“Hyung, can you help me just this once?”
“Hey, think about it for a second. You suddenly took a break without saying anything, and the higher-ups are furious.”
“…Haa, I couldn’t help it, you know.”
“Let’s hear your reason then. What couldn’t you do? Did your abilities suddenly disappear or something?”
“I can’t say. Anyway, I already took the break, and I paid the installment fees, remember? But if I come back, I need public opinion to be on my side.”
“…….Haa, got it. I’ll let the kids loose and try something.”
○○○○○
With an A-rank Hunter title to boot, Yeonhwa found herself with quite a bit of free time lately.
Before this, she had been scuttling around dungeons like a dungeon addict, pushing herself hard. But now that she had crossed a major threshold, she had more leisure time than she expected.
In fact, most A-rank Hunters who received their titles tended to spend their time relaxing in their rooms unless they were off on a hunt, like when Goblin Rangers ambushed someone.
Yeonhwa often watched her best friend Shia’s streams or hung out in genre Hunter galleries, enjoying the various discussions about Shia.
Even though Shia wasn’t her real sister, Yeonhwa felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction when she saw Shia being discussed by so many people, receiving attention on various topics.
[Look at that nice Seongnyeok pouch!]
ㄴ[LOL]
ㄴ[I just want to hold her just once]
ㄴ[Oh my Goddess… adding another one to Seongnyeo’s retirement fund list today..]
“Is my sister’s chest really that great…?”
If Shia had even slightly been offended by such sexually harassing attention, Yeonhwa wouldn’t have hesitated to call her lawyer and head to court.
Of course, she didn’t fail to understand why the gallery’s Susus praised her sister’s looks or chest.
Even Yeonhwa thought Shia’s appearance was extraordinarily beautiful, and her chest? Well, it was substantial too.
“What’s this?”
Suddenly, Yeonhwa tilted her head at posts that had started flooding the gallery.
Originally, about 30% of the genre Hunter gallery posts were taken up by the rising star Shia.
There were definitely a lot of malicious trolls, perverted net runners, and bored Susus around, but within lines that didn’t cross the decency fence, there were praises for Shia’s chest and GIFs of her taking down a Centipede Dragon and gobbling a Wyvern egg. Additionally, stunning and overwhelming battle scenes featuring Shia satisfied viewers’ eyes.
“Frank and Joy? What’s this about?”
Yeonhwa had occasionally dropped by the genre Hunter gallery to gather info related to Hunters and dungeons.
However, she had never seen a malicious hidden camera streamer like Frank and Joy, so it felt unfamiliar.
‘Ah, I remember… they were those streamers who used hidden cameras on Hunters. Their ideas were so trashy and unpleasant that…’
Sure, people who liked shock value would probably enjoy it, but… why was it suddenly trending like this? Was it really that popular?
Then suddenly, related searches and keywords about Frank and Joy started to dominate over 50% of the posts in the gallery.
With that much grabbing the spotlight, nearly all the general posts in the gallery were about Frank and Joy.
[Hey, why hasn’t the P&J channel updated lately?](121)
『I used to watch the Frank and Joy channel a lot because it was hilarious, but why hasn’t there been anything lately? After that fiasco in the Suwol Plains dungeon, they suddenly say they’re on a break? Anyone know?』
[That broadcast was such a mess that I couldn’t really figure anything out.]
ㄴ[No, they say the streamer was attacked.]
ㄴ[What?]
ㄴ[The hidden camera victims got mad and hired mercenaries to mess with him.]
ㄴ[For real?]
[No way, did awakened Hunters really hire mercenaries?]
ㄴ[Seems plausible.]
ㄴ[Insane?]
ㄴ[Isn’t hiring mercenaries a way of ensuring anonymity?]
ㄴ[LOL, hiring mercenaries to take down a streamer will probably have the association putting a bounty on him, right?]
ㄴ[Yeah, the association’s just playing it cool, getting paid without working.]
[(Breaking news) Seems like someone assaulted Frank and Joy – could it be Isia?](446)
『I was watching Isia’s stream that day, and it seems like she’s the one who attacked Choi Hyung-Min. They said Isia is an S-rank or something. If Isia really attacked Choi Hyung-Min, then it makes sense that the streamer is on a break.』
[Not exactly S-rank. It’s more like presumed S-rank.]
[But just because you beat an S-grade monster doesn’t automatically make you an S-grade Hunter.]
ㄴ[What kind of nonsense is this?]
