Chapter 76
“His courage is no joke. Coming out like that against Maximilian.”
“Maximilian really doesn’t have any experience in clearing dungeons.”
“Clearing dungeons isn’t important. Hunters can fight well even if they don’t have experience clearing dungeons.”
“Still, hunters have to be strong in actual combat. Look. Maximilian is speechless.”
The lack of actual experience was a strong weakness for some players, including Maximilian. The reason why it didn’t come out was because other players usually had nothing to say in this area as well. If they had a reputation in the league, there was no reason to risk their life in a raid!
With Maximilian speechless, Choi Yeonseung finished his piece.
“Everyone, listen up. I won’t avoid you or run away. If you have any doubts or complaints about my skills, come at me. I am willing to give you a real battle instead of a fight in the Otherworld. Don’t run your mouth if you can’t even do that. Understood?”
“......”
Aine, who was watching from a distance, almost dropped the phone she was holding.
‘Should he have just cursed his parents?’
She thought he would do the interview defensively, but Choi Yeonseung was acting insanely aggressive! It got to the point where even Aine couldn’t determine if he was doing well or not. It was unconventional...
She didn’t know about anything else, but one thing was certain. Now that this had happened, Choi Yeonseung had to win! If he lost after this much provocation, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in front of other hunters.
‘I have to make sure that he wins! By all means!’
***
Aine moved quickly.
The match had already been set. It wasn’t possible to delay or cancel it anymore. Maximilian had been extremely shamed, so he’d likely be fiercely preparing for the match. Considering what just transpired, Maximilian wouldn’t be able to recover his reputation unless he had properly crushed Choi Yeonseung.
“Find hunters similar to Maximilian. We will keep doing practice matches before the actual match.”
“How about Jason?”
“Are you joking? Do you still want to get paid? How is Jason similar to Maximilian? He is much slower and duller. Find someone faster and more agile.”
“I’ve already recruited?Sipolla. He’ll be coming over immediately to help.”
“Well done. Keep in touch.”
Aine patted the shoulders of her subordinates and prepared for the match. A match between hunters was spectacular, but behind it were drops of sweat from many people. It started with attracting attention through the media. This training course was also a part of that.
Aine planned to edit these practice matches and spread them through the media. If done properly, Choi Yeonseung’s image would drastically change.
People inevitably liked watching a hunter practice until he was sweaty. His abilities were a bonus! If he showed that he couldn’t be pushed around even when up against prominent hunters, then the public’s suspicions would subside to some extent. There would always be people who’d doubt Choi Yeonseung, but he’d shut them up in the actual match...
“Ah. I’m sorry.”
Choi Yeonseung arrived late and belatedly realized the crazy situation. Hence, he spoke with a slightly apologetic expression.
“I don’t want you to set up practice matches.”
“... Why? ?”
Aine, who had been frantically giving instructions, turned her head and fiercely asked. Her eyes looked like she was going to kill someone!
Choi Yeonseung replied seriously. “Practice matches don’t help me much. It will just take up my time.”
“Really? You should reconsider. No matter how much experience you have in clearing dungeons, fighting against a hunter is different. They’re nothing like the monsters you’ve faced, considering their patterns and the skills they use are different.”
An individual battle between hunters was nothing like fighting monsters. Unlike relatively simple monsters, each hunter was different. No matter how confident a hunter was in his skills, their opponent could easily turn the tables around in single-combat situations with a hidden move.
“I know. Still, it’s fine. Please cancel the practice matches.”
“... I understand.”
“Thank you. I’m blessed to have met a manager who understands me this well. I’ll be training by myself until the match, so please call me if anything happens.”
Choi Yeonseung then left. The moment he closed the door behind him, the other staff members spoke up. They were clearly confused.
“B-Boss. Shouldn’t we discourage it?”
“Miss Lawrence. Fighting Maximillian without participating in a practice match...”
Aine wasn’t the type to listen to hunters that much. For private matters, she dared do things like ask Justin Bieber to dress as a beaver and come to a birthday party. However, she never changed her mind when it came to public matters. If the hunter insisted on a match or a raid against her opinion, Aine would break the contract without hesitation!
Yet she obediently listened to this Asian hunter as if she had eaten something wrong. Perhaps she actually did…
“He says he doesn’t like it.”
“No, Miss Lawrence, you crushed and defeated people like him and made them listen to you.”
“... Do you want me to throw you and your desk out the window?”
The staff members quickly shut up. Aine was the type to do what she said.
“He can take care of himself, so let’s trust him... ugh...”
Aine sounded distressed, almost as if she was really worried. She didn’t believe in Choi Yeonseung’s skills at first. However, many of her doubts disappeared when he entered the Icarus clan and she watched the training video. He could be a martial artist, but there was no reason why he couldn’t get a B-grade rating.
However, there was nothing absolute in a fight. To be honest, martial arts was bound to be disadvantageous against magicians. This was why she had to prepare and practice specialized tactics... However, Choi Yeonseung had a strange persuasive power. Hearing him say ‘it’s fine’ with those serious eyes made his words sound plausible for some reason.
