I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 31 - Fame (7)

Kang Ian circled the Tank Ghoul, riding the wind and thrusting his spear.

 

‘Too easy.’

 

He had been worried when he first saw the boss monster, but it was a needless worry.

 

Thanks to Hong Dasom creating the wind, he could continuously tread on the air.

 

The Tank Ghoul was a typical brute-force boss monster.

 

– Slam!

 

The creature’s massive fist smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater and sending cracks spiderwebbing outward.

 

Even though Kang Ian was stronger than most of his peers, it was uncertain if he could survive a direct hit.

 

In the first place, this was not an enemy one should ever get hit by.

 

Naturally, Kang Ian had already moved to another location.

 

From his vantage point, riding the wind, the Tank Ghoul was nothing more than a large, slow-moving punching bag.

 

He repeatedly stabbed his spear into the gaps that opened in the monster’s defenses.

 

– Thud! Thud!

 

– Crackle!

 

The spearhead pierced the flesh, and lightning sparked within.

 

The effect of the ‘Lowest-Grade Lightning Spirit Spear’: lightning damage.

 

The accumulated lightning damage chipped away at the monster’s health, and even without that, its movements were gradually slowing down.

 

The electric shocks further hampered its muscle movements.

 

“Grrr… aaah…”

 

Meanwhile, Kang Ian’s speed remained the same.

 

The creature swung its fists wildly in desperation, but at this point, he could dodge it with his eyes closed—almost exaggeratingly so.

 

He toyed with the monster, utterly dominating it.

 

Watching from the top of the spire, Hong Dasom was speechless.

 

‘The Hunters who came before us must have completely lost hope.’

 

Seeing Kang Ian fight, she realized his judgment to keep the monster away from the spire was accurate.

 

If the monster had punched with full force, the spire wouldn’t have lasted long.

 

That was how monstrous its strength was.

 

But thanks to Kang Ian stepping forward and drawing its aggro, the spire remained safe.

 

Thinking about it now, this was the correct strategy.

 

The Tank Ghoul’s weakness was its speed.

 

If a full team had entered, one person should have drawn its aggro at close range, lured it away while running, and the other team members on the spire should have attacked to finish it off.

 

‘…But Hunter Kang Ian is doing it all by himself.’

 

She laughed in disbelief.

 

Originally, Kang Ian should have drawn the aggro, and she should have slowly accumulated damage to defeat it.

 

It would take a bit longer, but that was the proper approach.

 

Yet, Kang Ian was handling everything by himself.

 

And at an incredible speed.

 

The Tank Ghoul’s body was already covered in fatal wounds.

 

It wouldn’t be strange if it died at any moment…

 

– Ding!

 

[Tank Ghoul has fallen.]

 

[Mission successful!]

 

[Mission rewards given.]

 

While Hong Dasom was lost in thought, the Tank Ghoul finally collapsed.

 

Light gathered in the sky, formed into the shape of a treasure chest, and dropped onto the spire.

 

– Thump! Thump!

 

Two chests.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian! Come up here!”

 

Hong Dasom waved her hand.

 

Kang Ian quickly kicked off the spire wall and climbed up.

 

“Is it over?”

 

“Yes. You’ve worked hard.”

 

Saying so, Hong Dasom looked at Kang Ian.

 

Not only was Kang Yi-an’s body free of injuries, but he showed no signs of exhaustion.

 

It was hard to believe he had just gone through such an intense battle.

 

“It was easy to win thanks to Hunter Hong Dasom.”

 

“Hoho. I know my place. You don’t have to say that.”

 

Hong Dasom shook her head with a laugh.

 

She knew she had been completely carried through this dungeon.

 

‘But I mean it…’

 

However, Kang Ian genuinely thought she had been a great help.

 

Thanks to her continuously creating the wind, he was able to defeat the monster without taking a single hit.

 

Hong Dasom pointed to the chests.

 

“Let’s receive the mission rewards first.”

 

Two chests.

 

They weren’t very large, resembling treasure chests, but their appearances were quite different.

