NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18
Chapter 18
“A new rank 1 appears?! The shocking defeat of Hunter Kwon Tae-hyuk…”
“The new protagonist of rank 1! How will Yeseong Guild’s stock price react?”
“The mysterious hunter… How long will they hold the top spot?”
“Face and background a secret? The new rank 1 hunter shrouded in mystery!”
“‘Cover’ fever sweeps online… A hunter appears like a comet”
For the first time in 3 years, the rank 1 position has changed. Who is the identity of the hunter called ‘Cover’?
(Image)
▲ The two hunters before the start of the ranking match (Photo source: Hunteroun TV)
On the night of October 31st, a ranking match to determine the top position was held in an empty lot.
The main character of the stage was Kwon Tae-hyuk, the representative of Yeseong Guild and the then rank 1, against an unknown hunter.
After more than an hour of intense battle, the ranking match ended with one side collapsing.
Surprisingly, the defeated one was Representative Kwon Tae-hyuk.
The audience watching the ranking match was shocked by Kwon Tae-hyuk’s loss, but quickly became excited about the emergence of a new rank 1 hunter.
(Image)
▲ The new rank 1 hunter supporting the unconscious Representative Kwon Tae-hyuk (Photo source: Hunteroun TV)
This was a result no one had expected.
The new rank 1 hunter also showed good manners by supporting Kwon Tae-hyuk until the end.
Although an interview was immediately requested after the ranking match ended, the anonymous hunter declined all interviews and quietly left the scene.
With the emergence of the first rank 1 hunter whose face, name, and affiliated guild are unknown, the media is actively trying to uncover their identity, but so far there has been no news.
Netizens are calling the hunter “Cover” instead of a name, based on what was written on the denim jacket they wore at the time.
It has been confirmed that Yeseong Guild has not yet given any response regarding losing the rank 1 position.
KHS News Reporter Park Jung-hwan
Comments:
(Anonymous 1) What’s with the second photo?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is that Kwon Tae-hyuk?
└ Cradled like a princessㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Looks so pitiableㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ I can already see this being heavily photoshopped in the future
(Anonymous 2) Kwon Tae-hyuk had it for a long time, it’s time for him to step aside, right?
(Anonymous 3) This is what happens when someone with chuunibyou is strong
(Anonymous 4) I get everything else, but what’s with the mask;;
(Anonymous 5) I got clickbaited by the title. So what’s the identity, you trash reporter ㅡㅡ
(Anonymous 6) Being called Cover is so cool..
└ Yeah, if it was something like BBANG written on it, he’d be called Bread Guyㅋㅋ Cover is so cool
└ At that level, it must have been intentional
(Anonymous 7) But was this even possible? Applying for a ranking match anonymously and taking 1st place?
└ Shouldn’t be possible
└ If the application is made through the association and they OK it, it should be fine
└ Then the association must know who this hunter is
└ If the association knew, the identity would have leaked by now. The article says the media is investigating their background
└ Then if even the association doesn’t know, how did they apply in the first place?
(Anonymous 8) I’m really sorry but the 2nd photo is too funny
└ They look good together, they should date
└ A relationship starting with disgustㄷㄷ
(Anonymous 9) Kwon Tae-hyuk Princess♥
(Anonymous 10) I wonder how Kwon Tae-hyuk feels about that photo spreadingㅋㅋㅋㅋ His cold and stern image is ruinedㅋㅋ
(Anonymous 11) I’m really curious who it is. They say it’s S-rank
(Anonymous 12) ☆★Rank 1 Hunter Cover Fan Cafe Open☆★ Come visit@@@@ (link)
└ ???
└ What, already opening a fan cafe?
└ Yeah~ As if they’ll maintain 1st place~ㅋㅋ
(Anonymous 13) I watched the ranking match video, and it really looks like they won by fluke..
└ It’s hard to understand how KTH was dominating but suddenly lost at the end
└ Honestly, they should have a rematch in a proper arena;
└ Agree
(Anonymous 14) I wonder if Kwon Tae-hyuk will accept this result
└ What’s he gonna do if he doesn’t?ㅋㅋ He got beaten
└ What do you mean beaten? Did you even watch the ranking match video?
└ I did? He lost, right? He should speak up if he won
└ Kwon Tae-hyuk hasn’t said anything yet…
└ It’s been days and Yeseong Guild hasn’t said much, seems like they’ve accepted it. Why are you getting so worked up?ㅋㅋ
(Anonymous 15) If there was a real problem, Kwon Tae-hyuk would have raised an objection by now. The fact that he’s been quiet means he’s accepting the defeat
└ Kwon Tae-hyuk is quiet but his defenders are making more noise
(Anonymous 16) In the video around 37:12, you can see blonde hair under the cap. Which S-rank hunter has blonde hair?
