"If you look closely, his speed increased momentarily. This is one of the techniques used by skilled speed ability users—Instant. In our country, only three people can use Instant. Ah, now it's four."
Instant is one of the techniques that puts a strain on the user. While the body moves faster, the consciousness doesn't, making it difficult to control properly. However, if mastered, it's an incredibly useful skill.
On the screen, Kang Seok-soo revives, and the battle resumes.
"Hunter Kang Seok-soo! He dodged that overwhelming sword strike! Only his shoulder was grazed. On top of that, he uses a magic circle drawn on his palm to eliminate Hunter Han Ha-rin! Now it's a one-on-one battle!"
"This is Hunter Kang Seok-soo's Sensory Maximization ability. It doesn't just enhance the five senses but also the perception of energy and mana. No one uses Sensory Maximization as skillfully as Hunter Kang Seok-soo."
"Targeting Han Ha-rin first… must be to enter the rest area. Gukcheon Hunter Team is in negative survival points. Just stalling for time in the rest area would secure their victory."
"Oh! Hunter Seong Eugene has lowered his head. Is he exhausted? Or has he given up? Hunter Kang Seok-soo! He stops on his way to the rest area. He intends to end it here. Let's focus on the battle for a moment."
The battle ended with Seong Eugene's victory.
Silence fell over the studio. Most of them had expected Kang Seok-soo to win, not Seong Eugene. Logically, Seong Eugene is an E-rank hunter, while Kang Seok-soo is C-rank. Moreover, Seong Eugene is a rookie who only awakened less than a year ago.
"Hunter Seong Eugene has become the final survivor and the winner of Dungeon Survival Reprised!"
Jo Seok-hoo shouted. He wanted to call Seong Eugene and Kang Seok-soo to the studio immediately, but due to various procedures, it wasn't possible.
"Again. Let's replay the footage one more time!"
The footage returned to the battle scene.
Kang Seok-soo shot lightning at Seong Eugene. Seong Eugene jumped into the air, deflected the lightning with his sword, and redirected it back at Kang Seok-soo.
"This scene right here! Hunter Seong Eugene deflected the lightning! Hong Su-won, is this even possible?"
"It is possible. We've often seen A-rank fire ability users control flames created by others, not just their own. Natural flames without ownership are easier to manipulate. The lightning Kang Seok-soo shot had no ownership. If Kang Seok-soo had full control over the lightning, such a scene would've been impossible."
"Even so, Hunter Seong Eugene dominated the lightning in an instant. With practice, it's achievable, but as you all know, Hunter Seong Eugene has less than a year of experience. Water Walk, Instant, Lightning Domination… Seong Eugene succeeded in all of them. The only explanation is that he's a genius."
Seong Eugene is a genius.
Anyone who watched Dungeon Survival Reprised from the beginning would have no choice but to acknowledge this fact.
And not just any genius. Some even speculate he might be South Korea's greatest genius.
Because what Seong Eugene displayed isn't something a rookie hunter with barely a year of experience should be capable of.
Hong Su-won and Baek Ji-eun had completely different moods.
Hong Su-won's face was twisted in frustration. Losing the bet was one thing, but he had initially failed to recognize Seong Eugene's talent. Praising Kang Seok-soo, whom his guild was eyeing, led him to speak somewhat dismissively of Seong Eugene.
If Seong Eugene saw this broadcast, he might view the BlueBird Guild in the worst light. If Seong Eugene were just an average hunter, it wouldn't matter, but now that he's defeated Kang Seok-soo, he's poised to become South Korea's most talented rookie hunter.
'Damn it. Who knew he'd be this good? I never heard anything about this. The guild master's gonna chew me out.'
But it's not too late yet. Before the broadcast airs, he needs to establish a good relationship with Seong Eugene. Ideally, recruiting him into the guild would be best.
On the other hand, unlike the anxious Hong Su-won, Baek Ji-eun was smiling brightly.
'Was he like this? When did he grow up like this? From what I remember… Hmm. I don't recall him being this impressive.'
Baek Ji-eun hadn't met Seong Eugene. As a candidate for the association's executive position, meeting him openly could lead to rumors, so she deliberately avoided him. She was also genuinely busy preparing for projects.
'If we meet, I'll pamper him and maybe even…'
Now that Dungeon Survival Reprised is over, she'll get to meet him soon. Baek Ji-eun felt a dampness between her legs.
"Hunter Seong Eugene! He dodges all nine energy bolts and breaks through! Hunter Kang Seok-soo lifts his shirt—there's a magic circle on his abs! But Hunter Seong Eugene seems to have known, passing by Kang Seok-soo! Kang Seok-soo turns around, but it's too late! A terrifying bolt of lightning and the sword thrown by Seong Eugene eliminate Kang Seok-soo!!!"
"…Amazing. Hunter Seong Eugene used Instant to dodge the energy bolts. That means he has complete control over Instant Acceleration."
"Hunter Seong Eugene knew about Hunter Kang Seok-soo's last resort. If he hadn't broken through the nine energy bolts head-on… the outcome might've been different."
The studio lights stayed on for hours afterward. They had to analyze not just Seong Eugene and Kang Seok-soo's battle but also the other hunters' fights.
Of course, only a fraction of this would make it to the broadcast.
***
Filming didn't end when I won.
