I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 45 - Assault (6)

When Kang Ian became a low-ranking knight, he received a random box as a reward.

 

And from it, he obtained the Tome of Cooldown Removal.

 

It was an unbelievable reward.

 

So much so that he craved another one.

 

He hadn’t had a chance to use the cooldown-removed buff skill yet.

 

The gates he’d been visiting were easy enough that he didn’t need buffs.

 

However, he was sure he would put it to good use in the future.

 

‘And now I might get another random box?’

 

Quests were something he would’ve tackled without hesitation anyway, but hearing this just made his determination burn even brighter.

 

“Understood. I will definitely eliminate that agent of evil!”

 

“I trust you, Knight.”

 

With Tezeros’ final words, Kang Ian’s vision swirled, and he was pulled out of the sanctuary.

 

In the blink of an eye, he found himself back in his room.

 

* * *

 

Although Kang Ian received a medal and a lot of public attention, his daily life hadn’t changed much.

 

He cleared gates that came in as commissions and spent his remaining time volunteering…

 

The only difference was that a few reporters started following him around.

 

Orphanages, nursing homes, animal shelters, meal services for the elderly…

 

He made sure to volunteer at least once a day, fitting it into his schedule, and the reporters documented and published his activities.

 

The comments sections were abuzz.

 

[Comments]

 

– Wow, how can these volunteer articles appear every day? And it’s a different place each time. Amazing

 

– He must be a genuinely kind person. I heard most hunters collapse after a gate raid, but he keeps volunteering consistently

 

– I was so curious that I called the nursing home and asked about him. They said Hunter Kang Ian is incredibly kind. He never refuses difficult tasks and always has a smile on his face

 

– Whoa…

 

At first, many people were cynical, accusing him of putting on an act.

 

However, Kang Ian remained consistent, and over time, those voices diminished.

 

Of course, some argued that they needed to see him maintain this behavior for years before drawing conclusions, but at least no one questioned his character anymore.

 

– We need more people like him in our society.

 

– Keep up the good work, Hunter Kang Ian!

 

– Thanks to Hunter Kang Ian, the world is becoming a little warmer every day!

 

In fact, with every news report, Kang Ian’s fanbase grew rapidly.

 

In an era where finding kind people was rare, in a time when selfishness and negativity prevailed, good people were bound to be rewarded.

 

Kang Ian was the very image of the hero the world desired.

 

Inevitably, there were malicious comments fueled by jealousy, but they were few and far between.

 

“Whew. You’ve worked hard today.”

 

“Not at all. You too, CEO.”

 

“Today’s commission will be deposited before midnight.”

 

Kang Ian returned to the Happiness Office after completing another request.

 

He had been consistently tackling C- and D-Rank gates lately.

 

They were easy for him, but since he was still officially a D-Rank, the highest gate he could legally enter was C-rank.

 

Thus, he focused more on commissions than gate raids.

 

There were so many requests coming in that even if he only selected the profitable and manageable ones, he had plenty to do.

 

“Thank you. Then, may I take my leave?”

 

“Yes. Are you going to volunteer today as well?”

 

Kang an nodded at CEO Shim Junseok’s question. Shim Junseok chuckled.

 

“You’re truly dedicated. I should follow your example and make time for volunteer work on weekends.”

 

“That’s a great idea.”

 

“Since we’re on the topic, would you like to go together this weekend?”

 

“Ah, about that…”

 

“?”

 

Kang Ian made a troubled expression.

 

He didn’t mind CEO Shim volunteering, but going to the same place was a bit problematic.

 

He might lose some Nobility points.

 

That was something he preferred to avoid.

 

Meanwhile, Shim Junseok felt a bit down inside at Kang Ian’s hesitation.

 

‘I need to build a stronger personal relationship too, not just a work relationship…’

 

That was the key to contract renewals and long-term collaboration.

 

It was disappointing, but perhaps he was being too hasty.

 

Shim Junseok quickly changed the subject.

 

“Oh, right. I inquired with the Association about your promotion schedule.”

 

“Oh? What did they say?”

 

“They asked why I was only contacting them now. They said someone of your caliber is more than qualified and that you’ll be promoted immediately after a simple test.”

 

Hunter promotions were usually quite rigorous.

