FALSE RANKER: PART 1

At around 10 o'clock in the morning.

Jae-Hyuk got off a taxi and walked in a deserted construction site on the other side of the street. He couldn't stop himself from observing the building that were being constructed.

'It's a pretty big construction site, hundreds of millions of wons should have been invested in that project.... But from the state of deterioration of some of the tools left unguarded and in disorder, the site was abandoned long before this gate appeared here.... I wonder what could have caused a great project like this one that worth hundreds of millions... And on top of that in Seoul, to be abandoned like that... But anyway, I should find the raid party as soon as possible, and get over with this raid.'

After walking on the construction site for 10 minutes, he noticed the silhouette of nine individuals and among them, one was waving at him. As he got closer to them, he could recognized two familiar faces among the group of nine men, even though it's his first time meeting them. Those two men were a stocky young man with spiky black hair, neatly trimmed facial hair, and a slender young man with gray eyes, a boyish face, and custard-colored hair that is shaved on both sides of his head without any facial hair.

'The bearded man with big physique should be the brother of the S-rank hunter, Hwang Dong-Soo that migrated to USA from South Korea; Hwang Dong-Seok.... He is the leader of a group of seven veteran hunters; excluding him, that use weak hunters as bait in their raids.... In that way, they are akin to lizards that discard their tails to distract their predator, in order to escape.... His group should consist of five C-ranks and two D-ranks... He was a C-rank tanker...

The clueless young man that is wearing a very expensive set of steel white armour with golden linings... More precisely, he wears a chest plate, two gauntlets and two shoulder plates... He is also equipped with an equally expensive double-edged, long sword and a shield... He is Yoo Jin-Ho, a Korean D-rank hunter and he is also the youngest child of Yoo Myunghan; the Chairman of Big conglomerate, Yoojin Construction...

Simply comparing him to Hwang Dong-Seok is akin to comparing the moon to the sun, as it is very clear to even a civilian that he doesn't have any experience in raiding dungeons, and his equipment are an obvious proof... It is an unspoken rule for hunter below the rank of B, to never bring equipment that are eye-catching to raids, for their own safety...

As the greatest danger in a dungeon is not the magic beasts, but fellow hunters that will do anything to gain more rewards... Also there is the fact that every and anything that happens in a dungeon, remains in that dungeon.... A knowledge that can only be learn after several raids... In other words, he basically draws a bull eye on his back and is telling everyone to take him down and loots his corpse.'

Before Jae-Hyuk knew it, he was already only five meters away from the party, and Dong-Seok has left the group and came to welcome him.

"Hi! There!... I thought that you were not coming, buddy.... But it is better later that never... So, you should be Hwang Jae-Hyuk, right.... I wish that we can get along well and also raids many more dungeons together, after all we share the same surname." Dong-Seok said as he smiled softly to Jae-Hyuk, while they shook hands. He was trying to make Jae-Hyuk low his guard by displaying a jovial behaviour, but unbeknownst to him, the latter knew who he really was.

'That selfish, arrogant, and sociopathic man that has little to no regard for the innocents he murdered, is trying to fool me... hahahaha.... It's so funny that I might cry, but I can't denied that little are his match in term of experience among the C-ranks... He wears several metal plates only on strategic places without it being them, seeming to be hindering his movements... One on his right arms... One on each legs.... A long sword that is not too expensive but seemed sharp enough to easily kills hundreds of magic beasts before becoming dull... A pouch and a dagger strap to his belt... The other seven hunters are no different with appropriate equipment.'

As Jae-Hyuk took the contract that Dong-Seok has handed to him, he was questioned by a veteran D-rank hunter with the obvious aim of mocking him.

"So, you are Hwang Jae-Hyuk.... If I'm not wrong... You are almost always partnered with another guy during raids, right?!"

"Yeah!"

"If I'm not wrong, you and your partner are famously known a the weakest hunter duo on the planet... HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

"HAAHAHAHA!!! Really...HAHAHAHAAHAHA!!"

"Enough with it already, guys... It doesn't matter even if he is the weakest hunter on the solar system... He is here only for filling up for the missing spot, so that we can enter that C-rank dungeon, even while being an E-rank... After all everyone here, I assume must already know the fact that according to the South Korea Hunter Association, without at least ten hunters of which half must be C-rank, a party cannot raid a C-rank dungeon... This is a basic information given when a hunter is awakened, irrespective of his rank. Hence, a strike force like ours, is not uncommon among hunters.

So, now that everything is clear... Let go back to our business, your job during this raid will be very simple, Jae-Hyuk.... It will be just like we discussed over the phone. It will be impossible for you to hunt down the monster inside this C-rank gate, as the weakest should be at least at the level of a D-rank mob monster... So, you will not be able to obtain any essence stone, and will instead get hunt... So, you will only have to carry our extra equipment and you will be rewarded two million wons... A pretty good deal, right!!" He said as he pointed at two large bags near the C-rank gate. One was blue and the other one was brown.

"Yeah!! I have no complain..."

"Good! If you agree, please sign the contract and then give it back to me... With that all introductions are done, we can get ready for the raid... " Dong-Seok said as he turned his back and headed towards the gate. Everyone followed behind the party leader, and headed towards the gate. Yoo Jin-Ho used this as an opportunity and approached Jae-Hyuk, while the latter was staring at the group in front of him attentive.

'Their aura is pretty weak for veteran Hunters... Or rather, is it mine which has gotten too strong for me to be impressed by theirs... Anyway, I play along with them for now.... In the end , I will see what those lizards are made of...'

"Hi! I'm Yoo Jin-Ho.... I am 22 years old and also a D-rank Fighter hunter... You are called Jae-Hyuk, right..." Jae-Hyuk simply looked at the rookie hunter and sighed before changing his attitude from a serious one to one which was jovial.

"Yeah! That right, Hunter Jin-Ho... I'm Jae-Hyuk and am 25 years old... I'm an E-rank Assassin hunter and also famously known by most hunters as the second weakest hunter of the world... I'll be in your care for the duration of the raid, Hunter Jin-Ho."

"Leave it to me, I'll protect you to the best of my abilities after all we both are here only for fulfilling the headcount conditions... Also just call me by my name... "

"That can't be Hunter Jin.... Jin-Ho... When I saw those high-quality equipment that you are wearing, I thought that you were an elite hunter... Are you not hiding your real identity, Jin-Ho?... "

"No, I'm not a false ranker... It's in fact my first raid, and all of these equipment were bought by my father for me... He is the chairman of a big conglomerate and he said that he would not allow me to enter a dungeon, if I at least didn't wear those equipment."