Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Suppressant Demonstration
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 117
It seemed the Hunter Association was pretty on edge about this hunt.
After they stepped outside, Ji-hee pressed the button, and Jeong-hyeon formally reported it to the association. Less than five minutes later, the response team arrived.
Even accounting for the Spirit Gate being not too far from the association, it was an impressively fast response.
Especially for Jeong-hyeon, who knew the person leading the charge personally.
"I'm Cha Ye-rin, Chief of Investigation Division 3. Who's the reporter?"
Cha Ye-rin herself was a fairly famous hunter, and even if someone didn't know her, the title of Investigation Division 3 Chief wasn't something to take lightly.
"Uh, why are you so fast?"
Usik and Seung-yeon, already flustered by the quick dispatch, grew even more suspicious upon learning the leader was an A-Rank. They half-worried this might be another villain trick.
Having been burned by villains once, they couldn't easily trust an ID card or hunter license.
Only after frantically searching online did they nod, convinced these were real association members.
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon was baffled for a different reason.
'It's been a few months since I last saw her, and she looks even more sly now.'
She must have been waiting nearby and rushed over, yet her expression didn't change as she casually asked for the initial reporter.
Of course, Jeong-hyeon had to play along with the act right now.
"I'm the initial reporter."
"Are those two the villains?"
"Yes."
Ye-rin nodded toward Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, collapsed and battered, and Jeong-hyeon confirmed it.
The response team behind her immediately moved to restrain them.
"Reporter, would you come with us briefly to give a statement on the incident?"
"Uh, what about us?"
Usik's question.
Ye-rin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
No one but Jeong-hyeon would notice.
Even if it didn't show outwardly, sensing her irritation, Jeong-hyeon stepped in.
"I'll handle the full statement. You two head back and rest up first."
Seung-yeon and Usik had passed out early in the incident anyway, so they had nothing to add.
Still, they asked out of concern that statements might be required, but Ye-rin, who grasped the full situation, was understandably in a hurry.
"Exactly. After what those villains put you through, we can't ask everyone for statements right away. We'll request cooperation later if further investigation is needed."
Ye-rin smoothly wrapped it up.
She then directed a subordinate to transport the other party members by vehicle.
Naturally, in the process, Ji-hee excused herself to ride in a separate car from the two, staying behind discreetly.
"Let's head to the command vehicle quickly."
"Yes."
Once Usik and Seung-yeon's eyes were gone, Ye-rin hurriedly led Jeong-hyeon to the command vehicle.
She'd acted calm, but it was an emergency.
With S-Ranks attacked by villains, anything could happen anywhere at any time.
Knowing her mindset, Jeong-hyeon cut straight to the point.
"Chinese guild."
"Daibok?"
"Yes. That's what I found out."
"Hunting dogs..."
Ye-rin ground her teeth.
If Daibok Guild members had infiltrated the party, the association would have screened them out.
That meant they weren't officially registered guild members—hunters secretly nurtured for this very purpose.
Jeong-hyeon understood her anger, but now was the time to share info fast.
"There might be collaborators still around."
"The two S-Rank hunters on standby are combing the area. We'll hear back soon."
As if on cue, the team member handling comms in the command vehicle announced.
"Chief. Word from Flying Squirrel. Area sweep complete, eight suspicious individuals subdued."
"You're sure that's all?"
"Owl is expanding the radius for another sweep."
Ye-rin sighed.
She'd asked out of caution, but with S-Ranks on the op saying so, the area was cleared.
Jeong-hyeon, who'd been listening, asked him.
"What ranks are the captures?"
"Well..."
The team member hesitated, glancing at Ye-rin.
She nodded permission to share.
"Two A-Ranks, levels 6 and 5. The rest are all B-Rank level 5 or higher."
"You mad bastards!"
Bam—
Ye-rin couldn't hold back her fury at the report and slammed her fist on the desk.
It looked like a small fist, but the impact was anything but.
The boom made the team member—and even Jeong-hyeon—flinch.
Who would have imagined they'd mobilize that kind of force to sway another nation's S-Ranks?
It was tantamount to a challenge to Korea's sovereignty, so her rage was inevitable.
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon marveled at the desk, only slightly dented from the blow.
The ones they'd encountered inside the gate had seemed A-Rank anyway.
He'd expected hunters of that caliber inside, so weaker ones outside didn't make sense. It was predictable.
'Wow, what is this desk made of?'
This one had withstood an attack from an A-Rank level 6 martial arts hunter.
Not shattering to pieces was impressive.
A new alert appeared before Jeong-hyeon.
[Temporary paralysis is lifted.
Trait and synergy effects restricted by paralysis are restored.]
'Oh.'
Just as he'd wondered when it'd wear off.
'Duration was about... 40 minutes?'
Whatever S-Rank trait did it, the staying power was impressive.
'Oh yeah, I should mention this too.'
From what he'd heard, external threats were gone.
All that was left for him or Ye-rin was venting frustration.
Holding Daibok Guild and China accountable was for the association and government.
Though they probably wouldn't get solid results.
