I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 86

The first party of the Diablo Clan concluded successfully.

When Se-woon arrived, the tension seemed to dissipate, and everyone displayed a completely different demeanor compared to during the Tutorial.

It seemed as if they had all shown their true personalities.

‘Yoo Seo-ah and Kang Han-cheol were no exception.’

Kang Han-cheol, who was always stern; Yoo Seo-ah, unable to smile due to the heavy burden of responsibility.

The party seemed to have revealed new facets of the two, providing a fresh perspective.

Well, on the contrary.

“Hyung, are you heading out right away? I’ll guide you! I know this village inside and out!”

Park Jung-pil was the same as ever, both during and after the Tutorial. Perhaps it was because he received a “no alcohol” decree from Se-woon and couldn’t even drink a drop yesterday.

“Blood Wolf! May I stay here just a little longer?”

As Se-woon stood up, Hedrick, who had been watching from behind, hurried over. He had intended for Hedrick to leave after a brief tour, but it seemed he had stuck around and even joined the party.

“Aren’t you going back to your clan?”

“I was an outcast there anyway. No one would care if I disappeared! Haha!”

An outcast, huh? Whether true or false, it seemed Hedrick was determined to stay here somehow.

‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.’

Just as when he initially attempted to recruit Se-woon without knowing his identity, having more members in the clan was beneficial.

Of course, this was true only if the members could be trusted.

In this sense, Hedrick appeared to be a straightforward individual in Se-woon’s eyes.

Since he didn’t know Se-woon’s identity from the start, he likely had no ulterior motives for approaching him.

“Suit yourself.”

“Thank you! I’ll give it my all!”

Se-woon’s answer was merely meant to allow him to stay at the base a bit longer, not an outright admission to the clan, but Hedrick seemed to understand it differently. With excitement, he returned to his seat, raising both arms.

After Hedrick left, Kang Han-cheol approached as if he had been waiting his turn.

“Let’s fight.”

Challenging someone to a fight, without any lead-in, was quite forward, even by direct standards.

‘He was like this during the Tutorial too.’

During the first chapter of the Tutorial, Kang Han-cheol had similarly approached Se-woon with a request for sparring.

Since then, they had sparred whenever they had a chance.

‘Well, it’s been quite some time.’

The last time they sparred was before the fifth chapter of the Tutorial began.

Reflecting on this, Se-woon nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s have one round before I go.”

“Hyung, weren’t you planning to go to the village?”

“Just wait a bit. Or, do you want to join in?”

“Isn’t a referee needed? I happen to do an impeccable job at refereeing!”

Seeing Park Jung-pil quickly distance himself, Se-woon shook his head, having expected this reaction.

Looking ahead, Kang Han-cheol was already prepared for battle and was watching Se-woon.

‘Looks quite normal.’

Was it good stamina?

Kang Han-cheol seemed fine despite downing an entire beer barrel last night, showing no signs of intoxication or hangover.

High stamina did lead to faster liver recovery, yet alcohol tolerance was different, so players would naturally get drunk from overdrinking. It seemed he had developed not only stats but also skills related to resistance.

Having completed his battle preparations, he was wearing the golden armor received from Se-woon, now with a completely different color.

“The elder changed the color for me.”

“It suits you well.”

“I don’t like flashy colors.”

A deep green, almost black.

Though it lost the splendor it had as golden, it appeared to suit Kang Han-cheol even better than before.

Moreover, on his hand was a gauntlet he hadn’t seen before.

“What’s that?”

“A gauntlet I received as a reward from the merit-ranking. It should be fine, right?”

“No problem.”

The already powerful Kang Han-cheol’s fists were now enhanced with a gauntlet.

It was obvious how much stronger his punches would become, yet Se-woon did not draw his sword.

For Se-woon, sparring with Kang Han-cheol was purely educational.

Reading the mood, Park Jung-pil raised his hand and shouted from the sidelines.

“Begin!”

Boom!

As usual, Kang Han-cheol initiated the sparring. Yet, the leap sound emanating from the ground was anything but ordinary.

Having pushed down on the ground with immense power, the earth where Kang Han-cheol had stood was noticeably sunken.

‘He’s gotten faster.’

It was entirely different from merely being agile.

By maximizing the use of leg strength, he converted power into speed through instantaneous leaping ability.

Kang Han-cheol, who rapidly drew near to Se-woon, launched his punch without hesitation.

Swish-

Though his speed had increased, it was not enough to catch Se-woon off guard.

Using the subtlety of Tai Chi techniques, Se-woon rotated his arm to wrap around Kang Han-cheol’s fist.

At that moment.

‘Danger!’

A chill-inducing foreboding sensation surged through him.

Was it a kind of instinct?

Trusting his instinct, Se-woon abandoned his Tai Chi technique and withdrew backward.

Boom!!

With Kang Han-cheol’s punch crashing down on the ground, the impact sent cracks sprawling out like spider webs.

Observing his movements, Se-woon identified the source of the discomfort.

“…… A pity, it was a decisive strike.”

“Did you mix the mystery of Tai Chi Chuan with your strong punch?”

“No matter how I thought about it, using or deflecting enemy attacks just wasn’t my style.”

Kang Han-cheol’s statement was straightforward.

Originally, the mystery of Tai Chi Chuan specialized in redirecting or utilizing the opponent’s strength.

By adapting it oppositely, he made sure his strong punch couldn’t be redirected by opponents.

As a result, the opponent couldn’t absorb or deflect the punch and had to bear the full impact.

For Kang Han-cheol, it was the most fitting martial art.

Additionally,

“Seems you’ve become quite accustomed to internal energy too.”

“I’ve practiced a lot.”

