Mercenary Black Mamba

"Haha!"

Bakri and others could not suppress their laughter. Sun WooHyun was dwarfed in both physique and words. Sun WooHyun was 165 centimeters tall and Samdi was 240 centimeters tall. Their argument resembled a Caucasian Ovcharka disciplining a Chihuahua. The lackey was known to be the least eloquent among Mu Ssang's entourage, but no one expected even Samdi to surpass him. Bakri and others were surprised by his notable eloquence.

"Crap!"

Their laughter bothered Sun WooHyun to no end. Samdi was still in his 20s but Sun WooHyun was in his late 30s. He was one of those who joined Mu Ssang earliest. He was lectured by someone who was his junior and was laughed at by his colleagues. Furthermore, Samdi was not a human but a zombie. He had forgotten one of the principles of Novatopia — the prohibition of discrimination.

"You are a wretched zombie. I am Mu Ssang's number one. Wakir and I are like friends. You are a rookie yet you dare lecture me?"

"…"

Sudden silence enveloped them. Everyone looked at Mu Ssang. Everyone here had a long history with him. Everyone knew that Samdi was formerly a zombie.

Dubaiburupa had always emphasized the value of no discrimination and reward based on merit.

Connections did not work in Novatopia. Merit, value creation and compensation were the foundational systems of society. "I am someone," or "I know someone," did not work. If one worked for 10 hours, one's compensation was worth 10 hours. If one worked for one hour, one's compensation was worth one hour. If one created value worth the unit of 10, one was compensated accordingly. If one created value equivalent to the unit of 100, one's compensation was proportionate to that.

Novatopia was an emerging, free country. The people enjoyed overflowing freedom but also could not infringe upon someone else's. Novatopia was a shelter for the miserable. Every Novatopian's past could be featured in Les Misérables. No one needed to ask or know the past of anyone. Someone who discriminated against anyone because of their past faced the punishment of expulsion.

Mu Ssang pretended to have not heard it. He ignored their gaze. He did not want to scold Sun WooHyun. Feigning ignorance was the best action here. Even though he did so, internally, he was furious. The biggest weakness of Sun WooHyun was his tendency to discriminate, doubt, and feel entitled to special treatment. It was almost an obsession. They said a person changes when they survive death. Sun WooHyun seemed to have changed slightly, but still, he was mostly the same.

In Mu Ssang's view, Sun WooHyun's obsession was due to the closed-off nature of North Korean society. When he belonged to the elite class in North Korea, he considered common people as his slaves. He was prideful and arrogant. When his father, a high executive in the Party, was executed along with the rest of his family, he must have lost all trust in other humans.

Would anyone turn out the same in the same circumstances? No. Nejema, 17 years old, faced harsher traumas. Zombies murdered and ate his parents before his eyes. None of the neighbors helped. Still, he thought of others first. He was kind to Samdi, fully knowing that he used to be a zombie. The greatness of the soul did not correlate with age. Mu Ssang sighed. Sun WooHyun could not be trusted with any important task in such a state.

"Why are your fists idle when your tongues are overworked? I thought Novatopian men wrestled with their arms, not tongues."

Nejema's words acted as a catalyst.

"I shall give you a taste of Thirteen Falcons."

Sun WooHyun soared abruptly at the provocation. His legs, curved like whips, hit Samdi's carotid artery. The speed surpassed that of a normal human. It was at least six times stronger than when he was captured in Sahel.

A clear thud was heard from Samdi's neck. Samdi stumbled and stepped back. The unexpected strike was so sneaky and fast that it even landed on Samdi.

Sun WooHyun read a wuxia novel from the Qing dynasty — The Story of Hero Boys and Hero Girls — and was enamored by He Yufeng, the female protagonist. Her confidence mesmerized him. Thirteen Maidens was He Yufeng's nickname. After The Story of Hero Boys and Hero Girls was widely read, Thirteen Maidens became a phrase that referred to a female hero or an extraordinarily skilled female.

Each move in the Five Combined Movement controlled and effectively brought forth the flow of energy according to the movement of stars, earth and the flow of time. When one's training achieved a certain level, one could design a movement optimized for oneself, based on the aura made by Five Combined Movement.

Sun WooHyun named his movement Thirteen Maidens and included redundant moves in order to make the number of moves 13. Ombuti's endless nagging could not deter his stubbornness.

