Chapter 133. Party (3)
First of all, S-Class Dungeon Breaks are extremely rare incidents.
There has only been one recorded case of an S-Class Monster appearing on Earth throughout history.
‘Until now, the [Nuckelavee] dungeon that appeared in Hawaii was the only one.’
Although it is in an incomplete form, the Unavoidable Malice has also received official S-Class designation, and news of it has spread internationally.
“Did you mention you saw my knight earlier?”
“Yeah. Our country also reported on the Giant Snake.”
To think I would meet the Unknown Hunter who killed the Imugi here.
Brooklyn Morgan showed significant interest in the man before her; he definitely had an air of uniqueness compared to other S-Class Hunters.
“But your magic power doesn’t feel remarkable at all?”
“….”
“This is F-Class. No, if you tried hard enough, you could even be mistaken for an ordinary person.”
As mentioned earlier, the world today is a globalized society.
Even if it’s abroad, information spreads quickly, so Gi-ryeo is determined to con someone here.
“I deliberately toned it down.”
Such a bold statement.
“Oh!”
Upon hearing that, the female exclaimed in admiration.
“That’s amazing. A consideration for the weak. In fact, I’ve been trying that method lately too; the bracelet I’m wearing right now is also an item that consumes magic power.”
“I see.”
“Ha— But I’ve never seen such perfect skill before. How did you do it? You’re maintaining a stable baseline.”
Brooklyn Morgan quickly lashed out with words, intrigued by the way to suppress Awakening Levels.
“Isn’t it painful to do that? Or does it make your body feel heavy?”
It’s quite a troublesome question for someone who isn’t hiding their Awakening Level, but simply doesn’t have one.
[Test, Test…….]
“Hmm?”
“Yeah.”
At that moment, a tap-tap sound echoed from the ceiling, and soon the hotel’s internal broadcast filled the air.
[Thank you, participants, as we wish to start the event. Hunters, please gather in the central hall.]
Gi-ryeo seized this opportunity to sidestep the conversation.
“Well then.”
“Oh……. See you again next time.”
It would be troublesome if another argument broke out, so I thought I should hide behind my companions from now on.
*
A few minutes later.
“…So, our guild, celebrating its 5th anniversary, will continue to strive to protect the world’s security.”
The guild master of Gate Star recited a speech before the event began.
However, this part didn’t unexpectedly drag on too long.
“Haha. Since Hunters from various countries have gathered, it would be boring if I just brag about our Gate Star, right?”
With a gentle smile, the guild master wrapped up the introduction.
“To all heroes! Cheers!”
With this toast, the invited Hunters began to gather in groups to enjoy the party.
Since S-Class Hunters were gathered, it would have been difficult for ordinary people to endure, so there was no band as is common at banquets.
‘What a pity. I wanted to hear a performance from Earth….’
While Esther was chatting with a Hunter from Brazil, I maintained a proper distance from her and grabbed some food.
Crunching.
I especially liked this dish with various items piled on top of a cracker.
‘Wow, it’s tasty…!’
But the fun of eating only lasts for a day or two.
At this rate, I’ll be full in no time, leaving me nothing to do during the party’s hours.
‘Should I try listening in on their conversation?’
Suddenly curious, I leaned my upper body a bit towards where Esther was.
However, in doing so, the Brazilian Hunter at the table finally noticed me.
“Who is that next to you…?”
“Ah! My partner. That one is also an S-Class Hunter.”
“Wow.”
With skin nearly black and dreadlocked hair, everyone here has diverse appearances, just like my hometown. Of course, in our case, it should be considered the color of blood, not skin.
“Hello.”
I formally greeted the male Hunter. But again, excessive interest was directed my way.
“Nice to meet you! You’re the Hunter who handled the S-Class Dungeon Break, right?”
Just how big was the [Unavoidable Malice] incident that everyone said this whenever they saw me?
“Well, that’s true, but I didn’t do it alone.”
“Did you have a companion?”
“The person in front of you did most of the work; I just put the finishing touches on it.”
I openly revealed that I only lent a hand, but the other party simply smiled and shook their head.
“Haha. Esther said you did it all by yourself?”
Damn it.
Being noticed among these monsters was bound to cause trouble, and now it seems Esther was passing off the credit for taking down the Imugi onto me.
‘Hey, don’t be overly humble!’
If this conversation drags on, it’ll only be poison.
“Well then, go ahead and finish your discussion. I’ll just grab a drink…”
I immediately put on my earphones and stepped back.
Clink!
But what was this chaos?
‘Huh?’
A vague sensation felt on my chest.
Sudden pressure was detected on the pressure point in my skin. But this wasn’t a sensation caused by fingers pressing down.
I got hurt. The pain beyond the threshold was just being ignored.
‘What the heck?’
In an instant, everything changed.
I was directly hit by a wine glass flying in from somewhere.
Not to mention the force of the projectile was so strong that the glass shattered into sharp shards…
“Ah! My goodness!”
“Gi-ryeo!”
My shirt was ruined with wine and glass shards.
Thankfully, I remembered to bring the enhanced ring, and the wound was reduced to a light bruise, but…
‘S-Class magic power.’
I lifted my head to see where the glass had come from.
What I saw was a Western man with a shocked expression.
“Damn it!”
It was someone I had already met. The man called Enzo was frozen in place, swearing.
