Chapter 215. Knockout Tournament (2)

"I had prepared all the groceries to lock myself in at home."

Keugh.

I placed the phone's microphone far away and gritted my teeth in frustration. Then, I straightened my posture and asked again.

"...Just to confirm, should I assume that the reason you're suddenly going to China is for participation in that international competition?"

That's right. Hunter Tournament.

From this, it's clear how impressive the rewards offered by China must be. S-class hunters are high earners who rake in money effortlessly, so it's usually hard to persuade them to participate. Whether it was because they didn't mind having their combat footage exposed or because the tournament offered a prize they truly desired, Kang Changho decided to leave the country more readily than expected. What's more, he had already informed China, so by evening, articles with his name in the headlines would likely be out, or so he said.

"Confirming the participation of a top-tier Awakener... Even to me, an alien, this is definitely a spectacle worth making money."

However, as the conversation continued, a small doubt suddenly crossed my mind. I understood the that he needed to go to China for the competition, and that he wanted to come with me to ensure the safety of the contracted individual still in Korea. But then, Kang Changho mentioned that he was already in front of my studio apartment, and I couldn't quite grasp the reason behind that.

"Was that just a vague threat? No, wait... No, his mana is really nearby."

Tuk.

I rolled my eyes as I traced someone's energy, then casually placed the packaged tofu I was holding on the countertop.

"Anyway, I understand. I'll keep my schedule clear."

Yeah.

"But earlier, you said you were in front of my studio apartment. Is there something else you need to do...?"

The elevator's here.

Tuk.

Soon after, what I heard was the distinct, unnatural mechanical sound that comes when a call is disconnected.

Why did he suddenly hang up? I have a bad feeling about this. He's definitely coming over for a reason, but knowing that contractor's personality, the chances of it being for a good reason are pretty low.

I quickly prepared to greet the unexpected guest. I kicked aside the scattered blanket on the floor and headed for the desk drawer.

***

Dingdong, dingdong.

The doorbell switch, worn down from who knows how long without replacement, was sunken inward, making it difficult to press properly. By the time the creaking button was pressed once more, the front door—plastered with advertisements from locksmith services—swung open from the inside. The resident finally appeared.

"Hello."

The blond man was dressed comfortably, unlike how he appeared during public activities. However, the arriving guest focused less on that predictable detail and more on another sight that had caught their attention.

"Hmm."

Through the crack in the door, the shabby structure of the studio apartment was visible. The discolored wallpaper. And the cheap wooden floor, worn down by the passage of time, showing signs of damage here and there.

"When was the last time this floral wallpaper was in style?"

"Hmm?"

"Anyway, unlock the chain. I brought something."

«Fresh Fresh Fresh Grape Juice Family Deluxe»

Is he trying to mock me...? Or is this Earthling just incredibly stingy...?

Kim Giryeo dryly stared at the cheap beverage box in the other's hand. Then, the front door shut. As much as he wanted to turn him away at the doorstep, he knew better—pulling such a stunt on a genuine S-rank Hunter would undoubtedly come with severe consequences.

Click.

As usual, Giryeo unlocked the safety latch and swung the front door wide open. However, what happened next was shocking. As soon as the door opened past a certain angle, Kang Changho caught it with his hand to keep it from closing—then, without hesitation, he threw his weight into a sharp kick aimed at the homeowner's shin. In blunt terms, he had just "cracked his joint."

"This is what happens when I keep letting things slide... Now you dare to target people's sleeping hours..."

However, this time, he had his reasons. Had it really been that long since his orbital fracture, for him to already be letting his guard down? Lately, his contractor had been giving him nothing but one-sided notices.

The irregular F-rank gate that had appeared at Korea's Magic Tower. Fine. He could let that slide, considering he had entered it with Esther and that its danger level had been the lowest possible. But the [Mimic City] incident from a few days ago? That was a different story.

The Knight's Oath clause had prevented him from leaving the country without permission, so it wasn't as if he could have gone abroad in secret. But that only meant Kim Giryeo couldn't leave of his own volition—what if something unexpected had happened inside, and some crazed Awakener had forcibly shoved a Korean into the wrong exit?

[Dragon's Eye] had a limited range, which meant things would get complicated beyond that point. That was why he had planned to leave a warning—by force, if necessary—to completely prohibit unauthorized gate entry in the future.

Tuk.

What the heck is this? He had held back a little, considering his opponent's durability, but even so—he was sure that at the very least, the Awakener's bones should have broken.

"_...!"

"_."

Paused.

The tip of his shoe merely brushed against the shin. Kang Changho's attack seemed to hit an invisible wall, unable to leave any injury or mark, completely blocked.

"Huh."

There was no sound of a proper strike, and despite the superhuman kick of an S-rank, the landlord remained as immovable as a rock firmly rooted in the ground. Glancing down again to double-check, there were still no marks or scratches on the landlord's leg.

"Defense..."

Kang Changho silently widened his eyes. In a situation like this, the first possibility that came to mind was the use of an item. However, this assumption was refuted by clear evidence in just a few seconds.

Dark, bright, and cold. Soon after, a familiar blue color that he had seen countless times burst out in front of Kang Changho's eyes.

"No, but if you suddenly kick like that..."

While the victim was taken aback, the massive visitor rolled his eyes and assessed the energy right in front of him. Kim Giryeo's internal magical power instantly grew to a size befitting an S-rank Hunter... When interpreted through the magical organ known as the [Dragon's Eye], this scene could only be read in one way.

