A quiet inn. Everyone held their breath, alternating their gaze between Jeong Yusin and the rough men.
“Hahahaha!!!”
The Bearded Man suppressed a grin before breaking into wild laughter. His underlings began to follow suit.
“Hahaha!!!”
“You… What?! A cursed wedding?! This guy’s completely insane, isn’t he?!”
Jeong Yusin slowly combed his hair back.
“Step outside.”
The Bearded Man grinned wickedly.
“What a lunatic… Alright then!”
Jeong Yusin stepped out onto the street.
The men swaggered after him.
Under the blistering sun, Jeong Yusin and the men faced off in the middle of the road.
Soon, not only the inn’s guests but also the passersby began to gather curiously.
“A fight’s breaking out!!!”
“Well, no matter how close we get to the festival, this has to be the nth time, right?”
“I’m losing business because of bastards like these. I’m dying before the festival even arrives.”
Among the crowd gathered around Jeong Yusin and the men, someone pointed at them.
“Hey?!”
“Why’s that?”
“Aren’t those the Pighead Mercenaries?”
“Are they famous?”
“Not exactly. Just known by those in the know. I heard they operate in the Western Empire. How did they end up here…?”
“They must’ve come along the pilgrimage route.”
Jeong Yusin heard the murmurs but paid little attention. He wasn’t particularly curious about where these mercenaries had come from.
The Bearded Man chuckled.
“Owner, afraid?”
“…”
“It’s not too late. All we want is money and women. Let’s settle this quietly.”
Jeong Yusin ignored the Bearded Man’s words and glanced around.
In the middle of the street.
Already, a curious crowd had gathered. Jeong Yusin had heard that many people come because of the festival, but it was an overwhelming amount.
Jeong Yusin turned back and glanced at the men.
Newbies. Infested with demons.
There was only one cure.
“Evil spirit, depart from him.”
Jeong Yusin’s pronouncement brought up countless question marks above the spectators’ heads.
“What on earth is that half-breed Barbaroy saying?”
“Who knows? If he’s this old, how could we possibly understand?”
The Bearded Man smirked.
“Let’s just rough him up enough so he doesn’t die. Everyone, move in.”
Four men charged forward.
Jeong Yusin stood still, watching them approach carefully.
“Too scared to even move! You useless bastard! Die!!!”
The man swung his fist towards Jeong Yusin’s jaw.
Whoosh!!
The attacker smiled. What an infuriatingly clean face. Right off the bat, the guy was unlikable. Imagining his jaw breaking and rolling on the ground excited his heart.
Just as the fist was about to hit Jeong Yusin’s jaw—
Jeong Yusin tilted his jaw.
Swish.
The fist barely grazed past.
And then—
Jeong Yusin clenched his fist and moved his step.
The first combination.
Holy one-two!
Crack! Crack!!!
Punches filled with divine energy shattered the man’s nose and teeth.
Broken teeth flew into the air.
“Aaaah!!!”
The man screamed, holding his face.
Jeong Yusin nodded inwardly. Good. The spirit was trying to leave.
With a middle kick, the man with the mashed-up face was sent flying.
The next man swung his fist toward Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin quickly moved backward.
Sway.
The fist barely missed his nose. He smelled faint traces of alcohol.
Absurd.
“Did you drink before the fight?”
The next man seemed truly possessed by a demon.
With a slight bow, stepping forward rapidly, Jeong Yusin positioned himself in front of the man.
“What… Wh-What?!”
Holy liver punch.
Crash!!!
The fist shattered the ribs and plunged into the man’s liver.
Crunch!!!
Jeong Yusin could feel the ribs cracking through his fist.
“Hhack!!!”
The man immediately fell to his knees, his bloodshot eyes unable to catch his breath. He knew this well.
This was the infamous liver punch. The moment it landed, it was over for this guy.
Jeong Yusin grabbed the man by the hair.
It was also written in Scripture: “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life maimed than to have your whole body thrown into hell.”
“You can’t drink anymore. Kid. Consider yourself rescued. Your liver, from your body.”
“Keeeh…!”
The man began foaming at the mouth, rolling his eyes.
Suddenly.
A straight punch aimed for Jeong Yusin’s jaw.
It was another one.
Letting go of the hair, Jeong Yusin raised his hand.
Slap!
Jeong Yusin caught the man’s fist.
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Wh-What?!”
The man frantically tried to pull his fist away, but it was futile.
Jeong Yusin applied force.
Crack!
“Ghaaaaaaahh!!!”
As the bone shattered, the man screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Look at that screaming! The demon is definitely possessing him, I tell you.”
Whack!!! Whack!!! Whack!!!
Jeong Yusin landed punches.
One. Two. Three.
Each time his fists hit the man’s face, parts of it caved in, blood splattering everywhere.
There was no scream. The man fell unconscious, collapsing onto the ground.
