Chapter 21
Ji-han’s neck veins bulged.
It was because of the man and woman who were ignoring him and conversing right in front of his face.
“I was just gonna say hello and leave. Why’re you being so cheeky? Hm?”
Who does she think she’s quieting down?
Ji-han’s cheek twitched slightly, and his nose flared.
“Even if I look like this, I’m a hunter who could get promoted to B-rank anytime now.”
“…So what.”
Si-hyun deliberately ignored Ji-han.
Unable to contain his temper, Ji-han shouted.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“If you’re about to be B-rank, then I guess it’s fine to fight two-to-one. An E-rank, and a D-rank. Both.”
“What?”
Ji-han looked back and forth between Si-hyun and Han-gyeol, utterly speechless.
Judging by the way she talked, it seemed like the woman was a hunter too. An E-rank One.
What the hell is giving her such confidence?
Ji-han was someone who could pick his nose while defeating ten E-rank hunters if they rushed at him.
A single D-rank and an E-rank? Just the two of them?
It’s beyond ridiculous.
“Miss, you might get seriously hurt like this.”
“Scared?”
“Shit, for real.”
Ji-han cursed, scrunching up his face.
Hearing that single word in her blank expression, a wave of anger surged within him.
He felt completely dismissed.
It seemed like he needed to teach her what the hunter world was all about.
“Hah! Fine, let’s do this. Don’t blame me if you get hurt. Hyung? You in?”
“Um…”
In response to Ji-han’s call, Han-gyeol made a reluctant face.
He knew that Si-hyun had intentionally provoked Ji-han.
The problem was that once that guy snapped, he lost sight of everything.
Han-gyeol knew Si-hyun was strong.
She definitely didn’t belong in E-rank.
But when asked, “How strong is she?” he couldn’t answer for sure.
All he could think was that she was an overwhelmingly powerful person.
Han-gyeol looked at Si-hyun with trembling eyes.
‘Can the two of us really beat Ji-han?’
The thought that had crossed Han-gyeol’s mind just moments ago.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
With an innocent smile like a child’s, she gazed at him.
The moment Han-gyeol saw her face,
the tiny courage that had quietly held its breath within him
slowly wriggled out and showed itself.
“We can do it.”
Si-hyun quietly murmured.
It was a brief statement, but as if it were some magical spell,
confidence filled Han-gyeol’s chest.
Han-gyeol slowly stood up.
“…I’ll go grab training swords from the storage room, so wait in the empty lot next to the building.”
“Heh, I’m telling you, don’t blame me if you get seriously hurt.”
Ji-han, wearing a sinister smile, repeated his words.
In his mind, a world of imagination unfolded on how to deal with these two people who dared to look down on him.
The three gathered at the empty lot behind the building.
Han-gyeol handed Ji-han a sturdy but blunt sword.
Then, he approached Si-hyun.
Right at that moment,
Si-hyun leaned against the streetlight pole nearby.
As if to say, ‘I’m not going to get involved in this fight.’
Han-gyeol’s body froze like a block of ice.
Stammering, he looked at Si-hyun.
“Si, Si-Si-hyun…?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you leaning against the streetlight…?”
“……?”
Han-gyeol’s voice trembled as he voiced his question about Si-hyun’s actions.
Si-hyun blinked her eyes a few times.
Not understanding why he asked such a question.
“Because I want to watch comfortably?”
“……Aren’t you going to fight together?”
“……Ah.”
The desperate tone in Han-gyeol’s voice helped Si-hyun finally understand what he meant.
“I’ll use a Holy Knight skill for you, so please make that guy quiet down.”
“…….”
Han-gyeol closed his mouth.
The courage that had sprouted after such a long time,
had quietly returned to the cold soil.
He rubbed his face with the hand that wasn’t holding the sword.
This was a disaster.
It was obvious that he would get beaten up.
That guy never holds back when it comes to hitting.
Whether it’s his older brother or whoever, he would just beat him up like a punching bag.
While Han-gyeol hung his head, internally crying his heart out,
Ji-han approached and sneered.
“Why don’t both of you attack me at the same time?”
“…….”
Han-gyeol raised his head with a dark expression.
Si-hyun was yawning adorably.
She put down her palm and then sipped at her milk again.
She shook the milk carton with a regretful look.
It seemed she had finished it.
To Han-gyeol, looking at Si-hyun in that moment,
it seemed that the amount of milk she had was more important than the fight.
His mood plummeted.
‘Damn it. Whatever.’
It’s already happened.
Han-gyeol made up his mind.
For now, he would try his best.
Let’s at least make sure it doesn’t end too embarrassingly.
“……Let’s begin.”
“keke, I’ll go easy on you.”
Han-gyeol took his stance.
Ji-han remained in his casual posture.
Snap!
The sudden sound of fingers snapping.
At that moment, Han-gyeol felt power welling up from within his body.
Yeah, this is the feeling.
Vitality surged through his body, and all his fear disappeared.
He felt his concentration heighten even further.
It seemed like he could accomplish anything right now.
Han-gyeol calmly gazed at his opponent.
Meanwhile, Ji-han felt something strange.
Ever since that crazy yet beautiful woman snapped her fingers,
he felt like he couldn’t gather his strength properly.
A subtle discomfort stirred his body.
‘Am I imagining things?’
It seemed like he wasn’t in good condition today.
But still, there’s no way he’d lose to a mere D-rank and E-rank hunter.
Ji-han gripped his sword tightly with both hands and kicked off the ground.
He swiftly brought his sword, raised high, downwards.
The target was Han-gyeol’s head.
