Beast Hunt
Park I-rae could sense that ominous presence solely because she stood on the battlefield with one burning resolve. A mission entrusted to her by Ha Yeon-u, the guild master and a hunter she deeply respected: the protection of Ha Yeon-ah.
Normally, safeguarding Ha Yeon-ah was Ha Yeon-u's exclusive duty, fitting for her title of Paladin. Ha Yeon-u's special ability was specialized for protection, synergizing perfectly with Ha Yeon-ah's powers to make her even stronger. But this time, Ha Yeon-ah's sudden insistence on tagging along with Park I-rae had forced them apart. The guild already had a scheduled hunt, so Ha Yeon-u couldn't skip out.
In the end, though reluctant, Ha Yeon-u had no choice but to trust Park I-rae. If she hadn't heard that a new S-rank was joining, she might have reshuffled the guild schedule to accompany Ha Yeon-ah herself—but this time, she placed her faith in someone else.
And so, Park I-rae etched that single mission deep into her heart. Before the battle erupted, it might have been different. But the instant combat began, her mind sharpened like a honed blade, transforming into that of a true warrior.
Ha Yeon-ah and Seong Ye-han. Honestly, in a lineup with two S-ranks, it was arrogant for an A-rank like her to think she could contribute anything to a tiger hunt. Even protecting Ha Yeon-ah was little more than symbolic. Despite reaching the pinnacle of hunters at A-rank, she was just a bystander—and that frustration only made Park I-rae more devoted to her assigned role.
Yet even so, she hadn't noticed the suspicious presence creeping right above her and Ha Yeon-ah's heads.
That was why, in the most critical moment, she could do what was most needed.
"Unni!"
Years of honed martial techniques. Her efforts, propelling her to A-rank just a year after graduating the academy, weren't in vain—they blocked the beast's first strike aimed at Ha Yeon-ah.
The attack slashed toward her shoulder. Park I-rae planted her feet firmly and thrust her spear to deflect it.
Ka-gaga-gak—
The force behind the clashing weapons wasn't overwhelming. Heavy enough, but something she could counter with her own strength.
But then...
Sa-ak—
The enemy's sword, which had clearly caught on her spear shaft, somehow grazed her side. She was fully prepared, bolstered by Ha Yeon-ah's stat buff, so it wasn't a deep wound—but the stinging sensation and burning heat made her delicate brows furrow.
What the hell?
Even after taking the hit directly, she still couldn't perceive the opponent. The feel of the blade slicing her flesh and the tactile feedback on her spear were undeniably real, yet every other sense was shrouded in black confusion.
Still, Park I-rae didn't retreat. The moment she fell back, the enemy would lunge straight for Ha Yeon-ah. Though she'd lost the initiative, Ha Yeon-ah was right beside her. A wound like this would heal in no time, and Seong Ye-han wasn't far off either. If she just held out a little longer, she'd have the advantage.
As she steeled her resolve with that thought...
Ji-ji-jik—
From the gash on her side, something sinister and chilling seeped into her body, slithering through her veins like a parasite.
"Ha-euk..."
Her legs, planted firmly, buckled beneath her.
"Unni..."
Her vision blurred. All she could make out was... something unknown. Probably the enemy's back.
The foe must have ignored her the instant she was wounded and gone straight for Ha Yeon-ah. Amid her fading consciousness, Park I-rae felt the cold glare of white eyes before blacking out.
In truth, Park I-rae's reaction itself was a miracle of sorts. A convergence of the enemy's carelessness and Ha Yeon-ah's Holy Light. But buying just one breath's worth of time was far too little against such a foe.
Ghost Park Eun-hyeon was, in comparison, the same breed as Shin Ye-hwa—an all-rounder with potent physical prowess despite being a ability-user. Of course, compared to Shin Ye-hwa's dual S-rank physical stats, he was ultimately her inferior. But that didn't diminish his power.
Impure Darkness. Its exact name was unknown, but this was what Park Eun-hyeon's ability was called. Like Ha Yeon-ah's, it had multifaceted functions: burrowing into wounds like poison, dominating surroundings with curses of shadow, even cloaking himself for stealth. His power alone had terrified people enough during his infamous battle with Jeong Beom-ho a decade ago.
