The Celebrity Hunter

Kang Minho was the pride of South Korea, famous for being the country's only A-rank Awakened. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠He was a figure of global attention, with countries around the world clamoring to scout him. That was how rare A-rank Awakened were. Furthermore, if they could be accepted as citizens, they could respond flexibly to monster threats. If nuclear weapons were a tool that couldn't be used, hunters were an alternative force that could be deployed at any time. Having finished supporting the clearing of a C-class gate in the Philippines, he had returned to Korea.

Incheon International Airport. As soon as he appeared in the arrival hall, countless camera flashes exploded.

"Hunter Kang Minho! How was the C-class gate you just visited!"

Kang Minho looked at the reporters bombarding him with questions and said, "Geez, you reporters are something else. Is there anything different from usual? Honestly, it was boring."

He said it with a laugh. Then, another reporter raised a hand and asked, "Then do you have any plans for your next move?"

"Next move? I think I'll get some rest first and then think about it."

"Do you have any intention of clearing Apocalyptor, the B-class monster presumed to be residing on Dokdo?"

At that, Kang Minho's face stiffened slightly. Apocalyptor. It was the very monster that had forced the evacuation of the residents of Dokdo and was considered the worst of them all. Even the United States, which once possessed the most A-rank hunters, had gone so far as to sound out the idea of just nuking it. However, because the symbolism of Dokdo was so profound for Koreans, the president at the time had refused flatly. In the end, Dokdo had become Apocalyptor's territory. The citizens desperately wished and hoped that someone would catch Apocalyptor and reclaim Dokdo soon. Hoping to step foot on the land of Dokdo once again.

"Hahaha, I have to clear it, of course. I have to catch Apocalyptor and take back Dokdo. Isn't Dokdo our land?"

Kang Minho answered vaguely.

'These damn bastards? Who are you trying to screw over right now? I'm the only A-rank, so how the hell am I supposed to take that thing down?!'

It was an absurd request. The U.S. had assumed that to face Apocalyptor, an attack force consisting of ten A-rank hunters and numerous skilled B-rank hunters would be needed. So, asking him to clear Apocalyptor alone was basically telling him to go die. 'You. I've noted you clearly!' Unlike the smile plastered on Kang Minho's lips, his eyes had clearly etched the reporter who had just asked the question into his mind.

"However, not right now. Our country is still far too weak compared to the rest of the world. I will focus on fostering our country's hunters. And after that, I will clear Apocalyptor."

The reporters didn't have high expectations for Kang Minho, who wouldn't give a definitive answer. They knew it, too. That Kang Minho couldn't clear Apocalyptor alone. They immediately moved on to the next question.

"Are you aware of Hunter Cheon Yooshin?"

Kang Minho's expression suddenly turned sour. But he immediately put on a smile. "Cheon Yooshin? Ah, isn't that a friend who's working hard these days?"

"Recently, Hunter Cheon Yooshin has been making headlines for solo-clearing D-rank gates and Sudden Gates. What are your thoughts on that?"

"D-rank and Sudden Gates... hmm, well, that's not bad. It reminds me of my old days. Hahaha." Kang Minho winked slightly. "But honestly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speaking, D-rank gates are a bit boring. Well, still, it's good to see Hunter Cheon Yooshin working hard. Maybe one day he'll reach the level I'm at. Though I'll be even stronger by then. Hahaha." Kang Minho shrugged his shoulders.

"Still, I'm rooting for him. There's no meaning in me getting stronger alone. We all have to get stronger together."

Just then, a reporter asked in a low voice, "Recent polls show that Hunter Cheon Yooshin's popularity has surpassed Hunter Kang Minho's. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Kang Minho's expression changed subtly. "Popularity... well? I'm a hunter, not a celebrity. Instead of worrying about popularity, I'll catch one more monster so the citizens can lead safe lives."

After finishing his sentence, Kang Minho signaled to his guild manager. The manager stepped between Kang Minho and the reporters and said, "Hunter Kang Minho has his next schedule. He needs to go now."

"Hahaha, can't be helped. Then let's meet next time."

Kang Minho left Incheon Airport, greeting the reporters with a laugh.

***

Yooshin, who had returned home after finishing another D-rank gate clear, saw Cheon Jin-ah watching TV.

