Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Chapter 216 : Korea Guardian Award (2)

Korea Guardian Award (2)

As everyone had expected, the Rookie of the Year award went to Hwang Yeon-ji.

It was unfortunate for the hunters who debuted this year, but there never really was any competition.

Who could beat the youngest hunter to ever become an S-rank hunter in their debut year?

"I'm jealous. I always wanted to try winning Rookie of the Year, too."

Lee Soo-ah looked at Hwang Yeon-ji's trophy with genuine envy.

Because of that, Hwang Yeon-ji found it hard to act like the award was meaningless.

Among everyone present, in fact, the only one who hadn't received Rookie of the Year was Lee Soo-ah.

"I didn't get it, either."

"They'll probably give it to you in America."

While she had participated because she was currently affiliated with Unique, it was clear that America would take care of giving Alencia the rookie prize for Alencia.

"Next, we will continue with the awards for hunters who brightened Korea this year."

The ceremony continued after the Rookie of the Year was announced.

In the case of Baek Hojun, he received an award for greatly improving the public image of hunters and for becoming a guide for his peers.

The hunters from Unique also got to take home trophies.

It would've been strange for the hunters who became S-rank this year to go home empty-handed.

"There seem to be an unusually high number of joint awards this year."

When a journalist covering the event muttered that to himself, another journalist nearby nodded.

"Well, Grand Nova and Unique both had outstanding hunters making big contributions this year."

"True, I don't think there's ever been another year where Korean hunters have been such a hot topic."

"They can't just send people home empty-handed, and there's a limit to how many new awards they can invent..."

Last year, there were several hunters whose level of activity could easily have won them an award.

But as luck would have it, this year it was hard for those efforts to truly shine.

After all, so many extraordinary things had happened that mere activity alone barely even warranted consideration.

"So, who do you think will get the Excellence Award and the Top Hunter Grand Prize?"

"In the past, of course, I would've mentioned Kang Min-gi."

Whenever one listed the best hunters in Korea, the first name mentioned was always Kang Min-gi.

He took home the grand prize every year, and this year he also had an excellent showing, but he seemed just a bit short of earning the grand prize again.

At best, they'd probably give him the Excellence Award.

"So Hunter Kang Min-gi-nim would get the Excellence Award, and the Grand Prize..."

The journalists' gazes turned to Shin Ah-yeon, who had yet to win any awards.

Although Shin Ah-yeon didn't get to show what she was really capable of at Odyssey, that was simply because she hadn't had the opportunity.

She was scheduled to participate in the finals, and it was she who closed the rift at the Grand Canyon, saving countless lives.

On top of that, as Korea's only great mage, she'd hugely elevated the country's international standing, making her a natural candidate for the grand prize.

Although her activity in Korea this year was a bit lacking, the fact remained that she had performed great feats overseas.

'If it's Shin Ah-yeon, there'd be no one who'd protest if she took the grand prize over Kang Min-gi.'

Even from the Association's perspective, it would have felt ambiguous to give the grand prize yet again to Kang Min-gi, who had practically monopolized it every year. Shin Ah-yeon was the perfect alternative.

In fact, Shin Ah-yeon herself hadn't declined the chance to win the grand prize this year.

"Hunter Lee Soo-ah hasn't won anything yet, so perhaps the Excellence Award will be shared..."

"I think so, too. Lee Soo-ah had an amazing year as well."

Making Shin Ah-yeon the grand prize recipient, and giving the Excellence Award to Kang Min-gi and Lee Soo-ah would be just right.

The journalists nodded to themselves, and some even started pre-writing their articles.

"Now, we'll announce the winners of the Excellence Award. This time, we have not one, but two awardees."

It was, once again, a joint award.

Everyone at the ceremony nodded slightly, as if they had expected this outcome.

By now, they'd all more or less figured out who the winners would be.

"Hunter Shin Ah-yeon-nim and Hunter Lee Soo-ah-nim!"

At the host's announcement, the hall buzzed with excitement.

It was rare enough for two hunters from the same management agency to win the same award at the same time, but now it was even harder to guess who would be getting the grand prize.

"They're giving the grand prize to Kang Min-gi again?"

"No, not this year, right? Did Grand Nova pressure them or something?"

Of course, both Shin Ah-yeon and Lee Soo-ah had more than warranted receiving the Excellence Award.

But compared to them, there was no real reason to give the Grand Prize to Kang Min-gi.

This year, those two hunters outperformed Kang Min-gi.

"Congratulations, hunter Shin Ah-yeon-nim, hunter Lee Soo-ah-nim."

As the host passed the trophy, Shin Ah-yeon bowed with a bright smile.

She exchanged glances with Lee Soo-ah for a moment.

They were wordlessly deciding who would give the acceptance speech.

"I never imagined I'd be back at this podium again."

The truth was, this was Shin Ah-yeon's first time standing here since her Rookie of the Year win.

Three years ago, after she closed the rift and became a candidate for the grand prize in recognition of her achievements, she had not attended the ceremony due to the condition of her body.

At the time, rumors were rampant that Shin Ah-yeon's mana hall had been destroyed, so people assumed she was considering retirement and skipped the event.

But unlike what people thought, Shin Ah-yeon had simply skipped the ceremony because she couldn't be bothered to go, preferring to spend the time gaming.

No one knew that fact.

"First of all, I want to thank my manager, Park Jung-woo, for giving me the chance to return to active duty as a hunter. I also want to dedicate this honor to our President and all my fellow hunters."

Shin Ah-yeon spoke smoothly and confidently, glancing around at the crowd.

When the applause finally died down, the host posed another question.

"Isn't it a bit disappointing? You were a nominee for the grand prize—you must have been looking forward to it."

