Chapter 7 – The Right Attitude
—
Whoosh—!
A heavy left hook grazed past my head.
‘Is he really trying to kill me?’
Judging by the pressure in the wind, if it had hit me, at the very least, I would have suffered a concussion—at worst, a fractured skull.
I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal since he wasn’t using any weapons.
But a sudden thought crossed my mind. Maybe he’s confident that he can kill me without using any weapons at all.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Unlike before, when I had to rely on the mercy of my opponents, I now felt confident that I could somewhat keep up in a fight, even head-to-head.
Step, step—
Thunk.
After dodging Yong Tae-soo’s attack, I quickly widened the distance and raised my fists.
“Are you trying to fight me barehanded? Draw your sword.”
“……”
I mean, I’m not really good with swords.
…But it’s not like he would believe me if I said that. So, I just focused on regulating my breath in silence.
“Impressive confidence. Well then, try to block this!”
Boom—!
A giant boulder seemed to be hurtling towards me.
That’s how his charge felt.
‘I’ll see this through to the end.’
I opened my eyes wide.
Jolt.
His left fist shot out rapidly, like a spring being released.
‘A jab!’
Yong Tae-soo’s attack was a left jab.
I stepped to the right and deflected the jab, looking for an opportunity to counter.
The opening I spotted was in his midsection.
I aimed a body blow at that spot.
Bang!
‘What kind of defense is this….’
But all I felt in my hand was the sensation of striking solid steel.
“Nice try, but too sloppy!”
Yong Tae-soo tried to grab me as I reeled back.
With his strengths being power and durability rather than speed, his strategy was likely to catch me and beat me senseless.
‘If I get caught, I’m screwed.’
It was easy to understand what would happen if he managed to grab hold of me.
I quickly rolled on the ground to escape his grasp.
“Whew.”
Thankfully, I managed to dodge, but the unexpected sense of danger made sweat drip down my back.
“Hmm.”
Perhaps I was lucky.
Yong Tae-soo didn’t launch another attack.
Instead, he seemed to be deep in thought, then asked me,
“What star rank are you?”
Star rank.
A measure of strength for Hunters.
It ranges from 1-star to 9-star, with each rank having its own standards.
According to those standards, I was roughly a 3-star.
‘Mana is a different story due to my unique trait, but let’s set that aside.’
“I’m a 3-star.”
I answered casually.
“3-star, huh…”
Yong Tae-soo frowned as if something was off.
For reference, Yong Tae-soo was a 4-star.
Although it’s not a perfectly accurate comparison, the general consensus is that the strength of each star rank is, on average, twice as high as the rank before it.
So, in essence, Yong Tae-soo was at least twice as strong as me.
Of course, factors like items, skills, and unique traits can play a role, but that’s the basic idea.
“Strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your physical abilities are at the 3-star level, but your mana seems higher. Your combat experience, however, seems lacking for a 3-star….”
“……”
I shivered slightly.
He figured all that out in such a short time?
‘He’s good.’
His observation was spot-on.
Because of my consistent training, my physical abilities had reached the level of a 3-star Hunter.
But since I’d always been a porter, I had no real combat experience.
‘Honestly, I didn’t expect my attack to be blocked like that.’
If I had known a 4-star Hunter’s midsection was that tough, I wouldn’t have aimed for his abdomen, thinking it was an opening.
As for my mana…
‘I still lack experience.’
Right now, my mana level was roughly around that of a 3 to 4-star Hunter.
Although my mana had been nearly depleted after repeatedly using the “Authority: One Punch” skill, it had quickly recovered thanks to the “Overcharged Mana” trait.
The problem was that I couldn’t fully control that amount of mana yet…
And Yong Tae-soo had picked up on that.
‘I can’t help it.’
I still lacked experience in managing my mana.
Because of the “Overcharged Mana” trait, I had never been able to handle my mana properly before.
Up until now, I’d only suppressed it completely using Mana Suppressants; I had no experience in maintaining a steady flow of mana.
Of course, I’m confident in my mana control, so I should be able to master it soon.
It just needs a little more time.
“Hmm.”
After pondering for a moment, Yong Tae-soo finally spoke.
“I like you.”
The content was surprisingly positive.
‘…Could we solve this through dialogue?’
For a moment, hope began to bloom.
Although I was fighting reluctantly, the battle against Yong Tae-soo was indeed risky for me.
