Demon Hunter (2)
As expected of a freelancer.
The sun was still up even after I got home from work.
A rare chance to soak up some sunlight—something I could never enjoy back in my days as a salaryman.
Honestly, I wanted to jump straight into bed and bask in the sunlight.
Tap—
Instead, I neatly hung up my clothes on the hanger.
And without missing a beat, headed straight to the bathroom.
Turned on the shower.
Shhhhh—!
Damn those noble rules and regulations!
What pissed me off even more was how I was starting to get used to this exhausting lifestyle.
Still, I tried to stay positive.
At least I no longer found cleaning to be a chore. That was a definite plus.
"Quite a lot of dust."
…Though, even I had to admit wearing a mask while cleaning inside the house was a bit much.
Once I finished cleaning, the sun had already set.
'Yeah, as if someone like me was ever meant to get sunlight.'
I immediately began preparing dinner.
Gone were the days of surviving on delivery food or ready-made meals.
Now I had fresh ingredients delivered at dawn.
And I cooked with practiced skill.
How could a noble be so good at cleaning and cooking?
Well, Granfell was a fallen noble, after all.
"Not bad."
It was all part of the character setting—skills acquired to survive.
Naturally, Granfell's noble pride wasn't shaken by trivial things like getting his hands dirty.
For me, it was an annoying yet convenient personality.
'Either way, cooking for myself has to be healthier.'
I could actually feel the benefits of this disciplined lifestyle.
Back pain disappeared thanks to my perfect posture.
Chronic fatigue, insomnia, and all those little modern-day ailments? Gone.
Of course, not everything was sunshine and rainbows.
Looking in the mirror, my hair shimmered under the fluorescent lights.
'People might think it's going gray.'
The silver hair that runs in the Claudi family.
Just like the setting, my hair was gradually turning silver.
Thankfully, it seemed to suit my current appearance quite well.
Trickle—
I brewed some green tea and sat down for tea time.
'Seriously, making a big deal over 50-won green tea.'
Even as I thought it, I didn't care.
Over the past few days, I had learned how to enjoy tea and take my time.
That, too, was probably thanks to Granfell's towering self-esteem.
'Yeah, this is better than immediately slumping in front of the computer after eating.'
Thanks to that, I had more time to think.
Maybe that's why—
I arrived at a rather plausible idea.
"…My cringe past is affecting my current reality."
One by one, every time I became aware of Granfell's traits, they manifested in real life.
If so, wouldn't Granfell's talent—praised as the greatest genius in Claudi family history—also be real?
『Granfell's talent wasn't limited to just one area.
A sharp mind was just the beginning.
His innate magical talent allowed him to replicate most spells just by watching them.
Even his physical potential was equally exceptional.
There was a very good reason he was chosen as the heir of the family at the age of seven.』
The more I recalled, the more it reeked of middle school fantasy writing.
I really jammed in everything that sounded cool, didn't I?
"How shameful."
I muttered to myself.
Whether it was from embarrassment at my past self—
—or the exaggerated praise, I wasn't sure.
I'd find out soon enough.
But first, a few tests were necessary.
"What a convenient era."
I pulled out my smartphone and accessed NetTube.
I searched for videos by players.
As they say, the rich really do get richer.
Channels run by players with millions of subscribers popped up.
Rift Raid Livestream 17 — Griffin's Nest
What Skills Does a Flame Wizard Use?
A Day in the Life of a Non-Combat Class Alchemist: Vlog Edition
Each video had massive view counts.
Which made sense.
Ordinary people couldn't even perceive rifts, let alone approach them.
It was natural to be fascinated by players who hunted monsters inside rifts.
Of course, you could see it when a rift collapsed into the real world—but that would be a disaster, not entertainment.
I picked one video at random.
"?"
Just as I was about to play it, a message came in.
It was from Nam Cheolmin.
We'd never officially exchanged numbers, but I had contacted him first about a job posting, so he must've saved my number.
…Why is this message so long?
To summarize: he wanted to meet.
Right away if possible—or tomorrow at the latest.
I didn't know what he was after, but it was inconvenient.
"This requires full concentration."
Unfortunately for him,
This could very well change my entire career as a player.
I replied briefly, then hit play on the video.
A boss raid filled with spells and skills flying everywhere.
For a long while,
I watched the video with perfect posture, then finally spoke.
"This will suffice."
At a high-end restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.
Nam Cheolmin and Nam Taemin.
The two brothers were waiting at the meeting spot.
"I still have my doubts."
"You believe me half? For a lousy brother like me? I'm touched."
"Hyung, do you want to keep joking?"
Cheolmin burst into laughter at Taemin's reaction.
'Why didn't I realize it back then?'
His younger brother, Taemin, so full of potential.
"Everyone has different kinds of talent. I was just mindlessly gaming, and you didn't have enough time to play.
When it comes to Arcana knowledge, I bet you know way more than I do. I mean it."
And that same younger brother now genuinely acknowledged him.
To think he once felt inferior to someone like this.
Cheolmin now found his past insecurity deeply embarrassing.
"I was just joking."
"You're always so hard to read… should I even trust you?"
"At least I never go back on my word. I'll give this my all, as an analyst."
"Can I record that?"
"Go ahead."
"Haah… you're really serious about this?"
Cheolmin had decided to quit being a player.
He'd accepted Taemin's proposal and planned to work as the guild's analyst.
That decision, of course, came from the experience of having his body taken over by an imp.
'I've known for a while that I was lacking. But more than that…'
The man who had saved him from despair.
This was the only path through which he could repay that debt.
