Chapter 113
Chapter 113
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: The Villains Reveal Themselves
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jeong-hyeon's grave expression made the rest of the party look uneasy as well.
They might think it was just a dagger, nothing major, but losing a limited-supply dagger in the middle of a hunt was a big deal.
"The dagger?"
"Yeah. I think I lost it back at the hunting spot. I always make sure to check, so I have no idea how this happened."
"Let's all go back and look together."
"Oh, would you—"
Usik's suggestion.
Jeong-hyeon brightened for a moment at his words, then shook his head.
"No, I'll go grab it real quick."
"But it's dangerous..."
"Still, it's my mistake. I can't drag the whole party along. We've already cleared the path, so no spirits will show up."
*Get the hint and back off already.*
Usik, Seung-yeon, and Ji-hee all looked uneasy, but Jeong-hyeon firmly refused.
This was all an act to draw out the true colors of Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, who were hiding their identities.
Villains always revealed themselves at the slightest opening.
*Plus, those guys are probably holding back because of me.*
If they were really targeting Ji-hee and infiltrating the party, they'd be suspicious of him.
They'd never believe someone would send an S-Rank hunter like Ji-hee into an open party alone.
They were likely waiting to figure out if he was hiding his strength like them or just an Association employee.
*Acting this well and they still don't bite. They're sharp.*
Deliberately dropping the dagger was his final test for them.
If they weren't villains, they'd speak up now.
But even in this situation, they just hung back silently, not saying a word.
*Fine, do whatever you want.*
One thing that bothered him was not being able to tip off Ji-hee.
He couldn't risk suspicious behavior while hanging around these villain-lookalikes.
As long as he kept them from touching Ji-hee, it'd be fine.
Their primary goal was probably to recruit her anyway.
Even if they showed their true colors, they wouldn't resort to physical force right away.
"Then I'll be off."
"Be careful."
"If spirits chase me back, it'd be great if you guys prepped a bit."
The party burst into laughter at Jeong-hyeon's joking tone.
They'd hunted with him a few times already and knew.
Even as a D-Rank, he wasn't someone spirits could take lightly.
Since the plan was set, better to wrap it up fast.
Jeong-hyeon immediately sprinted toward where he'd dropped the knife.
Since Yun-ho and Jeong-jun were estimated at least B-Rank, he needed enough distance to avoid suspicion.
The spot where he'd dropped the knife wasn't far from the party anyway.
For him at C-Rank Level 3 full speed, it was practically next door.
Meanwhile, after Jeong-hyeon left.
Seung-yeon smiled and said,
"Our party leader makes mistakes like that too. He's more human than I thought."
"Right? Has he done that before, A-young?"
Usik chimed in, asking Ji-hee.
Of course, she wouldn't know.
This was her first hunt with Jeong-hyeon.
*How does he act so perfectly?*
Her timid nature kept it from showing, but each of Jeong-hyeon's actions shocked her.
Even as partners, how could he pull off such natural sibling acting with a woman he'd just met?
And knowing he was S-Rank, she still sometimes mistook him for a genuine D-Rank in combat—his skill suppression was flawless.
Lost in thought about Jeong-hyeon since entering the gate, Ji-hee's face flushed without her realizing.
"Huh? What's up, A-young?"
"Her brother's getting praised in front of her. It's embarrassing."
"What... My brother and I fight and curse all the time."
Usik was flustered by Ji-hee's unexpected reaction, and Seung-yeon teased him for it.
"Argh. You two clearly aren't like that. Otherwise, why would the party leader keep hunting with A-young— ahem."
Seung-yeon realized her slip-up mid-rant and coughed awkwardly to cut herself off.
Honestly, at first, she'd thought the D-Rank brother was holding back the B-Rank sister.
But after hunting together, her mind changed.
Though unspoken, the B-Rank mage could hunt this long thanks to her brother.
And how meticulously he cared for his sister during hunts—even Seung-yeon, who didn't know the full story, found herself warming to Jeong-hyeon.
But that was a thought to keep inside, not say in front of Ji-hee.
Usik shot Seung-yeon a sharp look for the blunder and changed the subject.
"You two are awfully quiet."
"......"
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun exchanged glances, surprised the topic turned to them.
Seung-yeon watched them, sensing something off.
*Do they know each other from before? I've never heard about that.*
"By any chance—"
She started to ask.
Before she could finish, she slumped over unconscious.
"What the—!"
Thwack—
Jeong-jun had swung his spear shaft out of nowhere, knocking Seung-yeon out.
Usik backpedaled in shock, raising his voice, but Yun-ho was already behind him.
