Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Han Yoo-jung (8)
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Lee Ji-hye blocked the monster's attack with her shield. Claw met steel.
Clang!
The impact shoved her body back. Her arm trembled under the weight of the shield. This was already the tenth one. Monsters were leaping out from the bushes, drooling as they glared at her.
Whoosh!
Lee Ji-hye swung her sword irritably. The monster's head flew off with a thud. Its body collapsed limply to the ground.
Kieeeek!
The excited monsters let out shrieks. The ones crouched in the trees leaped from branch to branch, circling her.
"Ptoo."
Lee Ji-hye spat on the ground. Individually, they weren't that strong. A good stab with the sword killed them. The problem was they came in packs.
18th place. Lee Ji-hye let out a faint smile. It was a good start. She'd expected to lag a bit early on. As a warrior, her stamina was top-notch. Her ranking would steadily climb. Then a thought crossed her mind.
'I wonder what place Han Yoo-jung is in.'
Lee Ji-hye gritted her teeth. Awakened just a month ago, and she'd already crushed a full-year veteran.
'Physical enhancement, probably.'
That was the only explanation. Training the body took time. But an innate physical enhancement ability could bridge that gap.
If the sheer power of her initial awakening was anything to go by, her talent wasn't just exceptional—it was on another level, playing in the clouds.
Maybe even on par with Lee Ji-ah.
"...Fuck."
Lee Ji-hye suppressed the rising sense of inferiority. Now wasn't the time to explode. She had plenty of ways to strike back.
Han Yoo-jung had vanished without a trace in her third year of middle school. Lee Ji-hye could guess how an orphaned kid had survived that year.
Han Yoo-jung would draw attention soon enough. Inexperienced as she was, even if she bombed this exam, she'd climb for sure. Lee Ji-hye was certain of it.
That one-year blank would spark the public's imagination. They were middle school classmates. All she needed was a tiny bit of seasoning—a rumor that Han Yoo-jung had honed her body during her hiatus. The lie would gain traction and soar.
Lee Ji-hye smirked slyly. She pictured Han Yoo-jung's eventual fall from grace far in the future. It soothed her a little. The stinging pain in her cheek had faded too.
Click!
Lee Ji-hye readjusted her grip on her sword and shield. For now, focus on the exam. She pushed through the bushes.
She ignored low-score monsters,
"Kieeeek!"
"Die!"
And cherry-picked the high-value ones. Her score climbed fast, breaking into the top 10.
Then Lee Ji-hye faced a massive beast. It looked like a turtle. Giant Turtle. Hard to kill, but the points were huge.
A warrior's strategy was simple: climb on its shell and bash until it cracked. It'd take time, but the score made it worth it.
She grinned ferociously.
"Nail this, and I'll jump another rank!"
Lee Ji-hye kicked off the ground and leaped. Her sword gleamed in the sunlight, about to clash with the shell.
Screeeeech—!
A sound like tearing wind. Like an arrow slicing air, or a massive cannonball hurtling forward. A roar grew closer. Lee Ji-hye whipped her head around, eyes widening. Far off, a crimson meteor streaked toward them at blinding speed.
Screeeeeeeeech—!
"Wha...?"
Lee Ji-hye gasped involuntarily.
Krunch!
A massive beam of light pierced the beast. The shell shattered, shards flying everywhere. The hulking body smashed through trees, flung backward by momentum.
"Aaaah!"
Lee Ji-hye screamed and rolled across the ground. Her head spun. She dry-heaved, then looked up.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
Someone emerged from the beast's corpse. They strode through the dust cloud, exuding an eerie pressure.
And when they were right in front of her.
Their eyes met.
A familiar face.
Lee Ji-hye cried out in shock.
"Han Yoo-jung?!"
Han Yoo-jung irritably brushed back her blood-matted hair. She fixed Lee Ji-hye with a sticky, menacing glare.
"So this is where you were hiding."
"Wh-what are you?! How did you do that just now?!"
Lee Ji-hye pointed accusingly.
"That's not the point."
Killing intent rippled up like heat haze.
"I said I'd rip your mouth."
Lee Ji-hye scrambled backward on the ground, whimpering.
"Wh-why all of a sudden?! You crazy bitch! Weren't you just apologizing to me earlier?!"
Han Yoo-jung's steps halted abruptly. Lee Ji-hye screamed hysterically.
"You said sorry for overreacting! You gave me candy! You came all the way to the exam site—what the hell is your problem?!"
Han Yoo-jung pressed her index finger against her own lip. She said coolly,
"It pisses me off."
"What?"
"The more I think about what you said to Uncle, the more it grates. That reason enough?"
"This fucking..."
Lee Ji-hye spat in exasperation. Han Yoo-jung shoved her index finger into Lee Ji-hye's mouth. Her cheek stretched like a hooked fish.
"Eeeuugh!"
Terror flickered in Lee Ji-hye's eyes. She could imagine what came next. That threat about ripping her mouth wasn't empty. Her body shuddered.
[WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!]
[Excessive physical contact detected.]
[Examinees, cease actions and resume the exam immediately.]
[Ignoring this warning will result in penalties for rule-breaking examinees.]
The surreal message box snapped them back to reality—this was virtual space.
Lee Ji-hye, trembling under the murderous aura, regained her senses. She spat out Han Yoo-jung's finger.
"Ha!"
Lee Ji-hye sneered and stood, brimming with defiance.
"Fine then? Kill me! Go ahead, rip my mouth!"
"......"
"What? Can't do it now? Scared you'll get disqualified alone?"
Lee Ji-hye gathered her scattered gear. Brushing past Han Yoo-jung, she whispered,
"Fucking bitch."
