Chapter 243
In an era where monsters rushed out from the gate and went on rampages, hunters were the shields, the only source of light for the people. At least that’s what they thought.
The clans that had such hunters were more likely to receive support from the common people. The ardent support seemed to rise from various fields, such as religion, sports, and the military! Some of the larger clans enjoyed such overwhelming support that even the politicians took notice.
-This time, civilians were injured during the Six-Eyed Turtle’s operation of hunting monsters from a dungeon. Mr. A, who was working in a nearby building, said he wouldn’t be hurt if the hunters of the ‘Six-Eyed Turtle’ clan had responded quicker. He was scared to death because it took them too long to arrive. The clan hunters expressed their apologies.
-I’m a hunter from the Six-Eyed Turtle clan. I apologize for not arriving fast enough. I will be more careful in the future...
-It can happen to everyone.
?I appreciate it.
-That’s right. Hunters are also people. It’s not like they can never arrive late, right?
?Thank you.
-Even if some people end up dead, so what? Don’t those bastards know about showing gratitude? How many people have the Six-Eyed Turtle saved so far? How many buildings have they protected? South Korea would’ve collapsed without the Six-Eyed Turtle clan!
-Sir, please don’t do this.
Just like that, there were people who supported the clan even if people were killed. It was to the extent that they were no longer just fans.
‘They’re like the followers of a constellation, aren’t they?’
-During tough times, everyone needs someone to trust and rely on.
“The Demon clan used to be quite active. Last time when A-grade monsters appeared in Busan...”
“Yeah, they really were great back then.”
“In any case, given that we’re acquiring such an old clan, I think we’re bound to face some difficulties.”
Choi Yeonseung didn’t really care about it, as he wasn’t the type to get dejected when others cursed at him from a distance. If people actually came at him, well… It was their funeral.
“I’m worried.”
“Aish. You worry too much.”
“Well, this is actually something you should be worried about. Why are you being so calm?”
Lee Changsik stared at Choi Yeonseung with a look of worry on his face. Was this really okay?
‘Maybe we should stop now...’
***
“Hey, shouldn’t we just leave the clan?”
“Jaewung is already gone.”
“What about Collins? Where is he?”
“Collins terminated his contract last week and left.”
“Wow...”
The atmosphere in the Demon clan was terrible. It was said that a house in ruins had no room for good vibes, but hunter clans had particularly severe ups and downs. After all, hunters didn’t have ordinary jobs, as they had to put their lives on the line when fighting monsters. Thus, each clan had a distinctive atmosphere.
In that regard, the Demon clan was in a lot of trouble, as many of the companies that had invested in them had disappeared, and the hunters with good reputations immediately canceled their contracts and left. The overseas hunters followed suit.
It was terrifying news for the remaining hunters.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I received a down payment… And even if I left, where could I go?”
“Damn. You’re right.”
A hunter’s job definitely looked glamorous on the outside, but if they couldn’t climb up the ranks, it was a job as difficult as any. The hunters who had not accumulated experience in raids and only played in the SSL would have nothing if they were kicked out of the clan.
“Should we try raids?”
“I heard that my friend went to a dungeon the other day and got his arm cut off. Would you actually risk your life? You’re E-grade, aren’t you?”
“You jerk. What does the rating matter in the SSL?”
Raids were done by hunters who had high ratings and had enough confidence in themselves to risk their lives. Meanwhile, low-grade hunters didn’t participate in raids because of how dangerous they were.
“Is that Go Junwon? Why hasn’t he left?”
“Why would he leave? He’s like the king here.”
The hunter walking with his group in the distance was Go Junwon. Given how many talents had left the clan, Go Junwon was essentially the ace of the Demon clan. He had the skills and?the looks, so naturally the fans supported him. Of course, that wasn’t the case for the other hunters in the clan.
“Ah, the ones I actually wanted to stay have left. Why haven’t?these?guys left?”
Go Junwon definitely seemed like a good guy on the outside, but the clan hunters who had worked with him had an entirely different opinion about him. That was because he had his own inner circle and took care of the hunters who were in it while repressing those who weren’t. On top of that, he also played politics with the investors and the executives at the top. All of this was bound to make other hunters hate him.
“Go Junwon is the king here. If he leaves and goes to another clan, he will have to start from scratch. Are you going to stay here?”
“Ugh...”
As the hunters were talking loudly among themselves, a bombshell landed on the training ground.
“Hey! The clan has been taken over!!!”
“What???”
“What kind of lunatic would take over a clan like this???”
It was hard to believe that someone would take over a clan that was deep in debt and was running out of hunters. Were they crazy?
“Is a Chinese company behind this? Those guys are quite fond of taking over Korean clans.”
“They might be greedy, but they’re not crazy, right?”
“That’s true. Why would they want this place?”
Every hunter, from those at the training ground to those that were playing outside, was alarmed by the commotion.
The hunters of the Demon clan murmured to each other and responded to the summons.
***
The huge amphitheater was built by the Demon clan when they were doing well, so it was quite large and fairly good.
Choi Yeonseung and Lee Changsik stood at the highest point in the amphitheater.
“So you didn’t want to use our names in order to see which hunters are useful?”
“Exactly. Most people will just rush here if they see either one of our names,” explained Lee Changsik.
Choi Yeonseung’s name had recently been highly popular among hunters, and any Korean person knew who Lee Changsik was. Therefore, it would’ve been virtually impossible for them to make an accurate assessment of the hunters if they had used their names.
