Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 17: Arhan Guild (1)
"Ah, Mr. Park Seongwook."
"Mr. Park Seongwook? You're being disrespectful to your senior."
"Be grateful I'm not cursing at you."
A bad connection from their orphanage days.
Park Seongwook was trash who exploited the orphans while avoiding the orphanage director's eyes.
"Your nose seems to have healed well."
As Yoojin curled his hand into a fist, Park Seongwook unconsciously stepped back.
Back when Park Seongwook had tried to lay a hand on a younger child at the orphanage, Yoojin, with a smile on his face, had approached him and crushed his nose with his fist.
Realizing his delayed reaction, Park Seongwook contorted his face and—
"Ha, fuck."
He erupted in anger, his face twisted with a curse.
"You've gotten bigger, haven't you?"
"I've grown about 20 centimeters."
"Seeing you going in and out of the Pantheon, I guess you're also a Hunter now."
"Yeah, it's been a week since I Awakened."
Park Seongwook tilted his left shoulder slightly, unnaturally emphasizing his chest.
"Do you know what this is?"
"Save your pathetic dance moves for the club."
"This bastard... You dare disrespect the Arhan badge."
The guild that had been frequently mentioned since he took Fafnir as his subordinate suddenly popped up.
What a coincidence.
〔Is this guy not from a Hunter family?〕
'There are no Hunter families in Korea. Only guilds.'
To officially declare a Hunter family, three conditions had to be met.
1. Family Secret Mana Training Method
2. Family Guardian Constellation
3. Family Head's Rank of 7-Stars or Higher
'Arhan probably only meets the third condition.'
The Family Secret Mana Training Method referred to a technique developed through a Hunter's enlightenment, not something shared through a skill book.
It wasn't something that could be easily created just because one had a high rank.
Moreover.
〔Making a contract with a guardian constellation consumes more karma and power than bestowing a blessing on a single Hunter.〕
It was telling that the easiest condition to meet for establishing a family was reaching the 7 Star rank.
This was the reason why no Hunter families had emerged on the Korean peninsula for a long time.
Anyway, was this guy really from Arhan?
He hadn't seen him during the war with Arhan in his past life.
'He must have died quickly after joining Arhan.'
Or he was too insignificant to be remembered by Yoojin.
Either way, what a pathetic life.
"Rookie, who's this?"
"Ah, Team Leader Jeong. He's a junior I used to know."
The man called Team Leader Jeong stepped between them and quickly assessed Yoojin.
"It's a pleasure to meet someone who knows team member Park Seongwook."
He naturally offered his business card.
[Arhan 5th Attack Squad, 7th Team Leader]
[Jeong Jinsu]
Yoojin simply stared blankly and didn't reach out.
"My arm's going to fall off at this rate."
"I don't have a business card to give you. There's no reason for me to take it."
Hearing Yoojin's response, Jeong Jinsu gave a friendly smile.
"Young man, keeping my business card might allow you to ask for help when you're in a difficult situation."
"The 5th Attack Squad is the lowest-quality one. Do you really think you can help me?"
The 5th Attack Squad was where most rookies were placed.
If you were wondering if even the team leaders were rookies, the answer was no.
'Hunters who felt they had reached their limits or were sidelined due to injuries.'
He was Park Seongwook's team leader, wasn't he?
He wasn't sure which category this guy fell into, but Yoojin blatantly hit a nerve.
The faces of the team members, including Park Seongwook, turned bright red.
The atmosphere was so tense that it felt like it could explode at any moment.
"Hahaha. This young man has spirit."
Jeong Jinsu laughed heartily, calming his team members.
"Since I'm in charge of Arhan's rookies, what you said isn't entirely wrong. However, we recruited them because they are all excellent individuals."
"Well, seeing as you took in human trash like Park Seongwook, I can't agree with the 'excellent' part."
"You insolent...!"
Park Seongwook was trembling all over, as if he would lunge at Yoojin with the slightest provocation.
"Hmm. Then how about this?"
Jeong Jinsu gave a friendly smile.
"Since you seem to be a Hunter as well, how about a spar with one of our rookies?"
"You want me to fight barehanded against someone who's clearly a martial artist?"
"Hahaha. Of course, that would be unreasonable. Since you know our rookie, I was just suggesting you show us your skills."
"Well, that's not bad."
The conversation briefly paused.
Jeong Jinsu asked again with suspicion in his eyes.
"Are you serious?"
"Let's do it. This spar, or whatever it is."
Yoojin grinned, his gaze fixed on Park Seongwook.
＊ ＊ ＊
A three-minute walk from the Pantheon.
The Arhan Guild had purchased an entire building in Yeouido, considered prime real estate in Seoul.
