I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 125

Commander of the Dead (7)

 

Kang Ian walked through the land of death together with Hometos.

The place Hometos was guiding him to, claiming there were treasures, was tucked away far off in a remote corner.

Normally, the inside of a Black Gate was filled with monsters, but here, there was nothing.

Perhaps because it was a gate where an irregular like Hometos had appeared, the interior was somewhat different from a typical Black Gate.

As they walked quietly, there wasn’t much to do, so Kang Ian decided to ask what he had been curious about.

“So, how did you even end up coming out here? You’re not exactly something that usually appears from a Black Gate.”

Hometos’s main body was over 50 meters in size.

Black Gates were dangerous, but they were events that could occur several times a year, even within a single country.

If something like this came out every time, even a country like the United States would have fallen.

Creatures like this weren’t normally seen so easily.

<Of course. A temporary gate like this couldn’t fully accommodate my power, and I’m not some being who appears just anywhere! I am the lord of countless undead and the right hand who serves a great demon!>

“Yeah, yeah. I get that you’re impressive. So how did you end up here?”

<Someone summoned me. To summon a Death Spirit Lord like myself, they must have used quite a lot of materials.>

Hometos answered casually, but to Kang Ian, this was something worth serious thought.

Someone had deliberately summoned a being like this.

Thinking about it, there had been several attacks targeting him before.

He had dismissed them as the work of villains, but perhaps it wasn’t something so trivial.

The attackers had used demonic power… so they must be connected to demons in some way.

“Do you happen to know who it was?”

<Well. I’m not sure about that.>

“……”

When Kang Ian looked at him as if to say, ‘What a useless guy…’, Hometos flinched and quickly continued.

<I-I’ll try to trace back the mana that summoned me. Only remnants remain since time has passed… but I should still find something.>

“Sure. I’ll be waiting.”

As Kang Ian nodded, Hometos finally relaxed.

He pointed ahead.

<Over there. All the useful treasures in this land of death are there.>

The place he pointed to was an empty plain.

However, when Hometos waved his miniature staff, the ground cracked open, revealing what was buried beneath.

<Heh heh heh. You won’t regret sparing me. If it weren’t for me, you would’ve left without even knowing these treasures existed!>

Hometos crossed his arms proudly and puffed out his chest.

Even Kang Ian had to admit it.

‘It would’ve definitely been hard to find.’

Unless some additional quest or navigation had appeared, he wouldn’t have even known they existed.

Kang Ian approached the treasure.

It was a collection of numerous weapons and pieces of equipment.

Swords, spears, axes, halberds, battle axes, bows, helmets, shields, armor, greaves, shoulder guards, and more.

A wide variety of gear, each with slightly different appearances, was laid out.

The color was somewhat unsettling.

Dark, murky, pitch-black… it felt ominous just to touch.

However, since Hometos couldn’t harm Kang Ian, he didn’t think too deeply about it and grabbed a nearby sword.

Bzzzt!

“Ugh!?”

Black sparks burst from the hand holding the sword, and Kang Ian dropped it.

His palm felt as hot as if it had been burned.

It wasn’t injured, but it was definitely hot.

<Kuaaaaaaah!>

At the same time, Hometos was suddenly engulfed in black flames.

Kang Ian instinctively realized that this was the ‘Contract of the Archdemon’ activating.

Hometos had attempted to harm him, so punishment had been inflicted.

<S-Spare me! I didn’t do it on purpose! I didn’t know! I didn’t know either!>

Rolling around frantically in midair, Hometos struggled.

Soon, the flames disappeared, and he gasped for breath.

<Huff… huff…>

“What was that? Why was I attacked the moment I touched that?”

<I-I don’t know either. They’re just equipment of the Demon Knights…>

“Demon Knights?”

<Ah, even demons have those who are called knights. Demon Knights. We mages don’t get along well with them, but those guys are armed with equipment imbued with demonic power. Before I was summoned, I had been researching their equipment… studying how to make them contain even stronger demonic power.>

“Isn’t that the reason then? Since they’re demonic equipment, something went wrong because I, who am not their subordinate, tried to use them.”

<That’s not it! It’s not like you’re facing an actual demon… It’s just equipment. They’re treasures that allow one to exert powerful strength. Unless you’re a human who has been born with holy blessings…>

“!”

‘Ah. So that’s why.’

Kang Ian was a knight of Valhalla.

An ordinary human hunter might have been fine, but he wielded the power of Valhalla’s radiance.

Naturally, such equipment would be incompatible with him.

‘If I use them, I feel resistance. It’s only like a mild burn, so I could probably ignore it and use them anyway… but there’s no need to go that far.’

On top of the pain, there was also a sense of discomfort.

There was no reason to use something like this when he already had good Valhalla equipment.

<Knight.>

‘…Sir Tezeros?’

At that moment, Tezeros’s voice echoed in his mind.

<I was watching for a moment out of concern. The equipment of the Demon Knights is something our Valhalla Order would like to study as well. If you hand them over, we will pay you a proper price.>

Kang Ian’s face brightened at those words.

He had thought they were useless inventory, but to think they could be resolved like this.

However, Kang Ian deliberately composed his expression.

No matter how close he was to Tezeros, showing all his inner thoughts here would be amateurish.

‘Ahem. Sir Tezeros. These are items I obtained with considerable difficulty. May I ask what kind of price you had in mind?’

<I will pay 1,000 Evil Souls and 500 Nobility per piece of equipment.>

“Gasp!!!?”

That reaction came out loud.

Evil Souls aside… 500 Nobility?

‘There are dozens of these here. You’re saying you’ll pay that for every single one?’

<That is correct.>

Kang Ian realized something deeply.

Valhalla truly was light… and divine.

 

***

 

At the time Kang Ian entered the Black Gate, recovery efforts were in full swing outside.

Unlike a typical Black Gate incident, this time the damage had extended significantly into the city.

Collapsed buildings, roads, vehicles, and other facilities…

Even those alone amounted to massive financial losses.

Fortunately, there were almost no casualties.

The citizens had been well-trained in evacuation procedures, and those who couldn’t evacuate in time had hidden in safe places.

Moreover, even the small number of people who remained on the streets and couldn’t escape were saved thanks to Kang Ian, Lee Chaewon, and a few other hunters.

As a result, the death toll was miraculously low.

“You can come out now.”

“Th-thank you.”

Many people had been unable to evacuate while inside buildings.

Once it was determined that the situation was over, firefighters brought those people outside.

Still trembling, they suddenly asked as if something had just come to mind.

“Um… by the way, is that hunter okay?”

“Hm? Who?”

“You know, the one who was fighting in the sea.”

The people trapped in the building had been crouching under desks, occasionally glancing outside.

And every time they looked, they saw Kang Ian fighting countless undead in the sea.

Wherever he went, the undead collapsed in droves… it was impossible not to notice him.

Seeing monsters roaming the streets instilled immense fear.

As they thought they might die at the hands of those monsters, the only hope they saw was Kang Ian in the distance.

The sight of him moving across the sea alone, appearing here and there while slaying monsters.

Later, other hunters joined in support… but Kang Ian was still the main force.

That image had been deeply imprinted in their minds.

“Ah, you must mean Hunter Kang Ian.”

“Kang Ian… I think I’ve… heard that name in the news…”

People didn’t usually pay much attention to news gossip.

Although Kang Ian’s good deeds and character had been reported multiple times, most people only paid attention briefly and then forgot.

But this incident firmly engraved his name into the minds of the people of Busan.

“I want to… at least thank him.”

“That’s difficult right now. I heard he went straight into the Black Gate.”

The firefighter continued, his eyes filled with respect.

“Usually, hunters rest after dealing with the monsters that come out of a Black Gate before entering it. But he said this gate was unusual and went in immediately without resting, just in case. As a citizen of Busan, I’m truly grateful.”

“Ah…!”

Whether firefighters or civilians, Kang Ian’s name began spreading everywhere.

 

***

 

Typically, hunters who ranked first in contribution and earned entry into a Black Gate aimed for skill stones.

Items that grant random skills.

They could also be obtained in normal gates, but the probability was extremely low, making Black Gates incredibly important for guilds.

And this time, by turning Hometos into a subordinate (more like half a slave), the Black Gate had been cleared.

As a reward, Kang Ian obtained skill stones and a crystal stone.

‘Two skill stones. Not that great.’

Two skill stones rested in Kang Ian’s hand.

With luck, he could have gotten three or four… but this was a bit disappointing.

On the other hand, the crystal stone was quite large.

It would sell for a decent amount.

‘As for the skill stones… hmm… should I use them?’

He still had a mortgage on his apartment…

A debt worth tens of billions…

But honestly, it wasn’t much of a burden anymore.

He had a request from Russia, and although the amount hadn’t been negotiated yet, they would surely make a generous offer.

They were even building him a house, so he could sell the apartment again if needed.

Thinking about all that, he felt like using the skill stones this time.

‘First, let’s finish what I need to do.’

Kang Ian once again moved to Valhalla’s sanctuary.

Tezeros greeted him as always, his wings of light spread wide.

<You have come.>

“Yes. I have completed the mission you entrusted to me.”

<Excellent. From now on, you are a glorious intermediate knight of Valhalla.>

Tezeros drew a large sword and lightly placed it on Kang Ian’s shoulder.

At that moment, light enveloped him.

Ding!

 

[You have been promoted to Intermediate Knight of Valhalla.]

[The blessing and radiance of Valhalla deepen.]

[All physical abilities increase significantly.]

 

Power surged through his body.

When he checked his status window, all his stats had increased by dozens.

‘This… is incredible.’

But the truly incredible part had yet to come.

<Now, we will begin the settlement.>

As Tezeros finished speaking, a message appeared.

Ding!

 

[You have sold the equipment of the Demon Knights.]

[Evil Souls +63,000]

[Nobility +31,500]

 

A total of 63 pieces of Demon Knight equipment.

For each one, he received 1,000 Evil Souls and 500 Nobility.

Kang Ian unconsciously opened his mouth wide in shock.

What he had thought was worthless junk from Hometos had returned as real treasure.