Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Brawl and Challenge
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The E-Rank mage Han Byong-hyun, who had been grumbling at the jeers from the American hunters, tried to stand up.
"Those guys are B-Rank Hunters."
At another hunter's words.
"Hoo... I'm holding back for Lee Ji-seok Hunter's sake."
He sat back down with his body half-raised.
Ding.
Han Byong-hyun's cell phone rang.
"...Money got deposited?"
"What?"
"I leveled up 1 level today, right? 100 million won came in. Look at this."
He showed his phone to his fellow trainees. Text notifications started chiming from here and there.
"Aren't they supposed to pay only after completing two weeks of training?"
"...Should we stick it out just a little longer—no, just one more day?"
The training felt like gambling. The hunters threw themselves into it, shouting for just one more 100 million, just one more.
* * *
Even though they were told they'd get paid the next day, half of them were gone. It seemed the training had been too grueling.
"The ones who wanted out have left, and only those with real resolve remain, so it should be fine to ramp up the difficulty a bit more, right?"
The hunters' faces turned pale.
"Like yesterday morning, we'll run the obstacle course. Feel free to use your abilities or skills, and you can move in teams. Ten laps, first come first served. The half that comes in late has to do another ten."
"Let's go!"
The hunters dashed out, weapons in hand and weights strapped to their bodies.
"From now on, just like yesterday, there will be interference, so block it, dodge it, or counterattack as best you can."
Sang-hun appeared holding a rifle.
"Everyone! I really don't want to shoot!"
Tatata-tatata-tang!!!!
Contrary to his words, Sang-hun looked like he was enjoying it a little.
Still, they weren't completely letting their guard down, so he only sprayed bullets at targets that wouldn't die even if hit. All the hunters were wearing armor, so rifle rounds wouldn't kill them, but the impact slamming into their armor and the bullets sneaking into gaps wouldn't be painless.
For B-Rank hunters who took almost no damage from rifle rounds or E-Rank hunters who took heavy damage, I adjusted my strength, throwing rubber balls or kicking according to their abilities.
Jeong Jang-mi, who had been early C-Rank before coming to the academy despite being D-Rank last time we met, had reached level 35 from the academy training and needed just one more level for B-Rank.
Rose used acceleration magic for agile movements, deftly dodging mine and Sang-hun's attacks. She'd even learned a shield skill, and the thin shield she spread over her body protected her like armor. It was stronger than expected, so I had to throw the rubber balls harder and harder.
For the underage Hee-cheol, both Sang-hun and I went easy, but his wild, feral movements let him dodge well, so in the end we attacked him the same as everyone else.
"Hide behind me! Shield!"
The Oh brothers hid behind Ye-seul's shield and advanced slowly.
"Switch!"
When the shield wore down, Hyung-bin stepped forward and blocked attacks with his shield.
With so many people, Sang-hun had to alternate targets, creating gaps in between.
"Now! Charge!"
Seeing Hyung-bin's team move as a unit, the other hunters followed suit. Teamwork and camaraderie grew automatically.
Mornings were obstacle training, afternoons were gate clears. With assistants assigned, they cleared one gate per day suited to their current levels.
It would've been a hellish schedule they couldn't endure from fatigue alone, but we handled all the post-clear reporting and byproducts for them. And after returning, a good rest in the World Tree Academy dorms wiped away all physical fatigue.
Mental fatigue was blown away by the daily financial therapy of money hitting their accounts and the unlimited buffet made by dozens of professional chefs.
The results were outstanding.
One hunter who had been there over a month and gained just 1 level shot up 5 levels in a week.
However.
"Does that make any sense?!"
Jeong Jang-mi checked the American team's level-up scores and shrieked. She'd risen 5 levels to rank in the top of this intake's Korean hunters who entered the academy, but in the same time, the American team's Peter had gained 20 levels and become A-Rank.
"We trained so brutally, and they gained more? No, how did they gain 10? Ten?!"
"Those morons. They get that prime spot for free and that's all they manage?"
Peter glanced at the Korean hunters nearby but said it loud enough for all to hear while looking at the scoreboard.
Many hunters resented Korea, as the World Tree owners, taking the spots closest to it.
But the Korean hunters weren't lacking in skill or effort. Hunters from countries ranked 3rd and below had far lower scores than Korea.
"You're rolling in the mud while we build up with gear? You look dumb and talk even dumber."
Fed up from listening, Jeong Jang-mi shot back.
Peter did have a complex about his education and looks.
"You bitch!"
Peter lunged with a punch in a burst of anger. He'd only meant to lightly rile her up, but when she overreacted, Rose twisted in surprise to dodge lightly and threw a punch at Peter's face.
Peter raised his palm to block Rose's incoming fist.
Rose smiled seeing that. He clearly didn't know she could cast magic bare-handed at close range.
Flames erupted from Peter's palm. Against a person, Rose kept the power minimal, but she figured it'd startle him exploding near his face.
But the flames got sucked into his hand before even touching his face.
Stunned, Jeong Jang-mi's stomach took Peter's fist. And flames exploded from her struck belly.
Kwang!
From the punch and two magic blasts, Jeong Jang-mi flew back and crashed into the wall.
