NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126
Chapter 126: An Unexpected Visit
Si-hyun turned his gaze.
An unexpected figure was standing there.
It was Team Leader Seo Yong-gil from the Inspection Bureau.
While it was clear the Hunter Association would be sensitive after the recent Gate incident, I never expected Team Leader Seo to visit personally.
“Team Leader Seo, what brings you here?”
Si-hyun greeted him.
“I came to check on the Hunter. Please continue your conversation. I’ll be waiting in the lobby on the first floor.”
Team Leader Seo said with a smile.
He then started to walk toward the entrance of the hospital.
At that moment, Kang Baek opened his mouth.
“No, I think I’ll take my leave, brother. With how popular you are, more guests will be coming. I shouldn’t occupy your time for too long.”
“Already leaving? Are you sure you don’t want to talk a bit more?”
“No, I’ll head out. I have work tomorrow. I’ll visit again next time.”
Kang Baek said his goodbyes to Si-hyun and stood up.
He even gave a nod to Team Leader Seo before quickly heading towards where the taxi was waiting.
“Oh dear, I feel like I made you get up for no reason.”
Team Leader Seo made a bit of a troubled expression.
“He probably got up because of work tomorrow, so don’t worry about it too much. But more importantly, you wanted to talk…”
“Have you had dinner yet? If not, I’d love to have dinner together while we chat. Ah, of course, I’ll treat.”
“Sounds good. Free food is always welcome.”
Si-hyun said with a smile.
“Thank you for making time for me.”
Team Leader Seo also returned the smile.
◈ ◈ ◈
They went to a Korean restaurant near the hospital.
It seemed like they had made a reservation beforehand, as they were led to a small room inside.
It was a nice place to have a quiet conversation.
It made me think he’s exceptionally thorough.
Until the food arrived, Team Leader Seo didn’t say anything particularly special.
He only asked the usual questions about the condition of the patient.
Once the food was set on the table and the door closed, Team Leader Seo’s expression shifted slightly.
“Please eat, Hunter.”
“I’ll enjoy it, Team Leader Seo.”
As the meal progressed a bit, Team Leader Seo seemed ready to bring up a serious topic.
“I was really surprised when I first heard about this incident.”
“You have every reason to be shocked. It was such a serious issue. I’m sure you expected there would be many casualties when you heard the Gate had opened and monsters were pouring out.”
“Just as you said, such dreadful thoughts crossed my mind. I tried my best to gather Hunters for a dispatch, but it was such a sudden event….”
Team Leader Seo trailed off, taking a sip of water.
Setting his cup down, he continued.
“And once I heard where the incident occurred, it wasn’t long before I thought of you, Hunter Lee Si-hyun.”
“Myself?”
“Yes, I knew you were working there. You’ve been involved in quite a few significant incidents, haven’t you?”
“That might be the case….”
He couldn’t deny it.
The Face-avoidance Technician, Double Gate incident, and more recently, the Human Butcher case on Daeijak Island.
All were incidents where Hunters lost their lives and were subjects of the Hunter Association’s investigation.
Seeing these incidents laid out made him feel as if he was a harbinger of bad luck.
It seemed Team Leader Seo had a similar thought.
“I apologize for saying this, but the moment I thought of you, I felt chills. Oh no, not this person again… I couldn’t help but think that.”
“….”
Si-hyun fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
If they found out he was involved in the Black Cross incident at Yangju, they might see him as a cursed human attracting major disasters.
“Plus, despite facing such incidents, you always manage to come through unscathed. Not just any D-rank Hunter either. It’s fortunate you’re safe, but from an objective standpoint, how should one interpret this? Remarkable luck?”
Si-hyun thought, here we go.
Getting involved in large-scale incidents too frequently, and coming out alive each time, suspicion was bound to arise.
When coincidences stack up, they stop being coincidences.
“May I take a moment to excuse myself?”
