Chapter 22
As Lee Dae-soo approached the Hunter Association, his expression grew increasingly foul.
Most of the cheers from the crowd were directed at Kim Yoon-ho, with only sporadic mentions of other hunters' names—none of which were his own.
When he finally stepped inside the Association, his face had twisted into something so vicious he might as well have been called a demon.
This wasn't just about keeping a promise—it was a matter of pride.
'Damn it! What the hell! What kind of bullshit is this?!'
No matter what troublemaking he'd done, he was still Korea's top-ranked tank. How could there not be a single person cheering for him?
The imminent forced deployment to a C-rank monster hunt was bad enough, but being humiliated in front of Kang Ji-eun, whom he admired, was unbearable.
Kang Ji-eun watched Lee Dae-soo's face contort like a yaksha's, her lips curling into a knowing smile.
'Hoho, he took the bait easier than I expected.'
Then came an unexpected variable.
"Ah, hello! I'm your fan!"
Someone suddenly rushed forward, proclaiming themselves Lee Dae-soo's admirer.
Everyone wore baffled expressions, but none more so than Lee Dae-soo himself.
"...What did you just say?"
Lee Dae-soo asked again, doubting his ears.
Jun-hyeok, the self-proclaimed fan, gulped dryly and raised his head.
He found Lee Dae-soo making an unreadable face—somewhere between a grimace and a grin.
'Ugh! What's with that face...? People might mistake him for a villain ranker. Did I miscalculate?'
Lee Dae-soo already resembled a wrathful spirit, but the twitching around his eyes and mouth suggested barely contained fury.
"......"
But Jun-hyeok couldn't back down now. Having drawn his sword, he had to swing it.
"I... said I'm your fan......"
As Jun-hyeok repeated his claim, Lee Dae-soo's face twisted even more grotesquely.
In truth, Lee Dae-soo was overjoyed—but to onlookers, he appeared angrier than ever.
"Say it again. What?"
By now, Jun-hyeok considered retreating.
'Shit, this is going sideways... Should I switch targets now?'
Jun-hyeok agonized over Lee Dae-soo's hostile demeanor. Meanwhile, everyone except Kang Ji-eun braced for disaster.
'No, changing targets now would be awkward. Better push through. Worst he can do is throw a punch... and maybe I'll get a chance to copy his skills. Would mentioning we're both tanks help?'
Deciding he was already riding the tiger, Jun-hyeok pressed on:
"I-I said I'm Hunter Lee Dae-soo's fan! Ah! And I'm Choi Jun-hyeok, newly awakened as a TANK!"
He emphasized "tank" like a battle cry.
When Jun-hyeok reaffirmed his fandom, Lee Dae-soo finally erupted in laughter.
"Keuk keuk! Kuk ha! Right! My fan? My fan? Hahahaha!"
The abrupt shift left everyone stunned. Some wondered if he'd lost his mind.
Only Kang Ji-eun's expression darkened in contrast.
"Hah! See? I have fans too! Wait—you're that C-rank tank everyone's buzzing about?"
When Lee Dae-soo recognized him, Jun-hyeok answered swiftly:
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
Lee Dae-soo studied Jun-hyeok briefly before turning to Kim Yoon-ho:
"See this, pretty boy? Quality over quantity! One solid fan beats a hundred nobodies! Got it? Hahaha!"
Relief flooded Lee Dae-soo—no life-threatening C-rank hunts, a secured date with Kang Ji-eun,
and now a prodigy tank fanboy. In this tank shortage, a rookie who aced his awakening with perfect scores?
A golden ticket for his Taebaek Guild.
"Speaking of—heard you crushed the tank evaluation today. Seok-hwan wouldn't shut up about it. Wait—"
Lee Dae-soo suddenly pulled out his wallet and produced a business card.
Kim Yoon-ho frowned.
"Hey. Giving your card to a rookie during their protection period? That's a clear violation."
Lee Dae-soo smirked, whipping out a pen.
"Who's violating? My fan deserves an autograph! No paper, so the card'll do. Got a problem with that?"
Kim Yoon-ho fell silent, outmaneuvered by the tank's simple logic.
"Here—Choi Jun-hyeok, right? My autograph. Contact me if you need anything!"
Lee Dae-soo scrawled his signature, exploiting the loophole flawlessly.
"Th-thank you."
Jun-hyeok accepted the card, already plotting his next move.
'Time to strike. No more delays!'
He bowed deeply, extending both hands.
"Could I... shake your hand? It'd be the honor of my life!"
'Just grab it. That's all I need!'
A handshake—simple, yet enough to copy skills from an S-rank tank.
Lee Dae-soo boomed with laughter.
"A handshake? I'll give you a thousand!"
The moment their hands clasped—
'Got you!'
Jun-hyeok's lips quirked upward.
'Copy!'
A screen flashed before him:
[Perfect Defender (MAX)], [Shield Stun (MAX)], [Stun Charging (MAX)]
Copy? [Yes/No]
'YES!'
The system chimed.
[Skills copied. Access via Skill Window.]
Perfect Defender—a 3rd evolution of Iron Skin, far surpassing its predecessor.
Shield Stun and Stun Charging—rare active skills that made Lee Dae-soo Korea's top tank.
Stun skills had drop rates lower than hell itself, yet Jun-hyeok now held both.
'Jackpot! This is better than hitting the lottery!'
Jun-hyeok wiped the grin off his face, replacing it with tearful gratitude.
"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
Lee Dae-soo puffed up, oblivious to the stolen skills.
"Don't mention it! Contact me anytime!"
As their hands parted, Kim Yoon-ho intervened.
"Ahem. Jun-hyeok-ssi? I'm Kim Yoon-ho."
Jun-hyeok stiffened. The top damage dealer was making his move.
"Ah! It's an honor!"
Kim Yoon-ho produced his own card, prompting Lee Dae-soo's scowl.
"Hey! That's a violation too!"
"Anyone can receive a signed card," Kim Yoon-ho countered smoothly, autographing it.
"From Korea's top damage dealer. Unless you're not a fan...?"
"N-no! Thank you!"
Kim Yoon-ho added casually,
"Contact me if you need real help. Unlike some muscleheads, I’m actually useful."
Lee Dae-soo's eye twitched.
"Ah, I'm fine, really!" Jun-hyeok declined hastily.
Undeterred, Kim Yoon-ho extended his hand.
"Then a handshake. Unless you refuse fans?"
Jun-hyeok's eyes widened. Another chance?
