Chapter 106
Before my return, I had an experience where I got my forehead split open while trying to stop a fan who was rushing at our idol with a fist during an overseas location shoot.
Since then, I felt the need to learn at least one form of self-defense, so I went to a gym near my house to ask if they offered classes.
“Oh, of course. I’ll teach you the full course.”
“Director, our gym isn’t really focused on self-defense…”
“Hey, Hyoseop. Don’t interrupt my business, just get lost, you little brat!”
“Gah! I got hit! I got hit!”
“….”
“…If you start now, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”
I felt a bit uneasy, but since he was offering a discount, I decided to give it a try for a month.
Surprisingly, the director was quite a competent coach. He had a background in kickboxing and even competed in mixed martial arts, making him an excellent mentor.
“Director, your lessons are great and all, but why am I learning something like a vertical elbow strike? Isn’t that a banned technique? I came here to learn self-defense!”
“What do you think self-defense is, Taeyang?”
“It’s a technique to protect my body?”
“Good. Then how do you protect your body?”
“Uh, maybe I should learn how to break my fall or guard?”
“Nope. That’s a way to reduce damage, not a way to protect your body.”
“I see. So, what’s the way to protect it, Director?”
“Eliminate the source of the threat before it strikes.”
“…What?”
“If you take them out before they hit you, you’ll never get hurt.”
“…”
He was crazier than I expected.
“I think I’ll just stop coming here. Thank you for your time, Director.”
“Ah! I’ll give you a 30% discount! If you don’t come, no one else will be here at this time!”
“…”
At that point, it just felt like I was learning some exercise.
The guy was decent after all, and even though his approach was a bit strange, he taught diligently.
About a year into my time at the gym, he looked at me as if he was sizing me up and said,
“Taeyang, your body balance is really impressive. Physically, you’d probably rank in the top 1%.”
“Hmm, considering how hard I’ve worked, that’s very nice to hear. Thank you.”
“No, this is just an objective evaluation without any bias… Honestly, I was considering suggesting you try competing as an amateur if you had no flaws, but since you do, that’s probably not going to work.”
“Flaws?”
“…Actually, calling it a flaw is a bit exaggerated. Most people naturally have that flaw.”
I didn’t particularly think about becoming a competitor, but since he was dropping hints, I got curious and asked.
“What’s this flaw you’re talking about?”
“What’s that flaw you mentioned?”
“It’s sensitivity.”
“…Sensitivity?”
“Top-level fighters are perfect in almost every aspect. With their honed physical abilities and combat intelligence that makes fighting efficient, they’re practically killing machines.”
…I mean, who considers their business partner a killing machine?
“The reason why the top ranks are split between first and second is due to that difference in sensitivity. It would not be an exaggeration to say they belong to a different species.”
“Same people, same sensory organs, how could that sensitivity be so different?”
“It is different.”
The director spoke while looking at a faded medal hanging on the wall.
“It’s on a level unimaginable for criminals like us.”
*
As I tapped into the swordsman’s sensitivity, it felt like I was falling into another world.
Actually, saying I could finally perceive the world properly seemed more accurate.
I was slowly beginning to understand the director’s words from long ago.
In front of such a person, most would feel like they belonged to a different race.
While I felt that chilling sensation sending shivers down my spine, Ban Seong-cheol waved his hand and said,
“Hey, it’s a hassle to deal with you now. Guys, just beat them up to stop their annoying antics.”
As soon as he finished speaking, one of the big guys behind me swung a fist straight at my head.
I easily dodged that punch with a simple step back.
“…Dodge?”
The guy who threw the punch, feeling humiliated, twisted his body and launched a heavy hook.
It was a powerful shot that seemed strong enough to knock me down with a single hit, but it felt incredibly slow. I had all the time in the world to react.
I casually tested out two of the hundreds of possible movements swirling in my mind.
I dodged the hook and, as his jaw was left unguarded, I swiftly landed a straight punch right on it. I delivered just the right amount of force to rattle his brain without causing serious harm.
However, the result was anything but light.
Thunk.
The big guy, looking dazed and questioning, wobbled and collapsed right onto the hallway floor.
“‘…’”
An overwhelming silence ensued.
I untied my necktie and wrapped it around my right wrist like a makeshift hand wrap, proudly standing before the dazed eyes of Ban Seong-cheol and his crew.
Perhaps the calmness I portrayed hurt their pride, as a tattooed guy behind me suddenly swung his fist at my head.
I couldn’t see the movement outside my peripheral vision. But I felt it.
I felt it.
