Chapter 179: A-Rank Ranking Match (1)
Liette headed straight to the waiting healers. Even though she had used a potion, there could still be unnoticed injuries lingering, so it was better to receive a healing skill as well. Properly managing one’s body was a basic principle for combat Hunters. Of course, even ordinary people should take care of their health.
I really should start exercising, too.
As the drones above us withdrew, we prepared to leave the battlefield—or rather, the wasteland that looked like it had been hit by multiple earthquakes. Just as we were moving away, my phone started ringing. I picked it up, and a burst of noise greeted me.
[Oh, he picked up! He picked up!]
[Yujin! Was everything okay?]
[Lord, is Noah nearby?]
[We just saw it, the win! Noah was amazing!]
The voices of Do Hamin, Myungwoo, Seok Hayan, and Kim Minui all came through, along with others in the background. Due to editing, the broadcast had been delayed slightly, so it seemed the match had just ended on TV. I assured Myungwoo that there had been no issues, everything went perfectly, and thanked him sincerely.
“Seok Hayan, you’re still awake? That’s rare.”
[Thanks to our special blend energy drink that brings tomorrow into today!]
[What about Noah? Has he fully healed?]
One of Seok Hayan’s team members asked worriedly. I assured them that Noah was fine before handing him the phone. A chorus of congratulations filled the air, and Noah, looking a little bashful, thanked them.
‘He’s still close with the people from the building.’
Ever since the day we asked Myungwoo for help with the harness, Noah had grown closer to him. More specifically, Myungwoo, after hearing about Liette and Noah’s family history, had taken pity on him and looked after him. Noah didn’t seem to mind at all—in fact, he seemed to look up to Myungwoo slightly. When Myungwoo had quickly crafted the claw covers after the harness, the admiration in Noah’s eyes had deepened.
As I half-listened to the phone chatter, it seemed like there had been quite a commotion. This was the first time an S-rank Hunter’s battle had been broadcast on TV, so the excitement was understandable. But the atmosphere felt even more festive than I’d expected. Since it was a domestic event rather than an international one, I’d assumed the reaction would be more subdued compared to the original ranking matches. Then again, during the ranking matches before my regression, individual battles and raids involving Hunters had already been broadcast multiple times. It wasn’t as novel back then.
‘If Yun Yun were here, they’d have enjoyed this a lot.’
The thought of Goblin King crossed my mind. There had been no news or SNS updates from her for a while now. I was worried about how they were doing, but there was no way for me to track her down. I had even asked Do Hamin to look into her phone number, just in case, but it turned out to be a number used for less than a year. Besides, with her elusive skills, it was hard to trace her even if they were in Korea—let alone now, as she was likely in China, which was becoming increasingly isolated.
‘Yun Yun may have S-rank spatial teleportation and stealth skills, so there’s probably no one who could harm her.’
Still, you never know. There was always the possibility that the jellyfish-like enemy had interfered. Even though Yun Yun wasn’t human, she had reached a point where she could be classified as a natural S-rank. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone had tried to contact her—after all, her skills alone made her incredibly valuable.
‘She’s not the type to go down easily, but I’m still worried.’
At least the contract was still intact, so I knew she was alive. All I could do was wait patiently. Her SNS activity had stopped right around the time Choi Seokwon had died. The timing was even more concerning since it was the day after I had encountered the jellyfish in Seong Hyunjae’s home.
“Hyung, are you hurt anywhere? Are you feeling dizzy?”
“Mister, are you okay?”
Yuhyun and Yerim approached me with concern. I wasn’t in perfect shape, but the motion sickness pills seemed to have helped. My mana was more than half depleted, and the forced use of the Teacher skill on Liette had left me with a headache, but it wasn’t too bad.
I considered taking out a mana potion and maybe even some painkillers since my poison resistance was active, but I decided against it. No need to make the kids worry.
“I’m just a bit tired. Thanks for your help, Yuhyun. Yerim, you did great too.”
“I want to be on TV for a match, not just as a commentator! There’ll be an S-rank ranking match someday, right?”
“Even if there is, you can’t join.”
Yerim’s eyes widened at my words, her expression like she’d been struck by lightning.
“Why not?”
“You’re still a minor. How could anyone broadcast kids fighting?”
“But Noah is only nineteen!”
“His birthday already passed. And by his current nationality, he’s legally an adult.”
“But… didn’t you say Hunters have separate laws applied to them?”
