118. You Shouldn't Have Killed Anyone

Mysterious hunters glanced back and forth between them.

Yi Suk-young and Seo Soo-ji's group.

Eliminating the target was important, but leaving witnesses was a problem.

They slowly bared their killing intent. In the ominous atmosphere, Seo Soo-ji had only one thought.

'We're screwed.'

Hunter skirmishes happened all the time—sometimes dozens in a single hunting ground in a day. It was nothing special. Bloodshed was commonplace, and lives lost even more so.

Corpses could be fed to monsters for a clean disposal, making it a perfect crime. But witnesses changed everything.

A report to the Hunter Investigation Agency meant a one-way trip to Ujungdo.

Even fleeing wouldn't help; you'd be hunted by investigators or bounty hunters chasing the reward.

So how to deal with a witness to a murder? It was obvious.

'Why'd she act like she knows us? Makes it seem like we're on the same side. Not that they'd let us go anyway. Ugh, that woman's got nothing I like about her.'

The moment Seo Soo-ji's mind wandered, one of the hunters attacking Yi Suk-young lunged at her.

The hunter swung his sword at Seo Soo-ji's neck. She'd anticipated the attack, but caught off-guard in the gap, she couldn't react in time.

Luckily, Yu Tae-jin was prepared.

He blocked her path, parrying the sword, then drove a front kick into the opponent's gut, shoving him back.

Another hunter exploited the opening and swung at Yu Tae-jin, but this time Lee Cheol-jin raised his shield to block.

The hunter charging behind recovered too late, dodging Seo Soo-ji's arrow and losing his timing as he retreated.

"Everyone, snap out of it! I don't know who these bastards are, but they won't talk it out."

As Yu Tae-jin barked at his group, the enemy hunters reformed their line and pressed forward.

Six in total.

One on the North Korean woman. The remaining five advanced on Seo Soo-ji's party.

Weapons: longswords or daggers, no shields. Light armor. No tank—all damage dealers.

No mages or ranged archers either. Sometimes mages disguised as dealers, but their footwork closing the gap screamed melee specialists.

Such an extreme all-dealer party comp meant one thing.

Assassination. Ambush. Pursuit.

Inefficient even for low-rank monsters—sustainability sucked. So their target had to be human.

Hunters specialized in people, not monsters.

Yu Tae-jin ground his teeth, chewing the inside of his cheek.

'Bad luck—we might lose someone. Or maybe wipe.'

As if his grim thought was the signal, the enemies moved.

'Damn, thought I'd skate through the year's triple disaster.'

It started with Lee Cheol-jin up front. One hunter checked the tank, then three piled on Yu Tae-jin. One even went for Seo Soo-ji nocking her arrow from behind.

"Who said you could close the distance?!"

Seo Soo-ji nocked her arrow and activated Back Dash, sliding away like on ice. The hunter's sword sliced air; she loosed the string into the gap. He ducked the arrow, ready for counter, and charged.

"Soo-ji!"

Lee Cheol-jin turned to help, but his opponent relentlessly targeted vitals. He bashed with his shield but got tied down.

Compared to the one-on-ones, Yu Tae-jin's situation was dire.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Three hunters of similar rank—he'd survived this long without his head flying off. Applause-worthy.

'These bastards are pros. Not monster-hunting moves. This is for people.'

Obvious, but killing monsters and hunters were worlds apart.

Hunters without PvP experience didn't get it. Fight like it's monsters, and one slip meant death.

Yu Tae-jin knew the difference from hard-earned scars.

'Damn! Twin daggers against three longswords... They're countering perfectly, no openings. How long can I hold?'

Cuts multiplied on Yu Tae-jin. No lethals yet, but blood loss whittled him down. A fatigue stumble was a death sentence. He rolled desperately, resisting.

'Tae-jin hyung can't last. No potion time. And this guy's just poking, no real fight. Waiting for hyung to drop. Shit—at this rate, we're done.'

Lee Cheol-jin grew desperate at Yu Tae-jin's peril. The easy death route.

He gambled.

"Come on, you fucker!"

He ditched his shield, charging defenseless.

Prime lethal chance, but his hunter sidestepped like a matador, sticking to role.

Lee Cheol-jin's trap. He kept charging. The hunter finally realized, shouting warning.

"Hey! Watch out!"

