Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Jo Won-cheol’s laughter greatly irritated Kang Jun-tae.

To erase the bothersome sound from his ears, Kang Jun-tae gripped the handle of his mace tightly with both hands.

There was no way Jo Won-cheol wouldn’t notice the ominous change in atmosphere.

‘Looks like he’s a bit pissed off, huh?’

With a powerful shout, Kang Jun-tae swung the mace with all his strength.

Jo Won-cheol hurriedly stepped back to avoid the direct hit, but he couldn’t dodge the shockwave that spread out after the mace slammed into the ground.

“Gah!”

The collapse that began from the ground soon broke down the pillars supporting the building.

The structure, unable to withstand the power of an S-rank Hunter, crumbled down.

“This is insane!”

Han Young-seok quickly escaped out of the window before being buried in concrete.

The Hunters who hadn’t made it in time shared the same fate as the collapsing building.

Amid the chaos that buried many alive, Kang Jun-tae and Jo Won-cheol were too focused on their fight to notice.

Emerging through the rubble, Kang Jun-tae chased after the now-evaded Jo Won-cheol onto the streets.

The moment he pinpointed Jo Won-cheol’s location, he swung his mace down again.

Seeing the ground shatter from the impact, Jo Won-cheol’s expression turned pale.

“Are you scared yet?”

“Scared? Of you?”

Kang Jun-tae shot back, maintaining his resolve.

“I’m just following through with the chaos you started!”

With Jo Won-cheol’s light chuckle, he said, “I wasn’t even aiming for you, you know?”

Kang Jun-tae’s strike had been aimed at Seo Sang-ho, not him.

But now, with Kang Jun-tae as the new leader of Titan, he couldn’t just ignore him.

“Whatever… It’s not gonna change the outcome!”

“You’re already gloating like you’ve won. It’s irritating,” Jo Won-cheol replied while preparing himself.

“Ha! There’s no way I’m losing to someone who only knows how to throw a punch.”

Those words stung Kang Jun-tae’s pride.

He could feel his eyebrows twitching in discomfort.

“Let’s see how long you can keep that up.”

Jo Won-cheol smirked confidently. “There’s nothing to keep up; it’ll end with your arms and legs severed.”

He reached into his inventory and pulled out a pair of gauntlets, their fingertips unnaturally sharp, not seeming to be for defensive use.

Once he donned the gauntlets, Jo Won-cheol swung his left hand lightly.

Sensing an unusual energy from the hand that struck like a whip, Kang Jun-tae immediately adjusted his stance.

A gust brushed against his cheek, barely missing him.

A slight cut on his skin barely oozed blood.

“How’s that? Are you scared now?”

“Really? That’s all you’ve got? A razor blade?”

Yet, deep down, Kang Jun-tae acknowledged Jo Won-cheol was not to be underestimated.

From past experience, he knew Jo Won-cheol held a reputation as one of the fastest Hunters out there.

Although his attack power was slightly weaker, Jo Won-cheol had customized items to make up for that.

‘So that’s the unique item made from hunting an S-rank monster.’

Recognizing Jo Won-cheol’s capabilities was unsettling for Kang Jun-tae.

While he had honed his strength alone, Jo Won-cheol boasted speed and aggression in his arsenal.

Kang Jun-tae pondered how his life, dedicated solely to strength, measured up against Jo Won-cheol’s multifaceted skills.

“Hmm.”

Taking a deep breath, Kang Jun-tae raised the mace above his head.

He drew on all his muscles and not just his hands.

“Smash!”

The moment he unleashed the skill, the mace dropped faster than his normal swings.

Crashing into the ground, it shattered everything around, creating a massive tremor.

‘It has this level of power as a basic skill?’

On the shaking ground, Jo Won-cheol couldn’t help but admire the display.

What Kang Jun-tae executed was a fundamental skill for Hunters using striking-type weapons.

Most likely, it was one of his weakest skills.

Even an unfazed Jo Won-cheol had to concede this time.

“I thought you were just strong, but…”

As Kang Jun-tae began slowly recognizing Jo Won-cheol’s unstable footing, the latter was quick to retaliate.

