LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 106
Chapter 106: S-Rank Promotion Test! 3
“Ugh… Uh…”
When you pull a fish out of the sea and leave it on land, at first it flails about violently, but soon it stops breathing, its movements slow, and its body twitches as if in a seizure.
That was exactly what Bai Weishen looked like now.
“C-Captain?!”
“Hey, get the medicine! No, a potion, a potion!”
The Mountain Guild dispatched to Korea was in utter chaos due to the sudden commotion.
Mountain Guild was recognized as the largest and most powerful hunter guild in the world, and the guild master of Mountain was so highly regarded that he was called the Emperor of Shanxi Province.
Naturally, each of the guild’s executives was either an S-rank hunter or had power equivalent to that, and Bai Weishen was one such proud executive of Mountain Guild.
The guild members wearing the Mountain Guild uniform who followed Bai Weishen looked up to him.
Though they were not executives, just regular guild members, being able to serve under an executive of the mighty Mountain Guild, ruled by the Emperor of Shanxi Province, was enough for the members to feel proud of themselves.
But now, Bai Weishen had been slammed to the ground in less than a second without even being able to properly defend himself.
It was impossible for the members to comprehend what had just happened.
If it had been a long-range battle, they could have understood.
Bai Weishen was a close-combat specialist, a tank who always faced the front lines head-on, renowned for his straightforward attacks as an S-rank physical enhancement hunter.
So, if he were facing an opponent with a powerful paranormal ability or long-range illusionary and utility skills, even Bai Weishen wouldn’t have had a high chance of winning.
But Bai Weishen had been defeated in the area where he was most confident, a close-quarters frontal attack, and though it was a surprise attack, he hadn’t even had time to react and was knocked out in one blow.
It was no wonder the members were shell-shocked.
“Hmph~ Hmph~”
“E-Eh… Um, excuse me!”
“What?”
“I mean… Is it really okay to do this, unnie…?”
“Yeah.”
Yoon-jung, flustered enough to slip into her dialect, was holding Shia’s hand as they walked past the stunned members of the Mountain Guild.
“I-I mean, that guy’s basically a pulp…”
“I controlled my strength. He won’t die from that.”
Honestly, Shia had thought for a moment that maybe she had gone too far.
But after hearing those unknown men trying to intimidate Yoon-jung, it had been impossible for Shia to control her emotions.
In such a situation, after hearing them say, “If you win, we’ll let you go,” she simply acted accordingly.
“I just did what they said.”
A sneak attack? Dishonorable?
Nonsense.
The moment they agreed to fight, the battle had already begun.
Shia had no intention of playing along with the ridiculous notions of chivalry or warrior’s honor.
‘We’re not even close, so why should I go along with their nonsense?’
She didn’t care who they were or what kind of fuss they were causing. Shia only cared about one thing.
No one was going to intimidate her Yoon-jung.
[Stop.]
Just as they were about to leave the building, a dark shadow blocked the window.
“What, what’s that? A shadow?”
“…Teresa…?”
For a moment, Shia was reminded of Teresa, known in her previous world as the Shadow Witch, by the slimy, creeping shadow.
‘No, it couldn’t be.’
The shadow blocking Shia was far too small in quantity, and its viscosity and density were weak.
If Teresa were serious, she could easily cover not just this building but the entirety of Seoul with her shadow.
Compared to that, this fake shadow-user seemed laughably weak.
It was clear that the person behind this shadow didn’t intend to seriously attack or block Shia, as a woman with braided hair soon emerged from the shadow.
“………”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Wang Soyeong, an executive of Mountain Guild and the leader of the Black Plum Blossom Unit, Hunter Shia.”
Wang Soyeong politely bowed her head, and Shia instinctively took a step forward to shield Yoon-jung.
“U-Um, unnie… Isn’t this getting too big…? That woman looks really important…”
“No, don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility.”
Oh my… How cool…
Yoon-jung’s face unknowingly flushed slightly.
“But, you know me too?”
“The fact that you were recommended by Yeonhwa, ‘Lady Yeonseo,’ alone was enough to catch the attention of foreign guilds. And you also run a personal channel, so gathering information about you wasn’t difficult.”
“I see… So?”
Crack!
“Are you going to tell me that I’ll only be able to leave after fighting you too?”
