SWNOVELXO Chapter 19: MODERN NORTHERN DUKE
ALTHOUGH Viki was surprised by Won Yiwon's unexpected appearance, she still managed to pull herself together and land gracefully.
Of course, Won Yiwon also landed the same way.
Damn, my modern Northern Duke looks like a hot billionaire CEO today.
Won Yiwon, instead of his Hunter uniform, wore a classic black suit paired with a crisp white shirt that gave him the flawless, elegant look that suited a business setting instead of dungeons.
He really looks expensive, even though he's just standing there while looking around.
It was the watch.
Won Yiwon only had a watch as an accessory, and yet it completed his entire look.
Although the watch looks low-key, I bet that's worth a penthouse in Seoul.
But who was Viki kidding?
Even if Won Yiwon wore cheap clothes, it would still look great on him.
It's the face— Won Yiwon's face card is insane, no matter how many years it has been.
"This Sinkhole is roughly 30 meters wide and 30 meters deep."
Oh, look.
The beautiful statue is talking.
Viki couldn't care less about what Won Yiwon was saying.
She just enjoyed listening to his calm, deep, and low voice.
It sounds sexy.
But the sexier part?
It's how Won Yiwon speaks with confidence and clarity.
"This depth is nothing for a Hunter like me, but I'm impressed that you landed perfectly," Won Yiwon commented bluntly while looking at Viki without hiding the fact that he found her suspicious. "You must be a high-ranking Hunter then."
"I'm an F-Class Hunter… sir."
Tsk.
Viki wasn't used to talking to Won Yiwon politely, but she had no choice but to use formal language when speaking to him because they weren't on the same level anymore.
"F-Class?"
"I have my Hunter's license with me, sir. Would you like to check it... sir?"
"You don't have to force yourself to speak formally to me."
"How could I speak casually to our country's #1 Hunter?"
"Am I this country's #1 Hunter?"
Viki knitted her eyebrows. "You are… sir. Do you not check the annual Hunter Rankings released every first week of January? Uh, sir?"
"If an F-Class Hunter, whose physical strength shouldn't be that different from a Civilian, could land gracefully after falling into a Sinkhole this deep, then I can't trust the system used to rank the Hunters of this country anymore."
Aigoo.
I should have pretended I broke an ankle after I landed.
But there was still a way to defend herself.
"Hunter Won, don't you think you're underestimating F-Class Hunters too much?" Viki complained. "Not all F-Class Hunters are physically weak. Some of us are blessed with outstanding abilities that make us a little more special than our fellow F-Class Hunters."
"You must really be special then," Won Yiwon said, using his hands to gesture at their surroundings. "The pollution level in this Sinkhole is high enough to knock down even C-Class Hunters."
Oops.
That Sinkhole used to be a dungeon that exuded
Yes, the entire place was like a garden with gigantic, poisonous flowers everywhere.
And it didn't look pretty at all.
After all, the
Hence, the scenery looked like it was taken out of an old film with shitty color grading. Nothing there looked aesthetic. Even the yellow shade of the sunless and moonless sky looked ugly because it was the same color as urine.
"And, yet, you're fine," Won Yiwon continued with his observation. "You're even talking back to me just fine, even without a mask."
Oops.
That was another blunder from Viki.
Only high-ranking Hunters like her and Won Yiwon wouldn't need a special gas mask in a place like that. Most Hunters would pass out without one.
Tsk.
I guess it's time to channel my inner actress.
"Ah, no wonder I feel dizzy," Viki said while taking off her blazer, leaving her with only a plain white and fitted tee as a top. She then used the jacket to cover her head before squatting down. "Hunter Won, can you look for the Civilians who also fell into this Sinkhole?"
She had no intention to kill the Rebelheart bastards (and their poor manager).
Hence, she made sure that those Civilians would fall into the only safe area in that Sinkhole.
"Why do you want me to save them?" Won Yiwon asked, looking down at Viki while raising an eyebrow at her. "I thought you wanted those kids dead?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir."
"That's weird," Won Yiwon said, squatting down in front of Viki to match her eye level. "I came out as soon as I felt a Sinkhole appearing. Then I saw you just standing there while looking at your watch as if you were waiting for something."
What the hell?
I thought I made sure no one else was there…
Haaah.
Viki just gave up thinking.
This is Won Yiwon we're talking about— he could hide his presence from me if he wanted to.
But…
"You were at the broadcasting company?"
"I had a meeting there," Won Yiwon said, raising an eyebrow again. "Why? Are you curious about my schedule?"
Viki ignored Won Yiwon's teasing because she was curious about one more thing. "How did you know that the victims are kids?"
"Let's just say I have a skill that scans the area and tells me the rough basic profiles of the people within the scope— whether they are Civilians or Hunters, their ages, and the rough sketch of their appearances."
Damn.
That's a scary ability.
"Don't worry— you appear as an F-Class Hunter."
"Because I am," Viki insisted. She knew that Won Yiwon was provoking her, but she didn't know why. Even so, she decided to keep her cool. "Hunter Won, I don't know what you're thinking about me. But I'm only here because even though I'm just an F-Class Hunter, it's still my duty to save Civilians—"
"Save your explanation for later."
"What?"
"I'll personally investigate the cause of this strange Sinkhole," Won Yiwon said firmly before standing up. "And you can't escape from me, Miss F-Class Hunter."
"I have a name," Viki said, scoffing because she didn't like being called that way. "It's Viki Young."
Won Yiwon just raised an eyebrow, and then he left without saying another word.
And that was when the realization hit Viki.
Shit.
My modern Northern Duke is still my type.
***
THERE was a point in Ahn Navi's life that she was so bored she started writing a romance fantasy webnovel in secret.