If measured, the physical difference between Samdi and Sun WooHyun was incomparable. Samdi was 38 times stronger in muscular power, 75 in muscular contraction, 1.3 times in movement speed, and many times in the reflexive sensitivity of sensory organs. The only comparable factors were reflexive and instantaneous speed. With such physical differences, no comparison was needed.

"How was that? Do you feel awake now?"

Sun WooHyun, having regained his confidence, snickered. In fact, he was astonished. His foot had bounced back as if it hit a truck tire. He had not reached the Expelling Principle but his strike could still break the neck of any ordinary human. It was not as effective against Samdi. Sun WooHyun tensed up.

Samdi stretched his neck to the left and right. It was a quite powerful strike but its effects only applied to humans.

"It isn't just pathetic but boring as well. Are you going to protect Wakir with such a skill? That's just a dream. Monsters like Dino swarm the jungle of Ituri. You will not last a day there. Your cotton-like hands and feet are suitable for killing flies, nothing else."

"What? You wretched…"

The veins in Sun WooHyun's temple bulged. Rage blocked his words. That bastard had a way of riling Sun WooHyun up with his words.

"You want a proper fight? I'll show you."

A leg as thick as a utility pole swept the space. Samdi's large stature meant his leg was proportionately big.

"What do you mean…"

Sun WooHyun, surprised by the fearsome speed, ducked down to the ground. The massive leg grazed him, emitting a loud sound. The pressure of the wind pulled his hair towards its path.

Sun WooHyun pushed the ground to pick himself up. Using the momentum, he spun like a top in the air and kicked in 13 angles in an instant. The afterimage of his foot stacked in the air. Fearless Steps combined with Circular Elevation became another skill: Thirteen Maidens-Circular Elevation.

Samdi's colossal body went in and out of the membrane made by the afterimage of Sun WooHyun's kicks. Even though he had kicked the thirteen kicks at once, nothing seemed to touch his foot. As he kicked down on Samdi's shoulder to gain momentum again, a fan-sized hand slammed into his side.

"Argh!"

The momentum held by the hand, which simply waved as if to kill a fly, was tremendous. Sun WooHyun flew through the air like a stack of hay. Samdi had wrestled a five-ton Sarcosuchus. His physical power was no laughing matter. This impact was even after Samdi consciously reduced the shock, hitting with his palm, not his fist. Sun WooHyun was still struck hard like a minivan totaled by a freight truck.

The acacia trees on the outer perimeter of the airstrip were sacrificed. Colliding with Sun WooHyun, thick-thick trunks of the trees collapsed in succession. Sun WooHyun tumbled around on the ground several times, gathered himself, then stood up.

"You are dead meat!"

Sun WooHyun's eyes burned with a blue flame.

"You are a stupid human. You are inefficient in your moves. You are not fit to be the shield of our master."

Samdi critiqued.

"The fight is getting too fierce, teacher."

Nejema was worried. Samdi and Sun WooHyun were both superhumans. A catastrophe was bound to happen if they fought with all their might.

"Leave them be. It is good for them to redefine the hierarchy. A fight between masters is a rare sight. It will be educational for you."

Mu Ssang did not mind it. Sun WooHyun and Samdi's physical strength differed greatly. A cat could not be a tiger no matter how hard it tried. A fatal injury only happened when each party had similar strength. Unlike what it seems like, Samdi's attacks did not carry his full strength. There was nothing to worry about.

"Yes. I will remember that."

Nejema bowed politely and reverted his eyes toward the scene in front of them. The teacher's words were always right. Males needed a hierarchy for there to be peace among them. Also, a friendship formed by ardent fists lasted long.

Sun WooHyun flew like a butterfly and stung like a bee. After stabbing Samdi's eyes with two fingers, he hit Samdi with his elbow, spun in the air and kicked down at Samdi with the momentum, hitting the inner side of Samdi's knees. It was Thirteen Maidens of Shock, inspired by Black Mamba's Eighteen Beats of Shock.

Samdi blocked each blow in his place, not moving. Their hands and feet meet each other's.

'This bastard's body is made of iron!'

Sun WooHyun was struggling. Whenever their hands and feet met, he had to withstand pain that seemed to resound in his bones and unroot his nerves.

