Chapter 135
SLAP-!
Along with a crisp slapping sound, blood sprayed from Nicolo’s mouth.
“W-what are you doing?”
Nicolo shouted in confusion.
Instead of an answer, what came back was a slap on the other cheek.
SLAP-!
Two slaps were enough to make Nicolo snap.
“Kraak! You son of a-!”
Italian curses burst out immediately.
Choi Hyun-seok didn’t know Italian, but it was conveniently translated into Korean swear words in his mind.
As a reward for the cursing, he delivered another slap to the face.
SLAP-!
After three slaps, Nicolo’s face started to swell up.
As if he wouldn’t stay still anymore, he drew his sword.
“This is self-defense!”
The sword was swung quickly.
The speed was decent but too linear.
Choi Hyun-seok lightly twisted his body to avoid it and delivered another slap.
SLAP-!
“Khaak!”
This time, there was more force behind the swinging palm.
Nicolo spat blood and stepped back.
“I don’t know what this is about, but I warned you clearly.”
Nicolo spoke with a growl.
Choi Hyun-seok just stood there with an expressionless face.
The smelly blood and flesh that had splattered on his face created an eerie atmosphere.
“Begging for your life won’t help!”
Magical power started surging from Nicolo’s body.
Seeing this, his companions clicked their tongues.
“Tsk. Looks like we’ll have to clean up a corpse.”
“Why did he have to pick a fight?”
“Oh no, Mr. Choi Hyun-seok…”
Only Sang-min was worried about Choi Hyun-seok, but even he had to bow his head under his companions’ disapproving glances.
“Haht!”
Finally ready, Nicolo kicked the ground with a battle cry.
While Choi Hyun-seok was thinking ‘What amazing technique could require such a long preparation time? I hope it’s something incredible’ – despite these thoughts, he maintained his focus on analyzing the enemy’s technique.
Advanced Hero Swordsmanship
Form 3 – Brave Slaying Strike
Nicolo’s body created an illusion as if it was stretching, and instantly, six consecutive strikes followed.
“There it is! Brave Slaying Strike!”
“Did you see that? It looked like six attacks just now!?”
“It’s increased since last time!”
Brave Slaying Strike was a fighting technique that basically consisted of three consecutive strikes.
The number of strikes could increase later depending on the user’s proficiency.
Nicolo hadn’t learned Brave Slaying Strike very long ago.
The fact that he had already reached six consecutive strikes meant his talent is quite remarkable.
Most enemies would have fallen, spraying blood, unable to block this attack.
However, unfortunately, this opponent wasn’t just any ordinary enemy.
Whoosh, Swoosh-! Whisk!
The six sword strikes meaninglessly cut through the air.
And a crisp slapping sound followed.
SLAP-!
Nicolo, having been slapped, forgot even the pain and showed a bewildered expression.
“What just…?”
“Is that your best?”
Disappointment was clearly written on Choi Hyun-seok’s face.
‘You took all that time to prepare for such a technique?’
This wasn’t Choi Hyun-seok’s first time experiencing the fighting technique ‘Brave Slaying Strike’.
In the past, hero Taylor Andrew whom he fought in the Beast Land Inessimot.
He too had used Brave Slaying Strike.
However, the difference in their levels was too stark.
Back then, Taylor used the technique without any preparation time.
His speed was much faster, and it was twelve consecutive strikes.
Moreover, unlike Nicolo before him, who came close to swinging his sword, Taylor’s style was to launch sword energy from a distance.
‘When I compare them point by point, it’s almost unfair to call them the same technique.’
Back then, Choi Hyun-seok had barely managed to dodge his attacks by putting in his utmost effort.
Compared to that, the fighting technique Nicolo is using now is too easy to avoid.
Moreover, he was doing it with pure physical ability, without using magical power or demonic energy.
“I’m asking if you have anything else to show.”
“Wh-what kind of joke is this! I couldn’t sense any magical power… How did you dodge the technique!?”
“Sigh, let’s just stop this.”
Choi Hyun-seok shook his head.
Then he began to seriously slap Nicolo’s cheeks.
“If you have nothing to show, you’ll have to get hit.”
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP-!
The consecutive sounds of slapping.
Nicolo’s face instantly became covered in blood.
He kept staggering, looking like he could barely stand properly.
“Ni-Nicolo!”
