Episode 154

Bodenov Silla.

Top tier in the ‘Assassination Department’ of the Gonis Hunter Academy.
She enrolled with an impressive second-place ranking.

With exceptional skills, she was often the subject of admiration from her fellow students, though she found their gazes somewhat embarrassing.

‘…Hmm.’

This was quite bothersome…

In truth, Bodenov Silla wasn’t someone who should be in her first year.

She was a fully active, legitimate hunter.

Not just any average one, but someone who passed the B-grade promotion exam of the <Guild>, conquered multiple dungeons, and even joined one of the Four Great Clans, making her a veteran in her own right.

Known by the moniker <Coiling Snake>.

A capable <Sub Dealer> using the unconventional weapon of a whip.

That was the identity of Bodenov Silla, a B-grade hunter affiliated with <Dragon Sword Mir>.

‘…For now, at least.’

Of course, her true identity was something else entirely, but that was a matter she preferred to overlook for the moment.

‘Haa~’

For Silla, it was hard to shake off the feeling akin to entering a place where little kindergarteners play and boast, ‘Aren’t I great?’

Hence, she felt pricks of conscience in various ways.

This led to the answer as to why Yu Seha, despite having such skills, didn’t know her.

Because Silla herself acted carefully to ensure her name didn’t spread.

Then, why did she enroll in the Academy with the status of a <Cadet>?

The reason was to <Scout> talented individuals.

‘At first, I was aiming for the Ice Mage.’

The first person Silla noticed was <Snow Ice> Moon Bora.

With an impressive nickname, she was an excellent hunter, even in Silla’s eyes.

It seemed easier to bring her in, considering she was also acquainted with the <Crimson Dragon>.

However, everything changed with the information obtained after the entrance exam.

Change in priorities.

A man who became even more talked about than <Snow Ice>.

‘Yu Seha.’

Silla found herself intrigued by him.

Without rushing, she looked for opportunities by attending the same classes.

This eventually led to the current duel request.

Thus, the duel unfolding now was a sort of test for Silla.

Honestly, she was curious.

‘Just how amazing is he…’

With both Miss Ju Na-young and her superior, whom she served and led.

And lastly, even ‘that person’ was concerned about him.

Of course, this was just her thoughts.
She considered it no big deal.

‘No matter how great he is…’

Isn’t he just a rookie who hasn’t even participated in proper <Clan> activities?

She heard he had never participated in an S-rank monster subjugation, which was akin to a national emergency.

Regardless of being male, she thought he wouldn’t be able to overcome the wall built by experience.

However, Silla acknowledged it.
That her thoughts were foolish.

Cold sweat ran down her back.

“What is this…?”

The whip technique she wielded wasn’t just simple weaponry.

It was a Hero grade skill called [Trail of the Winding Serpent].

By imbuing it with various abilities, it unfolded an endlessly tricky domain.

That was the fear that Bodenov Silla possessed.

At first, Yu Seha couldn’t handle this irregular whip technique.

He was clearly at an advantage.

Although she couldn’t land a decisive blow due to unexpected speed and defensive abilities, things flowed in her favor moment by moment.

But that changed as time passed.

At some point, the whipping stopped working.

As if he knew in advance, he raised his shield to counter, casually dodging minor attacks.

‘…?!’

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded.

Yu Seha simply closed his eyes.

‘……’

Bodenov Silla, provoked, launched a decisive strike.
Yet Yu Seha even saw through and dodged that.

Silla inadvertently realized she was trembling.

It was unbelievable.

“This can’t be happening.”

It was clearly visible in her eyes.
Yu Seha, he…
…wasn’t just adapting…
He was evolving in real time.

In those brief moments, his genius shone.

A brief sigh of resignation.

A bitter smile naturally formed on Silla’s lips.

‘Is this what genius truly is?’

The difference in innate talent and intelligence.

It was because of the even more powerful flames emanating from Yu Seha’s body that Silla realized it once again.