The final man charged in, wearing a menacing knuckle on his fist.
As Jeong Yusin stepped back, he delivered a holy low kick.
Swishhhhhh!!
The whip-like kick hit the man’s upper knee. The thigh bone shattered. The man collapsed like a scarecrow, his leg bent unnaturally.
Ssshhh.
The Bearded Man drew his sword. Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Tsk. Crossing the line.”
“Son of a–!!!”
The Bearded Man charged in. Did this guy train in swordsmanship? He had clearly seen his fair share of battlefields; his ki was overwhelming.
But.
[Sacred Weapon]
A light-infused Aming Sword flashed brilliantly for a moment.
Tiiingggg!!!
The man’s sword flew into the air. It wasn’t a parry. The force was simply too overwhelming, and the sword was lost.
Once again.
[Sacred Weapon]
The desired knuckled weapon appeared.
Having stepped in quickly, Jeong Yusin approached the man.
The Bearded Man’s eyes widened.
“Wa… Wait!!!”
Holy uppercut. Hook.
Crack!!!
The Bearded Man, with his jaw and teeth torn out, fell back.
This couldn’t be the end.
Quickly reaching out, Jeong Yusin grabbed the Bearded Man by the hair.
“Snap out of it.”
Sssscccrrr!
A few teeth flew out of the Bearded Man’s mouth.
Finally, the man managed to open his eyes.
Jeong Yusin spoke.
“Friend, why come to my shop to cause trouble? What makes you so confident with these amateur skills? You’re completely crazy.”
Jeong Yusin shook the man by the hair.
“Nnngh!”
The man groaned as he was swayed back and forth.
Jeong Yusin raised his hand again, feeling that a clean slap on the cheek would settle his mood.
The man quivered and waved his hand frantically.
“Hand! Hand! Kid, put your hand down.”
“Grrk!”
“This idiot can’t even talk properly. Hey, Bearded Man, are you possessed by Satan?”
Jeong Yusin looked into the man’s eyes as he asked.
At that moment, the Bearded Man began to tremble and wet his pants.
Such a stupid guy.
Jeong Yusin released the hair and looked around.
None of the men had gotten back up.
The fight was over. Compared to the Labyrinth, it was unimpressive.
“Tarman, bring me a chair.”
Jeong Yusin looked around and spoke to Tarman.
“Yes, sir!”
Tarman, standing at the entrance, quickly brought a chair from inside.
Jeong Yusin sat down, crossing his arms.
The men were writhing like worms on the street, shedding tears of repentance and gratitude.
Well, they must indeed be happy to be freed from the demon.
Sitting on the chair, Jeong Yusin observed the mercenaries and spoke.
“Karin.”
“Hmm?”
Karin wagged her tail in response.
“With your skills, you could’ve easily dealt with these guys, couldn’t you?”
“…I didn’t want to cause trouble for the shop by acting on my own.”
Jeong Yusin nodded. Given that it was Karin’s first time handling shop duties, being passive was understandable. It was partly his fault for not giving clear instructions.
“Did other people try to stop such incidents, Karin?”
“Guests? I stopped them. I told them not to intervene.”
Ah…
That’s why people who liked Karin didn’t step in gracefully.
“Karin, from next time, if there are people like these, just kick their butts. It’s okay.”
“Yes, sir.”
Karin suddenly responded formally.
Then, the crowd parted, revealing people in plate armor. They were the guards of the Labyrinth City.
However…
Their condition was strange.
Dark circles heavily lined their eyes. Forget about neatly combed hair; some were even spotted with dry foam around their mouths.
Were they like corporate drones working their asses off in a mid-sized family business?
Under this blazing sun, they wore heavy plate armor and carried halberds, clearly struggling.
Behind the guards were captured individuals, strung up like sausages.
Jeong Yusin immediately understood.
So these kinds of troublemakers weren’t just one or two.
One of the guards approached.
“Barbaroy, thank you.”
“No need for thanks. Tarman, bring him a cold beer.”
“Not beer, water, please.”
“Water it is.”
“Yes, sir!”
Tarman quickly brought water.
The guard gulped it down and sighed deeply.
“Phew. No swordplay here, fortunately. You fought well. If you don’t mind, we’ll take these men with us.”
“Yes, please. It seems many of their kind come around?”
“Every festival they show up, but this time there are ‘especially’ many. Anyway, thanks for the water. You did well.”
“Yes, thank you for your work.”
The people of the street murmured and dispersed, occasionally peeking at Jeong Yusin’s face.
“Let’s go inside. It’s hot.”
Jeong Yusin, along with Tarman, Ann, and Karin, went inside the inn.
Jeong Yusin sat at the counter.
Clank!
The inn doors suddenly opened.
Iron Mask was standing there.
“Scath, did you just have a brawl? People have been talking about you…”
Jeong Yusin crossed his arms, showing little interest.
