3

RYUJI GOTO

Ryuji didn’t have an ulterior motive. He was in Korea to evaluate with his own eyes the highest-ranking Korean hunters, and his curiosity just happened to be piqued by a slightly unique individual among them.

It should be easy to confirm whether this guy really is a mage.

Ryuji still wasn’t convinced that the man standing in front of him wasn’t a brawler.

Data. He needed more information on Jinwoo in order to eliminate any unknown variables during the mission.

Though this should also be fun…

A smile tugged on his lips.

The translator was unnerved by his request.

“M-Mr. Goto, are you serious?”

“Please tell this gentleman exactly what I just said.”

“But, sir…”

“Is there a problem?”

Ryuji’s question was innocent enough, but his actual message was clear. Why couldn’t he work out with the Korean hunters himself?

The translator began to sweat and reluctantly agreed.

“I… I’ll ask.”

The translator hesitated as they turned and met Jinwoo’s eyes but eventually managed to speak.

“Mr. Goto…is asking if you would like to…practice with him?”

There was no need to explain what Ryuji meant by practice.

Jinwoo looked at Ryuji, who awaited his answer. It was hard to tell what the Japanese man was actually thinking behind that smile.

Is he trying to see what I can do?

Someone as renowned as Ryuji Goto wasn’t interested in merely flaunting his skills. If he only wanted to show off, he would’ve challenged Jongin or Yoonho, the leaders of the top two Korean guilds.

I’m not sure what his end goal is, but…

Ryuji had had his eye on Jinwoo from the start, so it seemed as if he was genuinely interested in Jinwoo.

In any case, Jinwoo wasn’t opposed to the suggestion. In fact, he was eager to accept. He wanted to test the skills he’d nurtured in the Demon’s Castle and was curious about the abilities of Japan’s best hunter.

Ryuji wasn’t the only one who was curious about his opponent’s abilities.

…Huh?

Ryuji’s grin slid off his face, and his brow furrowed.

He’s smiling?

He had expected Jinwoo to be intimidated and bow out, but the other hunter looked relaxed.

Did he have some kind of ace up his sleeve? Or was he feeling troubled and letting out a nervous smile? He soon got his answer.

Jinwoo said something startling to the translator, who seemed to be trying to change the hunter’s mind, but Jinwoo assuaged their worries with a laugh.

Ryuji frowned at not being able to understand Korean.

Just what are they saying…?

It should be a simple yes or no. What was there for a translator, as a third-party observer, to make such a fuss about? Ryuji was getting impatient when the translator finally reported back to him while carefully eyeing Jinwoo.

“Uhhh…Mr. Goto?”

Had no one else been watching, Ryuji would’ve barked at the translator to spit it out. Instead, he raised his eyebrows questioningly and forced a smile as he waited for the translator to continue.

“Hunter Sung accepts your challenge, but…”

“But?”

“He’d like to set a condition.”

A condition?

Ryuji was expecting Jinwoo to raise a white flag, but here he was making demands. This time, Ryuji couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“What condition?”

“Hunter Sung said…”

The translator glanced at Jinwoo, who encouraged them to continue.

“He says he’ll accept if you intend to give it your all, Mr. Goto.”

Ryuji’s head whipped around.

Is he serious?

Jinwoo didn’t look like he was joking. Ryuji cocked his head.

Is it possible…he doesn’t know who I am?

That wasn’t likely, and even if he didn’t, the translator had definitely filled him in just now. So the question was, was Jinwoo being arrogant or ignorant?

Interesting…

The smile had long disappeared from Ryuji’s face. Initially, he was merely going to keep pace with his opponent and wrap things up quickly once he’d gotten a sense of his abilities. But he’d changed his mind.

Fortunately, there was an S-rank healer on the premises in case of any accidents.

“Fine.”

“Ah!” The translator’s face paled.

Jinwoo had just become an S rank, so he was perhaps unable to control his passionate enthusiasm, but why would Mr. Goto, a man who’d experienced plenty of adversity, agree to this? They were at the point of no return now, though.

“Who’s the man in front of the Japanese hunter?”

“That’s…Hunter Jinwoo Sung, isn’t it?”

“Huh? Are they going to spar?”

The other S-rank hunters and association employees gathered around the two men who were about to face off. They looked on, equal parts excited and concerned. Haein was among them.

Is Jinwoo going to be okay…?

His opponent was the best hunter in all of Japan, a country that boasted more than twenty S-rank hunters. Jinwoo, who’d been reevaluated as an S rank just a few days ago, was a mere rookie, if one disregarded his experience as an E-rank hunter. Under normal circumstances, it would only be right to stop Jinwoo.

Jinwoo was the savior of the elite strike squad of Haein’s Hunters Guild. She wasn’t the type of person who would stand idly by and let her hero get into a dangerous situation with an obvious outcome…except, when she stepped forward to defuse the situation, she recalled something from that day: the warning look Jinwoo had given her to not interfere despite facing an A-rank dungeon boss and over a hundred high orcs.

