After checking later, I found out that the website where the article appeared was a third-rate media outlet known for its low credibility. So I think other people would quickly realize that the article was fake, but…

‘Damn it.’

The problem was the words in the title of the article.

Kim Kiryeo. The name of this body has finally been exposed by the media. Moreover, the world doesn’t even give me time to be surprised. Right after, a new message arrived on the phone in my hand.

‘Could it be that my number got leaked too?’

I carefully looked at the screen. The contact number was a unique 8-digit code. I recalled which organization it was connected to.

‘I remember calling this number once during the Flower Baron incident.’

Isn’t that the main number of the Korean Hunter Association?

***

A short while later, Kim Kiryeo arrived at the Hunter Association in response to the call. However, he never expected that the summons would come from such a high-ranking official.

The person standing in front was none other than the head of the organization, Chairman Ko Byeongdo.

“Now, make yourselves comfortable and have a seat.”

The chairman welcomed the visitors with a gentle expression.

“Ah! The weather outside is quite chilly. Weren’t you cold on your way here in that outfit?”

“Yeah…”

“Ah, I see. Being in your twenties, you must still have a lot of heat in your body. Haha.”

In a completely different attitude from the last time, when he turned red over the enchanter’s business, Chairman Koh treated Kim Kiryeo comfortably, even sharing trivial jokes. However, amidst the laughter, the main issue subtly emerged.

“Anyway, the reason I called Hunter Kim Kiryeo like this is for another reason.”

What followed were a few calm words from the association chairman.

“Did you see the article today? That…People are really making a fuss right now? It seems that our Hunter Kim Kiryeo has done a lot of great things that no one knows about.”

He raised his eyebrows as if he was slightly criticizing, even though his voice was gentle.

“Whether it’s the [Flower Baron] or the [Inevitable Malice], that’s all fine. Honestly, who would stop a hunter from hunting, right?”

“….”

“But hiding your rank like that is just unacceptable.”

Tuk, tuk.

The association chairman lightly tapped the table with a smiling face.

“I don’t know what the circumstances were, but from today on, I’ll register your awakening level as normal.”

Normal registration? The young man sitting across tilted his head slightly at those words without paying attention.

“If you register the awakening properly this time, I’ll overlook everything that’s happened so far with special discretion.”

“Yes?”

“I mean, I won’t hold you accountable for past matters.”

The Association made a proposal to Kiryeo.

“The new S-class being exposed as a rank forger would only damage everyone’s reputation. Wouldn’t it be better to let this pass quietly?”

“….”

“Actually, your rank was hidden under my orders… Well, if we explain it that way, the public will quickly understand.”

To summarize, his words probably meant this.

“So, Kiryeo, from now on, just continue as you are, huh? If there’s a dungeon break, you can help out like you did yesterday. Okay?”

Even now, it would be good to properly reveal that he’s an S-class. Also, from now on, he should respond to the Association’s summons like other high-ranking hunters.

Chairman Koh made a basic demand based on the law. That’s why he couldn’t have expected this kind of response.

“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about…”

The blonde hunter immediately denied the allegations as soon as the chairman finished speaking.

“I’m not an S-class.”

Kim Kiryeo explained politely that the Inevitable Malice matter was simply exploiting the weaknesses of a weakened monster with a clever trick. Similarly, the Flower Baron incident was a matter of luck. He clarified that his actions were not particularly extraordinary.

“The rumors circulating on the internet are all exaggerated. Claims about fighting with Jung Haseong or anything like that are completely groundless nonsense.”

A truly honest explanation. But do you know how the Association reacted to it?

“Haa, really!”

The association president exclaimed in disbelief.

“Even with all this evidence, you’re still saying you’re an F-class?”

Yeah. The logic is sound. The things Kiryeo said were based on facts, so there were naturally fewer points to criticize.

However, despite this, the chairman couldn’t fully trust Kiryeo’s claims. The man had other undisclosed criminal records.

