I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 76

Fame (13)

 

Ding!

[Your body is being trained under heavy load.]

[Strength + 0.1]

A faint smile appeared on Kang Ian’s face at the message that popped up before his eyes.

The dumbbell Kang Hoopung had given him as a gift was quite good.

Even for hunters, muscles like the biceps and triceps are small muscle groups.

If you perform dumbbell curls with over 100 kg, it provides more than enough proper stimulation.

It was too light to use for large muscle group exercises, but it was more than sufficient for training smaller muscles.

“Huff… huff…”

He focused on the stimulation in his biceps.

Even though he was exercising in a shirt, there was no discomfort.

The monster ceramic suit was clothing worth over 10 billion won.

From the outside, it looked like a regular suit, but it was completely different from ordinary clothes.

Despite being a suit, it had excellent elasticity, flexibility, and self-recovery, to the point that one could even work out while wearing it.

Thanks to that, Kang Ian didn’t need to change clothes and could fully focus on training.

‘…Are all hunters like that?’

Meanwhile, the flight attendants passing by to provide service occasionally twitched at the corners of their eyes when they saw him.

Seriously.

Working out in a suit…!?

It was shocking and terrifying.

However, the attendants were professionals.

They maintained neutral expressions as best as they could while continuing to serve meals and drinks.

On the other hand, Shim Junseok, who was sitting next to him, couldn’t manage his expression properly.

‘Should I… even now… tell him to stop meeting Hunter Kang Hoopung…?’

No matter how much of an A-rank hunter Kang Hoopung was, it felt like he was influencing Kang Ian in a strange way.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to fix it.

Perhaps he should advise him to give up his connection with that A-rank hunter.

In any case, time passed, and the shocking flight came to an end safely.

Kang Ian arrived at San Francisco International Airport.

Hunters usually go through strict immigration procedures when entering another country.

Since their very physical abilities could be enough to cause terrorism, it was only natural.

Especially a superpower like the United States applied extremely strict standards.

“Mister Kang?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

However, the immigration officer in charge glanced at Kang Ian briefly and let him pass immediately.

Kang Ian tilted his head in confusion, and Shim Junseok approached and explained.

“The Behemoth Guild vouched for our identities. Their guild master is one of the top hunters in the U.S., so things like this are possible.”

“That’s good.”

Saving time was always a good thing.

After that, the two of them exited toward the arrival hall.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

“They’re here!”

“Oh! It’s the hero from Korea!”

“The hero who received a plaque from UHN!”

A considerable number of cameramen and reporters were taking pictures of Kang Ian.

“…Sir? Did you arrange all this?”

“No, of course not…”

Shim Junseok was just as flustered.

If this were Korea, such attention would be understandable given Kang Ian’s recent events.

But this was the United States.

From an American perspective, Korea could be seen as a relatively minor country (in terms of hunter level).

This was a place filled with countless hero-class hunters.

For them to show interest in someone who was still only at the prospect level… it was strange.

“Mister Kang! Please look this way!”

“How do you feel about coming to the United States?”

“We heard you received a large contract from the Behemoth Guild! How do you feel about it?”

The reason the reporters were here was actually simple.

Kang Ian had become something of a hot topic in the U.S. as well.

The Behemoth Guild is commissioning a hunter from another country.

That alone wasn’t particularly unusual.

The U.S. was vast, full of work, and frequently brought in foreign mercenaries.

What truly drew attention was the fact that this foreign hunter had received a plaque from UHN.

The world’s largest international hunter organization.

UHN’s authority and influence were immense.

Naturally, UHN itself was extremely capable, and it rarely gave plaques to outsiders.

To receive one, you had to have helped UHN and contributed honorably to the world.

It was a prestigious award that alone could prove one’s identity.

That was why the reporters had gathered… because Kang Ian was one of its recipients.

Shim Junseok quickly realized this and whispered an explanation to Kang Ian.

“…I see.”

“Yes. This is actually good. It’s a chance to make your name known in the U.S. Do you speak English?”

“Hmm…”

Kang Ian made an awkward expression.

He had studied English throughout elementary, middle, high school, and even four years of university.

Even during his job-hunting period.

But whenever he faced foreigners, he felt intimidated.

He had only studied exam-focused English… conversation was nearly impossible.

Seeing his awkward expression, Shim Junseok nodded.

“It’s fine. For hunters, skill matters more than language. I can speak some English, so I’ll interpret.”

He then pointed to the nearest reporter.

The reporter quickly spoke.

“John Gibson of the Behemoth Guild said that you might even surpass him. What do you think about that?”

Shim Junseok translated quickly, and Kang Ian thought for a moment before answering.

“Uh… John is a great hunter.”

John Gibson was someone he had fought alongside during the UHN Yeouido incident against the Giant Mantis, so he remembered him.

He had definitely been quite skilled.

He had also heard that John was considered the best among prospects.

But…

‘From what I saw, he didn’t seem that strong.’

He was impressive, but not overwhelmingly so.

So Kang Ian simply said he was a great hunter and ended it there.

