Chapter 123

After clearing the gate, Kiryeo stepped through the newly formed exit.

“Phew...”

As expected, once the Sirens had been neutralized, the difficulty of Mermaid Pass dropped dramatically. The Mermen that appeared from time to time were slow and posed little threat compared to the Sirens.

‘Oh, my entire body...’

The division of roles had proved remarkably efficient. A hunter with resistance to abnormal status effects dealt with the Sirens, while the rest of the team hunted the remaining Mermen and closed the gate.

The results spoke for themselves. Kim Kiryeo’s team had already cleared [Mermaid Pass] five times.

‘Should I get an item box too?’

Of course, it would be a lie to say that the process had been entirely painless. Still, by now, the hardships were at least bearable.

Whenever a Merman appeared, Kiryeo would glance toward the dead Sirens and pretend to be preoccupied with examining them. At other times, he would complain that he had worn his favorite suit and didn’t want to stain it with blood.

There were still countless ways to avoid participating in the actual fighting.

‘In any case, this means I’ve successfully closed five A-rank gates.’

Kiryeo stretched both arms above his head, quietly celebrating the fact that he had achieved his goal.

“Hunter-nim! Hello!”

At that moment, however, someone called out to him from nearby.

When he turned, he saw a young reporter standing beside a cameraman carrying a large camera. Apparently, a broadcasting station had come to cover the event.

“Excuse me, but could we interview you for a moment?”

For a second, Kiryeo wondered why they had come all the way out here.

‘Ah.’

On second thought, it made perfect sense. Gates that no one had managed to close were suddenly being cleared one after another. Naturally, that would attract attention.

“I suppose a brief interview would be fine.”

“Yes! Thank you very much.”

As expected, the reporter’s first question concerned how Kiryeo had dealt with the troublesome Sirens.

Kiryeo gave the answer he had prepared in advance.

“Well, that’s because I’m an S-rank Hunter.”

“Excuse me?”

“My awakening level is high, so the Sirens’ song affects me less than it does ordinary hunters. I imagine the other S-ranks are much the same.”

What shamelessness worthy of an SSS-rank!

“Hunter Esther and I, in particular, are completely immune to the Sirens’ song. Though I’d rather not elaborate on that point.”

Esther was immune as well?

The interviewer looked eager to hear more, but Kim Kiryeo refused to explain. Revealing another person’s abilities without permission would only invite the wrath of that accursed mage.

“All you need to know is that Esther is capable of handling them too.”

After saying that, Kiryeo added a few more sentences.

“However, I don’t believe that’s especially important. I intend to eliminate all the remaining Mermaid Pass gates myself.”

“What?”

He planned to take responsibility for all fifteen Siren dungeons that had appeared during the cataclysm.

The reporters’ eyes widened in shock.

Kiryeo, however, continued speaking. No matter what happened, he needed to make this point perfectly clear.

“Hunter Esther manages a guild, so she must already have a great deal of other work.”

“...!”

“I believe it would be best for me to handle this situation while she takes some time to rest.”

In truth, it was a move intended to keep her in check.

Although clearing five A-rank gates had prevented his ranking from falling, he still needed to defend his position until someone willing to sell a dragon’s lungs appeared.

‘I have to use this opportunity to widen the gap!’

He boldly announced on television that Esther should stay out of the matter, hoping to monopolize the achievements for himself.

On the surface, however, he made it sound as though he were merely worried that she was overworking herself.

“It is January, after all. Even the representative of the Wizard Tower deserves some time off during the holidays.”

Well, this probably wouldn’t cause any problems.

“I see. Thank you for agreeing to speak with us.”

“You’re welcome.”

During their conversation, the YTV reporter found himself thinking that the hunter was surprisingly polite, especially given his intimidating appearance.

The scene that followed, however, made him forget that first impression entirely.

“Oh, everyone is finally coming out.”

More hunters emerged from the gate behind Kiryeo.

Kang Changho and Ahn Yoonseung.

