I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 32 - Fame (8)

Shin Sorim moved to a nearby cafe with Kang Ian.

 

Kang Ian and Hong Dasom, the two who cleared the gate, had come out.

 

However, all the reporters were waiting, aiming only to interview Hong Dasom.

 

They came here in the first place because the Association announced that the ‘Genius Hunter Hong Dasom’ had entered the gate.

 

They didn’t come to cover Kang Ian.

 

Rather, they didn’t even bother to look into Kang Ian, her companion, and no one really knew him.

 

As a reporter covering hunter-related news, Shin Sorim also knew about Hong Dasom.

 

The younger sister of A-rank hunter Hong Dayeon, and a genius hunter with the comprehensive ‘wind’ skill.

 

Although currently a D-rank, she was a promising prospect expected to rise quickly.

 

The reporters hadn’t gathered here for nothing.

 

They were simply chasing after the story that would make the best headline.

 

However, Shin Sorim saw it differently.

 

‘I understand that Hunter Hong Dasom is a genius. But… why am I so drawn to Hunter Kang Ian?’

 

Perhaps it was her reporter’s intuition.

 

Something told her that this was the right lead to follow.

 

So when Kang Ian slipped away from the reporters’ eyes, she followed him without hesitation.

 

Since there were already many reporters interviewing Hong Dasom, it was unlikely she would get a good scoop.

 

A total miss or jackpot. She decided it was better to aim for the jackpot and follow Kang Ian.

 

And the one-on-one interview began at the cafe.

 

As the story progressed, Shin Sorim almost burst into cheers.

 

“So, in the end, Hunter Kang Ian handled everything inside the gate alone. Is that what you’re saying?”

 

“Mm… That would be an exaggeration. Hunter Hong Dasom was also a great help.”

 

Kang Ian tried to correct her, but Shin Sorim couldn’t agree after hearing his full account.

 

‘Exaggeration? What exaggeration? He fought all the monsters by himself and practically soloed the boss monster!’

 

Her choice was right!

 

“Could you tell me more specifically about the situation inside? Including how you felt at the time, Hunter Kang Ian?”

 

“Um… how I felt… Well, alright.”

 

Their interview didn’t take long.

 

But as she wrote down Kang Ian’s words, Shin Sorim became certain.

 

This article was definitely going to be a hit!

 

***

 

– Click! Click! Click!

 

– Flash! Flash!

 

Camera shutters clicked and flashes went off from all directions.

 

Hong Dasom was surrounded by reporters.

 

Each journalist had eyes gleaming with excitement, thinking they had stumbled upon a major exclusive.

 

<Genius Hong Dasom clears a gate that failed two raids!>

 

<A talent that surpasses even her older sister, A-rank hunter Hong Dayeon!?>

 

Headlines like these flickered in their minds.

 

They were eager to get an interview and upload their articles.

 

First come, first served.

 

So, they bombarded her with questions.

 

“Hunter Hong Dasom! This gate had failed two raids, were you nervous before entering?”

 

“Compared to the entry time announced by the Association, this was a very quick clear. Can we consider this an easy difficulty for the genius Hunter Hong Dasom?”

 

“Did you anticipate such a quick clear from the moment you received this request from the Association?”

 

A barrage of questions.

 

Hong Dasom wore a tired expression.

 

Letting out a small sigh, she shook her head.

 

“You’re all asking the wrong questions.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I did almost nothing in this gate raid.  No, it’s not an exaggeration to say I did absolutely nothing.”

 

“Huh???”

 

The reporters tilted their heads at Hong Dasom’s sudden words.

 

“There’s another hunter who entered with me. Hunter Kang Ian, he’s the one who defeated all the monsters in the gate.”

 

“H-Hunter Kang Ian? Ah… I heard there was another hunter who entered the gate with you…”

 

The reporters were confused.

 

Some even tilted their heads, wondering, ‘Who is Kang Ian?’

 

Her answer was completely unexpected.

 

Hong Dasom continued calmly.

 

“This experience made me realize how undeserved the title of genius is for me. The real genius was someone else, and I am lacking.”

 

“Are you saying this Hunter Kang Ian is the real genius?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The reporters’ eyes sparkled.

 

It was a bit different from what they expected, but it didn’t matter.

 

‘This means Hunter Hong Dasom was carried. This will still get some views.’

 

‘The appearance of a true genius? His name was Hunter Kang Ian, right? I need to search for that name first…’

 

The reporters racked their brains.

 

They thought about attention-grabbing headlines and how to best utilize the name Kang Ian.

 

They searched for Kang Ian on the portal.

 

And the first thing that popped up was an article about the hero who caught the villain.

 

“Ah! That D-rank who caught a villain without the help of other hunters! That was Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

“I remember now.  No wonder the name sounded vaguely familiar…”

 

This seemed newsworthy.

 

“Huh…?”

 

But at that moment,

 

While searching for Kang Ian’s name, a recent article appeared.

 

[Title: A Super Rookie Who Jumped Two Ranks at Once Clears a Gate That Failed Multiple Raids!]

 

-Reporter Shin Sorim of ViewersTV.

 

“······?”

 

“???”

 

Startled, the reporters quickly clicked on the article.

 

* * *

 

Shin Sorim quickly wrote and uploaded the article about Kang Ian before the other reporters caught on.

 

Lacking time to fully edit, she uploaded the interview almost verbatim.

