Chapter 42

Chapter 42.

Aside from Jang Do-su, there was no one particularly worth remembering.

Everyone fought Ha-kyung in an ordinary manner.

And most of them were easily knocked out.

Among them, a few even grew frightened in advance and gave up on the Ranking Tournament altogether.

After finishing his training and taking a rest, Ha-kyung let out a small sigh.

“Whew! This is frustrating.”

Since he could not enter the Abyss, he felt as though he was needlessly taking a loss.

Had he not already obtained an Ultimate Abyss Fragment through the Special Match?

Ha-kyung shook his head.

Just then, John approached him and held out a cell phone.

“Hey! Bad King Bro.”

“What is it?”

“Bro, you sold me out to my wife, but I am not holding a grudge.”

“I only told you to go home, though.”

“For a married man, that is betrayal!”

“Fine. I will not do that next time. But what is that?”

“Oh, right. I meant to show you this. The article came out damn well. Look.”

Ha-kyung took the cell phone.

Then he slowly scrolled down the screen.

[Topic] Immortal Tyrant Lee Ha-kyung provokes the Raiders.

—Do you know what he said while looking at Choi Su-ho at the end? It was, “Come at me all you want. I will smash you again.”

└What the hell happened for them to get on the Immortal Tyrant’s bad side?

└It is obvious what those bandit bastards must have done.

└To be precise, the trouble began in the Unfathomable-grade dungeon, the Layered Abyss.

└How do you know that?

└Because I was there too.

└Oh! Shit! Please tell us the story.

└The bandit bastards abandoned the team like usual, and the dungeon was cleared thanks to Lee Ha-kyung’s hard carry.

└Ah, you mean the duel in front of the Abyss Gate back then.

└Correct. They even brought in the Iron Wall Butcher, Kim Tae-gwang, and still got crushed. They are still trying to keep him in check during the Ranking Tournament.

└The bandits acted like bandits.

└And yet he is crushing every last one of them and winning nonstop. What even is this?

There was nothing special about the contents of the article.

It simply said that Ha-kyung had sunk Jang Do-su.

And that he had provoked Choi Su-ho.

However, it had been somewhat distorted.

He gave a light shrug.

“The wording is surprisingly toned down. I think I said it more harshly than this.”

“Maybe it was written by a trash journalist with a few scraps of conscience left.”

“Wait, how does a foreigner know a word like that?”

“I have eighteen years of experience under my belt. Shouldn’t I know that much? I like kimchi. Dokdo is Korean territory.”

John shamelessly shrugged.

Then he diligently searched through articles.

However, before long, his shoulders drooped.

Ha-kyung asked him a question with a puzzled expression.

“What is wrong?”

“I won yesterday too, but there is not a single article about me.”

“Is that why you were sulking?”

“I mean, it could happen, could it not? I am practically the only Foreign Worker Awakened. Where else can you find such a unique talent?”

Communication was extremely important in the Awakened industry.

One mistake could cost someone their life.

That was why most people usually worked in their home countries.

Nations also tried to prevent their Awakened from leaving.

After all, exploration of the Abyss had become one of the measures symbolizing national power.

In any case, it was certainly true that John was a very special person.

However, his opponent had not been very good.

“When I looked at the bracket, you fought a newbie who has only been active for four years, did you not?”

“Hey now! Four years is enough time to learn everything there is to learn. How is that a newbie?”

“What?”

“Bad King Bro, even your total career is only six years.”

“Well, I am a rather special case.”

“He is special too. How many promising talents experience an Unfathomable-grade dungeon within four years?”

That was not wrong.

However, his opponent had no experience in One-on-One Combat at all.

Moreover, in the Awakened industry, anyone with five years or less of experience was indeed considered a promising talent.

In the end, it was a situation where John could not attract attention for one reason or another.

While John grumbled, Ha-kyung prepared for his next match.

Perhaps because the impact of the first match had been so strong,

forfeits began pouring in afterward.

Everyone who thought they were weaker than Jang Do-su withdrew.

Thanks to that, Ha-kyung advanced straight to the finals.

Amazingly, even his semifinal match became a win by default.

Perhaps because of that, articles related to Ha-kyung were uploaded one after another.

‘To think not fighting would become an even bigger issue.’

It seemed Deputy Chairman Jang Myeong-cheol had been telling the truth.

The real experts in the wild had no interest in something like the Ranking Tournament.

In fact, Abyss dungeon raids were still being actively carried out even now.

In any case, Ha-kyung did not care.

