Chapter 18: Fighting

“I’m alive.”

The World Tree stood up, hands on her hips, a triumphant look on her face.

Now revitalized, she seemed fearless.

“Does this thing die every time it transforms?”

Jo Sung-Il, drained of energy after sharing a significant portion with her, asked with a haggard expression.

The World Tree tilted her head.

“Hectos dying?”
“…I’m not dying. And please decide whether to call me Kenonian or Hectos. It’s confusing to have multiple names.”
“Hmm.”

The World Tree pondered, then answered.

“How about ‘Kehec’?”
“Call me Hectos.”
“Fine, whatever.”
“It’s my name, so I can do what I want. What kind of a tongue-twisting name is that anyway? Don’t call me that again.”

Jo Sung-Il shook his head, as if he had a headache, then his gaze fixed on something.

“!”

A handsome man in a suit was standing there.

“Huh? Who’s that?”

The World Tree seemed to have noticed him too.

Jo Sung-Il turned his massive body towards the man and growled.

“Who are you?”

The man shrugged and spoke.

“You should have been expecting me.”

Jo Sung-Il examined the man closely.
‘…Han Sung-Hyun?’

It was Han Sung-Hyun, Han So-Yeon’s brother and the Ranger Guild Leader.

‘I guess my eyesight is getting worse now that I’m out of energy.’

Jo Sung-Il chuckled and said,

“My apologies. I didn’t recognize my guest immediately.”
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect manners from a monster.”

The World Tree frowned at his somewhat hostile tone.

“Rude.”
“Who is this woman?”

Han Sung-Hyun, seemingly offended by being called rude, frowned and asked.

“She’s my familiar.”
“Familiar… what?”

Han Sung-Hyun’s frown deepened at Jo Sung-Il’s reply.

“A monster has a familiar? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Then consider yourself informed.”

Jo Sung-Il said brazenly.

“High-ranking species like myself often have familiars.”
“A human familiar?”
“Does she look like one?”
“Is she not?”

Han Sung-Hyun looked at the World Tree, questioning.

‘She looks completely human.’

He couldn’t understand their relationship.

Han Sung-Hyun sighed.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’

He was only here to fulfill his sister’s request.

“Let’s skip the pointless talk and get to the main subject. As you probably know, I’m here to deliver this ‘cell phone’ at my sister’s request.”
“Did you bring it?”
“Here.”

Han Sung-Hyun took out a cell phone from his pocket.

“You have to touch the screen to use it. I doubt you can handle it, seeing as you don’t even know how to use it.”
“Bixby.”

Jo Sung-Il called out the phone’s AI assistant.

–Yes, how can I help you?

“Call Han So-Yeon.”

–Dialing Han So-Yeon.

Ring… ring….

As the phone connected and the call went through, Han Sung-Hyun pressed the end call button.

“…Impressive. I don’t know where you learned that, but it’s remarkable. Did my sister teach you that?”
“None of your business. And even if I can’t operate this device myself, I have my familiar.”

Jo Sung-Il looked at the World Tree.

“So, give that to her.”
“My sister wanted me to give this to you directly.”
“That just meant you were supposed to deliver the phone. Not necessarily that I had to receive it directly.”

Han Sung-Hyun frowned again, seeing Jo Sung-Il wasn’t easily swayed.

“You seem to enjoy making people look foolish.”
“It’s better than being ill-mannered, wouldn’t you say?”
“I don’t want to hear that from a monster.”

Han Sung-Hyun handed the cell phone to the World Tree.

“My sister seems fascinated by you, but I’m not. Monsters can trample and violate humans at any moment. I’ll always be wary of whatever schemes a high-ranking species like you might be plotting.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”

That was the attitude expected of a Hunter.

Han So-Yeon was the unusual one.

Jo Sung-Il pondered.

‘If I keep in contact with Han So-Yeon, I’ll inevitably be entangled with this guy too.’

Han Sung-Hyun hadn’t flinched, even after meeting a self-proclaimed high-ranking monster.

He was indeed the leader of Korea’s top Guild.

Even though he had probably never encountered a monster capable of such normal conversation.

‘He must be suspicious.’

Han Sung-Hyun was likely on high alert.

He probably saw him as the type of monster that might try to deceive him with words.

Jo Sung-Il was also cautious, but he didn’t show it and spoke again.

“Is that all?”

Han Sung-Hyun’s task was simply to deliver the phone.

So, his business was concluded, but that wasn’t his only reason for coming here.

“I fulfilled my sister’s request because she was so insistent, but if you do anything suspicious, I will not hesitate to designate you as a target for subjugation.”

Delivering the phone was secondary; his real purpose was to issue a warning.

Jo Sung-Il chuckled.

“Do as you please.”

It was a difficult world to live in, but it was an era where one could choose how they were addressed.

So he didn’t mind the warning.

But Jo Sung-Il wasn’t just going to accept Han Sung-Hyun’s warning.

“I hope you don’t end up suffering the consequences of your foolish thoughts.”

Han Sung-Hyun’s expression hardened.

He glared at Jo Sung-Il, then turned and walked away, saying,

“I hope I don’t have to run errands like this again.”

With those words, Han Sung-Hyun disappeared as abruptly as he had appeared.

As Jo Sung-Il stared at the spot where he had vanished, the World Tree, fiddling with the cell phone, muttered,

“What’s a familiar?”
“A friend.”
“Aha. That’s a nice meaning.”

Jo Sung-Il didn’t respond to her not-so-funny joke.

He needed some rest.

---

“…An overwhelming presence.”

On his way back after delivering the package, Han Sung-Hyun finally acknowledged the tension he had been suppressing.

‘It was the right choice to see it with my own eyes.’

He probably wouldn’t have had the chance to interact with such a high-ranking monster otherwise.

‘But it’s truly peculiar. It didn’t immediately show hostility towards humans.’

He didn’t fully believe everything Han So-Yeon had said, but it was true that he had never seen a monster like that before.
It required further observation.

That would be the Hunter Association’s job, not his Guild’s, but Han Sung-Hyun couldn’t help but scoff at the thought.

The Hunter Association Director wasn’t the type to think rationally.

To her, who saw all monsters as sworn enemies, that monster wouldn’t be a subject of observation.

Only a target for subjugation.

Ring, ring.

Han Sung-Hyun took out his phone and pressed speed dial 1.

–Hello?

“It’s me.”

–Oh, Oppa. Did you deliver the phone?

“Yes.”

–You didn’t fight, did you?

“Its speech was a bit aggressive.”

–You were probably the one who was aggressive.

“…….”

Han So-Yeon spoke again when Han Sung-Hyun didn’t answer.

–I got a call earlier, but it got disconnected.

“I dialed by mistake.”

–That’s unusual. Oppa making mistakes. Were you scared?

Han Sung-Hyun responded seriously to Han So-Yeon’s teasing.

“Yes, it was that intimidating.”

–Huh?

“I understand your curiosity, but be careful. That’s not an ordinary monster. Once you’ve gathered information, back off. Don’t approach it any further.”

–Hmm.

“I’ve completed the delivery, so I’ll be heading back. We’re having dinner together today, so wait for me.”

–Oh? …Alright.

Han Sung-Hyun ended the call with Han So-Yeon, who seemed to have forgotten about their dinner plans.

“I can already imagine the uproar at the Hunter Association. This is giving me a headache.”

Han Sung-Hyun clutched his head and started walking.

---

A while later.

Jo Sung-Il woke up and received his quest.

“What is this?”

[Today’s Mission: Spar with the Hunter Association Director.]
[Reward: Something very good.]

A suicide mission had just landed in his lap.