[ Liette ]
Yerim forgave Noah much more easily than I had expected. She was upset that I got hurt, but she seemed to have enjoyed the fight itself, saying it was fun. She told me that as long as I was okay, she didn’t mind.
“As soon as I pay off my debt, I’m buying a new antidote item—the best one.”
— Kyaaao!
Yerim tossed Blue into the air, catching her just before she touched the ceiling. And then she said she wanted a rematch. She wasn’t exactly an ordinary kid from the start, but she was becoming more aggressive as time went on. Though to be fair, most S-class combat Hunters aren’t exactly pacifists.
“Rather than that, you should focus more on controlling Cold Sigh. With your stats, dodging attacks is best, and you can block poison by freezing it. At the same time, you should hurry and raise your ice resistance to S-class. Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to adjust your innate resistance. In your case, you could freeze only the part affected by poison and use that as an emergency response.”
Both Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae had used similar tactics in ranking matches, where external item use was banned. They’d cauterize their wounds in emergency situations. Watching it was disturbing, to say the least, even though it worked.
Even if it’s not your innate element, if your mana control is at a genius level, you can adjust your resistance. Of course, someone like me, with almost no mana but ridiculously high skill levels, could never do that. I was just glad I could deactivate my skills.
“Oh, by the way, you can turn off passive skills—like resistance skills.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If you try turning them off twice in a row, it works.”
Yerim tilted her head, intrigued.
“It’s not working for me.”
“…It’s not?”
“No.”
…Why wouldn’t it work? I tried turning off my poison resistance, then turning it back on. It worked fine. Just to be sure, I called Yuhyun. He said he’d never tried before but would check. A moment later, he said it didn’t work for him either.
“You too? …Maybe it depends on the skill grade.”
[Could be.]
Since I’m the only one with L-rank passive skills, there’s no way to confirm it with others. And since all of my resistance skills are L-rank, I couldn’t compare either.
No wonder no one had figured out that passive skills could be turned off, even five years in the future. I doubt no one ever tried something like this, but I guess lower-ranked skills just don’t deactivate.
“Looks like lower-grade skills can’t be turned off.”
“Doesn’t the Guild Leader have S-rank fire resistance? What’s your poison resistance grade, Mister?”
“L-rank.”
“Wow, that’s insane. L-rank actually exists.”
“Yerim, let’s keep it a secret, okay? It’s a secret that my poison resistance is above S-rank, even though the Sesung Guild Leader figured it out. Let’s not spread the exact grade.”
I still have no idea how Seong Hyunjae pinpointed it so accurately. Did he know Noah’s poison skill level? He didn’t seem close enough with Liette to be sharing skill information, and he hadn’t even approved a visit to the Breeding Facility.
“Anyway, the more you use a skill, the better you get at it. The grade might even increase, and new functions could be unlocked. It’s better to focus on using your skills than relying too much on items.”
I can’t even bring up examples of things I’ve seen in the future.
Yuhyun can’t use Blood Flame yet. From what I saw during the Babar incident, he could only use Black Flame. He couldn’t control Blue Willow Leaves’ invisibility either.
Tons of rankers complained about how ridiculously hard that skill was to manage after it ranked up. If Yuhyun could use Blood Flame now, Noah would have… Well, he’d be in serious trouble. B-grade healing wouldn’t be enough to recover, and his wings would’ve melted off entirely.
Unlike regular fire, Blood Flame can precisely control its damage range, so it would’ve been over before I could even intervene.
Yerim in the previous timeline awakened much later, so her skills never ranked up. But her combination of Cold Sigh and Pale Rain was solid. Once she gets better at using them, I’ll teach her more advanced techniques.
“This way.”
As we approached the Hunter detention center, Song Taewon came out to personally guide us inside. Even though it was for Hunters, lower-ranked ones usually just had their inventories sealed and were sent to regular jails. This was my first time visiting here.
…How many times has Yuhyun been here? The thought made me feel uneasy.
