Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 125

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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125
Han Byung-hyun, an E-rank mage who had been complaining about the American hunters’ sarcasm, started to rise.
“They’re B-rank hunters.”
At another hunter’s words.
“Sigh… I’ll hold back for Lee Ji-seok’s sake.”
He lowered himself back into his seat.
Ding.
Han Byung-hyun’s phone rang.
“…The deposit came through?”
“What did?”
“I leveled up today, right? 100 million won just came in. Look at this.”
He showed his phone to his colleagues. Text notifications began chiming from all around.
“Weren’t we supposed to get paid after completing the full two weeks of training?”
“… Should I… no, maybe just one more day?”
The training felt like gambling. The hunters threw themselves into it, chanting “just 100 million more, just 100 million more.”
* * *
Even though they said they’d pay the next day, half of them had disappeared. It must have been far too grueling.
“Those who wanted to leave have left, and only those with resolve remain, so we can raise the difficulty a bit more, don’t you think?”
The hunters’ faces went pale.
“This morning, we’re running the Obstacle Course again. You can use whatever abilities or skills you have, or move as a team. First ten laps to finish. The second half who come in late will do an additional ten laps.”
“Let’s go!”
The hunters rushed out, weapons in hand and weighted vests strapped to their bodies.
“From now on, there will be interference like yesterday, so please block it, evade it, or counterattack as you see fit.”
Yang Sang-heon appeared with a rifle.
“Everyone! I really didn’t want to shoot!”
Rata-ta-ta-ta-ta-bang!!!!
Despite his words, Yang Sang-heon looked rather pleased.
Still, he maintained enough restraint to fire only at targets that wouldn’t die from being hit. All hunters wore protective gear, so rifle bullets wouldn’t kill them, but the impact of rounds striking armor and projectiles piercing through gaps in the plating would certainly be painful.
For B-rank hunters who suffered minimal damage even from rifle fire, and conversely for E-rank hunters who took significant damage, I adjusted my strength and threw rubber balls or kicked them according to their rank.
Jung Jang-mi, who had been D-rank when I met her last time, was early C-rank before coming to the Academy. She’d reached level 35 through Academy training, and just one more level would make her B-rank.
Jang-mi used acceleration magic and dodged my and Yang Sang-heon’s attacks with nimble movements. Moreover, she’d learned the Shield skill—the thin shield she spread across her body protected her like armor. Its power was stronger than expected, so I had to throw the rubber balls with increasing force.
For the minor Hee-chul, both Yang Sang-heon and I attacked gently at first, but he evaded with movements like someone raised in the wild, so we eventually attacked him the same way as everyone else.
“Hide behind me! Shield!”
Oh Brothers hid behind Ye-seul’s shield and advanced slowly.
“Switch!”
When the shield was depleted, Hyung-bin stepped forward and blocked the attacks with his shield.
With so many people, Yang Sang-heon had to alternate his fire between hunters, creating gaps in the barrage.
“Now’s our chance! Charge!”
Seeing Hyung-bin’s group move as a team, the other hunters followed suit. Teamwork and camaraderie naturally increased.
In the morning we conducted Obstacle Course training, and in the afternoon we entered Gates. I assigned instructors and had them clear one Gate per day suited to their current level.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a hellish schedule that exhaustion alone couldn’t sustain, but they handled all the reporting and byproduct processing required after clearing the Gate. Upon returning to the World Tree Academy Dormitory for a thorough rest, my physical fatigue evaporated entirely.
I dispelled mental exhaustion through daily financial therapy—watching deposits accumulate in my account—and unlimited buffets prepared by dozens of professional chefs.
The training results were exceptional.
One Hunter who’d spent over a month here gained only 1 level, yet I gained 5 in a single week.
However.
“Does that even make sense?!”
Jung Jang-mi shrieked upon checking the American team’s level-up scores. While Jung Jang-mi had risen 5 levels and climbed into the upper ranks among Korean Hunters of this Academy cohort, Peter from the American team had gained 20 levels during the same period and was now S-rank.
“We pushed so hard, and they gained even more? How did they gain 10 extra?! 10?!”
“Those idiots. They got that prime location for free and that’s all they managed?”
Peter, noticing a Korean Hunter nearby while looking at the scoreboard, spoke loudly enough for them to hear every word.
Many Hunters resented Korea’s proximity to the World Tree as the nation that possessed it.
Yet Korean Hunters weren’t lacking in ability or effort. Hunters from third-ranked and lower nations scored far below Korea.
“We’re crawling through mud while you’re riding on equipment. You look stupid, and apparently you talk stupid too.”
Irritated by his words, Jung Jang-mi fired back.
Peter genuinely harbored complexes about his education and appearance.
“You damn bitch!”
Peter lunged forward and threw a punch. He’d intended merely to provoke her, but when she overreacted, Jang-mi twisted in surprise to evade lightly, then drove her fist toward Peter’s face.
Peter raised his palm to block Jang-mi’s incoming fist.
Jang-mi smiled upon seeing this. He clearly had no idea about her ability to cast magic bare-handed at close range.
Sparks erupted from Peter’s palm. Since she was fighting a person, Jang-mi minimized the explosion’s power, though she expected it would startle him if it detonated near his face.
However, the sparks were absorbed into his hand before they could touch his face.
A shocked Jung Jang-mi felt Peter’s fist drive into her abdomen, and sparks exploded from where she was struck.
Boom!
Struck by both fist and magic in rapid succession, Jung Jang-mi flew backward and crashed into the wall.
“Sister! You bastard!”
Hee-chul, watching from the side, rushed in, and that became the signal for all Korean and American Hunters to descend into chaos.
* * *
“Haha, Hunters do tend to fight when they’re training.”