As Shia finished speaking, five tentacles shot out from her waist.
Each one stared menacingly at Wang Soyeong, as if in sync with Shia’s displeased mood.
Let me say this upfront.
Shia didn’t care about being provoked herself.
She could act generously, leniently, and forgivingly like a saintess, as long as things didn’t go too far.
Even the most wicked of humans, she would be willing to reform and accept if they didn’t cross a line.
That was the Saintess of the Dead, Shia.
But Shia could never bear to see the people she cared about get hurt, suffer, or be in pain.
When that happened, she would break through all her self-restraint.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s one or two… They won’t die, anyway.”
“N-No, of course not. Please don’t say such scary things. I despise violence.”
“And you think it’s okay for someone who hates violence to intimidate a kid like this? That muscle-head I just knocked down challenged me the moment he saw me…”
“Haa, I sincerely apologize for that…”
Wang Soyeong rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.
“Just as I thought. That muscle-brain lying over there couldn’t control his temper and challenged you, right? I apologize on his behalf. I have no intention of intimidating or standing in your way, Shia, or the young lady Yoon-jung.”
“Get to the point.”
“Whoa, relax. I’ll get to it soon.”
Wang Soyeong withdrew the shadow blocking the entrance and windows, signaling surrender.
“Miss Yoon-jung. As the administration officer might have already told you, we’d like to scout you…”
“I already said I’m not interested. I mean… I told you.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Wang Soyeong fell silent for a moment, then turned her gaze to Shia.
“But, Shia. What exactly is your relationship with Miss Park Yoon-jung?”
“………”
“Truthfully, the reason we came to Korea this time was to observe the S-rank promotion ceremony as representatives from China. If I’m not mistaken, shouldn’t you be busy preparing for the promotion test right now?”
Wang Soyeong looked confused.
“As far as I know, you and Miss Yoon-jung have no connection. You’re not her family, friend, or coworker, right? And it doesn’t seem like Miss Yoon-jung is some diehard fan of your broadcasts. Are you perhaps her relative? But from what we’ve found, that’s not the case either. You two don’t have any relationship, do you?”
“Meal buddies.”
“Pardon?”
“I said we’re meal buddies.”
“What does that mean?”
Shia let out a small sigh.
It didn’t even sound like a decent excuse to her.
“We’re just two people who eat together because it’s lonely to eat alone.”
“…..”
“Isn’t that right, Yoon-jung?”
So what?
It wasn’t even a convincing excuse or a valid reason.
But so what?
What are you going to do about it?
Oh, are you going to try to stop us?
You want to fight?
Drag this out and surround me and Yoon-jung with sheer numbers?
Go ahead.
I’ll teach you firsthand just how good I am at Great Healing.
“Uh, u-uh… yeah…! That’s right! That’s true!”
At those words, Wang Soyeong looked baffled.
But, well…
Even she couldn’t force Yoon-jung to join them if she didn’t want to.
Although she didn’t understand why Yoon-jung was rejecting such good terms, there was nothing she could do.
If Wang Soyeong and Bai Weishen, as official representatives of the Mountain Guild, escalated the situation with a display of force, it could lead to uncontrollable consequences.
Even though the media could be silenced with money, this was still Korea, where the strongest hunter, Yeonseo, resided.
They could end up witnessing the power of the Light of the Silver Knight turning into the madness firsthand.
‘Besides, as representatives of the Mountain Guild… We can’t tarnish the Lord’s reputation.’
More importantly, they hadn’t yet figured out why Shia was so adamantly protecting Yoon-jung, so there was no reason to risk provoking them any further.
“Understood. We won’t interfere any longer, so please go ahead. If the person involved is unwilling, we can’t force her. Besides, I’m afraid that, just like that muscle-head over there, you might slam me into the ground too.”
“Good.”
With that, Shia took Yoon-jung’s hand and walked past Wang Soyeong.
As they passed by, Wang Soyeong whispered softly into Shia’s ear.
“Hunter Shia?”
“What?”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you at the S-rank promotion ceremony.”
“You’re not my friend.”
“Oh my, so cold.”
○○○○○
The place Shia brought Yoon-jung to was a blood-sausage soup restaurant near her house.
Blood sausage soup.
