There were seven enemies in total, with Miller as their leader. His level was 45.

In the game, Miller had been the strongest Hunter Chen Kai had hired. That meant the others were likely in the low 40s.

On paper, their levels were close to ours, and they had us outnumbered.

But numbers didn’t matter here.

“Hey, look at that…”

“All their weapons are Rare!”

The suited Hunters stirred nervously.

“Even that boy’s weapon—it’s glowing red.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that…”

“That’s a Unique Item,” Miller said, slipping on a pair of glowing blue knuckles.

“An item with its own special effect. Not something you see often. Don’t underestimate them just because they’re lower level.”

If anything, I’d prefer you did underestimate us.

“Yein, the plan?” Seo Yui asked, raising her shield. A half-mask of blue covered her face, boosting her defensive ability.

“Bowling, then fireworks. Let’s finish this fast.”

Seo Yui nodded, lowering her stance.

Meiling raised her staff, pressing her left hand to its tip.

Then—

“Hup!”

Seo Yui charged, shield thrusting forward.

“Ugh!”

“Dodge!”

“So fast—!”

With her S-rank stamina aptitude, the shield bash was like a flash of lightning. One Hunter, unable to react in time, was struck head-on and sent rolling.

“Haa!”

Seo Yui stomped the ground.

The earth caved in with a quake, shaking like an earthquake.

A chain of skill activations left four Hunters momentarily unable to act, their movements stiffened by stagger.

If they were monsters, she could’ve used Taunt Shout here. But against Hunters, forced taunt doesn’t work.

At that moment, Meiling leveled her staff.

Seven fireballs launched forward at once.

“Wha—!”

“No way!”

“How can she cast that many flames so quickly?!”

The Hunters panicked, scattering in every direction.

But the fireballs chased them relentlessly, striking those who couldn’t evade in time. The rest slammed into the garden and the mansion itself, erupting in deafening explosions.

KWA-BOOOOM!

The front garden of Chen Kai’s mansion became a war zone.

Through the smoke, I scanned the battlefield.

Four Hunters lay collapsed, struck by Meiling’s fireballs—each one the same Hunters staggered earlier by Seo Yui. They’d recovered, but not fast enough to dodge.

“Flame Cluster… with that kind of power…?”

Miller, who had narrowly dodged, muttered in disbelief.

“….”

Chen Kai stood frozen in place, staring as though reality itself had betrayed him.

I looked at Meiling’s fluttering robe in the scorching wind.

Every piece of her equipment boosted casting speed. On top of that, they amplified magical damage.

Weaknesses patched, strengths sharpened.

The difference between characters forced to pray for random item drops and those who could select their desired options was vast.

“We’re even now,” Seo Yui said as she regrouped at my side, the Hunters still darting away from the fireballs.

Then something unexpected happened.

Miller put his weapon back into his inventory.

“Master Kai. This is as far as we go.”

“What?”

Kai snapped his head toward him, eyes wide.

What?

I hadn’t expected this.

“Neither the young lady nor that boy with the shield are anywhere near the low 30s. Their movements, their magic—it’s no different from pro Hunters. And every item they wield is Rare or higher. We have no chance of winning.”

“Don’t spout nonsense! They’re just trainees!”

“Then why don’t you fight them yourself, Master Kai?”

“…What?”

Miller tossed an item from his inventory.

It landed before Kai in a swirl of heat, taking shape into a sword.

Then Miller signaled the other Hunters.

One by one, they sheathed their weapons back into their inventories.

“As of today, I quit. Pick up the fallen.”

At his command, two Hunters lifted their unconscious comrades.

Miller walked up to Meiling.

“Lady Meiling.”

“…”

She said nothing, staff still raised.

“…I’m sorry.”

His voice was low. Then he turned and led his men away from the mansion.

Chen Kai stood rooted in place, as if frozen in ice, watching them go.

Was that too much?

I hadn’t expected Miller to bow out entirely.

Though, come to think of it, last time he came to take Meiling, he’d already hesitated to attack.

Now only one opponent remained.

We all turned to face Kai.

“…”

He stooped, picked up the sword.

“Going to fight, are you?” Seo Yui asked.

“Don’t.”

I eyed the weapon in his hand.

“You may be an Awakener, but you don’t know the first thing about combat.”

“…So you know even that.”

He closed his eyes.

Chen Kai was an Awakener. But he was no Hunter.

His aptitudes were triple F.

Health, stamina, and spirit—all the lowest.

Even I had at least a C in spirit. In game terms, Kai’s stats were worse than a disposable NPC who died in the opening act.

That was when Meiling stepped forward.

“….”

“….”

They stared at each other in silence.

Then Meiling spoke first.

“This is the last time.”

“…What do you mean, the last time?”

His eyes narrowed.

“The last time I’ll look at you.”

“!”

His eyes widened.

“Do whatever you want—report us to the police, it doesn’t matter. Even if I end up in prison, I won’t leave them.”

“You think that will help your future? I won’t let you become a murderer!”

“Better a murderer than a puppet.”

“What?”

“I helped Nam Yein because I wanted to. Unlike you, they don’t demand my obedience.”

“Did it never cross your mind that Nam Yein might just be using you?”

