Returned With Horns

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Is this a camera? I stared blankly at the lens focusing on me.

Come to think of it, they told me to wear a jacket when going out. I took out a leather jacket through my earring and put it on.

"The content is- none other than monster hunting!"

[Has Gwangsu gone crazy?]
[This bastard is freeloading again]
[For real]
[Monster hunting again?]
[Damn, if you're going to do the same thing, why did you bring a guest?]

"Well, the guest was improvised. Of course, she's not someone who should be called improvised. Anyway! What else is there to do inside a gate?"

As I watched the text quickly passing on the screen, Han Gwangsu started answering the questions one by one.

As I stared at him, I suddenly realized that this was the broadcast's chat window. Maybe because I had been away from modern culture for so long, I was a bit weak with these things.

"Oh, is this the chat window?"

[Gasp]
[Noona saw usssss]
[Ah, don't film, ah]
[Lolololololol]
[Oh...]
[Noona, excuse me, but could you take off the jacket?]

"Jacket? Ah... My boss told me to wear it outside. Sorry."

[Ah]
[;;]
[What's your boss's name?]
[Oh, damn boss]
[Oh, what's with this chest martial law]

This is kind of fun. It was a bit amusing to see the chaos erupting at my every word.

Although what they were saying was a bit much, I didn't think much of it since I was past the point of being embarrassed about showing my upper chest a little.

"Alright, everyone. Even though I said monster hunting, it's not the usual monster hunting I do. Today, we'll see noona's skills."

"...So you're calling me noona too?"

"Yes. It's quite fitting, isn't it? The title noona. Anyway, shall we start moving?"

Han Gwangsu's device was pointed at me as he started moving with his equipment ready. I flashed a V-sign at the lens and asked a question I had been curious about.

"By the way, is it okay to just do monster hunting?"

"Yes. Usually, people watching the broadcast can't enter gates. So just capturing monster hunting this vividly is enough to make it interesting."

[That's only interesting once or twice, Gwangsu]
[Damn, monster hunting every day gets boring]
[Where did the content monster Gwangsu of the past go, damn it]
[Lol]
[Isn't this just being a money-grubber]
[That's true, but...]
[I'm a hunter though?]

"People are saying it's not okay?"

"Ah, they're just saying that. Just words. Look, the viewer count is the same, right? No, it's actually increased. ...It's increased quite a lot?"

[Our Gwangsu is quite honest]
[I'm leaving because it's annoying, you bastard]
[Lololololol]
[For real]
[Honest guy... that's why he's annoying...]
[Wow, what's with this guy?]
[There are a lot of people]
[The chat is so fast]

When I glanced at the viewer count, it was close to 50,000. This must be a lot, right?

From what I've heard, the world's population has decreased a lot due to the monster outbreak after the gate eruptions. Thinking about it that way, 50,000 was definitely not a small number.

It was impressive enough to see Han Gwangsu picking out questions and answering them amidst the tsunami of text.

"Well, everyone, I should first introduce this gate to you. This B-1355 gate in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, is a place called the Enderia Continent. It's one of the rare places where intelligent life forms exist without having gone extinct. They're called otherworlders."

[Oh]
[Otherworlders?]
[Was that really a thing?]
[Wow, Gwangsu, this was really big today]
[For real]

Most world-type gates open to worlds that have perished, but very rarely, gates open to worlds that haven't perished. Among these, excluding a few gates where life forms with intelligence similar to humans don't exist, gates with so-called otherworlders appear very rarely.

There are only six worldwide. This was the only 'civilization gate' existing in South Korea.

These types of gates, named civilization gates because civilizations exist in them, were extremely rare worldwide and were kept confidential, so it was generally impossible to enter them.

Is this guy more capable than I thought?

As I was thinking that and looking around, suddenly I felt the presence of a monster from underground. As the vibration that started very small gradually grew larger, Han Gwangsu also seemed to notice it, looking at me with a surprised face.

"Uh, uhh. Suddenly I feel vibrations. Can you see this? Everyone? It's not me shaking my hand!"

[?]
[What is it]
[What's going on]
[Earthquake]
[Is it underground?]

