9

THE APPLICANT

Thud.

President Shigeo Matsumoto dropped to his knees.

The head of an entire organization, the man who represented the interests of all hunters in Japan, was kneeling on the floor.

……

Countless thoughts were racing through his head. Yet, try as he might, he could not think of any other method. There was no room for ego or honor. If everything was made public, it would result in more than losing his job.

“President Go…please forgive me.”

President Go’s gaze was ice-cold.

President Matsumoto had been all bluster and bravado until the tables were turned on him. It’d be impossible for President Go to continue being cordial to him.

“Please get up.”

President Go coolly suggested that he drop the pointless apology, but this just compelled the Japanese man to stubbornly bang his head on the floor.

Bam! Bam!

“Japan has lost more than half of its power when it comes to high-rank hunters, so we desperately need the international community’s help going forward.”

Although Japan had an excellent hunter system, losing half of their S-rank hunters meant an uncertain future for them. Their existing hunters could easily handle A-rank dungeons…but there was no telling what would happen if an S-rank gate spawned. What had happened on Jeju Island could happen to Japan as well.

“If that recording gets out, we’ll be completely alienated. I beg you, President Go. Please think of the innocent people of Japan and forgive m—!”

“Consider this your punishment.” President Go cut him off. “Consider this punishment for the sin you and your hunters were planning to commit.”

A ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment—this was President Go’s punishment.

President Matsumoto continued prostrating himself on the floor. “President Go…I will not get up until you forgive me. Please, please think this over one more time!”

“Then you leave me no choice.” With a displeased look on his face, President Go took out his cell phone. “You have five minutes.”

What was that supposed to mean? He looked up at President Go, unable to ignore his curiosity.

The Korean man waved his phone. “If you don’t leave here in five minutes, every reporter on this contact list will receive a text message saying that the president of the Hunter’s Association of Japan is on his knees begging me for forgiveness.”

If President Matsumoto was going to drag this matter out due to fear, then President Go was ready to detonate this time bomb right here and now. This was more of a warning to the Japanese man than an actual threat.

“But…” He bit his lower lip.

President Go was an unyielding person who wasn’t about to bend to emotional pleas. President Matsumoto had realized this fact too late. He had sacrificed his pride to shoot his last shot, and it had backfired on him. As he rose helplessly on wobbly legs, President Go set down his phone.

“Be thankful to Hunter Sung.” President Go’s glare was like that of a beast. “Because if our hunters had been hurt by your decisions instead of that monstrous ant, you wouldn’t have made it out of this room alive.”

President Matsumoto packed his things with shaking hands and fled the association building without looking back. The confidence he’d displayed the last time he’d visited Korea was nowhere to be seen.

“Whew…” President Go leaned back on the couch.

He felt immensely satisfied, but he wasn’t done yet. It was no exaggeration to say that he held the fate of the Hunter’s Association of Japan in his hands.

We all must atone for our sins.

From a young age, he’d lived by the saying that what goes around comes around.

Just then, the phone on the table rang loudly.

Hmm?

President Go picked up, and an urgent voice came through the receiver. His eyes went wide as he listened.

“What? A gate in the middle of the road?”

To make matters worse, it was a B-rank gate, which was more than what an ordinary strike squad could handle.

“Where?”

It would be best to contact one of the big guilds and have them deploy some of their hunters, but…

Wait a minute.

President Go raised an eyebrow at the information he’d just received.

Isn’t Hunter Sung’s guild office near there?

Traffic was building on the road. Inside one of the idling cars, Jinwoo was in deep thought.

That woman, she saw something.

Norma Sellner. She had experience dealing with a slew of powerful hunters, but something about Jinwoo had freaked her out. What had she seen? A trace of the system? But although the system had set challenging tasks on occasion, it wasn’t some fearsome being.

Rather, it’s my benefactor.

But how would others see it?

The assistant director had asked if he could reach out to Jinwoo at a later time. However, Norma appeared horrified at Michael’s request. Her body language made it clear that she never wanted to see Jinwoo ever again if she could help it.

Besides, Jinwoo was starting to have a sneaking suspicion that her ability would have no effect on him, since he was so fundamentally different from other hunters.

No need to waste any more time.

That was why he’d politely declined Michael’s request. Jinwoo would never forget the stunned look on his face.

By the way, what’s with all this traffic?

Jinwoo frowned at the sea of cars in front of him.

See, this is why it’s better to take the subway.

He was wondering if there had been an accident when…

Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr.

His cell phone, which he had plugged in to charge, vibrated. Jinwoo checked the caller ID.

President Go?

He had seen the president only a few hours ago at the funeral, so why the sudden call? Jinwoo picked up.

“Hunter Sung, this is Gunhee Go.”

President Go smoothy explained the current situation unfolding in the middle of Seoul.

“Excuse me? A gate appeared in the middle of the road?”

No wonder. He’d had a feeling this was no ordinary traffic jam. He looked back to turn the van around, but it was bumper-to-bumper traffic, so he couldn’t move an inch.

Jinwoo shook his head as he faced forward.

President Go’s next words were enough to eclipse his frustration over the traffic.

“Based on the evaluation of our staff, it’s a B-rank gate. Would you like to take care of it?”

Whoa.

Jinwoo was barely able to keep himself from laughing at this amazing news. It wouldn’t do to be excited over something inconveniencing so many others.

Ahem.

Jinwoo cleared his throat.

“But can I enter the gate without a raid permit?”

“Ha-ha. Hunter Sung, where do you get a raid permit?”

“From the association.”

“And who am I?”

Jinwoo stifled another laugh. “You’re the president of said association.”

“Ha-ha. Please don’t worry about it. Enter at will.”

“Aweso— I mean, thank you.” Jinwoo smiled widely.

He got out of the van and walked in the direction of the gate by following the emanating mana. He didn’t have to park his vehicle, since the road was basically a parking lot by this point.

“Yes, this black hole you see here is a gate that appeared today in the middle…”

“According to the information we’ve just received, this is a B-rank gate. Due to its high rank, a guild must be called in.”

Reporters had already surrounded the portal. The police were helping association employees cordon off the area.

Hmm…

As Jinwoo moved past the throng of reporters and approached the gate, an uptight-looking female employee blocked his path.

“Hold on, please! What do you think you’re doing?” The representative of the association put her hand on his chest to push him back. “You can’t just come in here like this!”

But no matter how hard she pushed with her small hands, Jinwoo was immovable. She eventually realized that he was a hunter and a high-rank one at that.

“Are you…a hunter?”

Jinwoo showed her his ID. Her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

S rank? J-Jinwoo Sung?

That meant that this man was the hunter who’d performed so brilliantly against the magic-beast ants on Jeju Island…

She belatedly recognized him. Despite working for the association, she hadn’t realized, since he looked different than how he’d appeared on TV. But in a crowd of this size, there would always be people who caught on faster.

“Huh?”

“Is that guy…?”

“It’s Jinwoo Sung!”

“Jinwoo Sung is here to personally take care of the gate!”

The frustrated civilians perked up with delight at the sight of him. Being late for appointments was the furthest thing from their minds as they cheered Jinwoo on.