Any time she remembered that look, her heart fluttered and her anticipation flared up. That was why she couldn’t bring herself to interfere, and she lightly bit her lower lip instead.

At that moment…

“Are you okay with being so close to other hunters today?”

Yoonho Baek stood next to her. He’d done several raids with Haein long ago and knew about her condition.

“It’s not like I’ll be able to block my nose on Jeju Island, so…”

Yoonho nodded his understanding.

Haein asked in turn, “You’ve met Hunter Sung before, right?”

“Yes.”

She recalled that Jinwoo similarly had lent a hand to the White Tiger Guild as well.

“Shouldn’t you stop him?”

“Normally, I would.”

No wonder, considering his opponent.

Haein blinked. “So then…?”

Yoonho turned to look Haein directly in the eyes. “I won’t for the same reason you aren’t, Hunter Cha.”

Haein shivered, startled that Yoonho seemed to have read her mind. Her usually calm demeanor shifted.

“What do you mean…?”

“Are you not feeling strangely excited?”

She couldn’t deny it. Her heart was racing as a thought popped into her head.

Maybe Hunter Sung can…

“I feel the same way.” Yoonho smiled at her and turned toward the two stars of the show. His eyes were sparkling.

If I’m right and Hunter Sung is an awakened being whose abilities can grow…

Finally, it was the moment of truth.

Ryuji was the first to raise his fists.

The translator standing next to him scrambled out of the way. Not only were two S-rank hunters about to spar, but one of them was lauded as the strongest hunter in all of Japan. Ordinary people could lose their lives if they were caught in the middle.

Jinwoo waited for the translator to reach a safe distance before also raising his fists up…or at least, trying to, when—

Whoosh!

Without delay, Ryuji swung at the space where Jinwoo’s head used to be.

Ryuji was taken aback.

I missed?

His attempt to restore his battered dignity by knocking Jinwoo out with one punch had failed. Jinwoo had avoided the punch by dodging his head to the side and putting some distance between them. His reaction time was impressive.

He’s a mage hunter despite moving like this?

Impossible. He had no idea why the Hunter’s Association of Korea was concealing this man’s abilities, but Ryuji was sure his eyes weren’t betraying him. Jinwoo had to be an assassin-class brawler. He was lightning quick, and his footsteps made no sound.

He may be able to deceive others, but he can’t fool me.

Ryuji smirked. He wanted to expose Jinwoo until the Korean man was laid completely bare. He hadn’t been this excited in quite some time.

Jinwoo, who was now far enough from Ryuji, stood listening to his own heartbeat.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump…

His heart was pounding. He could sense that Ryuji’s strength was on a completely different level from the other S-rank hunters, but what rose within Jinwoo whenever he felt Ryuji’s incredible mana wash over him was confidence.

This man is the best in Japan…

Jinwoo was finally realizing just how much of an improvement leveling up to 97 truly was. His assuredness was clearly etched on his face.

On the other hand, Ryuji’s expression hardened.

He’s smiling again?

How dare he! Ryuji huffed in annoyance. He emitted an incredible amount of mana that bore down on everyone.

The hunters on the sidelines shuddered.

Shouldn’t we stop them?

Ryuji Goto is actually going to take this sparring seriously, isn’t he?

On the other hand, Jinwoo pressed his lips in a thin smile. This was exactly what he wanted.

Conversely, Jinwoo’s calm in the face of his display of magic power angered Ryuji. The fire in his eyes flared, and he pounced like an angry beast before any of the other hunters could stop him.

The distance between them shrank as Ryuji thrust out his fist. Jinwoo leaned backward, avoiding the attack.

……!

Ryuji’s eyes shook. How had Jinwoo dodged his attack? Was this also luck, or…?

With a myriad of thoughts racing through his head, Ryuji relentlessly attacked Jinwoo. However, none of his strikes landed. He either missed by a hair or was blocked by Jinwoo.

How is this happening…?

Cold sweat began running down Ryuji’s forehead.

Ryuji’s spectacular barrage and Jinwoo’s close calls had everyone else enraptured.

“What a frightening offense.”

“I can hardly follow their moves.”

“Hunter Sung is hanging in there, though.”

“It’s quite impressive he’s dodging that well.”

Haein knew better.

Hunter Sung isn’t “hanging in there.”

It was easy to assume Jinwoo was merely holding his own against Ryuji’s nonstop assault, but it was actually the opposite.

Haein swallowed hard, astonished.

He’s egging on Ryuji to keep attacking him!

If she was seeing this right…Jinwoo was both assessing his opponent’s abilities while matching his level to Ryuji’s…something feasible only if he was actually several times more powerful than his opponent.

How is that possible…?

