Chapter 15: Blood Demon Art （3）
“……!”
His mind snapped back to reality.
In his restored vision, he saw blood splattered everywhere and Lizardmen rushing towards him.
He felt a sense of disconnect.
Just a moment ago, it felt like he could slaughter all those Lizardmen, but now he couldn’t muster any strength.
‘Is this a side effect of Madman?’
His legs trembled.
Although Guardian’s Will had fully restored his health, there was a problem that couldn’t be explained by mere numbers.
Kyaak!
Kang San hurriedly swung his sword at the Lizardman’s attack. With a clang, Kang San’s body was pushed back. At that moment, he was certain. The Madman effect of the Blood Demon Art had a side effect that wasn’t displayed in the ‘Skill’ description. It seemed like his stats temporarily decreased after the Madman effect ended.
‘Fighting head-on is suicide.’
He made a quick judgment.
There was no way he, barely exceeding the average stats of an E-rank, could handle so many Lizardmen in his current state.
Fortunately, time was on his side.
From then on, Kang San took a defensive stance.
He actively utilized the 2x defense boost effect, buying as much time as possible until the military arrived.
And not long after.
“Exterminate all the monsters!”
The Capital Defense Force, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Company.
The ones Kang San had been desperately waiting for finally arrived.
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Initial response.
The military’s response was swift.
Their promise to arrive within 5 minutes wasn’t a lie, and the situation was resolved almost ridiculously fast once they appeared on the scene.
“Form a perimeter to prevent the Lizardmen from escaping. Now, it’s time to k*ll all these lizard bastards!”
“K*ll them all!”
The 2nd Company Commander.
At his command, the soldiers fired their monster-specific weapons in unison.
Tatatatatatatatatat!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Magical weapons spewed fire.
Machine guns fired powerful magic bullets that could pierce even the tough hides of monsters, and flamethrowers melted the Lizardmen’s hides with scorching flames. The emergence of Hunters didn’t mean the disappearance of soldiers. Those without abilities needed their own way to survive, and after extensive research, they too learned how to deal with monsters. Of course, there was the problem of firearms being ineffective against high-ranked monsters, but in situations like this, they had their strength as protectors.
Slaughter.
The Lizardmen were being killed off.
As if proving that an E-rank Link was no big deal, the Lizardmen who had been slaughtering civilians scattered in all directions like lizards cutting off their tails and running away.
The law of the jungle.
They had become the weak.
The powerful predator, the military, quickly wiped out the Lizardmen.
“Huff, huff.”
Kang San breathed heavily.
The trembling that started in his legs spread throughout his body.
His mind was hazy, and the corners of his parched mouth, which he had bitten countless times, had a metallic taste.
“……What the h*ll just happened to me.”
He was confused.
The effect of the Blood Demon Art.
It had activated without any explanation, leaving Kang San with immense power and immense confusion.
His still trembling body remembered the sensation of that moment. His overall stats hadn’t yet exceeded the limits of E-rank, but he had an overwhelming confidence that he could do anything. In fact, for a brief moment, Kang San displayed movements that toyed with the Lizardmen. Dodging attacks with beast-like movements and precisely targeting vital points, he had eliminated a whopping 10 Lizardmen in a short amount of time.
He calmed his ragged breathing.
Then he saw the scene before him.
The opponents he had struggled so desperately to survive against were being wiped out in an instant.
“Is this reality?”
A chuckle escaped his lips.
It was absurd.
The Blood Demon Art.
Even after gaining the power of a demon, this was all he amounted to.
What a pathetic reality.
The Blood Demon had lived as he pleased and died, but he, a powerless weakling, was bearing the burden of the Blood Demon’s karma.
‘My role is over.’
He struggled to his feet.
He didn’t want to brag about what he had done.
He hadn’t done it for recognition in the first place.
A choice to prove himself.
Although something incomprehensible had happened, the side effect of the Blood Demon Art, he had found some answers to the questions that had initially motivated him.
With that, Kang San left the scene.
After the battle ended.
The 2nd Company Commander looked for the hero who appeared on the CCTV.
“Where did that person go?”
“I’m not sure, sir.”
The Battalion Commander’s order.
He had to give some kind of reward, but no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find Kang San.
In the end, he gave up.
The person didn’t seem to want a reward, and there was no reason to stubbornly search for someone who had avoided the spotlight.
And a faceless figure.
He seemed like a brave citizen who just happened to be passing by.
But there was one person.
Someone who recognized Kang San’s face.
He was initially unsure due to the unkempt beard and pale complexion, but he couldn’t help but recognize Kang San.
“That definitely looks like Kang San-nim.”
The newest recruit of the Capital Defense Force.
It was Kim Chun-sik, a 30-year-old Private.
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Kim Chun-sik’s enlistment was due to a combination of reasons.
Once his grandmother’s surgery was successfully completed, there was no reason for Kim Chun-sik to risk his life to earn money.
The immediate need for surgery costs had been resolved.
