I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 29 - Fame (5)

A shield was not just for defense.

 

Sharpen the edges, and it would become an excellent offensive weapon.

 

With its heavy weight, it could serve as a blunt force weapon when swung at an enemy, but right now, Kang Ian’s shield was floating effortlessly.

 

– Wham! Wham!

 

The shield flew around, grinding up zombies like a blender.

 

– Ding!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 1]

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 1]

 

.

 

.

 

Messages filled his vision.

 

Kang Ian felt like he should be dancing, but he forced himself to focus.

 

Even though the shield was doing an incredible job, the sheer number of zombies was overwhelming.

 

Holding his spear, Kang Ian leaped down from the tower and drove its tip straight into a zombie’s skull.

 

-Thud!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 1]

 

Zombies, being E-rank monsters, only yielded 1 Evil Soul.

 

But there was no need to feel disappointed about the small amount.

 

There were plenty of them for Kang Ian to hunt.

 

Still, Kang Ian felt the limitations of his abilities.

 

‘An area-of-effect skill would be nice.’

 

At times like these, the in-game items and skills flickered before his eyes.

 

They were too expensive to buy, but if he had late-game items or skills, he could wipe out these guys in an instant.

 

But he had to work with what he had.

 

Kang Ian kept moving, his spear slicing through the undead.

 

– Thwack!

 

– Crack!

 

Because there were so many, sometimes his attacks missed or only grazed.

 

However, even a slight graze incapacitated the zombies.

 

The reason was simple: Kang Ian’s spear was the ‘Lowest-Grade Lightning Spirit Spear’.

 

A spear imbued with a faint lightning spirit.

 

This wasn’t just about dealing lightning damage.

 

Spirits were the most natural beings, while zombies were the most unnatural.

 

Their very essences were fundamentally opposed.

 

While normal lightning might not have been enough, a spirit’s lightning inflicted additional damage on the undead.

 

Because of this, Kang Ian was cutting through them like fallen leaves in the wind.

 

‘W-What…?’

 

Hong Dasom watched Kang Ian in astonishment.

 

‘He said he was a D-rank Hunter…?’

 

The D-rank Hunter who entered the Gate with her.

 

In truth, she hadn’t paid much attention to Kang Ian.

 

Indifference was the appropriate term.

 

To her, this dungeon was just a place to quickly clear and leave.

 

It didn’t matter who she was with, as she planned to finish it herself.

 

But for the first time, she became interested.

 

‘Was his name Kang Ian?’

 

A name she’d never heard before.

 

Although Kang Ian had been in the news a few times recently, his fame was nothing compared to that of true celebrities.

 

Volunteering during the Black Gate incident and catching the villain might have attracted people’s attention for a while, but few people memorized the protagonist’s name and face.

 

Moreover, busy people sometimes didn’t watch the news for days.

 

In modern society, new issues arose every day.

 

Even events from just a few days ago became distant past and were forgotten.

 

It was understandable that she didn’t recognize Kang Ian.

 

But now, watching Kang Ian tear through the zombies and ghouls, she was shocked.

 

Because her older sister was an A-rank Hunter, Hong Dasom had been exposed to a lot of information about Hunters since she was an ordinary person.

 

The prowess Kang Ian displayed was definitely not something a D-rank Hunter should possess.

 

‘Moreover, his judgment is excellent. He’s not just trying to kill the zombies in front of him, but prioritizing the physically tougher Ghouls.’

 

He wasn’t just skilled, he also had a good eye.

 

It took considerable courage to break through that wave of monsters and approach a Ghoul.

 

Even Hong Dasom, standing atop the spire, felt fear, yet he was going in to hunt Ghouls with cold judgment…

 

Of course, the reality was a bit different.

 

Since killing one Ghoul yielded the same Evil Souls as 6-7 Zombies, Kang Ian prioritized Ghouls whenever he saw them.

 

It was the most efficient method.

 

“······.”

 

Hong Dasom quickly calmed down and assessed the situation.

