#019.
‘It’s over!’
Chief Choi, confirming the clean counter had landed, stepped in to separate the two.
“Hmph hmph hmph.”
Minseok, humming as he returned to the neutral corner.
‘That guy’s the real deal!’
With his gaze fixed on his opponent’s abdomen, a devastating hook flew from the blind spot.
It was an attack that surprised even Chief Choi, but Minseok had overcome even that.
As if he had known it was coming, he planted a counter with perfect timing.
A clean counter delivered several times the impact of a normal punch.
‘With this, he won’t get up.’
He didn’t spare a single thought for the safety of Yeongung, who had spent three years at the gym.
He was thoroughly pleased at having witnessed another side of Minseok.
“Stop….”
He was just about to cross his arms to halt the sparring.
“…It’s not over yet.”
Yeongung, who had been knocked down, raised himself up.
“Huh?”
Why?
A counter of that magnitude should have knocked him out cold.
“I can still do this.”
“….”
The surprised Chief Choi stared straight into Yeongung’s eyes.
They weren’t unfocused or cloudy.
“Look at this.”
He moved his fingers about, and the pupils followed.
‘His consciousness is clear.’
Surprisingly, he was perfectly fine.
For a moment, Chief Choi was conflicted.
Was it really okay to let the sparring continue?
“He’s fine. Let’s continue.”
From behind, Minseok spoke to Chief Choi.
There was no rise in his voice, but it was clear he was somewhat angry.
A brief moment of deliberation.
“You can do it?”
“Yes.”
But since Chief Choi was in a position where he needed to recruit Minseok, he couldn’t stop the sparring.
‘Perfect. If he burns with competitive spirit like this, he might change his mind.’
Rather, he saw this as an opportunity.
Because burning with competitive spirit might give rise to a longing to turn pro.
‘I have no choice but to hope Yeongung puts up a good fight.’
Please, don’t let it end too easily.
Stimulate his fighting spirit and lead him toward going pro.
Chief Choi’s eyes, as he let the match continue, were filled with greed.
*
‘What a greedy fellow.’
I can see it.
Chief Choi’s ambition to continue the match.
Well, it’s not that I can’t understand.
With that delinquent bastard’s talent, he could easily aim for the world stage.
Raising such a figure in a neighborhood gym like this is practically impossible.
He wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity that had somehow fallen into his lap.
So it’s fortunate.
Only if their match continues will Yeongung’s true worth be revealed.
Driiing!
Soon the match resumed.
Even though the afterimage of that counter still lingered, Yeongung advanced aggressively.
The hell training had affected not just his body but his mental fortitude as well.
While he wasn’t the same madman he had been before the regression, he had reached a level where he could shake off considerable mental pressure.
Thwack!
Blocking the delinquent’s jab with his guard, he kept charging forward.
Of course, matching those steps wasn’t easy.
He moved about brilliantly, sticking jabs through the openings.
Though his guard was broken and he allowed attacks to his face, his eyes still shone.
Steadily eating away at the space, he cornered the delinquent.
And.
Puwook!
What he chose was a body blow.
Because you had to strike the abdomen to deaden the legs, and only then could that speed not be unleashed.
It was the textbook method for an in-fighter to face an out-boxer, but the delinquent possessed far more talent than anticipated.
“Kk-ung.”
A groan escaped once more.
But the one who let out that groan wasn’t the delinquent—it was Yeongung.
It couldn’t be helped, because blocking Yeongung’s punch to the abdomen was an elbow.
Elbow guard.
‘Amazing combat sense.’
He hadn’t been learning boxing for long.
Yet being able to execute an elbow guard, one of the advanced techniques, was virtually proof that his talent was real.
The gap in their levels was evident.
But.
Ppuok!
There was no hesitation in Yeongung’s movements.
“My…!”
“Too reckless.”
Sighs poured out from the crowd.
It couldn’t be helped.
Abdomen, abdomen, abdomen!
Yeongung’s fists kept targeting the same spot as if there were nowhere else to attack.
Of course, he was blocked by the elbow guard every time.
‘Moron!’
Minseok sneered at that recklessness.
‘Hit all you want. I’ll completely destroy your fists.’
Any intention to go easy?
None whatsoever.
He’d destroy those fists and cripple him.
Hwoong!
His fist, which was surely cracked, headed for the abdomen once more.
He could easily dodge it if he wanted.
But his goal was to torment the loser standing before him, the guy who should naturally be his prey.
When he stepped on someone, he stomped them thoroughly.
Because only then could he claim Yeonji, his true target.
Tingle.
But something was strange.
‘Hm?’
