A person’s physique and their Hunter Type can sometimes be related, and sometimes not at all. However, the man before me might as well have had a sign on him that read, ‘I am a Knight-type.’ A sturdy, thick upper body, and a bulging solar plexus.
The aura of Ether surrounding his entire body, and even the knuckle-type device on his hand. Judging from the various scars on his face and arms, he seemed to be a close-combat Hunter.
“My goodness…”
Is he an idiot? There was no need for all this analysis when I had the ‘most convenient method’ to check the opponent. I used the most convenient method in my mind, and V1, as if it had been waiting, displayed the man’s information.
“Oh…”
The guy’s specs were better than I thought. If he was a B-rank Hunter, his physical strength would be hundreds of times greater than that of an adult male. It was no wonder the portly merchant had gone flying like a paper airplane.
No, wait.
If anything, he was probably holding back.
Crack! Thud!!
A few employees who were patrolling the black market rushed in, but it was clear at a glance they were no match for him. Kim Gwan-tae used his knuckles to mercilessly beat them to a pulp. His menacing aura was so fierce that the people around him began to back away.
Kim Gwan-tae cracked his neck as if warming up, then approached the merchant again.
“Give me more money.”
“Kugh… Once a deal is made, it’s over… That’s the rule here.”
“Rules? Don't talk to me about rules. A shithole black market like this… I'll personally show you that the fist is closer than the law.”
Kim Gwan-tae slapped the merchant’s cheek several times with his palm. It seemed he would continue until the merchant agreed to return the money.
Slap.
The merchant’s lips burst, and his face, beyond just turning red, became outright bruised. He looked half out of his mind. Is he going to die at this rate?
There was no sign of him stopping the assault. Rather, the more he hit, the more vicious Kim Gwan-tae’s expression became.
Madness, huh.
I guess it's because he just finished fighting those patrolling guys. He seemed like the type of psycho who gets more excited once he sees blood, no matter who the opponent is. True to the name ‘Madness’, his beating grew even harsher.
Hey.
He’s really going to die. Unable to watch any longer, I asked Bi-soo.
“Aren’t you going to help?”
“Nope.”
“Is it the merchant’s own responsibility if he dies during a trade?”
“No.” Bi-soo’s gaze toward Kim Gwan-tae turned ice-cold.
It would naturally be impossible for Bi-soo to subdue a B-rank Hunter. But Bi-soo didn’t seem to be calling for anyone either.
“There’s someone else who handles these things.”
As soon as Bi-soo finished speaking, a low-pitched voice was heard from behind.
“Stop.”
Hearing the man’s voice reminded me of that annoying Gu Geon-yi. It was because the ‘something’ contained within his voice drew everyone’s attention.
“…?”
That power even stopped the movements of Kim Gwan-tae, who was in a state of ‘Madness.’ My, what a skill I’d like to learn.
“Who are you? Are you in charge here?”
“My father is the only one in charge. I just clean up messes like this.”
He said ‘father,’ but he actually looked older than Yacha. An uncle in his late 40s or early 50s with short, white hair. Is this what a war veteran would look like when he got older?
Seeing his stern impression, I finally remembered. He was the one standing to the side, watching my deal when I was trading with Yacha.
“I see. To subdue a B-rank Hunter, you’d need someone of that caliber.”
As I nodded, Bi-soo asked with a sullen expression.
“How do you know that bastard is B-rank?”
Of course, I know. V1, which hacks into the Hunter Association’s information, is integrated into my eye. But I couldn't tell her the truth.
“It’s just a feeling.”
“Hmph. How dull.”
Suddenly, I had become a boring man. But what did it matter? A fight was about to break out between a high-rank Hunter and a black market supervisor; it was impossible not to be interested.
Unlike my fights, where a single graze could mean death, they would engage in a proper ‘battle.’ For someone like me who lacks real combat experience, this was a great learning opportunity.
“I asked the shop next door, and they said he sold the monster for a cheap price without knowing it was a rare species. In such cases, you can't get compensation anywhere, not just in the black market.”
“Heh… Let's see if you can still say that when you're pissing yourself from a beating. Whether it's a dog or a person, a good beating is the best medicine.”
At this point, it was hard to tell who was from the black market and who was the Hunter. That bastard, for a Hunter, acts no different from a thug.
“I heard the government doesn't hold anyone responsible even if someone dies here.”
“So you were planning to kill him?”
“Yes. That way, these bastards won’t think of scamming anyone the next time I come.”
“No. There won’t be a next time.”
Watching with keen interest, I couldn't help but gulp. It was because I could feel a chilling, murderous aura in the manager’s eyes.
“Because you will die today.”
The black market supervisor assumed a fighting stance. What is that stance? It wasn't boxing, nor was it anything like Muay Thai or wrestling.
Instead of facing the opponent head-on, he was standing at a 90-degree angle, watching him. It felt like the edge of one shoulder was aimed at the opponent.
“Bullshit.”
A hazy light enveloped Kim Gwan-tae’s entire body. The source of power for Knight-type Hunters. White Ether was supporting his body like armor.
Armored in Ether, Kim Gwan-tae moved his body with unrestrained motion.
‘Fast…!!’
The fastest monster I had faced so far was the 4-star difficulty Venomous Centipede. But in terms of speed alone, Kim Gwan-tae felt even faster. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the manager’s chest.
Whoosh- With a murderous aura, Kim Gwan-tae swung his knuckle. With a fluid movement, the knuckle struck a face. Not the manager’s, but Kim Gwan-tae’s own face.