“Yerim, make sure you never end up in a place like this.”
“I could live without laws, Mister.”
She said confidently, like a middle schooler caught riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Technically, she wasn’t breaking any laws yet.
We passed several doors and even went down some stairs to a deeper part of the facility. The further we went, the more grim the faces of the guards became. Well, just hang in there for another few years. Eventually, items that can help subdue S-class Hunters will be developed… in about four years.
The high-rank Hunter holding cells were underground. There were three cells, and each had a separate entrance to prevent one escape attempt from leading to multiple breakouts.
“Unfortunately, the standing protocol for high-combat aptitude Hunters is to assume they will escape. Guards are trained not to stop them but to report it immediately. Of course, this is only because it’s a detention center. In cases of civilian murder, the Hunter is transferred to a specialized isolation facility. Those facilities make it nearly impossible for even high-rank Hunters to escape on their own.”
I didn’t bother asking more about those facilities. They don’t have actual prison cells or equipment strong enough to restrain high-rank Hunters, but even S-classes become vulnerable if they’re missing their limbs.
“Noah Luhir melted the locks with poison and used stealth skills to escape. All things considered, he was fairly mild-mannered.”
Song Taewon said this as he unlocked the door. Apparently, Noah had only used the minimum amount of poison, so cleanup wasn’t difficult. Yeah, his sudden panic was the problem, but I remember how polite he was at first.
Inside, the room was simple—about ten pyeong, like a studio apartment without a kitchen or a bathroom. It seemed spacious due to the lack of furnishings, but to high-rank Hunters, it was probably little more than a cramped storage room.
Noah was sitting quietly in the middle of the room, having pulled a chair over. He was still wearing the same training clothes from yesterday. He sat with his hands neatly folded on his knees, looking at me like a well-behaved golden retriever waiting for orders. I bet if I asked him to give me his paw, he would.
“Hello, Han Yujin.”
His voice held a clear tension. Whether that was due to the keyword effect, the title, or something else, I couldn’t be sure.
I smiled at him as kindly as I could.
“You kept your promise and waited.”
“Yes. I only made a few phone calls and waited quietly.”
Phone calls? To his guild, maybe? Speaking of which, what about his guild? Should I just bring them all over here? It wouldn’t be great to keep relying on other guilds for security. If they’re trustworthy, I could relocate the whole group.
Since this would all be settled with an agreement, the process of getting Noah released was simple. We just had to sign one Hunter contract, and that was it. The contract period was set for one month. Given that Noah was an S-class Hunter, even a week would have been overcompensating for the damage caused.
Noah said he wanted to stay until he wasn’t afraid of his sister anymore, though.
“Liette has been banned from entering the country.”
Song Taewon handed me a copy of the contract as he said this.
“What? Banned from entering?”
“Yes. Officially, it’s for illegal contract dealing, but based on the conversation we had that day, it was determined that she posed a significant threat to you. So we’ve blocked her entry. Was that unnecessary?”
“No, no, that’s fine. I appreciate it.”
I really don’t want to see her anytime soon. Once enough time has passed, I’ll call her and talk it over. Then I’ll decide if I want to see her in person or not.
“Since illegal contract trading is a misdemeanor, her entry ban can only last for up to a year. Also, this is a list of substances that poison resistance won’t protect you against. We’ve informed the Hunter hospitals. Once a resistance skill is known, those details are automatically registered to prevent medical accidents.”
“I understand.”
I nodded and took the file. The list was pretty long.
“Even though alcohol doesn’t affect me, there are substances that do, huh.”
“Alcohol’s toxicity is actually quite strong. These substances are so mild that they don’t trigger poison resistance, which is why they’re safe. Most of them are for medical use. There are also special drugs, like Hunter-grade painkillers made from dungeon materials.”
“I have some of those painkillers, too. My antidote item is B-rank, so it works on B-rank poison resistance.”
