S Chapter 81

“Kkurung!” (Opening!)

“Aargh!”

The crazy raccoon accurately kicked Hunter B’s hand. It wasn’t a dull thud, but a sharp crack.

“What kind of ridiculous strength is this?” Hunter B gritted his teeth. For a foot that looked like it could only make soft pattering sounds, it was surprisingly painful. His kicking skills rivaled Bruce Lee’s. A blue bruise was already starting to form on the back of Hunter B’s large hand.

“Damn it!”

The weapon Hunter B dropped flew up into the air. Whirring—it spun menacingly in a circle, then plunged down hard into one spot. The hard ground was deeply gouged.

Meanwhile, Hunter C, who was nearby, had been slapped a dozen times. Several maple leaf-shaped handprints were imprinted on his healthy tanned skin.

Truly a crazy raccoon!

How could such a small creature be so ferocious? The other Hunters also stared at the raccoon with exasperated expressions. It looked like a real nobody, but it was strangely, impossibly strong.

Hunter D made a tearful face, looking at the raccoon. The raccoon was contorting its pointed snout, throwing a fit. Hiss! It bared its fangs, threatening them; it was even more ferocious than a salamander, which was known for its aggression, never less.

“Look at that temper. It probably has rabies, one hundred percent.”

“And so fast…”

Hunter D, who was renowned for his speed, was utterly disgusted. And it was understandable. Because with its chubby, seemingly clumsy body, it was playing with the Hunters with incredible agility.

Though it looked no different from an ordinary wild raccoon, it displayed movements they had never seen or heard of, testing their patience. Hot-tempered Hunter B was on the verge of collapsing, not from being hit, but from his blood pressure rising due to pure annoyance.

“It’s considered at least A-rank.”

Hunter B retorted at Hunter C’s words.

“Nonsense. It’s at least SS-rank. Everyone, be honest. Is anyone here going easy on that little bastard? No, right? Against multiple active professional Hunters, even those holding the title of guild master, that thing is still acting leisurely. We have to swallow our pride and admit it. That thing is stronger than a Water Dragon.”

“Definitely… I think we’ll have to go all out. Sigh, the situation isn’t very good. There are still many people who haven’t evacuated.”

“They’re Hunters too, aren’t they? Tell them to get out of the way themselves!”

“We can’t. They’re still students.”

It was at that moment, as the Hunters were voicing their opinions, the raccoon, which had been striking a martial arts pose, tilted its chubby body sideways and flapped its round ears. Then, it quickly put all four paws on the ground and scampered off somewhere. Its fluffy tail swayed naturally with its movements.

It headed in the direction where Runner-up was lying unconscious. Towards him, still sprawled unconscious, the crazy raccoon charged, its tongue flailing.

“Oh no. It seems to be holding a grudge from being attacked earlier! Ughhh. It looks like it’s going to finish off that student entirely!”

“At this rate, he’ll be eaten!”

“Stop it!”

“Tch, it’s too fast!”

The Hunters tried to move quickly, but it was too late.

It was a dizzying moment, thinking that the first casualty was about to occur without fail. Someone stood in front of the deranged raccoon. It was Yang U-dam, whose handsome appearance would make anyone turn their head for a second look if they passed him by.

He held his sword at an angle, deflecting the raccoon’s attack. While others fled in terror, he was the only one who drew his sword and willingly joined the battle. And against a monster that even professionals were struggling with.

‘Well done.’

Shin Jukyeong smiled contentedly, watching his younger brother, who stood in front of him.

‘Yes, this makes my elaborate plan worthwhile.’

He deliberately bared his teeth at U-dam, then subtly glanced at the stands without anyone noticing. He was wary of the Hunter Association Chairman’s movements. While the guild masters were at a level he could playfully handle, the situation would change entirely if the Chairman joined in.

At that point, he would have to flee with all his might. Because that was not an opponent he could defeat in his crazy raccoon mode.

However, contrary to Shin Jukyeong’s concerns, the Hunter Association Chairman seemed to have no intention of moving from his spot. He was merely leisurely watching, protecting his grandson from the flying debris. From Shin Jukyeong’s perspective, it was a very fortunate situation.

‘Well, there are many eyes watching, so he couldn’t possibly move.’

It would be different if the Chairman were alone, but there were several guild masters present, who were considered the face of the current Hunter Association. Moreover, their opponent was just one monster.

‘Regardless of its rank, they’re already ganging up on it, and if the Chairman were to join in, it would look too undignified. It could also imply that he doubts the guild masters’ abilities.’

