novelraw Chapter 165 : Things Falling Into Place (1)
Chapter 165 : Things Falling Into Place (1)
Things Falling Into Place (1)
"Amazing! Truly amazing!"
The first thing Gong Do-yung said when he ran over to us was a shout of admiration with his thumb held high.
He probably thought that it would be enough if Yeon-ji just put up a good fight against Sol Mayer.
But there's no way he expected that she would not only put up a good fight, but actually defeat Sol Mayer.
Honestly, neither Yeon-ji nor I could be sure of that outcome.
'That was only possible because the opponent was a fake.'
Of course, even so, it was by no means an easy match.
For some reason, when it came purely to strength, that person was indeed S-rank.
'I have no idea how that's possible, though...'
If I had to give the most likely reason, it would be that some special power was being used through his Conceptualization Technique.
Sol Mayer had already disappeared with the British medical staff, so we couldn't make sure, but I was almost certain.
"Oh, is Yeon-ji alright?"
"I'm fine."
Yeon-ji had just checked her condition briefly, but there was nothing seriously wrong.
She did have some minor injuries, but with the healing ability of a demon, they would be easily cured.
"Really, you're amazing. Yeon-ji, you're truly Korea's treasure."
He went on and on, lavishing praise on Yeon-ji so much he never ran out of compliments.
"At this rate, you could really be called the second Shin Ah-yeon."
The moment he mentioned 'second Shin Ah-yeon', Yeon-ji, who had her arms folded and was pulling a strangely smug expression, visibly flinched.
Gong Do-yung didn't seem to notice, but I certainly did.
"If this goes on air, most of the people who are displeased with Yeon-ji joining Odyssey will fall silent. Those A-rank Hunters wanting to challenge Yeon-ji will have to think twice."
He said that, then strode cheerfully off, practically flying toward the press gathered nearby.
It seemed he was genuinely pleased that Yeon-ji had defeated the British genius.
"......"
Yeon-ji stared after Gong Do-yung's back.
Seeing the complex, hard-to-describe emotions on her face, I lifted my hand and patted her head.
"What, what are you doing?!"
Startled by my sudden action, Yeon-ji jumped away.
She covered her head with both hands, looking pretty displeased.
"You looked lost in thought, and it was partly praise."
"Hmph, shouldn't that be obvious, after what he just said? Everything's always Shin Ah-yeon, Shin Ah-yeon, no matter what I do."
She muttered, tidying her messy hair, and shot me a sharp look.
If I patted her head again, she looked ready to hit me.
"And you know I'm older than you, right? If you treat me like a kid again and do something like that, just try it."
"Your head was just at the perfect height, that's all."
"Head? Did you just call it a head?"
Yeon-ji said that and turned aside.
She looked quite upset, but at least those tangled emotions from before weren't there.
"Show them at Odyssey."
"Show them what?"
"That you're not second Shin Ah-yeon."
At my words, Yeon-ji's gaze turned to me again.
Her expression was as if she found it hard to understand what I meant.
"Do you really think I could beat an S-rank?"
"You did this time, didn't you?"
"That wasn't even S-rank to begin with."
That was true.
The Sol Mayer Yeon-ji fought could only be called an A-rank Awakener with high ability—nowhere near the prestige of an S-rank.
"Just being among geniuses doesn't make you a genius."
Yeon-ji's words sounded as if she were talking to herself.
As if telling herself not to be deluded.
"You told me before. Not to forget Ji Yeon-hwa."
There was a time I said such a thing to Yeon-ji.
It's good to reflect on what happened with Ji Yeon-hwa, but I said she shouldn't forget it completely.
Yeon-ji had been trying to cut off Ji Yeon-hwa, who had made mistakes.
I thought she was judging those mistakes, and the talent she had, as something wrong.
"I haven't forgotten."
Yeon-ji's eyes met mine.
I saw my reflection in her clear pupils.
"That's why I'm like this."
With that, Yeon-ji spun on her heel and strode off.
I watched her go and then glanced down at the right hand I had used to pat her head a moment ago.
'She hasn't forgotten, huh.'
I thought Yeon-ji might be misunderstanding what I meant.
Ji Yeon-hwa's failures, or the talents she'd possessed.
Yeon-ji was trying not to forget those.
So she wouldn't make the same mistakes again, thinking too highly of herself.
Brrr!
As I was thinking about that, I felt my phone vibrating.
【Hello, manager Park Jung-woo! It's been a while. The reason I'm calling is... Would it be alright to air it now? The reality show filmed in America has started broadcasting.】
As I answered the phone, I heard a familiar voice I hadn't heard in a while.
It was the reporter Pyo Ji-yeol, who had been with me in America for the variety show.
He sounded almost as if he was begging me, asking if he could air the footage quickly.
"Okay, I think it would be fine to air it now. That part is due to come up in the show soon anyway."
【Re-really?! Got it!! However, do you think I should edit it down a little? Or...?】
"I'll leave that up to your discretion, Mr. Pyo."
【Yes, sir! You can look forward to it. I'll write the most brilliant article of my career.】
Pyo Ji-yeol replied energetically and hung up.
The video of the fight between the SS-rank over-monster Titan and Alencia.
It was time to reveal it to the public.
***
Recently, there had been a variety show that was the talk of the town.
Known as 'Raising Alencia', its official title was 'From F-rank to S-rank'.
It was a simple program: people from Korea helped an Awakener named Alencia, whom I had met in America, to become S-rank.
The main Awakener, Alencia Walker, had been personally brought to Korea by none other than Park Jung-woo, considered the hottest manager currently, and was known in America as the daughter of the famous con man, James Walker.
The show followed Alencia Walker, who had barely made a living doing internet streams, as she met Korean travelers and steadily improved her abilities—surprisingly, it was getting a huge reaction.