A numbing pain flared in his elbow as if electricity had run through it.
By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.
Hwoong!
Yeongung’s fist, which was clearly a wreck, was once again rushing toward his abdomen.
“Shit!”
He cursed without realizing it.
He tried to block, but his elbow wouldn’t move.
He hurriedly took steps trying to move sideways, but.
Ppuwook!
“Heouk!”
His fingers were definitely broken.
But what the hell was with this destructive power?
Breathing out at the terrible pain rising from his abdomen, he threw a jab with his right arm instead of his immobile left.
The goal was to buy time to create distance, but.
Puk!
Allowing a clean hit, Yeongung burrowed into his chest.
Ppuwook!
“Kkeueok!”
Body blow once again.
This time, his relatively intact left fist dug into the abdomen.
Due to the tremendous destructive power, Minseok’s 180-centimeter frame briefly floated in the air before landing.
His vision was blurred.
‘…I can’t see.’
The terrible pain had caused a problem with his optic nerve.
‘R-run.’
Feeling fear from a pain he had never once experienced, Minseok took a step.
‘I can’t miss this!’
It was an opportunity gained by sacrificing his right arm.
If he missed this chance, he would lose this sparring.
The moment he caught up to Minseok’s step in a single stride and tried to plant another fist in his abdomen.
“Stop!”
Chief Choi, who had been watching, intervened.
And at the same time.
Clang!
The bell rang, signaling the end of the round.
“Hah, haak!”
The breathless Minseok was led to the neutral corner.
“….”
The one who led Yeongung, who had been blankly staring at that sight, was—
“Let’s go.”
It was Choi Yeonji.
She quickly took Yeongung to the neutral corner and—
“Ah!”
She touched his shattered right fist.
If Chief Choi, her father, hadn’t intervened, Yeongung could have finished it with that strike.
But he had missed the opportunity, and it was a golden chance that wouldn’t come again.
“…Give up.”
Yeonji pressed him to give up.
She wasn’t a doctor, but she knew that if the sparring continued like this, he might never be able to use his arm again.
No matter how important the sparring was, no matter how determined he was, now was not the time.
“….”
Yeongung leaned his back against the corner, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a sigh.
‘Is it over?’
Through two weeks of hell training, he had obtained some results.
Of course, it would have been better if he had won, but he had shown possibility, so he was satisfied with that….
“Are you really satisfied with that?”
Was it the devil’s whisper?
He turned his head at the voice he suddenly heard.
Standing there was Shin Yoonchan, who had come to find him unexpectedly.
The culprit behind the two weeks of hell training, the devil, was whispering.
In one hand, he held gloves and a bottle of pills that he had somehow brought.
*
Hell training via wild ginseng and zombie-like(?).
Thanks to that, he possessed a tough body and powerful strength built through muscle development.
‘That alone can’t overcome the difference in talent.’
Given roughly two to three months, he would have overwhelmed Minseok.
But if that had happened.
‘He probably wouldn’t have awakened.’
He felt it during training.
What was blocking Yeongung’s growth wasn’t the physical, but the mental.
The bullying he had suffered in the past, the inferiority complex caused by it—without a doubt, all of it had influenced him.
That’s why he had planned this stage.
He had hoped to match Yeongung against the delinquent bastard, who possessed intimidating talent and had existed as a predator from the past to the present, to overcome his mental block.
The effect was a great success.
‘That must definitely have played a major role.’
Others might not have seen it, but I saw clearly.
That when cornered, during a clinch, the delinquent had muttered something.
He could guess that it was something related to Choi Yeonji.
That had stimulated Yeongung, and through that, he overcame his mental block.
Because a man originally displays true strength when protecting someone precious.
As expected, he overcame his mental problem.
The guy had escaped the cocoon that had bound him, and it was just about to bear fruit.
That’s why he mustn’t lose this sparring.
Somehow, he had to obtain the fruits of his efforts and escape the cocoon to become a butterfly.
『+99(★) Dunggeundang Strong Bones Calcium
Category: Consumable (Pill)
Durability: None
Unique Effect: Temporarily increases bone strength by a small amount
Reinforcement Effect (9/99): Bone strength increase duration moderately increases
Reinforcement Effect (15/99): For 10 minutes, bone status changes to “Unchipped” (Does not apply to stronger effects)
Reinforcement Effect (20/99): For 10 minutes, bone status changes to “Unbreakable” (Does not apply to stronger effects)
……
Reinforcement Effect (99/99): All bone reinforcement duration changes to 1 hour
Maxed Effect (Max): Immune to fracture effects for 3 minutes
Transcendence Effect: Removes all fracture-related status ailments
Description: A calcium health supplement manufactured by Dunggeundang Pharmaceutical Company. Strong bones, strong mind!』
Just in case, he had prepared all emergency medicine.
