Have you ever experienced a bone-crushing failure?
Have you ever knelt in the face of despair?
Have you ever lost something truly precious and shed tears over it?
At least in Kang Tae-hoon’s life, there were no such instances. He was born with everything from the very start—strength, wealth, power, and this brilliant mind. It was a life of luxury without even the smallest of worries.
If he wanted something, all he had to do was open his wallet right there. If there was an obstacle in his way, he could simply step over it and move on.
He could live his life doing exactly as he pleased, raising his voice without any regard for others.
But because he could do anything, there was nothing that he truly aspired to achieve.
There were no dreams, no immediate goals. He simply let himself drift along with the passage of time, day by day.
Even before, he had attempted to look for something to do—tried various activities. He had studied abroad in the U.S., engaged in sports, played music, and even dabbled in art by holding a brush.
When he last entered Han-yul Military Academy, he had attempted to regain his position as top student. But even that enthusiasm soon faded.
No matter what he did, it always ended the same way—after a few tries, he would let go, always searching for something to stimulate him in this ashen life of his. It was far from easy to find what Kang Tae-hoon genuinely desired in this gray world.
He simply couldn’t get hooked on anything.
“Hm… hahaha…”
But look at Lloyd over there—lying sprawled out. That guy was thoroughly drunk.
Driven by nothing but the single-minded obsession to knock Kang Tae-hoon down, he’d resorted to taking stimulants. He was a truly crazy maniac.
“…”
Nevertheless, Kang Tae-hoon felt a strange envy for Lloyd. Hatred toward others, even for Kang Tae-hoon, burned brightly then faded quickly—it was no more than a trivial flame to him. It was the same with Arna, and with Shin Yoon-seong.
Now, these were all things of the past, all meaningless.
“Alright! This is how it should feel! No way this is going to end so blandly!”
Lloyd suddenly stood up. Somehow, his face had already become not just red but almost purple with exertion.
– Isn’t there something strange about Lloyd Hintz?
Some in the audience had started to notice his odd transformation.
“Tae-hoon! Show me more of this chaos! Amuse me further!”
“What the hell? When did this kid turn into someone who gets off on getting beaten?”
“Shut up!”
Clack-clack-clack!
The match resumed immediately. Lloyd rapidly advanced, and his greatsword swung powerfully.
Ching!
“Ugh…”
What an incredible weight! Was it due to the stimulant? Lloyd’s strength had become far mightier than before.
“Where has that earlier vigor gone? Where is the arrogance that trampled on my face?”
Ching!
They no longer needed to waste time; there was no point in trying to outlast this beast. The only option now was to beat him head-on.
Ching!
But there wasn’t a single flaw in his defense. In speed, in strength, there was nothing where Kang Tae-hoon held the upper hand. The counterattack earlier succeeded only because Lloyd had let his guard down.
Ching!
All Kang Tae-hoon could do now was intercept the blade by matching Lloyd’s sword movements one by one.
Ching!
He needed to create some distance. Kang Tae-hoon forcibly blocked the blade and stepped far back.
He decided to take a brief moment to catch his breath.
“Damn it… Is this what happens because of that Shin Yoon-seong guy?”
He glanced far away toward the situation room. Shin Yoon-seong was still standing there watching the match unfold.
“That bastard really…”
How dare he look down on others? If he was just going to stay there doing nothing, why didn’t he do something already? And yet Kang Tae-hoon couldn’t rip those eyes right out.
“Alright. No point blaming others now. It’s all my fault.”
This was all Kang Tae-hoon’s own doing. If only he had ignored Shin Yoon-seong’s words in the waiting room earlier.
No, it could even be said that forming a team with Shin Yoon-seong from the beginning was a mistake.
What had he been thinking, shaking hands with that guy?
“…”
To be honest, Kang Tae-hoon hadn’t made that choice lightly. He had his own expectations, which led him to choose Shin Yoon-seong as his teammate.
Upon closer inspection, Shin Yoon-seong was quite an unusual person. In all his life, Kang Tae-hoon had never met anyone as eccentric as him. How many people in this world could dare to act so recklessly in front of him?
And so, he was drawn in. He wanted to discover what sort of bizarre antics Shin Yoon-seong would pull next, what unpredictable moves would shock others.
Kang Tae-hoon thought that maybe Shin Yoon-seong could show him something unique, the kind of stimulation that had been lacking in his life.
“Now that I’m at a disadvantage, are you going to run away like a rat?”