Unless I wanted to get myself completely exposed in a brawl, it was better to avoid combat as much as possible.
“In that case, how about we have a civilized conversation like—”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“…….”
False hope was immediately shattered.
Yeah.
If we could have talked it out, it would have happened already.
With a grin, Yong Tae-soo spoke to me.
“I’m just happy I found someone worth fighting after so long.”
Boom!
At the same time, his huge body lunged toward me, kicking off the ground.
‘Musclehead.’
I cursed him internally as I dodged his fist.
Crash!
His fist smashed into the bookshelf by the wall.
The bookshelf crumbled, scattering papers everywhere, but Yong Tae-soo didn’t seem to care.
“Hah-hah! You’re good at dodging!”
His gaze followed me as I moved to the side.
And so did his fists.
Bang! Bang! Crash!
Punch after punch landed.
Each blow was accompanied by a thunderous noise as the bookshelf was destroyed bit by bit.
‘Phew.’
【Yujin! Do you want me to help?】
Just as I was struggling to concentrate on avoiding his attacks, a voice interrupted me.
It was Prill, darting around behind Yong Tae-soo with an innocent expression.
‘No, maybe not a nuisance.’
She was, after all, offering to help.
But suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Now, of all times?’
【It was fun to watch! Besides, you didn’t ask for help, did you?】
‘…Yeah, you’re amazing.’
【Thanks for the compliment!】
Of course, I hadn’t asked for help.
I hadn’t even thought about Prill when the attack began.
But even if I had, it wouldn’t have made a difference.
【So, should I not help then?】
‘Yeah.’
Right now, it was more important to test how well I could handle a 4-star Hunter with my abilities.
Whoosh—!
Yong Tae-soo’s foot flew through the air towards me.
Crash!
I barely managed to block the kick with my crossed arms.
“You blocked it? Then how about this!”
Yong Tae-soo followed up with a flying knee kick.
‘He’s really getting into it.’
His expression was that of someone thoroughly enjoying himself.
‘I wondered why they call him the Fighting Chicken….’
This man’s nickname was “Fighting Chicken.”
I’d always wondered why he had such a nickname, but the answer was simple.
‘He’s a lunatic who’s obsessed with fighting. It’s true.’
Other than Ma Gwang-chul, the boss of the Ironclad Faction, no one here would engage in a serious fight with Yong Tae-soo.
And now, I’d shown up, someone with suspicious abilities.
I could tell for sure.
‘Being suspicious was just an excuse—he just wanted to fight me!’
The reason he brought me here was simply that he wanted to fight.
“Ahaha! Good, good!”
…Anyone could be sure of it just by looking at his crazed eyes.
Crash! Bang!
Yong Tae-soo continued to happily demolish his own office.
I dodged, blocked, and rolled desperately to stay alive.
‘Damn it.’
My entire body throbbed painfully from taking so many hits, and it was getting hard to even lift my arms due to all the extreme movements.
‘I’m really going to die.’
According to my plan, I wasn’t supposed to use “Authority: One Punch” here.
I needed to leave room for negotiation.
But that’s only meaningful if I manage to survive this muscle-brained madman.
‘…Should I just use it?’
I was contemplating whether to change my plan and go wild with “Authority: One Punch” when—
“Team Leader!”
A saviour appeared.
“Huh, uh…?”
“What on earth are you doing!?”
A sharp voice pierced through Yong Tae-soo.
It was Ma Gwang-jin, the Ironclad Faction’s Human Resources Officer and the younger brother of the boss, Ma Gwang-chul.
“HR Officer? No, this is… uh…”
Yong Tae-soo couldn’t find the right words.
He was so flustered that he couldn’t even come up with an excuse for why he started beating me in the first place.
Well, it made sense.
‘He didn’t expect anyone to show up….’
I was just as surprised.
With a body as thin as a twig, Ma Gwang-jin had entered through the window.
…By the way, we were on the fifth floor.
Ma Gwang-jin adjusted his glasses with one hand and started questioning Yong Tae-soo.
“There was a tremendous noise coming from inside, the door was locked, and no one answered when I knocked. So, I had to climb through the window, and what do I see? What are you doing in here?”
“……”
“You have a mouth, don’t you? Say something. Ah, you’ve destroyed everything, haven’t you? Why don’t you just bring down the entire building while you’re at it?”
