Chapter 76

‘Hrk.’

The monster’s speed surpassed imagination. I had closed my eyes for only a moment, yet it was already within arm’s reach.

‘Oh no!’

The attack came so suddenly that I could not react at all.

But then—

Thud!

The creature directly in front of me vanished. At the same instant, a dull bursting sound rang out.

‘D-did it explode?’

I hurriedly turned my head and caught sight of Kang Changho’s outstretched arm from the corner of my eye.

The S-Class Hunter had destroyed the charging monster.

Kang Changho stared at the blood left behind by the slain creature, then spoke in a low voice.

Honestly, the situation was absurd. My physical eyesight was simply too poor to follow the monster’s movements.

“No. That can’t be it.”

I immediately denied his assumption.

After a brief silence, Kang Changho glanced at me, casually flicked the blood from his hand, and said nothing more.

‘W-what was that?’

Even then, I still could not understand what was happening.

Whoosh!

However, as time passed and Ahn Yoonseung began letting more monsters slip past because of his imperfect mana control, the S-Class Hunter standing beside me gradually revealed his true worth.

Smash!

The second monster.

And then the third.

Smash!

Even though we had not entered particularly dangerous territory this time, he was voluntarily dealing with them?

‘Huh?’

By the time I came to my senses, the mangled corpses of C-Class monsters were scattered all around me.

In other words, Kang Changho had been carefully securing the entire area for some time now.

‘Huh?’

I shifted my gaze, pointed cautiously toward one of the corpses on the ground, and asked,

“Hunter Kang Changho, just to make sure... are you planning to take these bodies?”

“No.”

“Then may I take some of them?”

“Sure.”

At his answer, an unfamiliar emotion blossomed in my heart.

‘This Hunter... is incredibly conscientious...?’

Was this what Koreans called jeong?

***

It was a clear day, and the green grass gleamed beneath the blue light of the sky.

Against such a vividly colored landscape, people dressed in dark leather naturally stood out.

“Huh?”

Several minutes earlier.

Ahn Yoonseung’s expression had stiffened the moment he spotted Kang Changho in the park.

Like most people in the industry, the young Hunter had no desire to cross paths with that particular S-Class.

“Why is Kang Changho here...?”

Yoonseung briefly held his breath beneath the pressure radiating from one of the country’s strongest Awakeners.

And while he stood frozen, the very thing he feared occurred.

The other man abruptly shouted someone’s name.

“Hey, Kim Kiryeo!”

Korea’s third S-Class Hunter was famous for showing interest only in the strong.

Naturally, everyone’s attention turned toward the person he had called.

‘Ugh, I knew it! He’s picking a fight with Kiryeo Hyung...!’

Yoonseung glanced anxiously to the side.

But to his surprise, Kang Changho did not appear to have approached merely because he had recognized someone powerful.

“Changho-ssi, you came.”

What was going on?

Kim Kiryeo greeted the newly arrived S-Class Hunter as naturally as though he had known Kang Changho would appear.

‘Did they somehow become friends while I wasn’t looking...?’

Yoonseung desperately wanted an explanation, but he could not afford to take his attention away from the gate.

He forced himself to focus on the Red Gate that was about to manifest.

‘Get a grip. Today is an important opportunity to demonstrate my abilities to my benefactor!’

He took up his position, assuming that the two men behind him would act as his teammates.

“Ugh!”

However, a proper hunt could hardly be conducted with only a single defense-type Hunter.

A moment later, one of the monsters he had failed to restrain slipped past him and rushed toward the rear.

Normally, Yoonseung would have immediately projected a shield toward his companion.

But—

‘There’s no need.’

Ahn Yoonseung quickly canceled the skill.

At this point, the monster was practically charging into its own grave.

‘Poor thing.’

A few seconds later, curiosity got the better of him.

Wondering what had happened to the fleeing monster, he glanced briefly over his shoulder.

‘H-huh?’

What he saw was so shocking that he nearly dropped his shield.

Thump...

‘Kang Changho... killed a C-Class monster?’

What was this?

After that, Yoonseung repeatedly checked the rear whenever he had the chance, but the situation remained the same.

‘No way!’

While the blond Hunter stood nearby with an indifferent expression, Kang Changho took the initiative and eliminated every monster that approached from behind.

‘Not just anyone, but that Kang Changho?’

Kang Changho was a top-tier Awakener and, at the same time, an exceptionally self-centered Hunter.

