A S-Class Hunter With Great Agility - Chapter 71
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 71: Proof (2)
“Are you going to die from being careless in a dungeon too?!”
“This is embarrassing, really. With those stats, that’s all he can do?”
“He’s just an unknown pro anyway. Losing to that?”
The public opinion in the spectator seats didn’t change easily. It was natural. I hadn’t expected them to change their minds quickly anyway.
Most of the criticism was directed at the 3rd-ranked student. The main blame was that he had been careless during combat.
‘Carelessness, overconfidence in his own abilities… Overall, it’s due to arrogance.’
However, that wasn’t the only reason for his defeat.
I recalled the sensation from earlier. The feeling when my sword pressed down on Gwak Han-yeol’s sword.
‘He can’t distribute his strength at all.’
He just crushes with stats alone. Unlike Choi Geon, who used his physical strength skillfully.
That’s why, unlike Choi Geon, he had no choice but to fall before 200-level strength.
‘Hunter Academy, they say…’
…They’re still nothing but greenhorns.
[N-next is the Academy’s 2nd-ranked student!]
The announcer’s voice rang out, and I looked toward the opposite side.
| Indeed, the attire is peculiar. Is this place a school? |
“Yes. If you think about it, that’s right. That’s a school uniform.”
| Hmm, how interesting. |
A small-framed female student walked in, neatly dressed in her school uniform.
Despite what had just happened, she showed no signs of being discouraged anywhere.
Hazel eyes that looked straight at me.
“I’m Baek Na-jin.”
Baek Na-jin nodded her head and greeted me lightly. Her neat bob cut fluttered gently.
[Yes, th-that, student Baek Na-jin! She’s an Awakened who made her name known by recently solo-defeating an A-rank dungeon boss alone!]
‘Solo defeat, huh.’
I gripped my sword. Baek Na-jin also took a combat-ready stance.
[The second match begins—!]
At the same time as those words.
The ground I was standing on began to shake.
‘What is this?’
Rumble rumble rumble.
Crash!
I was looking at the collapsing ground when I quickly raised my head to check on Baek Na-jin.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The ground shook even more violently. It was as if an earthquake had struck.
The confusion of those sitting in the spectator seats also grew.
“Goddess of the earth, Gaia.”
Baek Na-jin was grinning wickedly with her palm pressed against the ground. The corners of her mouth curled up mischievously.
“Ugh.”
The ground I was standing on caved in deeply. I couldn’t plant both feet at all.
Even when I tried to extend my sword, my balance was disrupted and everything crumbled.
‘…Ha, area skills are all about power after all.’
These magic-type skills that are cast by pouring mana aren’t greatly affected by proficiency.
In other words, it was possible to crush with stats.
Especially since the Divine Spirit I’m currently receiving is General Choi Young, who specializes in close combat.
“Battle of Hongshan.”
I leaped up from the shaking ground and cut through the debris flying toward me.
After landing, Baek Na-jin didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping her skill. Was she planning to distract me and deliver a fatal blow at the end?
‘…If that’s the case.’
“Divine Spirit. It was nice meeting you.”
| Hmm, it seems it’s time to leave. |
“Yes. Please take care.”
| Next time, I’d like to look around Goryeo a bit longer. |
The Divine Spirit left after saying those words. The energy that had filled my body suddenly disappeared.
‘As expected, mana consumption has decreased significantly.’
There was the reason that my absolute mana amount had increased, but Lee Cheong-ryu’s advice had also played a big part.
The wasted mana was noticeably reduced.
“You’re not planning to attack?!”
I heard Baek Na-jin shouting from across the way.
She was probably just as anxious about her mana reserves as I was. It takes a lot of mental energy for an A-rank Hunter to use S-rank skills.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish.”
I pushed the Spirit General Sword into its scabbard.
“But there’s one thing I want to ask first.”
“?”
“You.”
I stepped backward. The farther I got from Baek Na-jin, the less the vibrations affected me.
Ugh.
It was still hard to stand, but not so much that I couldn’t add a few words.
“How did it feel when you faced an A-rank Boss Monster alone in that dungeon?”
Damn it, really.
I continued speaking regardless.
“The fear must have been intense… It’s very different from those things you use for training.”
Real monsters harbor killing intent toward everything around them.
They charge at you with intent to kill, desperate to eliminate the human right before their eyes.
The orcs that escaped from the Gate and swung their weapons at innocent civilians. The maple tree that devoured people.
I replayed the recent broadcast in my mind.
‘You overcame all that fear and solo-cleared a boss mob? An A-rank, taking down an A-rank alone…’
“…Then try enduring this too.”
I extended my hand.
“Spirit Summoning.”
Groooooooo—
A thick earthy scent spread through the air.
Mana gradually disappeared, and instead I could see a form taking shape before my eyes.
“Wronged King Spirit.”
A worn durumagi, a frayed gat.
A rotted face, and within it… eyes that held the death of everything in the world.
Hard to believe it was a deity.
A Divine Spirit that resembled a ghost revealed itself.
* * *
“Uh, ah…”
The ground’s vibrations stopped. Baek Na-jin unconsciously stepped backward.
