Chapter 9: Adaptation (3)
If it were me, Id be awesome.
A-Class is treated like a considerable monster among the magicians on Earth.
But how is it possible for such a magician to treat a person with such respect?
If you think about it from the perspective of that unknown hunter, this situation would be like a horror story.
Pft.
Part of me wants to laugh at that trembling hunter, but since Im still not good at controlling my facial expressions
No, I came alone.
I happily ignored the man next to me and talked to Ahn Yoonseung.
I couldnt introduce myself last time. My name is Ahn Yoonseung. That, if you dont mind Whats your name?
Kim Kiryeo.
Aah! Yes! By the way, are you free for a moment?
Im not busy with anything. Why?
I have something to tell you
***
After a while, a nearby park.
What do you want to talk about with me?
I agreed to move to a quieter place as he suggested, and I sat on the bench because my legs hurt. However, the conversation, which was expected to be long, ended surprisingly briefly.
So what youre saying is
Kiryeo Hyung might not feel like it, but cant I do it?
This is because after the full statement, Ahn Yoonseungs three-minute proposal is summarized in one word.
You really want to repay me?
It has always bothered me since you disappeared like that! You saved my life, so I think I should have served you at least a proper meal!
Do you know a good store?
But, as expected, it still wont work with meals!
No, I like meals too.
Still, is there anything I can do to return the favor?
Anyway, Ahn Yoonseung seems to be deeply saddened by the fact that his lifesaver disappeared without a word.
Thats why hes been asking me for ways to repay me. But
Uhm.
In fact, Ahn Yoonseung and I dont have any different meanings.
I just ran away because I was afraid of being caught by the police at the time, and Im not the kind of person who turns down rewards in the first place. There is no reason to refuse the offer.
Just in time, there is something you can do to help me.
Really?
After saying that, I took out my cell phone from my pants pocket.
It didnt take long to prepare the materials.
Then can you please go to a certain gate with me?
Tuk, tuk, tuk. The sound of fingernails tapping on a cell phone rang.
Ahn Yoonseung nodded his head vigorously without even pointing out my behavior of just looking at my phone.
Of course! Where do you want to go?
Um, C-Class gate?
Are you collecting any materials? Then I will buy it!
Thats not it; I just wanted to check something. Im going to go and catch the monster myself.
Ahn Yoonseung said it with a motivated face when he heard the explanation.
Anyway, I have no reason to refuse. Even though its temporary, its an honor to be able to enter the gate as a team with someone like Hyung.
.
I will learn a lesson! Hyung-nim!
Sorry, but I dont think it will happen the way you think it will.
Uhm, Yoonseung-ah. Im telling you this because I think youre misunderstanding something.
Yes?
I am an F-Class hunter.
It can be difficult if there is a misunderstanding even before starting work. So I decided to be honest.
Look, its on my hunter ID too. So dont expect much. Rather, Im going to have to learn from you.
Now I can proudly present it. Hunter ID.
I held up the new card and showed it to him with a half-proud heart, then put it back in my wallet right away.
When Yoonseung saw that, he was silent for a moment with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
In the past, I would have been able to use magic to see what he was thinking behind that serious face.
Ah
After waiting for a moment, Yoonseungs cautious question came out.
First, I understand. It means you were registered as an F-Class. Then you cant enter the C-Class gate, right?
Thats a natural question. Because someone had the same problem at that time.
But now I have already found a solution to the problem. The solution is
Thats right. F-Class hunters cannot enter that gate. But
I lifted up the cell phone screen I had been staring at and showed it to the other person.
What filled the screen was one page of a PDF file distributed by a public institution.
This is the Hunter Associations rulebook.
Ive read all of the associations regulations, and nowhere are there any restrictions on gate entry for transporters.
Humans only have two arms.
Since he cant divide the bag between his six tentacles, there is a significant weight limit, and of course the amount of materials that can be taken from the dungeon is also limited.
So the hunters thought. How can they move more stuff?
The profession that was born as a result of these concerns is the transporter.
The porters have a high percentage of non-awakened people, but the laws are lax.
In industry terms, it was a porter.
Usually, after the hunter kills all the monsters, the porter is brought in to the gate. It wouldnt have been a big problem.
Tuk.
I pressed the lock button, turned my phone screen off, and made eye contact with Ahn Yoonseung.
Anyway Thats the point. Yoonseung-ah, Im not saying we should form a team and enter the gate as hunters.
I had only one request.
As an A-Class hunter, I want you to use me as a porter.
You are the team leader.
I am a porter.
Because of this strong emphasis, Ahn Yoonseung couldnt keep his mouth shut.
***
He cant believe Hunter Kim Kiryeo is an F-Class.
Please say something that makes sense. This was Ahn Yoonseungs first thought when he saw Kiryeos ID card.
Isnt the measuring device broken? But I dont think you even objected?
The second thought that came to mind also had no different flow.
So you are hiding your awakening value.
Ahn Yoonseung was soon convinced.
Kim Kiryeo is intentionally maintaining a false rank.
This is something that is not usually done as it is an industry where income jumps even if the grade goes up just one level. But
Because awakened people of intermediate level or above are forced to participate in the dungeon break. heard that there are people who manipulate awakening values because they dont want to be controlled by the association.
Ahn Yoonseung tried to guess the other persons situation in his own way.
He lives as an F-Class hunter because he hates the associations interference.
Isnt it quite a possible story because Hunter Kim Kiryeo has an atmosphere of being somehow detached from the world?
