“I was originally going to ask for your help.”
“Help?”
“Yes.”
Choi Yeonseung continued his explanation.
The situation on Earth was surprisingly bad! The constellation had signed a truce, but that was just a temporary measure. It wasn’t known when new constellations would appear from the Abyss. However, once they did, another disaster could happen that was similar to the previous great invasion. Moreover, the constellations who signed the truce were planning to get as much of Earth as possible behind the scenes.
“The other constellations have already been on Earth for a long time and have created several household members and gained strong recognition. In comparison, I have to start from scratch, so I’m at a disadvantage in many ways.”
“Wait. What do you mean you just originally meant to ask me? What made you change your mind?”
“Hyung wants to enjoy life. I don’t think it’s right to drag you down a difficult path.”
“......”
Hwang Gyeongryong’s face turned red in embarrassment. His younger clan brother had been wandering around the Abyss for more than ten thousand years in order to protect Earth, yet here he was making that person worry about him. Hwang Gyeongryong had made a promise to himself when he left South Korea. He would never live like a pushover again.However, hearing Choi Yeonseung’s words made him feel ashamed. He had lived and enjoyed life enough, so shouldn’t he live the rest of his life in a less shameful manner?
“... Hey! Who do you think you’re worried about? I should be the one worrying about you, not the other way around. If I don’t help you, who will?”
“You don’t have to help me...”
“I’m going to help you! No, aren’t you in a situation where you should accept help?”
Hwang Gyeongryong cried out. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like Choi Yeonseung didn’t know how great he was.
I want you to know what a really great person you are!
Of course, it would become less convincing the moment he expressed it, so he had to put up with it.
“Is it really okay?”
“It is!”
“Umm... Well, if so...”
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ admired your speaking skills!]
‘No. I meant it from the bottom of my heart.’
Choi Yeonseung sincerely tried not to attract Hwang Gyeongryong. The cat advised him to pull Hwang Gyeongryong in, but he didn’t want a person living a good life to get involved in a fight between constellations. Yet looking at the current Hwang Gyeongryong, it felt like he would never back down. Hwang Gyeongryong had always been such a person.
“Then please accept my offer.”
[The constellation ‘Undefeated Incarnation of Training’ wants to accept you as a household member. Do you accept?]
“... Uh? Will I be working under you?”
“Should I, a constellation, be working under Hyung?”
“...T-That’s true, but...”
The logic was flawless! Hwang Gyeongryong grumbled but accepted it anyway.
‘I have dignity as a hyung...’
[You have become the household member of the constellation ‘Undefeated Incarnation of Training’.]
[Becoming a constellation's household member binds your soul to them. Breaking their laws will result in punishment.]
[The power of the constellation ‘Undefeated Incarnation of Training' has made you stronger]
[......]
[......]
“I never expected I’d enter into a contract with a constellation in my life...”
Hwang Gyeongryong was a hunter who didn’t believe in constellations. Most hunters wanted to sign a contract with a constellation. It didn’t matter what type of constellation it was, considering any contract would give them power beyond what they could obtain in their lifetime.
However, some wise hunters thought that having a contract with a constellation couldn’t be that easy. Constellations weren’t pushovers. There had to be a reason why they gave so much strength. Going under a constellation meant selling one’s soul to them. No matter how much power they wanted, no one liked being a slave.
“Wait. Doesn’t signing a contract with you mean you can monitor my every move?”
“Hyung, I won’t observe you if you don’t want me to.”
“Thank you very much. Bah. Anyway, what’s your plan and what do I need to do?”
“The plan... is basically to hide the fact that I’m a constellation. If that leaks out, there will be many annoying consequences.”
“Ugh. This is just like ‘A Constellation Hiding Their Strength’.”
“Huh? What nonsense is that?”
“... It was something popular while you weren’t here!”
“... In any case, I’ll hide the fact that I am a constellation and continue to expand my household in this state. I need more subordinates if I want to fight other constellations.”
“Heh. Believe in me.”
“... Hyung, can you win against a great demon alone?”
“......”
Hwang Gyeongryong couldn’t answer. Why did he suddenly bring up great demons?!
“Aren’t great demons supposed to be slain through a raid…? No, hunters work in parties. I don't think fighting them one-on-one is ideal...”
‘Hmm. He has no confidence.’
Choi Yeonseung nodded. To be honest, even S-grade hunters wouldn’t want to fight great demons alone.
“I understand.”
“Are you despising me right now, Yeonseung?”
“I’m not. When did I do that?”
“Yes. I am confident in SSL, UHC, team matches, or one-on-one. I’m not scared at all. Just leave it to me, no matter whether it is a constellation war or not!”
Choi Yeonseung suddenly felt strange as he listened to Hwang Gyeongryong’s words. This ‘Otherworld’ magic was one that constellations often used. It was strange that humans received such magic and were engaged in hunter sports.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ agrees that it doesn’t makes sense. It suspects that the reason this magic spread is because the constellations themselves are waging a constellation battle in this way.]
Constellations sent their household members against each other. Of course, their battle would have rules. It could be a 100-meter run or even a spear throw...
Based on what the Cat of Lava and Magma thought, the spread of hunter sports such as SSL and UHC seemed to have been induced by the constellations. Those made it easier to pick talents for constellation wars!
[They will enjoy watching it as well.]
‘Isn’t this too much speculation? Will a constellation actually watch things like this?’
