Duke Luteous and I sharply turned our gazes away from each other and glared at the thugs.
Whether kidnapping was their true goal or not, none of them seemed to be carrying weapons.
‘Would they even know how to use weapons properly…? Poor guys.’
The thugs exchanged glances and began surrounding us.
Their movements were smooth, as if they had practiced this formation countless times.
‘Are they just your run-of-the-mill mercenaries?’
I didn’t know exactly who they were, but they seemed aware that I was a Hunter and that Duke Luteous was once a Sword Master.
That’s probably why they came in a group of fifteen. They might have even brought sleeping drugs with them.
Under normal circumstances, it was a job destined for success.
‘If I wasn’t the number-one-ranked Hunter, maybe they would’ve succeeded.’
But those poor fools didn’t seem to know that fact.
If they had, they probably wouldn’t have accepted this job in the first place. I had the Emperor’s gag order to thank for that.
‘They don’t seem connected to anyone high up… Or maybe they’ve been kept in the dark?’
Or perhaps they’d been deceived themselves.
If that were the case, the person who hired them was incredibly cunning.
Entrusting a mission while deliberately hiding key details about the target…
‘Well, I’ll just catch them first and ask who their boss is.’
I stepped forward leisurely towards the thugs.
“Princess! Come quietly before you get hurt! There are fifteen of us!”
“You’re bragging about ganging up on one person? Really?”
Most people think Taekwondo is designed for one-on-one combat, but in reality, it’s a martial art created to handle multiple opponents.
That’s why its kicking techniques are so well-developed.
I slowly rolled my neck and calmly took a stance.
Then, without warning, I spun around and launched a side kick.
My heel struck the solar plexus of the thug who was charging in first.
“Keuk!”
The thug crumpled backward, rolling like a fallen leaf as stomach acid spilled from his mouth.
The other thugs froze, staring blankly at their fallen comrade.
They seemed so stunned that their movements came to an abrupt halt.
With a slight chuckle, I prepared for my next attack.
“You fools! Astel! Can’t you see inside her dress?!”
At Duke Luteous’s loud outcry, I lowered my leg, which had been raised for a front kick, and spun around on the spot.
Using the momentum of my rotation, I struck another thug square in the nose with my elbow.
“Kueok!”
The thug’s nose bone shattered instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his face as dark red blood gushed through his fingers.
Their demeanor turned sharp and aggressive in an instant.
They began closing in on me and Duke Luteous, tightening their encirclement.
“Boys, handle her gently!”
“Yes, sir!”
I crouched down and easily dodged a fist that came flying at me with a sharp whooshing sound.
For guys spouting cliché lines you’d expect from street thugs, their moves were surprisingly sharp.
I stretched my right leg out and spun in a wide circle.
The thugs who got kicked square in their ankles toppled over like people slipping on ice.
“This is almost too easy. But hey, it’s a good warm-up. You guys can’t show up every day, alright?”
I grabbed a wrist that was lunging toward my face and spun gracefully, almost as if I were dancing.
With one swift motion, I twisted a thick arm behind its owner’s back. The thug screamed in agony.
“Aaargh! My arm! This crazy witch broke my arm!”
“Not yet, I didn’t.”
Still holding the thug’s wrist firmly, I delivered a sharp spinning kick to the face of one of the two thugs rushing toward me.
I then grabbed the collar of the other one and headbutted him without hesitation.
Nearby, Duke Luteous threw another thug to the ground with a sharp hip throw and clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“What kind of fighting style is that? So undignified.”
“Duke, how many have you taken down? I’ve got five—no, wait, six now!”
“…Four.”
“Oh my, the ever-dignified Duke only managed four?”
“…I take longer to warm up.”
“At this rate, you’ll still be warming up when the fight’s over. Don’t forget, the winner gets a wish!”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s not over until it’s over—”
Duke Luteous suddenly stopped talking.
“Out of breath already? Maybe you should just sit down and take a break now.”
I smirked as I took down another thug. But then, I felt a chilling sense of danger creep up behind me. Were they planning a sneak attack?
“Typical cowards.”
Just as I started to turn around, Duke Luteous’s voice rang out sharply.
“Astel!”
“Huh?”
Before I could fully react, I felt a sudden weight slam against my back.
