That sudden silence made Koko start to sweat. She didn't even bother to wipe it away… or maybe she couldn't.
Zeze's limbs slowly relaxed again, as if he had calmed himself.
"Princess? I've never heard about her in my life. Looks like you've got an error."
He let out a soft laugh.
Jinhwan kept his eyes on Zeze even after hearing that answer. Then he shifted the daggers into one hand and reached down to grab the fruit bag from the ground.
"Is that so? Thanks, Mr. Protector. You've saved us the trouble of searching this city. We'll be going now."
With that, he turned and began walking away.
"Let's go, Koko."
Koko followed, trailing behind him as they headed toward the wall they had come through. His steps grew faster and faster, and she quickened her pace to catch up.
"What happened? Why are we leaving? Even if that princess isn't here, we should at least rest here before heading somewhere else to look for her."
Jinhwan didn't slow down. He just kept walking.
"The princess is here. That man knows something, he's lying. And he's giving me a bad feeling about staying here. You did see the spider webs around the city wall-"
Jinhwan stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locking ahead. Zeze was standing there at some distance, waiting for them.
"Where are you going? I'd feel bad if my guests left without eating anything."
"No thanks, we aren't hungry. You can eat alone."
Jinhwan let the fruit bag drop to the ground and gripped a dagger in each hand.
"Is that so..Then I guess I'll eat alone."
A smirk appeared on Zeze's lips.
"So... how do you prefer being cooked, then?"
I thought we could get away... but he's fast. He got here without even being seen. He's strong, definitely not someone I can afford to mess with. He had the entire city wall covered in webs. That's not normal. Even if it took him years... It's still not normal. With my current level, I'm barely around a C-rank hunter.. maybe B, I'm not even sure. But him? He's stronger than me.
Jinhwan narrowed his glowing blue eyes, the light in them pulsing faintly. His grip on the daggers tightened, the veins along his hands and neck beginning to glow, a faint, eerie blue that seemed to pulse with each heartbeat. The cold wind slammed against his face, biting at his cheeks and stirring the loose strands of his hair.
He inhaled deeply, steadying his breath.
Then exhaled slowly, his shoulders loosening into a perfect stance.
Without warning, he dashed forward, blazing across the broken ground in a single burst of speed. The distance between him and Zeze vanished in an instant, like it had never been there.
His daggers spun once in his palms, smooth and swift. In one fluid motion, he crossed his arms at his neck and brought the blades downward in a powerful diagonal slash, aimed directly at Zeze's throat.
But before the crimson edges could reach their mark, two of Zeze's monstrous limbs shot up like striking.
Clang!
Steel clashed against chitin, sparks flew. The impact sent a jolt up Jinhwan's arms as his blades locked with the spider-like limbs, now hardened and braced to block.
A smile curled across Zeze's lips.
"Aren't you bold, going straight for the head without a hint of hesitation?"
As he spoke, two more of his spider-like limbs snapped forward from beneath his coat, arcing low in a sweeping strike aimed at Jinhwan's torso.
Jinhwan's eyes sharpened, he folded his legs in mid-air, drawing his knees tightly to his stomach, taking the blow on his legs instead of his core.
Crack!
The impact echoed through the ruins as the force launched him backwards, sending him flying through the air.
He twisted in mid-flight, using the momentum. Then,
slam!
He stabbed both daggers into the ground, dragging through concrete and rubble as he skidded back to the spot he'd started from. Dust and gravel shot up around him as he came to a grinding halt.
It was a powerful hit.
And yet.. he'd stopped it.
Jinhwan ripped the daggers free from the earth and rose to his feet, exhaling slowly. His eyes stayed locked on Zeze, cold and unwavering, breathing steady despite the impact.
This wasn't going to be easy.
"Why would you wanna eat us?" Jinhwan ducked slightly into a ready stance. His veins still glowed faintly, a soft light pulsing beneath his skin, and his blue eyes burned with quiet intensity. A thin layer of blue aura began to form around the handles of his daggers, flickering like flames waiting to burst.
"Trust me. I don't taste good. And that monkey doesn't either. So just find something else."
Zeze let out a slow, mocking chuckle.
"Oh, don't worry about the taste."
His voice dripped with sarcasm.
"My cooking skills are excellent, I can make anything edible. Besides.."
He tilted his head slightly.
"It's rare to find fresh meat these days."
Two of his spider limbs, long, sharp, and armoured, rose from the ground like spears, aiming directly at Jinhwan.
This asshole really has no intention of letting us go.
Jinhwan's fingers tighten around his weapons, the blue aura intensifying with the rising wind.
Jinhwan clenched his jaw as he blinked, His eyes went wide. Zeze was suddenly just a few meters in front of him.
What-?
He didn't even get the chance to register what had happened. Instinctively, Jinhwan brought both arms up to guard.
Zeze's legs struck him in the stomach, both of them landing clean and brutal.
Boom.
The blow launched Jinhwan like a cannonball, slamming him into the wall of a ruined building behind him. His body crashed halfway into the stone, cracking it with the force. Dust exploded around the impact site, clouds billowing out as the wall groaned under the hit.
A few drops of blood slipped from the corner of Jinhwan's mouth, trailing down his chin.
[Episode 39 End]