---

Chapter 166

The javelin throw ended with Raymond’s slick 7-point shot.

It couldn’t be helped. Raymond was an expert in throwing sharp blades and had never attempted an attack from a distance of 1 kilometer.

Good thing he had the strength to secure that range; still, one could say that even 7 points was a stroke of luck.

I thought about sticking around to watch a bit more, but honestly, apart from the javelin throw, there wasn’t much else happening, so I decided to leave.

“That was an entertaining show.”

“Yeah, that ‘Cassie’ was particularly impressive. Just how much practice did she go through to get to that level?”

“Cassie the Hunter is definitely something else…”

Yeon-woo gazed up at the sky with a wistful look. All those magazines and photo books tucked away in the desk drawer must have disappeared when I regressed…

“Damn it, I owe so much to you, Cassie the Hunter…!!”

She had a personality that loved being the center of attention, uploading photos of herself all around, be it as a model or in other capacities.

Thanks to that, she had a lot of photos in rather revealing outfits… well, they were still quite revealing.

“…Dad.”

“Uh, what?”

Shar narrowed her eyes, giving me a disappointed look.

“Your face shows everything when you’re thinking something strange.”

“Why are you telling me that tragic news now?”

I felt genuinely sad. My mind was twenty-five… no, even twenty-five is quite a youthful age; and yet, that mind was stuffed in the body of an overly energetic fifteen-year-old.

Yeon-woo was overflowing with feelings of injustice.

“Well, it can’t be helped… I can’t control your thoughts. Just think of Mom’s face when that happens…”

“Kahak! Why hasn’t the international community banned this terrible lethal weapon all this time?!”

With Shar’s forlorn face and her nostalgic voice, she was undoubtedly the most effective and powerful weapon to kill Yeon-woo.

As Yeon-woo trembled with guilt over the fear and sorrow he caused his child as a father, Tae-oh, who was holding his left hand, wrapped it reassuringly.

“It’s okay, Dad. You didn’t do anything wrong. Others did too.”

“Well, that’s debatable.”

Only then did my nightly self-affirmation of “Choi Yeon-woo… you have to be perfect…” begin to show its worth.

Well, enough with the jokes for now.

“Alright, let’s go watch something, kids.”

“I heard from Unni Yumin! They say there are tons of delicious things at the stall for the competition! We have to buy something for Unni Noel too!”

“I declare solemnly. Tae-oh plans to eat until he collapses.”

With the two kids chatting excitedly, flailing their arms, we headed toward the central plaza of the Academy.

*

On normal days, the plaza is where students gather around the fountain, but during the competition, the central plaza is entirely different.

What kind of place is this competition? For the general public, it’s an exciting festival, but if you ask the current students and active hunters what kind of atmosphere it has, they would all say in unison:

“A promotional event.”

What’s the reason that so many guilds, including the official organization known as the Hunter Guild, support the Academy?

What makes so many Academies respected in the Hunter society?

It’s true that they’re a sturdy fortress guarding humanity’s front lines, but every guild is, in the end, a profit-seeking commercial entity.

It’s crucial to remember that they wouldn’t undertake something that doesn’t benefit them unless it’s an emergency.

That’s precisely the reason why promotional events exist.

The Academy tries to appeal that they’re nurturing promising future hunters, while the students showcase their skills to lure the guilds to take them onboard.

Thus, the guilds decide which Academy to support based on the hunters they encounter.

In addition to the first-year competition taking place in the auditorium, the competitions for the second and third years are happening in other locations.

If the first and second years are the events for evaluation and funding decisions for the Academy’s future, then the third year is where they scout the talents they wish to recruit into their guilds.

It’s inevitable that numerous guild scouts would come to events like this, making it a prime opportunity for merchants to swarm in.

Scouts are people too! If they don’t eat and drink, they will die!

Of course, there were also plenty of merchants targeting the snotty money of students or tourists. For them, while it’s a promotional event, it’s still a festival.

“Thanks to that, there’s plenty to enjoy.”

From simple stalls to claw machines, or even people coming with items unearthed from labyrinths as a sort of lottery.

In a way, you could say it’s one of the weirdest places collecting the most bizarre items in the world.

“I bet that lottery thing could be fun.”

“Isn’t it unfair for Dad and Unni to do that?”

“I doubt there’s a rule saying people with enhanced perception can’t participate, so it should be fine. That merchant is likely selling at a price that balances the risk of getting junk versus a jackpot.”

“That’s true. There’s no way the price for a worthless trinket will be reasonable.”

“It seems you understand that business is also a world of competition.”

Of course, the con artists are at fault, but in this case, as nobody knows the answer, it’s recognized as legitimate commerce.

Well, that wasn’t true for Yeon-woo and his family.

‘But I can’t take joy in them picking up such a luck-based tendency as a dad…’

Maybe it’s because he spends too much time with me, so he’s starting to resemble me, Yeon-woo guessed.

