Chapter 35
Han-gyeol subtly glanced to the side, looking at the person next to him.
Si-hyun shifted slightly, adjusting her seated posture for comfort.
With a natural motion, she tucked her hair behind her ear, tidying it up.
Her attire was a plain, neat suit, but Si-hyun’s unique aura and figure had a magnetic power that captured people’s attention.
“Oh, how about watching this next?”
“Oh, this one?”
Voices of the guild members chatting while watching a video on their phones came from behind.
Si-hyun’s ears perked up, and she tilted her head slightly, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.
“Whoa—! Watching this makes me want to use a spear too.”
“Come on, just stick to your sword if that’s your Awakening trait, why don’t you?”
“Says the guy who calls himself a spearman? Alright then, time for a swordsman Hunter video.”
Their laughter and banter continued.
Han-gyeol quickly noticed.
The small smile on Si-hyun’s face had vanished, leaving her expression blank again.
She pressed her lips together slightly and crossed her legs.
Concerned by this change, Han-gyeol carefully spoke up.
“Si-hyun?”
“…Yes?”
“Well, uh… are you bored? Until we get to the dungeon, would you like to watch a video together?”
“Hmm, which one?”
Han-gyeol took out a tablet and a pair of earphones from his bag.
Recalling the guild members’ conversation, he tried to deduce her interest.
Hunter Kim Ji-a, or a spearman.
It was clear that Si-hyun was interested in one of these two.
Rather than take a gamble, he directly typed in “Hunter Kim Ji-a” in the search bar.
“…Ah.”
Bingo!
A slight expression returned to Si-hyun’s previously blank face.
She scooted closer until she was right next to Han-gyeol.
Taking the earphone and putting one piece in her ear, she looked at him with an expectant gaze.
As the distance between them shrank, Han-gyeol was overcome by her pleasant scent, making him feel light-headed.
With fingers tense from nervousness, he operated the tablet.
“Oh, I’ve already seen that one.”
“R-really? Then, how about this one…?”
Her soft voice, so close, sounded even more enchanting.
Si-hyun’s shoulder brushed against Han-gyeol’s arm.
Finding her shirt uncomfortable, Si-hyun adjusted the fabric at her chest.
Watching her actions intently, Han-gyeol swallowed hard without realizing it.
Si-hyun, oblivious to Han-gyeol’s reaction, asked lightly.
“Han-gyeol, are you a fan of Hunter Kim Ji-a?”
“Well, um… I watch her whenever I get the chance.”
“I see.”
Si-hyun gave a small nod, then turned back to the screen.
And at that moment, Han-gyeol made a quiet decision.
‘From now on, I’m a fan of Hunter Kim Ji-a.’
It was the perfect opportunity to establish a shared interest.
Just then—
“Hey!”
“Let’s watch together! This screen is big enough!”
Two of the male guild members poked their heads forward, apparently done watching the swordsman Hunter video.
In the video, Hunter Kim Ji-a was displaying her impressive spear techniques.
“Wow! This is amazing too!”
“If only there was a signing event or something. Now I understand Ji-han’s enthusiasm!”
The men chattered loudly and excitedly.
Out of consideration for the men in the back seat, Si-hyun shifted a bit farther from Han-gyeol, so they could see the tablet screen better.
Han-gyeol felt a pang of disappointment but didn’t show it.
Meanwhile, Si-hyun thought,
‘Hehe, I can get Ji-a’s autograph anytime I want.’
Feeling a sense of superiority, she nodded in satisfaction.
It felt like being a close friend of a famous celebrity. Well, actually, she was.
She never knew that having a famous acquaintance could be such an enjoyable perk.
In the other world, even if someone admired the Hero’s Party, it never brought her any joy.
If anything, it only annoyed her, never pleased her.
“Different strokes for different folks,” she mused to herself, realizing how much people and environment mattered.
***
Si-hyun and the five men from the Wings Guild entered the C-rank gate.
Most of them were D-rank Hunters, but since Han-gyeol was C-rank, they were able to enter.
As the scenery changed, they found themselves in a dense forest of trees and grass.
Si-hyun immediately spread a faint layer of mana around her surroundings.
The mission was to help the men get used to a C-rank dungeon.
‘Let’s consider this hands-on practice.’
Right now, the course may be liberal arts, so there’s not much to do, but…
practicing would surely come in handy in the future.
“Hm…”
“Phew…”
The men who had been laughing and chatting in the car were now completely silent.
Entering a C-rank dungeon made them feel tense.
Their only safety net was the contracted protector, D-rank Hunter Si-hyun.
They knew that she was far stronger than her rank, but the extent of her strength was unclear.
