A Five-Year-Old's Proposal
Roaaar!
At that moment, the Great Demons flapped their wings and lunged, as if they had no intention of listening to any more chatter.
Whoosh!
"They're fast!"
Even Akemi, who possessed not only teleportation but also nano-machine-enhanced reflexes, was taken aback by their sheer speed.
Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Strike
In that instant, Yunjae moved as fluidly as running water, striking a Great Demon's head with his right hand.
Crack!
With a single blow, the Great Demon's head was completely obliterated. Immediately following, crunch! With a twist of his elbow, he shattered the flame-engulfed jaw of another Great Demon right beside him.
Flash!
Yunjae thrust out his left palm.
Boom!
A brilliant blue flash erupted from his left hand, literally vaporizing dozens of Great Demons in its path.
"Amazing! Today is different from before!"
Akemi exclaimed. Both Kadmus and Halles had been defeated with a rather anticlimactic three-step combo of Taunt, Nova Field, and Shining Strike. But today, Yunjae seemed to be taking a completely different approach.
"I can't use Nova Field here," Yunjae explained. "So I have to minimize the area of effect as much as possible."
Unlike the sea and the mountains where he had defeated Kadmus and Halles, using a massive wide-range spell here in the middle of the city would cause catastrophic collateral damage!
"Please look after Eriel, Akemi-ssi."
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
At that moment—
Roaaar!
Crunch!
Without even looking back, Yunjae swung his right arm, obliterating the head of a charging Great Demon.
Crack!
Maintaining his momentum, he spun his body and delivered a high kick, shattering the skull of another Great Demon.
Boom!
Then, Yunjae stomped his foot onto the ground with earth-shattering force!
"Whoa!"
The shockwave from his stomp shook the very foundations of the area, causing Akemi and the nearby office staff who had evacuated to stumble.
"I will end this as quickly as possible," Yunjae said, currently utilizing his first mastered subclass, Monk.
Taunt
Flash!
A crimson light rippled outward across a vast area.
Roaaar!
Instantly, the Great Demons went into a frenzy and lunged toward him. Even the other monsters that had emerged from the portal and were attacking civilians suddenly changed their targets, charging madly toward the park.
"M-My god!"
The hunters of the Blast Guild, who had rushed to the entrance with their weapons to defend the building, stared in utter disbelief.
"Oh, heavens..."
The office staff inside, clutching their firearms, were equally horrified.
"Th-They're so grotesque!"
A hideous tide of monsters was swarming toward the park!
"Is Yunjae-ssi really over there right now?!"
Miju whimpered. She had seen the flashes of light obliterating the Great Demons earlier, but she couldn't wrap her head around the idea that the gentle, polite Yunjae was the one behind it.
"Don't worry," Mari said.
Having already witnessed him wipe out the armies of Kadmus and Halles with the terrifying Nova Field, Mari had absolutely no reason to worry about his safety.
"I'm just worried the collateral damage will be worse if he lets loose in the middle of the city."
That was her only concern!
And then...
Torrential Rock-Crushing Strike
Perhaps sensing Mari's concern, Yunjae chose a targeted strategy to eliminate the monsters individually rather than unleashing Nova Field. His body began to move, radiating a fierce blue light.
Crunch! Splat!
The moment his fists, infused with blue energy, struck, dozens of monsters—including the Great Demons—were crushed by the overwhelming force, turning into heaps of blood and gore.
Boom!
As he took his second heavy step, a geyser of blue energy erupted from beneath the earth, sweeping away dozens more monsters.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
He didn't stop there. With blinding speed, Yunjae unleashed a barrage of punches, the blue energy expanding outward with every strike.
Crash!
Before anyone knew it, the blue energy had engulfed the entire park, crushing the monsters to death before they could even scream.
"Whoa..."
Akemi stared, completely breathless, her mouth hanging open at the spectacular display of blue energy unfolding right before her eyes.
Water Dragon
Yunjae murmured, clasping his hands together.
Roaaar!
Instantly, the swirling blue energy coalesced into a ferocious water dragon, sweeping away everything caught in its path.
Crash!
The water dragon, focusing its destructive force on the area where the taunted monsters had gathered, soared into the sky.
Flash!