Something unheard of was happening right before her eyes. It dawned on her that she needed to stop these men, not for Jinwoo’s sake but for…

Just as her thoughts reached that conclusion, she spotted Yoonho shaking next to her.

“President Baek…?”

She called out to him quietly, but he didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on Jinwoo. Haein inspected his complexion, then suddenly flinched.

His eyes are…

President Baek’s eyes were beast-like and glowing yellow. His pupils had narrowed vertically and were vibrating in shock. He was oblivious to Haein’s concern.

Yoonho could see everything clearly with Eyes of a Beast.

I…I was right.

Jinwoo’s power was unfathomably greater than the last time Yoonho had seen him back at the association headquarters.

A hunter who can get stronger…!

Yoonho’s whole body trembled with delight.

But right then…

“Ah.” Yoonho, who had been watching Jinwoo closely, gave an involuntary gasp.

Haein also spun back around after sensing a chilling energy.

“Oh!”

A few seconds earlier, Ryuji himself knew best that he was being pulled into Jinwoo’s rhythm. As someone who had always held the title of “strongest,” the Japanese hunter felt like his pride was being flushed down the drain.

How dare he treat me like this…?

Ryuji’s eyes filled with rage as Jinwoo dodged his perfectly aimed blow to the other man’s weak spot.

I’ll kill him!

Jinwoo’s eyes widened. He felt Ryuji’s hostility prickling at his skin.

Hostile energy?

Jinwoo’s heart sank. Whenever someone attempted to kill him, the system would send him an urgent quest. What if he received an order to kill Ryuji…?

Ping!

Jinwoo looked up upon hearing the chime.

Luckily, it was only a warning and not the urgent quest he’d received when facing Dongsuk Hwang or Taesik Kang.

However…

Whoosh!

Ryuji’s sharp nails scratched his cheek. Had Jinwoo not reflexively turned his head when he did, he would’ve lost an eye. Ryuji was clearly going for the kill by aiming for a vital area, even though this was a simple training session.

Krakle…

There was an instant shift in mood.

“Ah!” Yoonho let out another involuntary gasp.

Ryuji was the first to sense the change. His body registered it before his mind. The chill in the air gave him goose bumps, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had never experienced such a sensation before.

What is this…?

Before he could make sense of the situation, Jinwoo had already grabbed his wrist. Ryuji tried in vain to break free.

How can he be so strong…?

Ryuji’s eyes moved from his wrist up to Jinwoo’s face. The other man’s gaze was like ice, but what really caught Ryuji’s attention was Jinwoo’s bulging forearm and right shoulder. Jinwoo’s arm was pulled as far back as it could go and aimed straight at Ryuji’s face.

The heavy tension weighed down on Ryuji’s shoulders, and he suddenly felt suffocated.

For some reason, the word death popped into his head at that very moment.

But then…

“Enough!”

President Baek and Haein appeared at Jinwoo’s side, restraining his right arm. Yoonho grappled with Jinwoo’s shoulder while Haein clutched his wrist with all her might.

When Jinwoo looked over his shoulder, Yoonho shook his head, and Haein peered at him nervously.

……

Jinwoo was able to calm himself because the two had thrown themselves into the fray to frantically hold him back.

“Haah…” Jinwoo exhaled and released Ryuji.

The Japanese man withdrew a few steps while massaging his freed wrist.

Yoonho addressed the translator, who had rushed to Ryuji’s side.

“Please tell Mr. Goto the training session is over, as it’s getting a little too heated.”

The translator nodded. After hearing Yoonho’s words, Ryuji frowned at Jinwoo before turning abruptly and leaving the gym without a good-bye.

“M-Mr. Goto!” The translator’s plaintive voice called out as they ran after Ryuji.

President Baek breathed a sigh of relief and then bowed to Jinwoo.

“My apologies for interrupting you.”

“……”

“He has to lead the Japanese team in a few days, so I had to put a stop to things before it got out of hand.” Yoonho eyed Jinwoo tentatively. “Did I do something I shouldn’t have?”

“No, it’s fine,” Jinwoo readily admitted.

President Baek was right. If anything happened to Ryuji, it would jeopardize the mission, and both countries would pay the price. Jinwoo had no intention of faulting President Baek or Haein for stepping in when they did.

Wow!

The enraptured onlookers approached now that the coast was clear. The way they regarded Jinwoo was different. The first to reach him was Dongwook Ma, the hulking guild master of the Fame Guild.

“Oh-ho!” Dongwook chortled. “You sparred with the great Ryuji Goto and came out of it with just a single scratch on your cheek. You’re not so bad yourself!”

Regrettably, no one except Haein and Yoonho fully comprehended what had just happened.

“Oooh! How firm! Look at these muscles!” Dongwook said admiringly as he gripped Jinwoo’s shoulder and arm. “My guild is comprised of mostly mage hunters, so we don’t have enough brawlers. Master Sung, if you don’t have any other guild in mind, would you like to join us?”

