Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Tree Tree (2)
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“Huff… huff…”
Han Chae-hwa sprinted toward the gate where the Sword Princess was subjugating it, faster than anyone else.
Fortunately, the gate was close to her house. By gathering mana and running full tilt, she arrived in under five minutes.
“…What the hell is this?”
And then she saw it.
A transparent line etched through the empty air above, followed by a massive burst of violence crashing down along it—shattering the Sword Princess’s leg.
‘A sniper?’
Realizing the killer was a sniper, Han Chae-hwa dropped into a low stance and activated her unique ability.
Han Chae-hwa, Assassin class.
She invoked her Stealth to slip silently into the background, out of the sniper’s line of sight.
Once hidden, she watched the Sword Princess with cold eyes.
Han Chae-hwa’s instincts told her this was probably the Sword Princess’s final moment.
And her instincts were dead on.
“Orchid Shadow Slash…!”
Dragging her grotesquely crumpled and broken leg across the ground, the Sword Princess raised her sword and screamed.
‘Orchid Shadow Slash.’
Orchid Shadow Slash—one of the techniques symbolizing the Sword Princess, a wide-area attack that struck everything in a 500-meter radius ahead.
Because it didn’t distinguish between allies and enemies, surveying the surroundings was crucial before unleashing it. But the Sword Princess didn’t check anything before raining destruction across the 500-meter frontal zone.
Beautiful orchids blanketed the sky, slicing everything around to ribbons.
But that was all.
Bang—!
Another gunshot roared from somewhere.
A bullet streaking through the air at a speed even an A-rank hunter’s dynamic vision couldn’t track.
Crunch—!
The boom erupted at the same moment her head exploded and her body crumpled.
‘Ha… ha, haha…’
Clean. Perfectly clean.
First take out the legs to stop any escape, then shatter the head for the kill confirmation.
And the target wasn’t just some civilian—it was Lotus Guild’s next big S-rank prospect.
Lotus’s flower had been snapped so effortlessly.
‘Time to bail.’
The killer’s name was Tree Tree, right?
Stick around any longer, and she might ping on the sniper’s senses.
Better to pull out now.
Han Chae-hwa made her call.
And her actions were swift.
Maintaining Stealth, she slipped away in a flash.
She’d gotten all the intel she needed. She could always reach out through Hadal anyway, so today was a wrap.
“The Sword Princess is dead…”
With her gone, Lotus Guild would probably turn upside down by tomorrow.
“Good fucking riddance.”
Of course, no one was likely to mourn her.
The Sword Princess Seo Ye-rang’s other nickname was Lotus’s psycho bitch.
How rotten did her personality have to be for a moniker like that to stick?
“Karma’s a bitch.”
Thinking that, Chae-hwa bolted toward her guild building.
Looked like she had a ton to report to Guild Leader sis today.
The moment she left,
Bang—!
Another gunshot tore through the air, echoing everywhere.
A bullet rocketing straight toward the spot where Chae-hwa’s head would’ve been—instant death if she’d stayed.
“Hmm? Wasn’t there another hunter over there?”
Afterward, the killer descended the hill and recovered the bullet.
She approached the Sword Princess’s corpse, thinking, ‘Was there a hunter? Did I imagine it?’
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Hadal Post [Anyone wanna clean up?] Author: Tree Tree
(Photo of Sword Princess's head blown apart) (Photo holding her two blood-drenched swords dangling) (Photo holding her inverted cross necklace) Need one cleaner. I'll send coords, pay 500 Monero. DM if down, by noon today or I delete and handle it myself. No Ethereum or coins, Monero only. No cash. [Likes 41] [Dislikes 0] 💬 Comments — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Whoa, check out Sword Princess's head yeeted. — Tree Tree Rice Swindler, you wanna do it? — Rice Swindler Rice Swindler Nah, I'm an info broker, cleanup's not my thing... — qpr1_User Oh fuck, that corpse is hot af. — Tree Tree Horny for it? — qpr1_User Yeah, horny as fuck. Wanna just ram it right there. — Tree Tree Necrophiliac alert;; — qpr1_User You don't get the beauty of corpses, so sad;; That perfect body getting wrecked under my hands—not turning you on? — Tree Tree Full-on psycho necro alert;;;; — qqq Fuck man, you tanked Lotus stocks cuz of you. — Tree Tree And? — qqq Fuck, you're such a dick. — Tree Tree If I'm such a dick, go smoke some dickweed or whatever. — qqq Already am lol — Tree Tree ? — Tree Tree This dude's insane. — qqq Says the one who did it? Sigh, time to check Han River temps. — aue2_User Retard — qqq Alt accounts bitching lmao ⭐ Top Comment — Lax on the Rock Can I handle this? — Tree Tree Yeah, when you coming? — Lax on the Rock Heading there now, just send coords. I'll clean it spotless. — Tree Tree Cool, sending via DM. — Lax on the Rock What to do with the body? — Tree Tree Head's already off. Handle the rest however for selling to necros or black mages. — qpr1_User Ooh I'll take it. — Tree Tree Psycho necro duo;;;;;; “Lax is on the way, so time to bounce.”
