Mercenary Black Mamba

"Huh. Even I'll be in trouble after an attack like that."

Mu Ssang began pitying Dino currently getting beaten up one-sidedly.

Kamdoong was a formless creature capable of transformation. His body remained on the spot only for its head to shoot out and slam into Dino, then a fist extending from its waist punched the poor Dinofelis in its chin. Then the tail transformed into a bird beak to stab Dino in the eyes.

Not stopping there, dozens of hammers rushed in to mercilessly pound Dino on the head, chest and the rest of its torso. A rope shooting out like a streak of lightning restrained Dino's legs next. Kamdoong's movements were so fast that no one else other than Mu Ssang could follow it.

Every time a black line was drawn in the air, a wretched scream would swiftly follow.

Dino tumbled around the lawn like dead leaves being blown around by the Autumn winds. Like beating up a dog in one of the three Dog Days of the Summer (three hottest days)... On the housewarming day of the Eungsim-je, a Dinofelis threshing ground opened its doors instead.

Dino became a tough customer after drinking Mu Ssang's blood and going through the three-phase Soul-Returning Pain Administration technique. After experiencing the Bone-Crushing Rebirth, Dino received Samdi's constant abuse and the awakening of its blood to become an unprecedented monstrosity. But against a fraudulent existence called Kamdoong, Dino couldn't do anything other than be beaten up mercilessly.

The hitting power was proportionally multiplied by the speed and the surface area. If you get stepped on by a foot wearing a sneaker, you'd feel pretty bad. However, being stabbed by a high heel would make you scream in pain and demand hospital fees for compensation. Of course, all would be forgiven if the high heel-wearer happened to be pretty.

The MBT (Main Battle Tank) Black Panther's weight is 55 ton, while its power output is 1,500 horsepower. Now imagine the mobility and power of a Black Panther shrunk down to one-fortieth of its original size all the while maintaining its original weight and power output. That chilli would not merely be spicy anymore but properly fatal instead.

"Ack! Dino!" Edel called out in a desperate cry.

Of course, Dino did not have any room to reply. A cat no bigger than just a snack was simply too fast to catch. Not even Dino's powerful attacks with its front limbs, tail or fangs worked. It struggled with all of its might, but its attacks still scythed through the empty air in vain.

Dino desperately fought back but could not even touch Kamdoong's shadow. And the latter's speed was accelerating gradually, too. Trapped behind a black curtain, Dino's roaring and screaming slowly weakened and petered out.

*

The strongest bone in a human being was their thigh bones. Thigh bones could withstand the downward pressure of three tons and lateral pressure of up to 500kg. Bones of all animals had evolved to become stronger against downward pressure. That was because whether you were a prey or a predator, you had to run.

The bigger the frame of an animal, the higher the toughness of its bones would be. Out of all the animals currently existing, rhinos possessed strongest bones. An adult rhino's thigh bone could withstand the downward pressure of 109 tons and 20 tons of lateral pressure.

The force behind Kamdoong's strikes, which were both vertical and horizontal, reached anywhere between 50 to 100 tons. Toughness of Dino's bones was three times that of a rhino, but it was still not enough to survive a continuous barrage of punishment. Bones rivaling titanium's toughness got crushed, Aramid-like layers of muscle broke down, while the hide boasting a honeycomb-like structure was shredded apart.

Dino's regenerative ability was second to none. It regenerated its damaged tissues in real time, but no one could withstand an intense assault on such a level for a prolonged period. It could do nothing about the accumulating fatigue. Dino's stored energy was rapidly exhausted, forcing its regenerative ability to reach its limit too.

All axial bones snapped simultaneously, while the destroyed muscles and tendons lost their regenerative capabilities.

The noise of a heavy object falling to the ground rocked the surroundings.

The dark curtain dissipated, and a single streak of wind blew away the dust cloud. The massive reddish-brown beast... No, a blob of decimated bloody meat was sagging on the ground, with a pitch-black cat nodding arrogantly away, its paw stepping on said bloody meat blob. All this happened in around three minutes.

*

"Holy shi... How is that even possible?"

"It's a demon cat!"

The group's collective jaws had fell to the floor, since they were familiar with Dino's imposing mightiness so well. Just what kind of an existence was Dino? A beloved pet of the great and noble Dubaiburupa and Novatopia's sacred guardian beast strong enough to deflect bullets and shatter boulders, that was what it was!