Thwack!
“??????????”
I could probably guess what kind of expression I was making by looking at the faces of the others. What just happened? The one who threw the punch was clearly Kim Gwan-tae, but the one whose face was smashed in was also Kim Gwan-tae.
He had punched himself in the face.
“Wow… I thought I saw it wrong.”
At Bi-soo’s words, I could only nod blankly. How on earth do you counter an attack to make something like that happen? One thing was certain: the manager’s close-quarters martial arts far surpassed common sense.
“Ugh… Hup…!!”
Startled, Kim Gwan-tae staggered back a couple of steps. Blood was trickling down from his face, which he covered with one hand. He spat out a few teeth with a ‘p-tooey’ and then readied himself for battle again.
Indeed, a B-rank is a B-rank. Even after his face was so brutally smashed, the aura of his Ether didn't diminish in the slightest. For a close-combat Knight, their entire body becomes a weapon.
As if to prove this, he tried to attack with his fists, elbows, knees, legs, and even a headbutt, but the manager didn't allow even the slightest scratch.
Instead… Crack!
“Kuaaaaaaaargh!!”
Kim Gwan-tae’s horrific scream filled the plaza. In the middle of a spinning back kick, a suspicious hand movement from the manager had caused his thigh joint to break.
“Ugh…”
Some of the watching managers turned their heads, unable to look anymore. Not only was there blood, but a white bone had pierced through the skin, creating a gruesome sight. If a healer didn't help him immediately, it was a blow that could leave him crippled for life.
“Uwaaaah!!”
The man, writhing in pain, finally fainted. A B-rank Knight had fallen into a state of shock after just a few exchanges. He probably wouldn't die, but there was no way anyone would take care of him.
“Let’s go. If he dies, the cleaners will come and take care of it. If he lives, he’ll crawl out on his own.”
Simple.
I nodded at Bi-soo’s words and turned my gaze to the manager. He was a man whose identity I was curious about in many ways. His honest-looking(?) face, which didn't suit the black market, and above all, the way each of his movements was close to an art form.
What kind of combat style did he learn? Let's check it out. When did I ever ask for permission?
Proceed.
Perhaps because the data was lost, there wasn't much information. His name was Oh Ji-ho. Age 49. In the hashtags where he would list his own abilities, no specific traits were visible.
This meant he lacked the usual bravado or vanity of a Hunter. At best, only his physical level at the time of deletion was verifiable… ??????
“What?”
As I stopped abruptly, Bi-soo tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
But I was in no state to answer her. Even after blinking a couple of times and rubbing my eyes vigorously with the back of my hand, it was the same. An unbelievable text was displayed before my eyes.
“No way…”
‘E’.
The rank of Oh Ji-ho, who had subdued a B-rank Hunter as easily as twisting a child’s wrist, was, surprisingly, ‘E’.
The shock hadn't subsided even as I followed Bi-soo down into the underground. I had been wondering if Oh Ji-ho’s rank was S or A, but for it to be a mere ‘E’. That was a lower rank than Kim Gwan-tae, and even lower than my current rank.
An illogical event had unfolded before my eyes. Could my current self neutralize Kim Gwan-tae like Oh Ji-ho did? And without a single scratch?
I shook my head.
‘Impossible.’
Of course, I could kill him. He was a close-combat fighter, and even a slight scratch from Exa would be a fatal wound to other living beings. However, I would have to risk significant damage myself.
Maybe this ranking system is more inaccurate than I thought? V1 began to explain to me, who was feeling doubtful. No need for such a long-winded explanation.
I spent all day looking at Hunter-related data at Dr. Jin's research lab. According to V1’s records, Oh Ji-ho had his Hunter license terminated three years ago. Could his skills have risen by more than three ranks in three years?
I had to come to the same conclusion as before.
‘Impossible.’
“Why are you so quiet?”
“Uh… I was just so shocked by what I saw earlier.”
“Right? There’s no one who doesn’t get their mind blown after seeing our manager uncle’s skills.”
Bi-soo puffed out her chest as if it were her own accomplishment. I could feel her fondness for Oh Ji-ho in her triumphant expression.
“I thought you disliked everyone in the black market.”
“That’s right. They’re all sons of bitches. But the manager uncle is one of the few humane people here. His only flaw is that he’s a man of few words.”
Bi-soo guided me through various parts of the market as before, and Yacha was sitting with his legs crossed on the high chair where I first met him.
Damn it.
Is he an emperor? I glared at Yacha with a displeased look. His wild, long hair reminiscent of a beast’s mane, and his sharp eyes resembling a tiger’s. And an intimidating physique that was overwhelming just to look at.
He was a man who truly gave off a raw, untamed feeling. Yacha glanced over me and gave a satisfied smile.
“Your skills have improved a lot.”
“How would you know?”
“I can tell from the fact that you haven't died yet.”
It was annoying, but he wasn’t wrong. My various stats had indeed risen while I was running through Poison Dungeons. Thanks to the ampoule Bi-soo gave me, I was able to hunt monsters easily, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I owed Yacha.
I just didn't want to admit it.
“Enough of that, let’s start the deal.”
“Let’s.” Yacha rose from his massive frame and slowly descended the stairs.
The time had come to resume my dealings with Yacha. The deals I’d worked so hard for, grinding in the Poison Dungeons all this time. And on top of that, a special deal I had just thought of.