Chapter 137. Is an Anti-Fan a Fan?
Kim Gi-ryeo’s composure was incomprehensible from the perspective of the Hunter Hate Group.
‘This ajeossi’s strength is something else…’
However, this situation could be easily interpreted by just peeking into the opponent’s thoughts a little.
‘With F-Class strength, they’d have to struggle to push me away.’
A moment later.
Gi-ryeo firmly closed his eyes, holding back tears that were trying to flow.
Who would have expected this?
To think that Korea’s fourth S-Class would be a fraud manipulating his rank and now was being held captive by a mere civilian…
*
Do you know the biggest difference between an F-Class Awakened and a regular person?
It’s whether they can use magic or not.
In other words, unless they’ve awoken in a physical enhancement category, F-Class don’t actually differ much in strength from normal folks.
So if they crossed paths with someone who works out regularly, they could be in serious trouble.
Just like right now.
‘Damn it.’
This was the lament of the lowest-tier Hunter.
I was grabbed by the Self-Harm Extortion Group and suddenly couldn’t escape.
‘How did it come to this…the humiliation…’
Of course, I had a reinforced defensive ring, so I probably wouldn’t get hurt.
But still, a great mage’s pride is something to consider. Going through this pain hurts my heart too.
“Please let me go.”
I swallowed my sorrows and pleaded with them.
But as soon as I spoke, the man in front of me looked surprised and subtly loosened his grip on my collar.
“Wh-what are you thinking?”
“Huh?”
“No, if you don’t want to give money, you could just leave instead of standing here stubbornly…”
The extortionist seemed to want some explanation but honestly, it was hard to reveal the truth.
I was just the weakest Awakened who couldn’t resist.
“Hmm.”
So I searched for a suitable excuse before bolting away at full speed.
“You said earlier that you hurt your arm, right?”
“What?”
“Hmm, but if you’re trying to self-harm with a fracture in your bone and here I am, an S-Class trying to throw you off, then…”
SNAP!
I pressed my bent finger with my other finger to create a sound of cracking knuckles.
I didn’t add anything more, but with this gesture, they should have understood.
‘For now, let’s push the narrative that I held back as an S-Class because I was afraid of breaking a weak regular civilian.’
Desperate pretense!
I lied to prevent being caught as a rank forger.
But even if this worked out, things wouldn’t get much better.
If those three rushed me simultaneously, my true ability would be exposed in an instant.
‘Crap.’
That’s why I needed to always carry a [Surprise Box!].
I lamented about my lack of safety consciousness and glanced towards the back street. Originally, I planned to run away as fast as my legs could carry me.
-…Huh?
But at that moment.
A single shout rang out from beyond the alley.
–Samchon!
Everyone present turned their heads at once.
What came into view was a small human, barely half the height of Kim Gi-ryeo.
“Wow! That’s really that samchon!”
It was a familiar face.
“Hello!”
It was the young Earthling I met on the first day of a reincarnated great mage.
“Hmm? You are the one…?”
“Do-yul! Didn’t I say you might get hurt if you run like that?”
But this time, he wasn’t alone.
Looking up, I noticed an adult woman, presumably the child’s mother, following behind.
If that’s the case, there was now a witness, and how do you think the Self-Harm Extortion Group reacted?
–Tatata!
They exchanged glances nervously and soon hurriedly fled the alley.
It seemed they didn’t have the guts to mess around in front of another non-awakened.
*
Since I didn’t respond, the kid greeted me again.
“Hello!”
Oh, right.
You’re still too young to understand, but I’m actually not in a good spot here.
“Huh, huh… Ah, hello! You’re Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter, right?”
While I was watching the fleeing criminals, suddenly the child’s mother rushed over.
“Um, w-what was that all about…? Should I call the police?”
Her rumpled appearance and torn button were suspicious enough that she asked nervously, but unfortunately, I had no one to complain to.
‘How am I supposed to explain that an S-Class Hunter got grabbed by a civilian…?’
So I simply mumbled, telling the passerby to ignore it.
But then, the kid squeezed between the adults and grabbed my pant leg.
“Mom, aren’t you going to say ‘thank you’ to the samchon?”
Then the young woman smiled and added an explanation.
“Oh right. Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter, I always wanted to tell you… thank you so much for the other day.”
“Uh?”
“I heard from the police that you saved our kid at some point…”
Was she referring to that Beginner Killer incident?
I did try to help the kid back then, although it ended up in disaster as it was revealed I couldn’t use magic.
“Ever since that day, Do-yul jumps with joy every time he sees your face on TV. He says it’s the brother who helped him.”
“Does he recognize me?”
“Of course! No matter how young they are, kids remember such things.”
The young Earthling’s mother said this while bowing her waist to me.
“Anyway, we’re really grateful. It’s all thanks to you that our child is safe.”
She continued to share how since that day she never lets him walk alone.
Talking about how terrifying it is to raise a child because of monsters wasn’t really a topic I was interested in.
“Mom, but this samchon ate my ice cream!”
“How do I repay this…?”
“He ate my ice cream!”
I glanced down at the jabbering kid and replied nonchalantly.
“No need for a reward.”
As someone once said, I had already received a promised price.
“Your name is Do-yul, right?”
“Yes! Kim Do-yul!”
He seems to be growing taller in no time.
As I observed this small life’s changes, I figured it was time to leave with some well-wishes.
“Now that you’re alive, take care and stay healthy. Study hard.”
But just as I was about to move, Do-yul’s guardian rushed to call me back.
“Wait a second!”
“Yes?”
“Um, I don’t have anything prepared, but since I happened to be coming back from shopping…”
Rustle rustle.
She then pulled something out of her shopping bag. It was a small glass bottle filled with organic citrus juice.
