Sovereign of Judgment Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: Ring of Rebirth (5)
TL: Myoni
Edited: Myoni, Yoni
Kang Minho . He had the most outstanding physical traits in school . His 181cm height that made Choi Hyuk look small, thick bones and muscles developed through regular exercise .
However, Kang Minho was also no match against the 175cm tall Choi Junsung who didn’t work out . From the start, Kang Minho didn’t have the courage to fight with Choi Junsung .
That’s right . Kang Minho with his incredible physical traits just didn’t have the **** in critical moments .
Kang Minho wanted to appear more manly and intimidating but that was only his wish . He was the type who, in the face of real danger, would stay back and read the situation .
He called out Choi Hyuk because he wanted both safety and reputation .
‘It’ll be embarrassing if I beat a small fry to death . So Choi Hyuk who’s big but weak is best . ’
No matter how much of a loser Choi Hyuk was, it looked better killing him because he was tall .
At the same time, he thought .
‘But I don’t know how much stronger Choi Hyuk will get once he gets karma . ’
Not long after he stood in the ring, he received something similar to a system message and karma was distributed to him . Because of this, he personally experienced how strong a body with karma truly was .
Kang Minho’s eyes became colder . He made up his mind .
‘I’m going to tackle him as soon as he gets in the ring and beat him to death . ’
Kang Minho was planning on beating Choi Hyuk to death before he received karma and before he could adjust to his new strength . Since that was safer .
That was why, as soon as Choi Hyuk entered the ring with trembling hands .
The moment Choi Hyuk laughed, “Haha, okay . ”
Crash!
Kang Minho charged . His strengthened body flew out like a cannon ball .
The students spectating the match responded late . A tackle as fast as an Olympic gold medalist’s . Before Choi Hyuk could finish speaking, Kang Minho’s hands were already wrapping around his waist .
Kang Minho was assured of his victory .
Crush .
‘What is this sound?’
However, at the critical moment, Kang Minho felt something was weird . A disturbing crush had sounded out too close to him .
‘Where did this sound come from?’
With his face smashed in, Kang Minho, along with that thought, turned to ash .
Choi Hyuk’s body reacted the moment Kang Minho lowered his stance and lunged . First, he firmly planted his left foot on the ground . Then used that momentum to twist his waist and his upper body was pulled forward . His right foot arched as he thrust his knee upwards and his right thigh exploded with power the moment it made contact with Kang Minho’s face .
Bang!
He used his whole body to propel his knee up . No, it shot up . Choi Hyuk’s knee instantly smashed Kang Minho’s face . Even Kang Minho’s charge reinforced with karma was used against him as his face crumbled like tofu .
An explosive counter knee kick from Choi Hyuk who had never learned martial arts .
With that, it ended .
While absorbing Kang Minho’s ashes, Choi Hyuk let out a small sigh .
“I won…”
It suddenly started and ended before he could do anything .
The adrenaline pumping through his veins had nowhere to vent .
He was dumbfounded at the quick conclusion .
His guilty conscience of killing a man collided with his cynical ego that believed that those who intended to kill had nothing to say when killed . However, he didn’t feel it . It didn’t feel real . Instead, a sense of disappointment swept over him .
Choi Hyuk read the message that appeared in front of him . It was like a system message from a game .
[Great Accomplishment! You have killed someone with karma before it was distributed to you . As a reward, you get 10 points to allocate however you want . Your karmic stat has increased by 3 . ]
[You have entered the Ring of Rebirth . Karma has been distributed . ]
[ You have killed someone! You have absorbed a portion of your opponent’s karma . Karmic point has increased by 1 . ]
———————-
[Choi Hyuk]
*Human
*Karma Points
Power: 5 +1 Up!
Speed: 7 +1
Control: 22 +1
Endurance: 7 +1
Stamina: 9 +2
Recovery: 10 +1
*Free Karma Points: 10
*Retribution Point: 4
———————-
On average, he had 10 for each stat . However, his control was extremely high to the point of being strange .
And the absorbed stats from killing Kang Minho were indicated on the side . Seeing how stamina was +2 while everything else was +1, it seemed like Kang Minho had high stamina .
The points would be distributed differently for each person .
And Choi Hyuk could feel the ‘thing’ had squeezed into his body . Something sticky like honey filled up his insides . It was an unfamiliar feeling but it wasn’t uncomfortable . It was probably ‘karma’ that was circulating his body as it bonded with his body more securely than his muscles and tendons and allowed him to move explosively .
His altered body . The adrenaline in his body . Choi Hyuk instinctively wanted to test his body, however…
‘That’s enough . Are you going just kill people now?’
His perseverance that he increased his whole life was barely able to suppress his instincts .
Choi Hyuk carefully examined the people surrounding the ring . Since he had killed someone, he could simply leave the room like Jung Minji . He just needed to step down…
‘But…’
His thumping heart grabbed at his feet . He wanted to fight more . He wanted to prove himself . On the [Ring of Rebirth], Choi Hyuk was unable to decide whether he would step off or not .
Just then, he saw Bae Hyunsung looking away . The last remaining bully .
How unlucky . His instincts started to justify cunningly .
