Chapter 81 – A Father’s Fury

Lee didn't flinch in the wake of the crimson lightning crashing towards him. Instead, taking a page from a certain firebender who loved tea, he let the lightning crash against him, moved with the current, grounded himself properly, and then swung his arms around to send it right back at his opponent.

Yoo Jinwoong batted the lightning aside, his eyes wide with clear interest. "That's a new one."

Lee smiled and said, "I could say the same to you." He shook his hands, feeling slightly numb. "...That's not mana. It's literally lightning. Like, what the heck?"

The courtyard behind the Yoo Estate. Specifically, Yoo Jinwoong's training grounds for when he wasn't at the Essence of Strait.

Because Nayun was such an excellent ragebaiter, Lee had felt real killing intent from Yeonha's dad last night.

So, partially because Lee wasn't sure what would happen if Hajin dropped dead, and also partially because he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spar against a powerful opponent and make connections, Lee ran damage control.

First, he convinced Yoo Jinwoong to sleep on it.

But this morning, Lee realized that had only intensified Yoo Jinwoong's killing intent... not to mention that Yeonha's mom, Jin Yeojung, an icy and no nonsense beauty that was clearly who Yeonha tried to imitate...

Jin Yeojung didn't quite have killing intent, but she very much had the look of a woman who was debating how best to ruin a man's life.

That led to step two: split the enemy.

Rachel and Nayun had convinced Jin Yeojung to help buy clothes for Evandel.

And Evandel, being the adorable ball of sunshine that she was...

After one 'Auntie Yojun,' Yeonha's mom had fallen hook, line, and sinker.

Meanwhile, Lee had asked Yoo Jinwoong for a spar to let off some steam.

And it was definitely working. After a few minutes, Yeonha's dad was calming down.

...But probably because Lee had also said that Yeonha and Hajin would be showing up for breakfast where they could hash it all out together.

Since there was a clear goalpost and reckoning in sight, the waves of emotion were momentarily settled.

'Now I just have to somehow hype Hajin up enough to not seem like some third-rate kdrama protagonist who managed to seduce the chaebol heiress and who hides behind her skirt...'

Lee shifted his stance.

Normally, he would keep using Bajiquan against an opponent... and a spear.

But since this was a spar... and since Yeonha's dad was shamelessly using real lightning against Lee, he changed his mind.

Instead of Bajiquan, Lee took a Bagua stance.

Unlike Bajiquan, which was straightforward strength and power, Bagua embodied the eight trigrams, which together formed yin and yang.

Lee WOULD use taiji, but he didn't have the temperament for it so he never properly learned it.

Bagua was usually paired with Bajiquan anyway, so Lee picked it up in his past life along with Bajiquan.

'Kiiind of wishing I'd learned Taiji instead though.'

In hindsight, Taiji would go well with the spear techniques and swordplay he already knew since it could be translated to a forward march like Bajiquan.

Baqua was too much circles and outside movements for Lee's liking... but it was clearly good at redirecting stuff-

A crimson flash.

Lee spun on his heel and swept his hands out, catching and turning to send the lightning back towards Yoo Jinwoong.

Yoo Jinwoong laughed as he smacked it into the ground, creating a scorchmark in the grass. "So it wasn't a fluke. No wonder you could defeat a hundred Cube Cadets. Did you purposefully perform poorly on the entrance exams so you could make a splash like this?"

Lee laughed too and said, "Something like that."

But internally, he focused, quietly observing Yoo Jinwoong.

'For a man called The Berserker, he definitely doesn't look the part.'

Lee had been expecting either a full-on barbarian build with bulky muscles and a towering stature or a Bruce Banner and the Hulk situation.

But this was neither.

Yoo Jinwoong looked like an average middle-aged Korean office worker wearing glasses.

At least, at first.

But as he kept fighting, and as he kept channeling that crimson lightning...

The button up shirt that Yoo Jinwoong had been wearing turned to ash, revealing a lean and muscular body riddled with scars. A body that slowly expanded with muscles the more crimson lightning crackled around him.

"...Are you like Asura or something? No, Kratos? Because what the heck?"

If Lee had to compare it, Yoo Jinwoong definitely had something like Spartan Rage or whatever Asura had that let the guy punch out deities...

Yoo Jinwoong tossed his glasses aside and cracked his neck. "I don't know what those are. But I do know that I am strong. And you're decent, Kid." His eyes were sharp as he took in Lee's appearance. "I would have thought you'd deflect my lightning or evade it. But to take it head on with just your body and without ki reinforcement... Bold."

"I'm just confident in my body." Lee smiled, holding his hands up again in the graceful baqua opening stance.

...Hm.

'Actually, is this what Shang Chi's mother used against his father in the Ten Rings movie?'

Yoo Jinwoong slowly walked forward. "Since you're confident, let's kick it up a notch. The healers are here anyway for when That Scoundrel arrives, so don't hold back."

Before Lee even had a chance to reply, crimson lightning filled his vision, along with a fist.

> Lightning Rush activates!

'Hajin owes me soooo much after this.'

Lee wreathed his body with the ambient mana and then met Yoo Jinwoong's fist with one of his own.

