The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood – Chapter 28

Ch 28: The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs （2）

Let’s answer the phone first.

“Oh, Yunseung-a. Thanks to you, I got out of there okay yesterday. Me? I’m fine. No injuries.”

I subtly turned my gaze out the window and carefully began my work.

“So, I’m so grateful that I want to buy you a meal…”

My alien neighbor, Hunter An Yunseung, innocently took the bait.

“Can you come out for a bit? There’s something I want to talk about.”

◈◈◈

“One iced Americano, please.”

‘Why on earth do people drink that stuff?’

A little while later.

An Yunseung and I came to a nearby franchise cafe.

An Yunseung insisted that he didn’t need to buy me an expensive meal, vehemently declining my offer, and dragged me here.

“It’s enough for me if you just buy me a cup of coffee like this. I’ll enjoy it! Hyung-nim.”

The problem is, this alien gets nauseous just from smelling the coffee bean aroma here.

“I’ll have the BEST menu item here… a Vanilla Latte, please.”

I looked at the chart with complicated names listed and painstakingly chose a menu item.

Vanilla. At least that word vaguely made sense to me.

“Hyung, you must like sweet things?”

It seems the thing I just ordered is a sweet drink.

I shook my head lightly while paying.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I can’t drink coffee.”

“Huh? There’s a shot in a Vanilla Latte.”

“What did you just say?”

Wait a minute. What was that?

“That menu also contains caffeine…”

“Excuse me! Please make sure to take out the coffee from what I ordered. Everything that smells like coffee!”

Thump. I grabbed the person who was about to make the drink and urgently told them. The clerk then answered, looking dazed, that they understood.

‘D*mn it.’

Things are going wrong from the start.

But I tried my best to calm myself and sat down. Now, all that’s left is to talk calmly with Yunseung.

“By the way, I was really surprised yesterday. I heard you were suddenly kidnapped… Giryeo hyung, are you really okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

As soon as I sat at the table, Yunseung asked with a worried face.

I answered him readily, while pondering how to throw out the bait.

“I heard the story. You were suppressing a dungeon break at 12 o’clock yesterday, right?”

“Yes. Something happened last night.”

First, let’s test the waters a little.

“I’m really sorry. Honestly, the situation there was really bad. I really wanted to go help directly, but I had no choice but to go to Hunter Seon Uyeon first…”

I calmly brushed off An Yunseung’s apology and took the lead in the conversation.

“It’s okay. You worked hard late into the night.”

First, let’s lighten the mood with a little praise.

“But, Yunseung, you’ve been only dealing with dungeon breaks lately?”

“Huh?”

“How long has it been since you went into a gate?”

“That’s…”

“Besides the times you went with me.”

An Yunseung’s mouth snapped shut.

I observed the reaction of the A-rank hunter and then spoke my next line.

“Is it still really hard for you? Because of what happened last time?”

“…”

“So, are you scared to go into a gate?”

Drrr, drrr.

While Yunseung was hesitating, a small vibration bell rang on the table.

“You stay seated. I’ll go get it.”

I left my seat for a moment to give my opponent time to prepare an answer.

And by the time I came back with the finished drinks, he had managed to open his mouth.

“Yes. A little. I don’t think I can go back yet.”

A suddenly encountered A-rank high-level monster.

The betrayal of trusted colleagues. The fear of death that came right up to his throat.

It was a big trauma for a college student who had just turned 20 to overcome. I understand.

“But, Yunseung-a.”

Even so, I have to say this.

“That doesn’t mean you can just follow me around forever. I’m an F-rank hunter.”

“Yes…”

“You need to start preparing to form your own team again, or work as a solo hunter. Do you understand?”

An Yunseung just nodded, looking dejected.

He looks so pale, it’s as if he thinks I’m going to abandon him right now.

Am I stupid?

Why would I abandon this guy?

“So, I’ve been thinking about something.”

I brought up the main topic with the kindest and most careful tone possible, so as not to upset An Yunseung.

“If you’re okay with it, I want to train you during this leave of absence.”

“…! Yes?”

“I can help you with your skill usage and mana control to some extent. If you get it corrected, you’ll be stronger than before.”

“R-really?”

An Yunseung was startled and even spilled half of the coffee he was drinking.

“But only if you allow it.”

“I, I, I’m definitely okay with it! It’s not just anyone, but you, hyung-nim, who’d be training me. More than that, is it really okay for me to receive such undeserved help?”

“Of course. Of course.”

Jackpot. It feels good to have him bite so easily.

“If you get stronger than you are now, you’ll naturally gain confidence, and you’ll be able to shake off the anxiety about gates faster, right?”

I listed a string of excuses to coax Yunseung, and drove in the final wedge.

“Then, since we’re on the topic, shall we go to a suitable gate nearby for a bit?”

“Ah, yes! I understand!”

As soon as An Yunseung heard my suggestion, he immediately started searching for gates without a moment’s hesitation.

He’s so happy, not even knowing what kind of ulterior motive I have.

‘Heh heh.’

I took a sip of the drink in my mug to celebrate the smooth progress.

“Oh? This is pretty good.”

“A Vanilla Latte without the shot…?”

Even though it was half-cold, the taste wasn’t bad.

And a few minutes later.

‘Heh heh heh, it’s going according to plan…’

Having succeeded in luring An Yunseung, I immediately headed to a gate.

A D-rank gate near the coffee shop. The Maximus Temple.

I heard that gates with the same scenery as this one have appeared several times in the past.

‘That’s why there was so much information about it on the internet.’

This place was famous for being an unpopular gate because of its terrible magic stone drop rate.

Thanks to that, we were able to practically rent out the entire temple.

“Let’s see…”

Finally, we arrived at the outskirts of the temple.

