NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 95
……Meanwhile, at a café near the Hunter Management Agency in South Korea.
Jang Han-soo was having coffee with Kim Ji-a Hunter.
They were coordinating upcoming schedules.
“You’re saying you’re going on a trip in the summer?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“Can I ask who you’re going with?”
“I’ll be going with Si-hyun.”
“Aha… I understand.”
Jang slowly nodded his head.
It made sense now that Si-hyun had mentioned making a passport recently.
The information connected: it meant Kim Ji-a Hunter would also be going abroad.
He quietly added the information to his mind.
“Have you decided where you’re going? If you’d like, the agency can arrange transportation and accommodations for you.”
He suggested cautiously.
Benefits are automatically provided for overseas dispatches of high-rank hunters.
However, in this case, it was just a trip for relaxation.
In essence, he was proposing unofficial support.
Especially since Si-hyun would be involved.
Ji-a thought for a moment before shaking her head lightly.
“I don’t have any specific plans yet. I’ll discuss that part with her.”
“Understood.”
Han-soo nodded and took a sip of his coffee.
Even this much information was sufficient.
The relationship between the agency and the two women seemed to be going smoothly.
Just then.
Bzzz—
A small vibration buzzed from Han-soo’s pants.
A message had arrived on his smartphone.
He pulled it out to check the content.
Soon, his expression hardened.
Curious, Ji-a asked from across the table as she sipped her coffee.
“Manager, did you receive bad news?”
“…It seems Si-hyun is about to cause some trouble.”
“Really? Si-hyun?”
Jang Han-soo reflexively looked around.
Since they were in a quiet private room, there was no one to eavesdrop.
He explained in a low voice.
“She got into a spat with Jason Turner from America.”
“What? Why would he provoke Si-hyun?”
“I’m not sure about that… Anyway, they say they’re going to duke it out at a gate on the outskirts. I’ll contact her just in case…”
“…”
Ji-a gasped lightly in surprise, while Han-soo furrowed his brows deep in thought.
Soon, both stood up from their seats.
“We should head over as well.”
“Yes, that would be best.”
After sharing their locations, they each drove their own cars.
Sweat formed on Han-soo’s palms gripping the steering wheel.
He knew Si-hyun was strong.
He had gathered information here and there about the mysterious nun.
But, he wasn’t quite sure how strong she actually was.
She claimed to be a paladin, but rumors in the double dungeon said she was an excellent sword-wielding supporter who was also a sorceress.
The jumbled information made it seem like she was powerful, but without clarity, it felt surreal.
It was just a mess.
‘Going up against Jason Turner from America…’
That’s why he couldn’t help but worry.
For various reasons.
* * *
“Ha ha ha!”
Jason laughed heartily as he brushed aside Si-hyun’s punch.
Si-hyun lightly stepped back.
“What an amusing woman!”
He never expected her to attack first.
And in close combat, no less!
The arm that deflected the attack felt no significant sensation.
It meant her punches weren’t strong enough to hurt his sturdy body.
But still, Jason’s heart raced with excitement.
‘A magic-type hunter trying to engage in close combat on her own!’
He had never experienced something like this before.
An opponent so arrogant as to challenge him directly!
“Let’s see your skills!”
Jason circulated mana through his body with his combat skills, enhancing himself even further.
He pushed hard off the ground.
Boom!
With a loud thud, he charged towards Si-hyun, leaving a crater in the ground.
Jason’s massive fist aimed straight for her face.
Si-hyun lightly turned her head, dodging the attack.
“Oho!”
Jason couldn’t help but admire her.
If she were an ordinary magic-type hunter, giving him even a moment of distance would put her at a disadvantage.
Thus, they would try everything to avoid giving space.
But this woman was different.
She evaded using her own physical abilities.
It made him doubt she was truly a sorceress.
Whoosh—!
Jason’s relentless attacks continued to target Si-hyun.
Still, she flexibly managed to evade them all with minimal movements.
The hard-to-dodge attacks were blocked with precise stances.
She didn’t gain the initiative in the assault, but she wasn’t overwhelmed at all.
“Miss! Are you really a sorceress?!”
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Jason asked.
He couldn’t help but contain his endless curiosity.
Si-hyun relaxed her muscles and replied shortly.
“…Former saintess.”
“Hahaha!”
Laughter erupted unexpectedly.
It was a response that caught him completely off guard.
Former saintess?!
It wasn’t even a characteristic of an awakened one nor reflected her current job.
That was a delightfully cute answer.
“Here I come again!”
“…”
Lost in the thrill of combat, Jason naturally slipped into informal speech as he charged again.
His opponent was continuously behaving unpredictably.
But that was about it.
The punches and kicks he threw now weren’t that strong.
At best, it seemed like A-rank, or at the very lowest, a B-rank level.
That was impressive, of course, but ultimately that was all.
To his enhanced body, it wasn’t much at all.
‘Try to dodge this!’
Jason focused his power into his fists using his combat skills.
Then he swung both fists down with all his might.
Boom—!
“Oho?”
He was surprised once again.
If the opponent couldn’t evade, that would be the end of the fight.