‘Does he have the ‘Hynopsis’?skill?’
***
“I saw the interview! As I expected from my rival, you made it exciting.”
Antony enthusiastically greeted Choi Yeonseung when he returned. Choi Yeonseung looked around. There was no one else in the training ground. Antony was alone.
“Have you been waiting for me to come?”
“W-What? No. Who do you think I am? Do I look like I would do that, Choi Yeonseung?”
“No? I’m sorry...”
“I don’t have any intention of proving my abilities by helping you before your match.”
“... That didn’t even cross my mind.”
He had been waiting!
“You aren’t participating in the UHC?”
“Bah. There’s no reason for me to hang out with those clowns.”
While the UHC could be a spectacular battlefield for wealth and fame, not all hunters participated in it. Although its battles were held in a virtual world, they would still feel the mental damage of getting hurt and dying. Any hunter with a reputation for real-life raids didn’t have to participate in the UHC!
“Ah. I don’t mean that you’re a clown, Choi Yeonseung.”
Antony realized what he said and hurriedly retracted his words.
“That didn’t cross my mind either, but thanks anyway.”
“Huhu. Good. Now, go to the training field and I’ll show you my spectacular magic combos.”
“No. I was going to train alone instead of joining practice matches.”
There was one simple reason why Choi Yeonseung avoided practice matches. It didn’t really help. Right now, Choi Yeonseung wouldn’t get any rewards no matter how much he practiced with B-grade hunters.
Choi Yeonseung was the Undefeated Incarnation of Training. He wouldn’t gain any strength if he didn’t train himself properly. It would be better for him to train alone since doing so would allow him to raise the difficulty as much as possible.
“......”
Antony became sullen at Choi Yeonseung’s words. He had waited at the clan’s training ground on his day off...
“Bah. I’ll just watch you train from the sidelines, then.”
Antony didn’t give up, however. Instead, he decided to gain something from the side. He hoped that Choi Yeonseung would feel the limit when training alone and ask him for help!
“It won’t be very interesting.”
“Bah. I’m going to do my own training as well, so don’t worry.”
Antony watched Choi Yeonseung very closely. He wanted to see what this person would do! Choi Yeonseung touched the ground with his feet and held it tightly. With both feet gripping the ground, his posture felt as firm as a great mountain.
Antony could feel Choi Yeonseung’s solid momentum even though he didn’t know much about him. He was like a giant monster holding its ground! Was this what martial arts were?
“Where are the other hunters in the clan?”
“It isn’t training day, so they’re probably out doing their own thing.”
It was very rare for the clans’ hunters to gather together in one place outside of group training days. They usually did their own work in their spare time.
“Do you ever work together outside of a practice day?”
“Not really. We do enough in group training, so there’s not much else we can do.”
“It isn’t just group training. You should spend time with each other and get along.”
“Why should we do that? As professionals, we should be able to match the amount of practice done during the set practice time.”
“That’s true, but there are some things that can’t be achieved mechanically. Trust in each other can’t be created by forcing it. Antony, do you know what the other hunters like and dislike?”
“No?”
“’Why should I care about that?’ Is that what you thought?”
“!”
“Do you think you’re the center of the world?”
“Gasp. How did you know? Do you?have a?mind-reading?skill? ”
“Antony. Let me give you some advice since you’re here to help me... If you only care about yourself, you’ll be met with limitations in raids. Raids are done as a team. If you can’t get along with your team, your power will inevitably decrease.”
“We work together.”
“The other people are matching you, but you’re not doing the same for them.”
“Why should I match them? I’m better than them.”
“Then why don’t you go and do raids alone?”
“......”
Caught off guard, Antony shut up.
“You should be well aware of why you can’t enter dungeons alone.”
“... I’m thinking about matching them to some extent in the future.”
If other hunters saw this, they would think, ‘Is that Antony? Someone probably disguised as him!’
This was how shocking his reaction was! This arrogant and annoying Antony listened to others!
“However, apart from practice time, why should I get to know those weaklings? The people gathered in the clan are all professionals. We shouldn’t have to do that, right?”
“Yes. That is also true.”
“Look! I always say the right thing.”
“......”
Putting aside Antony’s reaction, the Icarus clan was a fairly functional clan. It attracted potential hunters from all over the world and periodically tested and ranked them. It would then decide whether to send them on raids or not based on their ranking. Except during group training, its hunters trained on their own. They were free to eat, play or practice as long as they were confident in their skills. Therefore, there weren’t many occasions for them to see each other despite being in the same clan.
In fact, that didn’t apply to the Icarus clan alone. All the big clans functioned like that these days. The small clans in the past, the members of which got along and cooperated well with each other, were now rare. For hunters, raiding was a business! Hence, the clans naturally pursued the most efficient method to tackle it. They wanted parties that would run smoothly no matter who was replaced rather than parties that would creak when one member was left out.
“But there are definitely times when the old ways are better.”
“You sound like my grandfather.”
“Antony. Do you want to get hit?”
“N-No... I was just saying.”
Antony apologized. He was then taken aback.
Why did he apologize?
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