Chapter 98. The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 98. The Calm Before the Storm
A tournament jointly hosted by the government and the Association.
The tournament hadn't been around for long, but this one was truly on an unprecedented scale.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: It's been a while since Hunters appeared, so the scale's naturally getting bigger ]
[ Content: Now that the system's more structured and stable, a lot of people are probably coming in with their blades sharpened this time ]
↳ Wasn't it said from the start that all of the Five Great Guilds were claiming this win was theirs?
↳ That's just the standard template lol
↳ So could our Chae-hyun win?
↳ How the hell would she, she's an E-rank Hunter
↳ But she's being taught by Unknown. With that kind of fortuitous connection, was it impossible?
↳ Reality isn't a novel...
The giant guilds naturally participated, and mid-sized guilds and unaffiliated Hunters joined in greater numbers than usual.
The participant list went up on the Association homepage in real time.
Scouts examined their names.
Hunters studied them for strategy.
"As expected..."
Lee Chae-hyun, E-rank.
A name that seemed unremarkable.
If anything, the E-rank was what made it stand out more, but everyone knew who stood behind her.
Some conservative mid-sized guilds and unaffiliated Hunters revised their strategies.
Essentially toward 'let's avoid a confrontation with Lee Chae-hyun.'
"She's taught by the Unknown Hunter. We can't treat her like an ordinary E-rank."
"If you lose to an E-rank, you become a total laughingstock..."
"Let's just focus on surviving and making it to the main tournament first."
They were wary, and they analyzed the situation coldly.
Beating her, an E-rank, was the bare minimum for breaking even.
If they lost?
It would be nationwide humiliation.
'Seriously, you lost to an E-rank?'
Whether she had received the Unknown Hunter's teaching or not, the public wouldn't care.
They would simply be branded as 'the one who lost to an E-rank Hunter.'
But there were also many who stood on the opposite side.
"Lee Chae-hyun? She's E-rank. No matter how much she trains, it's pointless."
"If I beat her, right in front of all those cameras? That's it. Instant life turnaround."
"The Hunter who defeated Unknown Hunter's disciple. That would be immense."
They grit their teeth and trained.
Some even pulled up and analyzed the VODs of Song Hoon's broadcasts.
For unknown Hunters and guilds, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
"If I win, I make headlines immediately. Interviews come pouring in, contract offers too."
"A guild? Even putting skill aside, love calls will keep coming just for the symbolic value."
"I could just become an influencer, get streaming offers and all that."
"And in the process, what if I catch the Unknown Hunter's eye?"
An era driven by views and stimulation.
Whoever won, whoever lost... people were ready.
Ready to consume that scene through a live broadcast.
---
[ World's Strongest Hero : Evolution Stone ]
[Evolution Stone lolol]
[Are you a Pokemon?]
The place illuminated by the drones was a Gate.
But it felt different from a Gate raid stream.
[What, is this not about catching monsters?]
"No, the tournament is player versus player, you see. I'm planning to spar with the manager."
[Spar...?]
[Isn't it just one-sided beating?]
Past me, the figure of Lee Chae-hyun holding a dagger was visible.
Before the formal training, she had told me it would be better to decide on a weapon.
- This... seems to suit me. Big and heavy things just don't fit in my hand.
- A dagger is, it's fast... how should I put it, it feels like it sticks right to my hand?
I had nodded indifferently then.
After all, the weapon that fits your own hand was the best.
I stared blankly at Lee Chae-hyun as she took her stance.
When our eyes met, she nodded.
"Then I'll begin."
[Oh... I'm fucking looking forward to this]
[Just what kind of teachings will the Great Unknown bestow...]
[Master...]
Teachings?
What's that?
You just throw your body into it and learn.
─ Kwang!
[???]
[Hey you bastard, you just kicked a person like that?!]
[Shit lmaooo he just kicked her outright]
Right before being kicked away, Lee Chae-hyun raised both arms and managed to block my attack.
She blocked the attack perfectly, but that judgment was wrong.
"You should have dodged."
[?????]
['You should have dodged' what the hell lololol]
[This bastard really thinks reality is a game, I see]
I wasn't finding fault with her.
Even though I was going easy on her, she 'reacted' and blocked the attack.
The fact she reacted meant she also had the option of dodging rather than blocking.
"Kugh..."
Lee Chae-hyun stood up.
And she rushed in again.
Feinting left, a slash aimed at the lower right, followed by a knee strike.
─ Smack!
An opening appeared as she swung both arms around flashily.
My fist buried into her abdomen, and Lee Chae-hyun collapsed as if her breath was completely knocked out.
"I won't wait for you just because you collapsed."
"Huff..."
She caught her breath and stood up.
Her eyes, once she stood again, were filled with venom.
'Good.'
The headbutting dinosaur.
