Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: E-Rank Gate (2)
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A palm frozen white as fresh snow slapped the beast's head. The Jungle Cat, its tiny head flopping as it flew through the air, froze solid the instant it collided with Seong Ha-yeon's hand and crashed to the ground. Seong Ha-yeon popped a cigarette into her mouth and stomped the frozen corpse to pieces.
"Ah, but I have to skin them."
She scratched her head. Scattered around her were chunks of ice that had once been Jungle Cats, strewn about like the uphill path of a sledding hill. Ichigaya Ichie sat on a nearby rock, clapping as she watched Seong Ha-yeon's display.
"Sugoi."
Seong Ha-yeon nodded at the praise.
"Right? Pretty cool, huh? This is the Sky-Shattering Fist, the Black Dragon Clan's pride and joy."
Sky-Shattering Fist. A martial art single-handedly developed by the Black Dragon Clan's leader, Sky-Shattering King Choi Sun-hong. It was a technique that gathered mana in the hands to deliver strikes—a true martial art. There were five forms in total, but D-Rank Hunters like Seong Ha-yeon and Kim Yu-jeong could only learn up to the first one. Ichie pointed at Seong Ha-yeon's palm, still frozen white.
"So, you can use ice too?"
"Nah, that's my awakening ability. Watch how I move."
Another Jungle Cat poked its head out from the bushes and crept forward. Seong Ha-yeon shook off her hand, scattering the ice shards. Sharp claws aimed for her nape and shot toward her at blinding speed. Ichie sensed the danger and jumped to her feet, but Seong Ha-yeon casually twisted her waist to dodge the strike. The claws sliced through empty air, and the airborne Jungle Cat's gaze locked onto her.
Seong Ha-yeon's hand plunged softly but powerfully into the beast's soft belly.
"Kkeek!"
The Jungle Cat vomited up a chunk of red flesh and rolled its eyes back. Its belly was crushed flat, as if pressed by a hydraulic machine. Seong Ha-yeon nudged the sprawled corpse with her foot.
"What do you think? Join up now, and you could learn the first form."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "That's impressive."
The Sky-Shattering Fist that Yu-jeong sunbae demonstrated was simple yet incredibly powerful. Every Jungle Cat that touched her hands or feet thrashed around like cockroaches before collapsing dead. That left me to skin the corpses she'd killed.
Jungle Cats. Their name made them sound cute, but from where I was standing, they were horrifying creatures. Their heads were about the size of a housecat's, but their eyes were twice as big, and for some reason, their jaws were always hanging open. Their bodies felt like a mashup of a gorilla and a cat.
Seeing these things splayed out on their backs with limbs akimbo and bellies exposed like dead bugs ruined my mood while I tried to skin them. Yu-jeong sunbae noticed me hesitating with the knife and came over. She grabbed my hand firmly and said,
"It's tough, isn't it? The first time I saw Jungle Cats, I had no idea how to even skin one."
"N-No, it's fine."
I tried to play it cool and pull my hand away, but she gripped it tighter and guided the knife closer to the Jungle Cat instead. My heart pounded hard. Why was it racing? Because it was my first time skinning something alive? Or because Yu-jeong sunbae was right there? I couldn't tell. As she held my wrist and drew the knife down once, I found myself taking a deep breath without realizing it.
"Don't cut too deep, or the guts'll burst and stink up the place. The mana stone's near the heart, so you can pull it out while skinning."
"Got it."
We skinned three. Luckily, none burst open. Both her hands and mine were covered in red blood. Yu-jeong sunbae wiped my hands with the cloth she used to clean her knife and said,
"Gross, right?"
I nodded while trying not to look at the corpses. I'd need to toughen up more if I wanted to face dead Jungle Cats without flinching. Yu-jeong sunbae glanced around and said,
"Should we hunt a bit more and then head back? Staying too long isn't smart..."
I started to nod. But the smile faded from Yu-jeong sunbae's face as she looked at me. Her brows furrowed, her lips twisted. Suddenly, her eyes went wide in shock as she reached out.
"Above...!"
Then a deafening roar shook my head numb, and my body launched into the air. Shooting high into the sky, I realized the entire gate interior was forest. Tree branches stabbed up like thorns everywhere. The Jungle Cat skins in my bag fluttered like parachutes.
The headless pelts waved as if cheering my flight.
My body plummeted to the ground. Dirt slammed into my face, dazing me. Blinking, I tried to push myself up from the soil half-burying my head. My whole body throbbed, limbs shaking.
