Chapter 216: Joo Seoyeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: Joo Seoyeon
I walked up the hill, following the familiar street.
Deserted alleys and the shuttered storefronts of failed businesses.
Nothing had changed.
And it was all so familiar.
For some reason, it felt like I was coming home.
Maybe it was because this was the neighborhood where I’d gotten my first studio apartment, and my memories were getting a nostalgia buff.
‘There’s still no talk of redeveloping this neighborhood.’
Then again, if they had the resources for redevelopment, it would be better to focus on restoring the other cities devastated by Gate Breaks.
In this day and age, redeveloping a place like this would be stranger.
In that sense, the Taepyeong-dong redevelopment project last time was deeply problematic.
Though, it seems to have been halted because of me.
Still, for a few committee chairmen, a couple of assemblymen, and even a high-ranking official to have died, the fallout was surprisingly minimal.
Lately, the number of articles about it seems to have decreased, too.
I suspect the National Intelligence Service, realizing they probably couldn't catch the culprit, pressured the media to stop mentioning the case.
It’s a good thing for me, but… is South Korea going to be okay like this?
‘Well… it’s still better than other countries. I heard half of the Philippines was devoured by a Gate Break a few months ago.’
Of course, the damage from Gates wasn't limited to Southeast Asia.
Even China and Russia were reportedly struggling, lacking the manpower to deal with Gates appearing in remote areas.
The situation in Europe and the United States wasn't much different.
Considering all that, we were in a slightly better position, since we only had to defend our northern border.
The problem was that hordes of magical beasts occasionally invaded from up there.
That was how my parents had died.
‘It’s already been over ten years.’
I was too young to remember it well, but the images of people screaming and fleeing, the incessant wail of police sirens, and the magical beast that appeared out of nowhere to pounce on my parents—those scenes were still vivid in my mind.
I was even on the news a few times, hailed as the lucky kid who was rescued after surviving for days under the cold bodies of his parents.
“Hmm…”
I suddenly felt sentimental.
This is why I should avoid reminiscing about the past.
After a brief sigh, I leaped onto a nearby building.
I’d seen on NewTube that when you’re in a bad mood, it’s best to just run.
The wind was blowing coolly, perfect timing. I crossed the neighborhood, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
‘…Controlling my speed is trickier than I thought.’
The distances were too short to run at full speed.
As I leaped across a few more buildings, enjoying the cool breeze, a familiar building came into view.
But in front of it was an unfamiliar sight.
‘…A person?’
Someone was standing in front of the building.
With perky ears atop her head and a gently swaying tail, she appeared to be a wolf beast-kin.
I’d never seen anyone walking around here. What was going on?
Of course, I could have just ignored a single person standing there.
But her appearance was far too striking for a run-down hillside neighborhood like this.
Snow-white hair and golden eyes that looked up at the building.
She reminded me of my master back at the dojo.
Their faces were quite similar, too. No, on closer inspection, it was more than just similar. Aside from a slightly different hairstyle, they could almost be twins.
At that moment, something Choi Hyena had told me flashed through my mind.
The Triad (三合會).
‘Didn’t she say my master was the same race as the Heavenly Lord, one of the leaders of the Triad…?’
The Silver Wolf Tribe, I think she called them.
Hmm, looking again, her hair was more silver than pure white.
I immediately turned to leave.
My instincts were screaming at me not to get involved with that woman. In times like these, it was best to sneak in from the rooftop.
But was I too slow to react?
“Hmph…”
When I turned back, the wolf girl who had been standing in front of the building just a moment ago was now right in front of my eyes.
Fast.
Even if I had let my guard down, for her to be so fast I couldn't even follow her with my eyes…
She was at least A-rank, or possibly higher.
“…Hello?”
I swallowed dryly and looked at the wolf girl.
Maybe because she resembled my master, she was ridiculously beautiful. But her outfit was a bit unique.
‘A cheongsam…?’
Also known as a China dress.
My eyes kept drifting to her exposed, pale white thighs.
It was an undeniable, almost instinctual, urge.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve received such a blatant stare.”
A smile spread across the wolf girl’s lips.
A variety of emotions flickered in her glistening eyes, mostly interest and curiosity.
I gave an awkward laugh.
Running away was an option, but thankfully, she didn't seem hostile toward me.