"Sun WooHyun is all style. And he doesn't realize Samdi is not serious."

Mu Ssang lamented. Sun WooHyun's moves were losing their integrity each time. Five Combined Movement's each move was an ultimate move. It was a skill consisting of speed and momentum.

Unlike praying mantis boxing, Wing Chun, and tai chi, it did not have any redundant moves. If one added to it, it ruined the integrity of the whole skill. Sun WooHyun was given silk but he sold it. Then he wove his clothes with cotton. He was an idiot.

In the middle of the moves, Sun WooHyun inserted a move in which he strangled Samdi with the inner side of his knee. It was a Phoenix Hatching Posture. It was surely a fancy skill but if one used such an unnecessary, wide movement against a strong opponent, it was like one was giving them a chance to counterattack. Moreover, in the back stood an obstacle, a jeep. Once countered, he could not use any evasive maneuvers and became vulnerable. A master was supposed to be aware of their surroundings and make use of them.

'What did he ever learn from Master?'

Samdi had no doubts after seeing Sun WooHyun's flowery move, which was suitable for only a weak opponent. He was fully aware of Sun WooHyun's power level now. The fight was starting to feel boring anyway. He pushed up Sun WooHyun's leg, which was wound around his neck, and kicked Sun WooHyun's chest. It was Staghorn Strike. It was a simple frontal kick composed mostly of speed. A wooden boat-like sole struck like a flash of light.

"Argh!"

Sun WooHyun, who was retreating, huffed. His buttocks touched the jeep's rear end. Sun WooHyun, who was losing stability, dived into the jeep's loading area. Face be damned, he had to survive.

Samdi's kick, grazing Sun WooHyun, struck the jeep. Receiving tremendous force in its rear end, the jeep turned several times then stopped, overturned.

"Whoa!"

The watchers raised their thumbs. Dinofelis raised its front paw. Samdi raised both of his hands and responded to the audience's cheers. No one paid attention to Sun WooHyun, who was now under the vehicle. It was a side effect of following Mu Ssang around. Unless the injury was dismemberment or complete thoracic collapse, no one paid attention to it.

Sun WooHyun, defeated, crawled out from under the jeep. He evaded injuries but lost all the pride he had left. His eyes met the broken jeep. It was crumpled up like a used piece of paper.

'Is he human?'

Sun WooHyun's mouth was agape in shock. Had he received that blow, all of his ribs would have collapsed and his spine would have been divided in two. If it were not for Black Mamba's Soul-Returning Pain Administration which augmented his physique, he would have been crippled for life. Cold sweat ran down his spine.

Barongo's voodoo revolt became an opportunity for Sun WooHyun to self-reflect. The world did not prove to be a hospital environment. Even Houngan Barongo had concealed his powers and fooled him. If it were not for Black Mamba's grace, he would have become a zombie or been dead.

Sun WooHyun's despair persisted. Ahmmad was his match but Samdi was clearly on another level. His arrogance, which led him to believe that he is the strongest after Black Mamba, was shattered to pieces.

Sun WooHyun had trained with all his might. Practicing Five Combined Movement was his main routine and the farm chores became his side hustle. He had considered himself to be strong enough to fight Samdi. But what was this? His power was on another level. His confidence left him like air left a punctured balloon. He felt lethargic once he admitted his defeat.

Samdi wrenched out the rear fender of the jeep. He then ripped it apart as if it were made of paper.

"What a crazy bastard!"

Sun WooHyun's eyes widened. He could make a hole in stacked iron plates but could never rip them apart. Being able to drill a hole with a strike and ripping apart iron plates with the force of one's hands were completely different difficulty levels.

"Lackey, I heard you come from the same place as Master. There is no discrimination in Novatopia. If you owe Master your life, pay it back with your life. Before you blame Master, blame yourself for being incomplete. Master made Novatopia as the last shelter for miserable people. All the money he earned with his blood and sweat was invested in Novatopia. Have you ever worked for someone else in your life? Do you make one other person smile once a day or at least once a month? Reflect upon yourself. Will you struggle for your own good? Or will you work hard for everyone to prosper? You will be this plate of iron if you act impertinently toward Master once again."

Having re-established the hierarchy, Samdi threw away the iron plate and stood behind Mu Ssang.