Chapter 140

"She's very cute, but I wonder how good she is."

"The level of hunters from Country H?"

The chatter of his companions rose and fell around him, but he paid no attention to it.

Goto Ryuji had no interest in the latter, as mentioned by his assistant.

Looking at Castorice's figure, he felt an immense pressure constantly approaching, a sense of oppression filled with an unknown aura that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Could it be... that this girl is on the same level as them?

The images of those National Power Level Hunter flashed through Goto Ryuji's mind.

Realizing that someone had been staring at her for too long, Castorice looked at the source of the gaze with a puzzled expression.

When she looked over, Goto Ryuji realized that he had been staring at her for too long, so he nodded politely with a serious face and then looked away.

"What are her abilities? Is she also part of this operation?"

Goto Ryuji looked at his assistant again.

"According to the investigation, Castorice's ability is related to death. Touching or getting too close to her will result in death because of her ability. Therefore, she never goes to crowded places and has never joined any guild."

The assistant was puzzled as to why Goto Ryuji, the strongest hunter in Country R, was suddenly so concerned about a newcomer, but he still dutifully explained, "According to the intelligence, she is also a member of this attack team."

"An ability related to death?"

Not only Goto Ryuji, but everyone was curious about this claim.

"That sounds a bit eerie."

"After all, she's not a hunter from Country H, so it's normal that their skill levels are different."

They were speaking Japanese, but there were people in the room who could understand Japanese, and their repeated derogatory remarks about Country H naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of the Country H.

"Hey, aren't you guys going a bit too far?"

While the conversation was going on below, the conversation above was certainly not idle either.

After Choi Jung-in gave her a detailed explanation of the hunter situation in Country R, and also listened to some information about the unique hunter system in Country Z, Castorice finally had a clear understanding of the situation in other countries. Although her Underworld was not limited to Country H but covered the entire world, she never paid much attention to these things, and Cheng Xiaoyu would not specifically bring them up to tell her.

After all, these are things that the two of them can learn about if they are interested, and it doesn't matter if they don't.

Just as Castorice was listlessly accepting the science explanation, the voices of conflict below noticeably grew louder.

After exchanging glances, the three of them walked down the stairs together and joined the others. Then Goto Ryuji, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "Since both sides have so much energy, why don't we have a friendly match?"

This was something he had planned long ago; after all, to carry out DFN's plan, it was necessary to understand the strength of the hunters from Country H.

Gao Jianli felt something was wrong, but... given the current situation, Goto Ryuji's suggestion was perfectly natural. It would not only allow both sides to vent their anger, but also give the two sides that were about to cooperate a general understanding of each other. Under these circumstances, if he refused, it would seem like he had something to hide.

However, the thought that with Castorice in charge, the situation couldn't be too bad, lessened her vigilance considerably.

However, to prevent his side from appearing too relaxed and arousing DFN's suspicion, Gao Jianli added, "Very good, but the True Magic department, where it's difficult to determine a winner, doesn't need to participate."

Goto Ryuji and his assistant exchanged a glance.

Given their actions and attitude, it's normal for Country H to realize something was wrong. However, without knowing their plans, even Gao Jianli couldn't take any effective precautions.

This is probably an attempt to prevent the true strength of Choi Jung-in, who is known as 'Humanity's Strongest Weapon,' from being exposed. No, that includes the new S-Class Castorice.

However, this was irrelevant and wouldn't affect their plans, according to the assistant.

Goto Ryuji, on the other hand, felt something was extremely wrong with the Castorice, and it might even ruin their plan. He had to test it out himself.

Although he thought this to himself, he didn't directly refuse. "I have no objection."

"I didn't expect Senior Cha to be here for training so early."

On the other side, Castorice also walked over to Che Huiyi.

"After all, Chairman Cui helped me get leave from school, so I can't waste the opportunity to train all day."

Che Huiyi was also happy to see Castorice. She hadn't seen Castorice since the day she was rescued, but Castorice's image often appeared in her mind.

Castorice had done her a lot of kindness. Although they had only known each other for a short time, she gave Che Huiyi the feeling of being an 'important person'.

Perhaps it's because she didn't make many friends, either before or after becoming a Hunter... Those seniors who could have been her friends ended up protecting her because of her immaturity...

Seeing Che Huiyi's sudden change in mood, Castorice was curious about her dramatic mood swings, but she didn't forget the gift she wanted to give her. "Senior Che, could you spare some time after training today?"

"Um?"

This seems to be the first time Castorice has invited her.

