Back to the Hunt
First, I asked about something that had been bugging me during our duel.
"That Jeowang Geomhyeong? What kind of technique is that?"
My body had suddenly frozen up. On top of that... it felt like my kinetic vision had completely glitched out. It was bizarre, to say the least.
"The exact principles are difficult to explain," Namgung Min replied. "It is a heavy sword technique. It uses one's qi and momentum to seal the opponent's movements, applying pressure to distort their perception of time."
In truth, he only explained it in such abstract terms because the actual mechanics were too complicated—and frankly, even Namgung Min himself didn't fully grasp the details. The reason for that was downright hilarious.
"So you're saying you adapted a sword style from a web novel to work in real life?"
"Indeed. The trouble is, every novel describes it slightly differently, so even I do not know the exact science behind it."
He dragged a fictional technique straight out of someone's imagination and manifested it in reality... Is this what they call a genius?
"Huh..."
The more I heard, the more mind-blowing it was. I mean, martial arts from wuxia novels? There was no way those techniques actually existed in the real world. Yet he had reconstructed them in his own way. Of course, since I knew next to nothing about wuxia, I just found it incredibly fascinating.
"By the way, you never asked to duel me before. Why now?"
I was genuinely curious. He had dropped by the guild plenty of times and must have seen me slacking off, so why did he suddenly want to spar today?
"Well... partly because I had never seen the true extent of your abilities."
After all, asking a healer to duel would normally be absurd...
"But I witnessed your prowess firsthand when we cleared the Gate together."
He said he'd been looking for an opportunity ever since. But apparently, the right moment hadn't presented itself until now. Which was a bit of a stretch, considering how much free time I usually had...
Just then, someone stepped into the training hall. Two S-class hunters were inside, one of whom was the Guild Master himself. The courageous soul who dared to intrude upon a space no one else dared approach was...
"Sis! Oppa! What on earth are you two doing?!"
My little sister, of course. Honestly, who else but Seohui would barge in like this? But Namgung Min's reaction was priceless. He was trembling and casting anxious glances around as if he'd just been caught committing a crime. Looking at him now, who would ever guess this man was an S-class hunter?
"Alliance Leader! You actually laid a hand on my sister!"
Wait, what...? Her reaction was incredibly intense.
"I told you! My sister is a healer! A healer! I don't care how strong she is, you shouldn't be dueling her!"
Namgung Min couldn't even muster a reply, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. The dynamic between them looked exactly like a couple. It was like a girlfriend grilling her boyfriend for hanging out with another woman. A smirk naturally crept onto my face.
"I'm the one who agreed to it, so calm down."
"Sis..."
Seohui looked at me with deep pity. Why was she looking at me like I was some kind of victim?
"Do you have any idea how many people our Alliance Leader has terrorized with his duels?"
"Wh-what?" For some reason, Namgung Min suddenly dropped to his knees.
"Whenever a decent A-class hunter joins the guild, this guy challenges them to a duel and beats them to a pulp!"
Namgung Min hung his head in shame.
"I've been nagging him constantly not to do that to you, Sis."
Wait, but that contradicted what Namgung Min had told me earlier.
"Didn't you tell him how amazing I am? The Alliance Leader said that's what sparked his competitive fire."
"Ugh... Even so, Sis!"
She clearly hadn't realized it herself yet, but my sister definitely had feelings for Namgung Min. In that case, all I had to do was gently nudge her until she figured it out.
"Why? I actually had a great time. Where else am I going to find a sparring partner of his caliber? It's been a while since I've had a proper match, and it felt good to stretch my limbs."
Seohui pursed her lips, her eyes turning sullen.
"Fine, if you don't want me to, I won't do it again."
I pretended to reluctantly give in to her wishes.
"Wait, really? Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah. Having fought him today, I think the Alliance Leader might be slightly stronger than me."
"That is not true! Had you fought with your full strength, I would have been defeated."
Namgung Min and I bickered back and forth, both claiming we would have lost.
"A-anyway! I'll do as you say."
Seohui shot me a suspicious look, but I met her gaze with absolute confidence.
"Ahem! I suppose I overreacted a bit. I was just worried you two would end up seriously injuring each other..."
I let out a soft chuckle.
"Silly girl, I'm a healer. What does it matter if I get hurt?"
I could just heal myself instantly.
"Oh, right..."
While the three of us carried on our comedy routine, a crowd of onlookers had gathered.
"What are you all staring at? Don't you have work to do?"
The moment I barked at the crowd gathered outside, they scrambled and dispersed.
"Anyway, today's duel was fun."
It had been a long time since I'd fought with any real sincerity. Personally, I would have loved to make this a regular thing, but with my sister throwing a fit... it was a shame, but I had to let it go.
I turned to leave the training hall, but Seohui started to follow me.
"Why are you following me?"
"Huh? Well, because we're done here?"
I flashed her a sly grin.
"Go take care of your Guild Master over there."
Seohui looked confused, but as I gave her a gentle shove, she walked over to him as if possessed.
