The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

Esther had experienced similar phenomena before, so she wasn’t particularly surprised. However, for Jung Haseong, this was extremely shocking. It wasn’t just a little bit of magic flowing out from the side. Didn’t Esther just fully deploy her abilities to block the monsters that were rushing in from all directions?

‘This is like coming into direct contact with flames in terms of my skills…!’

No matter how much the caster adjusts the power, is it really possible to remain unaffected by a direct hit from a curse?

‘How did you do it?’

If the top-ranked hunter had knowledge of magical theory, he would have easily reached one conclusion.

Kim Kiryeo is the owner of a monstrous mental power that ignores the pain of cutting off his arm, so of course he would be able to deflect a curse, which is a mental attack…

However, Earth has yet to fully understand curses. Since the curse involved unique external injuries such as pus and hemoptysis, it couldn’t simply be categorized as a mere mental attack. As a result, the curse magic was eventually classified in the same category as status ailments like poisoning.

‘No way.’

Jung Haseong ended up interpreting it incorrectly due to this incorrect knowledge.

He guessed that the blond man was a wizard with surprisingly defensive abilities.

‘Hmm.’

Defensive capability. In fact, Kim Kiryeo’s defense had always been unusual. It was clear he wasn’t F-Class, but his body was excessively weak, to the point of suffering burns from minor sparks.

‘Thinking back to what happened at the hospital…’

But later he found out that this is something that the Awakeners can do whenever they want.

For example, by using equipment that consumes mana excessively, like the [Cursed Sword], one can maintain a state of mana depletion. A special debuff that reduces their abilities, such as weakening effects. Well, by skillfully utilizing such things, they can intentionally break down their own defense system.

‘It’s similar to the methods used when hiding your level in the Awakening test.’

Could it be that the appearances he had seen before were when the opponent had deliberately given up their defense? Jung Haseong briefly thought so. Of course, at this time, there was no solid evidence for it.

“Huh?”

But who would have thought that evidence could come up so easily.

“Haseong-ssi! This, this!”

A few seconds later, amidst the fallen swarm of insects, a black cloud suddenly gathered. From within this black cloud emerged a massive lump of scrap metal.

-Kiiieek, kiiiriieek!

Finally, the last enemy of this gate appeared.

“Crush it completely with the [Sunset Sword]!”

Haseong nodded at the curse wizard’s words and drew the red sword. Although this S-Class was originally an ordinary person who had never learned swordsmanship, such past details were irrelevant now.

With a single step, the ground shattered as if struck by lightning. The blade moved at such high speed that it seemed to disappear into the darkness. And on top of that, an enormous amount of mana surged and roared explosively like living flames.

Boom!

The S-Class hunters, being at the forefront of evolution, have physical abilities that far exceed human standards. This means that such a dull, heavy mass could be split in half within just a few seconds.

Boom!

Eventually, the steel enemy fell. But at that moment, some of the boss’s disintegrated fragments scattered chaotically across the ground.

“Heuph!”

Seonwoo Yeon, who didn’t have much experience in conquering gates, couldn’t stay calm and closed her eyes tightly. However, no matter how long she waited, she didn’t feel any fragments touching her.  After all, the most heroic of hunters was present at that spot.

“Are you okay?”

Clank!

Jung Haseong swiftly deflected all the fragments heading towards the association staff. Seonwoo Yeon briefly expressed her gratitude.

“T, thank…”

Kkang!

But what’s this sound?

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

Haseong and Seonwoo Yeon turned their heads simultaneously. What they saw was a massive metal fragment spinning next to a man.

“….”

Kim Kiryeo, with a dry expression, touched his head. He had just taken a direct hit from the falling metal fragment.

“Ouch.”

And…

And yet he’s still safe?

‘Thank you Gu Seohyeong-ssi. Thank you Gu Seohyeong-ssi. Thank you Gu Seohyeong-ssi. Thank you Gu Seohyeong-ssi.’

The damage was barely stopped by the reinforced ring. Although the F-Class hunter himself was trembling in fear, nearly having his head blown off, this distress was not visible on the outside. This scene only added fuel to Jung Haseong’s misunderstanding.

‘No, that guy really had his defense ability lowered all this time…?!’

Normally, when someone’s defense suddenly increases, it’s common to suspect that they bought new equipment. However, this case was special. The man with sambaegan eyes had just been officially recognized as the fourth S-Class hunter.

‘Yeah, normally that’s the level of defense for an S-rank hunter!’

In short, he was a top-class Awakened who had been certified by the association.

‘I, isn’t it crazy? No matter how much you had to pretend to be F-Class, how could an awakener risk their life by lowering their magical barrier…?

No matter how perceptive Jeong Haseong was, he couldn’t bring himself to consider that Kim Kiryeo might be a scammer who manipulated his awakening rank. Logically, who would be crazy enough to do something like that? On their side, they had no choice but to believe that the other person was indeed S-rank.

‘Anyway, was Kim Hunter actually a strong Awakened person who could withstand being caught up in an S-class ability?’

In the end, Jung Haseong mistook the Hunter in front of him for an exceptional defensive ability. Now that he had this false conviction, all the incidents only seem to go in this direction.

‘Huh?’

Jung Haseong felt goosebumps for a moment. Come to think of it, the man in the black suit had noticeably avoided Seonwoo Yeon when they were initially dividing into teams. Now that he thinks about it, isn’t this quite strange?

‘Although they were close that they even called each other by name, I wondered why he ignored the staff member when she was struggling under the pressure of magic?’

The train of thought running through Jung Haseong’s mind soon derailed from the track of truth.

‘Could it be that he deliberately confronted someone of the same level because he would be safe even if he was caught up in an S-class skill?’