Regardless of this reaction from the crowd, however, the adamant attitude of the association rep didn’t change. She hesitated before probing Jinwoo.

“Wh-what brings you here?”

Did she even have to ask? There was only one reason for a hunter to be standing in front of a gate. Since it was self-explanatory, Jinwoo simply pointed at the gate over the woman’s shoulder.

As the rep briefly looked back, she hardened her resolve. Too many hunters had lost their lives for failing to follow rules and procedures and for relying too much on their own powers.

I’m sure that can happen to S ranks as well.

She had been taught that the association existed in order to prevent these kinds of accidents. The safety of hunters was the priority of the association. Therefore, she couldn’t allow someone as valuable as an S-rank hunter to get hurt, so she confidently spoke up.

“Even if you’re an S-rank hunter, I can’t allow you to ignore procedure.”

“……” Jinwoo was speechless as he stared at her, dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected this reaction.

She began to think that she had gotten through to Jinwoo. “Do you have a raid permit?”

Jinwoo shook his head.

“Well, even if you did, I can’t let you go inside the gate without the minimum number of required squad members.”

She stood firm, but Jinwoo didn’t think it came from a place of malice. She was simply a by-the-book type.

Jinwoo scratched the back of his head. It seemed as if he had no other choice.

“Please give me a second.”

Jinwoo made an urgent call. As the call connected, he handed it to the rep. “Here.”

She eyed the phone.

“Please. This call is for you.”

The association representative looked at Jinwoo suspiciously. “Wh-who is it?”

“Another person you probably wouldn’t allow in.”

She took the phone, and her eyes widened as soon as she checked the caller ID.

G-Gunhee Go?

Was the person on the other end really…?

“H-hello?” she answered the phone nervously.

A deep voice replied on the other end.

“This is President Go.”

And sure enough.

She didn’t know where to look, and her head kept bobbing up and down. “Yes, sir. Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Will do, sir.”

Click.

She returned the phone to Jinwoo with a defeated look.

As he walked past her, Jinwoo spoke in a low voice. “Thank you.”

“Pardon?”

“For worrying about me.”

“You were just messing with me…?!”

Jinwoo quickly vanished into the gate.

Ugh…

The association rep was furious and cursed Jinwoo, sending him bad vibes.

Please, God! Make him fall and twist his ankle in the dungeon!

But Jinwoo Sung had returned from Jeju Island without a scratch when it was overrun with S-rank magic beasts.

What could possibly happen to him in a B-rank dungeon?

At that very moment…screams rang out from every direction.

“Huh? What’s happening…?”

“Why is the gate turning red?”

The black surface of the gate turned bloodred after Jinwoo entered. It was a red gate! The name alone could send shivers down the spine.

“Oh…!” The rep panicked at the sight.

Is this because of me?!

Of course, that wasn’t possible, but she still felt guilty. As an association employee, she knew well that red gates were dangerous places that connected to unknown worlds, and she was also aware that the survival of even high-rank hunters couldn’t be guaranteed.

Oh no…

The color drained from her face as she imagined the worst-case scenario.

If he really gets hurt…

How many minutes had passed? As she continued to blame herself, she looked up from the ground, since she suddenly felt someone else’s presence nearby.

There was Jinwoo standing in front of her.

“Oh my!” She startled like she had seen a ghost.

Jinwoo grinned at her as he walked on by.

……

The representative’s face was even redder now than after her exchange with President Go.

Jinwoo looked around and then approached the driver of a truck filled with potatoes.

“Sir, could you please sell me a sack?”

“Excuse me? A sack of potatoes?”

Jinwoo shook his head. “No, just the sack, please.”

Jinho Yoo, the vice president, recruitment manager, legal representative, and accountant of the guild tentatively named SoloPlay, brightly greeted Jinwoo as he entered the office.

“Welcome back, boss!”

“Anything to note?”

“No, boss. By the way, one of the applicants to be a founding member—”

“Oh, right, give me the list. I’ll take a look, too.”

Seeing as how Jinho wouldn’t let this matter go, he was probably dying to get this guild established, but it worked out, since Jinwoo felt the same way. They needed one more founding member to meet the required minimum of three people to establish a guild.

Even though the last person is just to fill the head count, it’d be better if they were hardworking, since we’ll be spending a lot of time with them anyway.

Jinwoo was nodding to himself when he noticed that Jinho looked somewhat down.

“What’s the matter?”

“The thing is, boss…”

“Yeah?”

“As you know, we need a lot of money to start a guild. High-rank dungeons go for an incredible amount at auctions. And we’ll have to pay a signing bonus to recruit a hunter, especially for this particular applicant—”

Jinwoo interrupted him. “Is this good enough?”

Thud.

Jinwoo dropped a potato sack on the floor.

Hmm?

Jinho curiously took a look inside the sack. It was full of valuable essence stones.

“Boss…? Wh-what’s all this?”

Jinwoo nonchalantly answered. “I ran into a gate on the way here.”

“……”

In the few hours he’d been out of the office, Jinwoo had cleared a high-rank dungeon he happened to run into and collected the essence stones just like that.

“You’re incredible, boss!”

Jinho didn’t think any more of it. There was no point in trying to apply logic to this man.

Jinwoo was pleased to see Jinho’s delight at the haul. He then looked toward the conference room.

“So what is she doing here?”

“Huh? Oh, I meant to tell you…we have an applicant waiting, boss.”

Jinwoo’s eyes widened. “An applicant?”

“Yes, boss.”

“Who is it?”

“The person in the conference room, boss.”

“Did she say that herself?”

“Yes, boss.”

But that didn’t make any sense…

Jinwoo strode over and opened the door to the conference room. The woman sitting inside had been quietly drinking the canned coffee Jinho had rushed out to buy her from the convenience store nearby, since they had nothing in the office. She now turned to face him.

“What are you doing here?” Jinwoo was flabbergasted.

Haein calmly gazed up at him. “Well…I wanted to join the guild.”

Had he heard her right? Maybe something was wrong with his ears. Haein Cha, the vice president of the best guild in Korea and one of the country’s most powerful hunters, wanted to join a guild that hadn’t even taken its first steps yet? The only conclusion Jinwoo could come to was that someone else was forcing her to do this. The thing was…

Who could possibly make Haein Cha do anything?

Only one person in Korea could order her around like this.

“Did the president of the association put you up to this?”

Haein looked perplexed at the mention of President Go. “Why would he…?”

Jinwoo was confused, but she looked even more so.

Okay, I need to relax.

This was definitely a shocking and interesting development, but Jinwoo calmly pulled out a chair and took a seat opposite Haein. He silently observed her for a bit and concentrated. Time slowed down for him as he processed all the information he had on Haein.

She’s rattled.

Her pulse, her breathing, her eyes—Haein was keeping a straight face, but nothing escaped Jinwoo’s high perception stat.

But…that didn’t explain why she was trying so hard to join the SoloPlay Guild (name pending).

“Aren’t you still under contract with the Hunters Guild?” asked Jinwoo.

