Chapter 25
‘That was a clean move.’
His movements were precise, without a single wasted motion.
His footwork didn’t look like that of a rookie.
He quickly assessed the situation and charged straight into enemy lines.
There was an unmistakable confidence in him—confidence that he could handle any attack that came his way.
‘He’s definitely not F-rank level.’
What was supposed to be a boring B-rank gate suddenly got a lot more interesting.
Park Hanseong watched Juhyuk casually wipe the blood off his blade and gave an order.
“Let’s change formation.”
He adjusted their lineup on the spot.
Originally, Juhyuk had been positioned between the vanguard and midline for protection, but after seeing that display, Park Hanseong changed his mind.
“Hunter Juhyuk, switch positions with me.”
He wanted to observe him more closely.
How far could this so-called F-rank rookie’s swordsmanship go?
As an S-rank Hunter himself, pure curiosity welled up.
“Hunter Juhyuk, are you fine with that?”
“….”
Juhyuk didn’t even glance at him. He simply wiped the last of the blood from his blade and answered calmly.
“As long as I get my share of the monster cores, I have no complaints.”
In raids, the payout depends on one’s contribution.
Taking the front meant more kills—and more rewards.
For Juhyuk, this was a welcome change.
“Good. We’ll make sure of that.”
Satisfied by his straightforward response, Park Hanseong nodded and took his place behind him.
Now, Juhyuk stood at the head of the formation.
“Uh, Hunter Park Hanseong…?”
“What is it?”
The team’s supporter hesitated before speaking up.
“Is it really okay to have Hunter Juhyuk in front?”
Even if he handled that last monster well, putting an F-rank in the lead seemed reckless.
“Don’t worry. I was watching from behind—he can handle himself.”
“…If you say so.”
Since the S-rank himself vouched for him, no one could object further, though unease still lingered on her face.
“Alright then, let’s move.”
The party pushed deeper into the swamp zone.
Unlike the previous raid, monsters appeared far more frequently this time.
Kreeeak!
A chorus of croaking shrieks filled the air as a swarm of frog-like Froks emerged.
“I’ll take out the ones with shields first—cover me from the rear!”
Juhyuk was always the first to act.
Before the Froks could even form a proper formation, he dove into their ranks and threw them into chaos.
That was all the opening the mages and archers needed—spells and arrows rained down.
Kraaak!
The Froks were pierced through before they could even react.
Park Hanseong watched silently, analyzing the scene.
‘Still quite a few left.’
The backline Froks were wiped out with excellent teamwork.
Everything was perfect—up to this point.
‘There are still five left. What’s he going to do about them?’
There wasn’t enough time for another volley of spells or arrows.
Would he handle them all alone—or stall for time?
For an ordinary Hunter, the latter would be the smart choice.
But Park Hanseong wanted to see which Juhyuk would pick.
“Everyone, hold your positions.”
He didn’t disappoint.
‘Good. That’s the spirit.’
After signaling his teammates to wait, Juhyuk charged alone into the enemy line.
It was the kind of reckless move that would make most Hunters click their tongues, but Park Hanseong found himself smiling.
‘That’s how a true vanguard should act—fearless.’
Too many modern Hunters hid behind strategy and caution, losing their nerve before a fight even began.
Juhyuk’s daring rush was refreshing.
‘But courage without skill is useless.’
Was this bravery—or arrogance born of ignorance?
Juhyuk answered that unspoken question himself.
His blade flashed once, clean and swift—splitting a Frok cleanly in two.
Kreeeak!
Even with its tough hide, the creature’s head fell apart like paper.
‘His form is flawless.’
Park Hanseong had sensed it earlier too—there was depth in Juhyuk’s swordsmanship.
His posture never wavered, something rarely seen in someone his age.
‘Is he compensating for his lack of mana purely with sword technique?’
He was still officially F-rank.
When standing near him, Park Hanseong could sense only a faint mana signature—barely stronger than a normal human’s.
‘That shouldn’t be possible.’
Yet, here he was—slaughtering B-rank gate monsters with little more than muscle and skill.
It sounded absurd, but the proof was right before their eyes.
Kreeeek!
Four Froks charged him at once.
Two with swords, one with a club, and one with a spear.
Their weapons glinted as they all struck simultaneously.
‘That’s dangerous.’
Even a skilled Hunter would struggle here.
Park Hanseong instinctively grabbed his sword, ready to rush in—
—but Juhyuk raised a hand, silently telling him to stop.
Even as the monsters closed in, his eyes remained calm.
‘Heh… fine. Let’s see how far you go.’
Park Hanseong stopped, intrigued.
The Froks lunged—
—and Juhyuk slipped between them like water, dodging every strike by mere inches.
“Huh.”
‘This bastard…?’