He hadn't simply defeated the imp.
He had helped him steady his resolve and move forward—
He had saved him.
Nam Cheolmin wanted to repay him in kind.
"Now I'm starting to get really curious. There's no way you'd misjudge someone, so… he really did hunt an imp? And completely overwhelmed it?"
To Nam Taemin's question, Nam Cheolmin nodded.
"Honestly, even saying 'overwhelmed' doesn't cut it. How should I put it? Even during the fight, he didn't seem the slightest bit nervous, let alone affected by any status effects."
"If you're saying so, then I believe you. But still, I don't get it."
Nam Taemin scratched the back of his head in frustration.
"Why would a player like that go into a low-level rift?"
The reason was simple.
At the time, that man—Ho-yeol—was only level 55.
But Nam Taemin and Nam Cheolmin had no way of knowing that.
Frowning, Nam Taemin continued.
"And that fight was just plain strange too. Resisting status effects means he has an absurdly high mental stat… but you said he fought with a dagger, not magic?"
"Yeah."
"There may be thousands of classes in Arcana, but I have no idea what kind he is."
He shook his head.
But frustration and curiosity were two different things.
"Which makes me all the more desperate to recruit him and figure it out."
Above all, he was someone his brother acknowledged.
Nam Taemin had become a top 11-ranked player largely thanks to Nam Cheolmin's help.
From analyzing boss patterns, to guiding the guild's direction, to scouting new talent—
He knew well he wouldn't have made it this far without his brother.
"Well, I'm also just grateful."
And that man had helped his brother.
So Nam Taemin drafted the recruitment contract with gratitude in mind.
While reviewing it again, he clicked his tongue.
"Better make sure none of our new recruits—no, not even the execs—get to see this."
"Why? Is it that bad?"
"Of course it is. This is basically a deal where we lose out."
Still, it was an offer they couldn't afford to pass up.
Nam Taemin was confident.
So he waited for a reply with ease.
Bzzz—
"That was fast. What did he say?"
Even as the phone vibrated, Nam Taemin calmly sipped his orange juice.
"...He said it's difficult."
"?!"
Dribble—
Juice leaked from Nam Taemin's mouth in shock.
"W-What?! Lemme see that!!"
Disbelieving, he checked the message for himself—only to be stunned even further.
"-It's difficult."
Just four syllables.A reply to the long, heartfelt message they had sent.
But Nam Taemin wasn't just anyone.
From that brief message, he caught a hint.
"...He didn't say no. Just that it's difficult."
His eyes narrowed.
"I knew it. Another guild must've reached out first."
There were many players, but few truly valuable ones.
That's why guilds were so desperate to recruit promising rookies.
Especially in Korea, where finding top-tier talent had become even harder.
With the appearance of the [Tower of the Magician] in Seoul—
All the major guilds were now based there.
Nam Taemin's narrowed eyes weren't aimed at his brother, but at his competitors.
"You bastards. No matter what, Seoul is our turf."
Korea's top guild: Gaon.
But even Gaon struggled to be top 5 globally.
Nam Taemin knew that reality well.
Which is why he couldn't let even a single promising player slip away.
"Hyung, describe him for me in more detail."
"Huh?"
"What does he look like? I might have to go find him in person."
"What he looks like…"
Nam Cheolmin recalled the man.
A dress shirt, slacks, even dress shoes—
"At first I thought, who the hell shows up to a rift like this?"
He did equip proper items once inside, but still…
Anyone could see he was dressed completely inappropriately for dungeon combat.
And yet, he never once faltered.
Not when grappling with gnolls,Not when falling into traps and getting surrounded,Not even when face-to-face with the imp.
He never changed.
His attitude was that of someone looking down from on high.
"...But it's hard to put into words."
As Nam Cheolmin struggled, Nam Taemin asked:
"What, did you see some mythical beast or something? Why can't you describe him?"
…A mythical beast?
Those words sparked a memory.
"...That's it!"
A creature that doesn't exist in modern-day Korea, and one he had never seen—
But there was no better way to describe him.
"He looked like a noble. A very refined and noble one."
"...Huh?"
"That should be enough."
He was speaking of potential.
As he stared intently at the video, thoughts swirled through his head.
It wasn't awe, or envy, or some primitive emotion like that.
He was analyzing the magic.
"!"
The concept of the spell formed in his mind.
It was unbelievable, really.
After all, it was a skill, not a spell, by its in-game nature.
But to him, it was clear.
So long as he had enough mana to support it—He could replicate that magic.
Of course, this wasn't the talent of "Lee Ho-yeol."
"Looks like my brain hasn't gone soft yet."
It was the talent of Grandfell, the greatest genius in the history of the Claudi family.
It was undeniable.
Though it was still too soon to make assumptions.
Now that he had seen the potential, it was worth investing in.
And that potential wasn't limited to just magic.
Swordsmanship, archery…
Grandfell's talents weren't confined to a single discipline.
"Good job, past Lee Ho-yeol."
"Yeah, if you're going to write a character, might as well cram in everything cool and awesome."
"It's not like being embarrassed changes anything."
He decided to embrace his cringey past.
Now that he saw his potential, there was no need to rush.
Swordsmanship, archery, magic…
Picking a path now wouldn't benefit him much.
That was due to the ambiguous nature of his class: Demon Hunter.
But ambiguous didn't always mean bad.
Ambiguous could mean versatile.
At the very least, keeping all options open was a good idea for now.
"In that case…"
It was time to use the stat points he'd been saving.
[Available Stat Points: 12]
He opened his status window.
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