Chapter 11: Kissing Is a Combat Skill?

“Ha-kiss?”

Baek Eun-hoo, who had been mocking Seong Ju-an for a while, frowned.

Ju-an instinctively realized that Baek Eun-hoo was about to activate a skill.

Seeing Baek Eun-hoo raise his finger made Ju-an’s heart race.

There was no more time to hesitate.

If shouting the skill name didn’t activate it, then only one option remained, the motion.

Having made up his mind, Seong Ju-an rushed up to Joo Ji-chan and grabbed his cheeks with both hands.

Startled, Joo Ji-chan’s eyes flew wide open as he lifted the flamethrower.

“Stay still. Now’s not the time to dodge. We don’t have time!”

“What the hell are you saying? Move if you don’t want to get roasted alive!”

Even then, Ju-an couldn’t relax and shot a quick glance toward Baek Eun-hoo.

The man who looked like he’d cast a skill at any second was, strangely enough, watching with keen interest.

Still, letting his guard down was dangerous, there was no telling when that lunatic might attack.

“Joo Ji-chan, you probably won’t understand, but I’m about to kiss you. So don’t move.”

“Are you out of your mind? In a situation like this?!”

“That’s not it-I just awakened as a buffer! To give you a buff, I have to kiss you!”

“Try saying something that makes sense! You’re completely insane!”

Seong Ju-an let out a sigh.

Fair enough, if someone who looked like a civilian suddenly claimed to be a Constellation, then less than a day later said they’d awakened as a buffer, no one would believe it.

Then, just force it?

But how?

There was no way he could overpower Joo Ji-chan physically.

In the end, there was only one method.

Seong Ju-an pointed at the flamethrower hanging from Joo Ji-chan’s shoulder.

“Uh, Joo Ji-chan? I think there’s something wrong with your flamethrower.”

The moment Joo Ji-chan turned his head toward it, Ju-an lunged forward and pressed their lips together.

Please, let it activate even if it’s just a graze.

Joo Ji-chan’s body stiffened completely.

Heart pounding, Ju-an squeezed his eyes shut and bit gently at his lips.

The previously cool body heated up in an instant, and the lips he’d touched suddenly pulled him in.

This feels… strange.

Why is it so hot?

Is it because he’s a fire-type Hunter?

“Mm-ngh.”

Just as Ju-an tried to pull away, startled by the sensation, Joo Ji-chan suddenly pressed down hard on the back of his head.

Then he shoved Ju-an bodily into the wall.

A large shadow fell over him as the kiss turned frantic, devouring.

The skill should have activated by now, yet Joo Ji-chan showed no sign of letting go.

When Ju-an barely managed to pull his lips away to breathe, Joo Ji-chan chased after him immediately, as if even that brief separation was unbearable.

A tongue slipped inside, tangling stickily with his own.

His entire body burned as if boiling.

Unable to endure it any longer, Ju-an opened his eyes, and met a pair of confused, crimson eyes.

“Haah… hey, snap out of it. We’re in the middle of a fight. Don’t you feel anything?”

Panting as he pressed him, Joo Ji-chan’s eyes wavered slowly before he ground out a curse.

“Damn it… what is this? Haah…”

As Joo Ji-chan turned away in visible confusion, Baek Eun-hoo sneered as if he’d been waiting.

“Sharing love is fine and all, but did you really have to do it here? Should people without partners just die of loneliness?”

The mocking words sent chills racing down Ju-an’s spine, but only for a moment.

The flamethrower vanished from Joo Ji-chan’s shoulder.

Judging by that, the buff had taken effect, he’d decided not to use his main weapon against Baek Eun-hoo.

Seong Ju-an quickly ducked behind Joo Ji-chan and watched the situation unfold.

Using the edge of the desk as a foothold, Joo Ji-chan leapt upward.

Crunch!

The desk split cleanly in half.

What-wasn’t that made of stone?

How did it break so easily?

A marble desk shattered with a single kick.

The SSS-rank Kiss buff truly lived up to its destructive power.

Even Baek Eun-h00 and Mo Jun-young stared at Joo Ji-chan in shock.

Joo Ji-chan curled his hand, preparing to use Lament of the Fire Demon.

“Looks like what that guy said was true. What should I do? Feels like my stats tripled.”

“…That’s impossible.”

Baek Eun-hoo narrowed his eyes, alternating his gaze between Joo Ji-chan and the shattered desk, then hardened his stare.

With the evidence right in front of him, disbelief was no longer an option.

Joo Ji-chan’s eyes began to glow red, the telltale sign of a skill activating.

Mo Jun-young, who had been standing far back, dashed over and wrapped an arm around Seong Ju-an’s waist.

“Staying here any longer might get you hurt. Let’s go.”

At that, Ju-an clung to Mo Jun-young’s waist and looked back at Joo Ji-chan.