Normally, contracts between guilds and hunters were five years long. Haein had been evaluated as an S-rank hunter and joined the Hunters Guild two years ago. That meant she had at least three years left on her contract, provided she had signed on for only the five-year minimum.

“I can afford to pay the penalty fee.”

Jinwoo raised an eyebrow at Haein’s casual answer. The penalty for breaking a contract was between two to three times the signing bonus. Considering how much the Hunters Guild must have paid to recruit an S-rank hunter like her, the penalty had to be a staggering amount of money.

Jinwoo’s attitude became more businesslike. “The SoloPlay Guild can’t afford to pay for the kind of signing bonus someone of your level warrants, Hunter Cha.”

“I-is the name of the guild SoloPlay?”

“That’s the name the vice president and I agreed on. Do you have an issue with it?”

“No…not at all.” Haein gave a small sigh before going on. “I don’t mind. I’m fine with not receiving a signing bonus.”

She was willing to pay an enormous penalty to leave the Hunters and agree to a new contract without a signing bonus?

What is she up to?

Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. They stared at each other for a while, but Haein had to look away. Her heart was beating even faster than before. Jinwoo focused on what he was hearing. His keen ears didn’t miss the physical changes.

Is she hiding something?

Since things had come this far, Jinwoo couldn’t continue without being direct with her.

“Why are you willing to go to such lengths just to join our guild?”

“……”

Like he’d thought, Haein pursed her lips, unable to answer easily. Considering how her face was turning red, he was now certain she was keeping something from him.

Wait a minute…

Jinwoo thought back to how differently Haein had been acting at the funeral. He wasn’t sure what her end goal was, but it seemed like she’d been planning this for some time.

Jinwoo waited for her to answer, but she wordlessly kept her head bowed for a while.

But what could she have said? That although the monstrous ant had knocked her out, she could still sense Jinwoo by her side? That even as she plunged into darkness, his scent had comforted her? There were no words to describe how she’d felt at that time.

Whatever I say, he’ll think I’m crazy.

Her heart had skipped a beat when she found out after the fact that Jinwoo had actually been on the island. She had been truly relieved that it wasn’t just her imagination. And…

If…

She realized that if, in a million-to-one chance, she ever found herself in a situation where death was inescapable, she’d like for Jinwoo to be by her side.

I want you to be with me until the end, or something like that.

How could she speak such cheesy words when just thinking them made her blush? Haein wasn’t the romantic type, so spouting words like that seemed an impossible task for her. So she gave him a prepared response instead.

“I’d…” She finally looked up and met his eyes. “I’d like a simpler life…”

This wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie, either. While she couldn’t stand the smell of other hunters, just being near Jinwoo helped her unwind. That was what she meant by “simpler.”

Although Jinwoo interpreted her words differently, it still made sense to him. He nodded in understanding at her reply. He figured she meant that working with a smaller guild and leaving one as large as the Hunters would make her life easier.

From what he remembered, Haein was only twenty-two or twenty-three years old.

The burden of being an S-rank hunter has probably been too heavy for someone so young.

And doubly so when having to constantly face life-threatening situations like Jeju Island. Jinwoo himself had wanted to pack up and quit countless times when he worked for the association, so he could sympathize.

Unfortunately…

I feel bad for Haein, but…

Jinwoo still couldn’t bring himself to just accept her. There was a reason he wanted to name the guild SoloPlay. He planned to clear every dungeon they booked for the guild by himself. He’d asked Jinho to find someone to fill the quota like they’d done for the C-rank dungeons only because the rule about the minimum number of members was unavoidable. All this was so that he had a method of leveling up.

However, letting Haein join the guild would only invite trouble. Even if she didn’t want a signing bonus, they’d still have to pay her a salary, wouldn’t they? Signing on an expensive S-rank hunter they’d have no use for would be a waste for the country, since she wouldn’t have anything to do.

However…

It’ll look suspicious if I turn away an S-rank hunter for no reason, especially if she’s waiving her signing bonus.

So Jinwoo came up with a clever plan. “Actually, there’s a test to join our guild.”

“Pardon me? The job listing didn’t say anything abou—”

Jinwoo cut off the confused Haein. “We only instituted the test recently, so our vice president seems to have forgotten to include it.”

Haein grew serious as soon as she heard the word test.

“What kind of test is it?”

Jinwoo was caught off guard.

Is she serious?

He’d expected her to walk out at the mere mention of a test, as a matter of pride. Yet here she was doing the opposite. It actually looked like he’d stoked her competitive spirit instead. By her stoic face, Jinwoo could sense a hidden passion burning.

Is she one of those people who never turns down a challenge?

Or was she just being stubborn? Either way, Jinwoo couldn’t pretend he was joking and back down now.

“You have to battle a minion of my choosing.”

That was a definite blow to her self-esteem.

“……”

Is your opinion of me really that low, Hunter Jinwoo Sung? Strangely, Jinwoo could almost hear those words in her voice despite her unreadable expression as they silently regarded each other.

“Which minion are you going to choose?”

“I’ll pick an especially strong one for you, Hunter Cha.”

“…Works for me.” She didn’t back down.

But Haein would never in a million years be able to guess who she’d be going up against or who the latest addition to his shadow army was.

Jinwoo figured that as competitive as she was, she was also the kind of person who would acknowledge her defeat and give up, so he accepted the challenge.

“All right, then.”

“When is this test?”

“Right now.”

Forming the guild was an urgent matter, so he didn’t want to waste more time than necessary with Hunter Cha. Since the topic had been broached, they might as well get it over with. The location would be the gym at the Hunter’s Association Headquarters. S-rank hunters had the privilege of using the gym anytime they wanted as one of the perks they enjoyed.

“Understood.” Haein nodded.

She also preferred to not drag things out. They rose to their feet together as if they’d planned it.

Hold on.

At that moment, Jinwoo was struck by a thought. He stopped Haein just as she grabbed the doorknob.

“Hunter Cha, please wait.”

“Yes?”

“No need to go out that way.”

“……?”

Haein wasn’t sure what he meant. The room had only one door, and surely Jinwoo wasn’t suggesting that they go out the window.

Jinwoo approached Haein. “There’s an easier way to get there.”

“Sorry?”

“In order to do that, I have to stand close to you. Is that okay?”

“Oh……”

Haein recalled something President Baek had mentioned to her. Just as the Korean strike squad had been on the brink of death, Jinwoo had popped into existence behind him.

Is he going to show me how he did that?

She felt a lump in her throat as Jinwoo’s face drew closer than she’d expected.

“Excuse me.” Jinwoo gently wrapped his arms around her. He’d carried her bridal-style around the ant cave, so a hug wasn’t that big of a deal to him.

On the other hand, Haein’s face instantly turned red, but she didn’t push him away or try to break loose.

…What a nice scent…

As Haein blushed, Jinwoo readied himself after carefully making sure she wouldn’t slip out of his grasp.

All right.

There was something he’d wanted to test out, and this was as good a time as any.

“You might feel dizzy.” It’d happened to him the first time.

At that, Haein wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, “Okay.”

Jinwoo looked straight ahead and wordlessly activated the skill.

Shadow Exchange.

