I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 71

Fame (8)

 

<Ohseong Guild and Hunter Kang Ian’s joint raid! (Photo)>

<A warm relationship. Inside the gate, was it Kang Ian’s solo performance?>

<Ohseong Guild’s promising talents. They reveal Kang Ian is on a completely different level.>

 

Kang Ian and the Ohseong Guild’s gate raid immediately became news articles.

As the reporters had hoped, there was no confrontation or provocative remarks between the two, but even just that was enough to become a hot topic.

 

 └ Even the Tier-1 Ohseong Guild acknowledges Hunter Kang Ian? That’s insane!!

 └ The Ohseong Guild hunters have huge pride… what the hell happened inside for the photo to look like that?

 └ Go Chanwoo? I know that guy. Didn’t he used to trash non-major guild hunters as talentless garbage? Look at his expression. Totally broken now lol.

 

What stood out the most was the photo.

The faces of Go Chanwoo and Sung Soohyuk from the Ohseong Guild during the interview were quite a sight.

Anyone could tell… they had been completely overwhelmed by Kang Ian.

On top of that, they were fairly well-known promising talents who had often made excessive remarks in past interviews.

When an anonymous user edited together their past interviews with the current interview photos involving Kang Ian and posted them online, it blew up again.

Previously, people couldn’t say much because they actually had the talent and ability to back it up.

But this time, it was different.

 

 └ Not sure about anything else, but one thing’s clear. Kang Ian’s talent is legit.

 └ That’s true for now, but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. How many so-called genius hunters have been overhyped before? And how many of them actually made it?

 └ Yeah, true. It’s actually rare for those hyped prospects to truly grow.

 └ Still, I hope Kang Ian makes it. He seems like a genuinely good person.

 └ Right? He clearly did most of the work, but he’s praising the Ohseong Guild instead… it seems really humble.

 └ Yeah. I was a reporter there, and his personality is flawless. He went straight to volunteer work after the interview.

 └ Here comes another liar. If you’re a reporter, I’m your editor-in-chief.

 └ Oh, so you’re bald? LOL.

 

With the news constantly buzzing lately, interest in Kang Ian was high.

And in that situation, his working together with a Tier-1 major guild naturally became a hot topic.

However, as the reporters had worried, it was a bit… bland.

Wouldn’t it have been much more stimulating if they had shown rivalry or exchanged trash talk?

But since they only praised each other, people just went, “Oh, I see,” and moved on.

And then!

As if on cue, an article from Viewers TV was uploaded.

 

<Exclusive Feature! Asking About Hunter Kang Ian!>

[Viewers TV – Shin Sorim]

 

The content was an exclusive interview with Kang Ian conducted at an orphanage.

Naturally, the response exploded.

As more and more news about Kang Ian came out, people had grown curious about him… and this article helped answer some of those questions.

The exclusive interview itself wasn’t anything extraordinary.

His thoughts on receiving the UHN plaque of appreciation, his future goals, things like that.

Kang Ian’s answers were also quite typical.

For example, when asked about his future goals…

<Future goals… well. I don’t really have anything grand in mind. I just want to keep hunting monsters as I do now, help people, and make the world a bit more peaceful.>

If someone else had said that, most people would’ve thought they were just pretending to be nice.

But Kang Ian was different.

After all, people had seen what he had done so far.

They naturally nodded in agreement.

On top of that, the interview took place at an orphanage.

<Ah. Also, if people are doing meaningful volunteer work, I’d appreciate it if you could contact me personally. I definitely want to take part in those kinds of activities.>

Even his closing remark was perfect.

To people, it sounded like a voice from an angel descended from the heavens.

 

└ Wow… Kang Ian… can a person really be that kind?

└ And he even risks his life out there. He’s basically a hero.

└ The U.S. hypes their hunters as “heroes,” but they’re all fake. The real one is in Korea.

 

Because of everything he had done so far, even his smallest words excited people.

And around that time, another shocking piece of news broke.

 

<Breaking News! America’s Behemoth Guild calls out Hunter Kang Ian!>

<Is it because of his achievements worthy of a UHN plaque? The world is watching Kang Ian’s next move!>

<Behemoth Guild. Kang Ian heads to face off against the world’s top prospect, John Gibson!>

<The commission fee is a whopping $400,000! An unprecedented amount for a C-rank hunter!?>

 

When Shim Junseok sent an email accepting the request from the Behemoth Guild, they released articles on a massive scale.

Moving together with a hunter who received a UHN plaque was enough to create buzz in the U.S., so the Behemoth Guild did it intentionally.

Naturally, Korea went into an uproar when the news spread.

A mere C-rank hunter, yet already being called by a major American guild!

└ Wait what!? Already going global?

└ Have you ever seen a C-rank hunter like this? Insane class lol

└ Is this the hunter that’ll make the White House tremble!?

└ Okay, that’s exaggerating a bit…

 

The excitement continued for quite a while.

 

***

 

While Korea was in an uproar over Kang Ian…

Two people arrived at Incheon Airport by plane.

“Mr. Nakao, please rest at the hotel for now. I’ll arrange the schedule and let you know.”

“I appreciate it.”

