I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 72

Fame (9)

 

A gym exclusively for hunters.

Since hunters had stepped halfway into the realm of superhumans, the equipment they used was special.

Barbells, dumbbells, weight plates…

Everything was made of special alloy materials, with small amounts of byproducts from gates mixed in.

Because of that, they boasted an enormous weight for their size.

“Why are you just standing there? Hurry up.”

Kang Ian urged Ryusei, who had stopped in front of the squat rack.

He needed to start the next set before his body cooled down… what was he doing?

“……”

However, Ryusei couldn’t move easily.

‘He lifted this? Kang Ian did too?’

By the time one reaches A-rank, even foreign hunters become fairly well-known.

So Ryusei recognized Kang Hoopung.

Taesan Kang Hoopung.

An A-rank hunter from Korea, famous for his strength.

If Kang Hoopung had lifted this, he would’ve accepted it.

But Kang Ian, too?

“…Hunter Kang Ian. Did you really lift this?”

“?”

Ryusei asked, but Kang Ian tilted his head.

He had asked in Japanese.

Realizing his mistake, Ryusei tried to speak in Korean, but, having studied only for a few days, the words wouldn’t come out properly.

Tap tap

“Forget talking… just get in. We don’t have time.”

Kang Ian patted Ryusei on the shoulder and pushed him in.

“Go!”

“Hrrgh!”

At this point, he had no choice.

Ryusei strained with all his might, sitting down and standing up.

His entire body trembled from exertion.

But he did it.

10 reps.

On the last rep, he almost got crushed… but somehow, he mustered the strength he didn’t know he had and succeeded.

Clank!

“Uoooo!”

Ryusei clenched his fist and shouted.

“Oh. Maybe because he’s our little brother’s friend. Still, he’s pretty strong.”

Kang Hoopung gave a thumbs-up in approval.

Next was Kang Ian’s turn.

Once Ryusei stepped aside, Kang Ian added another plate on each side and got into position.

“I-is that weight really okay?”

Startled, Ryusei muttered… but again, it was in Japanese, so it didn’t get across.

Kang Ian began squatting.

“Huh! Huh!”

Unlike Ryusei, his movements were incredibly smooth.

‘No way!’

Seeing this, Ryusei was deeply shocked.

His eyes shook violently.

Just moments ago, he had used every ounce of strength to complete his set… and felt proud of it.

But Kang Ian added even more weight and moved like it was nothing?

And on top of that, Kang Ian was wearing full-body armor, with a mace and even a shield strapped to his back.

In reality, it was to use the mace’s “1.5x strength increase” option…

But to Ryusei, it was overwhelming.

‘Wearing that kind of armor and still lifting far heavier than me…’

He had held the title of the strongest among prospects.

But now… it was gone.

Clank

Kang Ian finished his 10 reps quickly.

Next was Kang Hoopung’s turn.

He added an absurd number of plates and lifted nearly twice Kang Ian’s weight.

“Hahp! Hah!”

“……”

Ryusei was left speechless.

He could only stare at the monstrous display.

But soon…

A spark ignited in his eyes.

Though he had fallen behind John Gibson, he was still one of the top prospects in the world.

Something like this wouldn’t make him despair.

Quite the opposite.

It fueled his fighting spirit and passion.

“C-can I… also… train together with you all… from now on?”

Ryusei asked seriously.

His Korean was clumsy, but his sincerity was clear.

Kang Hoopung nodded readily.

“Partners are always welcome. Come on in.”

“Osu!”

The three of them continued training until nearly 3 a.m.

 

***

 

The next day. Early morning.

Having completed a mission and worked out, Kang Ian thought about taking a proper rest day.

‘Visit the nursing home in the morning, do free meal service at the park for lunch, and stop by the orphanage in the evening… that should be perfect.’

A schedule focused purely on gaining nobility!

What else could you call rest?

However, due to a message that came early in the morning, Kang Ian had no choice but to completely revise his plans.

[Your custom suit has just been completed. Please visit the company when you have time. It would also be good to do the advertisement shoot together.]

It was a message from CEO Oh Youngjun of YJ Company.

It had been sent after 4 a.m.

Since they contacted him as soon as it was finished, it was only right to go immediately.

And truthfully, Kang Ian also wanted to try it on as soon as possible.

After all, it was a 10 billion won suit!

He had never imagined wearing something like this in his life.

Life really was unpredictable.

Since the Association was still providing him with security, he took the vehicle they arranged and headed to YJ Company.

At the research facility he had visited before, people were busy moving around.

At the center of it all was CEO Oh Youngjun, who waved when he saw Kang Ian approach.

“Over here. Welcome, Hunter Kang Ian.”

“Thank you for calling me, sir.”

“Not at all. We’re all trying to succeed together. The outfit is ready.”

