Chapter 73
The Berserker’s declaration of war.
In truth, it wasn’t even a declaration of war.
It was more like an adult giving a brat a light smack on the head to teach him a lesson.
That’s why so many people gathered in front of the Ohsung Group headquarters.
“There it is! Jang Daewoong said he’s going to destroy that building!”
“Film it! Get the helicopter up and start broadcasting!”
Reporters and TV crews were everywhere.
“Mom! I wanna watch!”
“Alright, but we’ll stay far away, okay?”
“Okay!”
Even ordinary people with no power came just to satisfy their curiosity.
It was a strange sight.
Usually, when rankers fought, people stayed as far away as possible.
Their battles could shatter mountains and cause quakes—disasters for civilians.
But the reason people gathered this time was simple.
“Come on, it’s the Berserker. He’s not gonna fight anyone. He’ll just destroy the building and leave.”
“I heard all the Ohsung rankers already ran off.”
“I’d run too. Why risk your life for Ohsung? No loyalty’s worth that.”
“Tsk, that’s what they get for messing with the workshop a lunatic hired.”
The Berserker—Jang Daewoong.
The wall of rank 20 in the world was that high.
And I was there too.
“Mr. Joo Donghoon! Or should I say, President of Dmir?”
As time passed, familiar faces appeared.
“Or maybe Skeleton Lord? That’s your new title, right?”
They were the ones who had stood on my side when Ohsung retaliated.
One of them, the Black Sword Lee Seonah, smiled brightly as she approached.
“It’s been a while! The Dungeon Maker event’s almost here. You’re preparing well, right?”
“…”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you forgot after all the support we gave you—”
“Ahem.”
I hadn’t forgotten.
I planned to craft this weapon and then challenge for A-rank status.
I was confident now.
The old man had said I was more than ready to surpass that level.
“Anyway, thank you, Seonah. Your words last time gave me a lot of strength.”
“Don’t mention it. Friends help each other.”
She winked playfully.
Then another figure appeared behind her.
“Hey, Joo Donghoon! I’m offended. You could’ve told me sooner you were making an S-rank weapon.”
Rank 828, Yoo Sangdon—the White Boar.
When I’d first met him, he’d been 830th. Now he’d climbed two spots.
“Ha! Still, that was awesome! You actually stood up to Ohsung Group on your own! Just imagining that old geezer shaking with rage feels so damn satisfying!”
“Is that so?”
“That’s why I dragged my busy butt here. Man, Daewoong’s the best. He just declared he’d wreck the place without caring about the backlash. That kind of reckless courage? Even Hase Ra would have to respect it!”
He wasn’t wrong.
Even in a world ruled by power, there were always watching eyes and checks in place.
Jang Daewoong’s brute-force approach could easily backfire later.
“Still, I feel kind of bad. This all started because of me.”
“Don’t be. He’s not the type to think before acting anyway. And you know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“Even with all this chaos, no one’s mad at him. Everyone just shrugs and says, ‘Well, a madman’s gonna be a madman.’ His image is perfect!”
“….”
He had a point.
Looking around, no one seemed to blame the Berserker.
They were just watching, fascinated.
Ah, right.
They say nothing’s more entertaining than watching a fight or a fire.
“Let’s just enjoy the show.”
Yoo Sangdon pointed toward the building.
Up in the distance, Jang Daewoong’s figure could be seen floating faintly in the air.
“The show’s about to start.”
—
“Hahaha! Don’t take it too personally! No hard feelings! I’m just returning the 300 billion won worth of damage you tried to cause me!”
Whoooosh—
Hovering in the air, Jang Daewoong pulled his right hand out of his pocket.
That single movement caused the air around him to surge violently.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
Why did a man laughing as he prepared to smash a building with one fist look so… cool?
The rippling muscles, the unshakable confidence—he truly embodied the Berserker.
“Wait a moment, Berserker!”
Someone shouted from below through a megaphone.
It was none other than Chairman Shin Jooyong of Ohsung Group.
“What you’re about to do is unjustified violence! It’s nothing but an abuse of power! Even if you’re rank 20, there are Hunters stronger than you! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“Haha, unjustified? Didn’t Ohsung strike first through its rankers?”
“You have no proof we did!”
“Proof? My judgment is proof enough!”
“H-how dare you—!”
“Shut it! If you don’t like it, bring a ranker and fight me yourself!”
Jang Daewoong then turned toward the nearby helicopter camera.
“And anyone else who has a problem with my actions—come at me! I don’t care if you’re a Hunter or a nation!”
At that moment, he swung his arm lightly.
Whoosh!
But the impact was anything but light.
BOOOOOOM!
A beam of pure energy shot from his fist and struck the center of the building.
Rumbleee!
The ground quaked, and the building exploded as if hit by a missile.
“Th-this lunatic…!”
Even as Shin Jooyong shouted, Jang Daewoong ignored him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! BOOM!
Three more punches followed, striking the building’s supporting pillars.
No structure could withstand a ranker’s might.
