The neat voice of Jung Haseong can be heard over the speaker.
-It is difficult to make a video call because the cell phone camera is broken.
It can’t be helped if it’s difficult.
I made a gesture to Ahn Yoonseung to eat first and focused on the phone call.
“It’s all right.
Forget what I said earlier.
But as expected, the reason you contacted me was…”
Since Jung Haseong knows the whole truth, I must be a nuisance to him because I lied to cover up Kang Changho.
It was a time when I was wondering how to convey my sincere apology.
-I have a question to ask about what happened yesterday.
Did you really put me to sleep?
The nuance is somehow strange.
-To be honest, I lost consciousness so suddenly that I have no memory of the events before and after.
Damn it.
-I think it was probably Hunter Kang Changho’s doing, but I’m not sure.
I gradually broke out in a cold sweat as I listened to the conversation that followed.
After listening to the explanation carefully…
Jung Haseong said he even remembers feeling a cold sensation in the back of his head and turning around.
The problem is that when he turns around, the scene he sees is Kang Chang-ho wiping his mouth and looking at the person next to him for no reason.
It was the appearance of a certain hunter who did not show any change in expression even though such an accident occurred.
‘Hey, you bastard!
It’s not like this!’
This S-class was in a situation where there was confusion in his memory.
However, in the midst of all this, a ridiculous report broke out, so I contacted them to confirm.
‘I’m in big trouble.’
My hands are shaking because my prediction is so wrong.
Telling a story to someone who knows the whole story is quite different from lying to someone with a confused memory.
‘If you do this, do you really think I attacked you?’
Should I be honest with Jeong Ha-seong?
I were threatened?
But I hesitated to open my mouth.
‘What do I believe in this person?’
I did a search later and found it.
It is said that the reason Jeong Ha-seong is called a national hero is not because he is extremely just, but simply because he has an overwhelming number of gate closings.
‘He was said to be an Earthling with no interest in anything other than clearing the gate, so much so that he was called a dungeon crawling machine.’
But this workaholic… Would they take the time to protect an F-level person like me?
Is it possible to beat Kang Chang-ho in the first place?
“… … .”
A storm is brewing in my head.
After thinking for a moment, I opened my mouth with difficulty.
“It’s true that I knocked him out.”
In life… … .
It may be better to avoid one crazy person than to meet one good person.
“I’m really sorry, Mr.
Ha-seong.”
Still, Ha-seong Jeong won’t kill anyone, right?
“But just listen to me for a moment!”
I apologized sincerely and then added an explanation faster than light.
“I didn’t do it with any bad intentions.
This would take a long time to explain, but at that time, Mr.
Ha-seong was offering his blood on my behalf.
yes?”
-… … .
“But if you look closely, there is no sign of the room ending.
Ha-seong’s face is pale.
“I thought I was going to catch people like this.”
It was an excuse I had prepared in advance to use in a situation like this.
“I thought you were overdoing it, so I tried to stop you for a moment and that’s what happened.
I was planning to act as a sacrifice while you were sleeping.”
It’s a lie told because he wants to avoid incurring Jeong Ha-seong’s wrath at all costs.
Who would be mad if I told you it was all a choice for your health?
-Are you kidding me?
He’s angry.
-Is this what you mean by forcibly defeating people?
It would have been a problem that could have been resolved through dialogue.
“Oh, that’s it.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to convince him in a short period of time… what is it.
Because of the monster wave…”
To cover up a lie, a bigger lie is needed.
I spewed out a new excuse and waited for an answer.
Unfortunately, Jeong Ha-seong seemed to be getting more and more angry.
-Were you silenced by Kang Chang-ho?
What’s the problem?
money?
Threat?
How could you, an F-level person, make me… … .
It might be strange even if you think about it.
But what can you do?
My life is at stake.
“All I can say is that I am truly sorry.”
Let’s just wait until we get the magic back.
After that, we will take care of Kang Chang-ho and reveal the truth.
“Ah, Mr.
Jeong Ha-seong.
So, I had something to give you as an apology.”
After explaining the situation, I immediately brought up the topic of compensation.
A bracelet that was a reward for clearing the gate.
I accidentally took it out and threw it away.
Although I couldn’t look at it closely, it was definitely a magic tool.
“I want to transfer an item, but if I see it somewhere… … .”
A sincere apology and appropriate material.
There is no solution more perfect than this.
I acted as if I would visit him at any moment and give him a bracelet.
-Do not be ridiculous.
But the answer that followed was cold.
-It looks like you’re planning to diffuse the situation with that one item, but what you’re doing is really mean.
“yes?”
-He knocked out someone inside the gate, but his intention is obvious.
Didn’t you originally plan on sacrificing me to escape safely?
“no.”
-Now that I think about it, Hunter Kang Chang-ho knew you.
I have a suspicion that this wasn’t all of a sudden from the beginning?
Sharp remarks poured out.
I was embarrassed and came up with a one-dimensional rebuttal.
“You’re mistaken.”
They completely misinterpreted an Earthling named Jeong Ha-seong.
Now I see that this person is unexpectedly easily provoked and has no cool-headedness… … .
-Are you really an F-class hunter?
It’s a little scary.
The cold, subdued voice of the other person instantly made me tremble.
“No, I really have a situation… … .”
-That’s it.
Anyway, dwelling on the past is just a waste of time.
Ha-seong Jeong did not even give him a chance to make excuses.
-We will watch from now on.
Pop.
With these words, the call ended.
I absentmindedly held my cell phone, which had become quiet, and then slowly put it in my pocket.
There was a long silence.
“sorry.
