The Chick Class Hunter is Being Filial

What if that seed wasn’t the only one…?
The ones planted in the arm were just a decoy—what if she’d embedded another one near her chest?
I have to get it out right now.

Thump!
Chrrrk!
At that moment, the sound of thin branches shooting out all at once from the heart could be heard.

Jin Siwon flinched, blinked once, then turned his head side to side.
“……”
He pressed his lower lip tight as he stared at Serhi.

“Serhi.”
Serhi slowly turned his head.
“Huh?”

It was the instant their eyes met. A chill ran down his spine like someone had grabbed the back of his neck.
Jin Siwon smiled, pressing her lower lip tight.
Serhi muttered her name, dazed.

“…Irina?”
How…?
“I kept you close because I was waiting for this day to come.”

The back of Jin Siwon’s hand—no, Irina’s hand—brushed against Serhi’s cheek.
“If the sister he just reunited with dies in front of his eyes—”
Her left hand pierced through Serhi’s chest in an instant.
“—Zenya will be completely broken.”

“Khuk!”
Serhi coughed up blood violently.
“You were useful to the very end, Mykola.”

Mykola?
It wasn’t just Serhi who was confused by the familiar name.
He looked at the face of the person who had repeated it.

The first thing that caught his eye was a distorted green eye.
Jin Siwon cradled the collapsing Serhi in her arms.
Beyond the fading consciousness, a cracked voice rang out.
“Mykola…?”

Mykola. Who was… that again?
***
“What a shame. That was the moment I wanted to see most.”

Irina slowly turned her head.
She looked resentfully at the one who had forcibly severed the skill that had connected her to Jin Siwon.
“Knew it. I figured we’d meet again.”

Nayeon, wrapped in silver vines, gave a serene smile as she pulled them taut.
After encountering Irina at school, Nayeon had contacted the investigation bureau to dig up information on Mun Ira.
But everything before her entry into Korea had been fake, and since that encounter, the "teacher Mun Ira" had vanished without a trace.

Unable to let a dangerous individual roam free, Nayeon had worked with the Awakened Investigation Unit to pursue Irina’s whereabouts.
The clue she’d caught onto was a photo taken at Infinity Wave.
Following that trail had led her all the way to Jeju Island.

“Why are there so many interruptions…”
Irina pressed her lower lip tight and let out a deep sigh.
The moment the [Emergency Disaster Alert] had been sent to the tablet, she knew the grand dungeon call was over.

Which meant, she had no choice but to give up the child.
Setting her regrets aside, Irina germinated the seed she had planted in Jin Siwon.
Just to at least take Zenya with her before leaving.

But in the crucial moment, an unexpected obstacle had appeared…
“I think I’m starting to hate Korea.”
Just as Irina finished speaking, men in black suits rushed toward Nayeon.

Nayeon stepped back and activated a skill over the area.
Whirr.
[Skill ‘Silver Vine (S)’ has been activated.]

Morphs according to ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) caster’s will. When target is restrained with vines, temporarily blocks their mana.
The moment the ones rushing at Nayeon were wrapped in thorny vines, they began collapsing one by one like kites with cut strings.
“I thought it last time too, but that skill is real handy.”

Irina smiled, restrained by Nayeon’s vines.
Despite the thorns tearing into and digging through her flesh, she remained unfazed as she pulled herself free from the restraints.
Though her whole body was covered in blood, the wounds from the thorns healed quickly, and her skin remained flawless.

“I think your body’s the real convenient one here.”
Nayeon muttered in disbelief at Irina’s absurd regenerative ability.
“Maybe so.”

Just as Irina said that with a laugh, the restrained ones began thrashing.
Like Irina had, they ripped and tore through their own flesh without hesitation, tearing the vines apart.
But the flesh that was torn off only bled—it didn’t regenerate.

“Ugh…”
Seeing them, blood-soaked and charging like zombies unaware of pain or missing limbs, Nayeon let out a groan.
“Heung, that’s kinda cute.”

