SMH 127

Chapter 41 – South Korea’s First (4)

TL: Boko

Editor: Frost

“Please, go ahead.”

“We’ve received a request for you to appear on KTV broadcasting station’s ‘Today’s Hunter’ program. It seems as though they don’t have your contact information, so they contacted us instead.”

Sung Joon knew about the program ‘Today’s Hunter’. He didn’t watch it very often, but he had tuned in occasionally; it was also KTV’s most popular program and was South Korea’s most well-known program for introducing Hunters.

Most of the popular A-rank Hunters or higher had been on ‘Today’s Hunter’ before.

“It’s up to you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon, but I believe it wouldn’t be bad for you to appear on TV at least once. It’ll help with your image considerably,” Hyun Sung said. Sung Joon thought about it cool-headedly. The papers had reported that he had become an SS-rank Hunter, so he thought he had plenty of fame already, but he believed that he would need to improve his image in order to make a guild someday.

‘And besides, I’ve always wanted to be on TV at least once.’

Back when he lived powerlessly day by day, he would occasionally tune into ‘Today’s Hunter’. Whenever he did, Sung Joon would say to himself that he’d be on ‘Today’s Hunter’ someday.

“You said you were planning to rest for the time being, so… I believe it would be a nice change of pace.” Rishubalt helped Sung Joon sort out his thoughts. Like Rishubalt mentioned, he was resting right now, so he didn’t really have anything to do. It seemed like it would be a nice change of pace and he’d be able to see celebrities’ faces as well.

“I’ll show up on the program,” Sung Joon decided.

“Then, would it be alright if we shared your contact information with the broadcasting station?”

Him agreeing to show up on the program was basically the equivalent of him giving them permission to share his contact information, but Hyun Sung cautiously made sure.

“That’s fine.”

“Then I’ll send them your contact information. You’ll be contacted by the broadcasting station today.”

The conversation ended. Just like Hyun Sung had said, he got an unidentified call at around four in the afternoon. Because it was definitely KTV broadcasting station, Sung Joon unhesitatingly brought the phone to his ear.

“Are you Hunter Kang Sung Joon by any chance?” the caller said politely.

“Yes. I’m Kang Sung Joon.”

“Ah! It’s a pleasure, Hunter Kang Sung Joon. I’m Jo Yeon Chool from ‘Today’s Hunter’.”

The caller initially hadn’t given him their name, but soon introduced themself simply. It was a woman’s voice, and just as he had anticipated, they were someone from KTV Broadcasting Station’s ‘Today’s Hunter’.

“For starters, on behalf of KTV Broadcasting Station, I would like to say we’re thankful that you accepted our request to be on Today’s Hunter. I also called to ask you about your schedule.”

“My schedule?”

“Yes. Our entire production crew is ready to film you when you’re ready.”

A-rank Hunters were busy, and S-rank Hunters often did as they pleased, so the production crew was always prepared to adapt to their schedules.

“Is that so? How nice,” Sung Joon said honestly. It was indeed nice. He checked the calendar that lay on his bedside table; he didn’t have any special plans for the time being.

He also hadn’t scheduled an appointment for a dungeon solo run.

“Since I plan to take a break from dungeon assaults for the time being, you can just set a date without worrying about me.”

“Is that really ok with you?” Jo Yeon Chool asked for confirmation.

“I’ll say it again, but it really doesn’t matter to me.” Sung Joon relieved her. He thought he could hear her breath out, in an almost relieved manner.

“Then how about this Friday?” She cautiously asked, having not yet released her tension.

“It’s a Friday[1], huh.”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

“No, it’s fine. Please message me the time later. I’ll be there at that time.”

“Thank you very much!”

And  their conversation was finished. The following day, Jo Yeon Chool messaged him the precise date.

Now, it was Friday.

Sung Joon woke up early in the morning, and after showering, drove his car to the KTV Broadcasting Station. He finished parking and called Joo Yeon Chool.

“This is Kang Sung Joon. I’m in the broadcasting station parking lot right now.”

“Ah! Hunter Kang Sung Joon! Could you wait just a minute? I’ve just arrived myself. I’ll be in the lobby within five minutes!”

Their conversation wasn’t even over yet, but it sounded as if she was organizing her things. Sung Joon smiled thinly, pocketed his phone, and went inside the building.

There were rest areas set up inside. He waited for Jo Yeon Chool as he drank the coffee he’d gotten from the vending machine.

“Hunter Kang Sung Joon!” someone called for Sung Joon. Sung Joon turned his head towards the direction of the voice. A petite young lady with bobbed hair and an employee ID card hanging from her neck dashed over to him.

“You’re Hunter Kang Sung Joon, right?” she asked cautiously. She had seen Sung Joon on TV and on the internet before, but this was the first time she’d seen him in person, so she needed to confirm that it was really him.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Phew! What a relief. You’re better looking in person than in your photographs, so I thought I mistook you for someone else!”

“Hahaha… I’ll take that as a compliment,” Sung Joon smiled and replied, since she hadn’t said it out of spite. Seeing that, the giggling girl seemingly remembered why she was really here, and slightly hit herself.

“Ah! I’m sorry. I haven’t yet introduced myself. My name is Lee Na Hyun, and I’m responsible for Jo Yeon Chool from ‘Today’s Hunter’.”

It seemed like she had forgotten to introduce herself.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Also, this is your temporary pass. You need this to enter, so please don’t lose it!” Na Hyun passed him a card about the same size as her employee ID card.

