Chapter 177
“Where are you going, friend?” Smallwood cried out, bewildered.
Swept away, the orcs started fleeing. However, Choi Yeonseung seemed to be heading somewhere else. Hunters had finite stamina. Even A-grade hunters needed a break after fighting so intensely.
“I’ll just check Korea’s base. I’ll be back.”
“The Koreans can take care of themselves! Come back, Choi Yeonseung!” Whittaker exclaimed nonsense in response. “It would be dangerous even for you if you overdo it! I have prepared recovery magic, so let me treat you now! I don’t want you to get hurt!”
“Are you worried about Choi Yeonseung?” Elisabeth asked, seemingly curious. It was strange for someone like Whittaker to be concerned about another.
“We’ll be the ones in danger if an A-grade hunter gets hurt or dies in this place, you stupid bastards! Let’s join him!”
“......”
“......”
The Icarus clan hunters couldn’t refute what he said. No wonder this bastard was worried! He was absolutely right. Various artifacts and security measures protected their base, but they never knew what would happen in the Abyss. They should never lose an A-grade hunter in here!
“Still, Choi Yeonseung has already made up his mind. Besides, he will be fine on his own.”
“This area has been cleared up anyway. I’m sure he can handle himself.”
However, the hunters of the Icarus clan were much more composed than expected. They had faith in Choi Yeonseung’s ability. More importantly…
“So what if you don’t like it? Choi Yeonseung is our leader.”
“Why don’t you reach A-grade and become our leader instead?”
‘These bastards...’
At that moment, Whittaker realized something. The hunters of the Icarus clan weren’t always like this. Ever since Choi Yeonseung joined, they seemed to have become exceptionally close. Normally, they?would’ve worked together to stop him...
“I have a good idea, friends.”
“Oh. Smallwood! You agree with me, don’t you? We should work together to stop Choi Yeonseung...”
“I think you should go and help him, friend.”
“Ah. That’s a good idea. I see no fault in that.”
“... Ah... No. Wait.”
It didn’t matter to the other hunters if Whittaker was flustered or not. They still called out to Choi Yeonseung.
“Choi Yeonseung! Take Whittaker with you just in case!”
“A useful healer can help in a pinch!”
***
South Korea had three A-grade hunters on active duty, not including Lee Changsik, the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor. Lee Changsik was half-retired due to injuries and poor physical strength, but he was still an A-grade hunter and was still immensely powerful. Considering many countries didn’t have A-grade hunters, South Korea was definitely a highly competitive country in the hunter sector.
Perhaps it was the hell-like environment of the country that made it so. Their hellish geographical location forced them to deal with all the monsters coming from China, North Korea, and Japan! The hunter leading the Korean expedition for this Abyss Gate raid was Kwon Yeongseung, an A-grade hunter.
If Jeong Wonuk was the hunter with the most experience and Han Seha was the most explosive hunter in recent times, then Kwon Yeongseung was the most popular hunter in South Korea. A young, handsome, and good-natured hunter would inevitably be loved by people. He was even active in show business.
Kwon Yeongseung created a memorable image among people through his appearances in various movies and dramas, making him the most popular hunter in South Korea.
-Chained Dimension Cuts!
Powerful magic that cut space itself swept through the orcs. Among all the magics, space-based magic was one of the most difficult ones to wield. Nevertheless, Kwon Yeongseung used it without hesitation, showing just why he was an A-grade hunter. The problem was that the current situation was too much for him to handle alone.
“The orcs have circled around us! They are about to break into the rear of the base!”
“The hunters over there have to stop them. How am I supposed to move there now?”
Sweating, the hunters shouted at each other. They were already having so much trouble protecting their respective areas. How were they supposed to move to other places and help?
Choi Yeonseung was adept at grabbing the attention of the enemies. He would dig into his opponents’ ranks using intricate footwork, unleash palm and finger techniques at random, and attract his opponents’ attention, protecting the base behind him.
Of course, that was only possible because he was confident that he could dodge and hold on even if the orcs surrounded and attacked him. That wasn’t possible for the average magician.
“The orcs are destroying the facility!”
“The facility can be fixed later. Just hold on!”
At that moment, Choi Yeonseung and Whittaker appeared in the distance.
“...... ”
The Korean hunter who was the first to spot the two of them blinked. Choi Yeonseung was holding Whittaker in his arms.
‘Are my eyes going crazy?’
Two hunters emerged from the rear as blood-crazed orcs unleashed battle cries and various skills. What made it even odder was that one of them was being held in a hug. It was so unreal that he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Choi Yeonseung put Whittaker down, then started scolding him.
“How can you call yourself a hunter despite being so weak?”
“I-I’m a healer...!”
“That’s not a valid excuse.”
Choi Yeonseung drew his sword. As he had done earlier, he would just target the boss from the get-go. He would assassinate the leader, which was something only he could do! With a flash of light, he repeated the same phenomenon he created earlier.
“......!!”
It was only then that the hunters realized that they had received reinforcements from behind.
“Support is here!”
“Where? Where did it come from?! How many came?”
“Uh... Probably a lot? I saw the orcs falling...”
-■■■!
‘This guy is a madman.’?Whittaker, hiding behind Choi Yeonseung, looked horrified as he cast a spell.
