Jiyeon's Unexpected Rescue (2)
"You're slow," Chul taunted.
Gojin didn't respond. He focused on the next move, stepping forward and swinging the pipe in a wide arc. Chul blocked the attack with his forearm, then countered with a powerful kick to Gojin's side. The impact sent Gojin stumbling, as it felt like he got hit by a baseball bat.
With Gojin out of balance, Chul pressed his advantage, delivering a rapid series of punches and kicks. Gojin tried to block and dodge, but Chul's attacks were too fast. A kick to his thigh made Gojin's leg buckle, and a punch to his stomach knocked the wind out of him.
Gasping for breath, Gojin swung the pipe wildly, trying to keep Chul at bay. Chul, quick on his feet, sidestepped the attack and delivered a roundhouse kick to Gojin's head. Stars were all that Gojin could see for a moment, and he fell to the ground, barely able to keep hold of the pipe.
"Give up, kid," Chul sneered, standing over him. "you don't know what you're up against."
"I don't care..."
Gojin gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. His body ached, but he wasn't ready to quit. He lunged at Chul again, swinging the pipe with all his strength. Chul dodged the swing and kicked Gojin's knee, sending him crashing to the ground once more.
"It's called Kickboxing kid," Chul sneered. "You're good, but we're leagues apart."
"You didn't have to fight five guys... did you?" Gojin retorted.
Chul smiled before rushing at Gojin. He didn't give Gojin a moment to recover. He aimed a powerful kick at Gojin's ribs, making him cry out in pain. Gojin tried to roll away, but Chul grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, delivering a knee to his stomach.
Gojin's vision blurred from the pain. He barely managed to stay on his feet, the pipe feeling heavy in his hand. Chul smirked and kicked Gojin's hand, knocking the pipe away. It clattered to the ground, out of reach.
"Looks like you're done," Chul said, raising his leg for a last kick.
Jiyeon screamed, "Leave him alone! Let him go!"
Jiyeon launched herself at Chul, trying to do whatever little she could to help Gojin. Unfortunately, Chul didn't like it one bit and backhanded her into the wall.
At that moment, Gojin's mind raced. He remembered Jiyeon's cries but couldn't hear her voice any longer. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he dodged Chul's kick and tackled him to the ground.
The move caught Chul by surprise, and they both fell in a heap. Gojin landed a few punches, but Chul quickly overpowered him, pinning him down. Chul's fist came down hard, hitting Gojin's face repeatedly.
Gojin's vision darkened, and he felt his strength fading. Chul's blows were relentless, each one sending waves of pain through his body. He could barely hear Jiyeon's voice anymore, her cries drowned out by the pounding in his ears.
He wondered why a girl like her was crying for him. Why was he even helping her? They had nothing between them anymore. So why was he taking a beating for her?
Gojin knew he needed help, not to save Jiyeon, but to protect himself. So he called upon his ancestors using his [Synchronization] skill.
Unfortunately, no one stepped in to help him like before. It surprised him, as he knew Kim Kangho would at least help him. But even the burly guy didn't reply to his request.
Then, a bold voice echoed in his mind. "I will help you."
Gojin looked around in his mind's eye, trying to find the source of the voice. To his surprise, the spirit that appeared was a frail-looking, malnourished guy. The spirit's appearance didn't match the boldness of its voice.
"You?" Gojin asked, doubtful of the spirit's capabilities. "Can you really help me?"
Before the spirit could answer, Kim Kangho appeared before Gojin and spoke up, "Yes, he can. He is stronger than me, after all."
Gojin was taken aback. Stronger than Kim Kangho? The guy who can lift mountains on his back? The thought was hard to believe, but there was no time to question it. He needed help, and he needed it fast.
"Alright," Gojin said. "I'm going to trust you..."
The frail-looking spirit nodded. "I will help you, but in exchange, I need a favor."
At first, Gojin was a bit taken aback. It was the first time he had heard a spirit wanting something to help him. But since time was passing, he decided to deal with it later.
"Anything," Gojin agreed.
Without another word, the spirit took over Gojin's body. No matter how many times he experienced leaving his body, it wasn't something he could get used to.
As for the spirit, he forgot about the fight and felt the world of the living getting lost in the sensations of having a physical body again.
Jang Chul, noticing Gojin standing up, frowned. But he was taken aback when he noticed Gojin grasping the air around him.
"What's this? Did I hit him too hard?" Jang Chul wondered, scratching his head. "Oi! Did you lose your marbles?"
Gojin didn't respond. The spirit inside him was too busy savoring the feeling of life. Chul, growing impatient, decided to end the fight. He launched a powerful kick towards Gojin, aiming to knock him out for good.
But to Chul's shock, Gojin caught his kick, trapping Chul's leg between his arm and his upper body. Chul tried to pull away, but Gojin's grip was relentless.
"What the hell?" Chul exclaimed, struggling to free his leg. "Where did this strength come from?"
"Rice, kimchi, meat... I long for those," Gojin replied, his voice heavier than usual.
"What is this dumbass talking about? Let me go, you freak!"
With a swift motion, the spirit flung Chul into the wall beside them. Chul hit the wall hard and slid down, stunned. Before Chul could recover, the spirit was on him, locking him in a triangle choke.
Chul struggled, his arms flailing and his legs kicking, but the spirit's hold was unrelenting. The spirit controlling Gojin's body knew exactly how to apply pressure, cutting off Chul's air supply and blood flow to his brain.
Chul's struggles grew weaker as he gasped for air. His vision darkened, and his movements slowed. Despite his efforts, he couldn't break free from the chokehold. In a matter of moments, Chul passed out, his body going limp in Gojin's arms.
The spirit released Chul and stood up and smiled, satisfied with its work.
"Remember," he said in a raspy voice, "rice, kimchi, and meat. That's what I wanted in exchange for my help."
With that, the spirit left Gojin and all the pain hit him like a ton of bricks when he got in control of his body and fell to his knees from the pain.
"Rice, kimchi, and meat... got it," Gojin mumbled before collapsing next to Jang Chul.