Shinohara Household
Shinohara Yuzuki was intently watching the combat footage of Yoo Eun-ha displayed on her computer monitor. The video, showcasing Yoo Eun-ha clearing the Glass Dungeon, had been discreetly acquired by the Lily Guild.
Yuzuki, who had replayed the footage several tis, nodded her head in amazent.
"No matter how I look at it, that Baekhwa ability is beyond extraordinary."
“When I t her, her speed was her only standout feature. I didn’t realize she had such an ability,” Mariko Shinohara said, her eyes sparkling as she watched the footage. She couldn’t hide her admiration.
Back when they had fought Cyclopes together during their shared training days, Yoo Eun-ha hadn’t shown anything near this level of power. At that ti, Eun-ha had even struggled.
“What do you think, Mariko?”
“She’s absolutely remarkable. Taking down the Glass Constructs in one go... or rather, turning an entire passage into a sea of fire is astonishing.”
Even Rosemary, who had accompanied them, had been left slack-jawed by the sight. It was almost amusing. Rosemary's odd behavior at the rendezvous point now made sense—it seed she had been thoroughly intimidated by Yoo Eun-ha.
“It’s hard to chalk it up to doping. You can’t draw out that kind of power artificially, and even if you forced it, you’d die on the spot.”
Yet, Yoo Eun-ha seed completely fine.
“Well, judging by her popularity on the Korean forums, it’s not surprising.”
Even the Japanese community wasn’t immune to her growing fa. Footage of her abilities test and team battles at Hanseong Academy had beco well-known among Japanese hunter enthusiasts. Threads about Yoo Eun-ha were a hot topic in online forums.
Thread Title: Korea’s Yoo Eun-ha vs. Japan’s Shinohara Yuzuki: Who Wins?
K-NTR is so hot. Eun-ha noona, take !
Honorary Joseon scum spotted www If you’re Japanese, it’s Shinohara Yuzuki all the way.
Who’d win in a fight, though?
No matter how amazing Yoo Eun-ha is, she’s just a student. Shinohara Yuzuki is the head of the Shogunate. If it’s purely about looks, though…
Honestly, if Yoo Eun-ha pulls out that Baekhwa skill, won’t it destroy every Heavenly Sword out there? www
Since Koreans love calling us East Joseon anyway, let’s just recruit Yoo Eun-ha for our side under the Naeseon Ilche plan.
“Seriously, even in these tis, there are so many people with nothing better to do.”
Even before the Great Cataclysm, people would waste their ti posting in threads, sharing opinions, and arguing endlessly. That habit hadn’t changed.
“What do you think in reality?” Mariko asked.
“Well, I’m not sure. I can’t confidently predict who’d win. But with control like that after only a few months, it’s better to have her as an ally than an enemy. Spending ti with her, I can see why people might fall for her.”
Having her as an enemy would be troubleso. Even though the post-Cataclysm world was in chaos, international warfare was unlikely, especially when the shared threat of monsters lood.
“I see.”
“And her influence on those around her also seems plausible.”
She’s beautiful. Truly beautiful. Seeing her up close makes one feel like they might fall for her. It’s no wonder Hanseong’s female students post anonymously about wanting to get closer to Yoo Eun-ha, even joking about competing with her.
“Don’t tell , even you…”
“? No way. I’m not soone who falls for soone after just a few days. Sure, I’m fond of her, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m switching teams and going lesbian. But who knows? If she saved in a Hell-grade Gate, maybe then I’d fall for her.”
Of course, unless one ventured into an Erosion Zone—or quarantined areas—it was highly unlikely a Hell-grade Gate would appear.
“Do you think a Hell-grade Gate might appear?”
“It’s about as impossible as it gets.”
Yuzuki chuckled softly. She was determined to have Yoo Eun-ha as an ally, no matter what. However, when it ca to romance, that was another story. Yuzuki had no intention of falling so easily, even if Yoo Eun-ha was impressive in every sense.
***
Yoo Jin-seok’s Visit
Yoo Jin-seok showed up after quite a while. This guy always had a knack for popping in just when I was about to forget about him. With his usual grin, the forr protagonist of our story waltzed into my ho and pulled a glowing cube from his palm.
It was Yoo Jin-seok’s inventory cube.
"Seriously? What’s this all about?"
Out ca a few massive shrimp from his inventory. Was this why he told to stay ho? I should’ve just ignored him.
“I heard you haven’t been eating properly lately.”
What? I’ve been eating just fine—won, good food, you na it. Ever since leaving behind my corporate life, I’ve developed a serious sweet tooth and have been indulging in desserts all over the place. Considering that Choi Si-woo is now Lust personified, maybe he’s even wilder than Choi Si-ah ever was.
“I’ve been eating decently.”
“Well, I brought these for you. Whether you eat them raw or cook them, figure it out.”
What kind of brother dumps shrimp in front of his little sister as a gift? Besides, I’ve never cooked shrimp before. And cooking? That’s not my job. Isn’t this sothing heroines usually handle? At ho, I’ve been surviving on sugar water anyway.
“So, where are you off to now?”
Judging by his outfit, he was heading sowhere again. Maybe another gate expedition?
“Oh, I’m eting Kim Ji-hye at the barrier today. We’re headed to the Quarantine Zone.”
“What? Are you dating Firebat now? Quarantine Zone date?”
Who would’ve thought he’d hook up with Firebat? With a girlfriend like her, I guess his date spots are as flashy as they get. But the Quarantine Zone? What, are they going out to hunt villains or sothing?
“It’s not like that. You know BaekhwaTV, right?”
“Oh, the two strears who cover the Quarantine Zone?”
I’d suspected the governnt would make a move about them sooner or later. Did Yoo Jin-seok get tasked with sothing related to this?
“Yeah. The bald guy’s been getting flak because the Blue House and the Hunter Association are constantly compared to Baekhwa. Now they want us to find Baekhwa.”
If the Hunter Association tasked Yoo Jin-seok with finding , things must be urgent.
“Got it. Take care.”
“Yeah, you too. I’ll co back when it’s done.”
“Be careful.”
Yoo Jin-seok ruffled my hair before leaving, shrimp and all. Watching him go, I sighed. Poor guy, but things on this side were heating up as well. If Baldie sent Yoo Jin-seok straight away, this could spell danger for the Black God Cult—or rather, Baekhwa.
What if Songdo gets exposed to Yoo Jin-seok and Firebat in my absence, and they end up fighting the golems?
“The Cheonsan Group could be at risk too.”
At least I had so forewarning. Hiding Songdo would be the best move. If they’re looking for Baekhwa, they’ll naturally want to find any habitable areas in the Quarantine Zone. That could lead them straight to the mana-free haven of Songdo. Considering Yoo Jin-seok and Firebat’s mobility, they could find it in no ti.
I called out to Kate, who was cosplaying as a doll in the corner.
"Kate, connect to the penthouse."
“Yes.”
I moved to the penthouse and checked the weather around Songdo. The sky was frustratingly clear, the kind of day perfect for a shonen manga shoot.
“Of course, it’s ridiculously sunny.”
It wasn’t just clear; it was blindingly bright. If it were a bit overcast, I could disguise the place as ruins, but this? I’d have to make an effort. Reluctantly, I spread my wings and soared high into the sky.
Would it be enough to shroud Songdo in pitch-black mana? Completely enveloping it in a shell of pure darkness might work. It’d be tough, and there’s a chance the Hunter Association’s mana detectors might pick up on it, but it was worth a shot.
“Let’s see if this works.”
I released mana from my body. The dark energy flowed out like a river, quickly covering all of Songdo. It ford a shell of mana, like an eggshell, protecting the area.
“They won’t notice anything now.”
If Yoo Jin-seok is humanity’s strongest, then I’m the strongest of monsters. If my mana surrounds Songdo, he won’t detect a thing. And if I lay low with Baekhwa for a while, he’ll never find . Later, I might even livestream Songdo’s civilian district just to ss with him.
“What are you doing now?”
Back at the penthouse, Reyna greeted , arms crossed, exuding an air of disapproval. Her stance scread “lecture incoming,” but since this involved Songdo, it was sothing everyone needed to know.
“Oh, my brother is looking for .”
“Baekhwa, right?”
“Yeah. You know how crazy my brother is. If he finds us, we’re in trouble. So I cloaked the area with my ultimate mana.”
From the outside, it would look like a massive do.
“What happens if we’re discovered?”
“They’ll probably try to drag everyone to Seoul.”
That would be the Hunter Association’s way of salvaging their tarnished image. Yoo Jin-seok, ever the righteous fool, likely believes survivors are safer in Seoul than in the Quarantine Zone.
“This is bad.”
“Don’t worry. They won’t find us.”
“But he’s the first Sword Saint, right? Yoo Eun-ha, he’s probably stronger than you.”
