Chapter 682

〈Chapter 682〉 Part 2, Chapter 4, Episode 09

This world is overflowing with all kinds of dangerous elements. There’s no need to elaborate further on that. What I want to talk about now is the most representative existence: the <Monster>.

A high-ranking officer of the Dark Legion conjures up a spell to create vanguards for world domination. Sometimes, by overloading the core of a monster, they transform it into a human. Other times, humans exposed to corrupted magic power mutate into beasts. My target is the most orthodox and pure case among various scenarios.

“Kim Penril, care to take a look over there?”

I pointed towards a distant spot from our table where a towering man was sipping coffee.

With his hair cut in a sporty style, he wore a suit that didn’t match his muscles and seemed anxiously waiting for someone. He awkwardly kept sipping his drink, clearly uncomfortable with the situation or place.

“What do you think this guy does?”

“Are you asking about his job…or his talent?”

“Both.”

“…Boxer?”

“Wrong. The correct answer is fitness center trainer. As for magical power talents, he’s rock bottom except for dark affinity.”

Kim Penril gave me a look like ‘how do you know that?’ But since there’s no way I wouldn’t know about such an obvious target, I decided to briefly explain while seizing this rare opportunity.

“That blonde tanned thug over there rapes women. That pot-bellied uncle over there is a hypnotist. And that hulking muscle guy? He has anger management issues.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“These people will soon become monsters and harm society. Oh, he’s getting irritated.”

Tock, Tock. A strikingly beautiful woman approached the muscle guy and lightly bowed her head. Though the muscle guy’s actions seemed naive as he welcomed her, his eyes were scanning her up and down.

“Manager, I’ve confirmed. I don’t see him doing anything bad…”

“Maybe you’re mistaken…he’s leaving.”

“Hold on. Sit down, let me explain. He’s not just leaving; he was snooping around. Checking out the face of his friend’s blind date.”

At my words, Nuri and Gaeul’s eyes sparkled as they sat back down. Kim Penril had already disappeared like the wind but reappeared beside me, hidden from others’ sight, observing the situation with equal fascination.

“Just now, that woman scanned him as she left. Now the flirtatious girl is coming to talk.”

“I’d prefer if you stopped contacting me.”

Right off the bat, we hit the climax. My companions and I perked our ears. Even those gathered to monitor me leaned in to listen to what caught our attention.

“Uh, how about we try once more…”

“I go to that gym to exercise, not to date you. Why should I endure unpleasant glances while paying money to work out at a gym?”

“That’s because you, uh…cough.”

The muscle guy’s slip of the tongue made the woman’s eyes flash. Nuri and Gaeul frowned openly, and I quietly waited for the situation to unfold.

“I’ve already informed the director. Refunds have been processed, and I’m moving to another gym. So please stop showing up at my house late at night screaming.”

“Now wait a minute!!”

As the woman meticulously criticized, the muscle guy abruptly stood up and grabbed her wrist. She looked around in surprise, not expecting him to suddenly grab her wrist like that.

“Can’t we even share a meal?!”

“What kind of behavior is this…!”

The muscle guy started relentlessly pressuring her. The woman began seeking help from those around her, but everyone, including the staff, hesitated under the intimidation of his massive figure.

“Boss, shall we…”

“No, Nuri. Our protagonist is elsewhere.”

“Hyeji!!”

The door opened, introducing a new character. A short young man with a bowl haircut and glasses ran toward the woman. This so-called small animal type boy sprinted toward her.

“Let go of her!”

“What the hell are you?!”

“I’m Hyeji’s boyfriend…!!”

“Min-soo!”

The woman’s gaze toward the man was filled with worry, relief, and undeniable affection. I raised my strawberry latte toward the muscle guy.

“To the downfall of one who messed with a goalkeeper.”

“Boss, isn’t that the goalkeeper getting breached right now?”

“Nuri, you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance. Especially you.”

At my words, Nuri frowned but soon realized the meaning behind them and turned her head in surprise.

“Really?”

“This punk!!”

The muscle guy swung his fist toward the boy. If he got hit, it would be fatal. I prayed silently for his soul while sipping my strawberry latte.

“In this world, it’s not brute strength but magical power that takes precedence.”

KWA—ANG!!

With the sound of metal clanging, the muscle guy stumbled back three steps, clutching his fist. The boy blocked the attack by simply raising his palm. Unlike David dodging Goliath, the boy countered the attack, astonishing everyone inside the shop.

“Special Ability user?”

“Yeah, a Special Ability user.”

The difference in magical affinity and whether one has awakened or not. Due to these two differences, the muscle guy couldn’t land a single blow against the boy, who appeared three times smaller. Despite living in a world of superpowers, he lost due to relying on his brute strength.

“Hyeji, let’s go.”

“Brother…”

The woman linked arms with the man and walked toward the exit. The man slammed his fist into the ground and shouted roughly.

“Shit! What makes me worse than some tiny prick?!”

“Our brother is a B-Rank Special Ability user. Isn’t that enough?”

Muscle doesn’t beat magical power. The muscle guy collapsed onto the floor, utterly defeated, while the man and woman quietly exited the store.

“The gentleman apologized. For causing a disturbance, he paid compensation to the manager for the damaged equipment.”

In every aspect, the muscle guy completely lost to the special ability-wielding boy. In the reproductive competition between two males over a woman, magical power claimed victory.

“People’s character alone shows the boy is much better than the muscle guy. If you had to choose between the two, who would you pick?”

“Hmm… Realistically, wouldn’t it be the special ability user? It’s like comparing a rented gym to a luxury apartment tower. There’s no comparison.”

“How about you?”

