Chapter 28. Ending Bad Ties (3)
The grade of a hunter is absolute.
This statement is false.
Of course, if the subject is ordinary hunters, it could be considered true. But exceptions and variables always exist in this world.
Promising talents are a prime example. Despite being [F-] rank, they can wield mana that is typically the domain of D-rank hunters, and they use high-level stats gained from unique abilities and elixirs to break through the limits of their ranks.
When I remember how even those promising talents felt defeated in front of me, the difference in rank between me and others didn’t seem like a big problem.
Of course, my current abilities are far too overwhelming to be called [F-] rank, but does it really matter?
Craaaack!!
“Ugh! Damn, he’s strong!”
Even so, the difference of four ranks is significant. Being an E-rank hunter is no empty title—the boss is strong. His upper-tier stat of propulsion combined with the immense power generated from his large physique created overwhelming destructive force that made my arms tremble as I met his blows.
“If you came here to capture me with just this much power, give up. No matter how remarkable you are, there’s an unbridgeable gap of time and rank between you and me!”
The boss, Lee Woo-sik, released all his rage as the battle began, swinging his huge fists like a berserker, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
The one silver lining is that with my heightened Mugeuk stat, I could anticipate his attacks to a certain extent and dodge them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Though I dodged all the attacks, each time his fists flew out, they sliced through the air with a booming sound that made my whole body shiver, and fear crept up my spine.
It felt as if I were facing the frenzied Ra again.
‘As expected, I’m outmatched in pure stats.’
He’s weaker than Ra, the strongest being I’ve faced, but in terms of physical strength alone, it wouldn’t be wrong to call them ‘equals.’
“How long are you going to keep dodging like a rat? Didn’t you say you’d take me down within 30 minutes?”
“Damn pig! I’m just getting started!”
After avoiding all his attacks and grasping the flow of his moves since our first clash, I immediately infused my sword with the power of the sun and charged forward.
“Come on! I’ll pay you back double for what you did to me!”
“Bullshit! Who started this mess in the first place?!”
The boss pulled back his right fist, raising it above his shoulder as if ready to launch it like a cannon. At the same time, my Mugeuk stat projected the trajectory of his punch, drawing a line in my mind.
It’s an incomparable talent when it comes to battle—predicting the opponent’s moves.
‘He’s targeting my right shoulder!’
Once I read the attack path, I needed to execute the optimal movement for the perfect dodge.
“Die!”
The cannon-like punch tore through the air at an incredible speed, aiming to crush my shoulder.
‘I can’t let it even graze me!’
I stopped my advancing left leg, pivoted on my right, and rotated my body 180 degrees to dodge his punch aimed at my shoulder.
The blow that hit nothing but air came with a hefty cost for him.
I immediately went after the boss’s exposed torso. Just as I’d once instinctively done against Lee Ji-hyung, I kicked out his supporting leg, destabilizing his balance.
“Wha… what?”
Propulsion—the power to push objects in a single direction. The essence of the boss’s formidable strength wasn’t just an increase in power but an added acceleration to his strikes, making them faster and more powerful.
In other words, even when he lost balance, the propulsion continued to drive his fist forward.
Unable to control his own power, the boss soared through the air like Superman, carried by his own momentum, before landing flat on the ground.
I didn’t miss that golden opportunity. Twisting my rotating body back to its original position, I swung the flaming sword, imbued with the power of the sun, and severed both of his Achilles tendons.
The special effects of the Flame Sword all activated at once, as if delivering retribution for all the suffering I had endured because of him…
Crackle! Fwoosh!
His left foot froze instantly, while his right foot ignited in flames.
“Argh!!!”
Despite the excruciating pain in his legs, the boss glared at me with a murderous gaze, dragging himself on the floor to swing his fist at me.
But the battle had already turned in my favor. A martial artist who could no longer use his legs was no longer a threat.
“Die! Die! Die!”
“Now I’ll repay you for everything I suffered, and then some.”
I targeted the boss’s back, slicing with my sword as he flailed his fists like a wild beast, his eyes filled with terror.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
I made sure not to inflict fatal injuries. My goal was simple: to prolong the pain, nothing more.
I even put the Flame Sword back into my Inventory. If its special effects triggered and killed him, that would defeat the purpose. Not that it would matter too much if he did die—after all, I had strong backing, and he was already a condemned criminal facing the death penalty.
But I had no intention of granting him an easy death.
My sword cut, slashed, sliced, and pierced his flesh repeatedly.
“Ugh… ah…!”
By the time he collapsed, what remained was barely recognizable as a human form.
With the extent of the torture, he should have bled out long ago, but thanks to my skill in cauterizing every wound with the power of the sun, he was kept just on the edge of death.
Wracked with such unbearable pain, he couldn’t even form words, only occasionally convulsing with his eyes rolled back.
“Yeah, for all the torment you put my brother and me through, you deserve this much. And you can rot in prison in that half-alive state until the day you finally die. That’s the best revenge I can offer you.”
The Shin Juha who once served as their loyal pawn was gone. I had severed this toxic connection that had haunted my life.