"Brother's home?"

"Yeah!"

The damn sister didn't even turn her gaze toward Cheon Yooshin, too absorbed in the TV. Ha... on TV, the relationship between an older brother and younger sister was always so good. TV was just TV. Yooshin was about to head into the bathroom to wash off his sweat-drenched body when—

"Wow, it's Kang Minho!" Cheon Jin-ah shouted at the TV.

It was a good thing this was a high-end villa with good soundproofing; if it had been anywhere else, the shout would have already drawn noise complaints. But.

"Kang Minho? Who's that?"

"Brother, you don't even know Kang Minho?"

"Do I have to?"

And a man, at that? A guy who looks like a pretty boy like that? Why would I?

Come to think of it, when I first crossed over here from the Abyss, I think I saw him briefly on TV?

"Geez, if you're a hunter, shouldn't you know about things like that now?"

"What does me being a hunter have to do with knowing him?"

"Of course you should know! First in the country to clear an E-rank, first to reach A-rank, first to reach level 30. Everything is 'first, first'."

"Is that so? First?"

"Yeah! And they say he's one of the few A-rank Awakened in the world?"

Only then did Cheon Yooshin start focusing on the TV. That guy is that strong? What was my level again? Cheon Yooshin opened his status window for the first time in a while.

'It's level 22.'

The level system applied to hunters was simple. A level simply meant a number. It didn't mean that your stats increased just because your level went up. In other words, to raise your strength stat, an Awakened had to exercise or train, just like an ordinary person would to build muscle. Of course, you shouldn't neglect leveling up because skills appropriate to each characteristic are unlocked when you level up. Because the higher the level, the more magic power and skills you can use. Anyway.

Just in time, the interview conducted at the airport began to air. Well, he is handsome, I'll give him that. His speech was as smooth as flowing water. Then, the reporters' questions began. At first, it was trivial stuff. Toward the end, even his own name popped up. Why me, all of a sudden? Come to think of it, I had been wondering why people were comparing me to someone so much lately.

'Was it that guy? But he talks interestingly.'

It wasn't arrogant, but it wasn't polite either; it was a tone that stood right on the subtle boundary between the two. Well, you said maybe one day I'll reach the level you're at? That sounds like a line I should be saying. And everything that guy has is prefixed with "Domestic First".

'If I'm going to do it, I should take the "World First" title.'

He's just saying "you're a frog in a well" in a roundabout way.

Just then, Cheon Jin-ah said while popping an apple into her mouth, "He's the same age as you, Brother. But he looks really young, doesn't he?"

Cheon Jin-ah still didn't take her eyes off ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the TV.

"Don't I look young too?"

Yooshin was someone who had experienced something similar to rebirth several times as his physical abilities improved in the Abyss.

Then, Cheon Jin-ah, who had been staring at the TV, slowly turned her head and said with a blank expression, "No? Not at all? You look like an uncle in his 30s."

"Look closely and say that again?"

He deliberately turned his face to the best angle. His face was covered in sweat and dirt from being inside a gate. Still, this much is handsome, right? Ahem.

However.

"I've been looking at you for 19 years, what more is there to look closely at?! And go wash up, will you?"

The sister waved her hand, pinching her nose as if he smelled. I'll just—! Should I smack her once? His trembling fist was about to go up, but he barely lowered it. Still, she's his sister, through thick and thin. And she's his younger sister, too.

'I have no choice but to endure it as the older brother...'

He was taking a deep breath to suppress his anger toward his sister when—

Ding!

The sound of a text message arriving was heard. Yooshin's eyes, which had checked his phone without thinking, widened slightly.

'A reunion...'

Cheon Jin-ah, finding it strange that Yooshin was lost in thought, snatched the phone away in a flash. In truth, it wasn't a speed he couldn't have reacted to, but since it wasn't content he needed to keep secret, he just let it happen.

"Whoa-oh-oh! Brother! Are you going to the reunion?"

Cheon Jin-ah shouted immediately after seeing the text.

"Well? Do I have to?"

They were kids from so long ago. Besides, he didn't think there were any friends he was particularly close to in high school?

"You have to go, you have to go!" Cheon Jin-ah's eyes were sparking with flames.