Then, a thought occurred to me.
‘This… if I play my cards right, isn’t this a chance to find out something about my master?’
Jeon Seoha. That was the name my master had graciously bestowed upon me.
But that was all I knew. I didn't know her age, let alone what she did for a living.
Why was someone with A-rank skills running a dojo in a neighborhood like this? What was her relationship with the Triad? My master hadn't told me a single thing.
Of course, there was no reason for her to spill her life story to me when we’d only known each other for a short time.
But as her one and only disciple, shouldn't I at least have a rough idea of her circumstances?
What? Meddling?
Yes, this is meddling.
There was something precarious about her; my master was the kind of person who made you worry if you left her alone.
So much so that her image would sometimes flicker before my eyes.
This was an opportunity.
I might be able to get some information about my master.
So I tried to build some rapport, smiling and keeping things friendly, but then…
Sniff, sniff.
“?”
This woman.
True to her wolf nature, she suddenly closed the distance and began sniffing me.
‘What the?’
It felt kind of dog-like. No, wolf-like, I guess?
Having a beautiful woman I’d just met sniff me felt strangely… weird.
I was wondering if I should just let it happen when—
“…The scent of a wolf.”
A strange light glinted in the wolf girl’s eyes.
Hostility suddenly washed over me, and my instincts screamed a warning.
As the intense alarm bells went off, my body moved before my mind could even think.
The movement was as fluid as water, so natural it could be called instinct.
Smack!
I slapped away the wolf girl’s hand as it reached for me.
The back of my hand, which had achieved the 3-star Formless Vajra Art, tingled from the impact. She was no ordinary A-rank.
She might even be stronger than my master.
“?!”
I wasn't the only one who was surprised. The wolf girl, not expecting me to block her hand, lightly stepped back to create distance.
Just then, the wind blew, and the hem of her cheongsam fluttered.
The ankle-length dress was swept up, revealing a private area—
Thwack!
“Ugh?!”
In that instant, a powerful kick flew at me. I thought I’d only be able to track it with my eyes, but I surprisingly managed to block it again.
My crossed arms throbbed, but a block was a block.
“Twice…?”
The wolf girl’s eyes widened as she stared at me.
I was just as surprised.
Her legs were long and slender, but I hadn't thought someone with her frame—around 150-something centimeters tall—could execute such a threatening kicking art.
But physique wasn't what mattered in kicking arts.
‘…She’s fucking fast.’
What mattered was speed.
The wolf girl’s movements were on par with me using Formless Electric Body at full power.
No, she didn't even seem to be going all out, so she might be even faster.
“What is the meaning of this?”
I heightened all my senses and circulated my internal energy.
I could have just used a barrier, but if I wasn't going to completely abandon my martial arts, I couldn't rely on it.
The wolf girl didn't answer my question.
She just stared at me with murderous eyes.
A tense standoff accompanied by a heavy silence continued. Then…
“…Aha?”
The wolf girl suddenly relaxed her stance.
What?
It was far too unguarded to be a feint to make me lower my guard.
She couldn't be foolish enough to underestimate an opponent who had already blocked her attacks twice.
A sense of unease washed over me, but it was fleeting. An unreadable smile spread across the wolf girl’s lips.
Beyond her deep golden eyes, I could even glimpse a faint madness.
Just as I’d suspected when she suddenly kicked me, she didn't seem to be in her right mind.
Just as I was wondering if I should flee…
“Hello?”
As if nothing had happened, the wolf girl greeted me with a bright smile.
It was such a cheerful smile that it was hard to believe she was the same person who had just used Chin Na (擒拿手) and a vicious kick on me.
“…Is she a crazy bitch?”
Ah, I’d meant to just think that, but the words slipped out.
In my experience, crazy bitches hate being called crazy bitches more than anything.
But the wolf girl’s reaction was different from what I expected.
“…Pfft.”
Flick—
She covered her mouth with an iron fan she’d produced from somewhere and burst out laughing.
It was just the sound of laughter, but it tickled my ears.
Is this what the laugh of a siren who tempts men sounds like?
I swallowed dryly without realizing it.
She was certainly petite, but her figure, clearly visible in the form-fitting cheongsam, was anything but ordinary.
Her adorably full chest, smooth stomach, and the thighs that peeked out with every movement.
She was a seductress through and through.
