I Stole the Number One Ranker’s Soul - Chapter 8

Kim Bongpal and Seo Hayeon (4)

“Fuck. Unbelievable.”

Kim Bongpal, having cleaned up all the spider monsters, said with a tired expression. Of course, it wasn’t difficult for him to cut them down; it was just a little annoying. Such bug-type monsters presented little danger, but their vitality was tough to surpass. They didn’t stop moving unless their head and body were completely separated.

Therefore, Kim Bongpal cut quite a few times to eliminate all the monsters. It wasn’t profitable, given his skill. It would have been better to face several 6-star monsters.

“What’s wrong with you? Acting like an old man.”

Seo Hayeon was grumbling because she was a little bit sorry that she couldn’t handle it herself. However, her regret soon turned to fright.

“Ahh! Wait! Uncle! Stop!”

Unlike other hunters with combat-focused abilities, Kim Bongpal’s way of battle was a bit arduous. Moreover, the monsters he hunted just now were spider-type monsters that could jump several meters into the air, and Kim Bongpal had to take to the air to cut them down. In other words, the bodily fluids of the spider-type monsters had splashed all over his body.

The toxicity of their body fluids wasn’t a problem. If he were a normal person, he would have been sick for a few days, but for the awakened hunters, it only stung a little. But.

“Uncle! Why aren’t you burning them with mana already? It’s all over your body.”

That green body fluid is unpleasant to look at. It also smelled terrible.

Kim Bongpal stopped at Seo Hayeon’s fussing. Then, he took a step forward, and Seo Hayeon took a step back to match him. Every time Kim Bongpal took one step forward, Seo Hayeon stepped back.

“W-What?”

Seo Hayeon responded with a blush as if she knew her actions were embarrassing. But she still didn’t stop backpedaling. As Seo Hayeon suggested, Kim Bongpal burned his mana and burned the body fluids, coating his skin. In fact, doing something like that without touching one’s clothes was an impossible technique without mana control like Kim Bongpal.

“Sniff, sniff. Look at that. When you burn it, the smell goes away.”

Then, Seo Hayeon stopped walking backward.

“Haah. Fuck.”

He missed life in El Plades.

* * *

Two more years passed. In the meantime, the number of monsters decreased further. Now, Seo Hayeon also noticed the change. But ironically, as the time spent fighting monsters decreased, Seo Hayeon’s growth accelerated. It was thanks to an opponent who was several times better than most monsters.

Paah!

Seo Hayeon sprinted ahead. She had spent five years with Kim Bongpal, but she learned only one thing from him: how to use a sword well.

Swoosh-!

For that purpose, she chose to focus on speed.

Clank-

The swords collided with a roar. Seo Hayeon could pride herself as the fastest among hunters of a similar level. However, her speed was still significantly slower than that of Kim Bongpal.

Kim Bongpal deflected Seo Hayeon’s attack with just one light swing of his sword, but she remained calm. Pushing back, she placed distance between them. And at the same time as she turned.

Swoosh!

Holding the sword in reverse, she swung for Kim Bongpal’s legs.

Clink!

But Kim Bongpal was already expecting it. He grabbed Hayeon’s sword with his free hand. With her strength, she could never defeat Kim Bongpal in a direct confrontation. Seo Hayeon, making that snap judgment, let go of the sword and drew a set of daggers from her waist.

Swoosh-

But Seo Hayeon swung them forward, and a meter of blue mana flowed from the tips. They crossed and aimed to bisect Kim Bongpal.

Hunters’ bodies were strong, and when mana acted on them, it would become sturdier than metal. Not in a metaphorical sense, but if you were a hunter of a certain level or higher, you could deflect any blade with just your body. But sword aura was different. The only thing that could oppose sword aura was a power with the same mana. Because of that, Kim Bongpal had no choice but to unleash his mana.

Clank! Claaank!