The hunter on Yi Suk-young had his back turned in that direction.

Lee Cheol-jin hurled his sword. The hunter turned too late; it impaled his spine.

"Gah!"

Not fatal depth, but Yi Suk-young wouldn't wait.

"Die, you bastard!"

A blue-glowing dagger from her hand pierced his throat.

"Hah... hah... Comrade, I'll repay this debt."

"Forget the debt—stick with us. Grab that one too, even the numbers."

As Lee Cheol-jin yanked the sword from the dead hunter's back—

"Gurk!"

"Aaaagh—"

Yu Tae-jin and Seo Soo-ji's screams rang out.

Lee Cheol-jin assessed.

"Shit, double-team..."

Like him, they'd shifted one from Yu Tae-jin to Seo Soo-ji.

Seo Soo-ji collapsed, legs bleeding. Yu Tae-jin lay unconscious, bleeding out.

"What a pain."

The hunter who'd stabbed Yu Tae-jin's side wiped sweat, frowning. He nodded at the body.

"Finish it."

"W-Wait!"

Lee Cheol-jin yelled desperately as they raised swords.

But futile.

'No.'

He lunged for his comrades, but too far, body heavy.

Then—

"Freeze."

A command from nowhere.

Frail voice, yet everyone halted like lies made truth.

"Wh-What the...? Fuck?! Why can't I move...?"

"Body won't budge. Ngh!"

Hunters mid-swing on Seo Soo-ji and Yu Tae-jin froze. Lee Cheol-jin and Yi Suk-young too.

Clack!

A woman in a black coat dropped from the sky between them.

Lee Cheol-jin recognized the armored coat.

'Iron Will!!'

Relief washed over him.

Subduing everyone hands-free? Overwhelming power. No more blood.

"Pl-Please help. They attacked first. We need to heal our party—"

"Later."

"Huh?"

She didn't even glance, glaring at the brush.

"Deal with that ugly thing first."

The brush rustled where she pointed.

* * *

"Oh? The kid from earlier? You're Iron Will."

"No need to play dumb."

Parting the brush was Park Beom-il from the community center commotion, Baekho Guild.

Go Eul-ji didn't like his casual swagger, hands in pockets.

New arrival tensed the hunters.

The woman who'd dropped from sky, binding them all unseen. The man beside her, aura undetected till now.

Neither belonged in this backwater.

As things twisted weirdly, Park Beom-il spoke.

"We ain't fated to bump in the woods like this. You tailing me?"

"Tailing? Just watching a problem child. Team Leader Pyo said you'd cause trouble. Customer at our spot, so I watched at first. Had to step in—'cause of what you tried."

"What'd I try?"

"Killing them all just now. Mana reeking off you."

Hunters gawked. What? Kill? Who? Everyone here? Questions swirled, but they couldn't butt in.

Park Beom-il grinned, teeth bared. Eyes cold. Chilling. Familiar to Go Eul-ji.

'Not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his first rodeo.'

She glared back. Her face mirrored his ferocity.

"Don't grin like that, mister. Makes me wanna smash you."

"Your guild's all mouthy? Like the guild master? Rude brats."

"Oh? Forgot your tantrum earlier, Mr. Manners?"

"Huh?"

Park Beom-il's canines jutted like fangs. Gums tore red. Sclera bloodshot, breath ragged.

"No, party leader!"

Go Tae-seop, arriving behind, restrained him.

"Don't stop me. Gotta clean 'em anyway—let's do it together."

"Calm down. They're Iron Will. If they were ordered to watch you from above, killing here blows up. Personal beef becomes guild war."

"Guild?"

"Yes. So hold it."

Voice steadying, Park Beom-il asked again.

"Touch that girl, and Joo Se-ah moves?"

"Probably... No. Don't go there. Starting shit to fight the guild master is banned. Reporting to her."

"Tch!"

Park Beom-il deflated. He eyed the bound hunters, messaging Go Tae-seop.

Go Tae-seop pondered. Needed handling, but not with Iron Will watching. Client job or not, killing Iron Will meant war—Joo Se-ah's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠temper could spark it. Fun for party leader, but retreat best. Wait for next chance.

His judgment was why the guild master paired ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him with Park Beom-il.

'Pull clients out first.'

Park Beom-il nodded, picking the ones who'd targeted Yi Suk-young.

