Chapter 411
The onlookers were shocked. It was one thing to lose, but they hadn’t expected Director Gudlow to say something like that.
-By the way, why was Hunter Choi Yeonseung in charge of the clan?
-Don’t call him Hunter Choi Yeonseung! Call him Director Choi Yeonseung!
-It seems that he’s close with the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor and took over for him, right?
-The Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor is old, so he must have health problems.
-The Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor has fallen???
-Hey, wouldn’t you collapse if you were in his shows? He was in charge of the Korean national team. I wouldn’t be surprised if his blood pressure was tenfold because of that.
-By the way, what exactly did the Demon clan do that allowed them to defeat the Awake clan?
-Simple. They broke their opponents’ arms and legs before the match.
-Don’t talk nonsense.
As the onlookers were still in shock and debating the match, Gudlow politely finished his remarks.
“Even though we have lost, I am nonetheless happy because the match was a valuable learning experience. I would like to thank Hunter Choi Yeonseung and the hunters of the Demon clan.”
Clap clap clap!
The clan’s employees gathered at the table broke into applause without realizing it.
Choi Yeonseung thought to himself, ‘Is it okay for them to applaud like this?’ It felt like they were teasing him...
“Hunter Choi Yeonseung, thank you.”
“No... I’m grateful as well. We’ve learned a lot from each other.”
Choi Yeonseung wasn’t joking. He truly felt that the hunters had learned a lot from this match. This victory had not only given them confidence, but also a lot of valuable experience.
“Hunter Choi Yeonseung, I hope to see you next time you come to the US.
“Come visit our clan, Hunter Choi Yeonseung!”
The Awake hunters also took turns to speak to him. They felt bitter and angry over their defeat, but putting that aside, they had no choice but to acknowledge Choi Yeonseung’s abilities.
Throughout the entire clan battle, they had felt like their legs had been tied up and their minds exposed.
Since Choi Yeonseung wasn’t an ordinary hunter, but one who led Dragon Industry, a huge company, there was no harm in building connections with him.
The Awake clan hunters spoke respectfully to Choi Yeonseung and left after giving him invitations.
“Kuek... Ugh... Agh...”
...Except for one person.
Dmitry’s eyes were red and he was holding back tears with the most resentful expression in the world.
“Hey, somebody is dragging Dmitry.”
“Oh, what’s wrong with him? Anyone else would say he’s on drugs.”
Dmitry ignored the whispers from next to him and muttered, “Normally... I’m... more... vigilant... This... isn’t... my... real... strength....”
“...”
He was roughly saying that he had just been careless in this match and that he normally performed better. However, since Choi Yeonseung had won the match, Dmitry decided to tone down his comments.
“You were great. Even though you were an enemy, I have to say that you fought well.”
“!!!!”
As Choi Yeonseung walked away, leaving Dmitry stunned.
“Did you hear? He told me I fought well!” Dmitry shouted to his colleagues.
“...Isn’t that just a courtesy? Koreans generally choose to be polite rather than honest in these situations...”
“He said I fought well! Hahaha!
‘You couldn’t even deal with a newbie, you bastard. Why are you being so loud?’
Many of his colleagues thought that way about him, but they kept it to themselves. Even though Dmitry had dropped the ball in this match, he was their colleague after all, and he had done well up until this match.
If they were to tell him, “Hey, you really think Hunter Choi Yeonseung really sees you like that?” Dmitry might not let it go, given his personality.
***
“Wait, Hunter Wi Seongu! You have to do an interview.”
“Huh? Me?! Alone?!”
“Uh, yes? You won and you had an incredible performance, so it’s only fitting...”
Wi Seongu was completely flustered by what the clan employee told him. He was at a loss.
“Don’t worry too much. Just be honest.”
“But I haven’t prepared anything...”
“You won today. No matter what you say, the fans will be happy.”
“...”
The employee’s sincere words managed to convince Wi Seongu.
Indeed, it was true.
No matter how well the losing clan conducted an interview after the clan battle, the fans’ anger wouldn’t subside.
In contrast, it didn’t matter how clumsy the hunters were in the interviews as long as they were the victors!
“T-thank you! I hadn’t expected to be so active today... First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues for being patient with and helping a weak hunter like me. Yeongchan and Minji, who practiced with and taught me how to dodge long-distance attacks. Nathan hyung for teaching me martial arts. Zhang Wei, who gave me guidance on how to deal with monsters. Lastly, Junwon hyung, who taught me how to behave as a hunter.”
