ushernet Chapter 69
Chapter 69
[Hunter Certificate of the Republic of Korea]
[Name: Kang Hyunsoo]@@@@
[Rank: Mid-Advanced]
The Hunter Certificate glimmered in the early dawn light.
“Phew, somehow, I’ve got it.”
Kang Hyunsoo, having stepped out of the Hunter Bureau’s annex, sighed with relief as he looked at the certificate in his palm.
Then, Swallow fluttered its wings next to his head, congratulating him.
“Oh, a Mid-Advanced Hunter Certificate. You’ve moved up four ranks from the lowest rank. Congratulations, Master!”
“Yeah, thanks to this, I can now join an S-rank dungeon raid without any issues.”
After his sparring match with Go Kyungseok, Kang Hyunsoo had been issued the Mid-Advanced Hunter Certificate by Park Seongjun, the head of the HR team.
In the Hunter Bureau’s secret training ground, he had left a scratch on Go Kyungseok’s shoulder, all while keeping quiet about his Beauty talent and receiving the Hunter Certificate.
But Mid-Advanced, huh...
It was quite an extravagant treatment.
Based on his current level, he should have been classified as Mid-Low, not Mid-Advanced.
Hunter ranks were classified as follows:
1-99: Lowest Rank
100-199: Low Rank
200-299: Mid-Low Rank
300-399: Mid Rank
400-499: Mid-Advanced Rank
500-599: Advanced Rank
600-699: Top Rank
700-799: Special Rank
800-899: Ultra Special Rank
No one in the world has reached level 900-999 yet, so those ranks don't have titles yet.
As such, hunter ranks are divided based on level, and although Kang Hyunsoo is level 200, he had been classified as Mid-Advanced.
Based purely on his level, it should have been Mid-Low, but with additional skills and hidden abilities taken into account, he had been bumped up to Mid-Advanced.
This was a huge achievement.
When a hunter’s rank rises, they not only get benefits like higher tax deductions or the ability to create their own guild but also unrestricted access to high-level dungeons.
For Kang Hyunsoo, who had to deal with increasingly difficult quests and sometimes had to move alone to obtain hidden pieces, this was a huge opportunity.
Especially...
“This must be what they call a double celebration. I’ve gained a Mid-Advanced Hunter Certificate... Now I can enter the Golden Lake Dungeon, right?”
“You remember that? That’s right, now you can upgrade your hidden pieces too.”
As Swallow said, he was now able to enter dungeons he had previously been unable to attempt.
Given the frequent casualties and the necessity of being at least Mid-Level to enter, now he could finally step foot into dungeons that required at least that level.
All of this was thanks to his victory in the bet with Go Kyungseok.
Kang Hyunsoo stopped walking toward the main gate and turned around to look up at the Hunter Bureau’s annex building.
At that moment, Go Kyungseok, the Hunter Bureau Director, was standing by the window, his arms crossed, looking down at him.
Just a short while ago, in the secret training ground...
"Hah, hah... This... is an amazing skill. I’ve been in countless battles, but this is the first time I’ve been caught like this. I’ve lost, no excuses."
Go Kyungseok, seeing the scratch on his shoulder, humbly admitted his defeat.
In the final moments of their spar, the combination of Bloom and Charm had created an opening, and Kang Hyunsoo had exploited it with Pashin.
The attack had landed so precisely that even the head of the HR team had rushed over.
"A-Are you alright, Director?"
"I’m fine. Thanks to the shield, I didn’t take any significant damage. With this level of power... this Hunter, despite being level 200, should at least be Mid-Advanced, or even Advanced."
Go Kyungseok pressed his hand against the wound on his shoulder, then released it.
The wound was completely healed.
Not only did the blood that had soaked his Hunter Bureau uniform stop, but the injured area was fully regenerated without leaving any scars.
“As long as it’s within my line of sight, I can block anything.”“It was just a combat instinct. I felt like this would be the way to win.”
