Ubermensch – Chapter 128

Chapter 128

The people around him murmured.

“Mint soju? Is there really someone who drinks mint soju?”

“What’s wrong with mint? It’s delicious!”

“Still, adding it to alcohol is crossing the line…”

The murmuring people gradually began to bicker. As it is in Murim, when words are exchanged, swords and blades soon follow.

People with rising blood pressure started to reach for their swords and blades one by one.

The dreadlocked warrior, Louis Eugene Armstrong, grinned.

‘It’s going well.’

Unbeknownst to the others, he was an agent sent by the Murim Alliance. He was a grandmaster of the Shadow Division, dispatched with a secret mission to reduce the number of troublemakers at the Pungmun Inn. Armstrong was exceptionally skilled at instigating conflict among people.

“Waiter.”

“Yes!”

“I’m a bit hungry today. I’ll order an additional medium-sized Tangsuyuk.”

“Yes!”

“It might be a bit of a picky order, but is that alright?”

“It’s just Tangsuyuk, how picky can it be!”

Armstrong spoke with a calm expression.

“Tell the chef to stir-fry the Tangsuyuk with the sauce.”

“Fried with sauce? Fried with sauce, you say?”

An enraged warrior drew his sword and stood before Armstrong.

“Dipped in sauce is an unforgivable sin, but fried with sauce? You must be a scoundrel of the Demonic Cult!”

“What? You’re saying the Demonic Cult eats their Tangsuyuk fried with sauce? I can’t stand for this any longer. Let’s settle this in a life-or-death duel today!”

A Demonic Cult member with a broadsword jumped out, enraged at the sword-wielding warrior.

Armstrong smirked.

Were there any others who got angry and fought as easily as Murim people?

A fight would break out soon. And no one would survive at the Pungmun Inn.

Now, Armstrong had only one task left.

To slip away unnoticed.

It was the moment when Armstrong was about to stealthily slip out the door using his concealment technique.

Thud!

“Ouch!”

Armstrong fell flat on his face without realizing it.

He had collided with someone who had just entered the door.

‘Tsk, who the hell is this?’

Armstrong was aware of someone approaching through their presence. He had moved to the side to make enough room to slip out. The problem was… the other person’s body was so large that his path was blocked regardless.

The other person said with an embarrassed expression.

“Ah, sorry.”

He extended his hand.

“The doorframe was so low I couldn’t see in front of me.”

Armstrong was also a seasoned figure in Murim. Especially due to the nature of the Shadow Division, he couldn’t help but be well-informed.

But he swore, he had never seen or heard of someone so gigantic and burly.

It seemed the Murim people inside the inn felt the same way.

“Wh, what is that…?”

“Is that really a person?”

He was clad in heavy armor with a roaring lion embossed all over it. And he was holding a massive two-handed hammer, also shaped like a roaring lion’s head.

The hammer head alone was the size of a grown man’s torso.

He took a step inside the inn, drawing everyone’s attention…

Crack. Crash!

“Ugh!”

…and simultaneously with his first step, he crashed through the inn’s wooden floor and fell into the basement. It was only natural that the thin wooden floor couldn’t withstand the weight of his already gigantic and heavy body, the heavy armor, and the heavy weapon combined.

“Wh, what was that…?”

“Is he an idiot…?”

People stared blankly at the hole in the floor, then at Armstrong sitting dazedly in front of it.

“Oh? Wait a minute, that guy…”

“He was trying to run away after starting a fight between us?”

Armstrong gritted his teeth.

‘Tsk…!’

The giant had drawn all the attention, causing him to be exposed.

“Ordering mint soju and fried with sauce Tangsuyuk, but not even touching it…”

“You must be a spy plotting something sinister!”

The warriors glared at Armstrong, regardless of their faction.

It was the moment they started to slowly approach him.

“Ah, why is the floor so weak here?”

The giant, who had fallen through the floor earlier, grumbled as he climbed up the stairs. And as he stepped onto the floor again…

Creak. Crack!

