Damn Hunter Life Chapter 96
Though it was labeled a ‘proposal,’ it was actually closer to a recommendation or even coercion.
As if anticipating that Woo Sae-geon would have negative feelings, the association president who contacted him directly went so far as to persuade him personally.
[“I know it’s difficult, but it’s really a good opportunity. The American side thinks very highly of our successors.”]
As if coaxing and soothing a child, grinning all the while.
[“They said that Korea’s hunters have greatly contributed to relieving the anxiety and fear caused by the Gate Era and making hunters familiar figures to people.”]
“That would be the case. We’ve done tremendous image-making for successors. So all the more reason we don’t need to participate in such entertainment.”
The association president paid no heed to Woo Sae-geon’s protest. He just maintained a kind smile as if the young man didn’t know anything.
It was that attitude, rather than the official document’s content, that made him nauseous. Throughout the explanation, Woo Sae-geon didn’t hide his annoyed expression.
Gates that occurred unexpectedly regardless of region. It was only recently that the World Association, based in the hunter superpower of America, had gained the capacity to control disasters in countries that weren’t as capable. Once they gained such power, the World Hunter Association proclaimed a new era. A world centered around hunters.
The planning of the Hunter Olympics was the beginning of that.
America prepared demonstration matches before the official hosting for testing and publicity purposes, and invited Korean successors there.
At first, it almost fell through before they could even bring it up. Due to the special nature of Korean awakened individuals.
“Korean hunters can’t leave that gate called Hunter School, right? Then no matter how popular they are, it’ll be hard for them to appear in the main Olympics.”
Just when voices were saying Korea should be excluded since there was no other way around it, one hunter’s ability was coincidentally re-examined in America.
‘The ability to create a different space that only awakened individuals can enter.’
America, with cooperation from the Korean Hunter Association, tested whether this hypothesis was actually possible using one Hunter School student.
As a result, it was confirmed that the special space created by the American hunter was recognized as a gate, making it possible for Hunter School students to move there too.
Then it was just a matter of refining that special space into an arena. Once it was revealed that Korean successors could also participate in the competition, everything after that proceeded swiftly.
Crash!
Woo Sae-geon’s explanation was cut off as he threw a teacup at the video call screen.
Association President Kim Jae-moon instinctively flinched at seeing the glass cup shatter into pieces right before his eyes.
“Why am I only hearing now for the first time that a Hunter School student was used for testing?”
Toward the screen stained with tea water, Woo Sae-geon emitted chilling killing intent.
Kim Jae-moon, who was about to add the perfectly reasonable explanation that it wasn’t a dangerous experiment at all, that they had obtained the student’s consent, and that they had paid generously for it, fell silent for a moment. Soon he gave a bitter smile.
[“Successor Woo Sae-geon. Do you want to be king or something? Do you want to control and dominate everything like that? What does Successor Woo Sae-geon, who’s only turning twenty-two, know about the world, about Korean society?”]
However, far from being intimidated by his words, Woo Sae-geon continued speaking as if he had no regret whatsoever for revealing his violence in a fit of anger.
With that particular unpleasant sneer that Kim Jae-moon really hated.
“Shouldn’t I periodically throw a fit to maintain this line?”
Cocky brat. Kim Jae-moon secretly hoped that Woo Sae-geon would retire soon and Ja Hyeong-woo would become leader.
Ja Hyeong-woo wouldn’t be particularly docile either, but at least he’d be duller than this guy.
[“You must know that a magic stone trading market has recently been established in America. America will be the protagonist leading the hunter era, and Korea shouldn’t fall behind that trend. This friendly match is drawing interest from not only our president but also America’s president. Successor Woo Sae-geon, please think carefully.”]
Then Kim Jae-moon mentioned the estimated investment amount for the friendly match. That sum was indeed astronomical. Enough to make even Woo Sae-geon, who had become accustomed to national-level wealth while serving as Hunter School’s general manager, pause for a moment.
Kim Jae-moon continued to cajole him. Though his tone was merely gentle, just as he said international relations were at stake, he absolutely wouldn’t bend his will.
[“The American side also promised that if a dangerous-grade gate appears in Korea, they’ll send you back immediately even during the match and provide support.”]
‘Support?’
This made him angry in its own way. Considering Woo Sae-geon’s usual attitude, it was quite emotional.
It’s only 5 people. Does he think Korea would become dangerous just because those 5 are missing? He didn’t like anything the Americans were saying.
America talked about 5-vs-5 team matches. Therefore, blood vessels stood out clearly on Woo Sae-geon’s temples as he selected 5 people from among the successors.
In fact, that roster of 5 was almost predetermined by America with their greedy desires!
[The female successors all look so cool! Won Ha-ri seems too young, so Myo Cho-hui and Ma Cheon-ah would be appropriate. Please include both of them, or at least one of them must be included.]
He contacted both of them, and replies arrived immediately. The content was as expected.