‘Let us finish this quickly. I will get the prize and crush those Raiders bastards nice and clean.’

Was that not his goal from the beginning?

Ha-kyung headed toward the Ranking Tournament Arena.

Regardless of the Awakened industry’s lukewarm reaction, the audience was enormous.

In a way, it was only natural.

Had the man and woman he had encountered last time,

as well as Ha-kyung’s fans, not said that it was a shame the videos were AI-made?

Opportunities to witness the true abilities of the Awakened were bound to be rare.

WAAAAAAH—!

The cheers and applause of the audience.

The sounds of support surged toward him like waves.

When Ha-kyung climbed into the Arena, the fervor grew even stronger.

‘This feels rather good.’

Every day, he crawled desperately through the Abyssal Pit.

Dancing with monsters was part of his daily life.

When else could he possibly receive this sort of attention?

While Ha-kyung enjoyed his popularity, his opponent climbed up from the opposite side.

The Executioner, Choi Su-ho.

The bastard was holding a massive scythe that suited his nickname.

Soon, the Host took the microphone.

—We will now begin the finals of the Ranking Tournament’s Melee Damage Dealer Division. The participants are the Immortal Tyrant, Lee Ha-kyung, and the Executioner, Choi Su-ho!

Once the brief introduction ended, thunderous cheers poured out.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Undying One! Undying One! Undying One!”

The audience chanted another one of Ha-kyung’s nicknames.

It seemed they were doing that because of the article about his generous donation of fifty billion won.

His image had improved considerably because of that incident.

On the other hand, Choi Su-ho’s name could not be heard at all.

Of course, there were probably people supporting him as well.

It was simply that far more people had been captivated by Ha-kyung’s performance.

Perhaps because of the audience’s chant,

Choi Su-ho’s eyes narrowed.

“I cannot understand it. Why do they like such an inferior bastard?”

That was precisely what Ha-kyung wanted to ask him.

After all the skill Ha-kyung had shown until now,

how could Choi Su-ho still make such an evaluation?

Ha-kyung could only make one guess.

“Did Choi Hyun-ki gaslight you that badly? The way you blindly believe everything he says makes you look exactly like a fanatic.”

“You rotten little...”

Just as Choi Su-ho was about to spit out a curse,

the Referee cut in at the perfect moment.

“There are many eyes watching, so please end the trash talk here.”

“No, what are you talking about? We have not even started yet.”

“That is why I am stopping it now. This is the first Ranking Tournament ever held, so I ask both of you to restrain yourselves.”

“Oh, damn it.”

The Referee had said both of them, but only one person seemed offended.

Ha-kyung merely shrugged lightly.

No matter what Choi Su-ho said, it did not bother him at all.

That was how thoroughly prepared his mind was.

A moment later, the Referee finished his explanation.

Then, all of a sudden, a sound like a heartbeat began to echo.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

The audience, tired of waiting, had begun stomping their feet.

Although it was called a Ranking Tournament, the matches were extremely brutal.

After all, this was a fight where arms and legs could fly off with a single mistake.

The audience’s excitement burned far hotter than it would in an ordinary combat sport.

As a result, Ha-kyung’s blood also began to boil.

‘No matter how childish his behavior may be, I must not let my guard down. My opponent is a First-Generation professional Champion.’

The matchup was better than when he had faced the Iron Wall Butcher, Kim Tae-gwang.

Their positions were the same, after all.

However, the Executioner, Choi Su-ho, was a far more infamous Awakened.

Not only was he an unparalleled master of One-on-One Combat, but he was also notorious for using any means necessary.

As Ha-kyung heightened his tension,

the Referee finally gave the signal to begin.

“Ready, fight!”

Ha-kyung immediately took one step backward.

It was because he had already experienced Warpath Champion Jang Do-su.

Sure enough,

something brushed past in front of his eyes.

WHOOOSH—!

A blade lengthened in an instant and cut through the air.

Cold sweat trickled down Ha-kyung’s spine.

‘I expected it, but it is still terrifying.’

It had truly been a hair’s breadth.

If it had struck his head or neck, he might have died on the spot.

Regardless of whether Healers were standing by.

Of course, Ha-kyung would not have died from a single blow.

He could reduce the damage with Reactive Magic Armor.

And heal himself with the Tyrant’s Bracelet.

Ha-kyung frowned.

‘There is no way that bastard took those things into account when he attacked.’

Intense emotion filled Choi Su-ho’s eyes.

A blind disgust toward Ha-kyung.

