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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: American Monster Extermination Request (4)
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'What did she say? Share Nureongi...?'
The short-haired, ill-tempered woman blurted out the words.
Her remark instantly chilled the atmosphere.
Had Jin Yuha ever been subjected to such direct and blatant mockery recently?
No, he hadn't.
Of course, in some low-tier parties, there were frequent rumors of healers or supporters being chosen for their looks rather than skill, and used as sexual outlets.
But Jin Yuha had proven his qualifications through skill from the beginning.
On the contrary, upon entering the academy, he was doubted due to the label of 'male quota system' and his extraordinary 'looks,' and had to constantly prove himself.
At first, those whose judgment was clouded by such biased prejudice might have disparaged and belittled him as a 'lucky man.'
But now, he was revered as a 'Flower on a Cliff,' standing shoulder to shoulder with prodigies like Kang Dohui and Shin Sehee.
'But how dare she treat Nureongi like the party's male gigolo?'
For Kang Dohui, who had witnessed Jin Yuha's endless proofs and fierce battles right beside him, it was no different from touching her inverse scale.
*Screech—*
Kang Dohui immediately pushed off the ground.
She intended to grab the woman by her hair and slam her to the floor.
"Stay put. Kang Dohui."
If not for that single word from Jin Yuha's lips, it would have indeed become a reality.
At that, the short-haired woman's lips twitched, then she let out a snicker.
"Hmph! What, not a prince, but a master? The fighting dog, said to have such a foul temper, is tucking its tail at a single word!?"
"..."
"Right, you guys are just rookies among professional hunters, after all."
She continued to provoke them withoutหยุด. As if she had some ulterior motive.
However, Jin Yuha said nothing, only staring fixedly at her.
"Huh? Say something, Prince. How on earth do those five women clam up at your single word? Is it incredibly huge and mighty? Enough to render them immobile once they're *struck*?"
Finally, Jin Yuha, who had been staring at her, opened his mouth.
"Are you really that curious about how I made them shut up?"
"Yeah, I'm genuinely curious. Curious enough for you to let me experience it too."
It was at that moment.
Jin Yuha's demeanor shifted entirely.
*Whoosh—*
An aura that pressed down on everyone present.
The air itself seemed to gain heavy mass, beginning to compress the surroundings.
At that, not only the woman before him but also the other parties who had been watching with interest stiffened their expressions.
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
Jin Yuha walked slowly forward, staring at the short-haired woman.
At that, she stumbled backward, her face slick with cold sweat, as if her sneering had never existed.
"W-what...! Are you, are you trying to hit me!?"
Jin Yuha scoffed, as if unimpressed.
"Why, where's all that bravado from when you were running your mouth? Did you perhaps get scared?"
"W-who's scared—!"
"Hmm, you probably didn't pick a fight for no reason... Ah, you're broadcasting, aren't you?"
Jin Yuha's gaze moved to the woman's chest.
There was a jet-black, brooch-shaped camera lens attached there.
"!!!"
At that, she bit her lip, her face displaying a look of dismay as if things had gone awry.
Jin Yuha shrugged, letting out a hollow laugh.
"Ah, well, I understand. When girls younger and prettier than you become famous hunters by catching monsters, it must have really gotten under your skin."
"...What did you say?"
"As you watched, you probably thought, 'Huh? I'm a pretty famous hunter too. I can do that.' So you tried, but it didn't make you as famous as you thought, did it?"
"You, shut your mouth!"
"So, your pathetic inferiority complex was triggered, and you felt jealous. 'Oh, Utopia's kids are also being deployed on this mission? Ah, I'll provoke them and try to gain some fame.' Why, does it sting?"
By this point, the short-haired woman's face twisted, flushed red and pale.
"But do you know what the problem is? You're a pathetic woman who recoils even from a man like me. And this embarrassing situation is all being broadcast on your channel."
"..."
"Hello, viewers of this lousy hunter. She's too scared of me to say anything right now. Is it recording well?"
Jin Yuha looked into the camera lens and greeted them.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Why, it was fine when you were doing it, but does it feel a bit nasty when you're on the receiving end?"
"..."
"If you're confident, come at me. I'll face you anytime. But if you really plan to, you'll have to be prepared to lose an arm."
Jin Yuha said, looking at her with his dark eyes.
At that, the short-haired woman, who had seemed ready to pounce, swallowed hard.
She knew that tucking her tail and backing down now would be truly foolish.
She also knew it would hinder her hunter career for the rest of her life.
But this was a different story, wasn't it?
'...Crazy.'
The killing intent Jin Yuha exuded.
Standing before it, her body trembled uncontrollably, as if she were a herbivore before a predator.
She had an ominous certainty that if she uttered another word, her arm would surely be severed.
Even so.
She glanced sideways.
The chat window was in an uproar.
Messages praising Jin Yuha for confronting her head-on.
Messages asking why she wasn't retaliating quickly.
And even messages taunting her, asking if she was scared.
