I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

This monster-hunting mission was a large-scale operation that brought together hunters from multiple nations to work together on a single task. The United States, eager to showcase its influence, had gathered well-known and famous parties, making it an event that inevitably attracted public attention, whether one liked it or not.

Among these parties, Utopia undoubtedly drew the most intense interest.

If it had been any other party from Velvet Hunter Academy, they might not have garnered this level of attention. After all, while being from the academy was generally seen as a good sign of above-average ability, not all its graduates were exceptionally outstanding.

Among established hunters, the perception of Velvet Academy graduates was along the lines of, “At least they won’t screw up.”

However, Utopia was different.

The party leader, a male hunter, showcased flashy swordsmanship. There was also Cheonhwa, a promising rookie who had received countless offers from guilds even before entering the academy, and Do-hee, The Fighting Dog. Additionally, they had a newcomer with unique talents in buffs utilizing magic stones and long-range healing.

Utopia had attracted attention for this mission due to their diverse and impressive attributes.

This mission also served as a promotional opportunity for the United States to showcase its influence, so the strategies and tactics of all parties except Utopia were transparently disclosed.

— If you’re super excited about Utopia, give this a big thumbs up!
— Oh, so we finally get to see their true skills? I’m so curious!
— Hey, get real. They’re still first-years. What can they really do among all these experienced hunters?
— It’s disgusting how people overhype them just from watching their YouTube channel.
— They only look amazing because their channel only shows Utopia members. If you compare them to other parties, they’re just average.

Amidst these mixed expectations and doubts, the results were surprising.

Utopia’s performance dispelled all doubts, showcasing their overwhelming prowess. Even among the renowned hunter parties, Utopia stood out and made their presence known.

Public opinion went into a frenzy.

— Wow, that’s the monster that was giving the US a headache, right? They just wiped it out. Anyone know who the new blue-haired member is? Any info on her yet?
— Where are all those people who said they were just propping up Jin Yuha to create a star, even though he had no skills?
— What’s up with Soup? Is she on drugs or something? Her form is insane!
— A game-changer of a party! Lina has unleashed another monster upon the world!

The heated atmosphere grew like a snowball rolling down a mountain. The media and public opinion spread rapidly.

By the time the raids were all concluded in the evening, everyone in the country knew about it.

And then, a video was uploaded.

The video quality was poor and pixelated, but the audio was clear.

[How dare that bastard, born with a pretty face, get so full of himself…].

The video began with profanity directed at someone.

It continued with insults against South Korea, Velvet Hunter Academy, and derogatory remarks about Lina.

[Is it reasonable to halt this strategy just because some lousy party like Utopia got wiped out? When did the US start kowtowing to South Korea? Have they abandoned their pride just because they don’t have their own hunters?]

The speaker even went as far as to insult the pride of the US, which had commissioned this mission. All these statements were unfiltered and unabashed.

— What the heck is this? What kind of video is this?
— This seems to be from the raid, but does anyone know who’s speaking…?

If the video had been clear from the start, things would have been straightforward, but the ambiguous quality of the video only served to amplify people’s suspicions.

— Hey, I think this is from the Chinese party. I got this from Ling Xiao’s personal broadcast. There was trouble with Jin Yuha before the mission.

The fire of suspicion quickly spread to Ling Xiao’s personal broadcast, where evidence of the conflict between Jin Yuha and Ling Xiao remained.

— What the hell is this nonsense?? Male prostitute? Her words are so offensive.
— Wow, the psychological battle is intense… No wonder they went for separate attacks instead of a joint operation…
— Jin Yuha’s responses are so refreshing! He’s owning them!
— Are they chickening out and then talking trash behind their backs?
— It’s pathetic, especially since they don’t even have the skills to back it up…
— This is hilarious! “Rankings? What are you talking about? Our goal is to be number one.” (The mission is already over)
— Are South Korea and the US afraid of China’s growth?
— The level of Chinese hunters is real…

.

.

.

Ling Xiao’s hands trembled with rage as she scrolled through the video and comments sent with her party members.

The comments were growing at the speed of light; even as she watched, the number of comments continued to increase.

This particular mission in the US had attracted a lot of attention, and with such an interesting episode unfolding, people worldwide couldn’t help but get involved.

Crack!

Her phone shattered in her hand.

“Who the hell did this!!!! Who was it!!!!”

She looked up, her eyes burning with fury, and shouted accusatorily.

“Is it you!? Are you the one who did this!?”

Blinded by anger, Ling Xiao pointed accusingly at her party members. The video had been cleverly edited to make it seem like it was filmed from their perspective.

“C-Calm down, Leader! We wouldn’t do something like that.”
“Yeah, why would we? It would only hurt us…”

But Ling Xiao’s ears were deaf to their protests.