The sense of inferiority he had suffered during the Special Match.

All of it was tangled together in a chaotic mess.

A thick killing intent could be felt from him.

Why did he go this far?

What were face and pride worth?

Ha-kyung could not understand him.

‘For now, I will think only about winning.’

Even so, he did not intend to use nothing but one-hit-kill methods in return.

There was no need to act the same way simply because his opponent was vicious.

There were countless other ways to pay him back.

Especially in a duel match like this.

Ha-kyung tightened his grip on the handle of his karambit.

‘That precious face and pride of yours. I will not merely crumple them. I will tear them to shreds.’

[Abyss Challenger’s Authority, ‘Compression,’ increases the density of Abyss Energy]

SHING—!

The Compressed Abyss Refinement blazed fiercely.

Ha-kyung did not swing his blade.

He simply waited in that state.

Sure enough,

Choi Su-ho moved first with a sneer.

“What do you think you can do with a toothpick like that? Die, you little fire ant.”

“Why am I a fire ant?”

“Your nickname is too grand, so I lowered it a little. It suits you perfectly. Charging in without knowing your place.”

Just as Ha-kyung was about to answer,

Choi Su-ho’s scythe swung.

CLANK! WHOOOSH—!

The sound of metal was followed by the rush of air.

Ha-kyung clearly witnessed it.

‘His weapon... is extending?’

A chain appeared as the shaft separated into segments.

When the Referee had declared the start of the match,

Ha-kyung now understood how Choi Su-ho had pierced through a distance of more than ten meters.

Ha-kyung quickly lowered his stance.

The pitch-black energy wrapped around the scythe was ominous.

SHAAAAK! WHOOSH—!

The attack swept over Ha-kyung’s head.

He had dodged it once for now.

The problem was what came next.

Choi Su-ho spun the chain in circles and launched another attack.

The trajectory of the incoming strike was so strange that he could not dodge it this time.

Ha-kyung struck the side of the scythe blade with his karambit.

CLAAANG!

His opponent’s weapon bounced upward with a tremendous roar.

For an instant, it felt as though his field of vision had opened wide.

The tornado-like offensive had been cleared away in an instant.

Ha-kyung immediately kicked off the ground.

“Haaaap!”

A Gray-White flash exploded together with his shout.

The thinly compressed blade stretched all the way to ten meters.

Toward Choi Su-ho’s wrist.

Soon after, a sharp noise burst out.

CRAAAASH!

It felt as though glass had shattered.

Ha-kyung felt a definite repulsive force.

‘I am certain it landed properly.’

However, Choi Su-ho looked perfectly fine.

No, something did seem a little strange.

Jagged spikes had sprouted from both of his hands.

It was as though he were holding two large hedgehogs.

Choi Su-ho wore a bloody smile.

“Kehehe! It is showtime, you mouthy brat.”

SHSHSHSHSHK!

Soon, countless spikes began shooting out.

Ha-kyung moved his karambit frantically.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Thirty-centimeter-long spikes bounced away with bursts of sparks.

However, a limit was bound to come eventually.

No one could endure an assault of sheer numbers forever.

PING-PING! THUD-THUD!

Several spikes began breaking through Ha-kyung’s defense.

Reactive Magic Armor blocked them, but some could not be stopped.

In an instant, Ha-kyung’s body turned into something like a hedgehog.

‘Should he really be called a Melee Damage Dealer?’

The attack radius of the chain scythe easily exceeded ten meters.

The spikes seemed to fly more than twice that distance.

It was too short to be called long-range.

And considerably too long to be called close-range.

It seemed Choi Su-ho’s position was that of a Mid-Range Damage Dealer, belonging to neither side.

“Kkekeke! You look good. A fire ant pierced a thousand times.”

Choi Su-ho laughed at him as much as he pleased.

Even so, he did not stop attacking.

By then, Ha-kyung’s figure could hardly be seen properly.

The moment the shower of spikes finally stopped,the Referee raised his right hand and was about to lower it.

It was the gesture meant to announce the end of the match.

But he could not do it.

Sliiide. Step!

Because Ha-kyung, who had been crouched down like a honeycomb, rose to his feet.

[Cloak of Command activated]
[Tyrant’s Bracelet activated]

SSSSSS! TUK-TUK-TUK!

The spikes fell out on their own.

The skin that had been riddled with holes returned to its original state in an instant.

At that, the volume of the cheers multiplied severalfold.

“Waaaaaaaaah—!”

It was the moment the true nature of the Immortal Tyrant was revealed to the entire world.