Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Persuasion (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Heavenly Demon Divine Art!’
I was utterly shocked by Jin Seo-won’s ability.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was considered one of the most powerful abilities, right alongside Seol Ju-hee’s Ice Jade Divine Art….
And it was the very ability wielded by Cheonma, Seol Ju-hee’s ultimate rival in the original novel Strongest Expert.
‘She’s that Cheonma…?’
Ever since I first met Seol Ju-hee, this was pretty much the first time I’d been surprised to see a character from the original novel.
And for good reason—the Cheonma in the story was depicted as an utterly depraved and brutal psychopath.
‘To think that face could do such things….’
Jin Seo-won had a look that was worlds apart from the Cheonma described in the novel.
She was a petite woman just shy of 170 cm, with a strikingly curvaceous figure.
The teardrop mole under her left eye and her doll-like delicate features blended perfectly with her chin-length brown bob haircut, giving off an air of refined elegance.
‘What on earth happened to her?’
Cheonma didn’t appear until the mid-game, but her debut was explosive.
She killed a child Seol Ju-hee had barely managed to save, crushing it like an insect, and in one fell swoop, took down Seol Ju-hee who had reached A-rank.
There was even talk that whenever Cheonma showed up, someone was bound to die….
“She’s pretty cute-looking. Why not take her along?”
“What good’s a pretty face if she’s useless? You’ll just get flak for picking her up.”
But Jin Seo-won hadn’t received a single offer from anyone.
No guild was willing to invest money in an unproven F-rank hunter.
‘What should I do about this….’
Even I, wearing the Scout Glasses, found it hard to commit to recruiting Jin Seo-won on the spot.
This wasn’t just anyone—it was Cheonma herself.
No matter how immense her potential, I couldn’t raise the character who’d grow into the ultimate villain capable of standing against Seol Ju-hee with my own hands.
‘If only I had more info….’
Whether by the original author’s design or not, information on Cheonma was exceedingly scarce.
She was female.
She wielded the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
By the time Seol Ju-hee reached A-rank, she was already S-rank.
And….
That was all—along with the fact that, disillusioned with the world, she sided with the otherworldly demon king.
“…….”
As I watched Jin Seo-won slip away unnoticed by anyone, lost in thought for a moment,
‘Screw it…. It’ll work out somehow.’
I shook off my hesitation and pushed past the scouts toward her.
“Whoa…. He must be desperate.”
“New face. A rookie?”
“If he’s new, he’s gotta snag even someone like her.”
The scouts chattered freely as they watched me approach the F-rank Jin Seo-won,
“…?”
I stopped in front of her, handing her a prepared business card as she looked my way, and said,
“I’m Do Ji-hyeok, producer for Team Seoul City Hall under Seoul City. Could we talk for a moment?”
At that instant.
─ ─
The scouts watching me started buzzing.
“Do Ji-hyeok? From Queens?”
“Oh yeah! Saw it on the news! He switched teams, so now he’s scouting himself?”
“Life’s unpredictable…. The former Queens producer’s out here personally scouting now….”
“If Do Ji-hyeok’s scouting her himself, doesn’t that mean she’s actually a big deal…?”
“Big deal? Didn’t you see he bailed right after topping Queens? His senses are shot.”
I ignored the idle chatter and quietly waited for Jin Seo-won’s response,
She stared at me silently for a while, glanced at the business card in my hand, and finally replied.
“I have to go to my part-time job. Sorry.”
It was the rejection I’d half-expected.
Clink─
The crisp sound of ice in the plastic cup drew a sigh from me without thinking.
I’d already downed four drinks while sitting in the cafe where Jin Seo-won worked.
From the moment I decided to wait for her shift to end, I was basically a problem customer, but to avoid the label, I’d been ordering different drinks one after another.
‘What to get this time….’
As I pondered getting a dessert to settle my liquid-filled stomach, staring at the menu board, I suddenly noticed Jin Seo-won serving a customer.
‘Cheonma working part-time.’
True to her depiction in the novel, Jin Seo-won’s personality wasn’t particularly warm.
Expressionless and impassive.
She gave off the vibe of an emotionless doll, yet she handled the cafe part-time job—essentially a service gig—quite competently.
“…….”
Forgetting all about picking my next drink, I quietly observed her when,
“Haven’t seen you around before.”
A woman approached and struck up a conversation out of the blue.
“I hope the drinks have been to your liking?”
She looked like a well-kept 30-something and introduced herself as the cafe owner,
“Ah.”
Sensing my cover as a problem customer was blown, I grabbed my wallet, shot to my feet, and quickly explained that I was just about to order another drink.
She covered her mouth gracefully, letting out a laugh, then….
“It’s fine. No need to order more.”
With a gentle smile, she casually took the seat across from me.
‘Dodged the bullet on that one.’
I sat back down obediently, flashing a small smile and thanking her. She crossed her legs leisurely and asked in a subtle tone,
“So, what’s your relationship with our Seo-won?”
