Chapter 32

<Episode 33> This bland taste is quite something…

“What an idiot…!”

Chul-soo tumbled across the dirt floor.

At the sight before her eyes, Young-hee barely managed to stifle a groan.

Chul-soo had definitely grown stronger.

His skills were incomparable to what they used to be—so much so that she could clearly see it with her own eyes.

But Yu-jin had grown even stronger than him.

That was all there was to it.

“Still, something seems off about Kim Yu-jin today.”

Should she say the atmosphere around him has changed?

Yu-jin was usually the silent type.

It’s the kind of silence that borders on intimidation or fear.

The impression of someone who dominates others.

But now, this figure in front of her feels worlds apart from that.

Malice, killing intent, violence, coldness.

It’s like staring at a ruthless beast.

“Is he taking Chul-soo seriously?”

What happened during that week?

What kind of training did he undergo to grow this strong, and how could his personality change so drastically?

“Is this… Hwagcheon…?”

An organization that doesn’t care about means or methods for victory and power.

Even their young successor isn’t exempt from this, right?

This near-pure brutality is terrifying beyond belief.

Yu-jin turned his back on Chul-soo without saying a word, without any comment on his victory.

He just stood there expressionlessly, accepting the result as if it were nothing, and was about to leave.

“Hold it…!”

But Chul-soo stopped him.

Young-hee gritted her teeth and shouted.

“You moron! Do you still not know your place?! You’re no match for Lord Yu-jin! Losers should just crawl in the dirt where they belong!”

Please…

Please don’t get up.

Don’t try to fight anymore and hurt yourself further.

She cried out with those emotions.

But Chul-soo struggled to rise despite his trembling body.

As if he couldn’t afford to back down.

“Kim Yu-jin, where did you learn these martial arts?”

To Chul-soo, this was more important than anything else.

Though his heart’s mentor didn’t teach him much—almost none at all—he cheered him on in spirit.

That memory cannot be taken away.

He can’t let this guy defile it.

“Answer me!”

Yu-jin remained silent.

He just stood there emotionlessly.

There was something strange about him today.

He seemed to be looking straight at Chul-soo, but somehow felt distant.

“What were you thinking when you met that person?”

“…”

“Why would someone like him ever bother teaching scum like you?”

Instead, Yu-jin moved faster than ever before.

-BOOM!!

In an instant, the distance between them closed as he swung his fist.

Chul-soo raised his sword to block.

-KABOOM!!

It wasn’t a clash of sword and fist—it was like a bomb exploding.

The shockwave tore through the air.

A deafening roar pierced their ears.

Each time Yu-jin swung his fist, the world seemed to shake.

“Damn fool… All you’re doing is blocking!”

Already pushed back several meters by Yu-jin’s attacks, Chul-soo was battered.

Yu-jin’s power was overwhelming.

With his injuries, all Chul-soo could do was endure, slowly draining his stamina.

“Gah…!”

Yet even amidst such merciless attacks, Chul-soo refused to retreat.

He held his sword forward in a defensive stance.

By maintaining this posture, he could survive by dodging any sudden strikes.

“But if I let my guard down even once…”

Young-hee watched anxiously.

Kim Yu-jin. The successor of Hwagcheon.

She knew he was strong—but this was ridiculous.

It was like watching a giant wall swallow Chul-soo whole.

Chul-soo was holding up admirably, but that was all there was to it.

-Heavenly Piercing Divine Authority: Six Harmonies Palm Wave

It soon became clear that Yu-jin had been holding back.

With a single punch, Yu-jin struck Chul-soo’s chest.

A heavy energy coursed through Chul-soo’s body, piercing him.

“Cough!”

Blood sprayed from Chul-soo’s mouth.

A devastating boxing technique capable of destroying internal organs with a single blow.

Even Young-hee, who knew little about combat, couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

Chul-soo collapsed forward—or rather, just as he was about to fall—

-CRACK!

Chul-soo swung his sword while still in that position.

Yu-jin quickly raised his arm to block the attack.

Chul-soo’s eyes flashed.

Seizing the moment, he reversed his grip on the sword and swung again.

– Sky Piercing Sword: Reverse World

– Heavenly Piercing Divine Authority: Dragon Seizing Technique

However, faster than that, Yu-jin grabbed Chul-soo’s wrist and swung him around.

-BOOM!!

“Kuh…!”

Like a sack of potatoes, Chul-soo was thrown to the ground.

