Damn Hunter Life 43

Damn Hunter Life Chapter 43

Exactly 30 minutes later.

“Cheon-ah noona. Which way should we go at the fork?”

I grinned and clung to Ma Cheon-ah.

For 30 minutes, no boss had appeared. Therefore, I lost the bet.

But well, I hadn’t expected to win anyway.

It would be a mistake to think I had confidently made the bet because I had something to rely on. When the maze gate appeared in the original work, there was no mention of how many minutes it took for the boss to appear.

‘I just diverted her attention so Ma Cheon-ah couldn’t go alone…’

Victory belonged to Ma Cheon-ah. However, the penalty of having to call her noona couldn’t cause me any pain whatsoever.

Ma Cheon-ah realized who the true loser was within a minute of the outcome being decided. She must be barely holding back her nausea right now.

“…Anyway, the boss still hasn’t appeared, so this time I’m really going separ—”

“Huh? What are you saying, noona?”

I can’t let that happen. I blocked Ma Cheon-ah’s path and smiled broadly with great effort.

“Don’t you remember exactly what bet we made at the very beginning? Originally I bet that if Cheon-ah noona won, I’d let her go alone. But noona directly changed the victory condition herself, telling me to call her noona. If you wanted to go alone, you should have made that the condition then.”

The more disgusted the opponent gets, the more excited I become and act even more foolishly.

Ma Cheon-ah and I were at similar eye levels, which was just perfect. I put my hands behind my back and bent my waist slightly. In a position looking up from below, I thrust my face right in front of hers.

“Did you prefer being called noona by me?”

I was close enough to be reflected in Ma Cheon-ah’s pupils.

She could curse at me for being shameless and it wouldn’t be enough. But Ma Cheon-ah’s eyes, meeting my smile, somehow didn’t waver. They just widened into circles.

For a moment she seemed surprised—

Ma Cheon-ah dramatically jerked her head away. From what I briefly saw, she was holding her breath.

…Should I stop this now? If I keep being cheeky, I’ll get killed.

At that moment, my waist was yanked to the side.

“What are you trying to accomplish by acting so pathetically? This is inside a gate.”

Ja Hyeong-woo’s face was drained of color as if I had committed some terribly horrible act against Ma Cheon-ah.

“From now on, you keep your mouth shut. If you’re going to keep interfering with the strategy like that.”

“Let go! And what do you mean, interference, over this little bit of banter? If this counts as interference, then your mental state is that slack!”

Suddenly heated, I thrust my face at Ja Hyeong-woo just like before and snapped back.

Ja Hyeong-woo didn’t turn his head away. Instead, he ground his teeth and glared at me.

“I told you clearly. Don’t act carelessly when you’re still inexperienced and powerless.”

“I’ll shoot my bow when I see monsters!”

“Then just do that. When you chatter, the entire strategy team’s tension loosens.”

Their tension loosens?

When I suddenly lowered my glare and stepped back, Ja Hyeong-woo’s puzzled gaze followed. He must have sensed something suspicious about my sudden compliance.

Correct.

“You want me to make sure they don’t let their guard down, right?”

You want Yang Pyo and Ma Cheon-ah to concentrate? Then I have a very good method for that.

Since I thought of it, let’s put it into practice right away. I whipped around to look at the two of them.

“I’ve been watching you two use swords to kill monsters. To see how you two handle swords. And this is my impression.”

I paused briefly and watched their reactions.

Even while thinking ‘How dare scoundrel Gyeon Gang-hyeon have impressions about my sword?’, they were staring at me intently, waiting for my next words.

“Ja Hyeong-woo has the most useful swordwork among you.”

And it took me only a few seconds to drop that bomb.

I had just stated in front of a tanker and dealer that a healer who barely even touches swords was the best.

“The other two have gotten caught up in superficial style. You put too much effort into your movements.”

The tension turned to ice-cold atmosphere.

I knew my provocation method would work well on these two. Since they’re kids with emotions like competitiveness and pride, they’d be much more upset than Ja Hyeong-woo.

Are you angry? If you’re angry, train hard and become superior hunters.

Yang Pyo, unable to hide his agitation, clenched his fists tightly.

“Then why don’t… try swinging it once.”

He seemed to have muted the sound because he didn’t know what to call me.

Yang Pyo stomped over and thrust his sword into my hands. But as soon as Yang Pyo’s hand let go, the blade drooped down under the sword’s weight.

“Ah, my wrist…”

I know Yang Pyo and Ma Cheon-ah are looking at me dumbfounded, but let’s do it once for the audience anyway.

The basic linked movement of Hunter School swordsmanship: slash forward, then immediately thrust.

I know the theory. But from the very first swooshing swing, the trajectory wobbled terribly.

While rotating my waist, positioning the swung sword at my side, and placing my left foot behind, my feet were already unsteady.

Naturally, the tip of the sword I thrust forward in that state trembled violently. It was consistently terrible right to the finish.

Ma Cheon-ah, who had been leaning her upper body back in advance as if planning to unleash verbal abuse as soon as I finished, closed her mouth as if speechless.

Rather than good or bad technique, I seemed too frail.

“How did you make that attack at Busan Gate?”

“Was the sword light as a feather…?”

At that moment, Ja Hyeong-woo snatched the sword that had been drooping against the ground.

Next, my mouth was blocked by thick hands. They were so large that they completely covered my lower face and even reached down to my chin. Just as I was about to be overwhelmed by their size, Ja Hyeong-woo shot me a look as if he wanted to devour me.

