Chapter 37: Magic (1)

Cheon Hwi suddenly moved and stepped between Choa and Seo Ye-rin.

He declared the end of the duel, but a fully unleashed attack couldn’t simply be canceled as if it never happened.

Both Seo Ye-rin and Choa, well aware of that fact through knowledge and experience, were startled.

The chat window of the broadcast, which had captured the near-disastrous moment, flared up and exploded with activity.

Many viewers expressed concern for Cheon Hwi, and Choa and Seo Ye-rin felt the same.

Someone had stepped in between their attacks without warning, and regardless of how strong they knew Cheon Hwi to be, they couldn’t help but react instinctively with worry.

But Cheon Hwi, as always, solved the situation with his skill.

“It’s good to be passionate, but getting too carried away isn’t wise either.”

He praised both Choa and Seo Ye-rin for putting their all into the duel, but also scolded them for trying to strike each other with excessive force.

His expression remained calm—far too calm for someone standing in front of a live attack.

Then, Cheon Hwi’s hand moved.

No way lol

I seriously can’t believe this lol

The Great Hero really is S-rank level.

Now I get why people keep saying he should be a Hunter…

His outstretched left hand grabbed Seo Ye-rin’s fireball.

It had been surging with tremendous heat, rapidly expanding and contracting as if about to explode.

Its power was enough to easily take down even a high-level monster.

It was a dangerously powerful spell, but once it entered Cheon Hwi’s grasp, it stopped glowing.

“Woooow……”

The fireball, now darkened, was absorbed into Cheon Hwi’s palm and vanished without a trace.

It was the same technique he’d shown during the Monster Wave.

Seo Ye-rin, now seeing it in person instead of on a replay, couldn’t help but let out a breath of admiration.

At the same time, Cheon Hwi’s right hand opened wide.

“Ah?!”

Choa, who had been charging in, was suddenly suspended midair.

Using Air Grasp, he caught her body and redirected all the energy in her sword into the air, then gently flipped his palm.

Choa, softly set down on the ground, looked at Cheon Hwi in bewilderment.

“For now, the result of the duel is Choa Sojeo’s victory. Since Seo Ye-rin Sojeo used her Trait at the end, I assume there are no objections?”

“…Yes. I lost.”

“Good.”

Cheon Hwi nodded calmly as he declared the result of the match.

Seo Ye-rin also nodded in agreement, seemingly satisfied with the decision.

It was rare for an A-rank Hunter—especially one considered a candidate for the next S-rank—to admit defeat.

Most had strong pride, and it was difficult to draw a clear win-or-lose line unless the opponent was truly exceptional.

But Seo Ye-rin acknowledged her loss without resistance.

Because she had broken the restriction they’d agreed upon before the duel, by her own choice.

‘There was no way to block that final attack without using my Trait.’

Seo Ye-rin recalled Choa’s last strike and fell into quiet thought.

Crimson Moon Breath—that’s what she had called it.

It was certainly fierce and difficult to handle.

The attacks had come in fast and complex waves, yet they didn’t lack power either.

Could she really have blocked it without using her Trait at the time?

As she seriously entertained the “what if” in her mind, the corner of Seo Ye-rin’s mouth twitched.

A faint laugh slipped from her moist lips and scattered softly.

‘No… I wouldn’t have been able to stop it.’

Using her Trait, Avesta, had been the best possible decision at that moment.

If she had tried to rely on magical armor or counterattack with a half-hearted strike,
she would’ve been helpless against Choa’s absurd ability to drain energy.

Just what kind of training could possibly make someone that powerful in less than two months?

Seo Ye-rin was dying to know, but in the professional world, such questions were practically taboo.

This was a society where skill directly translated into a person’s value.

Naturally, “skill” referred to one’s combat power, and carelessly asking or stealing someone’s training method wasn’t just rude—it was far worse.

We live in a time where martial arts training knowledge can even be patented.

Even now, some guilds are embroiled in legal disputes over such matters.

‘Martial arts training, huh…’

Seo Ye-rin’s gaze toward Choa deepened.

She knew she shouldn’t feel this way, but she couldn’t completely suppress the envy budding in her heart.

Still, lines exist for a reason.

As the team leader of the Association’s Audit Division, violating that principle would be absurd.

In the end, brushing off her personal feelings, Seo Ye-rin gave a faint smile.

It seemed she needed to train even harder from now on.

Now that she had seen a variety of movements in the duel.

Seo Ye-rin thought it would be quite helpful to study and imitate them one by one.

Just as she gave a bitter smile and was about to turn her gaze.

“But aside from that, I’ve received great help from you, Seo Ye-rin Sojeo.”

