The S-Rank Character Is My Alt

Chapter 19: Welcome to the Sacred Battlefield (8)

[World Rank No. 1 Lude, Contracts with Sanctuary] – VVC Korea

[Exclusive] How the Hunter World Will Change After Lude Signs with Sanctuary – Hunter News Exclusive

[Full Ver] The Impact of Lude’s Affiliation Change on the Future Stock Market (Issue Analysis, Market Review) – StockKingTV

“It’s blowing up…”

There was only one day left before her first day at work. Nari, having turned into a completely lazy bum, lay upside down on her bed chewing on jerky.

[Still, the Sanctuary PR team is impressive, the Lord of Chaos says as he browses internet news with you.]

“Right? They handled the embargo lifting really well this time too.”

The embargo on the gate that had suddenly risen from class 4 to class 2 was lifted.

‘It was only a temporary class increase, so citizens should rest assured and continue normal economic activity. The Ministry of Defense is doing its utmost in coordination with each guild.’ That was the entirety of the official statement.

In the days after that announcement, the KOSPI plunged, and the country’s credibility plummeted. People, furious and anxious, began venting their anger on the government.

If public opinion had flowed the way it usually did, Lude, who had first discovered and cleared the gate, would also have been blamed and accused of hiding the sudden jump to class 2. But not this time.

Nari clicked again on the Sanctuary press conference highlight video about the class 2 gate that popped up on her YouTube algorithm. She liked it so much she even hit the like button and must have replayed it at least five times.

Click, click, the sound of cameras filled the video. It was the press question session at Sanctuary’s conference. One reporter raised a hand and asked,

“There are rumors that Mr. Lude deliberately concealed the existence of the class 2 gate and joined Sanctuary to prevent that fact from spreading. Is this true?”

The instant Nari first heard that question, her blood surged upward. Then it settled down again. It was true she had not mentioned it because it would have been a hassle, but that was never the reason.

Still, saying a Hunter didn’t report something because it was bothersome could be enough to anger ordinary people. Sanctuary’s spokesperson calmly took the microphone and spoke.

“It is not true that Mr. Lude concealed the existence of the class 2 gate. Because revealing that fact would have caused major chaos, we waited for the government’s official announcement.”

The confident tone and trustworthy phrasing left no room for malicious misinterpretation. His actions and choice of words were flawless.

There were plenty of experts in this field, so why had she suffered alone all this time? Nari thought that as she kept watching. Before the reporters could ask further, the spokesperson preempted them.

“Mr. Lude’s entry into Sanctuary is not for concealment, but a decision made for the security of the Republic of Korea. Please refrain from speculative remarks. From now on, Mr. Lude and Sanctuary will join hands to work for the safety of our citizens.”

Scrolling down, she read the comments. Almost all were praise for Lude.

Chloe Joe 2 days ago

— Honestly, whenever something happened in a gate, the government and media went way too far blaming Lude. Just watching the compilations of his past deeds, anyone can see he’s not a bad person at all… For someone who had always worked solo to join Sanctuary must have been a huge decision. Really thankful. We owe him a lot.

View 5 replies

Haeni 2 days ago

— No one died in that class 2 gate lol. The overseas media is full of praise for Lude but here they just want to dumb blame on him. But guess what, that doesn’t fly anymore lol

Lude’s Chihuahua 2 days ago

— It’s because Lude didn’t belong anywhere… He was one man fighting for a hundred, but with no guild to cover him, they just piled on more criticism. He may look rude on the outside, but he’s kind at heart, that’s our Lude T.T

Hyun Chung 2 days ago

– @Haeni dumb blame -> dump blame

Kim Kyungbok 3 days ago

— Honestly, didn’t the Ministry of Defense just use Lude’s joining Sanctuary to cover up their own gate prediction failure? Let’s send Lude to the National Assembly. He’s a hundred times better than those lawmakers who only talk and do nothing.

Nari turned off her phone and flopped back onto her bed, scratching her stomach. She stretched out her arms with a happy smile.

“Sanctuary’s got my back now…”

The power of the PR team was truly overwhelming. No more life of constant internet beatings. She finally understood why every big guild had a marketing department. Hugging her phone, she grinned happily.

“The godly Sanctuary, I’m glad I joined…”

[Nari, don’t get your hopes up too much yet… It might not be as good as you think once you’re inside… the Lord of Chaos worries for you.]

“Don’t ruin it! Let me enjoy my happy dream at least for a little! If I’m disappointed, I’ll deal with it then!”

Ignoring the Lord of Chaos’s worry that her illusion might shatter on the first day of work, Nari rolled off her bed and crawled toward the bathroom. She hadn’t left her room for an entire week. Now it was time to wash up and head out. She had an appointment.

* * *

Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Nari was glancing around nervously in a corner of her neighborhood.

He was the type who stood out even just standing still… In this quiet town, he would stand out all the more. She wondered if he was late, but he had sent a message saying he was already there, so he had to be around.

“Where on earth…”

“Over here!”

A small car horn beeped at her side. Ihyun rolled down his window and called out.

“It’s cold, get in.”

“You already have your own car, huh…”

‘What have I been doing all this time?’ Feeling a pang of uselessness, Nari obediently got into the passenger seat beside Ihyun, reminding herself that she too could earn as much as him now.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it!”

