The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood Chapter 399: Problem

Just before the proper conversation was about to begin, a sense of impending tension hung over the sea breeze.

I thought he'd definitely change his number since he had to contact him on the sa one, which is why I just said that greeting... but there's no need to dwell on such a preamble.

For the record, today there's no ti to waste, and this is a mont where I have to sohow minimize the boredom I in the conversation. So I boldly skipped all the formalities. What's needed right now isn't logic or persuasion—it's provocation.

"Please save !"

Having grabbed their attention with this opening, I imdiately delivered the next line.

"Right now, the citizens of Seoul are in mortal danger. The seventh [Sin Classification] has strayed far from prediction is, and it's too long to explain everything here, so I'll summarize the key point: the gate that appeared in our capital is expected to 'sneak' in just the ti it takes to cook a cup of instant noodles."

Of course, at that mont, I had delivered the sentence at a faster pace than at any other ti—quick yet precise in c onveying the aning. Such linguistic technique could rival that of a mage who primarily uses [Wordcraft] spells. Yet I didn't feel proud of it; I busily adjusted my grip on the phone and kept going.

"Ugh, this situation is really complicated and exhausting."

On one side of my mind, I was thinking about how to phrase my words most effectively. On the other, I was double- a nd triple-checking the destination coordinates for the teleportation spell.

Scribble, scribble.

"Good thing I stashed this away inside the Pride Castle."

I held up the minion's magic stone that I had secretly picked up. To be honest, it was the result of a bad habit I had de veloped back in my F-rank days subconsciously kicking in. But since I picked up sothing like this anyway, I could at least draw a makeshift magic circle.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.

"The material isn't soft, so it's not really suitable for use."

The civilians on the ship were currently staring at with expressions that seed to say, "What is this person sudde nly doing on the deck?" They weren't daring to speak up only because I'm an S-rank hunter. But right now, I had no ti to worry about even such glances.

I attempted a magical assist that strayed as far from a perfect circle as possible—so it looked more like a doodle here —and imdiately returned to the call.

"So, I'm sorry, but could Hunter Kang Changho go there in person and buy us so ti, even if just for a little while?"

I'm asking him to enter the seventh [Sin Classification].

"In other words, you're asking to be a human buffer.

The other person understood the point perfectly.

[If a living human remains inside the food box, the space does not collapse.]

The proposal I just made was nothing less than a declaration that I intended to exploit that fundantal characteristic of the gate.

"That's an inhumane request, isn't it?

From Kang Changho's point of view, that reaction was only natural. Using a gate on the verge of breaking as a sacrific ial plug has long been criticized from many quarters as an outdated form of human offering. Still—given the exception al circumstances—wouldn't it honestly be worth trying?

Kang Changho is an S-rank awakened physical combatant mage. But the target is an A-rank hunting ground affected by Sloth."

No matter how notorious a [Sin Classification] is, it can't overco the inherent difference in rank. The speedrun-style strategy I had just successfully executed was evidence supporting this point.

Moreover, according to what was revealed during the strategies for the Wrath, Greed, and Lust gates... the otherworldl y dinsions of the Seven Sin Classifications only expose you for about ten minutes, and nothing catastrophic happe ns. In that amount of ti, no one's condition worsens seriously.

"Once the [Spatial Leap] I'm setting up is complete, I'll reach land faster than the White Bird team that left first."

Five minutes remain until I set foot on the capital's ground. Using the archmage's instinct to locate the gate takes thirty seconds. Then, I'll imdiately sprint to the destination in my second awakened body and physically reach it within te n minutes.

"The dungeon break deadline is shorter than this, but if a mammal enters along the way and triggers a reset, we'd effe ctively have a total of ten minutes plus a little extra..."

I calculated the total ti it would take to reach the site and then once again presented the sa argunt into the mi crophone.

"I'm only saying this because I'm confident that you won't get hurt there. If Hunter Kang Changho's life were truly at ri sk, I would never have said a word like this."

That said, I know we're in the middle of a busy mont. But this part bothers so much that I can't let it pass withou t ntioning it.

"No, but why is the call quality so bad... Can you hear my voice clearly?"

Relay installation, satellite communication—anyway, I had set everything up the Earth way so that calls could go throu gh even on the ship. Still, could sothing be wrong because we're at sea? But really, just a bit of water around shoul dn't disrupt the signal this much, should it?

"There's so kind of cracking noise interfering way too much."

The mont I reflexively voiced my doubt, the hunter with the surna Kang spoke in a calm, even tone.

"Ah, that's because I'm out for a walk right now. The wind noise is what's being picked up by the speaker.

Well, so people really have it easy. That was the first thought that ca to mind when I heard him speak. But the m ore I thought about it, that single word—"out for a walk"—carried an unexpectedly significant implication.

"Wait, you're already outside? You're not at ho? Then... you're not in Seoul right now, are you?"

No answer ca through the phone speaker. So I spoke, my voice filled with impatience.