We stopped on a quiet path where monsters didn’t pass, and I immediately spoke to Yunseung.

“You said your awakened attribute is defense-type, right? First, can you show me your main skill?”

“Okay! By the way, if you’re going to teach me how to use skills, does that mean you’re also a defense-type, hyung-nim…?”

“It’s not that, but just do anything for now.”

“It’s been a while since I demonstrated my skill like this, so I’m a bit nervous. Haha.”

Then, An Yunseung cast his skill.

According to a search on a site called Pixy Wiki, it was a magic with this name.

『Shield of Protection （Active）』

『Description: Creates a barrier of mana in front of the user. The size increases with the amount of mana consumed.』

Now that I think about it, the terms that hunters use are very similar to game terms on Earth…

Well, that doesn’t matter.

“Hup!”

I glanced at the magic that An Yunseung had deployed.

The magic that he manifested with a short shout was, even to my eyes, definitely a formula for defensive purposes.

A shield-shaped barrier of protection that glows blue covers the front. Is that wing-like thing drawn on the shield the caster’s subconscious?

“H-how is it?”

“I’ll just say one thing for now.”

I blurted out the sentence that came to my mind after seeing the barrier.

“Why are you only blocking the front?”

I expected it, but there are so many things to fix…!

“Huh? Well, that’s because it’s this kind of skill? It’s been activated like this since I first awakened.”

This is like watching chimpanzees clumsily slicing a banana with a knife. They’re just crushing and destroying the banana.

That’s not how you hold it, that’s not how you use it!

I tried my best to hold back my frustration and continued to speak.

“Yunseung-a, that skill is a skill that should protect all directions, not just the front.”

“Yes?”

“It shouldn’t spread out flat in the front. Make it surround your body in a glass dome shape. The consumption is similar anyway.”

But after showing the skill a few more times, An Yunseung said with a puzzled voice.

“I’m sorry, but I can increase the size, but the shape doesn’t change at all…? It’s impossible.”

If I were good at controlling my facial muscles, I would have twitched one eyebrow at this moment.

“What do you mean, something that easy isn’t possible?”

I strode up to Yunseung and placed my fist on his abdomen.

And while pressing down on the part that’s called the solar plexus, I advised him.

“That’s your bias. It’s definitely possible. Think of your solar plexus as the center of the skill and spread the mana out in a circular shape like a crystal ball.”

“C-circularly?”

“The boundary can be a bit blurry, but start with the mana release. Go on.”

An Yunseung seemed a bit flustered by my somewhat forceful attitude, but I didn’t stop my advice.

“Keep your back straight! Exhale. Don’t lose the image in your head. No, not like that, that’s not how you release mana!”

And after 20 minutes of spartan training, we saw results.

“L-like this…? Hah! It worked, it worked? Hyung! This worked, right?”

Yeah. What did I tell you.

“But I can’t move a single step, ugh! It broke.”

“It’s okay. You’ll get better as you go.”

This level of correction is low difficulty.

Although it was an unstable form, An Yunseung had succeeded in changing the skill.

If he keeps doing well like this, he’ll be able to use a barrier without blind spots soon.

“This is unbelievable. I had no idea such a usage was hidden in my skill…”

An Yunseung, despite panting from the rapid mana consumption, had an excited look on his face.

I stared at Yunseung and then slowly said.

“Skills are ultimately up to your mindset.”

Mana is greatly influenced by the caster’s mental image. That’s why a type that’s a bit boastful and arrogant is more likely to become a good sorcerer.

I recalled the common sense from my home planet and shut my mouth.

“Well, anyway, shall we continue? This time, let’s practice using it in actual combat.”

Having returned from my short thoughts, I immediately proceeded with the next schedule.

Now I need to concentrate. This is the highlight of this plan.

“After all, you need to use your skills on monsters often to increase your proficiency.”

Under the pretext of training, I instructed An Yunseung to fight the enemies in this gate while using his skills.

Then, Yunseung obediently went ahead and started defeating the monsters.

“This much is easy!”

Thud, crack!

The monsters that looked like moving plaster statues were easily shattered. As expected, the overwhelming difference in power made my soul feel excited.

Good. It’s finally time.

“Y-Yunseung-a~ You have to look ahead and hunt properly~ Got it~?”

Stealthily.

I approached the corpses of the monsters he had defeated.

And quickly bending down, I began to pack the remains into the messenger bag I had brought with me.

‘I’m sure they said that the magic stones and the jewels on their foreheads are worth money, right?’

In other words, I’m secretly stealing someone else’s loot.

‘More magic stones came out than I thought?’

This was my true intention.

Lure him into hunting under the pretext of training his skills and pick up the miscellaneous items dropped by the A-rank hunter!

It’s a genius business. Why would I need to catch the monsters myself?

‘This alone will last me for a month.’

Of course, there were many more straightforward methods than this petty act.

I could have asked for cash, or asked him to catch monsters for me.

But that’s the kind of thinking that one-time opportunists would have.

If I asked for money outright and offended the A-rank nim, it’d be the end of me.

‘I mustn’t bring up money to An Yunseung. I need to take as much as possible without him knowing, a quantity that won’t be noticeable.’

You can’t cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs.

While that hunter was concentrating on his practice, I took a moderate amount of magic stones and got up from my spot.

“An Yunseung, how is it? Are you getting the hang of it now?”

But right after that, An Yunseung’s reaction was a little strange.

I definitely spoke to him without being obvious. But for some reason, he didn’t answer my natural-sounding question for a while.

He just turned to look at me with a thoughtful gaze.

Very seriously.

“Hmm.”

For some reason, my right foot, which I had fixed, feels numb again.

Is it because I’m a thief?