Chapter 11: S-Class Hunter (2)
“…Hyung, do you know Hunter Kang Changho?”
Well. I don’t know.
He may be acquainted with Kim Kiryeo, but honestly, I think the possibility is low. I stayed silent for now.
Of course, even during this time, the S-Class Hunter’s gaze was fixed on me. Do you know what you can’t look at?
I glanced at the hunter approaching me with an unnecessary sense of opposition, but as the distance became closer, I began to notice features that I hadn’t noticed before.
‘Wow, are we the same species?’
His height appears to be 190cm.
The fierce eyes are wide open to the point where the red corner is exposed. Even the crooked nose.
It was easy to tell that he was mixed race because he looked quite exotic, but there was something else that was more important.
Those vertically elongated pupils.“His eyes are unique.”
“I guess that’s the dragon’s eye. It’s a really rare item.”
The S-Class hunter appeared in front of me while I was whispering with Yoonseung.
I look up at Kang Changho, who stops in front of me. Then the opponent brought up the first word.
“Hello.”
It’s a pretty normal start for a strong appearance.
“Your name?”
“Yes?”
“Name.”
It was our first time meeting, and the Hunter asked me my name right away.
“It’s Kim Kiryeo.”
Since it’s not a difficult task, I’ll give an answer.
“What’s your Hunter’s rank?”
As if hearing my name wasn’t enough, he asked the next question right away, and Ahn Yoonseung, who couldn’t hear this, intervened between us.
“H, Hello! Hunter Kang Changho—this person is a porter who helps me. I wonder if there is some problem…”
However, did Kang Changho look at Ahn Yoonseung for even two seconds?
“I didn’t say that to you.”
The answer that came back was cold.
He asked me again, ignoring the A-Class awakened person. What’s my hunter’s rank? Well, it’s not like talking about it will wear it out.
“F-Class.”
“Is that so?”
He answered willingly for now. But the response that came back was shocking.
“Really?”
Kang Changho raises one eyebrow and sneers.
Next to me, Ahn Yoonseung was breaking into a cold sweat instead of me.
But I felt like this situation was just natural. That’s right, just by looking at this S-class, it looks like its ability to manipulate magical power is excellent.
‘You must have recognized the magical power inherent in Kim Kiryeo’s body.’
The lungs are ultimately an output organ.
Damage to the respiratory system doesn’t reduce the total amount of mana contained in the body.
A sensitive magician would be able to guess the opponent’s vessel just by the faint signal coming from the injured lung.
“If you can’t believe me, should I show you my Hunter ID?”
So I tried to sound as normal as possible because I didn’t want it to look like I was an alien.
Then Kang Changho raised the corner of his mouth.
“An F-Class awakened person who looks straight into the eyes of an S-Class and answers.”
Ah, that’s right.
Yoonseung said that. He says that being near the S-Class Hunter gives him goosebumps. Then, for the F-Class…
Huh? Is it true that you usually can’t even raise your head?
“Hunter Kim Kiryeo, if you don’t mind…”
I was lost in thought for a moment, and Kang Changho seemed to be trying to suggest something to me.
But it was that moment.
“K, Kiryeo Hyung! It’s time!”
“Huh?”
“We’re supposed to be here for only a quick look. Shall we go now? If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late for our appointment…”
Ahn Yoonseung cut off Kang Changho’s words.
Aside from being interrupted, what does it mean to be late for an appointment?
‘Today’s plan was to come see this gate, right?’
It seemed a little odd at first, but soon the intention became apparent.
I don’t know why, but it seems like Ahn Yoonseung wants to separate me from Kang Changho.
“Hyung! Let’s go.”
From the look on his face, he seems to be in a hurry.
To be honest, I didn’t want to leave behind such a precious sight as an S-class hunter, but in the end, I made up my mind.
“Right, thank you for telling me. I forgot I was busy.”
Then Ahn Yoonseung immediately dragged me and ran away from this place.
Kang Changho just quietly watches us. He didn’t seem to follow.
By the time I had run far away from the gate.
“Yoonseung-ah, why did you do that just now?”
This is the first word that I brought up.
Then, Ahn Yoonseung gently pressed his temple.
“Hyung, it looks like you really have no idea who Hunter Kang Changho is. Have you been overseas recently?”
“I came from far away…”
I felt intimidated for a while because I didn’t know the situation, but soon I learned the whole story.
“I didn’t want to say it out loud because it felt like gossip, but that hunter… there’s a bad rumor about him.”
“Rumor?”
“That he has a record of assault.”
“….!”
“And no one wants to go through the gate with an S-Class ex-convict. Normally.”
So, Ahn Yoonseung said that he was about to give up the gate from the moment Kang Changho showed up. The explanation continued.
“Furthermore, he is viewed favorably, so even if the criminal record is a thing of the past, the recent image is also…”
“What is it?”
“Do you know Hunter Choi Jin?”
“I don’t know.”
“She’s the third-ranked Hunter in A-Class. We are cousins, so we meet sometimes.”
Uhm.
Ahn Yoonseung frowned and groaned, which was not like him at all.
“That Noona told me that she was attacked after entering the same gate as Kang Changho.”
It is not surprising that violence broke out in Gate, a lawless area, but the problem is that the subject was S-Class.
“I heard that they don’t even pay attention to weak hunters and only challenge strong awakeners.”
“Why?”
“Right. Why?”
He eventually sighed.