But those expectations turned out to be disappointingly wrong. When the lid was finally opened, there was nothing worth noting inside. Instead, it threw him into an overwhelming storm.
Shin Yoon-seong truly was a psychopath.
“Wow! The great Kang Tae-hoon running from a fight? Hah! ‘Quitter’ fits you perfectly!”
“Shit. You’ve been really loud since just now.”
“What?”
“Do I look scared to you right now?”
First thing’s first: escape this storm. Beating up Shin Yoon-seong can wait until later.
“Huh.”
Kang Tae-hoon slashed through the air with his sword, regaining his posture.
To condense magical power.
“You’ve gotten a bit arrogant just because you tasted some fun, haven’t you?”
Sssshh~
A shimmering blue light began to emanate from the sword, extraordinarily vivid and noticeable even to those at the farthest ends of the stadium.
– Wow! Kang Tae-hoon is using a technique!
It was an extraordinary power. Everyone gathered there realized it.
As everyone held their breath in anticipation, Kang Tae-hoon muttered.
“You, let’s fight like we used to.”
Clack!
This time, Kang Tae-hoon was the one charging forward. His movements were entirely different from earlier, piercing into the opponent’s gaps sharply.
Ching!
– Wow!
A spark erupted as the two swords clashed, the blue and red particles tangling together. The audience cheered, as though watching a piece of art.
“You damn bastard…”
“…”
But the fighters on the stage couldn’t revel in the spectators’ pleasure. They were determined to knock down the person before their eyes, consumed by the will to do so.
Ching!
Kang Tae-hoon capitalized on this momentum, pressing harder with even swifter moves. The situation reversed entirely—this time, Lloyd was the one unable to move.
“Khhh…”
Fast and precise. Unlike his brash appearance, Kang Tae-hoon’s sword movements were more intricate and refined than they looked.
They moved with mechanical precision, perfectly textbook-like orthodox strokes.
In this case, victory would undoubtedly go to Kang Tae-hoon. Once he secured the upper hand, he never let it go.
Lloyd needed to find a way to break through this.
“AAAAAAH!”
In the current situation, the method to reverse the situation was singular—power. He didn’t need any fancy tricks; all that was required was to fight back with superior strength.
“Khghh…”
But Lloyd coughed up blood mid-effort, with the feeling of his muscles tearing apart all over his body.
Desiring more power at this rate would leave him in pieces.
“Hm…”
Still, it didn’t matter. What was the fear of becoming an invalid? The most important thing for Lloyd right now was immediate victory, the restoration of his ruined self-respect.
He was vividly illustrating the common reason why men often end up with early demise.
Clang!
The metallic clang was now sharper and more resonant than before. The thrill transmitted through his fingertips was doubled.
Lloyd swung his greatsword wildly.
Clang!
Clang!
But no matter how wildly he swung his blade, Kang Tae-hoon effortlessly blocked every attack, showing no openings.
Clang!
Clang!
Conversely, it was the same for Kang Tae-hoon. He couldn’t easily floor his opponent either—Lloyd was no easy adversary.
“…”
“…”
Neither swordsman could decide the match solely with swords. They knew each other’s styles too well, predicting the opponent’s every move.
Both arrived at the same conclusion.
Thud!
They decided together. Without hesitation, Kang Tae-hoon and Lloyd simultaneously threw their swords to the ground.
What followed was a brutal brawl, devoid of grace, showmanship, or honor, beginning and ending with fists.
Punch!
Punch!
It was simple. They slapped away each other’s punches. If Kang Tae-hoon struck Lloyd’s cheek, Lloyd returned the favor in kind.
Punch!
Punch!
When Lloyd delivered a powerful body kick, Kang Tae-hoon followed with a sidekick.
Punch!
With each incoming punch, his vision whitened; with each kick, his body staggered.
Perhaps because of excessive expenditure of their stamina earlier, their consciousness began to go hazy even after just a few exchanges.
Both were struggling just to remain standing.
However, neither could allow themselves to fall easily at this point. They sensed the fight was nearing its conclusion.
The end was close.
“I… am… winning… this fight… against you!”
Punch!
Just as Lloyd tried to utter these words, coughing up blood, Kang Tae-hoon didn’t miss the opening and delivered a swift roundhouse kick.
It struck Lloyd square in the head.
Thud!
Lloyd fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolling back. He had completely lost consciousness.
Lloyd wouldn’t be able to go on a rampage anymore.
