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Chapter 167: The Coliseum’s Test of Solo Hunter Abilities

If the Coliseum tests the abilities of solo hunters, then of course, the raid is meant to assess the compatibility of the hunter’s party.

The last one standing could be aptly termed a pure test of combat capabilities. In such cases, rather than evaluating skills as a hunter, it felt more like testing the potential of the academy’s representative.

For this reason, even if the overall score was low, the mindset among the academies was that as long as you won the last one standing, you were good to go.

Yeon-woo believed that being the top student didn’t necessarily signify the strength of the academy, but all the same, the one who dominated the last one standing was often regarded as the victor of the entire competition.

Despite all the fuss, Harmony had a well-rounded pool of talent.

For instance, Ji-hwa and Sin-rok weren’t particularly favored by Aura users due to their traits, while Freedom had a bizarre structure that attracted only archers.

However, Harmony ensured that no aspect was lacking, which naturally drew in diverse talents.

Especially since there are only two academies in Korea, hunter talents from Korea would inevitably apply to one or the other.

Enough boasting about the academy, it was time for the raid. A total of four participants were allowed.

Suddenly made the party leader of the raid, Yeon-woo created the optimal combination while still having remaining participation chances.

Albert Lionel as the main tank, Im Yu-bin as the sub-tank. Yeon-woo would take up the intermediary role, and for backline support, he chose the orc shaman Kargas.

Since the raid did not reveal which monsters would appear, he had to make somewhat challenging choices.

Even though you could vaguely deduce the boss from observing the ecology inside the Gate, it still felt lacking without a main damage dealer. The overall configuration needed to be sturdy, and Yeon-woo had to cover the rest.

[But why did you leave out Namgung Seong and Seong-ryong? Don’t they have remaining chances?]

‘That’s true, but there’s a reason.’

If you think of Namgung Seong or Baek In-hwa, you might catch on to the reasoning.

In Namgung Seong’s case, if he only used the Spear of Eternal Calm, there wouldn’t be a significant issue, but once he begins employing the Emperor’s Sword Form, problems could arise.

The intangible sword aura that overwhelms the surroundings cannot be controlled unless it reaches mastery.

As much as it can crush the monstrous creatures, it would also suppress the hunters trying to attack them.

As for Baek In-hwa, simply put, she wouldn’t blend well with the party.

The Ice White Divine Art loses efficiency if she doesn’t create ice around her, and creating ice could inconvenience other party members.

Martial arts techniques inherently considered one-on-one combat, thus fitting well into a party becomes quite the challenge.

“Surprising, Choi Yeon-woo. I didn’t expect you to pick me.”

The green-skinned giant, orc shaman Kargas, spoke in a deep voice while wearing a dark gray hood.

Yeon-woo turned to look back, unable to believe he was only fifteen.

“I chose you because I needed you. Let’s do well in today’s raid.”

“Sure, I don’t know what you expect from me, but I hope to meet those expectations.”

“I’ll explain along the way. Your role will be quite important, whatever monster shows up.”

“I-I’ll get explained too, right…? Is it okay for me to be chosen among these guys…?”

As Kargas nodded heavily, Im Yu-bin anxiously asked from behind.

This guy still seems a bit timid. Knowing that such a personality wouldn’t matter during a fight, it didn’t really concern Yeon-woo too much.

“Have some confidence, dude. There’s no one else on that list who can perform sub-tanking as well as you. Just do what you usually do, got it?”

“That’s the hardest part!! How many people do you think are watching?! If I mess up here, I won’t be able to join the guild!”

“That’s a rather self-conscious remark. Don’t worry, I’ll help you avoid mistakes, so just don’t stress out and give it your best.”

“It’s not that easy, you know!?”

“This is tough. I didn’t want to use this measure, but…”

Yeon-woo, with a cold stare toward the whining Im Yu-bin, pulled out his smartphone and entered a familiar number.

It was labeled with the name ‘Namgung Seong’.

“Hey, blockhead. Are you busy right now?”

– Just about to start a game, what’s up? Is something wrong?

“No, Im Yu-bin’s getting nervous. If you’re free, could you come over and encourage her? I think it’ll ease her nerves.”

“Ah, no, don’t say that!! Seriously, what are you talking about, Choi Yeon-woo!? Namgung Seong, don’t come! It’s fine, just play your game!”

– If that’s the case, I’ll go right away. Just wait 30 seconds.

Namgung Seong was decisive. It was fitting to say he was a man of action. Meaning he won’t care about Im Yu-bin’s protests.

One could guess he was already jumping off the balcony in casual clothes by now.

“What are you doing, Choi Yeon-woo!! This isn’t going to help at all! I’ll just get more nervous!!”

“Who cares, dude. Namgung Seong will come over and whisper sweet nothings in your ear for 1 minute, 10 minutes or whatever, so just sit tight and wait.”

“Ugh…!!”

Imagining that? Im Yu-bin’s face turned red as she sat down. Leaving her behind, Yeon-woo walked over to Albert, who was cleaning his sword a little farther away.

