Chapter 132
-Please. It’s really hard to come across a martial artist.
Hunters in the UHC were more sensitive to changes than raid hunters. Raid hunters put their lives on the line, so they couldn’t easily use new skills. In comparison, the UHC was just a game. No matter how fierce a match became, it would never put them in danger. Hence, hunters used their newly learned skills without hesitation. That was why the trends changed quickly. There were already some UHC players working on using martial arts.
However, few martial artists were around, and most of them were only E or D-grade. Thanks to this, hunters who wanted to study martial arts had to find and bring in first-generation hunters who had already retired. That was why Choi Yeonseung was a very coveted sparring opponent. He was considered a man who used to be frozen in the past until he reappeared, and he was a first-generation hunter.
-I’ll send you a list of players, so please tell me who you think fits best. By all means.
“I understand. I’ll think about it,” Aine answered and waited for Cantu to send the list.
How many would he allow to go?
‘I want around five people. This way, I can choose.’
Aine was surprised when she checked the list. All the players who had signed with Cantu had applied.
“...... !”
***
“Practice? Of course, I’ll help you.”
Elisabeth readily accepted.
“It isn’t just any practice. I am going to film it and use it for publicity.”
“... I know that. I am higher-ranked than you, you bastard,” Elisabeth told Choi Yeonseung, dumbfounded. Elisabeth had recently ranked up even further, reaching 16th place.
Choi Yeonseung was 21st. There were five ranks between them. In addition, in terms of matches fought, Choi Yeonseung was a rookie, and Elisabeth was a veteran. She knew very well how the industry worked.
“I will teach you how to do it. First, film a gorgeous and eye-catching video. It can be one where you’re dealing with monsters or hunters.”
A video showing off skills was essential for a hunter. It didn’t matter if they were up against monsters or hunters. All they had to do was show off.
“Hmm. What next?”
“Next, post it on social media.”
“... I-I see.”
“Film another video afterward, and post it on social media again. Then pick a fight with an opponent or a hunter you are close to, post another video...”
“Does it have to be so much of a hassle?”
“We’re in the age of mass media. I haven’t even started yet. You need to call a reporter or commentator and shoot an interview.”
“Will they come?”
“If you give them an envelope of money, they definitely will,” Elisabeth said calmly.
Hunters made an astronomical amount of money from one match, so an envelope of it was nothing. This was how everything worked!
“Before that, let’s try fighting.”
“Uh… Are you sure?” Choi Yeonseung asked as if he was worried. They had already fought, but she did keep fighting in hopes of winning back then.
“... No. I wasn’t that clingy, was I?”
“You were clingy. Really clingy.”
“I wasn't!”
Elisabeth vigorously entered the virtual space. She didn’t know anything about martial arts back then, so she got badly beaten. It was different now. She had learned about martial arts from Choi Yeonseung and had studied a lot about it by herself.
Knowledge was power. Just knowing and preparing for the opponent could turn an unfavorable fight with 9:1 odds?into?a fight with equal odds!
‘Having the knowledge doesn’t mean you’ll be able to easily prepare.’
Having fought in the Abyss for over 10,000 years, he now could tell what his opponent was thinking just from their preparatory stance. Her body weight rested on her back foot, and her often-used greatsword was aimed at an angle forward. It was a defensive posture.
‘She has learned very well that she will be beaten up like a dog if she gets too close to a martial artist.’
Martial artists couldn’t use magic, but they had martial arts—close-range skills that gave them extreme control of the battle! It was the worst match-up for magicians, especially close-range magic damage dealers. As soon as magicians closed in on them and launched an attack, the martial artist could just deflect it, block it, send it back, etc.
In the end, close-range damage dealers were left with only one method to fight martial artists. Maintain a defensive stance, keep the martial artist away, and finish them off with powerful magic when the opportunity?arose.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“You come first!”
“Fine. Alright.”
Choi Yeonseung stomped on the ground, and he instantly disappeared. He was limiting his strength to B-grade, but his movements were still in an entirely different level. She missed him even though she had strengthened herself with ‘Enhanced Reflexes Speed’ and ‘Battle Protection.’
Elisabeth gritted her teeth as she retaliated.
-Akan’s Reinforced Blade!
She used a wide-area attack. In an instant, blades made of magic power appeared around her and blocked off access.
‘Oh.’
Choi Yeonseung stepped back with a satisfied expression. He could feel that Elisabeth’s reaction made him feel that had done some research. Battles were only fun if the participants were equal. A bastard like Maximillian, who only believed in one skill, wasn’t fun to deal with at all.
‘Yes. A fight should be this fun.’
Back in the Abyss, a lot of his battles required predicting the opponent and trying to gain an advantage against them. Only when beings fought that way did their skills improve.
[The skill ‘Overcome Oneself to Become Strong’ has been activated. Fighting strong existences will increase the power of your existence.]
‘Power of existence!’
Choi Yeonseung was grateful for Elisabeth’s hard preparation. His surroundings lit up with the light of Origin of the Celestial Finger. Choi Yeonseung snapped his fingers, and a bullet flew toward Elisabeth. In response, Elisabeth turned her greatsword to the side and cast a spell to use a shield.
“Did you think I only?use?melee magic?”
“I’m not thinking about anything.”
Elisabeth cast a shockwave spell, causing?a mass much heavier than the wind?to fly with a fierce sound. When it hit the ground, it unleashed a shockwave that swept through their surroundings. However, Choi Yeonseung had already widened the distance.
‘Seriously, what is he…?’
