Chapter 351

"What did you say?"

This was shocking in an entirely different way.

If that were true, then the notoriously lazy Hunter Kang had entered a dungeon solely because a fellow hunter had asked him to.

"Heuk!"

At that moment, a conversation from the past flashed through Jung Haseong's mind.

"Sorry, but could you... maybe pressure Hunter Kang Changho into joining the raid...?"

Only now did it occur to him.

Jung Haseong had always wanted the other hunters to be more active. In fact, he had once complained in front of another hunter, wondering aloud whether there was any way to make that man, Kang Changho, actually do some work.

'Could this be because of that offhand remark I made back then?'

Perhaps Kim Giryeo had taken his acquaintance's grumbling more seriously than expected.

After all, the moment a notoriously dangerous A-rank Gate appeared in Korea, he had contacted Kang Changho as though he had been waiting for exactly that opportunity.

'He even said it himself just now. He only joined the raid because Hunter Kim asked him to.'

The national hero's expression stiffened for a moment.

Setting aside the fact that Kang Changho was several years older than him, the man standing before him was still a fully grown adult.

And Jung Haseong himself had made more than a few mistakes only about a year ago.

'Maybe I was just too on edge from work back then... I even drew my sword on someone.'

During the early days of his relationship with Kim Giryeo, Jung Haseong had once lost his temper and pressured that hunter, something he still regretted in private.

Afterward, he had resolved never to openly slight someone simply because he disliked them, no matter who they were.

But still...

Dislike was dislike.

South Korea's third S-rank hunter, that mixed-race Awakener, had committed far too many wrongs in the past to simply overlook. Above all, he had multiple prior convictions for assault.

Jung Haseong therefore judged the chances of the man before him ever truly reforming to be rather low, and deep down, he couldn't help feeling uneasy even having a conversation with someone like him.

"Why the complicated look, Hunter Jung Haseong?"

It was an assessment most Koreans familiar with Kang Changho would probably share.

And yet, despite all that, a certain hunter had entered a Gate alongside him.

How could Jung Haseong's thoughts not become complicated?

'If it's someone like him, then I'm sure he went in with the best of intentions.'

Truthfully, Jung Haseong couldn't quite determine why Kim Giryeo had done it.

Perhaps Kim Giryeo was more inclined to keep situations under control than Jung Haseong had realized.

Or perhaps, as he often did, he had simply stepped in personally to prevent someone in the industry from getting hurt.

Whatever the reason, however, the fact remained that Kang Changho had closed a Gate at Kim Giryeo's request.

To Jung Haseong, that alone carried considerable meaning.

"Well, it looks like you don't have anything else to say. So I can go now, right?"

"..."

"Want a ride into the city?"

"No."

"Oh, that's cold."

Of course, the other party was the complete opposite.

There wasn't a trace of concern in his mind.

"It may not look like much to you, but this is actually a pretty nice car."

Kang Changho spoke lightly from inside the tall foreign vehicle.

From the very beginning, there had never been much for him to think deeply about regarding this raid.

Why?

Because the alibi he had just given was complete fiction.

And even after telling such a lie, he felt not so much as a prick of conscience.

If anything, part of him felt rather confident about it.

'Putting it this way is basically the same as acknowledging Kim Giryeo's strength.'

From Kang Changho's perspective, this was practically an act of consideration.

'No matter how it makes me look, praising a hunter like this can only help his public image, right?'

And so, South Korea's third S-rank hunter became even more proactive in fabricating his alibi.

Hadn't people heard anything during the Beast Incident?

Even back then, Kim Giryeo had openly called for Kang Changho, all just to make him run errands.

That was simply the kind of relationship they had.

The moment Kim Giryeo gave an order, Kang Changho bowed his head and obeyed.

And there was plenty more where that came from.

As a result, by the very next day, an article like this had inevitably appeared.

A Monday report from Seonhan Daily began circulating online.

After finishing his business with Pixy, Kang Changho returned to Korea shortly afterward.

Not long after arriving back in the country, he began actively shaping the media narrative.

As a result, the flood of information was soon filled with stories along the lines of:

"A hunter ranked in the 500s clashed with someone ranked around 50th and was thoroughly beaten."