A green energy flickered on Kang Han-cheol’s fist. He was using internal energy through Jinju On-ga Fist to fortify his punch.

Though only a brief time had passed since the end of the Tutorial in Se-woon’s absence,

In that period, Kang Han-cheol had grown surprisingly strong.

“And, this isn’t the end.”

“What?”

Rumble!

Kang Han-cheol exerted more force on his punch against the ground.

The cracks expanded, causing the earth to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

His strike was so powerful that his fist dug into the ground up to his elbow.

Then as he extracted his arm,

Boom!

The trembling earth erupted like a bomb.

Rock fragments buried in the ground burst forth with dust, crashing toward Se-woon.

– According to the mysteries of the Blue Tower, the repelling force of ‘Wide Shield’ is enhanced.

Summoning magic, Se-woon deflected the rocks.

Observing the shield, which reflected rocks with fluid-like movement, a small smile crept onto Kang Han-cheol’s face.

It was the first time Se-woon had used magic during their sparring.

Boom, boom!

Kang Han-cheol’s attack didn’t let up even amidst the swirling dust.

Utilizing his signature power, he stomped the ground to create vibrations that disturbed Se-woon’s movement, and with the recoil of his step, he threw his fist widely.

It was a combat technique showcasing just how much thought he had put into sparring with Se-woon.

Se-woon, realizing Tai Chi Chuan was ineffective, swiftly dodged the attack, but he couldn’t avoid every strike.

And finally,

– Through internal energy, the first form of Jinju On-ga Fist, Flying Heavenly Yaksha, is enhanced

– The Constellation, ‘Old Man Riding a Crocodile,’ bestows the power of Tremor upon their contractor.

– Player ‘Kang Han-cheol’s Flying Heavenly Yaksha is reinforced.

Boom-!!

For the first time, their fists clashed in mid-air.

With the enormous shock, the dust that had obstructed the view dissipated in an instant, and rocks scattered like cannonballs into the distance.

Thanks to this, the clan members suffering from hangovers snapped out of it and rushed outside urgently.

Crrrrk-

A power struggle ensued.

Se-woon tried to overpower Kang Han-cheol using the strength amassed through the Power of Gluttony, yet found himself losing ground as time passed, his feet skidding across the earth.

Thanks to the Power of Gluttony, Se-woon’s stats were overwhelmingly strong for a first-floor player, but Kang Han-cheol was a player chosen by the second-ranked Demon Lord, agares.

Moreover, his epithet, Explosive Power, bore potential in strength.

Thus, even Se-woon couldn’t avoid being overpowered in a pure strength contest.

“Isn’t it time to unsheathe your weapon?”

Kang Han-cheol applied more force to his punch, opening his mouth.

His voice exhibited assurance of victory, yet the expression on Se-woon’s face wasn’t the slightest bit flustered as he looked up.

“Was it Soft Fist and Strong Fist that I taught you?”

“What?”

“Well then, it’s time I taught you Swift Fist, don’t you think?”

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Taiyi Flashing Hand Technique ]

– A martial art of the Quanzhen Sect, known for its emphasis on strict asceticism. This palm technique employs movements so rapid that one can only discern the attack after it has struck.

Swish!

In an instant, Se-woon’s movements changed dramatically. Just moments ago, he had been locked in a stalemate, exchanging punches with Kang Han-cheol. Now, his figure vanished in the blink of an eye.

As Kang Han-cheol instinctively turned his head to locate Se-woon, a sharp impact landed squarely under his chin.

Thwack!

It was a blow powerful enough to cause a concussion in an ordinary person. However, Kang Han-cheol gritted his teeth and steadied himself, swinging his left hand forward in an attempt to grab hold of Se-woon, who had shifted to a speed-based offensive.

But Se-woon was no longer there.

The Taiyi Flashing Hand Technique.

It was a martial art that granted its practitioner swift, dazzling movements, as though they were a bird flitting through the air.

And as time passed, Se-woon’s movements only grew faster.

– Through internal energy, the first form of the Taiyi Flashing Hand Technique, Flying Swallow Warning, is enhanced.

Pabababat!

Se-woon’s palm struck Kang Han-cheol’s entire body with blinding speed.
Like a swallow darting freely through the air, his attacks were rapid and fluid.

Kang Han-cheol couldn’t predict the next strike, nor could he keep up with Se-woon’s movements.

Even as he glared and braced himself to endure, trying desperately to counter, the attacks kept coming.

Thwack—

Finally, a powerful blow to the back of his head forced him to his knees.

Barely managing to lift his head, Kang Han-cheol saw Se-woon standing before him, hand extended in an offer.

“How about it? Think you can keep up?”

“…You said one month? I’ll master it completely within that time.”

“Good.”

– The Constellation, ‘Old Man Riding a Crocodile,’ bursts into hearty laughter at his contractor’s growth and declares that special training will commence starting today!

Kang Han-cheol, acknowledging his defeat with clarity, clenched his fists and replied resolutely.

After Se-woon departed, however…

“Aaaahhh!”

“Han-cheol oppa, what is this?!”
“How could you do this inside the base? Look at the mess you’ve made of the buildings we worked so hard to construct!”

“Help us right now! Until this is fixed, you’re banned from doing anything else!”

– The Constellation, ‘Giant Bird,’ glances nervously at the Demon Lord’s reaction to his contractor’s reprimands, unsure how to respond.

– The Constellation, ‘Black Bird,’ nods in agreement, muttering that responsibilities must still be fulfilled regardless.

“…Understood.”

Kang Han-cheol, who had been ready to dive into intense training immediately, found himself detained by the twin sisters and tasked with repairing the base—delaying all other plans until the damage was fully restored.