I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 44 - Assault (5)

Devil Lord 3 wasn’t a gambling-based gacha game.

 

Rather, it was a satisfying hack-and-slash genre where you mowed down monsters.

 

Of course, like any game, there was a significant element of luck involved.

 

You needed good luck to not only collect strong items but also to enhance or replace them later with better options.

 

‘But a random box?’

 

This was the first time he’d seen a random box item.

 

It wasn’t some Korean pay-to-win mobile game. What was this?

 

However, it was definitely something that made his heart race.

 

Kang Ian returned to his room after waking up from the dream where he became a low-ranking knight.

 

He sat in his chair, looking at the box he had just received.

 

[Valhalla’s Random Box]

 

– Opening the box will randomly grant you either a skill or an item.

 

A box that would randomly give either a skill or an item.

 

Presumably, the skill and item referred to here were from within ‘Devil Lord 3’.

 

‘If I get a high-level legendary item… it will be jackpot.’

 

Of course, in Devil Lord 3, the synergistic interaction between items was important, meaning a good combination of multiple items was more powerful than a single strong item.

 

But that was only after reaching a certain level.

 

Kang Ian was still a newbie by Devil Lord 3 standards.

 

If he were to obtain even one powerful late-game item, his abilities would change dramatically.

 

“Let’s go. Please, just one good item!!!!”

 

Shouting, Kang Ian opened the box.

 

– Flash!

 

A bright light spread out.

 

And the result!!?

 

He stared at the box with anticipation in his eyes. Soon, the box disappeared, and a small book appeared in its place.

 

‘A book? A skill book?’

 

A skill book would be fine too.

 

Unless it was some completely trash skill that didn’t suit him at all, it would definitely be helpful.

 

Heart pounding, Kang Ian checked the item’s information.

 

[Tome of Cooldown Removal]

 

– A magic book written by an ancient archmage. It contains the power of ‘Cooldown Removal,’ one of the archmage’s abilities. When using an item, it randomly selects one of your skills and removes its cooldown.

 

Kang Ian was startled after reading the item’s effect.

 

‘Cooldown removal?’

 

Every skill, no matter how powerful, had a cooldown.

 

Wanting to use a powerful skill but being held back by cooldowns was one of the most frustrating experiences.

 

But this could solve that problem.

 

‘That’s an incredible skill!’

 

This wasn’t just a jackpot; it was a mega jackpot.

 

Overjoyed, Kang Ian thought about which of his skills had cooldowns.

 

[Skills: Communication with Valhalla, Valhalla’s Knightly Spirit (P), Valhalla’s Compressed Mastery (P) – Intermediate Enhancement, Blessing of the Golden Eagle, Floating Shield, Blessing of Judgment Flames]

 

Excluding passive skills, that left Blessing of the Golden Eagle, Floating Shield, and Blessing of Judgment Flames.

 

But the first two didn’t have cooldowns.

 

[Skill: Blessing of Judgment Flames]

 

– Effect: Creates an aura within a 10-meter radius of the caster. Those within the aura inflict additional fire damage with their attacks for a certain duration. This effect can be applied to up to 4 people at a time.

 

– The aura lasts for 1 hour and has a 6-hour cooldown.

 

‘Uh…?’

 

Wait a minute.

 

So, if he used the Tome of Cooldown Removal now, it would definitely apply to Blessing of Judgment Flames, removing the 6-hour cooldown…?

 

Kang Ian’s hands trembled slightly.

 

‘This is… incredibly lucky, isn’t it?’

 

If he had multiple skills with cooldowns, it would’ve been left to chance.

 

But now, it would guaranteed remove the cooldown for Blessing of Judgment Flame.

 

No point hesitating.

 

He had to use it immediately!

 

-Ding!

 

[Using ‘Tome of Cooldown Removal’.]

 

[‘Skill: Blessing of Judgment Flames’ selected.]

