On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons-Chapter 207: #World’s Strongest Hunter (1)

"It's time for the fourth match of round 64's second group! Greece's representative, Hercules Incarnate Hunter Ares Lehou, versus Hero of Africa and South Korea's representative, Hunter Steve Choi! Let the battle begin!"

Like a feral beast unleashed from its chains, Ares didn’t waste a second to pounce on Choi Bong-Shik.

“Grrr! I’ll kill you, Steve Choi!”

Explosions thundered throughout the colosseum, threatening to turn the whole place into smithereens. The golden-armored Ares resembled a giant chariot more than a human. In a second, the 50-meter distance between the two disappeared.

Choi Bong-Shik shuddered as he looked up at the shadow overhead. Ares' eyes flashed menacingly through his helmet as he raised his axe and swung it down like lightning, ready to cleave Choi Bong-Shik's head in half.

“Eeek!”

Baaam!

As if struck by a meteorite, a massive crater appeared in the arena, but Choi Bong-Shik was nowhere to be seen.

That lunatic!

Choi Bong-Shik gasped, trying to catch his breath. He had teleported to the invisible barrier at the end of the arena, which protected the audience.

Killing an opponent would result in instant disqualification, yet Ares didn’t seem to care. He pulled the axe from the ground and glowered ruthlessly at Choi Bong-Shik.

“You vermin! How dare you dodge my attack!”

Choi Bong-Shik was speechless. Was I just supposed to die?!

Ares swung his axe toward Choi Bong-Shik once more, piercing the air.

“Aargh!”

Choi Bong-Shik twisted away, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The axe rebounded off the barrier and snapped back into Ares' hands like a boomerang.

“Go to hell!”

“Waaaah!”

Bam bam bam!

Ares charged like a raging bull toward Choi Bong-Shik, swinging his axe ferociously. The arena was torn apart, and debris and dust were scattered around.

“Stop running away! How can you call yourself a man?!”

“Stop chasing me, you monster!”

However, Choi Bong-Shik didn’t just flee. With each teleport, he hurled Mana Bombs from his subspace at Ares. Yet, even after depleting half his inventory, he managed only a small scratch on Ares' armor.

That much was to be expected, though. After all, not even S-rank Hunter Baek Yoo-Hyun’s flames could graze it.

It’s that fucking armor, isn’t it?!

Wasn’t the armor called Achilles Armor? He had heard that it was the best in the Hunter Shop, which was only accessible to S-rank Creation-type Hunters like Kang Woo.

Coward! Wearing that golden armor with such a monstrous build is just plain cheating!

His attacks did nothing to Ares except earn him an express ticket to hell!

I don't stand a chance at all!

It was akin to smashing a boulder with an egg. Still, forfeiting wasn’t an option.

“Waaah! Hero of Africa! Steve Choi!”

“Prince Charming! Go, go!”

The audience cheered for him, and at least half the world was likely watching through various broadcasts. What would happen if he forfeited right then and there?

My Hunter career would come to an end...

Even if he were to be defeated, he should at least leave a good impression—for the sake of his future!

But what am I supposed to do? I can't even scratch him...

Choi Bong-Shik desperately racked his brains. If he were Yu Il-Shin—if he were as strong as that abomination...

Ah!

A lightbulb went off in his head.

Maybe this could work?

Choi Bong-Shik stopped teleporting.

“Come at me, Ares!”

Ares grinned in amusement. Choi Bong-Shik was no longer a pesky fly darting around. Had he finally decided to face him head-on?

“Grrr, great! That’s what it means to be a man! For your determination, I’ll let you keep an arm and a leg!”

How is that any better? Frowning, Choi Bong-Shik raised a middle finger.

“Shut up and let's get this over with, you lowland gorilla!”

“Gaaah! Who are you calling a gorilla?! Die!” Ares roared as he closed in on Choi Bong-Shik.

This gorilla seems to have some sort of complex.

“Meteor Shower!”

Tzzz!

The surrounding area shook like a tidal wave, and countless Mana Bombs rained down like a torrential downpour.

“Hmph! Another useless attack!” Ares covered his face, which was the only exposed part of him.

The Achilles Armor Set, one of the highest-grade armors in the Hunter Shop, boasted tremendous magic resistance and physical durability. No matter how many Mana Bombs were thrown at him, it was futile!

Hmm?

However, Choi Bong-Shik wasn’t aiming for Ares.

Baaaam!

Bombs rained down on the arena, shrouding it in a massive cloud of dust.

“You bastard! What do you think you're doing?!”

Booom!

Ares gritted his teeth and swung his axe ferociously at the dust fog to prevent a sneak attack.

However, Choi Bong-Shik had already teleported behind Ares. “Got you!”

“Y-you!”

Choi Bong-Shik clung to Ares’ back like a cicada clinging to a dead tree. He then activated his ability.

“Skill, Ruler of Space!”

Swoosh!

The Hunters disappeared from the arena.

“T-they disappeared?”

“Huh? Where did they go?”

The audience was confused.

Wham! Baaaam!

Just then, Ares’ axe fell onto the arena.

Beep beep beeeeep!

The camera drones' mana sensors reacted instantly, sending them soaring into the sky.

The MC exclaimed, “Oh! The two Hunters have reappeared in the sky!”

The cameras zoomed in on the two dots in the sky, projecting them back to the colosseum.

“Amazing! Look at them, moving through the air at tremendous speed! Steve Choi must’ve used his teleportation skill! I wonder what kind of strategy he’s using!”

Swoosh!

“Ruler of Space! Ruler of Space!”