“About that, Master Ma…” Jongin, who had been quietly watching the situation unfold from a distance, stepped in.

“Hmm?”

Jongin explained, “Hunter Sung is a mage class.”

Dongwook blinked in surprise.

“What?!”

Elsewhere, Ryuji quickly put some distance between himself and the translator before performing a quick self-evaluation.

……

His wrist was black and blue. Although it wasn’t that warm out, sweat beaded on his forehead.

Ryuji took out his phone and called a familiar number. The person on the other end answered after a few rings.

Beep.

“Shigeo Matsumoto speaking.”

“Mr. President.”

“Goto? What’s wrong?”

Ryuji tried to calm the shakiness in his voice.

“There’s…there’s an incredible hunter here in Korea.”

“Better than you?”

“Possibly.”

“……”

“We may have to alter our plans a bit.”

There was a silent beat as President Matsumoto rooted around for something.

“What’s the hunter’s name?”

“Jinwoo Sung. He’s the recently reawakened S rank.”

“That’s strange. There’s nobody by that name…”

“Pardon?”

There was nobody by that name? Had Ryuji encountered a ghost or something? He certainly felt like he’d been possessed by one. But Ryuji himself had seen Jinwoo listed on the association’s website as a mage-class hunter.

“There’s no Jinwoo Sung? What do you mean?”

“Actually, I just received the finalized roster of Korean hunters.”

“Are you saying there’s no Sung on the list?”

That couldn’t be. Was President Go crazy? Why would he plan for a raid without including such a strong hunter?

President Matsumoto read off the list.

“Jongin Choi, Dongwook Ma, Yoonho Baek, Haein Cha, Taegyu Lim, Byunggu Min.”

He spoke with conviction, as if trying to convince Ryuji that everything would be fine.

“Those six are the only members of the Korean team due to depart in four days.”

President Baek took a deep breath. His heart was still racing even after the two who had caused a sensation in the gymnasium were long gone.

To think it’d be actually possible…

He was amazed he’d witnessed something that had been a mere theory in his mind.

An actual reawakened being who can increase his abilities…

What would Jinwoo’s net worth be? Yoonho couldn’t even begin to guess. That was why he had only watched Jongin, Dongwook, and Taegyu from a distance as they’d tried to recruit Jinwoo for their respective guilds.

Yoonho recalled Jongin’s baffled gaze at his lack of effort.

If I were Jinwoo, I, too, wouldn’t join a guild.

Yup, trying to recruit Jinwoo was a lost cause… But there were many ways to maintain a working relationship without recruiting him.

It was time to execute plan B.

Just then…

Vrrr…

His cell phone vibrated once, indicating the arrival of a text message. President Baek distractedly fished his phone out from his pocket.

It was a notice from the association announcing the final list of hunters going on the ant-extermination mission in four days.

He scrolled past the Japanese names to check the list of Korean hunters. His eyes bulged, and he sprang up from the bench he was sitting on.

“There’s no Jinwoo Sung!”

The story went viral.

What breaking story could capture the interest of Koreans more? The Korea-Japan alliance was front-page news and talked about on TV around the clock.

Yet only the Korean public seemed to be excited about this. Despite having triple the number of Japanese hunters assigned to go, the Japanese media was strangely quiet on the subject, though Korea didn’t pick up on the lack of coverage. Online reactions to the handful of articles written about it were negative as well.

The same mission but two very different objectives… The time to leave steadily drew closer as the two countries continued to regard the mission with different motives.

At the same time, those few days were the happiest of Jinwoo’s life since before his mother’s hospitalization. So many things had changed.

Firstly, Jinwoo had brought Kyunghye home after her discharge from the hospital.

Kerchak.

When they opened the apartment door, they were greeted by the huge mess Jinah had made in the living room while Jinwoo was inside the Demon’s Castle.

“……”

Jinwoo pinched Jinah’s cheek as Kyunghye laughed and scolded him. To think the first thing she would do after four years was clean the apartment. Jinwoo had tried to stop her, but when she insisted, the children rolled up their sleeves as well.

Their faces glowed as the apartment itself began to shine. It had seemed empty without their mother, but now the place felt cozy.

Jinwoo slept comfortably without any worries for the first time in a long while. When he woke up the next morning and saw breakfast on the dining room table, it finally sank in that his mother was home.

Kyunghye, who was chopping green onions in the kitchen, turned to look at him.

“Did you sleep well, son?”

He smiled at her, not quite fully awake yet.

“…Yes, I did.”

An expert on TV was shedding light on the situation.

“The magic-beast ants are evolving at an incredible rate.”

An overly animated guest seated next to the expert asked a question.

“Magic beasts can evolve? Wasn’t the ant that was discovered in Japan just a mutation?”

“You’re right. When the mutants multiply and dominate the whole group, we call that evolution.”

