Famous Person (1)
Han Su-ah led him to a quiet Japanese restaurant in the heart of the city.
Luxurious interior, serene atmosphere, and the faint scent of extravagance hanging in the air.
It was the kind of place he wouldn't have dreamed of stepping into under normal circumstances.
But Kim Sun-woo's attention wasn't on that.
"...It's all about me."
He never touched online communities or social media.
He'd cut them out long ago, unwilling to broadcast his pathetic life buried under debt.
Watching everyone else thrive while he scraped by had only fueled his resentment.
Of course, back in his younger days, Kim Sun-woo had been the same—snapping pics of luxury buys or fancy meals like this one to flaunt online.
He'd had plenty of buddies and women hitting him up, always down for a hangout.
But after losing everything, he'd realized it was all pointless and severed every tie.
Since then, he'd ignored it all. Yet now, everywhere he looked, screens were plastered with his name, stirring a strange sensation.
Swipe, scroll, swipe.
Kim Sun-woo dragged his thumb across his smartphone without pause.
Filming inside the exam hall was strictly prohibited, yet there were recordings of his bout with Lee Kyung-won and even his match against Baek San-hu.
1. Kim Sun-woo
2. Kim Sun-woo Baek San-hu
3. Hunter Rank Exam
4. Mugung Guild
5. Huashan
6. Kim Sun-woo Lee Kyung-won
-Crack!
The footage, seemingly snuck from the audience seats, wasn't great quality, but it captured the raw intensity and on-site thrill perfectly.
The rankings dominated not just search trends but plastered news sites too.
F-rank Hunter Awakens Martial Talent After 10 Years?
Late-Bloomer Martial Genius? Everything About Hunter Kim Sun-woo.
You Can Do It Too! Enroll Now in Our Intro Martial Class—Defeat C-ranks and Rival B-ranks!
Of course, the articles were mostly from obscure companies he'd never heard of.
And who's the one shoehorning in ads amid all this?
Either way, it seemed he'd blown up not just in the hunter world but among the general public too.
"...Honestly, is it that big a deal?"
Kim Sun-woo, the star of it all, looked up at Han Su-ah with a bemused expression.
"Awakening abilities and jumping ranks overnight, or discovering talent—it's common, right? Happens every quarter or so. Why's everyone making such a fuss?"
"Sure, it's common. But you're the uncommon case, so that's why. Baek San-hu Hunter's interview lit the fuse. Check this out: 'Unparalleled talent—even among Huashan and other martial sects, who else has this gift? If he weren't with Mugung Guild, I'd have taken him as a disciple...'"
"...He didn't say it that glowingly."
"Facts don't matter to the public. When a renowned figure like Huashan’s Plum Blossom Sword Saint vouches for you, of course the spotlight follows."
"......"
Kim Sun-woo pinched the bridge of his nose.
Baek San-hu had praised him, sure, but not to the point of gilding his face.
As a direct stakeholder, the elder wouldn't risk controversy with loose words.
But combined with the exam footage and sensational headlines, his comments had been twisted into this.
That was his guess, anyway.
"And someone leaked your personal info—don't know from where. Mugung and the Association say they're handling it, but... probably..."
"Anyone who needs to know already does. What a pain."
Kim Sun-woo scratched his head vigorously.
Orphaned, saddled with massive debt, he'd spent ten years as an F-rank hunter paying it all off.
Pride in clearing it? Sure. But nothing to brag about.
He'd just hunted mindlessly, figuring if death came, so be it.
No desire for pity or empty cheers.
Not everyone online saw him positively, either.