Chapter 93

< Riet >

Yelim forgave Noah much more readily than expected. She was angry that he had hurt me, but apparently, the fight itself had been fun. So, she said it didn’t matter as long as I was okay.

“I’ll buy an antidote item first after I pay off my debt. The best one.”

- Kyaow

Yelim said this while catching Blue, whom she had thrown high up to almost touch the ceiling. She also said she wanted to play a second round. She had always been unconventional, but she seemed to be getting more aggressive as time went on. It was rare for an S-rank combat hunter to be non-aggressive, but still.

“Rather than that, you should focus more on practicing your sigh control. Your stats are best suited for dodging attacks, and you can freeze poisons. Also, try to raise your cold resistance to S-rank as soon as possible. Once you get used to elemental resistance, you can control it. In your case, you can apply emergency measures by lowering the resistance only to the affected area and freezing it.”

Hyun and Seonghyeon used to do this in ranking matches where item use was prohibited, except for equipment. It was because they would cauterize their wounds. While it was good for emergency treatment, it looked like a crazy act to the audience.

Even if it wasn’t elemental resistance, if one had genius-level magic control, it was possible to adjust resistance. Of course, with my magic stats at the bottom and skill levels disgustingly high, it would be impossible for me. It was fortunate that I could pull it off.

“By the way, I can turn off passive skills. Like resistance skills.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If you try to turn it off twice in a row, it won’t work.”

Yelim, who found it interesting, tilted her head.

“It doesn’t work?”

“...It doesn’t?”

“Yes.”

...Why doesn’t it work? I tried turning off and on my poison resistance. It worked fine. Just in case, I called Hyun to ask. He confirmed he had never tried it before and said it didn’t work.

“You too? ...Is it because of the skill level?”

[Maybe.]

There’s no one else with L-rank passive skills except me, so there’s no way to confirm. Since all my resistance skills are L-rank, I can’t compare them.

No wonder I didn’t hear about being able to turn off skills even five years later. There must have been someone who tried something unconventional like me.

“It seems that if the level is low, it can’t be turned off.”

“Wasn’t the guild leader’s fire resistance S-rank? What’s the level of your poison resistance, sir?”

“L-rank.”

“Wow, insane. There’s an L-rank.”

“Yelim, use polite language. The fact that your poison resistance is S-rank or higher was noticed by the guild leader of Seisung, but the exact level is a secret.”

I still wonder how he figured it out so precisely. Did he know the level of Noah’s poison skills? From the conversation with Riet, it didn’t seem like they were close enough to share such details. He also didn’t give permission to visit the breeding facility.

“Anyway, most skills become more versatile the more you use them. New functions can also be added as the level increases. So, it’s better to think of solutions through skills rather than buying items.”

Since these are future events, I can’t give specific examples. The current Hyun can’t use Blood Flame yet. From what I saw in Babar, he could only use Black Flame. He couldn’t control the transparency of Blue Willow Leaf either. Many top-ranked hunters complained that the upgraded Blue Willow Leaf was a terrible skill. If he could use Blood Flame now, Noah would have been... really dangerous. Not only would B-rank healing skills be insufficient, but his wings would have melted completely. Unlike regular fire, it was easy to control the range of damage, so it would have been over before anyone could stop him.

Before the regression, Yelim’s awakening was later, so there was no increase in skill levels. Still, the combination of Sigh and Pale Rain was good. I should teach her once she becomes more proficient with skill usage.

“This way.”

When Yelim and I arrived at the hunter detention center, Song Tae-won was there to greet us and guide us inside. Even though it’s for hunters, lower-ranked ones are usually sent to regular detention centers with just an inventory sealing bracelet. This is my first time here.

...How many times has Hyun been here? Suddenly, I feel uneasy.

“Yelim, you shouldn’t end up in a place like this.”

“I can live without breaking the law.”

A middle school student confidently said this while drunk and not wearing a helmet. It’s not illegal yet.

We went through several doors and stairs to a very deep place. The further in we went, the more unfriendly the guards looked. But don’t worry, eventually, items that can subdue S-rank hunters will be available. ...In about four years.

The detention cells for high-level hunters were underground. There were three cells, each with a different entrance. This was to prevent one person’s escape from leading to the escape of the other two.

“Although it’s embarrassing, we monitor high-level combat hunters with the assumption that they might try to escape. The basic guideline is to report quickly rather than prevent escape. Of course, this is because it’s a detention center. If it’s a case of killing a non-awakened person, they are immediately moved to a special isolation facility. In a special isolation facility, even high-level hunters can hardly escape on their own.”

I didn’t ask about the special isolation facility. There’s no specific equipment or prison to contain high-level hunters there. However, even high-level hunters can become weaker if their limbs are not intact.

“Noah Ruhir used poison to melt the lock and used a stealth skill to escape. Still, he was quite well-behaved.”

