I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 22 - Promotion (2)

A D-rank Gate.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The three examiners remained vigilant. 

 

No matter how skilled they were as active hunters, anything could happen inside a gate.

 

“Screech! Screech!”

 

“Groar!”

 

The monsters inside were Orcs. 

 

Muscular, bipedal monsters resembling pigs.

 

If goblins were the dominant monsters in F-rank and E-rank gates, D-rank dungeons often contained orcs.

 

However, the characteristics of the orcs in a dungeon had to be observed directly.

 

Some orcs specialized in stealth and ambush, while others hurled rocks from treetops.

 

The examiners carefully analyzed the orcs.

 

Bulky bodies resembling bodybuilders, massive clubs strapped to their backs or waists.

 

It didn’t take long for them to reach a conclusion.

 

“Standard Orcs. The classic type.”

 

Standard Orcs were ideal for evaluations.  

 

This didn’t necessarily mean they were easy to deal with.  

 

Their straightforward strength implied a lack of obvious weaknesses, preventing less skilled hunters from relying on tricks or exploits.

 

Examiner Sung Daeun clapped her hands once.

 

“Then, we’ll begin the promotion evaluation. Please work together to clear this gate.”

 

The hunters were to cooperate in clearing the gate. 

 

The examiners would follow, constantly assessing their suitability for D-rank. 

 

They were to intervene only in truly dangerous situations.

 

Of course, the examiners knew such moments would inevitably arise.  

 

And not just once—possibly multiple times.

 

That was why three B-rank hunters were assigned as examiners for a mere D-rank dungeon.

 

Incidents and casualties occurred during promotion exams every year, making thorough preparation essential.

 

“How should we form our formation?”

 

One of the E-rank hunters asked.

 

Another hunter responded.

 

“My skill is magic-based. Since you two seem to be melee fighters, how about you take the front while I support from the rear?”

 

“That sounds reasonable.”

 

At that moment, Kang Ian spoke up.

 

“If it’s okay, can I move freely on my own?”

 

Working together to clear the gate?

 

Not a bad idea. It was stable and safe.

 

However, Kang Ian believed he could handle it just fine on his own. 

 

That was why he’d made those purchases.

 

“Uh… sure. Go ahead.”

 

The two E-rank hunters nodded.  

 

They weren’t oblivious. 

 

They didn’t know the details, but they could sense the examiners were subtly paying special attention to Kang Ian.

 

‘Is he famous or something?’

 

Even if Kang Ian’s achievements had been reported in the news, unless he was a major celebrity, it would be difficult to recognize him on sight.

 

“Thank you. Then…”

 

After a brief bow, Kang Ian strode forward. 

 

He retrieved ‘Saint Krishna’s Kite Shield’ from his inventory. 

 

The shield in his hand floated into the air.  

 

His newly acquired skill, ‘Floating Shield,’ activated.

 

With both hands free, Kang Ian drew his spear. 

 

The ‘Lowest-Grade Lightning Spirit Spear’ he’d purchased with all his Evil Souls.

 

An Orc spotted Kang Ian and lumbered towards him.

 

“Screech!”

 

The sight of the muscular Orc charging with its club raised was quite intimidating. 

 

Its bloodshot eyes and snorting breaths gave the impression of facing a truck, inducing a sense of tension.

 

But Kang Ian, imbued with the spirit of a Valhalla knight, felt no fear.

 

‘How dare you!’

 

He was, in fact, angry. 

 

A mere demon daring to approach him with such arrogance!

 

Whoosh!

 

He kicked off the ground and thrust his spear with all his might. 

 

Kang Ian’s level already surpassed that of a D-rank Hunter.  

 

His physical stats had improved through leveling up, and his equipment only reinforced that fact.

 

Thud!

 

The spear pierced through the Orc’s head in an instant.

 

—Ding!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 7]

 

“…”

 

The corners of Kang Ian’s mouth twitched. 

