I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 23 - Promotion (3)

Kang Ian had left for his volunteer work.

 

The only ones remaining were the three B-rank hunters who had served as examiners, the two E-rank hunters who had taken the promotion test, and Reporter Shin Sorim.

 

For a brief moment after Kang Ian’s departure, an awkward silence settled over them.

 

Then, one of the E-rank hunters let out a deep sigh and spoke.

 

“Haa… In the end, we failed the promotion, didn’t we?”

 

“Hmm. Try not to be too discouraged. You’ll have another chance soon enough.”

 

The hunters who had taken the exam alongside Kang Ian had been automatically disqualified. 

 

They had to be. 

 

They needed to have contributed something to be evaluated, but they hadn’t done anything.

 

Inevitably, they failed their promotion attempt.

 

“We’ll talk to the Association. They’ll arrange a re-evaluation as soon as possible.”

 

Kang Ian’s overwhelming performance had created an unexpected issue.

 

Since the E-rank hunters had effectively been sidelined, the Association would expedite their reassessment.

 

One of the examiners, Bae Sojung, added,

 

“From what we saw, though, you both have a good chance of passing soon. Of course, assuming your skills are up to par.”

 

They readily acknowledged the difference in skill between themselves and Kang Ian.

 

Inside the dungeon, they hadn’t caused trouble or acted out of line—they had simply followed behind him in silence.

 

At first, they were too awed by his overwhelming strength to do anything else.

 

But if they had been the type to have an inflated ego, they might have insisted on stepping forward just to prove themselves.

 

If that had happened, the situation would have become uncomfortable for everyone.

 

The fact that they had exercised restraint was, in itself, enough to prove they were worthy of a D-rank promotion.

 

At least in terms of attitude, they had passed.

 

When the examiners pointed this out, the E-rank hunters chuckled.

 

“Haha. After witnessing that kind of skill, how could we possibly try to compete? We could only quietly follow behind.”

 

“Exactly. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself and get on the bad side of a hunter like that.”

 

A hunter like Kang Ian was destined for rapid advancement. 

 

No one in their right mind would want to antagonize him.

 

“By the way… we seem to have answered all your questions. Do you need anything else?”

 

Examiner Bae Sojung turned to Shin Sorim. 

 

Initially, the reporter had looked utterly skeptical when told of Kang Ian’s performance.  

 

But now she seemed to have accepted it and was calmly organizing her notes.

 

Shin Sorim, her notepad filled with scribbles, smiled.

 

“It’s fine. I think I’ve heard everything I need from. Thank you.”

 

“Don’t mention it. We’ll have to report everything to the Association anyway.”

 

“Then I’ll go after Hunter Kang Ian!”

 

“After him?”

 

“Yes. If he agrees, I’d like to get a personal interview!”

 

Shin Sorim clenched her fist and bowed.

 

“Then, I’ll see you all next time!”

 

She then dashed off in the direction Kang Ian had taken.

 

***

 

After parting ways with the hunters, Kang Ian immediately headed off to do volunteer work.  

 

The location was an orphanage.

 

Ever since learning that he needed to perform good deeds to obtain ‘Nobility,’ Kang Ian had researched various places where he could volunteer.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Ah, welcome. You’re the volunteer applicant, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

Kang Ian nodded in response to the orphanage teacher’s question.

 

He had called in advance to ask if he could visit.

 

Because of his job, it was difficult for him to commit to a regular schedule, so he had asked if he could volunteer whenever he had the time.

 

Fortunately, the orphanage had been more than happy to accommodate him.

 

“You’re a hunter?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s a relief. Then could I ask you to help with some heavy lifting?”

 

“Of course. I prefer that, actually.”

 

Tasks like moving heavy objects, which ordinary people found difficult, were easy for hunters.

 

This was true for Kang Ian as well.  

 

He was much more comfortable with manual labor than entertaining children.

 

Rearranging furniture, organizing the storage room, sorting delivered goods… 

 

These were tasks that would challenge two or three adults, but Kang Ian didn’t even break a sweat.

 

Volunteering was more rewarding than he’d expected.  

 

He now understood why people willingly offered their time for free.

 

Helping others brought a sense of fulfillment, and it even felt like an opportunity for self-reflection.

 

It was as if he was becoming a better person in the process.

 

‘I should have started volunteering sooner.’

 

Lack of time and a demanding schedule were just excuses.  

 

He resolved to volunteer more often in the future.

 

Ding!

 

[You have improved the living conditions at the orphanage.]

 

[Nobility +1]

 

He also received ‘Nobility’ with every task he completed.

 

‘This is heaven!’

 

He couldn’t help but think so.  

 

The work wasn’t even strenuous, and now it was enjoyable. 

 

He almost felt guilty for gaining Nobility for such easy work.

 

Soon, it was lunchtime.

 

“Could you please help serve lunch wearing this?”

 

“Certainly!”

 

Kang In readily accepted the apron and serving utensils offered by the orphanage teacher.

 

“I’m sorry. I should give you a break after all that hard work, but we’re short-staffed.”

 

“Oh, no worries at all. I came here to volunteer, so there’s no point in taking a break. I’d rather be helping.”

 

Kang Ian said with a smile and picked up a ladle.

 

Today’s menu was curry rice.  

 

He served each child a bowl.

 

Ding!

 

[You have served a heartfelt meal to an orphanage child.]