A couple of dull sounds followed. Kim Bongpal moved his sword to fend off Hayeon’s attack. Seo Hayeon felt her hands tingle, but she didn’t stop there. Once again, and again. She aimed at Kim Bongpal up, down, left, and right. It was an attack that ignored defense.

However, with Seo Hayeon’s fast speed and signature longsword combined, her attack weaved a defense of iron. It looked like a shield of sword blades, and her shield expanded, reaching out to Kim Bong-pal.

Watching the attack, Kim Bongpal thought: when did this kid come up with this bold move? Seo Hayeon’s attacks overlapped a dozen times, blending into a steel net.

Kim Bongpal’s lips twitched. Seo Hayeon had a glint in her eye. That was one of Kim Bongpal’s expressions that Seo Hayeon had only recently discovered. It was a fact that Seo Hayeon hadn’t told Kim Bongpal yet, but through their five years together, she had been able to infer most of his thoughts just by looking at his face.

This face meant he was proud.

Claaaaank-!

Kim Bongpal’s mana and Seo Hayeon’s sword aura collided, filling the air with a horrible screeching. At that moment, intense pressure washed over Seo Hayeon. She clenched her teeth and stood her ground as best she could, but she couldn’t stop her body from being pushed back little by little.

The tingling in her grip got worse when she was pushed back.

Claaank!

There was a ringing in her ears. Seo Hayeon’s sword aura, which was still somewhat balanced, was devoured by Kim Bongpal’s mana in an instant. The weight of her balance collapsed, and the pressure exploded. Seo Hayeon went flying from the collision.

Booom!

At the same time as the roar faded, Seo Hayeon hit the ground.

“Fuck…did I push it too hard?”

Looking at Seo Hayeon, Kim Bongpal shook his head. There was a look of trouble on his face. His last attack was excessive. Although excessive, Kim Bongpal put effort into his attack, even for a brief moment. Seo Hayeon’s attack was threatening enough to call for that response.

“Still, she shouldn’t have died.”

Kim Bongpal scratched his head and headed to check on Seo Hayeon. It was thanks to Kim Bongpal letting his power dissipate, she wasn’t harmed. He was now in trouble for another reason.

“…Right?”

The dust fell, and Seo Hayeon was walking closer. She was hit as Kim Bongpal had expected, but Seo Hayeon wasn’t in a serious condition.

“That’s right! Right?”

Kim Bongpal nodded as if reluctant when Hayeon asked again. Then, her face brightened. When Seo Hayeon asked, she meant that Kim Bongpal had revealed more than half his strength in that attack. To that, Kim Bongpal nodded yes.

“Nice! Then did I win?”

“Of course not.”

“Why! You definitely said it last time! That you wouldn’t use half of your power!”

“I just said that. It wasn’t even a bet, so there’s no winning or losing.”

“Hmph.”

Seo Hayeon puffed up her cheeks at Kim Bongpal’s rebuke. He continued to stare at her. Seo Hayeon quickly became embarrassed and let her cheeks deflate. She was now twenty-two and too old to show such childish behavior.

“Whooph.”

“Gosh, you stink of cigarettes!”

Kim Bongpal took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it while Seo Ha-eon took a step back in disgust. Even though he reduced his smoking significantly because Seo Hayeon disliked the habit, smoking was one of the few hobbies Kim Bongpal never tired of.

“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s go now.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go.”

Seo Hayeon’s shoulders trembled at hearing Kim Bong-pal’s command.

“Where?”

She came one more step forward.

“Seoul.”

“…Why?”

And she took one more step.

“Why? Fuck. If you can swing a sword like that, it’s over.”

“…”

“Be the Hunter you said you would be, and I’m going to rest again. Whooo.”

With those final words, Kim Bongpal let out a long sigh of cigarette smoke. Seo Hayeon looked between the smoke and Kim Bong-pal for a while.

“Yes. Let’s return to Seoul.”

She nodded slightly.