Chapter 144 – Floating Island Gate (1)

Jean had proposed the spar to humiliate his opponent.

In truth, his blatant provocation was all for the sake of goading Lee.

According to the intel he’d gathered, Lee cared deeply for his teammates.

He wasn’t the type to stand by and watch if one of them was getting hurt.

The plan was to draw Lee out naturally, engage him in a “legitimate” duel while he was angry, and then display an overwhelming difference in power.

Ultimately, his intention was to pressure them into giving up on joining the Union, implying they weren’t ready for the global stage.

But an unexpected challenger had appeared.

Even if it was a no-skills, no-weapons match.

An S+-rank—no, someone who would soon be re-evaluated as S++—was being pushed back by a mere hunter.

‘This is a regular hunter?’

The intel had said the blond man was a B++-rank.

It might be different for a supporter, but Jean wouldn’t even consider including anyone below A-rank in his raid team.

Whenever Jean threw a counterpunch, the man would cunningly evade it and launch an attack of his own. He’d already been struck in the abdomen several times.

An ordinary hunter’s movements would have slowed from the cumulative damage, but a top-tier hunter like Jean could easily offset it with his HP shield.

It was impressive.

That a mere B-rank was actually pressuring him, even for a moment.

Jean was being hit one-sidedly, unable to land a proper blow on his opponent.

Everyone was flustered, watching a situation so different from what they had expected.

Jean revised his assessment.

He decided to treat his opponent not as a B-rank, but as a fellow S-rank.

Swoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Kim Tae-yang instinctively took a step back, dodging something he hadn’t even seen.

“?”

The upper half of Kim Tae-yang’s tracksuit was sliced away by something sharp.

A thin line of blood welled up on his chest.

Seeing it, Kim Tae-yang lifted his head and looked at Jean.

There was no sword in Jean’s hand.

He had only raised his index finger.

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to cripple you.”

The moment Jean raised his index finger, the atmosphere changed completely.

The finger he wielded was like a real sword, slicing through everything it touched.

The ring rope behind Kim Tae-yang was severed where he had just been, and a crack appeared on the floor of the ring.

‘What is this?’

Kim Tae-yang felt a chill, as if he were truly facing a blade.

He knew because he had once been a fan.

Jean Pierre was the greatest swordsman.

He employed a swordsmanship perfect in both offense and defense, unleashing a formidable aura that could slice through a monster’s tough hide like paper.

‘But he’s not even using his aura.’

He’d suspected Jean was activating a skill, but that wasn’t it.

He never imagined that Jean could use his finger like a sword with nothing but the strength of an ordinary human.

The training hall had CCTV.

He had fought in case Team Leader Lee Hyunbin ended up dueling Jean Pierre, thinking the data might be useful. But as expected, they were on completely different levels.

That’s why Kim Tae-yang had been about to surrender. Getting seriously injured would defeat the purpose. But seeing the sneer lingering on Jean Pierre’s lips, a corner of his heart flared with anger.

He didn’t understand it himself, but he found the insults aimed at Lee Hyunbin more infuriating than he’d expected.

Jean Pierre’s index finger shot forward to pierce Kim Tae-yang’s chest.

That wasn’t a finger; it might as well have been a sword. But it wasn’t a sword.

“That’s enou—!”

Seeing Jean lose his cool and about to fatally wound Kim Tae-yang, Henri was startled and moved to intervene.

In that instant, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Thwack!

Jean’s index finger collided with Kim Tae-yang’s fist.

“Gaaah!”

Kim Tae-yang cried out, clutching his fist.

Jean Pierre’s finger had pierced through his fist like an awl.

The spectators, startled to see blood instantly soak the ring floor, moved to stop the spar.

But Jean’s expression turned venomous.

He formed a hand-blade and swung down as if to end Kim Tae-yang’s life.

Flick!

Just then, someone stepped in front of Kim Tae-yang.

Jean’s face contorted like a demon’s as he glared at the person who had snatched his wrist.

“Hey now, my friend. Why are you getting so worked up? Huh? Against someone who’s your junior.”

“You, right now…”

“Stop. That’s enough. Are you alright?”

Chicken Man Henri had leaped into the ring at some point, blocked Jean’s attack, and was now helping Kim Tae-yang to his feet.

With the flow broken, Jean’s face remained twisted in a scowl.

Kim Tae-yang had thought he was done for; he hadn’t even perceived Henri’s movement.

“I’m sorry. Thank you.”

Henri repeatedly apologized to Kim Tae-yang with a sorry expression.

Having a hunter he had always admired apologize to him face-to-face, Kim Tae-yang’s face was also tinged with bewilderment.

The training hall floor was becoming soaked with the blood flowing from Kim Tae-yang’s hand.

Kim Ah-reum, her face pale, was contacting the medical team for first aid.

“I told you not to cause trouble. You have a reputation to uphold.”

Jean scowled at Henri’s words. As he said, even someone like him wouldn’t get away with killing another country’s hunter.

He had been so caught off guard by the fierce assault that he had lost his temper and almost killed the man.

“I hope Lee is here next time.”

With a snort, Jean stepped down from the ring.

“Hey, you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re a hero of France? You just injured one of our hunters and…!”

The PR Team Leader, thoroughly enraged, shouted, but Jean didn’t even glance back, acting as if no one else mattered.

“Tae-yang, are you okay?”

“He’ll be fine, noona. That’s his specialty.”

Kim In-ho answered Seo Hyun-ji’s question.

“Agh, shit! It hurts like hell!”