With a final, brilliant burst of light, the monsters vanished as if by magic.
Not even the hundreds of powerful Great Demons could withstand the blow; they were utterly annihilated.
Though the park was left in ruins, it was an incredibly minor price to pay considering thousands of monsters had invaded the heart of the city.
"Does that... even make sense?"
Everyone watching from inside the Blast Guild headquarters was dumbfounded. The guild's espers, who had prepared to fight because of the direct threat despite no bounty being offered, and the office staff alike were frozen in shock.
"...So he can do things like that too," Mari murmured.
Even she, who knew him best, was stunned. She had always known Yunjae was absurdly strong, but what he had just displayed was by far the most spectacular and overwhelming battle she had ever witnessed.
"Yunjae!"
Feeling a surge of pride that the man everyone had looked down upon had finally shown his true colors, Mari smiled brightly and ran toward him.
"Is that really Yunjae-ssi?"
The remaining members of the Support Part were still reeling from the shock. To think that the pretty boy who always spoke so softly and worked so diligently on whatever task he was given was actually such a terrifyingly powerful esper!
"I-Is that a different person?"
It was downright baffling. Yet, the username floating above his head left no room for doubt: Slender Forearms.
"...So that's the kind of person he was."
Yeonhui, who had received a direct warning from Taejun just yesterday, finally understood exactly what the guild leader had meant. She had heard that Yunjae had subdued Gyojin, but this was on a completely different dimension.
"He is not someone we can treat lightly."
Having met countless espers while working in the Support Part, Yeonhui felt it was no exaggeration to call Yunjae a god.
"Yunjae-ssi..."
Suyeon was no different. Witnessing his true power for the first time, she was completely spellbound.
"Absolutely terrifying," Taejun muttered, lost for words at a display of power that far exceeded his wildest imaginations.
Yunjae had definitely gone easy on Gyojin. What human on Earth could possibly survive a hit like that? This display only solidified his resolve: he had to recruit this man at all costs.
"At least you're safe, Eriel."
At the end of the day, Taejun was still a father. He had nearly had a heart attack when he heard Eriel had gone to the park and had immediately dispatched Akemi, but Yunjae had already stepped in.
"She definitely needs a guardian."
Though he couldn't raise her properly himself, he let out a sigh of relief that his only daughter was safe.
If those watching from afar were this shocked, how must Akemi and Eriel feel, having witnessed it from right beside him?
"You can give me my jacket now, Akemi-ssi!"
"Ah, y-yes! Here!"
Already fond of Yunjae, Akemi seemed to have fallen for him all over again. Blushing furiously, she handed him his jacket.
"Mister!"
Eriel, who had been staring blankly in awe, suddenly snapped out of it and threw herself into Yunjae's arms, her face flushed with excitement.
"Ah! You're wrinkling the jacket, Eriel!"
Yunjae looked flustered as Eriel suddenly leaped from Akemi's arms to cling to him while he was in the middle of putting his jacket on.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Still, he prioritized making sure she was alright after such a frightening experience. When Yunjae asked with a worried expression, Eriel nodded vigorously, her face flushed as she snuggled deeper into his chest.
"Yeah! Mister saved me!"
Looking at her flushed face and sparkling eyes, she was completely different from yesterday.
"You must have been so scared. I'm sorry I was late. But as a salaried office worker, I have to strictly adhere to my working hours so I don't get fired, and..."
"It's okay!"
Eriel interrupted. It seemed she now liked Yunjae even more than her favorite teddy bear.
"Mister, I'm going to marry you!"
True to her nature as a child obsessed with makjang K-dramas, Eriel made a direct, aggressive proposal!
"Ah!"
"Eee?!"
Both Yunjae and Akemi's eyes widened.
"No! You can't do that!"
"Why not?!"
At the protest of the five-year-old who had just met her first love, Yunjae replied with a panicked face, "I don't have much time left to live, so I can't!"
"What do you mean you don't have much time left?!"
Mari, who had just run out of the building, gasped for breath as she yelled. Yunjae jumped in surprise.
"Ah! I'm seventy-seven years old right now! By the time Eriel becomes an adult, I'll be around ninety!"
"Then let's get married now! We can just do that!"
Eriel immediately countered.