Ruuumble…
Amid clouds of dust, the building collapsed.
No one stopped the Berserker.
Just as the public predicted, every ranker Ohsung had hired had already fled.
“Hey, Chairman Shin.”
Thud.
Jang Daewoong landed lightly on the ground, his left hand still in his pocket.
“If you want to fool others, you’ve got to fool yourself first.”
“What?”
“You already know the truth, don’t you? Even if you’re old, you made the wrong call—and that deserves a hit.”
“…”
“Or did you think I, Jang Daewoong, was some pushover?”
Crack.
Shin clenched his trembling fists and bit his lip under the Berserker’s pressure.
‘So he’s not just a brute after all.’
If Shin was the leader of a conglomerate, Daewoong was a powerhouse second only to Korea’s strongest.
They both stood atop their respective worlds, capable of seeing the big picture.
“…You knew?”
“Ohsung Workshop’s attack was aimed at Dmir Workshop, not me. That’s why I’m letting it end here.”
“…”
The meaning was clear.
If they’d targeted him, it wouldn’t have ended with just one building.
It was a warning to accept defeat quietly.
‘I see…’
Chairman Shin bowed his head.
In both power and presence—
He was completely defeated.
—
“Grandfather! Grandfather!”
At the Ohsung Group’s Gangnam branch, where he’d fled for safety, Shin Jooyong looked up as his grandson burst in.
“This is outrageous! Rankers conspiring to commit violence like this?!”
Crash!
Throwing the door open, Shin Jongoh shouted, furious.
“There’s no proof I did anything! We should gather funds and fight back!”
“….”
Shin Jooyong silently looked at him.
How had it come to this?
‘So I was good at building companies but terrible at raising family.’
Because of that grandson…
The company he’d spent eighty years building—his true child—was in ruins.
His grandson, barely twenty.
The company, his life’s work.
It burned him inside.
He was furious.
“Grandfather! Why aren’t you saying anything? How about recruiting the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?”
“…You fool.”
Grit.
His teeth ground together.
Right—this couldn’t continue.
He’d been called the Iron-Blooded Chairman once. It was time to remember why.
Trash wasn’t meant to be tolerated—it belonged in the trash.
“Grandfather?”
“Shut up!”
“G-grandfather?”
“Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve caused this company? And you come here without even an apology?”
“B-but, I—!”
“I’ve had enough. You’re getting a proper beating today.”
“Grandfather?”
Shin picked up the phone with his gnarled hand and called security.
They’d recently hired an A-rank Hunter for protection.
“Sorry, but restrain him. I’ve got a long-overdue lesson to teach.”
“Yes, sir.”
The towering Hunter pinned Shin Jongoh to the floor.
As a C-rank, he didn’t stand a chance.
“W-wait, Grandfather!”
“Silence.”
Shin grabbed a golf club resting in the corner—his favorite golden 7-iron.
“If I don’t fix my swing on your back today, my blood pressure will kill me.”
“G-grandfather?”
Thwack! Thwack!
The club sliced through the air in perfect form, striking his grandson’s backside and thighs. (T/N: SAAAAATTIIIIISSSSSFACCCCTIONNNNNNNN!)
“Gyaaaah! Aaagh!”
“From today on, you’re out of the workshop business.”
Thwack! Thwack!
“And get your name off the family register. I’ve never had such a disgrace for a grandson. Go be a Hunter with your gang of idiots.”
Thwack! Thwack!
That day, the Gangnam branch chairman’s office was filled with the sound of beating—like drums echoing all day long.
—
[Breaking News! Ohsung Group Admits Ordering Assassination—Issues Public Apology!]
[Ohsung’s Confession Brings Praise for the Berserker—A Hero of Our Time!]
[Ohsung Group Withdraws from Workshop Business as Apology!]
“President of Dmir, I was wrong. I’ll prepare as much compensation as you ask.”
Apgujeong.
Chairman Shin Jooyong knelt before me outside the building.
“….”
The rumors were true—he was remarkable.
A corporate titan, admitting fault and kneeling before a small workshop owner.
He may have made a rash decision, but he knew how to correct it.
However…
That only concerned Chairman Shin.
Shin Jongoh was another matter entirely.
“You said you removed him from the family registry, correct?”
“Yes. He’ll never set foot in Ohsung Group again.”
I see.
But would he even have a lifetime left to worry about that?
“So that means whatever happens to Shin Jongoh from now on, you won’t interfere?”
“….”
Shin pressed his lips together tightly.
He understood perfectly what I meant.
Shin Jongoh had tried to take my life.
And my rule was simple: repay everything in kind.
My life was valuable—this wasn’t enough.
And I wasn’t the type to leave loose ends.
“…Do as you wish. He’s no longer my concern.”
“Good. Then I’ll accept your apology.”
That was enough.
My dealings with Ohsung Group ended cleanly here.
All that remained was my unfinished business with Shin Jongoh.
By my standards, this was a neat and satisfying conclusion.