“That’s only for certain things. It doesn’t apply to ranking matches. Even Hunters under eighteen are still protected as minors.”
If she were to argue that dungeon raids were just as dangerous, I’d have little defense, but at least those were for survival. Ranking matches, on the other hand, were purely for entertainment and considered a type of sport. Allowing minors to participate in potentially injurious fights for the sake of a broadcast was unacceptable. And broadcasting such fights would only invite public backlash.
Even before my regression, the ranking matches had a minimum age requirement of 18, and the current A-rank matches followed the same rule. Come to think of it, Kang Soyeong’s birthday hadn’t passed yet, had it? Even if she had made it out of the dungeon early, she wouldn’t have been able to participate.
“This is unfair! If I’d been born five years earlier!”
“Not four years?”
“If I’m going to be born earlier, I might as well match the Guild Leader! My birthday’s earlier, so I’d be the older sister!”
Yerim as Yuhyun’s older sister? That was hard to imagine. Yuhyun seemed to feel the same way—or rather, judging by his expression, it wasn’t just disbelief but outright ridicule.
At that moment, Noah, having finished his call, handed my phone back to me. Then, with a serious expression, he spoke.
“Mister Yujin, before, I asked you to let me stay by your side until I no longer feared my sister.”
“Ah, yes. I remember.”
“But now, I just want to stay by your side, without any specific reason.”
“I’d be more than happy to have you stay. You’ve helped me a lot, after all.”
Noah smiled, as though he had been expecting my agreement. But his face quickly grew serious again.
“I’m fine now. I’m not worried even if my sister is in Korea. But… if it’s possible, could I also live at your house?”
“What? Well…”
Just as I was about to answer yes, I heard Yuhyun’s low muttering.
“…That damned lizard, after all I did for him.”
It was so quiet that I wouldn’t have heard it with my normal ears. But since the Teacher skill was still active on Noah, I caught Yuhyun’s near-growl loud and clear.
I froze, and Noah turned to look at Yuhyun.
“Hunter Han Yuhyun, please!”
…Why was he pleading with Yuhyun now? To my surprise, Noah stepped forward and began earnestly appealing to him.
“I’ll stay in my dedicated form so I won’t be a bother!”
“…What?”
“I’ll even try to get a skill for miniaturization or intangibility! If I reduce my size to the limit, I’m not much bigger than my human form anyway. I’ll stay quietly in a corner, I promise!”
Wait, was the reason Noah wanted a miniaturization skill all because of this? Just as I was about to intervene and tell him that wasn’t necessary, Yerim grabbed my arm and shook her head. In a small voice, she whispered:
“Let Noah handle this.”
“But—”
“Noah’s doing great. If he doesn’t win over Yuhyun, even if you give him permission, he’ll end up kicked out without you even knowing it. Worse, he might get kidnapped and dumped overseas in the middle of the night.”
While Noah could easily find his way back with his flight and stealth skills, such a scenario shouldn’t happen in the first place.
“…Would Yuhyun really go that far?”
“He absolutely would. If I hadn’t knocked him down a peg in Hong Kong, I probably wouldn’t have been able to move into your house either.”
“Park Yerim, don’t say nonsense.”
Yuhyun frowned as he spoke. Then, turning to Noah, he addressed him coldly.
“If you plan to stay in a miniaturized form, there’s someone else you need permission from first.”
“Who? Who do I need to ask?”
“Peace. If Peace accepts you, I won’t interfere anymore. Of course, you’ll have to obtain the miniaturization skill first.”
…Peace? Noah, are you really okay with joining my household like this? After just declaring your independence from Liette, I couldn’t help but question if this was what you really wanted.
‘But it’s what Noah wants.’
Besides, he was still young. Even if his method was a little unusual, the fact that he was taking the initiative to find a new place and make efforts to secure it was a good sign. No one becomes a fully independent adult overnight after shedding their burdens in one moment.
If someone were to instantly free themselves from every tether in life, they’d no longer be human—they’d be enlightened. A lifelong journey of gradual improvement, moving toward something better, is more than enough.
Noah was still young, and he had me and others around him to support him. It was okay for him to grow at his own pace. Just as he’d said before, it was fine for him to bask in care and protection for now.
He wouldn’t remain the same forever. One day, he might live independently in his human form, or even find a new home and leave with confidence.
‘…I guess I should ask those insufferable bastards about the miniaturization skill.’