“That muscle lump looks like someone with a criminal record. Can’t hide from my eyes. His actions scream villain material.”

The muscle guy lost to the special ability boy in every way.

‘This scene demonstrates the status of magical power in this world, though it feels a bit pitiful.’

“Khhn, whuuuuhh, Khuuuuuu…!”

Exaggeratedly crying, the nearly 2-meter-tall muscle guy looked both grotesque and pitiable. Even the two nearby blond thugs shook their heads sympathetically, and the pot-bellied hypnotist wiped tears under his glasses.

“Here comes the highlight.”

I lowered my voice to whisper to them.

“What do you think will happen to that guy?”

“Aaaahhhh!!”

The man screamed and bolted out of the shop. After settling our meal through my Magical Gear and grabbing my coat, I said,

“Let’s go. We’ve got work.”

“Work?”

“Don’t tell me…”

“We need to meet our quota.”

Within the next three hours, a monster is expected to appear.

* * *

<8 PM, US Fitness>.

“Ughh!!”

The man violently tore off his tie and threw it to the ground. His eyes were brimming with irritation, anger, and killing intent.

“G-Gym Director?”

A sturdy young man cautiously called out to the man, the director responsible for the fitness center under Yu-Sung’s supervision. The owner roughly unscrewed the cap of his protein bottle.

“Kiwoo.”

“Y-yes, yes?!”

“Is your part-time job going well?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you having an easy time since you awakened your special abilities, you bastard!”

The director delivered a low kick to Kiwoo’s shin. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Kiwoo was startled but didn’t dodge it intentionally. He was genuinely surprised by the sudden assault.

Puck!

However, the director’s attack had no effect on Kiwoo. Instinctively, Kiwoo surrounded his shin with magic power, making it akin to kicking a solid piece of iron.

“Aaaaagh!!”

Instead, the director grabbed his ankle and fell backward. Kiwoo calmed his racing heart and took deep breaths.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“That’s what I should be asking, damn…!”

“Are you serious? Boss calls his part-timer less than a minute and kicks his shin? Does that make any sense?!”

As the commotion inside the office spread outside, men working out began to gather. They were shocked to see the director lying on the floor.

“What, what is this?”

“The director tried to kick him! But…”

“Call the police! Call the police, you bastard!”

As the chaos unfolded, the fitness center’s maintenance Xroid slowly approached and stopped in front of the director.

“According to Article 77, Clause 7 of the Standard Contract, if the franchise owner significantly harms U-Sung’s social reputation-”

“Aaaahhh!!”

“…will use physical force to restrain.”

The Xroid quickly subdued the director, pinning him to the ground. The director’s eyes turned bloodshot after being bested by a special ability user and restrained by a machine. The Xroid stepped on the director with one foot and politely bowed to the customers.

“Sorry for the inconvenience, esteemed customers. This location will temporarily close until a new franchise owner is found. Once again…”

While the weightlifters took quick showers and returned, the fitness center closed its doors. The director glared hatefully at the remaining Xroid, but attacking a machine disguised as a human changed nothing. Instead, the Xroid easily subdued him.

“You…you disgusting world…!”

The director opened his Magical Gear and checked the profile photo of the person he thought was his flirtation partner.

“You…you bitch…!”

The woman had already changed her profile picture. Posed provocatively beside the innocent-looking boy, she pressed her chest against him in a V-sign at an amusement park. The director wanted to gouge out the boy’s eyes with her V-sign fingers.

“Shit, shit…!”

“The user’s vital signs are abnormal. Blood pressure 170, body temperature 37.4 degrees Celsius. Rest is recommended. Rest-”

“Shut up, you son of a bitch!”

Crack!

The director crushed the Xroid’s neck in his hand. The Xroid’s neck was instantly crushed by the grip and fell backward with a clatter.

Bang Bang!

The office window shattered. The director stared at his reflection in the mirror, gripping the Xroid’s severed head.

“Grrr…”

The director’s eyes flashed with purple light. His bulging muscles wriggled like living worms, and his muscles began to split minutely and intricately.

“You…bitch…”

The director staggered toward the window. Based on the information verified during the fitness center membership registration, he knew exactly where the woman lived. Swallowing a mouthful of protein powder, the director left the office.

“Stop right there, kitty.”

Boom!

The director’s giant frame dropped to his knees. An overwhelming force appeared suddenly, making his legs tremble.

“Hmph. …Do you desire the power of the sovereign?”

A low voice carried the oppressive magical power that weighed down the director’s body. The purple light flooding the director’s pupils gradually turned green, and the cold wind approaching from behind felt like it was squeezing his heart.

“I am the Northern Gale. The one who sweeps across the frozen lands. Become the wind if you seek the power of this body.”

“K-K-Kraaaahh!!”

The director’s body began to twist. The air inside the gym rushed into his body, transforming into muscles, and the director, now nearly three meters tall, became a monstrous creature.

“I am Penril of Gale. By my name, tear this world apart like a gale.”

Roarrrrr!!

The monster leaped out the window. Soon, monster alarms began to ring, and the owner of the voice lounging on a dumbbell revealed himself.

“Controlling power is hard, kitty.”

Kim Penril, dressed in a black rider suit—her officer uniform—stretched her whole body and smirked.

“If he’s destined to become a monster anyway, why save him? Let’s stack the records.”

Once ‘corruption’ begins, it can’t be reversed. Watching the monster move according to her orders, Kim Penril quietly began manipulating it.

“One thin victory earns me a plate of Mint Chocolate cake. …And if I lose perfectly…gulp.”

Kim Penril’s lower abdomen suddenly growled.

“This fight, I’m definitely losing kitty.”

Showy and flawless.