Now, he needed a safe and stable source of income, so after much deliberation, Kim Chun-sik came to the conclusion that he should enlist in the military. As the world changed, the military gradually introduced a voluntary enlistment system and offered salaries comparable to or even exceeding those of ordinary office workers to those who volunteered. As the old saying goes, a job that feeds off the nation’s coffers never leaves you hungry. Moreover, since most applicants tend to be those with little to no abilities, even as an F-rank human shield, Kim Chun-sik’s experience would be valued in the military.
It was perfect.
He could build his career in the military and use the stable, regular salary to cover his grandmother’s medical expenses.
But there was another decisive reason for Kim Chun-sik.
‘I want to help others like Kang San-nim.’
Kang San.
He was truly an amazing person.
In a situation where he could have died, he willingly risked his life to save strangers he had never met.
The fragmented memories of that time.
Just thinking about it made his emotions surge.
How could someone make such a bold decision?
Kim Chun-sik wanted to be like Kang San.
He wanted the strength to save people in dangerous situations, like Kang San, and the power to never leave his grandmother alone and d*e, no matter what happened. The conclusion of these complex reasons was to become a soldier. As a Hunter, he lacked talent, with not even a single skill, but he believed that if he honed his skills with weapons in the military, he could become stronger.
A determination to succeed no matter what.
That’s what made Kim Chun-sik who he was today.
Thanks to his recognized experience as a Hunter, he received a short 2-week training and was assigned to the Capital Defense Force.
And his first real-life experience.
Kim Chun-sik recognized Kang San at a glance.
His haggard appearance and unkempt beard were different from before, but Kim Chun-sik couldn’t mistake his benefactor.
‘But why did he just leave?’
The story of a passing Hunter coincidentally stopping a Link was a common occurrence, happening every now and then. Even so, there was no reason to just leave. Since voluntary acts of helping people during Links usually warranted rewards, Kang San’s choice didn’t make sense.
If he had at least revealed his name, they would have found him and given him a reward.
But Kang San vanished like a ghost, and the 2nd Company Commander pretended to look for him before quickly giving up.
“We’ll start the cleanup now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cleanup.
What a nasty task.
Cleaning up corpses and erasing traces, one of the many chores soldiers had to do.
There were specialized personnel for this, but as always, soldiers were the convenient workforce deployed for everything.
As if displeased, one of the seniors needlessly shifted the blame elsewhere.
“That person who stopped the monsters before we arrived. Don’t you think he might be a criminal? He helped people by chance, but then ran away as soon as his identity might be revealed. Why else would he…….”
“Sergeant Park.”
“Huh?”
“That person is not like that. Please don’t speak carelessly.”
Sergeant Park.
In the current military system, where promotion tests were held annually, Sergeant Park, who was in his third year, frowned.
His statement might have crossed the line.
But the problem was that it was a Private who pointed it out.
Sergeant Park, looking dumbfounded at Kim Chun-sik’s serious expression, spoke in a bewildered tone.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Well…….”
Kim Chun-sik fell into deep thought.
He had spoken up because he didn’t want his benefactor to be insulted, but he couldn’t reveal the story related to him.
‘He might not want his name to be revealed.’
Kang San, who had left abruptly.
There must be a reason behind Kang San’s choice.
But it didn’t seem right for him to presumptuously step forward and ramble on about his benefactor’s story.
So Kim Chun-sik racked his brains.
An excuse that fit the current situation, wouldn’t harm his benefactor, and would praise his benefactor’s achievements.
“Actually, I was ordered by the 2nd Company Commander to get that person’s contact information. But he told me he didn’t want his name to be revealed.”
“Why? He would get a reward, there’s no reason to refuse.”
“When incidents like today happen, people only care about highlighting the name of the hero and gossiping about them. So he said he didn’t want his good intentions to become a plaything for the media, and if he were to receive a reward, he’d rather it be used to treat the injured. Remembering the incident and taking care of the victims. He said that would be the greatest reward for him.”
‘That’s quite convincing.’
Kim Chun-sik realized for the first time that he was this good with words.
He was surprised himself as he spoke, but he maintained a calm expression and seriously conveyed Kang San’s words （?）.
Sergeant Park looked embarrassed.
If that was the case, he had made a grave mistake.
He had accused a hero who had left with good intentions of being a criminal.
“I’m really sorry if that’s the case.”
Kim Chun-sik’s story.
This would soon be reported to higher-ups.
They would have to report something about Kang San, wouldn’t they?
But before that.
“But Chun-sik.”
“Private Kim Chun-sik!”
“Let’s start with a headbutt.”
“……Pardon?”
“Pardon? Look at this punk. You think I’m easy because you enlisted at 30? D*mn it, I’m still your senior. Just because that person is some great hero, does that give you, a Private, the right to talk back to your senior?”
“No, sir!”
“Then headbutt.”
“Private Kim Chun-sik!”
Kim Chun-sik quickly bowed his head.
He yearned for a heroic life like Kang San’s, but his life as an ordinary person was as challenging as ever.