 

One looked like an old wooden chest, while the other was a gold-plated chest.

 

“Mission-type Gates like this give separate rewards in addition to the Gate core upon clearing.  The chests are assigned based on individual contributions.”

 

Though it resembled a game mechanic and was still under research, no one had been able to determine the cause.

 

Considering that they still didn’t know the reason for the Gates’ appearance, they just accepted it as it was.

 

“This one’s mine.”

 

Hong Dasom stood in front of the old chest.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“The chest is determined by your contribution to the mission. So, you usually have to try opening the chest you think is yours. If it’s yours, it will open; otherwise, it won’t budge.”

 

But in this case, it was obvious.

 

A worn-out chest and a lavishly decorated chest.

 

Wasn’t it obvious which one belonged to Kang Ian?

 

Kang Ian went to his chest.

 

‘Hmm. A reward.’

 

A mission dungeon reward.

 

In truth, he was more concerned about the messages that had appeared earlier than the unknown reward.

 

Right after defeating the Tank Ghoul, a message had popped up.

 

– Ding!

 

[You have defeated evil.]

 

[Evil Soul + 164]

 

164 Evil Souls.

 

That was the highest amount he had ever gained from a single monster.

 

‘Wow… That’s amazing.’

 

Kang Ian almost clapped his hands without realizing it.

 

The monster hadn’t even been difficult, yet it rewarded an absurd amount of Evil Souls.

 

If he added the Evil Souls he obtained from hunting zombies and ghouls earlier…

 

‘I’ve earned almost 1000 from this single dungeon?’

 

Crazy.

 

That was all he could say.

 

Kang Ian was so moved that he almost covered his mouth.

 

But it wasn’t over yet.

 

– Ding!

 

[You have completed the quest.]

 

[Level Up!]

 

[Level Up!]

 

Two level-ups.

 

Kang Ian felt a powerful force coursing through his body.

 

The concept of leveling up didn’t exist for ordinary hunters.

 

They could only strengthen their bodies through rigorous training.

 

But Kang Ian could become stronger by leveling up as well.

 

The rewards so far were already amazing, and there was still the mission reward left.

 

Kang Ian touched the chest with an expectant look.

 

– Click

 

– Whirr

 

The sound of the lock disengaging was heard, and the chest opened wide.

 

Inside was a small box.

 

“?”

 

Another box inside a box?

 

He tilted his head in wonder.

 

[Mission reward: Random Item Box.]

 

A message appeared, visible only to Kang Ian.

 

Then, another one followed.

 

-Ding!

 

[Bonus quest reward granted.]

 

[Mission reward ‘Random Item Box’ upgraded by one level.]

 

[‘Guaranteed Rare or Higher Random Item Box’ given.]

 

“!!”

 

Kang Ian was startled.

 

Immediately after the message appeared, the box faintly glowed gold.

 

“Oh. A Random Item Box?”

 

Hong Dasom, who had approached and was watching from the side, spoke.

 

“You know about it?”

 

“I heard about it from my sister.  She said it’s the most common reward in these mission-type dungeons. It’s random, but the prevailing theory among hunters is that the item rank is determined by your mission contribution.  Hunter Kang Ian will definitely get a good item, right?”

 

“I see.”

 

Kang Ian carefully stored the box in his inventory.

 

Even though it wasn’t an item purchased from Devil Lord 3, the Random Item Box went into his inventory without issue.

 

It was probably because it was an item affected by his quest success.

 

After securing the Gate’s core, an exit was created, and they were able to go outside.

 

The moment they exited the Gate,

 

“There she is! Hunter Hong Dasom!”

 

“Hunter! Congratulations on the strategy! Can you tell us how you’re feeling right now?”

 

“You cleared a Gate that failed twice at an incredible speed! What’s your secret?”

 

– Click! Click! Click!

 

Camera flashes went off and microphones were thrust towards them from all directions.

 

“······?”

 

“······?”

 

* * *

 

About six or seven reporters gathered, shoving cameras and microphones in their faces.

 

It was bewildering to be suddenly surrounded like this.

 

Kang Ian and Hong Dasom looked at each other, their eyes questioning what this sudden commotion was about.

 

‘They’re all looking for Hunter Hong Dasom.’

 

Although they exited together, the microphones and cameras were clearly focused on Hong Dasom.

 

This was his chance.

 

Kang Ian slipped behind Hong Dasom and made his escape.

 

From his past experience of being surrounded by reporters after taking down a villain, he knew just how exhausting it could be.

 

Having just emerged from the dungeon, he wanted a quiet place to rest.

 

Though his stamina was fine, his mental fatigue had piled up.

 

He wouldn’t mind if one or two reporters quietly asked him questions, but he refused to be bombarded by a mob.

 

Fortunately, the reporters didn’t seem interested in Kang Ian and didn’t even notice him leaving.

 

He made eye contact with Hong Dasom as he left.

 

Seeing her wavering gaze, he knew what she was thinking.

 

‘H-Hunter Kang Ian! Are you abandoning your comrade?’

 

‘Sorry. The living must live on. Good luck!’

 

He gave her an encouraging fist pump and quickly moved away.

 

Hong Dasom had a dumbfounded expression, as if she had been betrayed.

 

Kang Ian vanished as if he had a stealth skill.

 

“······.”

 

However, among the reporters, one person followed him.n.

 

Shin Sorim of Viewers TV.

 

She hadn’t even glanced at Hong Dasom.

 

As if she had been targeting only Kang Ian, she quickly chased after him.

 

* * *

 

“Hunter Kang Ian!”

 

Shin Sorim hurriedly followed Kang Ian and called out to him.

 

“Ah, it’s Reporter Shin Sorim.”

 

“Yes. Wow, you’re fast.”

 

“Um… are you going to ask for an interview again?”

 

Kang Ian scratched his cheek as if already feeling burdened.

 

It was better than being surrounded by a crowd of reporters, but since he had managed to escape, he wanted to go home and rest.

 

Shin Sorim, quick-witted as she was, immediately sensed his thoughts.

 

‘Pushing for an interview right now would be something only an amateur would do.’

 

A seasoned reporter should know how to choose a different approach.

 

“Hehe. Here, have this first!”

 

She swiftly pulled out bread and chocolate from the bag she was carrying and handed him a coffee from the portable carrier in her other hand.

 

Since they were at Pangyo Station, there were many cafes nearby.

 

Hunters must be starving, exhausted, and drained after clearing a Gate.

 

Shin Sorim had never experienced it firsthand since she wasn’t a hunter, but she could empathize.

 

So, she had bought some snacks and coffee in advance.

 

Furthermore, she was thoughtful enough to buy a new coffee if the ice melted!

 

“Oh… Thank you.”

 

It was a trap that any modern person would fall for.

 

Coffee filled with fresh ice, bread, and chocolate to replenish depleted energy.

 

He immediately took the coffee and took a sip.

 

The slightly bitter taste slid down his throat, feeling almost like a blood transfusion.

 

‘Ahh, this is it.’

 

Coffee right after exiting a Gate.

 

It was an incomparably pleasant feeling.

 

Shin Sorim smiled brightly in front of him.

 

“Hehe. How’s the coffee?”

 

“It’s the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

 

Kang Ian gave a thumbs-up.

 

“Then have this too. Do you like bread? I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I bought various kinds…”

 

“Oh, I love bread.”

 

As Shin Sorim offered him a piece of bread, he took it and ate it.

 

Coffee and bread.

 

Even a hunter was still a human.

 

After a tough battle, having these in his stomach made him feel much better.

 

After she did all this, he could at least do an interview with a smile!

 

“I’ll do a short interview. But I’d prefer it if other reporters didn’t join us.”

 

“Of course. It’ll just be the two of us.  Since you must be tired, Hunter, I’ll keep it as brief as possible.”

 

Shin Sorim smiled broadly.

 

“There’s a quiet cafe nearby that I know, let’s go there!”

 

Being careful not to be noticed by other reporters, she quickly whisked Kang Ian away.