Moreover, if he looked this way, the conversation we had at the beginning of the dungeon could also be interpreted in a misleading way.

– As expected, how about pairing the staff with the top-ranked hunter?

– Yes?

– The person with the most experience in gate raids here is Jung Haseong. Therefore, he will likely be very skilled at handling unexpected situations.

Jung Haseong was astonished as he recalled the other person’s argument.

‘This wasn’t a suggestion for the staff.’

Before the dungeon’s difficulty was revealed, S-rank hunters would inevitably be cautious of using their abilities freely around each other. Nevertheless, Kim Kiryeo had actively chosen to team up with Esther.

In a way, this decision reduced the chance of being hit by the curse for this side. In other words, Kiryeo’s team arrangement was a high-level tactic to separate the two S-ranks, excluding himself.

If so, who actually received the real consideration?

‘S-class…’

There are already too many events organically connected to deny the idea that came to mind.

F-class behavior.

Association president’s press conference.

3rd awakening test results.

And his actions during the August terrorist attack, when he unhesitatingly provided recovery potions worth millions…

“Look over there. There’s a door.”

“After putting us through this much trouble, the gate should have some conscience and let us out soon, right?”

“Seonwoo Yeon-ssi, can you get up?”

In Haseong’s opinion, Kim Kiryeo was a person who would make a selfless choice. Of course, even at this moment, the horrors of the trap they experienced in the prison continued to haunt his mind.

– It’s someone else’s arm anyway. Hurry up.

Even that cruel strategy was probably his own consideration.

– Don’t hate it too much. All of this is just to get you out of here.

Even though it’s a twisted expression, he has always acted in favor of the young hero.

***

A few hours later.

‘I survived.’

Is this why there’s a saying ‘No pain, no gain’ on this planet? Thanks to the heroic efforts of the S-rank hunters, I managed to safely escape the gate. Now, I’ve finally returned to my second home planet, where I’ve grown so attached.

‘If it hadn’t been for the enchantment, I’d have been killed by that piece of metal earlier, so I should make sure to thank Gu Seohyeong properly today…’

To summarize, the dungeon raid was quite successful. After defeating the iron-made boss, a room with rewards was unlocked, and inside was a massive greatsword too heavy for even the lowest-tier hunters to lift.

‘The curse wizard seemed to dislike close combat, Jung Haseong already had a legendary-grade sword, and Seonwoo Yeon…well, she’s practically carried around, so she’s the exception.’

After a brief discussion, we decided to sell the unique item and split the money. Moreover, I received a generous share due to my S-Class status. Heh heh. Those foolish mammals. They actually believed I was S-Class just because I went through the gate with them.

‘Oh my… It seems that making money has become too easy these days.’

I briefly admired my own luck. However, I couldn’t express this joy recklessly. There were too many eyes around me at the moment.

‘Hmm.’

When I turned my head, what I saw was a luxurious reception room.

“How is the condition?”

“Ah, Leader. Thank you for your concern. I’m feeling much better now.”

“There’s no need to thank me; it’s something I should do. Since you’re here, make sure to rest well. Yeonie.”

In fact, this was inside the building of the Korean Magic Tower Guild. Of course, the one lying on the recliner sofa in front was none other than Seonwoo Yeon. As soon as the gate closed, the guild leader of Magic Tower took responsibility for this employee and tried to treat her.

“Then I’ll go and take care of things. Today is absolutely safe! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Leader.”

And the reason I came here is…

“That, Hunter Kim Kiryeo, you can stop worrying and leave now. I’m really fine.”

Of course, it’s not for such a reason.

Actually, I came to observe Earth’s healing magic. I missed the opportunity before because I went out to buy barley tea. But if I revealed this intention honestly, it would be a big deal. So, I made some suitable excuses to Seonwoo Yeon, saying that I would stay nearby until the treatment was finished because I was worried about her injury. Something like that.

“I’ll just wait until you have dinner and then go. I don’t know what the prognosis will be.”

“Kiryeo-ssi…”

But when the patient looks at me with such emotion, I feel guilty as the one who lied.

“Hunter Esther said it was okay to order delivery to the headquarters earlier, right? Let’s see. Seonwoo Yeon, would you like a burger?”

I brought up the food topic to lighten the mood. However, Seonwoo Yeon didn’t seem interested in it.

[We’ll bring you the 9 o’clock news now.]

She soon focused on the sound coming from the TV.

The Labyrinth of the 13th Month.

As expected, the EX-class gate caused by the black stone caused many casualties. First of all, the weaker challengers, such as D-class appraisers and ordinary people, struggled to withstand the overwhelming attack in the boss room. Additionally, the gate had particularly malicious aspects, which were being reported on TV.

[…The Labyrinth of the 13th Month that appeared in Copenhagen, Denmark was confirmed as a failure today at 8 o’clock. However, the citizens of Copenhagen were shocked during the process. The hunters who were dragged into the dungeon returned in an unspeakably miserable state.]

The Labyrinth of the 13th Month had two conditions for failure.

First, they failed to open the exit within the time limit. Second, all attackers were wiped out during that time. Moreover, the gate imposed a truly harsh punishment on the failed attackers. As if to showcase the fate of the losers, the bodies of the deceased hunters were impaled on the spires and displayed to the world. Seonwoo Yeon stared quietly at the monitor in front of her and said softly.

“Why do things like gates exist?”

Well, that’s probably because someone created them.

“Why do they give us this pain?”

And the answer to this question is even easier.

Without going into too much detail. The creators of the gate want the pain of humanity itself.

‘Actions are the same as… the purpose.’

Yeah.

Now, it seems like it’s time to explain the phenomenon called the gate.