However, Gudlow quickly dispelled his theory.

‘No, that doesn’t make any sense.’

It wasn’t that he was disregarding Hunter Choi Yeonseung’s abilities, but not all A-grade hunters excelled in all areas. If they did, there wouldn’t be any A-grade hunters going bankrupt after entering the world of business.

It was the same with leading clan battles.

Weren’t the Demon hunters being trained by the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor? There was no way Choi Yeonseung could suddenly barge in, change the training regime, and have the hunters perform well. Only a constellation could pull off something like that…

‘It’s a coincidence. It has to be…’

Gudlow brushed off his anxious thoughts.

Sometimes, such things happened in clan battles. There were times when ignorant strategies, which were essentially gambles, worked amazingly.

However, there was no way Dmitry’s opponent knew how strong he was. The hunter from the Demon clan was only doing so well because he had subverted Dmitry’s expectations with his unusual fighting style.

‘Dmitry, kill him cleanly! He’s just a nameless, weak hunter!’

***

“He’s fighting well,” Choi Yeonseung said calmly.

Chu Wonseung, the leader of the power analysis team, and Kang Seoneun, the leader of the management support team, rejoiced with incredulous expressions.

“It’s not bad at all!”

“That’s right!”

“Isn’t he fighting well?”

“So he can fight much better... It’s miraculous...”

Chu Wonseung was so excited that he could barely get the words out. Much to everyone’s surprise, Dmitry had lost the initial scuffle and retreated.

Wi Seongu had pushed him back!

“This is absolutely incredible!”

“Yeah, I know… Can you settle down now?”

“Y-yes!”

Chu Wonseung finally remembered that the owner of the clan was next to him and quickly went silent.

‘What an amazing person!’

Chu Wonseung admired Choi Yeonseung in his mind.

Given that the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor was away, Chu Wonseung had been convinced that their performance would be worse than usual.

The hunters of the Demon clan weren’t all that talented individually. It was more like the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor had somehow carried them by the collar, saving them from being disbanded.

However, he had suddenly disappeared, leaving Choi Yeonseung to take his place, so Chu Wonseung had naturally been worried.

However, the atmosphere at the beginning of the match completely took him by surprise!

Wi Seongu had pulled off a miraculous victory by pushing Dmitry back in the early fight. Thanks to his impressive feat, everyone would inevitably see Choi Yeonseung in a different light.

Seeing how Choi Yeonseung stared ahead with crossed arms, his expression neutral despite an amazing start to the match, Chu Wonseung felt like he was looking at a virtuoso, a top-tier director that could lead any clan to glory!

‘He’s fighting a lot better than I thought.’

However, Choi Yeonseung was almost as surprised as the rest of them. Of course, he had come up with some strategies for Wi Seongu to use against his opponent…

Dmitry Diesel:

Level: 143

Strength: 199

Agility: 131

Physical Strength: 140

Magic Power: 180

Intelligence: 160

[Heavy Blow]

Rank: B

Based on your innate strength, your melee attacks will deal extra damage.

[Beware of Self-complacency]

Rank: D

You are complacent due to your successive victories. Vigilance will decrease.

[Mid-range Mastery]

Rank: B+

While being at mid-range against your opponent, your concentration and composure are at their max, and your combat power is also increased.

......

...

As he evolved as a constellation, Choi Yeonseung had gained the ability to see the opponent’s abilities in more detail.

One conversation with Dmitry had been enough for Choi Yeonseung to grasp his weaknesses.

In short, Dmitry was the kind of melee damage dealer who didn’t like getting too close. His preferred fighting style was using a greatsword from mid-range to unleash explosive attacks on his opponent, knocking them down before being able to approach!

-If we let Dmitry level up unchecked, Wi Seongu will have a hard time against him.

With that in mind, Choi Yeonseung had instructed Wi Seongu to put pressure on Dmitry early on into the match.

They had seen a video of Dmitry in the second half of a match, swinging his sword while casting spells. His destructive power was no joke.

Given the way in which Dmitry cast 5th circle magic on his sword, which seemed to be his special move, and destroyed everything around him, it was clear that he was determined to reach B-grade.

Choi Yeonseung thought it would be impossible for Wi Seongu to avoid Dmitry’s destructive attack with his footwork. His best chance was to win early on!