Even if they could dodge, the tremendous force would disrupt their stance.
However, his punch never made contact with the ground.
As if anticipating his attack, a transparent wall blocked him.
It was magic.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jason unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks against the wall.
Slowly, cracks began to form on the magical barrier.
“Come at me like you did just now!”
An absurd wall.
I’ll smash it in no time!
He’d faced countless patterns like this before.
In his mind, victory began to play out already.
Just then.
“…Analysis stops here.”
He heard a soft murmur from his opponent.
Jason frowned, looking at Si-hyun’s face.
The beautiful woman met his gaze with a blank expression.
From this moment,
The tides of battle began to shift.
Boom!
“Huh?!”
An explosion of air burst from the side of his head!
Jason barely dodged it in time.
In that instant, Si-hyun, having released her protective barrier, launched a punch.
He crossed his arms to block it, but it hardly felt like an attack.
However, Si-hyun’s assault didn’t end there.
Sharp thorns sprang up from the ground.
Air exploded by his side at every chance.
Intense flames erupted when the distance opened up.
None of the individual powers were devastating, but they weren’t weak enough to be ignored either.
Jason found his feet stuck constantly.
“Ugh!”
It was no wonder she was an S-rank hunter outstanding in combat.
Utilizing his excellent physique, Jason succeeded in closing the distance again.
However, the situation didn’t improve significantly.
He couldn’t overpower Si-hyun in close combat.
Though he was indeed at an advantage in close quarters, he lacked the necessary power to break through.
He couldn’t deal meaningful damage.
Every time he tried to create variables with his combat skills, they were thwarted by a barrier that appeared out of nowhere.
As if she had predicted he would use his skills.
The former saintess was indeed multifaceted.
‘This can’t be happening!’
Jason’s mind descended into chaos.
Though he continually tried various tactics, there was no sign of breaking through.
Each of his opponent’s attacks wasn’t powerful.
Yet, due to her absurd skill, the battle naturally shifted to a prolonged fight.
“…It got quiet, huh?”
“Ahem!”
“Who do you think you’re challenging, you tank?”
Si-hyun lightly ridiculed him.
It was apparent Jason was tough. At the same time, his strikes weren’t bad either.
But, the problem lay with him.
“…Feeling your body getting heavy?”
“…Wha?!”
Jason’s pupils quivered.
‘Am I… losing strength?!’
He realized his physical enhancement had weakened.
His body grew sluggish, his speed decreased.
The strength, too, was fading.
Whoosh—! Thwack!
“Urgh!”
Si-hyun’s kick slammed into Jason’s side.
He swallowed a groan and got pushed back.
Pain shot through his waist.
“Buddy, how about we have some humble pie?”
In a flash, Si-hyun’s fist soared toward Jason’s solar plexus.
Jason hurriedly crossed his arms to block the incoming attack.
Scrape——
His body was pushed back, dragging his feet in the process.
Si-hyun launched herself off the ground and charged at him again.
“Gah!”
Victory had already tilted toward Si-hyun.
From here, all that was left was to have fun pounding him in close combat.
‘Why did I have to bother with this nonsense?’
As a tank, he shouldn’t be able to inflict significant damage on him.
Minor injuries were just something to heal later.
If so, the ensuing trend would be a drawn-out fight.
In a drawn-out fight, I’m Si-hyun.
From the start, the victor had been predetermined.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
At first, Jason managed to hold on, but
It gradually turned into a one-sided scene of violence from Si-hyun.
“Gah!”
After being struck hard in the abdomen, Jason fell to the ground.
He immediately tried to get back up to regain his composure.
But now, Si-hyun’s speed had surpassed his.
A powerful punch slammed into his nostrils.
Drip—!
“Urgh…!”
Jason cupped his nose, swallowing a groan.
Si-hyun didn’t stop; she continued her assault.
She punched Jason’s solar plexus, causing him to gasp as he hunched over, then elbowed his forehead.
Immediately afterward, she kicked his head upward with full force.
Crack—!
The sound of bone cracking echoed.
“…!”
“Now we’re just getting started.”
Si-hyun smirked as she began treating Jason, who couldn’t even speak properly. At the same time, she landed another hit.
Leaping lightly in front of the barely standing Jason.
“Graaah!”
She performed a spinning roundhouse kick directly to his head.
Jason flew across the ground, rolling as he fell.
“Still got a ways to go.”
“Gah!”
Si-hyun was energetically hammering Jason like a dog on a hot day.
He was tough, so there was a sense of satisfaction in striking him.
It was the perfect way to relieve stress.
* * *
“Let’s go!”
“Yes, let’s hurry!”
Ji-a and Jang Han-soo arrived in front of the gate.
To enter a registered gate as an outsider, identification is required.
However, Jang Han-soo presented his agency ID and skipped the tedious formalities.
That was possible since it was a lower-tier dungeon.
The two swiftly entered the dungeon’s interior.
And what greeted them was:
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Si-hyun was seen turning a Western male into sludge.
And not just any male, but the infamous S-rank Hunter Jason Turner!
Ji-a covered her mouth with one hand, while Han-soo gaped in shock at the scene before them.