âItâs complicated, but I didnât.â
âShe isnât your daughter, is she?â
âNo, you bastard.â
Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue.
âI donât know what Yeonju said or how she said it.ââ
Jeong Yeonju Hwang Gyeongryongâs clans were quite close. They had even?done raids?together a few times. It was through this connection that she met Choi Yeonseung. Hence, it was only natural for Jeong Yeonju to talk a lot about Hwang Gyeongryong. The question was what Jeong Yeonju said about Choi Yeonseung...
[The âManipulator of Dreams and Desiresâ says she probably put you in a good light. I guess your relationship was quite hot.]
[The âCat of Lava and Magmaâ shakes its paws!]
-... Are you excited?
Choi Yeonseung realized that the cat constellation and manipulator constellation had been stirred up. For constellations, who lived such boring lives, sweet and bloody stories like this were very rousing.
âI donât think this is helpful...â
-That young mortal isnât angry at you. She is sad.
-... I guess so.
The goddess of sloth, the oldest one here, was right. Perhaps Han Seha wanted to talk about Jeong Yeonju with Choi Yeonseung. Choi Yeonseung had to know some things about Jeong?Yeonju.
âI panicked and made a mistake. The next time we meet, Iâll try to talk a bit more calmly.â
[The âCat of Lava and Magmaâ is excitedly asking for more love stories.]
âIf you give me soul stones, Iâll tell you more stories.â
[The âManipulator of Dreams and Desiresâ seriously asks if youâre telling the truth.]
â......â
***
âAre you really going to go hiking?â
âIf itâs too difficult, you can refuse to do it and just rest.â
â......â
The two people showed consideration, which was painful.
âIâm completely fine.â
âThatâs the spirit. This type of exercise is helpful when you have complicated thoughts.â
Antony was very serious. Many hunters had complicated family problems. Those who gained wealth and power at a young age naturally lived a dissolute life, which often resulted in two or three children. This ultimately got them suedâ¦
Antony didnât want Choi Yeonseung, whom he acknowledged, to get ruined because of such scandals. It was up to his trusty clanmates to help out in times like these.
âHeh. I canât believe I am doing something so out of place.â
âThis bastard looks like heâs thinking about something useless.â
Choi Yeonseung considered hitting Antony, but he doubted it would change the situation.
âStay focused. This mountain wonât be easy.â
-This place smells like the Abyss.
It was as the goddess said. The foot of Hallasan was reminiscent of the Abyss. Unlike the orderly Earth, it was riddled with all forms of chaos. It still had more order than the Abyss, though.
âChoi Yeonseung. The Gwaneumsa Temple course is probably easier than the Seongpanak trail. Did I say that correctly? Gwaneumsa Temple? Anyway, I think itâs better to take that path.â
A foreigner asking questions while reading a hiking trail guide was a surreal sight. Choi Yeonseung nodded without being flustered. The Seongpanak trail started with the now-closed Seongpanak rest stop and ended at the top. It was a bit long, but the slope was gentle and easy. In comparison, the Gwaneumsa Temple course started from Gwaneumsa Temple. It was a bit steeper and rougher, but it was shorter as well.
Greedy hunters would naturally choose the Gwaneumsa Temple course.
âI think itâs better as well.â
âBy the way, is that a plant that grows in South Korea?â Antony asked. In the distance, they could see a mistletoe on the side of the road hissing and attacking its surroundings.
Was there such a plant in South Korea?
âNo. That is a mana-contaminated plant.â
âWas he serious when he asked that?â
âWell, Antony doesnât have much understanding of South Korea...â
âYou are going to feed him live octopus after hiking, right?â
âOf course.â
âYou arenât talking about me, are you?â Antony asked anxiously as Illeya and Choi Yeonseung chattered.
âHaha. No way.â
***
âI thought you knew each other?â
â......â
Seeing Han Sella so sullen slightly took Jeong Wonuk aback. It was a rare sight.
As a senior, he couldnât leave his A-grade hunters like this...
âWhatâs wrong? Tell me whatâs going on. If there is anything I can help you with, I will.â
âI thought you said you donât know Hunter Choi Yeonseung?â
âNo... It isnât that we donât know each other... Iâve certainly met him a few times.â
â? â
Han Seha cocked her head, unable to understand Jeong Wonuk. Didnât he pretend that he didnât know Choi Yeonseung earlier?
âYou said youâve never met him before?â
âI-I only remembered about it now.â
â... Did you borrow money and not repay it?â
âNo! Who do you think I am?â
Jeong Wonuk was angry.
What did she see a clan leader was?! n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHow do you know Hunter Choi Yeonseung, then?â
âWe ran into each other a few times while raiding a dungeon!â
âThat has to be a lie...â
Han Seha looked at him suspiciously.
âAnyway, so?you?know Hunter Choi Yeonseung?â
â... I do.â
âWhat kind of person is he?â
âWhat kind of person...â
A crazy one? The only word that came to mind was crazy. Jeong Wonuk thought he was crazy about training...
However, he looked at Han Seha and saw that she seemed to be expecting something. Did she want compliments?
âHe was a hardworking, conscientious hunter. Heâs a good man...â
âSince he saved my life...â
âReally? As expected.â Han Seha nodded with a satisfied expression.
â... W-What do you mean?â
Jeong Wonuk was flustered.
