Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 424

There weren’t many foolish enough to underestimate the information handed over by the Demon King, who was at the center of everything.

As a result, the leaders representing various countries and factions made quick decisions.

It wasn’t just about whether to participate or not. They also discussed various matters behind the scenes, such as how to provide support if they chose not to participate and the implications of crossing borders.

Of course, Choi Yeon-woo did not take part in those discussions.

‘Why should I bother? What a waste of time.’

The only gain from participating would be the chance to get to know different facets of people.

Knowing a face and not knowing a face makes a huge difference, and gaining insight would be a good choice for expanding business internationally.

However, that mindset was somewhat akin to a merchant’s thinking. Even if she was more of a figurehead, Yeon-woo’s objective was not to generate income from running a business.

Why waste time when she could be spending more time with family?

If anything, it was the others who would feel regret.

With the release of the mid-tier potion branded with Riley’s lab logo, the quality of Hunters in those areas skyrocketed, whereas locations without it were left lagging behind.

From their perspective, they likely wished to establish a formal route during this opportunity, which was quite unfortunate for them.

Initially, the product aimed to minimize net profit while boosting Hunter strength worldwide.

So, they were not overly concerned with a portion of their products leaking away, meaning they were not completely excluded from the benefits.

“I’ve heard there’s been an increase in illegal copies in countries where the market hasn’t been developed…”

“If they can replicate them, we should just buy that person out. What a genius he must be?”

The mid-tier potion lineup could only exist thanks to the resources exuded by the Tree of Life.

The sap from the Tree of Life boasted an astounding quantity and exceptional mana efficiency.

In essence, the unique method for the mid-tier potion was to blend it with the other ingredients in a favorable ratio for quick and efficient absorption.

Aside from the sap, the other ingredients were not particularly expensive or rare, making this pretty straightforward.

But to create a mid-tier potion without the sap? If someone could match even 50% of its performance, they would be considered a genius.

If they were brought in and turned into a lab slave, Riley would undoubtedly be as thrilled as a child receiving a Christmas gift.

“…There’s none.”

As if reading Yeon-woo’s thoughts, Riley replied that way. Her stern expression said it all.

“None, huh…? For real?”

“Seriously none…”

It wasn’t meant to dismiss a dream, but rather a hollow and bittersweet voice of someone who had already woken from it.

I see, you’ve already looked, huh…

Yeon-woo comforted Riley, who had a melancholic expression. Unintentionally, she began to pat her head like she would with her children, and Riley, though flustered, accepted it completely.

She might seem mature, but considering how she hadn’t received love from her only parent, Relin, she might just be a kid pretending to be an adult.

Realizing this, Yeon-woo called Nea over and made Riley sit between them, showering her with praise and head pats.

How long had it been? There was Riley, sprawled out with her face flushed red as if in embarrassment.

It was a sight they had never really seen before, leaving the two of them to exhale satisfied breaths.

*

“Peace is a wonderful thing~.”

Unbeknownst to her, Choi Yeon-woo hummed a little tune, and her friends, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, teased her.

“How long has it been since we last saw each other? You’ve turned into quite the uncle, haven’t you? Always humming away with lyrics.”

“Damn it.”

Honestly, she couldn’t refute it. It had already been three years since she regressed; or rather, with three years gone, Yeon-woo’s mental state had become that of an ‘uncle.’ By usual standards, she was twenty-eight.

From the start, when she began her Hunter activities, Yeon-woo had been living with all sorts of uncle-like behavior.

Upon waking, she would find herself groaning, and while working out, she’d give out unintelligible yells, even turning the shower into her little singing booth.

‘But… there were only uncles around me…’

Among low-rank Hunters, especially those with long experience, there were quite a few older uncles. The majority were in their thirties, with many in their forties.

By the time you hit fifty, they started to dwindle. At that point, they preferred stable earnings over taking risks for a paycheck.

There were almost no hunters in their twenties. After all, how long could someone have a career at that age?

Only a few gifted students of the academy could start Hunter activities from the age of fifteen, but those who could even get into an academy wouldn’t still be in low-rank.

During that time, Yeon-woo had been trying to spend as little as possible, finding roommates or living in a goshiwon.

And as a result of that environment, she ended up mixing with a lot of people in similar situations.

Thus, ‘uncle-like’ behavior had unintentionally ingrained itself into her at an earlier age than normal.

“Anyway, it’s good to see you looking healthy. I heard you took down a Heavenly Demon and even went to Alkeon?”

That voice belonged to Kim Yoo-min.

It was understandable. While everyone else might have been involved in things related to home, she, being a pure Earthling, had a different experience.

“What’s with you? Are you mad that I didn’t take you along?”

“Yep~ It was nice and easy without all the trouble~.”

Yoo-min stuck out her tongue, taunting Yeon-woo.

Hmm, how annoying! While contemplating how to take revenge, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Are you having fun?”

“Nea! You’re here!?”

Yoo-min was the first to scream in delight. She was a complete muscle-brain during school, but now she radiated positive energy.

