I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 9 - Exploits (5)

Kang Ian received gratitude from quite a few hunters.

 

He had been running around diligently to gather ‘Evil Souls’ and ‘Nobility,’ but the other hunters perceived it differently.

 

‘To think he’d be considerate of his surroundings instead of acting selfishly for his own guild.’

 

‘He’s skilled, but his personality is even better.’

 

They assumed this because they didn’t yet know Kang Ian was unaffiliated.

 

In the hunter profession, there were often situations where hunters from different guilds worked together.

 

At such times, skill was important, but character couldn’t be ignored either.

 

Many hunters, after gaining sudden power, developed an arrogant and dismissive attitude toward others. That was why Kang Ian’s behavior stood out even more.

 

And among those who approached him, there was someone Kang Ian recognized.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

“Team Leader?”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang of the Ohseong Guild.

 

At his arrival, the other hunters subtly dispersed.

 

They weren’t in the same league. Though they wanted to talk more with Kang Ian, they settled for exchanging glances.

 

“I was already planning to meet you soon after hearing reports from my team members,

but I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

 

Lee Jigwang had spotted Kang Ian multiple times during this Black Gate incident.

 

Since he was a capable hunter covering a vast area, he naturally noticed Kang Ian,

who had been moving around everywhere.

 

‘At first, I wondered why an unaffiliated F-rank hunter was here…’

 

The Black Gate phenomenon was a competition between guilds. Unaffiliated hunters had no reason to come, as there was nothing for them to gain.

 

Unless, of course, the government had forced a mandatory summons due to a gate explosion.

 

‘He was here because of his sense of justice.’

 

Lee Jigwang had never seen it himself, only heard about such people.

 

Those with a strong and kind heart, who moved to help even when they knew it put them at risk.

 

There were those who acted according to their abilities, and Kang Ian was one of them.

 

Frankly, he wanted someone like Kang Ian on his team, even having slightly lacking skills would be fine.

 

A colleague he could always trust and rely on.

 

Sometimes, personality was more important than ability in the field.

 

Moreover, Kang Ian wasn’t just a good person.

 

He was even more impressive in terms of ability.

 

Lee Jigwang had seen blue lightning crackling from Kang Ian’s sword when he faced monsters.

 

This was something he hadn’t heard from his team members who went to the Krufan dungeon with Kang Ian.

 

‘They said he had a skill to store items in a subspace…’

 

Well, there was no rule saying a hunter could only have one skill.

 

Hunters could acquire new skills by obtaining skill stones or through sudden enlightenment during their activities.

 

A select few hunters even started out with multiple skills from the moment of awakening, so there was nothing strange about Kang Ian having more than one.

 

‘Except, he’s special.’

 

Such hunters were bound to rise to the top quickly.

 

His team members had told him that Kang Ian had been flawless in the Krupan dungeon.

 

His weapon handling, his demeanor when facing monsters, his mindset, everything.

 

He was the very image of a seasoned hunter.

 

‘And to think he even hid his skills because he didn’t need to use his full strength…’

 

A burning desire to recruit him surged within Lee Jigwang.

 

He wanted to gouge out the eyes of every hunter around him.

 

They had all seen Kang Ian too, so they’d all want to recruit him to their guilds too!

 

* * *

 

“Heehee. Auntie~”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Aw, why not? Auntie~.”

 

Jeong Bora was using all her aegyo on her aunt.

 

If her target were a man, his heart would have skipped a beat, and he would have agreed to anything she said.

 

Twenty-year-old Jeong Bora’s aegyo was that potent.

 

Unfortunately, her target was not only the same gender but also her aunt, who had watched her grow up since childhood.

 

Choi Seobin, the 2nd team leader of the Red Rose Guild, shot her niece an icy glare.

 

“What did I tell you before we came here?”

 

“Hehehe.”

 

“Did you forget?”

 

Jeong Bora flinched as Choi Seobin’s tone sharpened.

 

“No… Of course, I remember. You told me to always be calm and composed.”

 

“And? Why did you lose your composure and put yourself in danger!?”

 

“…I’m really sorry, Auntie. I was wrong. Please forgive me just this once…”

 

Jeong Bora apologized repeatedly, her face on the verge of tears.

 

She had only recently awakened as a hunter.

 

She was a new recruit to the Red Rose Guild, and happened to be in Gangwon-do during this Black Gate incident.

 

She had been on a solo trip when the incident occurred, and knowing her aunt was heading there, she pestered her to tag along.

 

– Bora, it could be dangerous. Just go to the dungeons provided by the guild later.

 

– Auntie! Wouldn’t experiencing my first real combat in a situation like this be much more educational? I want to experience real combat quickly.

 

“Sigh. It was my fault for falling for your words.”

 

Choi Seobin sighed, recalling their past conversation.

 

Jeong Bora wasn’t wrong.

 

It was said that the reason the first-generation hunters were, on average, stronger than the current generation was because of the real combat they experienced without any prior information.

 

Current hunters tended to be raised in a protected environment, so experiencing actual combat in a Black Gate incident might be beneficial.

 

However, she had repeatedly emphasized to Jeong Bora the importance of staying calm and cautious.

 

Despite that, Jeong Bora had gotten carried away by the atmosphere of the battlefield and recklessly charged into danger.

 

“But I learned my lesson this time, Auntie. It won’t happen again.”

 

“Sigh… Well, as long as you’re alive.”

 

After experiencing that crisis, Jeong Bora handled herself well.

 

She didn’t act rashly and steadily dealt with the monsters.

 

Although it had been a dangerous situation, it was also a valuable learning experience.

 

“I’ll keep it a secret from your mom.”