Once I stepped out of the training hall, I gave a quick scolding to the lingering stragglers. It's over, nothing more to see here. Get back to work.
Ten days flew by. During that time, I frequented various Gates to sharpen my combat instincts. I deliberately picked high-rank dungeons and raided them with the guild members... but none of them could truly satisfy me. I guess only an S-class Gate would do.
"So, is there any news from China?"
"That is precisely why I called you here."
I had been checking the news daily, but there hadn't been any updates. China was probably keeping a tight lid on the information.
The assembled group was the same as last time: Ddaengjung, Namgung Min, myself, and Seohui. Jegal Cheon scanned our faces, his expression turning grave.
"The Chinese raid on the Dark Elf Forest has ended in failure."
Ah...
"Fortunately, casualties are reportedly low."
Since they had deployed three S-class hunters alongside a host of veterans, they had recognized their failure early and retreated, keeping the damage to a minimum. The real issue lay in what happened next...
"Refusing to back down after their initial defeat, the second raid force reorganized and attempted another assault."
Believing the next attempt would be easier since they had thinned out the dark elves' numbers, they pushed forward. However, they found themselves locked in a brutal stalemate, and the hunter casualties only continued to mount.
"Ultimately, the Chinese side has abandoned the raid."
They gave up...
"Which means..."
"Yes. They have decided to call in the hunters who successfully cleared that Gate before."
The hunters who cleared the Great Forest... That would be...
"The Murim Alliance... specifically, Nix and myself," Namgung Min said.
Jegal Cheon nodded.
"They have offered an astronomical sum to have us clear the Gate."
Furthermore, it wasn't an official state visit. They wanted us to handle it quietly and unofficially... which clearly pointed to an ulterior motive.
"They plan to take all the credit for the clear."
"From our perspective, it matters very little," Jegal Cheon replied.
As long as we succeeded and got paid, who cared about the glory?
"If any of you have scheduling conflicts, we will need to adjust the timeline..."
"I'm fine with it," I said.
Neither Ddaengjung nor Namgung Min seemed to have any objections either.
"Then we shall proceed with accepting China's request."
He added that coordinating with our own government would take a little time.
"So we're really going," my sister said to me.
"Yeah."
Sigh... To think I'd be stepping foot in that forest again. It was something I had never anticipated. But this time... if possible, I wanted to properly listen to what the World Tree had to say. Its words would likely hold a crucial clue.
Still, I wondered which other hunters would be heading to China with us...
Peace had returned to the other world.
Humanity had reclaimed vast territories and was busy with reconstruction, while the demons remained in disarray due to internal strife. Amidst this hard-won peace, the Hero, Yu Jin, wandered aimlessly.
Even so, seeing the villages begin their postwar recovery warmed his heart. This was the peace he had brought... the peace he, the Saintess, and the Hero's party had fought so hard to achieve. Seeing smiles bloom once more on the faces of the people was truly a beautiful sight.
"Peace, huh..."
Perhaps this world no longer had any need for a Hero. He had fought with the dream of one day bringing about this very peace, and he had succeeded. Yet, seeing the fruits of his labor left him with a complex mix of emotions. There was a profound sense of accomplishment, but also something else.
"Oh my! I never dreamed the Hero himself would grace our humble village!"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, he had stopped to rest in a nearby village, only to be recognized immediately.
"Please, there is no need to fuss."
"Nonsense! You are the Hero who saved our world! We can only offer so much, and for that, we must apologize."
The village chief insisted, presenting the Hero with food and wine.
"Thank you. I will enjoy it."
"If you require anything else—"
"Yes, I will let you know. But for now..."
He politely asked to be left alone. Not every village was like this, but in most places he visited, the residents recognized Yu Jin and showered him with gratitude and hospitality. They had only just begun to rebuild and surely lacked resources themselves... yet they still shared what little they had, simply because the Hero had arrived.
Considering what the Hero's party had accomplished, perhaps it was only natural. Still, experiencing it firsthand left him deeply moved.
"Haha... It really looks like they don't need a Hero anymore."
There was a reason Yu Jin had separated from his companions to travel alone. The war was over. Now that an era of peace had dawned, the existence of a Hero was no longer necessary.
"It really is peaceful..."
Yu Jin took a careful bite of the food the chief had prepared. Though it should have cooled down by now, it tasted incredibly warm. The continent no longer needed a Hero. And if that was the case... then Yu Jin no longer had a reason to remain here. Which meant...
It was time for Yu Jin to make his choice. To return to Earth... This journey had been a way to confirm whether it was truly alright for him to leave. And through his travels, he had realized the truth. Peace had firmly taken root on this continent. He felt it deep in his bones—the Hero's duty was done.
Yes, it's time to go back. If he offered his prayers to the Goddess, she would surely send him home. But before that, he wanted to see his comrades one last time.
What had become of Earth? Had time passed there as well? Had peace found his home world too? He was filled with an overwhelming curiosity.