I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 63

Light and Darkness (8)

 

Ding!

 

[You have defeated a Servant of Evil.]

[You have completed the quest ‘Threat of Evil.’]

[Level Up!]

[Quest rewards have been sent to your inventory.]

 

As Kang Hoopung swatted the guy like a fly, a message appeared before Kang Ian.

‘If that guy had escaped, things could’ve gotten troublesome… good thing hyung showed up at the perfect time.’

Of all times, he tried to run and ended up running into Kang Hoopung.

From their perspective, it was truly unlucky.

They had waited until everyone except Kang Ian had left the gym.

Moreover, Kang Hoopung was an A-rank hunter.

Even if they didn’t know about his relationship with Kang Ian, they still waited for him to leave just in case he might interfere.

They had targeted the moment Kang Ian was completely alone… who could’ve expected Kang Hoopung to come back?

“Are you okay, little brother?”

“Yes, hyung. Thanks to you, I’m fine.”

Kang Ian nodded as he dismissed his equipment.

In truth, he wasn’t completely fine.

He had already expended a lot of energy working out, and after an intense fight on top of that, he was physically drained.

Kang Hoopung knew that well and patted his shoulder firmly.

“Still, you’ve got a long way to go. Struggling against guys like that? From now on, train with me every day. I’ll make you solid.”

“Haha…”

Kang Ian let out an awkward laugh.

Even if he didn’t mind training with Kang Hoopung, doing it every single day felt like too much.

Just as he was wondering how to refuse…

Bang!

“Are you alright, Hunter Kang Ian?!”

“Are you injured anywhere?!”

Association personnel burst in, kicking the door open.

Armed with firearms like a special forces unit, they looked ready to fire at any moment.

Kang Ian tilted his head.

“Who are you?”

“We’re from the Association! We saw you being attacked through the CCTV!”

“Ah.”

He noticed the CCTV cameras installed all over the ceiling.

They were probably monitored by the Association, and they must have rushed over the moment they detected trouble.

No matter how superhuman hunters were, they didn’t have energy shields like monsters.

If caught off guard and hit by a barrage of machine-gun fire, they would die.

In an enclosed space like this, concentrating firepower made it nearly impossible to evade.

‘Even without hyung, I might’ve been okay.’

“I’m fine. Thanks to Hyung here.”

“Just in case, how about going to the hospital for a thorough examination?”

“I’m really fine.”

No one knew better than himself that he wasn’t injured.

Still, the staff kept insisting on going to the hospital.

Not wanting to waste time, he repeatedly refused and eventually managed to return home with difficulty.

 

***

 

It had been a hectic day.

Workout with Kang Hoopung in the morning, clearing the Yeobongsan danger zone in the afternoon, another workout at night, and then a battle with Servants of Evil.

‘Even I think that was a hellish schedule.’

Thinking back on it made him laugh hollowly.

How did he even manage all that in one day?

However, Kang Ian still hadn’t washed up or gone to bed.

He had something left to do.

He booted up his computer and launched Devil Road 3.

He logged into his character, the Knight of Valhalla.

‘I really felt my limits this time.’

On the way home, he had asked Valhalla, which was supposedly watching over him…

What were those guys? Why were they targeting him?

But no response came from the Sanctuary of Valhalla.

Usually, it would suddenly pop up telling him to eliminate evil, yet at times like this, it stayed silent.

Unhelpful.

Still, he didn’t feel like complaining.

He was, after all, a beneficiary using their power.

Instead, he would prepare thoroughly.

He didn’t know when another attack might come.

He couldn’t afford to collapse due to a lack of strength when that happened.

Moreover, that black energy they used…

The moment he saw it, a strong sense of disgust spread through his body.

He absolutely didn’t want to be defeated by such vile power.

So what should he do?

“Shopping.”

Buying good items and skills.

No matter how much he leveled up or improved his physical abilities through exercise, those took time.

Nothing beats spending money for rapid growth.

Kang Ian first browsed through community posts about Devil Road 3.

The game had already been out for over a month.

People had long since reached max level and shared optimized builds and setups.

But Kang Ian lived in reality.

If he pursued only efficiency, like in a game, serious problems could arise.

‘I’ll go the safe route.’

Even if it was slow like a turtle, it had to be perfect.

That was his motto.

So instead of blindly following guides, he browsed the shop and selected items he wanted.

‘First, I need a new shield.’

The ‘Saint Krshnu’s Kite Shield’ he received as a quest reward during the Black Gate incident…

He had used it well, but continuing to use it now would be difficult.

Even during the Giant Mantis fight, it had been dented.

Now, after fighting the Servants of Evil, it had deep grooves and was torn in several places.

Its durability was nearly depleted; it was close to breaking.

Of course, repairs were possible.

If he went to a blacksmith NPC in the game, he could repair it.

 

[Would you like to repair Saint Krshnu’s Shield?]

[Required Soul of Evil: 669.]

 

“…No.”

Too expensive.

He had accumulated quite a bit of Soul of Evil from defeating monsters and destroying two sources of evil, so he could afford it… But he figured it would be better to replace it altogether.

