Chapter 50. Black Market (3)

Muscle-bound giant figures, inflated like balloons, began to appear en masse.

“Hey, yellow monkey. Repeat what you said. Are you claiming that our casino has done something illegal?”

David narrowed his eyes fiercely.

Already in a poor mood, his face betrays that he’s caught his prey.

It’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

At this point, one would think having a thick face was a global custom.

Sure, hypocrisy could be laughed off.

But just one thing could not be overlooked – that mouth of his.

“Yellow… monkey?”

“Yeah, you Easterners all have skin like that, don’t you? And what’s with the face of the bloke over there? Looks all pretty like a girl’s.”

I decided then and there.

“First off, let’s have you see your face turn yellow from the beating.”

Everything else comes after.

The situation was getting entirely out of hand.

“An utterly crazy bastard,” he said. “Take him inside, so he won’t disturb the guests.”

David waved his hand in annoyance.

The bodyguards, cracking their knuckles, started approaching Jinhyuk.

“Yes, boss.”

“What’s with all his bravado? I wonder.”

“Just wait. It’ll be fun to see him wail and plead.”

The overwhelming physique of the Westerners.

Among them, these bodyguards were the cream of the crop.

But the moment a giant hand touched Jinhyuk’s shoulder…

Crack!

A bone-chilling sound of shattering bones echoed throughout.

“Aaaahh! My arm! My arm!”

The screams lasted for only a second or so after.

A right arm twisted nearly 180 degrees.

The muscular man screamed until his throat seemed to burst.

“What the heck?”

Everyone’s faces distorted in horror. There was no time to grasp the situation, nor room to respond.

Jinhyuk, having taken care of one, moved onto his next prey.

Bang!

“Gah!”

Crack!

“Aarghh!”

His movements were light.

But the results were anything but.

“Ugh…”

” P-please, spare me… please…”

Broken arms and legs everywhere.

Ligaments utterly torn, they’d likely never be able to hold a fork with their own hands ever again.

Those merely injured in the arm were relatively lucky. Some would likely be confined to a wheelchair for life.

No mercy in his movements, just sheer brutality.

“Is this even possible? Did he just take down several of them alone?”

“A Player! That guy’s a combat-class Player!”

“That must be it; there’s no other explanation.”

Even the onlookers couldn’t help but gasp at the brutal yet spectacular performance.

Now only one remained.

“Ughaaag!”

The largest white man swung his fist.

Clearly trained, as he aimed precisely for the temple.

Of course, Jinhyuk merely tilted his head to dodge the blow.

At the same time, his right hand moved like lightning.

“Guh?”

For a moment, the white man’s breathing stopped.

A steely grip was twisting his throat.

But the truly astonishing part was just beginning.

*Crunch*

Under 180cm and barely 70kg in weight, this Eastern man,

was effortlessly hoisting a 2-meter, 100-plus-kilogram giant by the neck with one hand.

The grotesque spectacle, in the end, was undeniable to even David.

“This is absurd…”

He knew he had completely misjudged the situation.

“No, no… Please, nooo!”

As Jinhyuk gradually increased his grip, the man writhed desperately.

Nobody understood better than he himself what the outcome would be.

“Okay.”

Crack!

And with a shattering collarbone,

the last remaining bodyguard was added to the list of the humiliated.

This marked the end of it.

With the nuisance taken care of, it was time to deal with the friend who was still talking through a gag.

“Looks like the ones who’ll be crying are on your side, huh?”

Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re going to regret this. Our casino is affiliated with the Scavenger Guild.”

“Scavenger?”

“Yeah, now get out while you can. Even if you’re an awakened Player, you won’t stand a chance against the Guild.”

Scavenger. The Scavenger, huh.

It sounded familiar to me…

“Isn’t that the place where that guy called Milo or something is?”

“How do you…?”

How indeed.

I knew because I had run into him before during the [Tower of Trials].

A mediocre but trashy Player who slaughtered newbies in the beginner zone.

I also vividly remember how he picked a fight with me and got a proper thrashing.

‘I buried him neck-deep in the mud at the beach once, using the tide for a geology experiment. Another time I beat him to death using only a spoon.’

In hindsight, I hadn’t been much different in my ruthlessness.

But after killing him about 30 times, he stopped showing up.

His pride must have been utterly crushed.

And his reliance is on those guys?

“Nothing much then.”

Jinhyuk smirked.

* * *

‘What confidence he has,’ David thought to himself.

Even a Player who has awakened is nothing but a single individual against a guild.

No matter how much one may rampage, there are limits.

Especially against an A-rank guild like Scavenger, one would normally cower at the very mention of its name.

But at that moment…

Crackling!

A burst of static came through the earpiece that David wore.

It was a communication from the security room.

“Sir, sir, we found what you asked for just now!”

“You asked for something? Ah, yes. The profile. What happened?”

“Well, it’s about that…”

“Damn it! Stop stalling and speak up!”

“It’s about Gang Jinhyuk. He ranks as an S-class from Korea as of yesterday. There was something about a masquerade video, and when checked, it was monstrous. You must absolutely not engage him. That person, I mean.”