Joo Ji-chan was glaring at Baek Eun-hoo with eyes blazing like fire.

Leaving him behind felt a little worrying, but no matter how strong Baek Eun-hoo was, there was no way he could win against a Joo Ji-chan whose stats had tripled.

Listening to Mo Jun-young seemed like the right call.

Still, Joo Ji-chan’s sense of justice was the real concern.

When someone who cares about civilian safety fights a lunatic who doesn’t, the latter usually has the advantage.

Would he really be okay?

As Ju-an hesitated, Mo Jun-young urged him on.

“What are you doing? Hold on tighter to my waist.”

“Joo Ji-chan is-”

“Hah? Who’s worrying about whom right now? If a civilian gets hurt in a fight between Awakeners, it becomes a huge headache. Just hold on.”

“Ah… okay. Let’s go.”

“Then I’ll lift you.”

The force with which Mo Jun-young hoisted him up was overwhelming.

Ju-an squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, he was dangling in the air, slung over Mo Jun-young’s side.

Boom. Boom.

Massive explosions rang out behind them, but Ju-an didn’t look back.

Right now, he needed to focus on Mo Jun-young, who was sprinting with him in tow.

Since they were escaping, increasing movement speed would help.

“Mo Jun-young, want to shake hands with me?”

He answered incredulously.

“Do you not see that I’m carrying someone while running?”

“…I’ll boost your movement speed. Just hold my hand.”

“Unbelievable. I have no idea what’s going on.”

When Mo Jun-young reached the lower floor via the stairs, he slowed down.

Skreeech.

Even just stopping kicked up a massive cloud of dust where his feet met the floor.

“Wow… As expected, Adamantine Body!”

Mo Jun-young frowned deeply and asked in disbelief.

“W-what was that just now?”

“Adamantine Body. Isn’t that your nickname?”

Was it just his imagination?

It felt like heat was rising from Mo Jun-young’s body.

When Ju-an looked up, Mo Jun-young’s face was bright red all the way to his ears.

“Where on earth did you hear that?”

“The Creator of Sacrifice told me. Said you’re called Adamantine Body.”

…Was he embarrassed?

Seeing the usually stoic, businesslike Mo Jun-young flustered over something so trivial felt oddly refreshing.

“…Enough. Stop teasing people with strange nicknames and just shake my hand.”

Mo Jun-young reached out.

His hand wasn’t particularly small for a man, yet Ju-an’s fit perfectly inside it.

Moments later, warmth began to bloom from their joined palms, and Mo Jun-young’s eyes gleamed darkly.

“So it’s real.”

Murmuring that, Mo Jun-young pushed off and started running again.

This time, the speed was on an entirely different level.

Objects flew past too fast to even register.

Whoa… this skill is insane.

As Ju-an marveled, sudden dizziness washed over him.

The Handshake skill boosted the target’s speed, but apparently didn’t grant the buffer any resistance to motion sickness.

Damn it.

If the system was going to awaken me, it could’ve at least adjusted my physical stats too.

Keeping my stamina the same was just cruel.

What a baffling system.

****

On the surface, Baek Eun-hoo looked calm, but internally, he was shaken as he watched Joo Ji-chan.

Buffed Joo Ji-chan deliberately attacked only empty areas.

No, he wasn’t even using skills.

Furniture and structures simply collapsed on their own.

In terms of raw physical power, he seemed even stronger than Mo Jun-young, the strongest among Awakeners.

“Damn it!”

Baek Eun-hoo cursed under his breath, dodging Joo Ji-chan’s attacks.

Joo Ji-chan twisted his mouth into a grin and taunted him further.

“What? Can’t handle it once you actually fight me?”

“Don’t get cocky.”

He hated to admit it, but with his current abilities, Baek Eun-hoo stood no chance.

The guy claiming to be the Creator of Sacrifice had already escaped with Mo Jun-young, fighting Joo Ji-chan now was meaningless.

And simple-minded as Joo Ji-chan was, he never backed down from a fight he believed was justified.

Even when the opponent was stronger, he’d charge in relentlessly.

Now that he knew he was stronger, he’d go berserk.

What now?

Retreating wounded his pride, but……

Even as he thought that, Baek Eun-hoo flashed Joo Ji-chan a crooked grin.

The man who’d been rampaging paused and narrowed his eyes.

“What’s with that smile?”

“Joo Ji-chan. The target’s gone, do we really need to keep fighting?”

“Cut the crap! You think I don’t know you? If I disappear, you’ll just chase after him and pick a fight with Mo Jun-young.”

Oh?

Didn’t expect that much insight from someone so simple.

His plan to talk him down and then chase Seong Ju-an had failed.

So what now?

At that moment, a status window appeared before Baek Eun-hoo’s eyes.