Chapter 75
Provocation before a fight was also the role of hunters. However, there was nothing good about coming out too strong. If they went too far, they would be hit back in response.
“This is difficult.”
“If you really think so, then I can write a script.”
It seemed funny, but this was also the role of a manager. Most hunters had bad tempers, so it was safer to have a manager create the provocation than to leave it to the hunters.
“No. I can do at least this much.”
"Are you sure?"
“I have a few years of experience. I should be able to do an interview like that. You don’t have to worry.”
“I want to worry... but I understand. I’ll sort out that son of a—that player’s information and send it to you, then.”
‘She’ll get angry if I say I don’t need it.’
Choi Yeonseung had figured out Aine’s personality.
“Thank you.”
“That Maximilian son of a bi*tch has a high rating, but his weaknesses are obvious. You can win against him.”
She would be worthless as a manager if she sent out a hunter in a match with no chance of winning, especially if it was a match where he could rise up significantly if he won. Aine seriously thought that Choi Yeonseung had a chance against Maximilian. This was why she came up with this suggestion!
… Of course, from Choi Yeonseung’s perspective, it was absurd that Aine was worried about him.
‘She isn’t even bothering to stop herself from saying ‘son of a b*tch’ anymore.’
***
“Master. Did you enjoy your meal?”
Odaigon greeted Choi Yeonseung with his eyes fixed on his phone, which impressed Choi Yeonseung. Odaigon seemed to have adapted to Earth better than he did!
“Are you still playing that game?”
“Huh? No. Yes.”
“Are you answering my questions half-heartedly because you’re playing it?”
“......”
There was no answer, so Choi Yeonseung snatched the phone from Odaigon’s hand.
“Ah, Master! You can’t do this!”
“Why can’t I? Odaigon. I’m glad you’re adapting to and enjoying Earth, but I’m afraid you’ll lose yourself because you’re too immersed in it.”
“That is ridiculous, Master. I won’t lose myself to the menial entertainment created by humans... Gasp. I was losing myself!”
Odaigon?realized it as he spoke. He was shocked.
“This… This is such evil magic...”
“It isn’t really magic, but it can be evil. In any case, I just want to tell you to play the game in moderation.”
Choi Yeonseung glanced at the phone. Odaigon’s character had an enormous amount of equipment and a high level. It was clear that he had wasted the money he received upon joining the Icarus clan.
“Master! Please punish me!”
“I don’t intend to do that and don’t say things like that outside. I don’t want to be seen as a weirdo. If you don’t mind, I have a job for you.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
“I got a realm called the Blood Fortress as a reward for the constellation battle. I think you should take care of it. I can’t manage everything.”
“Understood!”
Odaigon joyfully replied. He was glad to be given a task by Choi Yeonseung. Managing a realm was something that only trusted household members could do.
“It was the Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’s realm, so there will be many things to manage. For now, stop the races there from killing each other and offering blood.” “Understood.”
No more barbaric customs! Choi Yeonseung had become that realm’s master, so the souls residing in it would have to obey his rules.
“They no longer have to sacrifice each other’s blood to their master to become stronger. Let them train constructively. The harder the training, the better.”
“Training... The harder it is, the better... Got it...”
Odaigon?eagerly took note of Choi Yeonseung’s words.
“I believe in you, Odaigon. Just as you ruled the Goblin Kingdom, change the Blood Fortress into something cool.”
“Yes!!! Leave it to me!”
“Except for cooking. Leaving the culinary culture alone.”
“......”
***
After sending?Odaigon?away, Choi Yeonseung threw himself into a chair and watched Maximilian’s video. The elf on the screen was moving rhythmically and using magic.
‘He’s well-balanced.’
His attacks were essentially long-range. The moment the opponent approached, he’d use a close-range skill to block them and widen the distance again. The elven race itself had an advantage over the human race when it came to the use of magic. Moreover, they were handsome and beautiful, which was a bonus.
-Maximilian! Maximilian! Maximilian!
In the video’s background, Maximilian’s fans could be seen shouting his name and cheering. He likely had a lot of fans since he was handsome and had a gorgeous and neat style. There were hunters like him even before Choi Yeonseung left Earth for the Abyss. Their skills aside, they had star quality if they looked good.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ asks if you want to change your appearance.]
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ can’t change your appearance, but if you learn her seduction and bewitchment skills...]
‘I didn’t say anything. Do you two think I look ugly?’
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ quickly shuts up.]
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ also quickly shuts up.] magic
Aine had marked some parts of the video. She listed the spells that Maximilian mainly used as well as their time, effects, and range of casting. In addition, she noted down how to approach him.
-After this son of a b*tch uses Chain Lightning, he’ll then use a magic skill combo without giving his opponent a chance to retaliate. You should close in on him and prevent him from getting the time to use that combo...
Choi Yeonseung yawned while watching. Maximilian used magic quite well, but that wasn’t enough to stop Choi Yeonseung from winning. If an opponent?got?close, he’d block it and widen the distance again, but whether he could do that against Choi Yeonseung remained unknown.
Anyone could have a good plan before they were hit!
***
“This suit feels a bit tight.”
“That’s because your muscles are more toned than expected.”
“So what do I have to do?”
“You just have to go out, take questions, answer them in a moderately provocative way, and take a photo while staring at each other.”
In the conference hall, dozens of reporters had already sat down.
