FULL NOVELXO
Chapter 381
‘Is this guy crazy?’
Choi Yeonseung found it absurd. Of course, given that most constellations were pursuing their own ambitions, gaining the upper hand through an alliance would be an effective strategy due to its ty.
...But the constellation proposing the alliance was crazy.
-I think he’s out of his mind...
Even the goddess of sloth questioned the sanity of the berserker constellation. Was he actually suggesting that he and Choi Yeonseung fight together and share the Second Realm?
However, the berserker constellation was surprisingly sane.
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ says that he wants no other constellation to occupy this land.]
[He also says that this offer would be beneficial to the ‘Undefeated Incarnation of Training.’]
“!”
Despite his name, the berserker constellation actually had a logical reason for making this proposal. Choi Yeonseung was forced to admit it.
‘He has a point.’
It wouldn’t be easy for a constellation to conquer this realm by themselves now that everyone was after it. Several of the hunters under Choi Yeonseung were serving other constellations. Even if he somehow managed to overcome all the obstacles and become the master of this realm, the struggle wouldn’t end there.
‘There’s a high chance they’ll try to sabotage me even if I acquire this realm.’
On the other hand, he could see the advantages of not being greedy about this. Indeed, he could make an alliance with the berserker constellation.
‘Either way, what matters is humanity getting a win. It doesn’t necessarily have to be me who rules this place.’
Choi Yeonseung could gain a lot from conquering this realm even if he didn’t take charge as a constellation. After all, weren’t all countries desperate to get their hands on this realm?
You’re making a good point, berserker constellation. The other constellations won’t be able to go against our alliance because of their greed.
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ wonders what you are talking about.]
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ says he just wants to disturb others.]
‘...Ah, so he made that good point by accident.’
Choi Yeonseung took back his praise of the berserker constellation.
***
The Ganggil clan was a large clan from South Korea. It wasn’t one of the three major clans in the country, but given its large size and recent performances, the clan members were full of ambition and eager to surpass one of those three major clans.
Jang Taebeom, a B+ grade hunter, said with a firm look, “This is our chance. Our clan will get at least two or three usable mines.”
“Absolutely.”
The hunters of the Ganggil clan understood the current situation. Everyone was greedy for this kingdom. In times like this, they had to get ahead of others.
“It’s a bit of a shame that we can’t work with Hunter Choi Yeonseung. He takes good care of Korean hunters.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Jang Taebeom said coldly. “There’s nothing good about that man.” He was the clan leader, so he was well aware of the other factions involved in this raid. Among those, Choi Yeonseung’s faction seemed great at a glance, but one would realize on a closer look that his faction didn’t actually offer anything.
First of all, Choi Yeonseung was overly concerned about safety.
‘A first-generation hunter can’t help it.’
Jang Taebeom didn’t deny Choi Yeonseung’s ability as an A-grade hunter. He definitely had tons of experience, but that would only get him so far.
Those days, raids were all about attacking quickly, even if it meant taking risks. The hunters had evolved their skills to be much better than in the past. If a hunter prioritized safety and acted cautiously, they wouldn’t even find their opponent.
That was why Jang Taebeom had gone in the opposite direction instead of entering Choi Yeonseung’s base. Instead, he had joined an alliance of large American clans led by Isabella Meyer, an A-grade hunter.
-The US government is directly supporting Meyer’s raid, so it will have priority in monopolizing the realm. However, there will definitely still be rewards for the clans participating in the raid.
-After all, we’re not taking part in this raid to serve our country or whatever, right? I think it’s better to just pick the winning side and collect the juicy rewards.
Naturally, all countries wanted their hunters to conquer this realm and have the best performance. However, the hunters of the Ganggil clan were being realistic.
‘South Korea is no match for the United States... We have to be realistic in situations like this.’
‘It’s better to stick with the American clans. That way, we’ll at least receive some rewards.’
Some people argued that being a chicken’s head was better than a cow’s tail, but the hunters of the Ganggil clan thought it was a bunch of nonsense. In most cases, being the cow’s tail was much better.
“Is that Isabella Meyer? This is the first time I’m seeing her in person.”
“She’s very intimidating.”
Meyer stood tall before the hunters, her long blonde hair covering her shoulders. She assumed an upright posture, which accentuated her sternness, and she had so many artifacts attached to her that one wouldn’t manage to count all of them.
A-grade hunters usually had several rare artifacts on them, but Meyer was on another level. The US government had lent her these artifacts for an indefinite period of time.
Since Meyer came from a family of big shot politicians, all of her siblings being active in politics, she was leagues above other A-grade hunters in terms of political influence.
“But rumor has it that... she’s a bit crazy.”
“Shh. Quiet! You think this is South Korea?” scolded Jang Taebeom. “Too many people are listening.”
There were very few good-natured A-grade hunters out there. Choi Yeonseung was a unique case, but even the most tame A-grade hunters would still punch someone in the face for looking at them the wrong way.
“Looks like everyone is here,” said Meyer casually. “I’m grateful to all of you.”
The other hunters, who had seemed rather nervous, loosened up as Meyer greeted them casually. It was a good start. However, some of them still looked apprehensive, as though they already knew what she would say next. They had already met Meyer a few times.
“The question of our generation is whether we keep fighting or surrender! Our great America has been fighting many foes for a long time. The wicked Russians, the despicable Chinese, and now these disgusting aliens!”
Everyone gasped loudly. Jang Taebeom’s subordinate, B-grade hunter Ju Changhyeon, asked in a shaky voice, “Can she do this?”