What on earth was going on? To explain, the sudden and drastic change Kang Changho was experiencing had a bit of someone else's trickery mixed in.

"Looking at the way he's moving his pupils busily... It seems to have worked quite well."

Simply put, this meant that the alien had pulled another trick again.

"If this is the case, there's no need to improve it further."

In fact, the past few days had been an unusually long break for the archmage. He had been holed up in his studio apartment, working on creating decoys to avoid being tracked. With a bit of extra time on his hands, he decided to balance things out by conducting some light research to clear his mind.

[To-Do: Recreate the Awakening Value Manipulation Potion -- (Preferably improved into a solid form with a longer shelf life)]

The result of that creation is exactly this situation. The external attribute energy contained in the inorganic substance called magic stone was cleverly ground and swallowed, and packaged to look like biological mana. It's not a perfect example, but if he were to compare it, it's like solving anemia with steel balls. Just like the difference between iron elements and iron supplements, there was a significant gap between internal mana and external mana.

"By the way..."

Anyway,

"Kang Changho-ssi, why do you look so surprised?"

"Because you look like a hunter of the same rank as me."

"I see."

Kim Giryeo, having confirmed the potion's effectiveness, smoothly steered the conversation forward.

"However, I apologize, but I don't recall ever saying that I wasn't an S-rank this year..."

Based on his own investigations, items on Earth that could mimic S-rank-level defense were extremely rare. Moreover, equipment like the [Divine Tree Sapling], which didn't even show any signs of being equipped, was something that couldn't be found even in rumors. So, to justify this sudden surge in defensive power by Earth's standards, he had no choice but to fall back on the narrative he had been enforcing since January.

"I'm definitely S-rank."

He is asserting that the Awakening rank disclosed by the Association wasn't wrong.

"What did you say?"

"As you can see, I really am an S-rank Hunter."

If he honestly admitted to being a low-tier Awakener who could break down at any moment, then there would be no room for Kang Changho to let his guard down. Since he planned to secretly change his body anyway, it would actually be beneficial to create this kind of image. After finishing his calculations, Giryeo created an artificial expression of surprise and a bit of cold sweat, fooling his contractor.

"Wait."

Of course, the more perfect his act became, the more bewildered Kang Changho grew instead.

"So what you're saying is that you've had this kind of solid defense all along, yet you've been pretending to be weak until now?"

"Hmm."

"Not to mention, last time, you even let yourself get hit by my slow punch on purpose?"

Giryeo remained composed in the face of the continued interrogation.

"No, it's not like I deliberately tried to confuse anyone about my rank..."

Then what? His wording had become somewhat lengthy due to speaking without refining his thoughts first. Giryeo quickly added a few more words to help clarify his explanation.

"I wasn't in good condition for a while."

"Condition."

Even those extraordinary new humans who had awakened magic were ultimately not exempt from simple issues like illness. Just like Jung Haseong, who had overworked himself for 43 hours straight, only to have his immune system collapse and fall victim to an ordinary person's attack. A wizard could easily become vulnerable depending on their physical condition or mood.

Moreover, the current one-room resident was someone who, due to circumstances in his past life, knew at least tens of thousands of health-related issues that could afflict a wizard.

"To be precise, I had to suppress my mana because I was sick. Uh... actually, I messed up a long time ago and got injured somewhere. Ever since then, whenever I breathed normally, my own mana would react and make my body uncomfortable."

"Where exactly did you get injured?"

"It was around the abdomen, but the doctor didn't know the cause, so I don't know the cause of the organ either."

Breaking promises. Refusing to attend school. Or oversleeping and being late for work, etc.

How often was "I was sick" used as an excuse in everyday life? To support his claim of truly being an S-rank, Giryeo added a new detail to his story. Blaming it on a health issue didn't create major contradictions and made it easier to keep his story straight in the future.

"More than anything, there's a witness."

He had already been caught coughing up blood by Hunter Esther. If he spun the story this way to Kang Changho, it would be easier to involve the Tower Master later to add credibility if needed.

"Anyway, I can circulate my magic again now."

"What about magic?"

"There's still some bad parts, though. When you hit me last time, my immune system was really weak, so I couldn't dodge. I had mostly given up on this issue, but after waiting quietly, it's slowly getting better, so that's at least a relief, but..."

Giryeo thoroughly explained why he had been weak all this time. In reality, his body was as fragile as thin ice without his items, yet his words flowed effortlessly.

"Hmm."

But at this moment, what was even more surprising was that Kang Changho unexpectedly accepted Giryeo's bluff and moved on quickly. It was like some Schrödinger's cat scenario, but strangely enough, this blonde Awakener was treated as if he were top-tier without any narrative issues at all.

"Condition..."

[Binding] strong enough to subdue a black dragon. Monstrous composure. A body durability truly befitting an S-rank.

The wizard at the door fixed his gaze with a peculiar expression. The situation felt mysterious as the opponent's rank, which he had been half-confident about, once again tilted toward the strong.

"Then, was all that talk about being an F-rank just a way to hide because revealing he was actually an S-rank while in poor condition would have made things troublesome for him?"

If that were a lie, then it would be such a maddeningly clueless statement, making it even more intriguing from that point on. Honestly, with plenty of time and energy on his hands, there's no harm in being tricked by an interesting con. If I leads to a loss later on, he could just chalk it up as paying for a show.