Chapter 440 – You’ve Worked Hard (4)
“It’s an attack!”
Someone’s shout rang out, followed by the blaring of sirens. A crowd of Hunters rushed toward the building that had exploded. The detention building had fifteen Hunters remaining in total, counting high-ranks and mid-ranks alike.
Flames rose beneath Han Yoohyun’s feet. The rooftop floor melted soundlessly, and his body dropped straight down into the building. He had already grasped the interior layout. Han Yoohyun ran unhesitatingly down the hallway and threw a wire at the Hunter standing at the entrance to the stairwell.
“……!”
The steel line tightened around the Hunter’s neck and, in an instant—crack—broke it. Han Yoohyun’s foot caught the falling body halfway and lowered it quietly to the floor.
“Azure Willow Leaves.”
At the low voice, leaves scattered. Instead of stepping on the metal stairs that would ring out even from the slightest touch, Han Yoohyun glided downward as though sliding across leaves.
Unlike the upper floor, a thick iron door blocked the way on the floor below.
A black-bladed sword was drawn, and in one stroke he cut across the upper part of the door. The square-cut section dropped with a thud, and the Hunter guarding the inside spun around hurriedly.
“Who—!”
Before the shout could fully grow, whoosh, a small flame covered his face. At the same time the fire elemental swallowed the Hunter’s voice, the scabbard shot forward. Kwak! The tip of the scabbard struck the nape of his neck hard, denting in deeper than the width of a finger joint. Naturally, no one could remain fine after that kind of injury.
The Hunter’s body fell forward, and Han Yoohyun stepped lightly over the corpse and continued onward.
There were many people imprisoned on this floor. But instead of freeing them, Han Yoohyun kept moving forward. If he let the non-combat Awakened out before he was done clearing things completely, they would only get in the way.
From outside came intermittent explosions and the sound of collapsing buildings. Noah was doing well, but if they did not move as quickly as possible, the enemy would start evacuating the people here. Turning around a bent corridor, he saw a Hunter staring out through a barred window.
Power gathered in the tip of Han Yoohyun’s right foot, and a thin crack spread in the floor. At the creak, the Hunter immediately turned his head, but that was the end of it. The Ruler’s Sword, still in its scabbard, whipped across the Hunter’s neck as if chopping it off. Han Yoohyun had intentionally not used the blade. A cut severe enough to sever the neck would make the thick smell of blood spread instantly.
Then down to the next floor, and then the final first floor. After finishing the cleanup in a flash, Han Yoohyun headed back up to the top-level holding cells. Doors lined both sides of the long corridor. Instead of opening them one by one, Han Yoohyun moved his mana.
The divided fire elementals gathered again, and delicate strands of flame stretched long down the corridor under Han Yoohyun’s control. Tiny sparks leapt and struck the door locks with precise accuracy.
Chiiik, more than a dozen door handles melted at the same time. The sound of people murmuring came faintly from inside.
“Push them open with your feet.”
If they touched them carelessly with their hands, they would get burned. Having offered that warning, Han Yoohyun further suppressed the presence of his S-rank aura, which he had already been reducing. Then he stretched out his hand toward the door in the middle of the corridor. Unbothered by the heat, he grabbed the melted door opening and pulled it open.
“Are you Hunter Hoyeon?”
“Well now, where is the cart for tossing fruit, hmm.”
The woman sitting in the chair rose as she spoke. Though she was said to be over sixty, her back was straight and her hair was only slightly gray. She looked far too young to call elderly.
“What Hunter. Call me Teacher.”
Hoyeon picked up the few belongings she had prepared in advance and stared directly at Han Yoohyun.
“I am Han Yoohyun, Guild Master of Haeyeon Guild of Korea. With the cooperation of the Martial Arts Alliance, I have come to rescue Hunter Hoyeon, so I ask that you follow me.”
“What a stiff youngster.”
As the two of them stepped outside, the people lingering uncertainly in the corridor looked over. One of them carefully approached while eyeing Han Yoohyun.
“Teacher!”
“They came to rescue us. Let’s go.”
At Hoyeon’s wave of the hand, the people began to move. Han Yoohyun, who had already opened the doors downstairs as well, said to them,
“If you follow the eastern road, Hunters who have been contacted by the Martial Arts Alliance will be waiting.”
He couldn’t take all of them with him. Han Yoohyun held out a Minimini Cookie to Hoyeon.
“Hunter Hoyeon, please come with me.”
“I was considering going to Europe, though.”
Hoyeon said that as if she could guess all the internal circumstances.
“At present, Korea is the safest place.”
When it came to dungeon safety, no other country could match it. Once Hoyeon had shrunk, Han Yoohyun placed her into a belt pouch he had prepared in advance, while the rest of the people swarmed out through the back door. The Hunters posted at the rear exit had already all been dealt with by Han Yoohyun as well.
