Chapter 195
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The Seventh and Eighth (2)
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"This is so fucking frustrating! Why the hell do I have to bow my head to that woman? Anyone with eyes can see that guy is the culprit!"
Back at the Shadow Trackers Guild's base, I hurled my rider helmet with all my might. It sliced through the air toward the wall.
It was lodging provided by Radius, but I couldn't care less if some furniture got smashed. Money was no object anyway. Far more important was venting this boiling rage somehow than worrying about pocket change.
But the wall didn't shatter as I'd hoped.
Because the deputy leader dispatched with me snatched the flying helmet out of the air midway.
"Captain. Losing your temper won't change a damn thing."
"You asshole! Don't you get why I'm this pissed!?"
"I do. Which is why we need to come up with a plan."
"You T-type, huh? Hey, when your superior's pissed, what do you do? You blow up with them and help them cool off! Right!?"
The deputy adjusted his glasses with an utterly emotionless expression.
That precise pinch of thumb and index finger on the frame, sliding it up—it just pissed me off even more for no reason.
"Please don't classify people using unscientific nonsense like MBTI. Inaccurate information only breeds confusion."
"Fuck. Maybe I should request a new deputy."
"Doubt that'd fly. In our guild, I'm probably the only one who can handle an emotional captain like you."
"Why's a guy like you yapping so much? Huh!?"
Even amid my torrent of abuse, the deputy showed no flicker of emotion.
He simply set the helmet on the living room table and calmly shifted the topic.
"Circumstantially, that man you mentioned is definitely the one who uploaded those videos."
"That's what I've been saying! So let's storm in together! Grab the evidence! Once we have ironclad proof, even that snooty Japanese bitch won't have a word to say!"
"Just the two of us? No chance. I'm the type who works brains from the back, not fists up front."
"Useless bastard! Then call everyone! Amazones aside, they said not even an ant in sight! This is a waste of manpower! How long are we gonna keep over ten people spinning their wheels against villains who might strike anytime? Better to catch this video leaker and negotiate or deal with him!"
The deputy shook his head at my words.
"Jeong Ji-ham's got Jeong Ji-su, Ya Hye-jeong, and Seol Isum on constant guard. Plus Saint Sword's Hannavi, Daehan Guild's Gwanghan Monk, and Shinsa Guild's Park Young-seop—all hushed up and moving past this. Force it here, and we'll just end up isolated and kicked out."
"Why? Why's everyone covering for that pervert!?"
"Less covering for him and more betting on his abilities and Radius Guild's future. They figure it's way more profitable than sucking up to you, Captain."
"Ugh... Arrrgh!!"
"So just back down, Captain. That way, we might snag at least one villain. You haven't forgotten our unit's mission, right?"
I hadn't.
Our mission: capture at least one villain.
Ideally, the most infamous and strongest one to bring to the guild master.
"This humiliation... someday... I'll pay it back in full."
That was when it happened.
As I debated taking a cold shower to cool off, the deputy's phone blared noisily.
"Excuse me."
He asked my permission and took the call.
After exchanging a few words, he turned to me.
"Captain. Looks like we need to head out now. They've finally shown up."
...
I stopped in a wide-open spot like a university main gate and held out my hands to my sister.
"There, we're here. Now delete the video."
"Huh? Weren't you gonna speak for me? You can't seriously be turning back now? No way. Then I won't delete it."
My sister whined like a kid and clung to me.
Grabbing my sleeve and wrist, dangling off me—she was the picture of a brat.
But the grip on my wrist was no child's strength.
Hell, it felt like it might snap my wrist clean off if she squeezed wrong.
"Coming this far is enough, isn't it...? Humans are swarming already, so go tell them. Say you came to sleep with Jeong Ji-ham once. Bring that man here."
"Y-you tell them. It's embarrassing."
"I'm gonna lose my mind..."
Then a streak of light hurtled toward us.
The flashy beam halted a few meters away.
A blonde with crackling electric sparks arcing off her hair.
A woman in skin-tight rubbery clothes.
Dozens of humans trailed behind her, charging our way like linked sausages.