Elisabeth suppressed her complaints during the fight. To be honest, all she could think of was ‘Why did martial arts fail?’ whenever she faced Choi Yeonseung. Since he was a powerful close-quarters combatant, she tried to push him back to mid-range or long-range. However, Choi Yeonseung used his unique footwork to dodge her attacks, never even bothering to block them.
Overwhelming skill proficiency. That was the difference between other martial artists and Choi Yeonseung. Even though he had limited his internal energy and his martial arts stage, the martial arts experience he had accumulated for over 10,000 years didn’t disappear.
Currently, Choi Yeonseung was like a master who made up for his low level with experience. Elisabeth thought she required a wide-range skill to blow up the area, but she couldn’t use that...
“Aren’t you coming?”
“Hmm. I feel like you’re going to use up all of your magic power sooner or later since you’re maintaining your guard.”
“......”
Stabbed in her sore spot, Elisabeth shut up. This was too dishonorable!
“D-Don’t you know that hunters who avoid fighting and drag out time are criticized?”
“Here I come, then.”
Choi Yeonseung rushed over in a straight line like a madman, making Elisabeth nervous. Did he actually plan on just charging head-on?
‘Calm down and counter!’
-Sword of Shock, Riholek’s Reflective Barrier, Shock Amplification, Earth Blow!
A magic combo that gave her multiple lower circle buffs and finished with one powerful attack spell! Even if Choi Yeonseung dodged to the side, he would still likely get damaged because its range was so large. Noticing powerful magic power surge like waves, Choi Yeonseung stretched out his palm and released internal energy, firing a cannonball-like attack that smashed the magic power waves.
‘Once isn’t enough, huh?’
If he could use concentrated energy, he would have split it all in a single strike. Unfortunately, he had to fight as if he couldn’t use it. He released palm energy with insane speed.
Once, twice, three times, four times! One of the shockwave’s sides collapsed, and Choi Yeonseung ran along the path that was created from it.
Elisabeth was completely defenseless since she was casting magic. In this situation, he had already won.
Spin.
“Huh?”
Elisabeth immediately used her remaining magic power and switched to martial arts. It was Choi Yeonseung’s Beginner’s Swordsmanship. In an instant, the sword released a beam that wound its way along the path Choi Yeonseung was coming from.
“No...”
Choi Yeonseung was dumbfounded. He smashed the sword with a punch and deflected it away. Right after, he closed the distance and kicked Elisabeth.
[The Otherworld has been turned off!]
It wasn’t the martial arts that surprised him. It was how well Elisabeth used it. How long had it been since he taught her? She managed to switch right away and skillfully unleash linked movements.
[Elisabeth Gutierrez]
[Level: 247
Strength: 541
Agility: 305
Physical Strength: 241
Magic Power: 265
Intelligence: 264
[Advanced Magic Casting Speed Enhancement]
[Sinaia’s Magic Sword]
[Akan’s Reinforced Blade]
[Akan's Blade Whirlwind]
......
......
Perhaps it was because they fought together, but he could now see more skills than before.
[Beginner’s Swordsmanship]
[Rank: B-]
“!”
The F-rank?martial?art had gone up to B-.
Did she just eat and train in martial arts?
[Your constellation eyes have improved, having pierced deeply into your target.]
[You have gained a deep understanding of your opponent.]
-Interesting.
-Oh. You were awake?
-Maybe it’s because you used to be human, but you understand humans very quickly.
-Quickly?
-Yes. Seeing through people is a type of skill.
Not all constellations could easily see through mortals. They could easily see through those who were close and similar to them, but only if they had a lot of experience and skill. From that perspective, Choi Yeonseung’s eyes were growing rapidly among the constellations. Was it because he used to be a mortal?
-By the way, there are other constellations here. Why didn’t you teach me this?
[......]
[......]
The two constellations would still have nothing to say even if they had ten mouths instead of one. Compared to the Goddess of Defeat and Sloth, they were at the level of children.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ tries to make an excuse, saying there are no other races in its realm, so it didn’t have to use its eyes...]
"Kuook... Kuaaaack...! Kyaaaack...!”
-Isn’t that mortal’s spirit a bit unstable?
‘No. She’s just a bit competitive.’
“I thought I could win...!”
Elisabeth gritted her teeth with resentment.
“Was eating and training in martial arts all you ever did?”
“Ah. How did you know? Can you see that?” Elisabeth asked with a bit of excitement. In fact, she had been practicing martial arts like crazy during the break. Could martial artists see that?
‘I can through my constellation eyes.’
“Something like that.”
[Choi Yeonseung has earned respect from his opponent.]
[She attempts to hide her respect out of pride.]
‘......!’
Was this possible? Was this what ‘deep understanding’ meant?
[She has unfounded illusions about the constellation that Choi Yeonseung believes in.]
[The power of your existence has increased due to faith.]
‘... It is an unfounded illusion.’
Choi Yeonseung was furious at what the world was saying.
Tak.
“Are you Choi Yeonseung?”
“?”
Just then, someone opened the door and walked in.
It was the first time Choi Yeonseung met the hunter, so he was curious, especially since the hunter wasn’t a member of the Icarus clan.
‘An elf?’
-It’s probably a mortal who has signed a contract with the Arrogant Light Elf.
An elf who had signed a contract with the elf constellation had come here...
It had to be Christopher, Choi Yeonseung’s next opponent.
“It is nice to meet you, Choi Yeonseung. Let me start by introducing myself. I am Ch—”
“Intruder!”
Bam bam bam bam!
“Well done, Choi Yeonseung!”
The two Icarus hunters overpowered the intruder and knocked the elf down.
Who dared?
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