LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 32. The Beginner Hunter (3)
I had planned to continue Ahn Yoon-seung’s training once the Gate assault was over.
No matter how much that process had become useless as a means of making money, a promise is a promise after all.
I didn’t want to hear any accusations of irresponsibility.
So, I aimed to definitely finish correcting Ahn Yoon-seung’s skills.
Indeed… there’s no one else!
But who would have thought that promise would lead to this?
Is this why people say you should live kindly?
“These bastards are thieves! They tried to kill me for my items!”
A few minutes later.
I watched as criminals were swiftly subdued by an A-Class Hunter and deeply resolved in my heart.
“Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter, from now on, you are my big brother…!”
In hunter society, being strong is everything.
*
Meanwhile, from Ahn Yoon-seung’s perspective, this incident was utterly shocking.
[I’ll take care of the skill next time right after work]
[Really thank you, brother]
[Yeah, yeah]
‘Th-thank goodness. My heart sank when I thought I’d lost my chance. There’s no way he wouldn’t call me brother again…’
On a sunny afternoon.
Ahn Yoon-seung found himself enveloped in feelings of gratitude as he read the message from Kim Gi-ryeo.
‘Even though I’ve lost my value, he still treats me the same.’
What is the value of an A-Class Hunter to Kim Gi-ryeo?
It’s nothing more than a key used to enter a High-Ranking Gate.
At least, that’s what Ahn Yoon-seung firmly believed, which had caused him a lot of emotional turmoil these past few days.
“Phew.”
Yet, contrary to his worries, Kim Gi-ryeo was still keeping in touch.
Moreover, he even offered to adjust his skills during his precious time. How could he not be thankful for that?
‘I usually don’t believe in such things, but could it be that my fate is tied to him?’
Ahn Yoon-seung found himself lost in nonsensical thoughts as he headed to the promised meeting place.
It was in front of the F-Class Gate, as Kim Gi-ryeo had instructed.
Wow, it’s small.
He idly killed time without much thought.
But then.
Five minutes passed, then ten, and before he knew it, twenty minutes had flown by.
“A bit late, huh?”
He suddenly felt a sense of unease.
No matter how early he had arrived, it had been a while since Kim Gi-ryeo’s team had gone in—why was there still no news?
‘With just this much… I would’ve cleared it out in no time.’
At that moment, a thought flitted through his mind.
“Could it be an anomaly?”
An up-and-coming new team of A-Class Hunters, once successful, was now potentially losing lives at this very moment.
The uncharacteristic rise in the Gate’s danger level.
If that terrifying anomaly were happening again?
“That can’t be.”
It was probably just a baseless concern.
Such accidents don’t happen so easily; the probability is astoundingly low.
“It can’t be…”
Yet negative thoughts wouldn’t leave his mind.
Since he himself had become part of the anomaly incident, he couldn’t ignore that low probability.
Gulp.
In the end, Ahn Yoon-seung made up his mind.
‘Maybe I should take a quick look inside.’
Right.
Just checking whether an anomaly occurred or not.
He cautiously stepped into the Gate.
But what followed was even more shocking than he had imagined.
It didn’t take long before Ahn Yoon-seung found Kim Gi-ryeo surrounded by unfamiliar Hunters.
“Help!”
Upon seeing this scene, Ahn Yoon-seung gasped in horror.
Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter was injured.
It was something he had never thought would happen.
The hidden powerhouse, always overwhelming and composed, was bleeding from wounds.
Could it be that I’m experiencing a hallucination right now?
“These bastards are thieves! They tried to kill me for my items!”
But there was no time to be dazed.
Ahn Yoon-seung snapped back into reality as he heard Gi-ryeo’s words and adjusted his equipment.
They were frogs. Human trash that preys on fellow Hunters.
“Why is Ahn Yoon-seung here…!?”
“Hey, Kim Jae-hyeon! This guy’s just an F-Class! How do we explain this situation?”