The clearest example was his persistent refusal to comply with the Association’s summons, despite the severe penalties imposed upon him.

Even the government had long since abandoned any hope of borrowing Kang Changho’s strength.

So how could someone like that be helping another person so obediently?

‘Is this really the S-Class Hunter I know?’

From Ahn Yoonseung’s perspective, there was no way to guess that the two men were bound by {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a contract involving [Improvement].

Consequently, he made a grave mistake by attempting to interpret the situation using only the limited information available to him.

‘C-could it be that Hyung has finally made up his mind and decided to establish his position openly...?’

Would an aggressive S-Class Hunter like Kang Changho truly have left someone like Kim Kiryeo alone until now?

Surely, Kang Changho must have repeatedly provoked Kiryeo with intense confrontations while Yoonseung remained unaware.

Perhaps Kim Kiryeo had tolerated it for a time, only to crush him mercilessly the moment Kang Changho finally crossed the line.

No, this was no longer mere speculation.

Something like that must have actually happened.

The gap between them was simply too great for any other explanation.

To reduce the mighty Kang Changho to performing menial tasks, Kim Kiryeo had to possess power that remained hidden from the world.

‘I honestly can’t think of any other explanation. Look at him! Kang Changho is practically crawling at Hyung-nim’s feet without even protesting!’

Ahn Yoonseung stared in amazement.

Even the formidable authority of the Hunter Association had been unable to restrain the unchecked power of an S-Class Hunter.

And yet Kim Kiryeo had apparently subdued him with ease.

Was that not extraordinary?

‘Wow. The more I learn about him, the more incredible he becomes.’

Ahn Yoonseung swallowed dryly.

There had once been a time when he dreamed of forming a team with Kim Kiryeo.

But if the difference between their levels was this enormous...

‘There’s no way I could become his teammate.’

Ahn Yoonseung defeated the final monster with a bitter expression.

However, his dejection did not last long.

‘Then what about becoming his porter?’

The Hunter industry contained a far wider variety of occupations than most people realized.

‘In long dungeons, Hunters sometimes have to eat and sleep inside the gate. If I learn the skills necessary for situations like that, perhaps I could help Hyung-nim one day...?’

That blond man was a natural-born Hunter.

With abilities as exceptional as his, he probably felt no need to form a party with others.

Finding proper teammates in the future would not be easy.

So rather than aiming to stand beside Kiryeo as an equal, Yoonseung decided to pursue the role of a support member.

That way, he might still have a chance to work with him.

‘I have to improve! I’ll become someone worthy of serving as Hyung-nim’s porter!’

His intentions were entirely pure.

He merely wanted to repay the man who had saved his life.

However, because he had drastically misunderstood the other man’s abilities, his chosen goal was slightly misguided.

‘That’s right. At my current level, I can’t even reach his toes. Training is my only option!’

That seemingly useless effort would later bear fruit.

In time, Ahn Yoonseung would earn a reputation as a monstrous rookie capable of dragging an entire incompetent team forward by the collar.

***

The fifth day of hunting Red Gates.

“Hmph!”

Boom!

The sharp thorns covering the monster’s body shattered mercilessly against the silver shield.

As the broken spikes scattered in every direction, Yoonseung brought his mace down upon the creature’s exposed flesh.

With a heavy impact, the monster burst into several pieces.

Another one defeated.

Another successful hunt.

‘His skills seem to be improving steadily.’

Still, it was hardly surprising.

I had spent the past five days observing Ahn Yoonseung at work.

‘Is this already our fifth gate?’

We had begun safely with C-Class targets, but as our confidence grew, we gradually progressed until we were now tackling B-Class Red Gates with only one active combatant.

However...

‘Hmm.’

To be honest, even B-Class gates were somewhat disappointing.

If I could effortlessly clear those A-Class gates—infamous for posing the greatest danger while offering the greatest rewards—then earning 2.6 billion won in a short period would no longer be an impossible dream.

‘Even if we get lucky, it’s difficult to earn lottery-level profits from B-Class hunts.’

I licked my lips while staring at the crimson gateway across the street.

Was it too greedy to hope that the next one might be A-Class?

Screech!

As anyone could see, I had an exceptionally powerful bodyguard accompanying me.

‘Ack!’

At that moment, another monster came flying toward me.

The nearby Hunter had kicked it away as it approached.