Lee Ji-seok laughed, but neither his eyes nor mouth reflected any amusement. The Korean Hunters standing in a line with their heads bowed saw this and knew they were finished.
“No. My instruction must have been insufficient. You bastards! I told you not to bully weaker people! And you call yourself a great American citizen?!”
Allen Huntman, the S-rank Hunter who came as the American trainer, stood rigid and shouted at the American Hunters. Apparently, this wasn’t the first incident. American Hunters had been picking fights everywhere, and Hunters from other nations had swallowed their pride in humiliation. And Peter had always been at the center of it.
“…Haha, quite right. An S-rank Hunter beating up B-rank Hunters is unconscionable, isn’t it? Perhaps America was founded by subjugating natives, so you enjoy unfair games?”
“… It’s a bad habit to speak of things you don’t understand. And shouldn’t Peter’s level gains be reconsidered? While Peter became S-rank, that Hunter only became B-rank. Doesn’t that suggest a lack of talent?”
“Numbers aren’t everything. Our people excel in real combat.”
“I see. Getting beaten like that…. Oh, pardon me, taking a beating….”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Hahaha.”
“Hahaha, is it?”
Auras clashed between the two men.
“Jang-mi!”
Jung Min-gi burst through the door as if to shatter it.
“Oh my, what a mess your face has become!”
Hunter Jung Min-gi grabbed Jung Jang-mi’s face with both hands and turned it this way and that. Since she’d been in the shadow of the World Tree, there wasn’t a single wound left on her.
“Dad! Let go of me!”
Jang-mi tried to break free, but her father was an S-rank Hunter.
“…Who is this?”
Hunter Jung Min-gi’s killing intent leaked out.
No one spoke, but all eyes inevitably turned toward Peter.
Hunter Jung Min-gi placed his hand on his sword hilt and drew it.
“Ah~ Adults shouldn’t get involved in children’s squabbles, right~?”
Amy, the United States’ S-rank Hunter who had been quietly watching from behind, caught Hunter Jung Min-gi’s blade between her thumb and index finger.
Usually she moved and spoke slowly, but once she entered combat mode, she attacked using lightning and enhanced her physical abilities. Amy moved like lightning itself, and the electricity from her movement crackled, turning the ground black.
Peter watched an S-rank Hunter’s attack stop right before him, and rather than feeling fear, he showed his teeth in a belligerent grin.
“I was only trying to intimidate him, but you reacted a bit too strongly.”
Ji-seok wedged his body between Hunter Jung Min-gi’s blade and Amy, pushing them apart.
“Ah~ I see~”
Amy casually retreated again. She hadn’t come as a supervisor—she’d simply stopped by while passing through on a World Hunter Association request nearby.

“If we end it like this, both sides will be left with lingering resentment. How about we have a proper match and settle this cleanly?”
Ji-seok made the suggestion.
“Well, we could fight among ourselves, but shouldn’t we avoid adults getting involved in children’s affairs?”
Allen said.
“Ah, are you scared?”
“Watch your words….”
Allen ground his teeth.
“Ah, my apologies. Fine. Let’s have the kids fight. How about 5 versus 5 a month from now?”
“Agreed. But if we win, we’ll take Korea’s seat.”
“If you’re so dissatisfied with the seating arrangement, why don’t we make it a national tournament with the seat itself on the line?”
“Excellent.”
His expression made it clear he was certain of victory.
“Regardless of the outcome, let’s use this as an opportunity to build ties between our nations.”
“Of course. We’re all doing this for Earth, so we shouldn’t harbor any resentment toward each other.”
Ji-seok and Allen shook hands with stern expressions and forced smiles.
“Ugh….”
As Ji-seok gripped firmly, Allen’s face flushed red and blue, but his pride kept him from crying out, his lips pressed tightly shut.
“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t realize you had such weak grip strength. Well then, see you at the match.”
* * *
The match was set for the last day of April, and participants would be selected from the Hunters who entered the Academy in March. It would be meaningless if each country didn’t bring their best Hunters.
After heated discussion, they settled on a total level cap of 175. However, the level in question was their entry level, not their current level. In other words, whoever raised their level the most this month would have an advantage in the match.
“We can fight. We’re young and spirited, and no one’s dying—there’s nothing wrong with a good match.”
The Hunters stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, heads bowed.
“But here’s the thing….”
I exhaled deeply.
“I’m not losing, am I?”
The Hunters standing idle felt their breath constricting, as if the sky itself was pressing down upon them. I was unconsciously channeling Eres’s technique.
“I trained you on the side, gave you items, the nation provided prime hunting grounds… and you’re telling me you lost.”
Jung Jang-mi’s sweat poured profusely. This had happened because she couldn’t hold back her provocation. But wasn’t he getting worked up far too easily? Was he insane? Her mind raced with doubts.
Jung Jang-mi was the type to charge headfirst at almost anyone, but knowing how Ji-seok had handled her before and how he’d driven them all relentlessly these past two weeks, she didn’t dare resist.
“This is all my fault.”
I closed my eyes and lifted my head.
“No, sir!”
“It’s our fault!”
“We apologize!”
The Hunters lifted their heads and answered loudly from all directions.
“No, no, it’s my mistake. I should have pushed you harder, but I went too easy on you.”
“Sir?”
“I must have taken a hit too hard from that American Hunter earlier. I heard I was going too easy on you.”
“I heard that too. Is this some kind of collective hallucination?”
“Starting today, we don’t sleep. They’re relying on equipment? We’ll match their equipment and add sheer grit on top. We’ll conduct training through the night until the new training facilities arrive. Everyone grab your gear and assemble within two minutes. Execute.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Hunters’ faces fell. But terrified of me, they bolted toward their Dormitory.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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