Chapter 104

Chapter 104
## Chapter: 104

### Chapter Title: Qualifying for the Finals

With a violent explosion, the stone of the combat ring pulverized into fragments.

― Simply marvelous, Yoo Chan-seok!

― Look at that, he’s actually reducing the arena floor to rubble! His power is—genuinely formidable!

As if there was ever a chance I’d be anything else. I carved a few arcs through the air with my spear to test the weight, then flashed a smirk at the challenger standing directly across from me.

“If you’ve got any sense of self-preservation, you’ll quit now.”

If my rival was the sort of logical person who could distinguish between a blessing and a curse without having to endure the pain first, I’d sincerely respect that level of maturity and happily skip the violence.

“You honestly believe I’d tuck tail and run at this stage?”

“Always obsessed with that miserable public perception.”

Legacy and pride—those are the specific demons that force a man to plant his feet even when he’s staring at his own funeral.

Granted, there are moments in life where you have to charge into the fire knowing you won’t come back, but those moments are reserved for family—protecting your parents or your children. You don’t throw your life away just to polish a brand image.

― They aren’t letting up. There’s no room for excuses—this is a blatant disparity in raw talent.

― This is a completely one-sided slaughter. The challenger hasn’t even found a window to mount an attempt.

― Based on this showing, we might actually see a fresh figure ascend the rankings this time around!

While the commentators babbled with manufactured enthusiasm, we were down here wrestling in a cramped circle against someone who didn’t necessarily have to be an adversary.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world was perched safely in the bleachers, treated to the show. It gave me the distinct sensation of being a dolphin performing tricks in a tank.

It’s certainly not my preferred style of entertainment.

“Taste this…!”

The man lunged forward. I had zero interest in prolonging this pathetic display. As he made his move, I whipped my spear around in a tight arc and caught him squarely on the chin.

The contest ended right there. It was over in a heartbeat—a completely lopsided conclusion. Predictably, the more boring the finish, the more frantic the announcers became.

― It’s over in the blink of an eye once again!

― Absolute dominance. There’s nothing left to analyze—that is pure, bone-chilling talent!

The broadcast team knew this fight was a dud. That’s exactly why they turned up the volume, acting like they were witnessing a miracle. If they didn’t, the mood in the stadium would have turned to ice.

Look, it’s their own fault for dragging regular people into a gladiator pit and expecting a masterpiece. If they want to turn a profit, they should be the ones working for the hype.

I pulled out my phone and scowled at the screen. It was the Association President.

“Yeah, this is Yoo Chan-seok.”

― Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. I’ve been watching your performance. Perhaps you could consider making it last a bit longer next time?

What was he even talking about?

“I’d be happy to make it a spectacle if the person across from me gave me anything to work with.”

It wasn’t as if they were forcing me to reveal some grand secret technique. I just channeled a bit of mana and swung—hard. If they fall over like dry leaves because of that, it’s hardly my problem to mourn.

“The real issue lies with the people expecting a dramatic tug-of-war between a tiger and a colony of ants.”

The reality is that everyone involved already knows how the script ends.

― You’ll encounter actual opposition once you reach the finals.

“I certainly hope so.”

But I doubted it. At my current level, I could trade blows with Lee Se-eun for hours on end.

In a test of endurance, I’d likely even take her down. There was simply no way these preliminary climbers could touch that level of power.

That is the chasm that exists between me and the hunters scratching and clawing just to get a mention on Hope’s List.

“Actually, while I have you, thanks for reaching out. Sang-ah and Oh-hoon mentioned something quite fascinating to me recently.”

― What kind of story?

I leaned back against the cold wall, my voice dropping into a casual drawl.

“They mentioned that the officials were very clearly playing favorites for the opposing side.”

― That’s impossible. This tournament is conducted with total integrity under the direct supervision of the Association.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re half right. It is definitely under the Association’s thumb.”

The ‘integrity’ part? I wasn’t buying it for a second. These people treat the truth like an optional suggestion.

― Listen, Yoo Chan-seok. Competitors get anxious, and they often feel like the world is against them. It’s just nerves. I’m sure those two…

“Cut the crap.”

The Association President tried to keep digging his hole, but I shut him down.

― Excuse me?

“Association President, do you still think I’m some low-tier hunter you can push around? Like I’m still the guy who couldn’t say no to that suicide mission you dumped on me after I cleared the Gyodong Island Erosion Core a few months back?”

The line went silent for a long moment.

― Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, a little bit of notoriety doesn’t give you the right to be so disrespectful. Fame and public favor are nothing but illusions.

On that point, I actually agreed with him. Flimsy things like popularity and status can shatter at the slightest stumble.

“Maybe so, but they’re incredibly sharp as long as they hold together.”

Until the moment they snap, they can cut through almost anything—like a monofilament blade made of glass.

What I was getting at was simple:

“Right now, I’m untouchable enough that I can talk to you exactly like this, and you can’t do a damn thing about it.”

― And how long do you imagine that will last? There are plenty of individuals capable of crushing your fragile little reputation.

I broke into a loud laugh.

“Then where are those people while I’m running my mouth? Do you want me to tell you where they are?”

I pressed the phone close to my lips and lowered my voice to a whisper.

“Laying a hand on me right now yields them absolutely zero profit.”

Every social circle operates on the same logic. The hotheads who react with their emotions never stay at the peak—they burn out and crash.

If the foundation holds, so does the status.

