Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: An Old Wound
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"Here you go. You have to return it when you're done, okay? This is Suppression Corps supply, so we really need to..."
"I know, I know. I left my brother's name tag as collateral!"
"Still, we can't just lend these out..."
"Jeez! Instead of cheering on the people going out to fight, you're giving us a hard time? You really want me to beat you senseless..."
Tap, tap, tap-!
"Ji-yoon... please, stop. We could have just gotten one from our Association... Ah..."
Eun-hee tried to calm the furious Ji-yoon, but then remembered her own situation and trailed off.
Ji-yoon shot the supply corps member a glare before turning and walking away.
"Hmph, and all they do is haul supplies around in comfort! Here."
"Thank you..."
Eun-hee took the sword from the fuming Ji-yoon.
It was a far cry from her original sword, but what could she do?
In her frustration, she had stormed out, leaving her sword behind in Jeong In-gon's room.
'I should have brought my sword... That was so reckless.'
Eun-hee swung the sword lightly, a pang of regret washing over her.
If it weren't for Ji-yoon's help, she wouldn't even have this shabby weapon.
"Hey, shouldn't you normally carry your own weapon?"
Ji-yoon asked, her tone somewhat irritable.
"I came in a hurry... I'm sorry."
Eun-hee replied in a barely audible voice as she followed behind Ji-yoon.
She reached into her inner pocket for a cigarette, but unfortunately, she was trying to quit.
"No need to be sorry."
Ji-yoon said bluntly.
Eun-hee had shown up out of nowhere looking for Do-jae, and when told he wasn't here, she offered to help them.
And she was from the Association's External Support Division, a department that almost never encountered monsters.
'What is this woman thinking?'
The Do-jae that Ji-yoon knew hadn't mentioned Eun-hee once since their date.
Even when Lee Ji-woong and Kang Eun-taek pestered him with questions, Do-jae had shown no particular reaction.
So she'd assumed it had just fizzled out, but seeing the immense worry on Eun-hee's face, she realized that wasn't the case.
Ji-yoon felt that there was definitely something serious going on between the two of them.
"More importantly, will you be okay? It's the early stage of a dungeon break, so some pretty strong monsters are showing up."
Ji-yoon glanced sideways at Eun-hee.
She herself was still hungover, her hair a mess and her face bare, completely drenched in monster blood. Yet Eun-hee was wearing makeup, her hair tied up neatly.
She even smelled very nice.
She was dressed in practical combat attire and looked determined, but Ji-yoon worried about how well she could actually fight.
"I'm fine. I can protect myself."
"Ah, right. I'm just telling you this just in case, but don't even think about wandering off on your own. We won't be able to come save you. This is completely different from being inside a dungeon."
Ji-yoon gave a stern warning.
The Suppression Corps wasn't all that different from regular hunters.
If anything, their bonds were even stronger.
The members of the Suppression Corps were the type to jump into a horde of monsters to save someone in danger.
Which meant she was just being difficult for no reason.
Eun-hee, oblivious to this, gripped her sword even tighter.
"Understood!"
In truth, the determined look Ji-yoon saw on Eun-hee's face was just a mask for her nervousness.
How long had it been since she'd fought a monster?
She hadn't skipped a single day of training, but the thought of facing monsters soon made her heart pound uncontrollably.
"Let's go, then. Our comrades will be waiting."
Ji-yoon led the way, heading inside the cordon.
Eun-hee bit her lip and followed.
***
Splat-!
The goblin's sticky green blood splattered across Eun-hee's face.
"Kyagyagyak!"
Another goblin charged toward Eun-hee, swinging a club. Eun-hee stood frozen, clutching her sword with both hands.
'Blood... I have to raise my sword...'
Tremble-.
Since that day, she thought she had somehow gotten used to the sight of blood.
But the moment it touched her skin, her body stiffened like a board.
Just a single goblin.
Faced with a creature so weak that even a horde of dozens wouldn't serve as a proper warm-up, Eun-hee couldn't do a thing.