Peace is kind, so I’m sure he’d accept Noah. He’s been tolerant of everything so far, after all. And honestly, Noah would be incredibly cute in miniaturized form.
“If Noah gets miniaturized, he’s going to be super adorable.”
Yerim seemed to have the same thought. Just imagining it was enough to make my heart race.
“We’ll have to be careful so Soyeong unnie doesn’t try to steal him. She still has the portal key, you know. She’d totally break into your house in the middle of the night to take him.”
That was… plausible. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to replace the portal key yet due to opposition from the Association. Sesung was indifferent, and Breaker kept delaying their response, citing their Guild Leader’s absence.
Back then, when I didn’t have any S-rank housemates, it made sense to need the portal key in case something happened to me at home. But now, I had two S-rank Hunters living with me. If Yuhyun or Yerim ever needed to step in, I could just temporarily leave the key with someone like Song Taewon. Why were they still talking about “safety measures”?
“All the other Hunters have been sent back, so you can deactivate your stealth now.”
Seong Hyunjae’s voice interrupted my thoughts. He had approached without me noticing. As he said, the healers and A-rank Hunters, along with their equipment, had disappeared. They must have returned to the training facility to reorganize. Liette was nowhere to be seen, so she must have gone with them.
“Hey, Sesung Guild Leader.”
I turned to him as he deactivated his stealth skill.
“You must’ve enjoyed the show. So, how about it? Do you feel like adding one more name to your birthday party guest list?”
Don’t underestimate our Noah. If his skill lands, even you could end up weaker than him in an instant. No matter how strong you are, if your stats are cut in half, wouldn’t you end up at an A-rank level?
At my words, Seong Hyunjae turned his gaze toward Noah, who was thanking Yuhyun for agreeing to let him stay. Hmm… maybe this wasn’t the best look for Noah right now. Yuhyun was also banging his metaphorical head against a wall, muttering that he never agreed to anything like this. Still, since Yuhyun said it would be fine as long as Peace approved, that’s halfway to acceptance, isn’t it?
“It wasn’t bad.”
“That’s pretty stingy.”
“Do you think Noah needs my approval right now?”
“No, I suppose not.”
Having broken free from the lifelong chains of Liette, Noah had no reason to concern himself with Seong Hyunjae now. With his wings now steady and confident, he was flying not toward a cage, but toward a nest of his own choosing, one that he truly wanted. Even the Sesung Guild Leader, who had once briefly tied him down, likely held no real significance anymore. After all, Seong Hyunjae couldn’t offer Noah what he wanted.
“You’ve clearly lost out, Guild Leader. Our Noah has so many incredible abilities.”
“Then I’ll have to work harder to avoid losing more in the future.”
I was about to reply with a sarcastic “Good luck with that,” but I shut my mouth when I noticed his gaze was fixed not on Noah, but on me. No, I’m not involved in this. Taking a large step back from Seong Hyunjae, I turned to Noah.
“Noah, to celebrate your victory, dinner’s on me! Let’s all go together—I’ll even rent out an entire restaurant!”
Including the folks from the building, of course. Celebrations are best when they’re lively and crowded.
When we returned to the advanced Awakener training facility, a staff member from the Association was waiting for us. They informed us that the A-rank ranking match, originally scheduled for today, had been postponed to tomorrow. The state of the arena was in shambles, and the sheer scale of the previous battle made it unreasonable to start an A-rank match immediately afterward.
Not that A-rank Hunter battles are dull by any means, but they don’t exactly involve mountains being destroyed, the earth being overturned, or debris flying into the sky. This was precisely why the Association had originally wanted the S-rank match to close the event rather than open it. But since Liette had insisted on going first, they’d had no choice.
Still, the viewership ratings and responses were phenomenal. Everyone seemed satisfied—except for the A-rank Hunters, whose matches were now overshadowed.
The evening’s celebratory party included not only the usual crowd but also Kang Soyeong, who had recovered from her fatigue, and Liette, who joined as well. That would have been fine, but Seong Hyunjae, ever oblivious, decided to show up too. Sure, I might have casually said, “Let’s all eat dinner together,” while he was nearby, but did he really have to take that as an invitation?
As a result, I ended up using his card instead of mine again. I had planned to treat everyone with my own card for once, but since we went to such a fancy place, the bill was massive. Still, with his card, it wouldn’t even leave a scratch on his wallet.
The next day, the main event of the ranking match resumed under the same intense heat and excitement that lingered from the previous day.
–TL Notes–
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