Song Tae-won said this while unlocking the door. It seems he used the minimum amount of poison to avoid difficult cleanup. Yes, the problem was that the kid suddenly had a seizure, but he was polite from the start.

Inside was a simple room, about ten pyeong in size. It looked like a one-room apartment. The lack of a separate bathroom and dining facilities made it seem even larger. To high-level hunters, it might seem like a small room.

Noah was sitting in the middle on a chair, still in his training clothes from yesterday. His hands were folded on his knees, and he looked at us as if to assert that he was well-behaved, like a good golden retriever. If I say "hand," he might give it to me.

“Hello, Han Yujin.”

His voice was tense, perhaps due to the keyword effect, his title, or some other reason.

I smiled as kindly as possible.

“You’ve been waiting for me as promised.”

“Yes. I made a brief phone call and waited obediently.”

Phone call? To his guild? Speaking of which, what about his guild? Should I just bring them all here? It’s a bit awkward to keep relying on other guilds for security, and if they are trustworthy, it would be fine to move them all at once.

The process of taking Noah out was simple. We just had to sign a hunter contract. The employment period was one month. Given that he was an S-rank hunter, a week, let alone a month, was an excessive period compared to the compensation.

Noah said he would stay until his sister was no longer afraid.

“Riet has been banned from entering the country.”

Song Tae-won said this while picking up a copy of the contract.

“Huh? Banned from entering?”

“Yes. Officially, it’s for illegal contract trading, but based on the conversation, it was judged that there was a high possibility of harm to Han Yujin, so entry was blocked. Was this unnecessary?”

“No, no. I’m grateful for that.”

I don’t want to see Riet for a while. After some time, I’ll have a phone conversation and then decide whether to meet in person.

“Illegal contract trading is a minor offense, so the entry ban can only last up to one year. Here is a list of drugs that your poison resistance doesn’t work against. We’ve also informed the hunter hospital. If your poison resistance skill is revealed, you will be automatically registered to prevent medical accidents.”

“I understand.”

I nodded and took the file. The list was quite long.

“You don’t get drunk, so there must be some drugs that work.”

“Alcohol is surprisingly strong. Drugs that work are either almost non-toxic or so weak that they don’t trigger your poison resistance, and they don’t harm the body. Most are for medical assistance. There are also special drugs made from dungeon byproducts, like hunter painkillers.”

“I have that painkiller. It’s a B-rank item, so it works up to B-rank poison resistance.”

Yelim said. I used hunter painkillers before the regression, but they were the cheapest. Now that S-rank ones are available, I can’t use them without turning off my resistance skill.

I also received a list of over-the-counter drugs that don’t work with poison resistance and left the detention center. Unlike Yelim, who stuck close to me, Noah followed a few steps behind. When I stopped, he also stopped a few steps behind.

“Noah.”

“Yes?”

“Do you really need to walk so far behind?”

“Oh... I find it more comfortable this way. Is that not okay?”

Comfortable. It seems he always followed behind Riet. I can clearly picture Riet walking confidently in front without ever looking back.

I don’t need to force him to change immediately, so I said it was fine and headed back to the parking lot. Neither Yelim nor I had a driver’s license, so Hunter Kim Ji-yeon came with us. When I mentioned getting a license, Yelim said she would too and signed up for the test next weekend, including my share.

“So, we went to a screen game center. It was fun, but reality is still the best. Want to go to a shooting range next? How about a dinner bet?”

“I’ll just buy it.”

It’s not a bet. Since there’s plenty of time before dinner, I nodded to Yelim’s insistence on going to a karaoke room and glanced at Noah.

----------------------------------

“Can you file a complaint with the Korean Hunter Association? Huh?”

“It’s not within my authority, please wait a moment...”

The Mexican Hunter Association staff member stammered. The regular staff in the lobby had already evacuated, leaving only the hunters to watch the commotion caused by Riet.

Riet, wearing a colorful poncho and a pointed sombrero, frowned slightly and flicked her fingers. Every movement she made made the people around her flinch.

“After all the help I’ve given, you can’t even do this one thing for me?”

Riet mainly enjoyed new illegal dungeons but also worked as a freelance hunter. With most S-rank hunters leaving for the US and Europe, Mexico, which only had two S-rank hunters, had received her help a few times. It was a paid transaction, but in Riet’s mind, it had turned into a favor.

Since Mexico was the one who was disappointed, they couldn’t argue with her arrogant words.

“What did I do to be banned from entering? Just a few illegal contracts? Isn’t that too much?”

- Ssssh!

A small snake poked its head out from under the wide brim of the sombrero, agreeing with her. It was a jewel snake with a brilliantly glittering body. Riet stroked under its jaw with her hand.

“I need to take care of you quickly. You want to grow faster, don’t you, Bell?”

- Ssssh

The golden eyes, similar to her owner’s, narrowed in pleasure.

“Now, think of a way to send me and Bellara to Korea quickly.”