Surely, the [Flame Ability] he possessed had grown stronger, resulting in a new derived skill.

The fact that he had unlocked a skill in such a short time was absurd enough to leave her speechless.

‘…Just like that.’

That led to the present moment.

“Gah!”

A shield precisely struck Bodenov Silla’s solar plexus.

The attack closed the distance between them like a rampaging war tank, and the impact was enough to paralyze her entire body.

Silla immediately recognized what additional ability Yu Seha had used.

Hero Grade [Charge Crush].

There were a few [Beasts] that possessed it, but it was a top-tier skill with few [Hunters] having it.

It was an excellent ability that inflicted massive physical damage and stun for up to 5 seconds on the target hit.

Thud!

Bodenov Silla fell flat on the ground.
She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh.

‘…Ah, this is embarrassing.’

To think that a current <Hunter> would be defeated so miserably by a first-year…

She couldn’t even make excuses elsewhere since she was quite serious about it herself.

This is just…

‘Yu Seha…’

This man standing before her was simply monstrously strong.

“…Are you okay?”

Yu Seha approached with a concerned expression.

Slowly, he extended his hand.

‘Softhearted…’

She thought.

To extend his hand so casually without ensuring the match had fully ended—it seemed reckless.

‘No.’

Silla changed her mind.

Judging by the magic emanating from his body, he was definitely prepared for any surprise attack.

Silla acknowledged.
Perfect, beyond comparison…

“Yes, I lost.”

It was her defeat.

Silla grasped my hand.
She raised her body and smiled gently.

“As expected, the esteemed members of <Dragon Sword Mir> were right to take notice of you.”
“…Huh?”

I tilted my head at the sudden mention of <Dragon Sword Mir>.

Silla shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.

She revealed that she was actually a B-grade hunter from <Dragon Sword Mir>.

“Oh…”
“And Yu Seha, you are also someone of interest to <Dragon Sword Mir>.”
“…Huh? Why?”

In response to my question, Silla mentioned the name of a woman whose mere mention was unpleasant.

“Guild Leader Noh Kyung-wan.”
“…Ah, the one who… was dismissed…?”
“That’s right, the esteemed person who became irreversibly ousted by Guild Leader Su Ok-bin.”

She was someone I didn’t particularly want to think about.

Thanks to Ju Na-young and Sister Su Ok-bin’s help, I was able to take her down without much effort…

At the same time, she was someone who instilled in me a sense of helplessness due to the lack of power and influence.

“Since then, our <Dragon Sword Mir> has been keeping an eye on you.”

“…Huh?”

Silla explained.

Because it was me that Guild Leader Su Ok-bin helped.

Just this was enough to scout me, she said.

“Clearly, you have a charm that draws people around you. That’s valuable in itself…”

She said I showed that my strength wasn’t ordinary through the recent sparring.

When I nodded casually, Silla chuckled.

She reached into her chest and pulled out a business card like it was a 4D pocket.

“…Why are you pulling that out from there?”

“Men like it when I do this, so I practiced. Does our Seha also like it?”

“……”

Silla giggled as she watched me blush.
She handed over a business card.

“Here, take this.”

The business card she handed me had the name <Dragon Sword Mir> and, below it, <Reverse Scale>.

“…Uh, what’s this <Reverse Scale> place?”
“Huh? Haven’t you heard? It’s a powerful faction, despite how it might seem.”
“…Faction?”

Silla said that there were various teams and forces within <Dragon Sword Mir>.

One of them was called <Reverse Scale>.
Apparently, it was an excellent place, competing for the top spots in performance.

“I’m also part of <Reverse Scale>.”
“Oh…”
“Anyway, there’s no particular meaning in giving you the card right now. Just keep it. I didn’t do anything suspicious to it, so you can relax.”

Lastly, contact me if you’re interested.

“Our leader would definitely like you.”
“Uh, excuse me…”
“Hmm?”
“Who is this leader?”