Recovering the mana she’d spread around the Sword Princess, she fired off a private message to Lax on the Rock.
Current location coords and an advance of 250 Monero—done.
Once cleanup confirmation came in, send the other 250.
“Ugggghhh…”
She stretched her back once, pocketed the loot, and turned on her heel.
Wonder where to offload the stolen goods… Auction house? That necklace and swords from the Sword Princess oughta fetch a nice chunk.
Secondhand, so no full price, but sell it all and she’d probably clear a few hundred million won.
Lax would handle the body and pass it along; she’d take her cut… Sell to necrophiliacs? Or necromancers?
Necro pervs do have deep pockets… Hmmmmm…
“Eh, think later.”
Right now, that presence from earlier.
Definitely felt someone besides the Sword Princess…
Faint, but unmistakable.
So she fired a shot that way? Nothing there.
“Feeling off today?”
Her period was due soonish…
“Whatever.”
Whatever. If shit hits later, just ask the crew to handle it.
“Chicken for dinner~”
Lax was on cleanup, so home time.
Pulled out her phone and ordered from the local chicken joint.
Half chicken, fried chicken gizzards, and cheese balls!
“Hehe…”
She infused mana into her massive 1.8-meter anti-materiel sniper rifle, shrinking it to a compact pistol, then crammed the little thing into her waist pouch.
Guns this size? Even if spotted, no biggie.
“Hunter license is the best, huh?”
Hunters could legally carry firearms—way too convenient.
Let her stuff it right in her pocket in plain sight, zero complaints.
“Aghhhh…”
She stretched her back fully, shook the blood off her hands with mana.
And headed for the chicken spot.
Today, gorge till she burst!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Come to think of it, the chicken place only took cash—and she had none.
“Mom, what’s for dinner?”
“Whatever’s at home.”
“Cheap cheap!”
“15,000 won per outfit here!”
So now she was at Myeongdong Market.
Why Myeongdong outta nowhere? First reason: the green onion pancakes here slapped.
“Whoa…”
They took cards too, and damn they were good. Crispy sizzling pancake dipped in soy sauce, one bite… Kuuh…! This was the real deal.
“Thanks, all done.”
“Sure thing~”
Anyway, not the main event.
She trudged to a dim alley corner.
An old grandma sitting quietly under a ratty parasol, radiating shady vibes.
She extended her right hand to the ominous granny.
Granny extended hers without a word.
She blinked her right eye twice.
“Come in.”
Granny stood and led her somewhere.
Behind the parasol: door to a plain women’s restroom. Inside, stairs down to the basement.
Down the stairs: a massive gambling den.
Fishy blood tang and icy steel stench hitting her nose, turning her stomach.
Some laughing, some screaming, some despairing.
Koreans, foreigners—didn’t matter. All lost to money madness, grinning and weeping over cash in a pit of greed and pleasure.
“So, what you playing?”
“Need some cash.”
Hide a tree? In the forest.
This place lived by that rule.
Myeongdong’s biggest casino. Fees sucked, but cash fast.
Chicken was chicken, but cash on hand was king. Grab a quick bit.
“How much.”
“Uh… Round 1,000 Monero?”
“Whoa… Need 200 million won?”
“Yep.”
“10% cut. No? Beat it.”
“Nah, here’s fine.”
“Prefs?”
“No bank-strapped new bills. Used ones, serials all jumbled from circulation.”
Granny nodded like it was standard.
Which it was—bare basics.
She pulled her e-wallet, sent 1,000 Monero. Granny handed over 180 million won from somewhere.
“Fee’s 200 Monero off.”
“Got it. See ya.”
“Yeah.”
Still didn’t get 10% vig in a dump like this, but cash now was cash now.
Bag stuffed with 50,000-won bills slung over her shoulder, back topside.
Gazing at the bag full of Lady Shins, her beggar-ass mood lifted right up.
“Heh.”
Now, real chicken time.
Cheese balls were gonna get cold.