🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 12
Jung Hyun-ah steadily advanced toward the end of the Second Floor.
The deeper they went, the denser the crimson fog became, and the number of Nameless Ones continued to increase.
Then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed from ahead.
“Prepare for combat!”
Hyun-ah immediately gave the order.
At the same time, she activated the Hyeoncheon Guiwon Art, preparing to respond.
Then—
“Wait! Stop fighting!”
As someone burst through the crimson mist, Hyun-ah’s eyes widened.
“U-Unni?”
It was Ji Min-jung.
The only daughter and heir of Hanul Guild.
And she looked terrible.
“W-What happened? Where did you get hurt like that?”
“Hyun-ah… it’s dangerous… Run! Hurry!”
“I’m afraid that won’t do.”
A voice came from behind.
Ji Min-jung’s entire body stiffened.
Hyun-ah’s expression also changed.
I didn’t sense him at all?
The man had walked right into view…
yet she hadn’t noticed a thing.
Either he possessed a technique capable of completely erasing his presence…
or—
“Everyone! Defensive anti-personnel formation!”
—there was simply an overwhelming gap in strength.
“You girls raised in wealthy families really do have some spirit.”
“They’re the most satisfying to break.”
The moment Hyun-ah met the eyes of the strangely made-up man, a chill crawled down her spine.
“We’re short on time.”
“If I lose another record today, it’ll be so boring.”
His eyes had already lost all semblance of sanity.
They were not the eyes of a normal person.
Hyun-ah attacked without hesitation.
The void-like darkness of the Hyeoncheon Guiwon Art swallowed the man.
Even against overwhelming force, the technique’s power of returning all things to their origin excelled at neutralizing enemies.
But—
Crack… Crack…
The black aura she had created began to fracture.
“Ahh… this feels good!”
Beyond the cracks,
she saw blue flames writhing.
Her heart sank.
BOOOOM!
The blue flames tore apart the void.
His fist, wrapped in azure fire, burned like a mirage.
Hyun-ah crossed both arms to block.
A searing pain shot through them.
“You…”
At the same time,
a name surfaced in her mind.
Heirs of the great guilds were taught to memorize dangerous figures.
The world’s strongest hunters.
Promising talents.
Even infamous criminals.
One name immediately came to mind.
The murderous criminal from China who manipulated blue flames.
Wanted since the age of seventeen.
“Ling Wehao!”
That had been ten years ago.
Since then,
Ling Wehao had continued operating in the criminal underworld,
committing countless crimes and steadily increasing the bounty on his head.
He was officially assessed as possessing at least Gold Rank combat ability.
Why was someone like him here?
“Why else?”
“I’m climbing the Tower.”
Ling Wehao laughed as he approached.
Ji Min-jung launched a surprise attack,
but he effortlessly redirected it before immediately counterattacking.
Blue flames gathered in his outstretched palm.
“Hiss!”
Ji Min-jung desperately spun her body aside.
She still couldn’t evade completely,
forcing her to intercept the attack with her own hand.
Landing lightly after being blown backward,
she stared at Ling Wehao.
He merely grinned.
“So even a small country produces girls worthy of the Ten Great Guilds.”
“They’ve got some spirit.”
Compared to China,
Korea’s overall hunter force was indeed weaker.
But Korea’s Ten Great Guilds were prestigious enough to stand proudly beside any elite guild in the world.
Yet Ling Wehao toyed with Hanul’s heir without showing the slightest fear.
Was he simply insane?
No.
That wasn’t it.
“Everyone, charge— Ah…”
Hyun-ah stopped herself.
Beyond the crimson mist,
countless shadows were approaching.
They weren’t Nameless Ones.
“Allow me to introduce…”
“…my companions.”
Criminals.
Like Ling Wehao,
they had entered the Tower’s trial.
Not only did they outnumber Garam’s team,
each one was equipped with Skill Books or artifacts.
“If you idiots try anything…”
“…you’ll be swimming in the blood and guts of your precious comrades.”
It was a dead end.
“What do you want?”
“Simple.”
“Beat me in a duel.”
“If you can defeat me, I’ll let all of you go.”
It was the worst possible situation.
Surrounded.
Outnumbered.
And the condition itself was absurd.
How was a rookie like Jung Hyun-ah supposed to defeat someone with Gold Rank strength?
“…You swear?”
“Of course.”
“Keep your promise.”
“Win first, bitch.”
Even so,
Hyun-ah stepped forward.
“Hyun-ah!”
“I’m generous.”
“You can both come at me together.”
“I’m more than enough man for two women.”
“Hahaha!”
Ji Min-jung burned with humiliation.
She had deliberately lured him away to protect her teammates—
only to realize she had led everyone into a trap.
“I’m sorry, Hyun-ah…”
“If you’re sorry, then focus.”
“It’s not over until it’s over.”
Blue energy descended around Ji Min-jung.
Hanul Guild Master’s signature art—
Chowon Jinhon Gong.
At its limit,
the technique became Chowon Jinhon—
a desperate art unleashed while risking one’s life.
Although Wood Qi normally embodied growth and healing,
when transformed into the power of soul regulation,
it became a deadly weapon.