 

[Cooldown removed.]

 

“Ha, haha…”

 

Now he could use his buff skill infinitely.

 

* * *

 

Kang Ian’s medal ceremony had been scheduled

 

The date was this weekend.

 

It was unusually fast, considering medals weren’t something you could just whip up.

 

It was the result of the Association pulling some strings, given the attacks they were facing from the media and various civic groups.

 

When the weekend arrived, Kang Ian went to the Hunter Association.

 

Reporters were camped out front, and they swarmed him the moment he appeared.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian! You’re receiving the 4th Class Order of National Security Merit. How do you feel?”

 

“Yes, I’m truly honored.”

 

“Did you anticipate receiving such an honor?”

 

“No. I’m honestly still in shock.”

 

Having gone through several interviews before, Kang Ian had gotten somewhat used to it.

 

He answered mechanically as he slipped through the reporters and entered the Association building.

 

The ceremony was to be held in the main auditorium.

 

A podium stood at the front, with rows of chairs arranged for the guests of honor.

 

Reporters who had received prior approval were seated at the back.

 

Thankfully, they didn’t swarm him.

 

It seemed they had been warned about being kicked out if they caused a disturbance.

 

Instead, they diligently flashed their cameras as Kang Ian walked by.

 

-Flash! Flash!

 

Kang Ian sat down in the front row.

 

All around him were association staff, sponsors, and various high-ranking members of Hunter Guilds.

 

“Congratulations, Hunter Kang Ian. I’m Lee Changseop, Strategy Director of the Gorgon Guild.”

 

“I’m the team leader of the Apephone Guild…”

 

…

 

He was overwhelmed by the flurry of business cards and greetings.

 

He doubted he’d remember half of them later, but Kang Ian smiled and responded politely, accepting their cards.

 

Time passed, and the ceremony began.

 

The Association President himself hosted the ceremony.

 

“Welcome, everyone, to this distinguished gathering. Today, we celebrate the achievements of Hunter Kang Ian, who made significant contributions during the recent Gate incident. Hunter Kang Ian personally ran through the city, rescuing hundreds of citizens, eliminating dozens of Minotaurs, and dedicating himself to restoring order…”

 

After a long and somewhat tedious congratulatory speech, Kang Ian ascended the podium.

 

“Congratulations, Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

The Association President handed him a plaque and a prize of 5 million won.

 

Kang Ian bowed his head slightly and reached out to accept them.

 

At that moment!

 

– Ding!

 

[You have been awarded the 4th Class Order of National Security Merit.]

 

[Nobility +500.]

 

“!!!????”

 

Kang Ian’s eyes widened.

 

Not Nobility +5, not +50, but… +500??

 

‘Five hundred? Is this real? Am I seeing things?’

 

He almost doubted his own superhuman eyesight.

 

But he wasn’t mistaken. It was real.

 

Overwhelmed with emotion, Kang Ian instinctively covered his mouth.

 

“Th… Thank you… Thank you so much.”

 

“Haha. You’re very welcome, Hunter Kang Ian. We hope you will continue to contribute to our society.”

 

The Association President tilted his head, puzzled by Kang Ian’s unexpected display of emotion, but simply smiled.

 

This would make for better photos.

 

The president personally pinned the medal on Kang Ian’s chest, and then they took photos with a bouquet.

 

Applause erupted, and the reporters’ cameras clicked non-stop.

 

Kang Ian’s cheeks ached from constant smiling, but he didn’t mind at all.

 

He was happy to be able to smile genuinely.

 

‘Didn’t CEO Shim say he gave the Association a little push for this to happen??’

 

Looking down from the stage, Kang Ian spotted Shim Junseok sitting in the front row.

 

After the ceremony was scheduled, Shim Junseok had casually mentioned that he had “nudged” the Association to speed things along.

 

At the time, Kang Ian hadn’t thought much of it, but now, receiving the medal, he hadn’t realized how much it would mean to him.

