Chapter 184: Mister Seong’s Birthday (2)
We descended the grand, curved staircase. The hotel where the auction had been held was already impressive, but this place seemed even more opulent. Not that I had any right to complain after blowing up an entire hotel myself, but the lavish interior seemed like a waste if fights were going to break out.
Couldn’t we just quietly cut the birthday cake, pop some wine, and enjoy some cheerful laughter? …Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to happen. In fact, things were already starting.
“Oh? Honeypot!”
Some idiot had shown up, spouting nonsense. Honeypot, huh? That sounded vaguely familiar. A slightly tanned man who looked Indian pointed a finger at me, only for Moon Hyunah to immediately throw her spear. The spear itself was a standard thickness, but with the swirling energy coiling around it like a tornado, it was nearly as thick as a pillar. The man avoided it by doing a backflip over the staircase railing, narrowly escaping. With its target gone, the spear lost its momentum and lightly embedded itself into the wall.
“Hyunah?!”
“Pointing fingers means a duel challenge.”
She lived in a world with very different rules from mine. Moon Hyunah jumped down the staircase in one leap and retrieved her spear, turning back to me with a triumphant grin.
“See? No significant damage. I can control it just fine.”
“Wow, I thought the wall was going to shatter. That was impressive.”
The fact that she could reduce the spear’s power mid-flight was amazing. Yerim muttered softly, “I can’t do that yet.” Experience was a factor, of course, but even for early awakeners, there were very few Hunters capable of such precise control.
The Indian man who had fallen beyond the railing vanished without a sound. As we descended one more step, a guide was waiting for us. He didn’t seem unawakened—probably an A-Rank Hunter. After checking our invitations and names against his list, he gestured for us to follow him.
“Feel free to use any of the facilities onboard. Please avoid areas marked with restricted access. Additionally, we kindly ask that you refrain from using attack skills onboard. All unawakened personnel and B-Rank or lower awakeners have disembarked, so this is essentially self-service.”
Self-service? That sounded more like free rein. With only high-level Hunters onboard, it felt like they’d set the stage for us to run wild as we pleased.
The A-Rank Hunter escorted us to a large door, humming about how few people were left to arrive, and then returned to his post. As the door opened, it revealed a vast banquet hall.
The ceiling rose three stories high, with six staircases curving upward. A massive chandelier hung in the center, casting glittering lights across the room. Large, white-draped tables were scattered throughout, and there was even a buffet spread and a wine bar off to the side.
And standing on one of the tables was Kang Soyeong. She spread her arms wide and shouted:
“It’s my birthday tomorrow too! Every year, my birthday gets overshadowed by the Guild Leader! And last year, the guild got collectively grounded because half the hotel was destroyed—on my birthday!”
“Yeah, yeah, Soyeong, next year you can have the party after we take down Seong Hyunjae!”
Liette snickered, making Kang Soyeong’s expression turn serious. The white mini-dress she wore flared with her sharp movements as she turned.
“Uh, that sounds terrifying. Our Guild Leader is—Oh, Hunter Noah!”
Kang Soyeong spotted us and flapped her arms again with excitement.
“My birthday’s tomorrow! Will you go on a date with me as a gift?”
“…Happy birthday in advance, but I’m sorry, I’ll have to decline.”
“Rejected again! Unnie, your brother just rejected me for the thirty-seventh time.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. Even if you get rejected ninety-nine times, as long as you win on the last try, you’re the victor.”
“You’re right! I’ll aim for a thousand tries instead of just a hundred. Hunter Noah, will you go on a date—!”
“An A-Rank being this loud is so annoying.”
Someone muttered. At the same time, Liette’s expression shifted, and she launched herself forward like a bullet, despite carrying no weapon. Her metallic bar-shaped earrings shimmered under the lights as she punched down on a table that someone had hastily raised in defense. Crack! The table splintered and shattered into pieces, white fabric caught in the destruction. As the tablecloth fluttered, her follow-up kick collided with the man’s thick forearm.
“Another one’s going out! Open the window!”
A Hunter in a bright blue suit leapt onto the second-floor railing and ripped open a window, which was designed to only open partially for safety. Using the arm of the man she’d just kicked as leverage, Liette spun, wrapping the cloth from the shattered table around his head. Like flowing water, she locked him into a headlock and swung him toward the now-open window.
The man wasn’t weak; he twisted mid-air and tried to land on the windowsill to stop himself.
“Let’s not leave any regrets!”