“……”
Watching quietly, I realized that Ma Gwang-jin was Yong Tae-soo’s natural enemy.
Even though Ma Gwang-jin was only a 1-star as a Hunter, he was a clever strategist who was clearly overwhelming this musclehead with his words.
【Wow! A weak human is overpowering a strong human with words!】
‘Go, weak human, go.’
I naturally found myself cheering for Ma Gwang-jin.
After all, my entire body, battered by Yong Tae-soo’s fists, was screaming in pain right now.
“W-wait a minute!”
“What is it? It seems like you have something to say after making such a mess.”
“Y-yeah, right. So… it’s all because that guy over there was acting suspiciously!”
Yong Tae-soo pointed at me, shouting.
It seemed like he’d finally thought of an excuse for why he had started this whole thing.
Ma Gwang-jin adjusted his glasses again and looked at me.
“Hmm? You… Are you Kim Yujin?”
It appeared he recognized who I was.
Even though the Ironclad Faction has fewer than 100 Hunters and porters combined, remembering a low-level porter like me was impressive enough.
‘That’s why I initially wanted to see this guy first.’
And this was exactly why I had planned to meet the Human Resources Officer first.
Ma Gwang-jin was known for handling things fairly.
I thought I could negotiate with him.
‘Not that I particularly like him or anything….’
Anyway, I tried to step forward and answer.
“Yes. That’s corr─”
“He lied to me! This bastard had the audacity to lie to me!”
…But Yong Tae-soo’s outburst interrupted me.
“He lied? About what?”
“He told me he was a porter, despite being a 3-star Hunter!”
Yong Tae-soo, looking as if he’d finally found a way out of this hellish scolding, wore a triumphant smile.
Unfortunately for him, Ma Gwang-jin focused on a different part of the statement.
“…3-star Hunter?”
“Yeah! And yet he calls himself a porter. Isn’t that an absurd lie?”
“Hoo.”
Ma Gwang-jin looked at me with newfound interest.
It was understandable.
Most of the Ironclad Faction’s Hunters were 1-star or 2-star.
A 3-star Hunter was a valuable asset in this place.
‘Considering the guild’s relationship with the Hyunwoong Faction next door, they’d definitely want to secure a 3-star Hunter.’
Knowing all this, I stood confidently.
They had no choice but to treat me with respect now.
Unlike when I was just a mere porter.
And the first step would be to clear up Yong Tae-soo’s misunderstanding.
“Hello, Human Resources Officer. I’m Kim Yujin, a porter from Team 8.”
“L-look! He’s still lying!”
“It’s not a lie.”
“What part of that looks like a porter… huh?”
“I said I’m a porter.”
“A-ah… No way….”
But clearing up the misunderstanding wasn’t going to be that easy.
To be more precise, it seemed like Yong Tae-soo didn’t want to admit his mistake.
Fine.
I drove the final nail into the coffin.
“I’ll say it one more time. I’m a porter from Team 8, Kim Yujin.”
“O-okay….”
“Yes. And thanks to you, I almost died.”
“……It was a misunderstanding.”
Yong Tae-soo turned his head away, pretending to look elsewhere.
‘I didn’t think he’d be this petty.’
He wasn’t saying the words I was expecting to hear.
To be honest, I’m someone who holds grudges.
“Ah. I see. So, it was a mis. Un. Der. Stan. Ding.”
I pronounced each syllable of the word “misunderstanding” clearly as I watched him avert his gaze.
Even then, Yong Tae-soo remained silent.
So I shifted my gaze to Ma Gwang-jin, who had been watching silently.
‘Aren’t you going to back me up?’
I conveyed that message with my eyes.
Receiving my gaze, Ma Gwang-jin finally let out a deep sigh and turned to Yong Tae-soo.
“Team Leader, you should apologize.”
“N-no… It was an understandable misunderstanding!”
“Who cares? Haven’t I always told you to think things through before acting? From the looks of it, you could’ve solved this with words, but you just couldn’t wait to start a fight, could you? Huh?”
“…No, that’s─”
“Team. Lea. Der.”
The authority of the Human Resources Officer was absolute!
Yong Tae-soo, the leader of Hunter Team 1 and a 4-star Hunter, had no choice but to bow his head to me.
“S-sorry… for the misunderstanding….”
Now, that was the right attitude.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment