I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter – Chapter 19 – Leap (6)

Author: LyraDhani

Kang Ian’s judgment was correct.

– Ding!

[You have extended a helping hand to someone in need.]

[You have gained +6 Nobility.]

[You extended a helping hand to someone in need.]

[You have gained +7 Nobility.]

People who had lost their homes and livelihoods in an instant.

For those drowning in despair, even a small gesture of help was met with immense gratitude.

Kang Ian retrieved as many belongings and assets as possible from the ruins of their homes.

Even as an F-rank hunter, his physical abilities surpassed those of ordinary humans.

At least beyond the level of an Olympic gold medalist.

Furthermore, Kang Ian was growing faster than others through several level-ups.

Digging through the rubble to salvage a few items was no trouble at all.

And for the victims, it meant the world.

“It was a remaining memory of my deceased wife, thank you so much…”

An elderly man wept as he received a framed family photo.

“With this, I think I can at least manage for now…”

A middle-aged woman felt relieved as she received some jewelry and valuables.

Every time Kang Ian took action, his Nobility steadily increased.

Humans were creatures driven by rewards.

As a result, he became excited and motivated to move.

He stayed until the end, guiding people to the temporary shelters set up at the nearby school and gymnasium, thoroughly scraping up all the ‘Nobility’ he could get.

“Whew.”

Kang Ian wiped his forehead with a proud smile.

He wasn’t sweating, thanks to his hunter physique, but it felt like he should.

“······.”

Next to him, Lee Jigwang, Choi Seobin, and Shim Junseok were watching Kang Ian with strange expressions.

‘Does he actually enjoy volunteer work?’

‘I feel good about helping too, but I could never make such a genuinely joyful expression…’

Helping exhausted and struggling people took more physical and mental energy than one might think.

While their physical endurance wasn’t an issue, constantly facing the emotions of the desperate could be draining.

Constantly witnessing the emotions of desperate people could make them feel depressed too.

In that respect, Kang Ian seemed like a truly kind-hearted person.

That was the thought shared by the three of them.

“Hunter Kang Ian. Red Rose Guild has a proposal for you.”

Team Leader Choi Seo-bin spoke.

After entering and exiting the Black Gate together, she thought Kang Ian was a talent they absolutely had to recruit.

That was why she practically insisted to the director.

But after experiencing this villain incident, her thoughts had changed slightly.

He wasn’t just a talent they should bring in.

They absolutely must bring him in! Even if it meant kneeling and clinging to his pants!

She had just received a text from the director: ‘Guild Leader approved.’

Along with the message: ‘Guild Leader asked if he was a relative. I had a hard time explaining it wasn’t favoritism.’

Seeing that, Choi Seobin had sighed inwardly.

‘Oh man. The Guild Leader is petty. This is a real jackpot.’

But that was her opinion, and from the guild’s perspective, this was already a big concession.

Offering such conditions to an F-rank hunter was historically unprecedented.

Therefore, she spoke confidently.

“We want to officially recruit you. We’ve already discussed it with the higher-ups. A signing bonus of 1 billion won, an annual salary of 1 billion won, for a 3-year contract. What do you think?”

It was Lee Jigwang and Shim Junseok beside her who groaned at her confident words.

“Hmm…”

“Huh… Red Rose is going all out.”

Even for a top-tier guild, the salaries of their existing hunters were already astronomical.

If they splurged on a newly awakened F-rank Hunter like that, they wouldn’t have anything left.

Even the wealthy Ohseong Guild wouldn’t do that.

Team Leader Lee Jigwang’s eyes wavered. It meant he wasn’t confident.

“Uh…”

Kang Ian’s eyes also widened in surprise.

Since the signing bonus was free money, it meant they were offering him 2 billion won a year.

In addition, hunters had to enter Gates, and in the process, they received additional payments for selling byproducts and acquiring Essence Stones.

The percentage varied depending on the options, but they usually received around 100% of their annual salary.

‘What? So, if I work hard, I can earn 3 billion won a year?’

Just by belonging to Red Rose?

He almost blurted out, ‘Yes! I’ll do it!’.

But at the last moment, Kang Ian closed his mouth tightly.

Joining a guild wasn’t a decision to be made lightly.

And to be honest, Kang Ian’s heart was leaning in a different direction.

Still, he asked a question to be sure.

“If I join Red Rose Guild, will I frequently be involved in catching villains like this?”

“No. You’ll receive summons, but missions like these are too dangerous. Usually, only veteran hunters at the team leader level or higher participate.”

“Hmm. I see.”

When Kang Ian showed a slightly disappointed expression, the people around him guessed his thoughts.

‘’As expected, he’s a kind-hearted person by nature. He wants to help people and save them from villains.’

‘If only we had more people like him, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about villain groups…’

Kang Ian said,

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course. How much time do you need?”

“A day should be enough.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for your call. You’ve worked really hard today.”

Choi Seobin smiled brightly and left first.

* * *

After the situation was more or less resolved.

Kang Ian went to the office with Shim Junseok.

It was a small building with a sign that read ‘Happiness Office’.

The office itself wasn’t very large.

A large desk and a sofa for guests. That was about it.

“Have a seat.”

Shim Junseok guided Kang Ian to the sofa and sat across from him.

Then he took out a large briefcase and opened it.

Inside were ten bundles of 50,000 won bills.

“Fifty million won. This is the reward from the police department for subduing the villain.”

It was a very large sum for a reward from a government agency.

A long time ago, before Gates appeared, such bounties were only placed on heinous criminals who shook the entire nation.

But the villain they had dealt with this time, despite being a dangerous pyromaniac, wasn’t very powerful in terms of strength.

The reason they could offer such a large reward was simple.

While the police were responsible for public safety due to administrative procedures, paying dispatched hunters was the Hunter Association’s job.

Even though the Hunter Association lacked power, they managed the distribution of Core Stones and oversaw all Hunter guilds, so they had plenty of money.

This level of reward wouldn’t even make a dent in their funds.

“If Hunter Kang Ian were contracted with our office, this amount would be split at a certain ratio. Usually it’s 7:3. Outstanding Hunters, especially veterans, get 8:2.”

Saying this, Shim Junseok slid the briefcase towards Kang Ian.

“Please accept it.”

“All of this?”

“Yes.”

Shim Junseok nodded.

“Bringing Hunter Kang Ian to this request was intended as a trial run. To show you what kind of requests you receive when you’re part of an office, and how villains are different from Gates. I just wanted you to observe and learn from what Mr. Lee Jigwang and I do, but I never imagined you would finish off the villain on your own.”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“Honestly, I was quite impressed this time.”

Shim Junseok’s eyes gleamed.

His greed was growing.

He had expected a certain level of competence from someone recommended by Lee Jigwang, but this had exceeded expectations.

‘He’s already amazing, but what’s even more significant is that we don’t know how much further he can grow.’

Even though he hadn’t properly witnessed the fight, he hadn’t even grasped what Kang Ian’s abilities were.

Was it a skill that allowed him to fly? Or did he have an ability to nullify a villain’s fire?

He heard conflicting testimonies from Lee Jigwang and Choi Seobin about him shooting lightning from his weapon.

An F-rank hunter should only have one or two simple skills, but how many more abilities was Kan Ian hiding?

“So, what do you say? Would you join our office? We want to recruit Hunter Kang Ian with the best possible terms.”

“The best possible terms…”

“Yes. There are other small perks, but leaving those aside, I’ll be upfront about the ratio. 9:1. What do you think?”

9 for the hunter, 1 for the office.

Realistically, this ratio was absurd.

Unless it was a star hunter who truly represented the office, this structure resulted in a loss for the office.

Requests didn’t just come in out of nowhere.

Who would submit a request to an unknown office?

Moreover, the cost of mobilizing Hunters wasn’t small.

The office had to build trust and manage clients over a long period.

This naturally required promotion and entertainment, which also incurred considerable expenses.

Unless a hunter consistently resolved high-paying requests, a 9:1 ratio wouldn’t even cover labor costs.

However, Shim Junseok wanted to secure Kang Ian even at this cost.

“What do you think? I’ve laid out the best offer I can make. Honestly, in terms of money, we can’t compete with Red Rose. But the advantage is, you’ll earn as much as you can handle here.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Ian fell into thought.

The offer from Red Rose he received before coming here.

And Shim Junseok’s offer.

Both were attractive.

However, considering Kang Ian’s situation, where he needed to acquire both ‘Evil Soul’ and ‘Nobility’, the office was slightly better.

Especially since he had gained a significant amount of Nobility from capturing the villain today.

If he joined the office, his freedom would be guaranteed, and he could pick and choose the assignments he wanted.

When he lacked Evil Soul, he could take requests that filled it, and when he lacked Nobility, he could take requests like today’s.

“What about the contract period?”

“It’s one year. After that, if both sides agree, it can be renewed. We’ll see how we get along.”

“Then, I understand.”

Kang Ian nodded.

A short period of one year would be good for experiencing the industry while working with the office.

“I’ll accept the contract.”

“Welcome to the family.”

Shim Junseok smiled brightly and shook his hand with joy.

* * *

A news story set the internet ablaze.

[The Hero of the Black Gate! Now Active in Downtown Seoul!]

– Story: A villain specializing in arson appeared in the slums of Myeongdong’s back alleys. The scene was filled with citizens devastated in front of their homes, burned to ashes by the villain.

– (Photo of people in despair)

– (Photo of burned-down slums)

– And there was a Hunter who stepped up after witnessing this scene. A Hunter who took action despite having no obligation, and even dealt with the villain!

– (Photo of Kang Ian’s back as he flew through the sky)

– (Photo of Kang Ian with a serious expression in front of the collapsed villain)

– Although only an F-rank hunter, this hero didn’t hesitate to confront the dangerous villain. There are still heroes in this society… (omitted) …

– This hero even stayed until the very end after defeating the villain, engaging in volunteer work to help the people.

– (Photo)

– It was a day that reminded us that warmth still remains in this society.

– This was Shin Sorim, reporter for ViewersTV.

News tended to highlight the most sensational events, as they easily captured public attention.

But when people were constantly exposed to negativity, it could distort their perception of society.

This was why, when heartwarming stories did appear, they drew even more attention.

Even in an increasingly self-centered world, people still longed for kindness and goodwill.

Kang Ian’s appearance embodied just that.

└ Wow, do people like this still exist?

└ I remember seeing him during the Black Gate incident. I thought he was amazing back then, and now he’s here too.

└ But how does an F-rank hunter take down a villain? Unless his skills are the perfect counter, that doesn’t make sense.

└ Maybe he’s just ridiculously talented?

└ So, a Hunter with both insane talent and a great personality? Unbelievable… ㄷㄷㄷ

└ It’s been a while since I’ve seen a news story this heartwarming.

Due to the significant impact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kang Ian instantly became the most talked-about F-rank hunter thanks to this news.