The Price of Disruption
The moment Joo Jowoon slammed the MNL Guild member into the wall, a violent brawl erupted. Fortunately, there seemed to be a limit to their madness; they refrained from drawing weapons, sticking to a brutal exchange of fists.
"Everyone, stop."
A man’s voice echoed through the hall. It wasn't particularly loud, but the chilling tone was so piercing that the hunters from the Hunter Management Department and the MNL Guild had no choice but to turn their gazes toward the source. Standing there was a man in a tracksuit. His eyes were fixed precisely on one side: the MNL Guild, currently locked in a standoff with the Hunter Management Department. Yoon Hoo met Cheon Yooshin’s gaze.
"What the hell is this guy? Didn't you hear me tell you to get out? Where did you get that shitty attitude? Get rid of that bastard right now."
Yoon Hoo dismissed the man in the tracksuit as nothing more than a pathetic, unemployed bum.
"Team Leader! Give me a chance!"
The person who rushed forward looked quite young—late teens, or early twenties at most. He was Kim Junseok, the youngest of the youngest, having just joined the guild. He was desperate to impress his team leader, the real power of the squad.
'This is my chance! I’ll show the team leader and the others exactly who I am. Sorry about this, old man. Heh.'
With everyone’s eyes on him, Kim Junseok walked up confidently and swung at the tracksuit-clad man’s face. Or rather, he tried to swing.
'W-what?'
His fist had been blocked far too easily. By the tracksuit-clad man he’d dismissed as a common bum.
Cheon Yooshin said with a sneer, "Too slow. And..."
Crack!
With a sickening sound, Kim Junseok’s wrist snapped instantly.
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Kim Junseok screamed, trying to pull away, but Cheon Yooshin didn't let go easily.
"How is it that third-rate thugs like you never improve? Never!"
Cheon Yooshin glared at him. "So, I’ll give you a punishment, and you’d better take it like a man."
Yooshin shifted his shoulder!
BOOM!
A fist packed with immense power slammed directly into the man’s abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Kim Junseok’s eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out, and saliva sprayed from his mouth. His stomach felt like it was being shredded. But there was one final blow left.
Thwack!
Yooshin’s fist buried itself into his stomach once more. Unable to withstand the force, Kim Junseok flew through the air like a broken doll, landing with a thud in front of Yoon Hoo. Foam was bubbling from his mouth.
Yoon Hoo frowned as he looked down at Kim Junseok.
"You pathetic piece of shit, acting like a fool. Ptooey!"
After spitting on the unconscious Kim Junseok, Yoon Hoo’s gaze shifted to Cheon Yooshin.
"Kill that bastard right now!"
As soon as the order left his lips, four of the men who had been facing off against the Hunter Management Department lunged forward simultaneously.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Do they really think numbers are everything?
Thwack!
Yooshin easily dodged the incoming fist and buried his own into the opponent’s stomach.
"Gah!"
One extra flew backward and slammed into the wall. At the same time, Yooshin struck down with his fist against a sharp kick aimed at his thigh.
Thwack! Crack!
With a sickening crunch, the man’s mouth flew open. My little sister is sleeping, so you shouldn't be screaming! Yooshin drove his fist into the man’s gaping mouth. The second extra collapsed to the floor.
Yooshin spun his body, using the momentum to kick the third extra in the side.
Thwack! Crack!
With his ribs shattered, the third extra flew into a pile of tables. Seeing their comrades taken down in an instant, the last man, consumed by rage and excitement, charged at Yooshin.
Yooshin’s fist struck the man right over his heart.
Thud! "Ugh!"
The man gasped, unable to breathe properly after the blow to his chest. But Yooshin’s eyes remained chillingly cold. There wasn't a glimmer of sympathy to be found.
"You smell, so go take a rest over there."
Simultaneously, Yooshin’s fist struck his heart once more.
BOOM!
The fourth extra fell in front of Yoon Hoo without even a chance to scream.
"Y-you!"
Yoon Hoo’s face twisted in rage as he glared at Yooshin with murderous intent. His team members shouldn't have been taken down like this. If word got out that they’d been beaten by some unknown hunter, it would be a total disgrace. No, before that, he would be called before the guild master—his own brother—and beaten like a dog.
