Chapter 36: The Battle of Champions

‘It’s a Battle of Champions.’

Asgard was the secret organization behind Korea. Similarly, there were other secret organizations created behind the scenes by Hunters around the world. They would compete periodically for things such as measuring strength, the right to speak, and the monopolization of gates.

[It was the Battle of Champions. Their will to protect mankind by hunting monsters had already disappeared. Now, they were all only focused on fighting amongst themselves.]

Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered the line in the book of the Demon King. The First Hunters, special Hunters similar in class to the Heroes, and had powers that differed from what mankind knew about the strength of Hunters. They were like the Heroes, but at the same time, something even more so than them…

With the appearance of the first Hero, gate raids became stable, and more Heroes were consistently born. The secret organizations began to forget that they had been created to ensure the salvation of mankind.

Pride and arrogance now permeated them.

They thought they had already saved the world. They had thought that humanity would prosper from that point on, flourishing under their presence.

And all of the prosperity and glory they lauded about themselves had been before the cataclysm.

‘It’s just a delusion.’

After the cataclysm, they had no choice but to admit their own hubris. Numerous secret organizations disappeared, and only a few powerful ones survived. One of them was Asgard.

In any case, the goal of this expedition wasn’t to raid the A-Grade Gate. This daunting A-Grade Gate was just the place where the Battle of Champions would take place. Heroes and Hunters from various countries would enter the gate to face each other in battle.

Even among these champions…

“Hey, you brat. Why are you not answering when I ask you a question?”

…was an uncouth and giant man of great stature.

‘Fuck. Why is this punk here?’

He would be the greatest obstacle in this place. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been ordered to this ‘expedition’ by Odin. Naturally, he knew that this wasn’t an expedition but instead the Battle of Champions.

Still…

‘This punk is out of the question.’

How.

Why.

Could this monster be participating in this Battle of Champions as well? In the past, Choi Yeong Seong had participated, using the title he had received after winning the Battle of the Rhine River. He had the title of Gunther in order to participate.

But, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s intervention had changed history, and Gunther had died. Odin had put him into his shattered plans.

‘How did Gunther survive?’

With Gunther’s skills, he would never have been able to deal with the giant. Obviously, Gunther would have had to come here and deal with him if it was according to the original history. However, it was impossible for him to deal with the giant with just his power.

‘Could this also be part of the changed history?’

Lee Jun-Kyeong’s intervention had changed events. He wondered if the appearance of that monster, who originally had no reason to show up to something like the Battle of Champions, was related to that. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to tell.

If, by chance, that monster had shown up in the original history as well…

‘Gunther could have run away.’

That punk probably would have given up on everything if he knew he had to face this monster.

“Hey, hey. I said to stop it.”

When the giant man raised his fist and spat out a threat, someone appeared and intervened.

‘That guy is…’

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the newcomer’s face but he couldn’t remember exactly who he was. As the man slowly dissuaded the giant man, he also approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“It’s nice to meet you. It’s an honor to meet the famous Underdog.”

A typically western-looking handsome man with blond hair had stepped between the giant and Lee Jun-Kyeong and asked for a handshake.

“Underdog? Is this brat the Underdog? That rising rookie?”

The giant man raised his eyebrows, his lips twitching, as he had heard of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s story.

“Demetrios. You are being disrespectful to our guests. I’ll apologize in his stead. Please don’t pay any mind to this fool who only has muscles.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong accepted his handshake. He felt familiar, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t put his finger on it.

‘Who could this be?’

Lee Jun-Kyeong that it was a face he had definitely seen somewhere.

“My name is George. My title is…”

He was a Hunter with a title. That meant that he was a Hero.

“Odysseus.”

“Ah.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed a little. It made sense that he wouldn’t know who the man was. He adjusted his expression and replied, “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard the name Odysseus many times.”

“How embarrassing. Compared to the Underdog, it's just a trivial title," George said in a humble manner.

There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to remember the face of the Hero named Odysseus. However, everyone in the future knew of his name. After all, he had been murdered by the giant Demetrios, that is, by his own comrade. Odysseus mildly scolded, “Demetrios, You have to apologize as well.”

The giant grinned. “Looks like this will be fun. To think you’re the Underdog… I wanted to meet you once. How hyped up do you have to be for your story to even reach my country of Greece? Anyway, as he said before, I am Demetrios.”

The giant reached out with a hand the size of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s face. His hands were as big as an average person’s torso. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t grasp the giant’s hand.

“Jeong In-Chang.”

“The New Can? What is this punk saying?”

Jeong In-Chang intercepted the hand and shook hands with Demetrios as soon as he heard his name.

“...!”

Odysseus’ eyes grew wider and wider when he witnessed the two grasping hands with reddening complexions.

