novelraw Chapter 167 : Things Falling Into Place (3)
Chapter 167 : Things Falling Into Place (3)
Things Falling Into Place (3)
【Do you think of me as just a convenient tool?】
"Of course not."
To clear an A-rank dungeon every day for a month, I had no choice but to borrow Enoch's power.
Of course, I would have to solve some matters in Korea, but for the most part, I was planning to live in dungeons in America with Enoch's help.
"But I also gave you what you wanted, didn't I?"
【Hmm, hmph.】
A method to quickly raise a C-rank hunter to A-rank.
I had agreed to teach part of it to Enoch.
You could say it was a new method of using magic power.
Currently, the magic power operation method Yun Seung-hyeok had mastered could quickly raise the level of certain Awakeners.
【I thought only S-rankers could create an extra mana hall near the solar plexus.】
"If you pierce a mana channel artificially, it's not that difficult."
【I thought piercing it artificially would be impossible.】
Like Soo-ah, those who could open a mana hall in their head were extremely rare, almost nonexistent.
But creating a mana hall at the solar plexus—a place Soo-ah said was like the 'dantian' in martial arts novels—could be done artificially.
However, recklessly trying to pierce it could cripple a hunter, so it required at least the precise skill of an S-rank or higher. And to avoid becoming a cripple, you had to strictly follow a specified route.
【This is tantamount to a major breakthrough in Awakener research.】
"But as you know, not everyone can receive this procedure, so it's probably not that big."
This was clearly a procedure for people with the right talent.
Yun Seung-hyeok, though not as much as Soo-ah, clearly had excellent qualities.
If he'd been discovered at a younger age, he might've become S-rank in a short time.
"Well, I'll be counting on you from now on."
【Understood. I'll wish you success in the Odyssey as well.】
After hanging up with Enoch, I checked the Odyssey members who were roughly prepared.
Clearing dungeons was one thing, but I also needed to hold a selection match in between.
'I don't know what it'll be like elsewhere, but we have to get results here.'
This A-rank hunter representative selection was in fact an opportunity for Unique to plant the idea that "An A-rank party can be run properly, too!"
With three S-rank hunters, Unique's name value had already risen to the level of the "Big 3" management agencies.
But for most people, that was purely thanks to me, 'Park Jung-woo'.
Ah-yeon, Soo-ah, and Alencia—all of them were brought in by me.
But most hunters were A-rank or below.
No matter how many S-ranks we had, purely in terms of management power, Unique still couldn't be considered strong. Even if the S-ranks were amazing, A-rank and below parties had rarely shown real results.
But what if we made a good showing in this Odyssey selection?
We could overturn that perception in one blow.
Especially since Yun Seung-hyeok had been just a C-rank when he first joined us, he would draw even more attention from the hunters.
【Successfully cleared 5 dungeons in Korea】
【Final preparations for dungeon clearing in the US.】
Ardan's reports came in one after another.
Originally from a duke's family and a army commander, I wanted Ardan to teach Seung-hyeok the role of a leader.
Fortunately, things had gone smoothly so far, so he was learning well.
"Well then, what's left......"
Looking over the S-rank hunters participating in the Odyssey winner's bracket, I frowned.
Recently, Soo-ah had been in top form, which was at least reassuring.
Baek Hojun was, needless to say, one of our sure-win cards.
But it was hard to predict what reactions the S-rank hunters from Grand Nova would have.
Would they just ignore me? Or at least pretend to listen?
But above all, the biggest problem was—
"Shin Ah-yeon."
Leaving aside the possibility she would drop out mid-way with Odin's Eye, Shin Ah-yeon currently had a problem.
Even now, having gathered plenty of magic power, she still couldn't use her Conceptualization Technique.
***
"Why can't I do it?"
Ah-yeon mobilized her magic power over and over to use her Conceptualization Technique.
But while her magic power moved, her Conceptualization Technique never activated at all.
'Why?'
She used to think it was because she was using a circle, not a mana hall, or because her magic power was insufficient.
But now, having reached 8th Circle, her magic power was more than abundant, and the mana hall's role had been perfectly replaced by the circle.
"When did this begin..."
When had this problem started?
The Conceptualization Technique was fundamental for an S-ranker.
Unless you were a special case like Soo-ah, when you reached that state, your self-image would naturally complete and you would gain your own unique Conceptualization Technique.
"... Self-image."
It was a careless mutter, but Ah-yeon thought it was a clue.
She had a faint idea.
'That memory I saw in Gwehyeoldo.'
The 'memory' she briefly saw when Benadic unleashed a certain power.
That definitely hadn't been Benadic's.
Nor had it been Jung-woo's.
Neither appeared in that memory.
All she had seen in that memory was a mysterious demon and a single Saintess who was just about to betray her country to that demon.
'... Was that me?'
By now, she was unconvinced.
At first, she had thought, 'Who's this crazy woman?' but now there was the possibility that crazy woman was her.
'But why was she about to sell out the country?'
If it had just ended at selling out the country, there might still have been grounds for mitigation, but judging by the conversation, she was on the verge of becoming humanity's traitor.
'So what's in the rest of that memory!!'
If it was really her memory, maybe she could see what happened next. Lately, she'd been trying all sorts of folk remedies for optimal sleep, just in case. She changed her bedding and diligently applied every internet tip for better sleep, but she still couldn't see beyond the memory.
'Estella, you traitor to humanity......'
Anyway, having seen that memory, her suspicion grew into near certainty that her inability to use her Conceptualization Technique stemmed from a change in her self-image.