His eyes were brimming with the intention that he couldn’t tolerate this anymore.

Dirty bastard. Using force to make me submit.

With my mouth sealed, movement resumed haphazardly. No matter how much I glared, Ja Hyeong-woo absolutely wouldn’t remove his blocking hand.

Not until a large wildcat appeared in the maze.

“Boss!”

Ja Hyeong-woo released me and prepared heal skills in case of emergency. With the boss looking down at all four of us from above, I had no intention of causing trouble either, so I raised my bow and aimed immediately.

“…Bastard. Watch closely. See what the skill of that ‘superficially stylish’ person is like.”

Ma Cheon-ah declared in a voice filled with strength.

She immediately leaped into the air without even her horse familiar.

Slash, slash! During the brief time she remained in the air, red lines were drawn several times across the boss’s nape. Cut fur flew.

<Flame Brand (Fire Attribute)>

Flames blazed up from the wounds all at once.

The monster’s roar shook the entire area. The boss, writhing in pain, brought its front paw down toward Ma Cheon-ah.

Ma Cheon-ah, who had been casually watching the approaching front paw, whistled— Wheee.

“…!”

A bright red chollima sprang up.

Ma Cheon-ah settled on top without even looking down. The chollima that landed like that drew a large circle, driving the boss.

She seemed to have become one body with her familiar. Her movements wielding the butcher knife skillfully while mounted were large and refreshing. Once more with vigor, she raised her sword sideways and charged at the boss’s front—

Kieek! Dark red bodily fluid scattered.

The remaining three had to become spectators. I was genuinely impressed too.

I’m not certain, but that level of performance would only come out when Ma Cheon-ah faces a life crisis, right?

And it’s also the kind of performance that would come out when she gets excited about showing the public her strategy on stage.

Ja Hyeong-woo’s debuff skills weren’t even needed. Ma Cheon-ah single-handedly brought down the boss monster, which was D-rank but still a boss, without difficulty.

Ma Cheon-ah, who had stopped moving before the boss’s breath was cut off, turned to look this way.

“Yang oppa. Call your familiar!”

Yang Pyo jumped in surprise, not expecting to be called. Why? He shouted in confusion.

“Why? I’m trying to let oppa practice! Don’t skip out every time! If it doesn’t work, you’ll have to start again step by step with easier things!”

Yang Pyo’s complexion became as bad as if he were standing before hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Soon, as if he had made a firm resolution, he squeezed his eyes shut and muttered as if making some kind of vow…

But to my eyes, I can see the flow of energy moving in his body.

‘He has enough energy. It’s not a matter of talent. While he’s trying to draw out power, it seems like another part of himself is suppressing it.’

Then Yang Pyo’s sluggish cause lies in the mental realm.

Flicker—the boss monster that we thought was dead opened its bright red eyes.

Thunk!

Just before Ma Cheon-ah noticed and stabbed her sword in, an arrow pierced through the center of the boss monster’s head first.

[<Grave of the Dead (Earth Attribute)> skill activated.]

I acted nonchalant as if that arrow wasn’t mine.

Anyway, we ultimately succeeded in the strategy. They said this was supposed to be time for my practice, but aside from using the bow a few times in actual combat, I’m not sure if it was particularly good practice.

“Try saying in front of me once more that I’m lacking.”

While waiting for the gate entrance to disappear, Ma Cheon-ah approached triumphantly.

She seemed to think she had flattened my nose by catching the boss…

“I never said you couldn’t do it though?”

I’m also well-versed in escaping.

“People like me who only watch with their eyes are good at giving advice. And also, there are things we know because we only watch with our eyes.”

Just then, only Yang Pyo and Ma Cheon-ah were beside me. Taking advantage of Ja Hyeong-woo’s conversation with the police, I began a lengthy speech.

“…Superficial style, that’s understandable. Since all stages are made public to the masses. That hinders growth. The only one who doesn’t care about the public is Ja Hyeong-woo.”

This was the meaning behind my saying Ja Hyeong-woo’s swordwork was the best.

Both Yang Pyo and Ma Cheon-ah became mute. I looked at the two of them in turn.

“Don’t worry too much about others’ gazes. Whether those others are the public who don’t know you, or… people around you. That’s the one thing you should watch and learn.”

Ah, right. The penalty.

“What do you think, Cheon-ah noona?”

Ma Cheon-ah, who had been dazed, immediately returned to school without another word to me.

Probably my advice won’t even seem like advice for now. Ma Cheon-ah was such a lone wolf, and among the Twelve Zodiac, she was the successor most full of arrogance.

‘Someday that mindset might shoot herself in the foot…’

Yang Pyo looked at me with confused eyes a little later than her, then returned home.

‘Honestly, ever since I started talking with Sa Ye-ho, the number of people I need to consider has gradually increased, so it’s been hectic.’

But yeah, Yang Pyo is in a difficult state right now.

That guy must have some use to me too.

‘I should tail him once.’

Without the Boundary Between Life and Death skill, I would have suffered many losses.

The D-rank gate slowly disappears. When the gate disappears, automatic return will be applied to us anyway according to Hunter School principles, but I wanted to use the return skill first.

I was about to abandon Ja Hyeong-woo and return first, but generously made eye contact before going.

‘…Successfully secured the magic stone.’

My archery had improved a lot, so it was manageable. I secretly stole one mob magic stone earlier and sold it at the hunter shop to prepare points. It was a satisfying amount.

‘Though I’ll spend it all soon.’

Should I go spend points now?