Chapter 2694 – 2694. Graduation

There was a graduation ceremony at Gukcheon University.

I attended the graduation ceremony and received my diploma. It wouldn’t have mattered if I hadn’t attended. That was the case for regular university students, so what about students in the Hunter Department? Of course, more students didn’t attend.

However, because I attended the graduation ceremony, there were students who attended even if they didn’t want to.

They wanted to at least get on my good side, since I was an S-Class candidate. If not that, they were hunters who thought they might get some crumbs.

My classmate and friend, Oh Junhyuk, nudged me with his elbow.

“You never even attend classes, so what wind blew you here to the graduation ceremony?”

“A walk?”

“It’s a total mess because of you. I heard there are reporters lined up at the school’s main gate.”

I chuckled.

They were reporters who had gathered to get an interview with me, the officially recognized S-Class candidate. It was natural for reporters to gather. I would do the interview properly after the graduation ceremony.

“You already got a job at the Hunter Association, right? Isn’t it tough?”

Oh Junhyuk had gotten a job at the Korean Hunter Association before graduation. He was already working as an employee of the Hunter Association.

“I’m a newbie. There’s not much to do. At most, managing and controlling dungeon gates? I thought it was just lip service when they said Korea was an advanced hunter nation… but after experiencing it, it’s real. Hunters take care of dungeon breakers before they even happen, and even if a breaker does occur, the association and guilds step in to resolve it right away. Honestly, it feels like I’m having it easy, which is nice. Well, that’s only until this week, though.”

Oh Junhyuk’s expression darkened.

“Why?”

“The association wants me to go for training. Turns out all newbies have to go.”

“You just have to go, what’s the problem?”

“…Damn it. I have to train at the academy for half a year.”

“Oh, really?”

“The law changed last year. It’s because of that. Damn it.”

Oh Junhyuk kept cursing. Originally, hunters weren’t drafted into the military like other people. Of course, the situation was different in times of war. But it wasn’t wartime now.

I chuckled. It was someone else’s problem anyway.

“Heh heh. Do you really have to go?”

“I don’t have to, but they say it’ll be hard to get promoted if I don’t.”

I thought I understood the association and government’s intentions.

It might be harsh to say, but the level of the association’s rank-and-file employees was quite low compared to guild hunters.

‘It can’t be helped. Talented hunters go to guilds where they can make a lot of money. The association is stable, but the pay isn’t as good.’

In reality, hunters with lower skills got jobs at the Hunter Association.

‘The association training must be aimed at training newbies to improve their skills.’

You might ask if they couldn’t learn at universities or academies? That’s ridiculous. What they teach at schools and academies can’t be the same as what they teach at training facilities.

“Well, good luck.”

“Yujin, what are you going to do after graduation?”

“Me? Nothing will change. I’ll just keep hunting monsters.”

I wouldn’t have to run around trying to make money.

My assets already exceeded 2 trillion. That was because HB-1, a replica of Hebil’s accelerator, was still selling like crazy through Sejin Group. By the way, the recent drop in potion prices was due to HB-1. The price dropped because the unique herbs that were the ingredients for potions were being supplied in large quantities.

The graduation ceremony ended.

I did an interview with the reporters who were waiting, hung out with Oh Junhyuk at a club, and then went home. None of the women I met at the club caught my eye.

When I got home, I looked at the online articles. I had done an interview earlier that day, so I was curious about the reaction.

「The Future of Korea, S-Class Hunter Candidate Sung Yujin Graduates from Gukcheon University!

Today, Sung Yujin, an A-Class hunter considered an S-Class hunter candidate, graduated from Gukcheon University. He was not an Awakened One until his first year, but he awakened late in his second year of university and exploded with potential. After that, he became an A-Class hunter in three years and became an S-Class hunter candidate, following in the footsteps of Han Ah-young.

He, who had previously avoided the media, unusually agreed to an interview with reporters.

The video below is of Sung Yujin answering questions from reporters. Below that is a summary.

Reporter A: Congratulations on graduating from university.

Sung Yujin: Thank you.

Reporter A: Is there a reason why you, who usually avoid interviews, are doing one today?

Sung Yujin: It’s a good day. I also want to promote my alma mater, Gukcheon University.

Reporter B: How will you continue your hunter activities after graduation? Will you focus on guild activities?

Sung Yujin: It’s the same as usual. However, I plan to be a bit more active in guild activities.

Reporter C: Do you think the Hunter Department at universities is really necessary? There are rumors that more university student hunters don’t attend school. You also missed more classes than you attended, didn’t you?

Sung Yujin: The Hunter Department is necessary. You can learn in-depth information about monsters and knowledge about dungeon environments. I focused on studying theory before I started my hunter activities in earnest. The reason I was able to become an A-Class hunter so quickly was thanks to the excellent lectures of the professors.

Reporter D: There are rumors that Sung Yujin’s rapid growth is due to illegal drugs. Do drugs that help with growth really exist?

Sung Yujin: Are you talking about elixirs? I’ve tried a few elixirs. But elixirs don’t increase a hunter’s potential. If they did, all the A-Class hunters in the world would be silver spoons.