Otherwise, it made no sense she couldn't use it.
"... But what do I even say to Jung-woo oppa about this?"
'Actually, I think I was a traitor in my past life, and maybe that's why there's a problem with my self-image,'—is that what she should say?
Maybe she could use her Conceptualization Technique if she became a traitor too?
'No, but Jung-woo oppa probably knows what happens next, right?'
Judging by things he'd said, Jung-woo thought very highly of Estella.
Same with the story Alencia heard from Sarah Walker.
Either way, Estella had ended as a saint.
So the story must've gone in a good direction after that.
If not, Jung-woo wouldn't react like that, and Estella's story would've been transmitted weirdly in the future.
'Thank goodness.'
She wouldn't have to hear, 'But Estella was a traitor.'
"How did it go?"
"...!!"
Lost in thought, she heard Jung-woo's voice behind her.
"Uh, how did you get in? You know this is my mansion, right?"
"Ronbil let me in."
'That demon bastard... It's really his house now, huh.'
One demon who, before she knew it, had started living here naturally.
Now, he was acting as Yeon-ji's butler in Ah-yeon's house.
"Anyway, you can't use your Conceptualization Technique, right? Do you know why?"
"Well..."
Should she say she knew? Or say she didn't?
"Do you have any guesses, oppa?"
"Hmm..."
She cautiously brought it up, wondering if Jung-woo knew. He averted his gaze and trailed off.
'He does know.'
She became more convinced that her past life really was a traitor.
Of course, she didn't actually betray them in the end, but the fact she tried to didn't change.
Still, it was hard to come out and say it.
The relationship between the Saintess and Jung-woo didn't seem ordinary at all.
'So this is how Ga-young felt.'
She suddenly recalled a certain old comic Yeon-ji had been reading.
She'd teased her for reading something only old ladies liked, but remembered enjoying it herself.
The main character there had driven her up the wall, and now she was exactly like that.
'Anyway, there must be some condition to see the rest of that memory.'
She didn't know why just yet.
But with time, if she figured things out step by step, she'd learn the reason sooner or later.
"Don't worry about the Conceptualization Technique. I'll definitely resolve it before the Odyssey."
So Ah-yeon could only say that to Jung-woo.
For now, it wasn't too late to explain everything after she'd proven herself.
***
A month—a long time for some, short for others.
For A-rank hunter Yun Seung-hyeok, it was the former.
He wondered if a month had ever felt so long.
Clearing one A-rank dungeon per day for an entire month—everyone would shake their heads.
It was practically impossible.
Not only would your body be unable to recover, but A-rank dungeons weren't easy enough to be cleared like that.
But they did it.
"Here, drink one of these every night before bed."
For a month, Jung-woo gave Yun Seung-hyeok and his party members dozens of mysterious drinks.
It was suspicious just by looking at it, but after drinking it before sleep, all the fatigue and wounds from the dungeon vanished as if washed away.
'Elixir is truly the best for fatigue recovery.'
Yun Seung-hyeok had no idea he'd been drinking water diluted from an elixir reputed to revive even the dead. Not only did his body recover, but his mana channels became sturdier, and his body grew stronger day by day.
When all the party members felt this change—
Unique's A-rank party entered the Odyssey selection match.
"You're... Team Point from Unique, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"You're a new party, just one month old?"
The association staff looked at Yun Seung-hyeok as if to confirm.
Maybe wondering why a team that had only worked together for a month was participating here.
"With two S-rank hunters in Unique's roster, you didn't really have to take the risk of joining, did you...?"
At the staff's words, nearby waiting hunters smirked.
Usually, teams thrown together this hastily for selection matches were almost all run by small management agencies.
So their nuance was that Unique was just another one of those flimsy managements. Yun Seung-hyeok couldn't help but take offense.
"How can you say that...?"
"A selection match is supposed to be judged by skill, is it not?"
At that moment, team Point's manager, Ban Jae-hoon, who'd been quiet until now, spoke up.
"I wonder since when experience was the standard for judgment."
He spoke quietly, but his tall stature and upright looks gave off an overwhelming aura.
Some female hunters glanced at Ban Jae-hoon, struck by his appearance, and the staff quickly nodded.
"R-right. Please go in."
"Thank you."
He even looked like a painting as he bowed politely.
Following his broad back inside, Yun Seung-hyeok thought—
'Good looks really make life easy.'
If it had been him, he'd have had to explain all day just to be let inside.
But Ban Jae-hoon was more than just a pretty face.
Over the past few weeks clearing dungeons together, Ban Jae-hoon had always gone right inside the dungeon with them.
Knowing the risks, he'd follow them in without a fuss, and his sense of responsibility impressed even the hunters.
Jung-woo had said it was only natural for managers to go into dungeons, but that was rare these days.
Even with safety, there was little reason for a manager to put themselves at risk for the hunters' sake.
Yet Ban Jae-hoon naturally followed inside and looked after them.
Moreover, he taught Seung-hyeok various ways to manage the party members.
When to fight, how to make best use of each member's state and strengths.
Everything he said sounded like a long-serving officer from the army.
At first, Seung-hyeok hadn't paid much attention, but before he knew it he was naturally following the manager's instructions.
'Who is he, really?'
Ban Jae-hoon had been recommended by Jung-woo, so they ended up together, but he clearly wasn't an ordinary man.
He probably wasn't the only one who thought so.
The other party members sensed the manager was hiding something, too.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】