 

“Yay! Thank you! I’d be dead if Mom found out.”

 

As if this was her goal all along, Jeong Bora clung to Choi Seobin’s arm and rubbed her face against it.

 

Her tearful expression was long gone.

 

Choi Seobin pulled her arm away in disgust.

 

“You said someone saved you. Who was it?”

 

“I don’t know. But I remember his face and name clearly, so I’ll definitely look for him later.”

 

He hadn’t seemed particularly dressed up, yet he was quite good-looking.

 

His gear wasn’t bad either, and most importantly, he had used a powerful skill.

 

It seemed to be lightning-based, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find him later through inquiries.

 

“Good. If you receive a favor, you should repay it.”

 

The two walked towards the tent where the hunters were gathered.

 

The association would soon announce the collected data and determine the order for entering the Black Gate.

 

On their way, the Red Rose Guild support team approached.

 

“Team Leader Choi. The data compilation is complete.”

 

“How is it?”

 

“We don’t have the exact figures, only the Association does, but based on our estimations, it’s a close race for first place.”

 

Large hunter guilds weren’t composed solely of hunters.

 

They had support teams that analyzed, planned, and provided support.

 

The Red Rose Guild’s support team had been filming the entire Black Gate incident with drones.

 

Unfortunately, there were limits to the number of drones allowed other than those belonging to the Hunter Association, so the data wasn’t perfect, but it was still significant.

 

“A close race, you say. With which guild?”

 

“Team Leader Lee Jigwang of the Ohseong Guild.”

 

“Ha. Figures.”

 

In reality, Choi Seobin already knew and had asked just to confirm.

 

“Team Leader Lee Jigwang. His skill is undeniable.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang’s Ohseong Guild team arrived several hours late to the Black Gate incident.

 

Yet, despite that delay, they had nearly matched Red Rose Guild’s contributions, even though Red Rose had been there from the start.

 

Of course, there was an explanation for that.

 

The reason Team Leader Choi Seobin’s Red Rose Guild arrived early was that they had just finished clearing a gate nearby.

 

They were about to return when the Black Gate incident occurred, and they immediately moved to the location.

 

‘Since my team had to hunt again without rest, they were all tired and exhausted, which decreased our efficiency.’

 

Even so,

 

To be caught up by another guild that arrived hours later…

 

It made her realize how remarkable Team Leader Lee Jigwang was.

 

The support team member said,

 

“Still, it would have been difficult for them to completely close the gap. We predict that our guild will win with high probability.”

 

“We won’t know until the results are out. Let’s go.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Choi Seobin headed to the temporary tent with the support team and Jeong Bora.

 

As they entered the large tent, the hunters chatting inside fell silent.

 

They, too, assumed that the Red Rose Guild was in first place.

 

All eyes were naturally drawn to the main players as they arrived.

 

‘Heh. I wonder where Team Leader Lee Jigwang is.’

 

Choi Seobin subtly smiled victoriously and looked around.

 

She spotted Team Leader Lee Jigwang in a corner.

 

“Huh?”

 

At that moment, Jeong Bora gasped in surprise and walked towards Team Leader Lee Jigwang before Choi Seobin could.

 

More precisely, she was heading for the person next to him—Kang Ian.

 

“Hunter-nim!”

 

Jeong Bora shouted with sparkling eyes and practically ran to Kang Ian.

 

Then, she bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

 

“Thank you so much for saving me earlier!”

 

“Ah. It’s you from before. You don’t have to thank me again. I’ve received plenty of thanks already.”

 

Kang Ian recognized Jeong Bora and spoke gently.

 

He had been receiving thanks from hunters since earlier, so he was somewhat desentized to them.

 

He had become more comfortable with saying it was no big deal.

 

Team Leader Choi Seobin also approached.

 

“Ah, you’re the one who saved our Bora. Thank you so much.”

 

As she spoke, she quickly assessed Kang Ian.

 

She hadn’t seen his face before. His equipment looked decent, but it wasn’t anything particularly high-end.

 

‘He seems like a mid-level hunter.’

 

But as she glanced around, she noticed many hunters looking at Kang Ian with admiration.

 

Team Leader Choi Seobin was quite surprised.

 

‘Did all these hunters receive help from him?’

 

As a team leader, she was quick to analyze situations.

 

She immediately concluded that it wouldn’t hurt to build a good relationship with him.

 

Taking out a business card from her pocket, she handed it to him.

 

“Please contact me later. You saved my beloved niece’s life, so I’ll definitely repay you generously.”

 

Team Leader Choi Seobin smiled brightly.

 

Jeong Bora was looking at her with an expression that said, ‘Is my aunt really saying such cheesy things?’

 

Kang Ian examined the business card.

 

[Red Rose Guild Raid Department 2nd Team Leader]

 

– Choi Seobin

 

‘Oh. The Red Rose Guild is considered one of the top guilds in the country.’

 

It was considered a high-profile guild among hunter guilds.

 

This was the second connection he’d made, after the Ohseong Guild.

 

Suppressing a smile, Kang Ian put the card in his pocket.

 

Since he would be working in the hunter industry, it wouldn’t hurt to know a team leader.

 

He glanced at Team Leader Lee Jigwang next to him.

 

Lee Jigwang was looking at the business card Kang Ian had received with a restless expression.

 

His eyes burned as if he wanted to snatch the card and rip it to shreds!

 

He grabbed Kang Ian.

 

“Hunter Kang Ian.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Ohseong Group is number one in the country.”

 

“Uh… that’s right.”

 

“Ohseong Guild will also be number one someday.”

 

“Hmm. I’ll be rooting for you.”

 

“Yes. Please keep that in mind.”

 

“······?”