Chapter 35

Chapter 35

It wouldn’t matter much even for A-grade hunters, right?

“... Wait, Yeonseung. What’s your hunter rank?”

“C+.”

“Did you have it checked when you returned?”

“I did, but they strangely didn’t increase it.”

“Are you sure you showed your skills? Did they not test it properly because you’re a martial artist?”

Unlike magicians, martial artists had complicated testing methods. Magicians’ strength could be roughly grasped by the circle of the strongest magic they could use, but martial artists were different. One way was to show their martial arts stage. Unlike circles, however, that couldn’t be clearly recognized.

Even first-class stage martial artists had to go through many confirmations. It was obviously poor treatment!

“I think I definitely filled it to at least B-grade, so it is strange.”

“Then why C+? Did those kids get bribed?”

Hwang Gyeongryong murmured.

“Bribed?”

“Nothing. I will check that later. Let’s talk first. Based on the restrictions here, you seem to have become quite stronger.”

“Uhh... Well, yes.”

“So why did you go to the Abyss?”

“It’s a long story...”

“Just tell me!”

As he spoke, Hwang Gyeongryong thought Choi Yeonseung wouldn’t have that big of a reason. In the past, Choi Yeonseung had many loose screws. His desire to pursue strength made him do all sorts of weird things.

“Simply put, it was to protect the planet.”

“... I’m sorry. Can you tell me in detail?”

***

Choi Yeonseung left the Abyss after receiving the constellation’s offer, but Hwang Gyeongryong’s expression distorted strangely when he heard that Choi Yeonseung had awakened as a constellation after wandering around and fighting in the Abyss for an infinite amount of time. Now he returned to protect Earth.

Hwang Gyeongryong looked like he didn’t know what to say.

“... So you’re older than me now?”

“Is that really important right now?”

“It is, man! Wait... Wait. Honestly, I can’t believe this.”

Hwang Gyeongryong had a very distrustful expression, which slightly hurt Choi Yeonseung.

“Honestly, I thought Hyung would believe me.”

“... Hey! Some things are just far too unbelievable! If you were me, would you believe it? Do you have any idea how many crazy people have returned from the Abyss?”

“Will you believe me if I show you what I’m capable of?”

“......!”

Hwang Gyeongryong came to a realization. This guy insisted on entering the Otherworld to do this from the beginning! Hwang Gyeongryong found Choi Yeonseung’s arrogant words interesting.

“Oho. That’s good!”

Hwang Gyeongryong snorted, took off his jacket, and threw it away.

The dignity of a clan leader! His pride as an older brother! The pride of being an S-grade hunter!

No matter how much Choi Yeonseung had wandered around the Abyss and become stronger, Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t think he had become stronger than him.

“Yeonseung. Do you know how many times I've had a strange twist of fate? Just as I was about to die, I got the A+ rank skill ‘Level Up from Death.’”

“Hyung’s taste in skill names is too much...”

Skills could have the same performance but different names depending on the user. If Choi Yeonseung had obtained it, then its name would’ve likely been along the lines of, ‘Dying Flash.’

Level Up from Death. How blatant...

[Unity of Body and Fist...]

[Concentrated Energy Arts...]

Hwang Gyeongryong’s astonishment reached its peak when Strong Self-Defense broke the spear of light and even blocked the lava.

“W-Wasn’t that a video manipulated by the Chinese?”

“What nonsense are you saying now?”

“I’ve seen a manipulated video similar to what you’re doing!”

“Ah...”

Choi Yeonseung recalled that there was an incident in China where the world discovered they were manipulating their martial artists’ ranks. Choi Yeonseung hesitated after easily breaking through the lava and spear of light.

‘I’m lacking inner energy.’

Choi Yeonseung’s internal energy was close to infinite, and he could convert all the energy around him into internal energy. However, restrictions were imposed here. He immediately replenished his internal energy due to his martial arts stage, but its total amount was still limited.

‘Then...’

Confident he could avoid everything without defense skills, Choi Yeonseung released his Strong Self-Defense. Afterward, he pushed all of the internal energy he was using for Strong Self-Defense outward.

Concentrated sphere bullets! The concentrated sphere formed in the air and shot out quickly toward Hwang Gyeongryong.

Surprised, Hwang Gyeongryong tried to dodge by teleporting and using defense magic.

-Short Distance Tele—

[Powerful internal energy has destroyed your magic!!]

[’Short Distance Teleport’ will be canceled.]

[The damage due to the rebound...]

‘!!!’

Hwang Gyeongryong was shocked. Choi Yeonseung tore his magic apart before he could cast it! That wouldn't have been a surprise if he was using low-tier magic that had a slow casting speed, but his magic took less than a second to cast! Yet it was torn apart first?

Hwang Gyeongryong enveloped himself with enhancement magic as a last resort. Just like martial artists, magicians could also strengthen themselves this way!

Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t like melee combat, but...

“Come at me—woah!”

Choi Yeonseung grabbed Hwang Gyeongryong’s wrist, turned it around, and smashed him to the ground. Despite being enhanced by magic power, his opponent had so much strength that the impact sent terrible shocks coursing throughout his body.

“Cough, cough...?”

“Are you really attempting close-quarters combat against a martial artist? You are so careless.”

“It’s been a while since you disappeared, so I made a mistake...”

Hwang Gyeongryong apologized while feeling a tingling pain all over his body. It had been too long since he had dealt with a martial artist.

***

Flop!

Hwang Gyeongryong sat down after coming to his senses.

“So that... What’s your martial arts realm? Peak-class? Or near it?” He asked.

“I’ve gone past that—it’s at the transcendent-class stage now. Going further from there allowed me to transcend mortality altogether.”

Hwang Gyeongryong scratched his head and stared at Choi Yeonseung.

“So you really are a constellation...”

“Yes.”

“... Do you know how absurd I feel right now?”

“I am devastated to find out that my sincere Hyung on Earth has become like this.”

“Hey! I have achieved great success in life!”

“I’ve also achieved great success in life.”

“So let’s say that you are a constellation. What do you want from me?”