Chapter 15
Chapter 15
How Rude
“Ahem, are you trying to cause a disturbance inside the academy? Withdraw your mana immediately.”
“Yes. My apologies.”
Team Leader Kim Seongju calmly scolded Lee Younghan, who had begun gathering mana into his right hand.
Then he turned back toward Jihoon and spoke again.
“I’d appreciate it if you cooperated while I’m still asking nicely. Neither you nor I want to cause a scene here.”
“I don’t really care though. You’re the ones who’d be in trouble, so what does it matter to me?”
Crack.
Kim Seongju felt irritation rise again as Jihoon casually shrugged while speaking.
“This bastard seriously doesn’t listen.”
Kim Seongju, head of the HR team at the Ares Guild.
Though he was only a C-rank Hunter, he was a veteran who had participated in numerous Gate subjugations as a combatant for the large guild Ares over the past seven years.
Having fought countless magical beasts and crossed the line between life and death many times, he had become one of Ares Guild’s key combat forces.
But as time passed and younger B-rank Hunters increasingly distinguished themselves, his position gradually became awkward, leading him to voluntarily transfer into the HR department.
It had been a strategic decision to strengthen his standing within the guild by taking advantage of his background as an academy graduate.
Naturally, the executives of Ares Guild welcomed the idea with open arms.
After all, academy graduates were ideal for recruiting talent in many ways, especially because of their connections.
Recruiting even one more B-rank or higher Hunter was the fastest path to making the guild grow larger.
Because of that, whenever Team Leader Kim Seongju came to the academy to scout talent, he didn’t even spare a glance at cadets below Class 5.
Compared to when he first joined the guild seven years ago, Ares had now become a far larger and more powerful guild.
He knew the executives wouldn’t want Hunters weaker than himself being brought in.
While working as HR team leader, he had become proud of how good his eye for people—or rather, Hunters—had become.
Even without sparring or joining a Gate raid together, he believed he could roughly gauge a Hunter’s abilities simply through their appearance, atmosphere, and the mana they emitted.
And that very morning, an order had come down to him from Do Woonhyuk, one of the most powerful executives in the guild.
Bring Kang Jihoon, the E-rank Hunter from Academy Class 11.
At first, Kim Seongju had wondered why anyone would bother bringing in an E-rank Hunter, but after receiving Do Woonhyuk’s personal message, he quickly understood the situation.
Director Do Woonhyuk wanted to use guild power to settle a personal grudge.
That was why he secretly issued the task to Kim Seongju, the person within the guild most familiar with the academy.
Kim Seongju saw the request, though outside normal duties, as an opportunity.
What harm could there be in earning favor with a powerful executive like Do Woonhyuk?
And besides, bringing in and disciplining a mere E-rank Hunter might be annoying, but it certainly wasn’t difficult.
Still, to ensure the job was done properly, he brought along his subordinate employee, Hunter Lee Younghan, and headed to the academy.
“This bastard?”
Jihoon repeated Kim Seongju’s words back at him.
“Yeah, this bastard. Why are you so damn difficult to talk to? Let’s handle this the easy way.”
Even if he hadn’t already received information saying Kang Jihoon was an E-rank Hunter from Class 11, Kim Seongju was certain he would have figured Jihoon out instantly anyway.
The bastard standing before him right now, Kang Jihoon.
The faint mana leaking from him.
His reckless attitude and inability to know his place.
Even the way he failed to notice Kim Seongju’s subtle warning through mana pressure.
This guy was, in every sense, a complete amateur among amateurs.
Kim Seongju had heard that Director Do Woonhyuk’s son was at least in Class 10, and yet he genuinely couldn’t understand how someone like this had beaten him up so badly.
“Misters. Well... I get that you’re working right now. Your superiors told you to do this, so here you are.”
Questions appeared on both Kim Seongju and Lee Younghan’s faces.
What the hell was this bastard trying to say?
“You’re just trying to make a living, so I understand your difficulties completely... But...”
After deliberately pausing for a moment, Jihoon stared directly into Kim Seongju’s eyes.
“I can’t forgive people being this rude the first time we meet.”
“What?”
“There’s someone who’d be sad if they found out I was being treated like this somewhere.”
Hearing Jihoon’s words, Kim Seongju let out a disbelieving laugh.
“So being nice won’t work with you, huh.”
The moment Kim Seongju finished speaking, Lee Younghan once again gathered mana into his right hand.
“W-Wait!! Hold on... Everyone calm down first...”