“Ellis! Stop!”
“Damn it! I’ll kill you!”
Nicolo was the party’s leader.
He was the strongest among them.
With Nicolo getting beaten like a dog, there was no way anyone else would be a match if they stepped in.
The more rational companions tried to stop her, but Ellis had no intention of stopping.
“Die!”
Ellis raised her staff.
A considerable amount of magical power started gathering at the tip of her staff.
Choi Hyun-seok watched with interested eyes.
‘Oh? She’s a mage then.’
5 seconds later.
Seemingly ready, Ellis shouted with a confident expression.
Intermediate Hero Magic: Lightning Chain
A blue beam of light flew in.
Choi Hyun-seok concentrated on examining the magic.
‘The speed is quite good? It’s faster than the sword that the swordsman wielded earlier.’
The casting speed of Ellis’s magic was faster than the sword wielded by Nicolo, the party leader.
Although it required a longer preparation time, this speed was quite understandable.
‘The power… I’ll have to experience it firsthand.’
While he could have narrowly dodged it if he wanted to, Choi Hyun-seok deliberately chose to take the hit from the magic.
He was curious about the power of magic based on demonic energy, rather than magic that uses holy power.
Crack-sizzle-!
Blue lightning began to wrap around and flash across Choi Hyun-seok’s body.
Ellis cheered at the fact that her attack had succeeded.
“Die! Just die already!”
She shouted while spitting, but unfortunately, her wish was impossible to fulfill.
‘It’s electrifying but disappointing.’
It’s not that the power is weak.
If hit unexpectedly, even Choi Hyun-seok would have been quite shocked by it.
However, in a situation where he was aware of it, it was at a level he could easily offset with demonic energy.
‘When it comes to pure power, it’s actually inferior to using demonic energy.’
Choi Hyun-seok focused demonic energy around his arm.
Crack, swoosh-!
The lightning chains that had been surrounding him broke and disappeared.
Ellis’s eyes grew so wide they looked like they might pop out.
“Hey, heroes over there. Got anything else?”
“How is this…? This can’t be…”
“I asked if you have anything else.”
“This can’t be happening…”
Choi Hyun-seok nodded.
“Right. If you don’t, then you’ll have to take some hits.”
Choi Hyun-seok started delivering slaps again.
This time, both Nicolo and Ellis were hit.
Slap-! Slap-!
“Pl-please… Spare me…”
Now Nicolo’s facial skin was about to be torn off.
His handsome face was so devastatingly damaged that its original form was unrecognizable.
Choi Hyun-seok patted Nicolo’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry. This much won’t kill you.”
Then he muttered in a small voice ‘Probably?’ at the end.
Unfortunately, hearing those words, Nicolo fell even deeper into despair.
Choi Hyun-seok ignored this and raised his palm.
‘Well, if they die, they die.’
At this point, there’s no room for guilt.
The heroes and champions of humanity who have died by his hands could already fill a truck.
Adding a few more people to the truck that’s already departed makes no difference.
The only thing Choi Hyun-seok worried about was losing his humanity.
He just thought that to truly exist as a human while possessing demonic energy, he should perhaps keep a shred of conscience in one corner of his heart.
‘For now, let’s focus on the immediate task!’
Choi Hyun-seok raised his palm.
One way or another now is the time to realize justice.
“Well, let’s continue our conversation.”
Choi Hyun-seok’s smirking smile somehow resembled Hemis’s.
***
“Nicolo… Are you okay?”
“Shut up!!!”
Nicolo screamed as if having a seizure.
His eyes, buried in his swollen face, were gleaming strangely.
He hadn’t received proper treatment yet because Ellis, who was in charge of healing at the party, had fainted.
“That bastard…”
Nicolo muttered through clenched teeth.
In his mind, the battle(?) with Choi Hyun-seok kept replaying over and over.
‘How can someone become that strong?’
It was the first time in his life he’d felt such powerlessness.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t even touch the hair of Choi Hyun-seok.
‘He wasn’t even moving that fast.’
Choi Hyun-seok hadn’t overwhelmed him with superior specs.
Rather, except for a few moments, he barely used any magical power at all.
He fought with pure physical ability, and even then, it seemed like he wasn’t trying his hardest, just going through the motions.
Yet there was nothing Nicolo could do.