There was still one more shoot left for Dungeon Survival Reprised—the after-party. Participants who left a strong impression would gather in the studio for a talk show. They also had to film interview clips to be inserted throughout the footage.
Three days after Dungeon Survival Reprised ended, Han Ha-rin, Eun Sang-min, and I headed to the broadcasting station.
'Heh. I'll get to see Hong Su-won kneel before Baek Ji-eun with my own eyes.'
The 1 billion won prize money was split between Han Ha-rin and me. Eun Sang-min, feeling guilty, gave his share entirely to us.
'It's not a huge sum for Eun Sang-min or us, but the sentiment matters.'
For hunters, 1 billion won isn't much. No hunter would've joined Dungeon Survival just for the prize money.
'I joined because of Han Ha-rin.'
It was a good excuse to get closer to her.
'And since I was participating anyway, I had to win. Heh. I can't wait for the broadcast to air. What if I become super famous and girls start throwing themselves at me? I only have one dick.'
I was sitting in the winner's private waiting room, imagining a bright future, when the door opened without a knock—Kang Seok-soo walked in.
'...Did he come to kill me?'
"Seong Eugene, I have something to say."
Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case.
Kang Seok-soo closed the door.
I stared at him, waiting for him to speak. He hesitated briefly before asking:
"...Are you and Yoo Jeong-mi in a relationship?"
"No."
I do have Yoo Jeong-mi's number. After we had sex, I asked, and she gave it to me.
We're not in contact, though. I could always start something with Jin Se-young or Han Ha-rin. There's no reason to cling to Yoo Jeong-mi when they're more attractive.
"Did what I said back then bother you? That was just to provoke you, so don't take it seriously. Forget it. Ah, sorry for bringing it up late."
Truthfully, I wasn't sorry at all.
"...I admit it. I was furious back then. You've got great taunting skills."
"Did you come here to compliment me?"
"...Did you really sleep with Yoo Jeong-mi?"
"Yeah."
I answered immediately.
"...."
Kang Seok-soo stared at me with complicated eyes. He must've suspected it to some extent.
"But why does that matter to you? Yoo Jeong-mi and I had consensual sex. Just two young people having fun. You're not her boyfriend—just a friend."
Kang Seok-soo is Yoo Jeong-mi's ex-boyfriend. Now, they're just friends. He has no right to interfere between her and me.
"...I know I have no right to say anything to you or Jeong-mi about this. After that day, I thought deeply and realized—I can't let go of Jeong-mi."
"I'm not a relationship counselor. Just leave."
If it were sex advice, maybe.
"Jeong-mi is my woman. That's what I came to tell you. Don't touch her from now on."
"What? Are you getting back together?"
"I'll confess to her soon."
Kang Seok-soo and Yoo Jeong-mi will probably get back together. She still has feelings for him.
If Yoo Jeong-mi refuses to sleep with me, I'll accept it calmly. There's no reason for me to obsess over her.
"Fine. If that's all you wanted to say, get out. I need to rest."
"There's one more important thing."
"What?"
"It's about South Korea's top 10 guilds. I found out you're not part of any guild."
I don't care much about guilds. I have the Play Life app.
Hunters join good guilds to grow stronger faster with their support, to have reliable comrades, and to earn more money by working with the guild.
'The downside is having to follow guild rules.'
Since it's life-or-death work, guild rules are strict. It also feels like a company, so you have to manage relationships. It's just annoying.
'I can grow stronger through the Play Life app. Even without a guild, I can work as a freelance hunter, avoiding dangerous missions and sticking to safer monsters.'
Guild support? If I commit to using the Play Life app, guild support is nothing.
"I have no plans to join a guild. At least not now. And the Yeongcheon Sword Academy… I also have a contract with the hunter academy I attend."
The future is unpredictable, so I can't say for sure. If there's a guild with pretty girls my type, I might join just to flirt.
"…Didn't you join the show to promote yourself to major guilds?"
"No. My university made me join because I'm the strongest."
Actually, it was because of Han Ha-rin. And since I was participating, I aimed to win.
"Enough digressing. What's your point?"
"South Korea's top 10 guilds are rotten. The older generation of hunters have been clinging to them for at least 20, sometimes over 50 years. Even someone like you would need at least 20 years to get an executive position."
Kang Seok-soo's words are exaggerated but not entirely wrong.
South Korea's top 10 guilds have many older hunters, making promotions difficult.
There's a famous saying among hunters: If you're determined, you can keep working as a hunter even past 70. While you weaken with age, it's not as drastic as with regular people. If you reach high A-rank, age becomes just a number.
S-rank? South Korea has S-rank hunters over 100 years old. Shockingly, they look like they're in their mid-20s. The martial arts trope of reversing aging is real.
"...So?"
"At first, I planned to join a top 10 guild too. But after researching, I realized—South Korea's top 10 guilds are already saturated."
"That's not just the top 10 guilds."
"It's worst for the top 10."
South Korea's hunter industry is a red ocean now.
In the past, due to the lack of proper dungeon strategies and monster information, hunter mortality rates were high. Many who awakened abilities chose not to become hunters.
But now, with systematic dungeon manuals, information on tens of thousands of monsters, and ever-improving hunter equipment, mortality rates have dropped drastically.
'Thanks to the relatively recent invention of energy protectors, hunters are even safer. They're just really expensive.'
On top of that, South Korea currently has about 7,000 A-rank hunters.
For such a small country, that's an absurd number.
***
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