014. What a Ranged Dealer Needs Most
The waiting room fell silent after the broadcast ended. The amusing part was that they had all started sizing each other up.
In the document screening, they hadn't really crossed paths much. And in the survival game, only a limited few had encountered one another. But the broadcast had focused on the promising applicants' performances, drawing all eyes inevitably to them. Especially among them, Lee Chang-hyun was feeling the sting of sharp glares.
'It's not even a pro league, just a matchup between prospects, and he buried everyone over finding one hidden piece. What a showoff.'
Some didn't bother hiding their displeasure.
"Lucky bastard finds a hidden piece and thinks he's hot shit."
It wasn't shouted outright, but loud enough to be heard. That was the vibe.
On the flip side, Yoon Han-gyeol, from Seoul Hunter Academy, who had walked the straight path with overwhelming power, was the object of envy.
Amid this unspoken tension, a guide arrived in the crowded waiting room and soon led them to the nearby Hunter Union Training Facility.
"Until the Hunters League program concludes, all applicants will reside here at the Hunters League Union Training Facility. Given the facilities, every type of training you could want is available by default. And during your stay, special private lessons and consultations will be provided free of charge."
For Lee Chang-hyun, whose stats still fell short and needed rapid growth, this was a golden opportunity.
"Then, we wish all applicants the best in your growth."
Before them stretched a vast site like a university campus: dome-shaped training arenas, massive office complexes, and more—the Hunter Union Training Facility in all its glory.
The Hunter Union Training Facility wasn't just for Hunters League players. Government hunters, frontline Tower managers—they all used this state-of-the-art setup.
'Of course, pre-regression, I was in and out like it was a diner...'
For Kim Do-jun—not Lee Chang-hyun—this academy student was experiencing it for the first time.
"You been here before? How do you know the layout so well?"
"I know what training I need, so I just checked the map. More importantly, why are you tagging along? You've got your own training. Am I your mom or something?"
"You barely know the place—how you gonna train right? I'll just follow you and do the same."
Well... he wasn't wrong.
After arriving at the facility grounds, they headed straight for the comprehensive physical training room.
'You'd think a physical training room is just brute-force gym gear...'
But this was for Hunters, so it wasn't that basic. Sure, there were standard strength and muscle machines like a gym, but also mana control trainers, mana capacity boosters, zero-gravity simulators, and more.
Everything to forge a "Hunter's body" and boost those foundational "base stats."
Amid the flashy array, ironically, Lee Chang-hyun picked the simplest, most common leg trainer.
'Right now, legs are priority one.'
Of course, it wasn't the only thing. With Bloom spawning new talents one by one, he needed to get comfortable with them. Mana capacity needed work too.
But skills and mana weren't quick fixes. They didn't grow from casual training, and flashy skills meant nothing without solid basics.
In short, time to level his core parameters to match the others—versatility could wait.
'Like against Yoon Han-gyeol before.'
Even with the overwhelming advantage of Ether, he hadn't dominated. Not combat experience—the pure gap in base stats.
If his endurance, strength, and mobility had been a notch higher, he could've sustained pressure with Ether for constant checks.
Kim Do-jun, clueless to this logic, pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Why legs only, even here?"
"What position do you think I play?"
Kim Do-jun had to pause. No Korean hunter used guns yet.
"Uh... ranged dealer?"
Standard answer.
"Right. What's most crucial for a ranged dealer?"
"Insane damage output?"
"And next?"
"Don't ranged dealers just need to land hits? What else?"
Ha... This was Seoul Hunter Academy's top talent? No wonder Korea was a backwater league then. Even if top hunters died tackling the Tower, this was rough.
"Next for a ranged dealer: mobility."
Kim Do-jun looked puzzled. Mobility? Out of nowhere?
It stood out less in low-tier or weak leagues. But in top leagues, melee dealers exploited speed to threaten ranged.
So, ranged dealers had to reposition constantly alongside attacks.
"You saw in survival—Yoon Han-gyeol and top melee have killer mobility or ranged checks. They force ranged dealers to match or exceed that."
Kim Do-jun still looked lost. Made sense—head knowledge meant little without experience.
Then an unexpected voice chimed in.
"Interesting perspective."
A white-haired old man was leg-training right next to Kim Do-jun.
"But contrary to what you say, Korean Hunters League tactics rarely target ranged dealers. Your thoughts?"
Fair point. But it wasn't his tactics wrong—Korea just didn't need it yet.
"True so far. But teams facing UK's ECG or France's ALD treat it as standard. Opponent's ranged dictates your play. So legs make sense for me."
This old-timer probably wouldn't get it fully. Not ordinary, given the facility, but still.
"So you're confident you can play as a top ranged dealer, baiting their melee to chase you alone? Kahaha. Bold kid. Fun. But old man's advice: hubris leads to ruin. I'll be watching, boy."
Watching what...? Anyway, the white-haired elder said his piece and left. Felt oddly unresolved.
'Ranged dealer... ranged dealer.'
The white-haired elder finished his routine leg workout as usual. Lee Geun-taek, first-gen hunter and Hunter Association president, mulled over the recent exchange.
"President? Something troubling you?"
Unlike his usual confident, decisive self.
"You. Tell me—what's most vital for a ranged damage hunter?"
"Hm... Support skills and raw firepower, I'd say."
"Tch, no..."
He got the sympathy but not the answer, so Lee Geun-taek clicked his tongue. Even Section Chief Lee Seo-jun, veteran by Korean standards, missed it. Disappointing.
It showed on his face; Lee Seo-jun fidgeted.
"Uh... then shooting accuracy? Ranged needs virtues, but power's useless if you miss... hit rate is key..."
"Enough. Stop."
Lee Geun-taek reminisced. As a first-gen, not fake arenas like Hunters League, but the real Tower—blood, death, unknowns, vast unknowns.
The dread of unconquerable foes. Even now, closing his eyes brought visions of Tower violence.
Back then, when the Tower hit Korea and top hunters died: a conversation surfaced.
"Hyun-jun, why always legs? No mana training?"
"Aw, bro. Ranged dealer's key ain't that—it's lower body, lower body."
"Lower body outta nowhere?"
Lee Geun-taek hadn't grasped it then.
"Tower aggro knows melee's weak—they snipe ranged first. Gotta shift position every shot."
"That little?"
"Position exposed? Ranged is dead. You melee don't get it..."
Still didn't click. Exposed position? Just shoot while moving? Why bother?
But time proved him right. Ranged hunters died off; Kim Hyun-jun survived with mobility, his checks from angles devastating.
It applied to Hunters League too.
'Though irrelevant now in Korea's backwater league, depleted of elites...'
Top leagues would validate it. A boy not yet standing tall in Korea eyeing world leagues? Ironic.
Lee Geun-taek wondered: bravado or true confidence from skill?