"Looks like that haughty bitch's tip wasn't total bullshit. Rainbow-shimmering hair. You the rank 8?"
At the blonde woman's mutter, my sister shyly ducked behind me.
"Chasing just two of us all the way here—overconfident much?"
"Uni-ya. That woman's scary. Looks vicious."
"What? V-vicious?"
"Hey, vicious woman. Isn't there a man named Jeong Ji-ham around here?"
The name Jeong Ji-ham twisted the woman's face unpleasantly.
...
Irritation surged.
Whether dodging my question, calling me vicious, or hunting Jeong Ji-ham—nothing sat right.
"So the target's that guy after all?"
"Escort this child to that man."
The woman commanded imperiously, without a hint of tension.
Utterly bored and nonchalant, like she just wanted to wrap up this chore and leave.
'Similar vibe to Shirobara Riyo... annoying bitch...'
From her looks, she was definitely the eighth.
Hime-cut hair shimmering rainbow in the sunlight, trailing nearly to her ankles.
Sailor suit on: long skirt past the knees, white socks below, black flats.
Matched Radius's intel to a T.
"What's your angle?"
"No angle."
"Here for revenge on your little sisters?"
"Don't care what happens to those losers."
Right then, my guildmates arrived and swiftly formed a encirclement.
"Hm? Did I mince words?"
"If that's what you want, I'll drag you there. By beating you senseless."
"Can't reason with you, huh... There, happy now? I've done all I can. Let go already."
A weird dissonance in the woman's words.
Why use polite speech to that tiny girl?
Some higher-ranked sister maybe?
The small one was fully shrouded in a cloak-like thing.
Head bowed, so hair barely visible.
All I could tell: about 140cm tall, childish voice.
"Captain. Tall one's rank 8 Uni. Short one's rank 7 Lime. Requesting backup."
"No way! We catch 'em ourselves! Claim ownership fair and square with our own strength!"
"Insufficient firepower! Fighting like this means wipeout! At minimum, we need Daehan Guild support!"
The deputy, hanging back to assess, desperately tried to dissuade the fight.
I got what he was driving at.
Amazones villains aren't human.
Human-monster hybrids.
The ones called 'sisters' often inherit higher-grade monster bloodlines and their traits.
With this lineup, even capturing rank 8 Uni would be tough.
And rank 7 Lime too. Slime-blooded villain. The firstborn daughter of their 'mother.' Same name as me by coincidence. Clearly short on manpower to handle both.
"Uni-ya... scary..."
But were these villains really that strong?
Maybe Radius hyped their threat level to inflate achievements?
Guilds specializing in villain hunts pulled that shit all the time.
No guarantee it wasn't the case here.
'That Erofu villain was a total pushover. Silbi didn't seem that strong either.'
Besides, if a fresh awakener like Jeong Ji-ham could nab 'em, then our Squad 2 combining forces should overpower easy.
'Time stop? Useless if his stats are civilian-level. My squad can't fail to catch villains nabbed by a pervert like that?'
Just ranks 8 and 7.
Shadow Trackers, second to none in Korea at villain hunting—we couldn't stoop to calling for backup without even trading blows.
"I handle the fighting! Everyone else, spread wide and lock the perimeter so the villains can't escape!"
"Captain!"
My guildmates scattered at my order.
Years of teamwork meant no need for detailed commands.
"Knew it'd come to this... Knew it'd turn into such a hassle..."
"Uni-ya..."
"Sister. Wanna just kill 'em all and strut in?"
"No. I wanna get chummy with that man. Killing these women would make that hard. Just cause a ruckus."
"Then you fight too, sister."
"Eek... scary..."
I clenched my fist at their utterly relaxed banter.
If this was provocation, it was working perfectly.
"How long can you keep acting cocky?"
Golden lightning crackled over my body.
Forcing every cell awake, honing senses, I kicked off the ground and rocketed forward.
A true thunderbolt.
Like lightning spearing from sky to earth—too fast for human eyes to track—I swung at the woman called Uni's face.
This strike would gauge her strength.