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Chapter 161

With every flash of silver glimmering in the air, wolves the size of humans, charging at her, collapsed like scarecrows.

What was peculiar, however, was that the wolves’ fur was made of flames. They were the Flame Wolves, beasts dwelling in volcanic regions.

Renowned for their exceptional physical abilities, these creatures not only wielded fire but also lived in packs like ordinary wolves, earning quite a reputation.

Yet, Dang Sa-ryeon seemed unfazed by this chaos, simply swinging their arms from a distance.

It was unclear exactly how they were shooting out attacks due to the baggy sleeves, but each swing drew multiple elegant silver lines in the air, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Suddenly, a wolf that had been sneaking up from behind exploded in midair and fell to the ground with a wail.

It was a Stage 4 encounter. Yeon-woo never imagined there would be six Flame Wolves before reaching halfway.

Though the rank of Flame Wolves wasn’t particularly high, facing six of them made even the mightiest creatures groan, especially when dealing with such skilled pack hunters—it was an agonizingly painful situation.

To break through this dilemma, Dang Sa-ryeon chose to disperse poisonous fog.

Surprisingly, they demonstrated the ability to scatter flammable poison. This was something that defied the common understanding of poison techniques.

No matter how hard a poison master tried, transforming the inherent properties of the poison in their veins was impossible. Even the head of the Tang family, known as the “Poison Master,” couldn’t venture into such territory.

Thus, most poison masters typically carried additional poisons to cover their weaknesses, based on the poison flowing in their bodies.

However, Dang Sa-ryeon had no other poison. They transformed their own poison into a means to poison orcs and prevent the approach of Flame Wolves.

– Amazing job, Dang Sa-ryeon! Your skills in assassination and toxic techniques are nothing short of exceptional!

– Especially the idea of releasing flammable poison—what a brilliant strategy! Though it’s a method only usable in solo actions, it was an accurate judgment given the situation.

– Absolutely! Dang Sa-ryeon successfully breaks through Stage 4!

From then on, Dang Sa-ryeon continued their relentless advance. On the sixth floor, a labyrinth emerged, and on the seventh floor, a troll appeared.

The troll, with its potent regenerative abilities, was poorly matched against Dang Sa-ryeon, who fought using poison and stealth. Ultimately, they could only win by draining it with toxins after a lengthy battle.

“I’m calling it here.”

Brushing off the dust from their tattered battle garb, Dang Sa-ryeon declared their withdrawal with a slight air of satisfaction.

After all, since it wasn’t a matter of life or death, stepping back didn’t pose any issue. Still, they likely concluded that victory was far-fetched without a favorable matchup.

– Recording Stage 7 for Dang Sa-ryeon! It’s unfortunate. If it weren’t for the troll, they might have achieved a better record!

– Nonetheless, Stage 7 is no small feat. Trolls are C-rank monsters, after all. What kind of beast awaits us at Stage 10?

– And now, Evergreen Academy challenges the Coliseum!

The elf from Evergreen Academy stepped onto the well-prepared arena, while a slightly exhausted Dang Sa-ryeon returned to the waiting area.

If they wished, they could rest immediately, but it appeared they were intent on watching the results.

Dang Sa-ryeon flopped down on the chair next to Yeon-woo, who was sitting. Yeon-woo, glancing at them, carefully opened their mouth.

“Want me to clean you up?”

“Ah, please do.”

At Dang Sa-ryeon’s nonchalant reply, Yeon-woo flipped their hand with a flourish.

In that instant, a gust of wind arose from beneath Dang Sa-ryeon’s feet, blowing away the dirt clinging to their body.

“Thank you. …But, you know Godwin is staring at you intensely?”

“Yeah, I know… Seems like there’s some weird rivalry going on.”

Alex Godwin, the wizard representing wisdom in the Coliseum, was said to be within the top ten rankings.

It felt a bit guilty to think that such an impressive wizard would be unsafely conscious of them.

Yet, it was true that igniting a rivalry with a dragon wasn’t particularly beneficial for either of them.

“Your skills remain as sharp as ever, Dang Sa-ryeon.”

“What about you? You’ve been keeping to yourself these days; did your skills fade?”

“I was injured and had to rest, you know. That’s the reason Yang Mi-ryeo came looking for me.”

“So you finally met up… I’ll not apologize.”

“Nothing to apologize for anyway. Thanks to you, I think I might fight Yang Mi-ryeo in this match.”

“You won’t let your guard down just because your opponent is a girl, right?”

“Who in this day and age would ever rest easy just because the opponent is a girl? That’s an outdated notion.”

Whether it was due to the Tang family’s restrictive customs or simply being clueless about the world, it was hard to ascertain.

With that teasing, Dang Sa-ryeon turned red with embarrassment.

“I was just joking.”

“I know, lady.”

As Yeon-woo chuckled, Dang Sa-ryeon shot them a disgruntled glare. Yeon-woo provocatively crossed their legs, as if to say, ‘So what will you do about it?’

Dang Sa-ryeon, gazing incredulously, twitched their lips.

