Chapter 41: There was a time when ordinary hunters were called heroes.

There was a time when ordinary hunters were called heroes.

A tale from 30 years ago during the Great War.

The emergence of strange monsters.

Those who calmly hunted strange beings far stronger than them during war.

Not affiliated with any group, they were the very first hunters who wandered the battlefield.

Places where the military couldn’t reach, dungeons and cities where fighter jets and tanks couldn’t enter, and places that nobody cared about…they went around such battlefields saving lives.

People called them ‘heroes.’

‘That’s all in the past.’

Lee Junseok smiled bitterly as he looked down at the master swordsmen from the VIP seat.

It was funny to him that even though he has nothing to do with swords, he was given a VIP seat just because he’s a S-Rank hunter.

‘It’s supposed to be a swordsmanship debate, so why make a big deal about superhumans.’

He calmly raised his head and saw Yoo Seodam sitting in the Constantini family section.

Ordinary hunters, once seen as heroes.

The kind of people who used just a knife or gun against giant monsters.

But, everything changed once superhumans appeared.

Being able to subdue monsters cheaper, more efficiently, more perfectly, and more brilliantly, they are in every way superior to ordinary hunters.

F-Rank?

Such a rank doesn’t exist for superhumans in the first place.

All superhumans are ranked starting from E-Rank.

That’s to say, F-Rank is just a way to group ordinary hunters.

Peace was restored, the military rose, and enterprise started up again.

And superhumans became the perfect means of business.

They were able to hunt monsters more efficiently and gather ‘aether crystals,’ while dazzling the world with their brilliant abilities.

However, the number of superhumans were small and there were mostly only F-Rank hunters who needed time to grow at the time.

Thus, the first ‘Hunters Association’ started hiring a large number of ordinary hunters.

They had only one goal.

Create a hunting guide using the hunters’ experience.

And as expected, the hunters without superpowers provided the most insight and were vital to the development of the hunter industry.

Just, their use was only that.

Lee Junseok still remembers.

When he first gained superpowers and became a D-Rank hunter.

And what a F-Rank hunter who was 9 years his senior said to him.

‘…They decided to send you to this D-Rank dungeon instead of me.’

‘What? Didn’t you say it was your turn?’

It was odd.

The distribution of dungeons was supposed to be equal within the guild.

‘Yeah. It was. However, the guild decided that sending you is more efficient.’

‘Ah…’

At the time, Lee Junseok had only hunted three times, while his senior was a 9 year veteran.

The reason was because ordinary hunters wasted too much money each hunt.

Compared to a superhuman who could finish a mission with just one aether dispenser.

After that day, the senior hunter who had taught Lee Junseok quit the industry.

From that moment, Lee Junseok, faced with the reality that the veteran F-Rank hunters who have been protecting him since young would slowly disappear, he began to have a strange feeling.

‘Even though they don’t have superpowers, still…’

‘Junseok. I’ve decided to quit this time.’

One by one, his idols, the ordinary hunters, began to leave the industry.

Guilds and corporations gave ordinary hunters almost no work, and in a world where peace has been established, it was difficult finding a hunting job alone.

These hunters who once put their bodies on the line for humanity did not even receive a single word of praise after retirement.

They were slowly forgotten by everyone.

Just like that.

It became a natural occurrence.

Every morning there would be news of a F-Rank hunter’s failure and articles suggesting they were useless.

F-Rank hunters may have been the salvation of humanity during the Great War, but now they were of no use in this peaceful era.

When Lee Junseok finally became a S-Rank hunter, he was able to use his influence to move within the Hunters Association.

That was when he realized.

‘…Were they purposely given these missions?’

The F-Rank hunters’ mission success rate was falling exponentially because they were purposely given ‘impossible missions.’

In other words, they were sent into dungeons with statistically low chance of clearing.

Also, when a F-Rank hunter accomplished something great, it was only covered a little bit by the media.

It was as if to hide their achievements.

And, it wasn’t just one corporation.

Many national Hunters Association did the same.

He had brought up the case to the current president of the Hunter Association at the time.

What the president of the association then said to Lee Junseok still lingers in his mind.

‘They’re useless now anyway.’

‘What?’

‘That’s why they’ve fallen off. This era is for superhuman hunters, not ordinary ones.’

The president of the association had also called F-Rank hunters ‘money-sucking ants.’

And, ever since the establishment of the Superhuman Academy, the need for ordinary hunters continued to fall.

‘It’s just the natural flow of life.’