Yerim chimed in. I’d used those Hunter painkillers in my previous life too, but I only had the cheapest ones. Now that they’ve developed up to S-rank, I guess I can’t even use them without turning off my resistance skill.
After getting a few more recommendations for emergency medicine, we left the detention center. Yerim walked right beside me, while Noah followed a couple of steps behind. When I stopped, so did Noah, still a little further back.
“Noah.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t need to walk so far behind.”
“Ah… it’s just more comfortable this way. Is that a problem?”
More comfortable, huh? I guess when he was with Liette, he always followed behind her. I can perfectly imagine Liette confidently walking ahead without even glancing back.
There’s no need to force him to change right away, so I told him it was fine and continued walking toward the parking lot. Since neither Yerim nor I had a driver’s license yet, Hunter Kim Jiyeon had come to pick us up. When I mentioned I was planning to get my license, Yerim quickly said she’d get hers too and had already scheduled our tests for next weekend.
“Anyway, I went to the screen shooting game center. It was fun, but reality is way better. Next time, do you want to go to the shooting range with me? How about we bet on dinner?”
“I’ll just buy you dinner.”
How would betting even work? Since we had some time before dinner, Yerim suggested we go to a karaoke room. After glancing back at Noah, I nodded.
“Can you file a complaint with the Korean Hunter Association for me? Hm?”
“That’s not within my authority. Please hold for just a moment…”
The staff member of the Mexican Hunter Association was flustered, nervously trying to pacify Liette. The regular employees had already fled the lobby, leaving only the Hunters to watch the spectacle unfold.
Wearing a brightly colored poncho and a pointed sombrero, Liette fluttered her fingers and frowned slightly. At every movement, those around her flinched, their bodies tense with fear.
“After all I’ve done to help you guys, and you can’t even manage this?”
Liette primarily enjoyed illegal dungeon raids, but she also operated as a free Hunter. Mexico, with only two S-class Hunters due to the mass exodus of talent to the U.S. and Europe, had received her help several times. Officially, it was a transaction for compensation, but in Liette’s mind, it had transformed into a favor she’d done out of generosity.
In any case, the Mexican Hunter Association couldn’t refute her arrogant demands, as they were the ones who needed her.
“How could they ban me from entering the country? Over a couple of illegal contracts? Isn’t that going too far?”
— Ssssh, ssssh!
A small snake poked its head out from under her sombrero, hissing in agreement. Its scales shimmered like jewels, a brilliantly colored gem snake. Liette raised her hand and stroked the snake’s chin.
“My dear little one needs to be taken in soon. You want to grow fast too, don’t you, Bel?”
— Ssssh.
The snake’s golden eyes, much like its owner’s, narrowed in contentment.
“Well, hurry up and figure out a way to send Belare to Korea.”
As Liette’s eyebrow arched and a hint of killing intent seeped out, the Hunters around her froze.
Kwang!
Suddenly, the glass doors shattered as a heavy-duty pickup truck crashed into the lobby. Tires screeched against the polished floor as the truck skidded to a stop, and armed men jumped out.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Gunfire erupted, and the Hunters quickly ducked for cover or activated their defense skills and gear. Luckily, thanks to Liette’s earlier disturbance, there were no civilians or low-rank Hunters vulnerable to the bullets in the room.
“And who might these guys be?”
Liette dusted off her poncho, casually brushing aside the bullets that had wrapped themselves in the fabric. The ordinary cloth somehow managed to catch the bullets without so much as a hole.
“The dungeon breaks are God’s will! Don’t defy God’s decree!”
One of the armed men yelled, holding up a grenade. The others followed suit, pulling out explosives of their own. As the tension among the Hunters spiked, Liette’s lips curled into a smile.
“Ah, those terrorists I’ve been hearing about lately. I’ll take care of them, so send me to Korea after, okay?”
Deciding on her own, she drew her sword. The long blade tilted lazily, almost playfully, as it sliced through the air with a soft whoosh. The air itself trembled ever so slightly.
