Chapter 96: Chapter 96

“... My persuasion failed,” Choi Yeonseung muttered as if he was sorry. If anyone had heard him, they would’ve likely thought someone else had interfered.

“Didn’t you beat him up... ”

“It was an inevitable disagreement. It is regrettable.”

Unfortunately, the hunter in front of him seemed to lack knowledge about martial arts. 1st generation hunters knew a lot about it.

-Don’t cause trouble when martial artists are nearby.

If they’re close enough to reach you, always keep in mind that martial arts are faster than magic!

That person acted up in front of Choi Yeonseung without knowing that, so Choi Yeonseung punched him.

“Let’s try persuading the next person.”

“There might not be any hunters left in the clan if you keep ‘persuading’ them like that.”

***

“Are you going to raid the dungeon as a team?”

‘Oh. Will this person listen?’

It was a different reaction from before. Choi Yeonseung was delighted by the response of the hunter opposite him. This person seemed to be listening to him more than the previous ones.

“I’ll teach you martial arts.”

“You’ll even teach me martial arts?”

“Yes!”

“... That’s too suspicious. What do you want?”

“......”

Choi Yeonseung was dumbfounded. Why couldn’t?young people trust others these days?

“Nothing really. It would be my?pleasure if all the clan’s hunters become stronger.”

“That makes it even more suspicious...”

“......”

Choi Yeonseung clenched his fists, but Elisabeth hurriedly grabbed him.

“Put up with it!”

Meanwhile, the other hunter just left.

Choi Yeonseung sighed deeply.

“This is worse than I thought.”

“... Uhhh, it’s not that you’re a bad person. Rather, your kindness might just be too much for the hunters here.”

Basically, all but a few hunters here were each other’s competition. Besides, hunters normally didn’t help each other. Those who would offer help, like Choi Yeonseung, to their fellow hunters were extremely exceptional! Hence, hunters like him were usually seen as scammers or suspicious people who had signed a contract with an evil god constellation.

“Didn’t Smallwood come to learn from me?”

“He’s an unusual case.”

“Didn’t you come too?”

“I-I just thought of you as a sparring opponent. I didn’t intend to learn martial arts.”

“What? You don’t want to learn, then?”

“No. It isn’t that I don’t want to learn… In any case, I’m sure most people will be wary.”

“Tsk.” Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue.

He showed martial arts during practice, and a martial arts raid video was even released. The hunters were surprised and interested, so he thought he could easily spread it... It was harder than he thought.

‘I’m willing to teach them. I just don’t know what the fuss is about.’

.

Choi Yeonseung didn’t give up. Instead, he tried a few more times. However, most of the hunters either refused and didn’t believe him or wanted to learn martial arts but refused to join his team.

-You just intend to keep me in check, don’t you?

-Martial arts is interesting, but it’s a bit hard to learn something new now... My magic is enough.

-Martial arts? Teach me? Really? Okay. But I refuse to join your team. Just teach me martial arts. Wait. Why are you clenching your fists? U-U-Uh...

Choi Yeonseung sighed deeply.

Elisabeth, who was watching from the side, spoke up. “Why don’t you team up with hunters you’re close enough with to listen to you?”

“Like Smallwood or Whittaker?”

“Wow. Why did you get close to those two?”

“......”

You’re the one who said so...!

However, Antony shook his head.

“Whittaker won’t join in. He’s a healer, so he won’t lose anything even if he doesn’t raid the dungeon.”

Healers had always been scarce. That was why Whittaker wasn’t pushed out of the 1st team despite his nasty personality.

“I have to ask anyway.”

“I asked. He refused.”

“... You asked?!” Elisabeth was shocked. The ignorant and unlucky Antony asked others to help out?

“Can’t you stop talking for a second?”

Antony felt something strange and asked, but Elisabeth ignored him.

“Well, it isn’t like we need to fill up six positions to raid it...”

Six was the golden number of members in raids, but this was training in the Otherworld, not actual combat.

There was no need to get six people.

‘Should I take Richard?’

Choi Yeonseung hesitated. In front of him was a hunter wearing a school uniform that he had never seen before.

‘Is that a private school uniform?’

Private schools in the United States boasted many fancy facilities, but they were costly. Hence, the students naturally got a nice school uniform that showcased they were from such a school.

“That person is from the Ivy League.”

“Ivy League? Isn’t that a college?” Choi Yeonseung asked, puzzled.

Antony looked at Choi Yeonseung in surprise. “Are you really a hunter?”

“Schneider. Choi Yeonseung was from thirty years ago.”

“Ah. That’s right... Wait. Why are you clenching your fists?”

Antony quickly widened the distance. You’re not going to hit me just for saying that, are you?

“The Ivy League that I know of are prestigious American colleges.”

“Those colleges still exist, but it has another meaning now,” Elisabeth explained.

The 1st generation hunters lacked know-how and infrastructure. However, as time passed, humanity began to accumulate knowledge faster. How to train, study magic, use raid items...

One of the policies that resulted from this was youth development.

-The young awakeners are the future of raids!

Those who awakened at a young age had more to train, so they were more likely to become stronger hunters. If those talents were gathered and trained separately, they would be able to guide the young awakeners, who could’ve wasted their time, toward the right path!

“As a result, quite a few private schools that educate teenage awakeners have been built. The most famous of them?are collectively known?as the Ivy League.”

With government support, the?famous private schools in the east created a huge scholastic?city?that specialized in raising teenage awakeners! with government support! Basically, only talented people were educated by the elites in this city. Hence, hailing from such a place was a testament to their ability.