-?
-???
-Go Junwon?! That asshole?
Everyone’s bright expressions suddenly turned somber.
Of course, the newer fans considered Go Junwon to be an ace in his own right, but the fans who had been following the Demon clan for a long time knew that Go Junwon was rotten on the inside.
Regardless of his abilities, his track record was stained by his debauchery. If one checked his social media during his days off, they would see him going through all the bars and clubs near the clan arena.
-Seongu, no!
-Why does he have such a bastard as his mentor?
-The Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor, what are you doing? Keep Go Junwon away from him!
-There are dozens of people who can be his mentors. Why Go Junwon?
Wi Seongu had caused a ripple that spread through the fans, but he was unaware of that and continued his speech.
“Ah! I-I also want to thank Hunter Choi Yeonseung for finding the potential that I didn’t know I had and for recommending me to the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor! If it hadn’t been for his recommendation, I wouldn’t have joined any clan!”
-!!!
-!!!!!!
The people who had been baffled by his kind words about Go Junwon were now outright shocked. Who had brought whom into the clan??
-W-what did he just say?
-Hunter Choi Yeonseung brought him in?
-Then it makes sense!! After all, clan scouts aren’t that great to begin with!
-I thought they just won the lottery...
-Be honest. Who here thought that the Demon clan recruited him because it was cheap?
-Me.
-Me too.
The fans of the clan were flabbergasted.
They had been under the impression that clans just recruited random hunters for cheap to fill up the numbers without thinking about it, some of them hitting the jackpot from time to time. No one had ever imagined that the Demon clan was this good at scouting hunters.
After all, the clan wouldn’t have been on the verge of collapse if they were so capable...
Nevertheless, it was clear that the Demon clan had brought in Wi Seongu through a very meticulous plan.
-Isn’t it a loss to the country for someone like Choi Yeonseung to work for the Demon clan? I’m a big fan of the clan, but I think that Hunter Choi Yeonseung should go to the Red-Haired Spirit clan.
-No, I’d rather he went to the Golden Blood Fish clan. In any case, he’ll only be wasting his talent if he stays in the Demon clan.
-???
-What? Have you all lost your minds? What nonsense?
-Hey... Why are fans from other clans making a fuss on our clan’s stream?!
The clan’s fans belatedly realized the strange situation. The number of viewers on their livestream was ten times higher than usual!
It was clear that the fans of other clans, as well as the general public, had tuned in after hearing about the shocking defeat of the Awake clan.
-No, I’m a huge fan as well, but it’s objectively bad for Choi Yeonseung to waste his talent on the Demon clan. We should make concessions...
-Get lost!
-Che, you got me!
***
Namhyeong Group—along with Hanseong Group, it was one of the largest groups representing South Korea.
Nam Hakgi, a direct descendant of the group and a young executive, stared at the screen with a shocked expression.
“The Demon clan beat the Awake clan??”
“...”
“...”
The clan leaders of the Night Light Ghost clan and the Boat Fish clan, both affiliated with Namhyeong Group, bowed their heads, their expressions suggesting that they had nothing to say.
People said that clan leaders, who had to keep all sorts of ruthless hunters in check, wouldn’t bow their heads to nobody, not even the president.
Of course, that was sort of an exaggeration. In fact, they would bow their heads whenever it was necessary.
In particular, the clans belonging to huge companies had a clear hierarchical relationship. Since the large companies provided them with huge amounts of money, the clans had a responsibility to make sure that their hunters produced results for the company.
These two clan leaders had objected when the Awake clan had challenged them to a clan battle.
-The Awake clan are at their peak. Nothing good will come out of fighting them now.
-But isn’t this a rare opportunity? If we manage to beat the Awake clan, won’t it be a huge boost to the clan’s reputation?
-Yes, if we can beat them, Executive Director. That’s a very big if. We’ll take full responsibility for this decision. As of now, there are no clans in South Korea that can beat the Awake clan. All the other clans have declined the challenge because they’re well aware that they stand no chance against Awake!
-Hmm, fine. I understand.
Nam Hakgi had been in favor of taking on the challenge, but he had eventually given in to the assertive words of the two clan leaders.
However, the result of his judgment...
