I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 175

175.

Noh Hak-young only glanced at him, but the others were so focused on Seo-ah that they didn’t notice.

Alexander hugged the frozen Seo-ah, muttering obsessively.

“You have to take responsibility for me! Leaving me alone in this snowy world is too much!”

“Does that justify freezing someone? Being this selfish is why you ruined the world!”

Kang Su-jung shouted, and Noh Yoon-ji took a fighting stance.

“Snap out of it! We have to save her.”

“Heh heh, you guys can leave. I only need this woman,” Prince Alexander said, as if doing them a favor.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Where are you going without your sister?”

Even while saying that, the group couldn’t easily attack, worried that Seo-ah might get hurt.

Prince Alexander easily ignored Kang Su-jung’s words and stroked Seo-ah’s pale, frozen cheek.

“You’re living with me, just the two of us here forever… We’ll be happy.”

It hadn’t been long since they met, but he looked genuinely in love, which made it even scarier.

“Just calm down for a second… Huh?”

Noh Yoon-ji was about to say something when a strong gust of wind brushed past her ear. In the blink of an eye, she saw an unexpected figure grabbing the prince by the collar.

“I was wondering why you weren’t showing up.”

It was Yoo Ji-an.

He glared at Alexander and muttered in a low voice.

“That guy is, Yoo Ji-an… Hunter Yoo Ji-an?”

Belatedly, Noh Hak-young pointed at Yoo Ji-an and shouted. Yoo Ji-an had assessed the situation and subdued Alexander as soon as he arrived.

“Unnie [older sister or close female friend]!”

In the meantime, Kang Su-jung quickly hugged Seo-ah and carefully separated her from the prince. Kang Su-jung didn’t seem too surprised that Yoo Ji-an was here.

“What should we do?” she asked, looking at Yoo Ji-an, who lifted the prince up and growled.

“Release the magic right now, before I twist your limbs off.”

Even while glaring at Alexander with eyes that could devour him, he also considered Seo-ah’s safety and didn’t easily attack the prince.

Taking her to a high-level healer would be the best option, but he was worried that the shock of passing through the gate would affect Seo-ah’s frozen body.

Of course, rationally thinking, she wouldn’t die since she was an S-class hunter, but Yoo Ji-an didn’t want Seo-ah to get hurt even a little bit.

“Hahaha, who are you? I will never let her…”

The prince, whose mind was already worn out in the ice, laughed maniacally, not properly recognizing Yoo Ji-an’s threat.

It was then.

Crack—

Everyone turned their heads at the sound of ice breaking.

Seo-ah was breaking the ice herself.

Immediately, Yoo Ji-an threw Alexander down carelessly and rushed to Seo-ah.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, how… are you here?”

Seo-ah asked, dazed, and Yoo Ji-an pointed to the blue shimmering exit with his chin.

“I was wondering why you weren’t coming out even though it was open.”

Yoo Ji-an took out a precious maker’s recovery potion from his inventory and handed it to Seo-ah.

“I’m okay, it’s better than I thought…”

Seo-ah, who was about to decline, accepted it and gulped it down, seeing Yoo Ji-an’s unusually stern expression.

As soon as Seo-ah completely swallowed the potion, Yoo Ji-an hugged her tightly.

“…Ah.”

Seo-ah was conscious of the attention around her.

Kang Su-jung’s eyes were curved into a smile as if she was very happy, and Noh Yoon-ji had a slightly surprised expression. Noh Hak-young was just gaping.

Then suddenly, Alexander, who had been buried in the snow, jumped up and charged.

“No, she’s mine! Don’t touch her!”

He was furious at Yoo Ji-an, or rather, at Yoo Ji-an hugging Seo-ah.

Thud— Pow!

However, Yoo Ji-an simply brushed him off with his arm, and he fainted and flew away again.

“Can you get up?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

Despite her saying she was okay, Yoo Ji-an supported Seo-ah and helped her up.

“Unnie, are you hurt anywhere? How did you break it?”

Kang Su-jung approached worriedly, and Seo-ah smiled awkwardly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just… put a lot of strength into it from the inside, and it broke?”

“Ah…?”

Su-jung tilted her head but nodded as if she understood. She probably thought that since she was an S-class hunter, that was possible.

Seo-ah didn’t have any other way to explain it either.

“Ugh.”

Alexander, who had fainted after being hit by Yoo Ji-an, groaned and tried to wake up.

Everyone watched him nervously as Yoo Ji-an said.

“What do you want to do? Do as you wish.”

He seemed to have deliberately not killed him himself to leave the choice to Seo-ah.

Seo-ah glanced at Yoo Ji-an and then looked at Alexander.

