Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Our Juseon!
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"P-President..."
"Win! Win and save us!"
With cheers from Kim Yang and Reneah, I faced off against Geum Tae-min.
Even in this standoff, Geum Tae-min looked completely at ease.
"I'll even let you have the first move. Beating you as you are right now would just be embarrassing for me."
"If you're offering, I'll gladly take it."
I wasn't about to turn down prideful generosity like that.
Geum Tae-min spread his arms wide leisurely, welcoming me.
The moment his smug lips curled up, I immediately swung my leg and kicked him straight in the groin.
Snap!
"...!"
A perfect nut shot.
I'd poured every ounce of strength into that single strike.
"You fucking bastard-!"
But he clamped both knees together in the ugliest block imaginable.
"W-Wow."
"I thought it'd be a sword fight!"
If you're landing one clean hit, you always go for the surefire weak spot. Basics.
I'd just stuck to the basics.
Not just Kim Yang and Reneah were shocked—the other thugs looked stunned too.
And there was Geum Tae-min, still glaring at me from that same awkward pose.
"You fight dirty like that?!"
"I didn't think you'd actually block it..."
"It's knife fighting!"
"Does knife fighting mean only using knives? Close-quarters combat's included."
Geum Tae-min leaned forward like he wanted to argue, but no words came out.
He couldn't deny it.
"That's cheating! You said you'd give me the first move, but you blocked right away?"
"Shut up."
I swung my knife with resolve, vowing not to be toyed with anymore.
Geum Tae-min was definitely different from five years ago.
Fast. Precise.
But as a hunter who relied on gravity manipulation, his hand-to-hand skills hadn't grown much despite those five years.
The dagger gripped in reverse zeroed in on my throat.
In knife fighting, blocking dagger with dagger is the dumbest move.
Daggers have short reach, limiting attack points sharply.
I smacked his wrist with my fist and swung my dagger forward.
Smooth offense-to-defense transition—knife fighting basics.
Clang!
But he easily deflected my wrist with his other hand.
A sharp pain raced through my veins from my wrist.
Soon, we were trading blows back and forth over a scrap of territory, neither giving ground.
"O-Oh! Go, President! Keep pushing!"
"Fight hard! Crush that jerk flat! Honestly, he's got the ugliest face!"
Their cheers warmed me, but didn't give me any real boost.
"Tch!"
A groan slipped through Geum Tae-min's clenched teeth. He must've wanted to win without using his gravity power.
But now that we were evenly matched, it pissed him off.
And he'd clawed his way to this spot over five grueling years.
Yet here he was, neck-and-neck with me—a marriage consultant whose real combat edge had dulled.
His pride was crumbling in real time.
"Boss! You got this!"
"You can win!"
Seeing Kim Yang and Reneah cheer me on must've lit a fire under them—the thugs started shouting encouragement too.
It was kinda funny, seeing these burly guys pumping their fists like idol fans.
"Shut up, you bastards!"
"......"
"......"
"What kinda cheering is this for fighting a loser like him?!"
Even that scraped at Geum Tae-min's pride.
The thugs went dead silent like they'd eaten honey.
And Kim Yang and Reneah ramped up their cheers even more.
"F-Fight! Fight! P-President! Go! Win!"
"Win! Win! I'll give you a kiss when you get back!"
"Urk!"
My legs wobbled for a split second, nearly letting his knife nick my shoulder.
A triumphant grin spread across Geum Tae-min's face as he sensed victory.
"Why'd you stumble just 'cause I said I'd kiss you?! Hey, you blond bastard! Get out here! Let me fight!"
"C-Calm down, Granny!"
Kim Yang hugged Reneah from behind to stop her from charging at me.
Even amid the chaos, our fight was nearing its end.
"In the end, this is it. You've dulled over five years, while I've grown."
Clang-!
Our knives clashed.
Finally, my grip gave out, and the knife slipped free.
Spin!
The knife hit the floor and spun like a top. Geum Tae-min smirked leisurely and thrust his dagger at my throat.
"Die, you bastard."
In knife fighting...
Blocking dagger with dagger is stupid.
Because switching offense and defense is tough.
Stab!
The dagger pierced my shoulder.
It should've been my throat, but I'd deliberately leaned forward to make the hit land faster.
With his focus on the dagger now...
I swung my fist immediately.
"You bastard, all this time-!"
No time for talk.
'Temple first.'
Snap!
My hooking punch nailed his temple dead-on.
He winced, caught off guard by the unexpected power.
"Guh!?"
A retching groan.
Next, my fist clipped his jaw tip, making him stagger back.
Philtrum, ear, under cheekbone, between brows.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
He curled up like a turtle trying to defend, but...
I grabbed his hair, yanking his head up so he couldn't tuck it.
Philtrum.
Snap!
"Aaaagh!"
A scream like a death rattle poured out.
Blood streamed from his nose, his face a mangled mess that screamed defeat.
But as he flailed his arms, crushing pressure bore down, forcing my knees to buckle.
"You fucking biiitch!"
Thud!