“Um… is that all?”

Shim Junseok was the one flustered.

This was a question about John Gibson.

He should have answered more elaborately… but that single sentence was all?

But Kang Ian didn’t have much more to say.

You need knowledge to elaborate.

In the end, Shim Junseok had to quickly think and expand the answer.

“Hunter Kang Ian respects John and considers him a great hunter. He sees him as a rival and strives every day.”

“Oh, I see! A hero needs a rival. I hope the two of you grow together.”

Phew.

They got through it safely.

Shim Junseok let out a sigh of relief.

Then another reporter raised a hand.

“Then what do you think about the Behemoth Guild?”

Realizing Kang Ian wasn’t good at English, the reporter spoke slowly and clearly.

The sentence wasn’t difficult, so Kang Ian understood it.

He shrugged and answered.

“Hmm. I don’t know much.”

“……”

Shim Junseok pressed his forehead.

‘Never imagined it would be this difficult here.’

He hadn’t expected the U.S. trip to be easy, but he hadn’t thought such an obstacle would appear like this.

Of course, Kang Ian answered that way because he truly didn’t know.

He wasn’t interested in such things normally.

Unless it was a major domestic guild, he didn’t know much.

“Haha. His English is still lacking, so he’s unsure how to properly express how great the Behemoth Guild is. However, Hunter Kang Ian has often spoken about its excellence. Please understand.”

Shim Junseok quickly stepped in to cover.

Even he thought it was an excellent save.

The reporter seemed satisfied.

“Oh, of course. That’s understandable for such a remarkable hunter. I saw that he rose from F-rank to C-rank in just a few months… it’s clear he’s been fully devoted to growth. Then next…”

‘Please, stop…!’

Shim Junseok silently prayed for this hellish interview to end soon.

 

***

 

The Behemoth Guild occupied an entire massive building in San Francisco.

Not just any building… it was one they had built themselves.

Behemoth is a mythical creature.

Its form varies by legend, but the Behemoth Guild chose an elephant as their symbol.

Thus, the building’s exterior was designed like enormous elephant tusks.

A pair of towering tusks stood proudly, exuding immense grandeur.

Kang Ian and Shim Junseok, invited inside, were impressed.

‘They’re rich!’

Anyone who could build something like this had to be wealthy.

They already knew the guild had strong finances… after all, they paid over 500 million won to a foreign C-rank hunter.

but seeing it in person made it even more convincing.

“Sir, I think we made the right choice coming here.”

“Yes. It’s very beneficial to build connections with a guild like this.”

The two entered the building.

Someone was waiting to greet them.

“Welcome. I’m Jonathan, leader of Delta Team.”

A blond white man smiled as he welcomed them.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Ian.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s the first time John has praised someone like this.”

Shim Junseok translated as they walked.

Soon, they were guided into a meeting room.

Several people were already seated.

“These are the members of Delta Team who will be entering the Land of the Dead with you.”

The Land of the Dead.

A B-rank danger zone in San Francisco where monsters had to be cleared periodically.

Normally, the Behemoth Guild handled it, but at John Gibson’s request, Kang Ian had been invited.

Shim Junseok still wondered if accepting this request had been the right decision.

But Kang Ian had insisted strongly.

Kang Ian couldn’t back down either.

He had the Replica of Saint Bruta’s Gloves.

It was a quest reward effective against undead, but it had a 30-day time limit.

He had to make the most of it within that time.

And since this request also paid well, he had to take it.

“Hey. You’re the guy John kept praising?”

At that moment, a Black man sitting in the corner spoke mockingly.

Jonathan, who had been smiling, stiffened slightly.

“Ezra. They’re guests who came from far away.”

“And also teammates for this operation. Isn’t this level of interaction normal between team members?”

“……”

Jonathan had no reply.

Logically, it made sense.

Ezra looked at Kang Ian with suspicion.

‘That skinny-looking guy is stronger than John? No way.’

He didn’t like that an outsider was joining the operation.

Behemoth was a top-30 guild in the U.S.

Why would they need an external hunter?

‘John must have made a mistake.’

He had seen the Giant Mantis raid footage, but fighting a single boss and dealing with numerous undead monsters were completely different.

And this was a B-rank danger zone.

If it were him or John, fine… But he didn’t think a Korean hunter could adapt easily.

So Ezra provoked him.

“I heard you’re getting paid pretty well for this job. 400,000 dollars, right? Want to make a bet? Let’s see who kills more monsters in the Land of the Dead. If I lose, I’ll give you another 400,000… so you walk away with 800,000. But if you lose, you go back to your country empty-handed. What do you say?”

He smirked and beckoned with his hand… a gesture hard for any man to ignore.

Kang Ian tilted his head, not fully understanding, and looked at Shim Junseok.

‘This is… troublesome.’

Shim hesitated but translated anyway.

Then he added:

“There’s no need to respond. They’re treating us this way because we’re foreigners. You can ignore it.”

“No.”

But Kang Ian shook his head.

“Tell him I accept the bet.”

“!?”