A few members of the special strike force reached under their jackets, but none dared to pull out their pistols. Not only were they prudent enough to know that a pistol would not do much against a demon strong enough to pummel Dino, they also knew that gunshots should not be allowed inside Dubaiburupa's personal residence.

Jang Shin and Bell Man spat out lengthy sighs. They couldn't even breathe properly during the past three minutes of the supersonic barrage of attacks.

Three minutes were enough to utterly devastate the lawn and wreck three innocent vehicles. Jang Shin and Bell Man sneaked a glance in Mu Ssang's direction, but he had this blasé expression that seemed to say, 'Nothing happened here.'

Then again, the battles they had gone through in the past were just as desperate and exciting, weren't they?

*

Kamdoong lightly tapped Dino with its front leg. There was no response as if the creature was knocked out for good.

"This punk, it's a lot weaker than I thought!"

Kamdoong then spun its head and glared at Samdi next. The scouter measured that individual's stat value at 150, meaning he was strongest among this group of humans.

'Since I'm scoring points, should I just score big in one go? I mean, it's really nice and refreshing when Jin Soon brushes my fur with cham-bit [1]...'

This was the moment that one of the strongest under the heavens, Samdi, was about to be 'exchanged' for Jin Soon's combing.

"Huh?!" Samdi hurriedly looked away when that sinister glare landed on him. 'F*ck me, one wrong move here and I'll be climbing inside a dang coffin!'

He began trembling away. Samdi was strong enough to lift mountains and suppress the world with his spirit alone. That was why such a person trembling because of a cat proved to be a rather humorous situation, but also not a surprising one since that cat happened to be Kamdoong.

'...Eh. It's not worth the trouble, is it? I can't even be bothered anymore. Whatever!'

Kamdoong's disposition after transforming into a cat was also beginning to mimic a lazy cat. It disappeared for a moment from the spot only to reappear on Jin Soon's shoulders. As if it had never left, the 'cat' cutely wagged its tail ever so lazily.

Jin Soon began chiding Kamdoong. "I told you not to kill that creature, didn't I?"

[It's not dead. I made sure to keep that punk alive since the invincible Eastern Swordsman's smell was strong on it. Wait for a little bit, and it'll revive. Supplying extra protein and calcium will accelerate its recovery.]

"It's now meat paste, so how can it eat anything?"

[That punk is no ordinary animal. Its body itself will absorb the necessary nutrients.]

"Ehh?" Jin-soon's eyes widened. Would that process be like cotton absorbing water or some such?

*

"Tsk, tsk! That idiot, Gonggong. Venting his anger on an innocent third party and all." Monk Dae-Woo tutted in unhappiness.

The war of nerves between Jin Soon and the blondie hottie somehow devolved into a Kamdoong's stress-relief event. It seemed that quite a lot of stress had accumulated inside the Adras after being subjected to merciless abuse dressed up as a means to instill human-like emotions in the creature.

Which was understandable, since Kamdoong was crushed under mountains and had his cells torn apart every single day. No wonder he had so much frustration built up.

"Besides all that, though! That chick, she sure is a sight for sore eyes. It's none of my business whether Jin Soon and Edel bicker or start a catfight, isn't it? They both look pretty fertile, after all! Hehehe~! Mu Ssang, you lucky son of a gun! Whether you play in both camps or become hounded by the double trouble, you do you, okay?"

Monk Dae-woo left behind some irresponsible-sounding words and melted into the empty air.

No one seemed to care as Gamulchi drove out of the main entrance. Mu Ssang was the only one grinning softly.

The order of all things encompassed all things, as expected. The concept of good and evil, ethics and morals created by human intelligence were all meaningless in the end. The more a transcendental being interfered with the worldly matters, the more disturbed the order would become.

*

"Dino, Dino! Sob, sob!" Edel sobbed away while holding onto Dino that now looked like a crumpled scouring pad.

Dino died trying to protect her... It felt like she was in a nightmare. Even the traveling contingent from Novatopia was left utterly stupefied. To think that there was a cat strong enough to pummel Dino as if it was a little mouse!

"What should we do about that now!" Jin Soon felt lost.

It kind of felt like she had personally slapped Edel around just now. Her heartstrings were tugged at the sight of a Caucasian woman shedding real tears of sorrow. Even that one remaining hostility about a bi*ch feigning love to fool everyone was washed away by those tears.

