I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 36 - Fame (12)

Kang Ian insisted on accepting the Association’s request.

 

“…Excuse me, I’ll call you back shortly.”

 

Shim Junseok hung up the phone. 

 

He decided he had to somehow persuade Kang Ian, who was staring at him with burning eyes.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian, you can’t go there.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s a Gate outbreak in an urban area. It’s too dangerous.”

 

A well-structured city was easy to navigate.

 

But once it collapsed into chaos, it became a jungle.

 

Even the most skilled hunter would struggle in urban warfare against monsters—the risks were unpredictable.

 

Wild, instinct-driven monsters would use the complex terrain to their advantage, launching ambushes that could easily end a hunter’s life.

 

Shim Junseok calmly and earnestly explained all of this.

 

“And it’s not just the monsters you have to worry about. Civilians are often more dangerous.”

 

“Civilians are dangerous?”

 

“Of course, they don’t intentionally harm hunters. I mean something else. Trying to protect civilians might expose you to monster attacks, or their excessive panic could draw the monsters’ aggro…”

 

Shim Junseok provided specific examples.

 

There were cases where people’s screams attracted hordes of monsters, or instances where terrified civilians clung to hunters’ legs during combat, putting them in danger.

 

Surprisingly, these were all incidents that had actually occurred in the past.

 

“That’s why it’s better to avoid it altogether.”

 

“Then what happens to the situation over there?”

 

“That’s what Guilds are for. This is exactly why guilds receive so many benefits.”

 

Hunter Guilds could be mandatorily mobilized. 

 

During Gate outbreaks like this, mobilized hunters were always deployed. 

 

Offices were a bit different. Since requests were handled on a contractual basis, they could refuse if they felt hesitant.

 

Of course, frequent refusals would damage the office’s reputation and its relationship with the Association…

 

‘But that’s just how it is. Skipping this one is the right call.’

 

It was better to act conservatively to ensure the safety of his hunters, even if it meant sacrificing the office’s reputation. 

 

That was Shim Junseok’s judgment.

 

Naturally, Kang Uan’s judgment was the complete opposite.

 

“No. I’ll accept this request.”

 

Kang Ian spoke with firm resolve.

 

‘I definitely have to go. There’s bound to be tons of Nobility there!’

 

“Hunter Kang Ian! Even after all that explanation…”

 

“I might have ignored it if I hadn’t known, but civilians are in danger. Having heard that, I don’t want to hide and worry only about my own safety.”

 

Since he needed to act quickly, Kang Ian simply threw together whatever reasons came to mind.

 

Once he’d decided to go, coming up with a justification was easy.

 

‘And there’s no time.’

 

Hunters from Guilds, subject to mandatory mobilization, would already be on the move.

 

If they handled everything before he got there, then there’d be no point.

 

‘It’s a race against time!’

 

His heart pounded with urgency.

 

Shim Junseok just stared at him in shock.

 

“…”

 

There were people like this in the world? 

 

Shim Junseok, known for his exceptional social skills and persuasive speech, was rendered speechless by Kang Ian’s pure, unadulterated sincerity.

 

Ignoring him, Kang Ian jumped to his feet.

 

“People are in danger right now, aren’t they? I’ll leave immediately. Please tell them over the phone that I’ll accept the request!”

 

With that, he dashed out of the office.

 

“Taxi!”

 

He immediately hailed a passing taxi.

 

“To Hwaseong, please! As fast as possible!”

 

He could expense the taxi fare to the Association later, right?

 

***

 

Silence fell over the office after Kang Ian left.

 

“Huh…”

 

Shim Junseok sat alone in his chair, letting out a sigh. 

 

Kang Ian’s words echoed in his mind.

 

– I might have ignored it if I hadn’t known, but civilians are in danger. Having heard that, I don’t want to hide and worry only about my own safety.

 

A smile crept onto his face as he recalled the words.

 

“Haha… I wonder if there are any other people like him these days.”

 

It wasn’t just an act.

 

The guy was genuinely good.

 

In a world as selfish as this one, how could someone like him even exist?

 

“I really… picked the right person.”

 

Even now, thinking rationally, he knew he should have stopped him.  

 

Who knew what kind of injuries he might sustain? 

 

But sometimes, people acted on their emotions rather than logic.

 

Having heard Kang Ian’s sincerity, Shim Junseok couldn’t bring himself to be cold and calculating.

 

– Ring ring ring~

 

The phone rang again. 

 

Shim Junseok thought it might be the Association, but it wasn’t.

 

[Team Leader Choi Seobin, Red Rose]

 

‘Ah. I have to decline this too.’

 

He had agreed to accept Red Rose’s request, but Kang Ian had rushed off to Hwaseong.

 

Even if he managed to resolve the Gate outbreak safely, it would be unreasonable for Kang Ian to take on another request immediately, considering his condition.

 

– Beep

 

“Yes, Team Leader. This is Shim Junseok.”

 

– CEO Shim, I apologize, but it seems we’ll have to cancel the request we discussed earlier.

 

“What?”

 

– To be precise, it’s not a cancellation, but a postponement. My team and I are heading to Hwaseong right now.  I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s been a Gate outbreak there.

 

“Ah…”

 

– So, when you see Hunter Kang Ian, could you please tell him I’m very sorry?

 

“I think you’ll be able to tell him yourself.”

 

– What?

 

“Hunter Kang Ian just rushed out, saying he was going to Hwaseong. You’ll likely see him there.”

 

-…Hunter Kang Ian is going there…? Why?

 

“He received a request call from the Association and accepted it.”

