Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Keyboard Battles and Hunter Training
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123
Bureau Chief Baek Youngshin opened his browser to relieve his pent-up stress.
-HIKI561: Why does Lee Ji-seok keep making things bigger?
-책임없는쾌락: Exactly. Because of Lee Ji-seok, the territory we have to protect has multiplied several times. Take responsibility. Take responsibility.
-HUNTING101: If he's an S-Rank Hunter, can't he clear all the Gates in Korea by himself? How hard can it be?
-EUNMA: Goblins showed up on the hill behind my mom's house. Meanwhile, Lee Ji-seok is off playing with his girlfriend. Is this a country?
Bureau Chief Baek Youngshin cracked his fingers and neck while reading the internet comments.
Then he unleashed a storm of replies.
-MR.WHITE: If it weren't for Hunter Lee Ji-seok, you'd all be dead, you loudmouths. He's not making things bigger; he's cleaning up the shit other hunters have left behind. Watch the news.
-MR.WHITE: Lee Ji-seok dodging Gates? Fact) Before Lee Ji-seok restored the territory and started clearing Gates like crazy, Gate accidents were way more frequent than now. Check the attached data.
-MR.WHITE: Without Hunter Lee Ji-seok, Korea would already be done for. Who stopped the Tellus incident? How many Gate Breaks has he blocked? If you can't help, at least don't drag him down.
-ADC247: Here comes another Lee Ji-seok worshipper. Bet you'd faint if you saw the real Lee Ji-seok.
-MR.WHITE: I see Hunter Lee Ji-seok all the time?
-ADC247: Tsk tsk... Get some psychiatric help. You don't look okay. Oh, and I admit Lee Ji-seok is amazing, so don't bite my head off.
Bureau Chief Baek Youngshin vented his daily stress through fierce keyboard battles with the haters. He occasionally lost in verbal sparring. When that happened, he saved the chat, traced the IP, and dusted them off. Mercy had no place for haters.
* * *
I sat on the World Tree with Nayoung, gazing at the sunset.
"After going through so much, these peaceful days make me uneasy somehow."
Nayoung leaned against me and said.
"Yeah. After the angel incident ended, Gaph vanished without a word, and no legion commanders have shown up. It's been about a month with nothing happening?"
I'd told Gaph to go, but I hadn't expected him to leave so cleanly. Anxious, I'd sent warnings to governments worldwide to heighten vigilance against angels and demons.
"Oh, oppa, how's the practice with your new skill going?"
"Hmm. Maybe I'm not smart enough, but I can't move like Eres or Gaph. Brutishly smashing fits my style better. Still, while staying with the World Tree, I've been training to sharpen my senses for higher-dimensional beings."
"You said you can touch the World Tree's spirits now?"
"Yeah. But touching gently instead of attacking requires even more focus. I'll ask Eres for details later. You mentioned looking into other dimensions with Jae-in. How's that going?"
"Stuck. Other dimensions are just theoretical concepts humans have pondered until now. Even the existing theories are all wrong, so we have to start over. This is a bigger shock than when mana first appeared in our world."
"Good thing there aren't many like that."
"Right. If all monsters were higher-dimensional beings, we'd be finished already."
Peaceful days continued as I spent time dating Nayoung and training.
* * *
"Lee Ji-seok Hunter~"
"Adriana! You're back again!"
Nayoung bristled like a cat and blocked my path. With Adriana trying to cling to me every day, Nayoung had grown quite sensitive.
"What? Am I some ghost? Nayoung, relax. I won't approach Ji-seok anymore."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. I came today because I have a favor to ask."
Adriana turned her gaze to me.
"What favor?"
"Train my kids for me~"
"Me, training the Mexican hunters?"
"Yeah. We're getting pushed back by the American kids lately~. I gave them plenty of motivation, but they must still be too weak."
Adriana placed her palm on her chin and sighed.
"Train them harder than my regimen? They might not survive that."
Adriana's training was already as brutal as what she'd inflicted on lifetime hunter criminals.
"But~ if we don't, we can't beat the American kids?"
The World Tree Academy had created a scoreboard to track training results.
The scoreboard displayed how much each country leveled up per month. Since the World Tree Academy enabled insane level-ups impossible just by clearing Gates—in a short time—they quantified it to stoke national competition.
There were minimal safety measures too. If a death occurred, that country not only ranked last but faced a thorough investigation, so there hadn't been a single accident yet.
Checking the scoreboard, the United States was clearly in first place. By an overwhelming margin.
Levels got harder to raise the higher you went, so points were weighted accordingly. 1 point for a level in 1-10, 2 points in 11-20, and so on.
The total points divided by the number of participating hunters went on the scoreboard. Yet, halfway through the month, the U.S. had 6.12 points. An average of 6 points per hunter. That meant roughly 7 levels from 1 or 14 from 11. Massive growth in just two weeks.
"The average is that high? The Korean team barely hit 3?"
"It's insane. Hunters from every country at the academy are grinding their teeth."
"Hmm..."