The call was long, right?
“Don’t worry about it, just eat it.”
But I can’t keep my mouth shut forever.
I awkwardly offered food to Ahn Yun-seung across from me.
“Yoon Seung-ah?”
But the reaction is a bit strange.
Ahn Yun-seung was looking in this direction with his mouth open, not even realizing that the spoon in his hand was falling.
“ah!
yes.
Well, that’s how it should be.
haha… … .”
Only after his name was called did he startle and start eating hurriedly.
‘Is he a little surprised by what happened yesterday?
‘You’re leaving your soul behind.’
Well, but now is not the time for me to take care of other Earthlings.
I lifted the chopsticks I had neatly placed again and got lost in thought.
‘hmm.’
If I’m late in getting my magic back, there’s a chance I’ll get beaten up by Jeong Ha-seong.
***
Meanwhile.
A hospital owned by a large corporation.
Jeong Ha-seong, who was lying in the VIP hospital room, puts down his cell phone that has lost the call.
Then, I lifted the A4 paper that was placed on the bed.
These were clippings from an article that was posted this morning.
“The guild took immediate action, and now all the articles have been taken down.
So there is no need to worry… … .”
The secretary standing next to him tried to dissuade him, telling him not to look at the comments.
Jeong Ha-seong paid no heed to it and scanned the letters written on the paper.
[(Breaking News) Jeong Ha-seong ‘unconscious’… “It wasn’t caused by a monster”]
[The last large-scale disappearance incident was caused by an EX-class gate… (omitted) … Jeong Ha-seong, the S-class hunter who returned, was taken to the hospital without regaining consciousness.
A certain hunter who appeared with Jeong Ha-seong revealed, “There was friction during the gate attack.” … .]
┕You mean you fainted after being hit by the same hunter??
Haha, he’s a national hero.
┕Let’s not obscure the point.
Honestly, you can’t criticize Jeong Ha-seong based on his skills.
┕Mosaic.
done.
Only.
Even if you look at it.
really.
What?
Together too.
Looks good.
Undocumented person.
of Korea.
A precious young man.
Norin.
This is.
No!
┕Why does our country always cover the faces of perpetrators?
… .
┕We wish Hunter Jeong Ha-seong a speedy recovery.
The most famous hunter in Korea.
Jeong Ha-seong.
He has never been disheveled in front of reporters before.
In order to appear perfect to the public, he hid his scars and adjusted his clothes before appearing for interviews.
But one day, Jeong Ha-seong left the gate in a state of disapproval, unable to even do the bare minimum of tidying up.
Moreover, it was an unprecedented hunter who knocked him out.
What news could be more shocking than this?
If his position is shaken, the country’s economic situation also fluctuates.
Ha-seong Jeong was a hunter representing a country to the extent that it was said that this was the case.
Therefore, the guild and the government worked together to quickly control articles, but isn’t the Internet a bit faster these days?
┕So in the end, who knocked out Jeong Ha-seong??
The water has already spilled.
Although it was belatedly explained that the previous articles were incorrect, the original corrected report did not attract attention.
“Whoa… … .”
The image is damaged.
Now that it has been revealed that S-class hunters are not invincible, citizens will be anxious.
Citizens… … .
Jeong Ha-seong’s upright expression frowned for a moment.
Seeing this, the secretary swallowed dry saliva and spoke hurriedly.
“ah!
As you instructed, I looked up the hunter’s personal information.
“It was really grade F.”
“Is it so?”
“Personally, I think Hunter Kang Chang-ho caused this situation, as many people say.”
There is no way a historical hero who contributed greatly to stabilizing Korea’s gate damage would have been harmed by a single F-class person.
This is an opinion based on common sense.
“I thought so too for a moment, but there is a problem.”
“Yes?”
However, Jeong Ha-seong did not seem to agree with the secretary’s words.
“If that hunter was really only F-class, Kang Chang-ho wouldn’t have saved him.”
“… !”
“Do you really need to make a deal or threaten someone like Class F and make them take the blame for you?
Usually there is no need to go back that way.
Just kill them all.”
Furthermore… … .
Even if it is true that Hunter Kang Chang-ho had a hand in it.
Due to Kim Ki-ryeo’s position at the time, he had no choice but to see the entire situation.
However, the last facial expression of Kim Ki-ryeo that he remembers was because he did not feel like he was a witness to a violent incident.
‘The eyes that looked at me as I fell… … .’
An inorganic gaze, as if looking at a fallen object, not a person.
If you think about it, that hunter treated the #1 ranked hunter from the beginning as just someone passing by.
Even when I heard the name Jeong Ha-seong, I didn’t care at all.
I was just indifferent to the whole situation.
Isn’t this because the S-class hunter isn’t that great of a person to him?
“… … .”
Suddenly, I feel goosebumps.
Since awakening, have you ever met someone who gave you this much of a sense of discomfort?
“It’s definitely not an ordinary F grade.”
Okay.
I should have noticed from the beginning that Kang Chang-ho remembered the name.
“I think we shouldn’t let down our guard hastily.
Now that I think about it, introducing myself as an F-class person and pretending to be weak might have been a tactic… … .”
Hunter Kang Chang-ho only shows interest in those who are strong above a certain level.
“As expected, the possibility of rating manipulation seems high.
Secretary, please contact the association immediately.”
Ha-seong soon spoke with confidence.
“I need to apply for a re-verification of Hunter Kim Ki-ryeo’s awakening value.”
A situation in which Korea’s number one ranking reported to the association under his own name.
However, Kim Ki-ryeo had no way of knowing this, so he just spent his lunch leisurely.