He made another hole in the floor.

“Oh dear, the whole inn is going to collapse.”

The waiter said with a dejected expression.

“Sir! Please take off your armor!”

An awkward voice came from the hole.

“So, sorry. The floor is just too weak…”

“What can the wooden floor do to withstand someone wearing armor the size of a house?”

“I didn’t know wooden buildings were this weak…”

The man took off his armor and came up. Nonetheless, the pressure emanating from him didn’t change at all. A skeleton resembling a human’s but completely different in detail, enormous muscles, and so on.

No matter how vast Murim was, there would be no one with a body like this.

Even without the armor, the wooden floor creaked and groaned.

‘This is my chance.’

While everyone’s attention was focused on the giant, Armstrong took the opportunity to escape.

“Ah! That mint soju bastard! He’s running away!”

“Fried with sauce is crossing the line, fried with sauce is!”

The Murim people started running out to catch Armstrong.

The waiter looked at the backs of the departing customers with a blank expression.

The giant carefully sat down on a chair and said,

“Um… so this is an ‘Inn’, right? They sell alcohol and food, and Murim people fight each other to the death over trivial matters.”

“Yes, that’s right… but thanks to you, sir, tonight’s business is ruined.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make up for it.”

The giant thumped his chest and said,

“30 servings of the most expensive dishes on the menu.”

“It’ll be quite expensive.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

The giant said, taking out gold ingots from his pocket.

“Use the rest for floor repairs.”

“Yes.”

The waiter’s expression changed, and he said with a beaming smile,

“What kind of alcohol would you like to drink?”

“Anything special?”

“For a special drink… we have 81-year-old Captain Q. It’s still unopened.”

“Captain Q?”

The giant tilted his head.

“Is the translator broken? Is it Captain QAnon?”

“No, Captain Q. You won’t be able to drink this anywhere else but our store.”

“Really? Then I’ll have that.”

The waiter asked,

“By the way, what is your honorable name?”

“Mason. Mason Park.”

The giant, Mason Park, said with a smile,

“I’m new to the martial world. Pleased to meet you.”

“You’re new to the martial world?”

The waiter looked intrigued.

“Are you here to enter the Forbidden Zone by any chance?”

“Forbidden Zone? What’s that?”

“You don’t know the Forbidden Zone, even though you’re a martial artist? It’s a place where monsters run rampant.”

Mason narrowed his eyes.

“I’d like to hear more about that…”

At that moment.

A group of people entered the inn.

Four swordsmen dressed in red, and a man with shackles on his wrists and ankles.

The man looked around and frowned.

“Waiter.”

“Yes.”

“Where did all the customers go?”

“Well… there was a bit of a dispute, so they all left.”

“Tsk…”

The man who seemed to be the leader of the four swordsmen spoke calmly.

“Ma Useok. Did you think things would go your way? The Murim Alliance has already made arrangements.”

“You lackey of the Murim Alliance! If you want to act so high and mighty, do it after you become my equal!”

“We’ll see if you’re still so arrogant after being locked up in Cheongsong Prison.”

The swordsman, speaking mockingly, looked at the waiter.

“Waiter. Pilaf and lamb kebab for everyone. And Ma Useok, you…”

“Mandu and Somyeon.”

The waiter made a troubled expression.

“Sir, we don’t serve Mandu and Somyeon at our inn…”

“…Then assorted Dim Sum and beef noodle soup.”

“Yes!”

Ma Useok grumbled.

“Huh, how did the chefs of Murim come to abandon the traditional dishes of Murim?”

The waiter chuckled and said,

“Mandu and Somyeon don’t make much profit. Hehe.”

“Hmph!”

Ma Useok snorted and turned his head away.

However, their food didn’t come out even after a long time. The swordsman in red said with an irritated expression,

“Waiter. It’s been 30 minutes since we ordered. Why isn’t the food out yet?”

“Well… that customer over there ordered quite a lot.”

“He’s only one person, why is it taking so long?”