Turning my cold, emotionless gaze away from the pitiful wreck that the boss had become, I left him writhing on the highest floor and headed down.
“Freeze! From now on, this place is under investigation by the…?!”
“Team Leader, it seems like everything’s already been handled?”
“What the… who did this?”
Right on cue, the enforcement team arrived. I gave them a brief rundown of the situation before stepping out of the building.
“I win the bet, right?”
“…I admit it. You’re even more of a monster, and far more ruthless than I imagined.”
I tossed the body camera attached to me toward the supervisor who had been watching the entire scene on a tablet, announcing my victory in the wager.
“…Shall I arrange a ride home?”
“No, the job’s not entirely finished yet. There’s still one more place I need to visit. Prepare whatever quest you want to give me next, I’ll check it later.”
I walked past the bowing supervisor, heading toward my next destination.
I arrived at a place that once held significant meaning—a hospital where my younger brother had been admitted. It’s known for having some of the best healers in the region.
“Well then, let’s finish this cleanly until the end.”
Without hesitation, I entered the hospital, immediately noticing the many patients groaning in pain. Ignoring them, my gaze turned toward the rooms upstairs.
“Where could it be~ Where is it?”
After searching for a while, I finally saw a familiar name on the door of a four-person hospital room, and without hesitation, I swung the door open.
“Dammit! Once this arm heals, I’ll crush that bastard, Shin Juha!”
“Boss, don’t worry! We’ll help you!”
“Why the hell did I have to trip at that crucial moment!”
“That scum got lucky with his Awakening and beat us, and now he dares look down on us like we’re nothing? A slave dares to be arrogant?”
“Hey, boss, I hear that guy’s little sister* is quite the looker. How about we have some fun with her?”
As soon as I opened the door, my ears were assaulted by their enraged words, causing my anger to surge. When they turned to look at me, their eyes widened in shock as if they might pop out.
“So, you wanted to see me, huh? I wanted to see you too. I thought about letting it go, but I couldn’t leave you out. Especially since I figured I should take one last look at my dear friend, Moo-sik’s face. After all, it’s not like I’ll be seeing you again after today.”
They looked at me like I was a lunatic, but then immediately tried to intimidate me, moving toward me aggressively.
At the center of it all, my former classmate, Kim Moo-sik, still thought he was above me. He tapped my shoulder, exuding confidence.
“Juha, my friend, Juha. You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you? Coming here on your own. Why? Are you here to get revenge again? Here, in a hospital?”
Heh.
I let out a mocking laugh at his words and grabbed the hand that was resting on my shoulder.
Crack!
With just a bit of pressure, the sound of bones breaking filled the room, followed by Kim Moo-sik’s scream. I spoke softly, yet firmly.
“Revenge? We’re beyond such things now. The gap between us is too wide for that. This is just… let’s call it tidying up some persistent grudges. I’m just clearing up any lingering feelings I had toward you. Like this.”
Slash!
Before I knew it, the Flame Sword had been drawn from my Inventory. It sliced through Kim Moo-sik’s arm, burning the wound shut with the power of the sun.
“Aaargh!!!”
“What did you say you’d do to my little sister*?”
“You! You crazy bastard! How dare you do this to us…!”
Slash!
“You used that leg to kick me around a lot, didn’t you?”
“You used that arm.”
“And you mocked me and my brother with that filthy tongue of yours.”
With every swing of my sword, their agonized screams filled the air, and tears flowed down their faces from the pain.
“Yes, this is just a clean-up. My resolve to never see you again.”
I would no longer live as the weak. To protect my brother, to protect myself, and to avenge my parents.
“So, carry those scars with you and rot in agony for the rest of your lives, you trash.”
Swoosh!
As a final gesture, I severed the groin of Kim Moo-sik, who had pissed himself in terror, and left the hospital room.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Shin Juha. It hasn’t been long since our last meeting, right? I’m Park Seo-ha, Team Leader of Inspection Team 5. It seems… the tip-off about this organization came from your associate, yes? Would you mind coming with us to provide a statement?”
Right on cue, the inspection team appeared, waiting just outside. Team Leader Park Seo-ha greeted me with a friendly smile, instructing her subordinates to apprehend the suspects.
Though I could sense a mix of curiosity, wariness, and anger in her eyes, I nodded without resistance, knowing the questioning was inevitable.
“Then, please come with us. We’ll provide you with a place to clean up and some clothes. That blood…”
“The Seohwa Group will arrange for a lawyer.”
“Oh! Please don’t misunderstand, you’re not being treated as a suspect! We just need your testimony and verification of the details as a witness.”
“…But you’re looking at me like I’m a criminal.”
In response to my last comment, Park Seo-ha gave me a wry smile, avoiding a direct answer. Well, I wasn’t expecting one anyway, so I followed her.
And soon enough, I found myself once again in the Association’s interrogation room.
***(T/L Note: There was an error in the earlier chapters where the gender of the protagonist’s sibling was not specified. Shin Juha has a younger sister, not a younger brother.)***
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