CHAPTER 55: IRRESISTIBLE FACE

FEAR RESISTANCE: Activated!

Ah.

No wonder Wonhee didn’t feel scared even when the big snake wrapped itself around her body and started to squeeze her as if it was trying to snap her body in half.

The snake’s skull, which was twice the size of Wonhee’s head, hissed at her face.

Only then did she realize that the snake trying to crush her was actually a snake skeleton since it was made of white bones.

[Song Moonho-ssi is a Necromancer who specializes in reviving dead monsters...]

And yet she remained calm.

Even her heartbeat didn’t change.

"Uhm, although I don’t feel scared, I’m quite worried about my life," Wonhee said, talking to the System out loud. "I’m alone here, and I can’t fight..."

Yes, she was alone in an empty white room.

She was sent there the moment the big snake wrapped itself around her body, so being sent to that empty white room was probably one of Song Moonho’s skills.

Tannie: You can fight, Chu Wonhee!

Oh.

The Status Window that popped up in front of Wonhee this time was the chat room that she had with Tannie (formerly Tangerine Fairy).

"How do I fight?"

Tannie: You just need to activate your Visual Upgrade Level 1: The Irresistible Face and you’ll be fine! Low-level monsters won’t be able to resist your charm!

Ah, so the big snake was a low-level monster.

That was a relief, but...

[The name of the skill is a little embarrassing.]

"How do I charm a monster?"

Tannie: Remember how you first charmed the entire nation!

The first time that she charmed Korea?

Tannie: Remember the first national title that the general public gave you after all of South Korea went crazy for you!

Oh, that.

Wonhee remembered that it was a commercial film (CF) for a contact lens brand that launched her career.

She was famous as a child actress.

But she became even more famous as a teen actress when her CF went viral.

It was just a close-up shot of her face that clearly showed the gray lenses that she wore that time, and then...

Oh, right.

[I did that thing that went viral.]

She was only thirteen years old when she filmed that CF, so it was a bit embarrassing to recreate it now that she was in her mid-twenties.

But this was for her survival, so...

Wonhee smiled at the snake skeleton charmingly and winked.

Yes, she winked and smiled as if she was in front of a camera.

That was the reason her CF back then went viral.

Every age group of the time recreated her wink. The trend got so popular that she was dubbed the Nation’s Wink Fairy back then.

[I already winked...]

Wonhee was about to complain that nothing changed after she winked before she was starting to get embarrassed, but stopped when she noticed that the snake skeleton loosened up its grasp around her body.

And then the snake skeleton quickly shrank.

[What’s happening now?]

***

"SONG MOONHO, you must have a death wish," Yejun opened his hands, gathering little ice daggers above his palms. "How dare you to lay a hand on my precious Guide?"

While Song Moonho was pretending to talk to Geon, he attacked Wonhee sneakily.

Nobody noticed it until Wonhee was suddenly trapped inside a black coffin– a black coffin with the mark of a white snake skeleton engraved on the lid.

Yejun recognized the black coffin because he had been there once.

"Why are you overreacting, Yejun-ah?" Song Moonho asked nonchalantly. "You’ve been in that coffin before. You should know that Bonnie doesn’t harm Awakened People."

’Bonnie’ would be the snake skeleton Song Moonho had for a pet.

[For your information, Song Moonho claims that Bonnie is a girl.]

"My little Bonnie only inflicts fear on her guests," Song Moonho said. "Chu Wonhee awakened as an S-Class Guide, so I wanted to welcome her the way I welcomed you, Graham, and Semi Noona."

Yejun wanted to throw his ice daggers at Song Moonho, but Geon grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Don’t," Geon said sternly. "What if you accidentally hit the black coffin, huh? Any damage inflicted on the black coffin is also inflicted on the person inside. Do you want to kill our Hee-ya?"

Ah, right.

That was exactly why it was hard to rescue the person trapped inside the black coffin.

Yejun clicked his tongue, then he grabbed Song Moonho by the collar. "Wonhee may have awakened as an S-Class, but she’s a Guide and not a Hunter."