The unexpected situation helped Che Huiyi recover from her emotional turmoil, and she nodded with a hint of joy. "Okay, I'm available anytime!"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Guild Chairman's Envy.

"Kanae-san, why are you staring at it so intently?"

In the Country R team, a girl with her hair in a bun and a lollipop in her mouth was listening to the rules of the friendly match, but she noticed that her black-haired senior was daydreaming.

Furthermore, her gaze did not fall on Goto Ryuji.

This situation is quite rare. As far as she knows, Goto Ryuji is Tawada Kanae's idol, but also her mentor. Although there is no romantic relationship between them, they share a stronger longing for each other.

Normally, Tawada Kanae shouldn't have missed what Goto Ryuji.

Tawada Kanae was brought back to her senses by the voice beside her, and she withdrew her gaze from the two girls in the Country H team.

"I was just curious because I saw a female S-Class hunter from another country."

She said in a flat tone.

"Ah... that's certainly rare."

Shimizu Akari blinked, then on a whim suggested, "Should we invite them out for dinner later? It would be a good way to strengthen our friendship."

Upon hearing this, Tawada Kanae let out a bitter laugh.

She was Goto Ryuji 'Goto Ryuji disciple, trusted him, and was also Goto Ryuji confidant. Therefore, she knew about DFN's plan this time. If the plan succeeded, these Country H hunters would all die on the island, which would strengthen their friendship...

Her gaze fell upon Goto Ryuji once more. Her admiration for him stemmed from his noble spirit of protecting the people without regard for personal gain, but now... that noble spirit she once admired had become a flickering flame in the wind.

This was unacceptable to her.

"Then it's decided. We will send Tanaka Kenzou, Hoshino Minoru, Kumamoto Atsushi, and Tawada Kanae."

"Goto Ryuji said."

"We've also made our selections: Ma Dong-wook, Che Huiyi, Baek Ryul-ho, and Lin Zigui."

Gao Jianli smiled and spoke.

"And who is Lin Zigui?"

Below the stands, Castorice looked at Choi Jung-in with a puzzled expression.

Although he was inexplicably treated as an explanation and know-it-all, Choi Jung-in's smile remained unchanged. This was also an opportunity to get closer, and there was no reason to miss it. "He is the Chairman of the Envoy Guild, which used to be the number one guild in Country H. However, because Baek Ryul-ho took many people with him when he left, the guild's strength has greatly declined. But it is still one of the top five guilds."

There was another potentially offensive statement he didn't mention: the fact that the envoy was still able to stay in the five major guilds was almost entirely due to Lin Zigui leading the way, and the overall strength of the guilds was actually much weaker than that of Baihu and Hantes.

The strongest in terms of overall strength is Baihu, but the strongest in terms of high-end combat power is Hantes. Moreover, the strongest in terms of overall strength is only slightly stronger, and there is no significant gap. In addition, Hantes has Choi Jung-in with the strongest firepower and Che Huiyi with the strongest comprehensive ability, which has established Hantes' reputation as the number one guild.

Castorice nodded thoughtfully.

If Che Huiyi was previously only the strongest in overall strength, and might not have been able to easily defeat Baek Ryul-ho in a life-or-death battle, then Che Huiyi now undoubtedly truly deserves the title of the strongest S-Class hunter in Country H.

Of course, Gao Jianli must be excluded.

And the situation on the field did indeed unfold in this way. After receiving guidance from Castorice, broadening her horizons, and being tempered in the extreme survival test, Che Huiyi now has a completely different aura and strength compared to her just a few days ago.

Even though her magic power hadn't increased at all, her aura clearly set her apart from the others. Even Ryuji belatedly realized that he had overlooked such a genius in Country H because he was too focused on Castorice.

"What... that guy?"

As she entered battle stance, Che Huiyi's aura was fully revealed. Her calm yet profound magic made Shimizu Akari was watching from the sidelines, swallow hard.

'It's like he's become a completely different person.'

The hunters from Country H naturally noticed Che Huiyi's difference.

Choi Jung-in smiled and turned his gaze to Castorice.

Although he didn't know how Che Huiyi had changed so much in such a short time, he knew it must be related to Castorice. He didn't even need to speculate on this fact; he could tell from Che Huiyi's reaction.

Castorice was somewhat puzzled by this glance. Why did you suddenly look at her like she was looking at a teacher who had raised her daughter to be successful?

Che Huiyi is also aware of her own changes. If Baek Ryul-ho is afraid of losing his mind, Ma Dong-wook has low output, and Lin Zigui and Choi Jung-in are afraid of close combat, then Che Huiyi is purely powerful, a hexagonal warrior without any weaknesses. If her stats are not enough, she is just a roadside idiot, but if her stats are enough, she is a pure overpowered character.