"Brother, don't you remember?! You spent all your allowance on bread! And don't you remember giving all of that to your friends!"

D-did I? Well, I guess I might have had a kind phase too. To Yooshin, who had lived in the Abyss for 400 years, the memories of high school were buried in a hazy fog.

"You were a bread-shuttle, Brother!"

At that moment, like an old movie film spinning, memories began to surface one by one. The times he ran to the canteen every break, the times he handed out bread to his friends at the back of the classroom, and even the smiling faces of his friends. Yooshin's head tilted sideways.

Ha! That's absurd. Now that I think about it, I really was a bread-shuttle. Me, Cheon Yooshin himself!!!!

"You have to go to the reunion and brag about how successful you've become. Got it!?" Cheon Jin-ah clenched both fists.

"Yeah, I have to go."

I have to go and show them what's what. That I've become strong. For the first time in a while, sparks began to fly from Yooshin's eyes.

***

A monster with pointed ears, long-extended fangs, and thick, muscular green skin. Squeak! Squeak-squeak! Squeak-squeak-squeak! Dozens of orcs were panting with their familiar breathing and rushed toward Yooshin.

"Yeah, rushing in all at once is a good method."

For dying, that is.

Crack!

Yooshin sent a Dark Spear flying around him, piercing the orcs' heads instantly. But the orcs, not caring about their comrades' deaths, didn't stop moving, showing off their muscular thighs. Yooshin grinned even while looking at the orcs rushing toward him. And.

Corpse Explosion.

Bang! The orcs' corpses exploded as they were, flesh and bone fragments scattering everywhere, and as a result, they too were bound under Yooshin's authority.

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-bang!

With a chain of explosions, the corpses exploded one after another like dominoes, and the place where the orcs had been turned into a crucible of chaos in an instant.

Squeak! Squeak! The orcs that had escaped the range of the explosion were suddenly standing still. Are they judging the situation? But.

'That's too late. You guys.'

Countless Dark Spears were created around Yooshin in an instant. Like shooting darts at a target board, Yooshin's spears pierced the orcs' heads through and through.

The escape gate opened in front of Yooshin. This time, too, the D-rank gate clear was a success without any trouble! It was something others would have clapped and rejoiced about, but no light of satisfaction could be found in Yooshin's eyes.

"No level up this time either."

He had already finished clearing three D-rank gates, but his level wasn't going up. It wasn't going up so much that he even searched HunterNet for level-up related content, but there was no case like his where it didn't go up. Of course, there weren't any hunters who possessed as many skills as he did, either. He was just cautiously predicting. Perhaps leveling up was becoming difficult depending on the number of skills.

"Still, it's not going up too much. Seriously. A C-rank gate needs to come out now."

Should I go abroad? It's annoying enough to catch monsters, do I have to go abroad to catch them? Carrying the worry that weighed heavily on his shoulders, before entering the escape gate.

Imp Summon.

"You called, Master!"

Red and orange magic stones glittered over the orcs' corpses.

"Pick them all up and come out! If I check later and even one is missing, 100 smacks to the head for each one?"

"H-h-hai!"

Thwack!

"W-why, why that..."

"You Japanese bastard!"

Thwack!

"Take one more!"

***

"You're a bit late."

Yooshin muttered, looking at the watch on his wrist. Today was the day he had decided to have lunch with Kim Jeonghyeon. Cheon Yooshin had heard the situation in detail from Team Leader Park Haesu when he went to the police station that day. Not about anything else, but about Kim Jeonghyeon's righteous action of stopping his mother from being subjected to terrible things. That was why Yooshin had asked to see him today. Kim Jeonghyeon.

'What should I help him with?'

All he could do was fight. But money was growing scarily in his bank account. It was growing at this very moment, and he didn't even know how much his balance was. ...That was the kind of Yooshin he wanted to become. Anyway. He wanted to do what he could. What is the difference between a human and a beast? Isn't it that if you receive a favor, you know how to repay it?

Just then. With the sound of the door opening, Kim Jeonghyeon entered with an awkward smile.

"Over here!"

Cheon Yooshin waved his hand as if to say it was nice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to see him, then stopped. 'Huh? Why did that gentleman come again?'