Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Green Powder
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When the unidentified green powder exploded.
Jeong-hyeon thought.
'I'm screwed.'
Was it because he had felt so overwhelmingly superior even against the two A-Rank hunters he was facing for the first time?
To be honest, he had let his guard down.
If he had gone all out as usual, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed Jeong-jun breaking through the pile of dirt and standing up from behind.
He had already clearly seen the green powder neutralize Ji-hee's trait.
So it wasn't unreasonable for him to think things had gone wrong.
If Jeong-hyeon himself ended up unable to use his traits due to some effect, facing both Yun-ho and Jeong-jun would be nothing but a pipe dream.
No, he wouldn't even have time to think about fighting—he'd just die.
But the next moment, a status window appeared in front of Jeong-hyeon.
[S-Rank trait activation detected.
「Trait Shop」 Paralysis Resistance.
One trait obtained from the 「Trait Shop」 is temporarily paralyzed.]
[「Physical Ability Enhancement」 (C, Lv.4) is temporarily paralyzed.]
'What?'
He was flustered, but at the same time, he grasped his situation.
'So that's why two A-Ranks came so confidently to catch an S-Rank? They had something like this?'
He didn't know the source, but they had backing from an S-Rank.
And though he didn't know exactly what the powder was, he could roughly guess its effect.
It seemed to temporarily paralyze the target's traits.
Its potency was enough to neutralize Ji-hee's S-Rank trait, making it cheat-level.
Finishing his thoughts, Jeong-hyeon brushed the green powder off his body with his hand.
An attitude both annoyed, like stepping in dog shit on the street, and leisurely.
Pat-pat.
"Ugh, what the hell is this stuff?"
The S-Rank who made this powder—or whatever they were—probably never imagined facing something as overpowered as the 「Trait Shop」 on top of cheats.
'It only paralyzes one trait, huh.'
Even if it was made by an S-Rank trait, Jeong-hyeon's 「Trait Shop」 was EX-Rank.
Jeong-hyeon complained that Ji-hee's trait was cheat-level, but his own was objectively outside the normal system framework.
So it couldn't touch the 「Trait Shop」 itself and only paralyzed one subordinate physical ability trait.
Still, the effect was beyond useful—it was excellent.
For regular hunters who almost always had just one trait, it was a death sentence.
'No, even re-awakeners might not get off as lightly as me with just one paralyzed.'
Was it because Jeong-hyeon showed such excessive composure even after taking their trump card?
Not just Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, but even Ji-hee, who had felt the powder's power firsthand, stared at him with strange eyes.
The two would never realize, even in death.
That their trump card only paralyzed one out of his seven traits.
'They might figure it out if they last longer.'
Jeong-hyeon smirked and issued a threat.
"You guys are gonna have to spill where you got this before you croak."
Of course, he had no intention of letting them talk nicely.
"You picked the wrong opponent."
With those words, Jeong-hyeon's figure vanished in an instant.
"How?!"
Yun-ho cried out in shock.
What they had thrown was the "Trait Suppressor," secretly made by a Chinese S-Rank hunter.
An absurd item that temporarily paralyzed the opponent's traits upon contact with the green powder.
At first, even Yun-ho and Jeong-jun had been skeptical.
No matter that it was made by an S-Rank hunter, how could it paralyze a hunter's trait?
But the moment the two touched the Trait Suppressor themselves, they fell into terror.
Because they truly couldn't use their own traits.
Ji-hee, who had been radiating fearsome energy, hadn't her magic dispelled by one hit of the suppressor?
Even if Jeong-hyeon was a monster far beyond predictions, he was still a hunter fighting with the system's power.
So until they hit him with the Trait Suppressor, they were certain it was their victory.
They even dreamed of exceeding expectations by capturing two S-Ranks alive.
But what was this situation unfolding before their eyes?
No, if it was just before their eyes, they'd be lucky.
Jeong-jun and Yun-ho had to experience it directly with their bodies.
Swish.
"Argh!"
In their daze, Jeong-jun screamed.
Jeong-hyeon, who had severed Jeong-jun's leg tendons, glanced briefly at the dagger in his hand.
'Tch, it's a hassle even if I'm lucky.'
Even with six traits still active, Jeong-hyeon was definitely weakened.
With his physical ability trait paralyzed, the synergy reduction created a significant sense of loss.
Just not being able to use Thought Acceleration sealed over 30% of his combat power.
In other words, if Yun-ho and Jeong-jun hadn't given up and fought properly, they could have held their own against him.
But as the saying goes, momentum decides a fight.
Having confirmed their ironclad Trait Suppressor didn't work on Jeong-hyeon, Jeong-jun and Yun-ho were completely terrified.
Like rabbits cornered by a wild beast.
Swish.
"S-spare······ spare me!"
To the two already incapable of rational thought, Jeong-hyeon appeared like a ghost popping up here and there.
Planning to interrogate them while keeping them alive, Jeong-hyeon sliced their limbs' tendons with his dagger, eliciting screams each time.
'This can't be······ it can't be!'
Yun-ho blankly watched his comrade collapse pathetically on the ground.
In that state, the fight was already over.
"Huu······."
After laying Jeong-jun down, Jeong-hyeon turned to the dazed Yun-ho.
Even left alone, he didn't seem likely to resist or flee.
But Jeong-hyeon decided to sever his tendons too.
'You mess with me, you pay the price.'
Dare to use cowardly drugs instead of fighting fair and square with skill?