'And then I'd be kicked out. Losing everything.'
As that thought dominated his mind, Yoon Hoo drew his sword. 'I’ll just kill him. That’s the only way I survive.'
"T-that bastard?!"
The hunters from the Management Department murmured. They had wanted to fight those guys too, but they never drew weapons. It was an unspoken rule, and the MNL Guild hadn't drawn weapons either. But Yoon Hoo, having lost his mind over his team’s defeat, had pulled his blade.
As they rushed to stop him, Joo Jowoon shook his head, holding them back.
"Brothers. We must not step in here."
"What? You want us to just watch him swing a weapon? We have to help. No matter how great he is, Yoon Hoo is a C-rank."
"No. We absolutely must not move. Please."
"...Is there a reason?"
Joo Jowoon nodded heavily. The look in those eyes from earlier, and the way he’d healed those burns... We must not interfere! It was an instinctive judgment. A desperate hope that the man’s rage wouldn't turn toward them, and a realization that they needed to back away.
Meanwhile, Yoon Hoo lunged at Cheon Yooshin with his sword drawn. Even as the sharp blade aimed for him, Yooshin smiled leisurely.
'That’s the way. It’s more fun like that.'
Wind whipped around Yoon Hoo’s blade, drawing out a powerful wave of mana. The sudden surge of magical energy made the air in the room feel thick.
What? As Yoon Hoo swung his sword, he could see Yooshin’s eyes. There was no tension, no need to brace for the strike. There wasn't even the fighting spirit that anyone entering a battle should have. There was nothing in his eyes.
Yoon Hoo gritted his teeth and accelerated the speed of his sword with all his might. The blade whistled as it swung toward Yooshin’s neck, as if it had accelerated. But Yooshin dodged the sword with a slight tilt of his head.
"You were arrogant enough to act like this with such pathetic swordsmanship?"
Swish!
Yoon Hoo’s sword, having cut through empty air, moved again. Once more, Yooshin twisted his body and dodged the blade.
"What a waste of a sword."
"You bastard!"
Yoon Hoo lost his reason, stung by the tone that mocked him—or rather, sounded like a master pointing out a student’s mistake. The trajectory of his sword was chaotic, and he swung it wildly, ignoring the balance of power. But Yoon Hoo was a C-rank. Even if he was swinging in a frenzy, the power behind the blade was not to be ignored.
Yet, it was as if Yoon Hoo’s sword was deliberately avoiding Yooshin; he couldn't land a single cut on Yooshin’s body. Even then, Yooshin continued to mock him.
"You call this skill 'being a hunter'?"
"Hunters aren't much, are they?"
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Every time Yooshin mocked him, Yoon Hoo moved faster, as if he had awakened, but the result was the same. Eventually, Yoon Hoo’s breath grew ragged from the excessive movement.
"My turn now?"
Yooshin’s body sprang toward him like a coiled spring. As soon as he was in range, Yooshin’s fist drove into his stomach. He stepped on Yoon Hoo’s foot as he stumbled and drove his fist into his stomach once more.
Thwack! "Ugh!" Thwack! Thwack!
When he released his foot, Yoon Hoo collapsed to the floor. "Ugh!" Even as groans leaked from his lips, the light in Yoon Hoo’s eyes hadn't died.
"I like that look. But that kind of look might work elsewhere; it doesn't work on me."
It’s not over? Yoon Hoo’s eyes, shimmering with rage, trembled slightly.
"Then let’s start round two."
Cheon Yooshin began to kick the fallen Yoon Hoo. Yoon Hoo couldn't even defend himself properly and was beaten mercilessly. At first, he kept his mouth shut, trying to maintain a tough image as a team leader, but as time passed, the light in his eyes faded.
"W-wait!"
"Wait? What wait? We’re just getting started."
Yooshin kicked him in the groin.
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Yoon Hoo screamed in dizzying, breath-stealing agony.
"That’s the price for ruining the quality time I should have spent with my sister."
This time, he stepped directly on Yoon Hoo’s ankle.
Crack! "Gah!"
His foot twisted at an impossible angle.
"S-save me!"
Yoon Hoo begged with a face full of terror.
"Hehehe. I like that. That expression."
