Chapter 161: Chapter 161

“Won’t you get scolded for writing such blatant articles?”

“Everyone is doing this. Why would I be the only one getting scolded?”

Hwang Gyeongryong thought it was unfair. Even small and medium-sized clans paid writers to create articles about them. It was unfair that he alone was criticized.

“When you were younger, things like this angered you so much you would even call them cowardly bastards…”

"Hey. Hey. Congratulations on becoming an A-grade!”

Hwang Gyeongryong quickly changed the subject when the topic turned against him. There was a reason he served as a chairman.

“What are you doing? Come inside and celebrate!”

The moment Hwang Gyeongryong shouted toward the outside of the training room, the suit-clad attendants waiting outside rushed in. Watching elite workers in stiff suits coming in with bouquets of flowers in their hands and surrounding Choi Yeonseung while shouting, “Congratulations!” was more terrible than Choi Yeonseung thought.

“Congratulations! Congratulations!”

“Congratulations on your promotion, Hunter Choi Yeonseung!”

‘Can this be considered a mental attack?’

All the attendants here had to be from the Ivy League. They were the elites of the elites...

“Thank you. Now, I would like everyone to leave,” Choi Yeonseung said, and the attendants immediately rushed out looking relieved.

“Didn’t I get promoted too quickly? I thought I would have to kill a few more monsters.”

“That used to be the plan, but this incident was too shocking. Things could have turned into a huge disaster if it wasn’t for you.”

There were over tens of thousands of people in the stadium. Chills went down Hwang Gyeongryong’s spine at the thought that all those people could have died.

“There were so many witnesses, too.”

There were videos not only of the fight outside the stadium but also of his fierce battle against Douglas inside. The video was taken by the staff member who had such a strong professional spirit that he kept working. More than any other testimonies or explanations, that one video clearly showed?Choi Yeonseung being driven to the point of desperation and unlocking sword energy to split apart Douglas!

Everyone seemed to have believed that he had awakened the moment he was cornered.

“The video was really good. Thanks to it, you can avoid unnecessary doubts. I should send a reward to the person who took it.”

Anyone who had seen the video wouldn’t suspect that Choi Yeonseung had been hiding his martial arts stage all this time.

“Honestly, I thought Hyung would be suspected.”

.

"Why me?"

“You have so much power that you could be suspected of using it to speed up the A-grade promotion.”

“No... Hey. Although I can go to the sauna with the president, I can’t touch the A-grade promotion.”

Hwang Gyeongryong was telling the truth. After several rating manipulation incidents, the A-grade rank received so much scrutiny that it had now become impossible to cheat. Right now, the organization known as the UN Hunter Watch had dedicated themselves to monitoring that rank.

“Can’t you bribe them?”

“That’s impossible. They all belong to the Six-Winged Angel Who Hunts Dragons.”

The Six-Winged Angel Who Hunts Dragons?was one of the most famous constellations on Earth. A good god constellation who appeared around the same time the gates did, then proceeded to help humans! Some Christians even interpreted the angel constellation as one sent by God. Taking that into consideration, the angel constellation was definitely helping the humans on Earth...

-Do humans like the angel constellation?

-Very much so. Angels often appear in movies and dramas, and many people believe in them. That’s why many hunters are trying to become household members.

-That constellation has a very tough personality, which makes it amazing.

The goddess of sloth was amazed.

The angel constellation wasn’t a bad constellation. In the Abyss, which was rampant with confusion and trickery, it was rare for constellations to keep good faith and promises. However…

-Both the good and evil factions find that constellation tiring to deal with.

The angel constellation was strict not only with themselves but also with others. One of the typical traits that was attributed to strictness was a dislike of lying. Hence, the household members and minions contracted with the angel constellation couldn’t lie.

-Not being able to lie among humans is actually an advantage.

-Is that so? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The goddess couldn’t help but wonder about it, but Choi Yeonseung was right. The restriction of not being able to lie could sometimes be an advantage. Earth had just as much deception as the Abyss. No, sometimes, Earth’s were even worse. That was why such restrictions made them trustworthy.

“In any case, someone from the US government will soon come and congratulate you for becoming an A-grade hunter. This is your first time, so let me tell you a few things in advance.”

‘He is so smug.’

“Don’t be too smug, you bastard!”

‘How did he read my thoughts?’

Hwang Gyeongryong coughed, then continued. If B-grade hunters were the most reliable force that a country could rely on for normal situations, A-grade hunters were even more perfect strategic weapons?than nuclear ones! It was common for a country to not have an A-grade hunter. Right now, even the great US’ A-grade hunters could be counted with one’s fingers.

“... You will have even broader rights, but you’ll be imposed with restrictions as well. None of them are visible, of course. No idiot would go against the wishes of an A-grade hunter.”

“So?”

“The annoying restrictions will flow beneath the surface. For example, let’s say you are in a relationship and have been getting to know each other for more than half a year. You are having the time of your life.”

“......

-?

[?]

The constellations were flustered.

“Then one day, out of nowhere, a government agent approached me and told me she was a Russian spy!” Hwang Gyeongryong continued.

“To?Hyung?”

“N-No. Not to me, but to the person in the example I’m talking about. I was too immersed for a moment.”

“......”

Choi Yeonseung looked at Hwang Gyeongryong as if he found him pitiful.

