After clearing the gate, Kiryeo emerged through the generated exit.
“Phew~”
As expected, once the Sirens were neutralized, the difficulty of the Mermaid Pass dropped significantly. The Merman that appeared occasionally was slow, so they weren’t that threatening compared to Siren.
‘Oh my, my whole body…’
When a hunter with status abnormality resistance stopped Siren, the team members hunted the remaining Merman and closed the gate. They achieved high work efficiency through this division of roles. As evidence, Kim Kiryeo’s team has already dealt with [Mermaid Pass] 5 times.
‘Should I also get an item box?’
Of course, it would be a lie to say that there were no hardships during this process… but at this point, it was something they could endure.
Every time a merman popped out, he would glance at the dead sirens as if he were busy inspecting them. He’d also make a fuss about wearing his favorite suit today and not wanting to get it stained with blood, and so on.
There were still too many ways to get out of battle.
‘Anyway, this means I’ve successfully closed five A-rank gates.’
Kiryeo stretched his arms wide, celebrating the achievement of his goal.
“Hunter-nim! Hello!”
But at that moment, he heard a voice calling him from nearby. When he turned his head, he saw a cameraman holding a large camera and a young reporter standing there. A broadcasting station had come for coverage.
“Excuse me, but can I interview you for a moment?”
For a moment, he wondered why these people had come all the way here…
‘Ah.’
Thinking about it, it made sense that attention would be drawn to the gates that had suddenly been cleared one after another, especially since no one had been able to close them before.
“It’s okay if it’s just for a little while.”
“Yes! Thank you very much.”
And as expected, the following question from the reporter was about how Kiryeo had dealt with the troublesome sirens. In response, he pulled out the answer he had prepared.
“—Well, that’s because I’m an S-rank Hunter.”
“Yes?”
“Since my awakening level is high, I’m relatively less affected by the Sirens. I’m sure other S-ranks feel the same way.”
SSS-class shameless…!
How could someone be so shameless? Kim Kiryeo started spinning lies without a hint of hesitation, and the particularly insidious part was how he cleverly mixed truths into his answers.
“Moreover, Hunter Esther and I are completely immune to the Sirens’ song… I’ll keep that part short.”
Does Esther also have immunity? The interviewer was eager for a more detailed explanation. However, Kim Kiryeo declined to elaborate. Revealing someone else’s information could earn him the ire of that cursed wizard.
“Just know that Esther is also capable of it.”
Kiryeo said this and added a few sentences.
“However, I don’t think this is a particularly important story. After all, I’ll be the one to take down all the remaining Mermaid Pass anyway.”
“Yes?”
He’ll be in charge of the 15 Siren Dungeons that appeared due to the cataclysm!
The reporters’ eyes widened in shock. However, Kiryeo didn’t stop speaking. No matter what, he had to make this part clear.
“Hunter Esther is running a guild, so she probably has a lot of other work to do.”
“….!”
“So I think it would be right for me to handle this situation and for her to take a break.”
This is like holding someone in check. Although he had avoided a demotion by clearing five A-rank gates, he had to keep defending his ranking until someone who sold the dragon’s lungs appeared.
‘I need to take advantage of this opportunity and widen the gap!’
He boldly declared to the broadcast that Esther shouldn’t interfere, aiming to monopolize the achievements. But on the surface, he pretended to be concerned about the other person’s overwork…
“It’s January, after all. The Wizard Tower representative deserves a break during the holidays too.”
Well, this shouldn’t be a big problem.
“I see. Thank you for agreeing to the interview.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, the reporter from YTV realized that, contrary to the hunter’s appearance, he was quite polite after their conversation. However, the scene that followed completely made him forget this first impression.
“Oh, everyone’s finally coming out.”
That’s because new hunters appeared from the exit next to him.
Kang Changho and Ahn Yoonseung. When they were checking the gate entry authorization records, he had doubted whether such a ridiculous combination could really exist.
“Youngest. Quickly take a picture over there!”
“Yes, yes!”
They hurriedly captured the scene before their eyes with their cameras. With this, even the team members who conquered Mermaid Pass were all covered in the news.
***
Thump, thump.
In the spacious executive office, a woman lay limply across the luxurious sofa placed in the center of the room.
Curly hair dyed in a deep violet hue—who else could it belong to? Lying there was none other than Esther, the representative of the Wizard Tower.
“Ugh…”
Esther lay on the sofa and started muttering.
Work as the representative of the Korean Magic Tower Guild.
Work punishing awakened criminals.
Work as an S-class hunter.
She only has one body, but why does she have so many tasks?
“I guess I’m not suited for social life.”
She slumped down and complained.
“Hng, I’ll just throw it all away.”
However, the response she received was nothing but cold. Her secretary, having dealt with this kind of situation for a long time, no longer even bothered to reply.
“Damn January!”
The Cataclysm—it’s always the same issue. Every January, new monsters emerge in droves, leaving both scholars and hunters too busy to catch their breath.
“Secretary, can you go make me some strong coffee…?”
“Yes, yes.”
Esther gave a weary order with a tired voice and sank back into the sofa.
Sniff.
The only good thing about these times is that. The request to conquer Mermaid Pass, which was the biggest problem in this year’s cataclysm, has been quiet…
“Speaking of which, I haven’t received any contact.”
In fact, the Hunter Association has been taking care of itself recently.
During the recent Labyrinth of the 13th month incident, three S-rank Awakened individuals had vanished at once in South Korea. Since that incident, it seemed the association had changed its regulations, as they had become quite hesitant to summon S-rank Hunters lately.