Team Leader Seo asked.
Si-hyun nodded, and he pulled something out of a black leather briefcase.
It was a Magic Power measuring device.
He seemed to have prepared thoroughly before coming to see him.
Si-hyun chuckled dryly.
“May I measure your Magic Power?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Si-hyun replied nonchalantly.
Team Leader Seo directed the measuring device toward Si-hyun and pressed a button.
Beep.
-101.
“….”
He sensed Team Leader Seo’s face stiffening slightly.
He pressed the button again.
Beep.
-101.
The same result appeared again.
‘Wasn’t my ability supposed to have increased again?’
Si-hyun had seen his Magic Power rise from 99 to 101 before.
That was a very rare occurrence.
Team Leader Seo was well aware Si-hyun had fought head-on against the monsters this time.
It had even made news; there was no way the Inspection Bureau’s team leader wouldn’t know.
He also understood that the level of monsters this time was akin to those found in an A-Class Gate.
These were not monsters a D-rank Hunter could usually handle.
So naturally, he found himself speculating that an exceptional increase in ability had occurred once more.
Yet, the Magic Power readout remained unchanged.
Magic Power and other ability scores had a proportional relationship.
If Magic Power was high, then the other stats were likewise high, and if low, then the other stats followed suit.
This was the result of studying enough Awakened Beings who had disclosed their stats globally; there wasn’t a single exception.
So, if the Magic Power remained unchanged, it implied that all other stats also remained unchanged.
…Was this even possible?
How could a D-rank Hunter take the lead in battling monsters of that level?
Team Leader Seo concealed his surprise at the unexpected outcome and returned the Magic Power measuring device to his briefcase.
He then spoke with a serious expression.
“Hunter, let me ask you honestly.”
“Go ahead.”
“The Magic Power clearly indicates you are a D-rank Hunter. But how were you able to fight those level monsters?”
“Ah….”
Si-hyun nodded, as if he understood.
“As you might guess, the inmates helped a lot. I had two A-Class inmates, Cheol-hyung and Mujik beside me, and they were incredibly helpful. Honestly, they practically did the monster handling. I didn’t really do much.”
His tone slightly wavered when mentioning Mujik’s name.
He thought Mujik was dead.
But Mujik was alive.
Most of Hellfire’s power was spent breaking through the black barrier created by the man.
The explosion was loud, but it didn’t heavily damage Mujik or the man inside it.
In Mujik’s case, he did sustain severe injuries, losing one eye and one ear, but the burns were not too extensive.
Right now, he was undergoing treatment in the hospital’s ICU.
“Hmm….”
Team Leader Seo showed a perplexed expression as he absorbed Si-hyun’s answer.
Had there been CCTV, this would have been much simpler, but the fight against the monsters took place in an area without cameras.
Of course, many witnesses were present.
But the accounts were too varied, making it hard to determine exactly what had transpired.
It’s often said that shocking scenes are hard to forget.
That’s true.
However, when a person falls into extreme panic, their memory can become muddled, and they might find it hard to recall events clearly.
There were many such people during this incident.
Hence the varied testimonies.
Moreover, fights between Hunters weren’t slow like highlight reels.
They moved quickly and fluidly, making it even harder to remember.
Especially the clashes with the unidentified man and the S-Class Great Sorceress; very few could recall them accurately.
All anyone could remember was how things kept flashing, exploding, and the loud noises….
At the end, the only clear recollection was of the man striking down with his sword.
They hoped a B-Class Wizard among the inmates would offer some insight, but they responded that they were out of their minds and couldn’t recall anything properly.
In any case, it was challenging to ascertain how Si-hyun engaged the monsters accurately.
Of course, there were inmates who fought alongside him.
But they all echoed the same sentiment that Si-hyun led the fight but couldn’t recall the specifics, almost as if to elevate Si-hyun’s role.
However, listening to the testimonies, it seemed undeniable that Si-hyun faced the monsters head-on.
