Chapter 35

【The Princess’s Guide】

For a moment, everything had been fine.

But whenever she woke up after sleeping, the memory she desperately wanted to erase would come rushing back, and her embarrassment would overwhelm her.

Getting drunk and masturbating in front of someone else was definitely something worth being ashamed of.

Pado’s debt had reached 290 million won before she knew it. For half a year, the amount had barely changed, but recently, the speed at which he was paying it back had increased dramatically.

Morae, growing anxious, focused on training every morning to shake off her uneasiness.

After sweating it out in her private training room, she left the training grounds only to find the area around her unusually noisy.

“What’s going on?”

Morae, who had tied her long hair up into a bun, looked around for the source of the commotion.

Pulling down the towel resting on her shoulder, she squeezed through the crowd and finally saw what was causing the uproar.

Inside a massive training field filled with various terrains and obstacles, her mother and Pado were engaged in a spar.

It was a match between Han Nokyeong, the undisputed strongest fighter in the legion, and Pado, a rising star.

News of the fight must have spread instantly because spectators had gathered like a cloud.

From a distance, Pado and Nokyeong looked no bigger than the size of a palm.

Everyone was afraid of getting caught in their fight and avoided getting too close.

A few people who had fearlessly approached the battle were already lying sprawled on the ground.

Meanwhile, drones began filming the fight and broadcasting it live.

-The champion, Heavenly Demon Han Nokyeong, blocks the challenger’s attack! The challenger Yu Pado is fiercely fighting back! That right-foot kick just landed perfectly! It must hurt, but he’s showing incredible courage!

The drone zoomed in on Pado’s painful expression after kicking Nokyeong.

It was basically like kicking a person-sized diamond, so his foot must have been hurting.

Even so, it had been an effective attack.

Nokyeong, who had taken the kick to her side, staggered as if she was about to fall backward.

Pado didn’t miss the opportunity. He pushed forward and knocked her down.

-She’s fallen! But we can’t let our guard down! Her opponent is Diamond Body! She’s an overwhelming powerhouse who boasts an undefeated record in defensive battles!

As the commentator explained, Han Nokyeong remained completely unharmed despite Pado’s fierce assault.

She had been kicked hard and struck with his elbow, yet she wore a generous expression, as if she were simply playing along with a baby’s antics.

The true strength of Diamond Body was revealed during defense.

When attacking, the ability could only produce limited power depending on the user’s own strength.

But when defending, no matter how much someone attacked them, they would not yield.

It was close to invincibility.

They might not be able to win, but they also could not lose.

In a pure physical battle, Pado had almost no way to defeat Han Nokyeong.

Water droplets gathered around Nokyeong’s face, forming a large sphere.

As her breath filled the water covering her face, bubbles rose with a gurgling sound.

-Azure Little Dragon! He’s making use of his specialty! Ah, but he immediately burst the water sphere! The Heavenly Demon’s counterattack begins!

Nokyeong only moved her face and burst the water surrounding her head.

The shattered droplets fell like rain and soaked the ground.

Using the strength of her waist, she sprang upward and drove her knee into Pado’s abdomen.

Pado, struck by her hardened knee, was launched into the air.

Behind him, gathered streams of water twisted like a long dragon and shot toward Nokyeong.

The water wrapped tightly around her body, spun her around about five times, and threw her toward the ground.

-Ah, she’s been thrown! She’s been thrown, and he’s chasing right after her!

Pado chased after Nokyeong as she was thrown to the ground and covered her with water.

Right before hitting the ground, Nokyeong twisted her body, kicked off the floor, and escaped the range of the water attack.

Before the commentator could even react, they exchanged several more blows in an instant.

Pado and Nokyeong moved across the training field, an area roughly the size of two elementary school playgrounds combined, as if it were their own backyard.

Even Morae, who had excellent eyesight, couldn’t keep up with their movements.

-Right arm, left arm, legs, waist, uppercut, low kick! Ah, you can’t even follow them with your eyes! They’re fighting evenly! The challenger refuses to back down even against Diamond Body! Incredible!

As Pado continuously fired streams of water, Nokyeong decided to make a bold move.

She pulled a spray can and lighter from inside her clothes and created a small explosion.

-An explosion! Han Nokyeong has created an explosion! As expected of the Heavenly Demon! No one knows how many tools are hidden beneath that skirt!

This was a battle between lawless hunters.

Unless it was a formal martial arts match, using tools was allowed.

If their abilities permitted it, the use of equipment was also completely acceptable.

Anyone who complained would simply be foolish.

The fire from the ignited gas spread and began burning the surroundings.

Nokyeong threw herself into the flames and charged straight toward Pado.

Unable to surround himself with flames, Pado gathered as much water as he could and created a shield.

He was too busy blocking Nokyeong, who was charging through the flames, while also trying to contain the fire spreading around them.

Morae, standing near the flames, frowned at the heat.

For a moment, the thought that this was bad for her skin crossed her mind.

The only reason she could think about something so trivial while facing a fire filled with the smell of burning ash was because she trusted her mother and her comrades.

There was no way those flames would ever reach her.

Covering her face from the heat with her palm, Morae tilted her head in confusion.

“Why are they trying so hard?”

Today, Pado was strangely serious.