Of course, the emergency medicine he had prepared was a very special one that had undergone transcendence reinforcement.
Among them, this Strong Bones Calcium was a very special nutritional supplement that healed all fractures just by consuming it.
“Eat.”
He took out one of the ten pills and tossed it into Yeongung’s mouth.
“Is it okay to eat this?”
The surprised Choi Yeonji questioned him, but.
Gulp.
Yeongung, paying no heed to her question, diligently swallowed the pill.
In that moment.
“Whoo—”
He let out a sigh of relief.
“Thanks, as always.”
Bowing his head, he expressed his gratitude.
“Not at all.”
‘Compared to what you did for me in the past, this is nothing.’
It was Yeongung who had made him a human being when he had possessed no other talent besides his reinforcement ability.
That’s why he had spent two weeks to make him a proper person.
Just as he had done for him before the regression.
‘Of course, it’s not just to repay the favor.’
Two weeks.
He hadn’t just played around during this blood-like time.
Thanks to that, he felt he could approach his planned matters more quickly.
“Huh?”
Choi Yeonji stared in shock at Yeongung rotating his arm.
“You, your arm….”
“It’s fine.”
A familiar reaction.
It couldn’t be helped.
Because he had fed him all sorts of good things for two weeks.
At first he had been suspicious, but now like a baby bird receiving food from its mother, he simply opened his mouth wide.
He had treated the fracture with the calcium supplement.
But that wasn’t the end of the preparations.
“Here.”
He handed black gloves to Yeongung.
『+99(★) 14-Ounce Gloves
Category: Gloves
Durability: 20/20
Unique Effect: None
Reinforcement Effect (9/99): Fist power increases by a minuscule amount
Reinforcement Effect (15/99): Fist speed increases by a minuscule amount
Reinforcement Effect (20/99): Fist power and speed increase by a small amount
……
Reinforcement Effect (99/99): Fist power, speed, and accuracy increase by a small amount
Maxed Effect (Max): Exhibits Critical Hit at an extremely low probability (Power increase 50%)
Transcendence Effect: Exhibits Devastating Blow at a low probability (Power increase 70%)
Description: 14-ounce sparring gloves. With transcendence reinforcement added, fist power, speed, and accuracy have risen considerably.
The moment you equip these, you too are a pro boxer!』
And.
『+99(★) Red Headgear
Category: Headgear
Durability: 25/25
Unique Effect: None
Reinforcement Effect (9/99): All strike-type damage to the face decreases by a minuscule amount
Reinforcement Effect (15/99): All strike-type damage to the face decreases by a very small amount
Reinforcement Effect (20/99): All strike-type damage to the face decreases by a small amount
……
Reinforcement Effect (99/99): Probability of dodging enemy attacks increases by a small amount
Maxed Effect (Max): Weaving skill effect slightly increases
Transcendence Effect: Weaving skill effect moderately increases
Description: Red headgear crafted for sparring. Possesses the ability to elevate all strike-type damage to the face and weaving skill by one stage.』
Gloves and headgear.
They weren’t treasure-tier items imbued with special abilities, so even with reinforcement they didn’t change much, but.
‘In modern times, this is more than enough.’
In modern society, which lacked traits and singularities, even this much displayed abilities worthy of being called cheating.
*Tighten.*
Without a shred of doubt, he swapped the gloves and headgear and fastened the straps.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Then go. Go right now and smash that damned delinquent’s face in.”
“Of course.”
Pang!
The guy who had recovered from the fracture bumped fists, revealing his confidence.
Clang!
The bell for the final third round rang, signaling the start.
Tatatat!
The delinquent rushed in the moment the round began.
‘Good recovery.’
Truly blessed talent.
Having seemingly recovered his body in that short time, he charged fiercely.
In contrast, Yeongung—
“….”
Silently raised his guard and waited for the delinquent.
And slowly.
Ssk, sswook—
He began weaving in a figure-eight pattern.
Papapat!
Just like before.
He unleashed consecutive jabs with tremendous dynamic vision, but.
“Huh?”
“He’s missing?”
The results were different.
The delinquent’s somewhat elaborate jabs couldn’t land effectively.
‘This is different from before.’
The effect of the skill called Weaving had jumped significantly.
Yeongung’s current weaving was at the level of a decent pro—no, not inferior to a ranked boxer.
No matter how much innate talent the delinquent had, it was impossible to read the movements of a ranked boxer.
Not being checked by the most bothersome jab meant Yeongung’s feet were freed.