"Sis! You bastard!"
Hee-cheol, who had been watching from the side, charged in, and that sparked a full tangle between the Korean and American hunters.
* * *
"Hahaha, hunters can get into fights during training, right?"
Ji-seok laughed, but his eyes and mouth weren't smiling at all. The Korean hunters, standing in a line with heads bowed, saw it and thought they were dead.
"No. It must be my training that was lacking. You bastards! I told you not to bully the weak! And you call yourself a great American citizen?!"
The only one standing tall, American trainer and S-Rank hunter Alan Hunt, yelled at the American hunters. Apparently, this wasn't the first time. American hunters had been picking fights everywhere, and when hunters from other countries held back out of pride after getting hit, Peter was always at the center.
"...Hahaha, yeah. An A-Rank beating up two B-Ranks shows no conscience, huh? Is it because America was built beating down natives? You like unfair games."
"...It's a bad habit to speak on things you don't know. And levels aren't everything, right? While Peter became A-Rank, that hunter barely hit B-Rank. Isn't it lack of talent?"
"Numbers aren't all that matter, right? Our kids are strong in real combat."
"Who knows. Getting beaten like that... Oh, pardon, getting hit...."
"Isn't it the same thing? Hahaha."
"Hahaha, is it?"
Sparks flew between the two.
"Rose!"
Hunter Jeong Min-ki burst in, slamming the door open.
"Oh my god, your face is a mess!"
Hunter Jeong Min-ki grabbed Jeong Jang-mi's face with both hands and turned it this way and that. Thanks to the World Tree's shade, there wasn't a single wound left.
"Dad! Let go!"
Rose tried to shake him off, but her dad was an S-Rank hunter.
"...Who was it?"
Hunter Jeong Min-ki exuded killing intent.
No one spoke, but all eyes inevitably turned to Peter.
Hunter Jeong Min-ki placed his hand on his sword hilt and drew it.
"Whoa~ Adults shouldn't butt into kids' fights, right~?"
From the back, where she'd been quietly watching, America's S-Rank hunter Amy grabbed Jeong Min-ki's sword between her thumb and forefinger.
Normally slow in movement and speech, she boosted physical abilities and attacked with lightning in combat mode. Amy had moved like literal lightning, electricity sparking where she stood and blackening the floor.
Peter, seeing an S-Rank hunter's strike halted right in front of him, didn't cower but gnashed his teeth aggressively.
"You only meant to scare him at first, but you overreacted."
Ji-seok wedged his body between Jeong Min-ki's sword and Amy, separating them.
"Oh~ Is that how it is~?"
Amy nonchalantly stepped back. She wasn't here as a supervisor but had stopped by while nearby on a World Hunter Association request.
"If we leave it like this, it'll just leave grudges. How about a proper match to settle it cleanly?"
Ji-seok proposed.
"We could fight ourselves, but adults joining kids' fights? No good."
Alan said.
"Oh, scared?"
"Watch your mouth...."
Alan ground his teeth.
"Ah, sorry. Alright. Let the kids fight. 5v5 in a month?"
"Let's do it. But if we win, we take Korea's spots."
"If you're that unhappy with the spots, why not make it a national tournament wagering the spots entirely."
"Sounds good."
His face said he was sure to win anyway.
"Let's make it a chance to build ties between nations, win or lose."
"Of course. It's all for Earth, so no grudges."
Ji-seok and Alan shook hands, smiling stiffly.
"Ugh...."
When Ji-seok gripped hard, Alan's face flushed red and purple, but pride kept him biting his lip silent.
"Ah, sorry. Didn't know your grip was that weak. See you at the match."
* * *
The match was set for the last day of April, selecting from the March academy entrants here now. Sending best hunters from home would defeat the purpose.
After heated discussion, they capped total entry levels at 175. But not current levels—levels at entry. So maxing levels this month gave an edge.
"We can fight. We're full of vigor, no one's dead—fighting isn't bad."
The hunters stood with hands behind backs, heads bowed.
"But...."
Ji-seok sighed.
"We're not losing, right?"
Just standing there, the hunters felt suffocated, like the sky was pressing down. Ji-seok was unconsciously using Ares's technique.
"I trained you myself, gave items, the country gave prime spots.... And you lose?"
Sweat poured from Jeong Jang-mi. It was her fault for not holding back on the provocation. But hadn't that guy flared up too easily? Was he crazy? All sorts of thoughts swirled.
Jang-mi, who usually charged at anyone, knew how Ji-seok had handled her before and how he'd drilled them the past two weeks, so she didn't dare rebel.
"It's all my fault."
Ji-seok closed his eyes and looked up.
"No!"
"It's our fault!"
"We're sorry!"
The hunters raised their heads and shouted in unison.
"No, no, it's mine. I should've drilled you harder, went too easy."
"Huh?"
"I must've taken too hard a hit from those American hunters earlier. Heard I went too easy."
"I heard the same. Mass hallucination?"
"No sleep from today on. They build with gear? We add grit to gear. Until new training gear arrives, night training too. Assemble at your rooms in 2 minutes fully geared. Execute."
"Execute!"
The hunters looked miserable. But terrified of Ji-seok, they bolted to their rooms.