jae-Hyeok to feel relieved. The gatekeeper fell like a stone directly into a pool of her comrades’ blood. Her bones and muscles were shattered, unable to lift even a finger. It looked like she might drown there.
Wolfgang summoned his weapons for the first time: a sinister-looking pair of axes. Their blades were slicked with a dark grime, and a rancid smell filled the air—they seemed to have been coated with poison over many years.
“Even if the fallen Kang family has faded from my memory, I still remember one thing clearly: the Yaksha’s only skill was his precious sword-drawing technique.” Wolfgang’s gentleman’s mask crumbled, and his face twisted with malice. “He was nothing but a swordsman—a pathetic, one-trick pony that was nothing without his blade. That is why he fell. He deserved to fall. Hahaha.”
Wolfgang’s eyes were frenzied, like a monster before a feast—even Loren was surprised despite having known him since childhood.
“At this point, I genuinely hope the Yaksha wakes up. I can’t wait to see how he’ll react when I greet him with the corpse of his child!”
“Wolfgang, that’s enough. Don’t disgrace the Baus family any further.” Loren tapped the watch on his wrist. Now wasn’t the time to lose composure.
Wolfgang nodded, suppressing his excitement and regaining the demeanor of a gentleman. “Yes, yes. I will kill him with a single sword.”
Jae-Hyeok cursed in his heart. His opponent was not only an S-class player, but an S-class player who’d regained their calm. As things were, Jae-Hyeok couldn’t see any chance of victory.
For now, I’ll have to hold on as long as possible.
He needed to wait, wait for a moment when his eyes could follow and his body could react to the enemy—then he would strike. Before that, he had to survive as long as possible, even if it meant losing limbs.
He would hold his sword with his mouth if had to. Wolfgang would pay for torturing the gatekeepers and disgracing his father.
Jae-Hyeok steeled his resolve and stood straight, resting a hand on his hilt as he eyed Wolfgang. Assuming a draw stance too early against an overwhelming opponent like Wolfgang would do more harm than good, so he waited.
“Are you giving up already? As the son of the Yaksha, you are too pathetic!”
Wolfgang roared and rushed forward. He swung both axes, one sweeping horizontally and the other vertically.
Fast.
Jae-Hyeok had tried to overestimate Wolfgang, but Wolfgang’s attack was faster than he’d expected.
As expected of an S-class player.
He didn’t have time to block both strikes. Jae-Hyeok came to a decision and prepared to draw his sword.
Jae-Hyeok ignored the axe falling toward his left shoulder and used his sword-drawing technique to counter the axe aimed at his waist. Losing an arm was fine; he had no intention of exposing Heavy Moon or Traces of Thunder Tribulation just yet. He needed to keep his trump cards if he hoped to win later.
Surprisingly, the force behind his hwando was much greater than he’d expected.
[The Unbroken One Level 1]
[Type: Passive
When fighting an enemy of a higher level, all stats are increased by 10%.]
Thanks to the passive he’d received after creating his third Code of Chivalry, Jae-Hyeok’s strike carried enough force to rebound Wolfgang’s cross-cut.
Wolfgang clenched his jaw, feeling a mix of anger and shame. Of course, he didn’t doubt his victory—his other axe whistled toward Jae-Hyeok's shoulder. Moreover, Jae-Hyeok’s own blade was vibrating like a bell after receiving his previous strike; he was sure it would break soon.
Wolfgang was already imagining taking apart Jae-Hyeok like a chicken when—
“You talk too much.”
Boom!
Shinra Kyeong arrived next to Jae-Hyeok and met Wolfgangs' axe with his Zweihänder. A storm swept out of his blade and sent Wolfgang back.
“How many had the Yaksha bested to reach the peak? To insult him is to insult everyone under his shadow.”