As Yooshin formed a smile on his lips, goosebumps rose on the skin of everyone in the hall. 'W-why is his smile so scary?' It wasn't just a feeling; it was as if a ghost encountered on a deserted mountain path had grinned at them.
Ignoring the reactions of the people around him, Yooshin grabbed Yoon Hoo by the hair. "But what do I do? I’m still not satisfied."
Yoon Hoo squeezed his eyes shut as he looked at Yooshin, who held his hair. 'T-this man is a demon.' It was already too late to regret it.
***
Team Leader Park Hae-soo, who had rushed over after receiving the call, was struck dumb upon arrival. The hunters of the MNL Guild were all lying on the floor, groaning. Even more overwhelming was the state of the unconscious Yoon Hoo. His limbs were twisted at impossible angles. It was cruel enough to make one wonder if he could ever live a normal life again, even with treatment.
But Cheon Yooshin didn't stop.
"I wonder what kind of sound this makes?"
Thwack! Crack!
His voice was innocent, but his hands were cruelly violating Yoon Hoo’s body. Every time he did, the unconscious Yoon Hoo’s body trembled. The hunters of the Management Department watched the horrific scene, frozen in place. Their faces were filled with nothing but terror.
'I have to stop him!'
Park Hae-soo didn't hesitate despite the gruesome scene and walked straight toward Cheon Yooshin.
"Hunter Cheon Yooshin."
Cheon Yooshin’s gaze shifted to Park Hae-soo.
Gasp! Park Hae-soo swallowed hard as he met Cheon Yooshin’s eyes. 'What kind of eyes...' They looked like the eyes of a ghost—no, a demon. Even though he had never seen such beings before.
But Park Hae-soo had to pull himself together. He had to resolve this situation.
"Hunter, please step back immediately."
"...Why should I?"
Even while meeting Park Hae-soo’s gaze, Cheon Yooshin’s hands didn't rest. It was as if a master craftsman was carefully creating a work of art...
"Fighting between hunters is punished more severely than ordinary crimes."
"Do you think I care about that?"
A slow smile spread across Cheon Yooshin’s face, which was splattered with Yoon Hoo’s blood.
Shudder! Seeing that smile, a chilling coldness swept through Park Hae-soo’s entire body. No, not just Park Hae-soo—every hunter watching Cheon Yooshin felt it. The curve that slowly rose at the corners of Cheon Yooshin’s mouth made him look like a devil.
Gulp. Park Hae-soo clenched his fists at the sight of that inhuman figure.
"You have to think about your mother! And your sister, who is unconscious over there! If this matter comes to light, all of your personal information will be exposed. Your mother and sister won't be able to live normal lives either. Are you still okay with that?"
"..."
"We will claim that the Hunter Management Department did this. Do you understand?"
"Why should I do that?"
"That is how your existence can be hidden. Even if we can’t hide it from the MNL Guild, we can at least avoid the public eye."
By now, Cheon Yooshin’s fist had stopped.
"Do you think I’d join the Hunter Management Department just because of that?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't join. I’m satisfied just knowing that my choice wasn't wrong."
"Choice?"
"That Hunter Cheon Yooshin is by no means an ordinary hunter."
Yoon Hoo’s official rank, which was as good as a corpse, was C-rank. Yet, Yooshin didn't have a single scratch on his body after suppressing such a C-rank. No, he didn't even look tired. Even after creating this mess. That meant Cheon Yooshin’s actual rank was at least B-rank or higher.
B-rank. Park Hae-soo had already made a strong impression on Cheon Yooshin, who had entered that realm. Multiple times, in fact. As if he realized Park Hae-soo’s deduction, Yooshin chuckled. Then, he stood up, cradling his sister, Cheon Jin-ah, in his arms.
Suddenly, the flow of the air changed. As if he had taken off a mask, the devil-like aura that had covered his face vanished. His face was still splattered with blood, but the expression on it had returned to the Cheon Yooshin that Park Hae-soo knew.
"Then, I’ll leave it to you."
"Don't worry."
"Thanks for the trouble."
"Thank you!"
Huh? Wait, why am I thanking him? Park Hae-soo, who had been bowing, straightened his upper body. But Cheon Yooshin, who had been in front of him just a moment ago, had already vanished.