episode_0050

With such a strong impression from the start, she tidied up the area around me and then whispered something to the birds perched on her body, causing them to scatter around.

Shoo…

Then, she seemed to make them attack the monsters not voluntarily.

While the audience was simply fascinated by her beautiful yet fierce appearance, the guild officials focused on something else.

“Magic… acting on its own and making decisions?”

“Are you stupid? Does that look like magic? It’s a spirit!”

“A spirit…? That? Well, I’ve seen spirits before, but a spirit that controls such a large number… aren’t spirits famous for not following the summoner’s orders properly?”

“So, we have a top-tier rookie appearing…!”

“Yes, isn’t that the guild master over there? Switch it, quickly!”

Since the seat she originally sat in was a VIP seat obtained through participation, I could see in real-time how she was creating a stir from the broadcasting station to the reactions of the guild officials.

“Hey, youngest.”

“Yes.”

“Our broadcasting station will be the first to interview her.”

Everyone was salivating over her presence.

Without even knowing why she had come here in the first place.

The stage that brought about the battle between humans and monsters, showcasing only her unique actions to the public, was slowly coming to an end.

A grand mage using large-scale magic to burn dozens of monsters?

A swordsman who could cut even large monsters into pieces with just one or two strikes?

So, what can be done?

In front of her, who summoned several beings capable of making independent judgments and thoughts, leading the battlefield alone, everyone could only hope for her light.

Eventually, about a quarter of the hunters left the battlefield due to injuries, and most of the medium-sized monsters lost their lives to the hunters’ swords and abilities. It was around this time that the host came up on stage and said,

“Haha, there have been many unexpected events in this competition. From the 327 participants to the hunter who showed overwhelming performance alone. Well, no matter what happens in our event, the fact that such strong hunters are in Korea means that our country is safe, so it’s really fortunate for those watching this broadcast, isn’t it?”

After saying this playfully, the host displayed something on the big screen.

“Now, without further ado, let’s reveal the mid-point scores.”

And then, the scoreboard popped up…

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[1st place Alia Valenstine 1507 points]

[2nd place Hong Shinhye 1025 points]

[3rd place Lee Suho 927 points]

[4th place Baek Hoyoung 879 points]

.

.

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Of course, this was the expected result.

“This is crazy, really. There seem to be more talents than before, but the 1st place is too overwhelming…”

“The girl in 2nd place is pitiful.”

“2nd place? Hong Shinhye? Do you know her?”

“Oh, she’s one of the top talents among those raised by Martop… She must have participated to get Martop’s attention…”

“…How did she end up participating in this event with such a great spirit user…”

“And then, 3rd place is…”

“The third son of the Demon Swordsman…”

“…He’s third even here.”

Listening to the TMI, as I continued to watch the screen, the host declared a bombshell.

“Yes, it seems that in our current state, it’s impossible to judge the abilities of the hunters who participated in this event. So, according to our discretion… we have decided to hold an additional preliminary round!”

And with those words, a new, bird-sized monster appeared beyond the large screen…

“Squawk!”

Flapping its huge wings, it soared into the sky.

“No way, insane. Bringing out a B-grade raid-type monster that you rarely see these days?”

“That monster requires a significant amount of mana stones to reproduce….”

“Ugh, the Association really knows how to milk money out of people.”

And at the same time, a bird-type boss monster that reproduces by laying eggs while flying in the sky and facing the ground.

Although the eggs that landed on the ground take the form of birds, they give birth to small monsters that cannot fly in the sky.

“Kieeek!”

“Kkieeek!”

And as the horrifying sight unfolds, the host calmly speaks….

“Starting now, for those who contributed to defeating the B-rank raid monster, , 1000 points will be distributed. is known for producing up to 1000 offspring of C-rank danger level. For those who capture the remaining newly born offspring, 2 points each will be distributed, totaling 3000 points! Will the hunters who defeat the B-rank raid monster ….”

As the host excitedly speaks, on the screen above her head, Alia reaches out towards the sky.

And now, the focus shifts entirely to her as her voice resonates beyond the screen.

“Go.”

As she speaks, a stream of water erupts from the ground, binding the body of the B-rank raid boss monster, .

And then, forcibly dragging from the sky to the ground….