"You, you, you, you. And you. Almost forgot—take the dead one too. Call it even?"

Go Eul-ji shook her head.

"This is our turf. Troublemakers are our business. Don't think it'll slide."

"Brat's got balls. Got ID? Acting like a middle-schooler."

"Asking a hunter's age? Amateur hour, mister."

"Tae-seop, can I just rough her up?"

"No. Hey, Iron Will girl. Let's make it easy. Not taking everyone—just ours. Don't piss off our party leader; we yield this much, back off."

"Yield? Pisses me off."

Go Eul-ji tsked. Go Tae-seop sensed off vibes.

'Knows party leader. No fear of A+? Backup nearby?'

Unlike Go Tae-seop's vague doubt, Park Beom-il sized her up precisely.

'Kid's lower rank, but zero detection. Tailed from outside my range. Better sensor than me. Center attack style, flew in... Mage?'

Wrong guess, but fair—her display screamed mage. Telekinesis too rare. Few in Korea could ragdoll A+ even briefly. He didn't know Go Eul-ji among them.

Tense standoff. Go Tae-seop pressed.

"Don't like it? What then?"

Mana oozed from him.

Go Eul-ji tsked again.

"Thinking you can erase me anytime? Annoying."

She shot skyward. Bound hunters trailed into air.

Park Beom-il saw multi-target control sans chant, realizing.

"Telekinesis!"

He snatched Lee Cheol-jin's fallen shield, infusing mana. Sharper than any sword, it flew at her.

"Can't kill!"

Go Tae-seop yelled, too late.

Spear Throw and Swift Speed boosted—the edge targeted her.

Go Eul-ji drew a hairpin from her chest. Pointed, ornate—no blade, more hairpin than dagger.

She telekinetically twisted her flowing hair into a bun, pinning it. The hairpin glowed soft gold; her eyes matched.

Ten layers bloomed—not stacked shields, but chains wrapping the shield, binding single-target high-difficulty.

Ting, tick. Crack!

'Poured stupid mana in. Rank gap? Chains snapping one by one. Can I hold?'

Go Eul-ji climbed higher—not dodging, escaping follow-ups.

Smart. Shield hit tenth chain limit. Trailed slow, then blocked, crashing down.

"Damn, knew it was telekinesis, should've smashed on sight. Sneaky trait."

Park Beom-il gnashed. Go Tae-seop admired the sky dot.

"Telekinetists excel multi. Screwed like that—no counter unless mage."

"I held back. Needed stronger skill. Tch!"

"Still, blocking party leader with nine in tow? Impressive. Not even A+."

Go Eul-ji gone, Park Beom-il scratched head.

"Mission bust anyway?"

"Yeah. Underestimated Iron Will. That kinda force? Info might soften guild master's chew-out."

"That guy? Dream on."

"Figured."

"Let's bounce. Lingering in North Pocheon risks more annoyances."

Park Beom-il scowled, thinking Jang Deok-gu.

* * *

'What day is it? All headaches.'

After soothing Tae Su-man and reporting Makyung to Guild Cooperation, Mr. Jo called.

And unpleasantly, a name in the report.

"Ah, yes. Zoned out. Unexpected name popped."

"Sounds like Kim Myeong-jun brokered between Tae Su-cheol and Baekho, even if deal details unknown."

'He is.'

Slayer cleaner, Japanese guilds' mole. Ambitious.

Linked to Joo Se-ah? Had to touch Taeseong Group.

'Kim Myeong-jun via Tae Su-cheol caused Tae Jin-seong to disown firstborn? Hmm, off.'

Kim Myeong-jun tied to Tae Jin-seong too. Chairman's bodyguard Jeong Sil-jang under him.

A-rank like Jeong? Guarding chairman while handling Tae Su-cheol? Didn't add up.

"Request deeper probe on Kim Myeong-jun and Baekho."

"No infiltration. Approach discreetly."

Then—

Bang!

"Director Kang! Big trouble! Murder!"

Go Eul-ji burst in, door slamming.

Nine hunters trussed like pupae. Three faces familiar to Kang Moo-hyuk.

Before assessing—

Kang Moo-hyuk gently hung up, gravely.

"Whew~ Go Eul-ji Hunter. No matter the trouble, you shouldn't have killed anyone."