It’s great that they’re resembling me, but why must it be in such ways? It was obvious that one day Nea would have something to say about it.

While thinking that, the Choi family made their rounds at the stalls.

Every visible food stall was swept clean in a cyclone of hungry enthusiasm. Despite having eaten enough already, the kids solemnly declared, “I’m still hungry,” as they devoured all sorts of food.

In the midst of that, they spotted a unique shop. Beneath a shabby tent that screamed make-shift, sat a familiar boy’s face.

The first-year supporter and self-proclaimed mad alchemist, Sullivan.

He was a student I had noticed due to his unique talents, having fought against him in the representative selection.

“What are you doing here?”

“You… you’re Choi Yeon-woo…! What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m just making some pocket money…!!”

“Aha.”

I’ve heard of it occasionally. The competition is an opportunity for merchants, but it’s the same for the students.

Especially for supporter students who, except for a few, can’t participate in the competition, it’s more common to find themselves working at stalls and getting scouted.

I thought it was quite fortuitous. I only knew about the combinations for explosives like fire crystals, so there were limits to raising firepower.

Since tools could be brought to the raid in the afternoon, buying explosives from Sullivan or at least asking for advice wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“What’s with the dazed look? Are you here for a show? Don’t disturb my business and scram.”

“Hey now, don’t say that. I’ll boost your sales if you share a bit of knowledge.”

“Sales? To what extent?”

“As you know, I have quite a bit of cash. How much do you need? How about you work exclusively for me in exchange for research support? I won’t mind if you take other requests when I don’t have anything for you.”

“What? Why all of a sudden do you want to make that kind of deal? You didn’t really need me for your tools.”

Sullivan frowned as if he couldn’t comprehend it. But I could firmly state he simply didn’t know.

I quickly put on a serious expression and replied.

“What do you mean? Firepower is always necessary. Humanity can only take a step forward with stronger and superior firepower.”

“…Do you really mean that?”

At my earnest declaration of firepower supremacy, Sullivan’s expression hardened. I nodded without hesitation.

Firepower, only stronger firepower could save humanity and lead us to the next stage of evolution.

“…Damn, I never thought I’d have an investor who understood me so well right beside me…!!”

“Ah, indeed… From now on, let’s be casual and call each other friends, Sullivan…”

“Gulp, how could you be so generous… Is spring finally coming to my life…?”

“…What are you two doing?”

Just as Yeon-woo and Sullivan were exchanging a heartwarming reunion that could make anyone’s heart flutter, Shar, with her frostbitten gaze, interrupted.

Had she just gone to buy some chicken skewers on the opposite side, and now she was back? Turning to face her, I handed the card to Shar and Tae-oh.

“I have something to talk about with him, so you two can explore around here for a bit. Stay within sight, alright?”

“You seem more likely to get lost than we do, Dad. Anyway, got it! You two better wrap up quickly, okay?”

“Of course. Tae-oh, stay with your sister for a bit. I’ll come find you soon.”

“Okay, you have to come back fast…?”

I nodded heavily at the two kids’ slightly anxious faces.

I needed to wrap things up with Sullivan.

“So, what do you need, Yeon-woo? Just say anything. I’ll help with whatever I can. Should I set black powder ablaze?”

“No way, you’re completely nuts, aren’t you? But can you make something that level?”

“I’ve never tried, so I can’t say for sure, but theoretically, it’s possible. Of course, I don’t have the materials on hand at the moment.”

Looking at Sullivan’s sure expression, I nearly felt emotional.

This guy really is a complete mad terrorist. I’ve never met someone who would boldly say they could ignite black powder like that.

For hunters who’ve reached a certain realm, breaking black powder wouldn’t be too tough, but if he could purely replicate that level of destructive power as a tool, that would be a tremendous asset.

“Make me the best bomb you can with the materials you have right now. Cost isn’t an issue. I’ll pay for the materials used, so can you have it ready by the afternoon?”

“What’s it for?”

“I’m heading out for a raid in the afternoon. Just preparing for the unexpected.”

At my words, Sullivan started rolling his eyes as if calculating something, then eventually nodded.

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot. The firepower should be satisfactory, but it might not be effective depending on the type of monster. You’re aware of that, right?”

“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll pay even if it doesn’t work out.”

In fact, there was no reason for Sullivan to decline under those conditions. I was offering to pay for the materials and even giving him a chance to showcase his bomb in the competition.

If anything, you could say it was a deal favorable to me.

Nonetheless, it was evident there would be formidable monsters on display during the raid. The Coliseum’s difficulty confirmed that.

Considering we would tackle monsters in a four-person party raid, one could guess it would be on par with a boss level of Coliseum Stage 10.

‘The party composition is optimally arranged, but preparing for the extremely unlikely is a party leader’s role…’

Such is the tragedy of a group project leader.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

---