Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Cuepi stared blankly in amazement before coming to his senses. It wasn’t the time to act like this.

‘I... I have to report this!’

He couldn’t believe that the measurer had really told the truth! He made a call to his superior.

-The measurer saw it correctly! He is a gem, and he’s completely polished at that! He'll immediately become a powerhouse.

If he had experience in combat and was such a strong hunter, it was undoubtedly beneficial to draw him into the clan, be it for raids or hunter sports.

Cuepi was convinced.

-What? Really? You aren’t fooling me for being mean to you before, are you?

-...No! What do you take me for?

-Hmm... I can’t believe there really is a useful gem among martial artists. This is amazing. I thought it would be hard for them to overcome their limitations. That’s fine. It wouldn’t hurt to have one martial artist in the clan. Try scouting him.

-Yes. I understand.

.

-You will be responsible if he is a weirdo.

-... Noted...

The rules of the Ambitus clan were very simple. It was thoroughly merit-based! Recruits would receive a large bonus if they succeeded, while even?the clan’s?face?would be punished if they failed.

Cuepi recalled what had happened before. When the clan leader himself made a mistake in the past, he hit his head against the floor of the clan building’s lobby and endured it for a whole day! Seeing that made the clan members tremble in horror.

-What kind of a jerk... Is this a clan leader?

You have to perform well if you don’t want to get fired!

***

“Ohh.”

Choi Yeonseung expressed his admiration as he watched other people’s matches. They weren’t particularly high-quality, but it had always been fun to watch a fight. Fighting in the mud was fun in its own way!

-Shadow of Illusion!

One of the hunters used cloning magic. Their true body then turned back and aimed at the gap that their opponent had shown. However, the level of their cloning magic was too low. The opposing hunter, who was about to attack, noticed this and paused.

-Bah! Shockwave Emission!

The hunter quickly swung his spear at his surroundings! Magicians didn’t just wield a staff and attack from a distance. Many of them fought in close quarters. A shockwave burst out from around him, and the enemy hunter, who was moving behind him, rolled around in fright.

-There you are!

The hunter with a spear quickly took a spear-throwing stance. Since he was enhanced by magic power, his spear flew with the firepower of a cannon.

Bam!

‘It hit!’

However, the opponent hit by the spear once again disappeared.

‘A clone!’

Two clones?! The spearman panicked and tried to use the Weapon Retrieval magic. However, his opponent rushed in, not wanting to miss this opportunity. He had to finish this battle while the spearman was unarmed!

-Lightning Hand!

The 1st-circle magic Lightning Hand was a weak spell that made lightning gather around the caster’s hand, but this was enough in close combat. Even if it was weak, lightning would still twist a person’s movements upon hit. It was magic that had to be obtained no matter what for hunters who were good at close combat!

Bam!

The hunter gathered lightning around his hand and rushed at the unarmed spearman. He seemed to have learned some martial arts because he threw a one-two punch right after a low kick. In contrast, the spearman didn’t seem prepared after losing his weapon. He was beaten up.

-Kuoock!

‘It’s over.’

Even if he tried to protect himself with magic power, low-grade hunters were too weak. There was no way to fight back once hit like this. The moment his muscles were electrocuted, the spearman stumbled and fell.

-Finish it! Finish him off!

-Stop his breathing!

The people watching the broadcast shouted frantically and excitedly. The reason they watched the UHC was for these moments.

A battle between hunters fighting fiercely for their lives!

Bam! Bam!

The hunter seized the momentum and finished off his opponent.

“Uwaaaaah!”

The hunter raised his arms vigorously and roared.

“Ohh...”

“Excuse me, Hunter Choi Yeonseung?”

“?”

Cuepi spoke cautiously. Choi Yeonseung turned to look at him.

“A clan scout?”

“Hah. How did you know?”

“Scouts are easy to notice.”

“......”

At that moment, Cuepi realized that Choi Yeonseung was a pretty experienced hunter. He was different from the ones who had just become hunters and could be easily captivated with compliments!

‘Bah. He’s still C-grade.’

Cuepi changed his strategy. There was a method he could use against those who had been hunters for a long time.

“Oh, as expected, you have good eyes. You’re definitely different from hunters these days.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You probably already know this, but aren’t today’s hunters all the same? They can’t even be called hunters when compared to the old hunters.”

Cuepi knew what the older hunters liked. They took pride in the fact that they risked their lives in actual battles and raids, unlike the youngsters who played hunter sports! Anyone would like to have that pride stimulated.

“Hmm. No. I thought so too at first, but I now don’t think there is anything wrong with it if it makes you stronger. No matter where and how you train, it’s still making you stronger in the end.”

“...... !”

Choi Yeonseung was taken aback when Choi Yeonseung’s response was warmer than expected.

“If you say too much, you will sound like an old man. You should be careful?with what you say."

“N-No... That isn’t...” n0VElUsb.c0m

“Come to think of it, you still look young... Tsk tsk. It’s okay. You can fix it from now on. Keep an open mind.”

Choi Yeonseung?patted?Cuepi?on the shoulder. Cuepi was dumbfounded. What was this person saying?

‘Steady your mind. What are you doing?’

A scout who had to play hunters ended up being flustered by a hunter’s words instead.