The battle unfolded like a one-sided rout. With the two sides being relatively evenly matched, Che Huiyi, who was clearly a cut above the rest, entered as if she were in an empty field. The first person to encounter her Tawada Kanae, was forced to retreat in less than ten moves.

Lying on the ground, she hadn't even come to her senses. If it weren't for the special rules and the fact that her opponent had no intention of killing her, she would have been killed within two moves.

Is this the Dancer's skill level? How come your Country H such a strong S-Class but has never let her step onto the international stage?

After a brief 'friendly exchange,' the Country R hunters' faces had turned completely black. Although no True Magic participated in this competition, this resounding defeat had made them lose face. After all, they had initially claimed that the Country H's S-Class hunters were not strong enough.

Even if it was something I was asked to do in an exaggerated way, it was still... very embarrassing!

"It seems that everyone has a certain understanding of each other's strength."

Seeing this, Gao Jianli walked out with a knowing smile.

Goto Ryuji frowned slightly, then continued, "It's not over yet, is it? As I just mentioned, after the multi-person competition, there's still a single-person competition. After all, we need to understand each other's 'aces' before we can entrust them with our trust. You wouldn't want your allies to be untrustworthy, would you?"

He acted as if he was standing up for his guild members.

"Um."

Gao Jianli was not surprised by his actions. To put it bluntly, the other party was trying to test Castorice, which he understood perfectly.

However, he still pretended not to understand. "In that case, we will send out hunter Che Huiyi."

I saw Che Huiyi's performance just now; she has strength that completely surpasses that of an ordinary S-Class.

"That doesn't make sense."

However, Ryuji disagreed with this statement and then turned his attention to Castorice: "If we're talking about 'aces,' isn't there a more suitable candidate over there?"

Upon hearing this, everyone except Gao Jianli, Choi Jung-in, and Che Huiyi changed their expressions.

In their eyes, Goto Ryuji was almost invincible, comparable to Liu Zhikang, the hunter from Country Z. They couldn't have misjudged such a strong person.

Che Huiyi's strength is undeniable. Under these circumstances, the opponent still singled out Castorice, which means that in Goto Ryuji's eyes, Castorice has strength that surpasses Che Huiyi.

The hunters from Country R never expected that such a small Country H would be so full of hidden talents, even though Castorice wasn't from Country H.

The other hunters from Country H also looked at Castorice in astonishment, and then the Chairman glared fiercely at Choi Jung-in, who still had a smile on his face.

Well, no wonder they were so tight-lipped. Now it's clear that Castorice is more than just strong. Considering Che Huiyi's situation, she also has ways or techniques to help other hunters improve their strength.

Choi Jung-in, you little brat!

Chapter 40: The Frustrated Country R.

"I forgot to introduce her. This Castorice Hunter is our rising star and a powerful True Magic hunter."

Gao Jianli reminded him.

"I'll give her time to prepare her True Magic. Three moves to decide the outcome, is that alright?"

Goto Ryuji seemed not to understand and said, "The previous rule that True Magic wouldn't play was before. This time it's a battle of acees, so there's no such thing as True Magic."

However, he was aware of the True Magic's disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, so he gentlemanly gave him time to prepare.

Upon seeing this, Gao Jianli looked at Castorice.

Goto Ryuji also knew that some hunters were beyond the control of the association. Moreover, Castorice herself was not a hunter from Country H, but was only registered in Country H. Although she was nominally under the jurisdiction of Country H, no one would refuse her if she canceled her license and re-registered in another country.

For example, if Country R said she wanted to give up her license from Country H and join Country R, Goto Ryuji would welcome her without Castorice.

"I'm sorry, sir."

Faced with Goto Ryuji's challenge, Castorice smiled humbly and declined, "My abilities are not suitable for sparring. Death is not to be tested. Anyone who wants to witness death, no matter how careful they are, will not escape the touch of the dark hand."

Everyone could hear the goodwill in Castorice's tone, but this only provoked the dissatisfaction of the hunters from Country R.

You're just a newcomer, what makes you think you can mess with our Country R's strongest hunter? You only lasted three moves, and you're already talking about a death sentence.

Goto Ryuji wasn't in a good mood either. Even though he knew better than others that the other party wasn't being disrespectful, it didn't change the fact that the other party was treating him as a weakling.

"I have brushed with death countless times, but death cannot take my soul away."