Kang Minho did not appear in the novel. To be more precise, he was someone whom Baek Haemin couldn't remember if he had appeared in the novel.
That's why he didn't know anything about him nor his abilities other than what he had seen on their last dungeon raid together. Haemin scratched his head.
To be honest, it's not like I read the whole thing attentively anyway.
Even while working as an editor, he could not pay attention to every single detail in Shiro's novel. He was in charge of countless stories. Having to review countless novels all the time, he had learned how to skim, mostly viewing the main plots.
Almost every standout character in the Rise of the SS-Rank Hunter was either villains or S-Rank hunters. There were some A-Rank hunters in the main cast, but no one from the Blue Dragon Team 2.
[System:
{Status Window}
Name: Kang Minho
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Type: Defense
Rank: A
Strength: 410
Defense: 709
Speed: 260
Agility: 230
Stamina: 649
Mana: 645/820
Available Stat Points: 5]
Looking at his stats, Baek Haemin thought a few ogres shouldn't have been a threat to Kang Minho. He was strong enough to defeat them, but he's currently lacking something.
A 19-year-old defense hunter who just awakened. His dungeon experience required him to act only as a porter, and not necessarily fight monsters. It was obvious that he was lacking in experience.
That was the reason why Baek Haemin activated his skill, Maiden's Sanctuary. In order to make up for that, he decided to just pump his stats up.
He had already been warned not to use his power recklessly, but it couldn't be helped.
It's just for once. Hunters should already be running here, anyway. I'm going to do this just once, okay?
[Strength: 410 (+205)]
Enhancing his strength by half, just enough to overpower the huge ogre. Kang Minho flinched when he felt the surge of power going through his body. He clenched his fist tightly and punched a hole through the ogre's axe, going straight to its head. Kang Minho's eyes brightened.
He looked at his fist and ran to Baek Haemin, who was hiding in a corner.
"Haemin-ssi! That was amazing!"
Of course, who do you think I am?
Haemin smiled at the young hunter meekly.
"No. Minho, you're more amazing to be able to do that."
Kang Minho's cheeks blushed until they heard a loud bang up front. A young child was running away from an ogre that was much larger than an average one.
"Haa, haa! Kugh–"
The boy ran with all his might, eyes shut.
"Ow!"
He failed to see the shoe randomly laying on the ground, making him trip from it. The boy bit his lip and tried to stand up.
The monster chasing him grabbed his foot, but the boy tried to kick it.
"Hic. G, get away!"
The child took the shoe and hit the monster with it. He put all his strength, struggling to get away from the monster pulling him.
Tears filled his face, and exhaustion was starting to kick in. He had no idea how long he had been running away from the monsters chasing him, trying to get away from them, but they weren't stopping.
One after another, monsters would lose their focus on him to go eat another human but a new one would always find him. When he tried to hide, an adult ran to the same hiding spot as him with a monster chasing them.
"Kugh… get away!"
The atrocious monster wouldn't let go of his leg. Its horrendous mouth filled with blood opened, slowly widening and getting ready to devour him.
In his mind, one person comes to mind. As he felt his body being lifted from his foot, Seo Hyunwoo shut his eyes, biting the inside of his mouth.
Yuna… I'm sorry!
Suddenly, he heard a loud bang and his body swayed around. His eyes opened wide while he felt himself falling.
Hyunwoo closed his eyes again, getting himself ready for the crash. However, a hand caught his body, carefully hugging him.
"Hey, are you okay?"
A voice so soft, it felt as though it could tickle his ears.
Seo Hyunwoo looked up. The first thing he saw was a mole on the bottom of that person's right lip. The man's lips curled.
"Are you alright?"
Then, a golden light came through the man, and a warm sensation enveloped his whole body. Seo Hyunwoo flinched, but the man carried him to a corner.
The strange man sat down with Hyunwoo still in his arms. The man patted him gently as he hugged the young child.
"It's okay. It's alright, now."
Hyunwoo's eyes trembled, still biting his lip. He saw the man's hands glow, and the scratches on his feet quickly vanished.
…what is this?
The lingering fatigue on his body also disappeared. The young Seo Hyunwoo couldn't understand what was happening, but the man's gentle hands continued to pat him, making him feel warm amidst the place full of monsters.
He heard a loud sound a few meters away from them. Monsters screaming, and their axes hitting against something. Hyunwoo tried to turn around, but the man stopped him. The hand, much bigger than his, patted Hyunwoo on his head.
As if telling him that everything was alright, the man caressed his back, making him loosen up. Seo Hyunwoo trembled at the man's gesture, making him nudge towards his comfort.
He glanced at his knees that were free from all the previous scrapes he got. Every scar he had while running away from the horrid monsters was now gone.
However, one thing remained. Inside his mind, the image of his younger cousin came up. Hyunwoo clutched onto the man's clothes, burying himself in his chest.
Yuna, Yuna… I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Yuna…
"Hic, hic…"
He tried to keep it quiet, but his sob still rang in Baek Haemin's ears.
He has no idea what kind of things the child saw and went through before they saw him, but looking at the kid's fragile, trembling body made him not want to let go. Haemin glanced at Kang Minho, whose veins were popping out, and whose frown continued to deepen as he fought off the ogres coming.