Kim Tae-yang said, his hand trembling.

Slowly, his hand was enveloped in light. The bleeding stopped, and the flesh began to knit itself back together.

Super Regeneration.

It was the ability Kim Tae-yang possessed, a power that enhanced his regenerative capabilities to their absolute limit.

“Ugh, it’s gross.”

Seo Hyun-ji muttered.

Watching the wound heal in real time was fascinating, but also a little unsettling.

“Wow, I’d heard about it, but that’s really amazing. Hunter Kim Tae-yang must never have to be hospitalized, huh?”

The PR Team Leader, who had been furious just moments before, spoke sheepishly upon seeing Kim Tae-yang was fine.

“But using this skill makes me incredibly hungry. It’s a double-edged sword. Ah, I need some sugar.”

“Jeez. That’s why you shouldn’t have stepped up for no reason.”

Seo Hyun-ji chided him, but she knew why he’d done it. If Kim Tae-yang hadn’t stepped up, she might have been the one to lose her temper.

With Jean openly targeting and mocking Team Leader Lee Hyunbin, any of his teammates would have been angry.

Hunter Lee Hyunbin was the benchmark for the people of Team 3, no, for everyone in the Hanul Guild.

When someone so openly mocked their idol, there was nothing more to say.

“Well, at least I know one thing.”

Kim Tae-yang said with a chuckle.

“That bastard… there’s no way he can beat our Team Leader, right?”

Seo Hyun-ji and Kim In-ho agreed with his assessment.

No matter how careless Jean had been, Kim Tae-yang’s attacks had been effective. But Lee Hyunbin was different.

He never let his guard down against an opponent. And even if he did, he would counterattack in an instant.

He was like a monster that existed solely for one-on-one combat.

Jean was in a foul mood as he walked out.

He may have been careless, but he had taken a solid hit from a B-rank insect.

“If that had been a real fight, I would have killed that blondie in a single blow.”

Jean muttered, trying to quell his anger.

“It wouldn’t have been that easy, though.”

“What?”

The bald man beside him, Henri, retorted.

“That guy. He was pretty strong, don’t you think? It would have been tough even in a real fight. The ranking system in this country is strange. Based on his PvP skills alone, he should be A-rank or higher.”

“Quite the high praise. Feeling protective because you both fight like grunts?”

Jean was still seething, his nerves on edge.

Knowing his temperament well, Henri smiled awkwardly and scratched his bald head, trying not to provoke him further.

“Well, what can I say? How can I not think highly of a young man who broke the great Jean Pierre’s finger?”

“What?”

Jean looked down at his right hand at Henri’s words.

His index finger was broken.

‘My finger… is broken?’

The S-rank body, as strong as steel, had been broken. Not only that, but he hadn’t even been aware of the fact.

It meant he had been that worked up, that focused on the fight.

“Damn it.”

Jean gritted his teeth and got into the car.

Henri sighed and followed him in, his thoughts drifting.

The blond fellow’s ability was regenerative. That meant even if he suffered a serious injury now, he could recover faster than others.

‘And that spirit user seemed even stronger.’

The hunter who was a former celebrity had been about to activate a skill when she saw her colleague get hurt.

If Henri hadn’t stopped Jean, Jean might have been caught by a surprise attack.

‘It’s better that he only hurt his finger. I hope he learns a lesson from this.’

Henri thought, trying to come up with a way to persuade Jean.

If the team members were that strong, then their leader, Lee, must be the real deal.

For some reason, though, Jean seemed to look down on him.

The video of his dragon hunt, which Jean claimed was all staged.

Henri’s opinion differed from Jean’s.

It was true that the camera had captured the scene in a very dramatic fashion. But to dive into the enemy’s grasp at such a dangerous moment and deliver such a clean sword strike—that meant he was a true monster.

‘With that kind of power, he can definitely compete on the world stage.’

Perhaps his entry into the Union was an inevitability.

But persuading the prideful Jean would be no easy task, and Henri was troubled.

“First, I need to go back to the hotel and treat this finger. I’ll have to use a kit if I want to crush that guy Lee tomorrow. What a waste of money, all for a stupid provocation.”

The rapid healing kits, made with Union technology, were distributed to only a select few.

They were effective, but the price was astronomical.

Bzzz-! Bzzz!

His phone vibrated.

Jean, thoroughly annoyed, unlocked his phone.

It was a call from his home country.

“Dammit, what is it.”

-Jean. Did you arrive in Korea safely?

“Yes, and I’m feeling just fantastic.”

-Why would the great Jean Pierre be in such a foul mood again?

“What do you want?”

-You’ve heard about the unidentified dungeon in Korea called the Floating Island, correct?

The sudden, unrelated topic made Jean furrow his brow.

He was about to tell them to hang up if they were going to talk nonsense.

-The Chaser confirmed a spatial displacement phenomenon. A portal is about to open, so any available agents should prepare…

Jean cut the speaker off.

“Perfect timing, isn’t it?”

He had been frustrated, and now he had a place to vent.

Meanwhile, Henri’s expression darkened.

“You were injured today. It might be better to just rest…”

“Nonsense. This is exactly why I should go. Weren’t you the one who was disappointed you couldn’t go for a big score last time because of an injury?”

“Yes, I suppose I was.”

Satisfied with Henri’s response, Jean continued.

“Besides, I’ve already spent all the money from the last haul, so it’s time to earn more. It’ll be a perfect way to blow off some steam.”

As he spoke, Jean gazed out the car window at the Floating Island.