Chapter 105: Duel (1)

“Mithter Prethident, I’m angry.”

Because my cheek was still being held, the words came out strangely.

Still, my expression was more solemn than anyone else’s, so I shouldn’t look ridiculous.

“Why is she so confident?”

“Becauth I’m a tiger.”

At my words, Jinhyang let go of my cheek and turned to Yoo Jinhyuk, opening her mouth.

“What do you think?”

“About, uh… what?”

“If you fought her, what do you think would happen?”

Jinhyang said, stroking my head.

I should have been glaring at Yoo Jinhyuk with a fierce face, but I liked being petted so much that I smiled brightly.

“If we fought… wouldn’t I lose?”

“What?”

“Well, since she handles the Silver Tiger, her skills would be better than mine…”

As soon as Yoo Jinhyuk finished speaking, pfft.

I looked up at Jinhyang and giggled.

Jinhyang looked down at me with a sharp gaze, but honestly, it wasn’t scary.

I knew it was because she was embarrassed that I had beaten her.

“Do you think she looks that strong?”

Jinhyang held me out towards Yoo Jinhyuk.

She’s probably trying to make me look ridiculous by using my small appearance.

This was absolutely Jinhyang’s mistake.

People have a spirit.

Things that can’t be seen with the eyes, but can be felt with the senses.

And if he’s a Hunter, Yoo Jinhyuk couldn’t possibly miss the aura rising from my body.

The ferocity of the Silver Tiger, and the regal presence.

‘Look.’

I bared my fangs at Yoo Jinhyuk, as if threatening him.

Furthermore, to show him how sharp my fangs were, I took it out of my pocket.

It was a round hard candy I had received as a gift from a student.

Crunch-

The hard candy, which is difficult to bite without melting it, crumbled in my mouth in an instant.

I proved the power of my fangs, and I got to eat sweet candy, so it was a win-win situation.

A smile spread across my face at the ingenious idea, and my tail wagged from side to side.

It was then that Yoo Jinhyuk opened his mouth.

“She certainly looks harmless, but I just learned that you shouldn’t judge by appearances.”

“Then what do you judge by?”

“…Rumors?”

“Isn’t that even worse…?”

Haa.

Jinhyang let out a long sigh and looked back and forth between me and Yoo Jinhyuk.

“Then, how about you two spar?”

“Yeth, good!”

I was the first to nod at Jinhyang’s words.

No, I couldn’t just nod, I even jumped up and down in place.

Because I was absolutely confident that I wouldn’t lose.

‘He lost to Silver anyway.’

I’m not as strong as Silver, but I also have the Silver Tiger’s blood flowing through me.

Since Silver and I are on equal footing, it was nearly impossible for me to lose to Yoo Jinhyuk, who lost to Silver.

‘If it seems dangerous, I can just have him go easy on me like Silver, right?’

Hehe.

I smiled and looked at Yoo Jinhyuk, and he was also nodding with a determined expression.

“I’m always welcome to spar.”

“Okay… then you two do it. I need to treat your wounds first.”

Jinhyang covered her mouth and nodded.

Judging by the sigh that leaked out from within, she was clearly worried that I would lose to Yoo Jinhyuk.

I had to gain recognition from Jinhyang through an overwhelming victory here.

So that she would no longer see me as a child.

**

An empty indoor training ground.

Yoo Jinhyuk was warming up in that secluded corner.

‘I probably can’t win, right?’

She was a girl who looked weaker than anyone else on the outside.

But since she had that Silver Tiger under her command, she was definitely not weak.

‘I didn’t feel anything.’

However, it was clear that she was strong.

It was clear that I was the one who couldn’t distinguish the strong from the weak.

“Hoo.”

If I wanted to touch even a speck of dust on the girl, I had to not let my guard down and do my best.

Even if it meant using what I’ve learned to the extreme.

Kwaddeuk-

The hand holding the wooden sword tightened.

But he had to release the strength again at the voice coming from behind.

“Don’t use a wooden sword.”

“Excuse me?”

As soon as the voice was heard, Yoo Jinhyuk turned around.

There, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, was Jinhyang.

“Don’t use a wooden sword. She’ll get hurt.”

“What does that mean…?”

The only one who would get hurt in this spar was himself.

It was a spar with such a clear difference in skill.

Yoo Jinhyuk couldn’t understand Jinhyang’s words.

“Does she look strong to you?”

Jinhyang’s gaze turned to Harang, who was far away.

Harang was moving around on her own, warming up.

“Yap yap.”

Harang let out a cute shout and stretched her hands here and there.

It was a type of martial art that Yoo Jinhyuk couldn’t understand at all.

“…Honestly, she looks very weak on the outside.”

“That’s right. That’s the answer.”

“Excuse me?”

Weak?

The girl who handles the Silver Tiger?

It was impossible in Yoo Jinhyuk’s common sense.