“Here, take this small gift.”
She handed me the juice bottle and said.
Thank you for saving her child.
And promised she would always support me, wishing me to stay well every day.
“This is packed with Vitamin C. You know, colds are making a comeback, so it should be good for you. Um, but do Awakened people even catch colds…?”
She sounded so nervous that her voice trembled, to the point I barely understood, but her sincerity was clearly conveyed.
“Awakened people can get sick too.”
When I encountered the Self-Harm Extortion Group, my anger towards Earthlings had peaked.
“Thank you. I’ll drink it well.”
Their attitude of not forgetting favors truly was commendable.
Thanks to this little gift, I secretly thought maybe in the future when I recover my lost powers, I shouldn’t wipe out all Earthlings…
…at least not yet.
*
Tatata.
The protestors who had escaped to the distant road with cars were out of breath for a while.
“Damn it, what was that little brat thinking, stirring things up.”
As their plan to incite S-Class violence failed, they grumbled angrily, but one person’s reaction was different.
“Honestly, even if that kid hadn’t shown up, the situation would have been the same…”
A wiry man with a fancy camera stared at the three who had emerged, looking somewhat displeased.
“You all saw it. Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter didn’t lift a finger to avoid hurting any of you despite being attacked.”
This middle-aged man had been a third party secretly positioned away, waiting to capture the scene of an S-Class assaulting civilians.
‘So that’s why he didn’t stand back. He took it easy because he was worried about that guy’s fractured arm.’
But after witnessing what had just happened, thoughts changed.
Even in such an unjust conflict, Kim Gi-ryeo was willing to protect a civilian.
‘His personality is the opposite of his appearance.’
He had always despised Hunters fiercely, but this time, he couldn’t help but feel differently.
“Hey, we were too weak earlier, that’s all. If we pressure harder next time, he’ll surely show his true colors!”
But the executioners were still assertive.
They started plotting to throw some alcohol on the Hunter next time, claiming that their previous means were simply misguided.
“I’m out if you’re planning to do that again!”
“What? Why?”
“Come on, it’s obvious the outcome would be the same, why bother? We’re not idiots.”
The cameraman clicked his tongue in disdain.
He hadn’t joined this ridiculous affair with dreams of changing society.
“Wait, if you’re not here, who’s going to film?”
“Oh, why don’t you bring another guy from the chatroom? Anyway, I’m out.”
As he left without a second thought, the remaining protestors frowned.
Yet their enthusiasm didn’t wane. Especially one who had even broken his arm to make a false accusation had the experience to see it through.
“Come on everyone, don’t worry. Let’s set the next date.”
“Do you think it’ll be okay? They probably remembered our faces.”
“Ah, it’s fine. It’s fine.”
The leader of the Hunter Hate Group said confidently.
“You all know? I’ve successfully negotiated compensation from Jeong Ha-seong before.”
“Wasn’t that during the Dungeon Break cleanup?”
“Right. I even dove into a chaotic area ablaze and laid down, so with such courage, what can’t I take on?”
Tap tap.
He continued to pound his chest while speaking.
“Just keep an eye on Kim Gi-ryeo. Make sure to watch where he goes often, just like today.”
But then.
Someone who had been quiet until now suddenly popped in with a new suggestion.
“…Wouldn’t it be better to target another Hunter?”
The voice that interjected was unusually low.
“There are other S-Class Hunters who look like they’d react well to provocation other than Kim Gi-ryeo.”
“Ah, are you talking about Kang Chang-ho?”
Upon hearing that, the group leader shrugged.
“That guy is too strict at home, as I mentioned last time. It’s tightly guarded, so it won’t work.”
“Then is Kim Gi-ryeo targeted just because he lives in a place like this?”
Something strange about the reactions of his comrades caught his attention.
Suddenly they were gaping with mouths wide open, staring at some direction as if they’d seen a ghost.
‘Wait a second, who was I just talking to?’
Swipe.
The leader felt a chilling sensation and quickly turned to the back. Soon, a shocking sight met his eyes.
A person whose physique made even his good form seem small.
“Whoa!”
Kang Chang-ho was standing there imposingly. The man stumbled back in surprise.
“No! Why do these S-Class Hunters move about without making a sound in this neighborhood…!”
Normally, you’d feel a physical reaction simply standing near an elite Awakened.
Now he noticed that Kang Chang-ho’s fingers were adorned with rings.
In other words, he had suppressed his magical power with items and approached without notice.
“I tried to imitate Kim Gi-ryeo, but C-Class is my limit.”
The Hunter with the Dragon’s Eye pulled a red potion from his hip bag and gazed toward a specific alley.
The direction of Kim Gi-ryeo’s Studio.
“By the way, I heard you entered the country, so I came to check, but I didn’t expect to find you in the middle of such a situation.”
Was he just incredibly kind?
Did he have some strange hobby?
Or perhaps…
“Hmm.”
Kang Chang-ho pondered while pulling out the cork from the vial.
At that moment, the members of the Hunter Hate Group, who had just been full of bravado, were left speechless by the shocking turn of events, but their silence didn’t last long.
The S-Class soon addressed those before him.
“Stalking others is useless.”
CHOP!
That was their final conversation.
Afterward, only the sound of breaking bones and flesh squished in a fist echoed in their minds.
.
.
.
Whoooosh.
In Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
A familiar shape of a portal appeared over the western yellow sandy beach.
A mysterious gate glowing with blue light. A Dungeon appeared.
The gate, positioned in a tranquil seaside spot, had yet to be discovered by humans, so no one had set foot in it.
–Grrrr…
From within that gate came a constant sound of something howling.
–Grrrr…
A massive breath shook the earth.
It was the roar of a Dragon.
