CH 14

Baron, who was standing on the rooftop of a destroyed building, looked at the mountains of Bukhansan and laughed as he took a swig of his drink.

“The old man wasn’t wrong.”

Through his enhanced auditory abilities, the bottle wasn’t just able to pick up conversations between people.

He could pick up all the sounds in the surroundings, including the cries, reactions, and vibrations of not only people but also monsters.

“Even dumb animals can understand the meaning of cries if they hear them often enough…” Baron chuckled and took a sip of his drink while surveying the mountain range from the rooftop of the broken building.

He felt a strange tension building up all around him.

[It seems like there’s going to be trouble.]

He recalled the warning from the bottle earlier, advising him to avoid this place for a while.

“If that’s the case, then old man should run away first.”

He turned his head in one direction, shaking his head. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereIt was the same direction where the bottle had left after giving the warning and the gift of a bottle of liquor.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

As the nearby areas, including Bukhansan National Park, became infested with monsters and turned into dungeons, the surrounding area naturally transformed into a kind of ghost town.

Is that why?

Unknowingly, people started to make their way there.

Some went to hunt for monster carcasses, while others had different reasons for setting foot there.

“They’re the ones who’ve been pushed to the brink of death.”

The bottle spoke of them.

People who had been forced out of society for various reasons, such as avoiding loan sharks, suicidal individuals, or violent criminals, all found their way here.

This was not only happening in the Bukhansan National Park dungeon.

Similar phenomena were occurring in other dungeons in different areas, and even in safe zones, the risk was high, making it easy to avoid pursuers.

Since it was an area that the government had given up on, there were no proper sanctions in place.

However, control over the parts that the association and the union had drawn the line on was strict, as this was a world where monster corpses could bring in money.

Living off the side of a dungeon was tolerated, but interfering with their territory was not forgiven.

The bottle complained and grumbled about this injustice.

“If you’re gonna fuck around like that, you might as well clean up the mess that’s coming out of it. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereI don’t even care about what happens to those guys. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereIt’s not like I’m ignoring how messed up life can be. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereDamn it!”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereread only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereread only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

“Is that the Dokbawi Station?”

He chuckled, as he spoke the name of the station that could be seen in the distance.

It was a place that was both a destination for the Bottle and also the last safe zone in Bukhansan, a space that could be considered a kind of final refuge.

“Sigh~! I can’t even control my own body properly, and yet I’m trying to protect someone else.”

Nevertheless, the Bottle had become an Awakener and had gone to protect the people living in that life of misery.

Wandering through the dirty alleyways and living on the streets, like a true homeless man, with his alcohol and his complaints, may have seemed unsightly to some, but Baron knew better.

“He may look dirty, but…”

He was a nice guy.

“Well, then what are you guys?”

Baron turned his gaze suddenly and spoke out of the blue.

“What the hell are you guys who live like that and waste your lives?”

At that moment, shadows rose up onto the roof of the building where he stood.

“Ah, look at you! you guys are only thinking about catching people, while there are some people risking their lives to save them.”

The strong energy emanating from them was not lacking even when compared to the Ashen wolf he had faced earlier.

“But…what kind of opera performers are you? Your face looks so…”

The group that appeared wore strange masks, reminiscent of Chinese opera.

Of course, there was no answer to the question.

Just by their presence, it was clear that their purpose would not be easily swayed, and it was certainly not a situation where they could engage in idle conversation or wordplay.

‘Ten of them…,’ Baron counted, then estimated their skill based on their demeanor.

‘They’re similar to those Ashen mutts, maybe a bit less capable.’

Ten skilled fighters comparable to the elite Ashen Wolves!

It was a serious situation that couldn’t be taken lightly, but Baron wasn’t overly tense.

“What, are you just going to stare? If you came here, you should make a move.”

In fact, he even provoked them first, flicking his finger towards them, causing the masked men to exchange glances with excitement in their eyes.

And then, they moved with disarray and charged at Baron.

As they appeared, it was evident that they had been waiting for the signal to commence the combat, which was already arranged and prepared.

Three of them rushed at Baron to put pressure on him.

‘As expected!’

It seemed like they were also A-Rank physical ability users. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereTheir movements were not ordinary.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Three other ability users backed them up from behind, and the weapons in their hands were also unexpected.

‘Bows?’

Baron dodged their joint attacks here and there and caught a glimpse of their weapons.

He had heard of it before.

Generally, it is easier to put force into a bow than a gun, and truly exceptional top-level skilled individuals go hunting with a bow instead of a firearm.

In other words,

‘Do they have that much confidence in themselves?’

Before such thoughts could even finish, a creepy sensation dug into the ground beneath his feet.

He quickly twisted his body and gasped for air.

