abcnovels
Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Future Sight wasn’t perfect. Wasn’t the goddess the perfect evidence of that? If it was perfect, the goddess wouldn’t be crouching in the corner of a room right now. The future was fickle. Not even the constellations of the Abyss could completely predict it.
‘Still, it isn’t without any basis.’
Though not completely the same, this future could still happen. Choi Yeonseung judged as he reasoned out how to use the Future Sight skill.
-You seem to use it better than the original owner.
-What a joke... Wait, was that not a joke?
Choi Yeonseung was bewildered. Although he lost the match, Douglas was still a popular hunter. Many fans would support him even more. In their eyes, Choi Yeonseung likely looked like a villain who stole Douglas’ crown. Why would Douglas do something crazy when he still had so much? No matter how much power a hunter had, killing people in public would be crossing a line that should never be crossed. The damage it would do was irreparable.
‘No. I shouldn’t worry about why he’d do it.’
Choi Yeonseung realized he didn’t have to think about Douglas’ reasoning. All he had to do was stop him if he pushed through with it and leave if he didn’t. Moreover, if the future he saw was accurate, then time was running out.
‘I’ll have to use the power of the Icarus clan’s hunters. Fortunately, the Mount Hua Sect is here as well.’
Choi Yeonseung contacted the Icarus clan hunters who came to the stadium, then contacted the hunters of the Mount Hua Sect.
-Congratulations on your victory!
-Uh, thanks. Anyway, be prepared to fight. Do you still remember the method I taught you last time? Get ready to use it to stop someone.
-Understood.
The Mount Hua Sect hunters who came to cheer for him were taken aback by the sudden order. However, they showed no hesitation. They were used to doing dirty work in the underworld, after all. Once orders were given from above, they follow without questions!
“What’s going on?”
“Who knows... Is he trying to attack someone?”
It was surprisingly common for hunters to fight each other, even more so when the hunters in question belonged to the UHC. They were powerful and prideful. Once they had received all types of insults and curses, they would be left with no other choice but to explode. This often led the idiots among them to gather fellow hunters and openly attack others.
“But he won.”
“... Really? Ah. Maybe his opponent is the one about to attack. We have to be careful.”
Choi Yeonseung had just shown one of the greatest matches in UHC history. It even made the Mount Hua Sect hunters’ hearts pound. The least they could do was escort him properly after such a match. It would be a shame if the enemies attacked while they were protecting him. They could be a bit lacking in terms of rank, but they were proud of their PVP combat ability. Moreover, they recently made remarkable achievements thanks to Choi Yeonseung.
This was their time to show off!
***
“The match was beautiful,” Brian said, feeling moved.
Brian was an experienced commentator, but this bout rendered him speechless multiple times.
That was how perfect it was! To use an analogy, it could be called a match between a spear and a shield.
As the champion, Douglas faced Choi Yeonseung with near-perfect magic linkage. As soon as the match started, he activated and covered himself with all types of defensive magic. Afterward, he cast mid-range magic to prevent Choi Yeonseung from approaching.
Despite having a wide range of magic spells, which Douglas showed in this bout, he still managed to use all the appropriate ones for the situation. When he realized Choi Yeonseung was significantly faster than other hunters, Douglas used it to his advantage by using wide-range or homing magic.
Within the first minute, Choi Yeonseung was put on the defensive and already looked as if he could be taken out at any moment. In fact, even the host thought that would be the end of Choi Yeonseung.
However, Choi Yeonseung turned the tables around little by little. Although the terrain around him getting smashed and the ice spears chasing after him could’ve depleted his patience, Choi Yeonseung remained calm and collected.
He held on.
Even those who initially booed Choi Yeonseung were rendered speechless and applauded his godly evasive ability. He didn’t use any defensive magic. Rather, he just narrowly and bare-handedly dodged the attacks. Although Douglas was the one dominating the match, he was the first to get nervous. He couldn’t keep up with the mentality of someone who had been in the Abyss for over 10,000 years.
Failing to properly manage his magic power, Douglas’ attack abruptly dissipated. Choi Yeonseung immediately used that opening to launch a counterattack. With the use of footwork, he instantly reached Douglas.
-The two hunters face off at close range.
-Douglas didn’t back down, which is the right decision! If he got caught while trying to widen the distance, he would have been vulnerable to attacks. Against a close-quarters combat master like Choi Yeonseung, even that slightest hint of weakness could prove dangerous for him! Player Douglas made the right call in that dire situation!
Douglas didn’t mind melee combat. Covered in all types of defensive and enhancement magi, he decided he would rather fight back and get hit a few times than back off. However, Douglas’ melee skills were overwhelmingly inferior to Choi Yeonseung's. As soon as their swords met, he was already dancing on the palm of Choi Yeonseung’s hand.
Douglas knew that martial artists like Choi Yeonseung had excellent close-quarters combat skills, so he avoided head-on exchanges. Instead, he used the fraudulent skill he received from his constellation. He pushed using skills and pure strength than sword movements and control! Every time Douglas swung his sword, he sent explosions and shockwaves to his surroundings.
.... Nevertheless, Choi Yeonseung still held out. Avoiding being directly hit by the shockwaves, he endured the onslaught. If it was difficult to avoid it, he deflected it. If he couldn’t deflect it, he gathered up his internal energy and made it collide with the shockwave.
