Chapter 122: A Clash Between a King-Kong and a Hybrid Species (10)

What started it all was a jab, a light probe.

But, even though it was just a light punch with no real power behind it…

What it caused was…

Boom-!

Far from the word ‘light’.

To the point that one would wonder if it really was a light jab at all.

Boom-! Boom-! Boom-!

Though its power was supposed to be small, it was still as strong as a cannonball. As that powerful strike collided and was blocked by the other guy, a crazy crackling sound echoed through the cave.

Bang-!

However, even when that strike hit, the guy who got hit didn’t seem to take any damage.

It wasn’t like he was wearing legendary armor or anything like that, but every time their fists touched each other, all that could be heard was the sound of something like a tire being hit.

Pang-!

Maybe because he found this whole probing thing boring, Maximus initiated a real attack.

Rumble-!

Just a small change in his movement and action already gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure. Any normal person would lose their life just from brushing against his fist. If they were to follow their common sense, then they’d try to dodge it or run away from it.

Crackle-!

But, Lee Han had no intention of doing either. He took the incredible pressure head on and moved his body just like Maximus before facing the pressure and rooted his feet firmly on the ground.

Even the ground gave in due to how much strength he put in his legs. Then…

Bang-!

He tanked the punch with his own body.

“?!”

That left Maximus speechless. It was the first time that he had seen someone who didn’t dodge or block his blow.

Rumble-!

“…It hurts.”

Lee Han didn’t just let him get hit for free, of course. His fist dug into Maximus’ side in exchange.

It was a heavy blow—Maximus felt like a giant hammer had struck his side. If he was a normal person, this would be enough to rupture his internal organs, but…

“As if that could hurt you.”

“Hahaha, no, it really does hurt! Man, this is embarrassing. You tanked my blow calmly, while I’m here crying like a baby when I’m facing yours.”

“…Tanked my ass.”

Lee Han let out a bitter smile. He was able to withstand the impact with his Vajra Body, but the place where the blow had hit him was still throbbing. It made him feel that this was how it would feel if he were to tank a bull’s charge just by using his bare chest.

It’s heavy.

The shock was so intense that even his Vajra Body—which could easily block swords, spears, or even arrows—couldn’t completely block it. But, even though he was hurting, he also felt astonished.

This bastard took my blow without using any techniques…

Compared to him, who had to use his defensive technique to endure his attack, Maximus just tanked his blow with his bare body. It wasn’t like that blow was a light jab either—it was a genuine strike aiming to knock him down. That was how strong this man was.

This probably happened because of his crazy body.

It made Lee Han think that this guy could easily be counted among the strongmen.

Even the fists of a world champ are just massages for beasts like bears. Whose words were those again?

Those words suddenly came to his mind, and he thought that they were quite appropriate.

Just like how a human’s fists or kicks felt like a pat of a cat or a dog to a lion or a bear, the guy in front of him wasn’t affected by his normal attacks in the slightest. He’d only be affected by a full-power attack from him.

In other words, he’d need to put his all into his strikes to knock him down.

If a strong attack is what I need…

Then…

How would he react to this?

Lee Han lowered his stance again.

It’s fun! It’s crazy fun!!

Maximus felt great excitement and thrill. The weight of his blow was heavy, but the opponent endured the blow he had thrown without any trouble.

It feels like I’m hitting plate armor!

No, it’s tougher than even that!

Would anyone believe me if I said that hitting him hurts me more than hitting an actual plate armor?

In any case, it’s a really strange technique.

He didn’t know what it was, but it was clear that the other guy had learned some mysterious techniques. This one—a technique that made his body as hard as plate armor—and the one from the rumor where he could make flowers bloom with his sword. In other words, this was just the beginning of his collections of mysterious techniques.

Hehehe!

Maximus couldn’t stop laughing as he got more and more excited. He had confirmed his opponent’s strength, and his mysteriousness was both unfamiliar and bizarre. All in all, he was truly a formidable opponent.