Every move he made against Nokyeong carried genuine determination. On top of that, he wasn’t being pushed back by her either.

Morae already knew that Pado’s potential was extraordinary.

His physical abilities were excellent, and his water manipulation ability was highly versatile, so it wasn’t impossible for him to fight evenly against Nokyeong.

Still, considering the Pado she had known until now, it was strange.

“Why is he suddenly taking this so seriously?”

The people nearby responded to Morae’s muttered words.

“He must’ve been really annoyed today.”

“Can you blame him? That article targeting him has been making noise for two days.”

“An article?”

“You didn’t know?”

It was shocking news she was hearing for the first time.

Had something like this happened while she had been busy living as a new recruit scout?

Morae quickly pulled out her phone and opened a website.

It didn’t take long before she found an article about Pado.

It didn’t mention Yu Pado’s name directly, but she had a feeling this was the one.

[The Fall of a Promising A-Rank Hunter… How Did It Happen?]

The title alone was sensational.

[The Hunter Association’s Justice Enforcement Division has admitted that they failed to persuade an A-rank hunter, Mr. Yu (male, in his 20s), and revealed the details of his escape.

Although his escape six months ago had been kept secret in order to persuade him, Mr. Yu ultimately chose the path of an underground hunter despite the Justice Enforcement Division’s amnesty and favorable offers.

He injured members of the Justice Enforcement Division in the West Sea Archipelago region before disappearing.

The Justice Enforcement Division apologized to the public and revealed the full details of the incident.

The Justice Enforcement Division expressed regret over failing to persuade a promising hunter who had performed exceptionally at the International Ability Competition, and pledged to do their best in handling the aftermath.

The promising A-rank hunter… Who is he?

Mr. Yu (male, in his 20s) came from a facility.

Mr. Yu’s mother, who was wanted after committing crimes and was on the run, was eventually caught by the Hunter Association due to her son’s mistake.

Hunter candidates were required to register their abilities in advance, but Mr. Yu’s mother, who was living in hiding, failed to report his ability to the association.

Young Mr. Yu, who grew up without a hunter to help him, failed to control his ability and caused significant property damage.

Afterward, both mother and son were captured by association-affiliated hunters who arrived at the scene.

Mr. Yu’s mother, who had more than five criminal charges against her, was immediately sent to prison.

His father remains unknown. Mr. Yu’s mother stubbornly refused to reveal his father’s whereabouts.

With no other choice, Mr. Yu was sent to a facility.

Afterward, Mr. Yu continued to grow up in the facility until he became an adult.

His mother died in prison when Mr. Yu was around elementary school age.

The association and the government actively supported Mr. Yu, who was talented enough to participate in the International Ability Competition.]

“They’re really good at lying.”

Even just reading the introduction made her scoff.

Had the facility really raised Pado well?

They had fed him and given him a place to sleep on time, but that was all.

With Pado’s abilities, he could have survived anywhere, even at a young age.

Taking credit for merely feeding and housing him was something even a prison could do.

In reality, when Pado became an underground hunter, he had only worried about the future of being pursued by the government.

He had never felt guilty toward the people he knew.

Pado wasn’t someone who failed to appreciate kindness, so the fact that he wasn’t grateful toward the people at the facility was proof that they had not done much for him.

“Spending pocket change and then pulling tricks…”

The way the article claimed that the association and the facility had “supported” him was also part of their clever manipulation.

By labeling things they were already obligated to do as “support,” they were creating the impression that Pado owed them a massive debt.

They were trying to make it seem as if a lot of taxpayer money had been spent on him, planting the image that he was ungrateful.

It was irritating to see people boasting about money they had spent when they hadn’t even spent half of what they claimed.

Even though his name had been anonymized, Morae disliked how they had exposed Pado’s family background so openly.

There was no reason to include his parents.

Mother: died in prison.

Father: unknown.

The intention behind including those details was obvious, and it made her angry.

[Mr. Yu was a promising hunter with great potential.

He was evaluated as an A-rank hunter at a young age and achieved excellent results in the International Ability Competition.

However, perhaps because of the absence of his parents, he frequently lost his way.

He often fought with those around him and abused his abilities.

He disliked exploring contamination zones and participating in rescue activities within contamination zones.

He showed resentment toward society due to his mother’s situation.

The association tried to take care of him, but they could not completely fill the emptiness inside him.

The person who took advantage of the cracks in Mr. Yu’s heart was West Sea Legion’s underground hunter, Eun Morae.]

Her own story had appeared.

Morae found it strange that they had done something major media outlets rarely dared to do.

She scrolled back up for a moment to check the publisher.

It was one of the top five major news organizations.

Morae tilted her head at their bold decision.

If it had been Eun Jisung or Han Nokyeong, the undisputed leaders of underground hunters, it would have made sense.

But the name Eun Morae, their daughter, was rarely mentioned unless absolutely necessary.

Even if the Eun Jisung–Han Nokyeong couple were known to be moderate, they were not careless enough to simply ignore an attack against their child.

Other underground hunters were often especially aggressive when it came to their children as well.

That was why stories involving the second generation were generally considered taboo.

Yet they were picking a fight with Morae.

It was a strange situation.

Still, the article had a strange pull that made her keep scrolling.