"Ah! But Eriel, you're too young! You can't do that! You're only five years old!"
"I don't care! I'm going to marry you, Mister! I'm going to!"
Yunjae's eyes widened in sheer panic.
"I've uncovered a secret of the future!" Yunjae exclaimed. "Eriel is actually a femme fatale! If she's this relentless, even at fifteen... then dating with the premise of marriage at twenty might actually be possible!"
Because of his inability to refuse others, Yunjae felt that if she kept pushing like this, he might actually end up forced into marriage! Watching this absolute embodiment of introverted anxiety panic in genuine crisis, Mari burst into laughter.
"Femme fatale, my foot! You just don't know how to say no!"
"Ah! But if Eriel grows up to be a beautiful girl without losing her looks and keeps doing this, it might actually happen!"
Hearing such an unfiltered remark from someone who was supposed to be the epitome of shyness, Akemi, true to her nature as a teleporter, instantly cut in.
"In that case, I'm making my move first! I'm nineteen, so I'm old enough to get married! Marry me instead!"
"Ah! Even you, Akemi-ssi?!"
"No! Mister is mine!" Eriel squealed.
"You're still too young!" Akemi countered.
"You're young too, unnie! You're not a real adult like that ahjumma over there!"
The five-year-old shouted, pointing directly at Akemi's chest. Hit right where it hurt, Akemi flinched. Her face instantly fell into a look of deep depression.
"...That's mean. How could you say something so cruel?"
"D-Don't let something like that get to you, you dummy!"
Mari, the point of comparison, flusteredly tried to comfort her, but the effect was minimal.
"Mari, you don't understand! You'll never understand!" Akemi whimpered.
Pfft!
To think they had just coolly wiped out a horde of monsters only to devolve into this parade of fools!
"Seriously, you idiots..."
Mari covered her face with her hands, unable to hold back her laughter.
"Anyway, you did a really great job."
Suppressing her laughter, Mari looked at Yunjae with pride. He gave a bashful smile and replied,
"More importantly, I finally picked out a dressing table, Mari-ssi!"
"You were thinking about that just now?!"
"Ah! I just thought that was much more important!"
While Mari smiled at his unwavering consistency, a girl watching from afar seemed to be in deep shock. She had just witnessed hundreds of Great Demons and thousands of monsters get utterly annihilated without even landing a single proper attack.
Biting her lip hard, her icy-blue eyes locked onto the figure of Slender Forearms.
"That bastard...! How does he have the power of Goddess Lupinus?!"
9. YOU AND I (1)
The sudden random portal in the heart of Seoul was nothing short of pure shock and terror. Although there was no major damage, the mere fact that countless monsters had poured out of a portal that suddenly opened in the sky above the Han River was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the public.
Even though the Great Demons that emerged from the river hadn't managed to do much of anything thanks to Yunjae, it was only natural for citizens to feel anxious given their terrifying appearance.
But!
"It seems we won't be able to sweep this under the rug quietly."
They say heroes emerge in times of crisis. Although the only person Yunjae had actually saved was Eriel, the footage of him using Taunt to herd the monsters into the park near the Blast Guild and wiping them out with Water Dragon had somehow spread like wildfire across social media.
If people were willing to risk their lives going to portal zones just to film espers and hunters for social media likes, those who had witnessed the spectacle in the middle of the city were on a whole different level.
"Ah, no way..."
While it was true that a Great Demon was weaker than an avatar of Kadmus or Halles, each individual possessed power close to that level. Since there were hundreds of them, even if the entire Blast Guild had mobilized, they wouldn't have been able to stop them. Thus, Yunjae's intervention had been absolutely necessary.
"I hear the first floor is already packed with reporters."
The public's attention had officially turned to him.
"Ah! The Marketing Department's workload is going to explode because of me!"
Of course, the man himself seemed to have no interest in his own fame. Taejun burst into laughter as Yunjae cried out in worry for the Marketing Department, which was already buried in work and would now face an absolute avalanche of tasks.
"Everyone almost died, so I'd say that's a small price to pay. But I am worried that the media will harrass you quite a bit from now on, Yunjae-ssi."
"Please don't worry about that. It'll blow over soon anyway. That's just how people are."
Yunjae accepted the media frenzy with surprising composure.
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