For a moment, I thought about the ‘Team Leader Unnie’ that Ju Na-young mentioned in the past.

I distinctly remember her as someone with a bob cut, who seemed quite cold and rational.

Could it be her? I wondered.

But the name that came from Silla’s smiling lips was entirely different.

“Ju Yuri.”
“…Ju Yuri?”
“Yeah, at least as far as I know…”

In <Dragon Sword Mir>, she was the person with the greatest ambition.

At the same time…

“…Truly a foolish and pitiful person.”
“…Huh?”

Bodenov Silla disappeared quietly, just as she had appeared for the first time.

Standing blankly, I looked at the clock on the wall.

‘Hmm…’

The spar ended quicker than I thought, leaving me with some extra time.

I was pondering what to do next when I noticed Meowi, who had just had a good match and won against Jeon Hee-ju.

“Meow, I learned a lot!”
“Uh-he~ You’re small and cute but so skilled~”
“Meow, you too!”

The two adorable figures gently stroked each other’s heads.

I wanted to hug them both and snuggle, but I held back, fearing Jeon Hee-ju’s signature line, ‘Uh-he~ Is this a death penalty?’

Then, I approached Meowi, who was saying ‘Meow~’ and looking around.

“Meowi.”
“Meow? Seha? Is the sparring already over?”
“Yes. Somehow… so I was thinking.”
“Meow?”
“Do you want to fight like we used to?”
“Like before…?”

Meowi tilted her head at my suggestion.
Then, as if realizing something, she continued with a ‘Meow?’

“Could it be… martial arts?”
“Yes, specifically focusing on joint locks. And without using skills or equipment. How about it?”
“Meow! Sounds good!”

After a while, we climbed up to the sparring ground, having discarded not only our weapons but also the protective gear we had been wearing.

We stood facing each other, dressed only in tight-fitting leggings and training suits.

‘Good.’

It was very good.

There were no better conditions for a conversation between bodies.

“Meow! I won’t go easy on you!”
“That’s my line!”

Meowi shouted cutely, striking a pretty decent pose.

With her significantly increased stats and instinctual use of magic for physical enhancement.

I instinctively felt it wouldn’t be as easy as when I subdued her in the backyard of my old house.

‘…Reminds me of the old days.’

This was a story from before I was reincarnated here.

Born on the battlefield, living off whatever I could pick up from the streets.

It was a time when I killed everyone who picked a fight with me.

I met my father for the first time and was defeated.

I was beaten and then forcibly taken to learn martial arts.

―Son. What I will teach you from now on is a technique called martial arts. Among them, I will focus on teaching you the techniques of subduing the opponent.
―…Isn’t it easier to just use a weapon to kill? Do I really need to learn that?

In response, even my father and brothers looked at me as if thinking, ‘Hah… What should we do with this psychopath?’

I still couldn’t forget those gazes.

My father clicked his tongue as if he felt oddly sorry and continued speaking.

―Do not kill your opponent if possible.

—The more you kill, the more it repeats…
In your heart, the killing intent will be engraved deeper than anything else.
―That will soon awaken a demonic nature you can’t return from…

—Ultimately, you will be devoured by the monster within you.

―Train your body. Sharpen your mind.

—Become someone who never loses to that guy in anything.

‘……’

Thinking back now, he must have known from the beginning.

The true meaning of the ‘killing intent’ I possessed.

That was why he said those words.

‘Perhaps…’

When he told me not to learn the sword in his will…
It wasn’t because I lacked talent…
But because he feared I might be consumed by the nature within me.

“Meow!”

At that moment, the energetic voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I focused.

The two tails attached to Meowi’s backside spun like propellers.

A crimson hue began to swirl with magic around her hands and feet.

It was unmistakably the manifestation of a [Skill].

“Meow!! Here I come, Seha! I won’t go easy on you!”
“Come at me as much as you want!”