Though his wrist cracked, Chul-soo grabbed onto Yu-jin’s hand.

– Sky Piercing Sword (Revised): Chul-soo Original, “Blue Lightning”

-ZZZZAPPPP!!!

Floating magic power surged toward Yu-jin like lightning.

A technique only possible for someone with Chul-soo’s incredible talent for sensing and manipulating magic power.

Turning ambient magic into a weapon.

It envelops the opponent and delivers a powerful shock.

Although it currently required direct contact.

But this ultimate close-range attack should have been enough to take down even Yu-jin.

“…”

A merciless fist flew toward Chul-soo’s face.

-BOOM!!

“Ughhh!!!”

Even while being hit by the magical attack, Yu-jin continued swinging his fists.

As if daring each other to die first.

Showcasing an overwhelming difference in skill.

“It’s impossible…”

Young-hee couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

What kind of human being could move after taking that kind of damage?

The transformed Yu-jin looked like a real monster.

PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! CRACK!

Violence rained down relentlessly.

The sound of flesh tearing gradually grew louder.

“I can’t watch…”

Young-hee turned her head away, unable to bear it.

Her tightly clenched nails dug into her palm.

Blood dripped steadily.

“Please stop, Chul-soo…”

Biting her lips until they bled, she barely managed to control her emotions.

She wanted to intervene.

She wanted to run over and beg him to stop.

But if she did, Yu-jin would still think she cared about Chul-soo.

And then this same level of violence would happen again.

“Kim Yu-jin, was this why you brought me here…?”

To show me Chul-soo getting beaten mercilessly?

To test whether I’d stay put while watching this?

To completely break me into submission?

“No matter what, this is… too much…”

Every time Yu-jin’s fist moved, it felt like Young-hee’s heart was being ripped apart.

Something revolting welled up inside her.

Yet she could do nothing.

She wanted to save Chul-soo somehow,

but powerless as she was, there was nothing she could do.

All she could do was hope that Chul-soo’s spirit would finally break.

That he’d please give up.

-Thud.

Chul-soo never acknowledged defeat.

In the end, it was his body that fell first.

Covered in blood, he lost consciousness and slumped down.

Confirming this, Yu-jin finally let go of him.

At least it had been a better fight than usual.

There were scratches all over Yu-jin’s body too.

But that was all.

Anyone could see the clear gap in strength.

“Are you… satisfied now?”

Young-hee asked, trembling uncontrollably.

Her eyes had lost their light and become hazy.

Watching someone more precious than life get beaten bloody had drained her sanity.

She didn’t have the mental fortitude to witness it all while remaining sane.

This was the result of suppressing her emotions to the extreme.

Young-hee’s mind was broken somewhere deep inside.

“I… I endured. Until the very end, I left Chul-soo… until he became like this… I abandoned him.”

“That’s enough, right? Did I do well?”

Soon, madness crept into her eyes.

She’d given up everything to this point.

She hadn’t screamed once as Chul-soo was reduced to this pitiful state.

This had to mean something.

If it hurt this much,

then at least Chul-soo’s safety had to be guaranteed.

“This… this is enough already. Everything went according to your wishes…”

Young-hee collapsed as she tried to approach Yu-jin.

Her legs had gone limp.

Dragging herself along the ground, she reached Yu-jin and clutched at his pants leg, still trembling as she spoke.

“That’s enough… Chul-soo must have understood by now… I’ll become yours… So please, ignore Chul-soo and just look at me… Please… I’m begging you… Just look at me…”

Tears streamed endlessly down her face.

Through her blurred vision, the crumpled form of Chul-soo loomed in her mind.

“Sniff… Please… I’m begging you… Ignore Chul-soo and just look at me…”

Could there be a more desperate declaration of love?

She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.

It felt like some part of her body had broken.

All she could do was cry and beg for mercy from Yu-jin.

“”

Yu-jin silently observed her before leaving.

After staring blankly for a moment, Young-hee crawled over to Chul-soo once Yu-jin had disappeared.

She quickly scanned the area before pouring healing light onto him.

No matter what, she couldn’t leave him behind.

“Baka… Really… Baka… You’re hurt so badly… Baka…”

Muttering words that didn’t seem directed at anyone in particular,

Young-hee cried quietly.

She caressed his face with her hand.

When did they drift this far apart?

Why does Chul-soo keep looking at someone like her?

She just cried endlessly.

While hoping that the awakened Chul-soo would run away from Yu-jin in fear.

!… …

…

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