Since they were both awakened beings and using a blunt sword, it would only amount to being ‘extremely painful.’
He attacked without hesitation.
“…Huh?”
“Hm.”
By now, he should have heard a painful scream.
If not that, then at least a groaning sound from barely blocking the attack.
But Han-gyeol lightly twisted his body and evaded Ji-han’s sword.
Ji-han doubted his eyes.
He’d heard Han-gyeol had been diligently going through dungeons lately.
Has his skill improved a bit?
Ji-han swung his sword again.
Once, twice.
Han-gyeol evaded all of his attacks.
“Hyaaah!”
“……”
In the end, Ji-han resorted to using a combat skill specific to sword users.
He swung his sword horizontally, aiming at Han-gyeol’s waist.
It was several times faster than before.
A long trajectory remained in the path of the sword.
‘This one’s going to hit!’
Ji-han grinned wickedly.
However,
even that was blocked by Han-gyeol, who raised his sword vertically.
His expression tightened slightly, but that was all.
“…What the hell? Something’s off.”
Ji-han unknowingly murmured.
A D-rank hunter like Han-gyeol shouldn’t be able to fight against him like this.
Sure, he was the one doing all the attacking,
but was he really the one at an advantage? Was he truly stronger?
Ji-han stepped back, panting for breath.
For some reason, the air felt stuffy.
It felt like something was gnawing at him and weighing him down.
A strong sense of déjà vu overwhelmed him, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
Suddenly, Ji-han looked at the woman standing at a distance.
The conversation they had earlier flashed through his mind.
[If you’re about to be B-rank, then I guess it’s fine to fight two-to-one. An E-rank, and a D-rank. Both.]
Two-on-one.
Could it be?
“…A magic-type hunter?”
Magic-type hunters had such a wide range of skills that unless you experienced it firsthand, it was hard to know what they were capable of.
Ji-han’s brow furrowed deeply.
He felt like he was being played by some kind of cheap trick.
But he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Because Han-gyeol had started his counterattack.
Han-gyeol quickly adapted to the buffed state he was in.
He changed his stance from a defensive one to an offensive one.
In an instant, he closed the distance between him and Ji-han, swinging his sword horizontally and vertically.
The tide of the battle shifted.
It was the beginning of a counterattack.
“Aaagh…!”
Ji-han’s eyes widened as he blocked Han-gyeol’s attack.
It was a close call.
If he’d been just a little slower, he would have been struck on the shoulder.
His palms stung from gripping the sword.
Is this really a D-rank?
Was this guy hiding his promotion to C-rank?
Even at full condition, it wouldn’t have been easy to win…
There’s no way such a drastic change could happen just from an E-rank magic-type hunter’s assistance.
He felt swindled.
Ji-han’s thoughts were in a tangled mess.
But there was no time to think deeply.
Han-gyeol continued his offensive right away.
He didn’t let go of the initiative he’d gained.
He pressured Ji-han relentlessly, as if he couldn’t even spare a moment to catch his breath.
Each time Han-gyeol swung his sword with a swoosh, Ji-han’s body was pushed further back.
Ji-han’s expression gradually twisted.
Conversely, Han-gyeol’s expression began to fill with joy.
I can do it!
I can win!
“Even a ha-namja like me is pressuring the guild’s ace!”
Han-gyeol knew that it was all thanks to Si-hyun’s buff.
But it felt as though he was experiencing a glimpse of the future.
‘Wow, Holy Knight skills are amazing!’
His heart pounded wildly.
The thrill and excitement that started in his chest spread to the tips of his fingers, wrapping around his entire body.
“Kraaah—!”
“Hahaha…!”
In the end, Han-gyeol’s sword struck Ji-han’s neck.
Ji-han let out a pained scream as he stumbled backward.
While Ji-han clutched his neck, tears welling in his eyes,
Han-gyeol glanced back at Si-hyun.
When their eyes met, Si-hyun gave a small smile and waved her hand.
It felt as if the goddess of victory was watching over him.
Han-gyeol turned his gaze forward again.
Si-hyun was definitely someone who would climb to great heights.
To a place so high that he couldn’t reach.
He already knew she was like a flower on a cliff.
But, would it be okay to just look at the flower?
Would it be okay to follow her journey, even if only from a distance?
Slowly, but steadily, growing stronger.
He would become someone he wouldn’t be ashamed of.
Han-gyeol rushed toward Ji-han once more.
“Hehehe….”
“Aaah! Argh!”
Head, shoulders, feet, knees.
He relentlessly pummelled Ji-han.
This guy had been getting more arrogant lately, and to top it off, his attitude had gotten worse.
Beating him up like this made all the stress just vanish!
Even though Ji-han clearly had his pride, and didn’t give up despite being beaten up,
it only made Han-gyeol enjoy hitting him even more.
Wham! Wham!
No matter how much he hit, it was still fun.
Arrogant guys like him need a good beating every now and then.
It’s the best medicine.
There was nothing more satisfying in the world.
“H-Han-gyeol Hyung! S-stop! I-I’m sorry!”
“Listen to that tone?”
“…I apologize! Argh!”
Ji-han, struck on the forehead by Han-gyeol, fell face down on the ground.
He groaned in pain.
Seeing that it was just about over,
Si-hyun leisurely walked over to Han-gyeol.
“Han-gyeol.”
“Yes?”
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself. How about teaching him a bit more?”
“Ah, should I?”
At Si-hyun’s playful tone, Han-gyeol grinned widely.
And just then—
“What are you guys doing…?”
Da-young appeared from beside the building.
Her eyes widened at the sight before her.
Ji-han, who was sprawled on the ground, noticed Da-young as well.
—
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