Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Rookie King Tournament (3)
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"Clan Leader! We're here!"
The hospital corridor was packed tight with Awakeners—a sight you didn't see every day. Choi Sun-hong, leader of the Black Dragon Clan, recognized the booming voice that echoed down the hall and broke into a warm smile. In his hand was [Urban Heavenly Demon Chronicles]. He'd been reading it, but now he set the Heavenly Demon Chronicles on the bedside table and waited for Lee Jun-hyeok to enter.
"Clan Leader!"
"Ah, good to see you, Lee Jun-hyeok. How'd things go at the guild while I was out?"
"Would I let you down? Hey! Everyone, come on in! Come in!"
Kim Yu-jeong, who had been peeking into the hospital room from the back while standing on her tiptoes, got swept inside by the flood of people pouring in like a receding tide. Over their shoulders, she caught a glimpse of the Black Dragon Clan leader, looking healthier than expected. Bandages wrapped tightly around his body under the patient gown and a lighter one around his head were visible, but his complexion seemed good. Seong Ha-yeon, standing beside her, let out a deep sigh of relief.
The Black Dragon Clan leader gazed warmly at his guildmates who had come to visit, nodded, and spoke.
"Alright, everyone, head back now. What'd you all come all this way for? Leave Lee Jun-hyeok here, and the rest of you go on home. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit."
Lee Jun-hyeok nodded emphatically to relay the clan leader's words. The Black Dragon Clan members who had entered filed out one by one, each leaving a word of well-wishes. Kim Yu-jeong started to get carried away with the flow. But before she could leave, Lee Jun-hyeok raised a finger and said,
"Kim Yu-jeong, you stay."
"Ah, got it."
She nodded and stepped out into the corridor to give Lee Jun-hyeok and the clan leader time to finish their talk. Seong Ha-yeon pulled a cigarette from her pocket and said to her,
"Hang in there."
"You too, sis."
Seong Ha-yeon nodded with a somewhat complicated expression and walked down the corridor. The other guild members were heading off too. From beyond the closed door, Lee Jun-hyeok and the clan leader's voices drifted out.
"How'd you end up getting hurt, Clan Leader?"
"Oh, it wasn't a big deal. I just made a mistake. Something I never would've done back in the day. Guess I'm getting old—my body's not what it used to be."
"Clan Leader, you're only just turning sixty. Some S-Rank Hunters are still out there swinging at a hundred. How can the man who's going to become the Heavenly Demon let himself falter like this?"
The Black Dragon Clan leader burst into laughter.
"You're right. Can't be keeling over here. Eh? I'll be back on my feet in no time. When's that movie premiere again? I've got an interview for it too."
"Ah, you mean the one you consulted on martial arts for? It'll probably drop right after the Rookie King Tournament ends. You gotta be recovered by then. Just rest easy. Who am I? Your right-hand man, Thunder Sword Lee Jun-hyeok, that's who."
"You're reliable as ever. But don't overdo it yourself, Jun-hyeok. You'll get sick. You've got a daughter, you know."
The Black Dragon Clan leader laughed even harder at that. Kim Yu-jeong clutched her head. Her legs trembled slightly. Lee Jun-hyeok spoke in a serious tone.
"Clan Leader. Do you remember back when I was D-Rank? When my kids got cancer and all hell broke loose—you covered all their surgery bills. A little illness is nothing."
"There you go with the embarrassing stories again. That was ages ago. Hasn't it been almost twenty years?"
"Feels like yesterday."
The voices fell silent. Kim Yu-jeong cautiously glanced back. The door cracked open slightly, and Lee Jun-hyeok's face appeared. He looked at her and said,
"You—starting tomorrow, keep an eye on Ichigaya Ichie."
"Pardon?"
Kim Yu-jeong tilted her head, utterly bewildered. She'd assumed he'd ask about the Omnipotent Being fragment. With a dazed expression, she replied,
"B-But I'm still short on experience. You sure that's okay?"
"Doesn't matter. Her next opponent's a strength-enhancer type, right? Name's Kim Ju-seong or something?"
"Yes."
"Then you're perfect for it. Keep tabs on Jeong Su-hyeon and the Gold Demon for now too. We're sniffing around for other fragments on our end. Speak up if anything seems off."
"Got it."
Just hearing about the Omnipotent Being fragment made Kim Yu-jeong's heart sink. Lee Jun-hyeok shut the hospital room door as if that was all. Voices resumed from inside. Since it wasn't about her, Kim Yu-jeong lingered by the door a moment before leaving the room.