Because the skill of the Tamer depends on the level of the monster they handle.

“She’s weaker than an ordinary person, so spar with her appropriately.”

“That’s…?”

“It’s exactly as I said. Fight evenly and win when the time comes. Got it?”

“Ah, yes.”

How weak is she?

To come secretly and say such things.

It was something Yoo Jinhyuk couldn’t know until he faced her.

‘I’ll know once I try it.’

Sparring doesn’t lie.

Only sparring would tell him whether he was weak or Harang was weak.

**

The spar began.

And soon, Yoo Jinhyuk was able to understand Jinhyang’s words.

Because the girl Harang was really weak.

“Yap!”

Harang’s movements, extending her claws and reaching out, were fast.

However, it was only fast.

The power contained was weak, and the attack routes were so straightforward that he could avoid them with his eyes closed.

Whoosh-!

Yoo Jinhyuk grabbed Harang’s hand as she flew in and tried to throw her over his shoulder, but quickly changed his movement to avoid it.

‘This is difficult…’

He shouldn’t win, he should spar appropriately.

It was a frustrating situation for Yoo Jinhyuk, who only knew victory and defeat.

But it was also difficult to disobey Jinhyang’s words.

Whoosh whoosh-!

Left hand, right hand.

Left hand, right hand.

And again, left hand, right hand.

Yoo Jinhyuk, who was dodging the straightforward attacks, was able to realize one thing.

All of the movements the girl was making were things he had seen somewhere before.

‘Scratcher?’

Cats take that pose when they sharpen their claws.

Yoo Jinhyuk was soon able to realize where Harang’s movements came from.

‘A cat.’

To be exact, the movements of a feline.

Within it were also the movements of the Silver Tiger from just now.

‘Could it be…’

Yoo Jinhyuk’s gaze turned to Harang’s ears and tail.

So she was a feline.

That’s why she was making feline movements.

‘This could be helpful.’

Within the fast and agile movements, the Silver Tiger’s movements were full.

The destructive power was significantly lower, but she was the perfect opponent to learn the movements of a beast.

He wouldn’t get hit and fly away either.

‘A textbook.’

A textbook containing all the movements of beast-type monsters.

Perhaps he had seized an opportunity even more precious than sparring with the Silver Tiger.

Yoo Jinhyuk decided to continue sparring with Harang a little longer.

Whoosh-!

‘Scratch to the left with the claws.’

If it doesn’t hit, use the rotational force to turn around and tail whip.

It was the same technique that the Silver Tiger had used just now.

‘I can see it.’

Yoo Jinhyuk was learning the Silver Tiger’s movements through Harang.

Of course, it was a degraded version that couldn’t be compared to the real thing, but there was a big difference between knowing and not knowing.

‘Amazing.’

At this rate, he would last a few more moves even if he faced the real Silver Tiger.

As Yoo Jinhyuk’s lips slightly curled up in satisfaction.

Harang stopped abruptly in place.

“I, I haven’t been hit even once…”

Harang’s shoulders slumped.

Her ears and tail also lost strength and drooped down.

“Ah.”

Should I let her hit me once?

Yoo Jinhyuk looked at Jinhyang with a flustered expression.

But she just shook her head firmly.

She mouthed the words ‘end it’.

‘Yes.’

Yoo Jinhyuk nodded lightly and approached Harang.

He clenched his fist, but he didn’t intend to really use it.

He would only flick her forehead with his middle finger slightly protruding.

Ttak-!

“Ack!”

Harang closed her eyes tightly at the light flick.

Harang, who had been closing her eyes for almost five seconds, slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Yoo Jinhyuk.

Her eyes were wide and her expression was blank.

She held her head with both hands, and her mouth was open as if she wanted to say something.

‘Is this not it?’

It seemed that the forehead flick was too much like treating her like a child.

He should give her a stronger blow than a forehead flick.

Eudeuk-

Just as Yoo Jinhyuk, who had clenched his fist, reached out to Harang.

Tears began to well up in Harang’s eyes.

‘Huh?’

Along with a few drops of tears falling down.

Like dominoes falling, Harang collapsed in a sprawling position.

“H, Harang-nim?”

“Waaaaah.”

Harang’s cries echoed throughout the training ground.

It was around that time that Yoo Jinhyuk realized why Jinhyang had arranged the spar.

‘Education.’

Instead of scolding Harang’s recklessness, she was thinking of letting her experience how strong Hunters are.

Although it was he who was embarrassed as a result.

“Waaah.”

“I, I’m sorry. Harang-nim.”

Even if she was a child, she was a teacher who had taught him a lot.

She had also arranged a sparring match with the Silver Tiger.

It was not right as a human being to make such a teacher cry.

“Harang-nim.”

Yoo Jinhyuk reached out to comfort his young teacher, but.

Harang curled up into a ball and trembled.