“We still have a lot of time before the show, so would you like to take a look around?” Na Hyun asked. Even if they factored in the prep time before the show, they had a lot of time left. Sung Joon nodded his head. When he thought about it, it seemed like it would be a better idea to look around than to just wait vacantly in the waiting room.

Sung Joon walked around the broadcasting station with Na Hyun for thirty minutes; she made sure to add a simple explanation regarding each place they visited.

As soon as he was finished looking around the interior of the studio, Na Hyun checked her watch.

“Hunter! You can probably go to the waiting room now!”

“Please take me there.”

“Yes!”

Na Hyun guided Sung Joon to the waiting room. It was an exclusive waiting room and its interior was vast. He didn’t know if they were ordered to minimize the waiting time, but he only waited for ten minutes before he got his makeup done and then, stepped into the studio.

All the workers were waiting for Sung Joon in the studio.

“Hello?”

It was winter, but a young lady garbed in short pants and with bobbed hair approached him and greeted him. Sung Joon, who had been introducing himself to the PDs, turned his attention towards her.

“I wanted to meet you personally.”

Based on her getup, she seemed like an idol, but unfortunately, that wasn’t something Sung Joon was interested in, so he didn’t even know who she was.

“She’s a member of an idol group called Min Hyun Ji. I believe her hometown is Paju. It’s not surprising that she feels thankful to you, my lord,” Rishubalt explained. For some reason, he sure knew a lot about her.

“It’s nice to meet you as well. Ms. Min Hyun Ji.” Sung Joon smiled and greeted her. She seemed happy that he knew her name, as he was renowned as South Korea’s first SS-rank Hunter, and she smiled beamingly.

“Please take care of me today.”

“Of course. Please take care of me as well.”

Eventually, a PD told them that they were going to start filming. The filming progressed smoothly, and the PD continuously stressed Sung Joon’s humanity.

“Thank you all your hard work!”

They were finished shooting and they were now cleaning up. Sung Joon finished his brief conversation with the PD and attempted to leave, but…

Hyun Ji blocked his path; she gave him her number and bashfully disappeared. Sung Joon wordlessly walked over to the parking lot and input her number into his phone.

“Are you going to call her?” Rishubalt asked. Sung Joon smiled lightly and opened his mouth.

“Sure, if it helps me out.”

* * *

The Empire’s Special Forces Headquarters.

The elite Special Forces were following behind a blonde man, garbed in uniform, down a long hallway. He was the top commander of the Empire’s Investigation Squad.

He had been investigating the phenomenon where soldiers of the Empire would be trapped in a dimension severed from the outside world, dubbed the ‘Other World Displacement Phenomenon’, but had discovered something important in the process and moved hurriedly to report to Commander Ares.

“I am Volt, the top commander of the Investigation Squad. Move aside,” Volt firmly said, but the Special Forces officers wouldn’t move aside.

“The Special Force’s Commander is speaking with Marquis Anfellico, the lord of the Magic Towers. He ordered that no one interfere.”

“Could you tell him that I have something urgent to report? It has something to do with the Other World Displacement Phenomenon.”

“I’ll tell him immediately.”

One of the officers guarding the door went inside and relayed Volt’s words to Ares. After around three minutes had passed, the officer came outside.

“You can go in.”

As soon as he gave the signal, the other two officers opened the door and Volt quickly went into the Commander’s office. Just like the officers said, Ares and Anfellico were both inside.

“You said that you had an urgent report regarding the Other World Displacement Phenomenon?” Ares asked. The Empire currently called Sung Joon’s Awakening Dungeon assaults the ‘Other World Displacement Phenomenon’. The more time passed, the more damage they sustained from this displacement phenomenon, so the Empire was treating it as a serious issue.

“In the site where the Other World Displacement Phenomenon occurred, we’ve discovered scars made by a sword, and we’ve requested the assistance of all Mages who have high analytical abilities.”

“Did the results come out yet?” Ares’ eyes gleamed and asked. Just a little while ago, he had gotten a report that the investigation was in progress. Volt opened his mouth with a calm expression.

“Yes, that’s correct. More than half of our results conclude that it was the previous greatest knight of the Empire, Roukel’s swordsmanship that felled the Mages of the Magic Tower.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,  we checked again with the Knight Brigade.”

“Roukel… Are you saying he’s returned?” Ares’ eyes quivered. If he, who was considered the strongest Swordmaster of the Empire had returned, the Empire would be crippled.

“That’s impossible. The Imperial Magic Tower confirmed that he was dead, and it was discovered that he didn’t have a disciple,” Anfellico said.

When Roukel died in the Ridonia Great Plains, the Imperial Magic Tower checked Roukel’s corpse and checked to see if he had a disciple.

“However, it is to my understanding that this phenomenon comes from the other world. Couldn’t Roukel have hidden something in the other world?”

“It’s very unlikely.”

“Roel… That sword that Roukel had! Are you sure that the sword is being properly stored?”

“Of course. I’ll check right now.”

Anfellico took out a crystal ball and opened a line of communication to the Imperial Magic Tower. Roukel’s sword had been taken off his body and was being stored in the Imperial Magic Tower.

“The Lord of the Magic Tower has just checked!” a high ranked Mage’s voice came from the crystal ball. His voice was trembling tenuously. Anfellico couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“‘Roel is still there, right?”

“It has disappeared.”

Everyone was speechless. With this, Roukel’s return had been confirmed.