ㄴ[Just think about it. Monsters are living creatures too, their condition varies day by day. They could be injured, sick, or just plain tired. Killing a weak S-grade monster doesn’t make one an S-grade Hunter, does it?]
ㄴ[That’s true.]
ㄴ[Who knows.]
ㄴ[Is that how it works?]
[Why the heck did Isia attack Choi Hyung-Min? LOL]
ㄴ[Choi Hyung-Min was trying to pull a hidden camera stunt on Isia, and she probably found him appetizing.]
ㄴ[Oh, that did happen, huh? LOL]
ㄴ[So then Frank and Joy’s side is the one at fault.]
ㄴ[Isn’t it the other way around? Who wants to eat a monster?]
ㄴ[Here’s one!]
[LOL, I figured it out from the time she flaunted her big chest!]
ㄴ[She’s messing with a big corporation isn’t she!?]
ㄴ[Looks like she wants to get herself banned.]
ㄴ[Even though it’s called S-rank, isn’t there a clear verdict confirming that?]
ㄴ[For real, LOL]
[Was she just trying to get some exposure with Frank and Joy?]
ㄴ[That’s totally possible.]
ㄴ[Is that it?]
ㄴ[If that were her goal, she could have just shaken her chest once for an instant collab, LOL.]
ㄴ[Ah, LOL.]
Snap!
“What the heck is this…..”
As Yeonhwa’s mood plummeted, the room became chillingly cold.
There were various opinions, and countless comments and discussions masquerading as insults were mixed in, but the conclusion was singular.
‘Choi Hyung-Min is usually a hidden camera streamer, but he’s not to blame in this situation. The real culprit is Isia, who attacked without properly understanding the situation.’
[LOL, if the Hunters got pranked by P&J, shouldn’t they be thanking them instead?]
『Isn’t that right? If they’re featured on a big corporation’s stream, they’ll gain visibility. And if it gets too much, the streamer even pays up sometimes. What’s really the issue?”]
[The Hunters are just too petty, LOL.]
[Are you serious? These folks are just as much of a nuisance in dungeons as the hidden cameras. If they’re angry after being pranked, are they even human, LOL?]
ㄴ[True.]
ㄴ[For real, quit the nonsense, troll.]
ㄴ[True.]
[Now that I think of it, those Hunters from P&J turned out alright, didn’t they? Like Cheon Ah-Young?]
ㄴ[Right? Cheon Ah-Young was in there, wasn’t she?]
ㄴ[Didn’t Cheon Ah-Young rise to fame because of that?]
ㄴ[She definitely became popular after camping in a dungeon, then skyrocketed with P&J.]
Even the comments deriding Choi Hyung-Min and lifting other streamers and Hunters weren’t held back.
No matter how she looked at it, the public opinion seemed suspiciously organized, and Yeonhwa stood up from her seat.
Yeonhwa usually chose to look past such things.
Even though she had seen the malicious trolls openly sexually harassing Shia several times — and even if Shia didn’t seem bothered by it — Yeonhwa chose not to show them the bitter taste of life.
In truth, just as Shia thought, most of those comments were probably not malicious.
Maybe they were just foolish remarks made from a lack of thought. Yet, there had never been any truly malicious intentions to hope Shia would be wronged.
But this was different.
To Yeonhwa’s eyes, the malice was evident.
Ding! Ding!
[Is it Binggu?]
“Not Binggu… Haa, Unnie.”
[Why? Are you bored? Want me to play with you? I was just about to have dinner..]
“..Could you check this out?”
[Hmm…?]
Just like last time, Yeonhwa sent the gallery post link to Shia and then headed to the Yeon Family office to find Yeonju.
Yeonju was the one handling all the administrative work and tasks of the Yeon Family.
In actuality, Yeonhwa and Yeonseo weren’t related by blood. It was a complete coincidence that someone with the surname Yeon had found work entertaining Yeonseo, who thought it would be interesting.
“What is it, Miss?”
Caught off-guard by Yeonhwa’s sudden visit, Yeonju adjusted her glasses and looked at her.
“Yeonju Unnie, can you help me find someone?”
“And the reason is?”
“……….Because they’re annoying.”
It was probably the first time Yeonju heard such a sharp tone from Yeonhwa.
Recognizing Yeonhwa was truly furious, Yeonju lowered her head.
“I’ll find him within 30 minutes.”
○○○○○○
“Is this okay for me, Choi Hyung-Min?”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
“I could just stay quiet until the break is over…”
“They won’t know we’re doing anything.”
Choi Hyung-Min scrolled through the internet, grumbling at his manager and crew.