【Alencia wasn't S-rank from the beginning?】
【She really was F-rank—how did she become S-rank in just a month?】
【It's Park Jung-woo again. Does he have some S-rank radar or something?】
Clips previously released via YouTube Shorts, such as the stun gun scene or the one where she stuck chopsticks into an outlet, also caused a stir on the forums.
So, as word-of-mouth about the show spread—
Reporter Pyo Ji-yeol, known for covering hunters and who had also appeared on the American show, dropped a bombshell article.
It included a video of the fight between the SS-rank over-monster Titan and Alencia.
The video was edited to be brief, with a note that anyone who wanted to see the full version should watch 'From F-rank to S-rank'.
"I didn't think he'd actually tell people to check the rest on the show,"
I chuckled as I read the article.
He must have worked things out with PD Jung Jun-soo before writing this piece.
Thanks to Pyo's article, a flood of additional articles about the program started popping up.
In fact, the HSN network's website even crashed briefly from all the public interest.
"Jung-woo, this is blowing up internationally too!"
Sung-hwan must have read the articles too; he was all smiles.
Although Alencia had already been well-known, this video of the battle against the Titan made her even more of a hot topic.
Not only in Korea, but also in the US, there was massive interest.
After all, although her agency was Unique, she was still a national Hunter to them.
Now, in the US, there were arguments over why Alencia was with a Korean management team, not an American one.
【Anyone know why Alencia's not with a US manager?】
【Obviously, because the person who "discovered" her was the Korean manager.】
【They say he's a star manager? Apparently, he manages two Korean S-rank Hunters :)】
【Where are the people who said Alencia was James's daughter and a fraud?】
【Honestly, Alencia isn't in America because of those losers.】
Especially, the story that I was the first to recognize Alencia's talent and that's why she was in Korea now was circulating widely.
In fact, in the footage aired on the variety show, it was mostly me teaching Alencia after realizing her abilities, so there was no way to deny it.
At the very start, Alencia's strength really was only F-rank.
"Wait, so is Alencia representing the US at Odyssey?"
Sung-hwan, who'd been delightedly reading articles, seemed to realize belatedly that Alencia was American.
"Probably?"
"Hey... Can anyone win against her? If they send her out fully charged, will any S-rank be able to handle it?"
Indeed, if Alencia was just temporarily powered up, an ordinary S-rank could handle her.
But if the US side sent her over-charged, as she was for the Titan battle, she would be a formidable opponent for anyone.
"They won't be able to overcharge her like for Titan."
"Even half of that would still be dangerous, wouldn't it?"
"True enough."
The most important thing would be whether someone could keep up with Alencia's speed.
Second, whether they could get through her incredible physical defenses to injure her.
Both were tough, but... actually, on our side, we had someone who could match Alencia.
"You don't have to worry about that."
"Really?... Well, if you say so. Still, it'd be nice if Korea did well at Odyssey this time."
Sung-hwan glanced around as he said that.
We were currently at Seoul Central Hunter Association.
Looking out from the waiting room, we could see a sea of reporters outside.
If we went out carelessly, we'd be surrounded within a few steps.
Here, today, the members participating in Odyssey would be officially announced to the public.
"I was worried about Yeon-ji, but luckily Sol Mayer helped."
Sung-hwan breathed a sigh of relief, and I recalled the last time I'd seen Sol Mayer.
After losing to Yeon-ji, he'd vanished.
He never mentioned Shin Ah-yeon again, whom he'd been so desperate to meet.
He had only left a message: "I'll make my final preparations to participate in Odyssey."
He said he was leaving for UK today, so I'd probably only see him again at Odyssey.
'Then I'll finally see his real power, not a fake's.'
That's what I vaguely thought.
But I never did get to see the 'real' Sol Mayer.
Ever.
***
"The idiot lost to an A-rank?"
Chester slapped his own cheek, remembering the look of contempt Sol Mayer had given him.
He'd stomped on him and kept yelling that Chester had no right to use the name Sol Mayer.
"I let you use my name because you were useful, but not anymore. Not only did you lose to an A-rank, you couldn't even steal the magic."
That was because Yeon-ji had barely used any magic.
She only used a magic of black chains once at the very end, but Chester hadn't understood its principle.
'It wasn't magic power she was using.'
Because it was a magic based on a completely different force, not magic power, Chester couldn't figure out Yeon-ji's spell. Which only fanned Sol Mayer's fury.
Chester, who had used Sol Mayer's name and face, had brought him nothing but humiliation.
"From now on, you won't use my face or name."
"W-wait! It was just a mistake this time—"
"I'll announce it to the public tomorrow. That I have a twin, and that the loser this time was not Sol Mayer, but Chester Mayer."
Chester dared not stop Sol Mayer as he walked away.
Even if he tried, he'd just get beaten pathetically again.
'Am I not Sol Mayer anymore?'
All that remained for him now was being the twin brother of Sol Mayer, who lost miserably to an A-rank.
Even if he wanted the S-rank title, the disgrace he'd suffered wouldn't disappear.
Even his S-rank power was ultimately stolen from Sol Mayer.
If Sol Mayer revealed this, Chester couldn't dare call himself S-rank.
Even if he improved from here, everyone would just think he stole someone else's power.
A coward who used his brother's stolen power.
That would be his reputation for life.
"Heading to UK?"
As Chester walked alone toward the airport, a strange voice called out from behind him.
When Chester turned in the direction of the voice, he saw a familiar face standing there.
"Chester Mayer."
Grand Nova's president.
Jin Su-hyuk.
He stood there, smiling at Chester.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Damn, Jin Su-hyuk working in the background again.
【(⩌‸⩌ )】