Chapter 124 – Go Doo-sik’s Rebellion

Go Doo-sik’s face twisted in disbelief at the harsh words.  

“W-what did you just say…?”  

“Get lost. Unless you want to die.”  

Not only was the man speaking rudely to him despite it being their first meeting, but he was outright threatening him? No matter how high-leveled the hunter was, this was too much.  

Go Doo-sik’s brow furrowed.  

“Hey, are you threatening me right now?”  

“You still don’t get it?”  

Min Do-jun glared at him with murderous eyes.  

“Y-you think glaring at me like that scares me? I-I know my rights! I can sue you for intimidation!”  

“Oh? Then I’ll countersue. For intimidation and violation of portrait rights.”  

“What kind of…?”  

“You took my picture without permission and threatened to write a sensational article, didn’t you? And you expected me to respond politely?”  

“T-that was just a joke! I didn’t even take your picture!”  

“Really? Well, I was just joking too. You think I’d actually kill someone?”  

His eyes said otherwise, but Go Doo-sik held his tongue.  

A short exchange was enough for him to realize what kind of person this hunter was.  

‘If I say one wrong thing, I might not even leave here in one piece.’  

This was no exaggeration.  

Even if the hunter claimed it was just a joke, Go Doo-sik could feel it—this man could end his life at any moment.  

‘I’ve met plenty of hot-tempered hunters as a reporter for the Hunter Bureau, but…’  

This one was on a whole different level.  

It wasn’t just intimidation—it was the certainty that he would die.  

‘Forget the scoop. My life comes first.’  

Without another word, Go Doo-sik quietly retreated.  

He was putting the hunter’s words into action: Get lost if you don’t want to die.  

“Wait.”  

Just then, the hunter grabbed his head and stopped him.  

“I forgot to mention this earlier, but it’d be best if you didn’t write any articles about me. Consider this a warning.”  

“Y-yes, understood…”  

As Go Doo-sik scurried away with a pale face, Park Dong-yoon approached.  

“Well done, Hunter-nim. Getting involved with trash like that reporter would’ve been a waste of time.”  

“I hate reporters anyway.”  

“But… you weren’t really going to kill him, right?”  

“Of course not. I’m not a murderer.”  

Despite having killed dozens before, Min Do-jun responded calmly.  

‘They were all people who deserved to die.’  

But the reporter hadn’t crossed that line yet, so a simple scare was enough.  

Still, he didn’t let him leave without precautions.  

‘I’ll plant a Parasite on him.’  

Under the guise of stopping him, Min Do-jun secretly implanted a Parasite in Go Doo-sik.  

‘Just in case he breaks his promise and writes that article.’  

It was a natural move for someone who hated leaving loose ends.  

The downside was that he had to remove a Parasite from a Black Sea guild member to free up a slot, but that didn’t matter.  

‘I’ll just call that guy later and kill him.’  

A Black Sea member without a Parasite was useless anyway.  

‘And the reporter is no exception.’  

If he ignored the warning and crossed the line, his life wouldn’t be guaranteed either.  

‘If that happens, I might really kill him.’  

The reporter probably sensed that too—which was why he left without protest.  

“Let’s go, Hunter-nim. I’ll escort you home.”  

As Min Do-jun slumped into the car seat, exhaustion weighed on him.  

Despite the commotion, he wasn’t in a bad mood.  

After all, he’d obtained his target: two Viscous Tree Saps.  

‘How many tree spirits did I have to kill for these…?’  

After six hours of hunting tree spirits, patches of the jungle were now bald.  

‘Still, getting them in a single day is lucky.’  

If he hadn’t succeeded today, he’d have had to return with a party.  

‘Then I’d have to be careful about killing tree spirits. And I wouldn’t be able to act freely.’  

Parties were nothing but a nuisance to Min Do-jun.  

He opened the crafting window.  

[Flame Essence] + [Viscous Tree Sap]  

[Water Essence] + [Viscous Tree Sap]  

Pressing the button with his materials ready, the system responded.  

[Crafting Successful!]  

[Obtained Fire Resistance Elixir.]  

[Crafting Successful!]  

[Obtained Water Resistance Elixir.]  

[Fire Resistance Elixir]  

– Type: Consumable  

– Grade: A  

– Effect: Increases fire resistance by 50% for 24 hours.  

– Usage Restriction: Level 1,500 or above (Bound)  

– Description: Makes you more resistant to heat.  

[Water Resistance Elixir]  

– Type: Consumable  

– Grade: A  

– Effect: Increases water resistance by 50% for 24 hours.  

– Usage Restriction: Level 1,500 or above (Bound)  

– Description: Makes you more resistant to cold.  

These were essential for the upcoming S-rank dungeon.  

‘Now, the preparations are complete.’  

All that was left was to enter when the dungeon appeared.  

The second S-rank dungeon:  

[Shadow of the Desert.]  

—  

Go Doo-sik sighed as he stopped in front of his workplace, empty-handed.  

‘I left boasting that I’d bring back a scoop no matter what, but…’  

He never expected to return with nothing.  

Another sigh escaped him as he entered, only for his senior to immediately call him.  

“Doo-sik, you’re back. Where’s the scoop?”  