Ahn Yoon-seung had never hit anyone in his life, but he was also an Upper-Ranking Hunter belonging to a major guild.
He had received related training, so his response was quick.
‘To think there are frogs acting tough at this low rank!’
Whoosh! The sound of the wind.
Ahn Yoon-seung dashed forward and knocked down the strongest-looking team leader.
Gag! Kugh.
In fact, there was nothing grand about his strategy.
Once an A-Class Hunter decided to subdue them, the only obstacle was controlling his strength so they wouldn’t die.
“Argh! I-I’m sorry! No, there’s some misunderstanding…!”
Crack!
Following that, the sound of a Hunter’s arm bone shattering echoed.
This made all the frog bastards there incapacitated, but Ahn Yoon-seung felt conflicted.
‘That broke way too easily.’
If this guy hadn’t spoken right after, he wouldn’t have snapped back to reality.
“Yoon Seung-ah, thank you. You saved my life.”
“Brother!”
Ahn Yoon-seung was startled and turned around.
There stood a man with a cold expression, his forehead partially torn.
“I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t saved me…”
Kim Gi-ryeo’s face was bloodied on one side, but he continued speaking without a care.
“You came in because I was too late waiting up front, huh?”
“Ah, yeah.”
But a moment later, Ahn Yoon-seung froze as he heard what Gi-ryeo said next.
“I’m sorry. You must have been very hesitant to enter the Gate alone… I must’ve caused you extra trouble.”
Now that he thought about it, he usually felt fear just from the hum of the Gate.
Yet today, entering the Gate wasn’t so difficult.
He was more worried that Kim Gi-ryeo might be in trouble due to the Gate anomaly.
“No, it wasn’t really that inconvenient.”
“Really?”
Upon hearing that, Kim Gi-ryeo perked up.
“See! Once you gain confidence in your skills, the Gate isn’t scary anymore.”
This had nothing to do with confidence.
“Regardless, your courage saved me from near death. I was a moment away from dying.”
“Huh! Brother, you’re bleeding from your jaw.”
“It’s fine. It’s okay.”
“But still.”
“Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter saved me, so everything’s okay now.”
With Kim Gi-ryeo continuously expressing his gratitude, Ahn Yoon-seung truly felt an inkling of confidence rising.
‘I was helpful!’
Ahn Yoon-seung smiled in an unseen corner.
‘I saved Gi-ryeo hyung…’
But just then.
After the stormy moments faded, and a sense of stability returned, Ahn Yoon-seung’s mind grew cold.
Huh?
‘Does this even make sense?’
Having seen it with his own eyes, he knew they were all D-Class or lower Low-Ranking Awakened.
Yet Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter was attacked by these guys?
‘I didn’t have the time to think about the situation because I was focusing on brother getting hurt.’
Realizing the odd vibe, Ahn Yoon-seung tensed up.
“Yoon Seung-ah, let’s get out of the Gate. We need to report these guys the moment we exit.”
Why didn’t he notice sooner?
Looking back, Kim Gi-ryeo had been attacked by fellow Hunters yet didn’t show any sign of fear at all.
“Geez, maybe about two ribs are broken.”
He appeared almost expressionless, as if he had predicted this accident.
“……”
It was probably just a misguided thought?
Thinking everything felt like a perfectly orchestrated plan must have been a delusion.
Because Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter…
‘There’s no reason he would do something like this on purpose.’
He couldn’t dare voice the thought that came to his head.
It was at that moment.
“Ahn Yoon-seung.”
Kim Gi-ryeo locked eyes with him, his piercing gaze unhidden even under the bloodstains.
Then he bluntly said, “If my Awakening level was high, I would definitely team up with you. Rarely do I find a Hunter like you.”
“…”
“Being strong is one thing, but more than anything, you’re someone who steps up to save others.”
Ahn Yoon-seung tried to dismiss the assumption rising within him, but the following words shattered that resolve.
