novelraw Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Han Sang-cheol looked around the wrecked room, his eyes landing on his grandchildren, Han Hoon and Han Soo-hee.
"That bastard is way too arrogant."
"That’s exactly why I say you’re still lacking, boy."
With a calm expression, Han Sang-cheol glanced over the split-in-half table and the Hunters whose arms and legs were still frozen stiff.
"Really? From my untrained eyes, he just looked like someone with an anger management problem."
"Problem? Hardly. Soo-hee, if you could control yourself like that, I wouldn’t have anything left to wish for."
The point was, he had let his anger show because the situation allowed for it. To be more exact, he only pretended to be angry.
Whether Yoo Chan-seok had actually been angry or not was impossible to tell. But one thing was certain, it was a situation where he could let anger show without consequence.
"If you really wanted to, you could have destroyed everything right then and there."
"Would that make money though? Did you run the numbers before you said that?"
At Han Sang-cheol’s words, Han Hoon closed his mouth. It wasn’t that the old man wasn’t angry. Of course he was. When a cocky little brat half his grandson’s age points chopsticks in his face as a threat, no one could stay calm.
But exploding in anger doesn’t magically produce profit.
"Emotions are fleeting. But money that piles up in your account lasts your whole life until either you spend it or the government takes it in taxes."
After a moment of thought, Han Sang-cheol added,
"Of course, if inflation rises, the value of money falls. But the digits in your account don’t change, so let’s leave that aside."
In any case, he wasn’t about to waste his temper without reason.
"That’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to grow the Geumyang Group to this point."
He doesn’t waste energy on things that don’t bring profit.
"If I had lost even a single coin by getting angry at that brat just now, then of course I would’ve gotten angry."
But that wasn’t the case. Yoo Chan-seok was a goose that could lay golden eggs. He had just proven it in England.
"Right now, all eyes are drawn to him."
"Grandfather, that bastard openly mocked the Geumyang Group. If what happened here leaks out, it will damage Geumyang’s image, and that translates directly into loss. We need to tie this up decisively right now and…"
At Han Hoon’s words, Han Sang-cheol frowned.
"You’re angry, and you’re just trying to justify your anger by using money as an excuse."
"That’s not what I meant."
"Flip it around. Flip it. You use your anger as an excuse in order to make money. But if you use money as an excuse just to vent your anger, what good is that?"
Han Hoon shut his mouth again.
"We can always handle things without the Geumyang Group being directly linked, right? Should I put some of my people on it?"
At Han Soo-hee’s suggestion, Han Sang-cheol clicked his tongue.
"You think you’re clever, but the truth is there are plenty of people in the world at your exact level of cleverness."
Han Soo-hee wasn’t skilled enough to cleanly handle something without leaving traces. She thought she was good at backroom deals, but in Han Sang-cheol’s eyes, she was better suited for open confrontation than shadow games.
"I’m leaving now."
"Where are you going?"
"To play League with my buddies. We put drinks on the line. Some punk had the nerve to mouth off without knowing his place as filthy silver."
The expressions on Han Hoon and Han Soo-hee’s faces twisted into something strange. Seeing them, Han Sang-cheol clicked his tongue again.
"What’s with those eyes? I’ve been playing League since I was young. What, am I supposed to play Go at my age now?"
People who grew up playing Go play Go when they’re old. People who grew up playing League play League when they’re old.
"There are hobbies that might suit you better, like golf…"
"You play all the golf you want when you’re old. I’ll stick to League."
After snapping back, Han Sang-cheol cleared his throat and stood up.
"By the way, the elixirs we’ve been supplying that bastard…"
"Hm? He makes us money. Of course we keep giving them to him. Don’t stir up trouble needlessly. Leave it as it is. Besides, Sang-ah is with him."
"But Sang-ah…"
Han Sang-cheol let out an irritated grunt and swung his cane at Han Soo-hee and Han Hoon.
"Can’t you two see from how Sang-ah acts? She doesn’t care about the table I’ve set. Stop swinging at thin air and just fight it out among yourselves. Among yourselves, damn it."
Idiots. He always had to speak harshly for them to get it. With that final remark, Han Sang-cheol left the room.
* * *
His reaction had been a little unexpected. But not so outrageous that it was incomprehensible.
"He figures I’ll make him money."
That was why he didn’t touch me. With that kind of personality, even if he served me Jin ramen mild, I could probably still get along with him somehow.
"Where are you going now?"
"To the Hunter Association of course."
At my answer, Han Sang-ah nodded and led the way. As we approached the association, every Hunter’s eyes turned toward us.
One of them walked straight up to me and spoke.
"I heard you’re recruiting Hunters to take down a grade 1 Erosion Core together."
"That’s right."
At my reply, the man thumped his chest with a fist.
"Then let me join too."
I looked him over and shook my head.
"Sorry, you don’t meet the standard."
If you go in with someone lacking skill, not only will they die pointlessly, but they’ll drag down everyone else too.
The murmuring Hunters inside the association building fell into silence at my words.
"What did you just say you bastard?"
"You heard me. I’m not here to run a training academy."