Ping!
With a sharp twang, like a taut string snapping, an enormous force tore through the armed men. Their bodies were sliced apart like straw in a whirlwind of razor-sharp blades. Arms, legs, and heads were severed without a single drop of blood being spilled. Even the explosives were split in half without detonation.
In that utterly surreal scene, the air shuddered just a moment later. The Hunters, who had been standing frozen, finally swallowed nervously and let out quiet sighs of relief.
Liette returned her sword to her inventory and walked over to the scattered remains of the terrorists.
“God’s will, huh? People who say that are never decent.”
She nudged a severed head with her boot. The wide-open eyes stared up at her.
[Liette.]
“Oh?”
[I will make my offer once more.]
A voice came from the lifeless head, and Liette’s golden eyes narrowed dangerously.
“You’ve been quiet for a while. What’s going on now? I warned you to stay away from me and my brother.”
Of course, the warning wasn’t delivered peacefully. Blood and gore had accompanied her message.
[Lie-]
“Shut up.”
Crunch.
Her boot crushed the head into pieces. Liette wiped her shoe against the corpse’s clothes and turned around, her smile cold and terrifying.
“If there’s anyone here with poor curse resistance or low mental stats, you might as well come forward. I’ll make it quick.”
“W-what are you—”
Crack!
Liette’s hand shot out, grabbing a Hunter by the neck and cutting him off mid-sentence. The man broke out into a cold sweat, completely caught off guard.
“Do you have a curse resistance skill or item? What about your mental stat?”
“I-I have a C-rank item…”
“Then you’re fine.”
She casually tossed him aside.
“Next. Let’s hurry this up, okay?”
Or maybe I should just kill them all. Her chilling aura thickened, and the Association’s Hunters instinctively took a step back. A pale-faced man locked eyes with Liette from across the room.
“So it’s you.”
[Firstborn of the Venom and Curse Dragon Dio Valsesis.]
Liette’s golden eyes briefly flickered. A deep frown appeared between her brows, and her once-calm lips twisted.
“What… did you just say?”
[Kill Seong Hyunjae of Sesung Guild, and capture Han Yuhyun’s brother from Haeyeon Guild.]
“You dare to order me—?!”
Her teeth ground together audibly. But Liette couldn’t move. The instincts of her dragon side, her cursed dragon blood, held her in place.
If she had been a fully realized Dio Valsesis, she might have bowed her head in submission. But Liette bit her lip and unleashed a skill. The violent energy alone was enough to tear the man possessed by the curse dragon apart, splitting him vertically with ease.
Chunks of his body flew like shrapnel.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The Hunters, who had been suffocated by Liette’s aura, collapsed, unable to defend themselves. Dark toxic fumes spread around them. The fumes coiled toward Liette’s feet, but thanks to her high poison resistance, they couldn’t touch her.
“…Damn, my head hurts.”
— Sss.
The jewel snake emerged from under its master’s hat, gazing at Liette. She wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand, frowning.
“What the hell was that?”
Her memory felt hazy. In any case, whatever unpleasant entity had been there was definitely gone now. The curse dragon’s spirit could only possess those with weak mental stats or poor curse resistance, and it couldn’t travel far. With no one else around to latch onto, it had no choice but to leave.
“Just when I thought they’d given up for good, they pull this crap.”
Annoyed, Liette kicked one of the split corpses. That’s when a group of people arrived. At the front stood a tall, imposing woman—one of Mexico’s S-class Hunters. She took one look at Liette and the mangled bodies and scowled.
“You couldn’t even wait a moment before causing trouble?”
“What? No, I—”
“This time, you’re going straight to jail!”
“Ah, damn it! I’ve been having the worst luck lately!”
I need to get to Korea! Liette knew she could win if she fought here, but making the situation worse would be a hassle. No matter how recklessly she lived, she couldn’t afford to make enemies of every Hunter Association. Clicking her tongue, she quickly made her escape.
–TL Notes–
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