"I—"
Screech—
As Jeong-hyeon started on the trait suppressants, the command vehicle door opened, and Ji-hee entered.
"Ah, good work. Hunter Choi Ji-hee."
"......"
Her hood seemed pulled even lower than usual.
Ye-rin greeted first, but Ji-hee stayed silent.
Jeong-hyeon knew instantly.
'Her paralysis is gone too, huh?'
It was obvious at a glance.
She hadn't been that lively even before paralysis, but compared to her usual self, she'd been practically an entertainer.
It was perfect timing to show Ye-rin the suppressants' nature and effects on Ji-hee.
Jeong-hyeon pulled out the golf-ball-sized trait suppressants from his pocket and lined them on the desk.
Eight recovered from Jeong-jun and Yun-ho.
Not a huge amount, but enough for experiments if used sparingly.
"What are these?"
Naturally, Ye-rin, unaware of what they were, looked puzzled at Jeong-hyeon.
Ji-hee, spotting them, froze briefly before scurrying right up to his side.
"Trait suppressants. The villains had them."
"Trait suppressants...?"
Ye-rin tilted her head even after hearing it.
It made sense.
Suppressing traits with poison? Who'd imagine that?
"Literally. Contact with the green powder inside paralyzes a hunter's traits. About 40 minutes, it seems."
"That's ridiculous! No way!"
Instead of explaining further to skeptical Ye-rin, Jeong-hyeon nodded at Ji-hee.
Shrunk back timidly again, she flinched at his gaze but nodded, confirming his words.
"Good lord..."
Confirmation from two S-Ranks, no less.
Her conviction suggested she'd been hit during the villain takedown.
'Then how'd she beat two?'
A question flashed through Ye-rin's mind.
But Jeong-hyeon didn't give her time to ponder.
"And my guess is, using it on Ji-hee here causes a slightly different side effect... or effect?"
"What do you mean, different effect?"
Ye-rin's head was spinning.
She'd handled all sorts of villains in investigations, thought herself seasoned despite her youth.
But today kept throwing curveballs.
The story on Ji-hee and the suppressants would have to wait, though.
"Chief. Owl reports. Area clear. End the op?"
"...End op and return. Contact the Director—tell him to raid Daibok Guild now. Can't let them slip away."
"Got it!"
The comms team member's hands busied.
Only then did Ye-rin relax a bit, sighing.
"Let's head to the association and talk details. You two okay with that?"
"Of course."
"......"
A bit tired, but the suppressants and Ji-hee mattered to Jeong-hyeon too.
It might be a key to overcoming her weakness, even short-term.
Ji-hee hesitated briefly before nodding.
***
The usually calm association halls were in chaos.
'Well, it'd be weirder if they weren't after this.'
As Jeong-hyeon's group arrived, a pale-faced Nam-sik found them.
"Everyone okay?"
"We're fine."
"I heard the gist. Those Daibok Guild lunatics... What's this about trait suppressants?"
Jeong-hyeon didn't want to repeat from the start for Nam-sik, so he cut to it.
"Better if you see for yourselves."
Thus, Jeong-hyeon, Ji-hee, Nam-sik, and Ye-rin headed to the underground observation room.
Unlike the measurement room—open to the public for personal checks—this was for internal S-Rank analysis.
In short, for secret verifications.
Normally, Ye-rin wouldn't observe S-Rank analysis, but operations approved it as an exception now.
With suppressants' high crime potential, and top investigation brass dispatched, Chief Cha Ye-rin was the rep.
"First, trait suppressants do exactly as named: suppress the target's traits for a period. Used like this. Ji-hee, one moment."
With Ji-hee's okay, she activated her trait.
It looked much like Nam-sik remembered: huge, violent flames hard to utilize, unstable control.
Seizing the moment, Jeong-hyeon tossed a suppressant at her.
Poof—
"What?"
Green powder burst, flames vanishing.
Nam-sik and Ye-rin alike jolted at the sight.
They'd heard, but seeing an S-Rank's trait—Ji-hee's—truly dispelled shocked them.
"This is... temporary?"
Ye-rin's stammering question.
Jeong-hyeon nodded.
Ji-hee said she got no alert like him.
So he knew the most about them now.
His EX-grade [Trait Shop] resisted, paralyzing one C-grade trait instead.
S-Ranks seemed extremely weakened for the duration, not fully paralyzed long.
"About 30 to 40 minutes. Not sure if it varies by rank."
Ye-rin and Nam-sik nodded reluctantly.
With Ji-hee's magic dispelled before their eyes, they had to believe.
"Ji-hee, try a spell?"
At Jeong-hyeon's prompt, she squeezed her eyes shut, straining, but soon shook her head.
"She can't use traits right now either."
"Then what's this special effect mean?"
"You'll have to wait a bit."
Jeong-hyeon grinned.
How long from Ji-hee neutralized to him fully subduing Jeong-jun and Yun-ho?
Five minutes?
Ten at most, generously—they'd see soon.
'This has to net me a house from the association just to break even, right?'
What he'd uncovered and brought back.