I wasn’t here to teach Hunters from scratch. I was here to work with those already strong enough to handle a grade 1 Erosion Core. If someone wanted lessons, they could attend an academy. Like the one Han Sang-ah graduated from.
"I didn’t want to say this, but who are you to decide who qualifies? How strong are you really to judge others?"
That was the standard reaction. When you evaluate others, they want to evaluate you back. I could feel the rising hostility from the Hunters gathered with similar ambitions.
"Curious? Then I’ll show you."
If challenged, it was better to accept. This wasn’t something I could avoid anyway.
"I’ll ask the association president to set up a place for it. Wait a bit."
It wasn’t hard to get in touch with the president and borrow a hall inside the building. It was the same place where Hunter qualification exams were once held.
"If anyone else has complaints too, grab a number and wait your turn."
To settle their curiosity, I stood ready in the hall.
"There are 357 waiting."
At Han Sang-ah’s words, I let out a sigh. That was a lot. Soon after, a message came from the association president.
[The media wants to film it.]
I didn’t care. Watching wouldn’t change anything. Besides, people were curious about my skills. I’d already started the fire with my reputation, and more fuel would only make it burn brighter.
Standing there, I leveled my spear at my first opponent.
"Let’s begin."
I didn’t have all day. So under the eyes of Hunters and live-broadcasting media, the sparring began.
"I… I lost."
"Yes, good work. Next."
One after another, I fought the Hunters who stepped forward.
Eight hours later, eighty-seven Hunters had been defeated. The expressions of those watching shifted from casual curiosity to tension.
"What the hell? Why isn’t he slowing down?"
At first glance, my skills didn’t look overwhelming compared to other Hunters. I wasn’t flaunting overwhelming magic power like Jannabi, Mugunghwa, or Taebaek’s partners.
But after eight hours of continuous fighting, reality sank in. I had taken down eighty-seven people without rest.
"His mana hasn’t dropped at all. From the first fight to now, it’s the same."
I could hear the whispers clearly. And this wasn’t even me showing my full power. Against these challengers, I hadn’t used Canon, or even my Fourfold Spear.
Most of the Hunters fighting me could have been frozen solid instantly by the ring I got from the Bratsk’s Refrigerator.
But I just overpowered them the hard way. Ending it too quickly would make for poor entertainment. And since it was on broadcast, why not put on a show?
Two days passed. Over 280 Hunters had sparred against me and lost.
"My name is Jung Oh-hoon."
The 281st Hunter stood before me. He carried a long rifle, and I noticed the bayonet attached at the end.
"Let’s start right away."
"Yes."
With a whirl, Jung Oh-hoon spun his rifle and aimed it at me. Spear in hand, I rushed at him.
But his body slid sideways while staying perfectly in the shooting stance. My spear missed.
Gunfire rang out, and I deflected the bullet, staring at him incredulously.
"What’s this now?"
He was practically skating with a rifle. Not actual skates, but by lifting his body slightly with wind. More like hovering.
"It’s not a grand technique, but it’s enough to make a living."
"Oh yeah, I can see that."
He wasn’t just floating. His mana control was precise, keeping his body perfectly steady.
With that level of control, he could fire from prone or crouching stances without the slightest wobble while gliding around.
Tat-tat-tat! A volley of shots followed. Mana-infused bullets ricocheted off the floor and objects around us, coming at me from every angle.
Ricochet shots huh. A basic skill for anyone making a living with firearms.
Thirty minutes later, Jung Oh-hoon’s clothes were in tatters, and he looked at me in disbelief.
"Damn. Honestly, I thought if I got lucky, I could land at least one shot."
"It’s not impossible, you know."
At my words, Jung Oh-hoon waved his hands frantically.
"No way. I don’t have that kind of skill."
"Still, using a rifle at this range isn’t normal."
He grunted thoughtfully.
"Fair point."
I stabbed my spear into the ground and said,
"Come on. Load up your best shot. I’m curious to see it."
Jung Oh-hoon’s eyes gleamed coldly.
"You mean it? If this lands even lightly, it hurts like hell."
"You’d regret it if you don’t get to do it, right?"
He nodded and took a deep breath, aiming at me.
"I warned you. This takes a bit to fire, but once it does, it hurts."
"It’s not the firing that hurts. It’s if it hits me."
A faint whistling rose. Mana gathered at the rifle’s muzzle, humming as it built.
"This bastard."
I muttered and tightened my grip on the spear. At last, he pulled the trigger. The bullet shot straight at me, and I deflected it.
But then, with a thunderous tearing of air, something else came hurtling at me. The bayonet. It launched forward like a rocket, propelled by wind.
I swung my spear and deflected it, the clash ringing out harshly. My hand stung as if it had been ripped open.
The bayonet steadied midair, spewing wind behind it to stop, then shot back at me again.
“…”
It was beyond the speed of sound now, darting and changing trajectory like a furious hornet, unrelenting.
"Not only is your skill good, your eyes are sharp too."
Most people would try to parry this away instead of blocking it head on. But then the blade would bury into them.
Deflecting meant nudging its trajectory slightly. But this bayonet instantly corrected itself with bursts of wind.
In other words, the moment you deflected it, it would adjust midair and pierce you anyway.