I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

Before I knew it, the clock’s hands pointed to 9 o’clock.

The bartender stared blankly at the store’s entrance and let out a deep sigh.

“Is no one coming today…”

At the somber sound, Anna glanced at Si-ho.

She tilted her head like a cat pretending to know nothing after causing trouble.

Si-ho, now familiar with her expressionless face, gave a scolding for no reason.

“How long are you guys going to stay here? You’ve already seen me take my medicine.”

“We’re leaving now anyway.”

Anna stood up from her chair.

The Executor also rose, following Anna.

“I have a company dinner today, so I should leave as well.”

The red eyes adjusted her collar.

As she was about to leave, she put a cigarette in her mouth.

“Light it outside for me.”

“Nagging again. Why aren’t you calling me ‘unnie’ today?”

The Executor persistently asked as she strolled through the hall.

Caught off guard, Si-ho shook her head hard, as if embarrassed.

“I don’t say things like that…”

When Si-ho mumbled, the Executor chuckled and walked toward the entrance.

As she was stepping out, she suddenly paused as if recalling something.

“You used to say it so easily back then…”

At her muttering, the bartender’s face flushed red.

“Hurry up and leave! I haven’t sold a single drink because of you guys today…”

The petite bartender shoved the backs of the two predators out of the store.

The two killers stepped outside, pretending they had no choice.

After they were fully outside, Si-ho finally sighed in relief.

“What’s with you? Why are you riding in here?”

“Too lazy to walk. Give me a ride, b*tch.”

“Wipe your paws first.”

From outside came the playful bickering of the two predators.

Once their voices were no longer audible, Si-ho leisurely returned to the counter.

“Are they gone?”

Ji-wook peeked his face out from the kitchen.

He looked pale, as if drained by the aura of the two women.

“Yes, they’re gone.”

“They said they were resting because they were sick, but when did they get so close?”

Ji-wook shivered, seemingly unable to believe the situation earlier.

It was a normal reaction, no different from Jung-gil’s.

“Exactly.”

Si-ho gave a bitter smile while wiping the spilled gimlet.

The pale green liquor soaked the cloth.

The bartender stared blankly at the sticky cloth.

Was my gimlet really that bad…

She briefly reflected, wondering if there had been an issue with her bartending.

There was no problem with the recipe itself.

It was likely a matter of detail.

Come to think of it, because I was sick, I didn’t prepare the garnish, nor did I chill the glass.

Just as Jung-gil pointed out, the quality was too low.

She suddenly glanced down at her own body, which had been unwell.

Her frown deepened at the sight of her chest, more sensitive and enlarged than before.

She had barely shaken off the aphrodisiac that had dulled her mind, but her body hadn’t fully recovered.

To erase memories of that day, Si-ho furiously shook her head.

Her enlarged chest swayed mockingly under her apron.

Ji-wook, watching her silently, asked a question.

“Hey, Si-ho.”

“Yes?”

“It might be a sensitive question, but…”

Ji-wook scratched his chin and blushed.

“When you said you went to the hospital, was it for surgery?”

Si-ho tilted her head in confusion at the word ‘surgery’ thrown at her.

Ji-wook asked more directly.

“Lately, your vibe… and a lot of other things seem to have changed…”

At his honest remark, Si-ho’s eyes flushed red.

Although she had been trying to hide it, everyone had noticed her changing body.

Si-ho felt embarrassed, as if all her secrets had been exposed.

Then Ji-wook delivered the final blow.

“Your eyes, in particular, have become really pretty. They’ve lengthened a bit, haven’t they? My girlfriend is curious about it too…”

“Sunbae.”

Si-ho quietly interrupted Ji-wook’s words.

He tensed at the bartender’s darkened tone.

“Uh…?”

“Instead of asking things like that, go peel some onions!”

Si-ho shouted with clenched fists.

Startled, Ji-wook quickly apologized and disappeared into the kitchen.

“Seriously… men.”

Si-ho muttered unconsciously.

Then, realizing the meaning of her words, she slapped her cheek hard.

Get a grip.

I must not forget who I was.

I’m an ex-military reconnaissance unit member!

Even with this strange body, everything will get better as long as I take my medicine…

The doctor said it would definitely get better.

She kept trying to reassure herself.

But Si-ho already knew.

Today was the last day of the medicine she had been taking for a week.

The daily medication hadn’t brought about any dramatic effects.

The clock’s hands were nearing 10 o’clock.

Out of boredom, Si-ho turned on the TV.

On the screen was a news segment comparing the levels of Korea’s Hunter Association and those of other countries.

The focus was on the significant gap in standards between associations, particularly how the U.S. Association was overwhelmingly superior to Korea’s.

Massive monsters like Gigas, as big as the Empire State Building.

Or demons like Porpus, as small as a child but capable of destroying cities with a single gesture.

To deal with such monsters, the U.S. had trained 2,000 rankers.

Their high level meant they were often dispatched to other countries.

Those rankers, ranked around 800th in the U.S., would typically be equivalent to the 80th rank in other nations.

“Wow, so the top 10 in the U.S. are basically the same level as the top 1 elsewhere.”

Si-ho wiped a glass as if watching a fantasy movie.

