Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: A Hunter's True Fight
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While Kang Jin-hyuk was drawing attention from the association executives, the association president slipped out of the stadium with Cheon Sang-ho.
Walking quietly down the corridor, the association president confirmed no one was around before speaking up.
"Why did you deliberately fight with that cheap sword?"
"Hmm..."
As the association president pointed out, the sword Cheon Sang-ho used in the duel was a Rare-grade item.
It might suit an ordinary A- or B-rank Hunter, but it didn't fit Cheon Sang-ho at all.
"What happened to your usual sword? If you'd used that, you wouldn't have lost just because it broke."
The association president spoke with clear regret over the match's outcome.
It was great that Kang Jin-hyuk was strong enough to rival Cheon Sang-ho, but for their clash to end so anticlimactically left a bitter taste.
"I didn't come here to fight."
"Still, doesn't it feel like a waste? It was a rare chance to test each other's skills."
"Why bother?"
The association president looked taken aback by Cheon Sang-ho's question.
"'Why bother'? Don't you want to settle who's stronger?"
People always crave competition with others.
The massive popularity of sports among people proved that.
The instinct to rank everything right away was further evidence.
The association president had always assumed Cheon Sang-ho trained daily to hold onto the number one spot.
But Cheon Sang-ho's response was far from what he'd expected.
"I build my strength to fight monsters, not to cut down fellow Hunters."
All a Hunter needs to do is catch monsters well.
That was Cheon Sang-ho's point.
He simply couldn't comprehend Hunters spilling each other's blood.
With the world overrun by monsters, reducing their own numbers by fighting among themselves was utter foolishness.
"Then why go out of your way to ask me and create this stage?"
Even as he said it, the association president believed deep down that Cheon Sang-ho wanted to measure himself against Kang Jin-hyuk.
"If there's no need to fight, you could've just checked the footage and moved on."
Called out by the association president, Cheon Sang-ho stopped walking.
He slowly turned his head to stare at the president.
"I trust the footage, but you and the executives don't."
"So... you did this on purpose to give Kang Jin-hyuk a stage to prove himself?"
Cheon Sang-ho didn't bother answering the question.
Watching his back as he resumed walking, the association president let out a hollow chuckle.
Who would've thought the excuse he'd used to lure Kang Jin-hyuk was exactly what Cheon Sang-ho intended.
"No ambition, or maybe just a bigger vessel..."
* * *
Pantheon had taken over the former Tyrant Guild headquarters as its base, replacing the smashed Titan headquarters.
As a guild that had vied for the top spot domestically, Tyrant's HQ boasted vast space and top-notch facilities.
Thanks to that, Lee Jun-cheol could review Pantheon's finances in a spacious, comfortable office with the AC cranked up.
"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand..."
Lee Jun-cheol checked the revenue Pantheon had earned over the past month.
"Seems like the low-rank Hunters are starting to trust us."
The first two weeks had underwhelmed due to low-rank Hunters' skepticism and hesitation.
But now, solid sums were piling up steadily every day.
However, Jo Hyeong-il, working beside him, looked far from pleased.
"So what? It's still pocket change."
The 5% cut from low-rank Hunters was a drop in the bucket compared to what guild members earned hunting directly.
"I still don't get why we chose this approach."
Pantheon had opened all of Tyrant's former territories to low-rank Hunters.
In exchange, Titan's territories remained exclusive to guild members.
It was an unprecedented setup, yet no guild members voiced complaints.
Lee Jun-cheol fully understood why Kang Jin-hyuk made that call.
"Check this first, then say that."
Jo Hyeong-il tilted his head at the documents Lee Jun-cheol handed over.
"What's this?"
"List of our guild members. What do you think?"
"Hmm... We seem short on people."
"Right. Two major guilds merged, so our influence is huge, but we lack bodies."
With so few members, Lee Jun-cheol got headaches every time he reviewed the roster.
"No helping it. All the Tyrant members went straight to prison."
"And Titan fell apart from internal strife."
Even without Jo Hyeong-il reminding him, Lee Jun-cheol knew exactly why Pantheon suffered a talent shortage.
He'd brought his own crew when joining Pantheon, but they were civilians, not Hunters.
It was a relief that the Titan Hunters loyal to Seo Sang-ho had joined.
Without them, Pantheon's Hunter count would've been finger-countable.
"'Fill the empty territories with low-rank Hunters.' That's our guild master's strategy."
"Ah."