"I sincerely hope you have at least one [Shroud of the Underworld] to get back to Seoul. Anyway, the situation right no w is really bad. That's why I'll personally like to borrow Hunter Kang Changho's strength, and I truly apologize for brea king my promise not to interfere. Still, if you help this ti, I'll honor one of your requests in return!"

Having just explained the background and the request, it was now the mont to present a fitting reward.

"Of course, I can't ask for anything too unreasonable. But I've made promises with Kang Changho more than once bef ore. He'll surely understand such limits."

An S-ranker who once once subrged an entire gate underwater and dropped a massive floating island from the sky. If a person like that were to stand in sohere on your behalf, like a temporary part-ti job, and grant a wish just f or that... of course, people would normally welco it.

"Moreover, taking on a one-ti task like this is far outside the scope of any work-related trauma."

I cautiously added another point to reinforce my argunt.

[If the capital falls, wouldn't you, as a citizen there, naturally be in trouble too?]

I hoped that the hunters here had grown up well, that they wouldn't want to be at odds with a national hero, and so on and so forth. This was sothing anyone could infer just by looking at what a certain awakened individual had said in the past. Kang Changho, despite enduring all kinds of inconveniences due to his low hunting rank, was a Korean who had never left this country. I persuaded him under the assumption that the [Sin Classification] incident unfolding in Se oul would also bother him.

"So you know you broke your promise.

But the response I got was unexpected.

Promise.

He was the first to bring up the unspoken non-aggression pact that had quietly ford between us.

"You're saying "go to the dungeon" right after blatantly breaking the repeated warning not to contact ... Truly, you manage to be rude in a different way every single ti.

Honestly, I'm actually quite gentle for an Alphauri.

"But you've misunderstood sothing. I honestly don't care if Seoul falls apart.

It was at that mont, I instinctively widened my eyes at the sentence that flowed from the receiver.

I admit I acted in a way that could be easily misunderstood. I just prefer familiar surroundings. But if unexpected inco nveniences keep happening...

"What?"

"Then just emigrate. Emigrate.

A shocking statent from a golden spoon S-rank hunter—second only to Esther in dostic real estate holdings.

"Hey, you brat. Don't you care about the housing prices?"

It was the mont a foreboding feeling arose. Just as the cold judgnt in my chest had predicted, he ultimately reje cted the proposal.

"Besides, in this day and age, who would believe a promise made only with words?"

He even offered a rather convincing argunt.

That was the last thing I heard.

Next ca the sound of the signal breaking—a sharp crack—through the phone speaker. Above all, the chanical st atic that had persisted throughout the conversation was gone, making the situation clear in every way.

"He hung up first."

Today, it was clear that the contact had been blocked—there was no chance to call back.

"Damn it!"

If I'd known it would co to this, I should've just used my trump card—Threaten!—from the start. That atelier-like pla ce of his I'd been criticized from many quarters as an outdated role. Maybe if I'd acted like a thug and forced him to help while I was still being nice, the result would've been better.

"As expected, we ran out of ti. Even if I'd properly persuaded him, it would've been hard to get him to head out with in six minutes anyway."

A brief flash of self-doubt.

"The capital is just destined for a dungeon break. Better accept reality and focus on preparing."

I tasted the bitterness of failure as I went on drafting the [Spatial Leap] spell. I could only hope this wouldn't turn into s othing far worse, but honestly, what else could I do?

***

Wusung...

[Ti is short, so please leap on the next signal.]

The roar of countless car engines The voice prompts from audio traffic signals, and so on. The familiar noises of a bus tling city filled the surroundings. Amid this clamor, the place was a modern Asian capital, where towering skyscrapers had firmly taken root.

Seoul.

Yet, despite the familiarity of the scene, the everyday sounds carried an overwhelming sense of chaos.

Bang!Baaang!Turn on your blinker! Does it cost money or sothing?!

Defying experts' predictions, the Castle of Sloth appeared with an unprecedented short interval. Moreover, the warni ng that it would erupt in just a few minutes had already been broadcast to the citizens.

Of course, human lives took priority over property prices. The people living amid the skyscrapers imdiately set out t o evacuate, trying to escape the disaster even a little.

"No, it had been quiet for a while. January's already over, so what's at this commotion?"

"Oh my. So—"

With news broadcasts, radio, and all kinds of public audio devices mobilized, the situation was fully covered. On the m assive electronic billboard attached to a building wall, an announcer reported in real ti with a calm deanor. Yet, d espite these warnings, there were always a few people who ended up letting their guard down.

"Hey, but I saw on the news that the dungeon that appeared there makes people lazy. I'm unemployed anyway, so it d oesn't matter if I get a bit lazier. So wouldn't just resting in my room solve the problem?"

"What are you talking about, you lunatic? Hahaha! Shut up and get in the car, quickly."

Compared to sothing like Wrath, the Sloth effect seed much weaker. Yet from an expert's perspective, such opi nions were surprisingly hard to accept. The [Sin Classifications] that had appeared so far tended to apply to the concept of an entity aggressively. And since the gates were created by non-humans to begin with, perfectly predicting them was nearly impossible. Take, for example, eating, drinking, or even breathing. If humans beca so lazy that they fou nd even survival itself botherso, what would happen then?