"He's planning to keep a low profile for a while because of the aftermath."

The sight of a former convict—someone who practically embodied pride and self-importance—lowering himself to this extent was shocking enough on its own.

The notion that an S-rank hunter infamous for his reckless violence had been completely humbled overnight by a newly emerged powerhouse was more than enough to seize the public's attention.

Moreover, the Gate-clearance rate of this problematic hunter continued to skyrocket as time passed.

And the fact that Kang Changho himself showed absolutely no intention of correcting the rumors only strengthened the impression.

It was the sort of development people loved to call satisfying.

A dramatic reversal.

A well-deserved humbling.

Naturally, it spread quickly and left a powerful impression on the public.

The three-syllable name Kim Giryeo continued to rise in prominence even after autumn had begun.

In a way, this was only natural.

South Korea possessed highly developed internet infrastructure.

People of every age used the internet, and by now, even the slightest hint of public criticism directed toward Kim Giryeo was enough to make the seeds planted in the past begin to sprout.

Things I had done without much thought during those chaotic days immediately after my reincarnation.

The incident near the one-room apartment, where I had saved a father and daughter.

People I had helped in the past began stepping forward of their own accord, motivated by nothing more than goodwill and the hope that Kim Giryeo would not be treated unfairly.

And so Kim Giryeo's reputation continued to rise steadily, without encountering any major setbacks.

In truth, the alien himself had never intended for any of this to happen.

It was more as if seeds had been slipping unnoticed through holes in his pockets wherever he went.

Nevertheless, the important point was that those seeds continued to grow and bear fruit.

Optimization of one targeted magic type has been completed.

Muscle Strengthening Research Completed

Stimulating muscle fibers with micro-electric currents to promote muscle growth even while the body remains inactive.

Although the process requires time, it is expected to improve physical capabilities while consuming only a small amount of energy.

If the body becomes stronger, less reinforcement magic will be required — OK.

Several days had already passed since I returned to Korea after resolving the matter with the Pixy Company.

In the meantime, more time slipped by, and the weather once again began to change in this country famous for its distinct four seasons.

"Hmm?"

A sharp wind blew in from outside.

"For this body, last week's temperature was just about perfect, but only a few days later and the weather's already changed this much?"

At this rate, would the snowy winter be arriving soon as well?

As someone from another world, I still hadn't developed a proper sense for the passage of seasons here.

So I simply stared blankly at the calendar.

'Ah. There it is. The one marked ipdong, Beginning of Winter, is around this time.'

The fact that I hadn't even noticed the weather changing outside should make it obvious enough that I had been living like a complete shut-in these past few days.

I hadn't even had time to watch the news I loved so much.

"Hmm."

But what could I do?

As reluctant as I was to admit it, I apparently had a bit of a workaholic streak by nature.

Perhaps that was why, whenever there was still something left unfinished on my to-do list, I felt strangely uneasy.

Restless, even.

'My instincts are screaming at me to storm into a press conference and announce my retirement this very instant.'

In that case, what choice did I have?

If I wanted to get rid of that nagging discomfort, I had no option but to focus as much as possible on finishing the plans I still had left.

Fortunately, the most troublesome matter—the one that had required me to travel abroad—had already been dealt with in advance.

Everything that followed was comparatively easier.

After spending roughly ten days holed up at home and devoting myself entirely to the magical research I enjoyed so much, I finally managed to accomplish one of my goals.

"I've gotten even stronger."

Now that the preparations were complete...

Inside the small studio apartment I had been using as a research space ever since leaving the hospital, I glanced around the room before heading toward the nearby bathroom.

Leaning against the sink, I looked into the mirror and found myself thinking.

'Not only have I become an SS-rank hunter, but thanks to my research, I can now use advanced magic again as well.'

Who would be the most satisfying person to share such an accomplishment with?

Talking to myself in front of the bathroom mirror?

"Well, naturally, it'd be family."

Then again, perhaps talking to yourself wasn't all that unusual for someone who lived alone.

"In this world, who would celebrate a person's growth more sincerely than their own parents...?"

So thinking something like this shouldn't be strange.

I continued following that train of thought while silently staring into the mirror.

Of course, unlike back when my original body was alive, there was hardly any change in my expression.