Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Lee Ji-ah (11)
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In the dead of night, Han Yoo-jung headed to Lee Ji-ah's mansion after receiving a commission from the Association President.
She hesitated for a long time, slumped on the street lined with streetlights in front of the mansion.
Ever since awakening Heavenly Killing Star.
She had blood on her hands dozens of times over, but this was her first time killing someone of her own volition.
"......"
After wrestling with her conflict, Han Yoo-jung slapped her cheeks with both hands. Her eyes sharpened fiercely. It was something she had to do, no matter what.
Han Yoo-jung concealed her presence and infiltrated the house. She could sense two presences inside.
One was radiating a violent aura that made her hands and feet tingle with electricity.
It had to be S-rank Hunter Lee Ji-ah.
And in the room right next to it, she sensed a faint presence.
Han Yoo-jung opened the door and slipped inside.
Snore, snore──
A man lay sprawled on the bed, dead to the world in sleep. He matched the photo she'd received from the Association President perfectly.
Kim Hyun-woo.
That was the man.
Han Yoo-jung brought the edge of her hand to Kim Hyun-woo's throat.
Killing him would be simple.
What she lacked was resolve.
This time, she would kill him through her own will, independent of Heavenly Killing Star.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Just as the hesitating Han Yoo-jung was about to swing her hand──
Thud!
Lee Ji-ah burst into Kim Hyun-woo's room.
She scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
"......A false alarm?"
Lee Ji-ah tilted her head, then cautiously closed the door and left.
Kim Hyun-woo's shadow rippled, and Han Yoo-jung popped out abruptly.
She exhaled the breath she'd been holding, cold sweat beading on her skin.
'Assassinating him while he's glued to Lee Ji-ah will be tough.'
Lee Ji-ah had reacted instantly to that brief killing intent.
Even if she killed Kim Hyun-woo, it looked like she'd have to fight Lee Ji-ah afterward.
'I suppressed Heavenly Killing Star today...... So I'll aim for a chance in a week.'
It was the room next door, but surely they wouldn't stay stuck together for a whole week. With that thought, Han Yoo-jung decided to bide her time and slipped back into Kim Hyun-woo's shadow.
Three days passed, and Han Yoo-jung realized something.
'They never separate?'
Like thread following the needle, Lee Ji-ah and Kim Hyun-woo were inseparable.
Normally, it went without saying.
"Hyun-woo."
"Yes?"
"Um, the bathroom......"
What shocked Han Yoo-jung was that they even went to the bathroom together.
'Is she an idiot?'
Her illusions about Lee Ji-ah shattered spectacularly.
She'd been tense around Korea's top ranker, knowingly or not, but her behavior was no different from a duckling trailing its mother.
"Hyun-woo, where are you going?"
"To take in the laundry."
"Ah, I'll come with you."
Finally, Han Yoo-jung's patience was reaching its limit.
'It's already been three days.'
Killing intent didn't surge all at once. It built gradually, like warming a kettle over a low flame.
She was fine after just three days, but by the end of the week, it might rampage again.
Late into the night.
Han Yoo-jung climbed onto the roof and answered a call from the Association President.
—Miss Yoo-jung, you're taking too long with updates.
"No chance to assassinate."
—Hm, I don't mean to rush you... but you're not planning to hold out until Heavenly Killing Star rampages, are you?
"......Killing Kim Hyun-woo now would force a fight with Lee Ji-ah. You don't want things blowing up, right?"
—I'll trust you.
Click.
The call ended.
Han Yoo-jung suddenly felt killing intent bubbling up inside her.
It seemed to react to her negative feelings toward the Association President.
Inhale, exhale.
She took deep breaths to calm herself.
Then she slipped back into Kim Hyun-woo's shadow.
The next day.
Kim Hyun-woo was putting restraints on Lee Ji-ah.
'...!'
Kim Hyun-woo's shadow rippled slightly.
The startled Han Yoo-jung nearly revealed her presence without realizing it.
"Do we have to do training?"
"Less than two weeks left now."
Lee Ji-ah, now in restraints, flopped onto the floor with a pout.
Han Yoo-jung watched silently, holding her breath.