“S, S-class? An S-class!?”

David was so shocked that he nearly bit his own tongue.

Wobbling.

His legs gave way without him realizing.

Thump, thump, thump.

His heart started to beat irregularly.

‘To think his rank was that high.’

Even in America, S-classes numbered less than twenty.

Despite being backed by the national power.

And he had clashed with one of them.

‘Looks like I’ve kicked a hornet’s nest.’

Even David, ignorant about the Tower, knew.

He was aware of the influence that high-ranking Players exert in the modern era.

And if the other party decided to lash out…

Gulp.

He broke into a cold sweat.

Fearing for his life beyond the casino’s reputation.

So he said.

“I’m, I’m so sorry. It was my fault for not recognizing you and causing this misunderstanding.”

With the most earnest and desperate voice he could muster.

But.

“Why the sudden apology?”

Jinhyuk’s expression only darkened more.

As if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have.

“Eh? It’s because. I just received a report about Player Gang Jinhyuk.”

Understanding why his attitude had changed by 180 degrees.

“So after hearing my rank, you realized you’ve touched something you shouldn’t have, and now you’re apologizing? Had I been an F-rank or a civilian, you’d have ignored me.”

“I, I didn’t mean that…”

David tried desperately to explain, but it was already too late.

Thud!

“Aargh!”

The punch deep into the abdomen conveyed a dreadful pain.

“Such things should not be started if they regretted later on, right? It’s not over just because you say ‘sorry’.”

What’s next? Apologizing after taking a life?

“Ye-yes, I understand. I won’t make the same mistake again. Not ever…”

“Whether you do it again or not, that’s none of my concern. You just have to take responsibility for what you’ve already done.”

He had promised.

To beat him until his face turned yellow.

Jinhyuk sincerely intended to keep that promise.

“Wait… Aaaargh!”

Bam!

Boom!

Jinhyuk punched David’s face repeatedly.

With each hit, releasing the stress accumulated since arriving here, he put his weight behind each blow.

After about thirty hits, David whimpered deathly.

“Spare… spare me. I’ll do anything. So please, just stop…”

His face was bruised all over and his nose collapsed.

Jinhyuk then paused his pounding.

“Anything?”

“Yes! Yes! Anything, anything!”

“Then go in front of that hand mirror over there and play rock-paper-scissors with yourself until you win. If you stop, I’ll hit you again, so bear that in mind.”

“Rock-paper-scissors?”

“If you don’t understand, then forget it. Let’s just go back to hitting you. It seems I’d feel better that way.”

“No, I’ll do my best! Leave it to me!”

Struggling to his feet, David stumbled toward the hand mirror.

He began playing rock-paper-scissors with all his might, as if his life depended on it.

Jinhyuk settled back down at the table.

The dealer stood before him, face dumbstruck.

“Now, let’s continue, shall we?”

“Continue… You mean to keep playing?”

“The game from before. We haven’t finished yet, so let’s continue.”

“Are you serious?”

“I know you’ve been cheating. But it doesn’t matter.”

Jinhyuk flashed a meaningful smile.

Cheating?

Skills?

Feel free to try them out.

If you think you can, that is.

[If I use my skill again, I’ll end up like the boss. I can’t let that happen. There’s no reason to be so loyal to the point to risk my life here.]

Through ‘Gluttonous Eyes,’ he heard the opponent’s inner voice.

“I’m going to go all-in from now on. You understand what I mean…”

Jinhyuk pushed all the gathered chips forward.

The game resumed.

* * *

About 5 minutes later.

The Scavenger Guild arrived at the casino.

“Manager David?”

A-rank Player John Smith of the Scavenger Guild couldn’t wrap his head around the scene before him.

Bodyguards lay groaning on the ground, limbs twisted.

And David, who had called them, wasn’t paying them any attention, focused solely on rock-paper-scissors.

“Manager! Get a grip!”

After shouting once more, David finally looked away from the mirror.

“Ah…!”

“What the hell happened here? Who did this to you and the bodyguards?”

“Nothing, nothing… there was nothing.”

As if anything could be normal here.

Taking in this chaos, how can anyone believe that nothing happened?

It was then Smith’s gaze landed on the table.

Specifically, on the abnormally piled-up chips and Jinhyuk who sat beside it.

“That guy is responsible.”

No further explanation was needed.

In such chaos, the only one leisurely enjoying the game was this one person.

But then.

“Wait. Damn it, just wait! Don’t touch that man! We’re fine. Just leave, please.”

David begged, his face drained of all color.

“Mana…Manager?”

As Smith looked bewildered,

“Ah, look at the time. I’ve got to be somewhere. How am I going to exchange all these chips?”

Jinhyuk stretched and stood up.

He pressed a single $10 chip into David’s hand.

“Oh! Manager, had a good time today. Since you’ve earned a cold wind, grab a hot bowl of beef soup on your way.”

There’s nothing like hot beef soup to warm the weary soul.