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says that the constellations’ boredom shouldn’t be underestimated. Unlike you, other constellations struggled with boredom as often as they breathe.]
They weren’t like Choi Yeonseung, who was born as a mortal and burned with a firm will. Most constellations had little sense of purpose. It was a type of appetite, sexual desire, or instinct that made them try to gain more souls and increase the power of existence. Apart from that, their life was bound to be boring.
‘Are you bored as well?’
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says it has been having lots of fun since it met the Incarnation of Training.]
‘I… I see. Thank you.’
In any case, if the constellations really fought 6:6 or 1:1, it would definitely give the familiar Hwang Gyeongryong an advantage. Wasn’t he a (self-proclaimed) champion?
“In addition to getting more household members, I have to earn envy.”
“Envy?”
“Should I call it envy or faith...? It’s a type of gaining faith.”
Hwang Gyeongryong immediately understood what Choi Yeonseung meant. People clung to the strong hunters due to the fear that the world would collapse during the great invasion. It wasn’t a joke. It reached the point where there was a pseudo-religion that believed in hunters. In a world where constellations appeared and evil god constellations invaded, existing religions and beliefs were bound to be shaken.
“I know what you mean. You have to make a name for yourself as a hunter, right?”
“You can say that.”
The strongest hunter! Every time an A-grade dungeon appeared within their territory, the country’s government would bow and ask for support. Even those who said their country’s hunters were the strongest knew in their hearts which hunter was the strongest. It soon became connected to faith and connections.
“I see...”
Hwang Gyeongryong frowned and was lost in thought. Choi Yeonseung’s skills were clear. However, showing this to the world was a different thing. How should he engrave this deeply into the world?
“Let me introduce you to a clan first.”
“A clan? What about the old one..”
“It’s been disbanded. How many groups and clans do you think I have?”
Clans under companies didn’t run independently. Since they belonged to a company, they conducted raids according to their orders. It wouldn’t be that hard to wonder, ‘Isn’t it better to run it by ourselves?’ but that couldn’t be more wrong. Under a company, a clan’s profits were beyond imagination.
First of all, they didn’t have to pay for compensation or commission fees. The company bought all the cores and items from the dungeon at a reasonable price. In addition, the clans received all types of support, bonuses, etc. In return, the company only wanted loyalty. They were to target the dungeons and monsters the company pointed them to and sometimes even more!
It was like being a private army. Some hunters served as bodyguards for the company’s president or board of directors. Hunters of that level couldn’t be compared with ordinary bodyguards.
Naturally, Hwang Gyeongryong also led such clans. Dragon Industry was one of the clan states.
“I have more than one or two clans, so I’m thinking about which one to recommend... Well, the one that can offer an environment where aces are raised should be fine.”
The clans that Hwang Gyeongryong had varying purposes. Some clans were purely for raiding, some raised 1:1 professional hunters, and some raised professional security hunters... Among them was a clan that collected and raised aces.
Aces!
Ordinary hunters preferred to raid dungeons lower than their rating. After all, dungeons that were ranked equal to them could have monsters stronger than them. However, there were some people who risked their lives to clear dungeons higher than their rank...
These hunters were usually called aces!
For dungeons that were hard to clear or monsters that were hard to kill, there were no hunters as reliable as aces. Each clan had one or two such signature hunters. Hwang Gyeongryong gathered them together to form a clan.
Choi Yeonseung wondered, “Why do you want me to join a clan?”
“If you’re going to do a raid, you’ll need a team to support you. Moreover, the household you’re going to make should be composed of useful hunters, shouldn’t it?”
“Can’t I fight alone?”
“Hey. How can you be so confident when you can’t even let others know that you are a constellation? You have to hide your strength properly! Don’t you know that the protagonist hides his power? Eh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you at least have a point.”
Hwang Gyeongryong’s words poked at a sore spot. They were like the advice of other constellations. It wasn’t just not using the power of existence. If a person who suddenly returned had more power than an S-grade hunter, then any constellation with brains...
“I was going to limit my strength to the peak-class stage.”
“I’m confused because I’m not a martial artist. How strong would that be?”
“It lacks strength a bit, but I think I can control it well enough to fight against A-grade or S-grade opponents.”
“......”
Choi Yeonseung’s words hurt Hwang Gyeongryong’s pride!
The latter inwardly grumbled. ‘Look at this guy ignoring people just because he’s become a constellation. Bah. I hope you experience being ignored for being a martial artist.’
“It will definitely be comforting to have support in combat. As for the household... Can I easily find someone I trust like Hyung?”
“... This guy!”
Hwang Gyeongryong was so moved it was as if his previous complaints had been a lie. Choi Yeonseung already knew what to expect.
“Well, you’re right. Most of a clan’s aces are crazy...”
“That's only natural.”
Choi Yeonseung nodded. It was already like that before. Hunters were still humans. Many of them were ordinary and stable, but there were some whose thinking had deviated from common sense. No one in their right mind would risk their life trying to raid dangerous dungeons.
“But in terms of skills, aces are the best. Let’s check if there are any gems.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“I’m going to raise those who aren’t gems as well.”
“I think Hyung has a dark heart...”
Under what circumstances would the Icarus clan, the clan of aces, be ordered to act? They raided dungeons, but they were also deployed to fight other clans.
“I’m trying to do my best for your household, yet you dare say that?”
“Ah, I was joking. Don’t be so serious.”
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