Swoosh-!
Slice-!
"Ma'am! What do you think you're doing!"
Ji-yoon shouted as she stabbed the goblin.
The goblin, pierced through the chest, was sliced diagonally and collapsed to the ground.
"Kirreuk..."
Thud-.
Eun-hee snapped back to her senses.
She dropped her sword with a clatter, and Ji-yoon yelled again.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed! Pick up your sword! More monsters are coming!"
Ji-yoon pointed behind the group of goblins.
There, a number of large monsters could be seen, including some that flew through the sky.
"I... I'm sorry..."
"Agh, seriously! If you're going to be like this, just go back!"
Ji-yoon picked up the sword and pressed it firmly into Eun-hee's hand, along with a handkerchief.
Looking into Ji-yoon's eyes, which were filled with fighting spirit, Eun-hee was reminded of her past trauma.
Five years ago.
Jeong Eun-hee had been a hunter more spirited than anyone.
As usual, she was clearing a dungeon, fearlessly hunting down every monster in sight.
Shing-!
"Grr... grrk..."
Thump-.
The body of a werewolf, its head severed in a clean slice, crashed to the ground, kicking up dust.
She sheathed her Black-Lacquered Ring-Pommel Greatsword, not a single drop of blood staining its blade.
"Whoa! Sis, can't you give me that sword? It's so cool! I want it!"
A cute young woman, just over 150cm tall with a bob haircut, ran up to Eun-hee, clinging to her and acting cute.
Her name was Song Ji-yoon.
She was the youngest member of the guild, a girl who had just turned twenty.
Still retaining a youthful air, Song Ji-yoon was adored by everyone in the guild, but Eun-hee was especially fond of her.
"You think? Besides, you're not strong enough for it."
"Hmph! Some people get to use swords like that because they have connections, and I'm stuck with one I bought from a corner store."
"What? Then give it back. I'll get a refund."
"Heek? You can't take back a gift! Actually, I really love this sword!"
As Eun-hee reached to snatch her sword, Song Ji-yoon hugged it tightly.
Song Ji-yoon's sword was a birthday present from Eun-hee. Far from being from a corner store, it was an expensive blade forged by a famous blacksmith.
Of course, it couldn't compare to the Black-Lacquered Ring-Pommel Greatsword that Jeong In-gon had given her, but it was still a fine weapon.
"So stop talking nonsense and take good care of it. Come on, the others are going ahead."
"Ack! They're so mean! Leaving just the two of us behind again!"
"Yeah... let's hurry!"
People looked at Eun-hee in one of two ways.
They either tried to get on her good side because she was the Association President's daughter, or they were jealous of her.
But Song Ji-yoon treated Eun-hee like a real older sister, without any hesitation.
There was no obvious flattery, and while she was envious, she was never jealous.
She was pure, and Eun-hee, an only child, had always wished for a sibling. Song Ji-yoon was exactly that to her.
Moreover, Song Ji-yoon was as full of fighting spirit as any other hunter.
When she fought monsters, her cute demeanor vanished completely.
Because of that, Eun-hee would always try to emulate her and do her best in battle.
"Sis! The boss room is over there!"
Eun-hee's guild, having progressed smoothly through the dungeon, finally reached the entrance to the boss room.
As Eun-hee rested before tackling the boss, Song Ji-yoon approached her.
"Sis, chicken and beer after this?"
"Chicken and beer? I saw this nice fusion pasta place on Instar."
"Ooh? Where is it?"
"In Yeonnam-dong. They supposedly have home-brewed rice wine, too."
"Whoa... Okay, okay! Let's go there!"
While Eun-hee and Song Ji-yoon, who had similar tastes, chatted for a bit, the break came to an end.
The guild members began to get up one by one, gathering in front of the entrance with the Raid Captain at the lead.
Creeeak-.
"Huh?"
Whoosh-!
"Captain!"
"Team Leader!"
