Chapter 69 – I Wish I Was on TV (1)

“Why are you saying things that weren’t planned?”

He had been planning to hold a press conference in high spirits for the first time in a while.

As it was, his position within Tushin had been wavering due to a recent string of poor results.

Then, he received five new A-rank or higher hunters.

No, in terms of PvP, they could even be considered near S-rank.

Thanks to bringing in such talent all at once, Kim Shin was able to regain some of the higher-ups’ trust.

“Is being honest a problem?”

Ryu Ji-yeon sat with her legs crossed, engrossed in web surfing on her phone.

“This is interesting. The public’s reaction.”

As a result of her statement, all sorts of speculative articles and community posts were popping up.

Finding the reaction refreshing, a faint smile formed on Ryu Ji-yeon’s lips.

“Hah, this is driving me crazy. First, don’t mention Hanul, and as for that Lee Hyunbin bastard, he’s our main enemy, so keep that in mind.”

Kim Shin spoke in a somewhat forceful tone.

When he first heard the story from Seol Ji-hoon, he thought he could handle them easily.

But this was different from Seol Ji-hoon.

Unlike Seol Ji-hoon, who basically listened to others’ opinions, the Company Man was as fickle as their notorious reputation suggested.

“Don’t worry. Lee Hyunbin is our main enemy as well.”

At Ryu Ji-yeon’s words, Kim Shin let out a low sigh.

“Everyone will live at the guild while your schedules are free. And I’ll say it again, make sure your identities are never revealed. If this goes south, it’s not just me; you’ll all be finished too.”

Ryu Ji-yeon looked up from her phone upon hearing Kim Shin’s words.

Her eyes were emotionless and dry.

Seeing them, Kim Shin felt a chill run down his spine.

“I’ll be careful from now on. However…”

Ryu Ji-yeon pulled at the corners of her lips, mimicking a smile.

The smile of a predator luring its prey.

“Why do you keep speaking to me so casually?”

“……”

At the words of Ryu Ji-yeon, no, the Company Man, Kim Shin was rendered speechless.

The aura of a Villain who had slaughtered people in the triple digits was different.

It was enough to silence even a veteran like him, who had faced all sorts of hunters in aerial and underwater combat.

“We-well, usually in professional relationships…”

“Let me tell you in advance. You should probably watch your words around the others. We haven’t gotten close yet, so there could be a misunderstanding.”

A misunderstanding.

Kim Shin could only nod at the threat delivered with a smile.

“W-well then, I’ll be looking forward to your work…”

“Will you let us know when a dungeon raid comes up?”

After finishing his private meeting with the Company Man, Kim Shin loosened his tie.

“Fuck.”

He had no choice but to accept this Villain because his own position had weakened.

“Damn that delivery bastard.”

For Kim Shin, bringing a Villain into the guild was a huge gamble.

Even when he scouted Seol Ji-hoon, he didn’t have him join Tushin directly but instead had him join a sub-guild he operated behind the scenes.

Only after confirming there were no issues did he transfer him to Tushin…

This was a humiliation.

He had to suffer this indignity all because that bastard, Lee Hyunbin, had been running rampant everywhere.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Fight fire with fire.

He would use poison to suppress poison. He had already created an escape route.

Unlike Kim Shin, who was smiling triumphantly, the Company Man remained alone, continuing to surf the web on their phone.

They were searching for every single move made by the deliveryman, Lee Hyunbin.

“Hero, you need to become stronger.”

An alluring smile graced the Company Man’s lips.

The great hero they had seen in their youth.

When he raised his sword to the sky, the heavens split and the earth trembled.

He was a living legend.

They wanted to witness that magnificent sight once more.

* * *

A goblin appeared.

A goblin that appeared in the middle of the city.

The goblin that emerged from the gate looked around its surroundings.

It saw the barricades set up around the dimensional rift. And it saw the countless humans lined up nearby.

The goblin gathered its courage and let out a roar.

After all, intimidation was key in a fight.

As the goblin expected, the humans behind the barricade didn’t move.