“Ah, well…”  

The senior clicked his tongue, reading his expression.  

“Figures. Go see the department head.”  

“Right…”  

Shoulders slumped, he entered the department head’s office, who asked with feigned concern—though it was really about the scoop.  

“So? Did you get it?”  

“Well, not yet…”  

“I’m an idiot for expecting anything.”  

The department head coldly turned away, waving him off like shooing a fly.  

“Get out.”  

“Y-yes, sir.”  

Slinking away, Go Doo-sik spotted a junior passing by and called out.  

“Hey.”  

“Yes?”  

“You didn’t even greet your senior?”  

It was like venting his frustration on an innocent bystander, but the junior didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he smirked and nodded.  

“Sure, whatever.”  

“Y-you little—!”  

The junior walked off before Go Doo-sik could retort, leaving him fuming.  

‘First my boss and seniors, now even my juniors look down on me…’  

Was there no one in this building on his side?  

The frustration weighed heavily on him.  

Times like these called for something to lift his mood—like watching funny videos.  

Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he secretly opened NewTube.  

Lately, he’d become addicted to the platform.  

‘Who cares if it’s work hours? I’m getting scolded either way.’  

If caught, he could always claim he was researching for an article.  

As he scrolled through hunter-related videos, one caught his eye.  

‘The Magic Swordsman who stopped a dungeon break?’  

Uploaded 11 months ago, it had 60 million views—a viral hit.  

‘Who even picks a Magic Swordsman as their class?’  

Curious, he clicked. The video showed a man cutting down a Werewolf.  

‘This is nothing special. Why’s it so popular—’  

Then he froze.  

The man in the video was the same one who’d threatened him earlier.  

Pausing and zooming in, there was no mistaking it.  

‘It’s him.’  

The same murderous glare he’d received earlier was now directed at the monster.  

‘This guy stopped a dungeon break a year ago?’  

The video seemed genuine. The comments were flooded with praise, too.  

> └If it weren’t for him, the area would’ve been devastated.  

> └Agreed. Hundreds could’ve died.  

> └Werewolves are that strong? Aren’t they just D-rank?  

> └D-rank or not, they’re a disaster for regular people. Imagine dozens of beasts that won’t die even if you stab them with a kitchen knife running wild.  

> └The answer is hell on earth.  

> └But why is the Magic Swordsman so strong? He’s killing Werewolves in a few hits.  

> └This guy’s built different.  

> └Literally a hero who saved hundreds.  

‘…Hero? Please.’  

Go Doo-sik scoffed at the comments.  

‘This “hero” threatened to kill me for doing my job? What did I even do wrong?’  

Wasn’t it normal for reporters to take photos, stake out, or go undercover?  

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. But as a regular person, there was nothing he could do.  

‘Wait—there is.’  

A method only a reporter could use.  

A way to socially bury someone.  

‘I’ll write the article. The truth—that a 2,000+ level hunter refused an interview and threatened me.’  

No lies, no exaggerations. Just the facts.  

‘And at the end, I’ll reveal that this “hero” was the same hunter who stopped the dungeon break.’  

Public opinion would split: some would condemn the hunter, others would defend him.  

‘Either way, the clicks will explode.’  

All he had to do was provide the kindling—the public would fan the flames.  

‘And I’ll profit from the views. Heh.’  

Who needed a scoop when he could stir up a storm like this?  

‘It’d be even better if I could reveal his name.’  

He scoured the comments for clues, but the hunter’s identity remained hidden.  

‘No matter. The content is what counts.’  

Even speculation would be enough to ignite the public.  

‘He warned me not to write about him, but… I can’t just let this slide.’  

He’d waited 12 hours for a scoop, only to be threatened and sent packing.  

‘I won’t take this lying down.’  

Go Doo-sik decided to rebel in his own way.  

Tap tap tap tap—  

His fingers flew across the keyboard.  

Writing about his own experience made the words flow effortlessly.  

Finishing the draft, he printed it and approached his boss.  

“Department Head.”  

“What now?”  

Despite the annoyed glare, Go Doo-sik stood firm. He knew the reaction that was coming.  

“Here’s the draft. Please take a look.”  

The department head’s eyes widened as he read.  

“If this is true, it’s explosive… Did this really happen to you?”  

“Yes. I went for a scoop and got threatened instead.”  

“Every word here is 100% factual?”  

“Of course. Not a single lie.”  

(There were some embellishments, but no one would notice.)  

“What do you think? Even if it’s not a scoop, it’s perfect for stirring up public opinion, right?”  

“Perfect? This is gold. If this gets out, he could be branded the next Lee Se-yoon.”  

Being compared to Lee Se-yoon—a symbol of hypocrisy—would socially destroy anyone.  

“Approved. Write it.”  

“Understood.”  

“Doo-sik! You actually pulled through! If this does well, I’ll treat you to beef.”  

“Haha, thank you.”  

For the first time, Go Doo-sik received praise from his boss.  

‘So this is what it feels like to be recognized…’  

Feeling lighter than air, he finalized the article.  

Just as he was about to upload it—  

“G-gahhh!”  

A sudden, searing pain exploded in his skull.