And it was precisely because of that…

This whole matter becomes more meaningful!

A fierce clash against an opponent that felt like a Trial where neither side could be sure of their victory’s chances. This was what duels meant since ancient times.

Through it, Maximus felt alive.

Show me what else you have in you!

Rumble-!

Maximus stepped forward again.

Towards the guy who would receive his power, or perhaps hand him a defeat.

And of course…

Whoosh-!

Bang-!

“??”

As if to answer his expectations to show him more of what he had in store, his opponent presented him with an even more mysterious skill.

Maximus’ brain went on overdrive.

The opponent’s fist hadn’t even touched him, and yet his blow had struck him.

“It’s called [Hitting a Cow Across The Mountain].”

“!!”

“Just in case you’re wondering what this thing is.”

With a friendly warning, his opponent threw a punch with the same light one-two motion like before. If he could block it properly, everything would’ve been okay, but…

Bang-!

He couldn’t block it this time either, and had to allow the blow to strike him.

It was an invisible blow that left him confused and bewildered. It was as if it was the fist of a demon.

The opponent’s fist and ghost hand that confused his senses mercilessly toyed with him.

But before long, he acknowledged that his senses were indeed thrown away by this, as if he was possessed by an actual ghost.

Is that a punch? A punch that disregards the direction?

His punch flew without any regards towards direction, uncaring if it was the front, back, left, or right.

It could even…

Bang-!

“…Amazing. Just how did you do that?”

Fly from above and below. It was a technique that easily bypassed the laws of physics as it flew from all directions.

Maximus was left astonished.

“You need to teach me later.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Bang-!

Maximus’ body flew away.

Hitting a Cow Across The Mountain.

In a way, it was the prototype of Hundred Steps Divine Fist. If Hundred Steps Divine Fist was a technique of extending one’s strength in a straight line, Hitting a Cow Across The Mountain was a technique that required extremely delicate control of strength.

Lee Han’s Fist Power bounced off obstacles around him as he aimed for blind spots that his opponents couldn’t react to or see. Normally, mathematical calculation skills were needed to perform such techniques. After all, he had to estimate the angle and direction of the fist in real time. If he aimed at a wrong spot, the fist could bounce towards himself or his allies.

But…

Bang-!

“You aren’t supposed to hit the bullseye every single time, no?”

“At least get injured or something after getting hit by all that.”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his senses had reached a supernatural level. After all, he solved all of those calculations with his senses alone. One could even say that his senses were at the same level as Mystics.

Not only that, through the complete control he had of the technique, and his appropriate distribution of his strength, he could deliver such unstoppable blows towards his opponent, even if they figured out the nature of his blows.

Accompanied by the sound of air being ripped, his Hitting the Cow Across The Mountain went straight together with the direction of the fist. Akin to a compressed air bullet exploding, those strikes continued to strike his opponent without stopping.

The punches made it seem like he had eight arms instead of two. Moreover, they straight out ignored the distance between him and his opponent. It wouldn’t be strange if even a large monster turned into a hamburger patty after being beaten by it repeatedly.

And yet…

Crunch-!

“Oh, I see. Is this how you block it?”

“…”

His opponent didn’t even flinch. On the contrary, he could react to his attacks now. It hadn’t even been three minutes since Lee Han started to pull Hitting a Cow Across The Mountain out from his arsenal, yet Maximus had already started finding a countermeasure against it.

But of course…

Bang-!

“Ah! That was a mistake.”

He hadn’t been able to block all of his blows yet, so Lee Han still had the upper hand. But that didn’t stop a vain laugh from escaping his mouth.

The opponent’s superhuman reaction speed was one thing…

And then there was also…

His body is so damn strong!

Lee Han couldn’t help but laugh out loud because he was facing such an absurdly strong body.

What did he mean by absurdly strong?

My hands hurt whenever I hit him!