A video clip flashed on-screen, showing a look at the ants recorded during the first and the second extermination missions. When they had first appeared, they’d crawled on the ground like ordinary ants. They were, in essence, just gigantic ants.

But soon after…

“This is footage of the ants from the third mission.”

The ants were walking upright on two feet just like humans. Their huge heads were smaller, they were more agile, and they could use the remaining four of their feet like hands.

They were almost like half-human, half-ant hybrids. The species had gone through extensive changes within two years.

“And this is the magic beast that caused huge damage in Japan.”

Whoaaa!

The audience was collectively unable to contain their shock at what they saw.

The ant somehow looked even more human and also had large wings sprouting from its back to boot.

A startled comedian on the panel blurted out, “And that thing can fly?”

“That’s correct. This was also the catalyst for the Korea-Japan alliance.”

The Korea-Japan alliance. Jinwoo quietly turned off the TV at those words.

Truthfully, he wanted to join the extermination mission. When President Go had asked him, his heart had fluttered at the thought of increasing his level, but…

His excitement had dissipated quickly, allowing him to assess his current situation objectively.

It hasn’t even been a day since Mom woke up.

Nor had he told her that her only son had become a hunter, and Jinwoo still remembered the sleepless months she’d endured when his father had gone missing inside a gate. Given those memories, Jinwoo didn’t think he could bear to tell his mother that he was going to Jeju Island.

He couldn’t bring himself to say yes. He wanted to stay with his family for a few days at least. His wish had finally come true, and he wasn’t about to cast it aside for some other affair.

“I…”

Jinwoo had reached a decision with much difficulty and forced out the words.

“…can’t go.”

This was more important than experience points. This was the sole reason he’d worked so hard to get stronger. He had no regrets regarding his choice.

The thing was…

It annoyed Jinwoo that a segment of the general public was criticizing him without knowing the full situation. Or rather, he was mindful of it stressing out his sister.

I personally don’t care what other people say, and Mom is fine, since she doesn’t use the Internet.

But Jinah seemed to keep an eye on this kind of thing.

Hmm…

Jinwoo bit his lip and put down his phone. There was nothing he could do for now. Kyunghye had gone to bed early, and Jinah wouldn’t be home for a while.

Jinwoo was mulling over whether to go for a walk to take his mind off the whole thing when his phone rang. The caller ID brought a smile to his face.

Beep!

“Boss! It’s me, Jinho!”

“Hey.”

Speaking of, was Jinho still staying in a motel?

“Have you found a place? Or are you still at that motel?”

“Oh, no, I got my own place recently. Thankfully, my mother contacted me, so…”

Listening to Jinho’s laugh for the first time in a while felt strangely comforting. Jinho rambled on about how he was doing before abruptly remembering the reason for his call.

“By the way, boss, I’ve found an office space. Can you come check it out?”

What was he talking about?

“Office?”

At Jinwoo’s quizzical response, Jinho confidently replied.

“For our guild headquarters, of course! We need an office space in order to form a guild, boss.”

This kid… As future vice president, Jinho seemed to have huge ambitions of creating a guild to rival the Hunters or White Tiger Guilds.

Jinwoo scratched his chin.

He’ll be shocked when I tell him I’ll continue to be the lone raid member in the guild.

Jinwoo had casually asked Jinho to join him, but now that the time had come to explain his vision for the guild, he was at a loss for words.

“So what do you think, boss?”

Jinwoo understood why Jinho had sounded so self-assured when talking about this space. He nodded as he looked around the office.

It was in a good location.

“I picked the best space I could find in the vicinity of your apartment.”

It was clean.

“I purposely got us a new place, too. New wine should be poured into new wineskins after all, right?”

Finally, it was absurdly spacious.

……

“I’m going to cultivate a guild that trumps the top five, boss!”

Jinho was on fire with determination.

I get that he’s excited, but I wish he’d leave me out of it…

Jinwoo silently debated whether it was too late to tell Jinho to go back to Yoojin Guild. Though he supposed it was unlikely that Chairman Yoo would take his son back after cutting him off.

Jinho looked shocked that Jinwoo seemingly had to think about it.

“Boss…? Do you not like this place?”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then may I sign the lease, boss?”

“…Sure.”

Judging from the size of the space, rent would be expensive, but it would still be only a fraction of the guild’s income.

I guess it’s okay to let Jinho dream for a bit.

Jinwoo couldn’t bring himself to tell Jinho that they’d be the only two people using this huge office.

“Oh!” Jinho clapped his hands. “Who are you going to pick as the last person, boss?”

“Last person?”

Had Jinwoo promised him they’d hire someone else? Jinwoo was puzzled, since he normally didn’t forget his promises, so Jinho enthusiastically explained.

“When you form a guild, you need a minimum of three hunters, boss.”

A president, a vice president, and at least one employee—were those three members the minimum number required to start a guild? Considering how a minimum of three squad members was required to tackle an E-rank gate, that made sense.

