Chapter 511: Preparing (1)

Park Yu-Min was overwhelmed in the blink of an eye. That was how powerful the sense of presence that giant emitted was. And no, it wasn't because of that man's sheer size.

The distance meant one's physique wasn't enough of a factor to suppress or overwhelm someone. The scale of this baseball stadium ensured that even the sudden appearance of an elephant in the grandstands wouldn't have caused panic in the people sitting on the other side.

However, that giant of a man was... different. He boasted this incredible, overwhelming presence that forbade people from looking away. Just looking at him alone was enough to freeze Park Yu-Min on the spot and caused a flood of cold sweat to trickle down all over his body.

“J-Jin-Ho, what is... going on...?” Park Yu-Min barely managed to squeeze his voice out, prompting Kang Jin-Ho to suddenly extend his hand in front of his friend. '...Eh?'

That was when all the invisible pressure crushing down on Park Yu-Min vanished.

'What just happened?'

Park Yu-Min sucked in a deep breath, confused by this bizarre phenomenon, and hurriedly looked up at Kang Jin-Ho.

Without taking his eyes off the giant, Kang Jin-Ho quietly spoke. “It's nothing to worry about.”

“N-ng?”

“It's nothing. Don't worry.”

“Ng..” Park Yu-Min had no choice but to nod just then. Something inside him warned him to stop his questioning here.

***

“Hmm...” Vator narrowed his eyes, a subtle smirk of genuine interest etched on his lips.

Zhang Dajing sitting next to the giant Mongol sucked in a deep breath. He couldn't remember seeing Vator making an expression like that before. An expression filled with eagerness and excitement, that was!

That was why Zhang Dajing tensed up like never before in his life.

'Please, rein yourself in, sir!'

There were far too many witnesses in this stadium. As a matter of fact, it would be tough to find so many people packed into such a tiny space. In other words... Zhang Dajing, even with all of his considerable skills, would still have no way of dealing with the aftermath if an incident suddenly broke out in this location.

Suddenly overcome with the worry that Vator might just start a brawl now, Zhang Dajing expertly slid in front of the giant man.

Vator cocked an eyebrow. “Mm?”

“Sir, this place is...”

“Don't be an idiot, Zhang Dajing. I'm not a barbarian who starts a fight with zero regard to time and place.”

“I wouldn't dare to think that way about you, Sir Vator. It's just that...”

“It's fine. No need to worry yourself sick while trying to rein me in. I'm different from your impatient countrymen.” Vator curtly cut Zhang Dajing off. Even as he replied, Vator's eyes never left Kang Jin-Ho's figure in the distance, the corners of Vator's lips slowly distorting. “How surprising. Truly surprising! To think an individual as remarkable as he could be found in this small nation! Take a look at this, Zhang Dajing.”

Vator presented his massive hand toward Zhang Dajing before unfurling his palm. That hand, large enough for a person to stand on, was soaked with clammy sweat.

“My body is tensing up on its own, Zhang Dajing. Simply exchanging glares like this is enough for my body to react instinctively!”

Zhang Dajing's eyes opened wide. Vator was tense? This giant was... what?

Being tense was an idea that seemed so ill-suited to Vator. Didn't this man challenge the Crimson King by himself? Someone like that was tensing up?

'And not because of some random man, but Kang Jin-Ho...?'

Zhang Dajing had already acknowledged that Kang Jin-Ho was a powerful expert. Even if Kang Jin-Ho had been born in the mainland instead of South Korea, he'd still have reached extremely lofty heights. He had all the qualifications to easily attain a realm that the likes of Zhang Dajing couldn't even dream of.

However, Vator was a different kettle of fish altogether. The same type of evaluation was simply too inadequate for this giant of a man!

Vator was the leader of the Mongols. Even the experts of the Chinese martial society wouldn't dare raise their heads in his presence. The power Vator wielded didn't come from his position but from himself. With that power, he could easily rock the entire world if he wanted to.

But such a titan of the martial world was tensing up? All because of Kang Jin-Ho?

'That means... my estimation was incorrect?'

The first thing anyone would do in this situation was to doubt the other person's opinion. However, Zhang Dajing wouldn't dare suspect Vator. After all, this giant had all the qualifications to turn fantasy into reality. In that case, Zhang Dajing shouldn't doubt Vator but himself. He grimly narrowed his eyes. “My apologies, sir. It seems my evaluation has been incorrect.”

