Joo-Hee's anger had boiled over, any shred of restraint obliterated as she glared at Jae-Hoon, the crowd around them now dead silent, too shocked to interrupt.
With a fire in her eyes, she stepped closer, leaning in with a mocking smile full of anger.
"Listen to me, you miserable little shit," she began, her words spilling out fast and sharp, giving Jae-Hoon no chance to rebut.
"You actually think you're some kind of gift to women, huh? You think you're so handsome they'd flock to you? Let me break it to you—you're not just delusional, you're blind."
Joo-Hee smirked, the words dripping with disgust. "Your parents must've been truly ugly to spawn an orc-goblin hybrid son like you! And you dare to lecture me about manners? Take a look at yourself first. You're like a walking, talking sewer leak."
Then, Joo-Hee raised her hand and pushed Jae-Hoon's shoulder with a finger, just as Jae-Hoon had done earlier. Each jab of her finger was full of scorn, and Jae-Hoon's face twisted with barely restrained rage.
"Oh, and before you even open that trash pile you call a mouth again, maybe brush it out first. The stench alone could kill a drake."
"And bragging about being a B-minus rank? B-MINUS! Are you actually proud of being that low?" Joo-Hee let out a mocking laugh.
"Pathetic! If people like you are the future of South Korea, then God help us all! I'd rather be eaten by monsters than live and breathe the same air polluted by your ego."
Joo-Hee's voice was like a whip, each word making Jae-Hoon's face contort further with fury. But Joo-Hee didn't care—she kept pushing, throwing out every insult she could think of.
...
Above on the second floor, two figures observed the scene unfolding below with keen interest.
Choi Jong-In, the guild leader of the Hunters Guild, leaned casually against the railing, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched the heated exchange between Joo-Hee and Jae-Hoon.
Next to him stood Chae Hae-In, her expression stoic, though her eyes held a glimmer of intrigue as they darted between the two figures below.
Choi Jong-In chuckled, crossing his arms. "Well, this is quite the spectacle. I didn't expect to be entertained before our meeting. What do you think, Ms. Chae?"
Chae Hae-In merely looked down at the two with a faintly disapproving look, her gaze icy and inscrutable. She said nothing, though her silence spoke volumes.
Choi Jong-In raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "That girl… she's quite bold, don't you think? Unusual for a lady. She must be rather fearless to stand up to a burly guy like him."
Chae Hae-In's eyes narrowed slightly, unimpressed. "We have a meeting to attend, Mr. Choi. We shouldn't be late because of… this."
With a sigh of resignation, Choi Jong-In shrugged, his smile fading into a more serious expression as he nodded. "Alright, alright. Lead the way."
As they turned to leave, he couldn't resist one last glance over his shoulder, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
...
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Jae-Hoon's face flushed a deep red as he roared, "You… you bitch! Take back everything you said! You're just lucky to be born as a girl, or I'd have pummeled you into the ground—"
Before he could finish, Joo-Hee cut him off with a scornful smile. "Acting like a gentleman now, are we? It doesn't suit you, you hypocrite son of a bitc—"
Immediately, Jae-Hoon prepared to lunge at her, fist raised. Joo-Hee swiftly stepped back, activating Nature's Embrace. In an instant, hexagonal barrier fragments formed around her, prepared to shield and counter any attack.
She clenched her fists, her mind already planning to suffocate this fool if necessary.
Just as Jae-Hoon was about to strike, a hunter wearing a white coat with a prominent tiger emblem stepped in between them, catching Jae-Hoon's arm mid-air.
"Miss, are you alri—" he asked, turning to Joo-Hee with a calm, assessing look. Noticing the barrier, he raised an eyebrow. "Seems you didn't need the help—"
But Jae-Hoon, still furious, shouted, "Stay out of this, you fucker!" and swung at the white-coated hunter in a blind rage.
With one swift motion, the hunter sidestepped and drove his fist into Jae-Hoon's gut, sending him flying backward.
Jae-Hoon's teammates, now seeing the tiger emblem, paled and quickly backed away, knowing full well the White Tiger Guild's reputation. The hunter merely brushed his hands off and returned to his place in line without a second glance.
As Joo-Hee saw Jae-Hoon subdued and hauled off by the association guards, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to let go of the last traces of her anger.
That punch from that White Tiger… it was strong. It could have easily broken a single barrier fragment of mine, she thought while glancing at the White Tiger hunter.
Watching the guards handle Jae-Hoon so quietly also made her realize the level of authority of someone from the White Tiger Guild.
Calming her expression, Joo-Hee stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Thank you… for earlier."
The hunter smiled warmly. "No need to thank me. I was just doing my job," he replied with a smile.
As they waited in line, the white-coated hunter casually gave Joo-Hee a few pointers about dungeons, his easygoing nature offering Joo-Hee some unexpected relief.
Maybe not everyone here is as arrogant as that prick, Joo-Hee thought, feeling her tension ease as the conversation flowed.
When the hunter was called over by his team, he paused, extending his hand with an easygoing smile. "Where are my manners? I should've introduced myself first. I'm Park Jae-Min, by the way—A-rank hunter."
Joo-Hee returned her smile, gripping her hand in a firm shake. "Lee Joo-Hee, B-rank healer."
As Jae-Min was ushered back by his teammates, he glanced over his shoulder, a hint of curiosity sparking in his eyes. A healer? and not a mage? he thought, slightly puzzled. Joo-Hee's earlier display of barrier magic didn't seem like typical healer skills.
Joo-Hee watched him go, waving in farewell.
As Park Jae-Min rejoined his team, a faint blush colored his cheeks. He chuckled softly to himself as he recounted the events that had unfolded earlier. "You guys wouldn't believe it..." he began, his voice lighter than usual. "I saw a really pretty healer today. She was courageous too—standing up to that guy earlier without even flinching."
His team, ever quick to notice, immediately started teasing their youngest. "A pretty hunter, huh? Sounds like someone's got a crush. Is that why you saved her?" one of them smirked. Another chimed in while chuckling, "Too bad, you won't see her for a few days."
Jae-Min just crouched in slight embarrassment, his face flushed as he waved his teammates' teasing remarks away. "Cut it out, hyung!" he mumbled, though a grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
After the raid, maybe I'll get to see her again... he thought, his mind drifting back to the brief but intriguing encounter with Lee Joo-Hee.
However, what Joo-Hee didn't know was that her seemingly casual observation and the accident today had already caught the attention of two of the largest guilds in Korea. Her reputation was already beginning to take root in silence within the hunter community and online hunter forums.