The Hunter Monarch

They were making their way back towards the main artery of the plaza when a voice, slick as oil and just as unwanted, cut through the evening din.

"Su Wan! Fancy seeing you slumming it in this part of town."

Lin Yu felt an instant, reflexive tightening in his gut. He didn't need to look to know who it was. The voice belonged to Zhao Hu, a man who moved through the world with the unearned confidence of a minor god.

He turned. Zhao Hu was leaning against the wall of a high-end potion shop, flanked by two of his cronies. He was handsome in a cruel, predatory way, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to constantly be assessing a person's worth—and finding it lacking. His armor was a masterpiece of polished, black-lacquered steel, accented with gold filigree that shimmered under the neon lights. It was the kind of ostentatious gear that screamed 'new money' and 'unsubtle arrogance.' He was the leader of a rising party, "Tiger's Fury," known for their aggressive tactics and their leader's even more aggressive ego.

Zhao Hu's eyes scanned Su Wan from head to toe, a possessive, appraising look that made Lin Yu's teeth grind. "I was just telling my boys, 'What this party needs is a real Warrior.' We're planning a run on the B-Rank 'Molten Caverns' tomorrow. High risk, but the payout is legendary. You should join us. A talent like yours is wasted hunting trash mobs with D-listers."

His offer was a blatant attempt to poach her, wrapped in a backhanded insult to her current team. Su Wan's expression remained impassive, her face a mask of cold neutrality.

"I'm not interested, Zhao Hu," she said, her tone flat and dismissive. "My party is perfectly capable."

Zhao Hu's smile didn't falter, but a flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes. He pushed himself off the wall and sauntered towards them, his movements a carefully practiced swagger. His gaze fell upon Lin Yu, and his lip curled in a barely concealed sneer.

"Ah, I see," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. He looked Lin Yu up and down, taking in his cheap, worn clothes and the massive, empty pack still strapped to his back. "Still dragging this thing around with you? What's his name again? Zero?"

His two cronies snickered on cue, a well-rehearsed bit of sycophantic theater.

"His name is Lin Yu," Su Wan said, her voice dropping a few degrees, becoming as sharp and cold as glacial ice. She took a half-step, subtly positioning herself between Zhao Hu and Lin Yu. It was a small, protective gesture, but in the unspoken language of Hunters, it was as clear as a drawn sword.

Zhao Hu's eyes narrowed, his focus shifting entirely to Lin Yu. The casual mockery was replaced by a more pointed malice. He saw the bond between them, the quiet camaraderie, and it was like a lit match to his pride. He couldn't stand the thought of Su Wan, a prize he coveted, wasting her attention on someone so utterly worthless.

"Lin Yu," he repeated, tasting the name as if it were something foul. "Right. The charity case. You know, Su Wan, it's admirable that you have such a soft spot for strays, but a pet is just a pet. A leech like this will only hold you back. He can't fight. He can't level up. He can't even carry a bag without dropping the goods."

The jab was clearly aimed at the incident in the Fungal Grotto. News, especially embarrassing news, traveled fast in the Hunter community. Lin Yu felt his face flush with a hot mixture of shame and anger. He wanted to say something, to lash out, but what could he say? The truth of his powerlessness was a cage, and Zhao Hu was rattling its bars.

Su Wan, however, did not share his restraint.

"You know nothing about him," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "And you will not talk about my friends that way. Am I clear?"

The public challenge, delivered with such icy disdain, finally cracked Zhao Hu's veneer of charismatic superiority. To be so thoroughly and openly rejected, especially in front of his own men and for the sake of a Zero, was a humiliation his ego couldn't absorb. The fake smile vanished, replaced by a naked, venomous glare.

"A friend?" he scoffed, his voice turning ugly. "Don't be naive. He's a parasite, Su Wan. A dead weight you're dragging through the mud out of misplaced pity. One day you'll realize that, and when you do, my offer will still stand. Maybe."

He gave her one last, lingering look, then turned his full, undiluted malice on Lin Yu. His eyes were like a viper's, cold and promising pain. It was a look that said, This is your fault. You will pay for this.

Without another word, Zhao Hu spun on his heel and stormed off, his two lackeys scrambling to keep up. The brief, ugly confrontation was over, but it left a toxic residue in the air.

"Don't listen to him," Su Wan said, her voice losing its hard edge as she turned back to Lin Yu.

"I'm used to it," he replied, though the words felt like a lie. You never truly got used to being treated like dirt; you just got better at pretending it didn't hurt.

"You shouldn't have to be," she said fiercely. "Men like him only feel tall when they have someone to stand on. He's angry because I bruised his pride. It has nothing to do with you."

Lin Yu knew she was right, logically. But logic did little to soothe the sting. He had seen the look in Zhao Hu's eyes. He had made an enemy today, not through any action of his own, but simply by existing, by being the recipient of a kindness Zhao Hu felt belonged to him. A deep, instinctual sense of dread settled in his stomach. Vipers, once provoked, had a tendency to strike from the shadows when you least expected it.