However, Wi Seongu fought much better than Choi Yeonseung had expected.

‘Wow. How hard did Changsik hyung train him?’

Choi Yeonseung was genuinely surprised.

The way in which someone moved was a testament to their level of training. A hunter who didn’t train and only drank and partied would move differently from a hunter who honed their martial arts in a training camp.

In that regard, Wi Seongu’s moves were amazing.

Choi Yeonseung rated Wi Seongu’s physical strength and tenacity to be quite high, but he thought that his aptitude for martial arts was just ordinary.

In any case, it took a lot of time to learn and master martial arts. Unless one had an innate talent for it like Choi Yeonseung, they were bound to train for a long time before they became proficient.

Choi Yeonseung had taught Wi Seongu the basics of martial arts because he had seen something in him, but he hadn’t expected the young hunter to put on such a performance.

He used the Three Iron Step to stay on top of Dmitry, and when Dmitry swung his sword in annoyance, Wi Seongu countered with the Three Iron Fist Technique, deflecting the sword to the side and maintaining his close distance.

Every time Dmitry swung his sword, he unleashed powerful shockwaves and magic at his enemy. Even so, Wi Seongu held on and kept pressuring him at close-range.

Their duel might not seem impressive to those who didn’t know much about martial arts, but those who were knowledgeable could appreciate its complexity.

It was clear that Wi Seongu couldn’t have withstood all of Dmitry’s fierce attacks and countered with his martial arts moves just with regular training.

‘I’m really impressed.’

[Your followers are influenced by you!]

[Your power envelops your believers!]

‘...?!’

Choi Yeonseung was surprised when his power suddenly activated. He hadn’t done anything, and yet Wi Seongu was unknowingly being enhanced by his power.

-You are becoming more and more accustomed to using your abilities as a constellation.

The goddess of sloth explained it to him nonchalantly, not surprised by this at all. But of course, it was very unexpected for Choi Yeonseung.

‘I was surprised...’

-Is it that surprising?

-No, it’s not like that.I was taken aback because I thought that my power of existence or soul stones would be consumed automatically.I’m glad this isn’t the case.

-......

The goddess of sloth was speechless. How great it would be if Choi Yeonseung let go of his pettiness and reigned as a dignified advanced constellation…

***

GaspGasp…”

“Agh...”

Nathan took on one of the opposing aces, Ellie Strock, on the top lane. He was doing his best to hold on.

Wi Seongu was a martial artist, but so was he. He had crossed the ocean and joined a Korean clan for the sole purpose of learning martial arts!

His family and friends had been shocked by his decision, asking him, “Are you crazy? Why are you going all the way there to join a Korean clan?”

However, Nathan didn’t regret his decision one bit. Being able to learn martial arts directly from Choi Yeonseung was satisfying enough for him.

Even though the others didn’t know it, he was receiving a lot of money too.

Choi Yeonseung had asked him, “Come to think of it, how much did the other clans offer you?” and he had immediately decided to double it.

Even though Nathan had sort of expected that he would receive a generous paycheck, he couldn’t help feeling a heavy sense of responsibility.

On another note...

-You guys are winning down there?Is that true?

-Yes!We have the advantage!

-...???

Nathan was baffled by the unexpectedly good news coming from those below him. In fact, he intended to quickly push Ellie Strock back and rush down to assist his teammates.

To be honest, he was a bit anxious about Wi Seongu and Go Junwon. However, they kept transmitting messages like “We’re pushing them!”, “The enemy is running away!” and “I don’t think I need your help!”, but Nathan couldn’t help feeling skeptical.

...They wouldn’t lie, would they?

‘No, what am I thinking? I don’t know about Go Junwon, but Wi Seongu wouldn’t do something like that.’

Nathan shook his head. It was great if things were actually going well on the other parts of the map. That meant he could just focus on the top lane!

‘I’ll try my best to win for the rest of my teammates!’

Choi Yeonseung was watching Nathan as he punched with all his might. It could’ve been just his imagination, but everyone on the enemy team seemed nervous because they were being pushed back all over the map.

***

@ggol_eogsini

-I think the Demon clan will win against the Awake clan??

ㄴHave you finally lost your mind?

ㄴFans of the Demon clan are really something else....

ㄴNurse Kim! Where have you gone?! A patient has escaped here!

