I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter – Chapter 43 – Assault (4)

Author: LyraDhani

Four members of Choi Seobin’s Red Rose team participated in this C-rank Gate request.

Team leader Choi Seobin and three team members.

Among them was her niece, Jeong Bora.

‘This time, I’ll show him that I can be helpful too!’

Jeong Bora had been with Kang Ian twice before.

During the Black Gate incident, Kang Ian saved her from danger, and they were also together during the Hwaseong Gate outbreak.

However, she hadn’t played a significant role in either situation.

Instead, she had only seen Kang Ian’s kind side, which made her develop a favorable impression of him.

So, she wanted to use this opportunity to show Kang Ian her strength as well.

However… she didn’t get the chance.

– If you don’t mind, can I handle the combat myself?

– Huh? You don’t have to do that just because we requested your help. We can work together…

– I want to try doing it alone.

Kang Ian asked them not to step in, as he wanted to handle the monsters by himself.

Since Team Leader Choi Seobin also wanted to observe his abilities closely, she readily agreed.

From that moment on, it became a one-man show.

The monsters that appeared were Gray Orcs, relatively weak among C-rank monsters. Initially, he fought them with a sword and shield.

It was incredibly easy.

He blocked with his shield and counterattacked, taking them down with a single blow.

This repeated, the process as smooth as flowing water.

As if he were a martial arts master who had trained for many years.

Then, at some point, he switched to a spear, and from then on, he was unstoppable.

With just light taps, the enemies fell to the ground in an instant.

It was the same even at the final area where the gate’s core was located.

Although there was no boss monster, Choi Seobin expressed concern when she saw about fifty Gray Orcs gathered together.

– That’s too many. You don’t have to push yourself. We’ll help you.

– No! I want to do this alone. Please stay back!

Kang Ian firmly insisted, stopping Choi Seobin’s team.

The other team members tilted their heads, wondering why he was so insistent on doing it alone, but Choi Seobin suddenly realized the reason.

‘He… feels responsible.’

The request fee was 150 million won.

Choi Seobin had set that price to repay a favor, but for Kang Ian, receiving such a sum might have felt burdensome.

It was clear he wanted to work hard enough to earn every won of that amount.

Given the kind of person he was, it made perfect sense.

As expected, his character was impeccable.

Of course…

‘Whew. I was nervous she’d actually step in.’

Kang Ian was just happy to be able to hoard all the Evil Souls for himself.

* * *

Two requests, 300 million won.

It took 23 minutes to clear the first Gate, and 25 minutes for the second.

Less than an hour in total.

Although it took some time to travel between the Gates, his hourly wage was in the hundreds of millions.

Kang Ian had to struggle to suppress his grin.

The effect of ‘Valhalla’s Compressed Mastery (P) – Intermediate Enhancement’ was undeniable.

Kang Ian usually just called it ‘Intermediate Weapon Skill’ for short, and the difference before and after purchasing it was staggering.

‘Enough to easily crush C-rank Gates.’

He didn’t even use any buff skills.

To test it, he even tried out the beginner knight’s sword he received at the very start — and had no problem hunting Gray Orcs with it.

Just a change in his weapon handling skills had turned him into a completely different person.

Therefore, he felt greedy.

If he collected more Nobility, he could purchase Advanced Weapon Skill and Ultimate Weapon Skill.

‘Ha… there are so many things I want to buy… I need to work hard and collect more.’

Kang Ian returned home.

The Red Rose guild members were dumbfounded, wondering if it was right for them to leave so soon after such a quick completion of the requests.

They suggested having a meal together, but Kang Ian declined.

‘I should do some volunteer work instead.’

Did eating give him Nobility?

It was better to visit a nursing home than waste time like that.

Thinking this, he was changing his clothes at home.

Then, it happened.

– Whoosh

He suddenly felt dizzy, and his vision shifted abruptly.

Before he knew it, he was standing in a plaza radiating an overwhelming sacred aura.

“Young Knight of Valhalla–”

And in front of him stood a knight with wings of light.

“…Commander?”

Knight Commander Tezeros. And this was Valhalla’s sanctuary, a place he had been to before.

Kang Ian instinctively straightened his posture.

‘When I’m summoned like this, I usually receive a quest… perhaps this time as well?’

The quests so far had all come with absurd rewards.

Naturally, Kang Ian’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Knight Commander Tezeros spoke.

“Young Knight. I have been observing your performance. I have judged that you have gained sufficient experience. Therefore, we shall discuss your promotion.”

At the same time, a message appeared.

-Ding!

[You have received a quest.]

[Quest: Knight Promotion]

– Description: You have gathered sufficient ‘Evil Souls’ and ‘Nobility.’ You are now qualified to be promoted from Beginner Knight to ‘Junior Knight.’ Become promoted and become a true knight of Valhalla.

[Would you accept this quest?]

[Y/N]

‘Promotion? Wait a minute. Does that mean I wasn’t a proper knight until now?’

Kang Ian’s original title was Beginner Knight of Valhalla.

But he could only now be promoted to Junior Knight?

He had already thought the power of a Beginner Knight was insane — yet that was just the starting point?

While Kang Ian stood there, dumbfounded, Tezeros spoke again.

“Young Knight. There are two paths before you. To truly become a knight of Valhalla and protect the world from evil. And the other is to relinquish your knighthood.”

“Could you elaborate?”

Come to think of it, Tezeros had previously spoken as if he had to protect Earth from evil.

He had wanted to ask what that meant back then, but the meeting had ended abruptly.

“The Gates that have appeared in your world are not mere passageways. They are a prelude to the invasion of evil. Gradually, evil will taint and destroy your world. Many worlds have already met such an end.”

“Destruction…”

“As a knight of Valhalla, you must stop evil. That is the destiny and duty of a knight. Will you shoulder the burden of knighthood?”

-Ding!

[Quest conditions have been updated.]

[If you decline the Knight Promotion, all duties and abilities as a knight of Valhalla will be revoked.]

“······.”

The new message sent chills down his spine.

Losing the powers of a knight of Valhalla?

‘This is something I have to do even if I die.’

He couldn’t give up such power.

Moreover, while Kang Ian never saw himself as particularly heroic, hearing the word destruction right before his eyes made it hard to run away.

What was the reason he sought power and aimed to become a top-tier hunter in the first place?