The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood – Chapter 55

Ch 55: Exhausted Heart （3）

Haseong’s nightmares always began with tardiness.

That day was no different.

The day he overslept and coincidentally didn’t go to school.

Because that was the day the Dungeon Shock occurred, a tragedy where all his friends at his alma mater died.

Haseong sometimes wondered.

If I had gone to school that day, could I have saved everyone?

The awakening phenomenon usually occurred in stressful situations where one felt their life was threatened. It was the same for his own awakening.

So maybe, if he hadn’t overslept that day…

He might have been exposed to the monsters with his friends and awakened more quickly.

“…….”

Haseong still often dreamt of his friends from his school days.

Each time, he would feel an indescribable sense of regret.

His past self hadn’t done anything, but in fact, this body had the potential to become an S-rank hunter. In short, he had the ability to protect his friends.

But how could a person know their future?

The probability of humans awakening was extremely low, both then and now.

So, Jeong Haseong also didn’t expect that he would become one of those rare awakened ones.

After the Dungeon Shock, he lived a life focused on safety for a while.

Heeding the government’s disaster alerts, and practicing evacuations thoroughly.

It was a fairly ordinary life.

But that too, eventually ended due to the Kraken he encountered a few years ago.

Jeong Haseong awakened one day.

As the first S-rank in Korea, no less.

Right after awakening, he was completely out of it.

He was featured prominently in the news, and high-ranking officials from the Blue House, whom he only saw on TV, came to visit him…

And somehow, he became a hunter.

At first, he felt overwhelmed by the title suddenly given to him, but once he actually started working, it wasn’t so bad.

Perhaps it was because his awakening power was so high. Hunting itself wasn’t very difficult, and the more magical beasts he caught, the more everyone thanked him.

“Oh, thank you so much! I’m so grateful!”

“I really survived thanks to you, Hunter-nim!”

Pride? Confidence?

He seemed to have developed something like that. Once upon a time.

But one day.

That incident happened.

“Wow~ the smell of truffles.”

A few years ago.

Jeong Haseong was sitting in a restaurant.

He had come to handle hundreds of millions of won in his mid-twenties, so what was he going to do with it if he just let it rot?

He had gone out for a rare meal with his mother, and had just ordered a plate of pasta that cost 150,000 won.

━Beep beep beep beep.

『Association President』

But, just as he was about to take a bite of his food, the phone rang.

“Hello?”

If the Association was calling, there was usually only one reason.

“Ah, a gate? What’s the rank? Ah, I see. About B.”

A request to handle a Blue Gate had come in.

It was a request to close a gate that was about to undergo a dungeon break because its discovery had been delayed.

“Yes.”

At this time, the conditions for a dungeon break had not yet been properly explained.

Many scientists thought that ‘time’ was the problem, but.

In fact, ‘density’ was more important.

“It’ll break in about a day? Okay, I’ll go right away.”

The Association and Jeong Haseong, not knowing the truth, were mistaken about the timing of the dungeon break. In a way, this was the starting point.

‘Let’s just eat and go.’

Jeong Haseong devoured the pasta on his plate. He didn’t think there was any need to rush.

“Mom, what should we order for dessert…”

But it was at that moment.

After finishing his meal, his phone rang again.

『Association President』

Jeong Haseong answered the second call without much thought.

But the conversation that followed was shocking.

“The gate? Now?”

A dungeon break had occurred. Just a few minutes later.

The scene he arrived at in a hurry was as terrible as expected.

Collapsed buildings, people’s screams, the smell of iron mixed in the air.

But what was most horrifying was the sight he saw the moment he stepped onto the street.

“Aaaah!”

In an instant, a black monster bit a person.

Jeong Haseong noticed this and immediately ran towards them. If he used his skills rashly, even the citizens would get caught in the flames.

“Keeeng!”

He approached with incredible speed and grabbed the monster’s snout.

Soon, a spectacle unfolded where a clean-cut young man tore a monster apart with his bare hands, but.

What erupted was not cheers, but screams.

“Aaaaaah!”

