The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

Chapter 118:

On the afternoon of the 28th.

【Gampo Port】

Tak, tak.

The blond man who got out of the taxi leisurely looked around. 

Sea bass, snow crab, flatfish. There was no need to go far; here, shops selling food lined up in a row.

‘I’m hungry, so let’s eat something first.’

Kim Kiryeo headed to a nearby raw fish restaurant. 

But wait. Why would a Hunter from Seoul suddenly show up in such a remote area? 

“I’ll have one monkfish stew here~” 

There was an unavoidable circumstance here. Kim Kiryeo, whose relationship with Haseong had become ambiguous due to the recent ‘level difference’ remarks, planned to ignore all future dungeon breaks.

‘It’s not just a matter of one slip of the tongue right now. It’s only a matter of time before Jung Haseong gets angry anyway…!’

The current top-ranked hunter places excessive importance on their duties. However, instead of focusing on protecting the public, they lack the power that matches their status. Isn’t it obvious that conflicts will occur sooner or later?

So Kiryeo had no choice but to move.

In areas with a high population density, such as the capital, the traps tend to be more frequent due to their nature of preferring locations with abundant prey. Consequently, accidents are more common in these regions. 

‘Especially the frequency of high-risk gate formations is overwhelming. In fact, about 32% of A-Class gates are concentrated in Seoul.’ 

S-rank dungeon breaks are more likely to occur in the capital city. Therefore, Kiryeo came to this city to have an excuse for not being able to help due to distance in case something happened. It’s truly an unconvincing reason for traveling. 

“Here, the monkfish stew has arrived. Enjoy your meal~” 

“Thank you.” 

But… Even if he came here like a rat fleeing from danger, this life is still quite imperial in its own way. Food and lodging can be bought with money. And, most importantly, there’s the sea nearby.

‘The ocean!’

Since he had come so far, Kim Kiryeo planned to take the opportunity to explore Earth’s oceans.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

However, it would be a pity to head straight to the ocean without exploring a bit. According to his online research, the area around this port had quite a few tourist attractions.

‘Should I start by looking around the land first?’ 

Kiryeo finished his meal with a happy face. From now on, it was time to enjoy the cultural life he had dreamed of.

Oh, right. He realized he had forgotten to inform Kang Changho about his move to the area…

‘Is that okay?’

That stalker would probably check his location anyway. 

Well… even if it’s not alright… considering their last conversation, it seems a bit awkward for me to call first… 

‘Now that I think about it, Kang Changho has been completely out of touch since then.’

Kim Kiryeo tried to ignore the rising sense of anxiety.

Yeah, he’s the fourth S-rank; surely nothing serious would happen, right? If he doesn’t want to get hurt, he won’t recklessly rush in. No, he has to do just that… 

***

Soon after, I visited the nearby tourist attractions I found online. The first stop was right here, the Mural Alley. 

‘I don’t know what’s good about walking around the streets, but anyway, it was good to learn about Earth’s culture!’

Next, I went to see the lighthouse that a blogger enthusiastically praised. It was a type of structure I couldn’t see back home, so it was quite interesting to experience. 

‘Come to think of it, how do Earthlings’ ships float? Do they not use magic?’

And the third place I visited was this enormous cocoon covered in paint!

Oh~ The way the outside is wriggling makes it look almost alive. How on earth do they make such an impressive landmark…

“….” 

But did this appear in the tourist attraction results I searched for?

‘That can’t be’

After checking late, I found out that what I was looking at wasn’t a local landmark but just a disaster site. After all, even here, where people live, it was impossible to completely avoid a dungeon break.

‘What on earth is this?’

The mysterious structure I encountered while heading to the beach was so loosely woven on the outside that I could see inside clearly. For now, I didn’t want to approach it recklessly. 

The surface of the structure wasn’t made of threads but rather felt like something… as if animal flesh had been spread thinly.

‘No, it’s not just a feeling—this is really living tissue!’

Thump. Thump.

I frowned as I looked at the pulsating giant cocoon. 

‘Hmm?’

That was the moment.

Murmuring.

The sound of people talking erupted from a place not too far away. I moved closer after hearing the voices, and found two men engaged in conversation…

“Did only the Hunter make it out alive?”

“Ha, ha… Yes. Just, just me. Only I barely…”

“Oh, this is really a problem.”

Seeing the familiar name tag, the taller one seems to be an association staff member. I eavesdropped on their conversation and gathered a few pieces of information.

‘Oho.’

It seems that this red cocoon is the result of a C-rank gate break. 

“Why did things turn out this way? This was supposed to be a D-rank gate. But when we ran it through the analyzer, it showed up as C-rank. Why?”

“T, that. We’re also currently assessing the situation….”

“What about our team leader! Heuk, I needed to get the team leader out no matter what, but…!”

In addition, it seemed that inside there was the body of a D-rank Awakener who had been caught up in the unfortunate accident.

‘A corpse?’

But then. An idea flashed through my head.

‘A corpse of a D-rank who had just died?’

Interesting.

Come to think of it, I planned to replace my body with a better one. This plan obviously required a new vessel. And considering that a D-rank awakener’s body should be quite suitable for initial experiments with magic.

“Hunter, let’s head to the association for now. This place is too dangerous.” 

“B, but is it okay to just leave it like this? What if someone passing by comes near without realizing—”

“Don’t worry, we’ve called for help. The area will be sealed off quickly.”

Seeing them leave, I made up my mind.

‘Should I just take a quick look to confirm the condition of the deceased hunter they mentioned?’

