Seeing Gu Geon-yi vomit a mouthful of blood made it even more certain.
‘That was quite dangerous.’
If Gu Geon-yi had used his Destruction Tackle with a little more precision, I might have broken a bone or two myself.
A throb.
The dull ache in my wrist still hadn't faded. Just as I'd thought, Pracel had firmly protected my body, but that didn't mean the impact just vanished. But in any case, it ended up looking like I blocked his devastating attack with a single arm.
There was a bit of luck involved, but I was the only one who knew the full story. Those watching could only see two things. Gu Geon-yi vomiting blood, and his dislocated arm dangling from its socket.
And the conclusion drawn from those two scenes was clear.
“That can easily become a habit.”
It was ridiculous for me to say such a thing when I had barely blocked it, but who cares. The important thing was the fact that I had subdued Gu Geon-yi in a single exchange.
“Wha... Whoa...!!”
“The one who charged was the one who ended up with all the internal injuries? Does that make any sense?”
“To think Gu Geon-yi’s shoulder would be the one destroyed instead...”
“Did the laws of physics break? To take Gu Geon-yi's full-power punch with that slender body...!!”
“Blocking it is one thing, but what’s with that relaxed attitude?”
Right.
This was exactly why I'd pretended to be unfazed. My fingertips were still trembling faintly, but no one noticed the toll it had taken on me. Not even Gu Geon-yi, the one who had attacked me.
“……!!”
Hot.
I didn't even feel this way when entering a Poison Dungeon filled with flames. As if all the furnaces in the world had been gathered together, flames flickered in Gu Geon-yi’s pupils.
But.
What could he do with a dislocated shoulder?
“You… this… bastard…”
I don't really want to hear the rest of that. Now that his Destruction Tackle had been easily(?) suppressed, and his body was injured, Gu Geon-yi no longer had a chance of winning. Right now, he was nothing more than a wounded dog barking.
Nevertheless, if he were to charge one more time, then I would also...
“Please stop here.”
A voice like a spring breeze came from behind me.
Maria.
She pleaded with me, her eyes filled with sadness.
“I don't want to see anyone else get hurt because of me. After all, for a long time...”
He was the representative of the Guild I was with. Maria trailed off, but I understood what she meant. Simply put, she was asking me to go easy on Gu Geon-yi.
I scratched my head and chuckled.
“Well. I'm willing, but is he?”
Would he back down now after being utterly humiliated in front of everyone? Especially after hearing Maria ask me to go easy on him.
“Maria… even you… to me…!!”
Gu Geon-yi’s eyes burned fiercely. Once again, a hazy white Ether began to flicker across his entire body. I looked at Maria and twisted my lips.
“Looks like it had the opposite effect to me.”
“……”
Maria lowered her head, her face devastated. Well, she probably expected some level of conflict. And she must have thought she could mediate.
But, she was a far more valuable person than she realized. No representative from any guild, not just Gu Geon-yi, would coolly let her leave.
Grasp.
This time, Gu Geon-yi condensed Ether in his left shoulder. He was a bastard I wanted to kill, but on the other hand, I had to admire him. Like the line from a movie, 'I've still got one shot left,' he still had one shoulder left.
He was determined to see this through, no matter what happened to his arms. It was also noteworthy that he was attempting the Destruction Tackle again, which had already been blocked once. Rather than using some other petty skill, perhaps it was better to pour his soul into the one perfect skill he possessed.
A veteran is a veteran for a reason. However, just because his willpower was infinite didn't mean his Ether and body were. Just like Maria, who didn't know how valuable she was, Gu Geon-yi also didn't know how severe his internal injuries were.
“Uweeegh!!!”
“……!!”
Just as he looked like he was about to charge again, he suddenly bent over and spewed out a mouthful of crimson blood. It seemed there would be no second exchange in this fight with Gu Geon-yi.
Hmm.
A bit anticlimactic. Who would have thought that the nation's top Hunter would be broken like that in a single exchange. But that's how a polished essence is.
