I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter

Erosion is a phenomenon where blue fog emanates from a gate and contaminates the surrounding area. Areas contaminated by the magic of another world transform into favorable environments for monsters to live in. If the area beyond the gate is called a ‘dungeon’, the contaminated area around the gate is called a ‘field-type dungeon.’

 

Once contaminated, the place was no different from a dungeon, so considering that, the Korea University Museum of Art was no different from a land of death.

 

“Well, that student…” a Hunter trailed off.

 

But anyone could guess the rest of his sentence.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, Sooho…

 

 

[Level up!]

 

 

‘This… Is this for real?’

 

Unbelievable things were happening.

 

Letters floating in the air.

 

The level-up system that could only be seen in dreams long ago had appeared in reality.

 

‘Oh my. Could this be another dream?’

 

No. This time, it was definitely not a dream! The vivid sense of reality brushing against his skin proved that fact.

 

Moreover, as soon as the level-up message appeared, all the accumulated fatigue disappeared instantly. Even the minor burns caused by the mist were completely healed.

 

But what is this?

 

[You have met all the requirements to complete ‘Secret Quest: Courage of the Weak’.]

 

[You have unread messages.]

 

 

The level-up system he had experienced in his dream simply marked the level, and there was no separate message like this.

 

It felt more official.

 

When Sooho looked at the messages, the message box automatically expanded.

 

 

[You have two unread messages.]

 

[Welcome to becoming a ‘Player’ in real life.] (Unread)

 

[A quest has been activated.] (Unread)

 

‘Player…in real life?’

 

He checked the first message first.

 

 

[Secret Quest: Courage of the Weak]

 

You have proved your qualifications by gaining experience points in a non-awakening state.

 

You have awakened from level 0 to level 1, and now you can check your status window.

 

 

[Information]

 

This system supports the growth of ‘Player’.

 

This time it is not ‘Tutorial Mode’. Please be mindful that you only have one life in reality.

 

 

‘Tutorial mode? Could it be referring to that dream?’

 

Sooho instinctively realized that his dreams during his adolescence were all practice games, and this was the actual game. Moreover, additional features not supported in the tutorial mode were now added.

 

For example, the ‘status window’.

 

[Status Window]

 

Name: Sung Sooho

 

Level: 1

 

Job: None

 

Title: None

 

HP: 100/100

 

MP: 10/10

 

 

[Stats]

 

Strength: 10 Stamina: 10

 

Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 10

 

Sense: 10

 

(Available Ability Points: 0)

 

 

[Skills]

 

Passive Skills: None

 

Active Skills: Ruler’s Authority Lv.1

 

 

Information on Sooho was briefly displayed on the status window, like a game.

 

Sooho immediately checked the next message as well.

 

 

[Quest: Rescue the Survivors]

 

There are people nearby waiting for your rescue.

 

Please rescue as many of them as possible.

 

The reward will vary depending on the number of people you rescue.

 

– Current number of survivors: 52

 

– Current number of people rescued: 0

 

The second was the quest window. This quest was also a system that Sooho had never experienced in his dreams.

 

‘The reward varies depending on the number of people rescued?’

 

It felt like a real game, but this was a serious reality. Even at this moment, people were continuously dying in real time.

 

 

[Current number of survivors: 52 → 51]

 

[Current number of survivors: 51 → 50]

 

 

As Sooho looked at the situation board, he suddenly regained his senses.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

[Guooooh!]

 

‘Oops!’

 

Sooho realized that he had been too distracted by the status window.

 

A Mistburn had approached him unnoticed and was attacking him.

 

“Ah!” Sooho swung his arm reflexively.

 

Thwack!

 

But something surprising happened.

 

[Guakh!]

 

The Mistburn hit by Sooho’s fist recoiled in pain and flew backward.

 

“… Huh?” Sooho was even more bewildered as he looked at his own hand. He had hit the blazing blue smoke with his bare hands, but it wasn’t hot at all.

 

Then another Mistburn pounced from behind.

 

Sooho immediately threw a punch without hesitation.

 

Thwack!

 

[Guakh!]

 

It was the same as before. The Mistburn was sent flying by Sooho’s ordinary punch.

 

[Guoh?]

 

By now, the Mistburn seemed surprised. Sooho didn’t seem like much of a threat, but the pain from being hit was too much.

 

However, Mistburn was a creature driven solely by instinct.

 

[Guaaaah!]

 

Upon the roar of one, all the Mistburn in the vicinity rushed toward Sooho.

 

But Sooho wasn’t shaken by the threatening sight because he had realized these creatures posed no real threat to him now.

 

It was time to counterattack.

 

Wham!

 

He charged toward the Mistburn without hesitation.

 

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

 

[Guakh!]

 

[Guookh!]

 

The situation was completely different from a typical raid.

 

Normally, the strategy would involve calmly assessing the monsters’ strength, with the tank blocking the front and the damage dealers attacking from behind.

 

But Sooho ignored all that and swung his fists, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the misty monsters.

 

Nevertheless, the effects were evident.

 

 

[You have defeated Mistburn!]

 

[You have defeated Mistburn!]

 

[You have defeated Mistburn!]

 

… …

 

Sooho continued to defeat them one by one as he moved forward.

 

 

[Current number of survivors: 37 → 36]

 

 

Meanwhile, the number of survivors continued to decline. It meant that the number of Mistburn was increasing.

 

‘The faster their numbers grow, the faster people will die exponentially.’

 

Sooho had to hurry. He thoroughly searched the art museum and found the survivors.

 

“Get out quickly!”

 

He ushered them out of the art museum one by one.