Most girls would prefer spaghetti, dessert, or at least something like sweet cakes, yet Shia had brought her to a blood-sausage soup place—an acquired taste, even among Korean soups.
“It’s delicious.”
“Y-Yeah… It is… But you…”
“Hmm? Nom nom…”
Seeing the towering stack of bowls next to Shia, Yoon-jung grimaced and shook her head.
How many bowls was that…?
It must have been over thirty…
“Ah, it’s nothing… Is it tasty?”
“Yeah! Really tasty! Nom!”
Doesn’t that girl even find it hot?
She’s drinking soup from a hot stone bowl like it’s water…
“Well, as long as unnie enjoys it, that’s what matters…”
By the way, Yoon-jung had promised to treat Shia to a meal today using the money she received from the party leader as a sign of gratitude for Shia’s help.
She hadn’t expected Shia to choose blood-sausage soup, but in the year 2088, blood-sausage soup was still known to be an inexpensive, cost-effective meal.
Yoon-jung had eaten it many times with the older hunters in her party, so she didn’t dislike it. In fact, she had thought it was a cheap way to treat Shia.
That is, until the stack of over thirty stone bowls piled up next to Shia.
“……..”
“Hehe, it’s delicious.”
“……”
What the hell… I said I’d treat her, but why is she eating so damn much?
How can she eat so much, and her stomach isn’t even sticking out?
“…Uh… Yoon-jung, aren’t you full?”
“Huh? One bowl’s enough for me.”
“…Sniff…”
“Huh?”
“Sniff… sniff…”
Why is she crying now?!
“Eat with me…”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s lonely to eat alone…”
“…….”
Yoon-jung froze at those words.
“Let’s eat together. Okay?”
“…Alright.”
Oh, screw it.
Money or whatever, fine.
Even if I spend all my cash here today, I can just do another dungeon run tomorrow!
Giving up on worrying about the cost, Yoon-jung pulled her bowl of blood-sausage soup closer.
Yeah, she saved me.
And she says it’s lonely to eat alone…
How could I leave her by herself…
‘Never mind. Let’s just eat.’
Feeling her hunger catch up to her, Yoon-jung began eating the blood-sausage soup with Shia.
Only after Yoon-jung started eating did Shia stop her fake crying, her lips curling into a smile as she happily ate the soup.
How long had it been since she’d had a meal like this with her mom?
Ah, no… She’s not mom.
She’s not my mom.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Is something on my face?”
“Yeah, you’ve got something stuck in your nose.”
“Eek…!? Ugh, come on…!”
Yoon-jung really does like blood-sausage soup.
Yeah, that’s enough.
By the way, Yoon-jung didn’t pay for the blood-sausage soup.
That’s because Shia had already paid about 100 million won in advance to the restaurant, giving her essentially a lifetime pass to eat there whenever she wanted.
“But I said I’d treat you…”
“It’s fine. Um… I mean, Yoon-jung.”
“Y-Yeah…”
Yoon-jung let out a deep sigh, feeling as though her attempt to repay Shia had ended up with her only owing more.
She had wanted to show her gratitude, but now it felt like she was further in debt…
“Um, unnie. Is your house… okay?”
“My house?”
“Yeah, like… does it get good sunlight? Is it well-ventilated, and does the heating work well…?”
“Do you want to live with me?!”
“What?! Are you crazy, unnie?! We’ve only just met, and you’re suggesting we live together?! Do you say that to everyone you meet?!”
At Yoon-jung’s rapid-fire scolding, Shia instinctively shrank back.
“Tell me! Do you ask just anyone to live with you?!”
“…You’re the only one.”
“……”
At Shia’s confession-like words, Yoon-jung suddenly felt awkward and fell silent.
“…Then, do you at least clean properly?”
“Huh?”
C-Clean…?
Well, I use my purification miracle…
“Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you don’t know you’re supposed to clean once a day?”
“….What do you mean, once a day…”
“Oh, so? Do you clean every other day? I mean, if you live alone, that’s understandable. But how do you clean? Do you mop the floors? Do you have a vacuum cleaner? Even if you don’t, you should at least sweep! Hair piles up so much in a girl’s room…”
“………”
“Unnie? Why aren’t you answering?”
Shia couldn’t bring herself to say it.
The truth was… she had never actually cleaned.
She just relied on her purification miracle.