A humiliated, hateful shriek right in front of my kneeling form. His hands trembled as he wiped the blood— not from fear, but uncontrollable rage.
"Bastard! How dare you—! Me!"
Snap! Snap! Snap!
His fists and kicks rained down on my kneeling body. Gravity pinned me so even as hits landed, I couldn't recoil or fall.
I just stood there like a stone statue, taking it silently.
"Kyaaah!"
"D-Don't! What are you doing?!"
Kim Yang and Reneah rushed forward desperately, but the thugs blocked them.
"G-Get out of the way! Move! President! You okay?! Run!"
"Hey! Do you know who I am? Reneah Barrosa Deklen Fiora— I mean, the Elf Queen!"
A teary voice echoed behind me.
Meanwhile, Geum Tae-min reined in his emotions and caught his breath.
"Hah, hah... You bastard. This is the end result. Knife fighting? Screw that. Survivor wins, right?"
He picked up the dropped knife.
Squatting down, he tapped my cheek with it.
"Whew. Life's full of twists, huh, Juseon? Always top of the class, so Yoo Ye-na—the guild master's daughter—blacklisted you from even getting a hunter license."
"......"
"Too perceptive, learned stuff you shouldn't have. Now your life's on the line."
Geum Tae-min chuckled and shook his head.
"Ever heard geniuses burn bright but brief? Fuck, that's you."
"......"
"Look at you, keeping quiet to save face. Fine, die honorably. I'll live ugly and enjoy everything."
He reversed his grip on the knife and raised it.
"See ya, top dog."
The instant it plunged toward my brow...
In that less-than-second gap as Yangju's bottle hit the floor from Reneah's fussing...
Stab!
The knife tore flesh, blood spraying.
But not Geum Tae-min's—it was my ever-present folding knife buried in Tae-min's chest.
Click.
The cold blade at my brow stopped short.
"H-How?"
Terror washed over Geum Tae-min's wide-eyed face as he stumbled back.
Incomprehension.
"D-Don't bullshit me! What was that?! Acceleration power?! You're an accelerator?!"
Thud!
My rising legs felt heavy, for sure.
"Nngh. Gravity manipulation drains stamina, so usually you use minimal force to subdue. Makes it easy to fool if I play along a few times."
If he'd gone full power, I couldn't have moved—but three times now.
Geum Tae-min had pinned me with gravity, so he knew the force it took.
And that was his fatal mistake.
I rolled my sore shoulder, loosening it, as Geum Tae-min spat fury.
"Shut up and answer! Accelerator, huh?! You've been hiding it all this time?!"
"...Ah."
I hadn't hidden it—what was he on about?
Then it clicked why he didn't know.
"Never used it sparring with you."
I clenched my fist at his bewildered upturned gaze.
"H-Haha... Beat me without powers?"
His focus wavered from the wound—perfect opening.
Gravity's a hassle, so time to end this for good.
"You'll wake up in a cell."
"Even if you escape... even if you kill me... it's over. Baekdu Pharma won't let you live."
"I'll handle that."
"Ha, haha. Fuck you."
Bam!
My accelerated punch nailed Geum Tae-min square, knocking him out cold.
Turning from his limp body, I was shocked to see Kim Yang and Reneah had already subdued the thugs.
"...What? How?"
"P-President! President!"
Kim Yang threw herself at me, wrapping around my waist. A faint dampness pressed against my chest from her eyes.
Scarier than she let on, apparently.
As I patted her back, Reneah shrugged proudly.
"Ahem. This queen is an Elf Queen, after all. I've got a trick or two up my sleeve."
"...What'd you do?"
Kim Yang answered my question.
"K-Kicked 'em in the nuts."
"......"
"President taught me."
Good. Crisis averted.
"Anyway, what now? I know Baekdu Pharma! Huge company! Meracle's smaller than their booger!"
"Ouch, that stings."
But she wasn't wrong, which hurt more.
No choice.
"Sigh. Gotta call someone our weight class."
I pulled out my phone.
Never thought I'd dial this number again.
It didn't ring long.
- What's up?
A cold woman's voice.
With a brief sigh, I asked for help.
"You free right now? Got dragged into something bigger than expected during work."
- ...Explain.
I gave her the rundown. She hummed, then replied.
- Five seconds.
"What?"
- Till I arrive.
Click.
Call ended.
Exactly five seconds later...
Kaboom!
The building shook violently, screams echoing.
"Kyaaah!"
"W-What?! Who'd you call?!"
Kim Yang and Reneah clung to me at the blast. I held them reassuringly.
"Someone insanely strong."
Not just raw power—but someone even Baekdu Pharma feared.
Moments later.
The door opened.
A woman in a pitch-black suit matching her long hair stepped in.
Her icy aura clashed with the club vibe.
She glanced at the two clinging to me, then spoke calmly as always.
"Let's go."
"P-President, who's this?"
"Ahem, introduce yourselves. Yoo Ye-na, old classmate. Now Hunter Association vice-chair. One of the Seven Apex Hunters."
At my words, Yoo Ye-na placed a hand over her navel and bowed gracefully.
"Juseon's in my debt plenty. Yoo Ye-na."