Regardless, the wolf girl laughed for a good while before wiping a tear from her eye with a fingertip and folding her fan away.
“Hehe, a crazy woman… That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.”
The corners of her eyes curved beautifully.
I was the one who had cursed at her, so why did she look so pleased?
Suddenly, I remembered what Cheon Yeo-hwa had told me.
The Demonic Cult is a place full of madmen, but the craziest among them are the ones who actually enjoy being cursed at.
The wolf girl was exactly like that.
“Name.”
“Sorry?”
“What’s your name?”
A background check at a time like this?
The wolf girl’s audacity left me momentarily speechless.
Meanwhile, the back of my hand and my forearm, where she’d hit me, were still throbbing.
Does this woman even have a conscience?
After a moment of thought, I gave her a random fake name.
“Hong Gildong.”
Who could not call his father, father.
And could not call his brother, brother.
For reference, Hong Gildong was the name of a hunter active during the Joseon Dynasty.
Although the ranking system back then was different from today’s, according to the Annals of Joseon Anomalies, Hong Gildong’s estimated rank was S-rank.
“Hong Gildong? What a unique name.”
From her nonchalant reaction, I was certain.
This woman isn't Korean.
No Korean would react to the name Hong Gildong like that.
“I get that a lot. What about you?”
“It’s a secret.”
“?”
The wolf girl’s eyes met mine, and she gave me a smiling wink and a wave.
“Well then, see you next time?”
With that short farewell, the wolf girl completely vanished. I was looking right at her, yet I lost her.
I had a feeling the speed she’d shown earlier wasn't her full power, but I never imagined it would be to this extent.
Of course, if I used mana detection, I could find out where she went, but I didn't want to reveal that I was a mage.
Besides, I’d found out her name, so there was no need to be hasty.
[Joo Seoyeon
Status: Virgin]
“Joo Seoyeon, huh…”
It was a name I’d never heard before.
She looked so much like my master that I thought they were sisters, but with different last names, that didn't seem to be the case.
‘I wonder if Choi Hyena knows her?’
I decided to leave her a text. She seemed too busy to even answer calls lately.
Shaking off the lingering tension from the fight, I headed for the dojo. My master, being a beast-kin, was sensitive to things like fighting spirit.
As I opened the dojo door and went inside, I came face to face with my master, who was just coming out of her office.
“Master!”
I immediately kicked off my shoes and rushed toward her.
But…
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
“…Huh?”
To my surprise, my master recoiled in fright.
For a moment, a pang of hurt shot through my chest at her blatant rejection, but then I noticed her condition was strange.
Not only was she drenched in sweat as if she’d just gone through some intense training, but her face was also flushed red.
Was she sick?
“Um, are you all right…”
“Stay away!!”
Ah, yes ma’am.
Only after I took a few steps back did my master seem to finally calm down a bit.
“…What brings you here all of a sudden?”
“I came to see you, Master.”
“What about the Magic Tower?”
“I decided to take the day off.”
At first, I was just going to skip, but thanks to the investigation, I had a legitimate excuse to be off until tomorrow.
I had to go to the Association tomorrow, though.
“…Then go warm up. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
I hadn't really come here to swing a wooden sword, but I guess it was fine once in a while.
Besides, there was nothing better for clearing a cluttered mind.
“Oh, right. Master, do you happen to know someone named Joo Seoyeon?”
That woman was definitely connected to my master.
Even if I didn't pry into her identity, I had to at least let my master know that woman had come looking for her.
That’s what I thought when I said it.
But…
“…Master?”
When no answer came after a long wait, I turned my head. There stood my master, her face pale, trembling.
In her ceaselessly shaking eyes, there was undeniable anxiety and fear.
*
In a deserted alley.
Something rose from the darkness.
“Heavenly Lord.”
A bizarre voice flowed from a figure shrouded in a murky shadow.
The wolf girl—no, Joo Seoyeon—indifferently held out her hand toward the figure.
A bundle of papers shot out from the shadow.
It was a meager report, only two or three pages long, but Joo Seoyeon scanned it without a word.
The first page contained a photo of Kang Hyun-woo and his personal information.
“I was wondering how you were living out in the sticks… It seems you’ve found yourself a pretty good partner, huh?”
A smirk formed on Joo Seoyeon’s lips.
Big sister.