The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood – Chapter 33

Ch 33: Enhancement Skill

It was the worst week ever.

Being kidnapped by human traffickers and almost dying after encountering a robber who was after my item, all happened within just one week.

“How many bones did you even break? It took days for them to fully recover!”

I grumbled, putting the empty mana amplification bottles into the recycling bin.

It’s annoying enough that I was in pain for so long because of the sudden injuries, but now I have to go to the Association today.

‘Seriously, can’t they just do things properly in one go! Why do they need to hear my side of the story again?’

The promised skill correction was roughly finished yesterday, so I thought I could rest on Monday, but no.

“Huu.”

Still, nothing will change even if I complain.

I chose some suitable summer clothes from Kim Giryeo’s closet and got ready to go out.

But there was a small problem when I put on a short-sleeved T-shirt. There wasn’t a good place to hide my accessories.

‘This crappy magical tool is supposed to be incredibly valuable on Earth, right?’

The bracelet, the cause of all the trouble, was sparkling on the desk.

After belatedly checking, the recent auction price for that thing was a whopping hundred million, but…

‘It’s nowhere near enough to buy a Dragon’s Lung.’

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to sell it off easily.

Damage nullification twice.

This could be something that determines my life or death someday.

“Keuh…….”

Especially for an incompetent person like me, who has become magically disabled, my body could explode from even a weak attack.

But how can I sell a defensive item?

‘I should just carry this around without being noticed.’

I put the bracelet deep into my pocket and headed out.

‘Hmm, the air is humid.’

The weather outside had the humidity that aliens love, but I wasn’t in a particularly good mood.

Ah, I don’t want to go to the Association.

I was just thinking that as I walked.

━BBAAAANG━! BBAAAANG BBAAAANG━!

But what is this as soon as I come out…

━BBAAAANG━!

The alley in front of Kim Giryeo’s one-room.

An SUV, taking up the entire narrow road, was honking its horn.

I was wondering what kind of crazy person was honking so loudly in broad daylight, so I looked over out of curiosity.

When I checked the driver’s seat with the window open, what do you know. He really is a crazy man.

“Kim Giryeo!”

D*mn it, if I had known this guy parked his car here, I would have gone out the other exit.

“Where are you going at this time?”

“…….”

“Lunch? Or do you have another appointment?”

I ran into him right at the entrance, so I can’t avoid him now.

I ended up having a conversation with him, resigned to my fate.

“I’m on my way to the Association for some business, Hunter Kang Changho.”

For an S-rank hunter, one of only three in Korea, to suddenly appear in this kind of alley. Unbelievable.

“Oops! Did I take a long shower? It’s already this late. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now. Have a nice Monday…”

As expected, there’s nothing better than running away when things go wrong.

I made a series of rapid-fire excuses and subtly turned to leave, but a quiet warning was thrown at the back of my head.

“Get in.”

Kang Changho took off the sunglasses he was wearing and stared at me intently.

“When I’m asking nicely.”

That’s a very wise thing to say.

I am an alien with intellect and culture.

Since I like to solve problems through conversation, I decided to follow Kang Changho’s suggestion.

It’s definitely not because I’m scared.

“Ah, yes.”

Click. I opened the passenger door and got into the car, trying hard to hide my nervousness as I looked for the seatbelt.

Let’s see.

I think I was more comfortable in the trunk of the van when I was kidnapped.

‘Why did he come all the way to my place? What is he planning to do? Am I going to be dragged to some weird place again?’

I racked my brain, wondering if I had done something wrong, like a child being scolded in front of their parents.

However.

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

I’ve kept the secret about Jeong Haseong well until this very moment.

Besides, I testified in favor of Kang Changho as much as possible in the kidnapping case last time, just in case something like this happened.

There’s no reason for him to be angry at all, right?

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have just tied the kidnappers and this guy together and sent them away.’

While my mind was a mess, the sound of Kang Changho manipulating the car’s gear rang out.

Then, the car started moving.

“I heard the news.”

Kang Changho, who had been silent until now, spoke at the same time.

“You were attacked by ‘frogs’, they said.”

“Frogs?”

“Those guys who hunt and feed on other hunters.”

Is he talking about those robbers?

“Yes. Well, I was.”

I wonder where the information is leaking from, but I answered anyway.

Then Kang Changho said.

“Hmm. I heard you were injured, so I came to check, but it seems you’re fine?”

Wait a minute, did I just hear something wrong?

“What did you say you came to check on?”

“I was worried that Giryeo Hunter might have been seriously injured because of that. It was a dangerous accident.”

Kang Changho smoothly turned the steering wheel and continued.

“You get caught up in an EX-rank gate, then you get kidnapped. If you look at it, there isn’t a single quiet day.”

“…….”

“At this point, I suspect you’re enjoying the risks yourself.”

I was dumbfounded when the unexpected purpose of his visit was revealed.

Kang Changho glanced at me, then looked straight ahead again.

“I have a present for you. Open the glove box.”

Receiving a present is always something to look forward to. There’s no need to refuse, right?

But the problem is, I don’t know what a glove box is.

