Chapter 160: Chapter 160

ONLY 100 S-Class Hunters in the entire world could officially claim that they were World Rankers. Out of those 100 World Rankers, only four were naturally awakened S-Class Hunters— and they were none other than South Korea’s Big 4, of course.

When most countries started to stabilize, a new intergovernmental organization was then formed.

It was the United Awakened Nations (aka UAN, commonly pronounced as ’yuan’).

All the countries that survived the Outbreak became members of UAN when it was established five years ago.

That organization was in charge of ranking the Hunters all over the world.

The Big 4 used to be a part of the Top 10 World Rankers, but...

"Are you still a World Ranker, Yejun-ah?" Wonhee asked carefully when they were in the car, headed to her first schedule of the day. "I hope my question wasn’t offensive. I’m just curious because as far as I remember, all the members of the Big 4 were kicked out of the Top 10 ranks a few years ago."

Yejun laughed as if he remembered something funny. "We weren’t "kicked out"— we walked away on our own. It was UAN that kept including us on the list even though we stopped showing up during the assessment period. Are the others still in it?"

"If I remember correctly, Semi Unnie, Graham-ssi, and Song Moonho-ssi are only in the Top 50 now. And Soobin Oppa is in the Top 70?"

"Is that the new ranking? A year ago, before I snapped, I remember Soobin Hyung still being a part of the Top 50. And my fellow Big 4 members were still in the Top 30."

"Soobin Oppa didn’t send UAN his new weapons, and Semi Unnie didn’t send her new potions to UAN either. Since the ranks of non-combatant Hunters depend on the usefulness of the new products they invent and produce, they were pushed down a lot when they didn’t present anything during the Annual Assessment Appointment."

[It happens once a year, and the entire process takes a few weeks.]

"I don’t know how it is for combatant Hunters, so I’m not sure how Graham-ssi and Song Moonho-ssi were pushed down," Wonhee added. "But, to be honest, I think it’s great that they’re still World Rankers even though they don’t show up in any events hosted by UAN."

"It’s because no one can replace the Big 4— and even UAN knows that."

It should have sounded arrogant.

But since it was coming from Yejun, his statement sounded like a fact instead of an opinion. It was as if he was merely stating the obvious.

[I guess the Big 4’s name value hasn’t dropped despite their back-to-back controversies.]

"Would you still like me even though I wasn’t a World Ranker anymore?"

"Yejun-ah, when did I say I like you?"

Of course, Wonhee was just messing with Yejun.

And Yejun knew that because he burst out laughing.

"I’ll get a confession from you sooner than you think," Yejun declared bravely. And then he held her hand, even intertwining their fingers together. Finally, he brought her hand near his lips and kissed her knuckles— all that without breaking eye contact. "Wonhee-ya, don’t be afraid to fall since I’ll be there to catch you."

That ’challenge’ may or may have not made Wonhee blush.

Well, Yejun was a bit cheesy, but he didn’t say anything wrong.

[He knows I’m catching feelings for him.]

WONHEE’S first schedule for today was for a commercial film.

The location of the shooting was in a pet café because the product she was endorsing this time was supplements for dogs.

It was one of the brand deals that she accepted herself because the product was effective.

[We’re running an animal shelter, so I would know.]

Today, Yool would join her.

Hence, for the first time in a while, their trio with Ahyeon would be complete.

And there was another person there, too.

"Aren’t you supposed to leave by now?" Grandpa Suk-yong asked, scoffing at Yejun. "Stay away from my granddaughter, brat."

Yes, her grandfather was there.

[Since Yejun has his own schedule, my grandpa would take his place for today.]

"I need to recharge before I leave, Grandpa," Yejun complained lightly, and he really had the audacity to call Grandpa Suk-yong that way. As if his nonchalance wasn’t enough, he was also too thick-skinned to open his arms while looking at Wonhee. "Gimme a hug, please?"

[Why is he acting like a child?]

Fortunately, the staff members for today’s filming were still setting up on the first floor of the pet café.

[My manager and stylist team are there, too.]

Only Wonhee, Yejun, Yool, Ahyeon, and Grandpa Suk-yong were on the second floor at the moment.

They arrived early, so they were supposed to have breakfast there.

[But Yejun received a call from someone, so he’s supposed to leave now.]

"Yejun-ah, you’re really not going to tell me where you’re going?" Wonhee asked, but not in a pushy way. "You’re making me more curious. I hope what I’d see in the news later wouldn’t disappoint me."