“Hunter Choi Yeonseung. Do you know why I’m here?”

“A scout is here to scout. Is there any other reason? Are you here to get my number?”

“... That’s right. I’m here to scout you. Do you know the Ambitus clan?”

“Ambitus..!”

Choi Yeonseung looked surprised. Cuepi was satisfied with this expression. This was it! Hunters showed this reaction the moment they heard their clan’s name.

-Are you saying such a clan came to recruit me?

This reaction was the pride of the large clans’ scouts.

‘It makes it easier to do work.’

“So you’ve heard about it?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve heard of them.”

“......”

Cuepi was speechless.

“Then why do you look so surprised... ”

“I thought you were expecting a bit too much, so I didn’t want to just do nothing. I was being considerate.”

‘... This jerk...!’

I want to hit you in the back of your head!

“In the first place, I am an Abyss returnee. How long do you think it’s been since I came back? There’s no way I’d be aware of them.”

“Ah... That’s right.”

“I thought a clan scout would’ve known I was an Abyss returnee. Isn’t your information too lacking? Scouting might not be suitable for you.”

At Choi Yeonseung’s words, Cuepi cursed even more on the inside.

‘This bastard with nothing in his head dares insult me?’

He was upset, but he would be labeled third-rate if he got angry with a hunter. A scout smiled until the moment a contract was signed!

“Since you’re an Abyss returnee, you’re probably having a hard time adjusting right now. You’re likely worried about what to do next and which team to join. You don’t need to worry too much about that.”

“Is it because 90% of worries are useless worries?”

“... No. What I mean is my clan will help you.”

“Oh... I can’t believe you’re helping hunters who haven’t signed a contract. Ambitus is a very kind clan. Did you get an award from the United Nations?”

“N-No. Of course, you have to sign a contract.”

“Aish. That is a bit much.”

Choi Yeonseung put on an expression as if he didn’t like it. Cuepi was bewildered and exclaimed, “The Ambitus clan is a really good clan!”

“How can I believe that?”

“If you don’t believe me, then you can look it up. Do a search right now or ask anyone you know. How many successful raids we do per month and what great professional hunters we have.”

“Aish... How am I supposed to know that? A good hunter is bound to succeed in any clan. I don’t know if you’ll be any good to me. What if you treat me badly?”

“I will spell that out in the contract as well. We will guarantee a ratio of at least 1.5 in raids.”

Dungeon raids themselves were important, but the same went for dungeon loot distribution. Apart from items that were difficult to obtain, the by-products or cores could be converted into cash immediately since everyone wanted it, governments and corporations included.

The cash would be divided by 1/N among the participating hunters. The way it came out would be X depending on the number of people. Basically, an ordinary hunter received a share of 1. Hunters who played an important role in the party because they had a high rating, tank magic or skills, or healing magic or skills would receive 2 or 3 as special treatment.

“A share of 1.5 is too bad.”

‘What does this crazy guy want when he is still C-grade... !’

“I-It will go up depending on Choi Yeonseung’s performance. Choi Yeonseung, look at other things. What is most important to a hunter?”

Choi Yeonseung pretended not to know.

“Isn’t it money?”

“... Isn’t it an environment where you can grow?”

Cuepi started to speak eagerly. The conditions he brought up were suitable for a B-grade hunter. Hence, they should be enough to tempt a C+ grade hunter! However, he didn’t know what Choi Yeonseung ate incorrectly.

‘Damn. In times like this, it is up to the scout to persuade people.’

“Our Ambitus clan is good at raids and nurturing low-level hunters. Take a look at this. The higher-ranked hunters will?personally look after you?and teach you magic.”’

“... But I’m a martial artist?”

“......”

Cuepi was taken aback.

Whoops...

Now that he had remembered, this jerk was indeed a martial artist.

“Though you’re a martial artist, you can still grow by going around dungeons and gaining skills...”

“Haha. I need to find a clan with martial artists.”

“Choi Yeonseung, I’m not ignoring your potential, but you are still a C-grade hunter. Raising your rating isn’t as easy as you think.”

The carrot didn’t work, so Cuepi used the whip. Sometimes, it was a scout’s job to use threats!

“Then am I going to rot in the C-grade for the rest of my life? Aren’t you?overstepping your boundaries?”

“N-No. That’s not what I meant... I just mean that getting a rank promotion is difficult. To put it bluntly, this is an offer given from above. If you miss this opportunity, you likely won’t get such a good offer next time.”

“I see...”

“Do you want to sign a contract?”

“No.”

“......”

Dumbfounded, Cuepi’s anger flared up. "You will regret it.”

“It’s up to me if I regret it or not. Can I ask you one more question?”

“?”

“The down payment and distribution earlier were too generous...”

‘You’re the one who fucking said it was low!’

“You suggested it after watching the qualifying match once. Isn’t the Ambitus clan a bit too big?”

“That’s why my clan is so strong. We are bold!”

“I think you're more of a trickster than a bold clan,” Choi Yeonseung declared as he stared at him.

Cuepi was displeased. “What do you mean by trickster?”

“For example... You got my information somewhere in advance.”

“?! ! !”

Cuepi felt his heart sink.

How was he in any way an ignorant hunter?