Chapter 60

Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 60

"She is not an enemy."

Yoo Hwan, who had been silently observing the situation, strode confidently towards Eunha.

One more hit! One more hit!
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' enthusiastically cheers for the man's punches.]

Yoo Hwan, oblivious to the cat's message, stood before Eunha and stared intently at her.

"Though you entered the gate without permission, you didn't attack our guild members. Correct?"

Eunha's pitch-black pupils turned towards him.
At her unspoken affirmation, Yoo Hwan curled his lips into a smirk.

"And inside, you saved three guild members, including Do Sungyoon."
"On their behalf, I express my gratitude. Thank you very much."

"I only did what needed to be done."

"Th-that's informal speech...!"

Zap. Yoo Hwan shot a fierce glare at the guild member who had abruptly interjected.

"...I apologize."

The guild member quickly backed down, but his expression still seemed full of dissatisfaction.

Immortal was a passionate guild.
That was a slogan Yoo Hwan himself had promoted.
Indeed, all members constituting Immortal were passionate individuals.
In their fervor, their spirit, and even their tempers.

However, at times like these, it was a bit tiring.
Because their fervor would never cool down until doused with copious amounts of water.

Yoo Hwan pressed his weary eyes and slowly began to speak again.

"But separate from that, I'm acting as the leader of these guys."
"Therefore, I have an obligation to save their face."

Yoo Hwan's hand, which had been pressing his eyes, slowly lowered, and their gazes met once more.

"I hope you understand."

Though phrased with minimal courtesy, Eunha knew.
This was an 'impolite notification'.

The reason Yoo Hwan looked down on Eunha wasn't solely because he was a giant of a man, over 2 meters tall.

"Ms. Hunter..."

A thoroughly intimidated Jehwi muttered softly.
Jerim was the same.
The two trembled, exchanging nervous glances.

'It's all because of me...'

Unable to bear the guilt any longer, Jehwi was about to take a bold step forward when—

Swish—

A slender arm forcefully blocked his path. It was Eunha.

"What should I do?"

Eunha looked straight up at Yoo Hwan, asking unwaveringly.
Seriously, where does Wolf find talents like these?
Her spirit, at least, was admirable.

"When we have problems, we tend to solve them with fisticuffs."

"Fisticuffs?"

"Yes. A duel. It might be a bit crude, but there's no cleaner method."

Yoo Hwan glanced towards Jaemin and Sungyoon.

"This way, you lot won't have any complaints either, right?"

Though both looked unconvinced, they nodded.
Yoo Hwan looked back at Eunha with a satisfied expression.

"The rules are simple. We hit each other until someone says 'I lose'."

"And if no one says it?"

"Either you die, or you come close to dying."

Yoo Hwan added with a smile, as if to say not to worry.

"Usually, they say it before then. No one has actually killed anyone."

In that moment, the advice from the girl she met on the KTX suddenly came to mind.

'Just in case you run into the Immortal Guild, absolutely do not fight them. Absolutely, absolutely not. Especially be careful of the hairy old man. Okay?'

Did that girl know this would happen? Or was it a coincidence?
Perhaps it was simply due to the rumor that the entire Immortal Guild was full of incredible battle maniacs.

As if on behalf of the stoic Eunha, it was none other than Jehwi whose face turned deathly pale before Yoo Hwan's hearty laugh.

'Isn't he a complete psycho?'

Otherwise, there was no reason for an S-Class and guild leader, a prominent figure, to challenge a mere concept hunter.

Gasp, could it be that Monkey King Yoo Hwan was a sadist who enjoyed the pain of others?

His gaze inadvertently shifted to Yoo Hwan's fists, wrapped tightly in bandages.
At a glance, they looked larger than a tiger's paw.
Before those fists, Jehwi, mustering his courage despite his fear, spoke up.

"J-just a moment. Is the Monkey King himself planning to step forward?"

"Hm? So?"

Yoo Hwan replied nonchalantly.
Jehwi stammered, looking troubled.

"But that's too..."

"Is there a problem?"

Yoo Hwan added, his gaze fixed on Eunha over Jehwi's shoulder.

"She's not just some F-Class anyway, right?"

Eunha met his gaze directly but neither confirmed nor denied it.

"However, since you've just returned from battle, I'll take that into consideration—"

"Fine. Let's start right away."

Growing increasingly weary, Eunha cut him off bluntly.
So bluntly that Yoo Hwan, who was in mid-sentence, was taken aback.
Jehwi was just as surprised.

"M-Ms. Hunter? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Otherwise, these people won't let us leave peacefully."

Eunha untied the black ribbon around her waist and tied her hair up high.
Then she glanced at Yoo Hwan and asked.

"Are weapons allowed?"

"...I'll be bare-handed."

"Really? Then I'll do the same."

Thump—

Eunha placed the parasol she was holding on the ground.
So that bizarre parasol was indeed her weapon.
Yoo Hwan watched her with narrowed eyes.

Jehwi, standing beside her, felt like dying.
He now understood well that she wasn't an ordinary F-Class concept hunter.
After all, he had witnessed her defeat an Unknown Gate boss right before his eyes.