It appeared that Si-hyun had nothing more to say on the matter.
He fell silent as if there were no further answers to give, taking up his chopsticks to eat some side dishes.
“I heard you spoke with an unidentified man.”
Team Leader Seo switched topics.
He believed pressing further would yield no detailed answers anyway.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Do you remember what you talked about?”
The conversations with that unidentified man and the S-Class Great Sorceress were of great interest within the Hunter Association.
Particularly, they were paying special attention to the unidentified man.
While they were curious about the Great Sorceress’s identity, they knew she was an Awakened Being.
However, the man was a complete mystery.
Everything was shrouded in darkness.
There were speculations in the Association that he might be linked to the secrets of the Gate.
So they were exerting every effort to uncover his identity.
Unfortunately, the information was painfully scarce.
“Well, I can’t recall well….”
Si-hyun’s reply was completely truthful.
He genuinely couldn’t remember much.
He felt they exchanged some words to stall for time, but the details eluded him.
Upon hearing Si-hyun’s response, Team Leader Seo showed signs of deep disappointment.
Realizing this, Si-hyun suddenly remembered something.
“Now that I think about it, that man referred to himself as ‘I.’ I’m not sure, but isn’t that a term kings use to refer to themselves?”
“You heard that too, Hunter.”
“Oh, I guess it wasn’t much help anyway. Honestly, I’m also quite curious about that man’s identity. If I ever find out who he is, please let me know. After nearly dying at his hands, I think I deserve to know at least that much.”
Si-hyun said with a bittersweet smile, lightly touching his wounded chest.
“Do you know how you survived?”
Team Leader Seo asked, looking as though he suddenly recalled something.
“I was unconscious, so I wouldn’t know, but I heard a woman rescued me when I woke up.”
“I see. You heard about that. But it’s quite strange. The injuries you sustained were clearly fatal. I don’t know what that woman fed you to heal you, but it surely must be some incredible treasure. I can’t imagine someone would use such a treasure on someone they don’t know. What do you think?”
“Well, I suppose you have a point, but since I couldn’t see her face, it’s difficult to say whether I know her or not. If I find out later, I’d appreciate it if you could let me know.”
Si-hyun answered calmly.
As he talked with Team Leader Seo, he noticed something.
Though he had undoubtedly used Hellfire, he hadn’t asked about it.
Since it had detonated just after being used at such a close range, he likely didn’t recognize it as Hellfire.
Moreover, the potent techniques used by the man and Hyris left such large wreckages that he might have just one of those incidents mixed in.
More people were aware of what happened, but the inmates would never testify against him, and the witnesses seemed too disoriented to remember what had transpired.
What a relief.
If they’d figured it out, it might have led to a troubling situation.
“I understand. I’ll inform you if I find out more about that woman.”
Team Leader Seo couldn’t detect anything unusual in Si-hyun’s demeanor.
Yet, something felt off.
After the Sword Master incident, and now with the S-Class Great Sorceress.
Could there really be a connection between such beings and a D-rank Hunter?
There was definitely something about this man.
Everything that’s happened had given that impression.
Yet, the Magic Power measuring device unmistakably indicated he was a D-rank Hunter.
That was a figure that couldn’t be deceived.
This perplexing contradiction was giving Team Leader Seo a headache.
Drrrk.
At that moment, Si-hyun’s phone vibrated.
“Excuse me for a moment; I need to take this call.”
Si-hyun requested permission and answered the phone.
“Yes, yes. Oh, really? Alright, I’ll be right there.”
Si-hyun hung up the phone.
“It seems you have something urgent.”
“Ah, yes. They mentioned they have a few things to check. I’m sorry, but I think I have to go.”
“No, no, I’ve kept the patient too long already. Please, go ahead.”
“Yes, then. Until next time. I really enjoyed the meal today.”
Si-hyun said his farewells and stood up.