When the reporters had first checked the gate-entry authorization records, they had wondered whether such an absurd team composition could possibly be real.

“Rookie! Get a shot of them, quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

They hurriedly raised their cameras and captured the scene.

With that, every member of the team that had conquered Mermaid Pass found themselves featured in the news.

***

Thump, thump.

Inside a spacious executive office, a woman lay sprawled across the luxurious sofa in the center of the room.

Her tightly curled hair was dyed a deep violet.

Who else could it be?

The woman lying there was none other than Esther, representative of the Wizard Tower.

“Ugh...”

Esther groaned and began muttering to herself.

Work as the representative of the Korean Magic Tower Guild.

Work punishing Awakened criminals.

Work as an S-rank Hunter.

She had only one body, so why did she have so many responsibilities?

“I really don’t think I’m suited to working life.”

She sank deeper into the sofa and continued complaining.

“Hng. Maybe I should just abandon everything.”

The response she received was utterly indifferent.

Her secretary had witnessed this sort of behavior far too many times to bother reacting anymore.

“Damn January!”

The Cataclysm.

It was always the same problem.

Every January, new monsters emerged in swarms, leaving scholars and hunters alike so busy that they barely had time to breathe.

“Secretary, could you make me some strong coffee...?”

“Yes, yes.”

Esther issued the request in a weary voice and collapsed back against the cushions.

Sniff.

There was, at least, one good thing about the current situation.

The requests to clear Mermaid Pass, the greatest problem caused by this year’s cataclysm, had mysteriously stopped coming.

“Come to think of it, no one has contacted me.”

In fact, the Hunter Association had been unusually restrained lately.

During the recent Labyrinth of the Thirteenth Month incident, three S-rank Awakened had vanished at once in South Korea.

Since then, the association appeared to have changed its policies. It had become notably reluctant to summon S-rank Hunters.

Even amid the chaos caused by the Sirens, the association had ultimately chosen to preserve its remaining trump cards rather than call upon them.

“CEO, here is your coffee.”

“Thank you.”

Yet in the middle of all this, the association had unexpectedly received help from a source no one had anticipated.

Or rather, from several people.

“Oh, by the way, did you see the news earlier, CEO?”

“Hmm?”

“Someone from your profession mentioned you on television.”

“Really?”

Slurp.

Esther took a sip of coffee and switched on the television.

Following her secretary’s explanation, she opened the recorded YTV broadcast.

And there, standing on the screen, was a hunter she knew very well.

“Kiryeo-ssi?”

A man with monolid eyes and prominent lower sclera appeared on the screen.

Esther pointed toward the television.

“As far as I know, this is his first official interview, isn’t it?”

She had never expected him to say something like this.

—Hunter Esther manages a guild... [omitted]... I believe it would be best for me to handle this situation while she takes some time to rest.

I’ll deal with the Sirens, so you should enjoy your holiday.

Who in the same profession wouldn’t be delighted by such an offer?

“Oh my...!”

Esther covered her mouth with one hand, visibly moved.

A moment later, however, the color in her cheeks vanished as she read the caption running beneath the broadcast.

[(Breaking News) S-rank Kim Kiryeo sets out to conquer Mermaid Pass alongside Kang Changho and Ahn Yoonseung...]

“W-what is that? Kang Changho?”

The previously undisclosed team composition had finally been revealed.

Esther shot upright, staring at the screen in disbelief.

“And one of them is a member of the Neo Sisters Guild?!”

That was right.

Now that she thought about it, Ahn Yoonseung and Kim Kiryeo had known each other for quite some time.

Esther was aware of that because of what had happened in the past.

To the general public, however, who knew nothing of their history, the situation appeared completely incomprehensible.

【Hunternet > Free Bulletin Board】

[1**: What kind of team composition is that?]

[s*: Hunter Kang? Participating in a dungeon raid?]

[z***: Why is Ahn Yoonseung there???]

Four days later, Thursday arrived.

“Congratulations on clearing Mermaid Pass! You worked incredibly hard, Hunter-nim!”