“Hyung…”

“In any case, do you understand the lesson of this story? The country is terribly worried about A-grade hunters. They will even look up what you are searching on the Internet, so don’t search for weird things.”

Choi Yeonseung was amazed. Unlike thirty years ago, today’s methods were much more sophisticated and scary. They used advanced technology to investigate a hunter and bind them up.

“By the way, Hyung. I don’t have a family or that many relationships.”

“... That’s right. I’m glad you have an advantage over them, dude. Make sure you date a Russian spy.”

“No, why are you wishing me bad things...”

***

The A-grade promotion itself wasn’t spectacular. Once the results came out, everyone around him, from the media to the public, grew excited. However, the promotion itself ended with simple documents and papers flying to his address.

The official in charge politely held out a new hunter card and handed over a document with various rights written on it.

“I can enter a dungeon that has already been preoccupied, I’ll be treated as more than a soldier when participating in military operations, and in the case of an emergency, I can recruit from the surrounding people and give orders... Can I give orders to hunters?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll read about the rest of the benefits later.”

There were VIP benefits offered by various partner companies, but they didn’t mean much. Whenever A-grade hunters traveled, they hired pilots and took their entourage around with them. They didn’t have any time to use a lot of the first-class or hotel benefits.

“One last thing, Hunter Choi Yeonseung.”

“?”

“We always say this to those who have become A-grade. I hope you listen and don’t misunderstand.”

“I won’t misunderstand, so just tell me.”

“If you want to leave the clan you are currently in, we will do everything to support you.”

“......!”

“Legal issues, down payments... It doesn’t matter what you need.”

Even though they were talking about Hwang Gyeongryong’s faction here, the official from the government didn’t blink an eye. He had already done this a few times. A-grade hunters being tied down was a loss for the country. Becoming an A-grade hunter didn’t mean that the relationships and legal obligations they had prior would just suddenly disappear.

Hence, clans that had tied A-grade hunters to them using a huge contract made huge profits. After all, the A-grade hunter could only work for the clan. To prevent that, the government fully supported A-grade hunters. They would do anything to help if the hunter wanted to leave a clan. They even drafted new legislation.

Most A-grade hunters preferred to leave, not wanting to be tied down to a clan.

“No. I won’t leave.”

“Please tell me if Dragon Hwang threatened you and we will convince Dragon Hwang. We won’t just take you away, of course. We will give him enough interest first.”

“I understand, but I like the clan I’m in right now. I don’t want to leave.”

“Is that so? I understand. Then call me when you need it.”

The official gracefully stepped back instead of insisting further. It was their role to do anything the A-grade hunter wanted.

“Hunter Choi Yeonseung. Please continue to dedicate yourself to humanity and civilization,” the official said with a set tone, but it had a slightly different meaning to Choi Yeonseung. He nodded.

“I’ll do my best.”

***

Hwang Gyeongryong openly snorted at the official who was leaving. The official was dumbfounded, but he persevered. After all, Hwang Gyeonryong could kill him with one finger if he wanted.

‘No, is it okay for an S-grade hunter to be so childish?’

‘Why is he leaving out the chairman?’

“Yeonseung, do you know what the two dreams of the current generation of hunters are?” Hwang Gyeongryong asked with a satisfied expression.

“Wealth and power?”

“... N-No. They do want those, but those aren’t the answer.”

“Is there anything else?”

“A-grade hunters can’t go on air saying things like, ‘wealth and power are my dreams.’” Hwang Gyeongryong shook his head. “Anyway, one is the restoration of their homeland.”

“......!”

Shortly after Choi Yeonseung disappeared into the Abyss, the evil god constellations invaded Earth. Numerous household members of the evil god constellations directly invaded Earth, attacking and occupying fertile land! Even now, despite a truce being signed by the constellations, such incidents still happened. For hunters who had lost their homes, this was something they wouldn’t forget even decades later.

“Even if the evil god constellations can’t directly intervene, it will be crowded with the household members they send. Is it possible to fight head-on and recover the land?”

"I don't know. It hasn’t happened recently.”

There had been several reckless attempts since the ceasefire. Supported by the constellations, hunters and an army of soldiers mobilized and deployed. However, the evil god constellations proved formidable. They had already built solid defenses in the country they had seized and killed those who entered. It caused so much damage that no such attempt had been made again recently.

“I think it’s possible, though.”

“Has a country prepared an army?”

“No. I’m not talking about an all-out war. I’m talking about the constellations.”

Choi Yeonseung wasn’t the only one participating in constellation battles. Other constellations also fought each other. The good god constellations, the ones who arrived on Earth first, probably didn’t like watching the evil god constellations messing around. Hence, they tried to reclaim the territory held by the evil god constellations through constellation battles.

‘Isn’t that a great idea?’?Choi Yeonseung admired.

The lands occupied by evil god constellations were like gold mines, but there was nothing in the world that couldn’t be traded. It had a far more plausible chance of success than an all-out war.

“I don’t know much about it since I have never signed a contract until you came, but they had probably done it a few times. I’ve heard vague rumors about it.”

Among the A-grade or higher hunters, there were rumors about hunters following their masters and joining constellation battles. Unfortunately, considering the usurped countries were still under the evil god constellations’ rule, they had clearly been defeated.