Nakao Ryusei.

Japan’s top prospect, and someone who had experienced the Hunter Forum incident alongside Kang Ian.

He had stepped onto Korean soil again to meet Kang Ian.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee accompanied him, looking quite anxious as he watched Ryusei.

‘He’s not going to cause any trouble… right?’

Ryusei was not just Japan’s top prospect, but one of the best in the world.

If not for John Gibson, he might have been called the world’s number one prospect.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

And with Kang Ian’s recent rise, Ryusei had been pushed down to third.

Of course, in Japan, he was still praised as the best.

But even they knew, deep down, that he had fallen behind.

The Ministry assumed Ryusei’s pride had been deeply hurt by the previous forum incident.

So they believed he had come to Korea for revenge.

That assumption was only partially correct.

‘A buffer… there’s no way I lost to a buffer in raw strength… right?’

Nakao Ryusei had fought the Giant Mantis together with John Gibson and Kang Ian.

A normal person wouldn’t hold resentment toward someone who helped them in battle.

He had no personal grudge.

But there was something else that hurt his pride…

He had been beaten in pure strength by Kang Ian.

Ryusei prided himself on having the greatest power within the same rank.

He was confident he could overpower even John Gibson in a contest of strength.

And yet, he had been outmatched by a buffer… no, a tank.

That, above all else, was unacceptable.

His obsession with strength was strong, and even after returning to Japan, he couldn’t shake the thought.

So he came back to Korea to compare strength once more.

‘No… he’s not just a buffer. He’s also a tank… I can’t quite grasp what his identity is.’

Well, he’d find out once he met him.

“Kang Ian is quite busy lately due to his rising fame. Since we came on such short notice, it might be difficult to arrange a meeting quickly.”

“I understand. I will wait.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nakao.”

The employee bowed deeply.

He was relieved that Ryusei wasn’t acting impulsively.

“I’ll be going to meet the Korean Hunter Association now. Is there anything you need in the meantime?”

“Hmm… I might get bored waiting. Is there a place where I can work out?”

“I’ll check. There should be facilities provided for hunters. I’ll request an access pass for you as well.”

“Thank you.”

 

***

 

The eye of the storm is calm.

Just like that, Kang Ian remained steady, quietly following his routine despite the chaos around him.

Late at night… 

After finishing volunteer work, Kang Ian came to the gym.

To train with Kang Hoopung, who practically lived there.

“Come on, one more!”

“Hup!”

Kang Ian stood up, face flushed red.

Clank

He racked the bar and exhaled heavily.

Kang Hoopung gave a thumbs-up.

“Good job. You’re improving day by day.”

“Huff… huff… It’s all thanks to you, hyung.”

Kang Ian smiled faintly.

Ding!

 

[Training your body under heavy load.]

[Strength +0.6]

 

How could he not smile?

The heavier the weight, the greater the increase in strength, so even though it was hard, working out was fun every day.

“Still, you’re really something. Working out while wearing full gear.”

Kang Hoopung looked at him with curiosity.

Kang Ian was currently wearing full-body armor while doing squats.

The reason was simple…

To even slightly keep up with Kang Hoopung.

The option on Kang Hoopung’s mace, Frost Strike Mace, increased strength by 1.5x.

Without that, it was impossible to keep up.

If they trained normally, they’d constantly have to swap plates due to the difference in weight.

This method at least reduced that hassle.

Of course, even then, Kang Hoopung’s weight was far beyond him.

The gap was still enormous.

The reason he wore full armor instead of just the weapon was simple…

Holding only a weapon would look strange.

So he went with a full set.

Others might find it ridiculous…

“Hm. Maybe I should ask the Association to make me some heavy armor, too. If it’s made purely for weight, it might actually be a great training method.”

To a gym fanatic like Kang Hoopung, it looked appealing.

Clank

At that moment, the door opened, and a large, built man entered.

It was late, so they had the place to themselves… until now.

Kang Hoopung barely paid attention.

But Kang Ian did.

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

They recognized each other.

The newcomer was Nakao Ryusei.

Kang Ian was surprised.

Why is someone who should be in Japan here?

“What is it? You know him?”

“Yes. We met during the Hunter Forum incident. He’s from Japan.”

“Oh, then he’s your friend.”

“Uh… does that count?”

“If you fought monsters together, you’re friends.”

Meanwhile, Ryusei was just as surprised.

‘Kang Ian…?’

He had come to the gym late at night after receiving his access pass.

His body felt restless from just resting.

And yet, he ran into his target here?

“Hey, friend. Do you speak Korean? Want to work out together?”

Kang Hoopung gestured at him.

“…I… speak… a little… Korean…”

Ryusei nodded awkwardly.

He had studied Korean briefly, hoping to talk directly with Kang Ian if they met again.

He didn’t understand most of what Kang Hoopung said… but the gesture was enough.

Squats.

One of his specialties.

A spark ignited in his eyes.

‘Yes. Crushing him with squat weight is much better than some punch machine!’

Compared to something unscientific like a punch machine, squats were far more accurate.

He walked confidently toward the squat rack…

“…!”

But when he saw the weight on the bar, he froze.

Why… is that number so high?