“There’s a storage space near your knees. There, pull that to open it.”

I belatedly realized that there was a hidden storage space in front of the passenger seat.

When I pulled the handle and checked inside, an object rolled out, just as he said.

A liquid in a crystal bottle.

“It’s a recovery potion.”

“…!”

“It doesn’t seem like you need it right now, but I prepared it, so I’ll just give it to you. Take it.”

Is this Earth’s version of a potion?

I see. He heard that I was injured in the robbery, so he chose this kind of item.

It was a common thing back home.

When someone’s tentacle was damaged in an accident, their friends would buy them a recovery potion.

It’s like giving a fever reducer to someone who has a cold.

‘Ooh.’

Even though giving and receiving recovery potions is so common, I felt a strange sense of emotion.

To receive such kind treatment on Earth.

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

It would be rude to refuse such a small gift. I readily accepted the potion.

Then Kang Changho raised the corners of his mouth.

“You’re not even surprised by that much.”

No, I’m plenty surprised. It’s because a guy like you is suddenly doing something admirable.

‘I wonder if there are any strange ingredients mixed in? It doesn’t matter since I’m going to use it for research anyway.’

I stared intently at the medicine in my hand.

I was so distracted by the gift that I didn’t even notice that the car was slowing down.

“We’re here. Get out.”

“Huh?”

Screech.

I was surprised by the sudden order to get out and looked around. What I saw was a familiar ivory-colored building.

This was the road near the Hunter Association.

“Aren’t you getting out? Didn’t you say you had business at the Association?”

Did this Earthling even take me to my destination?

He told me to get out, so I’ll get out. I still didn’t understand the situation.

“I didn’t expect you to give me a ride. I thought you had other business…”

“I’ve been saying it since before. I just came to check on your condition today.”

Zhiing. The driver’s side window opens.

Kang Changho glanced at me with his vertical pupils, then showed a unique Earthling expression.

He smiled.

“Then take care of yourself. Don’t die doing something stupid.”

He even added well-wishes to stay healthy and not die, I don’t know what to do.

But now I should start asking this question. I asked one question, filled with all the doubts I had.

“Yes. Thank you. I am grateful, but why are you paying so much attention to me?”

You said you would kill me if I didn’t lie before…

When Kang Changho heard that question, he started putting on his sunglasses again. It seems he had chosen what to say by then.

“Actually, I want the hunters in Korea to grow well.”

This is another unexpected answer.

“I’m interested in fostering talent. You’re one of those who shows promise.”

Kang Changho said that and raised the driver’s side window halfway.

“So, I don’t want to harm Hunter Kim Giryeo if I can help it. Do you know what I mean?”

It probably means to keep the Jeong Haseong thing a secret, so I nodded, telling him not to worry.

“I know very well.”

“Good. Then go quickly. You said you were late because you took a long shower.”

Kang Changho left a short taunt and started the car.

It didn’t take long for his car to disappear from view.

“Talent.”

He’s interested in fostering Korean hunters, so he destroys kidnapping gangs that harm awakened ones.

If he hears that a promising guy got hurt, he immediately rushes over and gives him medicine.

He’s a complete patriot.

I want to say that, but the reality is not that simple.

‘What is he up to.’

Because the probability of an awakened one, who kills his own kind without hesitation when needed, having that kind of righteous character was low.

I was lost in thought, rolling the recovery potion in my hand.

Why would Kang Changho be interested in an F-rank like me? That was the point.

But the answer to this difficult question was solved by chance one day.

‘Ah, I’m so tired of washing every day. Once my mana is fully recovered, I need to fix the waste disposal process.’

One Wednesday.

Right after I threw out the recycling.

As usual, I was cleaning Kim Giryeo’s body and sat down, and what I was looking at was a website.

『List of Awakened Skills☜』

Personally, I was a bit surprised. People on Earth have compiled and organized all the magic types that exist in the world.

‘The information society is amazing.’

I was impressed and looked around this site.

『Flame』『Shield of Protection』『Swiftness』『incitement of hatred』

The explanations were simpler than I thought, so the quality of the information wasn’t high.

Still, it was quite fun to see what kind of magic the sorcerers on Earth used.

‘I thought they could only use primitive and simple magic. Did their civilization develop first, and then mana bloomed, making our histories so different?’

It was around this time that an alien life form was about to get addicted to web surfing.

“Huh?”

I was scrolling down when I discovered a certain skill.

『Enhancement Skill』

A positive word.

But after reading the skill description, I could no longer be happy.

『Enhancement Skill』

『Description: Kills a strong person to steal their skills.』

“…….”

I quietly moved my fingers to search for additional information about the skill.

Then, an article came up.

It was about an 『Enhancement Skill』 user in Texas, USA, who committed serial murders.

“Hmm.”

At this point, let’s review Kang Changho’s actions.

First. Kang Changho had proposed support for hunter activities.

Second. He’s sensitive to situations where promising awakened ones are leaked overseas.

Third. He advised me not to die.

“…….”

Could it be….

No, right? It can’t be.

Kang Changho is just a patriot, right……?