"I'll pull you."
"Okay......"
Kim Hyun-woo deactivated Peace of Mind. Lee Ji-ah let out a groan and began crawling across the floor.
Lee Ji-ah suddenly writhing in agony.
And the sudden surge of killing intent.
'......?'
Han Yoo-jung panicked, unable to adapt to the emotional shift.
'Damn!'
Her aura leaked out of the shadow unintentionally.
Lee Ji-ah must have sensed it for sure.
But fortunately, Lee Ji-ah was too out of it to notice.
'...!'
Han Yoo-jung bit her lip hard.
She tried to calm her impatience, but the flood of murderous urge wouldn't subside.
The change came abruptly again.
"Let's start."
Kim Hyun-woo, timing it, reactivated Peace of Mind.
'......!'
The rippling killing intent was suppressed.
As Han Yoo-jung struggled to keep up with the emotional whiplash──
Kim Hyun-woo said awkwardly.
"Shall we go again?"
"......Yes."
Off, on, off, on.
Han Yoo-jung felt like her brain was melting from the erratic killing intent.
And amid the repetition, she couldn't help but notice.
'He's suppressing Heavenly Killing Star's murderous urge...?'
Thump, thump.
Han Yoo-jung's heart pounded wildly.
It was just a slim possibility.
Heavenly Killing Star's urge had only built up for four days.
But if, just if, he could maintain his sanity fully even three days from now......
'If that's the case......'
Greed flickered in Han Yoo-jung's eyes as she stared at Kim Hyun-woo.
"We will now begin the hearing."
Finally, the hearing started.
From the Abyss Dungeon raid members to guild masters, everyone took their seats as witnesses.
They were all luminaries, but the spotlight was unmistakably on Lee Ji-ah.
Well, of course.
After all, no matter what anyone said, Lee Ji-ah was the true star of this hearing.
As I watched tensely── someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
I turned to see a grumpy-looking old man standing with his hands behind his back.
"Kim Hyun-woo? Good to see you."
A familiar voice.
I played along.
"First time meeting in person, Association President."
"Haha, you were so bold on the phone. Up close, you're quite the polite young man."
Is he mocking me, like 'you only strut on calls'?
"Why would I grab an old man's collar and bicker over hurt feelings with all these cameras around?"
"...Direct as ever."
The Association President stood next to me.
Why come here when there are plenty of better seats?
—First question to the Hwasin Guild Master.
The committee member questioned the Hwasin Guild Master.
—Did Lee Ji-ah Hunter have any history of mental instability...?
That son of a bitch.
I roughly swept my hair back.
Irritated, I asked the old man beside me.
"How much did you pay them?"
"Pay for what?"
"How much did you shell out to ask that guild master—not even Ji-ah herself—such questions?"
It was obvious the Hwasin Guild Master was testifying to make Lee Ji-ah look as bad as possible.
"Yeah, that's all bullshit."
A lawyer appeared, slurping coffee, and greeted me warmly.
"Hey, Hyun-woo."
"Gun-wook."
"Good to see you, Association President."
The Association President just nodded curtly in response.
—Considering this series of incidents, it seems mentally unstable Lee Ji-ah Hunter made a mistake in battle──
"Aigoo, Association President. How much did you give that firm? Fifty thousand won?"
The lawyer smirked.
"Should've come to us first instead of Hyun-woo, Association President. I would've advised an immediate press conference, head bowed, to minimize the backlash."
I elbowed the lawyer's side.
"Easy there, Gun-wook. He's still the Association President."
"What's to fear from an old man getting stripped of his position after this mess?"
Stripped? The Association President?
"They tried dumping the Abyss raid failure and dungeon break on Lee Ji-ah Hunter to slink away scot-free."
The lawyer glanced at the Association President's face and continued.
"Lee Ji-ah Hunter comes out innocent, truth comes to light—think you can handle the fallout alone?"
Is that so?
If the expert says so.
The committee was only questioning raid members and guild masters, excluding Lee Ji-ah.
—So, Lee Ji-ah Hunter habitually self-harmed?
—No medical records, but guild counseling showed symptoms of depression.