They were just on standby.

Though there were many humans, only one stepped forward.

“Kihet, kihek!”

The goblin drew its sword.

It charged straight at the big oaf.

“Kihek!”

The goblin was defeated in an instant.

All the large man did was swing his sword once.

“Goblins? They may be beginner-level monsters, but they can be dangerous if you’re not careful.”

“Safety. Safety is paramount.”

“I will strive to become a hunter who works even harder for a better society and a safer life for everyone.”

Kim Cheol-su of the Hwarang Guild clenched his fist and struck a fighting pose for the camera pointed at him.

“Excellent! Hunter Kim Cheol-su, you’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

A group of staff members applauded.

Kim Cheol-su was in the middle of a broadcast shoot.

When the first awakened people became hunters to protect the safety of citizens, they were treated as heroes.

But after they became high-income taxpayers, some people started viewing them with prejudice.

That’s why the disaster safety agency and a broadcasting station collaborated to create a program.

-Hunter Reality Daily Documentary.

-‘While You Were Sleeping’

It was a special program created to dispel the negative perception of hunters and foster a wholesome atmosphere.

“Oh my, thank you for your hard work. By any chance, do you have any hunters in mind for the next episode?”

“Next?”

“Yes, the guest always nominates the next one.”

At the PD’s words, Kim Cheol-su thought for a moment.

It would be difficult to recommend someone from the same Hwarang Guild.

Frankly, no one had more star power than him.

In that case, there was only one person he knew.

“How about Hunter Lee Hyunbin?”

“Hunter Lee Hyunbin?”

At Kim Cheol-su’s words, the PD’s face lit up.

‘I knew it.’

Right now, Lee Hyunbin was a figure of great public interest.

Even Kim Cheol-su had felt goosebumps all over his body watching the video of the dragon raid incident he’d seen a while ago.

A mere C-rank porter, holding a single sword, rescuing people and facing a giant monster.

It was like a well-scripted fantasy movie, but there was something about it that stimulated all the senses.

“Great, that’s great! May I ask how you two know each other?”

“There was a time when my skills weren’t improving at all, and I was just stuck in a rut. That’s when I met Hunter Lee Hyunbin through an acquaintance.”

“Ah, back when he was a trainer?”

“Yes, I learned a lot after receiving his training. I gained a lot of confidence after that.”

The PD nodded repeatedly, pleased, thinking it was a perfect story to use.

In truth, the reason Kim Cheol-su had gained confidence was simple.

*Ah, if I keep training under this guy, I’m going to die.*

Despair builds character.

Kim Cheol-su realized how blissful a hunter’s life was without Lee Hyunbin, and he was able to break out of his own shell.

‘Well, a show like this is good for his reputation, so he probably won’t mind.’

…Or will he?

In the end, Kim Cheol-su couldn’t shake his doubt.

* * *

I came to the guild today as usual, and that Demon King punk was urgently looking for me.

What a pain.

I mean, I used to be a Hero back in the day. And a guy who used to be the Demon King is summoning a Hero, of all things.

If this is for something stupid, I won’t let him off easy.

With that thought, I went up to the royal floor, and the Demon King fellow gave me an incredibly warm welcome.

What’s this about?

“You’re here?”

“I’m here, but why are your arms open?”

“In this world, don’t people hug to express familiarity?”

“No, you and I never did that crap.”

“Then let’s do it now.”

No way, you crazy Demon King.

The Demon King punk is really hyper today. Something good must have happened.

“How’s the team these days?”

“The team? You must have seen the reports. Hey, not this, give me that expensive tea I had last time. That one had a nice aroma.”

“Hah… Just drink this. I went to the trouble.”

“You think I came all the way up here to drink this cheap green tea?”

“Hah… Power trip… Ministry of Labor… Report…”

An Elder Succubus reporting someone to the Ministry of Labor.

That’s a pretty novel image.

Maybe because we used to fight each other in the other world, but for some reason, the urge to mess with Olivier just wells up inside me whenever I see her.