Once aiming to become a Hunter just to pay rent, she had become an ordinary bartender marveling at the news.

The bartender soon grabbed the remote control.

As the screen showed the U.S. top 100 rankers, she turned it off.

She had heard the sound of the entrance door opening from afar.

“—.”

The bartender braced herself to greet the guest.

A woman with black hair neatly tied to one side entered the counter area.

She was dressed in a modest suit, and her soft loafers made gentle noises as she walked.

Her mixed-race features gave her a mysterious and strikingly symmetrical face.

She resembled Anna, but unlike Anna’s sharp leopard-like face, she had a neat rabbit-like face.

“Welcome to Moment–.”

Si-ho greeted the first customer with a bright smile.

However, the woman’s complexion remained dark despite the bartender’s cheerful welcome.

She let out a deep sigh and sat at the counter.

Seeing her like that, Si-ho couldn’t help but feel tense.

“Hello…”

The woman mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Si-ho.

For her, the bartender politely clasped her hands together and asked,

“Is there a specific menu you’re looking for?”

The woman stared blankly into space.

Her large eyes, marked with deep dark circles, looked tired.

“I don’t know much about alcohol.”

It was a tricky question.

Coming to a bar without knowing much about alcohol.

Si-ho paused to think.

Recently, she had made a personal pledge.

Not to recklessly read others’ memories unless absolutely necessary.

Instead, she decided to ask honestly.

“How are you feeling today?”

“How am I feeling? As you can see, not great. It’s been tough lately…”

The woman muttered while resting her chin on the table.

She seemed to decide casually and opened her mouth again.

“Just give me something strong. Something sour and intense to wake me up.”

At her request, Si-ho raised the corners of her lips in a subtle smile.

That was enough of a clue.

A perfect choice.

When women feel bad, they naturally seek something spicy and stimulating.

Alcohol is no different.

When you feel miserable, strong and intense drinks help.

Of course, Si-ho prided herself on disliking spicy things.

But she didn’t know.

That she recently enjoyed tteokbokki near her house quite deliciously.

“Alright, I’ll prepare something for you.”

Si-ho bent her knees and pulled out lime juice.

She planned to challenge herself with a different version of the gimlet she failed at earlier.

While she was preparing, the woman quietly observed her.

She asked the busy bartender,

“Are you the wandering merchant? The one who sells potions…”

“Uh… I am, but I haven’t sold much lately because I’ve been busy.”

Si-ho wondered how the woman knew about that.

She wasn’t among the people he met back then.

“Do you remember a kid named Se-ah?”

“Se-ah…?”

How could she forget her?

She was always timid at parties but more devoted than anyone.

She was the one who gave me the wolf ears item for free.

“Of course, I remember. She was the kid who used flame abilities, right?”

“Se-ah recommended this bar to me.”

Thanks to that, Si-ho could roughly guess what kind of person she was.

She must at least be an academy instructor or staff member.

“Is Se-ah doing well? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her lately because I haven’t gone out.”

“Of course. She got promoted from the supplementary class to the elite class.”

The once gloomy woman brightened up when talking about Se-ah.

Her face lit up with pride, as if boasting about her daughter.

“It was amazing. A kid who was always down and had poor grades became so bright…”

She chatted enthusiastically with her chin resting on her hand.

Just talking about her student seemed to peel away the gloom stuck to her face.

Si-ho put down the bottle of liquor for a moment and listened attentively.

Hearing about Se-ah’s progress made her happy too.

“She would stop at nothing to win. She even threw Molotov cocktails during sparring matches between students. It was the first time I’d seen such desperation.”

A flash sparked in the woman’s eyes.

Recalling the fight, she passionately recounted Se-ah’s feats.

“That kind of desperation is what Korean Hunters need.”

“Right now, they’re too content with just achieving a rank. It’s a situation where we never know when or what kind of monster might appear again.”

The woman smiled bitterly as she looked at the bartender.

Then, as if disappointed by Korea’s reality, her face turned gloomy again.

“So, I became curious about who the bartender was that gave courage to a failed child.”

Si-ho shyly covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

It was a peculiar habit she’d developed lately.

“I’m not someone worthy of expectations… I’m sorry about that.”

When the bartender mumbled, the woman shook her head.

“No, I find it even more intriguing because you seem weak.”

The woman spoke loudly, as if complimenting her.

Although the “weak” remark stung a little, Si-ho decided to take it as praise.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.”

The woman reached into the inner pocket of her jacket.

Soon, she pulled out a business card and handed it to Si-ho.

Occupation: Academy Supplementary Class Instructor.
Info: A Hunter dispatched from the U.S. Association to Korea.

“Please share it with me, too—the secret to giving children courage!”

This name… I’ve seen it somewhere before.

Soon, the bartender remembered the news she had watched earlier.

Her hand holding the business card began to tremble slightly.

Because she had seen the name on the U.S. TOP100 ranking list.

A U.S. ranker above the 100th rank is equivalent to a TOP10 in any nation.

Which means, this woman standing before her was a TOP10 level powerhouse.

Lina was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with rabbit-like features.

But among them, she was the strongest rabbit in America.