Huk.

Jeong Haseong turned around and momentarily held his breath.

The citizen he had saved was screaming in agony.

He must be in pain because of the wound from the monster’s bite. But it was already too late to treat it…

“Ughhhh……”

“A-Are you okay? Wait, I definitely have a recovery potion.”

Jeong Haseong, with trembling hands, struggled to pull out a potion.

And he poured the expensive potion all over the citizen’s abdomen, but the result didn’t change.

“Huk, huk……”

With this kind of potion. It was impossible to heal a human body that was severed in half.

In the end, the citizen couldn’t hold on for more than a few seconds and died.

Yes. In just a few seconds.

“…….”

Jeong Haseong stopped moving as he looked at the spreading pool of blood.

Someone had died in front of his eyes. Just now.

If only I had come a little faster.

If only I had been a few seconds earlier.

Maybe this person would have lived……?

“Uh.”

He broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, he was able to get out of his shock state thanks to the Association employees who followed, but what did that matter?

After hurriedly cleaning up the dungeon break.

Jeong Haseong heard this news at the joint funeral for the victims.

The man who had died in front of his eyes, just a few seconds ago…

Was someone who had briefly gone out on the street to buy some bungeoppang that his pregnant wife had been craving.

‘I.’

An unknown woman, clutching her swollen belly, howled like a beast at the portrait.

He felt suffocated for some reason.

‘I was crazy. I was crazy to eat at that time. If I had gotten up as soon as I answered the phone, by now.’

Just a few seconds.

That regrettable gap pierced him like a dagger.

Looking back, it was around this time that he began to feel like he was being chased by something.

But still, at least the end of his nightmares wasn’t related to time.

“There was definitely an evacuation order.”

The problem is that this scene appears most often in his dreams.

“Why is there a person in the building…….”

The power of an S-rank awakened one is often compared to a wave.

No matter how much you cut and refine it, it creates unexpected ripples.

So, when an S-rank originally went to clean up a dungeon break, they would thoroughly evacuate the citizens.

“Why the h*ll.”

Did that ordinary person know that they would die because of something like this?

Ignoring the evacuation warning for just a wallet.

It wasn’t even a luxury brand. Please, if the government people tell you something, just listen.

Please, just…….

“Ack!”

A young man’s scream echoed in the large hospital room.

“……Huk.”

Jeong Haseong, who had woken up from the nightmare, let out a ragged breath.

His body must really not be in good shape. He must have fallen asleep again for a moment.

“Missed calls…….”

He checked his phone, but there were no additional calls.

Even so, his heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

It had been like this every day lately.

‘It’s more comfortable to be inside a gate.’

A dungeon-diving machine. That’s good.

At least while working, he really didn’t have any thoughts, like a machine.

After this nickname was given to him, his heart gradually became dull, strangely enough.

So it’s been a while since he’s felt such intense anger….

‘9 AM.’

Jeong Haseong checked the time on his phone.

After that, he immediately put on his coat.

◈◈◈

A certain indoor gymnasium in Seoul.

A relief center for those displaced by the dungeon terror.

‘How interesting!’

Let me get straight to the point.

Kim Giryeo’s house had collapsed. Not all of it, but about half.

Anyway, since it was a situation where additional collapses could happen at any time, he had suddenly become a vagrant.

Fortunately, the country had prepared temporary accommodations for people like me.

‘So this is what a tent is.’

Let’s see.

The landlord said that even if they brought in an awakened construction worker, it would take quite a while to restore it…

‘My magic research is ruined for a while.’

Thud.

I lay down in the tent.

I’ve decided. For the time being, let’s focus on gathering information about Earth.

‘After all, I’m an alien, so there are tons of things I’m curious about. It’s just that there’s never enough time.’

But then.

Suddenly, the smartphone screen changed. A familiar name appeared in white letters at the top.

“Oh.”

It’s a call from Hunter Seon Uyeon…….

At this early hour? That’s rare.

“Hello?”

━Hunter Kim Giryeo-nim, are you available to talk right now?