Yun-ho lightly smashed his massive fist into Usik's nape, knocking him out cold.
Ji-hee froze, mouth agape, unable to scream as she backed away.
"Whew... Relax. We have no intention of harming you, Ji-hee."
"......!"
Ji-hee went from shocked to horrified at Jeong-jun's words.
How?
*How do they know my name?*
Calm thinking would reveal they were hunters infiltrating to target the S-Rank her, but panic left no room for that.
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, having started this, couldn't stay as composed as before.
"The party leader's from the Association, right? We'll explain outside the gate. Come with us for now."
He looked unremarkable, but another witness to the incident wasn't ideal.
The Daebok Guild's orders were to kill everyone in the party.
They'd only knocked them out due to a sliver of conscience—no need to go that far.
They could handle the party leader on return, but they wanted to wrap this quietly.
Jeong-jun, impatient, reached for Ji-hee's wrist, but she flinched back, foiling him.
"Damn..."
Jeong-jun muttered, frowning.
"......Please don't do this."
Ji-hee shook her head, retreating step by step.
She knew it was futile.
But as someone meeting so-called villains for the first time—unfamiliar even with human malice—she couldn't think of anything else.
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun exchanged looks, nodding—they wouldn't follow easily.
"Ji-hee. Keep this up, and we'll have to kill everyone here. We can't afford to get caught. Don't make this hard. Just come quietly, okay?"
If sweet talk failed, threats it was.
For her soft personality, this should suffice.
What they overlooked: Ji-hee was in far worse panic than expected.
Threats need to register; their words weren't getting through.
*What's happening? Why are they doing this?*
No real attacks yet, but clear malice.
She could kill them if she attacked.
But attack fellow humans, not monsters?
Ji-hee had never considered it.
No, it still haunted her nightmares nightly.
Those memories.
"Man, you're dense. Ji-hee, will you listen now?"
Jeong-jun strode angrily to the fallen Usik.
He inverted his spear, poised to stab his chest center—pure threat.
Ji-hee's already pale face drained whiter.
Blood in that tiny body?
Jeong-jun menaced the unconscious man's chest; Yun-ho approached her.
Overwhelmed, Ji-hee's mind blanked like her face.
Yet one thread of will persisted.
*I have to save them. Somehow!*
She didn't know how.
Even if she tried, these two might not go down easy.
They'd taken out Usik and Seung-yeon instantly—vastly beyond their shown strength.
Like her and Jeong-hyeon, they'd hidden their power.
Could she beat them?
A half-baked hunter like her?
Doubts swirled, clawed, tore.
But the will endured.
Unyielding, it became obsession, stimulating her trait, 「Fire Dominator」.
"Don't want a hole in Usik's chest? Come with us."
Snap—
*No!*
Yun-ho grabbing her arm was the trigger.
Whoosh—
Mana swirling around Ji-hee ignited all at once.
"What the fuck!"
Unlike her usual single massive orb, countless tiny fireballs now densely filled their surroundings.
Yun-ho, caught off-guard, released her arm and leaped back.
Jeong-jun startled too, but snapped to and yelled,
"Don't freak—use that!"
Too many, too potent for mere firebolts.
A half-baked S-Rank? This changed things.
One orb was dodgeable; not this barrage.
Yun-ho swiftly pocketed and withdrew his hand.
A golf-ball-sized orb in his palm.
"Throw it!"
Ignoring Jeong-jun's urgency, Yun-ho hurled it at Ji-hee.
It struck, bursting in green powder.
"Ugh...!"
Ji-hee reflexively covered nose and mouth with her arm.
"Got it!"
"It actually works?"
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun grinned in relief.
Ji-hee soon understood why.
The myriad fireballs, ready to raze like hellfire, had vanished entirely.
"How......"
Ji-hee collapsed, dazed, legs giving out.
She'd overexerted unconsciously as always in magic, but despair overwhelmed.
Her trait, 「Fire Dominator」, once cursed.
Always overkill against her will, yet never betrayed her.
In her final moments, it always answered her call.
She resented herself more than the trait, knowing it bone-deep.
But this time was different.
Dispelled magic.
The inner blaze, always burning hot, gone.
*Lost my trait?*
She'd wished never to awaken, but not like this.
Powerlessness and despair crashed over her.
"See? Should've listened earlier. What a hassle, tsk."
"Hurry and grab her. Let's go before the party leader returns."
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun sighed in relief at the vanished magic.
And that instant, the voice they'd blacked out—craved unconsciously—rang out.
"What the hell did you just do?"