“...Pardon?”
“No one sticks around for hours without some connection. Not a guy friend…. Crushing? Or one-sided love?”
A bit flustered by her elegant yet boldly nosy demeanor, I handed her a business card from my pocket and briefly explained the situation.
“Team Seoul City Hall…?”
“Yes. I’m waiting here because I’d like to recruit Seo-won for our team.”
“Hmm….”
The owner gave a lukewarm reaction, as if it wasn’t the answer she’d hoped for. She pocketed the card quietly, glanced at Jin Seo-won at the counter, and ventured,
“Seo-won’s worth waiting around for?”
Her words, tossed out casually, carried a faint affection.
I could tell she cared deeply for Jin Seo-won. Racking my brain, I brought up a story about her.
“Do you know much about hunter teams, ma’am?”
“Just the basics.”
“I plan to bring Seo-won on as our team’s main dealer.”
“Main dealer? You mean, like… Seol Ju-hee?”
“Exactly.”
Silently thanking Seol Ju-hee for her unexpected usefulness, I added a short explanation, listing Jin Seo-won’s strengths.
“Seo-won has an ability called ‘martial arts.’ Same type as Seol Ju-hee’s.”
“Really?”
The ability detected at the measurement center was ‘F-rank Martial Arts.’
Her true power was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but since her level was still low, it registered as basic martial arts.
“Martial arts is a tricky ability to handle. It doesn’t use standard mana but internal energy from within the body. That said, its performance is rock-solid. With proper training, she could reach B-rank, even A-rank.”
“Whoa…. For real?”
“Yes. And Seo-won has the perfect physique for it. Not to brag, but I know a thing or two about martial arts myself.”
“Seriously?”
The owner narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but I met her gaze steadily and explained calmly.
“One of the hunters I trained personally used martial arts… and I’m pretty sure you’d know her too.”
“Me, know her?”
“Seol Ju-hee? Power Ranking number one.”
“…Seol Ju-hee?”
“I was her producer.”
“No way!?”
The owner lady yelped in shock, drawing stares from the other customers.
“Y-you were Seol Ju-hee’s producer? For real?”
“I quit recently, but yes, until not long ago.”
“Oh my god…!”
Suddenly beaming, she jumped up, dashed to the display fridge by the counter, and brought back a slice of cake and a bottled apple drink.
“You should’ve said so sooner! Here, eat up!”
Bribery.
“It’s not something to brag about…”
“So, what’s so special about our Seo-won?”
Her gaze now sparkling with newfound interest, she pressed for details on Jin Seo-won,
I figured she must be family or a relative, given her behavior….
Turns out, she was just a neighbor.
“I’ve known Seo-won since she was little. She lived with her grandma, so my parents looked after her a lot.”
Jin Seo-won’s parents had died in an accident when she was just a toddler.
With no other relatives, her maternal grandmother raised her alone, and they’d lived together ever since.
But….
“Her grandma passed away not long ago.”
“…So….”
“She was left all alone the moment she turned adult. So pitiful….”
Jin Seo-won, who’d been teased as an orphan since childhood, was truly alone now. Feeling sorry for her, the owner had hired her as part-time help.
“Please take her with you. She’s just shy, but she does everything well if you tell her. Labor costs are rising anyway….”
The owner wheedled me to take her, and I could see just how much she cherished Jin Seo-won.
‘With a good person like this around, why….’
That only deepened the mystery.
Why would Jin Seo-won turn into such a ruthless monster?
According to the owner, Jin Seo-won’s everyday personality was calm incarnate.
No matter rude customers or tough situations, she handled everything with unflappable composure.
It was the polar opposite of the novel’s Cheonma, who’d mercilessly tear through anyone—man, woman, or child—blocking her path.
‘What the hell…?’
As I mulled over these growing questions about Jin Seo-won while chatting with the owner, closing time arrived before I knew it.
“Seo-won, I’ll handle closing tonight. You head home first.”
“...Why?”
“Why? You’ve got someone waiting for you!”
Jin Seo-won finally turned to look at me after ages.
I met her eyes with the most harmless smile I could muster,
“…….”
She stared at me blankly, then turned back to the owner for a brief exchange.
And shortly after.
“…Unnie. I’m going.”
“Get home safe. Talk it over with Ji-hyeok! Got it?”
“…Yeah.”
With the owner’s earnest send-off, Jin Seo-won clocked out and approached me waiting outside the cafe.
“Good work today. You must be tired, and here I am making unreasonable requests.”
“…It’s fine.”
Soulless eyes and a flat voice.
A subtle difference, but worlds apart from how she spoke to the owner.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Bracing myself for the ordeal, I recalled a nearby cafe open late and suggested,
“There’s a cafe nearby that stays open late. Shall we talk there?”
Then.
Jin Seo-won fixed me with a steady gaze….
“…Let’s go to my place.”
“…Pardon?”
She straight-up invited me home.