I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter – Chapter 123

Author: Cireng

Commander of the Dead (5)

Among intelligent monsters, many are cunning.

Just as wild animals hunt cleverly, they are the same.

When creatures that possess great power are also intelligent, their troublesome nature is beyond words.

‘That skull bastard… he’s alive.’

Kang Ian was certain that the creature was still alive.

Because of the system message… something only he could see, he knew.

That was why, unlike the other hunters who were immersed in a festive mood, Kang Ian maintained a serious expression the whole time.

“Is something wrong?”

Noticing this, Team Leader Choi Seobin approached.

Kang Ian was the top contributor in defeating the monster, so he should have been celebrating more than anyone… why did he look like that?

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

“That’s not it. It’s just bothering me.”

“Hmm… I suppose so. It was a rather unusual Black Gate in many ways.”

Unlike ordinary Black Gates that simply spew out monsters, this one had a controlling entity behind it.

Once Hometos was dealt with, didn’t the countless undead summons spreading into Busan collapse all at once?

“But things like this happen sometimes, right? It must just be a slightly unusual gate.”

“Yes. Which is why I’m thinking of going into the Black Gate right away.”

“What? Without even resting?”

Normally, hunters entered a Black Gate one or two days after clearing the monsters.

The gate would remain until then, so they would rest thoroughly and recover to full condition before entering.

“It wasn’t that exhausting. I’m not injured either, so there’s no need to rest.”

“……”

As Kang Ian shrugged, Choi Seobin was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘Not exhausting…? It was that intense, though?’

Ask any hunter nearby, and they would all say Kang Ian ranked first in contribution.

The way he led from the front, breaking through the undead and defeating Hometos, was remarkable.

Honestly, if the situation hadn’t been so urgent, Choi Seobin would have made a huge fuss over it.

She knew he was talented, but there had to be limits.

Every time she saw him, he grew at an astonishing rate… to the point her eyes doubted it.

She even began to wonder if he was now stronger than herself…

“…Well. If you want, it should be possible. The Association probably couldn’t properly track contributions due to the urgency, but every hunter here knows that you’re the top contributor, Hunter Kang Ian.”

As she said that, Choi Seobin looked around.

The hunters who met her gaze nodded as if it were obvious.

A few shameless hunters looked disappointed.

They had thought about pushing their luck since the Association failed to do its job properly, but under Choi Seobin’s sharp gaze, they abandoned that thought.

Even if they argued, it likely wouldn’t work… and there was no need to antagonize a team leader of a large guild over something like that.

“Alright. Then I’ll go in and come back.”

“Go ahead. Or would you like help? Aside from the team members who need to handle the aftermath, our guild can assist. Of course, we’re not asking for a share of the Black Gate’s spoils… It’s purely out of goodwill.”

Such goodwill was worth offering to Kang Ian.

He was a future powerhouse with a good nature… surely it would be returned someday.

But Kang Ian shook his head.

“It’s fine. If something goes wrong in a Black Gate, I can come back out… and I also have an escape scroll.”

Since defeating Hometos was tied to a quest, he preferred to handle it alone if possible.

He also had a way to escape, so he decided to try it solo first.

“If you insist, then alright.”

Choi Seobin nodded and stepped back.

After that, Kang Ian entered the gate alone.

Black energy enveloped him, and before he knew it, he was standing on land that reeked of death.

The pitch-black ground was scattered with bone fragments, and no plants were visible.

This was inside the Black Gate.

Unlike normal gates, behind him was a two-way gate that allowed exit.

If something went wrong, he could just run back.

A message appeared before his eyes.

Ding!

[Quest Updated]

[The aura of the Wraith Lord <Hometos> faintly emanates from somewhere here]

[You will be guided to where <Hometos>’s aura is felt]

At the same time, a translucent arrow popped into existence.

‘Navigation, huh.’

It was the quest-helper navigation he had seen once before.

With this, he wouldn’t get lost in such a vast place.

Thinking it was convenient, Kang Ian began moving, following the navigation.

***

Within the darkness, Hometos’s consciousness awakened.

Trapped inside the Life Vessel, Hometos was doing everything it could to recover its body.

Thus, it had been in a half-asleep state… but the moment someone entered the Black Gate, it snapped awake.

<Thorough, aren’t you… I could already see the qualities of a hunter when I saw you outside. So you won’t let your prey escape?>

The one who attacked it while scattering a blue aura.

The one who rushed in, unleashing holy energy and lightning magic, was terrifying.

Though the scale of his energy wasn’t enormous, he knew how to use it efficiently—a troublesome opponent.

The Life Vessel was a very small gem, hidden carefully.

