The question naturally puzzled Choi Yeonseung. Considering the situation here was already dire and they were heftily paid to go here, shouldn’t killing monsters be the first thing in their mind?
Yet Lane thought Choi Yeonseung was the one being absurd.
“We won’t kill monsters. Why should hunters like us step up now?”
Monsters were now more frequent than fish on the northern coast of France, and that was only a little exaggerated. Due to the large number of monsters, hunters quickly grew tired. At times like this, fighting nonstop was something only a beginner would do. The veterans in the field would first sit back and wait, heading out only when a good monster had appeared.
Even if they belonged to the same rank, monsters had different values. Some monsters were easier to kill than others yet also offered better rewards.
“We’re here to help France even though we’re not French, so it’s only natural for the French to do the hard work.”
“That’s true, but won’t you get hit in the back of the head when Frenchpeople pass by behind you for saying something like that?”
“Hah. A successful hunter is bound to be an object of envy. If someone is envious of you, then that just means you’re good.”
Lane wasn’t wrong. In fact, even the hunters from other countries weren’t actively participating.
‘He has a knack for saying the right things.’Most hunters, not just Lane, had that talent. That was why hunters were often cursed at and in the middle of controversies.
“That sounds about right.”
“What? Are you just getting the hang of this?”
Richard Parker shook his head in embarrassment. “That’s not what I meant...”
“I’m joking. Relax.”
Richard was also participating in this expedition. He couldn’t join the Abyss Gate raid due to the Parker family, but...
'Things will be different this time.’
Watching Choi Yeonseung return from the Abyss as a C-grade hunter and rise to the rank of A-grade so unprecedentedly, Richard became determined to rise to a position where he could no longer be ignored as a hunter!
“By the way, I heard that your family has been making a fuss. Will you be alright?”
“Yes. I’ve already prepared for them to react that way.”
“No. I was asking if this will hurt other people.”
“......” Choi Yeonseung’s words saddened Richard.
“I was joking.”
“Can you stop that already?”
“I just act like this toward hunters who I don’t usually work with. Speaking of which, who did you pair up with in Icarus?”
Choi Yeonseung was a powerful tanker who could pull everyone forward by the collar and bring success to raids. He was a martial artist who had gone past the peak-class level, a powerful combatant capable of both offense and defense. Hence, to him, cooperation was meaningless.
Choi Yeonseung could work with anyone. On the other hand, Richard was a ranged damage dealer who relied on quick movements and attacks, so cooperation was quite important.
“Uh....”
“......?”
Coming to that realization, Choi Yeonseung looked at Richard with pity.
“You don't have any friends.”
“No... No, wait.”
“I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?! I said that’s not true!” Richard gritted his teeth. He didn’t want anyone to sympathize with him. “I’ve cooperated with Whittaker a few times.”
“......”
Choi Yeonseung shook his head.
‘Whittaker most likely pretended to be his friend because of his family background.’
If Richard wasn’t close to any hunter apart from Whittaker, then he virtually had no friends.
“You have to work with other hunters. Hmm...”
Choi Yeonseung called over a hunter who was new to Icarus.
“Do you want to join...”
“It is an honor to work with you, Hunter Choi Yeonseung.”
“No. Not with me. With this guy.”
“......”
Richard was hurt when the new hunter blatantly looked disgusted. Icarus members were very honest with their emotions because they were all very talented.
“I don’t need him.”
“I’m glad you don’t. Can I go and rest now?”
Watching the hunter leave, Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue. “I will match you with someone else!”
“You... I think I need to learn how to make a good impression on others first.”
Choi Yeonseung was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t bring Antony and Elisabeth with him. The hunters who joined the Abyss Gate raid were still resting. Unlike Choi Yeonseung, hunters couldn’t just keep walking around briskly without needing rest. They usually rested for a few months after participating in such an intense raid.
‘Even if I try to force them to work together, Icarus hunters will still choose to work alone. I doubt pairing them up will help. I should call over hunters from other clans instead.’
***
Hunters from various clans worldwide crowded into a city in northern France. The French government had done a pretty good job. Of course, the hunters here spent more time playing and waiting than killing monsters.
“Max will win this time! Are your eyes just decorations?”
“Hey! I refuse to talk to idiots who doubt Seha Han will win this time!”
Some hunters provoked each other and bet tens of thousands of dollars on who would win in the upcoming UHC matches...
“Is this the only skill the Boston Giants have?”
“You’ve only ever faced weak opponents yet you’re already so arrogant that you don’t even care about who you’re up against anymore. How about I give you a taste of true competition?”
Many hunters fought six-on-six battles among themselves. They did everything except conduct raids.
“Is no one going out on raids?”
“We’ll start a raid once a valuable monster appears.”
“I want to kill the minotaur this time.”
“Is the minotaur a good monster to hunt?”
“Its meat is a delicacy. I want to learn how to cook it from Hunter Choi Yeonseung and taste it myself.”
