The 1,500 men surrounding Zean and his inner circle were dead silent.
No one dared to speak or move after what they had just witnessed.
How could they? They had just seen a 14-year-old boy toy with three Kings—figures who ruled entire cities through strength and charisma, each capable of taking down hundreds of men on their own.
And he hadn't just beaten one; he had defeated three simultaneously, even copying one King's signature move and using it to overpower him right before their eyes.
"T-there was someone like that in the Age of the Fists, wasn't there...?" one man stammered, visibly shaken from watching his King get played with by a child.
"You mean Jinyoung Park...? Gapryong Kim's left-hand man...?" another replied, realization dawning on his face.
Although Jinyoung Park wasn't the strongest in the Gapryong Fist Gang, he was certainly the most dreaded opponent anyone on his level could face. He possessed a vast arsenal of martial arts copied throughout the 0th and 1st Generations, becoming a legend known for his versatility and adaptability.
It didn't matter what you used against him; if you didn't take him down within the first minute, he would copy your entire style and counter you with techniques stolen from others. He was every martial artist's nightmare, and the news of his retirement had been a relief to all.
But now, standing before them, was someone who displayed that same terrifying ability—a fighter who took a King's full-power attack to the face without flinching, and now stood calmly without a drop of sweat after dismantling three Kings.
"They say fear can make people do stupid things..." Zean said, his smile twisting into a wide, crazed grin. "SO IF YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT, COME AT ME! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW STUPID OF AN IDEA IT WAS, COMING HERE TODAY!"
He screamed at the terrified men, triggering their instincts and forcing the first wave to charge at him recklessly.
Lee Han and Jung Hwan immediately leaped forward. They beat the first wave of men with such ease that the battle-hardened fighters might as well have been children.
Although Lee Han hadn't undergone Zean's hellish month-long training of fighting hundreds daily like Jung Hwan and the Gwangju/Suncheon executives, he was still a King far stronger than mere lackeys.
Right behind them, the executives from Gwangju and Suncheon joined the fray, demonstrating the overwhelming gap between them and the regular executives of other regions.
---
The two Kings who were still standing, though fearful and shaken by Zean's display of raw power and talent, decided to attack. The Kings of Naju, Damyang, and Yeosu joined them, hoping Zean had been at least slightly fatigued by the previous fight.
All five Kings attacked Zean from different angles, but as they closed in, they saw his eyes return to their normal color, a look of pure determination on his face as he prepared to tank their combined assault.
Is he serious? Does he really think he can take the attacks of five Kings head-on and come out unscathed? they thought, baffled.
They resolved to at least injure him, even if they couldn't win.
In Zean's mind, he had made a decision: he would fight these five Kings without using his UI cheat.
'Fighting the first three was easier than I thought. Let's see if I overestimated these so-called Kings, or if my UI cheat was just that powerful.'
He took a defensive stance, bracing himself.
The first difference Zean noticed without his UI active was their speed. Before, they had moved in slow motion; now, they were fast, and he could barely react in time.
Their attacks landed on his body, but the force was absorbed by his Perfect Body cheat. His Blackbone cheat ensured he felt no pain.
It was then that the Kings felt the true, despairing gap between them and Zean.
They began attacking frantically—kicking, punching, kneeing, elbowing—but nothing worked. Zean was simply too overpowered.
Zean also noticed his eyes were adapting in real-time, slowly perceiving their movements as clearly as if he were using UI.
When he started effortlessly dodging everything, the Kings grew desperate, throwing everything they had to land just one more hit.
To them, he was a monster—a thought that solidified as he began using their own techniques against them.
The King of Naju was knocked out by his own elbow strike, delivered to his gut with twice the power. The King of Damyang,faced with his own mastered peek-a-boo boxing style, couldn't keep up with Zean's speed and was sent flying by an uppercut. The Kings of Yeosu and the remaining two weren't even worth copying in Zean's eyes;he simply speed-blitzed all three with precise strikes to the chin, liver, and solar plexus.
---
Just as Zean finished with the Kings, his lieutenants and executives had also defeated all the remaining fighters.
"Somebody order some food; I'm getting hungry," Zean said, pulling Sung Hwan's unconscious body over and using it as a seat.
The executives quickly placed orders while making light conversation.
"To think we defeated eight Kings and their forces in a single night..."
"If I hadn't been here today, I'd call anyone who claimed this happened a madman," Lee Han said to Jung Hwan, taking a seat atop a pile of unconscious men.
"You're really amazing, Jung. Even though we were both Kings, I can tell neither I nor any of the others today were a match for you," Lee Han admitted, admiration in his voice. "Do you think I can get as strong as you?"
"As long as you follow Young Master Zean, you will definitely surpass my current level. But don't think I'll be standing still," Jung Hwan replied proudly. "By the time you reach where I am now, I'll already be far stronger."
"Should I take that as a challenge, Mr. Jung?" Lee Han smirked.
"Take it however you want. We are both the Young Master's lieutenants, but as his first lieutenant, I intend to always remain the stronger one," Jung Hwan said, thumping a fist against his chest.
Zean watched the competitive fire ignite in Lee Han's eyes and knew he hadn't made a mistake in appointing him.
---
Before the food arrived, a convoy of trucks swarmed the street from both sides. The lead vehicle's door opened, and everyone was surprised to see who stepped out.
It was Joo Il Nam, who should have been in Suncheon, followed by the Kings of Gwangyang, Boseong, and Goheung.
"Bloody hell..." the King of Boseong whispered, shock and fear gnawing at his heart.
And how could he not feel that way? The scene before him was beyond anything he could have imagined.
Eight Kings lay unconscious on the ground, one even being used as a stool. Hundreds of their men were piled up, utterly defeated.
The three newly arrived Kings exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. They walked forward, step by step, until they stood before Zean.
Then, in unison, they bowed deeply, ensuring the angle was a sharp 90 degrees.
"We greet the Young Master—no," the King of Boseong corrected himself, not daring to lift his head. "We greet the Young Emperor of Jeollanam-do."
He didn't need to look up to know Zean was smiling.
"The young emperor... I like the sound of that..." Zean said, his voice filled with excitement.
This was the culmination of the past 70 days that he spent working hard in this world.
He knew that he was now Jeollanam-do's ruler, still, he knew that this was just the beginning.
'the story haven't even started yet, I shouldn't get too excited.' he thought while smiling, having no clues about the powerful figure that had just entered Gwangju and was heading towards them.