Hunter Academy’s Battle God

Shin HaYoon had everything, starting with skills and an eye for beauty. She was one of the greatest geniuses of all time who, despite still being a student, possessed every ability a hunter needed.

In the end, though, YuSung knew that was just one small aspect of her.

"HaYoon's goal isn't to control the Hunter Club or to be the head of Gaon's student council. Her ultimate goal isn't even to become the head of the ShinOh family. It’s all just a means to an end," YuWol explained.

[Lies. YuSung, it doesn't matter. Whatever you saw… No one in the world will believe you. No, my true strength is incomprehensible to them…] She’d even deceived the ShinOh family head and hidden her true power.

Time went on, and she perfected her Telekinesis as if preparing for something. It was hard to believe she started it all at the age of five. Could something like that be explained by the words ‘talent’ or ‘genius’?

She definitely wasn't human. In fact, YuSung felt that there was something alien about her. 'I don't know what she's plotting, but she's preparing for something…'

YuWol smiled after YuSung nodded to what he was saying. "YuSung, this is something for your ears only. I once saw HaYoon reading a manuscript written in an ancient language when she was too young to even have a Pocket."

"Really…?” YuSung asked. “In an ancient language?"

Languages modern people were unable to read without the help of Pockets or Tower Records were called ‘ancient languages’. Since manuscripts containing such languages were from another dimension, ordinary people found them hard to read.

"I know it’s difficult to believe,” YuWol said. “Reading ancient language manuscripts without the help of a Pocket is even hard for historians." Then, he spoke as if he’d realized something. "Of course, a child reading a hard book can be overlooked. There's a big difference between reading and understanding, after all."

He placed his joker card on the table and said, "However, a child having an ancient manuscript that isn't even registered in the Tower Records is a problem of a different scale." If it wasn’t registered, then it meant hunters or historians hadn’t found it. That only made YuSung more curious about who HaYoon was.

"The organization I belong to is special. Our leader is even more interested in HaYoon than I am, but for some reason… It's impossible to find information on her movements," YuWol muttered to himself.

YuSung looked surprised. “So you don’t know what she’s planning, either?”

"HaYoon wants to contact you. Perhaps you could discover things we don’t know." YuWon stood and gave YuSung a meaningful look. “I don’t know what she’s planning, but she probably needs your help if she wants you to join her, right?”

HaYoon would never reach out to YuSung for something like a relationship of equal understanding, such as one between party members.

"She thinks of me as a tool…?" YuSung muttered. She merely viewed him as a means to an end, which is the same way she viewed the Hunter’s Club and her position as student council president. That’s the only kind of relationship she sought with people.

"Probably, yes." YuWol let out a short laugh as if he understood what YuSung was thinking and made one more request before leaving the waiting room…

"Whatever you decide to do, just contact me. We’ll be patiently waiting to hear from you."

After YuWol left and descended the dark emergency exit stairs across the corridor, he encountered a girl yawning and looking bored.

"Ms. Hergé, I've finished speaking with him."

"Yes, I already know. I eavesdropped a bit." The girl, who appeared to be in her late teens, spoke in a manner that didn't match her appearance, and YuWol treated her with respect and politeness.

"Nevertheless…” she said. “How unexpected. I thought you would do whatever it took to bring him to our side. I didn’t think you’d be hiding information.”

"I don't know what you're talking about." YuWol ignored the pressure and played dumb.

Hergé gave him a slight frown. She had familiars throughout the building acting as her eyes and ears, so deceiving her was impossible. "Playing dumb, huh? You haven't told me even half of what you know. For example… The ancient manuscript HaYoon read or the whereabouts of the artifacts she’s been secretly collecting. Didn’t you tell him more than you said you would?”

Hergé soon revealed her true intentions. "Well… I can overlook such trivial matters, but can I ask a favor of you in return?"

"That again?" YuWol's eyes flashed with disgust.

Hergé licked her lips and ignored his clear discomfort. "It's good that you're quick to understand."

Swoosh—

She pulled him toward her and sweetly whispered into his ear. "So… what's your answer?"

YuWol clicked his tongue in contempt; Hergé, as if she'd been waiting for it, bared her fangs and bit into his neck.

Crunch—

She began to suck in his blood. It was part of her Trait, ‘Vampirism’, but she also found that she enjoyed it, especially if it was blood from a hunter such as YuWol. Such mana-rich blood was like a delicacy for her.