Looking at the president of the association who acted as if everything was fine, Lee Junseok gave a defeated laugh.

Who put you in the position you are in now?

Who stood up to save humanity?

Who gave up their life so you can live?

Who the hell was it?

Lee Junseok didn’t have the courage to say it then, and it’s been years since.

Now everyone in the world is aware.

F-Rank hunters are no longer needed.

How many years have you been a veteran on the battlefield?

It’s certainly great.

But only great.

That’s all.

It’s very rare nowadays for anyone to see ordinary hunters as special.

But even if they did, they would still be disregarded.

In the end, there is almost no active F-Rank hunter left, and it’s safe to say that there are none that have been active for more than 10 years.

So Yoo Seodam is a very special case.

He also survived the politics of Lost Day, and is a person who has gone to Hell Gate and back.

‘Rather, I wish I could bring him to our guild.’

Lost Day, Velvet, and every other guild were afraid of the Association’ influence, so they were reluctant to recruit a F-Rank.

Even if it’s a 15 year veteran.

However, when Lee Junseok looked into Yoo Seodam’s eyes today, he realized.

‘This guy, there’s something.’

‘There’s no way he doesn’t know how he’s treated unless he’s a fool.’

Yet, he still remains in the hunter industry…like he’s aiming for something.

‘…Are you going to make a guild? Do something political? Business?’

He’s certain, one way or another, Yoo Seodam will do something big in the future.

In the meantime, if he can somehow involve himself with Yoo Seodam.

Pah!

Thwak!

“Heup!”

“Head!”

The sparring had begun and numerous masters were competing with their real swords, but Lee Junseok did not give them a single glance.

However, the Costantini family’s section.

For a long time, he looked at Yoo Seodam.

Most superhumans are the ‘strength’ type.

They had the simple ability of strengthening their body.

This worked well with the use of aether blades against monsters.

However, how could anyone who has never used a sword be able to swing it properly just because they held one?

Thus, swordsmanship clans with a long tradition that span hundreds of years began to teach their swordsmanship to superhumans.

That’s how the first swordsmanship debate started, but now, its original purpose has blurred.

Superhumans no longer want the teachings of ordinary people.

Rather, they wanted to learn from their senior superhumans who have wielded the swords for years.

So that’s why master swordsmen worked even harder, but…

‘It’s bullshit.’

The swordsmanship debate had already become a ‘social event.’

One by one, superhumans began to replace the swordsman clans as ‘master swordsmen.’

And then they would talk and laugh among themselves.

Now, superhumans are no longer interested in the swordsmanship of ordinary people.

They saw no need for it.

Taylor sneaked a side glance.

Yoo Seodam.

She was wondering what he was thinking as he silently watched the ordinary master swordsmen sparring.

For some reason, Taylor began to feel nauseous, so she got up from her seat.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s over.”

“The main event with Celeste is about to start.”

“Oh. I’ll be back before that. I’m going to have a smoke.”

She didn’t want to smoke in front of Seodam, so she just said that and left.

In the end, it’s a friendly competition among master swordsmen by showing off one’s disciple.

That’s to be expected.

However, it has nothing to do with Seodam, and Taylor didn’t care about it either.

There were quite a few people wandering around the corridor since it was break time.

Like Taylor, some people were smoking, while others went to the bathroom or were socializing in the corridor.

And, among them was Aren.

A S-Rank superhuman with a big ego for being in the Master Swordsmen Association.

Although he’s not from a prestigious family, he has a very good reputation for his sword skills and performance in the hunter industry.

Just, he looked at the weak with contempt.

He was talking to the competing swordsmen, but unlike him who was smiling, they looked very uncomfortable.

“Of course. As a master, this level of success is nothing.”

A superhuman among ordinaries.

He’s probably enjoying some sense of superiority.

However, Taylor, who knew Aren well, is certain that’s the case.

It was obvious why the ordinary master swordsmen would have an uncomfortable look.

‘Ah, shit.’

Taylor turned around in a hurry, but unfortunately it was too late.

“Oh, Taylor!”

“…Ah, fuck.”

Thinking that today couldn’t get any worse, Taylor glared at Aren.

Excusing himself from the master swordsmen, he approached Taylor, and unlike the master swordsmen’ expression, she had a blank expression.

“Say what you have to say, then fuck off.”

“Haha, why are you so cranky? I heard you came here, but I was too busy to find you. Did you have lunch? Should we get together for a meal later?”

Taylor, with a puzzled look, asked.

“Me? With you? Why?”

“There’s a restaurant around here, and I’m familiar with the chef…”

“Hey.”