Vwoooom.

Jinwoo and Haein soundlessly fell into their shadows. At that exact moment, Jinho entered the room with tea and snacks he’d hurriedly picked up from the convenience store when he noticed that the meeting seemed to be running long.

“Please help yourself to—”

Jinho made eye contact with an embarrassed-looking high orc shadow soldier.

“……”

Crash!

Jinho dropped the tray he was carrying, and the glasses shattered into pieces.

“Wh-what the—?!”

Frightened, Jinho squeezed his eyes shut for a second, but when he opened them, the shadow soldier had disappeared without a trace.

But I definitely saw…!

He rubbed his eyes hard, shook his head, and looked around, but he couldn’t find any trace of the magic beast.

Have I been pushing myself too hard lately?

For him to be hallucinating… He cocked his head, then turned around in search of a rag before abruptly stopping dead in his tracks.

“Where did the boss and Hunter Cha go?”

As Jinwoo sank into the shadow, he could see the same thing happening to Haein.

I knew it…

Jinwoo’s suspicion was correct. After using Shadow Exchange several times, he’d formed a theory about the true nature of the skill, and he had been proven right. Shadow Exchange created a gate, as evidenced by the fact that he and Haein were passing through together.

The shadow on the ground serves as an entry point, with the exit being the destination.

And the coordinates of the exit were determined by a soldier’s location. The fact that he could create an actual gate, albeit with a three-hour cooling-off period between uses, was amazing news. This meant that if he put his mind to it, he could travel back and forth from the other side of the planet every three hours.

Jinwoo swallowed at the revelation.

His surprise didn’t last long, though. The darkness soon gave way to light, and before they knew it, Jinwoo and Haein arrived at the gym. Jinwoo had left a shadow the last time he was here in the event he’d ever need to get to the association in a hurry.

Chk, chk. chk, chk…

The lights started to turn on as the sensors detected their mana, making the gym quite bright. Haein could see the brightness through her shut eyes, so she opened them.

“How…?!”

She couldn’t help but be shocked. They were somewhere with which she was very familiar, but it felt like her surroundings had changed in the blink of an eye.

How is this possible?

Haein had no idea such a skill existed. Amazed, she looked around before her gaze settled on Jinwoo.

“You…”

She had a lot of questions but couldn’t bring herself to ask them. She wasn’t even sure how to articulate them. Besides, they were way too close together to have a proper conversation.

“You’re safe now, so…” Jinwoo let go of her wrist and waist. “No need to hang on to me.”

Haein could only nod in silence as she rubbed the wrist Jinwoo had been gripping.

“Let’s start.” Jinwoo moved away from the corner where his high orc soldier had been hiding and walked to the center of the gym.

“Yes.”

As she joined Jinwoo, Haein realized she’d left her sword in her car. Despite it being essential to her work, she couldn’t very well bring a sword to a job interview.

She told him as much. “I left my weapon in my car…”

“Oh, you mean the pickax?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know, the one you were holding in the high orc dungeon.”

Haein flushed at the embarrassing memory she’d forgotten about. “No, my weapon is—”

It dawned on her that he was teasing when he giggled.

“……”

Jinwoo waved it off after taking in her red face. “I’m only kidding.”

Enough joking around.

But now what?

Haein was great, but there was no way she could take on the soldier he had in mind with her bare hands. While Jinwoo wanted his soldier to win, he didn’t want her getting hurt, either.

“Don’t worry about it.” Haein looked toward the equipment room of the gym. “They should have something I can borrow.”

Oh?

Jinwoo’s eyes twinkled at this bit of information. Haein walked over to the door and swiped her hunter’s license on the key-card reader next to it. The door swung open to reveal spare weapons that seemed very useful stored in rows inside the room.

Jinwoo was amazed by the readiness of the Hunter’s Association.

I didn’t know they had something like this.

Jinwoo had always wondered how the association dues were spent, but it looked like they put the money to good use.

Haein inspected the weapons inside and came out wielding a sword similar in length to her own.

“I’m ready.”

“Are you going to be okay with that? It’s not your sword, so you might be uncomfortable with it.”

Haein shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what weapon I use. It’s not like magic beasts attack hunters based on how they’re armed.”

That was true. Jinwoo didn’t object, since he fully agreed with that sentiment. He appreciated her straightforward nature.

I guess it’s time to summon a soldier.

As if to show that she truly was ready, Haein released some of her mana. If Jinwoo summoned a regular soldier to oppose her, she would tear it in half in no time. So he played the best card he could.

Come out.

A smaller shadow separated from Jinwoo’s own, and after moving several paces to the side, a knight noiselessly emerged. His armor and helmet were jet-black except for the waist-length red mane attached to the top of the helmet. It was Igris, the best swordsman in Jinwoo’s shadow army.

I told Hunter Cha that I’d summon my strongest soldier, but…

Jinwoo thought summoning Beru would be going too far. Every member of the Korean team had been completely terrified of what Beru had been before becoming Jinwoo’s shadow soldier. Haein herself had been sent to the brink of death by him. Jinwoo didn’t want to potentially traumatize her, so he couldn’t bring himself to summon the shadow ant.

Fang was out, since there would be a real danger of him burning down the gym.

Consequently, Jinwoo had landed on Igris.

You’re the only one I can count on.

Looking at Igris’s imposing figure, Jinwoo was certain he had chosen correctly.

However…

“Mr. Sung.”

Jinwoo turned to Haein.

“How will you determine a win or a loss?”

Haein’s voice was cold enough to freeze the heart of anyone who heard it, and it made Jinwoo start to second-guess his choice.

He deliberated his answer before suggesting, “Let’s say the test will last either until my minion gets destroyed or you surrender.”

Haein nodded in agreement to the proposed conditions and brandished the sword she’d taken from the equipment room. Even though she was wielding a blade of average rank that could be easily purchased anywhere, the energy coming from it because of her was incredible.

She’s definitely strong.

Jinwoo could sense that Haein, who stood with the best of the best S-rank hunters, had resolved to give it her all.

Igris drew his swords, holding one in each hand. Jinwoo had an inkling that Igris might actually lose to Haein. But then…

Wait a minute, she said the weapon doesn’t matter, right?

Jinwoo smiled and addressed Haein. “Could you please turn around for a second?”

“……?” Haein was baffled but turned as requested without protest.

Jinwoo took the Demon Monarch’s Sword from his inventory and handed it to Igris.

Use this.

She’d said it didn’t matter what kind of weapon she used, so that should also mean it didn’t matter what her opponent used.

Igris was so moved that the master himself would grant him a sword that he was about to kneel in gratitude, but Jinwoo abruptly stopped him.

I told you, you don’t need to be so formal all the time.

If only Iron had at least half of Igris’s manners. In any case…

Jinwoo called to Haein. “We’re ready.”

Haein turned and spotted Igris holding a sword crackling with blue electricity, something he hadn’t been holding earlier.

“……”

“Shall we start?” Jinwoo asked to proceed without addressing the change in weaponry.

“…Yes.” Haein reluctantly assented.

“Then begin.”