Although, no guild would bother raiding E-rank gates…

Founding members… Jinwoo mentally went through his various acquaintances for a potential third. The only condition was that they had to be a hunter, preferably someone who had no intention of working as a hunter and was just there to help fill the quota.

How come I can only think of women…?

The faces of the high school girl who’d given up on becoming a hunter and the healer who had moved back to Busan flashed through his mind.

At that moment…

“Oh, right!” exclaimed Jinho.

“You have someone in mind?” asked Jinwoo.

“No, that’s not it, boss. Someone was asking for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, boss.”

Jinwoo’s interest was piqued. Someone had investigated deep enough into his affairs to know that he could be indirectly contacted through Jinho.

We’re not affiliated as far as the public knows.

If anything, the only known association they had was as a strike squad leader and member. Yet someone had expressly gone through Jinho to reach Jinwoo?

Jinwoo narrowed his eyes.

“Who’s looking for me?”

“I don’t actually know, boss. Some foreigner who spoke English… Hold on a sec.”

Jinho patted his pockets and took out his wallet, from which he produced a note.

“He said he’d be in Korea until the seventeenth, so he really wanted you to call on him, boss.”

The note contained only a cell phone number and a hotel room number. Jinwoo turned over the piece of paper, but there was nothing on the back.

The seventeenth is in three days…

A foreigner who spoke English… Who could that be? Nobody came to mind.

Suddenly…

“I need to head back.”

Jinwoo’s face was grim.

“What? Going home so soon, boss?” Jinho, who’d been looking forward to having a team dinner with Jinwoo for the first time in a while, looked like a kicked puppy.

Unfortunately for him, Jinwoo wouldn’t budge.

“I’ll be off.”

Jinho quickly hid his disappointment and gave his usual sharp bow.

“See you, b… Boss?”

By the time he raised his head, Jinwoo was already gone.

It was that time of day when every alleyway was blanketed in darkness. Jimin Eun, a university student, was on her way home as her heart beat wildly.

No way…

A man was following her. She hoped they just happened to be headed in the same direction.

I saw something about this online.

This kind of situation seemed to trouble both women and men. Men tended to have a similar or faster gait than women, but trying to overtake a woman could frighten her as his footsteps approached. Meanwhile, trailing behind a woman would inevitably garner suspicions. Plus, walking down a creepy, dark alley with a blinking streetlight situated around the corner was enough to make both parties uncomfortable.

Jimin glanced over her shoulder.

A man wearing a hat was walking quietly behind her with his head hung low. He looked suspicious, but owning a hat wasn’t a crime. Instead of continuing in disconcertedly with an unwanted escort, Jimin decided to take the initiative… She stopped walking and pretended to tie her shoelaces. The man promptly passed her and walked ahead.

“Whew…”

She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the man round the corner and disappear from her sight. She closed her eyes and clapped her hands together as if in prayer.

I’m sorry I ever suspected you, guy whose name I’ll never know.

She glanced around as she straightened out her clothes. She then smiled and resumed her course with a spring in her step.

She had so many assignments due! Even if she ran home, she wouldn’t have time to get everything done. And she had to study for a final exam on top of everything.

What chapters were on the test again?

Jimin’s shoulders drooped at the prospect of having to study all night, but as she turned the corner, her eyes went wide.

“If you scream, you’re dead.”

The man who had passed her by was waiting for her, now holding a kitchen knife, madness clearly reflected in his eyes.

“Several women have died here…but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“Oh…”

She was frozen to the spot, blood draining from her face. She couldn’t scream even if she wanted to.

The man took off his white mask and smirked at her.

“Follow me.”

Zzt, zzt…

They were completely alone, with only a flickering streetlamp as a witness.

“Ohhh… H-help…”

Jimin forced out the words as she backed away—or tried to, but her ankles felt like they had weights tied to them. All she could do was sob.

The serial killer inspected his surroundings. The girl was clearly too shaken to run, so he figured he’d kill her where she stood. Luckily, no one else was around, and he highly doubted this alley had surveillance cameras.

That’s why I like this neighborhood so much.

He gave a sinister grin as he thrust the knife at Jimin’s stomach.

But at that moment…a hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed the weapon.

“Huh?”

He turned his head to see a well-built man standing there. The hood of the man’s sweater was up, shrouding everything but his chin in shadows.

Is he…wearing gloves or something?

The hooded man was gripping the knife by the blade, but there was no blood.

“Who the hell are you?”

The killer tried to tug the knife back a few times, but it wouldn’t budge. He decided to let it go and hurriedly sprinted off.

“What a freak…”

The killer looked over his shoulder several times. The strange man was still following him while surveying his surroundings.

What the hell…?

The serial killer changed directions and lured his pursuer to the empty lot where he’d been planning to drag his victim. If the freak was wearing some kind of protective gear for his hands, the killer just had to aim elsewhere.