“He ordered 30 servings of food.”

The swordsman in red flew off the handle.

“Are you trying to joke with me? Do you think you can mock a swordsman and get away with it?”

“No… that’s not it…”

Seeing their argument, Mason got up from his seat.

“Um… it seems like you’re fighting because of me… if you’re really hungry, why don’t you just join me? We can share.”

“Do we look like beggars to you!”

At the red swordsman’s shout, Mason scratched the back of his head. Then Ma Useok laughed heartily and said,

“Hahahaha! That guy has a keen eye! He recognized you guys as government bootlickers at a glance!”

“What?!”

Clang!

The swordsman, who had drawn his sword at some point, pointed it at Ma Useok’s neck.

“We were ordered to escort you, but we weren’t told to bring you back in one piece. You should think carefully before you speak!”

“Hmph! If it weren’t for these damn shackles, you wouldn’t even be worth my little finger!”

The argument between the waiter and the swordsman had somehow turned into a confrontation between Ma Useok and the swordsman.

“Uh…”

‘Let’s just eat.’

It wasn’t his business, so Mason quietly sat back down.

‘Let’s just eat.’

It was at that moment.

“Haaah!”

Thud!

Ma Useok, with his wrists still shackled, threw a double punch, and the swordsman, struck by the blow, flew through the air and crashed onto a table.

Crash!

The table where Mason was eating.

“…”

While Mason, covered in food and broth, made a grimace, Ma Useok, with his arms and legs bound, fought desperately against the remaining three swordsmen.

“You won’t be entering the prison in one piece!”

“Wahahaha! Don’t you know that those who enter Cheongsong Prison in one piece are mocked? They’re considered cowards who can’t even resist! I’d rather gain the honor of beating up a few incompetent escort swordsmen than be labeled a gutless prisoner!”

Food dripped from his face.

Mason wiped his face with a cloth that happened to be within reach.

“…”

Red cloth. It was the swordsman’s clothing.

The swordsman flew into a rage and pointed his sword at Mason.

“You! Are you in cahoots with this guy?”

“No, why would you think that?”

“Don’t make excuses!”

The swordsman unleashed the Three Shadows, Three Swords technique towards Mason. A swordsmanship that simultaneously targeted three vital points: the philtrum, the dantian, and the groin.

At that moment, Mason clicked his tongue.

“Why are you so…”

He tilted his head slightly, and the sword aimed at his philtrum pierced the air.

“Unwilling to listen to others…”

He leaned back, and the sword aimed at his dantian was withdrawn before it could reach him.

“Impatient?”

The sword aimed at his groin plunged straight into Mason’s chair.

‘Fast!’

Due to his massive physique, he appeared slow, but Mason had reflexes that reached the limits of humanoid beings. No matter how fast or intricate the swordsmanship, he could ‘see’ and dodge it.

Mason grabbed the swordsman’s hand holding the sword.

“Let’s calm down and talk. Okay?”

The other three swordsmen were being pushed back by Ma Useok.

“Team leader! Help us!”

“Ugh!”

The swordsman tried to pull out his sword, but he couldn’t overcome Mason’s strength. He shouted angrily,

“Let go! You Demonic Cult scum!”

“I’ll let go if you promise not to attack me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

As Mason and the swordsman argued, a series of thudding sounds echoed.

Ma Useok had subdued the three swordsmen.

The swordsman gritted his teeth and said,

“Fine, I won’t attack. I won’t attack, so let go of my hand!”

Mason released his grip.

The swordsman and Ma Useok stared at each other.

“Hmph. You’re alone now. Just tell me the password to these shackles, and I promise I’ll let you all go peacefully!”

“A swordsman does not compromise with criminals!”

“You have spirit!”

The red swordsman and Ma Useok charged at each other.

However…

Bang!

“Ugh!”

The swordsman’s body slammed against the wall.

Ma Useok said in an arrogant tone,

“Why do you think they sent four of you? If you wanted to subdue me, you should have attacked simultaneously.”