All they knew was the rumour that she was powerful enough to beat down Ji-han, the guild’s ace.
While it was actually Han-gyeol who fought Ji-han, that’s how rumours spread.
The one person who was least anxious, Han-gyeol, approached Si-hyun and asked.
“Si-hyun, how many people can receive the Holy Knight skill at once?”
“…I could give it to all of you, actually.”
“Oh, as expected, you’re amazing!”
“…Hmm.”
Han-gyeol clapped his hands in delight.
But instead of answering further, Si-hyun tilted her head slightly, looking at the guild members of Wings.
‘Why are they acting like that?’
Not understanding Si-hyun’s reaction, Han-gyeol pondered.
…Even after thinking about it, he couldn’t figure it out. He decided to just ask directly.
Han-gyeol turned back to Si-hyun to speak.
“Do you have something on your mind?”
“…It’s about whether or not to use a skill. Which would be more helpful for adapting to the dungeon?”
“Oh, ah—! So, that’s what you were thinking about.”
Finally understanding, Han-gyeol flashed a friendly smile.
“Don’t worry! I’m experienced, you know? I actually preferred when you used it.”
“…Really?”
“That sensation, different from the usual, of going beyond my limits, is incredible, you know? It feels like experiencing the future in advance.”
“Huh… I see.”
Si-hyun’s face brightened as her concerns eased.
She had never thought of it that way before. Experiencing the future in advance.
Han-gyeol’s detailed account brought a refreshing perspective to Si-hyun.
“Then, shall we go?”
“Yes! Please take good care of us!”
Si-hyun manipulated her mana.
A portion of the mana, which had been spread thin, enveloped the Wings Guild members.
In front of others, it’s called a skill, but since she wasn’t an Awakened, she purely created this phenomenon of “Magic” through her own power.
“Oh, whoa!”
“It feels like energy is surging up!”
All the men who received the buff lifted their arms to admire their muscles.
Seeing them all making the same motion, Si-hyun couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.
“This is my Holy Knight skill. Shall we head out?”
“Yes, let’s go!”
“Charge!”
“Let’s show those monsters a taste of defeat!”
The excited men formed up and began to move.
Si-hyun followed behind them.
Before entering the dungeon, she had already changed from dress shoes to sneakers.
She walked comfortably with steady steps.
Some time passed.
The first monsters the party encountered were two massive trolls.
Standing over three meters tall, they possessed a devastating attack power from their towering frames.
In addition, they had thick skin and impressive regeneration abilities.
Even with just a few of them, each troll was incredibly strong.
Since there was still some distance, the monsters hadn’t noticed them.
All the guild members held their breath and hid behind the trees.
The excitement from earlier had completely vanished.
Such was the overwhelming intimidation of the massive monsters.
Watching the monsters cautiously, Han-gyeol spoke in a quiet voice.
“Let’s safely lure out one at a time and take them down.”
“That’s probably best.”
“Who’s going to do the luring?”
They whispered as they discussed their plan.
Si-hyun silently observed them.
Using a baiting strategy for a safe dungeon attack—certainly a decent approach.
The problem was that it took a lot of time.
“…Excuse me.”
“Yes, Si-hyun?”
Si-hyun interjected into their conversation.
The monsters they would encounter today wouldn’t just be a couple, so if they took this approach with each battle, it would take far too long.
She wanted to have dinner back home with Si-yoon.
And so, she decided to intervene. It was a simple reason.
“I’ll handle one of them, so why don’t you all focus on the other?”
“Is… is that okay?”
“This way, it’ll be easier for both you and me.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
The men, caught off guard, nodded their heads.
Such was the confidence in Si-hyun’s demeanour.
“If things look dangerous, I’ll assist on your side as well. For now, just give it a try.”
With that, Si-hyun strode toward the direction of the trolls.
The men hurried to follow behind her.
The distance slowly closed in.
Si-hyun pushed off and sprinted forward.
In an instant, she had narrowed the gap to the trolls.
The trolls’ eyes fixated on Si-hyun, startled by his sudden appearance.
Si-hyun swiftly moved in the opposite direction.
The monsters naturally turned their focus toward that side.
At that moment, an arrow shot by one of the hunters struck a troll in the back.
Though infused with mana, it lacked sufficient strength.
The arrow only left a scratch on the skin before falling to the ground.
“Huh?”
One of the trolls growled lowly and turned back around.
Upon spotting the men, it stomped heavily in their direction.
Each troll’s aggro had been successfully divided.
Han-gyeol stepped forward first.
Being the strongest in the party, he planned to lead and deflect the troll’s attacks.
“Grrraah!”
“Hup!”
The troll’s punch, full of power, came crashing down toward Han-gyeol.