"Nah, I won’t disappoint you, Wonhee-ya," Yejun promised her, and then he wrapped his arms around her when she stepped closer to him. "Didn’t I tell you I’d show you my cool side? I’ll use this opportunity to make you swoon."

"Just don’t get hurt trying to show off, okay?" she said worriedly, gently flicking his forehead with her fingers. "Stay safe. If I see you’re in danger, I’ll come and save you."

"No, it’s dangerous—"

"I knew you were up to no good again."

Wonhee gently pinched Yejun’s ears. "Don’t die on me."

"Don’t even think about getting hurt."

"Absolutely not, ma’am."

"Come back to me in one piece, Yejunnie."

Wonhee almost choked on her saliva, her entire face probably red by now. "W-What did you just call me?"

Yejun grinned cheekily. "Every time you tease me by my childhood nickname, I’m gonna call you ’babe’ to get even~"

[This brat really uses his brain to make me speechless every time...]

"Come here, you rascal."

"Aw! Grandpa, it hurts!"

Wonhee was relieved when her Grandpa Suk-yong grabbed Yejun by the nape and dragged him to the corner.

[Please scold that brat for me, Grandpa!]

[Inside a private jet somewhere in South Korea...]

"THIS IS BORING," Patrick Whitter, a Top 40 World Ranker, complained while drinking wine in the private jet. "I don’t understand why UAN sent us to this small country. Hunters from Top 50 and below would have sufficed."

"Don’t underestimate South Korea too much, Pat," Jenna Allison, a fellow World Ranker in the Top 40, said while flipping the fashion magazine in her hands. The cover of the magazine was the beautiful Chu Wonhee known worldwide as a famous actress and global ambassador for luxury brands. And, now, the pretty Korean actress was known as the first S-Class Guide in the world. "Don’t forget that they still have the Big 4."

"Isn’t it only the Big 3 now?" Aaron Davis, the World Ranker who held the 49th place, said. He was also the youngest in that mission. The boy awakened as an A-Class Hunter in her late teens and leveled up to S-Class in his early twenties. And now, he was strong and reliable enough for UAN to send him to important missions. "That Yejun guy or something became an X-Class, right?"

Patrick and Jenna both nodded.

"Then what’s the big deal?" Aaron asked arrogantly. "Semi isn’t a combatant Hunter. What is she gonna do, throw potions at us?"

Patrick laughed out loud. "Right? Graham, your fellow American, is a fire user. But he’s weaker than Yejun. The real problem is Song."

’Song’ wasn’t Song Moonho’s first name, but none of them bothered to remember names that they found hard to say.

[Most Korean names are difficult to pronounce.]

The only reason the World Rankers could remember the Big 4’s names was because, well, they were the Big 4.

[They shook the entire world during their prime.]

But their prime was over.

[The Big 4 is no match against the new Top 10 World Awakeners.]

Heck, even the people from the Top 50 would have sufficed to bring them down.

"Let’s get this done and over with," Patrick declared, putting down his glass. "APA refuses to hand Chu Wonhee to us, so let’s just attack them. UAN has our back, anyway."

Their real target was Chu Wonhee.

[But we’ll take down the Big 4 while we’re at it.]

"A small country like South Korea shouldn’t monopolize the first S-Class Guide in the world– argh!"

Patrick wasn’t able to finish his sentence because the private jet suddenly shook.

The roof of the jet showed that something heavy had fallen on the top.

And that ’thing’ was... stomping on the jet’s roof?

But they were still flying.

[That means something fell from the sky.]

"The jet is freezing!" Jenna yelled, throwing the magazine to the floor while removing her seatbelt. A thin layer of ice was quickly spreading on the roof and the walls of the jet. "We should leave before we get frozen!"

There were many ice users in the world.

[But when you say ’ice,’ most Hunters would only think of one person.]

Aaron, who probably had the same realization, gasped. "Is it Yejun?"

"But how?" Patrick asked in disbelief. "Yejun is already just a lowly X-Class Hunter..."

Yejun thought it was a shame that the private jet he stomped on crashed into the Han River below.

However, the passengers made it out alive.

Just like him, the three World Rankers were suspended in the air.

He recognized those faces.

Patrick Whitter. This update is available on novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Yejun raised an eyebrow. "Why did they send small-fry... oh, wait. Your dumbasses probably don’t understand Korean since you only know one language."

And these three idiots didn’t even use a translator device.

Luckily for the three, he could speak several languages.

"Hey," Yejun greeted the three World Rankers arrogantly in English. "Is it your wish to die here in South Korea?"

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