Heroine Hunts Heroines

Chapter 83

The little dragon unleashed her surprise move—a kiss attack on the Firebat!

“You crazy wench! My first kiss!”

The attack was super effective! Firebat was fuming with rage.

“Pfft, not my problem. But seriously, isn’t it about time you lost your virginity too? Aren’t you a bit old for that?”

How old was she again? Regardless, at her age, she should have already experienced some *action*, one way or another. Or was this just the heroine protection trope at work?

“You’re dead meat!”

“Hahaha! Catch me if you can!”

*Swish! Clang!*

A sudden sword strike came flying at me from behind, but I blocked it with my axe.

“Oh my, sneaking up on a lady from behind? How unsportsmanlike.”

“I knew you’d block it, so I didn’t hold back.”

Yoo Jin-seok had closed in on me, his sword gleaming as it sliced through the air.

*Clang! Clink!*

As expected of the first Sword Saint, his strikes were heavy and relentless. Using nothing more than a basic weapon, he was pushing me hard. For a moment, I was tempted to unleash *Baekhwa* to retaliate. Still, was it really fair to come at your *younger sister* this fiercely?

Of course, Yoo Jin-seok didn’t know I was his sister. To him, I was just Baekhwa. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt.

“No Holy Sword today?”

I let the jab slip, unable to suppress my irritation. Yoo Jin-seok no longer possessed the true Holy Sword.

The sword was still there, but it had become a mere shell—a normal weapon now that the constellation was gone. This wasn’t because the constellation abandoned him, but because it had perished. During the Pyongyang Incident years ago, in a desperate bid to save the world from another Great Cataclysm, Yoo Jin-seok and the constellation gave their all. The constellation saved him, but at the cost of its own existence.

In its place, the Holy Sword now belonged to Choi Si-woo—or rather, Choi Si-ah.

“I’m not here to defeat you, Baekhwa. But you’re stronger than I anticipated.”

*Screech! Clang!*@@@@

Our weapons clashed repeatedly.

“I don’t follow. What do you mean, ‘stronger than expected’? Didn’t the Holy Sword deem me unremarkable?”

“You’re deflecting my strikes with just an axe. Your combat prowess is incredible.”

“Now!”

As we spoke, Kim Ji-hye’s bat swung toward my face with precision.

*Boom!*

Of course, before the attack could connect, Reyna’s corruption arrow struck down, blocking it.

“Oh, dear Firebat. Don’t forget about my friend.”

“Kim Ji-hye! Enough! I need to talk to Baekhwa!”

“Talk all you want, but I’m not coming with you.”

If I let myself be captured, I’d be dragged off, spanked, and forced to cooperate. Maybe a little sympathy would help? Should I play the tragic backstory card?

I left Yoo Jin-seok and Kim Ji-hye staring dumbfounded as I shot them a mischievous smile and headed back toward Songdo.

***

Hunter Association

After their encounter with Baekhwa, Yoo Jin-seok and Kim Ji-hye returned to the Hunter Association, carrying little more than a bitter story about Baekhwa’s past and no tangible progress.

“She’s definitely not just an ordinary brat!”

Kim Ji-hye, still furious about losing her first kiss, didn’t hold back her complaints about Baekhwa to Choi Chul-sik. Meanwhile, Yoo Jin-seok was lost in thought after meeting Baekhwa.

There was something oddly familiar about her presence. And though it might seem arrogant, as humanity’s strongest, Yoo Jin-seok prided himself on his ability to prevail, even without the Holy Sword. Yet, despite holding back somewhat, he hadn’t managed to capture Baekhwa—a monster who hadn’t even used her abilities. This wasn’t something he could just brush off.

“She’s honestly very strong,” Yoo Jin-seok admitted.

“How strong are we talking?”

“If it came down to melee combat, I’d eventually win, but from what I’ve seen on her broadcasts, Baekhwa can manipulate people into committing suicide or killing each other. Her exact abilities remain unclear, but she didn’t use them against us.”

It was difficult to gauge the full extent of Baekhwa’s power, even for Yoo Jin-seok.

“That’s true for you as well.”

“Indeed. What’s certain is that she’s incredibly formidable. Most hunters wouldn’t stand a chance against her. They’d be lucky just to survive.”

Yoo Jin-seok was convinced Baekhwa had the strength to overpower someone like Kim Ji-hye. However, she wasn’t a mindless monster; she could be reasoned with. If Baekhwa’s broadcast the next day revealed the survivors, there might be room for negotiation.

“Monsters often possess great strength.”

“Then we’ll just have to capture her next time, even if we have to use force!”

Still fuming, Kim Ji-hye vowed to apprehend Baekhwa and make her pay.

“That’s not the issue,” Choi Chul-sik said. “The problem is that Baekhwa’s story has already spread online.”

“What do you mean?”

“At a time when the Hunter Association’s reputation is already shaky, Baekhwa’s tragic backstory has gone viral. If the Association were still as respected as it once was, it might not be a problem. But with incidents like the Kim Jae-soo case, our reputation is sinking fast. Now people are sympathizing with Baekhwa as a victim of the Black God Cult subjugation.”

With a heavy sigh, Choi Chul-sik spun his laptop around, showing Yoo Jin-seok and Kim Ji-hye the latest headlines from mere minutes ago.

The Tragic Tale of Baekhwa, a Monster in the Quarantine ZoneBlack God Cult Subjugation: Did They Only Target the Cult?Baekhwa Isn’t the Only Victim. What Is the Hunter Association Doing?S-rank Hunter Inolbu: “The Survivor Habitats Outside the Quarantine Zone Are Worth Investing In...”

The situation was dire. The Association’s image had taken a severe hit. The only silver lining was that some articles also criticized the Blue House, tying it into the scandal.

“This doesn’t need much explanation.”

“Those articles mocking the Association probably have Ha Jeong-seok’s fingerprints all over them. Hanseong might have been stabilized thanks to your efforts, but Baekhwa’s story has done irreparable damage to the Association’s prestige.”

If this continued, the Hunter Association might collapse entirely.

“So, what should we do about Baekhwa?”

“I don’t like it, but we need to bring her to Seoul. Even President Ha Jeong-seok is putting pressure on us.”

As soon as the news broke, Ha Jeong-seok had called Choi Chul-sik directly.

“Ha Jeong-seok called?”

“If the Association collapses, the entire hunter community will follow. You understand the implications, don’t you? As much as it pains me, we have no choice but to comply with Ha Jeong-seok’s demands.”

If the Hunter Association fell, the Blue House would take control of the hunter system. Even if Korea became more centralized under the president’s leadership, the real issue was that the president was Ha Jeong-seok. Such a shift could lead to unpredictable changes in guild regulations and policies.

“Should we go back ourselves?”

“No. Baekhwa escaped from you. She might never show herself to you again. And you don’t even know where she’s staying.”

“That’s true. So what’s the plan?”

“Ha Jeong-seok said he’s sending Inolbu. On our end, I plan to send Seo Ji-yeon. Given Baekhwa’s personality, it’s better to send someone who can talk to her. And with Seo Ji-yeon’s abilities, we might even secure a proper negotiation.”

Inolbu, a hunter directly under the Blue House, was an S-rank hunter whose low profile came from his government affiliation. Sending him was likely a calculated move to solidify the Blue House’s influence among both the public and the hunter community during this crisis. Pairing him with an Association-affiliated hunter like Seo Ji-yeon added an element of competition between the two factions.

“Seo Ji-yeon isn’t a bad choice.”

With her abilities, Seo Ji-yeon might even be able to capture Baekhwa if necessary.