"Tsk, tsk."

A hunter fully aware of all the risks clicked their tongue every ti they overheard the casual, carefree chatter around them.

"They should be starting the engine instead of chatting like that—"

But no matter how frustrating it was, what could be possibly do with this small group?

"Everyone! The dungeon's magic asurent results are in!"

"What score?"

"What's the score, then?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say it's top-tier for sure, but it barely exceeded the A-rank upper limit by about twenty point s."

"What the—? Then by international standards, it's technically S-rank, right?"

New facts continued to erge on site. As the archmage had instinctively warned, the current [Castle of Sloth] was d eveloped differently from previous gates. A system that could arguably be called unrivaled was soon discove red. Like monsters ticulously "sharpening their blades" for war, the tirelessly diligent creatures were lined up in per fect order, their eyes wide open as they waited there.

"This..."

Bird-like beasts that, in the black of night, could almost be mistaken for humans. The monsters wielding weapons app eared to be a variant of a certain gate creature known as [Blind and Nest]. Their magical power was far higher than any previous Sin Classification. Inside, bird soldiers sward as if ready to explode at any mont. Who on earth would d ie in enter a nest of such monsters?

"That gate's set to break in just a few minutes. Honestly, even knowing this, you can't stop it. Any team stepping in wo uld be in danger within seconds, and no one's going to stand their ground without taking a bullet to the head first."

The more information erged from the initial exploration team, the more chaotic the atmosphere on site beca.

Murmurs.

They had gathered because a major crisis was imminent, but the hunters on site trembled with anxiety, worried wheth er they could handle it.

"E, everyone, please calm down. The people who went on the 6th Sin Classification are already returning to Seoul."

"When... when?"

"If they're coming all the way from the 6th Classification, that's a whopping 200 km. Even flying with [White Bird], a few minutes wouldn't be nearly enough!"

And it's not like there were only monsters. Once people entered, it was obvious that they would beco increasingly l azier. It's no joke, causing their combat power to plumt. So another high-ranking official from the association was sweating profusely, worrying over how to handle the situation...

Vrooom.

At a ti like this... And of all places, who in the world would ride a motorcycle into such a crowded plaza?

"Whose brat would so ignorantly turn his motorcycle's head onto the sidewalk?"

At the sudden roar of the motorcycle, one of the hunters raised their phone—making it clear they intended to snap a p hoto of the license plate in front of them.

"If I report this, I'll basically win a gift card."

But just as the phone's cara app finally loaded, the naless hunter was able to catch sight of the stranger's face d rawing closer.

"Hmm?"

The mont he recognized the person frad in his shot, he lowered his phone at once.

"Huh?"

And so, instead of through the electronic screen, he faced the situation with his bare eyes. For soone like that, traff ic etiquette was far too small a pretext—this man already carried far heavier marks on his record. To be precise, it was such an Awakened who now stood right before him. How could anyone possibly let that pass without a reaction?

"W, who called that hunter here...? No, more than that—how on earth did he even get here...?"

Soon, the sound of a motorcycle being pulled over to the sidewalk and the sound of trugging could be heard.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Additionally, the sound of shutters echoed from the reporters who had gathered at the disaster site. The clicking was so sharp it almost rang in the ears as they snapped at those photos. The man who had fully ridden up onto the sidewalk didn't even bother to tell the nearby crowd to move aside. He simply strolled along, as if expecting the path t o clear on its own.

"H, Hunter Kang Changho?"

The place where South Korea's third S-rank hunter ca to a stop was right in front of a middle-aged civilian. As soon as he spotted the site manager dealing with the press, he motioned with his hand and said:

"I'll take care of this gate."

No greetings, no small talk—just a blunt proposal. It was shocking in so ways.

"Is that okay?"

"No, well... uh..."

"Or are you just going to let it blow up?"

"No! Please take care of it."

But in any case, there wasn't exactly any other choices. Before anyone could even begin to question the peculiarity o f the situation, Kang Changho went on, adding sothing even more startling than the mont that half-baked consent slip ped out. The truth was, he had no intention of acting as so temporary stopper to hold back the dungeon break. If h e was going to step into [Castle of Sloth], then he ant to take full advantage of its guaranteed epic system. In short, what he declared as an S-rank hunter was this: he was going inside to clear it completely, so everyone else could stop worrying.

"Really?"

If it was that mutant with the purple-haired, there was no telling when he might change his mind. No one could v ow of his true depth. Yet, it was around the ti a high-ranking official began passing along various details out of sheer precaution.

"I heard the situation is urgent in many ways, so I can't exactly spare the ti for a long explanation right now..."

In contrast to when he was rely talking over the phone, this ti he spoke while showing the reserved assertivenes s he had kept hidden.

"As you all just heard, I'll be the one clearing that gate from here on out. But personally, I don't like anyone tagging alo ng in my raids. So when the other hunters arrive, make sure you tell them exactly what I said."

"H, how?"

"If anyone else enters that gate, I'll kill them."