“I can’t believe it, to think he would enter a contest of strength with Heracles.”

Like he said, the giant and Jeong In-Chang were comparing strengths currently.

‘Heracles.’

He was a strong man whom Lee Jun-Kyeong should never have met at this point. Furthermore, he was one of the Heroes of Greece, famous for its powerful Hunters.

Finally, Jeong In-Chang and the giant separated.

The giant commented, “You’re better than I expected, not too shabby.”

Contrary to Jeong In-Chang’s flushed complexion, Demetrios had only blushed briefly at the beginning. Things had calmed down.

“Let’s meet again.”

“I apologize for the disturbance. Let’s meet again later.”

George and Demetrios left the party quickly, and as they disappeared, the quiet party hall came to life again.

"Are you okay?” Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, who was standing next to him.

However…

“I’m not okay… Do we really have to compete with a guy like that?”

Jeong In-Chang’s face had turned blue, and his hand looked off.

‘It’s broken.’

Jeong In-Chang was someone who could wield a gigantic greatsword like it was a limb. However, not only was he pushed aside, but his hand had also been broken. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if this was the current gap between them as he poured a potion onto Jeong In-Chang’s hand.

‘I’m going to go crazy.’

It was an enemy he had never thought of, so he needed a plan to break past the changed situation.

***

The Battle of Champions wasn’t an event that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew much about, whether it be through information from the future or the book of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong basically knew nothing about the current situation. All he knew was that Odin had sent him on an expedition to raid a gate.

‘Does Odin really think I can deal with that punk?’

There was no way. Although Odin could have known that the giant was coming to the expedition, there was no way he would have thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong would be able to take him down. Lee Jun-Kyeong was curious about their intentions. That giant was a monster.

He was even a Hero acknowledged by the Demon King…

[That punk is an invincible monster, to the extent that even I was apprehensive about going against him.]

…no, he was a Great Hero. Although the giant was still growing, he was still too much for Lee Jun-Kyeong to deal with in his current state.

‘Does Odin want to see how I’d respond?’

No matter how he thought about it, Odin’s purpose was clear. He didn’t say anything about the Battle of the Champions. He wanted to see how Lee Jun-Kyeong would respond to the sudden situation.

‘He’s most likely trying to use this to figure out my identity.’

However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch that Odin hadn’t expected that Heracles’ would participate. After all, with what the other man knew about Lee Jun-Kyeong's current skills, he would have never had expected the Underdog to defeat Heracles.

If that wasn’t it, then Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea what he wanted.

‘It’s too complicated…’

However, nothing would change regardless of how much he knew about the current situation. He would survive it all.

‘A way… a way… A way to get rid of that monster…’

Lee Jun-Kyeong began to extract any information about that monster from his memories.

‘I don’t have to kill him. I just have to survive.’

Just that alone would qualify as an achievement, but the giant was a tyrant on the battlefield and was famous for not keeping his enemies alive.

'I'm going to go crazy.'

He couldn't figure anything out, no matter how much he thought about it. The giant was a monster at the level where he couldn’t be easily killed currently by any means.

Suddenly, he recalled what Yeo Seong-Gu had said.

‘Make sure you keep your promise to survive and return. If you think it’s going to be difficult, then run.’

That memory became a strength for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

‘Should we run?’

Lee Jun-Kyeong entertained the thought for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. He then thought about Heracles, whom he had only heard of in stories. He was a man of incredible feats and fame.

“Whew…”

When he met him in person, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought he was truly amazing. It was different from Odin and Yeo Seong-Gu. Of course, it was difficult to compare Heracles with Odin, but in terms of raw strength alone, he was superior to Odin.

Unlike those who hid their strength and only showed the tip of their power, Heracles didn’t know a single thing about modesty and was always open about his strength. The commotion he caused at the party was a perfect example.

“Ughh….”

Jeong In-Chang was sleeping in the bed next to his and let out a moan. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he was remembering the moment when he grasped hands with Heracles.

“It really is crazy.”

In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong burst out laughing. There were countless people like the giant hiding out in the world. His strength didn’t amount to anything

yet

, and that made him happier.

‘Good.’

He was glad that he could grow even further and forever.

‘Let's try it.’

He was sure there would be a way, somehow.

***

As per usual, there was still some time left until the Battle of Champions. There was a party held every day. These events allowed the members of the secret organizations to get to know each other’s faces and check out each other’s powers.

As for Lee Jun-Kyeong, he didn’t attend any.

“We’ve arrived.”

“You really are admirable. To think you’d come all the way to a foreign country and still raid gates.”

One of the staff members of the British Association was talking to him. He had introduced himself as Williams.

“I can always go sightseeing later,” responded Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“But it is a little worrisome. Aren’t you supposed to make sure you maintain your stamina before the big gate raid starts?” the staff member asked worriedly.