"A Guide is also an Awakened Person, and all Awakened People have fear resistance– just like how we all receive either a Visual Upgrade or a Stamina Upgrade depending on our age when we awakened," Song Moonho explained, unfazed despite being the sole target of Yejun’s heavy bloodlust. "I just want to test Chu Wonhee-ssi’s skills. She’s the first S-Class Guide to awaken in the world. We should be familiar with her skills so we’d know how to protect her. Chu Wonhee-ssi can’t be too fragile if the System favors her."

Song Moonho’s words made sense, but Yejun refused to accept them simply because he didn’t trust Song Moonho.

"Why would you protect my Guide?" Yejun asked coldly. "Wonhee is mine to protect."

"’Your’ Guide?" Song Moonho asked sarcastically, laughing. "Kid, you’re not the only naturally awakened S-Class Hunter here."

Yejun suddenly felt like he was hit by his own ice dagger.

No, it couldn’t be...

[Did the System already notify the other members of the Big 4 that Wonhee can guide them?]

Yejun wouldn’t know because Graham was inside the dungeon while he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Semi yet about the System’s protectiveness towards Wonhee.

"Stop crossing the line, Hwang Frost," Song Moonho scoffed at Yejun, swatting away his hand from his collar. "I’ve stayed out of your way in the past because I acknowledged you as the strongest among the Big 4, and this careful old man doesn’t fight battles he can’t win." The old bastard sneered at Yejun. "But that’s no longer the case now."

Okay, that hurt Yejun’s ego a bit. "Then shall we test if you have really surpassed me during the past year I was trapped–"

"Will you please shut the fuck up?"

Yejun glared at the only Civilian in the room who dared to interrupt the conversation between two members of the Big 4. "Hey, just because you’re Wonhee’s friend doesn’t mean I’ll spare you if–"

"Then go ahead and kill me," the Civilian, who couldn’t even stand properly without Do Ahyeon’s support, cut off Yejun again. "I’ll snitch on Wony if you lay a finger on me, Hwang Frost. Are you confident that she’ll take your side and not mine?"

Wow.

The Civilian’s audacity made Yejun remember the arrogant fellow’s name.

[Gong Yool, isn’t it?]

Just like any other Civilians, Gong Yool was trembling simply because he was in the same room as Yejun.

[My presence brings discomfort and fear to the Civilians, after all.]

However, Gong Yool had the nerve to glare at Yejun.

The Civilian’s body was trembling in fear, but clearly, not his spirit.

[I’ll give him that.]

"Why the fuck are you fighting that Ahjussi just because he hurt your pride?" Gong Yool continued nagging Yejun. "Is your pride more important than Wony? God, what a letdown. I knew Hunters were egotistical people. But I can’t believe you’ll go as far as forget about your pride just because another Hunter questioned your ability."

Yejun could only clench his hands to stop himself from hurting the Civilian.

"And you," Gong Yool continued with his rant. This time, the Civilian was scolding Song Moonho. "I’ll tell you what you want to know if you let go of Wony, Ahjussi."

What?

Yejun’s jaw almost dropped to the floor after hearing Gong Yool call Song Moonho– the lawbreaker, and overall the scariest member of the Big 4– as ’Ahjussi.’

[Even I don’t go that far when it comes to disrespecting Song Moonho...]

However, Song Moonho looked like he didn’t mind.

And Yejun felt it was unfair.

[Song Moonho almost killed me when I called him ’Ahjussi’ the first time we met! And I was only sixteen back then! He was so merciless against a minor and yet, he’s looking at Gong Yool who called him ’Ahjussi’ as if he’s amused?!]

"That’s tempting, Yool-ssi," Song Moonho said, smiling at Gong Yool. "Then should we talk about it over a cup of coffee?"

Gong Yool let out a frustrated sigh. "Free Wony first."

Wow.

Yejun glared at Song Moonho for the unfair treatment.

"I-It’s breaking!" Do Ahyeon yelled while pointing at the black coffin. "W-Wony Noona...!"

***

WONHEE blinked while absorbing the unusual "scene" before her.

Yejun was obviously confronting Song Moonho.

Ahyeon was helping Yool maintain his balance as if Yool couldn’t stand on his own.

And Geon immediately checked on her from head to toe.

"Hee-ya, are you alright?" Geon asked worriedly. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Wonhee shook her head in response to her brother-in-law’s question, then she raised the big egg in her arms. "I’m not sure what happened, but the snake skeleton has turned into this..."

***

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