“You… got nothing to say? You’re confident, right? You have to deliver. If you can’t, there’s no point in picking you.”

“I have nothing to say either. Why am I the only one being pressured?”

“You don’t drop performance because of pressure. You’re like a vending machine that gives scores if you put in money. Just munch on the pressure and show your skills.”

“Fine, I’ll try my best. But it also depends on what monster appears, right?”

“Eh, that’s not true~ Albert Lionel can handle any monster that shows up~”

Turning sharply from the incredulous Albert Lionel, Yeon-woo’s eyes caught sight of Namgung Seong seriously encouraging Im Yu-bin sitting beside him.

Wait, when did he arrive? It truly felt like just thirty seconds had passed.

Well, with Namgung Seong there, Im Yu-bin should be fine. In the meantime, he could explain things to Kargas. Ignoring the signal of salvation from Im Yu-bin, Yeon-woo sauntered over to Kargas like a gentleman.

*

– Now, the third party from Harmony is entering! The leader is Choi Yeon-woo, with members Albert Lionel, Im Yu-bin, and Kargas! It’s quite a unique combination! Is he claiming responsibility for damage dealing as a mage?

– Overall, it appears to be a solid setup. It seems prudent to take their time and ensure accuracy. While it’s not a bad strategy, there’s a chance they might not even get a chance to fight depending on the monstrous opponent.

Kim Jeong-hwan’s cold assessment made Yeon-woo nod in agreement.

It was true. Im Yu-bin turned back anxiously, but Yeon-woo remained calm.

Naturally, devising countermeasures for such aspects was the party leader’s responsibility.

– Now, let’s draw! What kind of monster will show up!?

Inside the transparent plastic container, balls were swirling around. Ji Seong-jae reached in and stirred them around. Soon, one yellow ball landed in his hand.

“…Is that not a lottery machine?”

“Looks like it…. Are they really going to draw from that?”

Seeing Yeon-woo and Im Yu-bin bewildered by why they would use such a thing instead of one of the many drawing devices, Ji Seong-jae opened the selected ball and shouted into the microphone.

– Sea Serpent! The Sea Serpent has shown up! Party of Harmony, please prepare!

A collective sound of gasps and cheers erupted from the audience. A cheer for the spectacle, and groans for the bad luck.

“Looks like an annoying one showed up.”

“I’m not too confident dealing with maritime creatures.”

“Isn’t this bad?! If we come in last place in the raid, our overall score will plummet…!”

Albert exhibited reluctance to Yeon-woo’s statement, and Im Yu-bin gasped in reply. Kargas seemed indifferent, with no particular thoughts.

Since Yeon-woo had explained the plan to him in detail, it made sense.

After all, it was also the party leader’s duty to calm down the anxious party members. Yeon-woo confidently stepped onto the training ground.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. This is Choi Yeon-woo we’re talking about, so I’ve got everything planned out. Just do what you can when the time comes. The overall strategy is already laid out.”

To Yeon-woo’s confidence, though not entirely calming, the children seemed to feel less anxious.

As the four stood on the training ground, the ground sank… no, the platform began to rise like an elevator, and at the same time, water started to fill the empty space.

Salty sea breeze swirled around, and suddenly a massive creature surged from the water that had rapidly risen.

“Whew.”

A gigantic creature reminiscent of a galleon loomed so large that one couldn’t help but whistle.

Solid and pointed scales sprouted along the elongated body, with a mouth wide enough to swallow a person whole, lined with sharp teeth.

– Any attack exceeding a certain power level will result in displacement outside the arena. While it’s an illusion magic, it possesses a certain degree of physical force, so dear students, please be mindful!

────!!

Simultaneously with Ji Seong-jae’s words, the Sea Serpent opened its grotesque mouth widely and roared.

Wow, it’s replicating a breath that reminds one of the stench of the abyss. The Magic Tower really is composed of some outlandish folks.

“Alright, to your positions. You know what you have to do?”

“I don’t really know what the others are doing…!?”

“That’s because I didn’t explain it. Now, let’s get to work.”

With Yeon-woo’s relaxed clap, the three dispersed.

Kargas positioned himself furthest from the Sea Serpent. Yeon-woo stood in between, while Albert Lionel drew his dual swords and faced the creature head-on. Behind him, Im Yu-bin settled into position at an angle.

It was time to hunt.

…….

The Sea Serpent, which is often mistaken for a hydra, is ultimately a snake.

It devours prey whole, swims instead of crawling, possesses scales, and is a cold-blooded creature. Though it possesses mana, it carries all characteristics typical to animals.

Thinking like that leads to various methods. While they wouldn’t be viable if confronted out at sea, in a confined space like this, things were different.

The first characteristic of cold-blooded creatures: When the surrounding environment, meaning temperature, changes significantly, they perish.

“Actually, this works in our favor.”

Ordinary folks would step back; starting now, this auditorium is going to turn into a kettle…!!

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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