“Incorrect...? Indeed. You have severely underestimated that man,” said Vator, his expression hard and unmoving. “However, I do not blame you. Only those with enough qualifications could have estimated that man's true strength. With your level... You did well to estimate Kang Jin-Ho to the best of your abilities.”

Vator's tongue slowly slithered out to lick his lips.

That was a powerful warrior! A truly powerful being was standing right before Vator's eyes. And that knowledge... was making Vator's blood boil!

All he did was unleash only a little bit of his fighting spirit, but that was enough for a naked and wanton killing intent to tighten around Vator's throat like an invisible noose. The killing intent was even painfully prickling Vator's skin.

How should he accept this knife-sharp killing intent flying across the distance to cut into his skin?

“Fufufu...!”

A chortle of pure satisfaction emerged from Vator's lips. Fighting against powerful individuals was Vator's motivation in life. And a man strong enough to boil his blood existed in South Korea all along!

“Indeed... It was a wise choice to come and say hello like this!” Vator quietly muttered.

The Crimson King's advice wasn't just empty talk, it seemed! Fighting an expert like Kang Jin-Ho without prior preparations would've been fatal for Vator. Wasn't one of the basics in a fight finding out about the opponent's strength and preparing accordingly?

The primal urge to rush across the baseball field's verdant grass and confront Kang Jin-Ho nearly overcame Vator's judgment, but he barely managed to suppress that tempting voice whispering in his heart.

'Now isn't the time. Not now!' The debut release of this chapter happened at N0v3l_B1n.

Being able to fight wasn't everything. Not only Vator but Kang Jin-Ho also needed to be in peak condition. If a fight broke out now, Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't be able to go all out with all these witnesses around him. Vator emphatically didn't want that.

Beating an opponent not in his peak condition couldn't even be called a victory to Vator. Going after the enemy's weakness might be a standard tactic in warfare, but Vator wasn't here to wage war. No, what he wanted was a fight between experts.

And a fight would only gain greater meaning and prominence with a strong opponent!

“Fuu-woo...!” Vator sucked in a deep breath, his eyes flickering in withdrawn light.

This was fine. Vator had always been the type to save the most delectable dish until the last, after all. Since his prey this time was incredibly delicious, Vator knew he could afford to be more patient.

“Well, well... I see that he's all riled up,” Vator tutted quietly.

Kang Jin-Ho's glare was filled with intense killing intent. Since he was a demonic arts practitioner, Vator expected Kang Jin-Ho's personality to be somewhat unhinged, but to think he'd emit such bloodlust! Even Vator found this behavior bizarre. That was when Vator noticed something.

'Hmm... Is it the instinct of a mother bird? Is that it?' Vator smirked at the sight of children in Kang Jin-Ho's vicinity. “A demonic cultivator wishes to protect someone? Really?”

What a strange individual Kang Jin-Ho was. All the demonic arts-practicing bastards Vator ran into over the years had been vicious and heartless. Not as in they lusted after benefits, but more like their emotions had been stunted by their cultivation methods, and they had lost the ability to sympathize and empathize with their fellow men.

However, despite reaching a realm far superior to all the other demonic cultivators Vator met and killed until now, Kang Jin-Ho... He was trying to protect his surroundings.

“Keh... Kekeke.” Vator quietly cackled. He didn't dislike Kang Jin-Ho's type.

Vator finally withdrew his fighting spirit. As if to reciprocate that action, the invisible killing intent sharply and intensely clawing into Vator's skin instantly vanished as well.

Zhang Dajing hurriedly wiped the cold sweat off his brow. Relief washed over him. Just how nervous had he been after Vator revealed his intentions to personally 'check out' Kang Jin-Ho? Zhang Dajing could still taste the despair he felt after receiving confirmation that Kang Jin-Ho was heading to a baseball game. It felt like the heavens were falling on top of him back then!

'However, coming to this place turned out to be a blessing in disguise.'

Zhang Dajing wagered that Vator wouldn't have backed off this easily if the meeting place was somewhere remote with no eyewitnesses to worry about. The bustling environment did its job by forcing Vator to stay his hands... At least, that was what Zhang Dajing believed.

“Zhang Dajing,” Vator quietly called out.

“Yes, sir,” Zhang Dajing stood at attention.

Vator slowly licked his lips. “Contacting someone as riled up as him will only backfire on us. Wait for two days, then send him a message.”

“...What will the message say, sir?”

“You're asking the obvious, Zhang Dajing. It's to express my desire to fight him.”