 

– But, why? It’s so dangerous… CEO Shim, you should have stopped him. You know how dangerous it is…

 

“Yes, I tried my best to dissuade him, but he insisted on saving people, and my words fell on deaf ears.”

 

– …

 

“…”

 

The call remained connected, but neither of them spoke for a moment.

 

***

 

There were various reasons for Gate outbreaks. 

 

However, the most common causes were Gates left unconquered for extended periods or those where conquest attempts had repeatedly failed.

 

Even these conditions weren’t set in stone.

 

The criteria for ‘extended periods’ and ‘repeated failures’ were ambiguous.

 

However, in most cases, a Gate would erupt if left unconquered for six months, and outbreaks often occurred after ten failed conquest attempts.

 

There were exceptions, but this was the general rule.

 

When a Gate began to destabilize, it would turn white.

 

Normally, Gates were categorized by a rainbow of colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet – based on their difficulty. However, during an outbreak, regardless of the original rank, the Gate would turn white.

 

Then, the monsters within would pour out, wreaking havoc.

 

The Hwaseong Gate outbreak followed this pattern.

 

The problem was that, unlike typical outbreaks, this was an exceptional case.

 

The Gate had been generated only three days prior, yet it turned white and began spewing monsters.

 

“Kyaaah-”

 

“Krrrr! Krrrr!”

 

The monsters surged forth, filled with pure hostility, destroying anything in sight.

 

Unless a bullet contained a hunter’s mana, it wouldn’t harm the monsters.

 

An invisible, thin barrier protected them from regular attacks.

 

Only hunters, with their unique abilities, could pierce through it and deal damage.

 

This was why hunters were considered the heroes of this era.

 

“Wh-What? An outbreak??”

 

“But how, so soon…?”

 

The police officers who had set up a perimeter around the Gate were bewildered. 

 

How could it erupt so quickly after its formation?

 

Even when a gate turned white, sometimes the monsters emerged gradually.

 

The longest recorded delay was three whole days before monsters started appearing.

 

But the Hwaseong Gate had no such luck.

 

The moment it turned white, not even three minutes passed before the monsters flooded out.

 

“Kyaaaak!”

 

“Run!”

 

The city quickly descended into chaos. 

 

People on the streets were attacked by monsters, and many suffered secondary injuries from being trampled or crushed as they fled in terror.

 

Hastily deployed police and soldiers fired their weapons, attempting to stop the monsters, but it was largely ineffective.

 

Amidst this chaos, someone was live-streaming on YouTube.

 

– Ding!

 

[LIVE broadcast has started on YujooUnnie channel.]

 

[Title: Watching the Hwaseong Gate Outbreak Live.]

 

– Current viewers: 2400

 

It was certainly attention-grabbing.  

 

People should have been fleeing, but this person was filming instead?

 

The livestream showed the street below, captured from an apartment balcony.

 

A massive Minotaur stomped down the road, crushing cars with every step.

 

“Hello everyone~. It’s Yujoo. Oh my. 2400 viewers as soon as I started the live stream. Usually, I get 200-300 at most; today’s a big day, huh?”

 

Han Yujoo, who ran the YouTube channel ‘YujooUnnie’, turned the camera to show her face as she spoke.

 

The chat’s reaction wasn’t positive.

 

– I seriously wonder what’s going on in her head. Starting a broadcast in this situation?

 

– She must be obsessed with YouTube.

 

– Crazy about views and attention… She’s out of her mind…

 

– Wow, a Minotaur? You’d need a C-rank Hunter to handle that, right? If I saw that thing walking down the street, I’d probably pee my pants.

 

– Unnie ㅠㅠ. The broadcast is cool, but please run away.

 

The chat messages scrolled by rapidly. 

 

Han Yujoo shrugged and said,

 

“A lot of you are cursing at me. You must be wondering why I’m not running away. It’s not that I’m not running away, it’s that I can’t.”

 

– ??? What does that mean?

 

“There’s a fire in my apartment building. Smoke is seeping in from the front door, so I can’t get out.”

 

Han Yujoo adjusted the camera again, pointing it towards the balcony, this time in the opposite direction of the Minotaur. 

 

Black smoke billowed from somewhere on the lower floors of the apartment complex.

 

– Whoa. Fire?

 

– Is there a fire?

 

“Yes. But calling 119 is useless.  Ambulances can’t get here right now.”

 

Her voice was defeated.

 

From the start, her tone had been lifeless.

 

Her true fans might have noticed—her voice lacked its usual energy.

 

A fire trapped her in her apartment, and monsters roamed outside.

 

A hopeless situation. She hadn’t started the YouTube stream to attract attention or views.

 

She wanted to document her final moments and share them with as many people as possible.

 

“My room is farthest from the entrance. I closed the door, but… I think the smoke is starting to come in here too.”

 

Smoke was gradually filling her room.

 

It was getting hotter, and she felt dizzy.  

 

She had opened the balcony window, so she wasn’t immediately suffocating, but she didn’t know how much longer she could hold on. 

 

Han Yujoo sat on the floor, hugging her knees.

 

There was no hope, only despair.

 

Just then…

 

– Kwaang!

 

A loud explosion rocked the building.

 

‘Did a gas pipe explode?’

 

As Han Yujoo closed her eyes, bracing herself…

 

– Bang!

 

This time, the sound came from right next to her.

 

She opened her eyes in shock. 

 

Her room door was wide open.

 

Standing in the doorway, clad in large armor, was Kang Ian. 

 

He extended a hand towards her.

 

“I’m here to rescue you.”

 

– Ding!

 

[You have rescued a civilian in mortal danger and despair.]

 

[You have acquired +87 Nobility.]