F-Rank Secretly Becomes Stronger - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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20

“Hunter Juhyeok, if it weren’t for you, we really would have died.”

“You caught everything from the Lich King all by yourself! Are you seriously insane?”

The party members who had exited the Gate, received prescriptions for Neural Disruption Suppressant, and returned to their right minds.

After everyone heard about what had happened inside, their reactions were unanimously nothing but praise.

“Even when I heard you caught a mutant alone, I knew you weren’t ordinary, but this is just ridiculous.”

It was only natural.

A mere F-rank Shinseong had entered a D-rank Gate and performed at MVP level.

Single-handedly defeating the Skeleton Army and even taking down the Lich King.

It would be strange not to be amazed by such an achievement.

“Not at all. It was just an opponent I had good compatibility with, so I was lucky.”

“In this business, luck is also skill. Besides, even with good compatibility, it’s not common for a rookie to take down a D-rank boss.”

The leader lightly patted Juhyeok’s shoulder, praising him.

He calmed down the other noisy party members and wrapped things up.

“Anyway, thanks to you we survived, and you really worked hard. Don’t worry about the settlement – we’ll make sure you’re not disappointed.”

“Thank you.”

Juhyeok bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

Without showing even a trace of fatigue on his expression, he calmly bid his farewells.

“Well then, I’m quite tired, so I’ll be heading home now.”

“Alright, get some good rest.”

The people let Juhyeok go, knowing he must be very tired from the Gate work.

Receiving praise felt quite good, but he was mentally exhausted and wanted to return home quickly.

‘With this raid, the hospital bills and living expenses should definitely be covered.’

Not a bad harvest.

Considering the E-rank Magic Stones that poured out from the skeleton horde and the Lich King’s D-rank Magic Stone, it would be quite a profitable income.

Since they said they’d divide the settlement generously, a decent amount would probably be deposited into his account tomorrow.

His steps felt lighter with the thought that he’d accomplished something.

Just as he was standing at a nearby bus stop to visit his mother at the hospital.

“Juhyeok.”

Jihoon, who had suffered alongside him today, called out to him and approached.

“Going straight home?”

“I should.”

“Really?”

His voice had somehow changed in atmosphere.

A moment of quiet air passed, leaving only the sound of cars speeding by on the road in front of the bus stop.

“If you’re okay with it, I was going to suggest we grab dinner together.”

With those words, Jihoon turned his head to face him.

“I’d like to have a serious talk too.”

“….”

A subtle tension that made his hair stand on end.

Juhyeok deliberately ignored it and answered.

“If it’s about a guild, I’m not joining.”

“That’s a shame, though that was part of what I wanted to discuss.”

Jihoon smiled slightly.

He let out a light sigh and continued.

“You were amazing. I did ask if I could trust you, but honestly, it was hard to believe.”

“It would be stranger to trust an F-rank Hunter.”

“Haha, I know well enough that you’re not F-rank level.”

Who would look at Juhyeok and consider him an F-rank Hunter?

Anyone who had entered the raid with him today would know.

Juhyeok was at least C-rank.

In terms of potential, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was B-rank or higher.

“But you were beyond the rank I had imagined.”

His growth was unbelievable.

It was incomparable to his sluggish growth rate during his Academy days.

“I was surprised when you beat Im Hyeongju, but this time I can’t even describe how truly shocked I am.”

How on earth did Juhyeok manage to achieve such results?

The fruit of all the effort he had shown so far?

Before entering the raid, he had believed that without a doubt.

That his stepped growth had shown a very steep pattern.

That the sweat of effort he had shed until now was finally blooming into flower.

“But you didn’t even reawaken, right?”

Until he came out of the Gate and heard news of his reawakening.

“There’s updated data from a few weeks ago. It still says F-rank.”

“I’m not making fun of you. Rather, despite being F-rank, you defeated the Lich King with swordsmanship alone. That’s actually amazing.”

An F-rank Hunter who hadn’t even reawakened defeating the Lich King.

It was naturally an achievement worthy of admiration.

No, it was beyond the level of admiration.

“How did you really do it?”

Suspicion.

Maybe he had used drugs to temporarily increase his mana… or perhaps he had hidden the fact of his reawakening through data manipulation.

However, that didn’t fit this situation.

If an F-rank Hunter had taken drugs powerful enough to single-handedly defeat the Lich King, there would surely be side effects as well.

Juhyeok showed no such reactions whatsoever.

Data manipulation was even more impossible.

The place where he had recently taken his reawakening test was Mir Guild.

All of this was information available on the Hunter Association website.

Even though Mir Guild was a fairly well-known mid-tier guild, it wasn’t at the level where it could manipulate data.

Even major guilds would face immediate dissolution if they got caught by the International Hunter Association for data manipulation, so there was no reason for a mid-tier guild to take such risks to hide information about a rookie Hunter.

“….”

Juhyeok remained silent.

Because he had seen Jihoon earlier, alone with a bad expression among the festive crowd.

And because he was the one who had remained sane until the very end.

He could somewhat predict what would be said here.

“Earlier, before the Lich King died, he said something at the end.”

“…Did he?”

“He did. I remember it clearly.”

He had heard it clearly.

No matter how busy he was protecting his party members, when the Lich King’s head fell and all the Skeleton Army collapsed simultaneously, Jihoon had gained some breathing room.

Thanks to that, he was able to hear it.

The words the Lich King left before dying.

Jihoon glanced around to see if there were people nearby, confirmed there were only the two of them, and spoke very quietly.