The fact that he had been classified as Mid-Advanced at level 200 wasn’t public knowledge, but once he started raiding again, attention would naturally be drawn, and rumors would spread.
And if that happened, the chances of Babylon’s agents, like Ji Wonhoon and Andy, hearing the news and coming after him would increase.
Even with the good situation, he couldn’t relax.
In fact, he had to speed up his growth even more.
But...
“Still... I’ll get some sleep first.”
He needed to rest, and it would be good to complete the auxiliary beauty quests as well.
After giving a small nod to Go Kyungseok, who was standing by the window, Kang Hyunsoo walked out of the Hunter Bureau’s main gate with Swallow.
***
“Is your shoulder okay, Director?”
In the Hunter Bureau annex with the first light of dawn visible through the windows, Cho Jiwoo approached Go Kyungseok, who was standing by the window, and asked.
Then, while maintaining his gaze on the view outside the window, Go Kyungseok absentmindedly touched the shoulder where Kang Hyunsoo had left a scratch and replied.
“The wound has healed, but it’s still a bit sore. Now I understand why you recommended a private assessment.”
“I was surprised too. The level displayed on the measurement device was clearly 200, but the strength shown far exceeded that.”
“Yes, especially... your appearance was really exceptional.”
“W-What? My... appearance?”
Cho Jiwoo scratched her cheek.
She had been praising Kang Hyunsoo’s strength, but unexpectedly, Go Kyungseok had complimented Kang Hyunsoo’s looks.
And more importantly...
“I think this is the first time in my life I’ve seen such a handsome young man.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, for a moment, I was completely mesmerized.”
“...?”
It was hard for Cho Jiwoo to fully agree with Go Kyungseok’s praise.
While it was true that Kang Hyunsoo had improved his appearance after losing weight, it wasn’t to the extent that it warranted such high praise.
However, on further reflection, it wasn’t just Go Kyungseok.
Back when he was in the hospital, Yuhana had also mentioned it.
“Yuhana, why do you keep calling Kang Hyunsoo ‘oppa’? You usually don’t use that term.”
“Ah! That’s... well, Kang Hyunsoo oppa is just so handsome, I couldn’t help it...”
“...What? Kang Hyunsoo is that handsome?”
Yuhana, who had been taking care of him all night, had given an unexpected response when asked about her relationship with Kang Hyunsoo. She had simply said he was too handsome.
Could there have been something about the flash during the sparring that triggered such reactions?
Since Cho Jiwoo had only seen Kang Hyunsoo from behind in the control room, her curiosity only deepened.
“By the way, Director, didn’t you seem to dislike Kang Hyunsoo’s Hunter Certificate when you first saw it?”
“Yes, I did feel that way. But... after seeing him in person, my opinion changed. If my guess is correct... he might become a huge star soon.”
“A star...?”
“Jeon Tae-seong... he might surpass Korea’s top hunter.”
“What? To that extent?”
Cho Jiwoo was taken aback.
Jeon Tae-seong was Korea’s only special-class hunter, the guild master of the great guild Cheolhyeol, and a hunter with a massive fanbase, not only in Korea but around the world.
For her, it was hard to imagine someone surpassing Jeon Tae-seong, especially with the rising star Han Sungbin. But Go Kyungseok remained unwavering in his conviction.
“If the power I saw is real, then it will definitely happen.”
“Hmm... I’m not sure, but if a few years pass, it might be possible.”
Cho Jiwoo half-jokingly agreed with Go Kyungseok, not wanting to make him feel awkward, but Go Kyungseok was serious.
“It won’t take that long.”
He continued with a confident voice, still watching Kang Hyunsoo’s back as he walked away.
“Based on his growth rate, it will take at most one year. The outcome will be decided within that time.”
The sun, rising between the distant buildings, brightly illuminated Kang Hyunsoo’s path as he left the Hunter Bureau.