The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

First of all, S-rank dungeon breaks are extremely rare incidents. In fact, there has only been one documented case of an S-rank monster appearing on Earth in history. 

‘Until now, the only dungeon that has appeared was the one belonging to [Nuckelavee] in Hawaii.’

Although it is an incomplete form, the Inevitable Malice has also been officially classified as S-rank, leading to the news spreading internationally. 

“Did you say you saw my article earlier?” 

“Yes. We also reported on the giant snake in our country.” 

To think she would meet the nameless hunter who killed the Imoogi here. Brooklyn Morgan showed great interest in the man in front of her, and he certainly seemed different from the other S-ranks. 

“But you really don’t seem to have any remarkable magical power, do you?”

“….”

“This is an F-class. No, if you do it right, you could mistake him for a normal person.” 

As she just mentioned, today’s world is a global society. Even if it’s a foreign country, information spreads quickly, so Giryeo decides to play a trick here as well. 

“I intentionally minimized it like that.” 

How shameless.

“Oh!”

The woman gasped in amazement upon hearing those words. 

“That’s impressive. It’s a consideration for the weak. Actually, I’ve been trying similar methods lately, and the bracelet I’m wearing right now is an item that consumes magic power.” 

“I see.”

“B, but I’ve never seen such a perfect method before. How did you do it? You maintain a stable base state.”

Brooklyn Morgan seemed very interested in the method of suppressing awakening levels and quickly began to speak.

“Doesn’t it hurt to that extent? Or does your body feel heavy?” 

It’s quite a difficult question for someone who doesn’t just hide their awakening level but actually has none.

[Test, Test….] 

“Hmm?”

“Uh.”

At that moment, a few tapping sounds came from the ceiling, and soon an announcement echoed throughout the hotel.

[We would like to thank all the participants and announce that the event is about to begin. Hunters, please gather in the central hall.]

Giryeo used the announcement as an excuse to avoid the conversation.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.” 

“Oh… I’ll see you next time.”

It would be troublesome to get into another conflict. From now on, he should stay well hidden behind his companion. 

***

A few minutes later.

“…and so, on the occasion of our guild’s 5th anniversary, we will continue to work hard to ensure the security of the world.”

The Gate Star’s guild master recited a speech before the event. However, this part turned out to be surprisingly brief. 

“Haha. Hunters from all over the world have gathered, so it would be boring if we just brag about Gate Star, right?”

The guild master finished the introduction with a friendly smile.

“To all heroes. Cheers!”

With this toast, the invited hunters began to gather in groups and enjoy the party. Since it was a gathering of S-rank hunters, it was hard for regular people to endure, and there was no orchestra typically found at such gatherings. 

‘What a shame. I wanted to hear Earth’s music…’

While Esther was talking to a Brazilian hunter, I kept a suitable distance from her and picked at the food.

Crispy.

I especially liked the dish with various toppings on the crackers. 

‘I, it’s delicious… !’

But the fun of eating only lasts for a day or two. If this continues, I’ll quickly get full, and then I’ll have nothing to do during the few hours the party is in progress. 

‘Should I listen in on what they’re talking about?’

I leaned my upper body slightly toward Esther’s direction out of sudden curiosity. However, this movement caused the Brazilian hunter at the table to notice me. 

“Who is the person next to you…?”

“Oh! That’s my partner. He’s also an S-rank hunter.” 

“Wow.” 

Skin that’s almost black and dreadlocks. Earth has a variety of appearances, just like my hometown. Of course, I guess ours has different blood colors, not skin.

“Hello.” 

I gave the male hunter a formal greeting. However, once again, I was met with excessive enthusiasm and attention. 

“Nice to meet you! You’re the hunter who handled that S-rank dungeon break, right?” 

How big of an article was the [Inevitable Malice] incident that everyone keeps saying this every time they see me? 

“That’s true, but I didn’t do it alone.”

“Did you have any colleagues?” 

“I just finished off the last one after the person in front of you did most of the work.” 

I admitted honestly that I had just added the finishing touch, but the other person shook his head with a hearty laugh. 

“Haha. Miss Esther actually said that you did everything?”

Damn it. It’s obvious that standing out among these monsters will bring trouble, and now I see Esther shifted the credit for subduing the Imoogi onto me. 

‘Hey, don’t be unnecessarily humble!’

If this conversation goes on too long, it’ll just get worse.

“Then go ahead and finish your conversation. I’ll just grab a drink for a moment…”

I quickly adjusted the earphones on my ear and stepped back.

Clang!

But what on earth is going on now? 

‘Huh?’

A faint sensation from deep in my chest. I feel pressure suddenly building at a pressure point on my skin, but this isn’t the sensation caused by a finger pressing down. I’m injured. Instead, the pain beyond my threshold is being ignored. 

‘What is this?’

In the blink of an eye, it happened. I was struck directly by a wine glass that had flown in from somewhere. Moreover, the force with which the projectile was thrown was so strong that the glass shattered into sharp pieces upon hitting me… 

“Kyaaa! Oh my!”

“Giryeo-ssi!”

My shirt was ruined with wine and glass shards. Fortunately, I had remembered to bring my reinforced ring, so the injury was just a minor bruise. 

‘S-class magic power.’

I lifted my head to look at the direction from which the glass had come. There, I saw a Western man with a startled expression. 

“Damn it!” 

It was someone I had already met. The man known as Enzora was frozen in place, cursing under his breath. 

“Hunter Enzo! What on earth is this?” 