 

In the early days of the gates, promotions were handed out easily, but that led to many accidents.

 

Many hunters, driven by greed, entered gates beyond their capabilities and died, while others suffered severe injuries or psychological trauma.

 

As a result, the promotion process became stricter. However, these rules didn’t apply to Kang Ian.

 

He had already proven himself multiple times in public.

 

“They said you can come to the Association whenever you’re free after giving them a heads-up.”

 

“I might be a bit busy today, but I can go tomorrow.”

 

“Alright. I’ll let them know.”

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

Kang Ian went to the Hunter Association early in the morning.

 

“Hello. I’m Section Chief Lee Seyeon. I’m a C-Rank hunter, and I’ll be conducting your evaluation today, Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

Kang Ian was led to a training ground inside the Association, where Section Chief Lee Seyeon was waiting.

 

She was a woman with a somewhat cold expression.

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon, whom he had met during the Black Gate incident, was also present.

 

“Haha. Hunter Kang Ian. Congratulations again on receiving the medal. I’ll be observing the evaluation today.”

 

“Hello.”

 

Kang Ian bowed his head.

 

Section Chief Jeon continued,

 

“You probably heard from Director Shim, Chief Lee Seyeon will be handling the evaluation today.”

 

The Hunter Association was a government agency that managed hunters, but they didn’t have many hunters directly under their employ.

 

Most Hunters simply wanted to make money — being part of a government organization meant a lot of mandatory duties.

 

Gate raids were a given, but they were also called upon for villain subjugation, any situation requiring force, escorting high-ranking officials, and so on.

 

Such demands were inevitable.

 

Furthermore, being affiliated with the government meant they were essentially public servants.

 

They couldn’t just throw money around.

 

Therefore, the majority of hunters joined guilds established by private companies.

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon was one of the few hunters directly employed by the Association.

 

“Do you see those soda cans over there?”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon pointed to the back.

 

Five soda cans were lined up at regular intervals.

 

“Section Chief Lee will try to knock them down, and you, Hunter Kang Ian, will try to stop her. I’ll give you a quick demonstration.”

 

At Section Chief Jeon’s gesture, Section Chief Lee Seyeon raised her index finger.

 

– Flicker!

 

A flame compressed and formed at her fingertip.

 

– Bang!

 

It shot out like a bullet and embedded itself in the floor.

 

A small flame flickered where it landed, accompanied by a thud.

 

‘A fire bullet?’

 

Kang Ian watched with interest as Section Chief Jeon Jaewon explained.

 

“This is Section Chief Lee’s ability. This test is actually quite disadvantageous for you, Hunter Kang Ian, since you specialize in close combat. So, you don’t have to block all the cans to pass. It’s okay even if you don’t block any.  We’re observing the process. So, just relax and do your best.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Kang Ian nodded.

 

He pulled out his spear and shield from his subspace.

 

He held the spear in one hand, point upwards, while the shield floated beside him.

 

He had activated the ‘Floating Shield’ skill.

 

“······.”

 

“······.”

 

A tense silence hung in the air between Kang Ian and Section Chief Lee Seyeon.

 

“Begin.”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon gave the signal.

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon made the first move.

 

– Flicker!

 

Several fire bullets compressed at the tip of her index finger and were fired.

 

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

They were small fire bullets, but incredibly fast.

 

This was Section Chief Lee Seyeon’s specialty.

 

She often used this ability to shred C-Rank monsters into pieces.

 

But at that moment!

 

– Clang! Clang! Clang!

 

“!”

 

The floating shield moved at lightning speed, intercepting all the fire bullets as if escorting the soda cans.

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon was taken aback.

 

The shield moved much faster than she anticipated.

 

With her attack route blocked, she moved sideways and fired more fire bullets.

 

– Clang! Clang!

 

But each time, the shield shifted slightly, perfectly blocking her attacks.

 

The fire bullets weren’t powerful enough to penetrate the shield.

 

‘Should I use something stronger?’

 

She hesitated.

 

She needed to increase her output to break through, but that would deviate from the intention of a simple test.

 

At that moment…

 

– Whoosh!

 

Kang Ian kicked off the ground and charged.

 

Straight towards Section Chief Lee Seyeon.

