Heroine Hunts Heroines-Chapter 133

“And why the sigh?”

“It’s not just that recruiting Yoo Eun-ha has become more difficult. She has a lover—Seo Ji-yeon, of all people. And then there’s Ha Jung-seok. He’s no ordinary man either.”

Never in her wildest dreams had Shinohara Yuzuki expected Seo Ji-yeon, a candidate for sainthood, to be Yoo Eun-ha’s lover.

This made recruiting her exponentially harder.

And as for Ha Jung-seok, whom she had assumed to be an incompetent figurehead, he turned out to be surprisingly tenacious.

The cadet days of Ha Jung-seok and Zhang Hachae were legendary even in Japan.

The intercepted call between the Blue House and the Chairman’s Palace, obtained through the Shinsengumi, had been truly astounding.

To respond to a threat with an equally brazen counterthreat?

“To think Ha Jung-seok would counter Zhang Hachae’s threats with his own. But China still has the Sins and a million hunters. Can Korea really win? They could be pushed back to Seoul again.”

“That million is nothing but riffraff. No matter how powerful a Sin may be, it cannot single-handedly crush Korea. We should prepare a gift for Korea’s victorious Ha Jung-seok.”

Perhaps a good hair tonic to help his thinning scalp grow back while his nation’s pride flourishes?

Ah, it would also be wise to send a gift to Yoo Eun-ha.

Given that she had a lover, efforts to win her favor would require exceptional care.

“The Shinohara Clan always gets what it wants.”

Hearing that Yoo Eun-ha had a lover only fueled Shinohara Yuzuki’s growing obsession.

And so, the Shinohara Clan’s day continued in its peculiar kind of peace.

***

Shenyang

Naturally, the Chinese Hunter Command in Shenyang received word of the devastating defeat—Hwangryong slain, and an army of 300,000 elite hunters annihilated.

Zhang Wei, the supreme commander of the Beijing warlords, erupted in rage, hurling objects off his desk and shouting furiously.

“Damn it! Goddamn it!”

“General, wouldn’t it be best to end this war? We’ve lost 300,000 of our finest elite troops! Even if we still have a million infused with Sin Fragments—”

Bang!

Before the subordinate could finish, a gunshot rang out, leaving a gaping hole in his head. He collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

The others in the room swallowed nervously and instinctively stepped back, their faces pale.

“Does anyone else here dare defy me? Those Korean bastards are only bold for now. Once the Sins take the field, it’s over!”

With no choice but to obey, Zhang Wei’s subordinates silently nodded. Even if they believed the war was reckless, they couldn’t defy the man who would kill them without hesitation.

After dismissing his subordinates, Zhang Wei turned to Ping Tao, who was in the bloodstained room, maniacally devouring meat. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with deranged delight as he watched Ping Tao’s grotesque feast.

“Kikikikikiki!”

“Is that… thing even stable? What if it loses control and goes berserk?”

Though they followed Zhang Wei, his men were deeply uneasy about trusting the unhinged Ping Tao.

“Don’t worry. What can those Koreans do against this? He’s already devoured strong hunters, turning to cannibalism for power. This time, we’ll win.”

The Sin of Gluttony would either consume or destroy Korea’s most prominent hunters. That alone would ensure China’s victory. Once they forced Ha Jung-seok into submission and brought Korea to its knees, Zhang Wei could overthrow the chairman and revive the dream of the Chinese Empire.

However, just as Zhang Wei prepared to lead the charge into battle, Ping Tao stopped him.

“I will go alone.”

“What nonsense is this? We need to descend as one to push them back to Pyongyang!”

There was no reason to debate strategy now. A united assault could shake Korea to its core.

“I have no need for cannon fodder. I’ll kill them all myself.”

Zhang Wei opened his mouth to object but froze as Ping Tao’s spear was suddenly pointed at his throat.

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“Fine. You’re the Sin of Gluttony, after all. You even managed to revive Hwangryong, so I’ll trust you this time. But if you fail…”

His voice trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging in the air.

If Ping Tao didn’t deliver victory, not even the Sin of Gluttony would escape Zhang Wei’s wrath.

***

At the Yalu River

After forcing the Chinese forces back to the Yalu River and establishing a defensive line with battle golems, the allied forces took a moment to rest. However, a voice boomed across the river.

“Before we send a million troops across, let Choi Si-woo, the wielder of the Divine Sword, and Yoo Eun-ha, the Sword Dancer of Baekyeom, step forward! Let us settle this!”

The voice was strange, as if Ping Tao’s voice had merged with that of a man. It was hard to decipher, but one thing was clear: it was the voice of Gluttony.

However, something bothered me. If they wanted to speak, they should use Korean. Speaking in Chinese—how do they expect me to understand that gibberish?

For the record, I’m the Korean version of Azidahaka. Even as a mythical figure, I have the proud DNA of K-kimchi flowing through me.

“Speak Korean, you pig-faced bastard!”

I responded with a voice infused with mana, loud enough to shake the riverbank.

“It’s to end this war quickly! Choi Si-woo and Yoo Eun-ha, come out now! Let us decide this!”