*BOOM*

Crimson lightning and golden lightning splashed as Lee jumped back from the recoil.

Meanwhile, Yoo Jinwoong was launched back, barely stopping himself by slamming his feet into the ground. And when he saw Lee, he laughed. Cracking his knuckles, he said, "The class this year really is something special, isn't it? Yeonha's made some great friends... Did you get inspired by me just now and adapt?"

Golden lightning, fueled by the ambient mana, crackled around Lee's body like a certain Raikage.

When that happened, Lee gave up on Bagua and settled into his usual Bajiquan stance, body half turned with his left foot and left fist forward while his right fist stayed at his side. "Well, I'm always open for pointers."

'Also, note to self: immune to mana and magic does NOT mean immune to stuff like lightning and fire if it's not being fueled by mana.'

Yoo Jinwoong laughed. "Then I'm happy to oblige. Try to keep up!"

Crimson lightning crackled. But this time, instead of striking Lee, it wreathed around Yoo Jinwoong and shot him forward.

> Lightning Rush activates!

Lee felt the world slow down as his body sped up with his Gift.

But Yoo Jinwoong was still moving at a fast speed, even in the slowed world.

If before he was crimson lightning, striking in a flash, right now, Yoo Jinwoong was like a bullet. Slower, but still inhumanly fast.

Still...

'He's not trained.'

...There was one advantage Lee had.

Yoo Jinwoong was clearly used to just using pure speed and force to win battles.

...Honestly, if you could wield what was basically heavenly tribulation lightning, that was pretty much all you needed anyway...

But because of that, Yoo Jinwoong wasn't formally trained.

'Wait, he is.'

Lee recognized the traces of Taekwando in Yoo Jinwoong's attacks, but it seemed that he had discarded the fighting style a long time ago, probably from never facing a proper opponent.

In contrast, Lee diligently repeated his ten thousand reps for all his attacks every morning without fail.

And so-

'There.'

Just before Yoo Jinwoong's fist struck Lee, he pivoted and slammed his own fist into Yoo Jinwoong's chest.

A decisive blow... or so Lee thought.

But-

"What the hell is this body?!"

-A loud metallic sound echoed.

Yoo Jinwoong was sent flying back again, clearly winded. But he laughed, crimson lightning crackling more as he rubbed his chest. "That was a good punch! Haven't felt anything like that in years."

Lee shook his numb right hand and started to sweat. "...Okay. Note to self. Screw normal training, get stat boosters. Because what the fuck are these OGs eating...?"

If it wasn't for Lee being more skilled, he would definitely be ragdolling right now.

Yoo Jinwoong wasn't the leader of the number one guild in the world for no reason. And his Gift absolutely deserved to be called <War God>.

Yoo Jinwoong let out a feral grin and cracked his knuckles again. "Come on, Kid. Don't tell me that's all you've got?"

"...Okay, yeah. Fighting you unarmed with just martial arts is basically suicide. Screw that." Lee held out his right hand and used Mana Manipulation to make a spear out of the golden lightning surrounding him. "If you're going to phase two, I'M going to phase two."

After that, Lee rushed forward, shamelessly using <No Second Strike (Rederived)>.

His spear crashed against Yoo Jinwoong's side.

It punched through the crimson lightning and bit into the man's muscles, making him bleed a little.

But then the crimson lightning flared even more and Yoo Jinwoong laughed, crushing the spear. "That's more like it! Come on, Kid!"

Lee jumped back and made both a sword and a spear from mana this time before pointing both at Yoo Jinwoong. "STOP USING ULTRA EGO, DAMMIT!"

===

Elsewhere, at Hajin and Yeonha's apartment.

Hajin had just finished freshening up, gearing himself to the nines, as well as making sure he looked the part of someone fit to stand at Yeonha's side.

And then a flurry of messages popped up in front of his field of view.

> Luck activates! A Certain Cadet is desperately clashing against your infuriated Father-in-law!

> Luck activates! Nayun, Rachel, and Evandel have successfully defused your Mother-in-law's anger due to the thoughts of meeting a cute granddaughter.

> Luck activates! Your Father-in-law is swiftly losing stamina due to the intense clash!

> Luck activates! Kim Suho has settled his past life's regrets and fully embraced his current life, raising his potential. 10.0 -> 11.0.

> Luck activates! Due to winning sufficient funds from placing bets upon your lovelife, Tomer has retired from the Djinn Association and is using her newfound funds to search for her father. (Please see the pending information request you have at your earliest opportunity.)

> Luck activates! Kim Suho has just texted the groupchat that Shin Jonghak was actually interested in Seo Youngji and is going on a date with her!

> A great fortune! Your in-laws have realized that Shin Jonghak was leading your wife along as part of a roster!

Hajin paused in the middle of holstering a pair of twin desert eagles. Then he clasped his hands in prayer and said, "Co-author. I will never doubt you again. Thank you for throwing me a bone."

> SYSTEM: 👍

> SYSTEM: Remember to use your SP!

"...Is that a threat or a tip...?"

> SYSTEM: 👍

"...Goddammit."