Ch.4Became a Monster (4)

I don’t know when or which subcultural game was the first.

But at some point, subcultural games began celebrating their survival not just at the 1-year mark, but at the 0.5-year mark as well, holding events every six months.

Usually during these anniversary events, they would distribute what’s called “fodder”—resources for users tired of various pay-to-win elements.

But our game, <Monster Frontline>.

Looking back now, this bastard probably thought it had too many users at its 0.5-year mark to be generous.

It wasn’t until the 1.5-year anniversary that they held an event, and that’s when the warning signs were already visible.

[A Violence Monster appears in Hero City?! You’ll need heroes’ exclusive equipment to defeat it!]

Come on, anniversary events are supposed to feature endless amounts of fodder and quality-of-life improvements, right?

Instead of such luxurious offerings, <Monster Frontline>’s 1.5-year anniversary event consisted only of news about heroes’ exclusive equipment updates and 100 free gacha pulls (non-transferable).

But back then, whether I was naive or just stupid…

“Wow, 100 free pulls?!”

With my brain completely fried, I just grinned happily at what amounted to about 300,000 won worth of fodder.

That evening…

“Why won’t this bastard die?!”

The event boss mob that could only be defeated with exclusive equipment.

The heroes’ exclusive equipment that cost about 600,000 won per person when fully upgraded to defeat the Violence Monster.

And you could have up to five heroes in a party.

“My… my head… is… exploding…!”

After breaking into my savings and my skull to sink 3 million won into it…

I ended up spending ten times more than the non-transferable fodder they’d given out, condemning myself to two months of eating nothing but ramen during that 1.5-year anniversary.

‘It was about a month and a half later, wasn’t it? After eating only ramen, I collapsed from anemia and had to break into my savings again for hospital bills.’

My dark history of being hospitalized because of girls made of zeros and ones.

It happened more than 10 years ago, but I still can’t forget it.

If they had been real women, I could at least memorialize getting scammed, but who could I tell about being scammed by game characters?

But what’s this?

They say you meet your enemies on a narrow bridge.

The culprit who gave me my first heartbreak… no, who literally made me collapse and experience the pain of a hospital bed.

The Violence Monster.

This son of a… no, this monster bastard. As I recognized who it was, like a puppy unafraid of a tiger…

“Grrrr…!”

“Gruk?”

The bastard who gave me both the pain of being scammed and anemia at the same time.

Currently on the verge of tearing apart female soldiers.

I walked up behind him, and just as he was enjoying himself, he sensed my rage-filled presence and turned to face me with that shameless 3-million-won face.

Slap.

I immediately delivered a rage-filled slap.

But then.

“KIEEEEEK?!”

Blood splattered everywhere in that moment?

Whoosh…

No way, I just slapped his cheek once.

What an overreaction—literally like popcorn popping, his sharp teeth spilled out of his mouth as he flew endlessly in the direction I had hit him.

Thud!

The Violence Monster crashed into the department store wall he had just destroyed earlier, coughing up blood.

“…Gruk?”

‘Huh?’

Despite appearances, until just a week ago, I was an ordinary salaryman.

In other words, I was far from being someone who made a fist, and even when hitting a monster, perhaps unconsciously having become a normal member of society…

I had slapped him with an open hand rather than a fist to minimize damage.

Yet why was the kid’s face a bloody mess?

“The… the Horned Monster… attacked the Violence Monster?”

“What’s going on? Internal conflict?”

“No, wait… did he just take down a Grade 1 monster with a single blow?”

Meanwhile, the female soldiers who witnessed my actions began their own strange interpretations.

Is a slap even counted as a “blow” in the first place?

More importantly, they shouldn’t be standing around like this.

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEK—!!”

“Eek?!”

“The, the Violence Monster…”

“It’s starting to transform!”

Despite appearances, he was a Grade 1 monster.

When I played <Monster Frontline>, “Special Grade monsters” hadn’t yet been implemented due to balance issues.

In other words, he was essentially among the highest-tier monsters I could remember.

And like all games, the Violence Monster, as a “boss mob,” had a system called “phase transition” where it would seem dead but then revive.

“This… this can’t be…”

“The Violence Monster’s appearance…!”

If I remember correctly, the Violence Monster had three lives.

It was a monster you had to fight three times through 3 phases.

And now entering the 2nd phase, arms were growing from its back…

Crack. Crack!

“Gruk?”

“This… this can’t be! Six arms!”

“The Violence Monster’s arms have increased to six!”