With that, Igris made the first move by swinging the Demon Monarch’s Sword.

Vwoom!

A bolt of lightning flew straight at Haein. She flinched but managed to avoid the blast as nimbly as a cat by bending her torso backward.

Kra-koom!

The bolt struck the wall, leaving a blackened scorch mark.

Haein straightened up and glared at Jinwoo, but he avoided eye contact and put on an innocent face.

……

Haein wordlessly gripped her sword with both hands.

As she did, Igris charged her at a terrifying clip, intent on making her surrender as ordered. However, Haein didn’t bat an eye as she threw herself at Igris.

President Go’s office was situated on the highest floor of the main association building. From this vantage point, he could see all the association buildings as well as the surrounding area.

Hmm?

He had been reading confidential reports when something outside his window caught his attention. Lights were on in the supposedly empty gym. Confused, Gunhee buzzed his secretary.

“You called, sir?”

“Did someone rent out the gym for the day?”

“I don’t see a booking, sir.”

“Really?”

Gunhee covered the receiver with his hand and sorted out his thoughts as he stared at the gym. He then spoke in a low voice.

“Turn on the surveillance cameras and put the feed on my monitor.”

“Yes, sir.”

Soon, the TV that took up an entire wall of his office showed Jinwoo and Haein in the gym with their arms tightly wrapped around each other.

“Ahem.” Surprised, Gunhee coughed.

No matter how many times he checked, it was definitely them. He cocked his head.

Are those two in a relationship?

But if he thought about it…when Haein had initially come to in the helicopter, the first person she’d asked about was Jinwoo.

I should’ve seen it.

Gunhee was smiling fondly as he watched the two hunters on the screen. They both hated calling attention to themselves, to the point where they’d requested that their personnel files be sealed as soon as they became S-rank hunters. However, by this point, everyone in Korea knew who Jinwoo was, and the same could be said for Haein. The only place such a couple could spend time alone was in the association gym after hours.

For youngsters like them to have a date at the gym of all places…what a sound relationship they must have.

Gunhee continued grinning as he shook his head a few times. He paged his secretary again.

“I’m sorry, but could you please turn off the surveillance cameras in the gym?”

“Sir? But…”

“Note in the records that there was a maintenance check today.”

“Understood, sir.”

The TV turned off as soon as he hung up the phone. Gunhee gazed at the gym for a moment, then chuckled as he returned to his reports. But then…

Rrrrrmbl…

The water in Go’s glass rippled as a slight quake emanated from the gym.

“Ah.” He didn’t bother to look, but the smile on his face remained.

Oh, to be young again indeed.

Oh boy…

Jinwoo massaged his temple at the growing headache. He appeared to have underestimated Haein. Although Jinwoo had bestowed the Demon Monarch’s Sword to Igris, Haein was still proving too much for the knight.

Jinwoo called off the match as soon as she severed Igris’s left arm.

“Stop!” While they could respawn, it wasn’t pleasant seeing his soldiers get destroyed.

“Hwoooo…” Haein exhaled hard to get her breathing back under control. Though she’d won, Igris had been tough enough that she was drenched in sweat. She wiped some of it from her brow with a pale, thin finger.

It was unfortunate, but Jinwoo summoned Igris back, easily accepting the defeat. “I lost.”

Vmmm.

Igris returned to his shadow. However, Haein didn’t lay down her sword.

“No, this one doesn’t count.”

“……?”

She was invalidating the match? But why?

Haein continued. “You said you’d choose your strongest minion, didn’t you?”

She approached him until there was only one step left between them.

“Was that black knight really your strongest?”

It was a rhetorical question. It was obvious she was just looking for confirmation of something about which she was already certain. When Jinwoo shook his head, Haein immediately answered.

“Then please summon your strongest minion as promised.”

“You might get hurt.”

“That’s okay. I’ve wanted a rematch.”

Jinwoo’s eyes widened. “You know?”

Haein nodded. “I’ve seen the footage.”

Haein had watched the video of the raid several times, and one of the magic beasts that used fire seemed familiar to her.

“That fire-breathing minion was the high orc shaman, the boss of the A-rank dungeon, wasn’t it?”

Haein had surmised that with Jinwoo’s abilities, it stood to reason he could do the same with the monstrous ant. She’d agreed to this test assuming that he would be her opponent.

This win means nothing.

Haein wanted to prove her mettle to Jinwoo by winning against the minion who used the monstrous ant’s power.

Jinwoo considered this briefly and then nodded.

Beru.

A shadow soldier whose entire body was cloaked in smoke appeared behind him. Haein instinctively stepped back at the sight. The shadow ant possessed an incredibly terrifying energy, just like before.

Jinwoo was genuinely worried about Haein, whose face had turned pale.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Although Beru was currently weaker than when he was alive, he was still a creature born to kill hunters.

Haein pressed her lips together in a straight line and silently nodded.

Beru, who’d been watching her, turned and bowed to Jinwoo.

My king, what would you have me do to this human?

Haein simply watched and waited as Beru wordlessly communicated with his master, almost as if she, too, could hear him. Jinwoo replied telepathically to him.

Defeat her without hurting her.

As you wish.

The former-Ant-King-turned-shadow-soldier faced the apprehensive warrior.

Gulp!

Haein swallowed hard. The enormous amount of magic power she felt from her opponent was giving her goose bumps.

Jinwoo took this magic beast down?

While Igris hadn’t fazed Haein a bit, she was now shaking like a leaf.

With his preparations to do his king’s bidding complete, Beru let out a savage battle cry.

SKRAAAW!

Bladelike claws extended from the tips of his fingers, but Jinwoo gave him a sharp look.

…No claws.

Beru retracted his claws immediately, in high spirits. Jinwoo gave the order one more time.

Hurt her, and you’ll be in a world of hurt yourself.

I shall do as you command.

With Beru’s answer in hand, Jinwoo announced the start of the match.

“Begin!”

Beru made the first move. He had been given a single command.

Defeat the enemy without hurting her.

As one who had experience giving orders, Beru knew how to interpret Jinwoo’s.

Overwhelm her with a display of strength and make her lose her will to fight.

Zmm!

Haein lost sight of Beru for a split second, and before she knew it, he appeared in front of her.

“……!”

In that brief instant, despite being stunned by Beru’s speed, Haein felt her reflexes kick in, and she struck him with her sword. She got in a few dozen attacks, but Beru avoided everything while keeping his feet glued to the same spot. His moves were precise without a single unnecessary action. He was so quick that he was a blur of afterimages.

The power gap between them was unmistakable.

This doesn’t make sense!

Haein was in disbelief as her strikes kept missing.

How can he dodge at this close of a range without taking a single step?

She tried once more. Haein aimed at her opponent’s neck, but he easily avoided it by leaning back slightly. No matter which direction she came from, no matter how much she changed up her attack pattern, her target moved out of harm’s way with ease.

How…?!

Beru wasn’t even a real magic beast but a minion who was borrowing a dead magic beast’s power. How could he be so strong? And…

How strong is Jinwoo to control this minion so easily…?

Haein’s attacks slowed at the dim terror she was feeling. Beru took the opportunity to swat her sword swings aside with the back of his hand each time before finally getting up in her face.

