"Huh?"
128.
Not just one, not even two, but a staggering 128 call attempts were made while the phone was turned off.
"What... is this?"
This was information that inevitably made one think a lot. But replying individually to each number accumulated in the missed calls list was awkward.
"Could sothing possibly have happened overnight?"
To check what was going on, I first opened a video-sharing application. But on the YTV channel I habitually tuned into, this broadcast was playing.
"No, what kind of crazy people are these? What are they doing to a mammal that's supposed to be resting right now?"
A young man in his late twenties, with mild burns covering his entire body, appeared for an interview. Of course, although Jung Hayeong wasn't wearing a hospital gown, his health was far from fully recovered.
"Above all, I know my condition well, since I personally carried those two S-rank individuals all the way to the hospital."
So, I almost got angry at the tyranny of those blinded by ranks. But I was left speechless by the content that followed. On the screen, Jung Hayeong actually looked sowhat relieved, his expression bright, and moreover, he responded like this to the reporter holding the microphone.
[Reporter Nam OO: Citizens are not only interested in the resolution of the S-rank dungeon break, but also in the new abilities you demonstrated at that ti. How have you been training your superpowers all this while?]
[Jung Hayeong (S): The reason I've been able to achieve this level of skill is largely thanks to Hunter Kim Giryeo's help...]
When these white letters appeared against the blue background, a cold sweat instantly broke out across my forehead.
At least from watching the whole interview, it seems he kept secret the fact that I personally gave him intensive training, just as we had agreed. After all, since Esther was involved from the start, they couldn't recklessly create another competitor.
First of all, it's comndable that he didn't reveal the details of the tutoring, as per the contract. But if he goes and praises like this on public television, doesn't that make it aningless anyway?
[Jung Hayeong (S): Hunter Kim Giryeo didn't directly teach anything, but since he's such an outstanding ability user, there was a lot I could learn just from working alongside him.]
[Reporter Nam OO: By any chance, did renting a hunter-exclusive gym for sparring over the past year also help you?]
[Jung Hayeong (S): I can't say the training had no effect. Honestly, top-tier awakeners don't get many chances to spar with soone stronger than themselves, so...]
On screen, Jung Hayeong looked genuinely cheerful. Analyzing it with the SSS-rank mind of the Archmage of Alphaur, he was likely caught up in a mix of complex joys.
Defeating the dungeon beast without anyone else's help. Finally succeeding in a new technique that had long seed uncertain. And the relief of ultimately protecting South Korea's security, among other things.
Honestly, that black-haired young man had achieved a range of accomplishnts worthy of holding his head high. So, since he was in good spirits, it seed he ultimately chose to give credit to those around him.
An alien, who had been minding his own business just breathing, soon found himself in danger because of that uniquely Korean sense of humility.
[YTV Rebroadcast ● Interview on the Gate No. 1614 Incident]
That crazy interview, where he went as far as to declare that everything was thanks to the fourth S-rank hunter's help, had already been broadcast a whole day earlier.
"So that's why there were 128 missed calls."
It wasn't hard to understand the situation.
"The teacher who made realize the title of 'Korea's No. 1 S-rank Hunter' has been revealed—of course my phone would be blowing up."
I didn't even need to call back the unknown numbers to know. If I were just an ordinary pyromancer on Earth, I would've tried to get in touch—at least once—with the person who turned Jung Hayeong into such a monster.
"Then how on earth did my number get leaked? Should I just call the Association right away and rough up the person in charge of contact information storage first?"
As soon as I grasped the general situation, a cold sweat began to form on my back. If I had my way, I'd want to punish the S-rank Hunter who leaked information about the teacher, but of all the tis, it's right after they resolved a major incident. I can't exactly go after soone who's suffering so rcilessly. What a pain.
Ting!
That was the mont. A ssage in Korean, seemingly run through a portal site's translator, arrived on my phone. The mont I read it, I had the gut feeling that my worries had just beco reality.
[New ssage: Hello! I am Ambre Borne from France. With the help of our country's Association, I cautiously ask—are you still accepting sparring requests?]