“Hunter Enzo! What the heck?”
“Hold on. This is all because of that Canadian here. Do you know what this guy just said? How can he disgrace our guild at an event like this…!”
From what I heard, it seems I wasn’t the intended target.
He must have thrown something out of warning and unfortunate me just happened to be the one who hit.
“Wow, my shirt is all soaked! Are you alright?”
Esther rushed forward and quickly examined my condition.
But honestly, I was fine. Without a defensive item, I would have had bits of glass embedded in me by now.
‘Did I come to America for no reason…?’
With a frown, I calmly began to tidy up the affected areas. I brushed the shards off the hem of my shirt with my hand.
“Hmm.”
Now, it was time for the other side to apologize.
“Wait, but why did you get hit by that?”
The unexpected statement was returned.
“Enzo!”
“No, it’s strange. How can an S-Class Hunter, regardless of the Awakening type, not dodge something like this?”
“…!”
Oh no.
The question Enzo raised next was surprisingly logical. After all, the top-ranking awakened ones should have physical abilities close to monsters.
‘Did I expose my poor reflexes?!’
My mind was in chaos from the sudden interrogation.
Uh-oh. It’ll soon become common knowledge that I’m a fox hiding in a tiger’s den; what should I do…?
“Phew, you idiot.”
But at that moment, the female Hunter standing next to Enzo began to speak up in my defense.
“Why are you so clueless…? Can’t you tell? Just a moment ago, Esther was behind him….”
“What?”
“If he dodged the glass, the dress of the guest standing behind him would have been ruined! That person just politely protected his partner. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
At her shout, all the participants’ gazes gathered in one direction.
Dressed in a calm-toned evening gown, Esther. It’s true, had I dodged, her position would mean wine would’ve been spilled all over her.
“Hurry and apologize!”
“Oh my god.”
Murmurs.
It seemed that I was merely caught off guard and it had swiftly turned into me being a gentleman who intentionally didn’t dodge to protect my companion.
Plus, it became so solidified that denying it now wouldn’t help.
“Gi-ryeo….”
The Hunter beside me was already teary-eyed with emotion.
“Enzo, hurry up.”
“Ah, I’m really sorry!”
“It’s okay.”
I didn’t mind the spread of the situation and quickly excused myself under the pretense of needing to change clothes.
“Let’s go together!”
“You can stay here, Esther.”
“No way. I’ve already gathered all the necessary contacts.”
Now that Esther had also left, I had no reason to return to that den. The party was getting dull, and with this mess occurring, it actually turned out splendidly.
‘Thank you, global friend!’
Thus, I deeply expressed my gratitude in my heart to the blond benefactor who helped resolve the situation and left the hotel.
*
A few hours later.
“Brooklyn, how was the party?”
At the [Spectrum] Guild in New York state.
This is a globally recognized massive guild that everyone knows just by hearing the name.
Additionally, the number of S-Class Hunters belonging to it sometimes even makes governmental agencies feel helpless, undeniably a predatory organization leading the current era.
“It was terrible.”
Today, Brooklyn Morgan, an agent of this guild, seemed to have endured quite the ordeal.
Flopping down on the sofa, the tall woman stretched her legs out while grumbling.
“Enzo, who was partnered with me, caused so much chaos. I couldn’t collect any information while keeping an eye on him!”
An elderly white man by the window quietly listened to her complaints before responding.
“Then, aside from that, was there anything unusual?”
The blond woman seemed to ponder something and spoke out.
“There was one strange Hunter.”
“Who?”
“Two S-Class Hunters came from Korea, and for some reason, the male Hunter hardly exuded any mana.”
Brooklyn recalled the appearance of the Hunter she had met.
A cold-blooded individual who didn’t change expression even when bumped by sharp glass. But he…
“It seems that man is hiding his Awakening Level.”
Shockingly enough.
Contrary to how she actively defended him at the party, Brooklyn was actually harboring another thought.
“The glass that Enzo threw… At the time, I quickly suppressed it due to diplomatic concerns, but honestly, it’s quite suspicious for an S-Class to not dodge that.”
Brooklyn Morgan shifted her legs and continued speaking.
“It didn’t really look like a normal S-Class.”
If that’s the case, is the Korean Hunter Association also involved in Gi-ryeo’s grade manipulation?
It could definitely happen.
For instance, China also exaggerates the number of S-Class Awakened beings to flaunt its national power, so it’s not completely strange that there would be an additional case now.
“Hmm… But it’s not certain. That Hunter was remarkably composed for a show-off.”
“Really?”
“If he were a fraud, he wouldn’t have shown his face at a gathering like that, would he?”
A Hunter whose rank is indeterminate.
“How interesting. I’ll give you time, so find out more details.”
The manager of Spectrum Guild instructed Brooklyn to look into a person named Kim Gi-ryeo.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course, after wrapping up the ongoing projects.”
If it proves that he manipulated his rank, they could gain from interrogating him for setting up a puppet in Korea.
Of course, if he were a true S-Class Hunter, that wouldn’t be bad either.
Unavoidable Malice eradicated. Mermaid’s Cove all cleared.
Subjectively, that man falls under the category of quite special.
“There are four S-Class Hunters in Korea… It certainly seems excessive for such a country.”
The elderly man by the window adjusted his glasses and muttered softly.