Fortunately, things were still going well. If that damn girl hadn’t pulled any of her tricks and turned me into a no-good Hunter, he wouldn’t have had to bow to Cheon Ah-Young’s pressure and take a break.
If only his abilities had been intact, he would’ve been out there searching for new Hunters, having primitive joy and picking the Susus’ pockets. But it’s all that damn Isia’s fault.
‘Alright. For now, I’ve stirred up just enough of a reaction and opinion.’
Thanks to contacting the ‘brother’ from the string alliance, fun and manipulation of public opinion had become much easier.
There was a reason Choi Hyung-Min suddenly wanted to sway the gallery’s opinions.
With the sudden break, he wanted to cultivate as many allies among his viewers as possible, and at the same time, though somewhat devious, he wanted to advertise on the largest site in Korea.
However, Choi Hyung-Min’s true intention was to definitely have malicious intent toward Isia and to want to see her fall.
Although she had only officially broadcasted twice, Choi Hyung-Min suspected that Isia was about to skyrocket in popularity towards a major corporation.
With good looks and great power, it was no wonder.
And even to top it all off, she was said to be devouring monsters in dungeons — quite the unusual taste and with that added element, it was impossible not to gain fame.
‘I can’t let that wretched girl who brought me to the edge of ruin soar instead of me.’
At the very least, he wanted to make her taste hell.
After robbing me of my powers, healing? Don’t make me laugh.
I’ll show them just how damn awful this Hunter streaming world can be.
By the end of today, if I can just stir up public opinion a bit more, Isia will be branded in the gallery as nothing more than a vile bitch who desperately sought connections with Frank and Joy.
While there were still some dissenting net runners here and there, those threads quickly got buried by the comments and manipulators from the string alliance.
Dingdong!
“Ah, who is it?”
“Looks like the pizza from earlier has arrived!”
“Go check it out quickly.”
“Yes! I’m on it!”
One of the staff opened the door, and Choi Hyung-Min began scrolling through the gallery on his computer and smartwatch again.
“Uh, um… Hyung-Min?”
“What? The pizza is on the table outside. Don’t eat in here, the smell will linger.”
“No, it’s not that… you should come out!”
“What?”
Choi Hyung-Min glared at the flustered staff member, looking disgruntled.
“Ugh, what is it now? If it’s nothing, you know I’m not letting this go….”
“……..”
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
Bang!
“Yikes!!”
“What, what’s happening?!”
In an instant, Choi Hyung-Min felt a sudden shock and pain, losing consciousness for less than a second. When he came back to his senses, he realized he was slammed against the wall.
And not merely pressed against it.
Cold ice was shackling his arms and legs like shackles.
“Hi, hi…. eek…”
“Isn’t that Yeonhwa…?”
“Isn’t she the granddaughter of Yeonseo, who just received her Hunter title a while ago!?”
“Oh my god Choi Hyung-Min, who did you mess with…?!”
Seeing the panicking managers and staff, Yeonhwa directed her cold gaze at them.
“Everyone, leave. I don’t care if you call the police, but it will be useless.”
“Y-Yes!”
“I’m leaving!”
“Binggu, you can’t be so reckless right after meeting me.”
“Binggu isn’t… haa.”
Hearing that familiar voice, Choi Hyung-Min looked up.
“What, what are you doing here…?”
It was Isia.
How could he forget her?
The appearance he had seen in Suwol Plains was the same as ever.
But don’t be deceived by appearances. She was the enemy who had robbed him of his powers.
Thanks to that girl, he was forced into a break. Debt to the brink of ruin!
“Unnie, you can be angry at him, it’s this guy.”
“…Unnie? What the hell… are you insane?! What kind of nonsense are you pulling in someone else’s house….?!”
“Hey.”
Smack!
“Ugh!?”
As the ice tightening around his limbs expanded and intensified, the pressure on his wrists and ankles caused Choi Hyung-Min to gasp for breath.
“Shut that stinking mouth of yours before my sister speaks.”
“Binggu.”
Slowly Isia approached Choi Hyung-Min, removing each of the ice shackles that bound him.
Despite the shackles being thick and strong as steel, she easily broke them apart with her bare hands like they were snacks.
Once freed from the shackles, Choi Hyung-Min dumbly looked up at Isia.
He still couldn’t understand what had just happened.
Why was this girl Yeonhwa here?
And why was Isia here too?
How did they even know about this place?
The confused Choi Hyung-Min got to his feet as Isia smiled gently at him.
“Did you dislike me?”