—Owns a house in Itaewon worth hundreds of billions...
Even dragging house prices into it?
The intent behind the questions was blatant. Cheap tricks to rattle Lee Ji-ah's mental state.
—Next, questions for witness Lee Ji-ah Hunter.
At the committee member's words, Lee Ji-ah straightened up to respond. The Association President beside me spoke.
"Hyun-woo, does it really matter if Ji-ah is S-rank or A-rank?"
"......?"
"If Lee Ji-ah wants, she can climb back to her original spot in no time. A ranker's skills don't vanish."
True.
Whether Lee Ji-ah was A or S-rank didn't matter much.
In people's minds, she'd always be S-rank.
Just like when buying the restraints, where the counselor officially recognized her as current A-rank.
"Finally, extend your hand. It's a rare chance. Pretend to hand her an unprepared script, approach Ji-ah, and say to give up this fight. She'd listen to you."
The lawyer kept slurping his coffee, staring indifferently at Lee Ji-ah, as if he hadn't heard us.
"......Do you know Ji-ah's getting hate comments online?"
"I know."
"It's gotten worse lately. They're pinning the entire dungeon raid failure on her."
I pressed my furrowed brow flat with my fingers.
"Do I look like I'm fighting just over her rank?"
In the end, skill mattered in this industry.
Lee Ji-ah could rise again.
That alone made it seem pointless to pick a fight.
No need to clash with the Association President over it.
That's probably why he handled it so carelessly.
"That 'failed raid, went AWOL' label will stick forever, no matter what she does."
I'd watched closely this past month.
How much the hate comments tormented Lee Ji-ah.
"Let's go all the way to the end, Association President. What more do Ji-ah or I have to lose here? If it works, honor restored; if not, back to square one."
"That's your choice."
The Association President sighed discontentedly, oddly relaxed.
"Actually, since earlier, you and I have perception interference skills on us."
"What?"
"I know about your Peace of Mind ability. And that you're using it to stabilize Lee Ji-ah's mental state. I'm the Association President, after all."
He scratched his chin.
"Pity you chose this. With your guts—unusual for a young man—I thought we'd make good partners in a deal......"
"...?"
"What do you think happens to Ji-ah if you vanish now?"
What else? Without Peace of Mind, she'd flip the table and rage.
"Yoo-jung. Handle it."
The Association President said lowly. A girl who looked like a high schooler popped out from my shadow.
What the hell?
"......"
The girl froze, staring at me. The Association President called her.
"Yoo-jung? What are you doing?"
"......"
"Get rid of that man, Han Yoo-jung."
The Association President barked with a smiling face. Han Yoo-jung ignored him and approached me.
"Mister."
"...?"
"Wanna make a deal?"
Too many people trying to deal with me today.
Cold sweat trickled down.
I swallowed and asked.
"......What kind of deal?"
No one noticed while Han Yoo-jung emerged from the shadow. Not even the lawyer next to me.
It was clear who held my life in their hands right now.
"I'll ignore the Association President's orders and let you live."
"And the price?"
"Just let me stay by your side."
At Han Yoo-jung's words, the Association President bellowed.
"Han Yoo-jung! What nonsense is that?! Think of Heavenly Killing Star! You think that man can help you?!"
Han Yoo-jung replied indifferently.
"It works, though."
"What...?"
"It does. It's fine when I'm next to him."
"You calmed Heavenly Killing Star? That's absurd..."
The Association President looked bewildered. Han Yoo-jung stared at me tensely. Lee Ji-ah prepared to answer the committee's question.
I didn't know what was going on, but I made my choice.
"Sure. Stay by my side as long as you want."
Han Yoo-jung's face lit up.
"For real?!"
I nodded.
"Eek!"
Han Yoo-jung squealed in delight, jumping up and down.
—Then, Lee Ji-ah Hunter. Before we dive in, please explain the incident where you evaded responsibility and went into hiding.
"This hearing prioritizes the Abyss Dungeon raid failure. Committee member, please don't obscure the issue with my unrelated past actions. For now......"
The lawyer grinned satisfiedly.
"No table flip, so we're winning."