“Haha, thank you.”

To commemorate the successful closure of every Mermaid Pass gate, Ahn Yoonseung finally agreed to an interview.

At one point, a video creator asked him about his relationship with Kim Kiryeo.

“What kind of relationship do I have with Kiryeo Hyung?”

Ahn Yoonseung answered without hesitation.

“Well, to me, he’s like a teacher.”

“A teacher?”

“Actually, I’ve learned a great deal from him about what it means to be a hunter. I still have many shortcomings, but he guided someone like me and helped me become the person I am today. Honestly, if I tried to list everything I’m grateful to him for, I would never finish...”

The previously unknown hunter had suddenly become a master who trained top-class talent.

“Y-Yoonseung-ah! Could we speak for a moment?”

Kiryeo, who happened to be sitting nearby, immediately foresaw how troublesome this could become and tried to silence Ahn Yoonseung.

Unfortunately, he was already too late.

The important part had spread.

“Kim Kiryeo is Ahn Yoonseung’s role model?”

The news became so widespread that even Jung Haseong, who had cut himself off from the internet entirely and read only printed newspapers, heard about it.

“...So he must be a defensive-type Awakener.”

In the end, Kiryeo’s actions, which had begun as nothing more than an attempt to earn ranking points, produced consequences far greater than he had intended.

***

One could never know what the future held.

[●LIVE News: Real-Time Chat]

[Honestly, I already had a good impression of him after the last incident, but now that he’s taken care of all the Sirens too, I feel incredibly reassured.]

[Seriously, lol.]

[But why did Kang Changho suddenly appear?]

[I want to know too.]

[Apparently even Hunter Ahn Yoonseung didn’t know.]

By now, it was difficult to find a single article criticizing the country’s fourth S-rank Hunter.

‘It’s nothing but praise.’

Public opinion of Kim Kiryeo had skyrocketed.

His handling of the deceased D-rank Hunter, combined with his achievement in subjugating the Sirens, had transformed his reputation entirely.

[“A nation that has Kim Kiryeo.”]

[Kim Kiryeo, you are more than qualified to enter the “Do You Know Club.”]

[(Seonhan Daily) Korea’s New Dark Horse]

[When the teacher asked who we respected,

all the other kids said their fathers, Admiral Yi Sunsin, King Sejong, and so on.

But I quietly answered, “Kim Kiryeo.”

Teacher: Who is that? Is he a great man?]

That was the sort of thing people were writing.

‘The internet has so many new expressions. Sometimes it’s difficult to understand any of them.’

Before long, Kiryeo began to notice the change in public opinion for himself.

Unlike genuine S-ranks, he didn’t radiate overwhelming magical pressure. As a result, ordinary people found him much easier to approach.

“Are you Hunter Kim Kiryeo? Wow, that’s amazing!”

These days, passersby often greeted him while he was walking down the street.

“You’re handsome!”

He had even begun hearing unfamiliar remarks like that.

‘All of a sudden?’

Earthlings truly were peculiar.

They had a habit of evaluating the appearance of people with exceptional abilities. To be honest, it was a culture that an Alphaurian found difficult to understand.

As far as he was concerned, appearance and ability had no direct relationship whatsoever.

‘Is this simply something I can’t understand because I’m an alien?’

Still, a compliment was a compliment.

There was no reason to dwell on the details.

Kim Kiryeo raised a hand and waved to the Earthlings standing nearby.

The students, delighted by their encounter with the Awakener, laughed among themselves and continued on their way.

This was the change in atmosphere he had gradually begun to notice.

However, just as his public image reached its peak, a lengthy post concerning Kim Kiryeo appeared on an online community.

—I live every day as though I’m trapped in hell.

The post began with that sentence.

It contained information that only someone directly involved in the alleged incident could have known, accompanied by several photographs that lent credibility to the account.

[Title: I Am Reporting the School Violence I Suffered at the Hands of Hunter Kim Kiryeo.]

The past of an S-rank Hunter had been exposed.