He wasn’t panicking at all. He was reading every attack path and dodging as if he’d seen it all before.
It almost looked like he was using a skill.
“…Did Hunter Juhyuk just use a skill?” one of the archers asked.
“…No,” the supporter said blankly. “I didn’t sense any mana flow at all.”
“Then you’re telling me he dodged all that with just his eyes and instincts?”
If he’d misjudged even slightly, he would’ve been skewered on the spear.
Yet, he avoided it flawlessly—without a single skill.
“He’s insane,” muttered the archer.
It was the only possible conclusion.
Still, the fight raged on.
After dodging, Juhyuk countered instantly—driving his sword into the open mouth of the spear-wielding Frok.
Kreeeak!
The blade burst through the back of its skull, impaling it completely.
Blue blood splattered across the swamp as the other Froks froze in horror.
Juhyuk didn’t hesitate—he kicked the dying Frok off his blade and flung its body into the remaining ones.
Kreeeak!
The impaled monster’s writhing sent the others into a panic.
Even the healthy Froks began backing away in fear from this “F-rank human.”
‘He’s doing it on purpose—to scare them into retreating.’
It was a smart tactic; fighting fewer enemies was always safer.
But then—
Kraak!
—he cut another one down without hesitation.
He wasn’t letting any of them escape.
From his perspective, every B-rank monster meant more valuable cores—and more money.
Kreeeek!
As their comrades fell, the remaining Froks fled into the swamp.
But Juhyuk chased them down and finished every last one.
His clothes were soaked in blue blood.
Calmly wiping his face, he turned back to his stunned teammates.
“It’s done.”
“….”
No one needed to ask who had finished the fight.
He had wiped out every monster—those who attacked and even those who tried to run.
He looked more like a monster than the monsters themselves.
‘He’s completely insane…’
They’d expected him to be unusual after hearing rumors of him soloing a D-rank gate, but this was something else entirely.
How could a rookie show such ruthless efficiency?
After a heavy silence, Park Hanseong finally voiced what everyone was thinking.
“You could’ve just let them run away.”
Juhyuk replied immediately, without hesitation.
“How do I know when I’ll next get into a B-rank gate?”
For an F-rank Hunter, this was a rare chance.
He had to earn as much as possible while he could.
“I’ve got too many expenses right now. I can’t afford to waste opportunities.”
“You’re still young—what could you possibly need that much money for?”
It was a personal question, but Juhyuk didn’t seem bothered.
“My mom’s in the hospital.”
“….”
“Between her hospital bills and our living expenses, it adds up.”
In truth, he’d already earned enough for both.
But he needed more—for the future, and for upgrading his training room.
Of course, he couldn’t mention that, so the hospital story was a believable cover—and it worked.
The wary stares softened.
“I see…”
When family was involved, even his brutality suddenly made sense.
“Alright. Let’s keep moving.”
No one pressed further.
Park Hanseong led the way again, letting Juhyuk handle most of the monsters they encountered.
Was it out of sympathy—or respect?
Either way, he deliberately held back and let Juhyuk take the lead.
By the time they reached the boss’s lair, Juhyuk had handled more than ninety percent of the enemies himself.
“Hunter Juhyuk, you must be exhausted. Take a break—we’ll handle the boss.”
“Yeah, rest up. You’ve done plenty.”
They assumed he’d want to rest after all that.
But Juhyuk shook his head.
“No. If it’s alright, I’d like to handle the boss too.”
This was his best chance to earn more cores.
‘Even with all this, it’s still not enough.’
Hospital bills, living costs, and training expenses—he needed every bit he could get.
“May I?” he asked politely.
Soloing a boss could easily be seen as disrespectful—it directly affected everyone’s payout—so he asked carefully.
“You’re not tired?”
“I’ve still got plenty of energy left.”
Indeed, he didn’t even look winded.
The others exchanged glances, then nodded.
“Go ahead. We already got a big commission from Master Han Sanguk anyway.”
“Same here.”
One by one, they agreed to let him solo.
Now only two remained—Park Hanseong and the supporter.
Park Hanseong smiled.
“If it looks dangerous, I’ll step in. Otherwise—go wild.”
“Thank you.”
Then all eyes turned to the supporter.
She grinned brightly.
“I’m fine with it—as long as you let me livestream it!”
“Ignore her,” Park Hanseong said flatly.
“Wait! You can’t just ignore this! An F-rank Hunter fighting a B-rank boss—do you know how viral that’ll be?”
“Stop making noise and watch quietly.”
“…Fine.”
Thanks to Park Hanseong, the unnecessary broadcast was stopped.
The last thing they needed was attention.
“Alright then. Let’s head in.”
With everyone’s approval, they entered the boss’s lair—
Juhyuk at the front, leading the way once again.