Every time Choi Bong-Shik used his ability, they reappeared at an even higher altitude, going even higher than the peak of Mount Everest. Cold sweat trickled down Ares’ back. They were so high up that he couldn’t even see the ground—all he could see below him was a sea of clouds.

Incredible!

Was Steve Choi’s reputation not mere rumors? Ares knew of a few Spatial-type Hunters, but he had never met someone with such an ability. Defying gravity was difficult, yet there they were, traveling through space despite weighing over 300 kilograms with the golden armor.

Worst of all, Steve Choi still had no intention of stopping.

Ares impatiently yelled, “Steve Choi, are you still not done?!”

Was he planning to take them out into space? Ares shuddered at the thought.

Choi Bong-Shik felt like he was in hell. He learned that the temperature dropped 0.7°C per 100 meters, and they were now over 10 kilometers above ground! Though it hadn’t reached -70°C, the thin air left him frigid.

Riiiip!

Like a climber stranded on the Himalayas, Choi Bong-Shik's face was freezing.

Aaargh! My face! It's frozen! I'm dying! Yu Il-Shin is really a monster!

Unlike him, whose entire body was already screaming in agony, Yu Il-Shin had done something similar so effortlessly, covering distances many times greater while bringing Choi Bong-Shik along!

Choi Bong-Shik’s lips turned blue. Mustering his strength, he yelled, “S-s-s-surrender now, or I’ll drop you!”

Ares seemed unaffected by the cold, probably because of his golden armor. “Hmph! Surrender does not exist in a Greek warrior’s dictionary!”

“You brought this upon yourself!”

Choi Bong-Shik let go of Ares.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Swoosh!

Ares plummeted to the ground at a terrifying speed, making it seem as though a dazzling golden meteor was falling from the sky. Falling from such a height, most would have died on impact. However, as a fully equipped Reinforce-type Hunter with the strongest physical durability, his chances of dying were low. He was unlikely to escape unscathed either, though.

“Phew. What a fool. I’m the Ruler of Space, Steve Choi!” Choi Bong-Shik exclaimed proudly and even struck a cool pose just in case he was being filmed.

Kuku, this is a perfect strategy, if I do say so myself.

His strategy utilized his teleportation ability to gain altitude advantage and used gravity to overpower his opponent. Naturally, it couldn't compare to Yu Il-Shin's Meteor Shower, but it was powerful enough to be his ultimate move.

It was the birth of yet another ultimate chuuni.

“Alright. Let’s call it Gravity Attack—achoo!”

Choi Bong-Shik wiped his dripping nose with his sleeve as he looked down.

Ugh. Maybe it’s time for me to go back.

Swoosh swoosh!

He carefully descended, offsetting the acceleration caused by gravity. It followed the same principle as the way descending a mountain would strain one's legs more than climbing it. After a while, the colosseum came into view.

Hehe, should I wave to the crowd?

However, something seemed amiss. The audience didn’t appear to be cheering for his victory.

Just then, a shadow loomed over him.

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“Huh?!”

Choi Bong-Shik reflexively turned around and saw Ares. Shouldn’t he have fallen from an extremely high altitude?!

Only then did he notice that a pair of angelic wings had sprouted from Ares’ back.

“Mwahahaha! Got you!” Ares clasped his hands and swung them down on Choi Bong-Shik like a hammer.

“Ugh!” Choi Bong-Shik raised his arms to parry the attack, but they were smashed like rice cakes.

“Aaaargh!”

His miserable scream rang throughout the colosseum as he collapsed to the ground.

Baaaam!

Choi Bong-Shik lay in a pathetic, bloody pool in the pit.

“The tables have turned! Hunter Ares landed a heavy blow on Steve Choi! According to the information that just came in, his wings are called Icarus Wings! The first mythical magic equipment in Greek Mythology conquering the heavens! First, the Achilles Armor Set, then the Icarus Wings! How many pieces of Greek equipment does Hunter Ares have?! I can already feel the power Greece holds!”

“Koff! Koff!” Choi Bong-Shik coughed out blood as Ares landed on the ground and folded his wings.

Looking down at Choi Bong-Shik, who was now gaunt and haggard, Ares cackled like an animal.

“Kekeke. You’ve gone from smug to ugly, Steve Choi!”

Choi Bong-Shik was at his limit. He could barely even muster a word when Ares clamped his mouth, effortlessly lifting him.

“Grrrr. It’d be a shame to end this quickly.” Ares pulled out his axe from the ground.

Ugh, I-I must teleport...

Choi Bong-Shik tried to escape from Ares’ grasp.

W-why? Why wouldn’t my ability work?

“Keke. It’s no use, Steve Choi.”

Tzz!

Ares’ axe emanated a blood-red glow, wrapping around Choi Bong-Shik like glue.

“Fall prey to my Procrustes' Axe.”

The axe, Ares’ third piece of equipment, could seal the abilities of those he touched.

With a twisted grin, Ares swung his axe down on Choi Bong-Shik like an executioner.

“W-wait! W-we’ll surrender!” Gal Joong-Hyuk yelled from outside the arena, but it fell on deaf ears.

Choi Bong-Shik sensed death approaching. Yet, instead of his family or ex-lover, why was Yu Il-Shin the one in his mind?

Please, save me, Mr. Yu Il-Shin!

Choi Bong-Shik prayed for his life—a follower's instinct. A blinding flash of light followed.

Claaaang!

An ear-splitting metallic clash reverberated as sparks flew in all directions.

I-I’m still alive?

Choi Bong-Shik slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a man in a black helmet, barely blocking Ares’ axe with a dagger.

With a smirk, the man said, “You called, Bong-Shik?”