Han Yoo-jung stared at Lee Ji-hye's back with sunken eyes. She pulled a candy from her pocket and popped it in her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully.
What to do? Killing her would just give a retest chance. It'd put Kim Hyun-woo in a tough spot. Next exam was in half a year. Pointless gap.
—Some patterns are unavoidable unless you stick to the pre-set route.
Deep in thought, Han Yoo-jung thought of Kim Hyun-woo and smiled.
Fine. Just follow the rules.
Her body faded like an illusion.
I sat at a table with the manager, sipping coffee. We were chatting idly when he brought it up.
"By the way, Han Yoo-jung."
Why Han Yoo-jung?
"Is she challenging the exam based on experience this time?"
It happens sometimes. Let them try once so they don't slack off later.
"She came to pass."
Obviously, I didn't doubt for a second she'd fail.
The manager scratched his nape.
"No, she seems talented enough, but isn't she rushing it? Wait half a year, and she could ace the top ranks."
"Haha."
I downed my coffee.
This guy has no idea.
"Yoo-jung's taking gold."
"Pardon?"
"First place. Our Yoo-jung."
The manager burst into incredulous laughter at my confidence.
Funny, huh? Laugh it up.
Still kinda ticked me off.
"If I could bet on this, I'd go all in."
"Then wanna bet with me, Hyun-woo?"
"Bet?"
"Yeah."
He rubbed his hands.
"How much...?"
His eyes lit up. "Light stakes, no hard feelings."
"Light? How about 200,000 won?"
The manager's hand trembled as he reached for his wallet.
Too much for a salaryman?
Before I could lower it, he nodded confidently.
"Deal. First place is impossible anyway, so let's tweak: if Yoo-jung outranks Ji-hye, you win. Call?"
"Call! Perfect."
He slapped a yellow bill on the table. I stacked mine on top.
Jackpot. Free meat dinner.
Grinning, I pondered reserving a restaurant on my phone when he cleared his throat.
"But seriously, Han Yoo-jung. Old friends from childhood? Family? She seems really attached to you."
"Yoo-jung? To me?"
Really?
"Haven't known her long."
"Whoa, so that's her natural personality."
He ruffled his hair wildly at my answer.
"Must've saved the country in a past life. Jealous as hell. My hunters are all pains in the ass, barely surviving."
"Ah, Lee Ji-hye..."
Yeah, even in that short meeting, she seemed exhausting to handle.
But the manager shook his head.
"Another one's worse. Ji-hye's just a prospect, young, controllable. But the other? Veteran, skilled, goes rogue—no fixing that."
He sipped his coffee wistfully.
Lee Ji-ah's face came to mind at his lament.
Never once a hassle.
Must be tough for a newbie manager.
"Hunters change after awakening. World looks different. Add talent, and they feel like protagonists. Even mild ones turn arrogant."
"Yoo-jung hasn't."
Lee Ji-ah either.
Both light-years from cocky.
"That's why I'm jealous. Wanna swap?"
I laughed at his joke.
Checked my watch: 3:30. Exam ending soon. Texted Yoo-jung to come to the cafe.
"But she's newly awakened—where's the confidence?"
"Ever seen a cub tiger lose to a mantis?"
"Yoo-jung's the cub?"
"Nah, just a metaphor."
"...?"
"She's a dragon. Rawr."
We locked eyes and chuckled dryly.
Looking at his confident gaze, I thought,
I'm winning this, buddy.
Lee Ji-hye stormed through the bushes, fuming.
Her rank had dropped since the start. Competitors overtook her during the spat with Han Yoo-jung. Anxiety gnawed at her. No take-backs on exam results. Tripped up in the last place she expected.
'Never any damn help since way back. For real.'
Lee Ji-hye ruffled her hair roughly. Her bloodshot eyes scanned for monsters.
Kieeeeeek!
Monsters slunk out just in time. Lee Ji-hye took a deep breath and roared.
"Come at me—!!"
Leaves rustled and fell from her shout. The monsters charged in a frenzy. She gripped her sword and shield tight.
She braced for impact.
Keeek!
A monster lunged with razor teeth. Then a flash streaked.
Slash!
The monster's head severed. Lee Ji-hye stared blankly at the falling corpse. Wasn't her doing. She couldn't swing that fast.
Flash!
Flashes chained endlessly. Thin light beams sliced the monsters' necks without pause. They all crumpled as corpses.
Lee Ji-hye quelled her surging unease. Footsteps approached from behind. She turned. Han Yoo-jung was shaking blood from her dagger as she walked.
"...What the hell are you doing."
"Played an RPG once."
Han Yoo-jung ignored her, mumbling to herself.
"Farming slimes as a thief in a slime cave, when a level 2nd-job mage shows up. Rare droppable gear there."
"...What?"
"Asked him to leave since I was hunting. He ignored me and farmed anyway. Specialized in mobbing, so he stole all my kills."
"What bullshit is this?! Fuck!"
"Guess what I did?"
Han Yoo-jung hurled her dagger. It whistled past Lee Ji-hye's cheek.
"Kek!"
A fleeing monster on the ground shrieked.
"Couldn't do shit. 2nd-job mage ruled slime caves. Had to switch channels without a single kill."
"......"
"But I made one mistake. Cursed him out before leaving. He chased me, ruined my hunts, till I quit crying."
Lee Ji-hye stared into space with shaking eyes.
Score unchanged, but rank slipped. Rivals kept hunting. Standing still meant falling behind. Lee Ji-hye snapped irritably.
"So... what the fuck are you doing right now?!"
"What am I doing?"
Han Yoo-jung glanced up.
Han Yoo-jung smiled brightly.
"Stealing."