 

In an E-rank gate, he would need to kill seven monsters to earn that much.

 

He’d obtained it by killing just one.  

 

It wasn’t even difficult. 

 

It felt no different from fighting an E-rank Goblin.  

 

In fact, the Orc’s larger size made it an easier target.

 

‘Next!’

 

With a surge of excitement, Kang Ian leaped forward.

 

Two Orcs stood not far away.

 

A 1 vs 2 situation.  

 

But Kang Ian charged straight at them.  

 

The shield orbiting him zipped forward.

 

A shield wasn’t just for defense—it could also be used as a weapon.

 

In medieval times, shields were sharpened to be used for cutting enemies.

 

Kang Ian’s kite shield was no different.

 

Spinning in midair, the shield resembled a blender.

 

It slammed into one orc’s head, shattering it instantly.

 

The other orc was impaled through the chest by Kang Ian’s spear.

 

“Gurk…”

 

—Ding!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 7]

 

[Evil Soul + 8]

 

In the blink of an eye, three Orcs had falled.

 

Bae Sojung, one of the examiners watching from behind, murmured.

 

“…100 points. Incredibly clean. He looks like a C-rank rather than a D-rank.”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The other two examiners remained silent, but their expressions conveyed agreement.

 

“Let’s continue.”

 

With those words, Kang Ian, eyes blazing, began hunting for more Orcs.

 

***

 

“What? Hunter Kang Ian is undergoing a promotion evaluation?”

 

Reporter Shin Sorim heard the news by sheer chance.  

 

As a reporter for ViewersTV, she had recently scored a major hit. 

 

Her article about Kang Ian, titled ‘Hero Who Caught the Villain’, had garnered an enormous number of views.

 

An F-rank Hunter, even if called a hunter, was the weakest one. 

 

However, a kind heart and a strong sense of justice had nothing to do with rank.

 

It had been a long time since a heartwarming story like this had captured people’s attention.

 

Even the news director had praised her for it.

 

“It’s a blessing to have a talent like you in our company!”

 

The funny thing was, just the day before, she’d been told to ‘get out in the field and find something, you freeloader!’.

 

In any case, the praise wouldn’t last.  

 

Three days at most.  

 

She needed to produce another compelling article before then.

 

She went to the Hunter Association in search of leads.  

 

Famous hunters were already swarmed by major media outlets. R

 

Reporters like Shin Sorim had to target new hunters or less popular ones who hadn’t received much attention.

 

While browsing through information at the Association, she overheard the news about Kang Ian’s promotion.  

 

Being friendly with Association staff had its perks.  

 

She could get early access to information, even minor details.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian was F-rank, so is he being promoted to E-rank?”

 

“No, he applied for a D-rank promotion. The Association is keeping a close eye on him.”

 

Historically, hunters who achieved double promotions were highly likely to become high-ranking hunters.

 

The Association planned to publicize Kang Ian’s success if he passed.  

 

It was a crucial opportunity to announce the emergence of another exceptional hunter in South Korea, reassuring the public of increased national safety.

 

“Where is the promotion dungeon located? Ah, is it confidential?”

 

“No, it’s not. Why do you ask? Are you planning to go?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Despite the popularity of her article on Kang Ian, he was still an F-rank Hunter.  

 

As a mere F-rank, it was difficult for him to attract significant attention.

 

She saw this as an opportunity. If she could attach herself to him and become his exclusive reporter…

 

‘I’ll have exclusive interview rights when he becomes a high-ranking hunter!’

 

She immediately got in her car.

 

Despite heavy traffic, the journey didn’t feel tedious. 

 

She had plenty of time. 

 

Fortunately, she had heard the news shortly after the evaluation began.

 

It would take at least a few hours, so she planned to arrive early and wait.

 

“?”

 

However, when she arrived at the gate, she was taken aback.

 

The hunters were already outside.

 

Frowning, she approached them and asked,

 

“Excuse me… hasn’t the evaluation started yet?”