Crash! The Hunter who had opened the window smashed it over the man’s head, ensuring he was tossed completely out of the ship. Hmm, well, at least they were following the “no skills” guideline. If they’d used skills, it wouldn’t have stopped at broken tables and windows. Oh, there were even footprints indented on the floor now.
Despite the chaos in one corner, no one else in the banquet hall seemed particularly disturbed. Some watched the spectacle as if it were a distant fire, while others ignored it entirely, engrossed in their conversations. Surely not all of them were S-Rank Hunters—there seemed to be a fair number of A-Ranks as well. Kang Soyeong was one, and so was Kim Seonghan, who had attended last year in Yuhyun’s place. Most likely, many of the A-Ranks were here as companions or representatives for the S-Ranks.
A short while later, an announcement began to play.
[Near the pool on the deck, towels and a change of clothes are available. When boarding from the sea, please avoid damaging the hull of the ship and use the hanging ropes or flight skills instead. If things overheat, please move approximately 200 meters northwest to the reef. Thank you.]
“Can people really just pick fights like that?”
Yerim asked with sparkling eyes, and Moon Hyunah glanced around as she replied.
“No, not just randomly. Hitting someone unprovoked would be rude—you either pick a fight or respond to one. And don’t disturb anyone while they’re eating.”
“Got it~”
“If they start it first, you can beat them up with a clear conscience. That’s why I went all the way to Haeyeon to—oh, there he is!”
Moon Hyunah suddenly spotted a man wrapped in what looked like a robe and silently grinned, her mouth stretching wide. Then, in a single bound, she leapt onto a table.
“Hey, rockhead! I came in a dress today!”
At Moon Hyunah’s shout, the man she called “rockhead” flared up and tossed off his robe. …Wow, a dress. A red one at that. Did they make a bet or something? Instinctively, I reached out to cover Yerim’s eyes, but she easily dodged my hand.
“It suits him, though. Apparently, they fought over their outfits at last year’s birthday party.”
Ah, I see. As Moon Hyunah laughed heartily and pointed her phone camera at him, “rockhead” hurled a dagger in her direction. She deflected it with her spear, and the sound of the camera shutter clicking filled the air as the man, his red skirt flaring, chased after her.
“Want to head over there and grab something to eat?”
Yuhyun asked casually, as if nothing had just happened. Sure, it was before dinner, after all. With some guests still arriving and the party not yet officially started, Seong Hyunjae was nowhere to be seen.
[During battles, please direct your attacks to the sides or upwards, rather than downward. Thank you.]
Bang! A loud crack echoed as a wall split, followed by another announcement. As long as the lower parts of the ship remained intact, it wouldn’t sink. Before things got any worse, I figured I’d eat something and started walking. But I could feel the stares following me—blatantly curious ones. I had expected this, but it was still a bit uncomfortable. I also overheard faint murmurs about “honeypots.”
Why the hell is everyone calling me a honeypot?
“Sit down. I’ll get the food.”
Yuhyun, standing next to a table near the buffet, had stabbed a knife into it to mark his spot. Yerim immediately plopped into a seat at the same table and shouted, “I want that cupcake over there!” But Yuhyun ignored her completely. Yerim, cupcakes are for after dinner, okay?
Myungwoo also sat at the table and called Noah to join us, but Noah headed off to a different side of the buffet, saying he’d bring back food instead. Meanwhile, a few more invited guests entered the banquet hall. It seemed the entire guest list was now present, as I saw Song Taewon step inside as well.
The hall, filled with upper-ranked Hunters.
‘I wonder how he feels about all this.’
For someone like him, it couldn’t be a pleasant experience. Then again, since we were far from land and there were no unawakened people around, he might actually feel a bit more at ease than usual. After all, any fighting would only hurt the participants themselves.
A few people approached Song Taewon, who was standing near a wall like a sentry. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but judging by his lips, his responses were curt as usual. He probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet. He should at least grab some food before Seong Hyunjae showed up.
Knowing he’d likely skip eating if left to his own devices, I stood up. As soon as I did, Yerim immediately tagged along. But before we could get far—
“Was what happened in Hong Kong really a trap?”
Someone called out to me. While the kidnapping had been real, the whole situation had been orchestrated, so you could call it a trap. Turning my head, I saw a man who looked as stereotypically Western as they came. I thought I recognized him from the pre-regression ranking battles. Who was he again? Not one of the top ranks, but he seemed to be a capable Hunter.
“I was an innocent victim.”
“For an innocent victim, you’re pretty famous as a honeypot. Even now, you’ve got a bunch of S-Rank Hunters clinging to you. People are even saying that Seong Guild Leader’s birthday party might be another one of your traps.”