At least it was more credible than the claim that he was F-Class.
Is it a secret? Should I be careful when talking about Kiryeo Hyungs awakening rank in the future?
Ahn Yoonseung pondered with a stiff face.
Then Kiryeo, who had been walking ahead, turned around and looked at him.
Whats the matter? You didnt look good earlier.
Oops, now is not the time for me to think about other things.
Ahn Yoonseung shook his head and belatedly came out of his long thought.
I, its nothing!
Theyre in front of a C-Class gate in Seoul.
They had already put the conversation they had 4 hours ago into practice.
From the Hunter Association, Ahn Yoonseung received permission to enter the C-Class gate, and brought along F-Class Kiryeo as a porter.
Theres no need to be nervous. Im not going to get you to catch monsters.
He cant believe the day will come when a hunter of this level will be treated like a porter.
Ahn Yoonseung silently passed through the gate, thinking it was something new.
Then, the interior of the dungeon chosen by Kim Kiryeo was seen.
Forest?
Black trees, thin branches stretching out, an acrid smell wafting in from somewhere.
It feels like Ive been here beforeah! I remember!
Is that so?
Flamethrowers! This is where the monster comes from, right? So there is still a gate left.
Flamethrower?
When Kiryeo stared blankly at the word as if it were his first time hearing it, Ahn Yoonseung smiled and explained.
When this place first appeared. The monster that lives here was originally discovered in Ohio.
So?
Because it is a bat that carries fire, Pixy registered it as Fire-bat, but when I turned on the analyzer in Korea, there was a translation error
For a while, the name of a monster appeared strangely in the pixy glass.
The nickname of this happening is Flamethrowerthe Flamethrower. And Yoonseung stops talking.
You know a lot.
However, Kim Kiryeos reaction was boring.
A face without a smile and cliche compliments.
Is it because he has a sharp impression? Kim Kiryeo looked cold as soon as he stopped talking.
Ooh.
Ahn Yoonseung was rather impressed by the opponents appearance.
As expected, you are always calm.
Composure is an essential element for a hunter.
Because they work at the gate where all kinds of strange phenomena occur, hunters are always exposed to the risk of panic.
Hunter was a job that required strong mental strength.
Whoa, some people are still confused about just one golem.
In that respect, Kim Kiryeo could be said to be an ideal hunter.
The courage that doesnt seem to blink even if a dragon suddenly appears.
Besides, even if hes inside the gate, hes calm and will never run away!
Ahn Yoonseung felt a strange charisma from Kim Kiryeo.
Can I become like that as I gain more years of experience?
Because the strong image of tearing out the core is stuck in the mind, the opponent is being exaggerated in his mind.
Ah! Theres a monster over there. It looks just like the picture I found on the Internet.
Kim Kiryeo, who had no way of knowing this, focused on his work with an expressionless face.
Chiiik.
Soon, a small monster appeared in front of them.
[Fire-bat]
A creature with one eye and a whole body covered in fire.
It was small in size, and the flame was bright, so it was similar to a goblin fire from a distance.
Well, out of respect for this, Im sure Hyung will handle it easily.
Ahn Yoonseung looked at the monster as if he were watching a bonfire at a campsite.
But then. A rustling sound was heard from Kiryeos direction.
Hyung, Ive been curious about this. But what is that envelope you brought?
Oh, this?
Sometimes one action is better than a thousand words. Kiryeo didnt talk for long and started acting right away.
Its something you use in times like this.
Whussh!
He grabbed a handful of something from the bag he was carrying and threw it at the monster.
Kieeeek!
Then the monster let out a terrible scream and died within seconds.
Heuk!
Fire-bat is a troublesome monster because it spreads flames just by touching it. However, he can easily beat it? Did he use any items? However, no matter where he looked, what Kiryeo was sprinkling just looked like sand.
Hey, youre going to die easily~
Chiiiik.
Kiryeo calmly killed the monsters, like sprinkling salt on a ghost.
He might be able to find out what the name of that sand is if he checks his Pixy watch.
Ahn Yoonseung asked him another question first.
Oh, Hyung-nim. Im sorry for telling you this when youre probably busy hunting
Huh? No, Im listening, so tell me.
Why do you bother using items?
In response to his question, Kim Kiryeo stopped what he was doing and quietly turned his head.
Because I can catch a C-Class with my bare hands.
***
Did this punk really read my Hunters ID.
This was the first thought that came to my mind after hearing Ahn Yoonseungs question.
Dont you know well about the ecology of low-level awakened people at the top of the Hunter Pyramid?
This is my next thought. I was shocked for a moment, but my emotions quickly reversed. When I think about it, isnt the ignorance of those people on Earth a benefit to me?
Well, theres no need to reveal my weaknesses.
Earth is a dangerous planet.
The people of the planet dont seem to be very friendly either. But in the meantime, is there any good in being found out that you are a noob who cant use magic at all?
Ahn Yoonseung, have you ever thought about awakening like this?
Therefore, I put on a shameless face and started telling lies.
It was a kind of survival skill.
While its helpful to be able to lift a one-ton truck and fill empty land with water, these skills werent something we worked hard for.
.
It just happened suddenly one day. The awakening.
Thats right.
I feel uncomfortable with this power. I think that since it appeared for no reason, it can also disappear for no reason.
Ah.
Thats why
For your information, these words are just random nonsense.
I dont really rely on awakening ability. Since the beginning.