Therefore, maintaining an attitude like, ‘My juniors will handle it on their own, I trust them,’ and standing firm is better for his image.

‘This is a thank you from my end. Please keep standing still like that.’

Shin Jukyeong refocused all his attention on his younger brother.

U-dam was slowly breathing, sword in hand. His gaze was sharply fixed. However, his raised shoulders and slightly extended front foot, for instance, spoke volumes about his tension.

I thought I had warned him multiple times not to show it. His habits just don’t change, do they?

Making a mental note of the areas to coach him on later, he pretended to be fierce and lunged. Of course, unlike when he faced the guild masters, he didn’t even use 20% of his strength. But to prevent others from noticing, his movements were several times larger and more aggressive.

Shin Jukyeong raised his short arms dramatically, making a threatening gesture. Hiss! His pointed fangs peeked out. Fortunately, his younger brother calmly blocked the attack exactly as he had been taught. Clang! The sturdy blade deflected the sharp claws.

‘His accuracy is a bit lacking, but his speed is decent.’

Perhaps expecting U-dam to get smacked and sent flying like Runner-up, sounds of admiration continuously burst from the back at the unexpected turn of events.

Yes, be more surprised and react more! My brother is amazing, isn’t he? Shin Jukyeong, filled with joy, wiggled his long snout. His whiskers twitched, and wrinkles formed on his nose bridge. He was laughing out of happiness, but to others, he would just look like he was throwing a tantrum.

However, regardless of his true feelings, he couldn’t keep gloating like this. If the standoff continued, he would soon be found out for going easy on U-dam.

In a way, it was obvious. It made no sense for a Hunter Academy student to face a monster that even professionals struggled to handle, all by himself.

‘So, you need to stop me with a different method, U-dam.’

You have to fight using your specialty, not clumsy physical techniques.

Shin Jukyeong pretended to attack, matching U-dam’s moves, guiding him to get used to real combat. At the same time, he gradually increased the difficulty. He pressed U-dam harder and faster.

The kid, who had been alternating between defense and offense, was now barely managing to block. He was pushed back, with no leisure to look around, and eventually tripped. He stumbled badly, unfortunately tripping over the unconscious Runner-up.

Shin Jukyeong didn’t miss the chance and lunged. Precisely towards U-dam’s face, he bared his fangs and let out a harsh hiss! A hair-trigger situation. His widely opened eyes showed a wavering gaze. And slowly, his lips parted.

They say that humans instinctively unleash ten times their usual ability in life-threatening emergencies. Hunters were no different. Because no matter how extraordinary their abilities, they were still just human.

“Don’t move!”

A voice tinged with a faint tremor spread through the air, ringing in everyone’s eardrums. And it could be boldly asserted. That was the moment U-dam received his first recognition as a ‘Hunter’.

For a moment, even the movements of the professional Hunters, excluding the Hunter Association Chairman and Shin Jukyeong, stopped. His ability had temporarily amplified, affecting even opponents stronger than himself. However, the Chairman and Shin Jukyeong, whose power levels were far superior, were exceptions.

Yet, Shin Jukyeong acted as if the Hypnosis had worked. He deliberately stiffened his perfectly fine limbs and collapsed weakly. He didn’t forget the good sense to shiver occasionally. As if he had truly been struck by a command to not move.

“…Did he subdue it?”

Someone gulped dryly and spoke. His tone was disbelieving.

However, immediately afterward, a loud cheer erupted, and many people roared with applause for his younger brother. Professional Hunters rushed over, ruffling his brother’s hair and showering him with lavish praise. Rough curses could be heard occasionally. They weren’t scolding, but natural exclamations born of overwhelming excitement.

Shin Jukyeong was unceremoniously grabbed by the scruff of his neck and dragged away. He didn’t forget to stick his tongue out for a more dramatic performance. Having acted a few times, it was quite natural.

Ah, but it wasn’t all good. He would never forget the Hunter Association official who carried him away, muttering, ‘This little bastard is causing so much trouble!’ and lightly hitting him on the head. You seriously need to be careful walking alone at night.

‘Anyway, with this, U-dam won’t end up dropping out of the Hunter Academy due to Cliques, right?’

He thought this was fortunate as he was tossed into a cage made of iron bars, designed exclusively for monsters. Then he suddenly realized this was no situation to be laughing.

‘Huh? Oh right. I need to escape.’

“Please, don’t break it, and stay put.”

Creak. Along with an exasperated voice, the light was cut off.