Chapter 180: A-Rank Ranking Match (2)
Crack!
The H-beam embedded in the ground bent and was yanked out. The heavy steel rod was hurled like a javelin at its target.
Boom! The steel rod collided with a chunk of concrete, but MKC’s Hunter Ha Eunha swiftly avoided it, running up the slanted steel beam and leaping into the air. Once airborne, it became much harder to evade incoming attacks. Guild Leader Park Juho of the Inmode Guild didn’t miss this chance and raised his thick machete.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted beneath Park Juho’s feet. It was a dungeon byproduct-based bomb that Ha Eunha had covertly planted beforehand. The technology to craft explosives from dungeon byproducts was still in its early stages, so their power was relatively low, and they were classified as weapons that could be used even in ranking matches.
While it didn’t leave so much as a scratch on an A-Rank Hunter, Ha Eunha’s true aim wasn’t damage—it was to obstruct his opponent’s vision. The dirt and debris that flew several meters into the air obscured Park Juho’s line of sight. Ha Eunha seized the moment and aimed her spear.
Using some skill, Ha Eunha’s spear-driven charge was not a mere descent—it was a ferocious, rapid dive aimed directly at Park Juho. But just in time, the broad side of Park Juho’s machete blocked the spear tip.
Clang!
The piercing clash of metal against metal rang out, and a crack appeared on the machete. Before his weapon could break, Park Juho quickly swung his other hand. A fist clad in knuckles cleaved through the air with force. Even at a glance, it was clear Park Juho had the upper hand in strength. In fact, Park Juho’s fighting style focused on raw power, whereas Ha Eunha was known as a technical type who mixed auxiliary skills into her combat style.
Without intending to meet the incoming fist head-on, Ha Eunha swiftly retreated, but Park Juho pursued her like a tank. However, after just a few steps—
Ting!
An almost invisible, fine thread wrapped around his ankle, catching him off guard. Though the thread snapped immediately under the force of his charge, a series of consecutive snaps echoed as more threads gave way.
Crash!
A stone wall collapsed just ahead of Park Juho. He smashed through the falling debris with his fist, retreating slightly. In the meantime, Ha Eunha created more distance and pulled out a crossbow.
‘Her main weapon is the spear, but she’s versatile.’
MKC’s Ha Eunha. Though her overall stats were on the lower side for a combat-oriented Hunter, her fighting style alone marked her as a seasoned veteran. Her Awakening had occurred relatively early, and she had tackled numerous high-level dungeons. Judging by how difficult it was to detect her setting up bombs or threads, it seemed likely these traps were a skill of hers. Even without knowing the exact mechanics, it was clear the skill was highly practical.
‘Judging by her spear handling, she could teach Yerim a thing or two.’
Recruiting an experienced and seasoned Hunter like her for the team would be ideal. I’d like to use my Promising Talent skill on her, but the distance was too far, and I was currently observing through Noah, who was using the Perfect Nurturer skill, so it wasn’t possible. When I looked up, I saw Noah flying above the arena alongside several drones, the custom-made designer scarf around his neck fluttering in the wind.
‘After yesterday’s match, we got flooded with sponsorship offers.’
Brands of all kinds reached out. Among them, the most tempting was a luxury jewelry brand. They wanted to shoot a concept ad, proposing to adorn Noah in real jewels while in his dragon form. Noah, with his golden dragon appearance, already embodied the stereotypical image of dragons hoarding treasures. When they suggested styling him with a large ruby as the centerpiece, I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Of course, it was up to him to decide, but it would undoubtedly look amazing. Plus, it would elevate his image to something truly luxurious.
‘…Anyway, recruiting Hunter Ha Eunha is a must if possible.’
Yerim’s team in MKC hadn’t been finalized yet. It hadn’t been long since their Guild Leader went missing, so publicly switching guilds now might seem in poor taste. Negotiations were happening discreetly, under the radar. Besides, the timing of the A-Rank Ranking Match provided the perfect opportunity to assess skills and finalize decisions.
Ha Eunha was one of the Hunters on Seok Gimyeong’s list. There didn’t appear to be any major issues, and she was reportedly on good terms with her colleagues. While she fought well solo, she seemed like the type who could truly shine when part of a team.
‘Maybe we should consider adding team matches to ranking battles, not just individual ones.’
No, actually, focusing more on team battles might be more beneficial overall. Before my regression, one of the biggest obstacles to tackling increasingly dangerous dungeons was the lack of harmony among S-Rank Hunters. Trying to force lone-wolf types who usually dominated with A-Rank Hunters under their command to suddenly cooperate with others was, unsurprisingly, not very effective.