The intention was clear; to prevent Jo Won-cheol from gaining speed.

Acknowledging both his own weaknesses and the opponent’s strengths, he made a decisive move.

“Are you an S-rank Hunter like me?”

Jo Won-cheol stopped underestimating Kang Jun-tae, fully extending his hand.

His palm was unleashed like a spear, barely grazing Kang Jun-tae’s side.

This straightforward attack was easy to read, but it was intentional.

From the beginning, Jo Won-cheol aimed to draw out a gap as his true strategy.

With a swift move, he dodged past Kang Jun-tae, stepping aside from the unstable platform.

“You slippery rat!”

Seeing Jo Won-cheol land safely on the opposite street ignited Kang Jun-tae’s frustration.

“Smash!” No longer holding back, he channeled his anger into another strike aimed at the ground where Jo Won-cheol stood.

With each attempt, Jo Won-cheol avoided outright destruction, seeking safe ground.

As Kang Jun-tae continually demolished the area, he gradually obliterated an entire street without a care.

But no matter the wreckage, his focus remained solely on defeating Jo Won-cheol.

Each time debris fell and dust rose, he was oblivious to any collateral damage.

As for Jo Won-cheol, he couldn’t afford to shy away.

To counter Kang Jun-tae’s relentless advance, he retaliated with sharp winds from his hand.

Time passed, and the streets became unrecognizable amid the destruction.

The fight couldn’t be finished until one of them fell, but both being S-rank Hunters meant this disaster could drag on indefinitely.

What ultimately halted their clash was not either’s will but a sudden burst of golden light that dropped from the sky, separating the two.

“What the hell is this?!”

“Gah!”

The light that fell was no ordinary light.

Momentarily brushing Kang Jun-tae’s arm, it left behind traces of blood.

“Who the hell is that?”

There was no doubt someone had interjected in their battle, but neither Jo Won-cheol nor Kang Jun-tae could guess who it was.

They had never encountered a Hunter who attacked with a blast of light before.

“It’s me, you bastard!”

The familiar line brought forth a face unknown to Jo Won-cheol but well-known to Kang Jun-tae.

“You coward! Come back after hiding?”

“Coward? You think I poisoned someone and stormed into homes just to be called that?”

Kang Jin-hyuk chuckled ironically, an expression of disbelief on his weary face.

“Furious, are we? You have every right.”

Kang Jin-hyuk had quite the argument against them, especially since they were the ones he’d entrusted with poisoning Seo Sang-ho.

In that position, any excuse couldn’t serve against the mockery coming from them.

Moreover, they weren’t even S-rank Hunters—not yet, but C-rank Hunters.

Kang Jin-hyuk managed to approach them, his posture that of defiance against the duo amidst the escalating chaos.

“You want to learn a lesson, don’t you?”

“I’ll gladly show you.”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s posture remained steady, perception like steel as he faced off against the two before him.

“Are you going to fall back alone, or will you ask for a helping hand?”

While previously he could have counted on Jo Won-cheol for support, that time was gone now.

So, finding no more debate in the face of impending doom coming their way, he advanced.

“Stand by; I will deal with that arrogant brat!”

Upon hearing Kang Jin-hyuk’s remarks, Jo Won-cheol shrugged.

“Go right ahead; you’ll be the one taking the blame if he knocks you out.”

Jo Won-cheol wanted to sneer at Kang Jin-hyuk, unable to bear the interruption, yet the tone rang ominously, foreshadowing the battle.

He had a few unfinished business memes he wanted to settle.

“I don’t need three minutes!”

Jo Won-cheol hadn’t lost sight of Kang Jun-tae, eager for what awaited them.

The emerging conflict called upon vengeance.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk, fueled by the anger churning from their past into this encounter, meant for all of this to conclude.

The kind of revenge where he wouldn’t leave any room for laughter.

“Let’s go.”

With Jo Won-cheol standing ahead, who once led his guild, determination shone within them.

As Kang Jin-hyuk began, pulling attention away from Jo Won-cheol, no one would stand a chance to intervene without defiance.