Of course, there were no Russian or Chinese clans here, but there were hundreds of ears listening. Wouldn’t this become a diplomatic issue if it reached the public?
“I don’t know. She probably knows what she’s doing.”
Everyone present, hunters from all over the world, were visibly shocked, but Meyer paid no heed to it and shouted ardently, “Us Americans won’t lose to the Russians! The same goes for the Chinese! We’ll crush those aliens as well! Fight alongside me! Got it?”
Several hunters applauded enthusiastically. They were Meyer’s people.
“I know there are hunters from all over the world here. Everyone, I will give you a chance—the chance to join the great United States! Think of it as an honor and a great privilege!”
“...” contemporary romance
Clap clap clap clap!
“...Hey, clap!”
Jang Taebeom clapped first and urged the other hunters to follow suit. They were flustered but clapped nonetheless.
Everyone felt like they had to clap no matter what.
‘This is why she’s considered crazy...’
All A-grade hunters were considered somewhat crazy, but Meyer was something else entirely. Her absurd behavior had earned her the moniker Captain America.
“Her dream is to become president... The prospect of her ruling America is terrifying.”
“...Are you sure we should be here?”
“Yes, as long as the rewards are generous enough. Think about it. Do you think anyone else will be able to provide more support than this?”
There were in fact several factors justifying Jang Taebeom’s plan, one of which being the latest weapons and anti-monster equipment used by the US military. Being able to borrow and use such equipment was a huge opportunity in itself.
However, everything changed once the raid officially started.
“Ganggil clan, your task is to capture Area C-1 within three days.”
“...Uh... Taking Area C-1 in three days is too much...”
“Not asking for your opinion. This is an order. Take over it. Remember, there are many clans out there waiting to take your spot.”
“...”
Jang Taebeom was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected her to come out in such a heavy-handed manner. Looking at the other clans, they were also in trouble. However, they didn’t bother protesting because they understood the situation.
The leader of this faction was an A-grade hunter who had full support from the US government, so they didn’t want to be removed for complaining.
“...We understand. We’ll take care of it.”
“After occupying the area, don’t forget to report the situation by filling in the form. If you’re late or you don’t fill in the form correctly, we’ll deduct points from your official evaluation.”
‘Ah, this crazy American...’
***
“...”
Choi Yeonseung was perplexed as he was looking at the hounds.
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ boasts that they are some of his best warriors.]
‘I don’t think this bastard is playing tricks.’
Choi Yeonseung had initially suspected that the berserker constellation would try to deceive him, but after he thought about it, he realized that the berserker constellation wasn’t smart enough to do something like that.
‘Well, judging by their levels, they’re definitely strong.’
[Red Glory of the Abyss
Level: 381
Strength: 372
Agility: 710
Physical Strength: 440
Magic Power: 399
Intelligence: 81]
[Red Madness of the Abyss
Level: 380
Strength: 370
Agility: 708
Physical Strength: 438
Magic Power: 396
Intelligence: 80]
...
In terms of stats, Choi Yeonseung couldn’t complain about the hounds. Their names were a bit ridiculous and their intelligence stats were low, but intelligence didn’t really matter when it came to such creatures.
“Uh, thank you.”
Choi Yeonseung took out a piece of meat and threw it to the hounds.
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ is displeased because his best warriors only eat the blood and heart of their enemies...]
Snap!
Grrrrung!
The hounds nibbled on the meat excitedly, their tails spinning like propellers.
[...The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ says to not be mistaken. They only ate it to show that their master is sincere about this alliance.]
“I found a monster.”
Han Seha, who had gone out to scout around, returned with some hunters. The mechanical dragon wasn’t the only monster in this realm. Since this was the Abyss, they had seen all kinds of other monsters.
...They had also seen the weapons that the robots had thrown away.
“It wasn’t an ordinary golem. It was pretty... advanced?”
Choi Yeonseung was suddenly curious and asked bluntly, “How advanced?”
He saw golems quite often in the Abyss. This monster was the result of an inanimate object being infused with corrupted magic power.
“...”
Choi Yeonseung was left speechless by the sight of an iron golem using heavy equipment that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Was that natural?
‘Heavy machine guns on each arm and lasers on the shoulders? Also, is that a missile on the side?’
There were some other golems armed with unique weapons that nobody had ever seen. At this point, Choi Yeonseung and his team realized that they had to put aside the mechanical dragon and deal with the other monsters in the area first.
Han Seha asked, "What's wrong?"
“I was thinking about how much damage would be inflicted to the other teams.”
“...”
Han Seha was about to say, “Why do you even care about that?” but stopped herself because she didn’t want Choi Yeonseung to think she was a ruthless psychopath.
However, Choi Yeonseung was clearly aware of what she was thinking. They had participated in raids together several times, so he could read her like a book.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m sure the other clan hunters have their own plans, so they won’t do anything stupid.”
“Is that so?”
“E-excuse me, everyone?” said Adaquaniel, suddenly pointing ahead.
They could see some hunters at the base of the mountain, screaming and frantically running away from something.
Grrrung!
“You want to go? Yes? Good job!”
[The ‘Warrior Stained with Madness and Blood’ tells you not to give orders arbitrarily...]
However, the hounds leapt forward before the berserker constellation could finish speaking.
Seeing this, the Hound of Instinct and Liberation spoke to Han Seha.
[The ‘Hound of Instinct and Liberation’ wonders if the owner of these beasts is actually Choi Yeonseung.]