But if team matches were implemented, S-Rank Hunters could start practicing coordination in advance. Most Hunters would ignore a simple, “Monsters are getting stronger, so you should work on fighting together!” kind of advice. However, a “Let’s determine the world’s number one Hunter team!” competition? That would motivate them to form teams and cooperate naturally.
A clear, visible goal with ranked results always works best to ignite motivation.
‘Of course, the damage to the surroundings and the participants might be greater than in individual matches. But we could avoid that by holding it on an uninhabited island like before my regression.’
The participants’ safety was still a concern. Maybe we could think of alternative formats instead of straightforward battles.
As I was lost in thought, the direction of the battle began to shift decisively. Although Ha Eunha had held her ground well, it seemed she couldn’t overcome Park Juho, whose stats were heavily focused on combat. Her stamina was starting to wane, her speed decreasing, and it appeared she had run out of bombs.
Boom! Bang!
Park Juho began to relentlessly press Ha Eunha. His machete, on the verge of breaking, disappeared into his inventory, replaced by two fists equipped with sharp-edged knuckles that tore through the air. Whether due to an offensive skill or sheer force, even though his punches only brushed past her, Ha Eunha’s shoulder split open, blood spurting out.
The onslaught continued, and her side was deeply slashed. Ha Eunha, acknowledging defeat, pulled out a potion as a sign of surrender. Noah, observing from above, quickly signaled that the match was over.
Shatter!
But Park Juho’s fist struck the potion bottle, breaking it. Ha Eunha staggered, trying to evade, but Park Juho, unable to calm his battle frenzy, continued his pursuit.
Beep!
Sensing the situation, Yerim blew the whistle hanging around her neck and vanished from her spot. Although the distance from the temporary viewing stand to the battlefield was quite far, Yerim used teleportation to instantly intervene between the two combatants.
“Calm down, won’t you?”
With a sharp motion, Yerim caught Park Juho’s fist, a cracking sound echoing as ice spread and froze his legs in place. The white shawl she was wearing fluttered dramatically as if shielding Ha Eunha from harm.
By this time, Noah had descended and was using a healing skill on Ha Eunha. Meanwhile, Yerim poured cold water—literally—over the still-growling Park Juho.
“Ugh, this—”
“What? Want to fight me now?”
Drenched, Park Juho snarled in frustration but quickly backed down under Yerim’s glare. Meanwhile, the broadcast finally aired the part where Ha Eunha had pulled out the potion, officially declaring Park Juho the victor.
Yerim and Noah escorted Ha Eunha to the healer’s waiting area, while Liette and Kang Soyeong stood up from their seats.
“Let’s get to work.”
Liette leaped down gracefully, heading toward the pile of concrete and metal debris that had accumulated during the battle. There, she transformed into her dragon form. Kang Soyeong followed closely behind, tossing what could be described as “arena decor” onto Liette’s back. Then they hung a large sign on the black dragon’s neck that read: “Arena under maintenance!” The sign was plastered with advertisements.
Because of the chaos caused by her earlier rampage in dragon form—and her avoidance of going back into dungeons with the association’s Hunters—Liette had been tasked with repairing the ranking match arena.
In her dragon form, Liette stomped on the ground and swept her tail to roughly clear the space. At the same time, Kang Soyeong embedded steel rods into various spots and dropped chunks of concrete and boulders here and there. Since obstacles were rarely absent in dungeons or during Breaks, they decided to create a realistic combat environment.
“If I hadn’t been here, quite a few people would’ve gotten seriously hurt, huh?”
Yerim remarked as she sipped on a soda packed with ice. It wasn’t uncommon for participants to lose their cool and continue attacking even after their opponent surrendered, despite the rule that such behavior would result in disqualification. Yerim, having worked hard both today and yesterday, received praise for her efforts. Song Taewon, who was examining Ha Eunha’s condition alongside the healer, also expressed his gratitude to Yerim.
“Thanks to Hunter Park Yerim, we’ve avoided many potential accidents.”
“Not at all~ This is actually pretty fun for me.”
For Song Taewon, it must have been a relief. Even if participants had signed acknowledgment forms and were given warnings, the association would still face complaints if something happened to their Hunters. Technically, Song Taewon wasn’t an association Hunter, so he could have ignored it, but he wasn’t the type to do that. Even though I had assured him he could relax since I’d brought Yerim, Yuhyun, and Noah along, he still insisted on taking charge. Honestly, seeing how diligently he worked made me feel bad. He deserved a proper break—what was with back-to-back work every weekend?
