Press Conference (3)
The reporters gathered at the Hunter Association's press conference for Park Jihun and Shin Jiyeon were buzzing with speculation.
“What the hell could it be?”
“Maybe the Special Gate wasn't actually B-rank and it was all the Association's mistake?”
“Come on, they wouldn't hold a whole press conference just for that.”
“And the Association wouldn't be pushing it this hard if that was the case.”
“Then what? Is Shin Jiyeon the one who wiped everything out? Like, she was actually insanely strong for a B-rank?”
“Maybe he had some secret familiar up his sleeve?”
“Like, a ridiculously overpowered one?”
“Or maybe a familiar with some special ability.”
All kinds of wild theories flew around, but no one could say for sure.
An F-rank, a B-rank, and two familiars. How on earth had they cleared a B-rank Special Gate and come back alive? There wasn't a single person who could give a definitive answer.
Who would even imagine that the only person in the world with the Taming skill had reached B-rank in just two weeks? Or that his actual combat power was already close to S-rank?
“Hunter Park Jihun and Hunter Shin Jiyeon are entering.”
At that moment, the two stars of the press conference appeared.
“Oh, they're here!”
“Quick, start filming! Film it!”
Camera flashes exploded from every direction, the constant clicking filling the room like a storm.
“Ugh, my eyes. Do celebrities and hunters really deal with this shit every day?” Park Jihun frowned, squinting against the blinding lights.
Shin Jiyeon laughed softly beside him. “Haha, this is nothing unless you're top tier.”
In other words, Park Jihun was currently enjoying top-tier popularity. But even this level of attention was nothing compared to his true abilities.
If he revealed his growth potential at this conference...
'The next one would be at least five times bigger.'
If there was ever another press conference after this, the whole world would hang on his every move. Which gates he entered, which monsters he tamed—everyone on the planet would be dying to know.
“Ah, well... before I get to the main point.”
Jihun paused right as he was about to dive in, then gestured toward the Association representatives.
“First, I want to make it clear that everything I'm about to say today was only possible thanks to the Hunter Association's support. Thank you for your cooperation.”
He knew exactly how explosive his upcoming revelations would be, so he made sure to express his gratitude to the Association before the reporters could lose their minds.
“......”
Branch Manager Lee Hyeondong's shoulders squared with pride at those words, and the other executives looked at Jihun with satisfied smiles. No matter what came next, they had successfully created the image that the Hunter Association had worked hand-in-hand with Park Jihun.
'What the hell is it??'
'Why thank the Association...?'
'Did they cover something up for him?'
'Did they give Hunter Park Jihun some kind of special help?'
The reporters grew even more desperate to know what announcement he was about to make. They were so worked up that it felt like a riot might break out if he dragged it out any longer.
“Alright then... where should I start?”
Jihun knew exactly how they felt, so he stopped stalling and dropped everything at once.
He revealed that he possessed a skill that increased his stats, which was why his rank had been rising nonstop. Thanks to the recent Special Gate, he had officially reached B-rank.
“What? Huh?”
“No way...”
At first, of course, no one believed him.
But when the Association brought out the official measurement device and publicly displayed his rank, the entire room erupted into chaos.
“A growth-type hunter...?!”
“Not just the Taming skill, but a Growth skill too?!”
“Wait, that's not even the point... hasn't he only been awakened for like two weeks?!”
The world's only Taming skill, followed by the incredibly rare Growth skill. And it wasn't ordinary growth either—he had gone from F-rank to B-rank in just two weeks. An unprecedented speed never seen in history.
Some people wondered if the first measurement had simply been wrong, but at this point, who cared? An unbelievable scoop was unfolding right before their eyes.
The sound of frantic typing from the reporters filled the room without pause.
“Then... does that mean Hunter Park Jihun cleared this Special Gate with his own power?”
One reporter raised a hand and asked the question. Jihun answered calmly.
“I did contribute some strength, but Hunter Shin Jiyeon was the biggest help this time. She also gained stats from an achievement mid-clear and got promoted to A-rank.”
“Wha— A-rank?!”
At the news that Shin Jiyeon had also been promoted to A-rank, everyone's eyes snapped toward her in shock.
“Yes, I'll prove it right now.”
Shin Jiyeon nodded with a sweet smile and used the same measurement device Jihun had, confirming her new rank on the spot.
The reporters murmured among themselves but didn't react as explosively as before. They simply went back to typing. While rank-ups from achievements were rare, they weren't unheard of like Growth skills. Since every hunter could potentially raise their stats through achievements, it wasn't quite as newsworthy. That was why the reaction felt a bit lukewarm.
“...Hmm.”