Riet’s eyebrows arched, and the hunters froze as a killing aura slowly seeped out.

Crash!

A heavy-duty pickup truck burst through the glass door and skidded into the lobby, leaving long tire marks on the polished floor. Armed men jumped out of the truck.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets rained down, and the hunters either dodged or used defensive skills and equipment. Fortunately, thanks to Riet’s tyranny, there were no non-awakened people or low-level hunters who could be harmed by bullets present.

“What are these guys?”

Riet tilted her head and shook off the poncho that had come loose. Bullets that had been caught in the fabric fell to the ground. Despite being just a piece of cloth, it had somehow stopped the bullets without a single hole.

“Dungeon breaking is the will of the gods! Do not defy the will of the gods!”

One of the armed men shouted, pulling out a grenade. The others also took out bombs. Among the tense hunters, Riet smiled.

“Oh, so you’re the terrorists that have been popping up lately. I’ll take care of them, so send me to Korea, okay?”

She made a hasty decision and drew a knife. The long blade moved slowly, slicing the air horizontally as if in jest. The air split and trembled slightly. Then, with a sharp snap, an immense force hit the men holding the bombs. Their bodies were sliced like powerless straw in a storm, limbs and heads falling without a drop of blood. The bombs, split in half, remained silent.

The air, which had been cut a moment later, shivered. The hunters, who had been standing dumbfounded, finally swallowed and gasped.

Riet put the knife back in her inventory and approached the scattered bodies.

“The will of the gods, huh? There’s no good one among those who say such things.”

She kicked a severed head. The head, which rolled to the side, stared at Riet with wide eyes.

[Riet]

“Oh my?”

[I’ll make you an offer again.]

A voice came from the severed head, and the golden eyes narrowed fiercely.

“After being quiet for so long, what’s this about? I warned you to stay away from me and my brother.”

Of course, it wasn’t a gentle warning. It was a warning with blood and flesh.

[Ri-]

“Shut up.”

Crack! A military boot crushed the head, shattering it. Riet wiped her shoe on the corpse’s clothes and turned around. Her smiling face was terrifyingly cold.

“Anyone with low curse resistance and mental strength, come out. I’ll kill you painlessly.”

“What-”

Crack. A hunter’s neck was grabbed by Riet’s hand, cutting off his words. The hunter, who hadn’t even noticed her approach, was sweating coldly in confusion.

“Do you have a curse resistance skill or item? Mental strength?”

“A C-rank item...”

“Then you’re fine.”

She shook the hunter’s neck and threw him aside.

“Next. Hurry up. Okay?”

Or should I just kill everyone? The hunters of the association, overwhelmed by the growing killing aura, took a step back. A man with a slightly pale face met Riet’s eyes.

“It’s you.”

[The first of the Cursed Dragon Dio Balshesis.]

Riet’s golden eyes wavered. A deep frown appeared on her forehead, and her relaxed lips twisted.

“Just now, what...”

[Bring me the head of Seonghyeon of Seisung Guild in Korea and the brother of Han Yujin of Hae-yeon Guild.]

“This brat is giving orders-!”

Her teeth ground together. But Riet couldn’t move. As a cursed dragon, her instincts were holding her back.

If she were a complete Dio Balshesis, she might have bowed respectfully. But Riet bit her lip and used a skill. Without borrowing the power of a weapon, a ferocious aura that was more than enough to tear the man, who was the host of the Cursed Dragon King, in half, sliced him vertically.

At the same time, parts of the man’s body flew out like shrapnel from a bomb.

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

The hunters, who had been suppressed by Riet’s aura, fell one by one without a chance to defend themselves. A thick poison gas spread around them. The poison gas crept towards Riet’s feet but, thanks to her high poison resistance, only lingered nearby.

“...Damn, headache.”

- Ssssh

The jewel snake, which had been hiding in her hat, stretched out and looked at Riet. Riet wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand and frowned.

“What was that just now?”

Her memory was hazy. In any case, the unpleasant person she hadn’t seen in a long time was definitely gone. The entity could only possess and move to hunters with low mental strength and curse resistance, and the distance it could move was not long. Therefore, if there were no other humans around Riet, it had to leave.

“I thought you had given up completely. What’s this sudden change of heart?”

It’s unpleasant. As she kicked the split corpse in a fit of temper, a group of people appeared. The woman at the front was an S-rank hunter from Mexico. The imposing woman frowned at Riet and the bodies around her.

“Couldn’t you wait a little longer before causing trouble?”

“What? No, I-.”

“This time, you’re going to the prison!”

“Ah, damn! My luck is really bad these days!”

I need to go to Korea! I was confident I could win, but if I caused more problems here, it would only complicate things. No matter how much I did as I pleased, I had to avoid making enemies with all the hunter associations in different countries. Riet clicked her tongue and quickly left the scene.

< Riet > End

ⓒ Geunseo