Lee Han also prided himself on having a strong body, but the guy in front of him was just on another level. In his case, aside from undergoing endless training, he was also beaten by a certain bad-tempered Aura User a lot. Both occasions let him increase his stamina and create Vajra Body, a technique that aimed to make it so that he wouldn’t be beaten by that Aura User anymore. But the man in front of him was just naturally strong.

His skin, muscles, bones, and everything else that made up his body were incredibly tough. If Lee Han’s body was covered in an unconventional form of muscles that was like chains made together, then Maximus’ body was filled with diamonds. He was born with such a body, and through training, he honed it even further.

That was why beating him wouldn’t be easy.

Small attacks would never cut it.

But…

A big one would do it!!

Bang-!

A small explosion occurred inside Lee Han’s body.

This was a technique of gathering power in real time by overlapping his Martial Power.

-Overlapping Marial Power.

It wasn’t a technique that was supposed to be used in real-time combat. He’d need an enormous amount of concentration to even attempt it, so he’d risk destroying himself if he were to be distracted.

But he used it anyway.

Not because he was an ignorant gambler…

That person won’t dodge my strikes.

But because, funnily enough, he trusted his opponent. He was certain that the ignorant guy wouldn’t try to interfere with his technique.

As for why he trusted someone he had only met for a short time that much…

Every Northerner would know the answer to that question.

Anyone who had fought the guy even once would sympathize with Lee Han’s feelings and say this.

It’s because he’s Maximus.

Woong-!

“Hahaha! Your spirit is quite scary!”

And as expected, even though he was exuding such an unusual spirit, Maximus still gave out an energetic response. In fact, he was more joyful than ever at this moment as the excitement of facing an unfamiliar technique stimulated his heart.

Looking at him…

…He really is a unique guy.

Lee Han threw the Hundred Steps Divine Fist containing the power of the Overlapping Martial Power.

Woooooshhh-!

The harmony between the Hundred Steps Divine Fist and Overlapping Martial Power…

It wasn’t just a simple concept of addition. The Hundred Steps Divine Fist’s straight punch was already powerful enough, but now, the bomb called Overlapping Martial power was also thrown into it.

With the weight and strong explosive power overlapping, if someone got hit by it, no matter how strong their body was, there was no way they’d be able to block it.

Though he was strong, his opponent was still a primate made of skin. Lee Han expected that his product face would soon turn crumpled.

Unfortunately for him…

“…Oh, I see. Now I understand. So this is how it’s done.”

Whoosh-!

For a moment, Lee Han suspected that he had gone crazy for a moment there.

…This fucker?!

However, what he was seeing was truly happening. Maximus took the exact same pose as him, as if mirroring him.

Baaang-!

Then, he unleashed his own [Hundred Steps Divine Fist].

Rumble-!

With a similar… No, an even fiercer lightning-like energy.

Damn it! This bastard pretended to be a fool all along—!

That was what Lee Han felt as he watched the two forces clashing.

Rumble-!

Crackle-!

The tunnel, the underground world with a hundred years of history, finally collapsed.

The explosion of the scroll…

The writhing of the Mother Worm…

Those major incidents happened one after another in just a single day, but that wasn’t the worst of it. It was these two Lv. 8s.

In the words of a certain boy, it was a phenomenon that was caused by the colliding strength of the two heroes of the era.

With that in mind, it was only natural that the underground world, which had suffered a huge shock from it, would collapse. Then again, every time those two collided, it felt as if a bombshell had exploded, it would be weirder if it could withstand it.

The tunnel was just a normal human’s construct, after all.

That was why…

“Instructor, everything is going to collapse in thirty minutes at most, so I’m going to run away first.”

“…You’re still here? You’ve worked hard.”

“…I wanted to leave at first, but… I just can’t bring myself to do that.”

