Damn Hunter Life Chapter 101
Just then, Agni butted in again.
“「Mm, if Clyte were to try to steal Dog’s sword, Dog really wouldn’t even be able to resist! It’d be better not to take it out of inventory at all」.”
This bastard, just when I’d forgotten about him.
I didn’t particularly respond to that.
==
Snake Successor: That Agni bastard is really being clingy with the puppy
==
Sa Ye-ho must have heard even from that distance, as he badmouthed Agni in the chat.
Then Ja Hyeong-woo said another word to Agni.
“Don’t talk to Gang-hyeon from now on. I’m warning you.”
Agni really acted like a kid. He didn’t want to join Sa Ye-ho, Bootsman, and Buster’s lively conversation, but he also didn’t want to play alone like Quiche, so he kept bouncing around here and there.
Always in a way that picked fights with Korean hunters.
“「Is that person in a bad mood」?”
Agni pointed at Woo Sae-geon and asked.
With that pathetic face, either not knowing he’d touched a taboo or knowing but acting clueless.
Silence spread.
Even Ma Cheon-ah and Clyte, who had been conversing a bit away, naturally stopped talking. Due to the wordless, chilling atmosphere.
Woo Sae-geon surely could speak perfect English, he just chose not to. But that made it even more frightening that he said nothing at all. His pupils slowly rolled toward Agni, who was far across the table.
With his torso and chin completely fixed, only blade-like light planted in his black, venomous pupils.
Everyone at this table could tell that Woo Sae-geon had just dominated the table with his presence alone.
This wasn’t just about dropping some reckless spirit trying to climb onto the table back to the floor. It was pressure that could send them plummeting off a cliff and still have strength left over.
‘What the hell is in that guy’s head?’
How can someone just two years older than me have that kind of intimidating presence?
Only now am I certain. Woo Sae-geon isn’t afraid or puzzled about being Korea’s number one hunter.
Even I, just watching, felt my whole body freeze and shiver, so what about Agni who was being directly stared down?
“「Agni, please…」.”
Behind Bootsman’s sigh, when no one could bring themselves to speak—
There was one person who unfailingly stepped forward.
The sound of Sa Ye-ho’s small chuckle broke the silence. Sa Ye-ho looked back at Agni with a bright smile.
“「Our leader is shy around strangers. Isn’t it cute」?”
“「Uh… yeah…」.”
Agni, who had been frozen stiff, trembled his eyes and agreed with difficulty.
Woo Sae-geon didn’t stop Sa Ye-ho at all. He withdrew his gaze, letting the snow mountain-like atmosphere at the table melt away.
‘…Are those two having a one-on-one chat right now?’
Now I think I understand. Why Woo Sae-geon always lets Sa Ye-ho be.
Even in what seems like Sa Ye-ho being the only one who can manipulate Woo Sae-geon, Woo Sae-geon’s intentions have always existed.
For the first time, I’m making a judgment about the relationship between these two characters. It’s a hypothesis about content that didn’t appear in the original work.
Woo Sae-geon and Sa Ye-ho are partners.
As the meal reached its final stages, the original tension gradually returned. It was because they remembered that in a moment, they’d have to cross swords instead of water glasses with the opponents in front of them.
“「The familiars seemed quite extraordinary. I would have liked to see them if given the chance」.”
“Unfortunately, your side blocked it, didn’t you? Saying familiar summoning during matches is cheating.”
Sa Ye-ho was answering with a smile, but the confrontation had already begun from the moment he started answering in Korean instead of English.
“「The match rules might be too disadvantageous for the Korean side」.”
“Ah, we’ll know once we try, right? Some of us barely use familiars, or don’t use them at all.”
The first part refers to me, the latter to Ja Hyeong-woo. Someone who supposedly doesn’t have one.
Surprisingly, even Woo Sae-geon still doesn’t know that Ja Hyeong-woo has manifested a familiar.
I don’t know how Ja Hyeong-woo plans to handle the aftermath of this either.
‘I need to somehow induce changes in my body to become independent from the mouse familiar.’
I’ll definitely accomplish it and return the mouse familiar to Ja Hyeong-woo before the latter half of the original story.
I glanced sideways at Ja Hyeong-woo, whose eating pace had become vigorous since Agni quieted down. Fortunately, our eyes didn’t meet this time either.
‘Even if Ja Hyeong-woo faces some crisis…’
I know he’ll think it’s right for his familiar to protect me.
The problem is that I know this too well.
Ja Hyeong-woo was already uncomfortable, and now I felt even more awkward. My heart pounded anxiously inside my ribcage.
I set down my utensils with a clatter.
“Eat more.”
Ja Hyeong-woo’s voice suddenly pierced my right ear. All the fine hairs on my body stood up.
It was the first words Ja Hyeong-woo had said to me today.
And I demonstrated the stamina to not say a single word until the end.
“…Really, what’s wrong with you.”
Instead, I had to deal with Ma Cheon-ah’s disgruntled tone with my back and shoulders.