 

She wasn’t called a genius just because of her abilities.

 

She had exceptional talent as a hunter.

 

Kang Ian’s shield rotated around him, killing monsters, and Kang Ian himself was running around, doing the work of several people.

 

But the area was too wide.

 

Kang Ian had only one body, but there were too many places to cover.

 

On the opposite side of the spire from where Kang Ian was, several Ghouls had almost reached the spire.

 

They were scratching at the walls, trying to climb up.

 

‘I’ll do what I can here.’

 

Having finished her calculations, Hong Dasom shouted.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian! Come back up!”

 

“?”

 

Kang Ian, in the middle of collecting Evil Souls, glanced back.

 

Hong Dasom was calling him with an urgent expression.

 

‘Does she have a plan?’

 

Kang Ian had also grasped the problem.

 

The mission objective was to protect the bell on top of the spire.

 

At this rate, even Kang Ian would inevitably be overwhelmed.

 

After a moment of contemplation, he leaped back up to the top of the spire.

 

He decided to trust the confidence Hong Dasom had shown initially.

 

“Do you have a plan?”

 

“Yes. I think I can support you more effectively.”

 

Saying so, Hong Dasom summoned the wind.

 

She waited without doing anything immediately.

 

She gestured to Kang Ian to wait a moment, and soon zombies and ghouls were clinging to the spire.

 

Monsters clawed at the spire’s walls, climbing up.

 

At that moment, Hong Dasom unleashed a fierce wind.

 

– Fwoosh!

 

“My wind becomes much more powerful when used in a close, narrow range.”

 

A strong wind swirled only around the top of the spire.

 

Just one spot, leaving only the area in front of Kang Ian clear.

 

Naturally, zombies could only approach from Kang Ian’s front, and that space was very narrow.

 

“Ah. This is very nice.”

 

Kang Ian smiled brightly.

 

There was no need for him to run around.

 

All he had to do was hold his spear and thrust it forward.

 

– Thud! Thud!

 

– Ding!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 7]

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 1]

 

.

 

.

 

Ghoul or zombie, it didn’t matter.

 

With this setup, every strike was a one-hit kill.

 

The shield continued its slaughter below while Kang Ian focused on stabbing.

 

‘Heh heh. I hear it. I hear the sound of Evil Souls accumulating!’

 

Kang Ian stabbed with his spear, giggling.

 

It was fortunate that Hong Dasom was standing behind him. If she had seen his expression from the front, she would have been horrified.

 

***

 

At the same time that Kang Ian was having an exhilarating hunt inside the dungeon with Hong Dasom.

 

Reporter Shin Sorim of Viewers TV was diligently working in the streets.

 

“Sigh. That octopus-headed chief never gives me a break.”

 

Sighs escaped her. This was going to give her wrinkles.

 

This must be why everyone’s faces age after working for a while.

 

She had been scolded by her chief again today.

 

To be precise, he was still harping on about something that happened recently.

 

– “If you’ve prepared all the materials, you should work overtime, stay up all night, upload the article, and then go home! Huh!!?”

 

– “These young people these days just don’t have the right work ethic! No work ethic at all!”

 

This was the shouting she heard when she arrived at work today.

 

Even now, long after she left the office, it seemed to echo in her ears.

 

‘That old fart…’

 

She felt wronged.

 

She had prepared all the materials for an article about Kang Ian’s rank-up and his subsequent volunteer work. Even the chief had said it was a good story.

 

She clearly remembered his words.

 

‘He told me to organize it properly and publish it the next day.’

 

It was late that day, and she thought there wouldn’t be any major problems if she uploaded the article a few hours late.

 

The chief thought so too.

 

But incredibly, a major problem did occur.

 

Kang Ian made the news by catching a villain alone overnight.

 

Fortunately, she managed to publish an article about Kang Ian’s promotion and volunteer work in a timely manner, but its impact was less than expected.

 

However, if she had left it alone, other reporters could have investigated Kang Ian’s activities and published the story first, so she had no choice but to publish it.