Only then did Jo Hyeong-il grasp Kang Jin-hyuk's intent.
Pantheon didn't have enough people to fully utilize all its territories.
Leaving them empty would invite other guilds to pounce.
Like hyenas, they'd swarm at any chance to claim turf.
Kang Jin-hyuk solved that by recruiting low-rank Hunters.
"Draws public eyes, so other guilds won't barge in recklessly."
"And it builds our image as the 'good guild.'"
"Kukuku, when we're anything but good guys."
Jo Hyeong-il chuckled, praising the "high-end washing machine" performance.
Guys who'd run the black market as gangsters never dreamed they'd go legit and get called saints.
"But can we patrol all territories with this headcount?"
"As if. We've gotta use tricks, obviously."
"Tricks? Oh."
Jo Hyeong-il nodded, catching on.
"You're talking about that new guy, right?"
"Yeah. Lucky Jeong Dae-yoon joined us."
Jo Hyeong-il deeply agreed.
Without Jeong Dae-yoon's illusion skill, faking patrols to fool other guilds would've been impossible.
Thanks to him covering the manpower gap with illusions, Pantheon solidified its base without heavy pressure.
"Wonder where the guild master plans to recruit more members."
"Who knows. I can't read that guy at all."
With no options now, Lee Jun-cheol focused on supply logistics.
Years in the black market had built wide connections, so hunting gear was never an issue.
Preparations were mostly done otherwise—Pantheon's only shortage was people.
Lee Jun-cheol trusted Kang Jin-hyuk had a plan.
But even Kang Jin-hyuk had no answers.
Back in a dungeon after a while, he sat on the smithy stool, deep in thought.
"Any decent Hunter gets scooped up by other guilds..."
Prospects among low-ranks grew too slowly to use as combat assets right away.
"And I can't poach from other guilds."
A new guild sniffing around for members?
Major guilds wouldn't sit idle if they caught wind.
Pantheon was barely hiding its hollow shell with Jeong Dae-yoon's skill.
One focused attack, and it'd crumble.
Even if Kang Jin-hyuk outclassed most S-rank Hunters, he wasn't Sun Wukong—he couldn't handle swarms from all sides.
"What to do..."
The more he pondered, the less sense it made.
Lost in agony, he didn't notice the dwarf finishing his work.
"Hey, quit rolling that thick skull and take this."
Even as the dwarf shoved the baseball bat forward, Kang Jin-hyuk didn't turn.
Blatantly ignored, the dwarf raised his fist and smashed the back of Kang Jin-hyuk's head.
"Argh!!"
*Crack!* The skull-rattling impact echoed through the smithy.
Kang Jin-hyuk clutched his head and rolled on the floor.
"Why hit me!?"
"You ignored me."
"But that doesn't mean punch a guy!"
"Shut up and take it."
The dwarf thrust the enchanted baseball bat right under Kang Jin-hyuk's nose.
The moment Kang Jin-hyuk gripped the handle, he felt something different.
"Feels like it's sucking power out?"
"Yep. Absorbing your mana."
"The bat is?"
"You think I'm sucking it?"
As the dwarf said, Kang Jin-hyuk's MP dropped fast after grabbing it.
Using Aura here would've drained him dry in seconds.
"Why's it like this? Did it fail?"
"You little shit. Me fail? Never, not till the heavens fall!"
The dwarf brimmed with pride in his craft.
Kang Jin-hyuk couldn't doubt the enchant now.
If intentional, though... he couldn't fathom this function.
"Then why suck my MP?"
"To store it ahead."
"Store what?"
"What else, dummy? Your mana, obviously!"
"For what?"
"Your call."
That's when Kang Jin-hyuk realized the bat's new power.
Store large amounts of MP—mana—for use anytime.
That was the enchanted ability.
"How much can it hold?"
"About a dozen people's worth."
The material enchanted into the bat was ore from an Alraune that accumulated nutrients by feeding on people.
Fitting its origin, the enchantment mimicked that.
"If I stock it well, no need to chug potions nonstop."
He'd been using Aura more, making MP a growing issue.
Gaining this huge tank was perfect.
"Thanks, old man."
"Save it. Bring more rare stuff next time."
The dwarf cared only for crafting masterpieces.
That's why he holed up in this dungeon, away from the world.
Thanks to that quirk, Kang Jin-hyuk always scored items other Hunters couldn't.
To test the new baseball bat, Kang Jin-hyuk headed deeper into the dungeon.