“You have to remember who comes first and who comes last. That’s how we’ll know if they’re being sincere with us.” Lee Changsik offered advice based on his experience.
With his constellation eyes, Choi Yeonseung was able to read people in great detail. However, he had to train his eyes in order to become proficient in using them. In addition, he needed to start paying more attention to people, as he usually lacked any interest in them.
“That’s a good point,” replied Choi Yeonseung, nodding in understanding.
“It’s not a big deal. You don’t need to praise me for it.”
“Now I’m curious. When you recruited the hunters for the national team, did they arrive on time?”
“They all arrived at the same time.”
“They all came early?”
Choi Yeonseung was impressed. He was inwardly cursing them because they couldn’t get good results, but at least they seemed well-mannered. Ever since the first generation, Korean hunters had always been like that. At least they hadn’t lost their principles…
“No. All of them were late.”
“...”
.
Choi Yeonseung was speechless.
“Everyone?”
“Every single one.”
‘I’ll have to deal with Kwon Yeongseung when I meet him again.’
Kwon Yeongseung wasn’t there with them, but he suddenly felt a chill go down his spine.
“Well, that’s because all the hunters that are good enough for the national team are already very successful.”
“That’s their business... You’re the one who gets criticized.”
“That’s what the director should do... By the way, what are you writing down?” asked Lee Changsik curiously.
Choi Yeonseung was writing down some names. He replied, “Ah, this? Not important. It’s just the names of the people that I will beat up later.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Haha, I’m just joking.”
Of course, Choi Yeonseung wasn’t joking.
Just like Kwon Yeongseung, there were some SSL players that were A-grade, but most of them had low ratings. Those hunters had to pray not to meet Choi Yeonseung face-to-face.
“They’re coming one after another.”
One by one, the hunters came through the entrance. Choi Yeonseung used the constellation eyes to see if there were any good players among them.
Park Junhyeon:
Level: 64
Strength: 112
Agility: 50
Physical Strength: 44
Magic Power: 65
Intelligence: 56
[You are attempting to analyze the inner essence of this mortal with deep interest.]
[Checking the skills!]
[Quick Hands]
[Rank: D
Provides slightly faster hand movements when using skills or attacking.]
[Lazy Habits]
[Rank: C
This person is lazy by nature. Penalties are applied to various skills and stats growth.]
“...”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
A level below one hundred meant that the hunter was D-grade or lower. Even so, Choi Yeonseung was dumbfounded by the skills that were even more ridiculous than he had expected.
Come to think of it, he had only seen and dealt with powerful individuals ever since he had returned to Earth. After seeing how fiercely hunters around the world fought, it was almost nauseating to look at these half-baked hunters.
Choi Yeonseung moved on to the next hunter.
‘What the hell are these skills?!’
Son Minji:
Level: 88
Strength: 84
Agility: 162
Physical Strength: 140
Magic Power: 82
Intelligence: 81
[Sensitive Intuition]
[Rank: C
You can instinctively judge a situation. There is a high probability that the judgment will be correct.]
‘Oh!’
[Timid Heart]
[Rank: D
You are easily frightened. The fear will increase the chance of failure when using skills.]
‘Oh...’
Choi Yeonseung shook his head with a desperate look on his face.
‘At this point, I should just participate myself.’
Initially, if there had been some good candidates, he would have picked them, supported them, and ultimately gained their faith. However, as he looked at those clowns, Choi Yeonseung seriously thought he should step up. Even though he didn’t know the rules, it was still likely that he would be better than them.
“Hyung. Do you have any thoughts of returning to active duty...?”
“I can coach again, but I don’t want to fight with other hunters at this age, Yeonseung...”
“I understand.”
Lee Changsik’s cold voice was unexpectedly sad, which prevented Choi Yeonseung from saying anything else.
“Me. I want to participate.”
“Huh?”
Choi Yeonseung was delighted with Illeya’s words. He should’ve asked her first, since she was a talented hunter with great skills chosen by Icarus.
Hunters who were good at raids usually didn’t want to participate in the SSL. Realistically, they were so strong that others couldn’t even make eye contact with them. Therefore, such hunters would become livid if they lost in the competition against players with lower ranks than them.
“Illeya, have you ever played in the SSL?”
“No? I haven’t tried it yet.”
“...”
Lee Changsik covered his face with both hands and lowered his head. He normally didn’t show much emotion, but he showed plenty in front of Choi Yeonseung.
***
“Who are those assholes that are walking without a care in the world?”
Choi Yeonseung thought that all the hunters had come in, but he eventually noticed a group of hunters that came in late, leisurely wandering around.
Since they were late, they should have at least pretended to hurry. Instead, they were laughing and casually walking around, which further infuriated Choi Yeonseung.
“Well, it’s not the first time you see hunters that are assholes, is it?”
“I’ve seen a lot of people with nasty personalities, but those people usually have something they believe in.”
Hunters with bad personalities usually had something to compensate with. Whether they faced countless monsters in a dungeon or bumped into a random person on the street, such hunters would turn into fierce beasts.
Given that the clan had been taken over by someone else, the remaining hunters were supposed to be cautious. How dare they act like that?
“Even if the owner of the clan changes, they usually don’t let go of all the hunters. The fact that the owner has changed means there’s interest and they need hunters to participate in the main competition...” explained Lee Changsik.
“Okay, I'll teach them how to run fast.”
“!”
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