“Yeah. Not since the mock battle that time.”

Since the mock battle, Ihyun had hardly contacted her.

Nari wondered if he was avoiding her and even checked his SNS, but he had been completely inactive for a week. Only now, after seven days, did he reply to her message.

“S-Sorry… I just had a lot to think about…”

“It’s fine. Oh, I asked you out today to return this.”

Nari, who had been enjoying her own bum life too, handed him the shopping bag she had been carrying.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Why didn’t you come to get your stuff? Do you have plenty at home or something?”

“No, it’s not that, I just didn’t really need it.”

Ihyun accepted the shopping bag. Inside the large luxury department store bag were the laptop and tablet he had lent her, neatly placed. And something else.

“What’s this?”

He pulled out a small box. In an instant, Nari’s ears turned red. She whipped her head away in the passenger seat and stammered.

“I-I mean, it’s just… you… helped me a lot. So like… I passed because of you… S-So, it’s a token of gratitude… yeah! I don’t like owing debts, okay? So…”

“Oh, wow. Thank you! You really didn’t have to… Nari, I’ll treasure it… Can I open it now?”

Without looking at him, Nari nodded. With a click, Ihyun opened the little box.

Inside was a set of cufflinks. Obviously an expensive brand. Still not looking at him, Nari mumbled on.

“I couldn’t think of anything else since it seems you already have everything. But that time… when you wore a suit… I thought it looked good on you. S-So I bought this. If you already have nicer ones or don’t like them… you don’t have to wear them.”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller.

She worried that the carefully chosen gift might turn out useless to him.

“T-This is…”

Hearing Ihyun’s voice, Nari glanced over. He carefully picked up the cufflinks and covered his mouth as he spoke.

“You thought of me while choosing, didn’t you?”

“Huh? O-Obviously.”

“You kept thinking about what would suit me best, right? R-Remembering how I looked in that suit…”

“Well yeah? Otherwise how could I pick?”

With his face slightly flushed, Ihyun asked with earnest eyes. Nari nodded silently, and he held the cufflinks gently as his face glowed with delight.

“I’m so happy. I’ll treasure them. I’ll wear them every day. Really, every single day!”

“Wouldn’t wearing office wear every day be tough? But I’m glad you like it.”

Nari sighed with relief. Ihyun gazed at the cufflinks a bit longer with shining eyes before putting them back into the box. Then, carefully, he spoke again.

“I’ve thought about you a lot too. Since the mock battle ended… almost every day this past week…”

A sudden confession. Judging by the words alone, it should have been shyly said, but his tone and expression weren’t shy at all.

If anything, he looked faintly troubled. Nari sensed it and looked at him questioningly. Ihyun met her gaze with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you during the mock battle.”

“Oh, that…”

“Both the guildmaster and my partner had told me not to do such things many times, but I’ve always been the type to stand on the front line. Protecting others is my job. I thought it was only natural.”

Gripping the steering wheel, Ihyun let out a deep sigh. After the battle, Lude’s words about being upset had weighed heavily on his mind.

Just like the critical moments in the mock battle, giving up his armor saved more people from emergencies.

But of course, being injured hurt him. It hurt him a lot.

Bones shattering, organs bursting, splintered bones stabbing into his insides, flesh burning or tearing, limbs being severed, all the pain was still vivid.

Even if he healed, the memory of the pain never truly disappeared. If anything, it accumulated, and his fear of pain grew day by day.

But if he didn’t do it, weaker people would die. And he was a Hunter. So Ihyun clenched his teeth and always headed for the front lines of the gate.

He constantly repeated to himself, I’m not in pain. Or, even if I am, I’m the one who can endure it.

But looking back, that mindset had harmed both his body and mind badly. And it also pained the people who cared about him.

“Well, maybe it was my selfishness too. Now that I think about it, your point was valid. Honestly, if I had kept my armor and someone else died, they would have cursed me. Saying I could heal fast but refused to take it off.”

“T-Then… What should I do…? If it’s wrong either way…”

With uncertainty, Ihyun looked down. His recent inactivity must have been because of this dilemma since the mock battle. Turning her head, Nari spoke like it was obvious.

“What’s there to agonize over… You have me now.”

“N-Nari, you?”

“Why? Don’t you trust me? I’m stronger than you. And we’re in the same guild now, you know?”

Crossing her arms with confidence, Nari leaned back in the passenger seat. When Ihyun failed to react with enthusiasm, she frowned.

“What, weren’t we going to stick together? Or were you planning to throw me into the Sanctuary and abandon me?”

“N-No! I would never! I just didn’t think it would be solved this easily… but you’re right. If I’m with Lude, I won’t ever need to take my armor off. He’s stronger than me…”

Watching Ihyun think seriously with his hand at his lips, Nari leaned forward with a cocky grin. Her black eyes sparkled.

“Trust me. As long as you’re with me, you’ll never have to take your armor off. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Got it. Nari…”

“What?”

“You’re so cool…”

Ihyun cupped his hands at his mouth and gazed at her with shining eyes. If someone had seen them from outside the car, they might have thought Nari had just proposed.