S Chapter 35

“You rotten bastards!”

The Hunter Association Chairman roared. Simultaneously, his pants ripped. After his chest, now his crotch? Why is this like a course meal? Tsss-rip! It felt like his shirt was screaming for its life. Surely, that won’t be my future? To think the day would come when I’d empathize with a shred of a shirt. How can I not let my guard down for a single moment?

“My precious Go-yu!” he bellowed, suddenly striking a pose. Triceps, flex! Biceps, flex!

“Gwaaaaaaah!” Eve raged. It seemed quite disgusted.

‘Hold it in.’

“But he threatened first!”

Threat… Yes, it was big enough to feel like a threat.

“Keep staring!”

‘…’

That wasn’t an eye, it was a nipple. Just looking at it made him feel repulsion.

‘That repulsive old man…’

Anyway, for all his eccentricities, he was the Hunter Association Chairman. Meaning, he wasn’t someone to be underestimated. Honestly, this had become quite a predicament. In vulgar terms, they’d say ‘we’re screwed,’ right?

‘I can’t even sneak away.’

Of all things, that old man’s specialty was barriers. He was the top in that field, unrivaled. Even Shin Jukyeong would be detected with 100% certainty. Even with Eve, it would be useless. Shin Jukyeong pondered again.

‘Hmm, what to do.’

“Jukyeong, over there!”

Just then, Eve exclaimed. He shifted his gaze in the direction indicated, and there was his younger brother, Yang U-dam, whom he had been searching for. Yang U-dam was bustling about, opening doors here and there as if looking for something.

‘He should be holding his breath, but he’s being so cheerful and chaotic.’

— If caught, expulsion.

Suddenly, a sentence flashed through his mind. That’s right. That was the most important thing! Fine. Since things have come to this, it’s an all-or-nothing, do-or-die situation. A cornered rat, after all. There was no other path.

Shin Jukyeong emptied his mind and chose a frontal assault. He made his move just before the Hunter Association Chairman could turn his gaze towards his brother.

“…?!”

He used Eve to snatch Yang U-dam. It was a nice abduction. Black smoke tightly wrapped around his brother’s body, holding him fast. Yang U-dam, startled, struggled. Little brat, serves him right… Oh, right. He’s my brother. My bad. Just bear with it for a moment.

‘Eve. Cover U-dam’s face.’

“Shall I choke him too?”

‘…’

“American joke-joke.”

‘Handle him carefully. Please.’

“Ppoopoo-”

His identity couldn’t be revealed, so he covered his brother’s face with smoke. It didn’t obstruct his vision, so Yang U-dam could still see outside, but his opponent wouldn’t be able to recognize his face.

‘If I get involved with Won Go-yu again, I won’t be Shin Jukyeong, but Dog Jukyeong. Dog Jukyeong.’

This was like escaping a fox only to meet a tiger. Shin Jukyeong watched the approaching Hunter Association Chairman, seething with internal frustration. The atmosphere was truly chilling. Indeed, if Shin Jukyeong’s brother had sent an SOS like Won Go-yu, he would have already snapped and gone berserk. He understood perfectly.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

‘…’

“Where did you put my grandson?”

Oh. Can this be resolved through conversation? Nice.

‘Ah, he’s over there. Yes.’

Just as he was about to politely point in the direction of Won Go-yu, the Hunter Association Chairman, who lacked even an ‘i’ of patience, began to go wild. He was the perfect example of an impatient Korean. If he was going to do this, why ask a question and get people’s hopes up?

“What have you done to my cutiepieeeee!”

Riiiiip! He finally tore his shirt completely. His pectoral muscles rippled and flexed.

Riiiiiip… Shin Jukyeong’s mental state ripped along with it. A dirty psychological attack.

‘W-what the f- is that?’

Both Shin Jukyeong and Yang U-dam gaped. It felt like they had encountered an abyssal world. The kidnapper (Shin Jukyeong) and the victim (Yang U-dam) locked eyes. Shin Jukyeong smacked his forehead, and Yang U-dam quietly poked his own eyeballs. It seemed he also didn’t want to see it. Eve, also displeased, hissed like an angry cat, “Kyyyaaaaack!”

Slap! Just then, a torn piece of shirt flew onto Shin Jukyeong’s face and stuck there. It was the nipple part. An unbearable feeling of hyun-ta (disillusionment) washed over him.

‘…My life.’

Shin Jukyeong genuinely wanted to die.

“Ugh.”

“Ugh.”

Eve (the employee) and Yang U-dam (the victim) showed contempt. Huh? Didn’t these guys know their place? Three skull bombs exploded above Shin Jukyeong’s head. This intense rage was something he had never felt before. The inner bastard was about to awaken.

‘Respect for elders? Respect for seniors? Don’t make me laugh. As of today, I’m a hoodlum.’