“Help, you say?”

“Thanks to your efforts, Choa Sojeo achieved Sword and Mind as One and stepped into the realm of First-rate. That’s no small help at all.”

It wasn’t just a polite formality.

Cheon Hwi was genuinely grateful to Seo Ye-rin.

He didn’t know what Choa had felt during their fight, but he clearly understood that it was because of Seo Ye-rin that Choa had broken through a wall and taken a step forward.

A spar he had arranged casually had brought an outcome far beyond expectations.

All he intended was to give Choa a bit of experience in fighting human opponents, but in gaining that experience, she advanced in her martial realm.

“If you’ve received grace, then it’s only proper to repay it.”

Cheon Hwi recalled a principle he had upheld since traveling the martial world.

Grace and resentment must always be repaid with equivalent reward or justice.

That was the minimum line of conscience Cheon Hwi had drawn for himself.

Now the question was—what would be the right way to repay her?

As Cheon Hwi pondered that, Seo Ye-rin, having gauged the mood, cautiously opened her mouth.

“Then… may I ask one favor?”

“Speak freely.”

Cheon Hwi nodded and gave a faint smile, facing her calmly.

Seo Ye-rin took a breath.

She forced herself to calm her pounding heart, parted her lips slightly, then firmly closed them again.

Cheon Hwi’s expression showed a hint of puzzlement as he watched her.

Seo Ye-rin was silently torn inside, unsure if it was okay to voice her wish.

In that fleeting moment, she hesitated countless times over whether she should speak.

At last, having made up her mind, Seo Ye-rin swallowed hard and parted her heavy lips.

“I want to learn martial arts, too.”

Her eyes, filled with determined resolve, were sharp and intense.

As he met those eyes—so firm they were almost blade-like—Cheon Hwi let out an awkward laugh.

It was a subtle reaction.

Seo Ye-rin’s heart pounded at Cheon Hwi’s response, which gave no hint of acceptance or rejection.

“Hmm…”

Cheon Hwi let out a quiet hum and gently closed his eyes, showing signs of deep thought.

A creeping sense of unease approached.

And then, Cheon Hwi opened his mouth.

“I’m afraid… that might be difficult.”

“…Oh.”

Seo Ye-rin’s faint sigh echoed through the quiet training room.

In truth, it was only natural.

Just because someone had helped you didn’t mean you’d dig up the foundation of your own house to return the favor.

Anyone who would do that was either naïve to how the world worked, or a saint born in the wrong era.

Looking deflated and utterly dejected.

Seo Ye-rin nodded as if trying to pretend she was fine.

“I just thought I’d try asking. Choa-nim’s growth has been so fast, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious.”

She smiled gently and brushed aside her lingering regret.

Cheon Hwi’s gaze deepened as he looked at her.

It was as though he was peering past her appearance, and straight into her inner self.

It was a strange gaze, one Seo Ye-rin had never received before.

A feeling she couldn’t quite describe made her body tremble with tension.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say she was frightened.

If someone had asked her outright, she probably would’ve admitted it.

Seo Ye-rin was clearly nervous in front of Cheon Hwi.

But Cheon Hwi only twitched his eyebrow slightly and let out a quiet hum.

He looked as though he was pondering something about Seo Ye-rin.

Several seconds had already passed like that.

At this point, Seo Ye-rin couldn’t help but feel curious.

“Is… something troubling you?”

She spoke hesitantly, breaking the silence with her question.

But instead of answering, Cheon Hwi just looked at her and slightly moved his lips.

It was the look of someone who wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if they should.

Having long honed her intuition and social skills through years in the field, Seo Ye-rin caught on immediately.

“Please don’t feel pressured. If you have any advice, feel free to share it.”

“In that case… may I ask you one question?”

“Of course. Ask anything.”

Seo Ye-rin smiled lightly and nodded.

Seeing that, Cheon Hwi parted his lips, and with a voice laced in deep thought, he asked a single question.

“I’ve heard that Seo Ye-rin Sojeo is an A-rank magic-type Hunter. Is that true?”

“Yes. As you saw at the end of my duel with Choa-nim, I specialize in fire magic as my main form of combat.”

There was nothing to hide.

It wasn’t the kind of information she could conceal even if she tried.

Any Hunter with a decent career would know as much.

Information like a person’s Trait or their specialized magic, you could find it just by searching her name online.

As she recalled that fact, Seo Ye-rin felt the question was rather ordinary, considering how hesitant Cheon Hwi had seemed.

But then.

“Sssht… That’s not how you’re supposed to use magic.”

A completely unexpected line flew out of Cheon Hwi’s mouth.