Reporter E: If foreign hunter associations, governments, or guilds offered you a huge sum of money to recruit you, would you consider naturalizing in a foreign country?

Sung Yujin: No. At least I’m not moved by money. My assets are more than you can imagine.

Reporter F: There are rumors that you are dating Han Ha-rin, Han Ah-young’s younger sister. Is that true?

Sung Yujin: I’ll decline to comment.

Reporter Q: There are rumors that Sung Yujin is very promiscuous. Do you have anything to say about that?

Sung Yujin: Say? I’m confident. There’s nothing to say.

Reporter W: Many hunters doubt that Sung Yujin is an S-Class hunter candidate. Do you have anything to say to them?

Sung Yujin: Those who doubt my strength? I’m willing to show them my strength. Don’t act like cowards, step forward confidently.

……

Reporter A: Do you have any last words?

Sung Yujin: I will become the best hunter in the world.」

I nodded after reading the article. There were no malicious distortions. While I was at it, I also checked the comments on the article.

-Kim3****: The future of Korea! S-Class Hunter Sung Yujin! I support you!

-Ozl****: lol, future S-Class Hunter Sung Yujin? Do you think S-Class hunters are easy to come by? In a year, no one will even mention Sung Yujin’s name.

-nnnt6****: Honestly, what has Sung Yujin shown after becoming an A-Class hunter? Only attacking safe A-Class and lower dungeons? He hasn’t shown anything special except for the Bluebird Guild incident.

-water****: Regardless of anything else, Sung Yujin’s potential is real. Soon, Sung Yujin’s potential will bloom, and he will make a name for himself as an S-Class hunter. The Seventy-Tier Guild he belongs to will definitely skyrocket. We should invest in the Seventy-Tier Guild right now!

-cokco****: Are you really dating Han Ha-rin? I saw it on the news before, and she has huge boobs and a pretty face, just like her sister Han Ah-young… Damn….

-wmlol****: The best hunter in the world? lol, that’s kind of funny.

After skimming through the comments on the article, more than half of them were doubting me.

It was a natural reaction. S-Class hunter candidates were just that, candidates. There were many S-Class candidates in other countries, and most of them were forgotten without ever becoming S-Class.

It was very rare for an S-Class hunter candidate to actually become an S-Class, like Han Ah-young.

And I hadn’t shown the public any significant activities. It was inevitable that the evaluation would be harsh.

‘Should I go to the Hunter Association and make a fuss about getting an S-Class hunter license?’

I shook my head.

It was hard to guess how the World Hunter Association would react. I couldn’t just run wild without knowing the extent of the World Hunter Association’s power.

‘Hmm. My interview will probably be on the main terrestrial news, right?’

As time passed, my interview appeared on the main terrestrial news. But it didn’t become a hot topic.

The return of S-Class hunter Han Ah-young, the appearance of an S-Class dungeon in Jeju Island, and hunter equipment worth at least 70 billion appearing at an auction had sucked up all the attention.

‘Tsk. I went through the trouble of doing an interview…’

An official S-Class hunter candidate. Maybe it wasn’t as powerful as I thought.

Brrr.

My smartphone vibrated. I got a message from Han Ah-young.

Han Ah-young: There’s a rumor that you and Ha-rin are dating?

Han Ah-young: (Article link)

My neck felt cold.

I had a bad feeling about this.

With tense fingers, I checked the link.

It was a dating rumor that had surfaced because of today’s interview.

Han Ha-rin was ignoring it, but Han Ah-young’s reaction was sharp. Was it just my imagination? No, it wasn’t just my imagination.

‘…Han Ah-young knows about the ring I gave to Han Ha-rin.’

That was because Han Ha-rin had bragged to Han Ah-young while pretending not to. After that, I thought it had been brushed aside, but… it seemed like it had blown up today.

I felt a sense of crisis.

‘If I mess this up, my relationship with Han Ah-young will be ruined. I might not be able to do the sister sandwich anymore.’

I was an expert on women. My sense of crisis was never wrong.

‘The way to overcome this crisis is… a gift.’

Han Ah-young’s stress must have been building up without her knowing. It just so happened that the dating rumor was the fuse.

‘The Ring of Wishes is 300,000 points, so I can’t get it with my current points. I have to get something else. Giving her an ordinary ring would be worse than giving her nothing…’

I gave Han Ha-rin a luxury item, and I’m going to give Han Ah-young something cheap? I might get slapped for that.

‘Damn it. How could I make such a mistake?’

But it’s okay.

I had the Play Life app.

I quickly sent a message to Han Ah-young.

Sung Yujin: Sis. I have something I prepared for you. Are you free tomorrow?

Han Ah-young: Something you prepared? Are you going to have another party with Ha-rin?

Sung Yujin: What are you talking about? It’s just the two of us meeting. It’s a secret from Ha-rin.

Han Ah-young: I think I’ll be free tomorrow. (ᐢᗜᐢ)

Whew.

I felt like I had overcome a hurdle.

Somehow, it was harder than fighting an A-Class monster.

‘I just need to find a Play World where I can get a ring. Please help me, Play Life app!’

I used the Play World search function.