└ Is this real?
└ Blonde hair?? Blonde???
└ 37:12? I checked but I don’t see anything like that;; Are you lying?
└ We don’t know if it’s dyed or if their hair turned blonde from awakening
└ Hair color doesn’t really mean much,,
(Anonymous 17) There’s a possibility it could be a foreign S-rank hunter
└ How could a foreign hunter participate in a domestic ranking match?
└ If we’re going that far, the anonymous application is the problem from the start
└ No, the real problem is Kwon Tae-hyuk accepting an anonymous application and getting beaten
└ For real, why did he accept it? Did he think he’d win?ㅋ
* * *
“It’s crazy…”
Lying on the sofa and skimming through internet articles on my phone, I felt a headache coming on and tossed the phone onto the table.
Four days had passed since my ranking match with Kwon Tae-hyuk. All kinds of attention was focused on me, who suddenly appeared and claimed the rank 1 position, and anticipating this, I was refraining from going out as much as possible.
‘Well, if I go out in my original form, no one would recognize me.’
Having two appearances was surprisingly convenient.
Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so for the time being, it was best to stay quiet without using the hidden skill. In fact, since I was wearing a mask, even if I was suspected, I could just deny it… but even receiving such suspicion was bothersome.
More surprising was Yeseong Guild and Kwon Tae-hyuk. I thought they would make an official statement saying there was a problem with the ranking match, but they’ve been surprisingly quiet.
‘By now, Kwon Tae-hyuk must have realized he lost in a strange way.’
Kwon Tae-hyuk, whom I officially faced in the ranking match, was much stronger than I had anticipated.
His skill utilization, physical combat, and sense all far surpassed mine. Thinking about it now, even being able to land an attack on Kwon Tae-hyuk’s shoulder was only possible because he was somewhat going easy on me.
Kwon Tae-hyuk’s goal wasn’t to win and maintain the rank 1 position, but to subdue me and unmask me. The fact that he offered his shoulder to my sword tip and reached out to grab my collar was proof of that.
‘It was strange from the start that he accepted such a suspicious ranking match application.’
According to what Hyun Do-woon found out, Kwon Tae-hyuk hadn’t been accepting ranking match applications for the past two months.
Of course, he can’t keep refusing forever, and there’s a restriction that he needs to accept incoming applications after 4 months to maintain his ranking… but he had enough time to refuse my request too.
Come to think of it, Kwon Tae-hyuk I met in the empty lot showed an excessively sharp and sensitive attitude towards me.
At the time, I thought it was because my masked appearance was far from fair play, and my attitude of not revealing my identity was unpleasant. But the more I think about it, that doesn’t seem to be the only reason.
“It’s a bit unsettling.”
Kwon Tae-hyuk was the first to notice the research facility where Cha Sahyun and I were held, and he independently gathered guilds to raid it.
Surely, like me, Kwon Tae-hyuk must have become a target for those related to the research facility. And there’s no way Kwon Tae-hyuk doesn’t know this.
“Hmm…”
After staring blankly at the ceiling lost in thought, I picked up the phone I had thrown. Then I sent a message to Hyun Do-woon.
Hey
Heyyyyyy
Do-woon~
Hyun Do-woon
?
What the hell
Are you busy?ㅎㅎ
How’s what I asked you to look into?
Anything come up?
Hyun Do-woon
F*** off, you b*****d
As soon as I sent the question, a reply full of curses flew back. Hmm, judging by the response, it seems no useful information has been found yet.
I asked Hyun Do-woon to find all the materials related to the research facility, so if Kwon Tae-hyuk was involved with those guys, there was a high chance it would be mixed in with that data.
‘If Kwon Tae-hyuk has become a target like me…’
Depending on the situation, wouldn’t it be okay to request cooperation?
Of course, it would be difficult to explain Cha Sahyun’s identity, so I’d have to make up another excuse.
I alone was insufficient to protect Cha Sahyun. I felt this even more acutely after the ranking match with Kwon Tae-hyuk.
It’s true that Kwon Tae-hyuk is strong, and it’s also true that I still have many areas lacking. With my current level of skill, it wouldn’t be easy to fully protect Cha Sahyun if an incident occurred.
There’s a limit to how much I can increase my combat skills in a short time, so I needed a collaborator. A strong collaborator with a position like Kwon Tae-hyuk, the representative of Yeseong Guild.
‘If Kwon Tae-hyuk would cooperate willingly, that would be ideal.’
I thought about at least trying to talk to him, but there’s no way he would listen to my request after I took the 1st place from him with underhanded methods in the ranking match. Unless he tries to kill me as soon as we meet.
It’s difficult to get close in my original form, and I’ve made a bad impression in my S-rank body too. This is really troublesome, with both directions blocked, all I could do was sigh.