Listening to Adriana, I headed to the U.S. training ground among the basic ones assigned to each nation.
"Here... When did they turn it into this?"
The basic training ground had been a bare dirt field without even pavement, but now it was lined with several container-modified mobile buildings.
The latest equipment visible through the windows of the mobile buildings was even more impressive.
Hunters covered in electrodes pushed weights to their limits or tortured their bodies until their hearts nearly burst. Just before collapsing at their limits, paramedic healers treated them, allowing a return to training.
Those sparring trained with real-battle intensity. If injured, waiting healers were immediately deployed. Each hunter had three or four supporters like healers and trainers attached.
"They brought their own setups and tons of people."
"It's so systematic."
"Look over there—that's Peter, the one exploding in growth right now."
The spot Adriana pointed to featured a blond American man in training gear conquering an obstacle course straight out of a U.S. TV show. He stood over 190 cm with a solid build.
"Quick movements and great tenacity. Ability is... storage?"
Peter blocked an incoming fireball with his palm—not exploding it, but sucking it right in.
When the next attack flew at him, he extended his hand, and flames shot out, blasting the arrow away.
"Hmm... That's about B-Rank Hunter level. Not sure it's that impressive?"
"He was D-Rank caliber just last week."
"...20 levels in two weeks?"
Ranks rose with levels, and levels came from real combat or extreme training. Going from late D-Rank to early B-Rank in two weeks was faster than even my regression days.
"Not quite 20. From late D to early B~ Probably just over 10? But the scary part is the growth isn't slowing—it's progressing daily."
At Adriana's words, I watched Peter's training again.
"If he keeps growing like that, he might surpass even you someday~"
Adriana said.
"The stronger they get and handle more work, the better for me. I want a break too."
This was sincere. If hunters grew and took over my workload, I could quit being a hunter and travel leisurely with Nayoung.
"Hey! You there!"
Peter pointed at me, so I glanced behind, wondering if it was for me.
"You! What are you stealing glances at?!"
Turning back, I saw Peter charging over.
"Stealing another country's training secrets! Wanna die?"
Hunters being aggressive was common, but picking a fight in someone else's training ground suggested anger management issues.
"Calm down. You're training in an open space anyway—what's the problem?"
"You're not here to steal our intel!"
"You! Watch your mouth! Do you know who this is?!"
Adriana blocked Peter's path.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Peter pulled back his fist.
"Peter!"
".....Coach Allen."
At the shout from Allen, the U.S. hunters' training supervisor, Peter lowered his fist with a swipe. Too bad. I'd wanted to fix his anger issues myself.
"Hunter Lee Ji-seok, sorry about that. The intense training must have frayed his nerves."
Allen, an S-Rank Hunter himself, bowed his head slightly in apology.
"Well, it happens."
I wasn't the type to get mad over something like that. To me, a B-Rank Hunter felt like a passing rat pup. I could squash it with one step but spared it out of pity.
"Peter! Back to training!"
At Allen's bellow, Peter trudged off, still glaring at me and Adriana.
"Just ignore that guy.... Sorry. We'll talk later."
Allen yelled as he followed Peter.
Having seen all there was to see, I left the U.S. training ground with Adriana.
"Ji-seok, it's not just Peter. Charlie and Tyler from the U.S. team are growing explosively fast too, though not quite at his level."
"No matter the country, stronger hunters are a good thing. They're a bit hot-headed, but I can fix that if the chance comes."
"So, you won't help with our training?"
"I will. It's great for everyone to advance, but I can't stand our hunters falling behind. When you roll your Mexican hunters, I'll watch them too, so send them over now."
I immediately assembled all Korean hunters, and Adriana gathered the Mexican ones.
"Thanks, Ji-seok."
Adriana handed over the Mexican hunters and turned to leave.
"Where you going?"
"Huh?"
"You need training too, right?"
"Hohoho, Ji-seok! I can handle myself~ Don't worry~"
"B-Rank, still?"
"....Yeah...."
"Get in line over there."
Adriana looked like she had a lot to say but bowed her head at my firm expression and joined the line.
Around 200 hunters gathered in total. New Awakeners were in basic training, so everyone here was at least E-Rank.
They knew I'd called them but not why.
Familiar faces dotted the crowd: the Oh brothers and Ye-seul, Jung Min-ki's daughter Jung Jang-mi, even Kwon Hee-chul rescued from North Korea. We exchanged light nods when our eyes met.
"What's this? Hunter Lee Ji-seok only showed up early in the academy's founding—hasn't joined training lately?"
"Gonna train us today? Can I get an autograph after?"
As I stepped onto the stage, the chattering hunters fell silent.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice."
I paused, taking in everyone's gaze.
"I've heard you're all training hard at the academy."
"Yes!"
"Putting in our best effort!"
"It's too tough!"
The responses boomed, mixed with lighter replies here and there.
"You're doing great with the grueling training. Results come from effort, so keep it up."
"Yes!"
"But you know, the American hunters are progressing really fast."
"....."
The talkative hunters went quiet.