No matter how many times I witnessed it, his reaction speed remained astonishing.

I had initially assumed he was merely playing around, but how could he defend a five-meter radius as perfectly as a drawn blade?

“Thank you.”

I lowered my head and extracted the magic stone from the corpse.

Kang Changho remained silent and returned his attention to what he had been doing.

At some point during these hunts, that Earthling had begun carrying a tablet PC with him.

‘He’s browsing the internet right in front of a gate?’

For an ordinary Hunter, such behavior would have been considered insane.

But was this man an ordinary Awakener?

S-Class Hunter Kang Changho had fulfilled his duty flawlessly every single time.

Thanks to him, I had been able to collect valuable materials from high-ranking monsters without suffering the slightest injury.

‘Hohoho.’

Had I known things would turn out this way, I would have signed the contract much sooner!

Honestly, I had never expected Kang Changho to be this useful.

When he claimed to possess a sense of responsibility, I had dismissed it as nonsense.

‘Ahem. It seems I lacked faith...!’

Was this why people said never to judge others by appearances?

Our Changho might look rather intimidating, but he was actually kindhearted.

Always diligent.

Always sincere.

‘At this rate, I’ll save up one hundred million won in no time.’

Glance.

I opened the item box I had previously lent to Ahn Yoonseung and diligently gathered materials from the monster corpses.

My hands became covered in blood, but that hardly mattered.

After all, counting money sometimes required getting one’s hands a little dirty.

“Phew! That should be everything!”

After waiting a little longer, it seemed Ahn Yoonseung had already dealt with the remaining wave of monsters.

“Hrk! Hyung-nim, there’s blood on your hands...”

“Ah, this?”

“I-I let so many monsters slip past that you had to kill some of them yourself! I’m sorry!”

“That isn’t what happened.”

“No! You don’t have to spare my feelings just because I might be embarrassed.”

For a moment, the conversation descended into confusion.

Well, that was not important.

“Anyway, you did well today.”

After offering him a brief word of praise, we began wrapping up the hunt.

We needed to gather the monster corpses into one place to make the cleanup crew’s work easier.

‘Ah.’

However, just as I crouched down to lift one of the bodies, a shadow suddenly fell over me.

Kang Changho had approached.

“Kim Kiryeo.”

It seemed he had something to say.

“Can you stop this?”

When I remained silent, Kang Changho continued.

“Are you protesting because I refused to give you money?”

“Yes?”

“Someone who normally never does anything like this has suddenly started visiting high-level Red Gates every single day. Honestly, it doesn’t look good.”

He paused briefly, choosing his words.

He did not appear particularly angry.

Yet as an S-Class Hunter, merely standing there in silence was enough to create overwhelming pressure.

“Kim Kiryeo, why don’t you take a few days away from gate raids?”

“Yes?”

“Pushing yourself this hard isn’t good for your health. And that’s a problem for both of us. I’ve already said this before, but since the contract was written so loosely, we need to show each other consideration in matters like this.”

“...”

“Of course, the loophole involving Red Gates means you can technically do as you please. But whatever you do, there must be no risk of you dying.”

Kang Changho continued in a firm voice.

“Just remember one thing. The oath does not restrict me as strongly as it restricts you.”

In other words, he could attack me at any time if he wished.

“If you secretly visit a Red Gate and I catch you... it won’t end pleasantly for either of us.”

After forcing him to work without rest for five straight days, the man had finally revealed his true nature.

‘Well, working someone too hard is bound to sour their temper.’

I knew it.

My survival depended entirely upon his generosity.

A weaker person like me had been forced to stake his life on a meaningless promise, while the other party occupied a position so advantageous that he could disregard even the smallest obligations whenever his mood changed.

It was a one-sided relationship.

An irreparably tilted balance.

At this rate, rather than gaining Kang Changho as a bodyguard, I might simply have burdened myself with a powerful overseer and a host of unnecessary restrictions.

‘This cannot continue.’

Of course, I had anticipated this possibility from the very beginning.

“I apologize. I’ll correct my behavior immediately.”

After gathering my thoughts, I answered him calmly.

However, beneath my outwardly submissive response, another plan was already taking shape.

‘Go ahead and kill me.’

Because there was at least one way to prevent Kang Changho from ever doing that.

Once today’s earnings had been settled, it would be time to begin preparing.

With that resolve, I lifted the final corpse from the ground.