“…..That….”
“Strange. I healed you normally…”
“…Normally? I lost my powers because of you!”
Choi Hyung-Min yelled abruptly, and Isia tilted her head as though she really couldn’t understand what he was on about, before looking back at Yeonhwa.
“By ‘losing your powers’, you mean someone who has lost abilities due to external or internal reasons, right?”
“…I don’t get it?”
With that, Isia extended her hand towards Choi Hyung-Min.
Choi, unsure of her intentions, flinched at the gesture.
“Healing is normal.”
“…That’s nonsense!”
“Have you even tried to use your powers again?”
“I can mutate through monster genes! But ever since I received your so-called healing, all the monster genes vanished!”
“I’m asking if you’ve tried.”
The anger on Choi Hyung-Min’s face contorted.
Without the monster genes, how could he…!
“Try it.”
“…You damn…”
“Speak respectfully to my sister.”
“……”
Choi Hyung-Min bit his lip, feeling the anger welling up within him, yet, following Isia’s advice, he began to channel mana attempting [Shapeshift].
And…
“Oh…?”
“What is this? It worked?”
All that came from Choi Hyung-Min was a stunned stammer, while Yeonhwa could only sigh in disbelief.
His hands shifted into what resembled those of a werewolf, and his legs changed effortlessly too.
“Th-this… even without the genes…”
How is this possible?
Just yesterday, he couldn’t do this.
“My healing not only boosts your regenerative abilities; it brings your physical state, including your mana, to the best condition possible. It seems like suddenly overflowing mana has led to a change in your abilities or perhaps your abilities have evolved, and you simply had difficulty adapting.”
“…..Well, that’s….”
“So, does that mean the person here has been wasting their time doing pointless things?”
“Binggu, don’t be so mean.”
With a warm smile, Isia looked at Choi Hyung-Min.
Even considering that she had been a target of frenzied public criticism in the genre Hunter gallery, she seemed remarkably calm and unaffected.
“I’m sorry. If I was in the wrong, I’ll apologize. So let’s just forget this.”
“……”
The meaning behind Isia’s words was unmistakable.
Forgiveness.
No more fighting.
“It’s a life that’s already short on good things. So let’s take it easy and live kindly.”
“……Yes, yes….”
Choi Hyung-Min, responded with reluctance, bowing his head in embarrassment.
There were no more words to say.
If he had been able to use his powers from the start… if he had simply received proper tests at the hospital…
Then the broadcast would have simply ended as a minor hiccup.
“Well, does that mean we’ve made up now?”
“…….”
Even though his expression was still firm, there was no way for Choi Hyung-Min to retort against Isia.
With the reveal of his restored powers, he had no justification left.
And above all, he fully understood that the antics he pulled in the genre Hunter gallery were shameful.
“Yeonhwa, I’m going to wait downstairs. Now that we’re out, let’s go have dinner together.”
“Yes, Unnie.”
And as Isia left Choi Hyung-Min’s place without any lingering feelings, only Choi Hyung-Min and Yeonhwa remained.
“Haah, I guess everything has been sufficiently resolved, so we can just….”
Clack!
“Ah! Aah!?”
Just as Choi Hyung-Min was about to offer an apology to Yeonhwa and send her away, he suddenly felt intense pain in his foot and screamed.
“Nononono! Isia was going to forgive me—why are you…!?”
“She forgave you, but did I say I would?”
“Damn it! What does this have to do with you!? I never annoyed you…”
“A lot. There’s more than enough. Do you know why the association hasn’t paid you any attention?”
“Wh-What?”
“You think they don’t care because you’re not worth it?”
“…What?”
“They can’t be bothered, you know why?”
“Your image tarnished the reputation of Yeonseo’s legacy and ruined the bond she built!”
“I-it’s not like being seen poorly made me legally liable!”
“Should I remind you that you’ve broken the Hunter dignity clause hundreds of times?”
“Th-That’s….!”
“Did you think just because you didn’t know, it would work as a defense? Are you even a kid?”
With those words, Choi Hyung-Min clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had been struck with truth.
Crack!
“Agghhh!?”
Choi Hyung-Min screamed in pain, feeling yet another sudden impact in his hand.
Yeonhwa’s ice enveloped his hand, crashing down onto it with a sword she usually wielded.
His hand was now completely frozen due to her mercy, leaving no blood to flow.
In fact, this surprise attack meant his shapeshifting abilities had been sealed.
Yeonhwa’s power belonged to the ice domain.