She continued to enjoy the sweet taste of the blood as her hair turned pink and her eyes glowed a bloody red. She couldn’t help but think that joining Rebellion had been the right choice.

'As expected, it tastes really good…' She’d wanted to use her Trait for good at first, but the Hunter Association’s sermons bored her, so she’d ended up joining Rebellion since they allowed her to suck blood from humans.

Swoop—

She looked full of vitality, but YuWol looked exhausted.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked.

"Of course, it tastes good. If possible… I would like to taste your little brother's blood as well."

"What a tasteless joke."

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Seemingly satisfied, she smiled and walked toward the wall.

Swoosh—

As soon as she made contact with the solid surface, she turned into a shadow and vanished.

YuWol grasped his neck and frowned. 'Let's hold back for the moment…' Every member of Rebellion except for him was a villain with a bounty on their head—little more than ticking time bombs.

He’d only taken on a role as their mediator due to Experiment 3017.

'This much is nothing.'

He was doing it all for Nameless.

* * *

* * *

Following Velvet’s self-introduction as a dragon and Adela’s declaration as her parent…

'What an interesting combination.' Leo, the one with the most common sense in the group, left his seat.

Sophia immediately took a seat next to Adela and Velvet and started questioning them. "Velvet, were you born from an egg?"

"Yes! Mommy Adela incubated me!"

The two seemed to get along surprisingly well.

"Your horns and tail… It's my first time seeing a real dragon. How incredible. Can I… touch your tail and horns?” Sophia cautiously asked.

"Kyahang! Sure! I will allow it!" Though Velvet happily agreed, Adela seemed dissatisfied with Sophia's request and continued to hold the girl in her arms as she stared at Sophia.

It was hard to read what she was thinking, but her clear, red eyes and chilling demeanor overwhelmed Sophia.

'H-how scary…'

Ssss—

Though Adela hadn’t said a word, she’d conveyed a certain message…

[You cannot touch them.]

Sophia wasn't sure what would happen if she crossed the line. Although Adela looked infinitely merciful toward Velvet, she’d seen what happened after Leo crossed the line in the past.

"Ah, I'm satisfied… with just looking," she said.

Was her hunch correct? Adela’s expression softened, and she spoke to Velvet again. "Velvet, is there anything you need?"

"Kyahang! I want to have some snacks!"

"I see."

Sophia waved her hand after she saw Bianca Academy’s VIP, Adela, start to stand. "A-Adela… You can stay seated. I will get them for you."

"Ah, yes. Thanks."

Sophia had never seen Adela look so happy before, not even when she was meeting with Arden.

"I~ Kyahang~ Love velvet cake the most!"

"Sophia… Could you ask for a velvet cake?" Adela asked.

"Ah, yes. Of course!"

Velvet's powerful charm even managed to turn the ice-cold Adela into a self-proclaimed mother.

"Ugh~ It's delicious~"

Velvet’s happiness was evident, which made Adela happy as well.

Then, the waiting room door opened.

"Ah~ This is a good life!" Velvet and Adela were so fixated on the act of the little dragon girl eating the cake that they were oblivious to the impending disaster.

EunAh, who'd been searching for Velvet for a while, looked at them, dumbfounded.

"Hey, Adela! How could you suddenly take Velvet?! I didn't know where Bianca Academy's waiting room was and looked everywhere for her!"

"Ah, that…" Even Adela, who had a huge influence at Bianca Academy, seemed to lose some ground.

"Kyahang~ Everyone wants me~ I’m really popular!"

"Really funny, Velvet. Let's go! YuSung is waiting." Velvet got off of Adela’s lap.

All Adela could do, of course, was watch in silence.

EunAh crouched down to meet Velvet's eyes and give her a stern talking-to. "Velvet, you shouldn't follow people just because they tell you to. She isn't even a party member, so how could you just follow her? You're going to make YuSung worried."

Velvet listened to EunAh and nodded. "Right, right. Mommy Adela isn't a party member…"

To Sophia, it looked like EunAh was using Velvet as bait to make Adela join them.

"Kyahang! Mommy Adela, see you next time~."

Adela looked lonely as she waved her hand and watched Velvet be led away. It was very hard for her to remain still

Sophia, a genius of analysis, shook her head. 'Adela has already fallen.'

Italy's pride, Adela, was captivated by Velvet.

Once the International Competition ended, it seemed to be only a matter of time before she left for Gaon.