 

[Current number of people rescued: 12]

 

***

 

“What’s going on? How are they all escaping?”

 

The Hunters outside the art gallery were surprised. They were just about to check their equipment and enter, but people kept coming out on their own, one by one.

 

“Someone inside rescued us.”

 

“A student rescued us!”

 

Hearing their words, the Hunters were even more astonished.

 

“Is someone inside currently fighting the misty monsters?”

 

“Could there already be other Hunters inside?”

 

Hearing this, Assistant Im shook his head. “That’s not possible. There are no Hunters among the students, and other Hunters haven’t arrived yet.”

 

Daehyun, listening from the side, said hopefully, “Could it be Sooho?”

 

“Sooho?”

 

Assistant Im and the Hunters exchanged glances, hesitating. The probability of an ordinary person surviving in a field-type dungeon was extremely low. However, they couldn’t bring themselves to tell Daehyun that his friend might have died.

 

However, one of the survivors who escaped just now knew Sooho.

 

“That’s right! Senior Sooho saved us!”

 

“What?!”

 

“Sooho? How on earth?”

 

“He defeated the misty monsters with his bare hands!”

 

“… With bare hands?” 

 

The Hunters looked grim at those words. It was undoubtedly a mistake caused by the survivors being terrified. Fighting Mistburn with bare hands was too risky.

 

‘His hands would have been burned to a crisp.’

 

‘It’s suicidal.’

 

Unless a Hunter could infuse magic power into their fists, they would have to protect their hands with gauntlets at least to avoid getting burned while fighting.

 

Regardless, the fact that a student named Sooho was alive and rescuing people seemed certain.

 

The Hunters muttered with serious expressions.

 

“Perhaps that student…has awakened.”

 

“Sooho awakened?”

 

At those words, Assistant Im’s eyes turned back to the museum.

 

Even at this moment, survivors continued escaping from the dungeon, rescued by Sooho. The Hunters had finished preparing to enter the art museum just in time.

 

“Team Leader, magical measurement is complete. It seems to be a D-rank dungeon.”

 

“Understood. Then we need to hurry.”

 

At the mention of a D-rank dungeon, a determined glint appeared in the Hunters’ eyes. There would likely be something much stronger than Mistburn outside within the D-rank dungeon.

 

Even if Sooho had just awakened, no one could guarantee how long a rookie with no dungeon experience could last inside.

 

***

 

Puck!

 

 

[You have defeated Mistburn.]

 

 

Sooho, who had vanquished all visible Mistburn, breathed heavily.

 

‘It’s almost over.’

 

He was exhausted to the point of wanting to collapse, but his mind was clear.

 

And then…

 

Ding!

 

[Level up!]

 

 

Sooho’s entire body was enveloped in a transparent light as vitality surged.

 

‘I can continue with this!’

 

Just as he was about to search for the remaining survivors and move on, suddenly…

 

Crash!

 

“…!”

 

The ceiling above him exploded, and piles of debris and an enormous amount of dust scattered in all directions. Sooho was startled and tried to roll away from the falling debris, but he couldn’t avoid it altogether.

 

Sooho previously healed wounds as he reached level 2 started bleeding again, and blood trickled down from his forehead.

 

But that wasn’t the problem.

 

A giant wolf descended from the hole in the ceiling.

 

[Growl!]

 

Thump!

 

The moment Sooho saw its immense presence, his mind flashed with realization.

 

‘I can’t defeat this.’

 

He knew it as soon as he saw it. It was a survival instinct that every living being possessed, a primal fear that was entirely different from Mistburn.

 

[Grr.]

 

The giant wolf looked down at Sooho with a disdainful gaze, its eyes fixed on the wounded prey with nowhere to run. At the same time, immense pressure weighed down on Sooho, making him feel suffocated.

 

“Ugh.” Sooho clenched his teeth. He didn’t plan on succumbing to fear at this point. He would simply take the best course of action he could.

 

‘If I can’t escape, I’ll attack first!’

 

Thunk!

He grabbed a nearby rock and hurled it at the wolf.

 

But the giant wolf effortlessly brushed off the attack with a dismissive swipe of its paw.

 

‘Seize the opportunity!’

 

Sooho charged at the wolf with all his might, wielding the same fist that had slain numerous Mistburn before.

 

However, it was futile.

 

[Growl!]

 

Crack!

The wolf’s jaws clamped down on Sooho’s shoulder.

 

“Ugh!” Sooho gnashed his teeth as he repeatedly struck the wolf’s head.

 

But even that was not enough.

 

Bang!

In the end, Sooho was thrown to the ground. The huge paw of the wolf pressed arrogantly on its body.

 

It was a fight that could never have been a fair match from the beginning. Knowing this, the wolf savored its victory as if it were natural. And just as the wolf’s cruel fangs were about to tear into the Sooho’s throat…a miracle happened.

 

[Kieeeeeeek-!]

 

Swooooosh-!

Suddenly, a black bolt of lightning struck vertically from the sky above. 

 

Baaang-!

 

[…!]

 

The ceiling collapsed, splitting the space between the giant wolf and Sooho into two. As the dust settled, the king of ants appeared with his whole body covered in black steam.

 

 

[Beru Lv.Max]

Marshal Grade

 

With one hand, Beru snapped the wolf’s jaw shut while looking down at Sooho.

  We go back in chapters and re-read the manhwa in editing and re-editing to keep our consistency. In our effort to give you the best reading experience, 90-95% of the terms we use are from the official manhwa translation. There will be a lot of mentions and re-appearances of characters from the prequel. For more information about the characters, you can easily look up their names on the Internet.