This wasn’t him being bad. It was entirely the world’s fault. It was trying to turn his good self into a bastard.

“What heinous deed have you done to my grandson, who still goes to the pediatrician’s office! You cruel fellow!”

Pediatrician’s office… I wonder if Won Go-yu would agree with that.

“You’ve even taken a hostage. No more talk, it’s instant judgment!”

Steam billowed from the Hunter Association Chairman’s head. “Ugh!” With a roar, his whole body turned red. His eyes were already those of a madman, no, a mad old man. It seemed he intended to fight with all his might. Was it right to act like this without even listening to what a person had to say? Shin Jukyeong felt wronged.

At that very moment, a rumor flashed through his mind. It was something a junior had told him in the past.

‘Senior, do you know? The Hunter Association Chairman’s hobby is riding Subway Line 1 every weekend. He obsessively targets areas where the ‘Recorder Man’ appears, which even manifested individuals fear. They say he recently subdued Ttaiya Batman too?’

For reference, Subway Line 1 was famously harder than a dungeon, no different from a quasi-dungeon. Shin Jukyeong felt a chill.

‘I’m scared.’

He even undertakes such extreme training! How strong does this old man intend to become? He was completely overwhelmed by the Hunter Association Chairman’s madness. His body stiffened.

Tension right before combat was a disadvantage. But he couldn’t help it. They said he even subdued the ‘Ttaiya Batman,’ who, dressed in a silver mackerel suit, would shout “Ttaiya, Ttaiya!” while brandishing a hand-blade (though never actually hitting anyone) until he got off the subway.

No. Get a grip. Shin Jukyeong!

‘Damn it, quickly relax—’

Just then.

“Takoyaki.”

…?!

Someone suddenly blurted out “Takoyaki.” Shin Jukyeong flinched and turned his head. The speaker was Yang U-dam. His own younger brother.

‘What did he just say? Ta…koyaki…?’

His gaze returned to the Hunter Association Chairman. The Chairman’s face was red with anger, a few strands of hair fluttering with steam rising from his head. Shin Jukyeong clenched his teeth. No. Endure. Endure even if it kills him. This atmosphere, humidity, temperature… He had to endure…

At that moment, Yang U-dam mumbled with his face buried in both hands.

“Irasshaimase…”

His guilty voice, as if he himself couldn’t bear it any longer, was even mournful. Shin Jukyeong was completely knocked out.

This guy was suspicious. Won Chung-bae carefully observed the unregistered ability user who boldly stood in front of him. He had thought it was just a puppy not knowing to fear a tiger, but it seemed he was mistaken.

The reason? Simple. He was perfectly fine. Most hunters couldn’t even maintain a brief standoff with Won Chung-bae. Many would even retch under his pressure, so that said it all.

‘Where did such a fellow spring from?’

He dared to kidnap someone right in front of Won Chung-bae, and even laughed heartily?

‘His guts must be outside his stomach. Tsk, tsk.’

Won Chung-bae flexed his muscles and heightened his killing intent.

‘But that arrogant fellow, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before? Ha~ Good grief. My memory is really failing as I get older… He doesn’t look unfamiliar. Hmm.’

As he was lost in thought, the unregistered hunter abruptly stopped laughing and frantically pointed to a certain spot. His gaze naturally followed.

“…!”

Won Chung-bae gasped in surprise. This was the first time he had ever been so astonished in his life. His grandson, Won Go-yu, whom he loved dearly, was lying unconscious, trapped in an iron cage! His hands and feet began to tremble. My canary who used to smile and call out ‘Harabuji, Harabuji’ (Grandpa)… My cutie, fairy, cotton candy, lily of the valley Go-yu!

“Youuuuu baastaaaard!!”

He charged forward with a mighty roar. He intended to completely separate the kidnapper’s bones from his flesh. To mock him by showing his fallen grandson, it was intolerable.

‘In the name of Won Chung-bae, I will punish you. The sin of touching my grandson! Repay it with your life!’

Fwoosh! A deafening roar that pierced the ears. A great light enveloped everything. Even the ground shook. Now, that arrogant fellow would surely be tattered and kneeling.

‘Huh?’

However, as the light faded, what appeared was the unregistered hunter, perfectly fine. He was still standing in the same posture as before, holding the hostage. It was strange. Surely the attack had landed? Won Chung-bae stroked his chin. Then, with narrowed eyes, he thoroughly scanned his opponent.

‘Aha. That black smoke must have blocked it.’

It was a type of summoned creature he had never seen before. No, he wasn’t even sure if it could be called a summoned creature. It didn’t seem to possess will or life. …Tsk, but what did it matter? The fact that this guy was dead meat wouldn’t change.

“If you had collapsed earlier, your corpse would have been preserved cleanly.”

Won Chung-bae took his stance again. This time, he would defeat him with all his might. Hot steam billowed from his body.