It's hard as steel, but once a crack appears, it becomes uncontrollable. On top of that, he was swayed by his emotions and couldn't control his Ether with precision. There was a huge difference in their tier, but he was no different from Yoo Ji-won, who suffered internal injuries during the Hunter Qualification Test.
The more you have, the greater the side effects. Gu Geon-yi braced his arms on the ground and emptied the contents of his stomach. And at that moment, Association officials blocked the space between us.
“Stop! What is this behavior, and at the Hunter Association headquarters of all places!”
A group of rather capable-looking people appeared and brought the situation under control. Of course, compared to me or Gu Geon-yi, they were nothing but a disorderly mob.
‘What convenient timing.’
I subtly lifted my head and glanced toward Vice Chairman Baek Jeong-dae. He was putting on a dignified appearance, but he couldn't completely hide the anxiety he held inside. It was ridiculous how he did nothing when Gu Geon-yi was pressuring the entire venue, only to step in now that the situation seemed to have calmed down.
But for him, it was a somewhat appropriate response. He wouldn't have dared to intervene in the battle, but someone had to step forward and resolve the situation. If a fight broke out at the Hunter Association headquarters and no one mediated, it would become a laughingstock not just in Korea, but overseas as well.
Well, I've shown what I needed to show, so I guess I'll back off for now. Recalling the killing intent Gu Geon-yi showed me, I wouldn't be satisfied even if I killed him on the spot, but if I did that, it would cause great chaos in most of the areas in Seoul that the Glory Guild manages.
Just like how the people in my neighborhood died.
“A healer... Someone get a healer!!”
Maria was the only healer from the Glory Guild dispatched for the Hunter exam. Normally, she would have quickly helped heal him, but Maria didn't move from her spot. A wise choice.
It was obvious she wouldn't be treated well if she went over. In the end, an A-rank healer from the Orion Guild hurriedly rushed over to check on Gu Geon-yi's condition. His back twitched minutely.
He had withdrawn his Ether, but something much more intense was covering his entire body. Pain, anger, killing intent. Things like that.
‘We'll be seeing each other again soon.’
Gu Geon-yi was not the type to back down after losing Maria. That bastard will use any means necessary to kill me and get Maria back. Since he was the kind of guy who lost his mind and used a lethal skill at the Association headquarters, he would surely explore every possible option.
I might even end up fighting the entire core force of the Glory Guild.
‘Well... I'm not alone anymore either.’
I shrugged once at the Association and turned around. There, I saw familiar, and unfamiliar, faces.
Bi-soo. Maria. Kang Jeong-hyeon.
Their gazes toward me were all different. Bi-soo was smiling mischievously, Kang Jeong-hyeon’s eyes were sparkling, and Maria’s face clearly showed her complex feelings.
“Things got much, much bigger than I thought.”
I could understand Bi-soo, but I had never expected Kang Jeong-hyeon and Maria to join the Irregular team. But now, the Irregular team had become an ultra-elite group with four S-rankers.
“Sigh.”
When I sighed, Bi-soo’s eyes shot up.
“Why are you suddenly sighing? You should be dancing in your underwear at a time like this.”
“I was just wondering how I'm going to feed all of you.”
These were individuals who could have earned tens, even hundreds of billions in contracts and salaries if they had joined their respective guilds. They rejected all of that and joined solely because of the name 'Cheon Hae-seon,' so this was a burden heavier than money. Of course, it wasn't like I had no plan at all.
“Shall we go somewhere to talk?”
The giants who would be joining me all nodded their heads.
[All-Time High!! Two 'S'-Rankers Emerge in This Year's Qualification Test!!]
[Mixed Fates... Guilds Weep While Cheon Hae-seon Alone Smiles.]
[What is the Irregular System? Heated Debate Over Cheon Hae-seon's New Extralegal Status.]
[Unprecedented Outburst, Gu Geon-yi Attacks Cheon Hae-seon. Likely to be Summoned Before the Hunter Disciplinary Committee.]
[The Man Shrouded in Mystery, Kang Jeong-hyeon. What is the Source of His Unconventional Abilities?]