Haein was stunned by the stench of death that abruptly flooded her nose.

It’s over.

As soon as Beru’s wide-open mouth filled her vision, she couldn’t help but let out a scream.

“Ah!”

Instead of crushing her head with his jaws, the minion let out a terrifying roar.

SKRAAAH!

The magic power contained in Beru’s roar pushed Haein back.

“Eek!”

Jinwoo grimaced. He couldn’t find any enjoyment in watching such a one-sided fight. And yet…Haein got back up and adjusted the grip on her sword as if she had no intention of surrendering.

Jinwoo raised an eyebrow.

What’s going on in her head?

Haein wasn’t some low-rank hunter who couldn’t accept a huge difference in power between her and her opponent even after witnessing it for herself.

She’s not reckless enough to rush into a fight she’s got no hope of winning, either.

Then did she have something up her sleeve?

I hope she knows what she’s doing.

Jinwoo’s psychic bond with Beru allowed him to sense the strength of the murderous intentions the shadow ant was suppressing. Meanwhile, Haein’s will to fight was as indomitable as ever despite her obvious disadvantage.

Jinwoo had an ominous feeling. A solemn expression came across his face as he observed the two fighters.

……?

Beru couldn’t understand Haein’s decisions. He had put the huge power gap between them on display several times, so why wouldn’t she surrender?

The king of the ants, who ruled the top of the food chain, began feeling irritated at this human female who was but a mere plaything to him. His memories of being a dominant power fueled Beru’s rage.

How dare she…?

Beru materialized right in front of Haein, leaned in, and looked her in the eye. Any two living beings could tell through eye contact alone which of them was predator and which was prey. Her instincts should scream warnings at her. Beru’s plan was to make Haein lose her will to fight by waking up her basic instincts…but it didn’t seem to have worked.

As Jinwoo suspected, Haein still had a card left to play. The move Haein was most confident at was a skill called Sword Dance. She moved progressively faster and faster, drawing elegant arcs in the air with her blade as if dancing.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

However…as Beru continued to block Haein’s fluid and relentless strikes with his claws, his displeasure grew apparent in his expression.

Enough playing around.

With his bare hand, Beru grabbed the sword coming right at him and shattered it.

Crack!

Half the blade broke off. Despite the setback, Haein’s eyes blazed with a cold fury.

I have one shot at this.

She focused all her magic power on what remained of the sword in her hands. This particular skill was called Sword of Light. This was her first time revealing this skill. Because it consumed too much magic power, she could use it only as a last resort.

The blade shone brightly.

Beru had lowered his guard after breaking her sword, so she leaped toward him and thrust her weapon forward.

Jinwoo was utterly astonished.

No!

Naturally, he hadn’t been worried about Beru, but before he could do anything, the sword pierced Beru’s midsection as it shone with a gold light.

SKRAAAAA!

In that fleeting moment, one thought struck Beru.

She’s the enemy.

Beru wasn’t concerned for his own mortality. But if he fell, this woman’s sword would be pointed at his king.

And so…the basic instinct that all the shadow soldiers possessed, the prime directive imprinted in all their minds, came to the forefront.

Protect my master!

Beru’s mind reset, and Jinwoo’s command to defeat the enemy without hurting her was wiped from his memory. Beru underwent a terrifying physical transformation for the sake of protecting his master. His body grew, his jaws became strong enough to chew through iron, and his sharp claws extended.

“Stop!”

Beru was primed to tear apart the enemy of his king with his ten deadly claws.

Swipe!

Just as his claws neared Haein’s body…

Tmp!

Jinwoo narrowly made it in time. “…I said stop.”

He glowered at Beru while holding on tightly to both sets of claws with his bare hands. Beru trembled as his eyes met Jinwoo’s. Without bothering to pull the sword out of his stomach, he leaped back and dropped to the ground face-first, begging for Jinwoo’s forgiveness.

“M-my king, please show me mercy…”

Jinwoo understood why Beru had acted this way, since his instincts to protect his master had been loud enough to telepathically reach him.

……

Jinwoo momentarily glared at Beru before looking to the side.

Whump.

Haein collapsed to the floor, having no energy to remain standing after staring death in the face, however briefly.

“Are you okay?”

As Jinwoo approached, Haein tried to rise but gave up. She could only look down at the floor and nod.

“Yes.”

She wasn’t very convincing.

Jinwoo helped her to her feet and asked, “Why are you pushing yourself to your limit? There’s no need to try so hard to join our guild, is there?”

“……”

It was only a test. What was more, it was a kind of entrance exam designed to prevent her admission.

But she had been so obsessed with winning the match that she’d gone so far as to unleash an incredibly dangerous skill. This couldn’t just be about a desire to win.

So…

“I have to ask…” Jinwoo proceeded with caution so as not to upset her. “Do you have a thing for me or something?”

“What?” She seemed dazed, like someone had slapped her upside the head, so Jinwoo shrugged.

Is that not it, either?

But then…Haein organized her thoughts before revising her response.

“Yes…I think so.”

At the Hunter Command Center of the United States, the director wasn’t pleased with the news that his men had failed to recruit Jinwoo. He was waiting to hear the details directly from the assistant director instead of receiving a paper report.

The assistant director arrived at his office with Norma.

“What happened?” The director demanded before they could even take a seat.

This was the first time anyone had turned down a recruitment offer involving Norma in the history of the Hunter Command Center.

Michael stood with a gloomy expression and lowered his head. “I am so sorry, sir.”

“I didn’t call you here for an apology.”

The director pressed a button that locked the door and covered up the glass walls of his office. The room was totally soundproof now.

They took measures to avoid leaks regarding Norma, including refraining from using phones or e-mails for matters involving her, so the director still had no idea what exactly had occurred in Korea.

“What happened over there?”

Michael looked at Norma. She slowly nodded, and only then did Michael speak.

“Mrs. Sellner observed Hunter Sung.”

“And?”

The director understood how Norma’s power worked, so the result of her observation was as important as the result of their recruitment efforts.

“According to Mrs. Sellner, Hunter Sung is”—Michael licked his dry lips—“a king.”

“What?” The director leaped to his feet.

Out of all the strong hunters Norma had encountered, she had assessed only three as kings. The pinnacle of all hunters, each was powerful enough to shake up the global community, and Jinwoo had now been added to that short list.

The director looked at Norma. “Does this mean that Hunter Sung holds the power of a national-level hunter?”

She shook her head.

“Oh?” The director furrowed his brow.

Michael understood the director’s reaction, as his had been the same.

Norma let out a sigh.

“I…should explain.” She began without missing a beat. “I know you’re both aware of what my abilities entail.”

The director and the assistant director nodded simultaneously, and the director responded first.

“You said that awakened beings had connections to and could access the power on the other side.”

When Norma looked into the eyes of an awakened being, she was able to detect a passage connecting them to the other side. On rare occasions, the passage shone with a blinding light because the power coming through was that strong. Those were the aforementioned “kings.”

“So what’s so different about Hunter Sung?”

