I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 180

180.

A healing-type Hunter beside me quickly cast a recovery skill.

“It’s impossible; the difference is too great.”

“Hey, are you chickening out now? You knew what you were getting into from the start.”

One of the Hunters from the left team swaggered over, then hesitated, seemingly surprised to see Song Jin-ah and Park Seo-ah.

The fallen Hunter also awkwardly got up.

Song Jin-ah seemed relatively polite to the guild members, but she looked more nervous than expected.

‘Looks aren’t everything, I guess.’

In comparison, the relationship between the Solar Guild, especially the Royal Guild, and its members was much more comfortable.

Of course, they were different when they needed to be cold and calculating.

Watching the nervous guild members, Song Jin-ah raised her hand slightly.

“It’s okay. But what’s going on with a B-rank and a C-rank sparring?”

Song Jin-ah raised her eyebrows and called the Hunters from both sides together.

Seo-ah overheard that the B-rank had hurt the C-rank’s pride, and the C-rank couldn’t stand it and requested a duel.

But the difference in rank couldn’t be ignored. Moreover, the ranks of the supporting Hunters were also different, so it was no contest.

In fact, it was a common occurrence among Hunters, so there was no reason for the guild leader, who wasn’t even their teacher, to interfere.

“Hmm, what do you think? Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

Seo-ah immediately understood the meaning of the question, ‘What do you think?’ It meant, would she do it again?

Helping the C-rank to beat the B-rank.

Seo-ah looked back and forth between the panting C-rank and the B-rank, who seemed relaxed despite being a little nervous.

It would be good practice. Seo-ah smiled brightly and replied.

“Yes, I will literally only assist.”

Then the C-rank jumped up and bowed deeply.

“P-Please take care of me! It’s an honor! Hunter Park Seo-ah!”

Seo-ah looked at him, bewildered by the sudden excessive courtesy.

Song Jin-ah, who was next to her, smiled and said.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah is famous in our guild. After all, she’s the first S-rank pure support type, not a healing type.”

“I-Is that so.”

Seo-ah looked at the C-rank in front of her again and said kindly.

“I look forward to working with you too. I hope I can be of help.”

In fact, since the same skills couldn’t be stacked, there was a limit, even if the increase was greater than other buff skills.

Song Jin-ah looked at the two B-ranks.

“It’ll be okay, right? Since there’s a rank difference.”

The B-ranks looked at Seo-ah and the C-rank with a sullen expression and nodded.

“Yes, well….”

Unlike before, he expected that the C-rank would become much stronger with the S-rank supporter Seo-ah, but he still didn’t think it would be enough to overcome the rank difference.

The sparring unfolded as the C-rank support-type Hunter and Song Jin-ah stepped back to watch.

As I approached the C-rank combat-type Hunter from behind, I could feel his nervousness.

“Stay calm.”

[Skill ‘Silent Night’ is activated.]

Seo-ah’s passive skill was activated appropriately, calming him down.

Park Seo-ah also looked at the two opposing Hunters.

‘Maybe it’s because they’re low-ranked Hunters, but I can feel it even from this distance.’

Even though I didn’t have much intimacy with them. It seemed to be thanks to the [Emotional Transference Power] rising to L-rank, and Seo-ah becoming more skilled at accepting it over time.

“I’m behind you, so don’t worry.”

“Y-Yes.”

A moment of silence passed, and Song Jin-ah shouted, “Start.”

The B-rank and C-rank ran towards each other.

Seo-ah didn’t cast all three buffs right away.

Even with a 20% buff, the stats themselves would probably be higher for the B-rank. In this case, as in the previous fight between Sujeong and Yoonji, unexpectedness was important.

The B-rank and C-rank rushed towards each other and exchanged blows several times. Perhaps because I hadn’t given them any buffs yet, the C-rank was definitely being pushed back.

Still, perhaps because [Silent Night] suppressed his tension, the C-rank was giving it his all.

After barely dodging the first punch thrown by the B-rank, he lowered his body and aimed for his legs. But his speed didn’t keep up as much as he thought.

The B-rank slightly twisted his body to deflect the punch, then lightly jumped over the C-rank’s crown and kicked him in the head with his foot.

Thwack!

“Ugh.”

Thanks to having shifted his center of gravity in advance, the C-rank didn’t fly away like before, even if he fell after being hit.

He rolled on the ground to avoid the continuous kicks, but he couldn’t avoid them all.