 

Simply defending against her attacks wasn’t enough.

 

The best defense was a good offense, after all.

 

His lower body, strengthened by Kang Hopoong’s training and countless squats, shone in this moment.

 

His explosive thigh power translated into speed.

 

A speed that surpassed the average physical capabilities of a C-Rank hunter.

 

“Huh?”

 

Startled by the sudden charge, Section Chief Lee Seyeon reflexively fired a fire bullet.

 

To Kang Ian, the small, fast projectile seemed to move in slow motion.

 

His spear spun once, drawing a smooth arc as it cleanly bisected the flame.

 

-Slice!

 

With another step forward, the tip of Kang Ian’s spear stopped just in front of Section Chief Lee Seyeon’s throat.

 

“······.”

 

Gulp.

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon swallowed involuntarily.

 

Just now, Kang Ian’s spear had precisely split a small, fast-moving fire bullet in half.

 

And he did it without a single hitch in his breathing.

 

His spearmanship and reflexes were extraordinary.

 

If this were a real battle, she would be dead.

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon wasn’t the only one surprised.

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon, who was overseeing the evaluation, also had his eyes wide open.

 

‘I knew he was strong from the Red Rose Guild’s report, but… to this extent…?’

 

Among the Association’s hunters, Section Chief Lee Seyeong was a young and talented individual.

 

She was considered a promising candidate for B-Rank and above, as long as she continued to diligently hone her abilities. Yet, she was swiftly subdued.

 

Of course, since it was a friendly evaluation, she hadn’t used her full power.

 

She had techniques reserved for powerful monsters, and she couldn’t use those against Kang Ian.

 

But even so, Kang Ian was overwhelmingly dominant.

 

“I-it’s over.”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon finally spoke. 

 

Kang Ian dismissed his spear and bowed to Section Chief Lee Seyeon.

 

“Thank you for your time.”

 

“Oh, no, you’ve worked hard.”

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon still seemed slightly dazed.

 

They took a moment to compose themselves.

 

Then…

 

“Um… based on this, a double promotion to B-Rank seems appropriate.”

 

Section Chief Lee Seyeon, who had experienced his abilities firsthand, made the suggestion, and Section Chief Jeon Jaewon nodded in agreement.

 

“Yes. A direct promotion from D-Rank to B-Rank is unprecedented, but I believe it’s warranted in Hunter Kang Ian’s case.”

 

They had already confirmed Kang Ian’s character.

 

The medal he received spoke for itself.

 

Moreover, his skills were impeccable.

 

They would need to observe him in actual B-rank dungeons to confirm, bu if Lee Seyeon herself vouched for it, there was little to argue.

 

However, Kang Ian hesitated.

 

‘Wait a second. If I become B-rank, I won’t be allowed into the C-rank Hunter Forum, right?’

 

The rank-based separation of hunter forums was a strict rule.

 

An A-Rank hunter couldn’t just participate in a C-Rank forum because they wanted to.

 

The very purpose of dividing the ranks was to allow hunters of the same rank to gather and speak freely.

 

If Kang Ian accepted a double promotion, he might automatically fail Valhalla’s quest.

 

The agent of evil he was supposed to eliminate was attending the C-Rank Forum. He had to be there to even have a chance to confront them.

 

“Section Chief.”

 

After quickly calculating the implications, Kang Ian addressed Section Chief Jeon Jaewon with a serious expression.

 

“Yes? Do you have a question?”

 

“Not a question, but about the double promotion. I’ll have to decline.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon tilted his head in confusion.

 

There were plenty of hunters begging for promotions, and he was refusing one?

 

“But, why?”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon asked, unable to understand.

 

‘Because I won’t be able to attend the C-Rank Forum!’

 

Of course, Kang Ian couldn’t say that, so he came up with a plausible excuse.

 

“Wouldn’t it be unfair to others?  Everyone is working hard day and night to move up a single rank, and I don’t feel comfortable receiving such special treatment. I’d prefer to climb the ladder one step at a time.”

 

Kang Ian shrugged.

 

“Ah…”

 

“Wow…”

 

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon and Section Chief Lee Seyeon’s eyes widened in surprise. 

 

Section Chief Lee even covered her mouth with her hand.