If one were to make a leaderboard of the clans that actively participated in clan battles in South Korea, the Demon clan would be at the very bottom.
...And yet, they had managed to defeat the Awake clan.
Nam Hakgi was too dumbfounded to even be angry.
“How is Hunter Go Cheonsik doing?”
“...”
“...”
The two clan leaders became silent again.
Go Cheonsik was a promising hunter from the same high school as Wi Seongu. However, even though they had been at the same high school, their evaluations had been completely different.
Following their graduation, no one had wanted Wi Seongu, whereas Go Cheonsik had been the top-priority. Many clans and companies had been fighting behind the scenes to get their hands on Go Cheonsik.
Namhyeong Group had managed to win that competition and recruit Go Cheonsik, which naturally meant that he had to perform well...
‘Damn! That freaking Go Cheonsik...!’
‘How could I know that he would do drugs, drive while drunk, and get into all sorts of accidents?’
...Instead of participating in clan battles, Go Cheonsik was just causing trouble.
On top of that, he was suspected of taking illegal drugs. If Nam Hakgi found out about that, there was a chance that the two clan leaders would have to leave the office through the window, not taking the elevator down.
Nam Hakgi wasn’t stupid; he could see it on their faces.
“There’s no record of him participating in any clan battles, so it’s safe to say he’s doing badly...”
“W-we’re sorry.”
“But at that time, the data...”
“I know. All three clan scouts were all in favor of recruiting him. The only one who didn’t agree at the time...”
Nam Hakgi suddenly remembered Hunter Kim Chandong from the Golden Blood Fish clan.
-I saw him talking to his colleagues earlier and got a feeling...
Back when they went to the high school to recruit prospects, everyone said that Go Cheonsik was a solid pick except for Kim Chandong. He argued that it wouldn’t be a good idea to recruit him.
At the time, Nam Hakgi laughed at him, but only now did he realize how great of a scout Kim Chandong was.
“Call Scout Kim Chandong right now!”
***
“???”
Kim Chandong was taken aback by the unexpected call.
‘Aren’t they the clan leaders of the Night Light Ghost and Boat Fish clan? Why are they acting like this?’
The two clan leaders bowed their heads like sinners. The executive office felt more like a funeral home.
“Thank you for coming, Scout Kim Chandong. Thank you for coming despite my impertinence...”
“Ah... No...”
Kim Chandong waved his hand. It was rather frightening for a third-generation heir like Nam Hakgi, who had everything, to bow his head like this.
Would Nam Hakgi offer him something he couldn’t refuse?
“Last time, you told me not to recruit Go Cheonsik.”
“Ah... Oh my god... Go Cheonsik is great! I must’ve been possessed for a while!”
“...No, you were right. Go Cheonsik was a terrible pick...”
“Huh?!”
“The reason I called you is simple. I want to know what made you realize back then that Go Cheonsik wasn’t a good pick.”
“...”
Kim Chandong was lost for words.
‘Is Go Cheonsik really that bad?’
To be honest, even Kim Chandong himself was surprised. He hadn’t expected that the guy who had boasted that much at Hwangryong High School would be hopeless...
“Scout Kim Chandong?”
“Huh? Yes!”
Kim Chandong realized that he was in trouble, the reason for that being...
‘I didn’t deduce anything!’
Hunter Choi Yeonseung had been next to him and said, ‘I think it’s better not to pick Go Cheonsik.’
Therefore, there was no way Kim Chandong could give Nam Hakgi a satisfactory answer. In the end, he closed his eyes and came clean.
“Actually, it wasn’t my judgment. I took someone’s advice.”
“Is that so? I see... But isn’t it also a skill to be able to determine what advice is good? Who did you get the advice from?”
“...Hunter Choi Yeonseung...”
“!!!”
“!!!!!”
In the end, one of the clan leaders involuntarily exclaimed, “I see! Indeed, unless it was Hunter Choi Yeonseung, it would’ve been almost impossible to realize it beforehand...”
“Shut up, please.”
“...I-I’m sorry.”
“...Ah, no, it’s my bad. I let my emotions get the best of me.
“...”
This conversation made Kim Chandong want to run away.
“So that’s how it is... Then I assume you’re close to Hunter Choi Yeonseung?” asked Nam Hakgi.
“...”
Kim Chandong really didn’t want to be there... He was seriously considering his chances of survival if he jumped out the window...
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