A skyscraper rising high into the sky.
Jeong Jinsu led them to a newly built gym next to the building.
"Here, you can compete to your heart's content without worrying about others."
"I see."
"If you want, you can use the weapons available in the guild training ground, so feel free to look around."
He was telling a Priest to look for weapons.
He was spouting nonsense because he thought Yoojin was a novice Hunter.
"I'm a Priest. So, I'll choose a warrior to fight in my place."
"Suit yourself. Although it doesn't seem like you have anyone here who can act as your champion."
"This guy is my champion."
An eerie light emanated from the Ring of Darkness, and a 3-meter-tall giant emerged.
【Is it a fight?】
"Yeah, a bit of a spar."
Fafnir looked at the Arhan symbol in the middle of the gym and clenched his fists tightly.
"Oh, junior. Looks like you got a pretty good unique trait."
Park Seongwook mocked him in an exaggerated tone.
He seemed to mistake Fafnir for a summon or a spirit related to a unique trait.
【Master, you're not trying to carry out my revenge already, are you? Why are we here?】
From Fafnir's perspective, this was enemy territory.
Perhaps that was why he deliberately controlled his thoughts so that only Yoojin could hear them.
"You need to know who your enemies are to get motivated, right?"
【Hmm. If that's the case...】
"And I'll take this opportunity to promote the Intermediate Potion."
【It seems that's your main objective, Master.】
Instead of replying, Yoojin chuckled.
Well, he was grateful if Fafnir thought so.
〔Do you have another motive?〕
'The Arhan Guild is connected to Romanov.'
Even if it wasn't for Fafnir, he was bound to have a hostile relationship with the Arhan Guild.
He just didn't expect to encounter them so soon.
This was even better.
He cut off his thoughts and stared intently at Park Seongwook, who was standing across the training ground.
"Heh heh. Cheon Yoojin, looks like you're nervous now that you're actually here. Frozen stiff."
Shiny armor.
A necklace shimmering with mana.
And several rings on his fingers that enhanced his stats.
【They all seem to be at least Rare grade.】
— Probably.
Roughly estimating, it looked like he was a walking sports car.
【To provide a rookie with such items...】
— It's the number one guild in Korea.
In his past life, Arhan had established itself as Korea's first Hunter family, becoming a massive force that influenced the political and economic landscape.
If they hadn't clashed head-on with Yoojin and been destroyed, they would have maintained their power for a long time.
So, they joined hands with Romanov to become a Hunter family, and that's why things escalated?
【Are you alright? You might have made a formidable enemy in your attempt to avenge me.】
"It would be a problem if I couldn't handle an opponent like this."
He meant it.
The enemies Yoojin faced in his past life were the seven families that ruled the world.
He was confident that he could surpass the number one guild in Korea within a few years.
【To go so far for me...】
It seemed Fafnir had misunderstood something, but he let it slide.
[Sparring System activated.]
[Calculating the defense and health of both Hunters.]
[A barrier will automatically activate if lives are at risk.]
[3, 2, 1]
[Sparring begins.]
"Cheon Yoojin! I'll teach you a lesson!!!!"
Park Seongwook immediately charged towards Fafnir.
【How shall I handle this, Master?】
— Don't finish it in one blow. I need to take some damage to show off the potion's effects.
【How cruel. Judging by the way you're talking, he seems like an acquaintance.】
— He's a bad connection, so don't hold back.
【Heh heh. It's been a while since I've had a real fight, so let me warm up a bit.】
Fafnir also lightly kicked off the training ground floor and charged forward.
Thump— Thump—
The floor shook with every step he took.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
Park Seongwook's narrowed eyes accurately read Fafnir's movements.
"He seems to be a close-range power type, but it doesn't matter if I don't get hit."
[Kairak Spear Technique]
[Third Stance]
[Reflexive Movement]
Park Seongwook, who had been charging with all his might, abruptly changed direction.
He slid across the floor, slipping past Fafnir's side, and then—
[Kairak Spear Technique]
[Second Stance]
[Single Point Thrust]
He thrust his spear forward, putting all his weight and strength into the tip.
A more perfect thrust than ever before.
A gleam of exhilaration shone in Park Seongwook's eyes.
Oh—
Even Jeong Jinsu, who was watching the spar, let out a short exclamation.
'His form is even more refined than it was during training.'
The core of the Kairak Spear Technique was to unleash explosive power in a short burst.
Even to Jeong Jinsu, who had been in charge of rookie training at Arhan for many years, it was a near-perfect strike that captured the essence of the spear technique.
'It would be troublesome if the match ended too quickly.'
Park Seongwook was a promising rookie that Jeong Jinsu had been training recently.