Because Choi Hyun-seok avoided his attacks before they could land as if he already knew they were coming.
‘Does he have a skill that reads opponent’s movements? Or maybe an ability to see the future?’
Nicolo thinks.
He must have some special ability.
It doesn’t make sense otherwise.
‘What kind of ability is it…!’
Of course, it’s all Nicolo’s misunderstanding.
Choi Hyun-seok has no ability to see the future or read opponents’ movements.
The reason Nicolo couldn’t touch him was simply because his skills were lacking.
There was no other reason.
Nicolo grew by safely moving with his party and hunting appropriate monsters.
Choi Hyun-seok grew by fighting numerous strong opponents in extreme situations.
The difference in their combat abilities was bound to be overwhelming.
Even if Choi Hyun-seok and Nicolo’s combat power were equal.
Even if Choi Hyun-seok’s combat power was lower, the result wouldn’t have been much different.
Nicolo never realized this fact until the end.
“Nicolo… What do we do now?”
Yakubu asked.
“What else? We complete the quest.”
“You want to continue the quest even in this situation?”
“What else should we do, run away with our tails between our legs like dogs!?”
Nicolo’s voice rose.
Yakubu bit his lip and took a step back.
“Anyway, they’re not interested in us. Honestly… We were the ones who started trouble this time.”
Nicolo wasn’t that stupid of a person.
At least he could understand cause and effect and knew his place.
“We’ll apologize cleanly and focus on the quest. Once Ellis wakes up, she can heal the wounds quickly.”
“Will that champ leave us alone?”
Sang-min answered Yakubu’s question.
“Mr. Choi Hyun-seok will definitely accept our apology!”
“Really?”
“He’s been famous for his generous personality! If we admit our fault first, he definitely won’t harm us!”
“I hope so…”
Despite Sang-min’s words, Yakubu’s stern face wouldn’t soften.
‘He seemed out of his mind…’
That grinning face while slapping his cheek was still vivid in his mind.
Would someone like that really forgive them?
At least Yakubu thought things wouldn’t go that smoothly.
***
“Ah, what now?”
That night.
Choi Hyun-seok’s face twisted unpleasantly as he was enjoying his meal in the first-floor hall.
It was because of the five heroes gathered before him.
“We came to apologize.”
“Apologize?”
“Yes. We’re sorry about earlier.”
Nicolo bowed awkwardly, perhaps because his wounds hadn’t fully healed.
The party members behind him all bowed deeply together.
It seemed they had learned this method from Sang-min, the Korean.
“We’ll be careful not to interfere with Mr. Choi Hyun-seok’s affairs from now on.”
“Ohh?”
For a moment, Choi Hyun-seok showed an evil smile.
“So you can pronounce my name properly? After calling me ‘Get lost! Get lost!’ all this time.”
“Th-that…”
“Was your name Piccolo?”
“It’s Nicolo.”
“Right, Piccolo. Know what I’ve learned in the year or so since coming to this land?”
“…”
“That you need to thoroughly stomp on those who try to climb up. Or just kill them.”
Nicolo, meeting Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes, trembled slightly.
‘He’s serious…’
Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes were gleaming with strange madness.
Those weren’t the eyes of a normal person.
Cold sweat began running down his back.
‘This isn’t a world protected by laws.’
This is what Nicolo realized during his three years in this world.
There’s no one here crying out for human dignity like in 21st century Earth.
Humans enslave other humans.
War and murder happen as commonly as eating.
Moreover, heroes aren’t residents here, and some kingdoms openly reject heroes.
They’re nothing more than uninvited guests.
Though the situation improves somewhat if you belong somewhere or pledge loyalty, Nicolo’s party didn’t even have that.
So if they died, no one would care.
In the end, Nicolo could only rely on Choi Hyun-seok’s mercy.
“Is there any reason I should let you live?”
“K-killing people isn’t right…”
“Ha! Look at this hypocrite.”
Choi Hyun-seok let out a derisive laugh.
“You were seriously trying to kill me earlier, weren’t you? Was that some righteous justice? Am I some demon?”
“That…”
“So, come on. Appeal to me about your usefulness.”
“…”
Nicolo kept his mouth shut like a mute who’d eaten honey.
Choi Hyun-seok brought his face close to him.
“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t kill you. Hmm?”
Hero Choi Hyun-seok was smiling sincerely.
