I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 48 - Assault (9)

‘Hoo. Not bad at all.’

 

Kang Ian smiled inwardly with satisfaction as he looked at the score displayed on the punching machine.

 

Roughly 170,000 points, a new record.

 

He wasn’t sure what the previous high score was, but this wasn’t bad.

 

As Kang Ian was smiling contentedly, the hunters who had been watching erupted in exclamations.

 

“Whoa, what?”

 

“Is that new record for real?”

 

“Wasn’t Ryusei’s score 120,000 just before?”

 

Nakao Ryusei.

 

A Japanese hunter who had burst onto the scene like a comet and was gaining attention as a rising star.

 

Among the C-rank hunters attending this forum, there were even some who had come just to see Ryusei in person.

 

Ryusei was especially known for his incredible strength — and yet someone had just easily outdone his score?

 

“Oh! Wait a minute. I’ve seen that guy in a news article. Isn’t that… Hunter Kang Ian?”

 

“Kang Ian?”

 

“Yeah, the hunter who received a medal recently.”

 

“Ah!!”

 

At those words, several hunters gasped.

 

It had been quite the headline, so a few remembered it.

 

The reason they hadn’t recognized him right away was because he had been known as a D-rank hunter.

 

“I thought he was D-rank, what’s he doing here?”

 

“Did he get promoted to C-rank…?”

 

“Already? He awakened not long ago, didn’t he?”

 

“I think I saw it on an article. Said it was an unprecedented pace.”

 

Hearing the hunters’ voices, Kang Ian felt a little embarrassed.

 

It was as if he had come out of nowhere and boasted about his strength.

 

Kang Ian shifted slightly.

 

Some of the other hunters were hesitating, wondering if they should go talk to him. 

 

Now was the perfect moment to slip out unnoticed.

 

Just then, someone cautiously approached Kang Ian.

 

“Um…. Are you Hunter Kang Ian?”

 

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

 

“Do you not remember me?”

 

“?”

 

Kang Ian tilted his head.

 

‘What is this? A cult recruiter…? Wait, but would one of those even show up at a hunter forum?’

 

The approach felt exactly like that….

 

However, the person who approached him wasn’t one.

 

“You know, during the Black Gate incident, Hunter Kang Ian saved other hunters, right? I’m one of the people you helped back then.”

 

“…Ah!”

 

Now that he mentioned it, Kang Ian felt like the guy looked familiar.

 

However, he had helped more than one or two people back then, so he didn’t remember them all.

 

He just had a feeling of familiarity.

 

The man seemed to notice that Kang Ian didn’t remember him, but he didn’t seem to mind.

 

“Hahaha. First of all, let me thank you again. Back then, I was just fighting blindly, and thanks to you, I survived when I almost got seriously injured.”

 

“I just did what I had to.”

 

“Huhu. As expected, you have a kind heart.”

 

The man grinned. Then, he looked at Kang Ian with admiration.

 

“I learned from a follow-up article that Hunter Kang Ian was F-rank during that incident, and I was really shocked. But now you’re a C-rank like me. Wow. Your growth rate is insane.”

 

As the man spoke with a smile, other hunters gradually approached and chimed in.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian, I saw the article that came out last time. That was such a heroic act — amazing!”

 

“When did you get promoted? I didn’t expect to see you here.”

 

“I’m a fan!”

 

Since Kang Ian had gained recognition through his good deeds rather than any kind of scandal, the hunters looked at him with genuinely warm eyes.

 

“Haha…”

 

Kang Ian smiled awkwardly, feeling unfamiliar with this kind of attention.

 

Meanwhile, someone was watching Kang Ian with a dumbfounded expression.

 

‘170,000? How the hell does someone get 170,000?’

 

Nakao Ryusei.  He couldn’t take his eyes off the score Kang Ian had left on the punching machine.

 

Although he was a C-rank Hunter, Ryusei considered himself one of the top C-rank Hunters in the world.

 

To be precise, he considered himself the best C-rank Hunter in the world, excluding ‘that monster’ from the United States.

 

Since each country had a different hunter rank assessment system, the level of ability varied depending on nationality, even within the same rank.

 

A C-rank from the U.S., for instance, could be stronger than a B-rank from a small country in Africa.

 

But today, Ryusei’s confidence was shattered.

 

He didn’t seem to be a famous hunter since Ryusei didn’t recognize his face, but to be surpassed like this?

 

Seeing Korean Hunters gather around and talk to him, it seemed he had some fame within the country.

 

However, Ryusei didn’t understand Korean, so he couldn’t understand the details of the conversation.

 

He continued to stare at Kang Ian, who was still chatting with the other hunters.

 

“Hey…”

 

Finally unable to endure it, Ryusei approached Kang Ian to suggest they compete again. 

 

A direct fight would violate the forum’s rules, of course — but using the punching machine was still fair game.

 

This time, he’d give it everything he had!

 

But at that moment…

 

“Ah, excuse me for a second.”

 

Kang Ian excused himself from the hunters surrounding him and dashed off somewhere.

 

His expression seemed urgent. Ryusei looked in that direction, wondering what was going on, but the place Kang Ian arrived at was completely unexpected.

 

A staff member, who looked like a forum official, was struggling to carry a heavy pile of luggage, and Kang Ian approached him and lifted it with ease.

 

The staff member bowed repeatedly in gratitude, and Kang Ian smiled and walked ahead, helping carry the boxes into the main forum venue building.

 

“…??”

 

Ryusei tilted his head.

 

What was that guy doing?

