Chapter 83: Jihyeok

Yoschuko Verdiol’s lodgings, which he had accidentally intruded upon.

The person in that place, which was practically a sanctuary to Jihyeok, was not Yoschuko Verdiol.

A silver-haired girl. She looked to be, at most, in her mid-10s… a girl who couldn’t be associated with Verdiol at all.

At first, he felt a strange sensation. What was this, should he call it jealousy?

Jihyeok recalled Verdiol’s final moments.

A unilateral notice.

The two-man party that had shown legendary progress was disbanded by Verdiol’s unilateral notice.

After that, Jihyeok had never seen Verdiol again. Even though he knew he was beyond the Gate, he didn’t have the confidence to open that door and forcibly pull him out.

Above all, the world wouldn’t allow it.

Yoschuko Verdiol was a murderer.

Jihyeok kept insisting that Verdiol wasn’t a murderer, but the response he got was cold. It was only natural, really. There was no way to prove that Verdiol wasn’t a murderer.

‘If only there was a way to prove it.’

If only there was a way to prove that Verdiol wasn’t a murderer.

Maybe then, things could go back to the way they were?

And to find him… he had to go back to the End Cave, where that incident had happened.

But by the time Jihyeok revisited the End Cave, the priority rights to the Gate had long since been transferred from the Association to the Five Great Guilds Alliance.

While the Five Great Guilds Alliance was clearing the End Cave, Jihyeok was nervous the entire time. If the End Cave was cleared and destroyed, there would be no way to prove Verdiol’s innocence.

The End Cave was a Gate that had claimed many lives.

He didn’t know if it was right to feel this way, but Jihyeok hoped the End Cave wouldn’t be cleared.

‘I need money.’

And so, on the other hand, he started saving money to acquire the priority rights to the End Cave from the Alliance. Since the Gate was an S-Rank Gate, it was nearly impossible for Jihyeok, now an individual, to obtain the rights. Even so, Jihyeok didn’t give up.

Starting with small jobs, he began to save money tenaciously.

From solo Gate clears to private errands for the wealthy.

However, he never participated as a mercenary for other guilds.

He thought that if he was seen participating as a mercenary, Verdiol might misunderstand. That he had abandoned him and moved on to another guild.

In reality, he had received countless offers to join their guilds.

Jihyeok was an S-Rank Hunter. Moreover, he was one of the members who had cleared an S-Rank Gate with just the two of them.

Not only that, but in contrast to Verdiol, Jihyeok was famous for having a righteous character. Even during his time with Verdiol, he didn’t turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, helped those in need, and there were many who had received his help, big or small. Perhaps thanks to that impression, when Verdiol was being heavily criticized, Jihyeok’s reputation was slowly rising, and even when Verdiol was branded a murderer, no one suspected Jihyeok.

Sometimes, the offers even felt sweet. All five of the Great Guilds attempted to recruit him, and some even promised him an executive position.

But Jihyeok refused all those offers. He could have accepted them if they would help prove Verdiol’s innocence. But none of them could easily give him an answer on that matter.

Except for one person.

—I can grant what you wish for.

Karelin.

—Yoschuko Verdiol isn’t inside there. He left long ago. Want to make a bet? If I win the bet, I’d like you to join us. Of course, I’ll grant what you wish for.

Unlike the other guild masters, she knew what Jihyeok wanted.

At first, Jihyeok was hesitant about the proposal.

But in the end, he accepted it. He had no choice but to accept.

The priority rights to an S-Rank Gate were something no individual, not even a top-ten Hunter, could obtain. But with Karelin’s assistance, the priority rights to the End Cave were transferred to the group she had created.

After joining Karelin’s organization, Jihyeok only did as she ordered. He didn’t know the purpose, but if he could only prove Verdiol’s innocence, he followed her words with that single thought in mind.

And then.

He met Yoschua Verdi.

Jihyeok.

On the day he first met Yoschua Verdi.

He hadn’t noticed it back then.

That Yoschua Verdi’s true identity was Yoschuko Verdiol.

But when he encountered him a second time, he was able to notice.

Somehow, when she put Verdiol into that girl, Jihyeok could vaguely sense that she resembled Verdiol quite a bit.

For instance, her personality, or how bad she was at acting.

And Incantationless Casting.

From the start, Jihyeok had been by Verdiol’s side, so he’d seen his magic more than anyone.

At first glance, it all seemed quite practical, but the longer they spent together, the more he realized it was an absurd ability.

An ability that shattered the immutable law that magic could only be cast by reciting a spell, without any restrictions.

Honestly, he’d coveted that ability. So he’d tried to learn it in secret, but of course, he failed.

Whenever Jihyeok coveted Incantationless Casting, Verdiol would boast that, like his own “Weapon Selector,” his Incantationless Casting wasn’t something anyone could copy.

A Special Ability.

In fact, Jihyeok’s own ability, Weapon Selector, was also a Special Ability bestowed upon his distant ancestor. It was just that, over time, that fact had been forgotten.