I watched Song Taewon return to his position, feeling a pang of sympathy, then handed Yerim a cup of lemonade, noticing how her shoulders puffed up with pride.
“Could you add some ice to mine too?”
“Sure~”
The water poured from a bottle floated midair, coalescing into neat little ice cubes. They plopped into the cup, causing the lemonade to fizz and bubble as the carbonation reacted. The chilled drink became cold almost instantly, the entire cup taking on a frosty sheen.
“Thanks.”
With the lemonade in hand, I climbed the stairs. An easel stood on a platform that jutted out in front of the stands. The owner of this unexpected piece of art equipment was none other than Myungwoo.
When I’d mentioned watching the A-Rank ranking match in person to help prevent accidents, he’d said he wanted to come along. More accurately, he wanted to observe his weapons being used in real-life combat scenarios. Though he didn’t enjoy making weapons himself and wasn’t used to handling them, he believed studying harder would make up for it.
“Drink this while you work. You’re not feeling hot, are you?”
“Not at all. Didn’t I tell you? Spirit contractors gain resistance to their contracted element even if it doesn’t show up as a skill. Summer heat doesn’t even bother me.”
Now that he mentioned it, I remembered him working with heated metal barehanded while crafting arrows. Not only did he avoid burns, but he barely even sweated. Yuhyun, with his innate flame resistance, probably wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual either.
Myungwoo accepted the lemonade with a word of thanks. Resting on the easel was something resembling a sketchbook, though it wasn’t particularly large. On the white paper, a vividly dynamic image of a spear in motion had been captured. Though it had been drawn quickly with just a pencil, the quality was far from ordinary.
“You’re good at everything you do with your hands, huh.”
“If it involves creating something, I guess that’s true. Back in school, even though I wasn’t as good as I am now, people always said I drew pretty well during art class.”
“You could’ve gone to art school.”
“They say it costs a fortune to study arts.”
Ah, that made sense. It wasn’t like you could get by with just books and pencils. Instruments for music were known to be expensive too.
“Can I take a look?”
“Uh… sure.”
When I pointed at the sketchbook and asked, Myungwoo hesitated briefly before nodding. Flipping the page revealed a drawing of a weapon used in a previous match. The sketch depicted a greatsword embedded in the ground, being used as a makeshift shield, accompanied by brief notes.
The next page showed the blueprint of a weapon I hadn’t seen before, probably something new he was designing. Various materials were underlined or crossed out with X-marks. Even though I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about dungeon byproducts, most of the material names were unfamiliar.
‘Oh, it’s Noah.’
When I turned another page, the focus shifted from weapons to a sketch of Noah mid-flight. Both his dragon form and his human form with wings outstretched were drawn. It seemed like he was considering further improvements, as there was a detailed breakdown of the harness separately sketched.
As I continued flipping through the sketchbook, I came across images of Liette in her transformed dragon form, the surrounding scenery, and then—
“This is…”
“Well, it just looked nice, so I sketched it without thinking.”
It was a drawing of me, Yuhyun, and Yerim. The scene captured was from before the match started, when Yerim had teased Yuhyun, asking if he could pop popcorn even if he couldn’t make ice drinks. She had grabbed a microwaveable popcorn bag to test it out.
It had actually turned out pretty well, and I’d said it tasted great. Yerim had laughed, admitting it wasn’t bad.
“…We really do look happy.”
In the drawing, all three of us were smiling. My face in particular looked genuinely bright—so much so that it felt almost unfamiliar.
“Do you want it?”
As I stared at the drawing for a while, Myungwoo spoke.
“The sketchbook and pencil are made from dungeon byproducts, so they can go into your inventory. A Hunter from Breaker gifted them to me when I said I liked to sketch while brainstorming.”
“Really?”
After a brief hesitation, I carefully tore the drawing out of the sketchbook. I gazed at it for a moment longer before tucking it into my inventory. Lately, it was true—I’d been genuinely enjoying myself. Undeniably so.
“Oh, should I also prepare a birthday gift for Sesung’s Guild Leader?”
“What?”
“I got an invitation from Sesung yesterday. I heard he holds grudges if you don’t bring a gift?”
“Uh… yeah, that’s what they say. Just prepare something simple. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”
They sent an invitation to Myungwoo too? Then why didn’t I get one?
–TL Notes–
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