"It seems to be a Giant Worm."

"A Giant Worm? Ahhh!"

Rumble rumble-, as I confirmed the ground where Han Gwangsu and I were standing was shaking, I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him far away. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Han Gwangsu flew away without even resisting, and in that spot, the Giant Worm revealed its massive body.

-!

With a huge roar, the Giant Worm that appeared instantly spat out its characteristic acid towards Han Gwangsu. However, Han Gwangsu smoothly avoided the acid, proving he didn't get his A-rank hunter position by playing Go-Stop.

"Ahhh! Everyone! Can you see it! This is a Giant Worm! It's classified as the lowest among A-rank monsters!"

"That mouth of his never stops."

How should I cook this giant worm to make it well-known? Thinking that, I first clenched my fist.

A bluish energy gathered in my fist and started to materialize. As I swung that fist, a massive force was released from the tightly clenched fist, striking the Giant Worm.

Pop, with a sound like fabric tearing, the Giant Worm's armor broke.

Working hard to catch a monster that I could cut in one stroke if I drew my sword was my way of hiding my true abilities. If I revealed my full power in front of 50,000 viewers, there was a high chance that it would be revealed that I was the EX-rank ability user who had been in the news recently.

That's why I was beating it up with my fists, trying to make it as unguessable as possible, but not to appear weak.

"Can you see it! This noona is beating up the Giant Worm without even drawing her sword! And it's completely one-sided!"

"Are you commentating! You bastard! Come and help!"

"Nah. It seems like you can catch it without my help. Oh, 50,000 won if I help you, noona? I'm coming right away!"

Han Gwangsu took out his weapon from his subspace. A pure white bow and arrow that didn't seem to suit him appeared and settled gently in his hand. Along with it, he loaded an arrow onto the bow with a concise hand motion and drew the string.

Boo-ba-ba-ba-bang-!

The tightly drawn bowstring returned to its place, and with it, the arrow stuck into the Giant Worm's forehead with a tremendous wind sound. It was as if a storm had swept through.

To do this much with one arrow. He's definitely A-rank.

Hunters are called upper-rank hunters from B-rank, and top-rank hunters from A-rank. Excluding S-rank which is already beyond comparison, even A-rank was considered elite anywhere. That's why usually A-rank hunters worked for organizations, but Han Gwangsu was unusually working as an individual hunter for an A-rank.

The report said he works individually to do broadcasting, but given that hunters in guilds also do internet broadcasting, that excuse seemed a bit strange. Maybe I should ask him separately later.

After about 10 minutes like that, the Giant Worm that had taken several arrows and punches collapsed with a roar. Avoiding the fountain of purple blood from the collapsing Giant Worm, I quietly lowered my fist.

"Wow, noona. You're stronger than I thought. You seem to be at least A-rank."

"Yeah. I'm about that level."

"Is the sword just for decoration?"

"No, this is a cursed item. So I can't take it off my body."

"Ah, I see."

Seeming to understand my answer, Han Gwangsu nodded and continued communicating with the viewers. While doing so, he kept the camera lens fixed on me, seemingly determined to film me properly. It won't be able to be uploaded to YouTube, is that okay?

Thinking that, I looked around for now.

"Where are you planning to go?"

"Ah, since today's content is monster hunting, I'm thinking of going to the Sefelia Forest. It's the largest forest in the Enderia Continent, and it's known for frequent monster appearances."

"Is it okay to hunt freely?"

"Yes. I heard they made an agreement with the higher-ups of the Enderia Continent. I was told we can freely enter and exit the Sefelia Forest and the Cotilia Empire's territories."

"If you say so."

"...But shouldn't you know these things, noona?"

"I'm new, so I don't know such things."

At my answer, Han Gwangsu looked at me as if dumbfounded.

What are you looking at, you brat?

When I glared at him, the way he quickly averted his gaze was ridiculous.

"Ahem! Let's go then. Am I scared, you ask? I'm not scared. Yes."

"Alright."

Having decided on our destination, Han Gwangsu and I turned our steps towards the Sefelia Forest.