['Please Save Our Region!' Requests for Support Already Pouring in for the 'Irregular' team!] └So, wait, both Lee Bi-soo and Kang Jeong-hyeon refused to join a Guild? └This is legendary in so many ways.
Two S-ranks appearing is surprising enough, but both of them joined Cheon Hae-seon? └Wow, that Irregular system is totally awesome, isn't it? That basically means the entire Republic of Korea is his territory, right? └Gu Geon-yi is a total psycho -- Picking a fight at the Hunter Association headquarters?
An S-ranker, no less? └And he got his ass kicked after starting it lolololol if the Association hadn't stepped in, Cheon Hae-seon would have killed him for sure. └Cheon Hae-seon even took care of Kang Hyeon-do who used to beat him up like a dog, so why is he picking a fight with him? └How could he not pick a fight?
He took Maria. If it were me, I would've lost my mind too. └The Association is really backing Cheon Hae-seon this time. I mean, it's not like they haven't screwed up once or twice before. └Cheon Hae-seon, Maria, Lee Bi-soo, and Kang Jeong-hyeon...
They might not be the Earth Defense Force, but they could probably be the Kimchi Defense Force.
“They're already making a fuss.”
Iron Arm said with a slightly flushed face as he checked the article headlines.
“The test was one thing, but the anticipation for the Irregular team is incredible. We'll have to be careful with the media for a while.”
“That's not really our style anyway. Except for this attention-seeker.”
As I gestured toward Bi-soo, the red-haired beauty snapped.
“Attention-seeker? It's the natural right of a star. And not just any star, but a su. per. star.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
At my provocation, Bi-soo pretended to chop at my neck with the side of her hand. At the sight, Maria and Kang Jeong-hyeon’s eyes widened.
“Oh my. I'm not normally this violent. Tee-hee.”
An unconvincing persuasion followed, and Kang Jeong-hyeon hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Um... Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“But, who is that person...?”
Ah.
I hadn't explained, had I? I smiled brightly and stood next to Iron Arm.
“This is the B-rank Hunter, Iron Arm. He will be joining the Irregular team, just like all of you.”
“Hoho! It's a pleasure, Clan Leader!”
Bi-soo clapped her hands and made a fuss, and Kang Jeong-hyeon followed suit with an 'ah, I see' expression. How should I put it? Kang Jeong-hyeon feels like an easy-to-manage rookie employee.
In many ways, he's an unexpected windfall. As I was sending a pleased smile toward Kang Jeong-hyeon, Maria asked with a worried face.
“Looking at the members, it seems like we'll be entering difficult dungeons... Will he be okay?”
A very healer-like question. She must have seen countless injuries suffered by so-called 'lower-class' Hunters while entering Glory Guild's dungeons.
“I know what you're concerned about. But Iron Arm is a seasoned veteran of Poison Dungeons. More importantly, he's the one who benefits most from Buffs.”
I wasn't just saying it. I had already confirmed it when we caught the Giant Treasure. Even if Bi-soo casts the same Buff, Iron Arm's stats increase by a much larger margin than mine.
It seems there's a limit to the buffs Bi-soo can grant, and ironically, a moderate rank like his shows the best efficiency.
“With Bi-soo’s Buff, his abilities will jump from A-rank to S-rank level.”
“Wow...”
Instead of a reply, Maria let out a gasp of admiration. It was likely the first time she had heard of a Hunter's abilities jumping so drastically.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
“?”
“He's also the one providing a temporary office for the Irregular team. Free of charge.”
“Oh my.”
It was an office we would be leaving soon, but in any case, we were gathered in the Cleanup Clan's office. Maria bowed her head slightly in greeting, and Kang Jeong-hyeon followed suit in an awkward posture. Iron Arm scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed look.
Now that the members had all been introduced, it was time to tell them the direction we needed to take. The conclusion I reached after piecing together the stories from Do I-su of Umbrella Industry and Hunter Association Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu. This world was now on the verge of a Great Cataclysm.
“We will begin our investigation by focusing on special dungeons.”
The eyes of the Irregular members widened.