“Don’t, don’t eat my magic stone….”

The Lich King’s last words that he remembered exactly.

Jihoon had clearly seen his solemn voice transform into the voice of a lowly prey.

“Before the next words could come out, you killed the Lich King.”

“…Ah, I remember now.”

So he had aroused suspicion after all.

‘Well, it would be strange if a human who’s only F-rank killed the Lich King and didn’t arouse suspicion.’

Jihoon, as an Academy classmate who knew what kind of life he had lived, would be even more suspicious.

Rapid growth was bound to arouse suspicion, and a clue had fallen to him.

However.

“But can I even eat that?”

Jihoon would never be able to imagine it.

That an artifact dwelled within a human body and that magic stones were directly consumed to use it.

It was a conclusion impossible to reach with ordinary human thinking.

“Still, since I contributed quite a bit, I should be able to eat the D-rank Magic Stone, right?”

“Still, since I did my part, I should be able to get the D-rank magic stone, right?”

“….”

Eyes meeting Jihoon’s gaze.

He hesitated for a moment at the confident look, then turned his head back toward the road and answered.

“Probably so. Since you caught them all.”

“That’s a relief, I’ll get paid for my hard work.”

Not long after leaving that response, a bus approached the stop.

Juhyeok stood up from his seat.

“The bus is here. I’m going first.”

“Alright, take care.”

Juhyeok left the bus stop first.

Jihoon let out a deep sigh alone at the bus stop and scratched his head vigorously.

“…What was I thinking.”

He had suspected his friend with ridiculous thoughts.

With just a little thought, he could tell it was an absurd idea, yet he had doubted his friend who was finally shining.

‘Considering how hard he worked, even this isn’t enough.’

A guy who could be called the epitome of persistence without any shame.

Based on the effort he had witnessed with his own eyes, it was well deserved.

‘I need to work harder too.’

Jihoon shook off the unnecessary suspicions from his mind.

He resolved to work even harder so he wouldn’t fall behind.

*

“Mother. Your son is here.”

The hospital room he went straight to after coming out of the Gate.

He came to the hospital first before going home to let his mother, who was always full of worry, know that he had returned safely from today’s Gate.

Just as he opened the door to show his uninjured face.

“Oh, you’re here now.”

In the hospital room, a man who appeared to be in his 50s with a full beard was sitting next to his mother.

“…Who are you?”

He showed wariness toward the unfamiliar face.

The other person didn’t mind and stood up from his seat, approaching Juhyeok.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Go Geonyeong, the Guild Master of Mir.”

“….”

The Guild Master of Mir.

Hearing the name, memories began to surface.

‘Master and disciple with S-rank Lee Siheon… They say he’s raised many other Hunters too.’

A person who had excellent abilities as an A-rank Hunter, but was even more famous for his eye for recognizing talent.

Juhyeok first accepted the handshake he offered, then asked calmly.

“What brings the Mir Guild Master to my mother’s hospital room?”

“I came to greet the hospital director and wanted to see if there were any inconveniences.”

Geonyeong answered with a hearty laugh despite the sharp attitude.

He appealed his harmlessness as much as possible with a kind smile.

“She’s the mother of the benefactor who saved our kids, so we should treat her with utmost care, shouldn’t we.”

“…Thank you.”

“Thank you for what, as I said before, it’s only natural.”

A smile showing his healthy teeth as if it was nothing special.

Juhyeok looked at him, then turned his head to his mother and said.

“Mother, I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Alright, have a good talk.”

His mother already knew without being told.

She could roughly guess why he had come, so there was no need to ask.

Juhyeok said to Geonyeong.

“Shall we go get some fresh air together?”

“Sounds good. Let’s go out together.”

The two left the hospital room together.

Juhyeok looked for the most secluded spot he could find and sat down on an empty bench he happened to discover.

As soon as Geonyeong took his seat, he opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“I heard you took down the Lich King solo in today’s raid.”

“News travels fast, doesn’t it.”

“That’s how this industry works, especially when it’s shocking news about an F-rank hunter soloing a Lich King.”

Even so, it had barely been two hours since the raid ended, yet he had already heard about it.

While he didn’t mind having more people recognize his abilities, his position made it difficult to simply be happy about it, leaving him unsure how to react.

‘I hope they don’t bother Mother.’

What if someone came to Mother’s hospital room today like the Mir Guild Master did, causing trouble?

He was somewhat worried they might disturb a patient who needed to rest.

Moreover, if they kept bringing up safety concerns and pressuring him about joining a guild, he’d have to endure more nagging every time he visited.

For Juhyeok, his worries were mounting.

Just as he was contemplating how to deal with the uncertain future ahead.

“I’m not one for beating around the bush, so I’ll ask you directly.”

Geonyeong spoke to Juhyeok, who had been quietly lost in thought.

Before even hearing his question, Juhyeok answered firmly.

“I have no intention of joining a guild.”

“Haha, I already know that from what Yena told me.”

The fact that Juhyeok had absolutely no intention of joining a guild was something he already knew.

Geonyeong hadn’t come here merely to recruit him for the guild.

“This isn’t a proposal from Mir’s Guild Master, but from Go Geonyeong Hunter personally.”

The emotions he felt while hearing detailed accounts of today’s solo victory against the Lich King.

Though he had never seen him wield a sword directly, the more he heard about him, the more familiar his intuition became.

That same intuition he had received from encountering countless rough gems until now.

It rekindled the passion that had been dormant in him for years.

“Would you consider learning under me?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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