‘He would probably kill someone and live… does that make sense?’
He felt offended . For the man who tormented Yang Gilsoo and him to live? By killing another student?
Grit .
“That makes no sense . ”
Choi Hyuk knew . That he wasn’t an apostle of justice . That this was his self-justification to fight longer… he was aware of it . But before he knew it, he had already called him out .
“Bae Hyunsung! Come up here . ”
**
“Sa…save me . Mm? Hyuk . I mean we were quite cool right?”
Bae Hyunsung went down to his knees and pleaded as soon as he got in the ring . But Choi Hyuk frowned .
‘What’s that?’
He caught sight of black and red flashes reflected in Bae Hyunsung’s eyes . It felt sinister .
“I’m really sorry . It’s really all my fault . ”
He was already in a bad mood because of the strange flashes of light but seeing Bae Hyunsung stoop so low, **** him off even more . He didn’t call him up here for this .
“Come at me . You’re going to kill someone anyways . ”
“I won’t! I won’t kill anyone . I will just stay here quietly!”
Even though it was obviously a lie, since Bae Hyunsung was acting like this, Choi Hyuk was at a loss for words . Killing was Choi Hyuk’s lifelong trauma . Ever since that incident, he avoided resorting to violence . His devious instincts enjoyed fighting not killing so when Bae Hyunsung begged for his life, even if he knew it was a lie, he didn’t have the heart to kill .
“Ha…”
Choi Hyuk who felt stumped at what to do looked at the ceiling and sighed .
‘Should I just leave it and get off . But… why is he like that? Isn’t he planning on killing someone and leaving?’
He didn’t like this . He wished it would be Bae Hyunsung more than anyone else . If it was possible, he wanted to fight Bae Hyunsung who had suppressed him until now . However, looking at his state, he couldn’t act . While Choi Hyuk was troubling over this, a red light flashed in front of him .
A red light exploded from Bae Hyunsung’s body . Immediately after, Bae Hyunsung took out a carpenter’s knife he had hidden in his pocket and slashed at Choi Hyuk’s neck .
Bae Hyunsung prostrated and begged for this moment . He never expected Choi Hyuk to spare his life from the beginning . Since, if he was in Choi Hyuk’s position, he wouldn’t . He only waited for the moment his opponent let down his guard .
“Fuck! This **** bastard!”
Bae Hyunsung swiftly slashed with his knife . However…
Crack!
The knife missed its target and instead, Choi Hyuk’s fist slammed right in between Bae Hyunsung’s chin and throat .
He had stepped back to avoid the knife and pushed forward before throwing a counterpunch .
Stretched out legs, his rotated waist and shoulder and his wrist that had endured the impact .
Perhaps it was due to his control stat of 23 but he was able to slam his fist straight into his target without wasting even the slightest energy .
Thud .
The stiffened Bae Hyunsung slumped down onto the floor .
“…What the **** . ”
The sudden flash of red light . He might have reacted slower because he was surprised by this light .
‘Just what was that?’
But the only person to see the light was Choi Hyuk .
Choi Hyuk gazed at the collapsed Bae Hyunsung . He hadn’t died yet . He hesitated again . It wasn’t a situation where he died from fighting but where he would have to purposely kill him . Choi Hyuk looked at his surroundings . Students were shaking in fear . The math teacher’s eyes were trembling .
Because his opponent crumbled so easily, Choi Hyuk’s actions looked irrational . Nothing had changed in 5 years .
He was a monster, a killer .
‘…Too late…’
Choi Hyuk smiled bitterly . He strangled Bae Hyunsung’s neck .
A game where everyone had to become a killer to survive . Someone was going to kill Bae Hyunsung anyways . Or, Bae Hyunsung would regain his senses and kill . Perhaps it would be different if he didn’t call him out in the first place but he felt that leaving at this time would be more cowardly . Choi Hyuk strangled the unresisting Bae Hyunsung to death . It put him in a bad mood . He wanted to fight to his heart’s content but instead, he became more uncomfortable .
‘This is what you guys started…’
To brush off the uncomfortable feeling, Choi Hyuk made an excuse . Finally, Bae Hyunsung turned into ash as he was absorbed into Choi Hyuk .
[You have killed someone! You have absorbed a portion of your opponent’s karma . Karmic point has increased by 1 . ]
[Unique Skill ‘Eyes of Distinction’ . ]
Messages that made it seem like he did a good job . They made him more depressed .
‘I guess this isn’t the end?’
After looking at the messages, he didn’t think that this survival game would end in a day or two .
‘If it’s going to be this uncomfortable, I won’t feel happy about fighting…’
Then, his body stiffened as a sudden thought struck him .
‘Were we the only ones going through this **** game?’
Something felt wrong . Just how far would this supernatural phenomenon extend to? The school? Seoul? No…
‘…What about mom?’
Why didn’t he think of this sooner? Choi Hyuk’s mind was in a rush . She was probably at work right now . What if a ring like this one appeared there?
The hairs on his body stood on end . Choi Hyuk hurriedly got off the ring and ran out the classroom . The unpleasant feelings that wrapped around him evaporated as adrenaline poured into his body .