Dodging magic at close range was several times more difficult than dodging it at mid-range. However, Choi Yeonseung did just that using precise movements that left no room for errors. As he avoided the incoming attacks, he closed in on Douglas. The sight made Douglas’ heart tighten.
From that point on, Choi Yeonseung began to retaliate. His attacks weren’t as flamboyant. They didn’t flip around and made the ground quake like Douglas’ attacks. However, they were sharp, quiet, and above all else, precise.
-Hunter Choi Yeonseung is on the offense!
-His attacks aren’t reaching at all! Douglas’ defense is too strong!
Choi Yeonseung attacked nonstop, but Douglas didn’t budge. The constellation-given defense skills overlapping each other proved much tougher than he had expected. Even so, Choi Yeonseung wasn’t flustered. He had gone through far more unreasonable situations than this in the Abyss.
He could’ve torn Douglas’ defenses apart in one blow using concentrated energy, but he had to save it in this match. Hence, Choi Yeonseung overcame it with sheer control instead. Aiming at the same spot in his opponent’s defense magic, he hit it hard nonstop.
Choi Yeonseung displayed a chilling calmness as he took a step forward in this situation where one mistake could cost them their lives. It wasn’t until Douglas’ defense magic was broken that he caught up to Choi Yeonseung’s plan.
-H-Hunter Douglas’ magic has been destroyed! Hunter Choi Yeonseung has broken through his defenses!
-Hunter Douglas is coughing up blood! Hunter Choi Yeonseung has landed a good blow!
The other spells disappeared the moment the attack, which was filled with internal energy, landed on Douglas’ torso. Douglas tried to hold on somehow, but it was useless against a martial artist. Choi Yeonseung threw away Douglas’ weapon and struck him continuously. With each hit imbued with the Internal Heavy Strike Technique, he destroyed Douglas’ insides using internal energy.
Douglas shook every time he was hit, making it difficult to use magic. This sealed Choi Yeonseung’s victory. Amid the lamentations of many fans, Choi Yeonseung knocked down the champion.
“David has defeated Goliath! He did have strong momentum, but who would’ve thought that the 20th-place Hunter Choi Yeonseung would actually beat the champion?!”
“He showed overwhelming patience in the early and mid stages of the match. He proved that one could be strong even without fraudulent skills!”
As everyone excitedly chattered about the shocking outcome, a hideous atmosphere started to envelop Douglas’ holding room.
***
“Douglas. The fans are still rooting for you. We didn’t have enough intel about your opponent in this match. Let’s head back, regroup, and seize the throne again,” the agent said.
However, Douglas just remained silent. Thinking it had to be the shock from his defeat, the agent consoled him.
“Everyone’s bound to lose. What’s important is moving on from it…”
Douglas wasn’t listening at all. He was too busy focusing on the message of the constellations.
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is very disappointed that you were defeated by a constellation’s insignificant household member.]
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is angry.]
-No, Master. Please give me one more chance! Just one! He had a lot of information about me, and I didn’t know anything about him. Don’t abandon me, Master! It will be hard to find a talent like me!
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is ignoring you.]
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ says that someone as unworthy as you should at least please your master by acting like a clown.]
-What does that mean...?
The focus in Douglas’ eyes disappeared. Douglas jumped up and looked at the staff gathered around him.
“You trash.”
“D-Douglas, what are you doing?”
“It is because of trash like you that I lost. There wouldn’t have been any other reason for me to lose,” Douglas said, shocking the staff.
“Douglas. I know you lost, but calm down. I’ll let this slide, so get some rest. We’ll talk after.”
“That’s right, Douglas. We’re here to support you.”
“Shut up.” Douglas drew his sword.
A B+ hunter had physical strength beyond imagination. The staff died before they could even use any magic.
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ is rejoicing!]
[The ‘Noble Crown Collector’ says he is not satisfied yet. He orders you to go outside and claim more victims.]
Signing a contract with an evil god constellation never ended well. At first, they seemed kind and empowering, but they could discard their household members at any given moment. The collector constellation was very amused by the fall of the noble champion.
Outside his holding room were tens of thousands of people who had come to watch his match. How would the humans react when he shot them with magic?
***
‘Is he crazy?’ Choi Yeonseung was astonished. Sensing Douglas’ aura, he judged that his recent opponent had started ramping inside the waiting room.
“Give the order to evacuate! Icarus clan hunters, head inside!”
“W-what’s happening?”
The staff members working at the stadium were taken aback when Choi Yeonseung suddenly ran out. He had already won, so what was he doing? Choi Yeonseung grabbed the person in charge by the collar and glared straight into his eyes, his strong presence overwhelming the man’s spirit.
“Evacuate the people.”
“C-copy!!”
The man obeyed, but before he could issue the evacuation order, Douglas stormed out of the waiting room and smashed the entrance. He was holding the corpse of a staff member in one hand.
“......”
“......”
As many of the onlookers tried to make sense of what they were seeing, Douglas unleashed magic toward the stands!
“Stop it, Antony! I will kill you if you fail!”
‘This crazy guy!’ Antony cursed at Choi Yeonseung. This person had a talent for making his cheer words to others very novel.