âThatâs what my mother said about him as well.â
â...... !â
Contrary to Choi Yeonseungâs worries, Jeong Yeonju didnât curse him. No, she actually overpraised him. The days when Jeong Yeonju worked with Hwang Gyeongryongâs clan were pleasant memories for her. Saying good things about Hwang Gyeongryong and Lee Changsik was the least she could do, and she was especially selfless in praising Choi Yeonseung. Growing up hearing such things, she naturally became a bit blinded.
âWhat did she say?â
âThat...â
Han Seha talked for around 15 minutes.
â... His self-care is thorough, and he is just. Something like that.â
âIsnât that too much... â
âAre you saying that my mother lied? â
When Han Sehaâs voice rose, Jeong Wonuk immediately retracted his statement.
âNo. Now that I have thought about it, she was right.â
In a conversation between someone crazy and someone normal, the latter had no choice but to yield. Han Seha was the crazy one in this conversation. Even though they were both A-grade hunters, if he made just one wrong comment, she would pull out her weapon and attack him!
Jeong Wonuk cursed inwardly as he retracted his statement.
âIn any case, isnât this a good thing? You met someone you normally couldnât have.â
Han?Seha?hesitated upon hearing what Jeong Wonuk said. It was the first time Jeong Wonuk saw her in such a state, and it gave him goosebumps. Who was this hunter?
â... Maybe I pushed too hard and made him dislike me.â
The bad-tempered Han Seha was already scary. However, she was twice that when sad. Jeong Wonuk desperately soothed her.
âN-No! How can that be? Hunter Choi Yeonseung was probably just confused because he just returned from the Abyss.â
âReally? Well, I guess so. It did seem like he was confused because of the sudden revelation.â
âYes, thatâs it! The next time you go and talk to him, you two will surely understand each other.â
âPlease come with me when that time comes, Hunter Jeong Wonuk.â
â... Why? ?â
Jeong Wonuk raised his tone. Why did he get bad luck after all this effort?
âWell⦠Iâm embarrassed.â
Jeong Wonukâs goosebumps doubled when Han Seha lowered her voice as if she was ashamed.
âIs this really happening?â
âSince you already know him, please sit down and talk to him. Compliment me during your conversation.â
âNo...â
âI came all the way to Jeju Island to help with the exchange when the Golden Blood Fish asked for me, yet youâre refusing my request?â Han Sehaâs voice returned to normal, lowering coldly.
â... Iâll come with you.â
âThank you!â
Jeong?Wonuk?thought about getting Choi Yeonseungâs phone number. He had to text Choi Yeonseung and control his mouth first! He didnât know about Choi Yeonseung, but Han Seha would definitely make fun of him if she found out.
***
âHey, that person is flying!â
âThatâs flying magic.â
Choi Yeonseung shrugged when he saw some people flying toward the mountain.
âI donât think thatâs a very good idea.â
Flying magic was one of the low-circle spells, but it was tremendously difficult to use. While flying up was easy, balancing oneself in midair and flying to any direction was extremely hard. In short, that magic spell was easy to use but difficult to master! Nevertheless, they chose to use it in this unstable location. It wasnât a very good idea.
Before he could finish speaking, a magical wind had blown and anomalies had begun to appear. The air shook constantly, making the hunters in the air plummet to the ground.
"Aaaaaaack!"
âTsk tsk.â
Antony clicked his tongue. It was such an ugly sight.
âWhat country did those hunters come from?â
âThey seem to be Chinese.â
âThen let them be.â
âAh. No. Are they Korean?â
âAntony, you bastard. Whatâs wrong with your eyes?â
âW-What did I do wrong... !â
Ignoring Antony, Choi Yeonseung ran out. Among martial arts, some were known as light martial arts. They could lighten oneâs body, allowing them to run faster. Increasing oneâs light martial arts level would give them the Flying On Grass, a state where they could step and run on blades of grass, or Flying On Water, a state that allowed them to run on water.
Choi Yeonseungâs state was the Void Flying Path, which gave him infinite internal energy to roam freely?through space. He couldnât use it now due to the restrictions on his internal energy, but with his training experience, he found a replacement for it.
Choi Yeonseung kicked up a rock and sliced it into dozens of thin pieces with his sword. The pieces soon scattered. He used the pieces as stepping stones to soar up.
âA-air Steps! Those are Air Steps!ââ?Chen Yuwei exclaimed with surprise as he watched from a distance. ?It wasnât as great as the Void Flying Path, but the Air Steps skill, which enabled its user to walk in the sky, was one of the peak-class martial arts.
Choi?Yeonseung could do?that? Choi Yeonseung was technically stepping on rock pieces, but it didnât matter to the surprised Chen Yuwei.
âT-thank you!â
âNo matter how competitive youâre feeling, using flying magic in a place like this is crazy.â
Choi Yeonseung grabbed the hunters one by one in the air and lightly landed. As a result, the hunters were more curious about the skill Choi Yeonseung showed than shocked at almost being seriously injured.
âIs that⦠Air Steps or something? Someone was shouting it earlier...â
âNo. Itâs different from Air Steps. Donât go around saying strange things.â
The Korean hunters nodded in response. However, it didnât mean much because, in the distance, Chen Yuwei talked to hunters from other countries.
âDonât you know how great Air?Steps is? You idiots. That martial art is said to be at least peak-class...â
âIâm not interested. Get out of the way, Chen Yuwei. Iâm going up.â