After confirming that they had escaped, Han Yoohyun headed toward the front building. Thick poison miasma hung over the partially collapsed structure. The mid-rank Hunters had long since fallen paralyzed, and even the high-rank Hunters were struggling to control their slowed bodies.
Still, one high-rank Hunter remained who had a poison resistance skill or item, and he threw himself at the enemy.
“Ghk!”
He was struck by a tail whipping like a lash and tumbled away. Standing atop the building rubble, Noah gazed at the S-rank Hunter standing some distance away with eyes that had changed to resemble those of a reptile. Golden scales covered his hands, and sharp claws gleamed wet with blood.
Since his nature leaned heavily toward support, Noah’s raw combat power itself was not particularly strong. But the S-rank Hunter could not approach Noah easily. That was because of Noah’s compulsory support skill, which arbitrarily altered the bodily capabilities of others.
“I was told not to kill.”
Noah spoke suddenly. At the same time, the S-rank Hunter twisted his body in haste. A sharp sword strike grazed his arm and tore up the ground heavily. Gritting his teeth hard enough to make them creak, the S-rank Hunter was about to counterattack when once again his stats shifted of their own accord.
Immediately after, Han Yoohyun’s foot struck into the S-rank Hunter’s solar plexus as though piercing it. Kwagwang, the Hunter’s body flew backward and buried itself in the building, sending a cloud of dust shooting high.
“I’m getting dizzy!”
Hoyeon grumbled, poking her head out through the gap in the pouch.
“Is that the person?”
“Yes. Let’s go back. They won’t be able to pursue us for a while anyway because of the poisoned Hunters.”
“Hooo, this young man is no joke either. Life really feels worth living when I’ve got Prince of Lanling on one side and the other as well.”
After looking at Noah, Hoyeon clicked her hands together in admiration. Noah hesitated a little, then bowed politely.
“Hello. I am Noah Luire, a Hunter affiliated with the kiseungsu rearing facility.”
“I’m Hoyeon.”
At the sound of rubble crashing, it seemed the S-rank Hunter was getting back up. Noah quickly turned back into a dragon, loaded Han Yoohyun and Hoyeon onto his back, and took to the air.
“They’re back already?”
I had thought it would still take a while, but Yoohyun and Noah-ssi returned before the sun had even set. I hurried outside, and there in the wide courtyard was the golden dragon descending. A few people were slyly pointing their phone cameras toward Noah. Didn’t that clash with the whole concept here?
“Yoohyun! You’re not hurt anywhere, right? Noah-ssi, you’re safe too?”
As Yoohyun approached me, he smiled.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
The woman over there getting down from Noah seemed to be Healer Hoyeon. She looked young for her age.
“Is that the beacon fires of Bao Si. He looks even more handsome when he smiles.”
Hoyeon said that while looking at Yoohyun. Bao Si sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe Chinese people really did like saying things like that. More importantly, though, that elder named Hoyeon seemed like a decent person.
“My younger brother really is handsome. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Han Yoojin, director of Korea’s kiseungsu rearing facility.”
As I extended my hand for a handshake, Hoyeon silently studied me, then firmly clasped my hand with both of hers.
“…Your qi and blood are strange, very strange.”
“Excuse me?”
“They call it mana these days, I suppose. If I had to describe it… perhaps something like severed meridians. As if everything was tightly blocked, and then a few passages were forcibly opened.”
…It sounded like she was talking about my mana circuits. From behind me, Eun Seseon quietly explained.
“It is not an actual disease, but one that appears in wuxia and similar stories. However, now that mana exists, a similar condition may well appear.”
“Ah, I see? What kind of illness is it?”
“…Generally, it is short-lived.”
Ah, um. That was accurate. At the mention of short-lived, Yoohyun, Yerim, and Noah-ssi’s expressions instantly froze.
“No, it’s just an example, an example. I don’t literally have that illness.”
“Is it very serious, Teacher?”
Yoohyun asked Hoyeon. Her wrinkled fingers found my pulse. I could feel faint mana at her fingertips.
“Did someone treat you at some point?”
“There was something that was sort of like treatment.”
Thanks to Crescent Moon.
“It does seem to have improved somewhat. …But there is no proper method for now. All I can tell you is to take good care of your body.”
So once I got back to Korea, life was going to get even harder.
“And as for your leg—”
“It is injured, but it is the sort of injury that will also require surgical treatment.”
“Let me see it. Lift it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Then shall I bend down instead?”
That wasn’t something I could let happen. Though I was thinking there was a table and chairs inside, so couldn’t we just go in there—when Yoohyun suddenly scooped me up.
Fresh embarrassment hit me all over again.
“They broke the bone and then simply poured a potion on it. The outside healed while the inside remained a mess. What kind of ignorant fool did this?”