Maximilian VS Choi Yeonseung was a very interesting match. Maximilian was ranked 21st in the B-grade League. But above all, there was the identity of his opponent.
-Is Choi Yeonseung a scammer or not?
-Well, in this day and age, there’s no way martial artists can fight in the top leagues. He didn’t have the confidence to break through the B-grade qualifiers under normal circumstances, so he used a trick instead.
-Why accept a match from such a low-ranked player? Just ignore him.
-He can’t ignore this person. He has to be stepped on until he can’t rise up anymore!
Right now, Choi Yeonseung?was?getting a lot of attention. The public’s interest in him right now wasn’t even comparable to when he made a splash in the C-grade qualifiers!
… Of course, he was seen in a bad light. Most people believed that Choi Yeonseung had used a trick. After all, in this era, it was rare for a martial artist to be among the top-rated hunters.
-How did his rating rise to B-grade?
-I don’t know. Is it because he’s an Abyss returnee?
-If he set the record for the longest survival time in the Abyss, then he should go to a mental hospital. Why did they increase his rating instead?
Camera flashes exploded the moment Choi Yeonseung came inside. Reporters were already asking questions even before he came on stage. “Choi Yeonseung, what do you think about the recent controversy?”
“There is a rumor that you manipulated your rating!”
“Do you think a martial artist can stay in the B-grade League?”
Reporters tried to get a reaction by using any means to scratch through Choi Yeonseun! However, the host intervened and stopped them before they could succeed.
“Please ask questions in order according to the numbered ticket you received in advance. Player Choi Yeonseung. Please come up.”
Maximilian, an elf with an arrogant expression, was already on stage and was waiting with his arms crossed. The flashes once again exploded when Choi Yeonseung came up to the stage. Once he was ready, the reporters started to quickly ask questions like hyenas chasing prey.
“Do you think a martial artist can stay in the B-grade League?”
“You will find out when I do it.”
“Maximilian is ranked 21st. Do you think you have a chance?”
“Yes.”
“......”
“......”
The unexpected answer made the atmosphere cold for a moment. There were also fans in the seats behind the reporters, so boos came out immediately.
“I-Isn’t Maximilian ranked 21st while Choi Yeonseung is outside the top 100?”
“What? Does that mean you think Maximilian is a despicable hunter who only chooses opponents he’s sure he can defeat?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“You talk too much. No matter when our fight is scheduled to happen, you should be polite. Don’t slander people like that.”
The reporter who unintentionally cursed Maximilian became frustrated. When did he do that?
“According to a controversy, you used a trick because you didn’t have the confidence to pass through the B-grade qualifiers. What do you think about that?”
“What controversy?”
“You deliberately got your rating measured below your real rank. You then passed the C-grade League qualifiers and measured your rating again...”
“If that were true, then isn’t that the fault of the person who measured my abilities incorrectly? Don’t blame me. Go to the guy who measured me.”
“......”
“......”
The reporters were taken aback by Choi Yeonseung’s unflustered attitude and the way he spoke confidently speaking confidently. They thought there would be an explanation about how it was all a misunderstanding. They didn’t expect him to say, “Go argue with the measurer.”
“Does anyone else have anything more to say?”
“I’ve got something to say to you, you shameless bastard. How dare you manipulate the ratings? What do you take the league for?”
As the reporters expected, Maximilian stepped up himself when they failed to get anything from Choi Yeonseung.
“Evidence? There is no way a cunning bastard like you would leave any evidence behind. That’s why I singled you out to punish you myself. It isn’t to give you a chance. Do you understand? This isn’t a match. It’s an execution.”
“If you’re so dissatisfied, why not do it right now?”
“What?”
“If you’re so dissatisfied, why not jump right at me? If I were angry, I would’ve already rushed at you with a weapon. Instead, you waited a few weeks and scheduled a match. Are you really that angry?”
“What nonsense—”
“I’ll give you a chance. Let’s not do it in the virtual world. Let’s fight here and now.”
Buzz buzz.
Choi Yeonseung’s words caused the surroundings to become noisy. The reporters’ eyes lit up, intrigued by the sudden challenge. The rookie had made an unexpected offer.
Let’s fight in real life, not in a virtual stadium where it doesn’t matter if you die or get hurt!
He made a suggestion that couldn’t have been done without some bravery.
“T-that suggestion goes against the rules...”
“Ah. So you’re mad, but you still want to follow the rules? I don’t think you’re really angry, then. If I were in your shoes, I would’ve done it regardless of the rules and punishment. You all saw that, didn’t you? I definitely gave him a chance to actually fight me. This guy avoided it because he’s scared.”
Maximilian’s face turned bright red at Choi Yeonseung’s unstoppable words. As a player, there was nothing more disgraceful than being labeled as ‘scared.’?Even so, there was no talk of fighting directly in real life.
An actual battle between hunters was that dangerous. Moreover, Maximilian had no practical experience.
“Have you ever cleared dungeons? From what I can see, you haven’t. Yet you still want to punish and execute me? You should take a look at yourself first. Can a hunter who doesn’t even raid dungeons even be called a hunter? If I were you, I would be so embarrassed that I wouldn’t even show my face.”
Before he knew it, the conference hall had grown dead silent. Reporters were staring at Choi Yeonseung with wide eyes out of fear of missing a single word. At first, they thought Maximilian was going to crush Choi Yeonseung disastrously, but the reality turned out to be the exact opposite.