 

It had taken her about an hour to get here due to traffic.

 

The time she’d confirmed with the Association was the scheduled entry time…

 

It couldn’t have ended in just an hour. Was there a delay due to some issue?

 

“It’s already over.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“We cleared the core and retrieved the mana stone. We’re on our way back.”

 

Sung Daeun, speaking on behalf of the examiners, gestured behind her. 

 

The swirling orange gate gradually dispersed until it vanished completely.

 

Gate disappearance. 

 

It signified a complete dungeon clear.

 

“What? This fast? How?”

 

“I find it unbelievable too. I’ve been an examiner several times, but I’ve never seen anything like this… Haa.”

 

Sung Daeun shook her head in disbelief.

 

***

 

After taking down the first three Orcs, Kang Ian moved with unstoppable momentum.  

 

To the examiners, it felt as if he had been testing his own abilities at the start.

 

Regardless of how many orcs there were, he charged straight into them. His flying shield assisted with both offense and defense, while his spear crackled with lightning.

 

No matter how many orcs surrounded him, not a single one could lay a finger on him.

 

As he pushed forward, the other hunters had nothing to do.

 

If Kang Ian had looked even remotely in danger, they might have stepped in to help.

 

But all they could do was follow behind him in silence.

 

Finally, they arrived near the core of the gate.

 

The area was guarded by a monster called the Berserk Orc Warrior.

 

The reason for the Berserk title was simple—it fought without regard for its own survival.

 

It was physically superior to regular orcs, but its reckless, frenzied attacks made it a menace.

 

However, Kang Ian dealt with it the same way he had with the others.

 

He struck with his shield, slashed with his blade, and pierced with his spear…

 

“Didn’t it take him a minute to kill it? It felt like we were watching a gate clearing show, not a promotion evaluation,”

 

“…This is all real, right?”

 

“It’s a shame we can’t record inside with our smartphones.”

 

Sung Daeun responded to Reporter Shin So-rim’s question with a frustrated tone.  

 

Electronic devices were unusable inside gates.  

 

They were rendered inert by a special force. Otherwise, she would have recorded the entire thing.

 

Watching Kang Ian clear the dungeon had left the examiners in shock.

 

As B-rank hunters, they were confident they could perform similarly in a D-rank dungeon, but…  That meant Kang Ian was performing at a B-rank level.

 

‘The guilds weren’t exaggerating when they asked us to take a look at him.’

 

‘He’s affiliated with an office right now, right? I need to start laying the groundwork so he joins our guild when his contract ends.’

 

Having a hunter of his caliber as a guildmate would be an incredible advantage.

 

The guild’s overall strength would improve, and clearing gates alongside him would feel much safer.

 

A strong ally was always welcome.

 

And since he was also known for his good character, there was no downside at all.

 

With that in mind, the examiners approached him warmly.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian. Your promotion is a given. Congratulations, and good work. Would you like to join us for a celebratory drink?”

 

“No.”

 

Kang Ian shook his head.

 

Sung Daeun, who’d made the offer, gave an awkward laugh.

 

“Ah… haha. You must be tired. Right?”

 

“Not really, I’m planning to do some volunteer work.”

 

“…Volunteer work?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He’d earned a considerable amount of Evil Souls in this dungeon. 

 

A decent harvest.  

 

He’d also tested his new items and skills. 

 

The results were extremely satisfying. 

 

He now understood why people craved strength and greater power.

 

At the same time, he felt a surge of ambition. 

 

Having secured a good amount of Evil Souls, he wanted to earn some ‘Nobility’ as well.

 

The best place to perform good deeds was through volunteer work. 

 

The evaluation had finished early, leaving plenty of time in the day. 

 

Kang Ian didn’t want to waste it.

 

‘Time to improve my stats. I have no time for celebrations.’

 

“Well then, I’ll be heading off first. Thank you all for your hard work today.”

 

With a polite bow, he quickly departed.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Those remaining watched him go with mixed expressions.