Hunter Center Trouble. 05
"Ugh. Trash."
"Trash who hides behind a sparring match to grope people!"
"Sh-shut up! That wasn't on purpose!"
"Call the cops! No, call the Special Mobile Team!"
The place was in an uproar.
Nade Man, oblivious to the doom barreling toward him, flailed his hands wildly in all directions, making excuses left and right.
'No matter how much you deny it, you're still just Gold tier.'
Yeonwoo glared at Nade Man.
Before her regression, Yeonwoo's hunter rank had been Platinum. And not just any Platinum—she'd been on the verge of White tier.
Though Gold and Platinum were only one step apart on paper, the reality was worlds different. Up to Gold, you could advance just by climbing tiers. But from Platinum onward, proven achievements and verified abilities were mandatory. Promotion battles involved named hunters from the national Special Mobile Team conducting practical interviews. And she'd crossed that threshold through sheer effort and veteran savvy. A veteran on the cusp of White tier, no less.
Of course, all that was before she beat the crap out of him for real.
'Ha, Yeonseo. Your clothes keep flapping around, throwing off my calculations.'
Yeonwoo blamed the innocent Yeonseo and roughly unzipped her zip-up hoodie, flinging it aside.
The stares from the crowd didn't register. All that mattered now was her intent to pummel Nade Man into oblivion.
"...Gasp."
A sharp intake of breath echoed through the room. At the same time, the sparring area shrank slightly—the onlookers had unconsciously stepped forward.
But they couldn't look away. It was because of the insane presence hidden beneath that baggy hoodie: a cropped top clinging to her pale, bloodless skin, sharp navel on full display.
"... "
"Whoa."
"...Damn."
Confusion rippled through the crowd's gazes. They didn't know where to look—not because there was nowhere to look, but because there were too many places.
"Oh, her clothes. They're gonna get dirty. Sh-should I pick them up?"
"I'll get it! I'll do it!"
"Don't touch it. I'll throw you in jail for obstructing official duties on the spot."
A minor scuffle broke out over the still-warm hoodie on the floor, but Jeong Eunhye quickly shut it down.
'Feels lighter now.'
The reason Yeonwoo wore a crop top was simple: Yeonseo's bra was too small. Psychologically and physically, it felt like it might burst. So she'd wrapped it in a crop top as a barrier.
Lighter in every sense, Yeonwoo stepped forward.
Spotting her, Nade Man waved his hands frantically.
"Wait. Yeonwoo-ssi? I swear, that was a total accident just now..."
Whoosh!
His words cut off midway. The tip of a wakizashi was already at his nose.
Moreover, it had slipped precisely between his flailing fingers, halting right before his face.
The speed. The precision. Both were breathtaking.
"Accident? That's my line. So shut up and come at me."
"... "
Nade Man stared at Yeonwoo, speechless. It wasn't her aggressive, provocative tone. Nor the threatening blade tip.
It was her eyes, glowing red, that swirling gaze quiet yet intensely predatory. The moment their eyes met, instinct kicked in.
And it didn't take long to recognize what that instinct was.
"...Me?"
The most primal law of the jungle: wariness toward a predator.
"Don't make me laugh!"
But the target wasn't Yeonwoo. It was a defiant shout against the absurd sensation.
He planned to end it in one blow. Nade Man clenched his fist to snatch the wakizashi—and swung his other hand with full force.
But he grabbed nothing.
His grip closed on empty air, and Yeonwoo vanished from sight.
Whoosh!
Just the pathetic sound of slicing empty space.
"Y-you got lucky! Haha!"
Nade Man blustered. Otherwise, he couldn't shake the doubt that a Gold-tier hunter like him was being outmatched.
"Grr!"
Gripping the wakizashi tightly, he swung at Yeonwoo without hesitation.
Swoosh—whoosh! Swoosh!
This time, he didn't miss completely. Yeonwoo was always near the blade—right beside its vertical slash, twisting her body just so; beside its diagonal cut, bending at the waist perilously; always beside the wakizashi.
But she never took a single hit.
"Eeeek!"
Nade Man gritted his teeth and swung wildly. But the result was the same. Always by a hair's breadth, Yeonwoo dodged.
"... "
It was lethal. Beautiful. The wondrous scene hushed even their breaths.
All that remained was Nade Man's grunts and the wakizashi's futile whooshes.
"Huff. Huff."
I'm losing. At this rate, I'll lose.
His face twisted in panic, chin quivering. He'd forgotten she was a rookie who'd just registered today.
Nade Man swung with everything he had. But nothing changed.
Was he too slow? Or she too fast? Neither.
Physically, Gold-tier Nade Man had the edge. The reason was simpler. Obvious.