“whoop!”

He had to widen his eyes due to the pain that shot up from his ankle.

An arrow had just barely missed hitting his Achilles tendon.

He felt the power that could have easily penetrated his skin if he wasn’t quick enough.

‘Even the bow and arrows aren’t ordinary weapons,’ he realized after the narrow miss, understanding that his opponent possessed more than just abilities and powers.

‘More importantly, the problem is…’

Baron’s gaze, which had been watching the archers for a moment, turned to the remaining four beyond them.

‘Are those guys?’

Despite being at a considerable distance and in strange positions, each of them was staring at the battlefield, and the disturbance that had begun with them was alarming.

‘Is that some kind of barrier?’

He could sense a subtle noise in his senses, unlike Glaco’s cutting wind.

First, his vision was gradually becoming blurry, and his ears were ringing incessantly, growing louder and louder, while the wind blowing through his nose was so pungent that it could crumple his face.

All the sensations that came into contact with his skin were becoming unbearably dry. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereHe might not even realize he had been hit by an arrow at this rate.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

‘That’s the problem.’

Since losing his Samshinki, all of his battles heavily relied on his senses.

Therefore, these kinds of disturbances in sensory signals were quite daunting for him.

Whether they intentionally caused it or if it was their standard tactics, it was unclear, but it was undoubtedly effective.

‘It’s quite effective!’

A sinister fire lit up in Baron’s eyes.

ΔΔΔ

Watching Baron’s battle, Jang Soo-oh, the commander of White Tiger Guild’s Kim Jung-hoon’s direct unit and the leader of the Shadow Unit, furrowed his brow.

“It looks like the Lion Masks are going down.”

One of his subordinates by his side asked, “Really?”

“Yeah. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereThey set up a barrier and seemed genuine after hearing about us. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereIt appears that Baron is even more impressive than we had thought.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereread only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

“What’s the problem with that?”

“When they planned this out, they intended to capture him, but now they’re moving with the intention of killing him. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereThat’s a problem.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

The movements of the Lion Masks, a unit of the Black Lion Guild under Park Man-ho, had just changed, and Jang Soo-oh had read their change of heart through this.

“Shouldn’t we move too?” asked one of his subordinate named Dae-won.

“hmm?”

As Jang Soo-oh was about to signal his men, his pupils suddenly dilated, and his raised hand came down.

It was because another change was coming to the battlefield.

ΔΔΔ

As soon as Kang Man-il, the leader of the Lion Mask unit, charged in for the approach, he felt a sensation.

‘This guy… he’s not an ordinary man!’

It didn’t take long for the word “strong” to come to mind.

‘I knew there was something to it when they said the White Tiger’s Shadow Unit was involved, but I never expected it to be this intense.’

His vigilance peaked as the 4-person barrier in the rear reached its climax.

‘Is he still holding up?’

Despite the fact that his senses and physical center of gravity were likely a mess, he was still steadfastly blocking the aerial attacks of the three frontline fighters.

It hadn’t been that long since the start of the battle, but it wasn’t exactly a short time either. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereIt was enough time to produce sufficient results.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

‘Kill him!’

They decided to change the way they approached their target.

His signal was quickly relayed to the other members, and the air on the battlefield suddenly became tense.

It was because the determination to survive had become more intense, in accordance with their resolve.

To achieve this, he first pushed his strength to the limit and raised the gear of the battle.

Papapapapapang…

At one point, he had a body that even challenged the belt in boxing.

His dazzling punches began to rain down on Baron like a machine gun. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereAt this moment, the other two who were with him were no different in their support.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

From jabs and straights to hooks and short uppers, the physical enhancements made through awakening and strengthening made all those movements look like one as they unfolded in a single moment.

The other two performing a combined attack tied up the opponent’s feet to prevent them from escaping and blocked the escape route.

Within his range, the fierce infighting exploded.

And then,

Juk, bbak! Puck, bbak! Pook, bbak!

Counters erupted.

The method was very simple.

Hit and punch.

Baron countered every attack with this absurd method.

Typically, the winner of this kind of counter-attacking was very simple.

“The one who endures wins.”

Baron, who seemed to have burst his mouth, chuckled with blood dripping from his lips.

And then, the winner of the brief clash was decided.

Kuwoong…

The collapsing face of Kang Man-il was a complete mess.

“You little punk! Your fists are quite spicy.”

Beyond the shattered mask, his underlying features were revealed, with his face so distorted that it was amazing that he could even breathe.

In truth, if he had withdrawn after feeling the effects of the first blow, he would not have been caught so easily.

However, Baron’s smoke entered there.

Wobbling!