The broken Korean that followed sounded increasingly monstrous, as if the voice was mutating as it spoke.

As I approached the Yalu River with the allied forces, Ping Tao stood there, grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, well. Are you Ping Tao?”

“Ku-ku-ku. I am Ping Tao, and I am also the Sin of Gluttony! What do you say? Shall we settle this with a duel?”

What the hell is this lunatic talking about?

I considered consulting the Akashic Record. Knowing your enemy is half the battle, after all.

“Can I even fight this pig-faced bastard? Damn it. My head hurts already.”

A dull, throbbing headache began to build.

[Master, the immediate risk is far greater than anticipated.]

“Why is this dangerous? I already turned Hwangryong into a half-dead carcass with a mana missile. What’s the big deal?”

Thinking about it now, it’s almost laughable.

[Master handled Hwangryong superbly. However, your overconfidence led to collateral damage when you grabbed its tail and flung it into Songdo, which ended up in ruins. Following that, Lady Rachel exacted bloody revenge on you.]

In other words, I had everything under control from the start.

Although, to be fair, Rachel’s bloody revenge is terrifying in its own way. Still, if I could handle Hwangryong even after it absorbed a Sin, there’s no reason I can’t deal with Ping Tao.

“I don’t even need Choi Si-woo for this. I can handle it myself.”

When I announced my decision to head out, the command center erupted in protests.

“It’s Gluttony. I’ll go.”

“Right, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks. We don’t even fully understand what these Sins are capable of.”

“It’s better if we handle it. The Guild Masters can easily suppress a Sin.”

Yoo Jin-seok, Shin Ji-woon, and Seo Ji-yeon all chimed in, trying to exclude me.

Did they think they could ignore me because I’m just a cadet? Even Cha Ji-eun and Flower Noah seemed to agree with them, preferring to let the Guild Masters take the lead.

“But it’ll end faster if I go.”

I argued that sending me was the better option. If the Guild Masters or Yoo Jin-seok went, the million Chinese hunters waiting across the river might seize the opportunity to advance, forcing us to divide our focus between offense and defense.

It made more sense to eliminate the Sin quickly.

“Can you win?”

“I won’t lose. I can win. Don’t worry, Ji-yeon. Besides, sending several Guild Masters to deal with one Ping Tao isn’t exactly a good look.”

I was determined to knock Ping Tao out cold.

“Are you sure you don’t need our help?”

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it. She’s nothing but a weakling anyway. I’ll take care of her myself.”

Even the heroines voiced their concerns.

But I wasn’t sacrificing myself—I was simply confident. Ping Tao was no match for me.

“You do realize this is being broadcast live to the entire world?”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Look at all the drones flying around. Zhang Hachae’s using them to broadcast this.”

“Oh, that’s actually not bad.”

Clearly, they wanted to humiliate Korea by broadcasting its downfall.

Too bad for them, the opposite was about to happen.

Smiling at the drones, I confidently stepped across the Yalu River to face Ping Tao.

“Well, Ping Tao. Long time no see. Hmm, you don’t look fat, but you do seem bulkier. I hear Gluttony has been feeding you well?”

Though she wasn’t obese, her frame had thickened, giving her an imposing and almost grotesque presence.

“Do you still think I’m the same Ping Tao?”

Even her voice was unrecognizable. It wasn’t just Chinese anymore; it sounded like a horrifying amalgamation of every language on Earth, combined into an abominable cacophony.

“You know, I never understood why you had such an inferiority complex toward me, even before we fought.”

“Hmph! Come at me! I’ll devour both you and that bastard Choi Si-woo!”

As Ping Tao ranted, I slowly approached her. Then, channeling flames into my fist, I swung with all my might and struck her square in the face.

BAM!

The resulting fire punch sent Ping Tao flying dozens of meters, her body tumbling across the ground.

She looked anything but the embodiment of Sin—more like a battered wreck.

Walking toward her battered form, I grinned.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Kimchi-land, speak Korean. Didn’t you know that, you shitty pig-faced bastard?”

One of the most infuriating things about China is how they always proclaim themselves a great nation, yet their actions are petty.

“Could you at least try using Hangul, you piece of trash?”

SMACK!

“If this were ancient China, maybe you’d have some credibility. Let’s go back to the Song Dynasty—that’s about as far as I can respect you.”

I continued mocking her, dismissing her with every insult I could muster.

THUD!

Another punch to the gut sent her sprawling.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

“No matter how much power you gain, you’re still a weakling. Weaklings are weaklings, no matter what. Even as a Sin, you’re pathetic. No matter what strength you’re granted, in front of me, you’re nothing more than a grub.”

With a swift motion, I grabbed her arm and snapped it. The satisfying crack echoed, and I felt a small sense of relief.

“Arrogance is a privilege reserved for someone like me. You’re just a mutt better suited to crawling on the ground and licking my feet. A million troops? Do you think I came alone because I was scared? No, I came because crushing you is nothing more than an errand.”

“Gyaaaaaah!”

Her voice, once human, had devolved into a monstrous roar.

But that roar didn’t scare me—it only confirmed that she was beneath me.

Now it was time to finish her off.