And this stealth evaded not just thermal imaging or infrared, but even mana detection. Lacking flashy or devastating destructive force, it was nonetheless viciously effective in PvP above all else.
If Ha Yeon-ah's power—which countered his perfectly—had been active, she might have disrupted his ability early and detected his stealth. Unfortunately, holding her breath to lure the tiger had backfired.
Had they been farther apart, Park Eun-hyeon might have been the one suffering. But he'd already closed in undetected, and at that point, the game was over.
"Hahaha!"
"Ha-eup!"
Ha Yeon-ah's golden barrier, hastily conjured, shattered under Park Eun-hyeon's black blade. Crafted in the brief window Park I-rae had bought, it could withstand an A-rank strike with ease—but against a fellow S-rank, it was like wet paper.
Finally, with no obstacles left, Park Eun-hyeon stood before Ha Yeon-ah. He unleashed a grotesque, twisted grin as he attacked.
Ha Yeon-ah resisted as best she could, but against a peer? Melee was hopeless for a lower-rank hunter, let alone one of equal caliber. Her close-combat staff flew from her grip after a few exchanges, and in the end, she squeezed her eyes shut as his blade grazed her arm.
A repulsive energy invaded along her arm. Ha Yeon-ah channeled her mana to resist the intruding force, but her movements inevitably slowed.
The situation worsened; wounds multiplied on her arms and legs in seconds. Sweat beading coldly, Ha Yeon-ah faced a choice: stay pinned and take it, or introduce a wildcard.
Fortunately, that wildcard was right beside her. Her heart still recoiled from him even now, but Ha Yeon-ah knew how to separate personal feelings from duty. She ceased resisting the energy burrowing into her.
In the fleeting seconds before unconsciousness, Ha Yeon-ah let her light seep into Seong Ye-han. She couldn't bless his physical stats like before. But...
When he needed it most, her light would guide him.
Seong Ye-han sensed the anomaly the moment Park I-rae blocked Park Eun-hyeon's first attack. His senses weren't dull enough to miss the clash of metal on metal.
Whipping around, he saw his beloved junior wounded and collapsing. And Ha Yeon-ah—strange girl, sure, but not a bad one—was in peril too.
The enemy, shrouded in rippling darkness like TV static, had subdued both women in an instant with his hazy, repulsive form.
Seong Ye-han considered a javelin throw but dismissed it. His throws packed too much power. If I-rae and Yeon-ah were unharmed, fine—but with them unconscious, the shockwave alone could cause serious injury. A half-hearted toss would just waste a good weapon.
Instead, he coiled strength into his legs and launched like a cannonball. Leaving the rumbling earth and swirling snowstorm behind, he closed in and thrust at the shadow.
Kwa-ang—
"Kuh?"
A muffled groan from the foggy foe reached his ears. Not a clean hit, but definite damage. Seong Ye-han pressed on brutally, shoving forward.
First, get the fallen pair out of the battlefield. Superhuman clashes inflicted massive collateral even from mere impacts—lethal to the unconscious, regardless of strength.
"Euraaaah!"
Feeling the solid block against his spear, Seong Ye-han focused his power. Muscles bulging to bursting in his arms, core clenched tight, legs channeling force—he heaved the enemy skyward.
Even without Ha Yeon-ah's Holy Light, Seong Ye-han locked onto the alien darkness blotting the night sky.
Kwaaaaa—
Another javelin throw. Without flight like Yeo Seon-hui's, it would deal serious damage.
"...!"
But his foe wasn't pushover. Park Eun-hyeon detonated his mana midair, repositioning while deftly deflecting the throw.
"Heh heh heh... You're strong."
The voice emanated from the landed shadow.
"Just the shockwave numbed my arm."
Seong Ye-han caught the faint metallic tang of blood on the winter air. Good—his attack hadn't been useless.
"But that's it. A tough body alone changes nothing."
The rippling darkness undulated disgustingly. The enemy's condescending tone grated too.
His special ability seemed bizarre and annoying, alright. Probably the S-rank outlaw Ghost. That explained the attitude, but...
"Why's your tongue so long? Shut up and come at me, you punk."
Seong Ye-han wouldn't tolerate that shit. To him, dealing with scum like this was simple:
Beat them half to death.