Jihun glanced at Shin Jiyeon, worried she might feel upset. She wasn't just a colleague or familiar—she was his beloved girlfriend. He couldn't help but feel bad that he was hogging all the spotlight. Since there was still more to reveal, he was concerned that even more attention would be focused solely on him.
“Hehe.”
She simply looked at his face and smiled brightly, as if to say she didn't mind at all. As if telling him it was perfectly fine to say everything he still had left.
Jihun gave her a small nod of understanding, then continued.
“Oh, right. My familiars grow too. Their stats, I mean.”
“...Huh?”
“What did he just say?”
He dropped another bomb.
Familiars Possess Growth Skills
📍 Details: All of Park Jihun's tamed entities can increase their stats
🎁 Implication: Potential to create an army of high-ranking monsters
#
Park Jihun's press conference was being broadcast live on TV and across the internet, drawing the eyes of the entire world.
Not only Korea's top hunters like Kim Dojin and Lee Jeonghyeon, but people and hunters overseas were watching with subtitles or live translation. The fact that an F-rank hunter had cleared a B-rank Special Gate and returned alive was a global issue.
And naturally, Yang Siwu—who was seething with rage at all the attention Jihun was getting—was also watching the broadcast.
“Fucking bastard... let's hear what bullshit he spits out.”
Yang Siwu chewed her nails viciously as she stared at the screen.
Honestly, at first she thought Jihun had just tagged along and survived thanks to Shin Jiyeon's efforts. She figured the whole thing would be about praising Jiyeon.
But then—
(First, I want to make it clear that everything I'm about to say today was only possible thanks to the Hunter Association's support. Thank you for your cooperation.)
Jihun started by thanking the Association. What the hell was he about to say? Was the Association hiding something?
Both Yang Siwu watching the feed and the netizens leaving real-time comments thought the same thing.
And then—
(I possess a Stat Growth skill. Thanks to it, I've reached B-rank.)
The first bomb went off.
“What? What the fuck did you just say?!”
Yang Siwu yelled at the screen, completely forgetting she was watching on her phone.
'No, this has to be clickbait. Obviously.'
But the measurement device confirmed he really was B-rank. Since she had used the same method to reveal her own stats before, she couldn't call it fake.
“...No way.”
She had thought Park Jihun was just some lucky trash who happened to get a good skill. But he came back from a Special Gate alive, revealed he was a growth-type hunter, and had gone from F-rank to B-rank in two weeks?
And it didn't stop there.
(Oh right. My familiars grow too. Their stats.)
His familiars grew as well. Which meant...
The monsters bound to Park Jihun would continue getting stronger over time.
In other words, given enough time, he could command dozens of high-ranking hunter-level familiars. He could literally become a one-man army.
“...This is the most insane clout chase I've ever seen, for real.”
The reporters and the internet users watching went absolutely wild. The live chat was scrolling so fast it was impossible to read. Less than a minute after Jihun's statement, articles began exploding across every outlet, with follow-up pieces pouring in nonstop.
Overseas reporters were frantically calling their offices in every language, and the live chat was filled with comments in multiple tongues. The entire country—no, the entire world—was watching Park Jihun.
“This... this can't be happening...”
Yang Siwu shook her head in disbelief. That was supposed to be her spot. She was the one who should be receiving all that national and global attention!
“Park Jihun...”
He had stolen the attention of the Korean public that once belonged to her, and now he was even receiving the worldwide spotlight she had always craved. The sight made her burn with envy and jealousy.
But she couldn't do anything to harm him. If she messed with Park Jihun while the entire world's eyes were on him, her own career would be finished.
'How... how can I pull the attention back to me?'
What the hell was she supposed to do?
Having stats strong enough to beat Eagol? Impossible for Yang Siwu, who didn't even have a Growth skill.
A skill as rare as Jihun's? She did possess one of the strongest combat skills in the Fist King class, but no matter how top-tier it was, combat skills were common.
'A guild? What if I create a guild and bring Park Jihun into it? Wouldn't that make my guild famous just by having him?'
Her mindset had completely flipped. Instead of trying to steal attention away from him, she now wanted to ride his wave of popularity to get some for herself.
'Yeah... people looking at me. People wanting me. For that...'
Admiration. Envy. Jealousy. Inferiority. Lust. No matter the reason, Yang Siwu loved every gaze directed at her. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she lived for it.
So once she realized she couldn't take the spotlight from Jihun, she immediately changed direction and decided to use him instead.
'That's it. A brand new guild. Korea's strongest and the world's one and only hunter joining forces to create the best guild in the country. And I'd be the guild master! Perfect.'
It was a complete reversal of her previous decision that she didn't want to be guild master because the workload would be too heavy.