"...Eh, I'm a crazy fool, aren't I! If Mu Ssang likes her, then it's all good, right?" Jin Soon groaned, then put on the slippers.

"Underling, go and translate, double time," the quick-witted Ombuti quickly elbowed Sun WooHyun in his waist.

*

"Rudrey Edel!"

"Y-yes!" Edel flinched in surprise and raised her head.

'Wow!'

Jin-soon almost forgot to breathe just then. A face even smaller than Samdi's fist and those tear-stained cheeks were totally a sight for sore eyes. That face reminded Jin Soon of an about-to-ripen peach ever so slightly drenched in the passing shower.

Those blue eyes trembling away in fright vividly reminded Jin Soon of the jade hue of the celadon pot with carved lotus petals design, which Mu Ssang had given to her as a present earlier. This woman was no ordinary beauty; her looks alone could set fire to the hearts of all hot-blooded men.

'Woah... And they said that when Xi Shi frowned, every woman in Hangzhou frowned, too!'

Jin Soon could only sigh in lamentation.

*

In truth, though, the standard of beauty was very subjective and depended heavily on cultural influences. Geopolitical factors and different eras changed the beauty standard all the time. As for the modern standard of beauty, it had been greatly influenced by the western imperialism.

During the days of the Han dynasty, for instance, having bow legs like Wang Zhaojun was the standard of beauty. During the Warring States period, women like Xi Shi or Zhao Feiyan that looked frail enough to get blown away by moderate winds were seen as beautiful.

But during the Tang dynasty, somewhat overweight and hairy women like Yang Guifei were considered beautiful. And during the Three Kingdoms era, women who were good with poetry, singing and dancing like Diaochan were seen as beautiful.

There were quite a few bizarre beauty standards, too. During Japan's Heian Period, women with black teeth were seen as beautiful. When their menstrual cycles began, the Japanese women rushed to have their teeth dyed with oxidized steel. Maybe this was when the perverted tendencies of the Japanese took its first tentative baby steps.

In the Hottentot tribe, women with big hips were considered beauties, while the Shambalas considered women with big feet beautiful. Meanwhile, the Karen people saw long necks as the sign of beauty.

Now imagine a woman with a mortar-like butt and a neck as long as a stork flashing a toothy grin showing off her blackened teeth; your junior making a tent in your crotch would retreat in the blink of an eye.

Indeed, the standard of beauty belonged to the eyes of the beholder — even so, certain absolute criteria did not change. And those would be one's eyes, skin, and their talents. One's eyes were the windows to their heart. A woman with clear eyes would inevitably have a clear heart. And the pristine, unblemished skin was the first requirement of a beauty regardless of the era.

If it was the realm of skin quality, then Africans were superior to Caucasians, while Mongoloids were superior to Africans. But Edel broke this common sense. Her skin, so smooth and supple that no pores seemed visible, reminded one of a national treasure-level white porcelain. Touch it, and it might just cling ever so gently to one's palm like a glutinous rice cake.

A woman with talents was beautiful. The reason why Seo Hwa Dam fell head over heels with Hwang Jin Yi was because the latter was so good at poetry, singing and dancing. Even Dong Zhuo, who could have taken any women under the heavens as his own, fell for Diaochan due to her talents.

Jin Soon glanced at the people from Novatopia. All of them held expressions of either lamentation or anger. Those expressions contained their genuine worry and care for Edel.

She remembered hearing that Edel was a doctor. Edel, it seemed, had a talent for making people like her, just like Mu Ssang.

What a gemstone-like woman she was. Edel was not a woman reflecting Mu Ssang's glow, but she herself glowed so brightly. She was indeed capable of occupying a corner of Mu Ssang's heart which happened to be just as unyielding yet gracious as a Buddha's heart.

It was at this moment that Jin Soon acknowledged Edel.

"Rudrey Edel, it must've been difficult to travel so far from home. My name is Cho Jin Soon, the lady of this house." Jin-soon offered her hand.

Edel flinched, but shook the offered hand. "I'm Rudrey Edel. But the poor Dino died. What should I do now? Sniff, sniffle...!"

"Don't worry, Dino isn't dead."

"Dino isn't?" Edel's stunned eyes landed on Jin-soon.

"Dear! Are you just gonna keep watching and do nothing?!" Jin-soon yelled loudly instead of answering her.