The people who still supported a clan on the verge of collapse were considered true die-hard fans.

Other people said things like “Oh, just get rid of those imbeciles already and bring in new clans! Those morons won’t be of any help when monsters appear!”, but the die-hard fans who still supported the clan responded with things like “No! The clan just needs to be reorganized… Like rebuilding it… They will be resurrected soon!”

Only fans like that would go to see in person one-sided clan battles like this one against Awake. To be honest, they didn’t really expect the Demon clan to win. They just hoped their favorite clan would have a few good moments before they lost.

-I heard that Wi Seongu is fighting well these days.Besides, he’s a martial artist.Isn’t it a good thing to be a martial artist these days?It’s fairly popular, given that people are looking for martial artists here and there.

-Hey, that guy didn’t even get selected in high school...It’s just that the clan makes him look strong.

-I-is that so?

-Any hunter would look strong if brought to this clan and thrown in.

Those were the impressions of the public before the match had started.

However, the game didn’t go as they expected.

Wi Seongu crushed Awake’s ace, Dmitry, in the beginning of the match. He then capitalized on his momentum to push Dmitry and completely overwhelm him.

The top and the bottom lanes had been shaky at first for the Demon clan, but they eventually gained the upper hand as well.

The Awake hunters ran back and forth, trying to bounce back somehow, but...

“Huh?? What??”

“Hey, are we actually going to win???”

“Did the Awake clan only bring their preliminary candidates?”

“N-no? They are famous, right?”

The Awake clan was struggling more and more, losing more ground to the Demon clan. The Awake hunters gathered to kill the powerful monsters in the dungeon, hoping that would help them make a comeback.

However, the Demon hunters were quick to stop them.

The intensity of the match was at its peak. The fans were on the edge of their seats, watching through their fingers as Wi Seongu and Dmitry clashed fiercely once again.

‘He’s going to be smashed!’

“...H-he won! He’s made it through!”

"Waaaaahhhhh!"

Wi Seongu shocked everyone by winning the exchange once again.

“Who brought him? Who brought him here?!?”

“Wasn’t it a clan scout?”

“It couldn’t be a clan scout! Korean scouts aren’t that good!”

“You’re right. Uh… Did the Iron-Blooded Ice Emperor bring him himself?”

“Oh... Come to think of it, he’s still alive.”

The fans rejoiced at Wi Seongu’s amazing performance. They felt that they would be happy with this match even if the Demon clan ended up losing.

…Of course, the fans felt that way in the moment, but they would definitely be furious if the Demon clan fumbled the bag in the end.

***

Gudlow shook his head, his expression of utter dejection. No matter how he thought about it, they had suffered an unbelievable defeat.

‘I have no choice but to admit it. I underestimated our opponent too much.’

Choi Yeonseung must’ve played a big role in it. Otherwise, it didn’t make any sense for the Awake clan to lose this battle.

People were only talking about how shocking it was that Wi Seongu had overwhelmed Dmitry, but in fact, the enemies had targeted all of their weaknesses.

That couldn’t have been a coincidence. That was skill.

“C-can I ask you a question?” the waiting reporter asked cautiously.

After a clan battle ended, it would generally end on a warm note with everyone giving an interview or leaving a comment. The losers might be feeling incredibly bitter, but they had to keep their heads high.

However, the Awake clan’s loss had been so unexpected that the reporter was apprehensive. What if they went on a rampage?

Gudlow nodded with a bitter smile. “Of course, go ahead.”

The losers also had their obligations, and Gudlow had no intention of fleeing them. Besides, he was relieved that at least they had lost a friendly match, not a high-stakes clan battle.

It was better to lose early on so they could improve for when it mattered the most.

“Did the hunters of the Awake clan let their guard down or were they in worse shape than usual?”

“No, there was no such thing at all. Our hunters always do their best. It’s just..”

“?”

“All I can say is that Hunter Choi Yeonseung’s coaching has exceeded my expectations. I take full responsibility for this defeat. The hunters aren’t at fault.”

@ggol_eogsini

-Hunter Choi Yeonseung, I would appreciate it if you could be the director forever.

ㄴWhat? You really won? You won this battle?

ㄴDid Hunter Choi Yeonseung break the limbs of each opposing hunter before the clan battle? This doesn’t make sense…

ㄴI’ve never seen Director Gould compliment someone like that!

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