 

– Reporter: Hello, Hunter Kang Ian!

 

– Hunter Kang Ian: Hello.

 

– Reporter: Today, I want to talk about the Gate you raided. It was a D-rank Gate, but it failed twice, right?

 

– Hunter Kang Ian: That’s right.

 

– Reporter: Weren’t you nervous before entering? Oh, then again, since you were with the so-called genius Hunter Hong Dasom, maybe you felt reassured.

 

– Hunter Kang Ian: Um, I wasn’t nervous before entering, but to be honest, I don’t know much about other hunters, so I met Hunter Hong Dasom for the first time today. But she was really skilled. She helped me a lot inside the Gate.

 

– Reporter: How did she help you specifically?

 

– Hunter Kang Ian: The Gate was mission-based. We had to defend the spire against incoming zombies and ghouls, and Hunter Hong Dasom created wind to funnel them in a single direction. Thanks to that, I was able to defeat them easily.

 

– Reporter: If you don’t mind me asking, approximately how many monsters did you and Hunter Hong Dasom each defeat?

 

– Hunter Kang Ian: Um… I think I defeated about a thousand, and Hunter Hong Dasom… I’d rather not say.

 

– Reporter: You said it was a mission-type dungeon. It must have been really difficult with over a thousand monsters appearing. It’s no wonder the dungeon failed twice.

 

-Hunter Kang Ian: Yes. And there was also a boss monster. I was able to defeat the boss monster easily thanks to Hunter Hong Dasom as well. We had good synergy.

 

-Reporter: Ah, so you defeated the boss monster too, Hunter Kang Ian?

 

-Hunter Kang Ian: That’s right, but if it wasn’t for Hunter Hong Dasom…

 

Kang Ian’s words in the interview were humble.

 

Even if he had claimed all the credit, Hong Dasom wouldn’t have been able to refute him, but Kang Ian didn’t do that.

 

He genuinely believed he was able to clear the gate easily because of her wind manipulation skill.

 

As a result, when Hong Dasom’s interview was later uploaded, it led to praise for Kang Ian’s character.

 

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<Comments>

 

– A mission appeared in a D-rank Gate? Is that even possible? A mission at such a low rank?

 

– I know that missions can appear in D-rank gates with a very low probability. It’s rare worldwide, but there have been cases.

 

– Usually, if a mission dungeon appears, you’re pretty much dead unless you’re prepared. Wow…

 

Mission dungeons usually appeared in B-rank Gates or higher.

 

They rarely appeared in C-rank Gates.

 

But they did occasionally appear, which was why well-coordinated teamwork is emphasized from C-rank and above.

 

Hunters had to know their roles, like a special forces team carrying out an operation, including vanguard and rearguard positions.

 

That was the only way to succeed in a mission.

 

But was that even possible in a D-rank Gate?

 

In such cases, you had to rely purely on overwhelming physical ability.

 

– But looking at the interview, it seems like he carried Hunter Hong Dasom, not the other way around?

 

– Isn’t she the one who’s expected to become A-rank within a year, even though she’s a D-rank hunter now?

 

Hong Dasom was already gaining fame.

 

Because her name was involved, Kang Ian’s recognition increased even more.

 

– I think he exaggerated a bit about killing a thousand monsters…  How could a thousand monsters appear in a D-rank gate?

 

└ He can’t lie easily. There’s Hunter Hong Dasom who entered with him. It’ll be easily exposed if you compare their stories.

 

└ They could have coordinated their stories beforehand.

 

└ Hunter Hong Dasom’s sister is an A-rank Hunter. She herself is called a genius. Why would she back up a fake story?

 

– Whether it’s a lie or not, it’s a fact that many monsters appeared. Even if it wasn’t a thousand, it would have been close.

 

– Even if they’re zombies and ghouls, does it make sense for a D-rank Hunter to kill a thousand of them alone?

 

– Could even A-rank or higher Hunters have done that when they were D-rank? I don’t think so…

 

The interview article quickly became a hot topic.

 

A promising hunter who jumped two ranks at once.

 

And the successful raid of a gate that had failed twice.

 

The combination of these two stimulating topics quickly pushed the article to the top of the rankings and attracted people’s attention.

 

The world desired heroes.

 

In a world where gates, dungeons, and monsters had appeared, security and safety have became paramount.

 

The emergence of a new hero was something everyone wished for.

 

It wasn’t just Korea that desired this; every country in the world wanted a hero to appear in their nation.

 

They even promoted these heroes through entertainment, using them for propaganda.

 

‘We have this and that hero in our country!’—was a common boast when people of different nationalities gathered.

 

Especially for Korea, which was located near China and Japan.

 

Countries that had been competing and bickering for thousands of years.

 

Naturally, they each claimed their heroes were superior and promoted new heroes like crazy.

 

There were even cases of people getting into serious fights while drinking, arguing about whose country’s hero was stronger.

 

That was how sensitive the topic of heroes was.

 

-Anyway, it seems like a hunter worth watching has appeared.

 

– Plus, when I searched for him, he’s done a lot of good deeds before. Volunteering, rushing in to catch a villain… He’s a real hero, right?

 

– His character checks out. The only thing left is his skill.

 

– If he keeps this up, it seems like he’ll rise quickly…

 

– Ah, is Korea finally getting a world-class Hunter?

 

– Please, let this promising prospect live up to expectations ㅠ.ㅠ