When they were close, the serial killer slowed to allow his hooded pursuer to catch up, and right as he was a single step behind…

“You’re getting on my nerves, you bastard.” The serial killer spun around, producing a hidden ice pick and stabbing the other man in the chest. “Were you looking down on me?”

Shnk!

The killer’s hand gripping the pick trembled.

…Why is his chest so solid?

Was it some kind of protective vest? Or did he have something else under his clothes?

The serial killer spat out, “The fuck? Do you have something under your shirt?”

Had he possessed the ability to detect mana, he wouldn’t have asked such a redundant question, but even after a couple of failed attacks, the possibility that he was dealing with a hunter still hadn’t crossed his mind.

A low voice came from under the hood.

“I’m curious about something.”

It was Jinwoo’s voice. He threw aside the knife he had confiscated earlier.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why? Are you gonna give me a sermon?”

“I’m just curious if you have some kind of reason.”

The serial killer sneered. Jinwoo had appeared out of nowhere and kept following him even after rescuing the woman, so he’d assumed Jinwoo was trying to be some kind of hero, but…

This guy’s a nutjob, isn’t he?

The serial killer thought Jinwoo might be of a similar vein as he was. Maybe he could change the outcome if he could successfully convince the other man.

“Reason? Well, if I had to say…because it’s fun.”

“Fun?”

“It’s strange, but when I see those weaker than I am, I have this intense desire to mess with—”

…them. He wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

“Arrrgh! Ahhh!”

He collapsed to the ground and grabbed his left ankle where a ligament had been severed. When he looked up, the kitchen knife had somehow returned to Jinwoo’s hand.

When did he have time to pick it back up…?

Just then, Jinwoo’s form faded away again.

“Arrrrgh!”

This time, it was the right ankle. The serial killer writhed on the ground, unable to move with both ankle ligaments severed. Jinwoo searched through the killer’s pockets and fished out his wallet and cell phone.

“You… What the fuck is with you, you bastard?!”

Jinwoo ignored his victim’s snarls, called for an ambulance, and checked the ID in the wallet before depositing everything back in the shaking man’s hands.

“Give yourself up by midnight tomorrow.”

“What?”

“You know, if you want to live.”

Jinwoo had said all he wanted to. He proceeded to deposit one of his shadow soldiers into the serial killer’s shadow and relayed the same orders to him.

I don’t know how much patience a high orc shadow soldier has, but…

High orcs weren’t the best at waiting, but the second set of instructions catered to their expertise.

“Personally, I hope you survive.”

He’d need to be alive if he was to reflect on his crimes for years to come.

“S-seriously…who are you?”

Jinwoo leisurely strolled out of the park, leaving the serial killer trembling in pain and fear behind him. In the distance, he could hear the siren of an ambulance.

Once he was some distance away, he checked for others before lowering his hood.

“Whew…”

He’d arrived at the scene just in time, thanks to the shadow soldier who had successfully tracked down the serial killer and alerted Jinwoo.

Shadow Exchange… The more he used the skill, the more Jinwoo realized how convenient it was.

It’s definitely reflective of a skill from a rune stone of the highest caliber for sure.

The few times he’d used Shadow Exchange had left him satisfied without fail. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much more useful it would be at a higher level with a shorter cooldown period.

Later, on his way home…

Huh?

He looked up to see the moon high in the sky.

Come to think of it…that’s tomorrow, isn’t it?

It was nearly showtime for the Korea-Japan alliance to undertake their mission. Jinwoo wasn’t part of the team, yet his heart was racing. How would the members of the actual raid be feeling?

He thought about the few S-rank hunters he was acquainted with and hoped for their safe return.

In the dead of night, Ryuji was in the training hall of the Hunter’s Association of Japan. He was surrounded by two S-rank hunters in front of him and one behind.

Ryuji took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

“Hyah!”

The three hunters who had been waiting for an opportunity charged fiercely toward him. However…

Thud!

The opposing three fell to the ground.

“Good job!”

“Great work, Mr. Goto!”

“We’re no match for you.”

The three hunters brushed themselves off and got back on their feet, a feat possible only because Ryuji had been holding back.

Ryuji wordlessly nodded his thanks.

Like I thought, I’m in good form.

If he had to evaluate himself, he’d say he was in perfect condition. He felt an adrenaline boost every time he thought about conquering Korea.

So why…? After the others left, Ryuji stared into space, thinking back on that particular day.

Jinwoo Sung. Just who was that man?

……

The more he recalled, the more bitter he felt. He shook his head to clear it.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

Jinwoo wouldn’t be attending the raid, and President Matsumoto’s plan would proceed without any setbacks. When Korea lost all their S-rank hunters on this mission, they’d have no choice but to hand leadership over to Japan. The Japanese people were demanding proper compensation from Korea right now, but they’d be cheering by then.

When the time came…

What would Jinwoo Sung alone be able to do?