“Are they sprouting from its sides and back? Anyway, there’s nothing good about getting involved in a battle between monsters. Retreat immediately!”

“””Yes, understood!”””

Huh?

I thought the six arms appeared in the hidden 4th phase after the final 3rd phase ended?

‘How painful was my slap to him?’

Watching the Violence Monster reveal all its trump cards from the start, while its arms were still growing but its teeth were falling out one by one, I felt somewhat guilty.

I decided to apologize for knocking out his teeth like popcorn.

“Gr, gruk…”

‘I’m sorry if it hurt…’

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!”

***

One fundamental way to make humans suddenly tremble in fear.

Violence.

The Violence Monster, born from the fear of violence, wanted to showcase its violence to the world, true to its name.

Especially to a species other than its own kind that created them.

To humans, it was planning to demonstrate its power as if by “instinct.”

But right after being born and crossing over to the human world.

During what was a mere month for a monster, while it had been constantly feeling superior…

Slap.

What on earth was ‘this’?

A being that displayed even greater violence than itself, the symbol of violence?

Moreover, upon realizing that it was one of its own kind, it felt as if its very existence was being denied.

For the first time, its “pride” was scratched.

Unwilling to accept this, Violence began to rampage, and perhaps thanks to the “considerable shock” of having all its teeth knocked out…

It was able to immediately awaken to its ultimate form, its strongest appearance.

“KYAAAAK! KYAAAAAAAK!!”

Kill it.

The one who uses violence better than me.

Whether it’s my own kind or not, I’ll kill it!

With that, the Violence Monster, now with six arms, leaped high into the sky and fell upon the horned-masked creature of its kind who was just standing there blankly.

Simultaneously beginning a rush of punches.

True to its name of Violence, it mercilessly pummeled its kind into the ground, causing the earth to sink and creating a dust storm.

“SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS—!!”

Eventually creating a massive crater and causing an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher throughout Y City.

“SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS—!!”

But regardless of that.

Regardless of whether the continent split into islands.

Befitting the Violence Monster.

Befitting the symbol of violence!

The Violence Monster, which had been relentlessly pounding the ground with its six arms without rest…

“GRAAAAA!”

For the finishing blow, gathered all its fists in one place and struck down at the bone mask.

BOOM.

For a moment, it seemed as if all of Hero City beyond Y City shook.

In fact, the tremor could be felt, albeit very faintly, even in A City, which was almost at the edge of Y City.

When such one-sided violence finally ended.

“GR, GRAAAAA!”

The one screaming was naturally the one who was hit…

“GRAAAAAAA!”

“…Gruk?”

‘…Hey, are you okay?’

…or not. Like an egg hitting a rock.

With all six arms shattered, the Violence Monster itself was screaming in pain, having fallen backward into the deeply dug crater.

“GR, GRAAK! GRAAAAK!”

It couldn’t even clench its fists.

All its finger bones had torn through flesh and protruded outward.

At first, it hadn’t noticed at all.

Until its brain was completely covered with adrenaline, befitting its name of Violence.

“GRAAK! GRAK!”

The Violence Monster, which momentarily couldn’t feel pain, was certain of its victory.

It never dreamed it would be so miserably defeated.

Then it suddenly looked ahead.

Thud. Thud.

The nameless creature of its kind, standing up as if nothing had happened, just dusting off the dirt on its body.

Seeing the one who remained perfectly fine despite its all-out attack, for some reason…

Shudder.

A monster born from human fear was feeling fear just like a human.

“GR, GRAAA…!”

It was absurd.

It couldn’t be.

One of the core fears that could make humans tremble in fear!

“GR, GRAA… GRAAAAA!”

This shouldn’t happen.

For one who wields violence to be subjected to violence and tremble in “fear”!

Faced with this reality, the Violence Monster, with all six arms broken, nevertheless squeezed out its last strength to leap up and swing a kick at the unidentified creature of its kind.

But.

Crack.

Even that leg shattered instantly like an egg hitting a rock.

And simultaneously.

“Grrruk.”

‘This is revenge for my 3 million won.’

A blow combining scam + anemia + dark history.

This time, with a fist instead of a palm, as soon as Kang Jeong-hoon’s attack touched its face, the Violence Monster, in a manner that belied its name…

Literally went POP!

“Gr, gruk?!”

‘Uh, what?’

Subjected to such “tremendous violence” that even the attacker himself was surprised, it instantly had its head exploded and vanished.