The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood – Chapter 24

Ch 24: Kidnapping （1）

The afternoon of the day after the re-examination.

10 PM. Kim Giryeo’s one-room.

“What’s this? The mixture isn’t working well? Is it because of the humidity?”

At the time, I was in the middle of manufacturing a mana amplifier.

It was because I had finally gathered all the materials.

“Trying to adjust the concentration without proper tools is giving me a headache.”

However, due to the poor environment, progress was slow.

“Even if Kim Giryeo has F-rank mana, I need to regain my magic first.”

Repeated failures caused my concentration to wane.

Besides, that wasn’t all.

━Ting-a-ling♪ Ting-a-ling♬

“Ugh! What crazy bastard is calling at this hour!”

This damned mobile phone had been ringing non-stop since 9 AM.

Why?

【 Knowledge Ing 】

『Q. What should you do after completing the awakening examination?』

『A. If your hunter license has been issued, get your skills verified by the Association. It’s easier to work if you have your skills listed on your profile.』

I had added the ‘Appraisal’ skill to Kim Giryeo’s hunter profile after seeing a post online.

It turned out that this profile was freely accessible to outsiders as well.

“D*mn it!”

Thanks to the information I carelessly registered, I was currently receiving scout offers from various companies.

All day long, at that.

“I’m too tired to even respond now.”

I was sick of living life as a company dog.

I immediately hung up on the incoming call. But my concentration still didn’t return.

“Haa, I’m low on sugar…….”

Maybe it was because I had received dozens of calls, but I was unusually tired. And hungry.

“I need to acquire some food.”

So, I postponed the manufacturing of the mana amplifier and decided to eat.

The time is 10 PM.

But it’s not difficult to get nutrients.

There are 24-hour convenience stores all over the country, are Earthlings gods after all?

‘Today, I should try buying some of that thing called chocolate.’

I hummed as I stepped out into the alley.

The surroundings were dark, but my hometown was always this dark, so I didn’t pay it any mind and walked on.

“Hmm?”

But that was the moment.

I was passing by a black car parked on the side of the road on my way to the convenience store.

As soon as I passed by, the back door of the car suddenly slid open with a click…….

The events that followed seemed to unfold quickly and chaotically.

Three thugs jumped out of the car and attacked me.

A large Earthling came up behind me and choked me, and I was startled and tried to resist, but….

“Gack!”

The arm that tightened around my carotid artery didn’t budge like a rock.

The difference in strength was absolute. It was because this body was only an F-rank awakened one.

Would things have been different if I could have used magic?

No, those thugs had mana levels that looked like D-rank at first glance.

So, even if I used F-rank magic here, it would have been like a cat scratching.

“Ugh……!”

I don’t remember much after that.

Suddenly, my vision went completely black, and my consciousness was cut off.

I had fainted.

‘Ugh! If the blood flow to the brain stops, you faint!’

I would have endured it if I had been hit with magic instead.

Due to the nature of reincarnation magic, I was able to resist skills such as sleep, fainting, and brainwashing on Earth.

But if the opponent attacks with physical force like this, there’s nothing I can do…….

Using physical strength in a cowardly way during a battle between magicians!

“Hoo…….”

No, this is not the time to be thinking about this.

Anyway, I barely regained consciousness, but the situation is a sight to behold.

‘D*mn it, where am I?’

When I came to my senses, I was blindfolded.

Moreover, my body was tightly bound to an iron chair, and I couldn’t move.

This planet is truly a scary place. I didn’t expect such a brutal thing to happen.

‘Who the h*ll did this?’

Giryeo, did you perhaps go around making enemies when you were alive?

I was thinking that when.

“Is that the F-rank over there?”

“Yes, we waited and caught him.”

“We’ll meet the deadline.”

Someone nearby is talking.

“But was he really F-rank?”

“I deliberately used D-rank guys to ambush him, but he couldn’t even make a peep. It was easy to bring him here.”

I listened carefully.

“You didn’t break anything, did you? If there are any scratches, fix them quickly.”

“Come on, do you think I’m new to this?”

“We need to be careful since he’s F-rank.”

Clang, clang, clang.

But wait a minute. Suddenly, a loud noise cut through the voices of those who were talking.

It was the sound of an iron shutter being raised.

“Ah! Big Brother has arrived!”

It seems like one more person has entered this room.

No, two people… or is it?

“Everyone, greet him. This is our VIP.”

“Greetings!”

“The VIP will be looking at the product directly later. You guys go and prepare now.”

It’s difficult to deduce the situation since my vision is blocked by the blindfold.

Even so, I was silently eavesdropping on their conversation, and at some point, a chill ran down my spine.

“…That guy tied up over there, he’s awake?”

The person called VIP noticed that I was pretending to be unconscious.

As he pointed out the fact, the people around him began to stir. Soon after, the sound of heavy boots approached.

I held my breath as if I were a dead mouse.

“Take off that blindfold.”

Someone was right in front of my face.

As his command was given, the cloth covering my eyes was removed not long after.

“Stop pretending to sleep.”

He made a subtle threat.

I had no choice but to open my eyes.

Then, the scene that came into view was someone sitting backwards on a chair.

The VIP spoke while resting his arm on the back of the chair.

“Hello.”

I widened my eyes after confirming the VIP’s identity.

“Long time no see. But this is surprising. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see someone like Hunter Kim Giryeo in a place like this.”

Yes. The person in front of me was none other than Korea’s S-rank awakened one, Kang Changho.

This is insane.

‘Kang Changho?’

Before I could even question what was going on, the other party spoke first.

“Are you perhaps confused because you were suddenly dragged here? Should I explain it a bit?”

He scanned my tied-up state and then slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the industry these days. They say a hunter with an amazing appraisal skill has appeared, one that can even analyze the Magic Tower Maze.”