'Think of it as learning the hard way.'
In Yeonwoo's eyes, his attacks were too predictable. Like seeing the future, she couldn't let them hit even if she wanted to.
And this body was different. It moved exactly as she willed. Thought and flesh as one.
The spar, born of anger and shame, now brought serene immersion, like she could soar.
"Hraaagh!"
But Nade Man was the opposite. Roaring with fury, he slammed the wakizashi down in brute force.
'Even that needs to break him before he'll snap out of it.'
Yeonwoo lowered her stance. Gripped the wakizashi with both hands. But the weight felt like an iron greatsword.
"Hoo."
Exhaling softly, she twisted. Condensed power erupted through flexible tension.
Boom!
The blades clashed.
"G-guh...!"
Stunned by the unexpected force, Nade Man recoiled. His hands flew up in a V-for-victory over empty air.
Yeonwoo slipped in. Thrust the wakizashi, just like before.
But this time, it didn't stop.
Poke.
The tip jabbed Nade Man's throat.
"Kek, hack...!"
Choking pain made him drop the blade. He crumpled, clutching his neck and coughing.
Now his eyes were below Yeonwoo's.
"Haha."
Yeonwoo looked down, laughing. Head held high, eyes lowered in a smile so radiant and bewitching it was deadly.
'Look at him, slumped like that.'
She'd made him taste the same humiliation. Perfect satisfaction.
"Cool your head."
It was considerate, but she offered no hand. Instead, she spun and kicked his jaw with her toe.
Why? A wakizashi strike might kill him.
Crack!
"...Hngh!"
Thud.
Unconscious, mouth agape, Nade Man slammed into the Hunter Center floor.
Two rank levels apart. Body mass nearly quadruple. But the skill gap? Immeasurable. Too vast for such a short bout.
"Ooh! Oooh!"
"Woooah!"
Silence shattered into cheers. Onlookers clapped like it was their victory.
"Insane. Did you see those dodges? Same waist size as mine?"
"She's a total rookie, right? But beating Gold? No, demolishing him?"
"Didn't she fumble the kiosk earlier? What's her deal?"
"Noona, you're awesome!"
"What? She's older than dirt."
"Doesn't matter, if she's hot, she's noona!"
"Whoa. This is prime Nimgle material."
The cheers naturally mixed with questions. Unbelievable, even with their own eyes.
"Oh."
Amid the praise, Yeonwoo slowly raised her head. The ticklish unfamiliarity faded; now her chest thrummed pleasantly.
Had she ever been cheered like this? This fulfillment made her feel capable of anything.
'First things first—grab the spoils.'
Yeonwoo unbuckled the sword from Nade Man's waist. The sleek cylinder and gear motifs appealed to her.
"Hehe."
A grin escaped. Euphoria too strong; her hands moved busily.
'Compensation. Yeah, compensation.'
Mental and physical sexual humiliation demanded just recompense.
She rummaged his outer pockets hastily, but no wallet.
Even if found, cash was iffy. Still, his boastful strut suggested fat stacks.
'Tch. No wallet either.'
Yeonwoo dusted her hands and stood. She had no wallet herself—Yeonseo had burned her ID.
So this was just the start.
'This life will be different.'
No crumbling before hardship. As she vowed that—
"You did it! You really did it, Yeonwoo-ssi!"
Jeong Eunhye burst through the crowd. Somehow wearing Yeonwoo's hoodie herself.
"Ah, Team Leader Jeong Eunhye..."
"No way! This is insane! Totally unbelievable!"
Excited like she'd won, she clung to Yeonwoo—practically hugging.
"Ah, uh, y-yeah. Uh-huh... "
Yeonwoo averted her eyes, babbling. Already flushed with euphoria, now with less coverage. Overstimulation.
Had a woman ever hugged her this warmly? Her mind crumbled under the skin contact. And that sweet scent wafting...
She melted.
"Pfft. You're so strong, yet so shy, Yeonwoo-ssi?"
"Wh-who wouldn't be? With this."
"Nah. Not everyone is."
Her teasing stimulated Jeong Eunhye further. She giggled mischievously, poking at Yeonwoo.
"Anyway! Give me the hoodie. Now."
Yeonwoo pushed her away, snatching and donning it. Ziiip—up to her chin, hiding her flushed face.
'...Long road ahead.'
The thrill vanished. Back to ticklish flutters, eyes hard to open.
She wanted to get home, synthesize weapons. Her rank was due to rise soon anyway.
The same day. Around the same time.
A post went up on an internet community.
The content was mundane. Hunter antics at the Hunter Center were infamous anyway.
The short, grainy phone video, looking like a hasty upload, began heating up the community that day.
The reactions from those who watched it were as follows.