This happened when the Wronged King Spirit, easily two or three times the height of a person, took one step toward Baek Na-jin.
| …Is… this… appearance… so… frightening…? |
“…!”
Baek Na-jin swung her hand. Instantly, the arena floor shot upward. The risen earth immediately attacked the Wronged King Spirit.
“Of course it’s scary when you approach like that…”
‘I didn’t expect it to be this intense.’
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
There isn’t actually much information left about the Wronged King Spirit’s appearance. It’s only passed down that its form is shabby.
So I hadn’t anticipated that the Wronged King Spirit appearing before my eyes would resemble a ghost to this degree.
‘Hmm… But if someone who claims to have directly faced an A-rank Boss Monster is this frightened.’
“It wasn’t a perfect solo clear…”
Screeeeech—!
Baek Na-jin’s attack, launched wildly in fear, flew toward the Wronged King Spirit.
‘Gaia’ was an S-rank skill. If I had performed the Divine Descent Ritual, it would be a tough attack for the Wronged King Spirit, who was closer to A-rank than S-rank, to withstand.
However, Spirit Summoning is a skill that calls forth almost the true deity itself.
| Noble Foot Treads Humble Ground. |
Since noble steps have graced this humble ground.
KWAAAAANG!
The earth roared. It was a vibration of incomparable power to what came before.
When the Wronged King Spirit lightly raised its hand, the arena floor cracked into pieces.
The fragments created this way flew at high speed.
“Kugh!”
I should give him a fitting reward.
The blow struck Baek Na-jin.
Unable to defend in time, she had no choice but to take the hit directly. Baek Na-jin’s body was pushed straight back.
“Urgh….”
I passed by the Wronged King Spirit and approached closer to Baek Na-jin.
“Hmm… probably.”
“….”
“Before you did that solo subjugation, there must have been a lot of help. It would be too dangerous to face that alone for real.”
“….”
“What school would send a student into a death trap. Especially a precious talent like you.”
Someone cleared the path, neutralized the Boss Monster, and then Baek Na-jin only delivered the final blow.
Or if not that, the monster had already exhausted a considerable portion of its strength beforehand.
Then all of this situation would make sense.
“Am I wrong?”
No, I was right.
Baek Na-jin was avoiding my gaze.
“…You’d better be grateful for where you’re standing right now.”
“What are you, cough….”
“The moment you step outside the school gate and enter a dungeon, no one will protect you.”
Kids younger than you are facing monsters in places where no one protects them.
I swallowed the rest of my words.
“Divine Spirit.”
| Hmm…. |
The Wronged King Spirit slowly clenched its fist. Following that action, something resembling a human hand suddenly appeared.
When that hand struck the arena floor forcefully, the ground where Baek Na-jin was standing caved in deeply.
“Aaaaah!”
Baek Na-jin fell straight down. A short scream was heard last.
She probably sustained injuries that would make fighting difficult.
So….
Once again this time.
[Th-the winner is….]
“…?”
“Hey, what the hell is that thing’s identity….”
“…Damn.”
“What kind of bullshit…!”
Amidst the completely overturned atmosphere of the arena, my calm face filled the electronic display board.
Victory was handed to me.
* * *
Crash.
The coffee cup Heo Gil was holding shattered.
“….”
Tremble.
His hands were shaking mercilessly.
“…Dean.”
The incident had already occurred. Any words right now, any excuses. They were woefully insufficient to handle this situation.
The staff member also knew this, so they couldn’t rashly add words. The staff member restlessly hurried to clean up the coffee cup fragments.
“Wh-what should we do….”
Heo Gil stood up from his chair. Until then, he hadn’t uttered a single word.
The arena fell into silence. To the point where excuses of being careless would no longer work…. Two students from the top rankings who had fallen one after another.
“….”
Crash!
Heo Gil struck the fence. The equipment that couldn’t withstand an S-rank Hunter’s strength crumbled completely.
“…Earlier, did I.”
“….”
“Did I say to the Guild Leaders that monsters are monsters.”
— Ha, no matter how different it is from reality. Monsters are monsters, both of them.
“Ha!”
Heo Gil let out a hollow laugh.
‘There was another one over there too.’
“Stop it immediately.”
“Pardon?”
“The next battle, damn it! Stop the battle for 1st place immediately!”
‘If 1st place loses like that too after 3rd and 2nd place, the Academy is finished.’
The arena is packed with reporters. This was meant to show everyone that the Academy has the power to mobilize large guilds, and that the students are talents ready to jump into real combat immediately.
But instead, that very thing has turned into a sword aimed at their own throat.
“B-but will that student listen?”
“If we don’t stop this, we’ll never recover public opinion.”
It has to end here. Trust has been sufficiently proven, so this is enough. That’s how it needs to be handled.
Right now, there are still excuses available…
“Hey now, Guild Leader. Why are you getting so worked up?”
But then a voice could be heard from the side.
Thud.
Someone approached Heo Gil.
“I just need to win, right?”
A red-haired male student.
His sharp yellow eyes gleamed.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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FadedStringed
Fuck that bastard up Hae-dam!!