"Hahaha~! Did you swallow up a train's smokestack or something?" Mu Ssang approached them while putting on an oily grin. He was the very picture of a coward hiding somewhere only to reappear after the fight was over.

"Dubai!" Edel hesitated, clearly still weary of Jin Soon's mood.

"Would you look at this girl? Stop wasting time, will ya?" Jin-soon shoved Edel's back from behind.

"Ah!"

Edel landed deep inside Mu Ssang's open arms.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you." Mu Ssang held her as a sheepish expression floated up on his face.

This sight felt like icy cold winds were blowing in Jin Soon's chest, yet her heart also felt satisfied at the same time.

Ombuti, ever the reliable snatcher of opportunities, hurriedly raised both of his arms high. "May the glory of Dubaiburupa be eternal!"

"Bluart, bluart le deje!"

Everyone from Novatopia all roared out in one voice. Windows and doors of Eungsim-je seemed to tremble from their loud, grand rallying cry.

"Dubaiburupa de gloire [2]!"

"Pater pátriæ de gloire! [3]"

"Hands and blades of Dubaiburupa greet the master of their souls, sir."

Sages and generals prostrated three times before standing proudly at attention, ready to serve. Jin Soon stared at this unbelievable and unexpected spectacle in pure stupefaction. It seemed that her dear was someone far greater than what she had been imagining all this time.

"Good work traveling so far to get here. This place isn't Novatopia, however. Refrain from excessive displays of etiquette. Chef, prepare for a banquet and as for everyone else, put your feet up and take it easy. Except for Ombuti, Samdi and Sun WooHyun, the rest are dismissed for the night."

"Bluart!"

The old man Ali guided the group toward the building for guests.

*

"Tsk, tsk! Wow, you really were merciless this time, weren't you?" Mu Ssang tutted loudly after confirming the status of Dino's internals through his Dimensional Sight.

Every single bone was shattered as if a hammer had diligently and thoroughly pounded them to smithereens. The destroyed internal organs and muscles were in a tangled mess, making it difficult to differentiate what was what.

Even amidst all this, major blood vessels were left unaffected. Which meant Kamdoong was thinking about Dino's regeneration while dishing out the punishment. Well, if it really wanted Dino dead, one shot from a high-output E.L.F would have done the job.

"Dubai, can you save Dino's life?" Edel asked with a trembling voice.

"What an idiot. It's not even dying, so what's there to save!"

Kamdoong had to say something after becoming a bit upset.

"Ack?!" Edel jumped up in fright and hurriedly hid behind Mu Ssang. "A vicious cat! It's so terrifying!"

Her complexion went utterly pale.

"Hey, you dumbass. Why are you frightening the timid Edel like that?"

[Hmm? Look at you being so overprotective. I can already tell you'll have a bright future, buddy.]

Kamdoong snickered sarcastically.

"Besides all that, how could you wreck my pet like this?"

[Didn't you say an insolent punk needs a good beating to see the light? Are you going back on your own words now!]

Kamdoong did not want to back off an inch.

"Dear!" Jin Soon intervened to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I got it. I got it already! You've already become Edel's friend, haven't you?" Mu Ssang chuckled before injecting the resonance wave.

Dino's IPS cells began activating after ki stimulated them. The torn, shredded parts began reconnecting, while the crushed parts were cleanly regenerated. The stored protein and calcium reserves were rapidly depleted. Dino's physical size began shrinking like a balloon losing its air.

"Are you a chef?" Jin Soon shifted her attention over to Yijihana.

Sun WooHyun quickly translated what she said. Mu Ssang had him stay just so that he could act as an interpreter.

"Yes, ma'am! Lady Jin Soon!" The stiffly-frozen Yijihana stood at attention.

"Please go to the kitchen and bring the canister of milk. And also grind the meat and its bones, then bring them here."

"Yes, ma'am. Understood."

Jin Soon picked up a 30ℓ stainless steel milk canister and began pouring its contents on top of Dino. Stunned by this, Edel opened her lips to say something, only to quickly clamp them shut.

She became speechless at the sight of Dino's still body instantly absorbing all that milk. Jin Soon glanced at Kamdoong, but the black cat simply meowed disinterestedly as if to say, "See, I told you."

[1] Cham-bit: traditional Korean fine-toothed bamboo comb

[2] Glory to Dubaiburupa!

[3] Glory to the father of a nation!