Chapter 76: Pleading

But Sang-woong’s assault was far from over.

Sang-woong slammed his fist straight into the Hunter’s abdomen.

He had destroyed the Mana Circuit.

His brutality was so fierce that even the other Hunters faltered for a moment.

Soon, two burly Hunters wielding Iron Pipes launched a coordinated attack.

Whoosh!

As the Iron Pipes swung, the air around them rippled.

One Iron Pipe came down vertically toward Sang-woong’s head, while the other aimed for his side.

Like the wind, Sang-woong darted between the two Iron Pipes, slipping through their gap, and at the same time, drove his fists into the stomachs of both Hunters.

“Ruah! Ka!”

With the shattering sound of their Mana Circuits, the two Hunters collapsed to the floor as if their breath had stopped.

Sang-woong picked up an Iron Pipe that had fallen to the ground.

As if announcing that things were just getting started.

Just the sight of Sang-woong holding the Iron Pipe made the other Hunters flinch in alarm.

Having witnessed Sang-woong’s strength, the Hunters realized that the predator here was not them, but Sang-woong.

In that moment, Sang-woong moved.

He kicked the nearby Sofa, momentarily blocking the Hunters’ line of sight. In that brief instant, he shot forward at high speed and stood right before the Hunters.

The Iron Pipe struck the Hunters’ bodies mercilessly, and with pained groans, they collapsed to the floor.

But even that was not the end.

Without missing a single one, Sang-woong shattered every Hunter’s Mana Circuit.

One by one, as their Mana Circuits were destroyed, the Hunters gaped in shock, their eyes filled with a mixture of shock and terror.

“This crazy bastard…”

A Hunter muttered in disbelief.

Inside the Night Club, the destructive energy unleashed by the Hunters filled the space.

As the fear of being devoured here reached its peak, the Hunters summoned their last reserves of strength and began to move.

“All at once—attack together!”

At someone’s command, the Hunters all rushed in at once.

Some moved like lightning, others swung their weapons with the destructive force to shatter steel.

That was not all.

A few Hunters even unleashed Skills that only a select few possessed, attacking Sang-woong with everything they had.

They pushed their abilities to the limit, attacking Sang-woong from all sides, but his movements neutralized every single one of their attacks.

He was like a giant crushing a swarm of insects, overwhelming them with absolute power and smashing through them.

The cacophony of blades and Iron Pipes clashing roared through the Night Club like the pounding beat of dance music, and each time weapons swung, nearby Tables and Chairs were slashed and shattered to pieces.

During the chaos, a few Hunters managed to land effective blows on Sang-woong.

But his body, forged by a physical enhancement Skill, easily withstood their attacks.

“Th-that can’t be right! How is a mere Alchemist that strong?”

Lee Dojin muttered in a trembling voice from behind.

The scene unfolding before his eyes was beyond imagination.

Thirty Hunters were being thoroughly defeated by a single man.

At that level of strength, he was clearly Ranker-class.

Yet Sang-woong was someone he had never even heard of before.

What he thought would be a tasty prey had turned out to be an unexpected calamity.

As time passed, only the screams and groans of the Hunters filled the inside of the club.

Their bodies and Mana Circuits, together with the shattered furniture, rolled about on the floor, and the Night Club’s once dazzling lights now flickered in broken patches.

Sang-woong pressed on relentlessly, not even pausing for breath.

Wherever his fist swept, Hunters’ bodies flew like rag dolls, and everywhere his kick landed, a snapping sound echoed through the air.

The last few Hunters staggered back with terror etched on their faces.

They had long since lost the will to fight.

There were no longer any Hunters moving around Sang-woong.

All of them, overwhelmed by his absolute power, were clutching their shattered Mana Circuits and moaning on the ground.

The red lighting cast shadows over the dirt and dust covering Sang-woong’s body, and the faint traces of blood.

Lee Dojin looked on, dazed, at the entire scene.

His lips trembled and his face had gone pale as a sheet.

“Kuk… Y-you… just what…”

His voice, seized by terror, barely formed a sentence.

Sang-woong slowly approached Lee Dojin.

His eyes were as calm and cold as if he hadn’t just finished a violent battle.

“It’s your turn now.”

Though his voice was low and composed, it carried a chilling weight that overwhelmed all other sounds in the Night Club.

Lee Dojin was frozen in place, like prey before a giant beast.

Only terror filled his mind.

Then, through his fear-clouded vision, he saw his subordinates groaning in agony, their Mana Circuits shattered.

He could not let himself end up like them.

Lee Dojin immediately drew the sword at his waist.

In that instant, the energy that surged from him was on a different level than before.

The sword in his hand glimmered with a cold blue light, cutting sharply through the air.

Lee Dojin was an 8th rank Hunter.

As such, his aura was bound to be extraordinary.

“Ku… you bastard. How dare you touch my subordinates!”

Lee Dojin shouted, his voice twisted with both anger and fear.

A fierce energy burst from his whole body, making the air tremble around him.

He lowered his sword, glaring at Sang-woong.

In his eyes, there was a madness unique to one cornered like a wounded beast.

Sang-woong stopped his approach and faced Lee Dojin.

His face remained calm, but his eyes now shone with a sharper light than before.

Having spent many years as a Hunter, Sang-woong never let his guard down, even against someone weaker than himself.