 

‘I’m so glad I joined Happiness Office!’

 

Catching Shim Junseok’s eye, Kang Ian gave him a subtle nod of gratitude.

 

Shim Junseok beamed back, looking even more pleased than Kang Ian himself.

 

* * *

 

<Breaking News! Hunter Kang Ian Awarded 4th Class Order of National Security Merit!>

 

<A Hero Emerges in the Hunter World After a Long Absence!>

 

<A Hunter Who Fears Neither Monsters Nor Flames, Dedicated Solely to the Citizens!>

 

…

 

Immediately after the award ceremony, articles about Kang Ian flooded the news.

 

The Gate rampage incident was gradually fading from the public eye, but this brought it back into the spotlight.

 

It was a favorable turn of events for the Association.

 

The public sentiment shifted from criticizing the Association’s mistakes to praising Kang Ian’s heroic actions.

 

Kang Ian arrived home after the ceremony.

 

He usually left the news alone when he was home, but today, he kept changing channels.

 

“Ugh, this is embarrassing.”

 

Seeing his name constantly on TV was a mortifying experience.

 

He kept flipping through channels, hoping to find one that wasn’t covering the award ceremony, but it wasn’t easy.

 

The Association was actively promoting Kang Ian for damage control, so the media wouldn’t let up.

 

His family and acquaintances would probably see this news…

 

What should he say when they contacted him?

 

Lost in these pointless worries, he finally found a different news story.

 

[C-Rank Hunter Forum to be Held in Seoul!]

 

– The International Hunter Organization has decided to hold this year’s C-Rank Hunter Forum in Seoul.  The vote was a close contest between Korea and Japan, but ultimately, Korea prevailed…

 

“Ah, the C-Rank Forum is being held in Korea this year.”

 

Gates could open anywhere in the world.

 

Usually, a country’s hunters handled their own gates, but sometimes they couldn’t.

 

Some A-Rank and higher gates were incredibly difficult, resulting in multiple failed attempts. If those gates went out of control, there was no telling what might emerge.

 

They had to be dealt with internally, requiring cooperation between multiple countries.

 

Forums were held to foster relationships in preparation for such situations.

 

However, since hunters of lower ranks had less say when different ranks were mixed, forums were held separately for each rank.

 

The B-Rank Hunter Forum was held in the US recently.

 

‘If it’s C-Rank, I should be able to attend soon after I get promoted. Does that mean I’ll be going?’

 

At that moment…

 

– Ding!

 

[A quest has been triggered.]

 

[Quest: Eliminate the One Who Spreads Evil]

 

“?”

 

As the message appeared, Kang Ian’s vision flipped.

 

Before he knew it, he was standing inside the Sanctuary of Valhalla.

 

In front of him stood Tezeros, radiant wings of light unfurled.

 

“Tezeros, sir?”

 

It felt like they were seeing each other quite often these days.

 

“Lower Knight—!”

 

Tezeros spreaded his wings and spoke in a firm tone.

 

“Go to the place you just saw. An agent of unforgivable evil resides there!”

 

-Ding!

 

[Quest: Eliminate the One Who Spreads Evil]

 

– Description: An agent of evil is present at the upcoming International C-Rank Forum. Eliminate this individual who seeks to spread evil’s influence.

 

A new quest had appeared.

 

Quests were always welcome.

 

The rewards for these quests were always incredible.

 

Perhaps because he had seen Tezeros a few times now, Kang Ian felt a little more comfortable and cautiously asked,

 

“Um, Lord Tezeros. May I ask you something?”

 

“Speak.”

 

“Of course, as a knight of Valhalla, I intend to eliminate the agent of evil. However, I’m a little curious about what I might receive afterward.”

 

He was indirectly asking about the quest reward.

 

“You shall receive what you received when you became a Junior Knight, once more.”

 

“!”

 

Another random box…?