“Then what the hell is this!!!!”

Just then, her phone rang.

Riiing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling♪

She stiffened as she checked the caller ID.

【ZHONG DAHYUP】

An acronym for ‘Chinese Hunter Association’.

She swallowed hard and answered the call.

─ Ling Xiao, what the hell have you done!!!!

A harsh rebuke came from the other end of the line. “I-I’m sorry. I, I made a mistake…” Ling Xiao replied meekly, her earlier anger seemingly forgotten.

─ What? A mistake? Do you think I’m scolding you for some trivial mistake!?

“Isn’t it…?”

─ Such things can be easily ignored, and the video can be taken down! But… what is this!? Explain yourself!

Another video was sent to her phone. As she watched it, her eyes widened in shock.

“Thi, this…! How…!!?”

Ling Xiao was a hunter supported by the Chinese Hunter Association, and there had been some less-than-savory dealings involved in that process.

In the video, a middle-aged woman and a young Ling Xiao sat across from each other.

[Ling Xiao. I hold you in high regard. You’re not particularly righteous, are you?]

[Thank you…?]

[Usually, it’s those who aren’t that get to see the higher view.] …Hmm, how about becoming a hero?

[A hero… I, I want to become one!]

At the mention of “hero,” Ling Xiao’s eyes lit up, and she responded reflexively.

She still vividly remembered the deal that had been made that day.

“No… It can’t be.”

She shook her head, unwilling to accept what was unfolding.

Contrary to her wishes…

In the video, a high-ranking official nodded with satisfaction.

[Hehehehe, that’s refreshing. The reason I called you is about the Gate that appeared in Jiangsu Province. I heard you’re planning to clear it?]

[···Yes?]

[Leave it alone.]

[Y-You want me to leave it alone? That place?] Ling Xiao asked, confused, and the official nodded casually.

[Yes, have you ever felt resentful? No matter how hard you risk your life to clear Gates, no one acknowledges your efforts.]

[···.]

[But it’s inevitable. It’s human nature. Without a sense of crisis, people won’t feel grateful.]

[A sense of crisis…?]

[Yes, imagine this. Monsters pouring out of the Gate, slaughtering people. Blood flowing like rivers, neighbours, friends, family being torn apart by monsters. Imagine the expressions on the faces of those who witness this.]

[Despair and fear… Probably.]

[Yes, once they are engulfed in despair and fear, they will finally realize who has been protecting them.]

[···!]

[Now you understand what I’m getting at. Yes, I plan to let the Gate explosion happen. And when the slaughter has progressed to a certain extent, I’ll call you in as the hero who will save this city.]

In the video, Ling Xiao swallowed nervously.

[Then, I will become a politician with the support of the people, and you will be the hero of Jiangsu Province. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it? With just a little sacrifice.]

The Jiangsu Province Gate explosion.

This incident had played a significant role in shaping who Ling Xiao was today. It was through this event that she had risen to fame as a rookie hunter, gaining the support of the Jiangsu Province citizens. Even now, Jiangsu Province remained a solid base of support for her, backing her no matter how outrageous her actions were.

Everything she had—fame, honour, connections—was tied to Jiangsu Province.

But now, this was going to be exposed…?

It meant the end of her career as a hunter, no, as a person.

The high-ranking official she had made the deal with was already dead.

He had foolishly insisted on inspecting the Gate himself, despite not being an Awakened, and had been struck by a goblin’s stray arrow. So, she had thought that no one else knew about this matter.

‘But how…?’

─ Are you listening, Ling Xiao! I’m asking you, is this true!?

“Th-That…”

Ling Xiao’s mind was filled with confusion, unable to give a proper answer.

─ Damn it, you’ve completely embarrassed us in the international community!!! Ling Xiao! Prepare yourself… China will make you pay dearly for this humiliation!

Click.

The call ended.

‘…Where did it all go wrong?’

She felt like she was in a nightmare.

P.S. Hello Everyone! I’m VarieTL. I hope you are all enjoying this Novel! I only wanted to announce that I have posted a new Novel on the site 🙂

The novel is called: I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

You can find it here: Novel

Summary:

Baek Woo-jin has spent three years playing a text-based game with 999 endings. In all those endings there is only death and misfortune for the character ‘Wolf’.

However, after finishing the last ending and preparing to close and then delete the game window, a small message window appears, offering Woo-jin a chance to create the 1,000th ending. Baek Woo-jin accepts the challenge, and possess the character Greed.

For now there are only 5 chapter on the site but you can read 25 advance chapters on my Ko-Fi

The schedule is just like this one, one chapter a day.

Good readings!