Anyway, what kind of bolt from the blue is this, hitting the mont my day off begins?
After the break at [Gate No. 1614] Gate was resolved, just a few hours later, Korea grew noisy again over another matter. Hunters from all around the world had begun sending sparring requests to Kim Giryeo.
And that's how intense this wave of enthusiasm was: a certain famous hunter from France even flew into Korea on a private jet, loaded to the brim with gifts.
Nice to et you, everyone!This is crazy. I didn't respond to the text, and then she ca in person...So this is the country I've heard so much about, the land of Kim Giryeo?No. Our country's president is Mr. Namgung.
Even though they were both the sa S-rank awakeners, making such a fuss just to strike up a single conversation with soone was absurd. Yet, across all tis and places, great gems always ca with great costs.
So they want to spar so they can awaken a new skill like Jung Hayeong? Hm—if that's the case, I could knock them out within three seconds so they never think of coming back, then take their gifts and resell them...?
The hunters who ca from overseas weren't fools, either. Most of them sought long-term collaboration sparring years, rather than a single sparring match. They all judged that such gains could only be achieved by training face-to-face over ti.
A year?
The problem was that the alien side absolutely despised this.
Why should I spend all that ti beating up so primitive caveman?
Honestly, sparring once or twice wouldn't be a big deal. But the more it happened, the more tedious the whole process beca.
But since the visiting hunters were asking to spar regularly, just like Jung Hayeong did, an inevitable reaction surfaced.
Even if they paid , I'm not working for another year!
Kim Giryeo coldly refused, and so began a long-term race by the world's talents to win him over.
***
Tak, tak, tak.
One morning, soone was tapping away on the keyboard of a laptop in the office.
[Free Bulletin Board]
Thanks to using a pen-style chanical keyboard, he was able to gather information relatively quietly.
[Title]
[Finally Knelt Before Kim Giryeo: Famous French Celebrity < < < - gif](Image)
Of course, today, too, they were begging, so they knelt at their own accord.
But wasn't that hunter supposed to have a really tough image?? They even have a goblin tattoo on their back?? Yet seeing them flop down like that in front of Samsook's lunchbox is hilariously awkward > > >]
[Comnts 60]
[If you don't know the details, this picture looks like a proposal]
[Ah, that girl... I always thought she was perfectly normal... and now she cos all the way from abroad to ask to be eaten...]
[Only A-rank, yeah]
Get beaten by Kim Giryeo and beco strong like Jung Hayeong vs. Just survive]
1. [Definitely survive]
2. [Definitely survive]
3. [Do you know that even people can be destroyed if enhancent fails?]
This site, this site—everywhere. Anyway, the person nad Giryeo must have accomplished sothing truly remarkable. These days, ntions of him online rarely seem to stop.
[Association staff: Real-ti status] We're currently receiving calls from overseas every 10 seconds to ask for Hunter Kim Giryeo's number.]
Of course, around the sa ti, the central figure of all the incidents could help but feel resentful, thinking, "Jung Hayeong did all the work, why do I have to go through this chaos...?"
[Geonhan Daily] [Exclusive Breaking News] "If I can't reach you by phone, I'll just co in person"— Famous Arican fire-attribute awakener joins the influx of arrivals]
The world's elites don't care about this. Jung Hayeong's remarkable feats were, after all, just the expected outco of years-long efforts. Wise adults often teach their children who have faced failure that in life, the process matters more than the results. Yet, despite this knowledge being passed down, truly process-oriented individuals were rare in this world.
Even so, was Jung Hayeong really that strong? What on earth is his secret?
Those who didn't know might have thought, "He already has S-rank power, so why is he struggling so much?" But in fact, it was precisely because of their position that they hungered even more for learning.
Kim! Please co to the dungeon with !Please spar!
That's why all this chaos has arisen.
[Free Bulletin Board] ************
[Title]
[Wow, insane. A Bold Street Vendor Overcharged an Overseas S-Rank Who Followed Kim Giryeo
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