“Then what about the time you secretly entered an A-Class gate? Explain that too.”

“What?”

“Why, you attacked the gate where the golem appeared with a hunter named Ahn Yoonseung.”

Kiryeo flinched. He showed a moment of bewilderment as the incident he had completely forgotten about was brought up.

“…Wasn’t it concluded that the porter tag was omitted by mistake?”

How could that be the reaction of an innocent F-class?

With this, the chairman was certain.

The chairman was now convinced. The man before him was a high-level awakened being, and his recent explanations were merely a meticulous disguise to conceal his true rank.

‘You really did a great job of putting it all together!’

Tang.

The chairman slammed his fist on the table, his expression clearly frustrated.

“Look, the association is giving you a chance. But why do you keep lying?”

“What?”

“If this continues, we will take strong measures. We can’t keep covering up for your rank manipulation.”

But the more they displayed this attitude, the more one hunter felt increasingly wronged. After all, he was truly just an F-rank with no real power at all…!

“No, do you have any evidence that I did that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the stuff floating around on the internet is just vague speculation. In the end, proving my awakening level relies on the association’s testing equipment.”

Declaring someone a criminal based solely on circumstantial evidence, without any solid proof? That’s unfair, especially on a planet where the legal system is well-established.

“Chairman, even if I were to undergo a reexamination right now, it would still show that I’m F-class. Seriously.”

So, Kiryeo confidently stated that he could not comply with the summons. Because no matter what tests he undergoes, he would always be proven to be F-class.

“So, I suggest you don’t waste your time worrying about someone as insignificant as me and focus on your own tasks….”

Kiryeo, feeling embarrassed and sweating profusely, tried to persuade the Association staff.

However, it’s difficult for a person’s feelings to be fully conveyed to others.

“Ha!”

The chairman began to severely misinterpret what the awakening person right in front of him was saying. With sambaegan eyes glaring and a face twisted in anger, it was hard to view such statements positively.

‘Evidence? Evidence? Are you telling me to keep quiet since we won’t be able to prove your disguise with our own technology anyway?’

Chairman Koh thought the awakening person was blatantly mocking him. He almost raised his voice in anger, but the subsequent noise interrupted the moment.

-Tiring?

It was too significant of a notification to ignore.

“Wait a minute,”

Sshk.

Kiryeo glanced at his phone and soon got up from his seat. It seemed that the recent message was quite important.

“Uh… have you said everything you needed to? I’m sorry, but it seems I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I need to leave now.”

Kiryeo disappeared quickly, leaving the association chairman gasping when he saw this.

“T, that! That selfish guy. I’ve never liked him since the beginning!”

Up until this point, it could have been just an obvious backbiting, but the problem was what he said next.

“As expected, people like that really think they have the right to everything when someone approaches them kindly at first…!”

The chairman of the association took out his phone and made a call to someone.

[Reporter Yang?]

At the top floor of the Magic Tower Guild, a young woman sitting on a sofa kept sighing as she checked her watch repeatedly. She was anxiously waiting for a visitor.

-Kiiiek!

“Ah!”

“Excuse me.”

Eventually, an awakener with bright yellow hair appeared. Esther’s face lit up with a broad smile as she saw the person coming through the door.

“Hunter Kim Kiryeo!”

That’s right. The message Kim Kiryeo received earlier was a summons from Esther. When an S-Class curse wizard calls, an F-Class like him should come running without a trace of hesitation.

“Hunter Esther, are you feeling alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine, as you can see.”

Then, the question from now on is why Esther called.

Tuk.

Kiryeo assumed that Esther had called him because of the cursed sword and placed the equipment on the table. However, the response he received was indifferent. Esther ignored the unique-grade item and immediately started speaking.

“By the way, I saw the article! It says that you were the one who took down the S-class monster. Is it true?”