Wow, she’s grown up…!!

“Well, it’s been a while since we all gathered. I guess we can’t help but be busy with work.”

“Is it just me? I thought you were like a boss instead of a friend!”

Jung Yu-jin pointed at Yeon-woo, giggling.

In truth, she was the one most connected within the group. She was part of the ‘Cheonrian’ dealing with information, which explained everything.

She often dealt with Riley and was a source for purchasing needed information.

Of course, since Yeon-woo was usually so busy that she ended up only buying information, it made sense Yu-jin would say such a thing.

Maybe it was a bit too businesslike…?

“Wanna sit down, sis? I think it’d be fun to hang out together!”

“Hmm… I’ll think about it while I wash up, so you all go ahead and play.”

“Got it!”

With Kim Yoo-min inviting Nea over as if it were her own home, the other five watched in awe.

Who would have thought the girl who had no friends when they first met would become such a social butterfly? She always had a knack for it…

“Hey, Yoo-min, how many friends have you made…? Around a hundred or so…?”

“Why are you suddenly talking like my brother? That’s rude!”

Hyun-Soo, do you talk like this at home…?

Honestly, it was somewhat shocking. Did he become a bit obsessed with his only precious younger sister?

It seems I just obtained the profile of one of the members from Miss Na Yang-ho’s introduction group.

In any case, gathering at Yeon-woo’s house before the big event was a total of five, excluding her: Namgung Seong, Kim Yoo-min, Im Yu-bin, Jung Yu-jin, and Baek In-hwa.

Seong-ryong couldn’t come due to family matters, and Darius had also been invited but said he was too busy. One way or another, all the lesser branch families were impossibly busy.

“But why aren’t you busy?”

“Why just me? Baek In-hwa is a minor genius too.”

“She’s… she’s always been like that.”

“I used to be like that too.”

Is that so? Saying that kind of makes sense. Personally, I’d say she’s the minor genius with the best balance between personal and business.

Namgung Seong fulfilled responsibilities but was also quite faithful to personal matters.

On top of that, the current head of the family is so capable that there isn’t much for him to care about.

If he were still a trainee expert, he’d have to devote himself to training, but since he’s already a master, he can afford to be a bit lazy without anyone saying anything.

“Yeah, flying through the window like you were determined to break it was not normal.”

“Thanks to you opening the window, I survived. I once even body-slammed a window, and it didn’t break. I’d have been dead if I had charged in with my face. Thanks, Yeon-woo. You saved me.”

“Guess it was worth it to keep my window open through both heat and cold…”

With Nea joining, alcohol flowing, and school tales starting to be shared, the atmosphere began to heat up.

There was actually one story that seemed particularly interesting, but it certainly wasn’t one to share in front of all parties involved.

“Oh, has it gotten this late already…? I suppose I should head in first.”

“What? Do you have a curfew?”

“Not really. I just heard there’s been a lot of work lately, so I’m going to do some patrols.”

“What? Is this guy really going out of his way to do something nice?”

No way! I should also go around patrolling while I have the chance.

Such is the psychology of men. When a friend excels, it can breed jealousy; when a friend does a good deed, it stirs competitive spirit.

When there were many reports of such things happening, it was like a precursor to war. It was not just the other Demon Kings, but especially Moryo. Moryo was beginning to make use of the Dopplegangers to find a way.

Rather than having just started, it was likely more a part of the pre-planned measures. It meant Moryo had begun utilizing the subordinates instilled by the Demon King.

Imagine the shock on people’s faces realizing their friendly older brother or the neighbor they exchanged greetings with was actually a minion of the Demon King!

So, Yeon-woo decided to nip this in the bud. She couldn’t say outright that there were no Dopplegangers in Harmony City, but she had received requests for contact.

‘I didn’t get a cooperation request, though…’

Why was that? According to the manual developed by Yeon-woo, the one who first discovered the Doppleganger, the arrangement of mana synesthetes seemed to be nearing completion.

But, not every synesthete could expose a Doppleganger.

There were valid senses and senses that were not valid.

In that sense, it was true that Yeon-woo was exceptionally well-equipped for the task.

However, the lack of a cooperation request meant…

‘Did my worth go up too much?’

Well, that could happen. It might be important to take the initiative during times like these.

“Anyway, I’ll head in first. We’ll meet again next time.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Thus, as Namgung Seong left, the remaining people’s gaze quietly turned toward Im Yu-bin, who was sipping her drink.

Startled by so many eyes suddenly on her, Im Yu-bin hiccuped.

“So, how’s it going with that dimwit?”

It was well-known that Im Yu-bin liked Namgung Seong. Probably everyone among their peers knew but him.

Despite never having confessed during their academy days, she continued to hold that affection.

“Uh, um? I-it’s not really an interesting story… Should we talk about something else?”

Im Yu-bin tried her best to change the subject, but ironically, there was no one in the present company who would let this topic pass by.

(To be continued in the next episode)