Chapter 213
“Father. That’s a bit...”
“This conversation is within the clan, mind you.”
“C-Clan Leader-nim.”
“Yes.”
Kwon Yeonghyeong, the leader of the Six-Eyed Turtle clan, was Kwon Yeongseung’s father.
Usually, when a hunter reached A-grade, they would leave the clan and work independently. However, Kwon Yeongseung remained in the clan even after reaching A-grade because his father was the clan leader. However, that didn’t mean that the clan leader would give Kwon Yeongseung special treatment.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Yes… I don’t get along with Choi Yeonseung.”
“What is this nonsense that you are saying?”
The clan leader looked at Kwon Yeongseung in amazement.
Out of the three South Korean A-grade hunters, Kwon Yeongseung was the most popular.
Han Seha was like a rabid dog, whereas Jeong Wonuk was older and the leader of a clan, which meant he rarely showed his face in public due to his social position. On the other hand, Kwon Yeongseung was the hunter most familiar to the public, having participated in various broadcasting activities. His skills definitely played an important role, but his popularity was largely due to his unique personality.
To think that he, out of all people, didn’t get along with somebody…
“I don’t think Hunter Choi Yeonseung is a difficult person, is he?”
The clan leader didn’t understand.
Of course, the rumors about the hunters were astonishing. Nobody could tell what a hunter, whom the public regarded as a hero, was doing behind the scenes. However, the clan leader was a generation older than Kwon Yeongseung, so he knew a lot about first-generation hunters.
When Choi Yeonseung quickly set a record after returning to the Abyss and reaching A-grade, he gathered information from the first-generation Korean hunters.
-Hunter Choi Yeonseung? Ahh... That guy? I remember. I think he’s crazy...
-He’s an outstanding martial artist among hunters. He was the most fearless among those who learned martial arts.
-He’s quite an ascetic individual. To think you’d find someone like that these days…. Aren’t they all dead?
He didn’t need to hear more to know what Choi Yeonseung was like. He was an insanely disciplined man who only pursued strength. Quite the rarity for those days. Such hunters usually died when encountering a problem during raids, but they normally got along with other hunters just fine.
“That... I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, but his personality is a bit... It’s not like something happened...”
“Stop beating around the bush, Hunter Kwon Yeongseung,” said the clan leader in a stern voice as he realized that his son wasn’t telling him the truth.
“I don’t think his training policy suits me.”
“So you don’t want to work with him because of the intense training?”
“......”
“It’s a valid reason.”
The clan leader sighed.
The report from the last Abyss raid said things like ‘Hunter Choi Yeonseung is friendly with Hunter Kwon Yeongseung. They have been training together...’ so he wondered if that was the reason. Rather, he thought this was better. Kwon Yeongseung was a natural talent, but that also made him lazy. No matter the words, persuading him was nearly impossible, but it was nevertheless a good opportunity to do something about his laziness.
“Take the hunters and ask them to cooperate. I won’t listen to your nonsense anymore.”
“...I understand.”
Kwon Yeongseung nodded at the clan leader’s words. If he had continued to argue, all hell would’ve broken loose.
***
Lee Changsik, the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor, was surprised when the leader of the Six-Eyed Turtle clan contacted him out of the blue. Due to the location, they had each other’s contact information, but they weren’t that close.
-Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor-nim. It’s been a while since I’ve contacted you like this.
-...You can just call me by my name.
-Ah. I’m sorry. Hunter Lee Changsik, I wanted to contact you this time to...
-......??
He wanted Lee Changsik to tell Hunter Choi Yeonseung that he was free to do whatever he wanted with Hunter Kwon Yeongseung. It didn’t sound like some kind of trap or joke, but Lee Changsik was nonetheless confused.
“It’s nice to see you again like this… By the way, what’s with the reporters behind you?”
Lee Changsik frowned. Ever since he became the coach of the national team, he had no memory of any good interactions with reporters.
As if trying to shake off boredom, reporters would follow him and ask stuff like ‘How did the national team become so weak?’ He felt it was unfair to be criticized like that since the national team was a mess even before he was put in charge. Nevertheless, as the coach, he had no choice but to suck it up and accept the responsibility.
If Hwang Gyeongryong had been in that situation, he would’ve arrested all the pesky reporters and hanged them in front of the office building.
“I don’t know where the reporters come from.”
“??”
“I contacted an agency of reporters who write articles for money, so I’m not exactly sure where they come from...”
“????”
Choi Yeonseung contacted the agency when coming to South Korea.
-I need reporters who can write emotional, heart-warming articles. Do you know anybody?
-Well, if you have money, anything can be done.
-Money won’t be an issue. I’ll pay however much it takes.
-In that case, I can call as many people as you want. It’s going to be a first-come, first-served kind of thing.
Excellent reporters jumped at the announcement that he would pay advertising fees and bonuses to those who could write the most touching articles.
“Yeonseung, I know that you care about me and I appreciate it, but articles like that won’t change how people view me.”
Lee Changsik wondered if Choi Yeonseung was worried about him being humiliated and called the reporters because of that. But that wasn’t it.
“It’s not because of that. Please take this.”
“What is this?”
“A gift.”
Lee Changsik didn’t understand what he was hearing. The antique relic seemed to be quite valuable. Some of them had turned into artifacts...
‘??’
Click, click—
The reporters quickly started taking photos. Choi Yeonseung nodded with a satisfied expression.
“What title did you come up with?”
“I will start first, Hunter Choi Yeonseung! ‘The treasure of Joseon was recovered. The Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor was the one responsible for it!’”
“A bit strange, but overall not bad. Next!”
“The greatest hunter...”