Before anyone could react, the Raid Captain was sucked into the boss room.
The guild members hurriedly threw the door open, and Eun-hee sensed that something was terribly wrong.
"A... a double dungeon..."
a guild member muttered in a trembling voice.
And then, his upper and lower body separated, and he died on the spot.
"Everyone, snap out of it!"
Eun-hee shouted, thrusting her sword at the monsters pouring out of the entrance.
After the Raid Captain, Eun-hee was the strongest. Without her, the raid party would be annihilated.
But unfortunately, the monsters that emerged from the double dungeon were beyond what even Eun-hee could handle.
"Kuaaargh!"
"Kyaaaaak!"
How much time had passed? One by one, the voices of her guild members fell silent.
She struggled desperately to save them, but the shadow of death was creeping over Eun-hee as well.
"Gigigigik!"
A Grade-2 monster, the Grimhowl.
The beast approached Eun-hee.
Just meeting its gaze was enough to freeze her limbs.
Eun-hee tried to raise her sword, but the Grimhowl was already in front of her, growling and baring its sharp teeth.
Shhhk-!
The Grimhowl's maw opened wide.
Her body wouldn't move, and she had no strength left to escape.
Giving up on everything, Eun-hee squeezed her eyes shut.
Pshuk-!
But.
For some reason, she felt none of the pain that should have pierced her.
Instead, she only felt a warm, sticky liquid on her face.
Eun-hee slowly opened her eyes again.
"Ah..."
Someone had blocked the Grimhowl's jaws with their arms.
But above that person's neck, there was nothing.
"Aah... Aaaah... Aaaaaargh!"
A scream tore out from the depths of her soul.
The one standing in front of her was Song Ji-yoon.
Blood gushed like a fountain from the neck of Song Ji-yoon, whose head had been devoured by the Grimhowl, drenching Eun-hee's face.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Eun-hee lost her mind, swinging her sword like a madwoman.
The sight of the Grimhowl's teeth marks on Song Ji-yoon's neck was such a profound shock that the last thread of her sanity had snapped.
"Eun-hee!"
Someone grabbed hold of Eun-hee and shouted in her ear.
When she came to her senses, Jeong In-gon was holding her.
And over Jeong In-gon's shoulder, she could see S-rank and A-rank hunters.
"Hic... Hhh... hic..."
In Jeong In-gon's arms, Eun-hee couldn't stop crying until the double dungeon was cleared.
"Ji-yoon."
"What is it!"
Eun-hee called out after wiping the goblin blood off with the handkerchief Ji-yoon had given her.
"Could you... possibly?"
"What?"
Ji-yoon shouted at Eun-hee as she sliced a monster in two.
Amid the chaotic clamor of weapons, Eun-hee's voice was far too quiet.
Eun-hee gathered her courage and spoke again.
"Could you... just once... do something for me?"
"I can't hear you! Kk-heuk!"
Ji-yoon staggered back from another monster's attack.
At that, Eun-hee gripped her sword tightly and thrust it at the monster fighting Ji-yoon.
"Kieeeek!"
The monster died in a single blow.
Ji-yoon kicked the monster's body away.
"What did you say?"
"Um... I... could you possibly call me your older sister?"
"All of a sudden?"
Ji-yoon was quite taken aback by Eun-hee's request.
'Older sister,' out of the blue.
"Yes... please..."
The sincerity in Eun-hee's eyes.
Ji-yoon sensed it was something more than just wanting to be called 'older sister'.
After hesitating for a long time, Ji-yoon finally opened her mouth.
"Uh... Sis..."
A slow smile spread across Eun-hee's lips.
"Thank you. I'll do better from now on. Will you fight with me, Ji-yoon?"
Eun-hee took both of Ji-yoon's hands and met her eyes.
Hearing herself called 'sis' gave Eun-hee courage.
Ji-yoon, on the other hand, feeling incredibly awkward, avoided her gaze and answered in a near whisper.
"Yeah... sure..."