He needed to move on to better equipment.

Scrolling through the shop, some shields cost hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Completely out of reach for now.

He had to lower his expectations and compromise.

After some thought, he picked one.

 

[Muss’s Blade Shield]

[A shield crafted by Muss, one of the empire’s top ten blacksmiths. Designed so that it wouldn’t be used only as a shield, by turning the handle, blades emerge from within.]

[The blades are imbued with the ‘Minor Sharpness’ enchantment.]

[Required Soul of Evil: 5600.]

 

It was so expensive that it made him flinch.

But it was the most suitable shield for him right now.

Given its price tier, it was far sturdier than his current shield.

More importantly, blades emerged from it.

‘It’ll synergize perfectly with Floating Shield.’

He could already cut enemies with the sharpened edges, but now it would have actual blades… and even enchanted ones.

There was a reason it was expensive.

‘Buy it? Or not?’

He hesitated seriously.

Combining rewards from the Giant Mantis and sources of evil, he had just under 6000 Soul of Evil.

Buying this would wipe out everything.

Of course, he couldn’t decide easily.

‘…Let’s check skills first.’

Decision postponed.

He shifted his focus.

He wanted to check skills as well.

What he felt during the recent fight was a lack of speed.

He hadn’t worried about that when fighting monsters.

Monsters charged at humans on sight.

They came to him, so defense and attack power were key.

But humans were different.

They could run away.

If he couldn’t match their speed, dealing with them became difficult.

So he looked for skills to compensate for that.

One caught his eye.

 

[Skill Book: Roar of Suppression]

[The ancestors of ancient Valhalla were not knights. They were warriors who followed their instincts, pursuing only strength and primal urges. Their roar held the power to crush the enemy’s will and restrict their actions.]

[Upon activation, for 10 minutes, increases the movement speed of the caster and up to five allies by 20%, while reducing the movement speed of affected enemies by 5%.]

[Required Nobility: 4800.]

 

“…Ha. Seriously. That’s ridiculously expensive.”

4800 Nobility.

Unlike Soul of Evil, Nobility was much harder to obtain.

While stronger monsters granted more Soul of Evil, Nobility wasn’t easily increased.

The only reliable method right now was increasing volunteer work.

“…I can’t let this slide. I should go do one.”

He hadn’t done any volunteer work today due to a lack of time, and it felt like a waste.

Kang Ian stood up…

“….”

But just before leaving, he checked the time.

It was already 11 PM.

There was nowhere to do volunteer work at this hour.

‘I should’ve done one before coming home.’

That thought made him sigh deeply.

 

***

 

Song Sangmin, director of UHN’s Safety Management Bureau, had said Kang Ian might soon receive an appreciation plaque.

He was right.

Kang Ian’s award ceremony had been decided.

And not just that… it was scheduled for tomorrow!

Just before midnight, an official document was sent from UHN to the Korean Hunter Association.

It stated their intention to award a plaque to Kang Ian, a C-rank hunter, for his contributions.

It also mentioned they wanted to proceed as quickly as possible, preferably the next day.

From the Association’s perspective, it was absurd.

A few staff members working overtime gathered in the meeting room.

Section Chief Jeon Jaewon and Section Chief Lee Seyoon, who had naturally come to handle Kang Ian’s case after meeting him several times, were there.

“How lightly must they think of us to send something like this at this hour?”

“It’s probably morning in the U.S., so it’s not that strange.”

“But wanting to hold the ceremony the very next day? Even they should know that’s rude and unreasonable.”

Why handle something like this so hastily?

If most hunters received such a notice, they would react very negatively.

It wasn’t just disrespectful… it was outright dismissive.

Hunters, due to their overwhelming power, naturally had great pride and confidence.

Some even developed a superiority complex.

Sending such a request to someone like that could provoke hostility.

Especially since Kang Ian had just been attacked earlier that evening.

The reason they were working overtime was to investigate that incident and handle its aftermath.

And now this added hassle.

“…Hunter Kang Ian seems to have a good personality, so he might not react too negatively. Let’s at least inform him… It’s still important.”

“Alright. I’ll call him.”

Lee Seyoon made the call.

Ring…

Before it could even ring once, Kang Ian answered.

—Hello?

“Yes, Hunter Kang Ian. This is Section Chief Lee Seyoon. I’m sorry for contacting you so late. Did I disturb your rest?”

—No, it’s fine. What is it?

“Well… actually…”

She carefully explained the document from UHN.

“…So they want to present you with an appreciation plaque and would like to proceed quickly. They’ve requested to do it tomorrow.”

—…

There was silence on the other end.

Lee Seyoon pressed her forehead.

‘He must be really upset.’

He seemed so angry that he couldn’t even speak.

As expected, UHN had been too rude.

She quickly continued.

“I understand this may be uncomfortable. We’ll inform them to postpone it. If you have a preferred date, please feel free to…”

—No! It’s fine! Let’s do it tomorrow! Actually, can we just do it today? Can I receive it right now?

“…Excuse me?”

Lee Seyoon instinctively checked the time.

“…It’s almost midnight right now.”