Moreover, magic circles were placed around it to conceal it and provide some defense, making the chance of discovery nearly zero.

Because of that, Hometos relaxed.

That was, until the intruder gradually drew closer.

<?>

The man moved straight toward the direction of the Life Vessel, as if he knew something.

<…No way. That can’t be…>

Even knowing it shouldn’t be possible, the unease couldn’t be helped.

Hometos sent undead summons to the intruder via mental command.

Though it had lost most of its power after its body was destroyed and before resurrection, it could still control a few undead.

It sent some of them toward him… but of course, it had no intention of defeating him head-on.

Wasn’t that impossible even with its full strength controlling countless undead?

Instead, it made the undead appear in a different direction.

A kind of decoy tactic.

If the undead suddenly appeared from a specific direction and acted as if guarding something important, wouldn’t he go there?

It was a very clever strategy.

<…Then why isn’t it working?>

The problem was that Kang Ian didn’t even blink and continued straight toward the Life Vessel.

Sharing the summons’ vision, it saw that the man seemed to have absolute certainty.

It even tried blocking him directly with undead, but they all collapsed after a few sword strikes and spells.

With little it could do, Hometos grew increasingly anxious.

The few undead it could control were all sent out and eventually destroyed, and later it could only pray to the sky.

Great Demon! Please, do not let that man discover this place!

Let it be that he has only come here by coincidence!

But its prayers to the demon had little effect.

“Found it.”

Even though it was hidden by magic circles, Kang Ian stood before the Life Vessel, smiling faintly.

***

The navigation stopped pointing forward.

Instead, it floated above and poked downward repeatedly.

It seemed to indicate that the target was right here.

Nothing was visible… perhaps due to some kind of perception interference.

Without the navigation, he would have simply passed by.

But when he focused, he sensed a strange sense of incongruity.

Kang Ian swung his sword instantly in that direction.

Thinking Hometos must have set something up, he struck with full force.

The blade, overflowing with blue light, cut through everything in its path.

Crash!

With the sound of something shattering, the Life Vessel revealed itself.

It was a black crystal about the size of two fists.

‘Only the protective magic was destroyed… the Life Vessel itself is intact.’

Kang Ian was quite surprised.

How powerful was his sword energy? He had expected that strike to split the Life Vessel in half.

The sword energy faded from his blade.

His mana was nearly depleted.

After using sword energy multiple times throughout the battle, he had already reached his limit.

Until he rested, he wouldn’t be able to use it again.

Still, this was enough.

Since he could manipulate mana, he could also perceive it.

Whatever had been protecting the Life Vessel had all been cut away by that strike.

At this point, even an F-rank hunter could break it with a simple touch.

So just as Kang Ian was about to swing his sword again…

<W-wait aaaa second!!!!>

With a poof, smoke flowed out from the black crystal, and something small floated into the air.

It was Hometos.

However, its entire body was only about 30 cm tall.

It waved both hands frantically, speaking through an urgent mental wave.

<W-wait wait wait wait!! Put that sword down!!!>

Outside the Black Gate, it had appeared dignified and barely spoke a word, so for a moment Kang Ian wondered if this was really the same being.

<I-if you destroy this, something terrible will happen! A horrifying catastrophe will occur!>

“……”

Kang Ian stared at Hometos.

Though it was a robed lich, eerie light flickered in its hollow eye sockets… now trembling with anxiety.

After observing it for a while, Kang Ian shook his head.

“That’s a lie.”

<H-how did you know?!>

Startled, Hometos covered its mouth with both hands.

“So it really was a lie.”

He had only tested it, but it fell for it so easily.

Thinking himself lucky, Kang Ian raised his sword.

He intended to finish it for real this time.

Since the moment it appeared, he had been observing it… and it didn’t seem to have any combat ability.

If it could fight, it would have resisted already instead of just talking.

<W-wait aaaa! Just wait!>

Hometos stretched out both hands again.

Having read Kang Ian’s intent, it became desperate.

Hometos had long been obsessed with life.

Otherwise, would it have resisted death as a living being, become a lich, and treated its Life Vessel like a sacred treasure?

All liches were like that, but Hometos, known as the Wraith Lord… was even more obsessed with life than most.

If it could live, it would do anything.

<S-spare me! I know where the treasures hidden in this land are! Only I know them, and if you kill me, those treasures will never be found and will be lost forever! If you spare me, I will give them all to you.>

“……”

Kang Ian looked at Hometos with an indifferent expression.

His eyes showed no real interest.

“Is that all? If so…”

<T-there’s more!>

“What is it?”

<It’s… it’s…>

Faced with the cold blade, Hometos desperately racked its brain.