Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: 19. Spotlight (1)
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900 days of trials.
Repeating battles in the stat training ground, Kang San immersed himself in thought during the brief moments of respite that arose here and there.
'In a situation where I can't warn anyone about the impending catastrophe, what's the best way to stop an S-rank outbreak?'
Even if he pinpointed the location in advance.
In truth, nothing would change.
He had no idea how strong he'd be by then, but what could Kang San possibly do in the face of a disaster that had swept away even S-rank Lee Han-seong? This trial wasn't about him solving every problem to begin with. It was about buying as much time as possible, enduring as long as he could. Suppressing the disaster so it couldn't spread quickly—that was the best he could manage.
However.
He could add some details.
How to buy that time, and how to alert everyone to the danger as quickly as possible once the disaster struck.
As he fleshed out the plan from the smallest parts, a certain famous incident from the past suddenly came to mind.
'The LA Rescue Wave.'
It had happened ten years ago.
A freak talent with innate awakening was rated A-rank in LA, USA.
Essentially guaranteed to become an S-rank in the future, swarms of groups from across America rushed in to recruit him. The problem was the timing—an A-rank link phenomenon broke out in LA right then. Normally, a disaster of that scale would claim tens of thousands of lives without breaking a sweat, but astonishingly, not even thousands perished, and the link was suppressed.
The future genius.
It was thanks to the efforts of all the groups vying to recruit him.
Fearing he might get hurt, and thinking that rescuing him first might score them points, everyone was fired up. People called it the LA Rescue Wave, or the Miracle of LA. Even though an unpredictable variable had arisen, it became the textbook example of how the presence of a valuable individual minimized casualties.
'Half a year after leaving the training ground. If I maximize my value, the situation might change because of me.'
This wasn't the time to worry about the plausibility of the trials.
How you happened to be there, why these things kept happening whenever you were involved.
Even if there were questions like those in famous classics like Detective CoX, Kang San's priority was dealing with the catastrophe he couldn't handle alone. Plans chained together in his mind. How to boost his own value—not on the level of the LA incident, but enough influence would require a solid strategy.
900 days.
It wasn't just time to grow physically.
Kang San had plenty of time to deliberate deeply, and by the time he emerged, he already had a plan in place.
Kang San's interview.
It hit the news immediately.
In the article announcing Project B Team's victory, the unexpected name Kang San was mentioned.
It was an unbelievable story.
The idea that Project B Team could topple A Team in just half a month, all thanks to guidance from a mere D-rank hunter.
Regular readers dismissed the article as absurd and refused to believe it, but industry insiders like those at Heavenly Firmament couldn't ignore it. They had prior intel: Kang San's party had handled Project B Team's training, and there was something special about him beyond his apparent rank. With records from the recent isolation incident, everyone had been scrambling to learn more about Kang San even before the article dropped.
And in this situation.
"This is a problem."
Gu Jun-ho, team leader at Daeyang, twisted his expression.
Recruiting Kang San.
It was the issue he'd been pouring his effort into.
Whenever he had time, he sent Kang San texts like these.
[The weather's especially nice today.]
[Kang San, sending you a coffee gift card. Must be tiring—recharge on caffeine and keep it up!]
[If you ever need Daeyang's help, just reach out anytime. Daeyang is always open to you, Kang San.]
He believed even the sturdiest tree would fall after ten steady taps.
Knowing Kang San's uniqueness, he wasn't rushing—instead, patiently chipping away at his defenses over time.
But now.
The article had dropped out of nowhere.
He'd felt safe since Kang San was still just a D-rank, but the intel coming in suggested things were getting serious.
A spy had sent this.
"Heavenly Firmament is scrambling to recruit Kang San right now. And once word spread about his role in Project B Team's win, as mentioned in the article, other managements are closely monitoring the situation too. From this point on, anyone snatching him up wouldn't be surprising. A plain D-rank wouldn't turn heads, but with his exploits in the recent isolation incident? Combine that with this, and intangible value is bound to emerge."
Fire was scorching his feet.
Not yet at Heavenly Firmament or Daeyang's level of interest, but the hyenas running managements wouldn't let it slide.
'I can't let Kang San go.'
The C-rank test.
And the isolation incident.
Gu Jun-ho had watched those videos countless times.
Especially the Werewolf Lord fight—it made Kang San even more special in his eyes. Enduring an A-rank lord with mere D-rank stats. If such a person kept growing, he could reshape the tanker landscape. Sure, the future was uncertain, but Gu Jun-ho wasn't about to let his prized target get stolen.
He called Kang San right away.
He knew securing a meeting first was the best move in this scenario.