Even with the chaos caused by the Sirens, they ultimately chose to conserve their last stronghold by refraining from summoning S-rank hunters.
“CEO, here’s some coffee.” ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Thank you.”
However, amidst all this, the association unexpectedly received help from a figure they had not anticipated. To be precise…it was from people.
“Oh, by the way, did you see the news earlier, CEO?”
“Mhm?”
“An industry colleague mentioned you on TV.”
“Really?”
Slurp.
Esther took a sip of her coffee and turned on the TV. Following her secretary’s testimony, she checked the recorded YTV channel. And guess what, the person standing there was a Hunter who looked quite familiar.
“Kiryeo-ssi, huh?”
A man with monolid eyes and sambaegan eyes was featured on the screen. Esther pointed at the figure on the TV and said,
“As far as I know, this is his first official interview, is that right?”
But, she never thought he would say something like this.
– Hunter Esther is running a guild… (omitted)… I think it would be right for me to handle this situation and for her to take a break.
I’ll take care of Siren, so you…should enjoy the holiday? Who in their profession wouldn’t feel thrilled by such an offer?
“Oh my…!”
Esther covered her mouth with her hand and was momentarily moved.
However, right after that, her flushed cheeks quickly sank as she read the subtitles below.
[(Breaking News) S-Class Kim Kiryeo. Together with Kang Changho and Ahn Yoonseung, they set out to conquer Mermaid Pass….]
“What, what is that? Kang Changho?”
As the hidden team composition was revealed, she got up from her seat with a shocked face.
“And one of them is a member of the Neo Sisters guild?!”
That’s right. Now that she thinks about it, Ahn Yoonseung and Kim Kiryeo have known each other for a while!
Esther had some information thanks to what happened in the past. However, to the general public who didn’t know anything, this situation was just chaos.
【 Hunternet > Free Bulletin Board 】
[1** : What’s that team composition?]
[s* : Hunter Kang? Dungeon raid?]
[z*** : Why is Ahn Yoonseung out there???]
And four days later, Thursday returned.
“Congratulations on the closing of Mermaid Pass~! Oh, you worked hard, Hunter!”
“Haha, thank you.”
Ahn Yoonseung finally agreed to an interview in celebration of conquering all the Mermaid Pass.
“Are you asking what kind of relationship I have with Kiryeo Hyung?”
At that time, Ahn Yoonseung answered a question from a video creator like this.
“Well, to me, he’s like a teacher!”
“A teacher?”
“Actually, I’ve learned a lot from him about what it means to be a hunter since the past. Well, thanks to him guiding someone like me who has a lot to improve, I’ve become who I am today. And if I were to list all the things I’m grateful for, it would truly never end…”
That unknown hunter turned out to be a top-class teacher!
“Y, Yoonseung-ah! Can we talk for a moment?”
Kiryeo, who happened to be sitting nearby, quickly predicted that things would get messy and immediately tried to shush Ahn Yoonseung. It was, in fact, a step too late.
The important information had already spread.
“Kim Kiryeo is Ahn Yoonseung’s role model?”
So much so that even Jung Haseong, who had completely cut off the internet and only read paper newspapers, had learned about the news.
“…I guess he’s a defensive type of awakener.”
In the end, Kiryeo’s actions, which began as a way to earn ranking points, left a significant impact.
***
You never know what the future holds for a person.
[●LIVE News: Real-time Chat]
[Honestly, after the last incident, I already had a great impression, but now that he’s taken care of all the Sirens too, I feel incredibly reassured.]
[Really lol]
[But why did Kang Changho suddenly show up?]
[I’m curious.]
[Even Hunter Ahn Yoonseung didn’t know that.]
Now, it’s hard to find articles criticizing the 4th S-class no matter where you go.
‘It’s all praise.’
Kim Kiryeo’s evaluation skyrocketed as his handling of the deceased D-rank hunter and the achievement of subjugating the Sirens overlapped.
[‘A country that has Kim Kiryeo.’]
[Kim Kiryeo, you are more than qualified to join the “Do You Know Club.”]
[(Seonhan Daily) Korea’s New Dark Horse]
[When the teacher asked who they respected,
the kids would all say Dad, Yi Sunsin, King Sejong, etc.
But I said quietly, 『Kim Kiryeo』
Teacher: Hey, who is that? Is that a great person?]
That’s what it was.
‘The internet has a lot of new words, so it’s sometimes hard to understand.’
And soon after, Kiryeo felt the change in public opinion. Unlike other true S-ranks, he lacked the overwhelming magical pressure, making him more approachable for ordinary people.
“Are you Hunter Kim Kiryeo? Wow, amazing!”
These days, it has become common for passersby to greet him as he walks down the street.
“You’re handsome!”
He has even heard unfamiliar words like this.
‘Suddenly?’
Anyway, Earthlings are really unique. These people have a habit of evaluating the appearance of those with outstanding abilities, but to be honest, it was a culture that Alphauri had difficulty empathizing with. For him, looks and abilities were not directly connected at all.
‘Is it because I’m an alien that I can’t understand this?’
But good things are good things. Let’s move on from the minor details for now.
Kim Kiryeo waved at the Earthlings in front of him. The students, fascinated by the awakener, chuckled and continued on their way. This was the change in atmosphere that he was beginning to feel.
However, just as he was riding high on his positive image, one day, a long post about Kim Kiryeo was posted on a community site.
-I live every day like hell.
The post, which began with such a sentence, was filled with details that only someone directly involved in the incident could know, along with several photos that added credibility to the testimony.
[Title: I report the school violence I suffered from Hunter Kim Kiryeo.]
The past of a S-class was exposed.
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