What the hell is a honeypot?! Yerim glanced at me, then at him, debating whether to stab or not, her hand gripping her spear. She held back well, but my little brother did not. A plate flew past my head, hurtling straight for the Western guy’s neck.
That seemed to be the signal Yerim was waiting for. Deciding there was no need to hold back anymore, she lightly pushed me behind her and swung her spear.
“Wait, Yerim!”
If attack skills were prohibited, Yerim would be at a disadvantage. Her experience was still limited, and her stats, except for her magic, were relatively low. Charging in recklessly like this—
“…Huh?”
“You’re too green for this, little chick.”
The Western guy dodged the plate and easily grabbed Yerim’s spear. His pale face broke into a smirk. Yerim, startled, tried to pull her spear back, but it didn’t budge. That bastard, acting like this against someone who awakened less than three months ago.
Just then, flames erupted in front of the man’s face. Startled, he let go of the spear and stepped back. Yuhyun approached, glancing briefly at the retreating man as he spoke.
“There are always idiots who take ‘no skills’ as a rule to follow to the letter.”
“…I wasn’t planning to hold back forever either!”
Yerim pouted, puffing out her cheeks as she pointed her spear at the man again.
“Let’s take this to the deck!”
Could Yerim win? I didn’t even know what that guy’s skills were. Should I ask Noah to lend her some stats?
“Hyung, here’s your soup.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”
Yuhyun insisted that there was nothing to worry about as he pulled me back to the table. Should I really leave it alone? Really? Meanwhile, Yerim, who didn’t seem even slightly intimidated, shouted for her opponent to follow her immediately and flew out the window with her spear. The A-rank guy followed right after her. This… should be fine, right?
I noticed a few people heading outside, likely to watch the spectacle. Some Hunters approached Myungwoo as well, but they were much more polite. Listening in on their conversation, it was clear they were consulting him about rare, specialized equipment. Considering how hard it would be to find such items unless custom-made, their deference made sense.
Of course, there were also people who wanted to strike up a conversation with me. However, thanks to Yuhyun’s earlier plate-throwing incident, no one seemed eager to approach me too easily.
“…Why are they calling me a honeypot instead of a beast tamer or something?”
“I’m not completely sure, but the incident in Hong Kong didn’t completely blow over. A lot of people pieced things together and started speculating that you were used as bait to lure in all the attendees at the auction and wipe them out. That’s where the whole ‘honeypot’ thing seems to come from.”
That guy earlier did mention traps and bait. Does honeypot mean something like bait? Yuhyun brushed it off, saying it didn’t matter, and went to get more food. I thought about offering to go instead, but decided against it. Wandering around alone might invite unnecessary trouble.
Boom!
A loud rumble echoed, signaling the start of the fight. Should I go check on her? Even though Sesung had A-Rank healers on standby here and Yerim had teleportation skills to avoid serious injury, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. I wasn’t even able to enjoy my meal—I stood up to head over.
CRASH!
The ship trembled violently, followed by a deafening roar. Before I could process what was happening, Yuhyun appeared by my side and scooped me up, while Noah hurriedly made sure Myungwoo was safe. Just as we moved to a safer area, a massive column of water, at least two meters in diameter, burst through the wall and smashed through to the opposite side with unstoppable force.
The sound of water splashing filled the air as debris from the wall crumbled and scattered across the floor. The ground was soaked, water pooling everywhere. Hmm. Maybe I don’t need to worry after all.
“…She’s Park Yerim, right? The new S-Rank?”
“She hasn’t even been awakened for half a year, has she? And yet she can do that?”
Even the high-ranking Hunters in the room couldn’t hide their amazement, murmuring in awe at the scene. My kid really is impressive. But… is this really okay? We’re on the verge of a disaster before the birthday boy even makes his entrance.
And then, another wave of water swept through. While it wasn’t the same as the earlier vortex, a tide surged into the banquet hall, only to drain out through the opposite hole. I debated whether I should intervene, but before I could make a decision—
CRACK! BOOM!
A bolt of lightning struck outside. Not in the banquet hall, but out on the deck. What the hell is going on out there? Why hasn’t the birthday boy come inside yet?! Sure, this place is already a mess, but still. Before I could say anything, Yuhyun leapt toward the gaping hole in the wall, followed by a stream of other people rushing outside.
Though the deck was dim, with only a few surviving lights still flickering, the scene on what must have been the pool deck was crystal clear. It was total chaos. And there, in pristine white formalwear that wasn’t even slightly wet, stood the guest of honor for tonight’s party—Seong Hyunjae. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked our way, clearly entertained by the chaos surrounding him.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt