17 – Ares Guild
Poong.
An elegant flower bed bursts at that spot, and dirt and dust swirl in the air.
Clang.
Clang.
The large glass window displaying the lobby shatters into thousands of pieces and collapses.
“Uh… uh…”
Has it been only a minute since Jihun arrived at the entrance of the Ares Guild building and started wreaking havoc?
Sojeong, looking at the entrance of the building that is literally falling apart, is so amazed that she even feels lightheartedness.
“Hey!”
A woman dressed in office attire, wearing high-heeled shoes, is making clacking sounds as she comes out from inside the building.
She was the receptionist who had been guarding the lobby desk.
In an instant, as the revolving door shattered and the glass windows broke, she believed it was an earthquake and hid under the desk.
However, as soon as she saw a person, she rushed over and yelled.
Even if it was an actual Black Hunter acting out, wouldn’t they be taken aback if someone boldly asked them that way?
Was it because she worked at the reception desk of a large guild, not a regular company, that she had the courage to speak so fearlessly…
In response to her question, Jihun politely answers.
“No, I am Kang Jihun, a student from the Academy. I came to find Doung Hyuk.”
“If you came to find someone, why are you destroying everything? Didn’t you see the reception desk? Why didn’t you ask me? I wouldn’t have taught you.”
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t consider that.”
Sojeong, who had been observing, was surprised to see a different side of Jihun than she expected, someone who always acted on his instincts.
“Kyaak.”
Hwoong.
Jihun, holding the guide, leaped into the air.
The floor where the two confronted was split in all directions, and a gigantic muscular man stood on it.
“Hunter Yoo Hongman!”
The guide, whom Jihun had brought and saved, recognized him and shouted.
The man who had jumped from the 8th floor of the building was Yoo Hongman, a B-class hunter from the Ares Guild.
“Who are you? Where did you come from?”
Yoo Hongman did not miss the change in Jihun’s expression, which found composure again, unlike when he faced the guide.
“I came to find someone named Do Woonhyuk. Didn’t you hear in advance?”
“Doisa-nim?”
Yoo Hongman’s face became full of doubt, and he eyed Jihun again.
“Doisa-nim? Why? And more importantly, if you came to meet someone, why are you breaking the building?”
Inside the building, dozens of people emerged and surrounded the two who were confronting each other, forming a circle.
“What’s going on?”
“Did there just be an earthquake?”
“No, I think that guy over there did it.”
“What a crazy mess!”
As if not concerned about how many people were gathering, Jihun answered Hongman without paying any attention to his surroundings.
“You didn’t come here for a good reason, right?”
At Jihun’s indifferent response, Yoo Hongman’s eyebrows twitched.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you know where this is?”
“Isn’t this the Ares Guild?”
Jihun’s cheeky reply.
Hongman raised his magic power upon hearing that.
Yoo Hongman, the sole tank and leader of the Ares Guild Gate Punishment Team 2.
As he raised his magic power and used his skills, his muscles, including his arms and legs, began to twist and reassemble.
He was already huge in size, but now he boasted an even larger size that could be compared to a wall.
“Since it doesn’t seem like you came here to talk, we’ll have to communicate through our bodies.”
With his transformed appearance, his voice was significantly louder and full of resonance, unlike before.
“Wow… is that a tank? I’ve only seen it in books and videos, but it’s impressive.”
He exclaimed in awe at the transformed appearance of Jihoon.
Woong.
Yu Hong Man’s gigantic body charges towards Jihoon with a speed that is hard to believe considering its size.
Jihoon evades by rolling his foot and shifting his body slightly to the left.
Like a passing bull missing a red cloth, Yu Hong Man continues for a while before stopping and turning around.
“Team leader!!”
Among the crowd surrounding them, four individuals who appear to be Yu Hong Man’s teammates step forward.
“Stay still. I’ll deal with him alone.”
Feeling that Jihoon’s evasion is not ordinary, Yu Hong Man raises his hand to stop his teammates from joining in.
“A hunter, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Which guild?”
“Academy.”
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“What?”
“I’m still in the Academy. I don’t belong to a guild yet.”
Seeing Jihoon casually respond, Yu Hong Man squints his eyes.
“Can I go this time?”
Yu Hong Man quickly regains his senses at Jihoon’s words.
Suddenly, Jihoon’s new body flies and delivers a kick to Yu Hong Man’s side.
Puh-uhk.
“Ugh… groan…”
Yu Hong Man concentrates his magic in the spot where Jihoon’s kick landed, unable to avoid it.
But the powerful force causes Yu Hong Man to stagger a few steps in the direction of the kick.
“Wow… your resilience is really something. Is this what a tank is?”
Jihoon, who only had a bit of internal energy left, is in awe of Yu Hong Man’s ability to withstand his kick and remain standing.
Hwoong.
Yu Hong Man quickly regains his posture and charges again, striking Jihoon with his fist.
His gigantic fist pierces the ground like an axe splitting wood.
Dodging the attack by lightly stepping back, Jihoon changes direction again and delivers the same kick to the same side he hit earlier.
This time, it was a strike that landed without a proper stance, causing Hongman’s body to wobble and quickly hit the ground.
“Captain!!”
“Captain!!”
Hongman raised his hand to signal to his teammates that he was okay.
“Huff… huff… What are you doing?”
“You keep asking the same thing. I’m just an academy student.”
“Doesn’t matter. Try it again.”
“Huh?”
“Try that kick again.”
Did getting hit and pushed back challenge the tanker’s pride? Hongman, despite his rough breathing, adjusted his stance.
The ground beneath his two feet was sinking, and magical energy scattered around his shoulders and above his head like a crown.
Hongman stood firm like an unyielding fortress gate.
Was he trying to test himself with an even stronger tanking skill?
Jihun’s expression turned into that of a child who had found something amusing.
“Okay, give it a shot.”
Jihun raised his internal energy just as much as before. Then, his foot precisely struck the same spot on Hongman’s side, as if he was responding to a direct challenge.
Using the same amount of internal energy, just as Hongman had taken an optimized stance for tanking, Jihun had prepared an optimized posture for the kick.
It was just one step on the pressure point, but each step formed a perfect technique.
Boom!
A thunderous noise reverberated through the air as if something had exploded.
Within the swirling dust and magical energy, Jihun’s foot gently slid away from Hongman’s side.
“Captain!!”
In the same position where he had adjusted his stance, Hongman remained without taking a single step back.
But suddenly, he coughed up blood and fell to one knee.
“I’ll say it again, your toughness is really something.”
Jihun praised Hongman with sincerity in his eyes.
Perhaps having heard Jihun’s words, only one of Hongman’s knees touched the ground while his body leaned forward and collapsed.
In front of the Ares building, there is a profound silence enveloping the dozens of people gathered in a circle.
Among those surrounding, Jihun was the only one who could break the stillness, gazing at those around him.
“…Next…?”
***
In the backseat of a black luxury sedan,
Lee Kangcheol, the guild representative, was exhaling deeply, unable to conceal his discomfort.
“Representative, is something bothering you today?”
Lee Kangcheol collected his thoughts at the chauffeur’s calm voice.
“Oh… Did I sigh too loudly? I’m sorry for distracting you while driving.”
“No need to apologize for taking a deep breath. And please, lower your voice.”
“No, it’s not just that. I don’t even speak harshly to our subordinates, and I’m asking this of you, who have been dispatched. It’s not right.”
He was not only the representative of a major guild but also known for his outstanding character.
“Recently, a long-time colleague of ours has been causing trouble. He keeps using guild members for his personal gain. I’m not sure how to handle it…”
Lee Kangcheol, humble and kind, was respected even by his chauffeur. His genuine response to the question he had formally posed clearly indicated the depth of his character.
They had arrived at the guild and were passing through the internal road leading to the building.
“Huh…?”
What’s going on? Can he see something others can’t, despite being a regular person…?
As the chauffeur accelerated a bit more for the representative, they were nearly at the building.
“What the hell is that?”
The chauffeur needed to confirm if the voice from the backseat belonged to the representative he knew.