An ability only he could use. And now, a girl he’d never seen before was using that very ability, the one Verdiol had boasted about.

The girl said she was Verdiol’s disciple, but even a disciple couldn’t possibly copy Incantationless Casting.

That was when Jihyeok was certain.

That Yoschua Verdi was Yoschuko Verdiol, changed for some reason.

‘…That’s why I was a bit rough with her on the snowy mountain.’

The real reason Jihyeok had genuinely attacked Verdi was because he’d figured out her identity was Verdiol. There was also the fact that Vasquez, Karelin’s comrade, was watching, but he also thought she could withstand his attacks.

…Of course, it wasn’t like he didn’t feel a bit hurt.

She could have contacted him through the Artifact, so why had she gone into hiding all this time?

Even after she started moving again, why did she keep it a secret from him, the one closest to her?

So he’d hit her out of spite. Of course, he got thoroughly thrashed for it.

…Anyway.

After sending Verdi off on the snowy mountain, Jihyeok decided to wait.

The last words they’d exchanged at the lodging.

Verdi.

Verdiol had said this to him at the very end.

—That he would return when the time came… that he would definitely return, he said so.

‘Because Senior can’t lie.’

In those words, Jihyeok felt sincerity. So he waited.

“Kim Jihyeok!!!”

Finally, that moment had come.

“…Where have you been, Senior, showing up only now?”

End Cave.

It was right before the white robe’s slash was about to fall on Verdi’s head.

A black silhouette suddenly burst in.

*SHRING!*

The robe’s sword path passed through. Nothing remained where it had passed.

…Truly, nothing remained. Only the hollowed-out cave floor was left.

“…?”

It was the moment the robe, not understanding the scene before him, tilted his head.

A shadow leaped at his back.

“…!”

Of course, the robe sensed that presence too. *Whish!* The robe easily dodged the shadow’s attack by twisting his body. Then, the robe swung his sword toward the shadow.

*SHRING!*

Nothing remained where the sword path was drawn.

The shadow.

Jihyeok recognized that fact just from seeing a single slash.

He didn’t block. Instead, he chose suppression and evasion.

‘The power is quite threatening, but the way he swings his sword is nothing more than a beginner’s.’

While evading the sword path, Jihyeok’s hand moved quickly, aiming for the robe’s opening.

*Grasp!*

“…!!”

Soon, Jihyeok’s hand struck the wrist of the hand holding the sword, and the impact sent the robe’s body lurching heavily.

Jihyeok didn’t miss that opening. The moment the hand gripping the sword was pushed aside, the bastard’s abdomen was exposed. Through that gap, Jihyeok’s fists followed, reminiscent of a torrential downpour.

The robe tried to resist but couldn’t. Even during his flurry of blows, Jihyeok kept the robe’s sword in check and evaded it, all while never stopping his assault.

*Grasp!*

As Jihyeok landed the final heavy blow, the robe’s body flew through the air and, without any reversal, slammed straight into the ground.

‘Whoa…’

Verdi, watching the scene, stood with her mouth hanging open.

In truth, the robe’s swordsmanship itself was close to a beginner’s. It was just that his footwork was so fast it was nearly teleportation. If one was confident in close-quarters combat, subduing him didn’t seem difficult.

It was just that she couldn’t attempt it. If she hadn’t been wearing a Mana Shield, maybe, but with the shield up, Verdi had no confidence she could dodge that sword path. Even if her body evaded it, the Mana Shield she wore would enter the sword’s range. And even if she wanted to fight on, if she felt dizzy like before, a gap would inevitably open, and the chances of being taken down instead were high.

That said, fighting without the Mana Shield was far too reckless. He had no idea what Karelin, who was watching, might do.

But Jihyeok was different.

Jihyeok was a Hunter who preferred close-quarters combat from the start, and among them, the title of strongest wasn’t undeserved. That was why he could subdue the robe without much difficulty.

If Verdiol was the type to push back Demon Beasts with overwhelming firepower from a distance, Jihyeok was the one who blocked the beasts approaching from the front so Verdiol wouldn’t be disturbed.

That was this duo’s method. This was how the two of them had tackled even S-Rank Gates alone together.

After confirming the robe had gone limp, Jihyeok turned toward Verdi.

“Are you alright, Senior?”

Then he reached out a hand toward Verdi, who was wearing an expression of disbelief.

Verdi.

Paused for a moment, wondering what expression to make and what to say.

…Honestly, it was embarrassing. He’d wanted to reunite, but he hadn’t wanted to reunite while being helped like this.

As he was thinking that, a memory from before suddenly came to mind.

Yeah, that’s it.

“…Hmph, even if you hadn’t come to help, I could have handled it on my own, you know?”

Verdi dusted himself off, then grabbed Jihyeok’s hand with a smirk.

“You haven’t changed.”

Jihyeok, pulling Verdi up, replied with a snicker.

This guy was always like this.

A grumbling tone even after being helped. But Jihyeok felt a sense of welcome in that sight.

For a moment, the two of them felt as if they’d returned to their hometown after a long time.