It wasn’t this bad before, but it seems to have gotten worse after I played that dating sim and came to understand human psychology.

“Well, Kim Tae-yang, Kim In-ho. Both are solid, just as you’d expect from guys you had your eye on.”

The two of them recently became B-rank hunters.

It’s an exceptionally fast progression.

It’s been 11 years since the Gate generation began.

There are many hunters who remain at C-rank for all 11 of those years.

“Thanks to you, my standing has improved a lot lately.”

“Your rank in the line of succession shooting up, huh?”

“Of course.”

Im Jae-joon. I can see the classic story of an illegitimate son rising to the throne unfolding.

Well, if he does well, it benefits me too. We’re partners for now.

“Seo Hyun-ji has gotten quite strong too.”

“She was an S-rank to begin with.”

Everything is going well.

As for Katrinne, her stamina is a little lacking, but as a healer, she’s in the top position.

So I’m curious.

There shouldn’t be any reason for him to call me.

“A request came in for you to appear on a broadcast.”

“A broadcast?”

Again?

Honestly, I used to admire the star hunters who appeared on TV.

So I tried it out a bit at the beginning, but it was really boring.

It felt like such a waste of time, so I’ve been unconditionally turning down all broadcast appearances.

“Don’t tell me you want me to go?”

“You’ve already become the franchise star of the Hanul Guild. It’s a good chance to go on once, boost your recognition even more, isn’t it?”

“You never used to pressure me. Did they bribe you with something?”

No, he’d never insisted on something I said I didn’t want to do.

It’s suspicious that the Demon King punk is being so proactive.

“It’s not particularly because of the dinner with the esteemed Omija.”

“Omija?”

Let’s see. I’ve heard that name somewhere.

Ah, I remember.

She’s an elderly actress with stark white hair, famous for dishing out kimchi slaps in morning dramas.

“What, are you a fan of that grandma?”

“Grandma? She’s still hale and hearty.”

No way.

Come to think of it, back in the day, when he said he would send a princess for a peace treaty with the demon army, he had wanted the king’s widowed mother, the queen.

The king thought he was being openly mocked and had requested my support.

“You have a thing for older women?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t live with such impure thoughts.”

This crazy Demon King.

I don’t think a guy whose very existence is impure should be saying that.

“Honestly, you’re running your own business too, right? The hunter training business.”

“Right.”

“Wouldn’t this be good promotion for that business?”

“Hey, you think I live for that kind of personal gain?”

“I know, I know. You’re not doing it for business, but for the safety of hunters, to create a more peaceful world, right? To do that, wouldn’t it be good to appear on a broadcast to raise your profile and make use of the positive functions of media?”

The Demon King makes a plausible argument.

All while clutching the ticket for a dinner with the actress Omija as if it were precious.

Hah, I’d rather see him go dark and try to bring the world to its knees.

This is just…

Well, the Demon King punk does have a point.

I’m in the middle of my hunter training business, but I was worried because it still lacks a lot of recognition.

“Here, I’ve brought the tea you wanted.”

Just then, Olivier came back with fresh tea.

But I have a bad feeling.

I have good instincts. And my instincts are kicking in right now.

“Did you do something to this?”

“Do something? That’s ridiculous. Then don’t drink it.”

Olivier responded curtly.

“I was just asking.”

I said, lifting the teacup to savor the aroma and bringing it to my lips for a sip.

Just then, I saw Olivier’s prim eyes strangely glaze over with pleasure.

“Hey.”

“Wh-what?”

“You drink it.”

At my words, Olivier’s pupils started shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

“Wh-what are you talking about? I went to the trouble of m-making it for you.”

“Yeah, you drink it.”

What are you trying to pull?

“Y-you think I c-can’t drink it if you tell me to?”

Olivier took the cup with a trembling hand. Her eyes were welling up, tears forming.

Seriously, you hate the idea of drinking it that much?

What on earth did you do to the tea?

Anyway, the offer to be on a broadcast.

It’s not a bad idea.

I let out a low sigh and spoke.

“When does filming start?”