“He doesn’t have a connection.” Norma shivered. “As soon as I looked into his eyes, the darkness in him looked back at me. Oh God… It was like looking at darkness incarnate.”

The assistant director argued, “But he’s helping tons of people as an active hunter. I don’t think he’s an evil person…”

If that was the case, Jinwoo would’ve instantly killed the two agents who had pulled their guns on him. However, the Korean man had easily let it go.

Norma shook her head with a firm expression. “It’s not about whether Hunter Sung is good or evil. I’m talking about the source of his power.”

The director had been listening quietly to them with a hand under his chin, and he finally spoke up. “But you’re certain that he’s a powerful hunter, right?”

Norma nodded. “Hunter Sung doesn’t get his power from somewhere else. His power doesn’t come through the passage, but rather, it’s within himself, so no connection limits his power. In other words…”

“There’s no limit to his power.” Michael shivered as the words unintentionally tumbled out of his mouth. He couldn’t wrap his mind around how powerful Jinwoo could become.

The director was deep in thought after listening to everything. He eventually nodded as he came to a decision.

“Thank you, Mrs. Sellner.”

After seeing Norma off, he led the assistant director to the basement of the Hunter Command Center.

“Where are we going, sir?”

“Sub-level nine.”

“The filing room where documents are stored?”

“There’s more than documents down there.” As he watched the elevator continue its descent, he continued. “If Mrs. Sellner’s skill won’t lure him here, we’ll have to find something else that will.”

Jinwoo was young and possessed enormous power. If he was as impossibly powerful as Norma claimed, it didn’t matter whether the source of his skill was lightness or dark. A knife held in self-defense would just be seen as a weapon by others. The director wanted to own the knife known as Jinwoo Sung.

Upon arriving at sub-level nine, the director unlocked the door and ventured inside. A few employees greeted him as he passed, but he didn’t even acknowledge them.

“Do you remember the first S-rank gate?”

“Of course.”

How could Michael forget the horrific dungeon break that crippled the western part of the United States? The government had offered the best hunters in the world a handsome reward to get rid of the boss of that S-rank gate, and they’d succeeded.

However, only five hunters survived the ordeal. One magic beast had killed off dozens of the world’s best hunters. Without their sacrifice, the country would’ve ceased to exist. Thus, they had granted the five hunters who’d saved the country all the rights, privileges, and powers the United States had to offer, giving each individual the same level of power and influence as the country itself. It was from this that the term national-level hunter was born.

The director uttered the name of the magic beast that had caused the worst disaster in history.

“Kamish the Dragon.”

Mage hunters claimed that Kamish meant “an undying flame.”

The director entered the last room on this level and opened the safe inside, revealing a heavily secured rune stone.

Michael was startled. “Is that…?”

“Yes, it is.” The director smiled as he placed his hand on the tempered glass box housing the rune stone. “This is the rune stone that came from Kamish’s remains.”

After Kamish was defeated, two of the national-level hunters had settled down in the United States, like a parting gift from Kamish. The United States had then established the Hunter Command Center and focused all their efforts on increasing the power of hunters so as to avoid a repeat of that tragedy.

That was about eight years ago. Since there were no mage hunters among the surviving national-level hunters, Kamish’s rune stone had been waiting a long time for a suitable master in the cold basement of the Hunter Command Center.

A knowing smile came across the director’s face as he gazed at the contents of the glass box.

“Kamish will give this wonderful country yet another invaluable gift.”

10

HOW ABOUT SOLOPLAY GUILD?

“Boss, I was told yesterday that it’d be difficult for us to get the permit for the gate.”

Jongsu, the guild master of the Knights Guild, had his mood soured as soon as he arrived at work.

“What?”

Yoontae, the vice master, quickly explained. “The association’s evaluation came out higher than they expected.”

“Is it an S-rank gate?”

“No, but it’s a max-level A rank.”

“What a pain in the ass.”

S-rank gates, they could pass on easily. The Knights Guild had no S ranks in their roster, so it would be impossible for them. Jeju Island had made it clear that you’d need all of South Korea’s S-rank hunters for that.

However, A-rank gates were a different story. People would talk if the Knights, a top-five guild, couldn’t handle an A-rank gate. The guild was already on shaky ground, and this could leave them with none to stand on at all.

“What’re we going to do, boss?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“If we pass on the gate, the Fame Guild will take it for sure…”

The Fame Guild of the Honam area… Jongsu’s eye twitched at the mere mention.

“This gate is on our turf, and you want to hand it over to Dongwook Ma on a silver platter?”

“I’m just saying, boss.”

“Over my dead body.”

“So you’re going for it?”

Enraged, Jongsu bit his lip. It was clear why he did. It was best he refrained from blurting anything out when he was this worked up, since the lives of his guild members were on the line. He could feel a headache coming on.

Our A-rank hunters are as good as anyone from the larger guilds.

Both the quality and quantity of their A-rank hunters were comparable to the Hunters Guild, the best in Korea. The only issue was their lack of S-rank hunters. The Knights Guild was in danger of dropping out of the top five solely because they lacked a single S rank.

Their elite members could easily take care of the average A-rank gate, but if the magic power of the gate was on the high end, their hunters would be risking their lives because of the lack of S-rank hunters, since the level of difficulty for such gates was closer to that of S rank despite the A-rank classification. Hence why the Hunter’s Association was on the fence on whether to grant them the raid permit.

……

As Jongsu continued racking his brain, Yoontae spoke up cautiously. “Boss, we’ll be done for if it turns out to be a red gate.”

“That’s true.”

An upper-A-rank gate was enough of a problem, but if it turned into a red gate? The mere thought was horrifying. If they were lucky, maybe half of them would survive. Otherwise, the entire strike squad, including Jongsu himself, would lose their lives.

The smart thing to do would be to let it go.

However, their fate would be sealed if word got out that they’d given up an A-rank gate. What rookie would be willing to join a guild that didn’t have an S-rank hunter and couldn’t even clear an A-rank gate?

“How about we team up with another guild?”

Jongsu shook his head. “Why would they agree knowing we only asked them because we couldn’t handle it ourselves?”

Especially not when they could take the gate for themselves without bothering to involve anyone else. And even if another guild agreed to join forces, there’d be yet another problem.

It’d be advertising to everyone that we’re incompetent.

As the two men grew more concerned…

“If not another guild, then what about another person?”

The men turned toward the female voice coming from the side of the room. It was Yerim Jung, the A-rank healer assigned to the head strike squad. Healers got a huge say in matters regarding raids, especially if the healer was an A rank with a variety of skills like Yerim.

Unfortunately, with the fate of the Knights Guild hanging in the balance, it was difficult for Jongsu to hide his helplessness.

“We’re going inside a top-level A-rank gate, so what help would an indivi—?” Jongsu stopped.

Oh!

The face popped into his head of a man who could wipe out not only A-rank but also S-rank magic beasts all on his own. Jongsu was so excited that he jumped out of his seat.

What if Jinwoo Sung joined us on the raid?!

The man was able to easily defeat a magic beast that an entire group of S-rank hunters couldn’t. If Jinwoo helped them, the safety of their squad members would be guaranteed. And that wasn’t all. The Knights Guild would avoid the stigma of needing another guild’s help.