She was stunned. The [Inevitable Malice], which everyone had assumed would be defeated by Jung Haseong, was taken down by an F-Class hunter. And to top it off, that F-Class hunter had been hiding his true rank all this time?

‘What if he’s angry right now?’

In a way, this is because she couldn’t kill the boss at once. Esther felt vaguely sorry for the hunter in front of her.

Of course, it wasn’t at all strange that the opponent ran away from the Imoogi. Those close to S-Class are often unable to collaborate effectively due to their immense power. He must have had no choice but to keep his distance.

‘It’s not that the curse didn’t work. Rather, there’s no certainty that this side was safe from that man’s ability…’

Perhaps after Kim Kiryeo retreated like that, he quietly reduced the number of enemies while avoiding the eyes of others?

‘That’s for sure. This incident had surprisingly few casualties compared to its scale!’

Esther, not fully understanding Kang Changho’s actions, could only be somewhat mistaken. She misinterpreted the situation, believing that the hunter before her had done his job behind the scenes, only to have his identity exposed because he was covering up the mistake of the Magic Tower.

“Let me get to the point first.”

So Esther suggested with a serious face.

“Let’s quickly address the rumors first.”

“Yes?”

“If the rumors about the S-class continue to spread like this, Kiryeo-ssi will be in trouble. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“So, if Kiryeo-ssi is okay with it, I think I’ll hold a press conference.”

Listening to her follow-up plan, it seems that Esther had a few journalist acquaintances with whom she’s close with. She could gather them to sway public opinion.

‘Press conference?’

This was something Kim Kiryeo would welcome with open arms. He was in desperate need of such an opportunity for clarification.

“Kim Kiryeo-ssi, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to resolve this issue.”

“But why are you going so far…?”

“It’s because the incident got so big due to the monster the Magic Tower missed! I want to take responsibility.”

Esther continued by explaining that the sooner the press conference, the better, as it would be easier to control the situation. In response, Kiryeo said he already had more than enough materials to defend himself.

“Can you prepare it right away?”

“Right away? Of course, I…!”

Esther, who had been engaging in the conversation with a bright expression, then quickly shut her mouth.

“Esther-ssi?”

Why did the magician suddenly become silent? The answer is right here. In fact, Kim Kiryeo was dressed like this all day.

“…Preparing the venue isn’t difficult, so I’ll give you some time to stop by home first.”

“Do I really need to?”

“D, do you not need it? Uh, um. But that’s it.”

A rooster character with a strange design. A light green background that spoils the aesthetic. And on top of that, a tacky print in cursive script.

The sweatshirt Kim Kiryeo is wearing is a promotional giveaway from a chicken brand’s event. And the quality is as they can see.

“O, of course, approaching the public with a friendly image isn’t a bad idea, but don’t you think the concept is a bit too much…”

A rooster with a thumbs up and a healthy smile. Who on earth came up with such an unpleasant image?

“As expected, wouldn’t it be better to wear different clothes for press conferences?”

Esther, realizing this couldn’t continue, bravely spoke up. However, Kim Kiryeo also had unavoidable circumstances.

“I don’t have any other clothes…”

He didn’t wear these things because he liked them either.

“Huh?”

Encounter with the Beginner Killer.

Abduction.

Hunter Hunting.

Terror.

Kim Kiryeo had faced numerous dangers over time, and each time he did, he gradually had fewer clothes to wear.

Scratched, torn, and pierced. Injuries typically come with damage to clothing.

“I guess it’s because of this job. I don’t have any clothes left.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

The only clothes he had left were the ones that fell on the asphalt while running away from the Inevitable Malice, and the sleeves were torn off. In other words, the only shirt Kim Kiryeo had left was that chicken-themed sweatshirt.

“But it’s okay. I still have five new ones at home.”

Because he was an alien spirit, he didn’t understand the fashion trends on Earth even a little bit. He was barely keeping up with the idea that skin should be covered with fabric…