“Huff… Huff…”
Finally, Kang Tae-hoon wiped the sweat from his chin. It wasn’t even clear if the fluid was sweat or blood.
“Idiot… Instead of jabbering your mouth, keep your guard up until the end… Always clinging onto your pride until the end…”
In any case, the match had been decided, the goal achieved. Before Lloyd could go berserk, Kang Tae-hoon had managed to knock him out. It would likely take a while for him to wake up, by which time the drug’s effects would have worn off.
He had succeeded not only in winning but also in ensuring the safety of the gathered crowd.
Kang Tae-hoon had done a significant deed.
“Haa…”
Still, why was it that he couldn’t feel any joy?
Despite resolving the situation well, a sense of emptiness crept over him.
That familiar void had returned.
“The initial taste of wielding the sword was somewhat satisfying, but now that the fight is over, it all feels like a thing of the past.”
Just like putting down a pen, throwing the ball to the ground, or setting an instrument down after playing.
Everything had gone cold.
“Grumble…”
Perhaps the only worthwhile result here was Lloyd lying unconscious with foam at his mouth and the record of international tournament victory.
But to Kang Tae-hoon, victory was not really a precious reward.
“…”
Then, his eyes turned toward the situation room, to Shin Yoon-seong, the root cause of all this.
“That bastard remains completely unscathed…”
No matter how many times you look at him, the guy just doesn’t evoke any affection.
While Kang Tae-hoon had practically poured his blood and sweat into a grueling ordeal, Shin Yoon-seong didn’t budge. Are they even on the same team?
To some extent, one might argue Shin Yoon-seong was more malevolent than Lloyd lying unconscious on the ground.
“Is this all there is?”
Is this all there is, after everything? Shin Yoon-seong, someone he thought would be different, turned out to be just the same. He couldn’t satisfy Kang Tae-hoon.
Completely boring.
“Huh?”
Then, Shin Yoon-seong in the situation room raised his hand, palm outstretched, as if to cup his ear—a message directed at Kang Tae-hoon.
“What is this guy babbling about now? Speak plainly, will you?”
– Tae-hoon!
Due to being overly focused on the fight, Kang Tae-hoon had neglected listening attentively. It was only now while looking at Shin Yoon-seong that he became aware.
The moment his closed ears started to open a bit.
– Kang Tae-hoon!
The first sound he heard was his own name. Soon after, he looked toward the audience.
– Kang Tae-hoon has taken Lloyd down completely!
– Despite his stocky build, he sure was smooth! This is what men are all about!
Most of the audience stood up, their faces filled with excitement, clapping their hands.
It was all praise directed at Kang Tae-hoon.
“Why…? Why are they doing this suddenly?”
Kang Tae-hoon couldn’t understand. Just before the match, the crowd had hurled jeers, but now they all united to cheer.
“Why?”
Why were they applauding? Why were they shouting his name?
All Kang Tae-hoon had gained from this fight was the fact that he had won. It wasn’t due to overwhelming superiority, but rather a dirty, muddy brawl.
Who would applaud such a messy and dirty match?
– Kang Tae-hoon! Hey, this way! Wave at us!
Although he wasn’t entirely sure,
Though he couldn’t know it fully,
There was one thing certain.
The audience was fascinated by Kang Tae-hoon. They all chanted his name repeatedly.
Kang Tae-hoon himself had heated up the stadium to a fever pitch.
“…”
So, was it because of that?
A warmth was starting to grow within his chest.
Kang Tae-hoon placed his hand on his chest.
Thump. Thump.
Strangely, his heart, which had been steady during the fight with Lloyd, now started pounding heavily and quickly. He could clearly feel it through his fingertips.
His breathing had also become faster than before, and his vision blurred slightly, perhaps from dizziness.
This was an experience he had never had before.
“Surprising.”
Thinking about it, that was right. He’d never received such warm support from anyone since growing up. As a child might, but not since he had become an adult.
In fact, he’d rather received a lot of criticism.
– Kang Tae-hoon! After the game, I’ll buy a student card so please sign it for me!
“So what is this feeling?”
His heart hadn’t stopped pounding yet, slight tremors still running through his fingertips.
Maybe it was nervousness? No, it couldn’t be nervousness now. This was a different emotion.
Kang Tae-hoon decided to analyze the nature of this feeling in his mind.
“Could I be… drunk?”
And then, in this moment,
Kang Tae-hoon realized.
He, who could never get drunk from any kind of alcohol,
Could feel drunk from nothing but the roar of the crowd.
Thus, for the first time.