Regardless of how strong he actually was or whether Ryuji had made a mistake, it boded well for Japan that Jinwoo wouldn’t be attending tomorrow’s raid. It meant that there wouldn’t be any trouble.

Everything rested on tomorrow.

Ryuji smiled quietly to himself as he stood in the desolate moonlit gym.

“Thank you so much for doing this.”

The executive director of the broadcasting company feverishly bowed to the cameraman.

It was quite a backward situation, but the man before him was no ordinary cameraman. He was a licensed A-rank hunter.

“Everything is riding on this for our network.”

The company had spent half its annual budget for the broadcasting rights due to the high number of competitors. However, they’d made such a bold decision for a reason.

Only a handful of S-rank gates opened worldwide, and even when an S-rank gate appeared, it was impossible to bring recording equipment inside to film. In other words, this was the first and last opportunity for ordinary people to witness an S-rank raid unless, of course, another dungeon break tragically occurred at an S-rank gate elsewhere sometime soon.

What’s more, the broadcast was going to be streamed live with a ten-minute delay. What kind of ratings would that bring—70 percent? 80? It was an excellent investment considering the revenue from selling the foreign rights alone.

As long as the raid doesn’t fail…!

No audience would want to see their top hunters get eaten by magic beasts, nor would the broadcasting company want to air the footage. The director was betting everything on this fourth extermination mission, so lowering his head to the cameraman who would provide this valuable footage meant little to his ego. Had the man asked, the director would’ve gladly kneeled.

“Don’t worry too much, sir.”

The cameraman put the director at ease. The camera had been his livelihood before his awakening, and he’d thoroughly done his research after accepting this particular job. He had absolutely zero intentions of ruining the stream for all his fellow Koreans watching. Besides, he would be receiving a hefty compensation.

I can’t believe I’m getting royalties from the broadcast.

He already made a good living as an A-rank hunter, but the amount was enough to galvanize him. Plus, if things went as planned, he could have fame and fortune equivalent to the S-rank hunters on this mission. He would be the most famous A-rank hunter in Korea.

The cameraman smiled at his daydreams.

“Out of curiosity, how did you get President Go to agree to filming the mission? I’m sure it wasn’t about the money, since he’s so by the book.”

The director nodded. “Yes, President Go said he would divide the money we paid among the participating hunters.”

“Then why…?”

Why would President Go allow the mission to be filmed? The director could only hazard a guess.

“I think…it’s because President Go wants to comfort the people.”

The Hunter’s Association of Korea had already failed three times against the ants. As a result, Koreans had lost faith in the association and had felt helpless against these seemingly indestructible monsters.

This was an opportunity to change the narrative.

It’s clear what the public opinion of this entire affair is if you look online.

And President Go wanted to take it a step further and memorialize the precise moment of victory on film. This decision reflected his hardened determination to prevent any more failures.

The cameraman agreed with the director’s explanation. His expression turned grim as he checked his wristwatch and stood.

“It’s already time. I’ll be off.”

The director gave him one last deep bow.

“Godspeed, sir!”

Tmp-tmp-tmp-tmp-tmp-tmp!

The helicopter transporting the hunters lifted off.

“……”

“……”

Even the cheerful Dongwook, the ever-confident Jongin, and the optimistic Yoonho sat with solemn expressions.

The cameraman ran a final inspection on his filming equipment, which consisted of a head-mounted camera for ease of movement.

I would never have accepted this mission if the camera was going to hinder me in any way.

The helicopter was headed to the most dangerous place in Korea—and quite possibly the world. The cameraman gulped at the thought. Despite his efforts to stay calm, he was slowly but surely growing nervous.

He wasn’t the only one.

Yoonho struck up a conversation with his close friend in an effort to shake off the nerves.

“Hey, Byunggu, I didn’t expect you to come.”

Byunggu grinned. “I’m here because I thought you’d be the first to die without a healer. You leap at magic beasts without a second thought as soon as they come into view.”

“Why do you have to say it like that? Since when have I ever leaped at magic beasts?”

The other S-rank hunters laughed quietly at the exchange.

Byunggu was the lone S-rank healer in Korea. Everyone had been immensely relieved to hear that the retiree would be joining the raid. Having a healer in their ranks would make a huge difference—namely, they could fight without worrying about injuries.

As Yoonho and Byunggu’s conversation cut through the heavy atmosphere, Haein turned to Yoonho.

“President Baek, did you meet with Jinwoo by any chance?”

“Jinwoo?”

“Yes.”

Yoonho shook his head. “Nope. Why do you ask?”

“Oh… No, it’s nothing. I must have misunderstood something.”

Just then, Dongwook guffawed.

“Oh-ho. It’s showtime.”

The hunters’ eyes all turned to what the bigger man was gesturing at.

The blackened ground that had been claimed by magic beasts slowly came into view through the helicopter’s windows.