Kkuuk.
Putting strength into his thumb.
Paat!
Explosively dashing, he closed the distance in an instant.
Hwuung!
From right to left, a fierce hook that split the wind followed.
But the delinquent was no ordinary fighter either.
In that fleeting moment, he set his stance to counter and thrust his fist like a bullet.
If it had been moments ago, the delinquent’s fist would have been faster.
But now Yeongung was receiving help from the transcendence-reinforced gloves.
Tik.
In the midst of it, he weaved his head aside and dodged the delinquent’s attack.
Ppyeong!
An enormous roar like an explosion burst out.
Hwiriririk!
A person was spinning in the air.
‘Devastating Blow?’
Most likely, a Devastating Blow had triggered.
Because otherwise, no matter how transcendent the gloves were, they couldn’t produce such power.
Kudangtang!
The delinquent, who had spun several times in the air, fell face-down on the ring.
“M-Minseok!”
The surprised chief hurriedly ran over to check his condition.
No response.
From a brief examination, he appeared to have fainted from the sudden impact to his head.
After briefly checking the delinquent’s condition, the chief—
“Yeongung!”
After only confirming he was conscious, he immediately approached Yeongung.
“You rascal. You never showed it before. That’s right, I always thought you’d make it big!”
He had beaten Minseok, whom he had thought possessed overwhelming talent.
Naturally, the chief’s next target had to be Yeongung.
“Uwahahaha!”
The chief laughed as if in a good mood.
He had shown no interest just moments ago—truly shameless.
But Shin Yoonchan’s interest in him ended there.
“….”
He stared silently at the fallen delinquent.
‘Probably….’
If my prediction is correct, something that happened in the past will occur ahead of schedule.
*
A street ruled by darkness.
In a dark alleyway where even the lights on the signs were mostly out.
Chalpak.
Someone appeared, stepping on filth.
In a black hat and windbreaker, entirely dressed in black, he was—
“Bastards!”
It was Minseok.
In the afternoon, he had been knocked out for thirty minutes from the sparring with Yeongung before waking up.
Overcome with humiliation at failing to deal with a single loser, he had fled the gym.
Of course, no one tried to stop him.
Chief Choi’s attention was already fixed on Yeongung, and Minseok left that place as if he had never existed from the start.
“How dare you treat me like shit? Fuck, goddammit!”
Thanks to his innate athletic gifts, he had always been classified as someone special everywhere he went.
And now they dared to give him the cold shoulder?
He couldn’t forget those cold eyes.
‘Especially that loser bastard and that girl.’
He burned with revenge toward Yeongung and Yeonji, the root cause of all this.
Swish!
He splashed a container of gasoline, brought from a gas station, onto the buildings around the gym.
“Everyone who ignored me must die.”
For this twisted person, there was no longer any thought of working hard and trying again.
He had found a way to vent the rage inside him somehow, and that was arson.
‘I’ll definitely find that bastard and kill him too.’
Yeongung should have been the first target, but since he didn’t know his whereabouts immediately, Chief Choi’s father and daughter had to be the easiest targets.
Because the second floor here was where the father and daughter lived.
Kwakwakwakwak!
He busily moved about, pouring gasoline.
As he was steadily progressing with his plan.
“Typical delinquent bastard. Once a thug, always a thug.”
Huh?!
Like a thief whose foot had fallen asleep, he hurriedly turned his head at the suddenly heard voice.
“You…?”
Standing there was the one who had acted with Yeongung—none other than Shin Yoonchan.
Despite the suddenly frigid weather, he was dressed in short sleeves and shorts.
“….”
He quickly scanned the surroundings.
Late dawn.
Naturally, there were no signs of people around.
If so.
‘I’ll take care of this quickly.’
He didn’t look that strong.
He’d quickly take him down and burn him along with this building.
Minseok, thinking so.
Pat!
Taking his unique steps, he closed the distance in an instant.
“Bastard—”
Cursing, he swung his fist.
Although he had lost to Yeongung, that movement unleashing full power from the start was not that of an amateur.
But.
Sswik.
“…??”
Like sliding, he moved to the side and simply dodged the rushing fist.
By a hair’s breadth—a difference so minute he could feel it on the tip of his cheek—the fist brushed past.
“Sorry I’m not a piece of shit.”
Along with the voice heard at that moment.
“I haven’t been slacking off either.”
In that instant, Minseok could see it.
A fist filling his entire vision. With no time to react whatsoever, that fist struck his face squarely!
Ppuwook!
The counter, augmented by the momentum of his own charge, was more than enough to blast away Minseok’s consciousness.