“….”

“But the problem is that the appraiser’s awakening rank is F.”

Kang Changho looked down at a low-rank hunter and continued speaking.

“If a powerless guy has a high-level skill that doesn’t suit him, he sometimes becomes the target of crime. You should have been more careful.”

I listened to his words and glanced around. On closer inspection, it was inside an abandoned building.

The broken light fixture hanging from the ceiling looked precarious.

“What are you trying to do with me?”

I asked cautiously.

Then, Kang Changho rumbled his throat for a moment as if in thought, and soon replied.

“I’m going to sell you.”

“…!”

“There are many people in this world who want to hide the performance of their equipment. Of course, they need to have a personal appraiser to do that….”

“….”

“Well, you know. Appraisers’ contract fees aren’t cheap.”

“Is it cheaper if you kidnap them?”

“Especially in terms of maintenance costs.”

In the end, it’s all about money, money, money.

I understood now. This seems to be a criminal organization that traffics awakened ones.

I was targeted because I was an F-rank with an incredibly high market value, but without the power to protect myself.

“And D-rank and below have low brainwashing resistance, so they’re easy to use.”

Brainwashing the weak and using them as slaves. This was a crime that existed in my hometown too, so it’s not surprising.

“I’ve bought awakened ones here before, and once you brainwash them, you don’t have to worry about them betraying you, so it’s convenient.”

But this was a bit shocking.

No wonder the people here were calling Kang Changho VIP. He was already a valued customer who had used the product multiple times.

“Hey…. Kang Changho-ssi, since we met like this, I’m just saying this in case, but do you have any intention of helping me?”

I asked for help, grasping at straws.

“Hmm, why should I help Hunter Kim Giryeo? I’m here as a customer.”

Of course, the answer I got was absurd.

“Besides, it’s perfect timing. I was thinking of getting a dedicated appraiser. Appraiser stock is always rare.”

The S-rank hunter said that and got up from his seat.

As soon as Kang Changho moved, the Earthlings who were waiting took him away as if he were a king, calling him VIP-nim, VIP-nim.

F*ck.

‘I shouldn’t have reincarnated in a place like this.’

Sob sob.

But the kidnappers who remained in this room didn’t even give me time to grieve.

“Hey, the guys said they brought the next item. Move that F-rank to the upper floor now.”

“Yes!”

“Yep!”

I was trembling, not knowing what they would do, but in the midst of that, a strange signal reached my sense of smell.

━Clang.

“Wait, handle that item carefully! The scent is leaking. Hey, everyone, don’t ever inhale it!”

A sweet smell, like being in the middle of a flower garden.

Just as the scent tickled my nose, I was moved to another room by the kidnappers.

The room I arrived at this time was a narrow and musty storage room.

◈◈◈

Thump.

The members of the organization, wearing gas masks, threw Kim Giryeo’s body onto the floor.

They put the incense burner they were carrying in a corner and quickly left the room.

Thump.

The heavy iron door closed again.

That golden incense burner, taking up one side of the room, was none other than a magical tool.

It was a sleep item acquired from a C-rank gate, but they said it was so effective that it could even put a B-rank awakened one to sleep.

‘They’re gone.’

But the problem was that this incense burner had absolutely no effect on a certain great magician.

‘Judging by the fact that they moved me here, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be sold off right away.’

I opened my eyes wide.

You stupid guys. You didn’t even put the blindfold back on, thinking I was asleep.

“Eek…!”

First, I need to do something about these restraints.

I struggled to free my bound hands. But with Kim Giryeo’s weak strength, I couldn’t cut the cable ties at all.

‘D*mn it.’

Let’s use another method.

I untied my shoelaces. And I tied the laces so that they passed through the inside of my wrist.

‘Help me, frictional heat!’

After that, I moved my arms and rubbed the shoelaces and cable ties like crazy.

It was a ridiculously desperate sight, but fortunately, it was more effective than it looked.

‘Ah!’

Thud.

Finally, the cable ties were cut.

As soon as my hands were free, I also freed the restraints on my feet and got up from my seat.

‘Hoo, what do I do now?’

Let’s organize my thoughts.

I was kidnapped by a human trafficking organization.

And my current self can’t use any magic. That is, my combat power is about the level of an ant.

‘I have to escape.’

Even if I’m immune to brainwashing, if I’m sold off to a strange place in this state…….

It’ll be dangerous. Imagining such a future makes my face turn pale.

If I stay here like this, I don’t know what will happen to me.

‘Should I report this to the police first?’

I naturally reached into my pocket.

‘Ugh, my mobile phone is gone!’

But my pocket was empty.

Right. There’s no way they’d leave the belongings of a kidnapping victim behind. In the end, it’s a head-on breakthrough.

‘Judging by the fact that they were sitting around in the alley, they’re sorcerers who can’t use tracking magic. If I get out of this building and hide somewhere, I have a chance of winning.’

But at that moment.

While I was planning my escape, a certain object suddenly caught my eye.

The incense burner that had been emitting a sweet smell from the corner since earlier.

“Hmm.”

A gold incense burner carved in the shape of a lotus flower.

At the top of it was a long chain that was easy to grip, and I cautiously looked around and then secretly picked up the incense burner.

“Theft isn’t my thing, but.”

Well, now isn’t the time to be picky…….

Bang!

“What was that?”

“Huh?”

The iron door suddenly opens from the inside out.

The guards standing outside were startled by the sound and turned around, but they couldn’t cope with the situation that followed.

Because an object emitting smoke was thrown into their faces.

“Ugh!”

Clang! A clear sound echoed from the empty space of the metal incense burner.

As the sound faded, the guards in the hallway slowly fell asleep.

“The effect is good.”

That’s what you get for taking off your masks because it was a little uncomfortable!