Since shapeshifting initially manifests in limbs, by stealthily freezing Choi Hyung-Min’s arms and legs, he couldn’t resist and use his abilities.
“Let’s finish this within three minutes. My sister is waiting downstairs.”
“Y-you damn…!”
“You think I care just because you’re Yeonseo’s granddaughter?”
“That’s not what’s happening here.”
At that moment, looking at Yeonhwa’s glacier-like cold eyes left Choi Hyung-Min utterly speechless and unable to respond.
Crunch!
“…!?”
In truth, he couldn’t open his mouth at all.
The cold air emanating from Yeonhwa sealed his lips, preventing him from uttering a word.
Shut that filthy mouth of yours.
You don’t deserve to speak.
“Yes, I am Yeonseo’s granddaughter.”
“…Ugh, Mmmm!”
“I’m also known as the lady loved by the Hunter Association, Returnee Management Bureau, and the Yeon Family. When I was younger, I found those titles extremely cringy and useless—because all I cared about was getting stronger. I barely ever accepted help from the association or Grandma for personal ambitions…”
Yeonseo was a living legend.
And the Hunter Association, which Yeonseo had established and built.
In this world of Hunters, Yeonhwa was akin to one of the highest-born ladies, being the only bloodline of a living legend.
If Yeonhwa wished, she could throw caution to the wind and cause utter chaos—yet, she never did.
From birth, she held the title of the most noble lady in this Hunter age, and upon graduating from the academy, she was a genius surpassing A-rank.
“But today, that title seems pretty useful.”
As of this moment in the Hunter age, there was no one who could stand against Yeonhwa.
“I’ll ask you once more. Are you aggrieved? What will you do about it? Call the authorities? Sure, go ahead. I wouldn’t mind having a tedious conversation with our family lawyers.”
“Ugh…!”
“You dared to set up conniving tricks against my sister, who saved your life… and she even went ahead, forgave, and saved you… You think a piece of trash who would repay kindness with malice would be let off the hook? Do you genuinely want to continue being a malicious streamer like this?”
Yeonhwa’s raw power exceeded that of an ordinary A-rank Hunter, even on par with Cheon Ah-Young. Even under normal circumstances, Choi Hyung-Min wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
This society held certain ethics and legal codes, but there were undeniable lines that one must not cross; and if they did, those who would deliver justice existed as well.
“You treated those hidden camera victims too the same way, right? Don’t get too worked up feeling wronged. Just think of it as you ran into an unfortunate natural disaster.”
“…Ugh, ughh!!”
“Don’t give it too much thought. Today, you just encountered your unique disaster.”
And today, Yeonhwa had resolved to live as the noble lady of the Yeon Family and association.
Just for today, just this once.
“Sister placed that powerful healing spell on you five times, right?”
“…Ugh, HELP!!?”
Crack!
The ice that had been sealing his mouth began to wrap around the rest of Choi Hyung-Min’s body like a plague.
It was cold.
Not just cold, but the chilling extent of overwhelming frost and unbearable chill engulfed him.
“Seems fair to chop him up then?”
“…Ughhh! Ughhhh!!!”
For the sake of her sister,
For the audacity of someone who dared to touch her precious sister… she would ensure he would never open his mouth again.
○○○○○
Exactly three minutes later, Shia and Yeonhwa met downstairs at the apartment.
“Did everything go well?”
As Shia smiled, Yeonhwa stopped for a brief moment.
“Yeonhwa.”
“…Unnie?”
Earlier she called her Binggu, but suddenly being referred to as Yeonhwa felt a bit strange.
As Shia turned around to face Yeonhwa, she smiled broadly at her.
“Are you alright?”
“………”
What does that mean, exactly?
Does she know what I did?
If she does, and she understands because I’m her family, does that mean she cares?
Thoughts like these crawled into Yeonhwa’s mind, bringing back memories of Isia living for over 60 years in the ‘previous world’, in the Empire—for more than sixty years as the ‘Emperor’s right hand’.
Though Yeonhwa had no clear idea of what kind of empire it was, she could infer that living as the Emperor’s right hand would certainly involve political schemes and fierce power struggles.
‘But, coming from that place, this sister… who lived as the emperor’s right hand… could she truly be unaware of the kind of things I might do? Did she plan to show up at Choi Hyung-Min’s house before me?’
Did she deliberately pretend to ignore, knowing the entire situation?
Yeonhwa didn’t think Isia could be harboring such sinister and twisted intentions.
She might have just acted on impulse, without any deeper meaning.
But…
Shia’s expression seemed to glow a little brighter.