But.
[Unable to connect...]
"Has someone else already made a move?"
Over a dozen calls.
Over a dozen failures.
With no answer no matter how many times he tried, Gu Jun-ho couldn't hide his anxiety.
Around that time.
Bam—!
Jo Dong-jae stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
His flushed red face betrayed his exploding emotions.
"...That bastard. Even after losing, he won't even meet me?"
Just moments ago.
He'd gone to see Jeong Chan-hyuk.
Despite the defeat, he wanted to keep Project A Team alive, even if it meant getting help from Jeong Chan-hyuk. It was just one loss. They'd shown great promise so far—disbanding now made no sense.
But.
He wouldn't even see him.
Even more absurd: Jeong Chan-hyuk was going all out to recruit that guy 'Kang San.'
'Ditching me like yesterday's trash to sign a mere D-rank hunter. Jeong Chan-hyuk, you misjudged this. Sure, no more project support means our built-up achievements don't vanish. We're still promising talents—if Heavenly Firmament won't treat us right, no reason to stay. And every management in Korea would welcome us with open arms.'
This kind of treatment?
No reason to stay at Heavenly Firmament.
On his way out, Jo Dong-jae pulled up a contact on his phone.
[Daeyang Manager]
A number from before.
They'd said to call anytime if interested, so he dialed immediately.
Click.
[To hear from you first! Guess that's why I've been in a good mood since morning.]
The voice was warm from the start.
This was it.
Jo Dong-jae felt he deserved this treatment.
"I'm calling about a transfer."
[Are you serious?]
"Of course. You know I don't joke around. Not sure if you've heard, but Heavenly Firmament decided to cut project team support. I have no intention of sticking around for this crap, and I'm rallying the team to leave together. So, what can Daeyang do for me? Starting with this call, I'll hit up every management on my phone and go with the best offer."
[Thank you for giving us the first shot. We'll convene internally, finalize some truly satisfying terms, and get back to you.]
"Got it. Then..."
[Oh, mind if I ask one thing before we hang up?]
Right before ending the call.
The manager asked urgently.
Already melting from the reception, Jo Dong-jae replied amiably.
"Sure, ask away."
[Rumors say Heavenly Firmament is after a hunter named Kang San. Have you already made contact?]
In that instant.
His face contorted viciously.
"Why the hell are you asking me that?!"
Click.
He hung up.
That question from Daeyang.
It crossed the line.
Kang San had helped Project B Team, and Jo Dong-jae was leaving Heavenly Firmament because of that loss. The manager—who'd been sucking up until seconds ago—had to know that. Which meant there was some reason he had to ask, even knowing it might make him bolt.
"...What the hell does a D-rank hunter have that makes you ask?"
He was furious.
It made no sense.
He could've understood if Project B Team was stealing the spotlight.
But in this bizarre turn, Jo Dong-jae's mood soured completely.
"You bastards. Fine. I was gonna leave quietly, but now I can't just sit still."
He picked up the phone again.
And dialed somewhere.
Click.
"Yes, Reporter Kang. This is Jo Dong-jae."
One hour later.
A new article went up immediately.
It was a blatant hit piece.
The article lambasted their choice to back B Team after one match, despite Project A Team's stellar record. But it didn't stop there. Jo Dong-jae's personal grudge dragged Kang San down too.
Jo Dong-jae's request was clear.
He couldn't let Kang San profit from his loss.
Kang San and Heavenly Firmament.
Both trashed.
The effect was immediate.
Heavenly Firmament and Daeyang, who knew Kang San's worth, shrugged it off, but managements eyeing him hesitated. And it wasn't entirely wrong. Jeong Chan-woo was in his party, he'd shone in the isolation incident recently, but his past was rough.
Years as an F-rank arrow sponge.
And failing exams due to disasters every time, graded as a dropout despite his actual skill.
Plenty to tear down.
Kang San's plan.
It hit an unexpected snag.
Around then.
A woman read the article, her face souring with clear discomfort.
"What the hell is this?"
It was reporter Kim Min-young.
Kim Min-young was already irritated.
Kang San was the figure she'd been most interested in lately, compiling data bit by bit for an eventual article. But another reporter had beaten her to it, hyping Kang San as the mastermind behind Project B Team's win. She'd felt a pang of regret.
It was what she wanted to do.
When the time was right, shine the spotlight on Kang San and show the world who he really was.
And now her first shot at it was stolen.
She could barely hide her disappointment, and then she spotted this malicious hit piece.
A good article?
Fine, that happens.
But trash-talking Kang San without even knowing him?
"This is crossing the line."
For Kim Min-young, it was intolerable.