I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 93

Promotion (1)

 

“Oh my. Thank you as always.”

“It’s nothing, sir. If anything, I feel bad that this is all I can do. I’ll come again tomorrow, so I’ll be heading off now.”

“Alright.”

Kang Ian politely greeted the elder and left the nursing home.

Ding!

 

[You have eased the elder’s loneliness]

[Nobility +3]

 

Just 3. Honestly, it wasn’t much.

But Kang Ian didn’t mind.

Nobility was originally difficult to obtain.

If he kept doing volunteer work like this every day, it would naturally accumulate into a large amount over time.

This routine had now become part of his daily life.

‘Even if it didn’t give Nobility, I think I’d still keep doing it.’

He felt like he finally understood why people spent their own time and money to volunteer.

It made his heart feel fulfilled and warm.

At this point, he wanted to keep volunteering regularly for his own mental well-being.

“Hunter Kang Ian. Heading home now?”

“Yes, Reporter.”

Shin Sorim ran up to him.

“Are you heading out too, Reporter Shin?”

“Yes. Today was satisfying as well, hehe.”

This nursing home had separate sections for grandmothers and grandfathers.

Even though they volunteered in the same building, Shin Sorim and Kang Ian rarely ran into each other.

They only met at the end of the day.

“So, what have you been up to lately? Any newsworthy events?”

Shin Sorim asked casually.

Kang Ian had just recently destroyed a villain organization right after returning from the U.S.

He was someone who constantly created headlines.

So naturally, she wondered if he had done something again.

“Haha. It’s not like I have something going on every day. It’s been quiet lately. Just doing requests and volunteering.”

Kang Ian shrugged.

He had saved Hong Dasom and Ryusei, but that incident was kept secret and never became news.

“I see. Then you’re heading home now?”

“Yes. I have another volunteer session early tomorrow morning.”

“Wow, how do you do it twice a day? I could never.”

“You’re a working professional, Reporter Shin. If I had a full-time job, I couldn’t do this either.”

One of the perks of not belonging to a guild is being able to work at your own pace.

After parting ways with Shin Sorim, Kang Ian returned home.

In the past, his home was up a hill, and the old villa was so worn down that it never felt comfortable.

But now, going home made him happy.

He was living in an 8.5 billion won apartment.

A luxury high-rise in central Seoul overlooking the Han River.

These days, prices have risen so much that some units exceeded 10 billion won… but this was already more than enough to be considered a success.

And it was his own property.

‘Of course, I still have over 7 billion won in loans.’

Still, he had been paying it down steadily through hard work.

No one at Happy Office worked as hard on requests as Kang Ian.

That was why CEO Shim Junseok treated him with special care.

Office-affiliated hunters generally had a mindset similar to Lim Gayeon.

Lazy, not particularly concerned with money, and only taking on requests when necessary.

But Kang Ian felt the need to grow further.

‘It’s time for a promotion.’

There was a limit to what he could earn as a C-rank hunter.

At this rate, when would he ever pay off his loans?

He hadn’t even paid back half yet.

No matter how famous he was, to increase his value and request fees, he needed a higher rank.

And with a higher rank, he could also earn more Evil Souls and Nobility.

He couldn’t delay it any longer.

Kang Ian had already contacted Shim Junseok.

He asked him to arrange a promotion evaluation with the Association as soon as possible.

Ding!

Right on time, a message arrived.

[We’ve finished discussions with the Association. Considering the recent incident, they said they’ll conduct your promotion evaluation tomorrow. Please arrive by 9 AM.]

‘As expected, CEO Shim really gets things done.’

Kang Ian smiled slightly as things fell into place.

 

***

 

The next morning.

At the Association headquarters, Kang Ian met Manager Jeon Jaewon.

“A promotion to B-rank… truly impressive. It feels like just yesterday we first met, and now you’re already at B-rank.”

Jeon Jaewon seemed nostalgic.

They had first met during the Black Gate incident on the Gangwon coast.

Back then, Kang Ian had been an ambitious F-rank hunter.

And now, he had grown this much.

‘If only I had persuaded him to join the Association back then… what a shame.’

Given Kang Ian’s personality, becoming a civil servant under the Association wouldn’t have been a bad option.

Of course, if Kang Ian heard that, he would be horrified.

Unlike what others thought, he was quite materialistic and loved money.

“By the way… who is this?”

Kang Ian glanced to the side.

They were in Jeon Jaewon’s office… and someone had already been there before he arrived.

The quiet man bowed slightly when pointed out.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Hunter Kang Ian. My name is Robert Kim.”

Jeon Jaewon continued the introduction.