In this land where cremation is prevalent, there weren’t many opportunities to encounter a complete corpse.

‘It would be wise to secure a replacement body in advance.’

I smiled as I looked at the entrance of the writhing nest. 

Stealing a corpse might be a crime that would shock Earthlings. But what moral conscience can one expect from an Alphauri? Since a shell without a soul holds no meaning, I thought it better for the great wizard to use it rather than let it rot away as it is.  

***

I finally entered the cocoon. I hummed as I looked around the scarlet-colored scenery. Of course, the nest was full of monsters roaming around, just as I had heard earlier.

A slender body with thin arms. That creature, which looked like a bipedal pigeon, must have been the C-class monster that created the flesh cocoon.

“Kiik!”

Honestly, there’s no need to fear them. I already have ways to counter C-rank attacks. 

-Kang!

As expected, the monster’s thin arms bounced off the item that Gu Seohyeong had strengthened.

“This is the difference in connections!” 

Hahaha. 

With safety secured, I proceeded quickly. Regardless of the monster’s whining nearby, I walked through the blood puddles. After walking for a while, I finally found the dead hunter I was talking about outside. In the middle of the road, a woman with sky-blue hair was hanging down.

“Hm, a female body. I didn’t expect that.”

Still, it seems usable as a medium, so I decided to retrieve the body as soon as possible. 

But at that moment, I found out that there was another entity interested in the hunter’s body.

“Grrrrrrr…”

It had thick blue fur and arms like a gnat. At first glance, it seemed similar to other monsters I had encountered, but what set it apart was the weapon it held in its hands. This creature was uniquely intelligent and was the only leader of this nest. 

“Ghaaaaaaah!”

The monster, after spotting me, opened its mouth wide and shrieked. However, I ignored its cries and remained focused on retrieving the corpse.

“Oh! What a lucky find. Looking at it up close, there’s almost no damage.” 

Ugh.

I picked up the nameless D-Class hunter and got up from my seat. 

“Ah!”

And at that moment.

Shoot!

The boss of this place hurled the spear it was holding directly at me. Naturally, the spear thrown by the boss was blocked by the protective barrier created by my enhanced ring.

Yeah, this was all expected… But the real problem begins here.

-Crack!

With a certain ominous sound, I felt the protective shield surrounding my body vanish in an instant. 

“Huh?”

It’s only now that it becomes clear. In reality, the enhancement from the Gu Seohyeong wasn’t permanent. The primitive magic of this Earth had absurdly low limits for both duration and damage resistance.

“…Did the enchantment lift?” 

With the attack I just received, I realized that Gu Seohyeong’s magic that had surrounded the ring had vanished all at once. If that’s the case, then right now I am…

“Why at this time?”

Without any particular means of defense… am I facing a C-rank boss? 

The contemplation was brief. As soon as I felt the enchantment fade, I discarded the corpse and ran forward. 

“My luck!” 

But the monster’s reaction speed was just as impressive. As soon as its first attack was blocked, it summoned a new weapon from thin air and immediately prepared for a second throw. 

“Kwak!”

Whoosh, thud!

Crushed bones. Tearing flesh. In the end, the monster’s spear pierced through my body. The blood that splattered from me only added to the pool within the cocoon. 

.

.

.

But… the seemingly life-or-death crisis was surprisingly resolved without much effort.

[Surprise Box!]  

[Grade: Unique]  

[Description: Gives a strong [Stun] effect to the surrounding area.]

Because I bought a new magic tool the last time I visited the market. 

“Damn it! I almost died!”

I originally went to buy an item to be enhanced by Gu Seohyeong, but… when I looked around the shops, this caught my eye. 

[Surprise Box!]

A magical tool that can inflict a status condition that has a 95% chance of stunning even B-rank monsters. According to the store staff, it affects even the owner of the tool, so its use might be harder than expected.  

‘That’s a concern only for inferior wizards.’

But here, my unique trait shines once again. Since I am unaffected by low-level stun magic, I can use [Surprise Box!] more conveniently. For example, I can stun only my opponent like this and stand tall by myself. 

“Ugh…!” 

Anyway, I shouldn’t have underestimated it just because it was C-rank…!

I thoroughly took care of the aftermath to avoid repeating the same mistake. To ensure that the boss wouldn’t wake up during my escape, I cut off its breathing while it was unconscious by burning its heart. 

-Heukkh!

Without the Pyromancer’s Necklace, even such a simple attack would be impossible for me. Indeed, no matter how many times I think about it, Kim Kiryeo is truly a worthless awakener with no potential for recycling. 

Still, it’s okay. There are only a few days left until I live this miserable life. 

‘Now that I’ve done my business, let’s get out!’

After the boss was dead, I carried the fallen hunter’s corpse and made my way outside. This time, unlike when I entered, I carefully avoided the monsters. 

Yeah. If I can just make it out safely like this, I’ll finally have a D-rank body in my hands…!  

-Click!

But at that moment, a familiar noise suddenly hit me as I stepped outside the cocoon.

-Click. Click.

‘Camera sound?’

Moreover, at the end of the creaking gaze, there was now a crowd that I hadn’t seen before.

“Heuk!”

“Oh my.”

“That…”

A murmur.

Association staff.  

A woman with a camera.  

An elderly man.  

And several other non-awakened individuals.

I don’t know why they were there. But one thing was certain.

‘Hmm, how many years is the sentence for theft under the law here?’

I was just caught blatantly stealing.

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