Because I had sprung up and toppled over to the opposite side, Ma Cheon-ah had caught me in the confusion.
For someone grumbling, she surprisingly didn’t drop me on the floor, so I thought she was managing her image too.
* * *
A dry wind blows across the empty field.
Even knowing it’s artificial wind, the first round arena where everything is as real as Hunter School.
‘How much magic stone did America pour into this place?’
Even if awakeners created the space, the operating energy needed to maintain it would have had to be supplied with magic stones. Magic stones by the crateful—they sure have a lot of money.
In the 1st to 3rd set matches, the ‘Death Game’ has only one very simple rule.
[Kill the entire opposing team starting now.]
Five members from each camp line up facing each other. Just like they had at the dining table.
However, this time there’s quite a distance between them. The opposing team was as far as a soccer goal, and even among our own team members there was enough distance that we’d have to shout for our voices to be heard. Even Ja Hyeong-woo right next to me looks small.
[The team with the last survivor wins.]
Additionally, if multiple survivors remain after 10 minutes, victory is determined by calculating the number of eliminated team members and time.
Though the game rules were simple, actually putting real people into a game was never simple.
For example, to realize the HP bar function above our heads, the American Association would have gone through months of trial and error.
==
P1 Woo Sae-geon: HP 100%
P2 Ja Hyeong-woo: HP 100%
P3 Sa Ye-ho: HP 100%
P4 Ma Cheon-ah: HP 100%
P5 Gyeon Gang-hyeon: HP 100%
==
‘Look at Sa Ye-ho. His mouth is stretched ear to ear.’
The game streamer on hiatus, the game addict, looked happy to have become a character inside a game himself. He covered his mouth in emotion looking at the HP bar.
‘Look at that. He came fully prepared.’
So excited about entering a game, he even wore the headband that would have been removed on stage for interfering with combat. What a real attention-seeker.
Anyway, when the HP bars reflecting actual physical durability were all depleted, it was ‘death’ (since we’re real people, we decided to call it elimination).
Upon elimination, you move to the waiting area and spectate the remaining team from then on.
Also, during this game, our bodies are covered with a protective barrier that perfectly absorbs damage from sword strikes and such. It doesn’t actually wound our bodies, but instead causes dizziness proportional to the damage to provide a pain effect.
Since our actual lives weren’t at stake and there was no worry about bodily injury…
‘Although there are skill restrictions, this match might be an opportunity for successors to rampage without regard for consequences.’
The first set, a first for everyone.
“We’ll start the first set by testing the waters. They look ready to charge in boldly.”
Sa Ye-ho’s light briefing from the waiting room came to mind.
“Gyeon Gang-hyeon, stick to Ja Hyeong-woo as soon as it starts.”
Woo Sae-geon had instructed.
A strategy that chose to try keeping everyone alive for the first attempt, since losing even one person would be disadvantageous.
But why, why did it have to be Ja Hyeong-woo?
“Can’t you just abandon me? Let the remaining members handle it themselves. Think about it carefully. It might be better to just abandon me and go rather than waste energy. The leader can get those kills anyway.”
Healing me is honestly like pouring water into a bottomless pot.
But then Ja Hyeong-woo…
“No.”
He glared and growled low.
“We’re going with protecting everyone. I’m a healer.”
“Don’t I know you’re a healer?”
Suddenly I remembered what Woo Sae-geon had said before.
That if Ja Hyeong-woo faced a situation where he could only save one person between someone else and me, Ja Hyeong-woo would save me with great relief.
‘No way…’
Buuuu—! The starting horn sounded.
I hastily stopped my other thoughts and focused ahead.
As expected, First Call charged fiercely toward us before the horn sound even ended. Leading was Buster the tanker, followed by Agni the gunner rushing behind him.
Making direct eye contact with me, charging at full speed toward me.
Just as I saw Woo Sae-geon’s scholar’s robe blocking their path, my body, which had been standing still, was sucked in and buried somewhere.
In Ja Hyeong-woo’s embrace.
‘Of all places, my waist and stomach—!’
Ja Hyeong-woo succeeded in pulling me into his arms. But the moment his muscular arm pressed firmly against my abdomen, I ended up kicking Ja Hyeong-woo with my heel.
Damn this cursed dream!
Clyte caught my opening. Despite Ma Cheon-ah’s marking, a throwing dagger rolled from her hand. And—
“Ah…!”
The HP window turning bright red.
==
HP 47%
==
Severe dizziness struck. My knees buckled completely and I rolled on the dirt ground. After my body rolled over once, harsh coughing burst out.
When I barely managed to lift my eyelids, more than half my HP had been chopped off. My eyes bulged. But more than that…!
Agni was mounted on top of me.
With his gun barrel aimed at my forehead, Agni grinned.
“「Softer than you look」?”
At this moment, I was barely pulling back my bowstring with my right elbow almost touching the ground. Gritting my teeth, I released the arrow with a snap.
Whit—!
However, Agni dodged the close-range arrow just by tilting his head.
“「Bang」~!”
The gun barrel flashed with fire.
There was nothing I could do. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