However, she was currently injured.
Even if she had self-healing abilities, fighting continuously like this would undoubtedly strain her body.

Unaware that the cat had already healed her wounds, Jehwi was truly worried sick.

"Ms. Hunter, just fight casually and then say you lost when you see an opening. Those guys probably care more about saving their pride than the duel itself.**"

"Manager-nim."

"Yes, yes...?"

"I'll handle it."

Eunha smiled faintly.
Before that meaningful smile, Jehwi could only manage a "Keung," unable to utter another sound.

'If the President finds out I got into a fight with the Monkey King, I'm finished.'

Trembling with anxiety, Jehwi suddenly realized one thing.

'...Ah, I'm finished anyway.'

Having taken leave without Siwoo's permission and even getting her involved in such a huge mess.
The President must be furious by now.
Either way, his career was over.

Jehwi decided to relax his mind a little now.

"O-Oppa. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay now."

It's ruined anyway. My life.

Hahaha... I wonder if I'll even get my severance pay properly.
While Jehwi's mournful laughter continued, a circle formed around Yoo Hwan and Eunha.

"Uoooooh!"
"Show 'em what you got, Master!"
"MON! KEY! KING! YOO! HWAN!"

The Immortal guild members cheered for Yoo Hwan with incredible decibels.
Amidst them, Yoo Hwan, with his hands tightly bandaged, spoke with a leisurely air.

"I'll allow you the first attack."

Eunha stared at him blankly.
This was her second time fighting a human, following Siwoo.

'That giant of a man is the Immortal Guild leader, Monkey King Yoo Hwan.'

According to Jehwi, he was also an S-Class hunter, like Siwoo.

He wasn't carrying any weapons.
That meant he was either a nature-type hunter like Eunha, or a physical enhancement-type hunter who didn't need weapons, meaning his body itself was a weapon.
Likely the latter.

Large fists reminiscent of a giant beast.
Prominent muscles visible through his loosened martial arts uniform.
Above all, an overwhelmingly massive physique surpassing that of an ordinary person.

To minimize damage when fists collided, she would need to use at least a similar amount of force.
Otherwise, she would be crushed.

"What are you doing? It's fine. Go ahead and use your full strength."

Yoo Hwan smiled good-naturedly.
It wasn't sarcasm. He was genuinely relaxed.
In that case—.

Pewww!

She closed the distance in an instant.

"...!"

Yoo Hwan flinched, surprised by her unimaginably tremendous speed.
But that was all.

Swish—

A minimal movement, just twisting his upper body sideways, was enough to dodge her attack.

Lightly evading the attack, Yoo Hwan raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"Indeed, you're no F-Class hunter. That speed is commendable."

Thwack.

Eunha landed lightly on the opposite side of Yoo Hwan.

A nimble and perfect landing.
Witnessing it, Yoo Hwan's red eyes glinted with interest.

Although he hadn't been hit by the attack, Yoo Hwan, who trained his body daily, knew something.

This woman was of the same kind as him.

One who fought a battle with herself every day.
His chest throbbed.
An animalistic instinct that this would be an interesting duel.

"Let me give you a special piece of advice. It's better not to clench your fists so tightly from the start."
"Rather, clenching them firmly just before impact is more efficient in many ways."

"I see. Then let me give you some advice too."

After a short reply, Eunha glanced this way.

"It's better not to talk too much when fighting."

"What... Ugh?!"

Thwack—!

It happened in an instant.
As if hit by an invisible fist, Yoo Hwan staggered significantly in place.

At the sudden development, everyone around, including Yoo Hwan, froze in surprise.

'Wh-what was that?'

He had clearly dodged her attack lightly.

It was certain. He hadn't been hit by a fist.
Also, she had only swung her fist 'once'.

Yoo Hwan cupped his stinging cheek and turned his head towards Eunha.
The Princess of Dark Flare wasn't carrying any weapons.

Then was this her ability?
An invisible attack—wind? Or shadow? Perhaps even light.

'But it felt too solid for that.'

The sensation of being hit in the face by a real fist.
What on earth did she—.

"What are you doing? It's your turn next."

Before the frozen Yoo Hwan, Eunha slowly tilted her head diagonally.
Seeing that, Yoo Hwan let out a small chuckle, "Keuk."

"This is bad."

Sungyoon, watching their duel, muttered lowly.
Jehwi looked at him with a whooshing sound of cutting air.

"Huh? Bad, you say?"

"It's Master. He's getting excited."

Excited...?
The moment Jehwi blinked.

Goooo—

The surroundings began to vibrate lowly.
The change in atmospheric density was palpable on the skin.
As the sand and gravel on the ground trembled like rice grains on a sieve, Sungyoon whispered in a voice soft enough for only Jehwi to hear.

"Actually, our Master enjoys being hit."

"...Pardon?"

I didn't hear you correctly?
Jehwi stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.
Whether he knew it or not, Sungyoon added with a dead-serious face.

"It's just that there's no one brave enough to hit him."

With those last words, the vibrating ground fell silent.
And then.

[Divine Beast 'Monkey Shouldering the Heavens''s Power ▶ Temporarily release 'Golden Fillet'?]

"Release."

Chaeng!

The sound of metal shattering was heard.