"Su-hyeon!"
Startled, Yu-jeong sunbae ran toward me, but she reached out, then recoiled in horror. I turned my head just enough to see sideways. A boar-like monster snorted, glaring at us.
Yu-jeong sunbae faced off against it. She kept glancing at me while readying a flare. The monster growled at her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What is that?"
Ichie asked. Seong Ha-yeon tossed her cigarette to the ground and assumed her stance. Before them yawned a massive crater, like a meteor strike. Dust billowed from within as a boar-like monster lifted its head. It had a boar's head but didn't walk on four legs—just two massive ones propping it up.
Seong Ha-yeon said,
"Strong Boar. Usually shows up in D-Rank gates. Total fucking assholes."
"Fucking assholes?"
"Uh... bad guys."
"Ah, got it."
"Step back. If I let an apprentice handle this, I'd get chewed out."
"Isn't it dangerous?"
Seong Ha-yeon smirked at that and pulled on her gloves.
"Hey, anything else maybe, but to me? These are fucking pushovers."
"Pushovers?"
"Means super easy prey. Got it?"
"Ah, got it."
The Strong Boar bellowed. Jungle Cats fled at the sound. Seong Ha-yeon clicked her tongue, face full of regret over the lost pelts. Ichie obediently hid behind a rock nearby. Seong Ha-yeon thought she handled crises well.
"Groooaaar!"
The Strong Boar charged Seong Ha-yeon like a maniac. It lurched forward as if about to topple, then dug its cloven hooves into the earth and slammed its head down like a hammer. Another crater formed the size of the first, and from the dust, the massive boar monster raised its head again.
Seong Ha-yeon stomped her foot a bit behind the crater, taunting it.
"Come on! Bring it!"
The Strong Boar snorted furiously as if understanding, reared up, and charged again. It threw its head back wide, prepping to hammer the ground once more. Instead of retreating, Seong Ha-yeon rushed straight at it.
"Groooaaar!"
As Seong Ha-yeon charged, the Strong Boar smashed its head down with full force.
"Ah, ahh!"
Ichie yelped in shock. Dust rose thick. Occasional beastly snorts echoed. Ichie cautiously drew her knife, preparing for battle. Once the dust cleared, the Strong Boar's next target would surely be her.
"Kuup! Kuooo!"
Dust parted, revealing a shadow. The Strong Boar thrashed on the ground. From the haze, a faint blue glow began to rise. Ichie heard Seong Ha-yeon's voice within.
"Ichie. Strong Boars can only smash or ram with their heads. Slip between the legs, and they can't cope. Plus, they stand on just those two legs, so shatter the knee joints, and they can't get up."
Dust cleared. The Strong Boar struggled to rise, legs flailing. But its joints were frozen blue-black, ice clinging to Seong Ha-yeon's fingertips too. She flashed Ichie a grin, then stomped down hard on the frozen knee.
"Kweeeeeek!"
The Strong Boar's legs shattered like marble sculptures. It could no longer fight. She dispelled the blue glow from her hands and hair.
"Ichie. In times like this, say 'Noona's badass' in Korean. Go on, try it."
"Noona's badass."
Ichie gave a thumbs-up. Seong Ha-yeon nodded proudly, then turned toward where Kim Yu-jeong had gone. Talk was cheap—Strong Boars were tough. Without a one-shot to break joints, toppling them was hard, and without strong physical prowess, you couldn't pull off what she'd just done.
Seong Ha-yeon said,
"This strength comes from mastering the Sky-Shattering Fist handed down in our guild. What do you say? Wanna join Black Dragon Clan?"
Ichie shook her head. Seong Ha-yeon pressed,
"Aw, why? Sky-Shattering Fist's cool. Huh? Plus, join now, and they said they'd let you change your nickname from that Miyamoto whatever to just 'Musashi'."
Ichie shook her head even harder. Seong Ha-yeon figured it was for the best—she didn't fit Black Dragon Clan anyway. She decided to drop recruitment. As long as the clan leader's weird fixation on 'Musashi' held, Ichie joining was unlikely.
"Wanna chat a bit? You're Japanese, right?"
Ichie nodded. Seong Ha-yeon plopped down beside her. The Strong Boar flopped into its own crater. Ichie watched curiously. Seong Ha-yeon asked,
"What did your family do?"
"Dad's in construction."
"Construction?"
Ichie nodded. Seong Ha-yeon chatted while occasionally glancing toward Kim Yu-jeong's direction. She'd have to bolt if a flare went up.