A few seconds later, Yun-ho lay sprawled beside Jeong-jun.
"Ji-hee, you okay?"
"Y-Yes? Ah······ yes."
After completely ending the fight, Jeong-hyeon helped Ji-hee, still sitting on the ground, to her feet.
He had watched most of it, so he knew she wasn't injured.
"Your traits?"
"They haven't come back yet······ not sure."
She still couldn't use them.
Whether the paralysis hadn't ended or the sudden release of tension had loosened her entirely, he couldn't tell.
'She seems a bit more talkative, oddly.'
The thought crossed his mind, and Jeong-hyeon tilted his head.
They hadn't known each other long, but this wasn't like the usually reticent Ji-hee.
Plus, though he hated to think it in this situation, her deathly pale face seemed somehow more natural.
'Eh, I'm no doctor. How would I know?'
But given the unusual circumstances, Jeong-hyeon decided not to dwell on it.
It was her first near-death brush with a villain, and the powder might have some other odd effect.
Based on his own notification, it didn't seem serious.
Common sense dictated they wouldn't use a poison causing permanent damage or severe side effects on an S-Rank hunter worth handling with care.
'And asking directly would be most accurate.'
"By any chance, do you handle gore well?"
"Huh? Why gore?"
Ji-hee tilted her head at Jeong-hyeon's somewhat out-of-left-field question.
Why ask if she handles gore all of a sudden?
It was pure curiosity, but Jeong-hyeon misinterpreted and gave an awkward smile.
"If not, better look away for a bit. Don't go too far, it's dangerous."
With that, he grabbed her shoulders and turned her body around.
"!"
Ji-hee flinched in surprise at the sudden action.
But Jeong-hyeon let go and stepped away.
Only then did Ji-hee roughly understand what he intended.
What else could it be?
He was going to interrogate Jeong-jun and Yun-ho.
She had grown up sheltered by the Association.
In simple terms, a flower in a greenhouse.
So she hadn't grasped it immediately.
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon flashed a sinister smile at Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, who looked up at him with terrified eyes.
Usik and Seung-in were still unconscious.
"I should thank you for knocking out the other two."
Considering the outrageous things Jeong-hyeon planned to do next, it would shatter their minds regardless of identity.
He intended to leisurely use all his traits to make them talk.
The two thought they couldn't feel more fear now.
But seeing Jeong-hyeon's face, Jeong-jun and Yun-ho realized there were infinite levels left.
And shortly after.
"M, make it······ stop······."
"Ugh, tough nuts. Finally gonna talk?"
Jeong-hyeon, drenched in sweat, and the two who looked unexpectedly(?) fine.
He claimed great effort to get their cooperation, but the truth differed.
Terrified before he even acted, they begged to spill everything.
Jeong-hyeon just hadn't heard—or pretended not to.
It didn't matter which.
Grinning refreshingly, Jeong-hyeon called Ji-hee.
"You can turn around now, Ji-hee."
She promptly turned and approached him.
She had been scared yet curious about the sounds behind her.
No tearing screams or unidentified squelches as imagined.
Just occasional strange groans like 'gulk-gulk' or 'k-heuk.'
Now back to all-ages viewing, Jeong-hyeon plopped down and started questioning.
"Alright, spill. Who sent you?"
"W-we······ Daebok Guild."
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun's lips moved in unison at his question.
Pain-slurred, but key keywords were enough.
As expected, foreign ties.
'Well, no guild would crazily mess with an S-Rank on their own.'
Jeong-hyeon nodded, having half-expected it.
Just which country mattered.
"What was that you threw?"
"Tr, Trait Suppressor······ paralyzes traits······."
"I know that much!"
"W-we······ just received······."
"Any side effects?"
Judging by skill or mental state, they weren't key Daebok Guild members.
Likely disposable hunting dogs.
'Heard China has tons of A-Ranks, but using them as dogs?'
Population is power, indeed.
The two, still prone, shook their heads at each other.
"N-no······ safe."
"You felt it yourselves?"
They nodded at Jeong-hyeon's question.
That sufficed.
"No side effects, she says. Still, get a checkup back at the Association."
"Yes."
Ji-hee nodded with a faint smile.
The stark difference in how he treated them versus her made her smile unwittingly.
But it startled Jeong-hyeon inwardly.
'She's smiling?!"
Not that it was unpleasant.
Just hard to imagine Ji-hee smiling.
Jeong-hyeon barked at the two again.
"Speak straight! No side effects?"
"N-none!"
Bewildered, they desperately denied.
And truly, none.
Just 30 minutes of trait paralysis.
'Tch, something feels off······."
Suspicious, but nothing more to squeeze from them, so Jeong-hyeon could only click his tongue.
And at that moment.
Whoosh-
Spirits suddenly appeared surrounding Jeong-hyeon and Ji-hee.
'What?'
He had relaxed, knowing spirits avoided combat zones briefly.
Fortunately, just two low Wind Spirits and one mid Fire Spirit.
Manageable for Jeong-hyeon now.
All witnesses were unconscious or incapacitated.
But with Thought Acceleration sealed, his reactions slowed.
"Ji-hee-"
Spirits wouldn't target downed people first.
So prioritizing protection for trait-less Ji-hee, he reached for her.
Ji-hee widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden spirits.
However,
Roooarrrrr-
"?"
'Shit.'
For some reason, trait-paralyzed Ji-hee was manipulating mana.