The story goes like this: the main female lead woke up in the body of a villainess from her favorite novel. Her goal is to break up with her fiancé, the one who killed the original Viki Young in the story. And that fiancé is Gideon Ace— the cold, monstrous Duke of the North.
Yeah, it was very cliché.
But Viki remembered that she enjoyed writing that story.
At the time, most romance fantasy webnovels' male lead has black hair and red eyes— and they are usually the cold Northern Duke.
One would think that it was the reason why Ahn Navi created 'Gideon Ace,' but no.
Gideon Ace was actually based on Won Yiwon— my modern Northern Duke with black hair and red eyes.
Needless to say, the entire webnovel revolved around Ahn Navi's delulu.
Sadly, in reality, Ahn Navi and Won Yiwon didn't even get to the 'confession part.'
At least, Viki Young and Gideon Ace are endgame in my novel.
Haaah.
Sad thoughts, go away.
Viki couldn't help it, though.
Watching Won Yiwon walk towards her caused her old feelings to resurface.
Damn, he even got taller.
That part was actually annoying.
"Why are you glaring at me?" Won Yiwon asked, clearly amused, after squatting down in front of her. "I brought the kids, like you asked."
Riiight.
The Rebelheart bastards and their poor manager were floating behind Won Yiwon— and everyone was inside a giant semi-transparent cube.
They're unconscious, but alive— as I intended, of course.
"Do you know where I found them?"
"Sir, how would I know that?"
"I found them in what seems like the only green field in this dungeon. The air in that area isn't the cleanest, but it's safe for ordinary humans to breathe in. You know what's even more amazing?" Won Yiwon said, tilting his head to one side while observing Viki's face. "The SUV didn't get wrecked totally, even after it fell into a 30-meter-deep Sinkhole. They sustained minor injuries, and they only passed out because of shock. Other than that, they're fine."
Heh.
That was thanks to Viki's Glass Jar, of course.
Before she created the artificial Sinkhole, she first put the SUV inside a protective Glass Jar. If not, the Rebelheart bastards and their poor manager would have died after falling into the Sinkhole that deep.
"They must be lucky then," Viki said, playing innocent. "Sir, why don't you leave the kids to me and search around the area? You need to find the boss of this dungeon for us to get out of here, right?"
"You and I both know there aren't monsters here."
"Huh?"
"You're a Hunter. Whether you're an F-Class or not, you'd know if there are monsters in a dungeon. It's a basic skill for Hunters these days."
Really?
Is that the case these days?
Viki wouldn't know because she hadn't entered a dungeon in this world after she returned a year ago.
And it wasn't like she talked about dungeons with Oh Sion before.
"Uh, yes," Viki said awkwardly while nodding. "You're right. I can tell there are no monsters here."
Won Yiwon raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?"
"Nothing," Won Yiwon said while shaking his head. "So, do you really have no intention of killing those kids?"
Aigoo.
Viki was sure of it now— Won Yiwon probably thought she used the Sinkhole as an opportunity to kill the kids.
That or maybe he suspects that I created the Sinkhole.
She wasn't worried about that, though.
Even if he's Won Yiwon, he still can't prove that this Sinkhole is artificial since that skill and technology haven't been developed in this world.
Moreover, why would Won Yiwon waste his time on an F-Class Hunter like Viki?
"I'll turn a blind eye."
"For real?"
"Yes, I'll turn a blind eye," Won Yiwon confirmed while nodding. "But you have to tell me why you want to kill the kids first."
"I'm not planning to kill them— I just need to break their bones in a way that it will take weeks for them to recover," Viki said. She had no choice but to confess because keeping her mouth shut would only make Won Yiwon suspect her even more. "But listen, sir— I have a reason."
And Viki spilled the tea to Won Yiwon.
I can't believe our first bonding moment is me sharing my evil scheme with my modern Northern Duke…
***
HAH, refreshing.
Viki felt refreshed after breaking a few of the Rebelheart bastards' bones.
They'll think they got those injuries from falling into the Sinkhole.
She knew that what she did was petty and cruel, but she had always been a person with a morally gray character.
I mean, my heart was corrupted by an evil Calamity for years.
"Are you done?" Won Yiwon asked casually. "Did breaking those kids' bones help you calm down?"
"Yes, but can you not stand close to me… sir?" Viki asked awkwardly since Won Yiwon seemed to have forgotten the concept of personal space. "I hate standing next to tall people."
"You're tall, too."
Viki immediately beamed. "Right? I'm glad you noticed… sir."
Ahn Navi was only 155cm because of the damned curse.
But when the curse was lifted and Viki became a Transcendent, she grew taller and hit 180cm.
She thought she'd be almost the same height as Won Yiwon, who used to stand 183cm.
Unfortunately, her modern Northern Duke also grew taller over the years.
Last time I checked, his personal information— released by the new Hunters' Association— claims Won Yiwon is 195cm tall now.
Tsk.
"Do you not like people taller than you because you hate looking up at them when you're talking?" Won Yiwon asked in a somewhat gentle voice. "I know someone who hates it when she has to look up at me."
"Let's just say that I understand that person's sentiment, whoever she is."
"Then will this make you less upset with my height?"
Viki didn't understand what Won Yiwon was saying at first, not until he squatted down again and looked up at her.
Huh?
It was weird to see South Korea's #1 Hunter looking up at someone when it should be the other way around.
"What are you doing… sir?"
"Will you keep talking to me if you don't have to break your neck while doing so?"
Now that was a bit weird.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're flirting with me, sir," Viki said, and then her gaze landed on Won Yiwon's left hand— on the wedding ring around his ring finger, to be precise. "But why would a married man like you do that?"
***
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