 

[Nobility +1]

 

See?  

 

How could he possibly rest in this situation?  

 

He could sleep when he was dead!

 

With an even bigger smile, Kang Ian raised his ladle.

 

“Haha.  Who wants seconds?”

 

He hoped they’d all ask for more.  

 

That way, he could double his Nobility gains.

 

Thus, the enjoyable volunteer work continued.

 

And…

 

Click! Click!

 

Someone was taking pictures from outside the window. 

 

It was Reporter Shin Sorim, who had quickly followed Kang Ian.

 

“Unbelievable. I knew he was a good person, but…  He goes straight to volunteer work after his promotion evaluation?”

 

The examiners had even invited him for a celebratory drink. 

 

It wouldn’t have been just a casual gathering. 

 

Important proposals could have been made, but he’d thrown that away to come here.

 

‘Well… but it’s a heartwarming sight.’

 

Kang Ian’s bright smile as he interacted with the children.  

 

His gentle smile as he served them food.

 

“Picture perfect.”

 

Seeing his handsome face like that almost made her heart flutter and forget her duties as a reporter.

 

One thing was certain—her editor was going to love this.

 

She hadn’t even written the article yet, but she could already feel it.

 

***

 

After finishing his volunteer work, Kang Ian returned home. 

 

Although the dungeon test had barely taken an hour, the orphanage volunteer work had taken up the entire day.

 

By the time he arrived, the sun was already setting.

 

“Ah, I’m exhausted… Hmm, actually, not really.”

 

He had stretched reflexively, making a comment about exhaustion, but in truth, he wasn’t tired at all.

 

With each passing day, his body was growing stronger.

 

This level of physical activity wasn’t even enough to make him feel fatigued.

 

If anything, he was still bursting with energy.

 

Kang Ian sat down at his computer. It was time for some shopping.

 

He had cleared a D-rank dungeon solo for the first time, defeating all the Orcs inside, including the boss-like monster.  

 

He’d earned over 200 ‘Evil Souls.’

 

“But it’s not enough.”

 

It wasn’t nearly enough. 

 

Kang Ian felt this keenly.

 

He’d learned a lot during the promotion evaluation. 

 

His new ‘Lowest-Grade Lightning Spirit Spear’ and the ‘Floating Shield’ skill.

 

He’d expected their combination to be effective.  He’d used a similar setup often as a Knight of Valhalla in the game.

 

But using them in reality felt different.

 

The shield wasn’t just for defense; it flew around autonomously, slaughtering Orcs. 

 

His passive proficiency skill allowed him to wield the spear effectively as well.

 

The result was beyond his expectations. 

 

He had assumed the battle would be manageable, but he never imagined he would take down the orcs so effortlessly.

 

“My abilities are… broken.”

 

Kang Ian was someone who could assess himself objectively.

 

No matter how he looked at it, the ability to bring in-game items and skills into reality was absurdly overpowered.

 

That was why wasting time like this felt unbearable.

 

He wanted to keep going—to get even better items, faster.

 

If he had no path forward, he might have lost motivation.

 

But knowing that he could improve made him burn with greed.

 

‘When will the D-rank promotion results be announced? My promotion should be guaranteed.’

 

A week? Or longer? 

 

He was itching to get back into a dungeon.

 

A sudden, unsettling thought crossed his mind.

 

He’d heard somewhere that teamwork was crucial for Hunters.  

 

Hunters who couldn’t cooperate and acted alone were ostracized and couldn’t rise through the ranks.

 

Kang Ian reflected on his day.

 

‘…I was the definition of a social outcast.’

 

In the dungeon, he’d rampaged alone instead of cooperating, and he’d skipped the post-evaluation gathering.

 

If there were an examiner who frowned upon such behavior… he could receive the worst possible score.

 

“Eh, no way. They all seemed to have good things to say at the end, so that won’t happen, right?”

 

Kang Ian forced a smile, trying to think positively. 

 

Next time, he’d make an effort to get along with others.

 

While the ‘Knight of Valhalla’ was overpowered in solo play, it was also a highly regarded class in parties. 

 

He’d have to test that later as well.

 

Just then…

 

Kang Ian habitually turned on the TV news as soon as he got home. 

 

The anchor’s grave voice filled the room.

 

[Breaking news. Reports of a junter attacking citizens and causing property damage near Sinhyeon-dong, Seongnam.  So far, there are seven minor injuries and one serious injury… (omitted)… The Association has classified him as a villain and announced they are coordinating with various guilds to apprehend him as quickly as possible.]

 

‘Seongnam? That’s nearby.’

 

Kang Ian’s eyes lit up, and he jumped to his feet.

 

He had collected a decent amount of Evil Souls from today’s dungeon run, but he hadn’t earned much Nobility.

 

Despite volunteering all day, he had only gained about 15 points.

 

He had been planning to accumulate Nobility gradually through regular volunteer work, but…

 

‘This is… an opportunity!’

 

Hadn’t he received a massive amount of Nobility after capturing the previous villain?  

 

Villains were walking treasure troves.

 

He didn’t need to know who this villain was or what they did.  

 

The only important fact was that they were a villain.

 

Kang Ian bolted out of his house.

 

‘Just you wait.’

 

He’d head to the scene, assess the villain’s abilities, and if it seemed manageable, he’d engage.

 

He wouldn’t let anyone else steal his Nobility!