“He’s from the UHN. He’ll be participating in your evaluation. He looks Korean, but he’s a Korean-American with U.S. citizenship.”

“UHN?”

The United Hunter Network—UHN.

Kang Ian tilted his head.

Did they usually send someone for a single hunter’s promotion?

His question was quickly answered.

“You’re currently considered one of the world’s top rising prospects, aren’t you? Especially after the recent commendation. UHN is keeping a close eye on you.”

“If you pass the evaluation with a UHN observer present, your B-rank status will be officially recognized worldwide.”

That last part was added by Jeon Jaewon.

Each country had different standards for hunter strength.

Some C-rank hunters in the U.S. were stronger than B-rank hunters in other countries.

Because of that, recognition from an organization like UHN was very important.

“I see.”

Kang Ian’s expression brightened slightly.

Being observed by an international organization like UHN…

‘If they like what they see, they might even give me requests, right?’

Organizations like this had one key trait:

They had a lot of money.

Funded by multiple countries, they wouldn’t skimp on commissions.

Kang Ian decided to make a good impression today.

“Then how will the evaluation proceed?”

“You can either clear a B-rank gate or accomplish something equivalent officially.”

“Clearing a B-rank gate alone…”

That wouldn’t be easy.

He had never entered a B-rank gate before.

“But if I go all out, I think it might be poss–”

“No, no. What are you saying? We wouldn’t ask you to enter a B-rank gate alone.”

Jeon Jaewon waved his hands hurriedly.

“From B-rank onward, almost no one enters alone.”

From B-rank, the difficulty increased drastically.

Naturally, parties were formed based on abilities.

“We were planning to assign suitable teammates and have you clear it together, then evaluate you based on their feedback.”

“I see. Then, should we depart right away?”

“However… there are two issues. There’s no prepared gate right now, and no available hunters to join you.”

“…?”

Wasn’t that everything?

Jeon Jaewon looked embarrassed.

Usually, candidates would be grouped for evaluation… but this time, it wasn’t possible.

After all, B-rank promotion candidates weren’t common.

Normally, they would wait until enough people gathered.

“Then… why did you say I could be evaluated right away?”

“Well… instead of a gate clear, we’ll count a comparable achievement. What do you think?”

Jeon Jaewon and Robert exchanged glances.

“Would you be able to clear a B-rank danger zone alone?”

Robert’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.

He was not only with UHN but also operating under CIA orders.

The CIA had intervened as soon as they heard Kang Ian wanted a promotion.

They wanted to confirm whether he could truly purify danger zones.

They were already over 90% certain… but they wanted absolute confirmation.

‘If he refuses and decides to wait instead, that could be a problem…’

Waiting to clear a B-rank gate with a team might be safer.

If that happened, they would need to subtly persuade him.

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

Contrary to Robert’s concern, Kang Ian nodded immediately.

‘A danger zone? Sounds good.’

He didn’t want to wait around.

And if he found the source of evil, he could gain Nobility as well.

He couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

“How much preparation time do you need?”

“I can go right now.”

Kang Ian departed immediately.

 

***

 

Mount Munhyeong in Sinhyeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

Its summit had once been the site of a gate outbreak.

However, the affected area was small… only part of the summit became a danger zone.

Since it didn’t affect the city, it wasn’t considered a major concern.

People simply avoided climbing to the top.

It was a nearby, moderately difficult danger zone… perfect for Kang Ian.

‘Good. The area’s small, so finding the source of evil shouldn’t take long.’

He carried a “failure” made by researcher Lee Naeun… a wave detector.

Though considered a failed product, it was a priceless treasure for Kang Ian.

It remained silent in his pocket.

First, he needed to complete his task.

“A Red Troll is living in that danger zone. It respawns after being killed. Defeat it and bring back one of its fangs as proof.”

Those were Jeon Jaewon’s instructions.

Robert followed him to evaluate his performance.

“I’ll observe from behind and only intervene if it becomes truly dangerous.”

“Yes.”

Kang Ian nodded.

They climbed the mountain together.

The Red Troll lived near the summit.

Kang Ian moved swiftly, almost recklessly.

Before long, they encountered it.

“Grrrrrr!”

A troll with blood-red skin.

Even its teeth were completely red.

“…Unbelievable. The first monster we encounter is the Red Troll…?”

Robert muttered, slightly startled.

It was essentially the boss of this danger zone… he hadn’t expected to meet it so quickly.

“Good. Saves me the trouble of searching.”

Kang Ian muttered as he drew his longsword.

He stepped forward and thrust his blade.

Shwaaak!

A blue sword aura burst forth from his blade.