Duke Luteous had thrown his entire body over me, covering my back.
“Duke…?”
Balancing a man over 180 cm tall in such an awkward stance was impossible. I lost my footing and fell to the ground with a thud.
“Ouch, you’re heavy. Did you trip over something? I told you to just sit still!”
“…”
“Look, I know it’s embarrassing, but can you move? There are still some thugs left to deal with—wait, what?”
Something was off. The thugs had stopped attacking and were standing frozen in place.
I couldn’t see their expressions because of their masks, but I could feel their fear.
“D-damn it! What kind of mess is this… Retreat!”
At someone’s shout, the thugs scattered in every direction, running away in a panic.
Stunned, I yelled after them.
“Hey! Where are you going?!”
They’re just running away… like this? What’s going on?
I couldn’t understand why they were retreating so suddenly.
Confused, I tilted my head and tapped Duke Luteous, who was still lying on top of me.
“Duke, they’re all gone. No one’s watching anymore, so you can get up now.”
“…Ugh…”
Duke Luteous didn’t respond. He just groaned softly, his face twisted in pain.
Only then did I realize something was wrong. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly.
“Duke, what’s wrong? Are you hurt… Wait, why is your back so wet?”
Thinking it might just be sweat, I looked at my hand—and froze.
My palm was covered in blood.
“W-why is there so much blood…?”
His black suit made it impossible to tell where the wound was.
Frantically, I inspected his back and finally spotted a long tear in the fabric. The chilling intent I’d felt earlier flashed through my mind again.
‘Did he… take that attack for me? But why?’
Their goal was to capture us alive. But things hadn’t gone according to plan.
They’d brought fifteen strong men, but they couldn’t match our skills.
In their panic, they abandoned their original plan and drew their weapons.
If they couldn’t capture us, they’d complete their mission by wounding us instead.
I wouldn’t have been caught off guard by such an ambush, but Duke Luteous was the issue.
Without hesitation, he had thrown himself over me to shield me—afraid that I, the top-ranked Hunter, might get hurt.
‘He should’ve protected himself instead… As if I’d be taken down by such a weak sneak attack. I could’ve handled it on my own!’
I bit my lip hard, trying to keep my frustration in check.
“Hoo…”
Duke Luteous let out a shaky breath, his forehead slick with cold sweat.
He was holding on through sheer willpower.
“You’re… not hurt… are you…?”
“Why did you do that? Did I ask you to protect me? Did you think I’d be touched by this?!”
“I… did it… for myself. If my… ally gets hurt… it’s… troublesome for me…”
“Stop talking!”
I tore strips from the hem of my dress and pressed them firmly against Duke Luteous’s back.
The bright yellow fabric quickly turned a deep crimson.
‘This isn’t good. He’s losing too much blood.’
It would’ve been better if the dagger had just stayed lodged in him.
It must have hit a major blood vessel when it was pulled out.
Panicking, I frantically opened the shop menu.
“Healing item, healing item… Ah!”
But of course, the one thing the shop didn’t sell was potions.
The only way to get a potion was through sponsorships from the Constellations or relying on a healer-class Hunter.
“Constellations, I know you’re there! I know you’re watching. Please, help me!”
No new messages popped up in the chat, but the viewer count had increased.
I used to think those numbers might be a glitch, but not anymore.
The Constellations were watching. They had to be watching.
“I need a potion. A top-grade one. If you donate it, I’ll do anything—whatever you want, any reaction, anything! Just, please, right now!”
But the chat remained silent.
‘Maybe the chat is glitched too…’
Desperately, I checked my inventory again and again, but no potions had appeared.
‘Is… is the sponsorship blocked?’
My heart plummeted, and my vision swam.
‘I was counting on them…’
I wanted to call for help, but there wasn’t a single passerby in sight.
‘Should I carry him…?’
I hesitated, then shook my head firmly.
Carrying someone with a back injury was reckless. It could cause permanent paralysis.
‘What do I do… What do I do…’
I clenched my eyes shut, then forced them open. Sweat dripped from my brow and rolled down my cheek.
“Constellations, please! Find a Hunter nearby and tell them to come here immediately! I don’t need just anyone—it has to be a Priest or Mage class. It’s urgent, please! Hurry!”
The viewer count suddenly dropped by twenty-nine.