==
Rabbit Successor > Me: I don’t want to.
Horse Successor > Me: Rabbit unni will say no. Let me go!
==
Ma Cheon-ah was still a minor, so there was the hassle of getting her guardian’s consent. But her own will was firm.
‘America is looking down on us? Let’s show them what we’re made of!’
Her thoughts were obvious without asking. She was probably either jumping up and down about how other countries were looking down on us, or just excited at the thought of being able to compete with someone using her skills.
They’d need one healer. Ja Hyeong-woo. Woo Sae-geon wrote down the name before even getting consent. Hae Mi-jun was too tender-hearted to attack people.
And at the third slot, Woo Sae-geon’s pen tip paused once.
[It would be wonderful if Gyeon Gang-hyeon could join us! He’s pretty, and his sobok is unique, so to put it bluntly, he looks like he’d be well-consumed.]
They even added that since there was an unsavory incident in his past, wouldn’t it be good to improve his image through the competition. It showed they had already investigated information about Gyeon Gang-hyeon and were even hinting at subtle coercion.
Even though Gyeon Gang-hyeon was physically weak and would collapse easily, becoming a hole in the team, they deliberately…
This was before world rankings were confirmed, so no one thought Gyeon Gang-hyeon would be a hunter in the global top 50.
By the time his pen tip came down to the fourth slot, Woo Sae-geon was already at the peak of stress. His chest muscles under his dopo rose and fell. He took a deep breath.
[Woo Sae-geon]
Unable to contain his anger, he wrote his own name fourth.
‘I’ll go there and kill them myself.’
And for the last one, he was about to write Yang Pyo thinking of a tanker…
“Me me me me me me I wanna go! Ye-ho wants to go too. Hyeong. Hyeoong.”
Since Sa Ye-ho suddenly grabbed his pant leg, he ended up writing Sa Ye-ho’s name. Obviously his interest exploded because it was called a game.
* * *
And now.
Half of the successors, though only for a few days, had to leave the school. Even the leader, Woo Sae-geon.
Woo Sae-geon thought now was the ‘right time.’
The night before moving to America. Late at night, he quietly summoned one successor to his office.
Usually he didn’t let other people enter his office carelessly. The office was a space only for the leader.
However, if the person he was calling now would someday replace Woo Sae-geon, the story was different.
While Woo Sae-geon sat at his desk staring at the door, the doorknob quietly turned before long.
“…Am I the next leader?”
The person Woo Sae-geon called to his office was… Jin Seol-woon.
The present flows in a direction that Gyeon Gang-hyeon could never predict.
Even Jin Seol-woon, skilled at managing expressions from his long time in the entertainment industry, was quite surprised. His pupils shook slightly between several blinks.
The current leader facing him was dressed as a complete and noble scholar despite it being midnight.
That uprightness seemed to say he would never withdraw his decision.
Originally, the only person Woo Sae-geon would designate as the next leader was Ja Hyeong-woo. A composite healer with broad vision who used debuff skills and was even good at combat.
But the trends had changed over the past two months. Ja Hyeong-woo was increasingly unable to make rational judgments.
‘The cause is clear.’
And Jin Seol-woon was the exact opposite of such a Ja Hyeong-woo.
The current active idol singer, who hadn’t been a consideration before, was recently actively learning combat and tactics, displaying his qualities. Woo Sae-geon had come to see him in a new light.
However, Jin Seol-woon expressed his intention to decline in this position.
“The reason I decided to devote myself to hunter work is due to extremely personal reasons. I think I’m unqualified as a leader.”
Because Gyeon Gang-hyeon is here…
His body standing with hands behind his back was straight and firm. Jin Seol-woon’s resolve was also firm.
After Woo Sae-geon’s gaze swept over him once, his voice dropped low.
“Name one person you’d recommend. Then I’ll consider it. Excluding minors.”
If he looked around… Jin Seol-woon would eventually realize there weren’t many suitable candidates either.
Or he’d bring up candidates that Woo Sae-geon had already excluded.
After consideration, Jin Seol-woon moved his lips.
“Ja Hyeong-woo…”
As expected.
But Jin Seol-woon’s words didn’t end there, continuing on.
Presenting an unexpected opinion.
“…the person who has him in their grasp.”
Woo Sae-geon didn’t move for quite a long time.
Soon he said he understood the opinion and handed over the temporary leadership position while he was abroad.
* * *
“We gotta crush all the American kids~.”
While Sa Ye-ho was humming and watching professional FPS game matches to prepare for the upcoming friendly competition—
Ja Hyeong-woo was also preparing something in advance. Something he couldn’t tell anyone.
Slurp, suck… The wet sounds of sucking skin echoed through the room.
Dim lamplight cast shadows from the bed onto the wall. It was a silhouette of two people clinging together as one. Or perhaps a large, animal-like shadow pressing down and covering the smaller one.
The healer had just begun treatment limited to one specific person.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