The sound of a punch cutting through the air echoed ominously, nudging my skin as if to remind me of the threat and guiding me to the optimal escape route.
I followed that instinct.
Boom!
Another man crashed down the hallway.
Witnessing two sturdy adults hitting the floor within just ten seconds created a primal sense of discomfort among the muscle-bound goons, who began to back away from me.
Ban Seong-cheol, watching the scene, yelled in anger.
“What are you doing? Idiots! The opponent is alone. Attack all at once!”
The goons hesitated at Ban Seong-cheol’s shout, then lunged at me.
I couldn’t let myself get surrounded. Even if I fell to the ground, I must avoid grappling.
No matter how sharp my senses were, our physical conditions were similar. Given their average weight, I was at a disadvantage. The overwhelming difference in numbers meant that if a brawl broke out, my chances of winning would be slim.
But the swordsman’s instincts said that as long as I maintained those two conditions, I had the upper hand.
“Get him!”
I agreed with that judgment.
I moved towards the now-narrowed hallway where two giants had fallen, to the emergency exit I had entered. One of the goons tried to grab me, throwing a hand at me as if to tackle. It was a tight squeeze, making evasion difficult. But I wasn’t scared.
The swordsman’s sense was extraordinary. This instinct went beyond just handling a sword. The sound of breath, the movement of muscles, everything that I had perceived as many people flowing before my eyes was now dissected into precise details. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was the best in human history. This swordsman would certainly leave his name in history—a figure of unparalleled strength.
“What the hell…!”
I swayed back, avoiding the goon’s hand while keeping my balance and landed an uppercut on his exposed jaw.
I controlled the impact to avoid aftereffects, but whether his brain was scrambled or not, he crumpled to the ground like a dead body without a struggle.
Having subdued my obstacle, I successfully stood with my back to the exit.
“Attack all at once! All at once!”
Ban Seong-cheol’s roar prompted the tattooed muscle heads to glance at each other before rushing in together.
But having already taken care of the goons behind me and establishing my position, their advance was too late.
The hallway, already narrow, had become even tighter from the fallen giants. This created a situation where only one could approach at a time. In a space like this, the fight was bound to turn into a series of one-on-ones.
The place was crafted for battles. In a place like this, a fight was bound to turn into a one-on-one showdown.
Thus, the conditions for victory were complete. No matter how many battles I had to face, in a one-on-one, there was no way I would lose with my outrageous senses.
As I danced around, adjusting my distance, I punched them in the jaw every time an opening appeared. The hyper-activated senses of a swordsman allowed me to strike with such precision that my opponents were knocked out cold without any aftermath.
After dozens of punches had been thrown, and dozens had fallen, a massive figure with dumpling-like ears lowered his upper body and tackled me. It was a perfect tackle that left me wondering if he was a former athlete.
Suddenly, a conversation with the gym owner from a previous encounter popped into my mind.
“In modern martial arts, if we assume there’s clothing and it’s a one-on-one fight, it’s almost impossible for a striker to win against a grappler.”
“Excuse me?”
“Especially if the grappler is well-trained in wrestling. With just one tackle, you’ll be slammed into the concrete—no way to fight back.”
“Wait, so what am I learning now? Shouldn’t I be learning wrestling instead of this striking stuff?”
“Hehe, no need to be too disappointed. A wrestler’s counter can also be a striker’s move, you know. To be exact, it’s a striker who’s on top of his game.”
“What does that even mean?”
“The reason grapplers have an advantage over strikers is that it’s really tough to defend against a low and fast tackle. However, the top-level strikers can manage it.”
“…How?”
“If you counter the one coming in for a tackle at just the right timing and position, that’s it.”
“…How many people on Earth can do that?”
“Haha, that’s why it’s tough for a striker to face a wrestler.”
But now I felt like I could do it.
The opponent’s tackle was so low and fast that it seemed like his upper body was grazing the ground. It was a threatening move, but to my heightened senses, it felt slow. I snapped my left foot out, aiming for the wrestler’s chin. He reflexively tilted his head to avoid the blow, but I anticipated that move and redirected my kick.
As a result, my toes landed perfectly on his chin.
Swoosh!
Bam!
Another giant fell, crashing to the ground.
This is doable…
“…What the hell is that? Damn it.”
Looking around, every brute was down. In my wild flurry of punches, it seemed I had taken them all out.
Only Ban Seong-cheol and I were left standing.
I tried to act nonchalant in the face of that overwhelming sight and turned to the trembling Ban Seong-cheol, forcing a smile.
“Well, looks like you’re the last one standing?”
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