“Wait. This is all because of that Canadian over there. Do you know what he just said? How can he disgrace our guild at a gathering like this…”

After hearing his story, it seems like he wasn’t after me. It seems that he threw something randomly as a warning, and unfortunately, I was the one who got hit. 

“Oh my, your shirt is soaked with water! Are you okay?” 

Esther ran forward and hurriedly checked my condition. But this was a good defense. If I hadn’t had a defensive item, the glass shards would have been embedded in my flesh by now.

‘Did I come to America for nothing…?’

I calmly cleaned up the area I was hit by with a skeptical expression. I brushed the shards off the hem of my clothes with my hand.

“Hmm.”

Now, it’s time for the other side to apologize.

“Wait, but why did you get hit by that?” 

What came back was an unexpected statement.

“Enzo!”

“No, that’s weird. No matter what type of awakened class you are, you’re an S-class hunter, but you can’t avoid this one?”

“…!”

Oh my. The question posed by Enzo was surprisingly logical. After all, the top-tier Awakened ones at the forefront of evolution naturally possess physical abilities that are almost monstrous.

‘Did he notice that my reflexes are lacking!’ 

I became flustered by the sudden interrogation. Oh no. It seems I’m about to be exposed as a fox that has accidentally entered the tiger’s den in front of everyone. What should I do…? 

“Haah, you fool.”

But at that moment, the female hunter standing next to Enzo spoke up with a stern expression, speaking on my behalf.

“How clueless can you be… Can’t you tell? Esther was right behind him just now…” 

“What?” 

“If he had dodged the glass, the guest’s dress behind him would have been ruined! He was just being polite and protecting his partner. Do you understand what I’m saying?” 

At that shout, the attendees’ gazes turned to one place. Esther, wearing a calm-colored evening dress. If I had dodged, she would definitely have ended up splashed with the wine due to her position. 

“Apologize quickly!”

“Oh my God.”

I simply got hit because I was slow to react. But somehow, I had turned into a great person who deliberately didn’t dodge the glass to protect my companion in an instant. Moreover, the atmosphere had already hardened too much for me to step forward and deny it. 

“Giryeo-ssi…”

The red-haired hunter next to me was already tearing up with emotion.

“Enzo, hurry.”

“A, anyway, I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay.”

I didn’t hesitate to approach the laid-out table. I smoothly accepted the series of events and quickly left the scene under the pretext of changing my clothes. 

“Let’s go together!” 

“Esther-ssi, you can stay here.” 

“It’s fine. I already got all the contacts I needed anyway.”

Since Esther has also left, there’s no reason to return to that den. The party was getting boring anyway, so perhaps this incident turned out to be a stroke of luck after all. 

‘Thank you, global friend!’

With that, I expressed my deep gratitude to the golden-haired benefactor who helped clarify the situation as I left the hotel. 

*** 

A few hours later.

“Brooklyn, how was the party?”

New York’s [Spectrum] Guild. This is a world-class giant guild that everyone knows just by hearing its name.

Moreover, the number of S-rank hunters affiliated with it surpasses that of the Gate Star, occasionally causing even government agencies to falter in its presence. It is truly a predatory organization that leads the current era. 

“It’s terrible.” 

However, it seems that today, the agent of this place, Brooklyn Morgan, has gone through quite a bit of hardship. 

Crack.

The tall woman grumbled as soon as she sat down on the sofa, stretching out her legs. 

“That partner you assigned me, Enzo. That guy caused so much trouble. I couldn’t focus on gathering information at all because I was always worried about him!” 

The elderly white man by the window listened quietly to her complaints and then spoke up. 

“So there was nothing else unusual?” 

The blonde woman blurted out as if she was thinking of something. 

“There was one strange Hunter.”

“Who?”

“Two S-rank hunters came from Korea, but for some reason, I couldn’t feel much mana from the male hunter.”

Brooklyn recalled the hunter she had met. A cold-blooded man who didn’t flinch even when confronted with sharp glass. But he… 

“I think that guy is lying about his awakening level.” 

Shockingly, despite having actively defended him at the party, Brooklyn was secretly having different thoughts. 

“The glass that Enzo threw… At the time, I quickly covered it up because I was worried it would turn into a diplomatic issue, but honestly, the fact that an S-class couldn’t avoid it was suspicious enough.” 

Brooklyn Morgan continued talking while sitting cross-legged. 

“For some reason, it was hard to see him as a normal S-class.” 

Does this mean that the Korean Hunter Association is also involved in manipulating Kim Giryeo’s rank? 

It’s a plausible scenario. For instance, China has been inflating the number of S-rank Awakeners to showcase its national power. Given that, it wouldn’t be surprising if another case emerged now. 

“Uhm… but I’m not sure. The Hunter seemed really calm, so it’s hard to see him as just putting on a show.” 

“Is that so?” 

“I don’t think a con artist would go out of their way to show their face in a place like that, right?” 

A hunter of unknown rank. 

“That’s interesting. I’ll give you some time, so find out more details.” 

The manager of the Spectrum Guild ordered Brooklyn to investigate the person named Kim Giryeo after hearing the story. 

“Are you serious?”

“Of course, after finishing the ongoing project.”

If it’s true that he lied about his rank, it could be beneficial to hold South Korea accountable for setting up a puppet. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if he turned out to be a real S-rank Hunter as well. 

Unavoidable subjugation of evildoers.

All clears of Mermaid Pass.

Objectively speaking, that man was quite special.

“South Korea, huh? It’s certainly excessive for a country like that to have four S-ranks…”

The elderly man by the window adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and muttered softly.