'...I can't let this stand.'
It was then.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. The mission is about to begin."
Richard, who had greeted Utopia earlier, stepped in to mediate between them.
"You're lucky, you know."
She spun around sharply, saying that, but secretly let out a sigh of relief.
*Snip—*
However, an ominous sound followed.
"Since you stopped here, I'm just letting you off with your hair."
"What...?"
*Thud-thud-thud—*
"Otherwise, you'd have really lost an arm."
She touched her hair with a dumbfounded expression.
Her already short hair was now even shorter.
* * *
'Haa... Annoying.'
I sighed inwardly as I deactivated Charisma, the ability I had newly awakened during a previous operation with my master, when we caught a demon.
It had truly been a blatant provocation I hadn't received in a long time.
'In a gender-inverted world, it doesn't even really affect me. And yet she tries to pick a fight with something like that.'
Normally, I would have just shrugged it off, or
taught them a harsh lesson in a later mission, but I couldn't this time.
Not only could I, as Utopia's representative, not show weakness in a gathering of multiple nations,
but there was also one person among my party members who got riled up even by such petty provocations.
'...Is Kang Dohui calmed down now? I even cut her hair, so she must be fine, right?'
She'd better be fine.
If I rendered another party combat-incapable before the operation even began, my carefully built reputation would plummet instantly.
Still, I had responded quite forcefully, so it should be fine.
'After doing this much, everyone should be satisfied with the 'cider' and work hard, right?'
It was then, as I glanced back.
'Hmm? What, what are they doing...?'
I had expected Kang Dohui not to hold back, so that was understandable.
But what surprised me were the reactions of the other party members.
Lee Yuri was holstering her dagger, which she had raised as if to strike down her shield.
Sophie? Why did you take out your silver arrow?
Ichika? Are your shadows still trembling?
...Even Senior Gaeul?
The fact that Shin Sehee, who was quietly smiling, seemed the most normal was unsettling.
"That person is Ling Xiao, a hunter from China."
"Oh, uh, really?"
"Hehehe... She's giving us a very clear provocation right from the start, isn't she?"
Shin Sehee casually swept her hair back.
No, I take back what I thought just a moment ago about her being normal.
She's the scariest one after all.
"Everyone saw that just now, right? I believe no one here thinks that was enough."
Shin Sehee stared at Ling Xiao's back, then suddenly spun around and spoke to the party members.
"While you're clearing the dungeon, I'll be laying the groundwork."
"...S-Shin Sehee?"
What did she mean, groundwork?
I hadn't heard anything about this.
"Heheheh. You absolutely. Absolutely must not lose, alright? If anyone makes a mistake, they'd better be prepared."
"...G-guys?"
"Overwhelm them. And wipe them out so utterly that not a single speck remains. So that a party like that dares not raise its head before us."
Shin Sehee let out an eerie laugh.
And everyone nodded heavily.
"G-guys? Can't you hear me...?"
* * *
"Channel Utopia has started live streaming."
— ???
— OMG!!! Utopia's live stream, how long has it been?!
— Seems like the first time since the Blue Crab Wave!?
— Yuha!
— Yuha!
— Seha!
— Why haven't you been on?! We've been waiting—!
As soon as the broadcast started, the viewership instantly surpassed ten thousand.
"Hello, everyone—!"
Shin Sehee, showing her face after a long time, greeted them brightly.
"The reason I turned on the broadcast today is—! We've received a monster extermination request in America! The United States of America!"
— America!?
— Are you in America right now?
"Yes, and because we're clearing an area where a dungeon explosion occurred, not a dungeon itself, we were able to broadcast like this!"
However.
Shin Sehee paused for a moment.
"This time, there's a slightly unusual aspect! And that is, parties from other countries are also participating in the operation!"
— Huh?
— Other parties?
— Info: The American monster extermination request is an operation involving renowned parties from various countries around the world.
— So, are you cooperating together?
"It would be a great sight if we could all cooperate... But we haven't had any parties close enough to work with, have we? And since our countries are different, it was hard to train together too."
— Ah, that's true.
— Agreed.
— If it's not the same party, cooperative operations just mess up patterns and lead to friendly fire.
— Right. Right.
"So, instead, it's a competition! Which party catches more monsters! Which clears faster! That's what you should focus on!"
At that, the chat room quickly heated up.
It struggled to keep up with the comments.
"Alright, shall we take a look?"
Shin Sehee's face appeared small in the bottom right corner.
The screen switched to a drone floating in the air.
And the Utopia party members moving forward were captured on screen.
"Alright, here's the Utopia party! Please welcome them with applause!"
Shin Sehee tried to encourage a response.
But numerous question marks filled the chat.
— ?
— ?
— ???
— ???
— What the...?!
— Why are they flying...?
Because the Utopia party, as seen on screen, was flying, treading on thin air.
And with fierce expressions, as if they had met their lifelong enemies.
Only Jin Yuha wore a subtle expression, forcing an awkward smile.