Han Sojeong, who had been watching the situation from the side, quickly stepped in, worried Jihoon might be harmed.
“Don’t interfere. Step aside.”
Jihoon’s cold voice struck Sojeong’s ears.
The atmosphere coming from him was clearly abnormal.
Over the past few days of following Jihoon around, eating meals with him, and talking together, Sojeong had thought he was lighthearted and fairly cheerful.
Though he never accepted her requests, he had never once harshly pushed her away even when she forced herself into sitting beside him to eat together.
And although they hadn’t spent that much time together, she had naturally realized he was warm-hearted and kind.
She had seen the way he politely treated restaurant employees and gently petted stray neighborhood dogs.
But now.
Sojeong couldn’t help but flinch at this completely different side Jihoon was showing.
Even though she wasn’t the target, the atmosphere radiating from him was terrifying enough to make breathing difficult.
Despite being one of the upper-tier Hunters of Class 2, Sojeong couldn’t even bring herself to recklessly stop or interfere with Jihoon right now.
After cautiously reading Jihoon’s mood, she silently stepped aside just as he instructed.
“Hahaha, Hunter Han Sojeong, I apologize for showing you such an ugly sight. This friend here seems a little lacking, so for just a moment—”
Before Kim Seongju could finish speaking, Jihoon’s palm struck the back of his head.
His head slammed straight into the ground in an instant.
Jihoon had struck C-rank Hunter Kim Seongju using nothing but pure physical movement without even using internal energy or mana.
Darkness filled Kim Seongju’s vision as intense pain exploded through him.
“Ugh... ngh...”
“Mister... Weren’t you talking to me? Do you really have enough spare attention to look elsewhere?”
“Y-You bastard...”
Shocked by Jihoon’s speed, Lee Younghan swung his mana-enhanced right fist toward him.
Thud.
Jihoon’s left hand opened and caught Younghan’s fist midair.
“This mister is your superior, right? Judging by the way you called him team leader...”
“Ugh... AAAAGH!!”
The moment Jihoon tightened his grip around Younghan’s fist, the fist visibly twisted, and horrifying pain surged through him.
Kim Seongju lifted his head from the ground and looked forward.
He saw his subordinate screaming in agony while his hand remained trapped in the bastard’s grip.
“Looks like both of you met the wrong boss, huh?”
Jihoon slapped Younghan across the face while still holding his hand.
With one hand restrained, Younghan’s head snapped to the left.
Then to the right once.
Then back to the left...
Still trapped in Jihoon’s grip, Younghan continued getting slapped until he eventually dropped to his knees.
Jihoon was carefully hitting him just hard enough to keep him conscious and fully capable of feeling pain.
Watching the scene unfold, Kim Seongju finally drew out every ounce of mana he possessed.
“Y-You insane bastard!”
Jihoon released Younghan’s hand.
Younghan hadn’t lost consciousness, but after being beaten so badly, he collapsed limply onto the ground in exhaustion.
After confirming Younghan had been released, Kim Seongju immediately began activating his skill using the mana he had gathered.
This was the academy, and the entrance to the building containing the main auditorium, so plenty of passing cadets had already stopped to watch.
But Kim Seongju had no room left to care about any of that.
Jihoon’s speed had been so overwhelming that Kim Seongju got struck in the back of the head before he could even react, while Younghan had been beaten senseless and was now groaning on the ground.
He had no choice but to use a skill against this bastard.
But right then.
Jihoon disappeared from Kim Seongju’s sight.
Did he blink once?
Before he realized it, Jihoon had already appeared directly in front of him.
“Who said I’d wait for you to use your skill?”
Jihoon’s fist, carrying just a tiny trace of internal energy, slammed into Kim Seongju’s jaw as he tried gathering mana.
Just like Do Younghwan before him, blood and shattered white teeth sprayed out from Kim Seongju’s mouth as he collapsed.
After instantly putting both men down, Jihoon turned to Sojeong, who had obediently stood aside watching just as he instructed.
“Sojeong, watch these two misters for a second... I’m gonna head inside and bring out that Do-whatever guy.”
Seeing Jihoon’s usual playful brightness return to his face, Sojeong felt strangely relieved.
‘Yeah, that cheerful face suits him way better... He was way too scary earlier. Huh? Wait, who’s he bringing out? Why?’
Sojeong stared at Jihoon’s back as he ran into the main auditorium building.
For some reason, she couldn’t refuse Jihoon’s command—almost like an order—to keep watch over the collapsed men, so she remained standing there.