His despair and loneliness, felt through Seo-ah’s [Emotion Transference], were real. It must also be scary to have to live alone in this world with no one.

But even so, there was nothing Seo-ah could do for him. There didn’t seem to be a need to kill him either.

“Let’s go, enough.”

Seo-ah averted her gaze from Alexander and turned her body towards the gate.

Yoo Ji-an wordlessly wrapped his arm slightly around Seo-ah’s shoulders and headed for the gate. Seo-ah sent the three of them ahead first, then stepped in.

Just before leaving, she heard Alexander’s sobbing voice, but she didn’t turn back.

After Seo-ah disappeared into the vortex, Yoo Ji-an scanned the desolate snowy world and then disappeared.

The world of snow turned dark with a pop as soon as they disappeared.

***

Cha Tae-woon and Han Seok-hyun were waiting outside the gate.

The atmosphere was unusual.

Cha Tae-woon made eye contact with Seo-ah and then approached Noh Hak-young.

“Assemblyman Noh Hak-young, we have received a report about illegal gate trading. You will have to come with us to the association. Depending on the case, you may be detained for a few days.”

It was Seo-ah who reported the illegal gate trading.

Before entering, Seo-ah had briefly texted Cha Tae-woon the location and situation of the gate.

“…I understand.”

Surprisingly, Noh Hak-young didn’t resist and quietly nodded. Perhaps he had realized something inside the gate, as the somewhat frivolous appearance he had shown at first had disappeared.

As he was about to follow Cha Tae-woon, he couldn’t help but turn to Seo-ah. Yoo Ji-an stood firmly behind Seo-ah.

“I… was going to stay quiet if possible.”

Noh Hak-young, startled by Yoo Ji-an’s aura, hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

“Are you Hunter Baek Ji-ah, a B-class hunter?”

“…….”

It was pointless to keep lying after coming this far.

Seo-ah took off her mask and met Noh Hak-young’s eyes. Noh Hak-young flinched when their eyes met, but he wasn’t too surprised, as if he had expected it to some extent.

“I knew it.”

Rather, he seemed relieved that his curiosity had been resolved.

“It was strange for a B-class hunter…”

“Are you going to reveal it?”

It didn’t matter if he did.

She could just say that Seo-ah, an S-class hunter, accompanied him to monitor Noh Hak-young’s illegal activities.

Seo-ah didn’t add anything else, seeing Noh Hak-young shaking his head. He would probably end the matter with this.

Meanwhile, Han Seok-hyun approached Noh Yoon-ji this time.

“Hunter Noh Yoon-ji, we cannot simply overlook your unauthorized entry into the illegally acquired gate. The guild will impose a week of suspension.”

“Yoon-ji…!”

Noh Hak-young was quiet about his own situation, but he protested when Noh Yoon-ji was penalized. However, Noh Yoon-ji shook her head at Noh Hak-young and answered obediently.

“Yes, Guild Master.”

In fact, a week of suspension was lenient compared to the case. She was a minor and not the instigator, so she only received disciplinary action from the guild.

Otherwise, Noh Yoon-ji would have been dragged to the Hunter Association as well.

Noh Hak-young, wearing restraints for hunters, was surrounded by Hunter Association employees and left in a car.

After watching the car carrying Noh Hak-young leave, Cha Tae-woon approached Seo-ah.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah and Kang Su-jung, you can respond to a written investigation later as witnesses.”

“Yes.”

Seo-ah nodded weakly, and Cha Tae-woon looked down at Seo-ah and unknowingly raised his hand.

Seo-ah looked at Cha Tae-woon with a puzzled expression as Cha Tae-woon’s hand approached her face.

“…Why are you doing this?”

Cha Tae-woon flinched and pulled his hand back. The tips of his ears were red.

“No, well, um… I was just wondering if you were okay.”

“Ah, of course. It was a C-class gate.”

“Gates are always dangerous places. Especially since Hunter Park Seo-ah is still…”

Before Cha Tae-woon could finish speaking, Yoo Ji-an gently pulled Seo-ah closer and turned her around.

“Let’s go.”

Seo-ah smiled faintly as if she was used to Yoo Ji-an like this.

“Ah, then. I’ll see you at the association next time.”

“Next… Yes, then next time.”

Cha Tae-woon didn’t hide his disappointment, and thanks to that, he had to feel Yoo Ji-an’s chilling aura with his whole body.

[Skill ‘Gentle Sunlight’ is activated.]

Seo-ah looked at Yoo Ji-an and Cha Tae-woon once each, then checked the system window with a troubled face.

‘It really happens all the time.’