“Will the hunter who defeats the B-rank raid monster …. Hunter…. Wow….”

The unexpected sight leaves the host speechless, as she quietly closes her mouth.

“…It’s over.”

“ is difficult to deal with because it keeps harassing the offspring while flying in the air, but being bound to the ground like that….”

“It seems that compared to other raid monsters, has weaker durability….”

“Well, we still need to use it to a certain extent….”

Thus, the struggle between Lindbulum, who is trying to fly back into the sky, and the force holding it to the ground continues.

– Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I naturally thought she would be the one to finish off the creature, but the audience seemed to have different thoughts as they watched the scene unfold.

In reality, she did not take action to end the boss monster’s life, and soon a hunter passing by her spoke.

“….Sorry, but I’ll be the one to deliver the final blow.”

He then swiftly swung his sword around and struck the boss monster’s neck….

Thud!

A massive explosion blocked his path.

And then a sharp voice began to flow through the screen.

“Who said you could deliver the final blow?”

The swordsman frowned.

“Ha…. The Sand of the Abyss….”

And soon, the two began to fight in front of the boss monster.

It seemed that the current 2nd and 3rd place contenders were Hong Shin-hye of the Sand of the Abyss and Lee Soo-ho, the third son of the Shadow of the Blade.

“Well. There’s a separate protagonist right now….”

“The score difference isn’t that big, but it’s not a pretty sight….”

And the sight of the 2nd and 3rd place contenders arguing over who would strike the final blow in front of the boss monster, while being restrained, was not pleasing to the audience….

Swish!

Suddenly, another hunter burst onto the scene, putting an end to their fight.

The boss monster’s neck fell to the ground at the hands of the third party.

And the identity of that hunter was none other than….

[1st place Alia Valenstein 2208 points]

[2nd (up 2) Baek Ho-young 1191 points]

[3rd (down 1) Hong Shin-hye 1089 points]

[4th (down 1) Lee Soo-ho 1007 points]

It seemed to be the hunter who was in 4th place.

“What.”

“Hey, who said you could….!”

And so, with the somewhat embarrassing final moments of the former 2nd and 3rd place contenders, the preliminary round came to an end.

The host, unable to say a word in the face of the boss monster that had lost its head in such a desolate manner, finally managed to gather himself and speak after a long pause.

“Um…. Yes, this is not at all the result that our hosts had drawn, but, in any case, with this, the preliminary round is over. It was truly a moment where the prowess of a hunter shone brightly. Whether her performance will continue to shine in the main event, we will have to wait and see together….”

No, but what on earth is the host talking about?

She was a spirit user as well as a skilled swordsman, but it seemed like she was implying that her spirit summoning abilities would not be effective in the main event.

As I pondered this, I suddenly realized one fact and stopped my thoughts.

“….”

That being, she didn’t use her sword at all in this preliminary round.

Well, she did briefly draw her sword at the beginning, but she was hiding the fact that she was not only a spirit user but also a skilled swordsman.

Thinking back, it was the same when she bound the raid boss monster .

She could have easily used my sword to cut off the boss monster’s windpipe, but she chose to yield the final blow to the other hunters.

I couldn’t understand her thought process, but she was deliberately hiding one of her abilities.

….But then, didn’t she introduce herself as a swordsman on SNS?

Showing off her sword-drawing skills.

If this fact were to be known, her value and fame would skyrocket in an instant.

Even though only half of her skills were visible, she was overwhelmingly ranked first.

If she was aiming for that, her ability to attract attention in modern society was truly innate.

Curious about her SNS account, I briefly checked her profile.

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[Oh…. Isn’t the person on TV right now the same as her?]

ㄴ [No way…. The person on TV is a spirit user, she’s a swordsman….]

ㄴ [Isn’t she? They look so alike….]

ㄴ [Huh? They really do look alike. Could there be another person in Korea who looks so striking….]

ㄴ [Not twins?]

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Although there hasn’t been a big stir yet, the number of people recognizing her from recent posts is increasing….

It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the fact that she was an exceptional spirit user and a swordsman spread.

“Ah…. It’s too soon….”

And as I watched that scene, I couldn’t help but feel the ache of a future that I had vaguely allowed to approach now coming at me with such rapid clarity.

I felt like I was slowly losing my mind.