Ji Min-jung’s hands moved faster.
More precisely.
Her flowing hand movements intertwined like an endless network of roots.
She began binding Ling Wehao from every direction.
Hyun-ah seized the opportunity.
She condensed the Hyeoncheon Guiwon Art—
and struck directly toward his heart.
THUD!
Got him!
She was certain.
She had felt the impact.
Ling Wehao staggered backward.
Ji Min-jung immediately pursued him.
Mana threads spread around him,
weaving together like a dense forest.
The second form of Chowon Jinhon—
Heart Forest Manifestation.
It robbed its victims of direction,
distorted their senses,
and trapped them in hallucinations.
If Hyun-ah’s attack landed now—
they might actually turn the battle around.
“…You really think that’ll work?”
Ling Wehao sneered.
Blue flames erupted.
The illusionary forest immediately began burning away.
The elemental matchup itself was hopeless.
Difference in mastery.
Difference in affinity.
And above all—
“You’re already at your limit.”
For someone her age,
Ji Min-jung’s talent was extraordinary.
But the absolute difference in strength was simply too great.
The backlash from his counterattack—
combined with complete mana exhaustion—
left her body stiff and immobile.
“…Poison?”
“The world of combat is cruel.”
“Time never comes back.”
“So you should cherish it.”
“Don’t resent me too much.”
“You coward…!”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Smiling brightly,
Ling Wehao gently stroked Ji Min-jung’s head as the poison spread through her body.
“Just wait a little.”
“I’ll bring your little partner over soon.”
Throwing out another vulgar remark,
he charged straight at Hyun-ah.
“Miss!”
“Don’t move!”
“I’ll handle him!”
“You think you can?”
Hyun-ah shouted bravely.
But inside—
she already knew she would lose.
She couldn’t defeat him head-on.
Even together with Ji Min-jung,
they had failed completely.
Damn it…
Maybe it’s for the best.
She had been furious that her useless brother was nowhere to be found.
But perhaps it was fortunate.
At least one of them might survive.
“Listen carefully!”
“Everyone—”
“Tell everyone to run?”
BANG!
Ling Wehao’s overwhelming punch crashed into her guard.
Hyun-ah’s knees buckled.
Then came a merciless kick.
It flew toward her ribs with enough force to shatter them.
Just as she twisted desperately to evade—
BAAAAAANG!
A loud smack echoed through the battlefield.
Hyun-ah stared blankly.
The sound hadn’t come from her.
It came from—
a familiar sole.
Three distinct stripes.
A black-and-white rubber slipper had slammed squarely into the side of Ling Wehao’s face.
As if appearing through space itself,
a man wearing nothing more than a tracksuit and cheap slippers had suddenly arrived.
Using the force of his own movement,
he kicked Ling Wehao away.
The impact was so powerful that Ling Wehao flew through the air like he’d been hit by artillery.
He bounced across the ground several times before finally rolling to a stop.
“…O-Oppa?”
He looked like someone wasting his life lounging around the house.
Yet the murderous aura radiating from him froze the entire battlefield.
“Stay back.”
For some reason,
those simple words were unbelievably reassuring.
“B-But…”
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ll finish this quickly.”
Despite being surrounded on every side,
Jung Hyun-soo showed not the slightest hint of unease.
“Y-You bastard!”
“You sneak-attacked me?!”
“Sneak attack?”
“Are you stupid?”
“How’s it a sneak attack when I walked right up in front of you?”
“You’re just a worthless criminal who couldn’t react.”
Hyun-soo looked directly at the young Ling Wehao.
His words were merciless.
“W-What…?”
“Instead of climbing the Tower like a normal person, you spend your time acting like a rabid dog.”
“No wonder you’re too dumb to understand.”
“You little son of a—!”
“Kill them!”
“Kill every last one!”
Humiliated,
Ling Wehao roared at his men.
Then—
“B-Boss?”
“What?!”
“I-I think…”
“…you should look over there.”
Annoyed,
Ling Wehao turned around.
He had been thinking only about ripping Hyun-soo’s head off—
and violating the women in front of him afterward.
But then—
“…?”
Beyond the crimson mist,
countless figures were approaching.
“What… is that?”
Above each of their heads floated numbers.
[No. 201]
[No. 202]
[No. 203]
…
[No. 396]
Hundreds of mysterious figures charged toward them from every direction.
“You think you’re the only one with subordinates?”
Ling Wehao felt his throat tighten.
“Protect Miss Hyun-ah!”
“Kill those Chinese bastards!”
At the same time,
Hanul Guild’s expedition arrived,
having come in search of Ji Min-jung.
In an instant,
the criminals found themselves surrounded instead.
“You kept talking about settling it between leaders, didn’t you?”
“Fine.”
“Come.”
“I’ll make sure you’re the very last head I rip off.”
BOOM!
Hyun-soo stomped the ground.
An overwhelming aura exploded from his body.
Its oppressive pressure…
surpassed even Ling Wehao’s.
Blue flames erupted around Ling Wehao.
Without hesitation,
Hyun-soo charged straight into them.
KRAAAAAASH!!
The two men collided head-on.