It was a show of his trembling figure and contorted facial muscles. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereThat prevented Kang Man-il from retreating. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereHe also took pride in his fists.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereread only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Then came the second blow and counter!

Already, at that point, Kang Man-il’s mind had flown away, and what followed was just a mechanically trained combination of moves that had been etched into his body.

Did his senses crumble? Was his axis shaken? Did he lose his sense of distance?

“Then, I just have to grab and hit, right?”

With that thought, he struck while maintaining his distance, hitting with his fist.

Was it because it was an unexpected situation?

The members of the Lion mask unit who had suddenly lost their head showed signs of hesitation at first. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereOf course, as the elite members of the Black Lion Guild, they continued to move and perform their roles, but their initial reactions were dulled.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Baron once again lifted his chin.

But that was it.

He flinched…

As if bound by something, he froze in the position of throwing a short uppercut.

Turning his gaze, he saw that one of the mask wearers who had been putting up a barrier in the rear was reaching out to him, having released himself from his awkward position.

“Kkeung… Cha!”

As Baron exerted his strength, his rigid body suddenly relaxed. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereAt that moment, the masked figure released a spurt of blood.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

It was the recoil from Baron’s strike. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereAlthough he used his power to resist, it was not easy to withstand Baron’s immense strength.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

The other masked figures realized the situation too late and rushed towards Baron.

Among them were three who had been casting the barrier, but unfortunately, that was their undoing.

As Baron’s senses, which had been sealed, awakened, his shackles were completely released.

As he had been trapped, his senses were acutely honed, allowing him to react swiftly to the attacks of the seven assailants. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereWith a narrow margin, he evaded all their attacks.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Though he was unable to launch a counterattack due to his weakened state, evading their attacks was enough to turn the tables.

One chance, that’s all they had!

Baron realized that the momentum of the masked men had suddenly shifted, as if they had realized they had missed their one opportunity.

‘It’s over.’

Baron understood that the outcome of the battle had just tipped in his favor.

As he had expected, the masked men fell one by one under his iron fist, until they lay sprawled beside Kang Man-il.

The only one left standing was the masked man who had briefly held Baron in place with his power. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereBaron had a message to deliver and that was the only reason he remained.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

“There’s a story from the neighborhood I used to live in.”

“…?”

“I can endure my woman hitting me, but I can’t endure hitting her!”

‘Isn’t it usually the opposite…?’

Baron continued his story, whether he knew the thoughts of the masked one or not.

“I don’t know who sent you, but tell your boss. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereI’ll be coming for them soon.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Crewell and Ashen Wolf had followed Lim Seon-hee and Baek Hwa-seon and got tangled up with him by chance.

But these lion masks were entirely different.

“You have to pay the price for targeting me.”

They had purposely come after him.

“Well, I have something to do today, so I can’t do it now, but I won’t make you wait long. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereAnd if you come to find me yourself, I’ll hit you once instead of twice. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereJust so you know.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereread only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

With that, he kicked the chin of the masked one who was only gasping for breath and knocked out the last one cleanly.

As he looked down at the fallen ones, Baron turned his gaze in one direction.

“You guys better be careful too. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereI’m not the type to tolerate being provoked just because I hate inconvenience,” he muttered to himself without knowing who he was talking to.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

Afterward, his form jumped over the building and speed off into the distance.

His destination was Bukhansan.

ΔΔΔ

“What kind of monster is that?” Jang Soo-oh had no words to answer Dae-won’s question.

‘He took a punch from Kang Man-il like it was nothing,’ he thought.

Unable to come up with a better description than “monster.”

Memories of Kang Man-il smashing the thick hide of an ogre with his bare fists flashed through his mind, making his spine shudder involuntarily.

“Captain, I think our position may have been compromised. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not thereWhat should we do?” After a moment of contemplation, Dae-won asked.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there

“What about the filming?”

“It was recorded well without any problems.”

Jang Soo-oh nodded his head and played the footage for Dae-won separately.

“We’ll follow him from a distance.”

“Is it safe?”

There was no hasty answer to that question.

Jang Soo-oh also felt uneasy, but he had to obey the guild leader’s orders, and he had a hunch that he needed to keep an eye on the man’s movements.

In case of any contingency, they decided to divide the few soldiers into small groups and move at a distance from each other.

‘Do we really need to provoke the monster for no reason?’

Therefore, they planned to keep as much distance as possible while chasing him.

“Let’s move.”

Suddenly, a soldier asked, “What about the Lion Masks?”

“…Let’s just give a quick heads up to the Black Lion agents.”

Despite their past disagreements, he didn’t want to see them end up as monster food.

Once the issue with the Lion masks was settled, the White Tiger Shadow Unit split into smaller groups and moved out, each taking a different path.