"Not at all. I think the Excellence Award alone is more than I deserve. As for the Grand Prize... I expect the winner to be someone that will truly surprise everyone."

Someone that would surprise everyone?

People looked at Shin Ah-yeon with puzzled expressions.

If Shin Ah-yeon had already won the Excellence Award, wasn't it obvious that the grand prize would go to Kang Min-gi?

By now, all the prominent S-rank hunters had received awards. There was no one left deserving.

People were eager to know if Shin Ah-yeon had inside information, but surprisingly, she didn't elaborate and simply stepped off the podium with Lee Soo-ah after a restrained farewell.

"Now. To announce the Korean Hunter of the Year! The Korea Guardian Grand Prize!"

As all eyes turned to the stage, the host, Yoo Baek-ho, received the envelope with the grand prize winner's name.

"The hunter to close out this year with a bang is..."

As he checked the winner's name, the host abruptly fell silent.

He repeatedly glanced at the staff who handed him the envelope, as if to confirm if this was really correct.

"What? Is it really someone shocking?"

"Kang Min-gi didn't get it? No way..."

If that were the case, Kang Min-gi would, for the first time in his career, leave the ceremony empty-handed.

No hunter, journalist, or viewer—a single person, really—doubted Kang Min-gi's win.

Regardless of his actual feats, by simple process of elimination it was obvious.

There was nobody here who had surpassed Shin Ah-yeon and Lee Soo-ah's performance.

"... Manager Park Jung-woo!"

As the MC's declaration echoed throughout the hall, the entire venue fell silent.

It was as if all sound had evaporated.

'Did I hear that right?'

'Manager Park Jung-woo? Did he just say that?'

It had seemed odd since the moment he attended this event.

But the grand prize was on a whole different level.

'No, no way. If he won the grand prize, then, could it be...'

The hall, which was quiet to begin with, now heard nothing at all.

Endless, utter silence.

So it was that Park Jung-woo's footsteps on the way up to the stage could be heard clearly, echoing through the hush.

"Ahem."

Receiving the trophy from the host, Park Jung-woo cleared his throat lightly as he gripped the mic for his speech.

"Hello. I'm Unique's manager, Park Jung-woo."

The man who had brought Unique, once trampled by Grand Nova, back to its current status.

It was indeed an admirable achievement, but that was as a manager, not a hunter.

So people could not understand why he had taken the grand prize over Shin Ah-yeon or Lee Soo-ah.

At least, not until Park Jung-woo spoke his next words.

"My registered hunter name is 'No Name'."

The temporary hunter alias he'd used to participate in Odyssey.

As soon as Park Jung-woo mentioned the name, the hall exploded with shocked reactions.

***

That Park Jung-woo might actually be No Name had been a constant rumor.

Ever since the French hunter Hugo mentioned it, the public had half-convinced themselves he was, in fact, No Name.

However, for him to declare it himself was another matter entirely.

And not in some online article, but at the nationally televised Korea Guardian Award ceremony, watched by everyone.

To win the grand prize and publicly reveal himself as No Name—!

"How interesting."

A man lying in a hospital bed lowered his cell phone and laughed.

"I never imagined he'd just reveal everything like that, honestly."

"It's probably because of Hunter Hugo. There's no reason to keep hiding it now."

"That's true. In fact, now that No Name is revealed, it'll be much easier to mobilize other hunters."

Kang Min-gi listened to the man and quietly studied his face.

He still looked terribly haggard.

Naturally so.

After all, he had just barely come back from the brink of death.

"How does it feel to go home empty-handed for the first time?"

"I don't feel much of anything. It wasn't much of a meaningful prize to begin with."

"Because it's a society doomed to collapse anyway?"

Kang Min-gi didn't reply to the man's words.

His silence was as good as confirmation.

"Is your body alright, now? Why would you go and do something so reckless?"

"If I hadn't, I'd just have died anyway."

Whether killed after being used by the demons, or dying when this world was terraformed into the demon realm and he failed to withstand the demonic energy, those were the only options.

That wasn't a future Jin Su-hyuk, the man with the haggard face, wanted.

"Now I can feel it—the magic power you all kept talking about."

He lifted his hospital gown to reveal his chest.

Embedded there was a pitch-black jewel.

It hadn't fully fused yet, so his veins writhed around it, but that would be over soon.

"And the demonic energy—is it under control?"

"Technically, it's demon blood. The demonic energy is contained within the blood."

He wasn't fully used to it yet.

That was only natural.

Jin Su-hyuk was essentially the first successful case.

He was an ordinary human, not an awakened hunter, who had accepted a demon's heart.

Jin Su-hyuk's current skeleton was inscribed with countless divine art sigils.

A manufactured god.

Jin Su-hyuk thought of himself as the closest being to that.

Of course, the strength he currently possessed was still far inferior to the man in front of him, Kang Min-gi.

"Kang Min-gi, as I always say, you should be careful as well. No matter—"

"I know. But honestly, it's not such a bad feeling. The power of demons is surprisingly refreshing, contrary to what you'd think."

Unlike Jin Su-hyuk, Kang Min-gi had fused with a top-rank demon.

Like Owen before him, he had completely suppressed the will of the top-rank demon.

"I have to admit, I'm looking forward to it."

Kang Min-gi recalled the S-rank hunters from Unique he had seen today.

Shin Ah-yeon, Lee Soo-ah, Alencia.

And Park Jung-woo.

Not receiving an award didn't bother him at all.

But he definitely didn't plan on being underestimated by any of them.

"The day I get to fight them."

Especially Shin Ah-yeon—there were many things he wanted to pay her back for.

Kang Min-gi still hadn't forgotten the humiliation he'd felt three years ago.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Another hunter with inferiority complex.

Is it human nature?

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】