“Why hide it? Sigh. I’m also from the Ivy League.”

“No one asked.”

“I didn’t ask either, Antony.”

“......”

Antony didn’t change his expression despite their harsh words. His mentality was too strong for that!

“In any case, she probably has a solid foundation, considering she’s from the Ivy League.”

“They receive all types of education, not just the basics. Personality, history, humanities...”

Choi Yeonseung exchanged looks with Elisabeth.

-Personality?

-Not all education is inherently successful.

“Aren’t there two common reasons for wearing your alma mater’s uniform after graduating?” Choi Yeonseung muttered.

“What are those?” Elisabeth asked curiously.

“One is to brag about being from that school.”

“Like Schneider?”

“I never said anything like that before!”

“You did.”

“I wasn’t bragging. I was just stating a fact…”

“Shut up. What about the other one?”

“You’re too lazy to choose clothes?”

“... Who in the world would wear a school uniform for that reason?”

“It’s possible, though.”

“No. Choi Yeonseung has a point.” Elisabeth agreed.

“Look. She’s a young hunter who just graduated, so there’s nothing strange with her wearing a school uniform.”

Hwang Gyeongryong’s scouts seemed to have quickly brought the useful ones among those who graduated.

‘The scholastic city is definitely a good place to find household members.’

Would he be kicked out if he went there and asked, ‘Who wants to be the incarnation of training’s household member?’

“Ah. She’s looking this way.”

As the three of them continued to talk, the other person noticed and stood up.

‘A Russian?’

Long blonde hair and a youthful face. He didn’t know why, but he thought she was Russian.

“■■■■■?”

“?”

“Huh?”

“W-Where’s my interpreter?”

Flustered, Elisabeth turned her interpreter on. She panicked when the other person used a language that wasn’t English.

-The language can’t be interpreted.

“? ?”

“I can’t believe you’re using such a cheap one, Gutierrez... Take a look at my latest version!”

-The language can’t be interpreted.

“... I see. That hunter has to be speaking an alien language.”

Choi Yeonseung hit the back of Antony’s head.

“What are you saying? Isn’t she greeting us properly?”

“What? You understood her? Was it Korean?”

“She doesn’t sound Korean, though.”

“? ?”

Choi Yeonseung was embarrassed. Obviously, the other person had said, ‘Hello.’

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is dumbfounded. It says you can understand her because you’re a constellation.]

‘Ah...’

Since becoming a constellation, he could perfectly understand the messages of the world. Considering the scope of that feat, another language would be easy.

‘I see. I feel as if I’m in tune with the other person...’

Choi Yeonseung spoke using the language he heard for the first time.

“Did they use that language thirty years ago?”

“Have you not been hit enough?”

Choi Yeonseung spoke while ignoring the chatter on the side.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Choi Yeonseung. Do you speak English?”

“I don’t. Anyway... How are you so fluent in my language?”

Illeya was using the language of a Russian minority, the words of which were so difficult to understand that only those who spoke a bit of Russian could barely understand them!

“I have a skill.”

“Ah. A skill.”

Illeya nodded, seemingly convinced. There were so many different skills in the world that it wasn’t strange one of them revolved around interpreting languages.

“You have quite a unique skill. Have you been practicing hard in languages?”

“You can say that. Isn’t being unable to speak English uncomfortable for you? Especially in school...”

“It’s okay.”

‘Oh.’

Choi Yeonseung admired the girl’s guts.

I don’t need friends. I will walk my own path!

Was it that type of confidence?

“It’s better not to have a conversation than having to learn English.”

“......”

Hey...!

Choi Yeonseung also suffered while learning English in South Korea, so he understood the feeling. Even so, he couldn’t believe she was just going to live with it.

“Do you know how to speak any other language, at least?”

“I speak Russian. I can also speak a bit of Korean.”

“... Korean? Why?”

“I like KPOP and trot. Confucian culture is the best.”

“... What?”

Choi Yeonseung doubted his ears for a moment.

What?

‘Is Gyeongryong hyung fooling around?’

However, Illeya was very serious.

“Which country are you from, Hunter Choi Yeonseung?”

“... South Korea.”

Illeya’s eyes lit up.

***

Illeya excitedly asked questions. On the sidelines, Antony and Elisabeth admired the scene.

“I thought Choi Yeonseung wasn’t sociable, but he’s surprisingly great. I can’t believe he’s having such a long conversation with a hunter he has never met before.”

“I don’t know what they’re talking about, but they seem pretty excited. I think he?asked her to join in a proper?manner?”

This wasn’t the case.

Illeya was the only one talking excitedly. All Choi Yeonseung did was listen to her.

“Do you still do ‘Please kill me~’ these days?”

“... Wait. Wait a minute.”

Choi Yeonseung hurriedly spoke to change the subject.

“If you know how to speak Russian, then can’t you speak in Russian? The interpreter will be able to detect that language.”

“I can’t speak Russian. I signed a contract with a constellation.”

“!”

Was she a constellation’s household member? She was clearly an outstanding elite, considering she got scouted by a school despite being from such a faraway place. Hence, there was nothing strange about her signing a contract with a constellation.

However, from Choi Yeonseung’s perspective, it was disappointing. He helped the Icarus clan members improve partly to increase the number of companions who could help him, but it was also to grow his household.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ advises you to take her away.]

‘No. That’s a bit much.’

[It says that you have already taken one away from the ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ anyway!]

‘......’

Stop harassing the goddess!