“Chohawayun.”
“That angular fool.”
“So my younger brother cut off his leg.”
“Good. Nice temperament.”
Ha, she was praising Yoohyun’s temperament. Right, there were people like this in the world too. So there was some hope left.
“My younger brother is kinder than you might expect.”
“At this rate, you’re going to put the beanskin right back on. Double thickness, too.”
Yerim muttered. No, Yerim. Older, experienced elders tend to be better judges of character and… well, something like that.
“Even Hua Tuo himself couldn’t do anything without using a knife. I’ll at least give you some emergency treatment for the pain.”
“Thank you. And regarding the contract, I will give you the best possible terms. Haeyeon is one of Korea’s leading major Guilds, led by this handsome, kind, and even more capable Hunter Han Yoohyun standing right here. And on top of that, the S-rank Hunter Bak Yerim over there is also kind, talented, and has even greater future potential.”
“Hello~ Please take good care of our ahjussi from now on. He gets into a lot of accidents, doesn’t manage his health, and hates exercising, but please look kindly on him, Healer Teacher.”
No, I mean, that was… true, but still.
“We’ll have to adjust the detailed terms and write the contract after returning to Korea, but we can probably accommodate almost anything. I promise.”
Seok Simyeong wouldn’t say much either. As long as it wasn’t on the level of tearing Haeyeon’s pillars out from under it.
“Of course, your family’s— Hk.”
Hoyeon took out a bamboo tube from her belongings and opened the lid. When she unrolled the cloth inside, needles—long needles—appeared in a row.
“N-no, wait! Weren’t you using a skill?”
“I use skills too.”
Mother of God. Wait, wait a second.
—Krrr.
When a sharp needle appeared in Hoyeon’s hand, Peace bared his teeth.
“Take the cat away.”
“P-Peace, it’s okay. Daddy’s okay.”
“Ahjussi, your voice doesn’t sound okay at all. Peace, come here. They said it’s not dangerous.”
“It’s treatment, so just endure it a little, Hyung. It’ll hurt less than being stabbed by a knife.”
“That’s right, Mr. Yoojin. They’re so thin.”
Noah, who had been getting showered with photos, had returned to human form and added his comment too. No, it wasn’t that it would hurt. It was more like a psychological rejection, if anything. A faint blue glow ran along the needle in Hoyeon’s hand.
“It’s convenient too, since it sterilizes things.”
I see. And though I braced myself internally, it truly didn’t hurt at all. Even so, every time a needle pierced my skin, my brow furrowed reflexively.
“…I definitely can’t feel pain, but it also feels like half my sensation is numbed.”
“That’s why you can’t feel it.”
“Excuse me?”
“It just dulls you a little. There will be no problem moving. In fact, it’ll be easier since it won’t hurt.”
Yoohyun lowered me back down. It really was easier to walk, even without the cane. She really was skilled. It really did seem better to contract with this elder than with the MKC Healer.
After speaking again with the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance about our future relationship, we ate dinner and contacted Korea too.
[Accordingly, I am scheduled to be officially discharged tomorrow.]
“You’ve worked hard. We’ll be returning early tomorrow too. And nothing happened, really, truly.”
[Yes. That is a relief.]
I was told the baby monsters were safe too, and that Yoon Yoon and the dokkaebis had arrived properly. For the time being, Haeyeon and Seseong had also agreed to prepare temporary lodgings for the dokkaebis. After finishing the call and washing up at the hot springs, I returned to find that Samokwol and the Martial Arts Alliance people who had gone to loot military items were back. But Sung Hyunjae was nowhere to be seen.
“We extracted five people, but only two of them trusted us enough to come. The remaining three said they could not believe in the解除.”
“There weren’t that many items anyway. But where is the Seseong Guild Master?”
“He went to a different location than we did……”
Samokwol gestured awkwardly toward the back. Then a Hunter with a slightly pale face came forward and spoke.
“He said to tell you… that he would return before daybreak.”
“What? It’ll take that long? It isn’t somewhere dangerous, is it?”
The Hunter hurriedly shook his head.
“It didn’t look dangerous… so you may rest without worry.”
Was it really okay? Then again, aside from a Transcendent, there was nobody who could threaten Sung Hyunjae’s life. Feeling vaguely uneasy, I still nodded.
Anyway, we’d more or less gathered everything we needed. Tomorrow, we’d return to Korea.
Beacon fires of Bao Si: The story of Bao Si, the beauty of the Zhou dynasty who would not smile, laughing at false beacon fires.
Cart for tossing fruit: Cheokgwayeongcha. An anecdote about Pan An of the Western Jin, who was so handsome that people came out to watch him and threw fruit into the cart he rode in.
Prince of Lanling: A famously handsome man of Northern Qi who wore a fearsome mask on the battlefield because of his beautiful appearance.