The people at the very top don’t move out of spite or rage. They calculate the gains and losses, moving only when the math favors them.

I shifted back to a more formal, polite tone with the President.

“Let’s stop wasting time with this. Regardless, with these reports of rigged judging coming out, please try to be more discreet. I’d hate for things to get ugly between me and the Association over something so petty.”

At least, not over a bribe-taking referee.

It was almost comical that supposedly prestigious tournament officials would sell their integrity for a few favors. Then again, the World Cup and the Olympics are riddled with the same rot.

“Groups like Wonder Club or Taebaek LLC, for instance.”

Total silence from the other end. Among the factions with enough leverage in the Korea Hunter Association to actually have a grudge against me, Wonder Club and Taebaek were the prime candidates.

― The Association maintains the highest standards of fairness for this event.

“If you say so. Sure. Oh, one more thing.”

I took a beat, organizing my thoughts, and then continued in a relaxed manner.

“A lot of emergency room snakebite cases follow a very specific pattern. Do you happen to know what it is?”

― …I haven’t a clue.

Honestly, it wasn’t a trick question—why was he struggling?

“You see a snake, and you should just quietly back away. But people panic, they grab a stick to poke at it, and that’s exactly when they get bit.”

If you don’t mess with it, you almost never get bitten. Sure, you might accidentally step on one hiding in the grass… but once you’ve spotted it, if you stay calm and move on, it’ll leave you alone.

“Just a bit of food for thought.”

I won’t strike if I’m not provoked. But some people just can’t help themselves.

― An interesting anecdote. Regardless, congratulations on making it to the finals.

The call ended there.

“The finals, then.”

It was time to get my gear together. I had anticipated there would be some form of sabotage. I never expected a smooth ride—too many people wanted our heads on a platter.

“…All the negative press has completely evaporated.”

While this circus of a tournament had been dragging on, the bleak reports about the state of the world had largely vanished from the headlines.

“But just because it’s off the front page doesn’t mean the problem is solved.”

Korea’s electricity and water infrastructure were operating at normal levels for maybe six hours a day.

A third of the agricultural land in the United States had been wiped out. The flow of resources to Korea was drying up by the day.

Like a slow-acting toxin, every economic and survival indicator was sprinting toward a total collapse.

Whether we liked it or not, the world was disintegrating piece by piece. The horrors I’d witnessed while protecting the shield generator or raiding the stores in Bratsk were just the beginning.

Yet, people refused to acknowledge it. They chose to ignore the terminal rot so they could enjoy the final, fleeting moments of comfort.

“I’m aware. And I refuse to look away.”

I packed my vitals, walked down the corridor, and stared out the window. The city, starving for power and water, was being swallowed by a darkness that looked like it belonged to the demons.

Up above, an infinite number of stars shone in the night sky.

“The universe still looks beautiful, at least.”

But the view I had dreamed of when I returned to Earth wasn’t the stars in the heavens.

I had seen more than enough of that cold, distant light in that other world.

What I truly longed for was…

A civilization so bright on the ground that the stars above felt unnecessary—the magnificent glow of a living city.

The brilliant, defiant artificial lights that pushed back nature and the dark—that was the sight that pulled me back to Earth.

I gave the window a final wipe and headed out toward the finals.

A red coupe suddenly blinked its high beams at me. As I walked over, the glass slid down to reveal a face I knew well.

“Hello there.”

“Owner Sa Seung-hee. What brings a person like you out here?”

“Incheon isn’t exactly a world away.”

Even so, it wasn’t a drive a busy executive would make for no reason.

“Get in. You’re going to Seoul, right? I’ll give you a lift.”

I climbed into the passenger seat.

“Congratulations on reaching the finals.”

“Honestly, it would have been harder to fail at this point.”

Sa Seung-hee gave a small nod.

“Even the best hunters in the country look like amateurs compared to Yoo Chan-seok, the man who conquered two Rank-1 Erosion Cores.”

“I wouldn’t have managed it without your intelligence, Owner Sa.”

She let out a dry laugh.

“Most hunters wouldn’t even know what to do with the information if I handed it to them. Though, based on what you’ve been saying on camera, you don’t seem like the humble type.”

“I’m not.”

A brief silence filled the car before Sa Seung-hee spoke up again as she navigated the road.

“I heard about the situation with Hunter Han Sang-ah and Hunter Jeong Oh-hoon.”

“The biased officiating? Yeah, luckily they managed to push through.”

She let out a heavy sigh.

“I can’t really interfere with the inner workings of the Association. I have my contacts, but…”

“It’s alright. I never expected to solve every problem by leaning on someone else.”

The data on the 1st-Rank Erosion Cores was more than enough.

“But I did want to give you a heads-up—there are some landmines buried in the finals this time.”

“Landmines?”

“You’re aware that Taebaek maintains a specialized, elite strike force?”

“Yeah, the name rings a bell.”

Yoon Sung-hyun had tried to use them as a threat against me once.

“Several members of that team have entered this tournament.”

“Do you have names?”

“Their identities are being kept under wraps. If the talk is true, they’ve already cleared the preliminaries.”

Their motive was transparent: Taebaek couldn’t stand the thought of our success, so they were sending in the heavy hitters to drag us through the mud.

“How do you always manage to pick up these rumors?”

“I have to dig through plenty of trash to find the gold on those 1st-Rank Cores.”

That made sense. I’d need to relay this to Han Sang-ah and Jeong Oh-hoon once we reached Seoul.