The status window guy’s condition was a mess. Then again, he was caught in the middle of two monsters’ fight, it would be surprising if he were fine. If others had experienced the same thing he had experienced, they would immediately curse Lee Han and cut ties with him, but this guy was a kind and honest person unlike most kids these days.

Crumble-!

Despite his own injuries, the status window guy just stared at him—who was pinned against the wall—indifferently and asked…

“Instructor, I’m just asking out of curiosity, but do you want to leave this place with me? No matter how I look at it, there’s no point in continuing this.”

…Kids these days… He didn’t even bother to mince his words when talking to an elder…

Well, he isn’t wrong.

“…I know.”

Of course, Lee Han knew that there was no point to all this.

The two of them had no reason to fight anymore. Whatever difference they had, at the end of the day, their goal was just to catch the cultists hiding inside the tunnel to extract information out of them.

That goal had been accomplished already—although the conclusion was a little bit of a let down. They had found the members of the fanatical organization—thus proving their existence—and succeeded in killing the giant Mother Worm that they raised in the tunnel.

…As a bonus, they even managed to capture Lee Han’s former colleague who seemed to be a high-ranking member of the fanatical organization.

The wise thing to do here would be either gather each other’s opinion about the case or notify each of their superior that they had finished their tasks.

Rumble-!

Especially considering that they were in an underground space where they didn’t know when it would collapse. If they didn’t want to be buried here and die, it would be logical to get out of here now.

The two knights weren’t fools or idiots who didn’t know at least that much. If anything, they were smarter than most.

However…

“You know, ‘back in the day’, I had a bucket list.”

“A bucket list?”

The status window guy blinked at Lee Han’s sudden confession.

He wondered what the knight meant by that, but he just listened to his foolish story without asking any question.

“There’s nothing important in it. I only had ‘fighting with friends and laughing like idiots’ listed there.”

“…?”

“You see, I didn’t have any friends when I was in school. I thought I had, but when I think about it, they weren’t exactly my friends. At best, we were just acquaintances.”

“…”

“So, I envy those people who have friends. I also wanted to fight with my friends over trivial things, do stupid things together, and then just have a cool fight against them. Sure, I might get hurt when I fight, but I still wanted to try it. Back in my time, that was the definition of romance. To fight and become friends…”

“…Rustic Period¹ was hell of a drug, yeah.”

“Right? …Wait, how old were you again? How did you know that?”

Step-!

Suspecting that the guy was actually older than he expected, Lee Han tried to get up.

But when he did, the wall collapsed, hitting him on his cheek.

It was a clean hit.

“Ow, that hurts…”

“…In any case, you’ve accomplished your bucket list, haven’t you?”

“Not really. That guy isn’t my friend. But still…”

Crack-!

“Hahaha! There you are, you flew so far away! Anyway, I never once thought that I’m lacking in gracefulness, but my appearance has turned ugly after all that! Kahahaha!”

Lee Han shook his head from afar at Maximus, who was coming out of the wall, just like him.

“He’s a refreshing fool. It feels like I’ve accomplished half of my bucket list.”

“…”

“You thought I’m crazy, didn’t you? Don’t worry, me too.”

Lee Han relaxed his body.

His aching body was slowly healing. This level of bruise wouldn’t even be considered a wound for him or for his opponent.

To Lee Han, who was moving forward like that…

“Your bucket list… I don’t think it’s a bad thing, Instructor. As long as you don’t hurt each other’s feelings in the end, it should be fine.”

“…”

Sreung-!

“Still, it would be better if you win. That would make you look cooler.”

“…Ha.”

At that moment, the status window guy handed him a sword.

When did he get something like this?

But, he didn’t even give Lee Han the time to ask, as he quickly left the place, carrying Number 4 with him.

“…Well, you got a point.”

Lee Han belatedly answered the guy who was moving away, gripping the sword tightly.

Yeah, even what I’m doing is stupid, and it makes me look like an idiot…

As long as I win, I’d look cool.

Lee Han laughed.

With a more refreshing smile than Maximus’.