Calmly, Han-gyeol moved to the side, evading the attack.
The other hunters unleashed their own attacks on the troll, taking advantage of the brief opening.
Arms, back, thighs—they managed to leave cuts on various parts of the troll’s body.
As if such attacks were nothing, the troll swung its clenched fist widely.
“Whoa!”
“Damn it!”
The men cursed as they stepped back.
The troll’s enormous height meant its arms were also menacingly long.
The troll’s fist spun in a circle, crashing into a massive tree before coming to a halt.
Crunch!
Bang—!
A tree, unable to withstand the force, snapped and crashed to the ground with a loud noise.
Dust and leaves swirled in the air.
It was just a simple punch, but the power was on a different level from the monsters found in E-rank or D-rank dungeons.
“Damn, that’s brutal…”
“A C-rank is definitely in a different league, huh…”
The D-rank men muttered in awe.
But their spirits weren’t broken.
“Hey, but don’t you think we can handle this, thanks to Si-hyun’s buff?”
“For sure… Normally, we might not have dodged that punch just now.”
“I’m actually feeling pretty confident.”
“Haha! Same here!”
Han-gyeol dodged the troll’s attack again, and the excited men didn’t miss the opportunity to strike back.
“Graaaah—!”
Each attack alone was minor, but with multiple people attacking continuously, the damage began to add up.
“We’ve got this!”
“Haha! What good is being tough if it can’t fight back!”
The excited men launched a relentless assault.
Eventually, the troll, overcome with rage, began slamming its fists into the ground in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each hit, the ground shook violently.
“Uh, uhh?!”
“Hey, be careful!”
One of the hunters lost his balance and staggered.
He quickly tried to place his foot firmly on the ground.
In that moment!
He was unlucky enough to step on a protruding stone.
His body slipped, and he tumbled backward.
“Aaaargh!”
“Hmm?”
At the sound of his scream, the troll’s gaze shifted to the fallen man.
It paused its fist-pounding, a sinister look on its face.
Squatting down, it gathered strength in its legs.
The troll’s leg muscles bulged.
And then, with all its might, it jumped!
The massive body of the troll soared into the air.
After defying gravity on the way up, it began its rapid descent.
“Sh-shiiit!”
The man tried to get up quickly, but his movements were too slow.
‘I’m going to dieeee——!’
Tears welled up in the man’s eyes as he looked up.
He was trying his best to move, but the troll was descending too fast.
If things stayed like this, he’d die! I don’t want to die! I want to live!
In this desperate moment, he wanted to scream, but his voice wouldn’t come out.
Time seemed to slow down for him.
The troll’s massive body was descending quickly.
Compared to that, his own movements felt painfully slow.
In just a few seconds, he’d be—
Boom——!
“Huh…?”
The man’s eyes and mouth opened wide in astonishment as he looked up.
In the blink of an eye, something streaked through the air, leaving a white trail, and delivered a powerful kick to the troll’s stomach.
The massive troll, despite its size, was sent flying like a toy.
Thud—!
It crashed into the ground far away, sending dirt and stones flying around.
There was a brief silence.
Si-hyun landed lightly, her long hair flowing in the breeze.
She then took calm steps toward the fallen man.
“…Are you okay?”
With an expressionless face, Si-hyun extended her hand.
“Th-thank you…”
The man was still trying to process what had happened.
He thought, Well, I should probably stand up, and dazedly reached out his hand.
Then he noticed that his hand was covered in dirt.
“Oh, sorry, my hand’s too dirty.”
He tried to pull his hand back, but Si-hyun was quicker.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his dirty hand and helped him to his feet.
She lightly dusted off her hands and smiled.
“You made a mistake at the end, but you did well overall. You have a good sense of distance.”
“Uh, yes…?”
Still not fully comprehending, the man responded absentmindedly.
But by then, Si-hyun had already left to watch the other hunters as they continued their assault on the troll.
The man stared blankly at the back of the person who had saved his life.
‘You did well, you have a good sense of distance…’
Si-hyun’s gentle voice echoed in his mind, repeating endlessly.
It was praise he never expected, completely out of the blue.
He looked down at the hand that had held hers.
The delicate hand that had grabbed his dirty one without hesitation.
He recalled her words again: You did well, you have a good sense of distance.
The man’s eyes narrowed, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
One emotion filled his heart completely.
Joy.
It was a simple compliment, but who it came from made all the difference.
This was someone who could neutralize a troll with a single kick.
He’d heard she was strong for her rank, but he hadn’t realized it was to this extent.
‘Incredible… Being an academy professor isn’t for just anyone!’
The man nodded, now looking at Si-hyun with a different gaze.
One of admiration.
—
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