Choi Yeonseung fought endlessly today. What made that feat even more impressive was that, unlike other hunters, he fought in close-quarters combat. The fatigue had to be many times worse, yet he just kept slashing through the orcs without blinking an eye.
-■!
After returning the incoming orc warrior’s attack with the Covert Attack Reversal skill, Choi Yeonseung sharply launched sword energy to hit his opponents’ vital points. He overwhelmed them with skill, not force, allowing him to fight in the Abyss for a long time. If he only fought with internal energy, he would quickly get tired and collapse due to fatigue.
The great orc warrior fell to his knees as Choi Yeonseung looked around. It seemed the fight was over, but the majority of Korea’s base had been destroyed.
‘They’ll probably be fine. It isn’t like they don’t have engineers and technicians around...’
“Thank you!” Kwon Yeongseung approached him and shook Choi Yeonseung’s hand with a wry smile.
‘I can’t believe he came here to help!’
It was rare for hunters to help others in situations like this, even more so for an A-grade hunter.
“Are you Hunter Kwon Yeongseung?”
“That’s right.”
Kwon Yeongseung wasn’t very surprised. He was also an A-grade hunter, and he was quite famous. There was no way anyone wouldn’t know him. Even those who had just returned from the Abyss after thirty years were bound to know him!
“You know Hunter Kwon Yeongseung even though you are in the US?” another hunter asked.
“I saw him in a match once.”
“......”
Kwon Yeongseung’s expression immediately blanked out. Everything about Kwon Yeongseung was close to perfection, but he had one flaw. He was constantly struggling in his SSL matches for South Korea! Even A-grade hunters could get killed in the SSL because they couldn’t use their skills well or adapt properly. Although Kwon Yeongseung was popular, he couldn’t help but hear people say things like, ‘Hug Lee Changsik and jump into the Han River together,’ every time he joined a match.
“Ah. I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”
“N-No. It’s my fault.”
“Yes. I’m sure you’ll do well next time.”
“......”
Kwon Yeongseung’s expression further blanked out. Choi Yeonseung didn’t seem confident that Kwon Yeongseung could do well next time.
“... Or you can just, you know, not do it.”
His expression blanked out even more.
“No. Can’t you just quit?”
“I have the reputation of an A-grade hunter. I can’t quit.”
.
‘It is a hard life.’
If Choi Yeonseung was in his position and he didn’t want to do it anymore, he would’ve just said, ‘I won’t do it,’ and quit right away.
Why was this man making things so complicated?
The other hunter said softly. “Why don’t you join, Hunter Choi Yeonseung?”
“Me? I haven’t given it any thought. I don’t even know how to play. Doesn’t it take a while to get used to?”
“But high-grade hunters do have more advantages.”
No matter how different the rules were, the hunters who fought better and had more skills naturally had an advantage. Hence, it was only normal to have high expectations for an A-grade hunter.
“I have no intention to do that. If there are no more enemies around, I’ll head back.”
The gathered hunters were genuinely impressed by Choi Yeonseung’s words. Being so selfless was difficult. If some other hunter from a foreign country had come to help, that hunter would’ve tried to rip them off using all sorts of excuses.
-I helped you like this. You should at least make some concessions...
-Did we ask you for help, you crazy bastard?
-Does South Korea have no conscience?
-You are the one without a conscience...!
“W-we have a serious problem.”
“?”
A technician came running from the base with a pale face.
“Are there any orcs left inside?”
“N-No. That’s not it...”
The news the technician brought was even more shocking than that.
***
“The Abyss Gate is blocked?”
Choi Yeonseung couldn’t help but be surprised. They could conduct such a large-scale raid because this dungeon had a doorway right behind it. With that as reassurance, they brought in huge amounts of supplies and built a base...
“As the orcs were attacking the base, the orc shamans cast magic on the gate.”
‘A diversion!’
The way the orcs attacked was certainly strange, but the hunters now knew their true motive: it was to avoid the shamans from being interrupted while they were casting magic on the Abyss Gate.
-Can the entrance to the dungeon be blocked with magic?
-It’s possible. They can’t block it permanently, but it can be closed for quite a while depending on the magic.
-What if I pierce through with force?
-You never know what will happen if you force it. Your best course of action would be to find the magic caster and kill them. More importantly, this magic is...
-Was it given by a constellation?
-That’s right.
‘This is a big problem.’
Spreading out the troops and blocking the gate to cut off supplies. It was a much sharper strategy than expected. Choi Yeonseung couldn’t help but admire the Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood a little. He thought the constellation was just ignorant...
-......
[......]
“Shouldn’t we be rationing the supplies?”
“We should, but I’m worried about the others.”
“The others?”
“All the other expeditions.”
The hunters around Choi Yeonseung cocked their heads. They didn’t immediately understand what he was saying. However, this incident caused a bigger uproar than expected.
***
The more people that the expedition team brought in, the harder their situation became.
“We should ration the supplies.”
“There will be a lot of dissatisfaction if we do that...”
“Press them hard. We have no choice.”
The expedition teams didn’t expect they would be suffering from a lack of food or drinkable water. All they could do was tighten their belts. Even Choi Yeonseung’s expedition team was in the same situation.
Anxious, the technicians smoked cigarettes as they conversed.
“Aren’t we a bit better off? Our group is fairly small.”
“That’s true, but... What is he doing?”
The technicians looked outside with bewildered expressions. Hunters were killing monsters and dismantling them in front of the base.
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