Oh Youngjun pointed to a suit hanging on a rack.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary suit.

A clean set of black slacks, a white shirt, and a black jacket… casual and stylish.

Kang Ian lightly touched the fabric.

He could immediately feel the difference.

It was completely unlike normal textiles.

It felt so durable that even he thought it wouldn’t be easy to damage.

‘Impressive.’

Even Kang Hoopung acknowledged Kang Ian’s strength, yet this made him think that.

That alone showed how incredible the suit was.

“It’s truly excellent. Turning something that should be armor into a suit like this… the technology is amazing.”

“Our researchers worked very hard.”

Oh Youngjun smiled.

The business of selling equipment to hunters was enormous.

Each item easily costs hundreds of millions.

But Oh Youngjun wanted to go a step further.

He wanted to expand into everyday clothing.

“Oh, and there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”

“Introduce?”

“Yes. As I mentioned, we planned to use you as an advertisement model. After discussing with the staff, we thought it might be better to use both male and female models.”

Sometimes, clothing’s design and aesthetic matter more than its function.

If something becomes popular, even poorly made clothes can sell out.

When Kang Ian once dressed in a suit, the researchers had been amazed by his physique.

That gave them an idea.

What if they used visually appealing male and female hunters as models?

Wouldn’t it sell even better than just emphasizing function?

So they quickly recruited another model.

Swish

At that moment, the curtain of a temporary dressing room opened, and a woman in a semi-casual suit stepped out.

She was a beauty with short black hair and a cold expression.

But soon, she smiled slightly and looked at Kang Ian.

“It’s been a while.”

“Hunter Hong Dasom?”

Kang Ian recognized her.

Hong Dasom.

A hunter, he had once entered a gate on an Association mission.

Like him, she was a freelance hunter, a genius who wielded wind-based skills.

Hong Dasom smiled.

“I’ve seen you in the news a few times, but it’s nice to meet again like this.”

“Ah, yes. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been doing fine. Watching you has been quite motivating.”

Hong Dasom’s older sister was an A-rank hunter, and she herself had exceptional skills, earning the title of genius right after awakening.

She had lived up to that reputation.

She had refused offers from many guilds to remain a freelancer, confident in her abilities.

To be honest… she too, had once been somewhat arrogant like other hunters.

But after entering a gate with Kang Ian, that arrogance shattered.

There were true geniuses in the world.

After seeing him, she felt like a frog in a well.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“You’re a C-rank, right? I was recently promoted to C-rank as well. YJ Company said it would be better if the models were of the same rank, so they contacted me. Hehe, thanks to you, I get to experience something like this.”

YJ Company needed to find a female hunter similar to Kang Ian.

Of course, someone exactly like him didn’t exist.

A person who loved volunteering and was always kind…

Even among ordinary people, that was rare.

But the model had to be a female hunter, attractive enough for advertisements, and capable like Kang Ian.

Hong Dasom met all those conditions.

She wasn’t arrogant like Go Chanwoo or Sung Soohyuk.

Though overshadowed by Kang Ian’s rise, she had once been called a genius.

And her appearance… well, that spoke for itself.

She was also the same C-rank.

So everyone agreed to cast her.

“Let’s continue talking later. Hunter Kang Ian, please go change. The makeup team will assist you, and afterward we’ll take solo and duo shots.”

At Oh Youngjun’s words, Kang Ian went into the dressing room.

After changing, the styling team quickly applied light makeup.

Nothing excessive… just evening out his skin tone, removing blemishes, and styling his hair.

“Oh…”

“Wow…”

That alone completely transformed him.

Kang Ian scratched his neck awkwardly as he walked out.

“Haha… this feels a bit embarrassing.”

He smiled awkwardly, but his gentle and handsome appearance drew everyone’s attention.

Especially Hong Dasom, who stared with her mouth slightly open.

Oh Youngjun smiled.

“It seems we’ve chosen the perfect model. Shall we begin the shoot right away?”

But at that moment…

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Vrrrr! Vrrrr!

Everyone’s smartphones emitted warning alarms at the same time.

Startled, they checked their phones.

One employee spoke after reading it.

“Uh… It’s an Association alert. A villain has appeared nearby… they’re warning us to be careful.”

Like disaster alerts, notifications were sent when unusual incidents such as villains or black gates occurred.

This was one of those cases.

A villain had appeared.

“Well, we’re inside the company anyway. The Association will send hunters soon, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

Someone muttered, and others nodded.

At that moment…

Tap tap!

Like the wind, Kang Ian dashed out.

“I’ll be back shortly!”

The moment he saw the alert, he was shocked.

A villain?

He had already felt uneasy about canceling his morning volunteer work…

And now this happened?

Was today some kind of gift from the heavens?

‘I have to catch this no matter what!’

If he missed this, he would regret it forever.