Lee Jun-Kyeong just smiled.

Most likely, the Association’s superiors were curious about his intentions. He had come all this way to a foreign country and yet decided to raid a gate there. It was an odd situation. A Hunter who had come on an expedition was carrying out work that most didn’t do even when requested. So it made sense they would find it surprising and be curious.

“Ha… I really should study English more. I feel like I'm going crazy because I can't communicate,” complained Jeong In-Chang. As expected, he also didn’t attend the party today.

"Anyways, I’ll be on standby.”

"Yes."

Lee Jun-Kyeong bid farewell to Williams and walked into the gate with Jeong In-Chang.

[You have entered the Ogre Village.]

[The Sponsors are watching you.]

They heard that notification ring out every time they entered a dungeon gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang looked around. The Ogre Village was a B-Grade Gate on the outskirts of London.

“We’ll be staying here until I obtain what I want. If we can’t find it here, we’ll go to a similar gate again,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

“Pardon?” Jeong In-Chang replied. He was surprised because the plan had not been explained.

“Are we not going to go sightseeing?”

“No.”

Jeong In-Chang blinked. “Oh…”

For a moment, he had an expression of wistfulness, but it was soon replaced with a burning flame of passion in his eyes.

“Understood. Actually, it makes sense.”

Apparently, his meeting with Heracles had been deeply burned into his mind.

‘I also wanted to go sightseeing.’

This was Lee Jun-Kyeong’s first visit to a foreign country. He wanted to see what England was like. Above all, there were some great Hunters in England, and it was an important task to get to know them.

However, the problem at hand was huge. It was literally ginormous. Lee Jun-Kyeong needed special training in order to even begin to use any moves on him.

He briefly explained, “We’ll be doing the same as we did in Korea.”

“Defense-focused training?” Jeong In-Chang asked.

“Yes.”

Jeong In-Chang was a dealer and a tanker, but he needed to be a tanker today.

Heracles was too strong.

‘I won’t be able to withstand even a single blow from him.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t have the proper defense yet, and his stats were completely different as well. Therefore, Jeong In-Chang’s role would be vital.

“Then, could you wait for me?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

Jeong In-Chang looked confused. “Pardon? Are we not moving together?”

"Not now. You’ll understand it if you wait a little."

"…"

Jeong In-Chang trembled as if he was uneasy about something. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled in an attempt to reassure his colleague and walked away.

Then…

“Ah.”

He stopped for a moment and turned back.

“I’ll say this again, but thank you for trusting me.”

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?” replied Jeong In-Chang, clearly flustered.

Lee Jun-Kyeong walked ahead with an ambiguous smile directed toward the bewildered Jeong In-Chang.

“Whew…”

When Lee Jun-Kyeong left, Jeong In-Chang leaned on his greatsword and sighed. He was now alone. His life had been rapidly changing after meeting Lee Jun-Kyeong. He couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not.

However…

‘I feel good.’

Unlike in the past, where everything had been detestable, unlike before, when he had been unable to sleep because of the guilt…

He was comfortable now.

He didn’t know if his current actions were aligned to justice. Maybe he was trying to get revenge on the Association President by doing this. However, he still felt at ease.

[ smiles at you.]

Many changes had occurred after he cooperated with Lee Jun-Kyeong, but the change in his Sponsor was one of the most significant.

It is always frowning.

It bursts into a rage.

Instead of getting messages like that, he kept mainly hearing messages of satisfaction.

‘Anyways, he’s someone I’m grateful to.’

While at first, Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone Jeong In-Chang had just placed his trust in, but when he looked at his current partner’s actions, he didn’t feel as though his faith had been misplaced either.

‘Let’s do better.’

He wanted to keep going forward with him.

Jeong In-Chang had these thoughts while waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who didn’t return for a long time. More than five hours later, Lee Jun-Kyeong returned.

“Mr. Jeong!”

Lee Jun-Kyeong ran towards him from afar while waving his hand. Unfortunately, Jeong In-Chang wasn’t the least bit excited as he saw something that somewhat horrified him.

“How…”

A massive cloud of dust had bloomed behind Lee Jun-Kyeong’s back.

“What are you bringing over here?”

Dozens of ogres, including a twin-headed ogre that was presumably the boss, were running behind Lee Jun-Kyeong.

1. So Demetrios keeps saying ??, or bubble, instead of ??, or rumor. The word bubble/foam is often used to express pretentiousness or being overhyped, akin to how the foam formed when soda is poured makes it look like there is more soda in the cup until the foam goes away, leaving the cup half filled. So he’s slightly mocking Lee Jun-Kyeong but in an “I have no filter” way rather than an “I’m insidiously making fun of you” way.

2. The Giant misheard Jeong In-Chang’s name, hence ‘The New Can’.