 

* * *

 

– Ding!

 

[You have helped someone in need.]

 

[Nobility +1]

 

‘Huhu. This is it. The small joys of life.’

 

Another point of Nobility gained today.

 

As the saying goes—many drops make a mighty ocean.

 

“Thank you so much, Hunter Kang Ian. I heard you were very kind, and it’s true!”

 

“Haha. No problem. It wasn’t difficult at all.”

 

He meant it. Rather, he was happy to gain Nobility from such a small act!

 

Perhaps reading the sincerity in Kang Ian’s expression, the staff member bowed their head several times before leaving.

 

After that, Kang Ian entered the hall where the forum was taking place.

 

It was a very large auditorium.

 

The Hunter Forum.

 

While it was called a forum, its real purpose was for hunters from around the world to get to know each other.

 

Someday, a monster or Gate might appear that requires global cooperation, and it would be problematic if everyone was awkward with each other.

 

So, the idea was to meet in advance like this, build friendships, or at least become familiar with each other’s faces.

 

Therefore, the vast hall was filled with numerous tables laden with all sorts of delicacies.

 

Almost like a party, hunters from various countries were laughing, chatting, nibbling on food, or sipping cocktails.

 

The atmosphere wasn’t stiff or formal; everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

And among those hunters, there was a star attraction.

 

A tall, lanky Black man, well over 190cm.

 

Kang Ian recognized him.

 

‘That’s John Gibson.’

 

John Gibson.

 

Even though Kang Ian wasn’t familiar with foreign hunters, he had heard the name.

 

A C-rank Hunter from the United States, considered the strongest C-rank in the world.

 

This was because during the Gate dispute with China, he had completely overwhelmed a Chinese B-rank Hunter.

 

Hailed as a genius even in the United States, the world’s strongest nation. Everyone agreed it was only a matter of time before he advanced to B-rank, even possibly A-rank, despite how strict the American ranking system was.

 

That was John Gibson.

 

In the U.S., hunters are required to stay at a certain rank for a fixed period of time before being eligible for promotion. If not for that rule, people said he would already be B-rank—or even A-rank.

 

And then…

 

‘Hmm.’

 

Kang Ian’s gaze shifted to the side of John Gibson. 

 

Among the several US Hunters gathered there, one emanated a black aura.

 

‘That must be him.’

 

Kang Ian narrowed his eyes slightly and didn’t look away from the man.

 

* * *

 

Meladin was a C-rank Hunter from the United States.

 

While John Gibson was the most famous C-rank Hunter in the US, Meladin was confident that he would soon surpass him.

 

‘Because I have received His grace!’

 

A few months ago, he entered a Gate and faced death.

 

A mistake occurred inside. His colleagues all died, and he himself was on the verge of being killed by the boss monster.

 

That was when he heard a voice, offering him a way out.

 

<Do you want to live?>

 

It sent shivers down his spine, like the whisper of a devil.

 

For a moment, the fear of the voice was greater than the fear of death.

 

<If you want to live, obey me. Dedicate your body and soul to me. Then I will let you live.>

 

To any sane person, it would’ve sounded absurd.

 

But looking at the boss monster approaching before his eyes, he had no choice but to comply.

 

“I, I want to live!”

 

After his desperate cry, Meladin’s life changed from that day forward.

 

He still didn’t know who ‘He’ was, the one whose voice he only heard.

 

But ‘he’ gave him talent, and ‘he’ gave him power.

 

Meladin, who had been just an average C-rank Hunter, grew and became stronger much faster.

 

Eventually, he became known, even within the US, as a talented Hunter.

 

And the reason he came to this forum today was because of ‘his’ instructions.

 

<Go. Go and kill the budding sprouts, and open the door for my advent.>

 

He didn’t know who ‘he’ was.

 

But one thing was certain.

 

If he followed the instructions, he would be granted even greater power!

 

Meladin carefully rolled a marble-like object in his palm.

 

It hadn’t been detected by the security check before entering, but according to ‘his’ words, it was both a powerful bomb and a door.

 

Meladin’s mission was to use this when as many competent hunters as possible were gathered!

 

‘I’ll get rid of that John Gibson here, and that Ryusei or whatever from Japan too. Heh.’

 

The void and chaos among hunters.

 

He didn’t know the reason, but it was what ‘he’ wanted.

 

And it wasn’t a bad outcome for Meladin either.

 

If so many C-rank Hunters died or vanished, the spotlight would naturally shift to him.

 

And in that process, if Meladin showed himself to be more talented and stronger than before?

 

‘It won’t be long before John Gibson’s popularity becomes mine.’

 

Meladin grinned. He was waiting for the right moment.

 

And soon…

 

Meladin stealthily moved into the crowd of hunters drawn to John Gibson and his fame.

 

Just as he was gauging the timing to throw the marble in his hand…

 

– Tap

 

“?”

 

Someone placed a hand on Meladin’s shoulder.

 

At the same time, his wrist was grabbed.

 

“Stop. Don’t move.”

 

It was Kang Ian.

 

“Wh, what are you doing!?”

 

Startled, Meladin tried to pull his grasped wrist free.

 

‘What kind of strength is this…?’

 

It was like trying to break free from a boulder—his wrist wouldn’t budge.

 

Kang Ian looked down at him coldly and twisted his wrist slightly.

 

“Kugh!?”

 

The marble fell from his hand.

 

Kang Ian kicked it.

 

The marble flew far out the window.

 

At the same time…

 

– Kwaaaang!

 

It exploded massively in midair.