He knew better than anyone that carelessness was a monster that could tip the scale of battle, regardless of differences in ability.

Especially now, Lee Dojin was like a wounded beast hanging from a cliff.

No matter what unexpected thing might happen, it would be no surprise.

In a do-or-die situation, one could display several times their normal destructive power.

At times like this, one must remain all the more composed in battle.

A cold fighting spirit flickered in Sang-woong’s eyes.

“You’re still the Boss of an Organization, after all. Yeah, if you just collapsed here without even putting up a fight, you’d lose face in front of your subordinates.”

Sang-woong spoke in a low, steady voice.

But Lee Dojin answered by swinging his sword.

Kwaang!

His full-powered attack was as swift as lightning, leaving a blue afterimage in its wake.

The Table split cleanly in two where his sword struck, collapsing to the ground.

Sang-woong dodged by a hair’s breadth, leaning back, but a few strands of his hair were sliced off.

“As expected, the Boss is different.”

Sang-woong thought to himself.

Lee Dojin’s swordsmanship was well-trained, and his mana control was outstanding.

It was proof that he had not come to the position of an Organization’s Boss by luck, but had climbed through countless hardships.

However, Sang-woong had experienced far more real combat than Lee Dojin, and had fought beings far stronger than him.

He calmly observed Lee Dojin’s movements, looking for a chance to counterattack.

Lee Dojin put everything into each swing, attacking relentlessly with his sword.

His sword danced like a living serpent, targeting Sang-woong, and even a brush with it seemed likely to inflict a fatal wound.

Klang! Chang! Gwang!

The sounds of sword and Iron Pipe colliding, the floor shattering, and explosive bursts of air filled the Night Club.

Sang-woong retreated, blocking Lee Dojin’s attacks.

Lee Dojin’s all-out assault was far more powerful than expected.

But Sang-woong was not shaken.

Rather, he coolly neutralized Lee Dojin’s attacks.

Even as Lee Dojin continued to pour out attacks, he too was only human and could not avoid fatigue.

The moment his assault paused, Sang-woong sprang forward as if he’d been waiting for just that opening.

And then he began to draw out his mana.

A faint blue glow swirled around the Iron Pipe.

Vmmmmm!

The Iron Pipe flashed like lightning toward Lee Dojin.

Lee Dojin was startled by Sang-woong’s unexpected counter, but quickly swung his sword to block the Iron Pipe.

Chang!

But at that instant, Sang-woong’s other hand shot out like lightning and struck Lee Dojin hard on the chin.

Thwack!

“Guhh…!”

Before he could even defend himself, Lee Dojin took a powerful blow and was knocked backward to the floor.

The sword in his hand fell to the ground without strength.

The force in Sang-woong’s fist was unimaginable.

Sang-woong slowly walked up to the fallen Lee Dojin.

His eyes remained cold, and the Iron Pipe in his hand radiated a chilling blue light.

“That’s all you’ve got?”

At Sang-woong’s scornful question, Lee Dojin’s face burned red with shame and fury.

‘This bastard… he’s been toying with me the whole time.’

He realized that Sang-woong had been receiving his attacks, merely showing what true overwhelming power was and just how helpless he really was.

Unable to land even a single proper blow, now breathless to his very limit, Sang-woong clearly showed the gap by discarding the Iron Pipe and attacking barehanded.

With a single punch, Lee Dojin was sent flying helplessly.

It was as if an adult was merely watching over a child’s play—the difference in class was stark.

“With that pitiful strength, did you really think you could oppress and torment others?”

Sang-woong snorted in disbelief.

“You, you bastard! What the hell are you saying?”

Lee Dojin shouted back, but Sang-woong ignored his words.

“I’m stronger than you. So if I bully you and take what’s yours, you’d have nothing to say, would you?”

With cold eyes, Sang-woong looked down at the fallen Lee Dojin, one corner of his lips curling up in a crooked smile.

His face was marked by a chilling blend of contempt and ridicule.

Lee Dojin immediately understood Sang-woong’s intention.

He’d seen his subordinates’ Mana Circuits being crushed right before his eyes; there was no way he didn’t understand.

Terrified, Lee Dojin desperately pleaded with Sang-woong.

“W-wait. Let’s talk this out. I made a mistake, so I’ll compensate you. However much you want, I’ll give it all to you. Let’s end it here.”

Lee Dojin frantically waved his hands in the air, his whole body pleading for Sang-woong not to come any closer, but Sang-woong’s heavy steps did not stop.

“What a filthy, petty bastard. Your subordinates’ Mana Circuits are shattered and their bodies are torn apart, but you’re only trying to save yourself? Isn’t that far too unfair?”

Sang-woong stared down at Lee Dojin with disgust, then pointed a finger at his groaning, collapsed underlings.

“Look. Not a single one of them objects to what I’m doing. Silence is a kind of approval, isn’t it? So you should get the same treatment. No, actually, your responsibility is greater than theirs, so that won’t be enough.”

With a chilling expression, Sang-woong placed his foot on Lee Dojin’s ankle.

Then, slowly, very deliberately, he began to apply pressure.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

The gruesome sound of bone being crushed tore through the silence.

“AAAGH! It hurts! W-wait! No, stop!”

As his ankle bone was gradually ground to pieces, Lee Dojin’s face turned white and cold sweat streamed down his body.

He screamed and pleaded desperately, as if he had lost his mind.