“That is an excellent idea.”
‘The French government will be massaging their napes if they see this.’
They spent huge amounts of money to get these hunters to fly over to their country. Even normal adults would be enraged if they saw everyone just playing around instead of doing something productive.
“Hunter Choi Yeonseung! You came just in time.”
“Oh. Do you want to go on a raid?’
“No. I’m starting a six-on-six. I want to see how good you really are.”
“I don’t know the rules.”
“Ah, right. You’re a UHC combatant, so you’re only used to single combat. That’s alright, though. This isn’t that hard. Things could be different if we take this seriously, but we’re just having a little friendly competition.”
The hunters who wanted to see the skills of an A-grade hunter dragged him out. Some of them also hoped to beat an A-grade hunter in the Otherworld. When else would they get the chance to fight against an A-grade hunter?
“I would like to take the top lane, then. Is that okay?”
“Do as you please.”
***
The Elysee Palace.
The president’s office in Paris, France.
When the Gates opened and the era of hunters and monsters dawned upon the world, the security of government offices became tens of times stricter. After all, it had become much easier for even just an individual to commit an act of terror. To maintain safety and always have enough time to call even just one A-grade hunter, french hunters were stationed at the Elysee Palace. Even the most seasoned terrorists wouldn't be able to attack such a heavily guarded location.
Thump!
“?”
“What?”
The hunters grew surprised upon suddenly feeling magic power rising around them. This amount of magic power could only be felt from high-circle magic spells. However, they couldn’t see anything.
“Tell them to be vigilant—”
Thump!
The dark sky started to brighten. It was as if daytime had come. Shocked, the Parisians looked up.
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is giving an order.]
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is giving an order.]
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is giving an order.]
The collector constellation’s household members had received a message from their master!
“W-what?”
“Emergency! Emergency! We’re under attack!”
-It has been a while, humans.
A demon with a crown on his head appeared. He had a sword in one hand and a staff in the other. Even among the various races of the Abyss, the demon race was famous for being powerful and evil. The demon who had just appeared only had one purpose on Earth.
-My master should be ruling this land, but… since that’s no longer possible, it’s time to get to work.
[The ’Master of the Crown,’ Marcaidel, has used his power.]
[ ’The Second Coming of the Crowned Ones’ has begun.]
Right in front of the hunters, Marcaidel activated his power and summoned the dead through space. Among them were deceased hunters.
“Call for reinforcements! A demon is attacking the Elysee Palace! A demon is attacking Elysee Palace!”
***
'Worthless humans.’
The Noble Crown Collector left his kingdom in the Abyss alone and focused on Earth for the first time in a long time. One of his targets was England, where the fight against the Six-Winged Angel Who Hunts Dragons was already underway. His other target was France, which was why he had sent one of his household members to it. Fighting the clans under the angel constellation, the collector constellation came to a realization.
‘The human bastards are helping each other!’
The hunters who believed in and followed the angel constellation would rest in France, which was nearby, and return to the battlefield in England afterward. The collector constellation found it ridiculous. Instead of thanking him for leaving them alone, they sullied his grace! Quite some time had passed since the gates first opened, so the evil god constellations knew how humans worked now.
Taking away their boss would stop them for a while.
‘Kidnap their leader.’
-Leave it to me.
Every time Marcaidel waved his staff, more of undead woke up.
A demon who knew how to use necromancy.
The hunters gritted their teeth and cast magic at him, but he just easily blocked their attacks, making their spells seem worthless. The hunters’ formation collapsed, and the entrance was destroyed.
***
“We have an emergency! All the hunters in the area are to gather immediately!”
“Another emergency? How many emergencies do you guys get in a day?”
“These Frenchmen… I want to make this clear, so I’ll repeat myself. C-grade monsters aren’t an emergency! Only monsters weak enough to be killed by normal humans fall into the C-grade rank ! If you keep calling a C-grade monster an emergency, you might learn a curse word instead! It starts with C, and I learned it from a Korean hunter!”
The hunters hurled insults at the poor French officials. Attempting to send them to the field again and again using different reasons was unforgivable.
“The president has been kidnapped by a constellation.”
“......”
“... I offer my condolences.”
“That’s too bad. Does that mean we will be banned from returning home? If so, then we’ll be going after you people first before we search for monsters.”
The official cursed in his mind. Even if their own country was the one that required their help, hunters would still tap away at the calculator first. It was especially difficult to make them obey orders from a different country.
“I’d like to hear more.”
“......!”
Choi Yeonseung had arrived. Befitting an A-grade hunter, he exuded an aura of leadership. Hunters from several other clans were following him.
The official looked at him, his expectations overflowing.
However, the American hunters coldly reacted.
“Why are you staring at Hunter Choi Yeonseung like a puppy in the rain? Don’t look at him like that.”
“As a fellow American, I refuse to accept unfair requests for help.”
‘They truly are bastards.’
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