Feeling a little more relaxed, they continued chatting with Yeon-woo while watching Evergreen’s match.

*

– Alberich from Evergreen recorded Stage 6! This proves that Stage 7 is no easy feat!

– Indeed, it’s possible no students will reach Stage 10 at all. Now, the next challenger: Choi Yeon-woo from Harmony Academy enters!

– The hope of Harmony, the future of Korea! Initially doubted for his skills, but look at him now! Discovering new creatures, rescuing the master of the Ice Palace, and even intervening in the monster wave of Cheonju City!?

– Exactly. What’s holding Korea back from becoming a hunter advanced nation? A high average, but not enough skilled individuals. We hope Choi Yeon-woo stands out as a shining star in Korea’s hunter community!

Listening to the extravagant commentary echoing in the arena, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but chuckle dryly. Ah, this must be what they call a home advantage…. Rather than feeling pure joy, it was a bit embarrassing…

The familiar texture transmitted through their shoes felt identical to that of the training grounds. The environment was in Yeon-woo’s favor.

Gently tapping their finger against the magical walls that sparkled like stardust, they pondered, Oh, this is the sensation.

As Yeon-woo leisurely surveyed the surroundings, the edges of the training area faded away from their perception.

The completely isolated space felt reminiscent of a gate in some ways.

Perhaps due to experiences carried over from their previous life, Yeon-woo even felt a form of stability within the gate and calmly inhaled.

“Let’s start climbing up slowly from Stage 1.”

As Yeon-woo finished their warm-up, a cluster of transparent lights began to draw near.

*

“Fighting, Shar, Tae-oh!”

“Hiya!!”

On the screen illuminating the area, a somewhat bewildering scene unfolded.

A girl with shimmering golden hair was bouncing around like a rabbit, utterly adorable and difficult to take one’s eyes off.

And following her was a boy with brown skin, still a bit chubby but cutely remarkable, who would soon grow into a handsome young man capable of making many girls cry, battling against the Lizardmen.

– Is this really okay?! Choi Yeon-woo’s students are completely hogging the spotlight!! They look way more like spirit masters than Alberich, the actual spirit master!!

– While it’s not a violation to borrow the power of contracted entities, I never expected them to be this assertive in battle! Obviously, there’s no issue! Otherwise, Evergreen would have been on the hook first!!

Isn’t this just child exploitation? Initially, the audience watched in confusion, but it didn’t take long before they were drawn to the children’s antics.

People typically long for the beautiful and the strong. Yet, when it’s both beautiful and powerful while being so young, nothing could capture attention better.

Even Alberich, who gazed at the scene with discomfort, was now blushing while observing.

Yeon-woo, too, had no intention of being accused of labor exploitation or anything of that sort.

Revealing Shar and Tae-oh without hesitation from Stage 1, rather than hiding them away, was a strategy laden with various calculations.

The first reason was that there was a growing need to engrave the Choi family’s name in the public’s mind.

It was crucial to establish a perception that Choi Yeon-woo was somewhere whenever Shar and Tae-oh appeared.

Moreover, those organizing the confrontations would remember the faces of the three, ensuring that even if one got kidnapped, finding them wouldn’t be so difficult.

The second reason stemmed from allowing Shar and Tae-oh to clearly gauge their own levels.

The gradual increase in difficulty was particularly effective. While Tae-oh might struggle, Shar could likely breezily navigate up to Stage 7.

And the most important third reason.

This third reason was crucial beyond measure. Yeon-woo took a deep breath from behind.

“How can they be this cute, my kids…!!”

What was there to say when fighting could be so adorable?!

A shadow, the size of a child’s hand, leaped up to bind the leg of a Lizardman. Seeing this, Shar leaped up energetically. Her little fist, in a beautiful pose, was drawn back.

Of course, what followed would be an impressive display of strength, far beyond that of just a dimpled fist.

The punch that landed squarely on the Lizardman’s belly created a massive hole like it had been blasted by a cannon.

Fortunately, the illusion magic just turned into a beam of light and vanished, sparing parents everywhere from the need to cover their children’s eyes.

“Whoop! Stage 2 cleared!!”

“Did I help, big sister?”

“Of course you did, Tae-oh!! Thanks to you, we could take down one at a time!”

“Hehe.”

Hurrying over, Shar hugged Tae-oh tightly and patted his head, even nuzzling their plump cheeks together.

Even Yeon-woo, who had high resistance to cuteness, found their smile softening; how would the audience watching outside react? They would surely melt in the overwhelming cuteness.

‘Perhaps someone might even suggest naming these kids as intangible cultural heritage….’

With a beaming expression, Yeon-woo nodded steadily.

Some might dismiss it as a joke, but Yeon-woo was entirely serious.

As they watched the two children smoothly progress through their battles, Yeon-woo made sure to keep their body warmed up, ready to jump in as needed.

After all, one must fulfill their responsibilities as a guardian.

It was a pastoral and peaceful time of monster slaying.

(To be continued in the next chapter.)

 

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