“Anyway, it’s not just a rumor, it’s something my relative told me about. I’m afraid something will happen if Hyung-nim is involved with him…”
After listening to the explanation, I understood his attitude.
So, he got me out of there because he was afraid the crazy S-Class was going to harm me, right?
“I understand it roughly.”
It’s an admirable mammal.
I patted Yoonseung’s shoulder.
“Then let’s head back for today.”
If such a dangerous hunter came to the new gate, there was no reason for me to risk my life to go in with him.
“We can see the interesting plants later. If you really need it, I can pay for it.”
“Yes.”
It was the moment when I was going to end today’s plan.
Suddenly, a thought passed through my mind and I called Yoonseung, who was on his way home, to stop him.
“Wait, Yoonseung-ah.”
“Yes?”
“You said earlier that Kang Changho’s eyes are an item that is said to be the eyes of a dragon or something. If it’s an item, does that mean it’s something that can be bought and sold like the shield you use?”
Yoonseung nodded his head.
“When you first get it, it looks like a small bead. You probably use it by swallowing it, right?”
So, doesn’t this mean that fresh organs can be obtained through transaction?
‘That’s right! The lungs are delicate organs, so they need to be kept alive.’
I am a genius wizard, not a mad scientist.
I have no intention of doing the immoral thing of removing lungs from a living person, but it would be different if there were organs for sale.
“Yoonseung-ah, do you know if there are any dragon lungs?”
Does he know? How important is this to me?
“There is.”
“Where can I buy it? What’s for sale?”
“Uhm, I will check it now. Wait a minute.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Ahn Yoonseung takes out his cell phone and searches for something on it. And he raised his head.
“There are only transaction records, but I don’t think there are any items on the market right now.”
‘Damn it.’
“But the lungs are an unpopular part, so it might come out someday?”
“Why isn’t it popular?”
“Unlike the eyes or heart, it does not increase magical power. They say the liver can make medicine, but the lungs don’t really have any effect….”
The hunters disregard it as a worthless item.
“Can you see what the market price is? You said they had a record of transactions.”
On the contrary, it’s a good thing. Then I can buy the lungs cheaply.
I hid my pounding heart and waited for Yoonseung’s answer.
“It’s 2.6 billion.”
“Ah, yeah. 2.6—what?”
But if I had known that this answer would come back.
“I think 2.6 billion is the market price. Wow, that’s cheap! You can’t buy other parts even with money!”
I should not have listened to it from the start.
***
A day after that happened.
I turned on my phone to confirm what I heard yesterday.
[S-Class hunter’s shocking criminal record… “Imprisoned for 1 year for assaulting a driver”]
[Kang Changho, controversy over sale of Nari Steel shares at a low price]
But when I looked into it, I found out that the actions of this person named Kang Changho were more spectacular than I could have imagined.
Kang Changho, who was the only child of a company before becoming Hunter, was living a gold spoon life.
One day, such a person was imprisoned for special assault.
It’s not surprising because it’s natural to be arrested if you commit a crime, but Korea’s culture is a bit unique…
Rich people tend to hire good lawyers to cover things up, but was it a problem that he was sentenced to prison?
Anyway, the internet was full of testimonies that Kang Changho was always beating up people.
But this is also cute compared to the scandal that follows.
“Hmm.”
His parents died in Dungeon Break a few years ago…
And it is said that Kang Changho sold all the shares he received as an inheritance immediately after this accident, effectively selling off his family’s company.
People reacted to his actions by assuming that he committed immorality due to money issues.
This was because the timing of Kang Changho’s awakening was not clear.
“It’s fun.”
But the problem is that my purpose is to obtain accurate information.
From an alien’s perspective, there is nothing more toxic than opaque and provocative information such as rumors.
“But a rumor is a rumor.”
For now, I decided to forget about the rest of the information other than the official article.
Then I turned off my cell phone and went outside.
“Ah~ I’m hungry.”
Today, I decided to go to a restaurant that I had chosen in advance.
Of course I should enjoy life. This is all done to make a living.
“Taxi!”
As soon as I went out on the main road, I caught a taxi that caught my eye.
“Driver! Please go to ○○ location.”
“Yes~”
Then, I leaned back against the seat in the back seat and read the restaurant review again.
It’s hard to eat hot food, so sweet and sour pork is recommended here…
-Kwiik, boom!
“Ugh!”
But at the moment.
Along with the driver’s scream, the car body suddenly shakes violently.
The taxi was going well until it hit something and spun around halfway. I couldn’t handle the speed and hit my face on the headrest of the passenger seat.
“Ahh!”
As a tingling pain rises from my nose, adrenaline naturally rises.
What the hell is going on?
“What the hell! Phew, are you hurt?”
“M, maybe…”
“Let’s get off first.”
While I was dumbfounded, the taxi driver huffed and got out of the driver’s seat.
I, too, followed him late, and when I came out, there was a red sports car crashing into us.
“Hey, you punk! Did you drink alcohol in broad daylight? You have to drive properly!”
A moment later, a man leisurely got out of the driver’s seat of an open-top car.
He has dark bluish-purple hair. And black sunglasses…
“I’m sorry about this. It’s been a while since I drove, so I’m confused about the accelerator and brake.”
I don’t know about the taxi driver, but I already know this person.
“Hello, F-Class Hunter Kim Kiryeo.”
Tak. Kang Changho closed the driver’s door and came towards me.
He eventually stopped in front of me, held out his cell phone and said.
“I’d like to reach an agreement, but can you give me your contact number?”
Is he crazy?