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Ichie opened the training hall door and immediately spotted Kim Yu-jeong across the way, dressed in a dobok. She squinted for a second, then cocked her head and asked,
"Where's the bald uncle?"
"He's not 'bald uncle'—he's an executive. Guild business came up, so I'll be your sparring partner from today on. When's your next match?"
"Next week."
"Right. Next week. And your next opponent's Kim Ju-seong, a martial arts type like me with strength enhancement. I'm D-Rank myself, so it'll make for good practice for you—what do you think?"
Ichie suddenly remembered that Kim Yu-jeong was a rank higher than her as a Hunter. Seeing her shake her head like she'd forgotten annoyed Kim Yu-jeong for some reason. Ichie nodded and said,
"Not bad."
Kim Yu-jeong grinned at that. She'd wanted to beat the crap out of Ichie for a while now. After all, she was the villain trying to steal her adorable boyfriend. She tightened her dobok belt and clenched her fists. Kim Ju-seong hadn't registered any weapons on the bracket. Bare hands it was.
Which meant Kim Yu-jeong would have to pound Ichie with her bare hands too.
Strictly business.
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A fist whistled past Ichie's nose. She jolted back faster than she'd anticipated, eyes wide. Gripping her wooden sword tighter, she swung it at Kim Yu-jeong's head. Kim Yu-jeong simply kicked out with her opposite foot, batting the bokken away.
A bone-jarring crack echoed out, but Kim Yu-jeong ignored the wooden sword and grabbed Ichie by the collar, slamming her down to the floor. Ichie winced as she hit the wooden boards with a thud.
She bent her knees to escape, trying to shove Kim Yu-jeong off with a desperate kick. But even as she pushed with her legs, Kim Yu-jeong didn't budge from on top. She pinned Ichie's shoulder with one hand and trapped both arms with her knees.
Then the fist rose. Tightly clenched, it looked ready to smash straight into Ichie's face.
Ichie stared straight at Kim Yu-jeong's fist without turning away.
"Hoo..."
Kim Yu-jeong sighed deeply at the sight and lowered her hand. Ichie slipped out from the loosened hold and backed away to create distance. Kim Yu-jeong didn't stop her. Brushing back her hair, she said,
"See that? There might be a bit of a gap in our abilities, but someone like me can just tank your attacks and power through. Strength enhancement usually boosts the body itself too, so Kim Ju-seong will probably try to overwhelm your ability the same way."
Ichie asked,
"So how do I deal with it?"
"No real way around it. You just... have to deal more damage than their limit and knock 'em out. Dodge a lot, hit hard. Obvious stuff, but that's the only way to beat someone stronger and tougher than you. Your ability isn't great for one-on-one fights anyway."
An ability that made her sword heavier with every drop of blood it drew. And one that let her use that weight for something else. Ichie said,
"Can't use it with a bokken to begin with. Needs a real blade."
"That's a shame. Still, you... can do it, right?"
Ichie didn't quite get Kim Yu-jeong's encouragement. Pointing at herself, she said,
"If I win, I go on a date with Su-hyeon oppa. And with you too, Yu-jeong unnie. You cool cheering for me to win?"
"Eh, not bad. We can all hang out, bond as a team, yeah? Sounds fine."
Kim Yu-jeong's response was surprisingly agreeable. Her tone suggested she was picking the lesser evil between bad and worse, but she wasn't outright rejecting it. Ichie wondered why. She asked,
"What changed your mind all of a sudden?"
"T-Team spirit! Why not? I can cheer! Fair play's fair play—business is business!"
"Fair play's fair play? Business is business?"
Ichie held up four fingers, staring at Kim Yu-jeong in confusion. Kim Yu-jeong turned away and said,
"Q-Quick, back to practice! Gotta beat that Kim Ju-seong guy, right? Come at me like I'm him. Got it?"
Ichie nodded, still dazed. Kim Yu-jeong unconsciously patted her own butt to steel herself.
In the changing room a short distance away, an alert chimed on Kim Yu-jeong's phone.
A reply to the question she'd posted on the internet community Q&A board.
📰 Q&A Board ID: camellia030 Q. My boyfriend wants to try doing it from behind... Does it hurt a lot? ㅠㅠ — Anonymous Personal differences, but for me it hurt like hell the first time. Prep was tough too. Unless your boyfriend's really into it, I'd say skip it. — Anonymous Heard it hurts bad. Some people even bleed. Saw stories of folks who couldn't even use the bathroom right for days.