“I'm sorry, sir?” Zhang Dajing nearly lost his footing and stumbled just then.

However, Vator's grin was deepening instead. “There is no reason for me to wait until he's traveling to a deserted countryside. State my name in the message and request for a duel.”

“B-but, sir?”

“Don't worry, he'll come.”

“...!”

Conviction overflowed in Vator's voice as he spoke. “That man will definitely come. With the sole intention of killing me.”

Zhang Dajing frowned slightly. “But, how can you be so sure, sir...?”

Vator didn't bother to explain. This was a territory someone like Zhang Dajing could never understand.

That skin-prickling killing intent flew in as if it had been waiting for Vator to reveal his fighting spirit!

'That man is a beast.'

Not just any beast, but one that craved blood! A fearsome beast that Vator had never encountered before!

A beast like that would never reject the opportunity to spill some blood. It'd gladly rush to the arena at the mere thought of ripping Vator's head off and drinking his blood.

Vator slowly rubbed his nose.

'Hmph. It feels like I can smell the blood this far away.'

Unsurprisingly, Vator had encountered several psychopathic mass murderers before. Without a doubt, lunatics who needed to slaughter people and bathe in their blood just to enjoy a good night's rest existed in this world.

However, the acrid stench of blood wafting off Kang Jin-Ho was incomparably denser than what those murderers had emitted. Of course, it wasn't an actual stench coming off his body. Kang Jin-Ho's aura itself was stained to the core with blood.

Just how many people did he have to slaughter to emit such an intense stench of blood?

Indeed, a beast! Kang Jin-Ho was literally a bloodthirsty beast. Yet, such a beast was trying to protect his surroundings...?

This weird irony that defied his attempts to understand began stimulating Vator's senses. He... He wanted to know more about Kang Jin-Ho. And he oh-so-badly wanted to fight Kang Jin-Ho, too!

This powerful urge again threatened to take over Vator's reasoning.

Craaack!

The seat armrest that barely supported Vator's arm finally gave in and shattered into bits. Vator snapped awake from his thoughts and stared at the damaged property of the stadium before sighing under his breath.

'I've gotten too excited...!'

Vator wanted to agitate and excite Kang Jin-Ho but ended up exciting himself instead.

“This has been a fruitful encounter, then. I can't remember the last time I was this excited...!”

Zhang Dajing quietly shuddered at the sight of Vator cooling his desire to fight, only for it to get heated up again. Just how was someone like Zhang Dajing supposed to handle this uncertain and precarious situation!

Vator quietly called out again. “Zhang Dajing!”

“Yes, sir!”

“We're returning to our base.”

Zhang Dajing finally sighed in relief. It seemed today's situation would end here. Thankfully, Vator didn't seem interested in creating a scene today!

“Your new job as soon as we return is to compile every piece of information you have on Kang Jin-Ho and bring it to me. Do not miss even the most trivial things about him.”

“Yes, Sir Vator!”

Vator nodded in satisfaction at that prompt reply. 'That's enough for today.'

Fighting against the riled-up Kang Jin-Ho would've been quite entertaining. However, patience should reward Vator with an even more sumptuous feast later on. Vator decided the wait was definitely worth it.

“Since we've offered our greetings, the minimum courtesy has been met, wouldn't you say?” Vator muttered while slowly raising himself off the chair.

Zhang Dajing also got up and began profusely apologizing to other patrons around them. “I'm terribly sorry, sir. We'd like to pass through. I'm sorry, ma'am. My apologies, sir.”

“...Argh, what the heck?”

“What kinda rubbish manners is this...!”

“Argh... Gimme a break.”

The unhappy baseball fans began shuffling out of their seats to move out of the way. They would've simply retracted their knees if a regular-sized person wanted to pass through, but that was totally impossible with Vator and his humongous physique.

Vator began blushing a little in embarrassment. He glanced at Zhang Dajing and muttered quietly. “Why didn't you get VIP seating, Zhang Dajing?”

“S-sir, we could have, but your request was too sudden, and...”

“...! Mhmm! Hmm.” Vator fake-coughed, then proceeded to bow his head repeatedly in apology as he passed through the irritated crowd.

Even if he was a powerful expert capable of shaking up the world, Vator couldn't help but feel small at all the glares of criticism. Thanks to his hulking physique, no one would be brave enough to openly hurl insults in his way, but... Vator still understood that sometimes, silent pressure could be scarier than verbal abuse.

“...Maybe I should've stared at him from the stairs instead?”

As always, regret showed up late again.