“Just a few demon-possessed riffraff. I simply exorcised them.”
“Huh, was that all?”
Iron Mask hesitated, unsure what to say next.
“Tarman, bring Iron Mask a juice.”
“Yes, sir!”
Tarman brought the juice to Iron Mask.
Iron Mask skillfully sipped the juice and nodded approvingly.
“Scath, wasn’t it agreed that we’d meet after the festival?”
“That was the plan, but I called because of an important matter.”
“What matter?”
“It concerns a promotion.”
“Oh, right.”
Jeong Yusin had momentarily forgotten. This Labyrinth expedition fulfilled all the conditions for promotion. He was now qualified to ascend to Senior Explorer whenever he wished.
“An invitation to the Explorer’s Guild. It seems there aren’t many people there, so it’s pretty quiet. It’s a good opportunity to promote quickly.”
“Other party members?”
“Kubo Priest is busy with temple duties, and Mars…”
“Mars? What happened?”
Had something happened to the rodent guide?
“The rat got caught trying to steal an attendant’s panties.”
“…”
Unable to find words, Jeong Yusin closed his mouth.
Madness.
Iron Mask continued.
“So, he stealthily tried to peek in a pocket and accidentally pulled a string inside her sacred attire.”
“Understood. Stop talking.”
“…”
For a moment, the two men sat silently at the table.
“So, what happened?”
“Didn’t you just tell me to stop talking?”
“I’ve calmed down now. Finish your story.”
“Huh. He got thoroughly beaten. He’s in jail. I just visited him.”
“Is there anything we can do to help him?”
“Well, if we get Mars’s insignia verified, there might be some leniency, but I’m not sure.”
Indeed. Reflecting on it, it irked him. While someone was battling possessed lunatics, another was getting caught mid-day trying to fiddle with a sacred attendant’s stringed underwear. His bad karma needed settling.
“Still, is it okay for us to go without them?”
“Kubo Priest and Mars confirmed. They said they’ll join after the festival ends.”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
The iron truth is that you strike while the iron’s hot.
Before leaving the inn, Jeong Yusin glanced at Karin and Tarman.
“I’m heading to the Explorer’s Guild. If any riffraff shows up and starts trouble, don’t hold back. Just beat them.”
“Got it.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask left the inn, heading toward the Explorer’s Guild.
The building had just the right number of people. Not overly crowded.
Approaching the receptionist,
“I want to upgrade.”
The canine receptionist happily wagged her tail as she smiled.
“Oh! Four of you! Understand. May I see your badges?”
“I have them here.”
Both Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask handed over their badges simultaneously.
“Both of you are upgrading?”
“Yes.”
“Confirmed. Iron Mask and Scath have met the upgrade requirements. Please wait a moment.”
“Will it take long?”
“Oh! There are some things to review in the documents, and we also need clearance from the President, who’s temporarily out. It may take a bit, but not too long.”
“Understood.”
Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask stepped away from the counter, sitting at a table near the guild’s request board.
A murmur from nearby reached their ears.
“There’s that half-blood Barbaroy again.”
“Tsk. He’s back from the dead.”
Jeong Yusin ignored it, looking to the ceiling. When Iron Mask tried to stand, Jeong Yusin stopped him.
Given they weren’t directly causing harm, there was no reason to stir up trouble.
Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask waited silently.
How much time had passed?
Clang!!!
The door on the second floor of the guild suddenly burst open. Instantly, explorers who were loudly chatting spat out their saliva and fell silent.
In the solemn silence, the sound of descending footsteps could be heard.
Thud. Thud.
Jeong Yusin tilted his head upward.
A giant man was carrying someone on his shoulder.
The familiar hair color?
Jeong Yusin bolted upright in his seat.
“Black hair!!!”
Height easily surpassing 2 meters.
Boiling muscles rippling with intensity.
Flowing black hair.
Dressed in just pants, the man carried a naked woman on his shoulder.
With her buttocks facing forward, the woman’s identity was obscured.
“…”
Every explorer in the guild froze, unable to breathe.
The woman’s buttocks twitched before expelling a viscous glob of semen.
Splatter!!!
Yellow semen hit the floor with a “thud,” splashing in all directions.
The black-haired man glanced around, then licked his lips.
Smack.
As his red tongue passed over his lips, a few weak-hearted explorers fainted, their heads hitting the table.
Thud. Thud.
With every step the man took, the explorers trembled but couldn’t move, like prey in front of a beast.
The man slowly approached Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin immediately stood, glaring at the man.
Clunk.
The man stopped and looked down at Jeong Yusin.
Wild eyes peeked out from underneath his long locks.
“Are you that mixed-blood pity-case?”
A deep voice that echoed through the guild.
“…”
Jeong Yusin silently glared back.
The black-haired man spoke again.
“Madman. Who’s your father?”