The nickname that suited Lee Chae-hyun best.
Her attacks pressed on without pause.
Of course, not a single one landed effectively.
"Don't rely too much on the dagger alone."
She was truly far too weak.
At this rate, she seemed likely to be eliminated in the main tournament before even making it into the rankings.
─ Grab!
I seized both her arms as she swung them.
"A dagger is ultimately just a tool. Use your entire body."
"I... know that too...!"
─ Thud!
With both hands captured, she put all her strength into headbutting my philtrum.
[Seriously, the nickname 'headbutting dinosaur' fits her so damn well]
[Every time she lands a hit, the fact that bastard is completely fine feels kind of weird]
[Seems like his physics engine is broken lolol]
─ Thud! Thud! Thud!
Her hair flew wildly, as she attempted headbutt after headbutt.
But even as the blows rained down, I still held onto her arms and didn't let go.
"Tch... Chairman, why is your head so hard?"
"...?"
"It's completely rock-headed...!"
Chae-hyun, Chae-hyun...
Calling someone rock-headed...
[Straight facts]
[Mental damage negated kekekeke]
[Our Chairman is a goddamn blockhead (slightly fabricated)]
Lee Chae-hyun, judging that this was no longer working, stared straight at me.
"Heuh..."
"You're laughing?"
"At least this place should be soft and squishy!"
She instantly pulled her hips back and swung her leg with all her might.
The target was exactly between my legs.
The location men call the second heart.
"!?"
Even if I let the attack land, it would not have hurt me at all.
But if anything flies toward the groin, blocking it was a man's instinct.
"A-are you insane?"
"Huff... So the Chairman blocks that spot too, huh?"
[Is she seriously going right for the nuts right away?]
[The manager was a scarier person than I thought;;]
[Wow, even I instinctively clenched my butt right then]
As I naturally blocked the attack, I lost hold of her hands.
She seized that opening and immediately thrust her sword towards my uvula.
─ Tap.
But there was no way such a clumsy attack could injure my body.
"..."
"How was that?"
"Letting my guard down is ultimately my own fault anyway."
"Am I a bit more useful now?"
"Creating that kind of variable was certainly good."
But she lacked power.
"To make up for lacking power, you need to be that much more agile."
At least that Yang...
What was his name again?
Anyway, I hoped she'd be at least as agile as that Chinese hunter.
"Of course, Laila will help you with that."
"Big Sis will...?"
[Right, the Saintess is also seriously damn fast]
[She totally wrecked that Chinese hunter too lol]
[So she's just going to spar wearing clothes like that?]
[It's gonna get all dirty though]
To begin with, Laila hadn't come today wearing her usual Saintess robes.
She had come wearing simple training clothes.
"Ah, of course I don't mean you should spar with Laila."
"...?"
"Don't worry. This is simply meant to help cultivate your reaction speed and agility, Chae-hyun."
[It's not sparring?]
[It's probably not making her run laps or something]
Lee Chae-hyun tilted her head, wondering what the method was.
But Laila just smiled slightly and brought her hands together.
─ Jiiing... Jiiing... Jiiing... Jiiing...
"Uh, uh...?"
Multiple golden spheres appeared behind her.
And the spheres slowly began to interweave and rotate.
'Huh?'
I had heard the method from Laila beforehand, but I didn't hear it was this many...
"All you have to do is dodge these."
[Her?]
[These?]
[Aren't those the things that melted a tank last time...?]
[Wouldn't she just die if she gets hit?]
"Big Sis, I have to dodge all of those...?"
"Yes."
─ Woooong...
The golden spheres began to rotate faster as they gathered speed.
"Big Sis... are you angry?"
"Nope~"
"Big Sis, I saw you melt a tank barrel last time, so I know what you can do..."
"Don't worry! Would I ever kill you, Chae-hyun?"
Normally, shouldn't you say 'Would I ever hurt you?'
"And you know well. I always heal you even if you get hurt."
"Uh, well... I'll be in your care then?"
At those words from Lee Chae-hyun, Laila simply smiled.
And as she extended her hand forward, the spheres flew at Lee Chae-hyun from all sides.
[Wow... just a slight graze looks like it would wound you though?]
[Is this a bullet hell shooting game?]
[It's a game but you only have one life lmaooo]
'Still, one thing was certain...'
Laila was launching them at a speed matched to Lee Chae-hyun's pace.
And Lee Chae-hyun, maintaining her focus, was dodging the spheres flying in from all directions quite well.
"Once this is finished, her agility will noticeably improve."
I began to look forward to seeing my stat-enhanced Pokemon in action soon.
Even now, in the public discourse, words like 'No matter how hard she tries, she's still ultimately E-rank' could be heard from time to time.
"..."
Whether you guys were the chumps, or we were—the results would show.