Have they forgotten I’m a dragon? Even if he’s humanity’s strongest, could he possibly surpass an apocalyptic dragon? Of course, I had no intention of fighting him. No matter the situation, Yoo Jin-seok is still my brother. I couldn’t bring myself to raise a sword against him.
“Well, there is one way…”
“A way?”
“I’ll go out and play tag with Yoo Jin-seok myself. The problem is, I don’t plan on losing.”
If Yoo Jin-seok loses to in a ga of tag, his honor would take a hit. While I didn’t want my brother to look like a fool, I couldn’t afford to lose either.
“I may not look it, but I’m pretty fast. I’ll run away—hard.”
“And what do I tell Maman?”
“You’ll think of sothing. By the way, where are Han Su-ji and Choi Si-ah?”
They weren’t even in Songdo right now. That much I was certain.
“Maman’s making snake stew again. As for Han Su-ji and Choi Si-ah, they’re out competing to catch monsters.”
“Can’t you tell Maman to stop with the snake stew? I may be a dragon, but that doesn’t an I’m okay with this snake-related nu every day.”
I was getting tired of seeing plump snakes on the table. It felt like feeding chicken to a chicken.
“Well, maybe if you stopped flirting around. It’s not just Maman—you’re annoying too.”
“Han Su-ji doesn’t care, and neither does Choi Si-ah.”
“Sure, because Han Su-ji is out of her mind, and Choi Si-ah is tied to Choi Si-woo, who’s a guy anyway. But Maman? She devoted her entire life to loving Father, only to fall for you. Can you bla her?”
“I didn’t think it’d go that far. Okay, maybe I did, but still…”
This chaotic ss was my life. At least Reyna seed like she was ready to help. Now, ti to see if this ga of tag would really work.
“I didn’t think it’d go that far. Okay, maybe I did, but still…”
At the end of the day, even Rachel had her reasons. Even with her small stature, she could still be alluring, which led to consider drastic actions, if only to deal with her clinging.
“Think about it. She spent her entire life trapped in that archive, bound to her fate. You not only resolved that but spent 100 years together trying to free her. A century in a dark, confined space with just the two of you—it’s enough to make any sane woman fall for soone.”
“Now that you ntion it… yeah, I get it.”
If soone stayed by my side for 100 years, I might fall for them too. Rachel probably felt the sa way.
“So, Choi Si-woo had leeway because he was a guy. But how did this conversation turn from tag to romance?”
“Everything is connected. You oversexed snake. So, are you confident you can win? Or do I need to step in as a Dark Elf?”
Reyna’s concern was palpable. Honestly, sneaking around alone and playing cat-and-mouse was a hassle. A little help wouldn’t hurt. But could the Dark Elf version of Reyna hold her own against Yoo Jin-seok? Maybe Firebat, sure, but Jin-seok? Doubtful.
“I don’t really know Jin-seok’s current level, but I doubt he’s soone you can handle.”
“Are you planning to do everything alone forever? I’m telling you, I’ve already started progressing into my complete Elf form. And as a Dark Elf, you know how strong I can be.”
As much as I’d love to rely on her, neither Han Su-ji nor Reyna, no matter how strong, could defeat Yoo Jin-seok. And Choi Si-ah? She’s tied to the Celestial Sword constellation, just like Jin-seok, so putting them against each other wasn’t an option either.
“Your corruption arrows might be able to handle Firebat, but there’s a bit of a compatibility issue here.”
“Can I snipe him from the penthouse?”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Yes.”
That ant she could provide cover fire from within the mana-shrouded area. That could be a ga-changer.
“Alright, let’s try it.”
I activated Reyna’s dark transformation. Her body began to shift, focusing around the yin energy at her core. Within monts, she transford into a Dark Elf, her captivating eyes brimming with arrogance as she inspected herself.
Then she turned her gaze to , intense and hungry. Why was she staring at like that?
“And in this form…”
“Yes?”
“I want to ravage you.”
Her tongue slid across her lips, and her predatory grin made it clear that she was serious.
“W-wait a second.”
“Just so you know, if you resist, I won’t help you. And you won’t get anything else from either.”
Reyna ignored my protests, shoving onto the sofa. I could’ve stopped her, but if I resisted her full force, she might refuse to help with the situation. So, clenching my teeth, I resigned myself to endure her whims.
One way or another, I’d make Yoo Jin-seok pay for this humiliation.
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