She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and sighed.

“I’m so damn tired right now and don’t have time for this. So shut up and fuck off.”

“…Really?”

Aren stared at Taylor, and with a stiff look, asked.

“Yoo Seodam. He’s here this time as well, isn’t he? As the Constantini family’s sword instructor.”

“What?”

“Right? It’s Yoo Seodam, isn’t it?”

Taylor stopped fiddling with her pack of cigarettes and looked at Aren coldly.

However, he continued to speak.

“You know you’ve been acting strange, right?

Aren is now a 12 year veteran.

When he was a rookie, Taylor had already been working as a hunter for three years.

Even though it was only three years, Taylor at the time was bolder, more courageous, more determined, and a better leader than anyone else.

Aren knew that her harsh words and actions were just a means to unite her teams.

Perhaps Aren became interested in Taylor since then.

So he had approached her several times because it didn’t matter to him whether she was dating or not as long as she truly didn’t fall in love with someone else.

However.

“Ever since meeting Yoo Seodam. Haven’t you grown tired of him?”

Taylor was never the same again and did not look at anyone else.

Since 12 years, no, 15 years ago when he first debuted.

Taylor had said she only wanted to follow Yoo Seodam.

He couldn’t understand it.

There are many talented and outstanding people, so why Yoo Seodam who has no superpowers?

Taylor smiled and asked a question.

“Hey.”

“Tell me.”

“Then let me ask you, who’s better than Yoo Seodam?”

“What?”

Aren, who was bewildered by Taylor’s question, tried to answer but.

“Superpowers? Wealth? I don’t need any of that. You know why? Because I have it all.”

“Taylor.”

“I don’t need everything. It doesn’t matter if it’s a F or S-Rank superhuman. And just because Yoo Seodam is a F-Rank hunter, is his value as a person F-Rank?”

On the contrary.

“S-Rank…aren’t you only a S-Rank superhuman?”

“…”

Taylor almost spat out her words.

“You. I used to think you were annoying. I’ve changed my mind.”

She always spoke with a foul mouth.

However, when she was really angry, she didn’t swear at all, but rather, she smiled.

A pretty lively and refreshing smile.

“You’re just revolting.”

Said Taylor with a pretty smile on her face, then she walked away.

For a long time, Aren stood there as he clenched his fists, lost in thought.

‘…Yoo Seodam.’

Ultimately, this is an era where ability meant everything, so he couldn’t understand why Taylor was obsessed with Yoo Seodam.

Someone who has less ‘absolute worth’ than himself.

‘Rather, if only I could thoroughly crush Yoo Seodam.’

With a stiff expression, he returned to the stadium.

As he was trying to silently find his seat in the Okamato family’s section, he thought the atmosphere was strange.

[Celeste Costantini VS Sanagi Okamoto]

‘Oh, has it started already?’

Thinking that he might have been late after talking to Taylor, he looked down at the stadium.

Initially, he wasn’t interested in the battle.

He taught Sanagi swordsmanship himself, and Celeste was lower rank in the first place, so she was not a match for Sanagi.

So most people thought it was like a waterfall falling upwards, and everyone had predicted the outcome.

Such a reason.

Strangely, the stadium was quiet for some reason.

“…Huh?”

Haap!

Thuk, chaang!

Everything was still.

Only the sound of the two women’s voice and their swords colliding filled the stadium.

With trembling eyes, Aren continued to watch.

Sanagi Okamoto.

She was losing to Celeste Constantini.

A C-Rank was losing against a D-Rank.

‘This…does it make any sense?’

The difference between D-Rank and C-Rank is like the difference between a bicycle and a car.

Even if the car is driven slowly, you can never lose.

Or, like a battle between a child and an adult?

No, it was more like a battle between a rat and a cat.

But now.

The rat has bitten the cat.

The bicycle has crushed the car.

Such an unbelievable thing was happening.

Is it because Celeste had suddenly awakened to C-Rank?

No.

Everyone in their seat could see.

Only

She was still just D-Rank.

Then, there is only one reason why Celeste was dominating Sanagi.

‘Celeste’s swordsmanship is overwhelming Sanagi’s swordsmanship.”

Enough to make up for the difference in their physique ability.

However, last time, Celeste did not overwhelm Sanagi’s swordsmanship, and instead it was about even.

So what is the explanation for her sudden growth this year?

Some who have reached that thought, looked at the ‘master’ who was sitting in the Costantini family’s section.

There, sitting was a F-Rank hunter with no superpowers.