Irina pressed harder, seeing Nayeon show even a flicker of hesitation.
As if she didn’t care whether the controlled people got hurt, she kept sending them toward Nayeon, who was retreating little by little.
“Save… please, save me…”

“It hurts…”
Beyond the murmured voices, Irina, who had distanced herself from Nayeon, gave a gentle wave.
Then she turned to leave the scene.

Had there been no presence behind her, she would’ve vanished quickly.
What stopped Irina was a being radiating a massive magical presence.
A force so overwhelming, it felt like her entire body was being crushed.

There was only one person who could emit power like that.
On Jurim…
She couldn’t take a single step. Irina weakly lifted her head.

Jurim met her eyes and slightly furrowed his brow.
With a flick of his hand, the crowd charging toward Nayeon was swept away in an instant.
They froze in place, bunched together, completely immobilized as if blocked by an invisible force.

Jurim muttered quietly, looking at Irina, “You look like her.”
Then he casually asked Nayeon,
“Where’s Guru?”

“Huh? Guru?”
Nayeon, who had subdued the bloodied attackers with thornless vines, brushed her hands off and walked over.
“Guru’s in Jeju Island?”

“……”
She really didn’t seem to know.
Guru hadn’t been in the room. Gidan wasn’t picking up either.

Worried something might’ve happened to her, he had followed the flow of mana—only to find a woman who seemed to be Jin Siwon’s sister, and Nayeon.
Jurim clicked his tongue briefly.
Should’ve put a tracker on her instead of using a summon type…

Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck.
There was no time.
The 99th floor’s owner had shown up uninvited, draining a huge amount of mana.

If I activate hypersense, how long can I even last…?
He stopped calculating and looked down at Irina.
Gnosis, was it?

First, this one needs to die—
Just then.
Sensing a sharp killing intent, Irina spoke.

“The rooftop.”
Irina looked straight ahead and enunciated clearly.
“If you’re looking for the child, she’s on the rooftop.”

***
Zachary McLaren headed for the rooftop helipad the moment he realized his business partner, Allen Kravis, had figured everything out.
Waiting for Irina, who’d said she had something to do before leaving, he cursed.

“How long do I have to fucking wait?”
Just then, Irina’s zombified minions began climbing up onto the rooftop one by one.
Why the hell are they showing up now? Are they plotting something?

Or… maybe they were signaling him somehow.
If they were activated through germinated seeds, not a skill—it meant she currently couldn’t use mana.
Zachary trusted his gut instinct.

“A pursuer, huh…”
He pulled an emergency escape item from his pocket.
Upon use, the item would temporarily scramble waves in the vicinity, disrupting Hunters and suppressing skill activation.

It couldn’t cut off mana completely, but it was perfect for creating a brief distraction to escape.
“Quickly…”
Still on high alert, he stared at the rooftop door.

***
The stronger they are, the more they let their guard down.
Irina knew this well.

It was thanks to that she’d managed to break the minds of Kiruth’s high-ranking nobles.
Standing on the rooftop, Jurim stared at the helicopter with a bored look.
As if to say That’s all you’ve got?—Irina smiled nonchalantly.

“The child is inside the helicopter. How about we exchange hostages?”
Jurim just shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
Irina smiled slightly as he gave the answer she’d hoped for, and Nayeon urgently tried to stop him.

“Guildmastuh—! You’re just gonna let them escape?!”
But Jurim merely shook his head, as if wanting to get it over with quickly.
Nayeon swallowed her frustration.

Irina headed directly for the helicopter.
There was a presence inside. Must be Zachary.
If she could just distract Jurim for a moment, she could use Zachary’s stealth skill and make the entire helicopter disappear.

Irina exhaled, and a puff of white breath faded.
Tired.
Everything’s gone wrong.

What happened to Zenya…
Irina blinked slowly.
By now, she must be completely out of it, right?

Zenya.
Just wait a little longer.
Your one true remaining family is me.

I’m the only one you should hate, and the only one you should love.
Just as Irina took one step, then another toward the helicopter—
“…?”

A hand, soaked in bright red blood, extended from the helicopter door.
A black Glock aimed right at her.
“…Zenya?”

The bloodied hand pulled the trigger.
Bang!