“Great job! Son of South Korea...”
Every time a reporter presented their strange headlines, Choi Yeonseung nodded in satisfaction and gave them a bundle of money.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“Write the article well. If you write something weird, I’ll be paying you a visit. You know that I live in the US now, right?”
“O-Of course.”
The fact that Choi Yeonseung was living in the US was even scarier than his actual threats. The reporters were only allowed to go back after promising to write good stories about the retrieval of the cultural assets.
“What is this...?”
“It’s not very important. Hyung, are you going to participate in this monster wave?”
“I’m going to be a reserve.”
“That...”
Hunters had some superhuman feats, but that didn’t mean they were invincible. Aging was a good example of that. They felt its effects later than most people, but they still felt it. Lee Changsik was still an A-grade hunter, but he knew well that he was past his prime. That was why he only participated as a reserve in case of an emergency.
“Don’t make that face. Everyone gets to this point.”
“Gyeongryong hyung is still fit.”
“He’ll grow old as well.”
If Hwang Gyeongryong had heard this, he would’ve casually said something like, ‘Dude, what are you on about?’
Lee Changsik laughed bitterly.
“I brought you some of this. Don’t give it to other people. Use it to take care of yourself.”
“Thank you... but what is this?”
“They are health supplements.”
Among those were barley tea and supplements made from various ingredients, such as monster bones, meat, and blood. Choi Yeonseung wasn’t sure how effective they would be for a body that had started to feel the effects of aging, but he nonetheless hoped they would work well.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to drink them.”
Lee Changsik was grateful for Choi Yeonseung’s concern and kindly accepted the gift. Of course, he didn’t think the supplements would have a significant effect, and even if they did, he would give them to the younger hunters. However, his mental state alone made him feel like his body was recovering.
[Lee Changsik gains power through strong faith.]
“?!”
Choi Yeonseung was stunned to see Lee Changsik’s condition suddenly improve. Lee Changsik hadn’t even taken the supplements yet. He gained skills and became stronger thanks to his own faith.
-How strange. It’s rare to find a believer with such strong faith.
-Hyung likes me a lot.
-So the fit human doesn't really like you?
-...He actually likes me but he won’t show it because he’s a bit weird.
Choi Yeonseung ended up unwittingly defending Hwang Gyeongryong. He wasn’t a bad person! He was just… different...
“Woah, I already feel like I have more energy!”
“Haha... I’m glad. In any case, make sure you take your medicine.”
“Yes, of course. In any case, you?are the one who needs to be prepared for the monster wave.”
The fact that Choi Yeonseung would cooperate with Korean hunters during the monster wave made Lee Changsik very happy. Just having an A-grade hunter like Choi Yeonseung made him feel like he had a thousand troops.
“I’m sure you’ve dealt with more monster waves than me. Do you have any advice?”
In fact, Choi Yeonseung had never really experienced a monster wave. Of course, he had participated once in the past, but only to fill in the numbers as a low-level hunter. Most importantly, the atmosphere itself was different this time. When he participated in that monster wave as a low-level hunter, people lacked knowledge and were unprepared, so everybody panicked and thought that the world was about to end.
He never dreamed he would see something like this now. It was really strange to see onlookers from all over the world sit on the beach with excited expressions, saying things like, ‘Who do you think would win between this monster and this hunter?’
“Umm. It’s weird to have so many people gathered here.”
“Yeah.”
“If things go south, we have to deal with the spectators first...”
Choi Yeonseung nodded in understanding. Of course, Lee Changsik was the kind of person to prioritize the safety of civilians in case of an emergency. The hunters could take care of themselves, and the citizens behind them would be relatively fine because they would be far away.
“...Throw them away.”
“?!”
Choi Yeonseung couldn’t believe what he just heard.
“Throw them away?”
“Yes. Throw them away. Those guys ignored the evacuation order just to come here and watch the hunters fight like it’s some kind of show meant for their amusement. They’re worthless bastards.”
“No...?”
At this moment, Choi Yeonseung was confused. Were Hwang Gyeongryong and Lee Changsik playing a prank on him after exchanging bodies???
-This human has a point.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ agrees and feels refreshed!]
-...What is wrong with all of you?
Choi Yeonseung silenced the two constellations and asked Lee Changsik a question.
“Hyung, what happened? You weren’t like this before.”
“People change. Just take care of the hunters and forget about those bastards, whether they live or die. If they’re dumb enough to come here when there’s a monster wave, we should just let natural selection do its thing.”
“Huh...”
‘Judging from what he’s saying, I think he’ll get along with Gyeongryong hyung if they meet again.’
“Do you think I’m being too cold?”
Choi Yeonseung shrugged at Lee Changsik’s question.
“I suppose it’s only natural to prioritize the hunters because they are an important asset.”
“Yes. I'm afraid you'll get hurt if you try to pointlessly save people like that.”
Choi Yeonseung was saddened by Lee Changsik’s words. He had made so many sacrifices for him, and to see him turn out like this…
‘It breaks my heart.’
Choi Yeonseung wanted to somehow tell Lee Changsik that neither him nor Hwang Gyeongryong made any mistakes. However, it wasn’t something he could express with just a few words.
“Ah, right. The Six-Eyed Turtle clan leader asked you to give Hunter Kwon Yeongseung a rough time. What happened?”
“Did he say that? Kwon Yeongseung must’ve liked the training then.”
“Ah. You trained with him, didn’t you? He avoided talking about it when I asked.”
“He must’ve been embarrassed. If Hunter Kwon Yeongseung becomes stronger, then it will help Hyung as well.”
“I’m already semi-retired, but...”
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