The first thought that came to mind after answering the call was one thing.

“Did they finally catch the culprit who attacked the park?”

I asked in a bright voice. But Seon Uyeon’s tone that came back was lifeless.

━No. The police will contact you separately about that.

“Huh?”

━Anyway, what the heck did you do?

The atmosphere was not good.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden…….”

━It’s Jeong Haseong. Jeong Haseong! That person came to the Association early this morning and is making a huge fuss. I barely managed to stop him from finding out your home address just now.

Oh, no.

━He was completely out of his mind.

“Um.”

━And I got an earful because of you, Hunter-nim. He suddenly started to harp on about re-testing and went ballistic…….

It’s finally here.

“I’ll explain later… Anyway, Jeong Haseong is at the Association right now?”

━Ah, yes.

“Okay.”

It was something I fully imagined.

I was prepared for it since I knocked him out.

‘That guy, he didn’t call the number I gave him before… Is he trying to come find me and beat me up?’

I immediately started to get ready to leave.

The current Jeong Haseong is a fire starter himself.

I had to resolve the grudge as quickly as possible.

“Haa, I’m not confident in my social skills…….”

By the way, how did things turn out like this?

In my past life, I solved most problems with force. But now, can I really be good at persuasion?

‘What do Earthlings usually do when they’re begging for forgiveness?’

Okay. There’s no other choice now. As soon as I see Jeong Haseong, I’ll bow my head first!

I finished my firm resolution and left the tent.

There was no other option.

◈◈◈

10 AM. The Hunter Association Annex.

‘When is he coming!’

Seon Uyeon’s insides were burning.

She had barely arrived at work when she was scolded by the Rank 1. And that F-rank was the one who made Haseong lose it?

‘The situation is not good.’

Her head was throbbing.

At least the person involved was said to be coming here to resolve the situation.

“Umm.”

Seon Uyeon glanced over and looked at the back gate. There, the Rank 1 was standing with a murderous look on his face.

‘Can that really be resolved?’

She couldn’t leave her post recklessly in case a major accident happened.

It was then.

A taxi stopped in an alley near the annex. Then, a man with a familiar face got out from the back door.

“Giryeo-ssi!”

Seon Uyeon immediately ran to the other person. And she whispered quietly.

“What the heck is going on?”

Then, the blonde hunter stopped bowing and spoke calmly.

“Actually, I forcibly knocked Jeong Haseong out yesterday.”

“You did?”

“It kind of turned out that way.”

A dry murmur as if it was nothing.

But Seon Uyeon couldn’t close her mouth. An S-rank hunter, Jeong Haseong, had been knocked out…….

Suddenly, a past article came to mind.

“Again?!”

Come to think of it, this guy isn’t a first-time offender!

Seon Uyeon raised her voice without realizing it.

But there was no answer. The awakened one simply scanned her with a weary expression. He remained silent.

‘Ah.’

Soon, Kim Giryeo strode towards the S-rank.

Seon Uyeon watched them get closer and closer, thinking.

From what she had seen so far, both men had rather easygoing personalities.

Maybe they would have a serious conversation with each other from now on. She had such hope for a moment.

━Whoosh!

But right after that.

A gale blew through the narrow backyard of the annex.

“Ugh!”

It was Jeong Haseong’s attack.

As soon as Kim Giryeo appeared in front of him, he immediately unleashed a slash.

Seon Uyeon felt a chill as she looked at the red trail left in the air. She hadn’t seen him draw his sword, so how did he do it?

But what was even more surprising was the other person’s reaction.

A sudden attack that even a B-rank hunter couldn’t perceive…….

Kim Giryeo responded flawlessly.

He lowered his posture in that short moment!

“He dodged that……?”

He had half-knelt, with his head lowered.

Kim Giryeo remained still in that position for a moment, then slowly raised his body.

“I did pull back my strength to check your skills, but I didn’t expect you wouldn’t even be able to graze me. What the heck are you?”

Even with an attack of this magnitude, there was no sign of agitation.

Kim Giryeo only stared at Jeong Haseong without making a sound.