“Using me? Hmph.”

Meiling snorted.

“Let him.”

Huh? She’s fine with that?

I glanced at her back.

“Because I’m using him too.”

“…Ridiculous.”

Kai’s face twisted.

“Mutual use? Don’t make me laugh. The world is divided into masters and servants. Even if it looks equal, one side always profits more while the other loses. That’s the essence of human relations—everyone is an enemy. If you don’t want to be devoured, you climb higher, high enough that no one dares to bare their fangs at you. And yet you’re saying you’ll willingly offer your neck to Nam Yein?”

Neck? What am I, a vampire?

Admittedly, I sometimes wanted to smack Meiling on the head, but biting her? That was a bit much.

As I had that thought, Meiling spoke again.

“There are relationships beyond the ones you imagine. I only realized that after leaving your side. I used to think people were nothing but hypocrisy and lies. Everyone who approached me did it because I was your daughter—either bowing and scraping or trying to gain something from me. Not one person looked at me for who I was.

“But my squadmates are different. They don’t see me as the daughter of Forward Magic Engineer president.”

“And how would you know that? Unless you’ve looked into their heads, you can’t be sure.”

“You really don’t get it.”

“…Pitiful,” Seo Yui muttered.

Pitiful… but who is more so?

Meiling, for having a father whose worldview was so twisted? Or Kai himself, trapped in it?

“There’s one thing I’ve wanted to ask,” Meiling said, fixing her eyes on him, “Have you ever loved someone?”

“Love? I’ve never been foolish enough to cling to such a sickness.”

“…I thought so.”

Her voice carried a faint sense of release, as though a weight had finally lifted.

“You know something?”

“What is it?”

“This is the first time we’ve ever had an honest conversation.”

At that, Kai pressed his lips tightly shut.

“Let’s go.”

Meiling turned her back on him and looked at us instead.

“Senior, can you take Meiling back to Gwangcheon first?” I asked, still staring at Kai.

“Why?” Seo Yui frowned.

Meiling didn’t speak, only looked at me.

“I have unfinished business with Kai.”

“No.”

Meiling’s answer was sharp, followed by a quick turn of her head.

“I’ll wait outside. We’re going back together.”

“…Fine.”

Once Meiling and Seo Yui stepped out through the mansion gates, I faced Kai alone.

“Chen Kai.”

“….”

He glared at me without a word.

“Let’s be clear. I don’t give a damn about you.”

“…What?”

“Your status, your wealth, your reputation, your connections—none of it matters to me. I don’t want it, I don’t need it. Hell, I even kept my promise. Ever since I met Meiling, she’s grown so much she was chosen as an HAUT candidate. Your daughter excelling at Gwangcheon—that’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

His face went slack with disbelief.

“Want me to put it simpler? I never intended to leak the recording in the first place. So go on, keep building your business. Don’t dig your own grave like this. You’re the one making me want to send it out for real.”

“Then why—why take Meiling away from me…?”

“Because it was pathetic seeing her rot in your shadow, never seeing the sun.”

“What…?”

“You know she’s brimming with talent as a Hunter, unlike you.”

“….”

His face twisted. As expected, the mention of his lack of talent as a Hunter struck a nerve.

“The first day we met, you told me to step aside so Meiling could rank first. But with that kind of shortcut, she’d never truly grow. Any real parent would know that.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“A father jealous of his own daughter’s ability… Don’t you find that disgusting?”

“…You’re saying I envied her?”

His pupils shook.

“Think about it carefully.”

I turned my back, then glanced at him over my shoulder.

“And believe it or not, but the one we took down that day… was Persilla.”

Kai looked confused for a heartbeat, then his face drained of color.

“Don’t be absurd! You’re telling me you fought and defeated the Craftmaster-killer?!”

“If you don’t believe me, investigate. You have good private investigators, don’t you?”

His expression hardened.

“Know this—I’m sparing you right now only for Meiling’s sake. I don’t want to traumatize her. But if I catch even the faintest whiff of you digging your own grave again, I’ll tear down everything you have.”

“….”

I left him there, silent, and walked out the gate.

“All done talking, Yein?”

“Yes, Senior. Let’s head back now.”

I looked at Meiling standing beside Seo Yui.

“….”

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly turned her head away. Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, she said:

“Thanks… for coming. Both of you.”

At that, Seo Yui smiled at me.

“Next time, if something happens, don’t decide alone. Tell us first.”

“…Yeah.”

Meiling actually agreed without protest.

Meiling admitting fault, huh. Now that’s rare.

“You haven’t had lunch yet, right?”

“No.”

“Senior and I already ate. Let’s go to a café I know—they have meals there too.”

Meiling nodded, but still wouldn’t look my way.

Curious, I leaned forward to peek at her face.

“Eek…!”

She jumped back, covering her face with her hands.

“What the—your face is bright red. You’re an Awakener, it’s not like you caught a cold…”

“I-it’s hot, that’s all!”

“…Well, the sun is strong today,” Seo Yui said, glancing at the sky.

“Come on, Yein. Let’s go. The café will have air conditioning—it’ll be cooler there.”

“Right.”

Together, the three of us headed toward the bus stop.

(End of Chapter)

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