“You’re a truly outstanding Awakened. I hope you can recognize that in yourself.”
That praise, meant to convey that if he were a higher-ranking Awakened, he would’ve teamed up with him, held profound significance for a rookie Hunter.
‘Ah…’
So that’s how it is.
Everything was his plan.
Ahn Yoon-seung sighed softly.
What was the reason he had struggled to establish a new team and wasted so much time?
His comrades’ betrayal? While that is a reason, the greatest impact came from the loss on that day.
‘Did Gi-ryeo hyung see right through to that…’
The day he experienced the anomaly incident.
Ahn Yoon-seung lost a comrade right before his eyes.
It was undoubtedly his fault. Protecting comrades is the duty of a defensive Awakened.
Ahn Yoon-seung had been unable to shake off the feeling of that past failure to this day.
‘I couldn’t interact with new Hunters, constantly burdened by the thought that I couldn’t protect the team.’
And yet here he was, faced with the necessity to save a friend in danger…
Perhaps Kim Gi-ryeo orchestrated a situation similar to that day to grant him some ‘success experience’?
You are not powerless.
If you put your mind to it, you can save your team members.
If this were a carefully arranged accident to teach him that fact, everything started to make sense.
‘Then did he hurt himself on purpose?’
Ahn Yoon-seung turned to check Gi-ryeo’s injuries.
Torn skin, flowing blood. How many people would be willing to do such things for others?
-If only you’re okay, during this leave, I want to train you.
But for Kim Gi-ryeo, it wouldn’t be surprising to think so.
Unlike average Hunters, he harbored many differences, including readily sharing precious tips that others wouldn’t even mention.
‘The reason he told me to wait in front of the F-Class Gate was to draw me in naturally…?’
After realizing the truth, a chill washed over him.
From start to finish, he had been perfectly led.
But he didn’t feel unpleasant. Maybe it was because he really regained a portion of his confidence as his opponent had intended.
‘Mustering courage is just a matter of taking the first step.’
Moreover, thanks to this, his reluctance to enter the Gate has also lessened…
Wait, could it be that Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter calculated even this part?
‘How could a person do such a thing?’
After watching the Awakened walking next to him for a while, Yoon-seung finally managed to speak up.
And he asked, “U-um, why do you always look out for me?”
“Look out for you? Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… yeah?”
Then Kim Gi-ryeo stood tall.
But the answer didn’t take long to come.
“Well, you’re a good kid.”
You help others a lot; you’re kind.
“That’s all I need.”
When he questioned if he needed any other reason, Ahn Yoon-seung couldn’t find a word to say.
Kim Gi-ryeo. He truly was endlessly kind to Hunters with no malice.
“Ah, we finally made it out of the Gate. Yoon Seung-ah, could you report this for me?”
Upon hearing this, Ahn Yoon-seung pulled out the phone he had stowed away in its protective case.
But just as he was about to make the call.
Gi-ryeo casually lifted his hand and said something absurd.
“And I’m sorry, but let’s start training tomorrow. I need to get home quickly.”
Although it was surprising to see him wanting to meet again the next day, that was secondary.
“Home? You should be going to the hospital! Or should I call a healer you know?”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
“No, still.”
“Forget it. Don’t bother me. It’s tiring, so don’t call anyone.”
Kim Gi-ryeo firmly declined the check-up and swiftly left the alley.
Watching this, Ahn Yoon-seung couldn’t shut his mouth. Holy cow.
“There’s really an F-Class who thinks they can treat themselves alone! How much do potions cost?”
He was incredibly talented, yet there was at least one thing he was clumsy at.
F-Class, my foot.
This incident undoubtedly meant that the pathetic frogs had been thoroughly used by Kim Gi-ryeo.
“Is he naturally bad at acting? Or did I figure it out, so he just gave up…?”
Muttering with a face filled with questions, Ahn Yoon-seung continued reporting the criminals.