When things started to smell or felt dirty, she would just use the purification miracle to clean the entire house and then lie down.
If stuff piled up, she would just shove it into a corner or do a basic tidy-up, but she had never done real cleaning, like Yoon-jung was talking about… Not even once.
Even her dishwashing was done by using her purification miracle and a bit of water…
Seeing Shia’s guilty expression, Yoon-jung seemed to have caught on, her sharp gaze piercing as she stood up.
“…Unnie.”
“Huh?”
“Lead the way.”
“W-What…?”
“I said, lead the way to your house!”
Shia instinctively felt that she couldn’t defy Yoon-jung.
Is this girl really just a D-rank hunter?
With the force she was exuding, she didn’t seem any less intimidating than an S-rank hunter.
○○○
Back at the office, after Shia and Yoon-jung left, Wang Soyeong twisted her lips at the sight of Bai Weishen sitting there, seemingly fine.
“Oh my, looks like you’re in pretty good shape, Muscle Pig.”
“…………….”
Luckily, Shia seemed to have held back her strength, or maybe Bai Weishen’s body was sturdier than expected.
Other than a stiff neck, he didn’t appear to be seriously injured.
However, that didn’t change the fact that he had made a complete fool of himself.
“Are you an idiot? Were you in your right mind? Challenging an enraged S-rank returnee right off the bat? Have you lost it?!”
“Ugh, damn it…! Shut up, Wang Soyeong! If I hadn’t been caught off guard…!”
“Oh, is that so? Let’s assume you weren’t caught off guard. Let’s say it was just a sparring match or whatever. But what would happen if two S-rank abilities clashed in the middle of a city? The news and media would be all over it. If it escalated, the Silver Knight could turn into the Mad Knight and show up at our doorstep. She could just blow us away or crush us right then and there. So, what were you thinking? Were you trying to embarrass our Lord by causing an international incident the moment we arrived in Korea? Should I start calling you Brainless Pig instead of Muscle Pig? Care to answer?”
“…Ahem.”
Wang Soyeong gave Bai Weishen, who was cracking his stiff neck, a disgusted look.
Realizing that not only had he been rude to Shia but had also recklessly provoked her without considering the consequences, Bai Weishen finally shut his mouth.
“Haa, this isn’t Shanxi Province. Please, try to restrain your muscle pig behavior.”
“…I’ll try.”
“And, Liang Huachen, the administrative officer.”
“Yes!”
The administrative officer responded with a deep bow to Wang Soyeong.
“Have you secured the schedule for the S-rank promotion ceremony from the Korean Hunter Association?”
“Yes. According to information from our internal contacts, it will begin the day after tomorrow.”
“Good. And… make sure to secure Miss Park Yoon-jung. She is an appropriate candidate. We must bring her back for our Lord.”
“…By any means necessary?”
“By any means necessary. And keep in touch with Miss Yoon-jung.”
“Hey, Wang Soyeong.”
“What is it, Brainless Pig?”
“Ugh, stop calling me that! Anyway, what are you going to do if Hunter Shia keeps protecting Miss Yoon-jung? If she keeps backing her up, there’s nothing we can do, right?”
“Well, hmm… We’ll just have to try offering some carrots through the smartwatch or the Sanwoomul Guild Master. We can’t afford to provoke Shia again and cause unnecessary conflict.”
This situation had been entirely unexpected for both Wang Soyeong and Bai Weishen.
Their main purpose for coming to Korea was to collect the “seeds” the Lord had mentioned, observe the S-rank promotion ceremony, and gather information on Yeonhwa’s granddaughter, Yeonseo, as well as the presumed S-rank returnee, Shia.
The fact that they had discovered the greatest ‘candidate’ of all time in Korea, one that could even react to the Lord’s ‘flower,’ was surprising enough. But the fact that Shia, who had no blood ties to Yoon-jung, was so fiercely protecting her was beyond bizarre.
“If carrots don’t work, and Yoon-jung continues to reject us… Well…”
By the time they leave Korea and board the plane back to China, every step they had taken would be officially recorded as actions representing the Mountain Guild and China.
As much as possible, they needed to handle this through legal and rational means.
“I understand. But even then, if…”
“If it still doesn’t work, then…”
They’d have to step into the realm of the illegal and irrational.