He instinctively tried to block with both arms, but then realized.

‘If this continues, they’ll break…!’

But it was already too late. The moment the bottom of the shoe was about to touch his arm, a system window appeared to the C-rank.

[Skill ‘Ironclad Pine’ is applied!]

[Health and defense increase by 20%! (Duration 2:00:00)]

“Wh-What…!”

Bang!

A dull pain arose in the arm crushed by the B-rank’s foot. But it wasn’t unbearable. It was even possible to push back, not just block.

The B-rank staggered, and the C-rank stood up again. There was a slight look of bewilderment on the B-rank’s face, but that was it.

The B-rank still quickly found the C-rank’s weak points and attacked, and the C-rank couldn’t avoid even half of them. No, he didn’t avoid them on purpose because it seemed like he could take them.

Instead of dodging, the C-rank gave up his thigh and punched the B-rank in the solar plexus.

“Kuh.”

It was the first effective hit. But it wasn’t fatal.

The B-rank widened the distance between himself and the C-rank. The B-rank’s eyes became serious, as if he had noticed that the C-rank’s body had become harder than before.

Each of them now held a dagger in their hands. Not a wooden training sword, but a real sword.

“Haa…!”

This time, the C-rank attacked first. Believing in his increased defense, he pushed forward with his body and tried to stab the B-rank in the side with his dagger.

But as expected, his speed still didn’t keep up as much as he thought. Leaving only a glancing wound, a long scar remained on the C-rank’s face from the B-rank’s dagger, which was swung horizontally.

The B-rank’s healer immediately healed the wound on his side. Seo-ah also healed him, but the recovery skill wasn’t high, so the scar remained.

“Huk, huk….”

The B-rank judged that it would be disadvantageous for him to drag on. Park Seo-ah would have more skills left. So he used a skill to finish it quickly.

“Iyah!”

Holding a dagger with a dark aura, he took a high running start.

The C-rank looked up at the sight and was horrified.

‘No, it’s too late!’

He thought he had to avoid it, but he wasn’t confident.

If that skill touched him, the touched part of his body would be temporarily paralyzed.

While the C-rank was struggling to avoid being touched, a second system window appeared.

[Skill ‘Fighting’ is applied!]

[Strength and agility increase by 20%! (Duration 2:00:00)]

Clang!

The C-rank instantly clashed his dagger against the flying dagger.

The B-rank’s hand was pushed back a little along with the dagger. A little, just a little, but that was a lot in battle.

“Ugh.”

While the B-rank was briefly flustered, the C-rank slashed down on the B-rank’s forearm.

Seeing that the damage was being dealt properly, the C-rank continued his attack without stopping.

Whenever the C-rank was about to get excited about his increased stats, [Silent Night] suppressed him. Thanks to this, the C-rank continued his attack without being reckless.

The C-rank’s combat skill [Wind’s Path] was activated, and his movements became even lighter with his increased agility.

‘It’s really amazing.’

[Wind’s Path] was a skill that could change attack speed at any moment.

Wounds were etched on the B-rank’s body as much as the C-rank’s wounds. Considering that he couldn’t even touch him well until now, it was a dramatic improvement.

But it was difficult to maintain for a long time because of the high mana consumption.

Just as he was about to turn off the skill, the third buff skill came.

[Skill ‘Love Yourself’ is applied!]

[Mental power and magic power increase by 20%! (Duration 2:00:00)]

As his magic power increased, so did his mana. The C-rank’s eyes widened.

Buffs that increased strength or defense were common, but increasing magic power and mental power was really rare.

The C-rank didn’t miss the opportunity and applied [Wind’s Path], which he had only applied to his arms, to his legs as well. And he kicked off the ground and jumped up with all his might.

Thump!

The C-rank’s kick hit the B-rank’s shoulder, causing the B-rank to lose his balance for a moment and fall backwards on his butt.

Just as the C-rank was about to continue his attack, Song Jin-ah clapped her hands.

“Okay, stop. You both did a great job!”

At Song Jin-ah’s shout, the C-rank quickly stepped back. The B-rank also wiped away his sweat and stood up.

The B-rank looked more surprised than upset.

“…Wow.”

And the C-rank was looking at his status window floating in the air as if he couldn’t believe it.

Seo-ah, who was behind him, looked at him with a troubled face.

‘Hmm, I ended up using [Breakthrough] too.’