He wasn't interested in the junior who had appeared out of nowhere, but...
He hoped that Park Seongwook would gain more insights from this spar.
That was the real reason he had brought a Hunter with no background like Yoojin to the training ground.
'It would be nice if he put up some resistance before going down.'
As Jeong Jinsu was thinking that—
【Do you think you can hit me with such a slow attack?】
The blue irises in Fafnir's diamond-shaped pupils accurately followed Park Seongwook's movements.
Shhk!
The spear tip, aimed at Fafnir's chest, cut through empty air.
Fafnir slightly twisted his body, and the blade grazed his side.
"Huh?"
【What a pathetic display. A sloppy attack with no thought for what comes next.】
Fafnir extended his right arm and grabbed the spear shaft that was hovering near his side.
Park Seongwook, unable to hide his surprise, put strength into his arm, but...
The spear stuck in Fafnir's side showed no signs of budging.
Instead—
【If this were a real battle, you would already be dead.】
As Fafnir forcefully pulled on the spear shaft, Park Seongwook was dragged along like a fish caught on a hook.
Park Seongwook was full of openings.
Fafnir, who had been about to finish him off with a single blow, suddenly remembered—
'I was told to break a limb, not kill him.'
He adjusted his strength and struck Park Seongwook's arm.
Crack!
Despite the protection of his armor, Park Seongwook's left arm, exposed to Fafnir's monstrous strength, bent in the opposite direction.
"...?!"
Park Seongwook, his eyes bloodshot, stared at his limp left arm.
"You cried so much when I broke your nose. Did becoming a member of Arhan give you a newfound sense of patience?"
"You son of a bitch!!"
Park Seongwook immediately tried to lunge at Yoojin, but—
【You're not getting past me.】
Fafnir, the 3-meter-tall Eldritch Dragon, blocked his path.
Park Seongwook used his footwork again, trying to shake off Fafnir and create a path to Yoojin.
Thump!
Fafnir's thick leg moved from top to bottom.
His foot slammed into the sparring field, disrupting Park Seongwook's balance.
"Ah!"
A groan escaped Jeong Jinsu's lips.
At the same time, Park Seongwook, who had been moving low to the ground, lost his footing and collapsed due to his own momentum.
【Using the same technique twice makes it predictable.】
Fafnir pointed out Park Seongwook's mistake in a calm tone, then—
Crack!
"Aaaaagh!!!"
【It seems I need to carve it into your body for you to learn from your mistakes.】
He broke the leg Park Seongwook had used for his footwork.
With one arm and one leg bent at unnatural angles, bones protruding, the sparring field's barrier, which only activated for 'fatal' injuries, remained inactive.
It wouldn't have protected Park Seongwook unless his arm or leg had been completely ripped off; a mere fracture wasn't enough.
"Stop!"
Jeong Jinsu stepped onto the field and waved his hands frantically.
[Sparring terminated.]
The fight ended abruptly.
How boring.
He hadn't expected Jeong Jinsu to intervene so quickly.
'That guy's personality training had just begun...'
As Yoojin clicked his tongue in disappointment, Jeong Jinsu hurriedly checked Park Seongwook's arms and legs.
"Ugh, uhhh..."
"Fortunately, there won't be any lasting effects."
"T-Team Leader..."
"I'll call a Priest right away, so just wait a bit."
"There's a Priest right here."
As Yoojin casually raised his hand, anger flashed across Jeong Jinsu's face.
He had tried to boost his rookie's morale, but it had backfired spectacularly.
But what could he do?
It was Jeong Jinsu himself who had put Yoojin on the stage.
"...You do know that it's difficult to heal fractures with a 1 Star healing spell, right?"
"That's common sense."
"Then I'm curious to know how you intend to heal our rookie."
"I have Intermediate Potions."
Intermediate Potions, occasionally obtained from Gate monsters.
They were expensive consumables, each costing over 10 million won.
"You're going to use those precious Intermediate Potions to heal a rookie?"
"I guess you haven't heard that I recently succeeded in mass-producing Intermediate Potions."
Yoojin presented an Intermediate Potion.
Jeong Jinsu's eyes twitched as he checked the item information.
Pop!
Yoojin uncorked the potion and poured it over Park Seongwook's arms and legs.
"Hold him still. Otherwise, his bones will set incorrectly."
He had to focus if he didn't want to see his guild rookie become crippled, right?
[Using Intermediate Potion.]
[Injuries are being healed.]
Crack— Crack—
The broken bones rejoined, and the torn wounds began to close.
Park Seongwook's expression relaxed.
"Rookie junior, where did you say you got that potion?"
An unconcealable gleam of desire flickered in Jeong Jinsu's eyes.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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