 

The problem was, the chief didn’t understand.

 

He just kept nagging her about why she hadn’t uploaded the article sooner.

 

After being scolded all day, today she couldn’t stand it and came out on assignment to find a news story.

 

“Ha… This is annoying.”

 

She had stepped outside, but thinking about what lay ahead made her feel even more overwhelmed.

 

She absolutely had to find a good story.

 

If she didn’t, she had no doubt her chief would find another excuse to tear into her.

 

“Alright. I’ll really do a good job this time and put that baldy in his place.”

 

She herself was deeply affected by her previous mistake.

 

So, she resolved not to make the same mistake again.

 

Of course, opportunities for scoops didn’t come often, but… she had a hunch.

 

She headed to the Happiness Office.

 

There, she met CEO Shim Junseok.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian?”

 

“Yes. I was wondering if he started his request. Ah, is that a secret too?”

 

During the Black Gate incident and the villain incident,

 

Kang Ian, even as an F-rank Hunter back then, had produced scoops.

 

That was why she came to find Kang Yi-an.

 

She planned to follow him around for a while.

 

Who knew?

 

If he had given her two scoops already, maybe he could give her a third.

 

“Hmm. It’s not confidential. By now, he should have entered the gate, so the Association would have already announced it. Kang Ian received a request from the Association to clear the gate at Pangyo Station.”

 

“The Gate at Pangyo Station?”

 

Shin Sorim’s eyes rolled.

 

Let’s see. Pangyo Station Gate… Pangyo Station Gate… Ah!

 

“Wait, isn’t that the one that failed twice before?”

 

As a reporter, she read numerous articles.

 

She remembered reading about a D-rank Gate that had failed twice and was placed under the Association’s management.

 

“That’s right. He received an Association request this time.”

 

“Ah!”

 

‘This could be a good story.’

 

A hunter who cleared a Gate that had failed twice.

 

And that hunter just so happened to be the same person who had taken down a villain not long ago?

 

‘This works. Okay. Let’s go with this!’

 

She was glad she came here.

 

Shin Sorim smiled brightly.

 

“Thank you, CEO. Then I’ll go to Pangyo Station. He might come out quickly, you know.”

 

“Sure thing. Please take good care of our Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll only write the facts as they are.”

 

After parting with smiles, Shin Sorim took a taxi to Pangyo Station.

 

The roads weren’t too congested because it was daytime.

 

After arriving at the station, it wasn’t difficult to find the Gate.

 

Not only was it fenced off, but there were already several reporters gathered nearby, waiting.

 

‘…What? Competitors?’

 

Shin Sorim flinched.

 

She hadn’t expected other reporters to arrive before her to cover Hunter Kang Ian.

 

She cautiously approached the reporters.

 

“Hello… I’m Shin Sorim from Viewers TV.”

 

“Ah, yes. Come this way.”

 

One of the reporters gestured to a spot next to him.

 

Usually, they wouldn’t give up their spot so easily, but the reporter was a man.

 

And Shin Sorim was quite attractive.

 

So, he explained the current situation with a smile.

 

“Haha. Fortunately, Hunter Hong Dasom hasn’t come out yet.”

 

However, Shin Sorim tilted her head at the reporter’s words.

 

“Yes? Who?”

 

“Hunter Hong Dasom, the one they call a genius. Aren’t you here to interview her? Everyone came after seeing the Association’s notice that Hunter Hong Dasom entered here.”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Kuh. A genius hunter clearing a Gate that’s failed twice. This headline is mine. Don’t even try stealing it.”

 

The reporter said with a laugh.

 

“Come to think of it, I heard there was another hunter who entered with Hunter Hong Dasom.  That person is lucky. They’ll just sit back and relax while Hunter Hong Dasom takes care of everything. It must feel like free money.”

 

“······.”

 

Shin Sorim didn’t respond to the reporter.

 

Instead, she tilted her head and looked at the orange, swirling Gate.

 

‘Hunter Kang Ian not doing anything?’

 

That didn’t seem likely at all…