This would even boost our reputation.

There was no downside to this. It would save the lives of their team members as well as restore the honor of the Knights Guild. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Jongsu giddily asked, “What’s Hunter Sung up to these days?”

Neither Yerim, who had proposed the initial idea, nor Yoontae, who had been listening quietly, had a clue.

“Other than clearing that gate that appeared in the middle of the road, he’s been pretty quiet,” Yoontae said, recalling something he’d seen on the news recently. He took out his cell phone. “Should I look up his contact info, boss?”

“No, that’s okay. Don’t bother.”

“What?”

“We can’t do something this important over the phone. We have to talk to him in person.”

“I see!”

Jongsu grinned at Yoontae. “We’re going to Seoul.”

That night, Haein burrowed under her blanket and kicked herself in embarrassment.

“I think so”? Did I really say “I think so”?!

That was basically a confession! She flailed around for a bit but suddenly froze as a thought crossed her mind.

But then…

How should Haein interpret Jinwoo’s response?

“Then isn’t there a better way to handle this than joining the guild?”

At the time, Haein had said she’d think about it in order to flee. Her brain stopped working every time she reflected on that moment. She flushed as she unwittingly recalled it again.

When Haein had looked upon the crazed eyes of the enlarged minion, she’d felt as though death was inevitable. She’d felt absolute fear of the destiny of those who were prey. Haein had squeezed her eyes shut after seeing his claws coming at her from either side.

But at that moment…she’d felt warmth behind her, and a familiar scent had wrapped itself around her.

Oh…

Haein had slowly opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Jinwoo standing there, gripping the minion’s claws and glowering at him.

It was true that moment had made her heart pound. However…

“I have to ask… Do you have a thing for me or something?”

Asking that question in that moment was cheating, wasn’t it?

Wait, no.

Haein shook her head vigorously as if trying to banish the notion. Even if Jinwoo had asked, she shouldn’t have answered honestly.

Since he could think of me as a freak.

But…she hadn’t meant to. Despite telling herself to keep quiet, her mouth had opened of its own accord. It had happened only because she felt relaxed around him, like she wasn’t herself.

Like I’m not myself?

For some reason, those words sounded familiar to Haein, but from where? She’d definitely heard something similar before.

And then…a memory that had been erased brushed through her mind.

“Please tell him…”

Haein bolted upright.

……!

It definitely hadn’t been that long ago, but the faint voice calling out from deep within her memories was similar to the sensation of having just woken up and trying to remember the dream she’d been having.

“Please tell him that…”

I…

Haein tried to pull up the memory of whose voice this was as well as the contents of the message. It was hazy, as if it was surrounded by a thick fog, but it was gradually starting to take shape.

“Please tell him that he needs to be careful…”

I met Hunter Byunggu Min.

When she was unconscious and had fallen into an endless darkness, the one who had pulled her out was Byunggu. At first, it had felt unpleasant as the peaceful darkness was disrupted, but that feeling hadn’t lasted.

She had found it strange that Byunggu was wearing black armor. The only part of him she could make out was his face, but his expression had been uncharacteristically sad.

Haein felt a sudden chill run down her spine as she processed these memories.

Byunggu had looked like he was trying not to cry as he spoke.

“Tell Hunter Jinwoo Sung.”

Tell Hunter Jinwoo Sung…?

“Please tell him that he needs to be careful of the power he possesses.”

Jinwoo stood in front of the bathroom mirror after his shower.

Hmm…

He certainly looked pretty good. But he still couldn’t believe someone as beautiful as Haein had feelings for him and would be willing to change guilds for him.

Am I that attractive?

Jinwoo smirked as he continued staring into the mirror. He wasn’t in any danger of becoming a vain, narcissistic person, but he did have one thing he was immensely proud of. As a result of not missing a single daily quest, he had bulked up quite a bit, and whether it was due to the system, he was definitely taller than before.

But that just meant his body was the only thing he had going for him. His face was…well, apart from his steely gaze, he looked like the average guy on the street.

However…

Wait a minute.

Jinwoo’s gaze turned serious as he peered at his reflection. He leaned forward to take a closer look. The Jinwoo in the mirror and the real Jinwoo stared at each other for a while.

Hmm?

He’d found something interesting. He examined every part of his face, and as he suspected, things had definitely changed. His scars, moles, and blemishes had never been very pronounced, but they were nonetheless completely gone.

Is this from the Spirit of Rehabilitation buff?

One of the buffs Jinwoo had received as a reward for becoming a player was that any damage to his body would be repaired. The buff was powerful enough to regenerate the leg that had been severed by the stone statue, so the buff could definitely have improved his complexion as well. The thing that caught his eye was…

…I’m pretty sure I look younger than before.

He was in his mid-twenties, but inspecting himself now, Jinwoo figured he could be easily mistaken for someone in his early twenties or so. How amazing. He’d heard that mana slowed down an awakened being’s aging, so perhaps this was a similar effect?

Okay, that’s enough…

It felt silly to be staring at himself in the mirror for this long, so he exited the bathroom.

Jinah happened to emerge from her bedroom at the same time, so the siblings entered the living room together.

Jinwoo grinned and called to her. “Hey.”

“Mm?”

“What do you think about your big brother?”

“What about you?”

“Like, how attractive I am as a man.”

“Huh?” Jinah raised an eyebrow. “Where is all this unfounded confidence coming from? To me, you’re just the same old brother I’ve always had.”

“Well, gosh, thanks.”

Jinwoo pinched her cheek, and she retaliated with her usual kick in the shin. Of course, she only hurt herself in the process.

“Have you already forgotten who I am? How do you study with that brain of yours?”

“Excuse you.” Jinah pouted and glared at Jinwoo. “I was first place in the entire school on the last mock exam, I’ll have you know.”

Jinwoo was amused by her reaction but tried not to laugh. One of the wonderful things about family was they treated you the same no matter how much you changed.

Jinwoo dried his wet hair with a towel as he walked past his sister. “Keep up the good work.”

“You too.”

Jinwoo was about to go back to his room when he remembered something. “Oh yeah, I’m thinking of forming a guild.”

“Whoa!” Jinah’s eyes twinkled in excitement. “Are people gonna call you Mr. President now?”

“If everything goes well.”

“What’s the name of your guild?”

“I kind of wanted to ask you about that.”

“Ooooh, what is it, what is it?”

Seeing her filled with anticipation, Jinwoo cautiously asked, “What do you think of SoloPlay Guild?”

“Huh?”

The contents of her response were the same as when they’d been joking around, but the tone was completely different. Gone was the playful teasing; her confusion was genuine this time.

“Why? Does it sound weird?”

“…Why would you name your guild that?”

“Because I like to work alone.”

“It definitely fits you, but it doesn’t really work with your guild.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t you summon those soldiers in black armor?”

“Yeah.”

“So technically, you don’t fight alone.”

She had a point. Jinwoo nodded.

Even though, to me, it’s just one of my skills, other people don’t see it that way.

That made sense. This guild might be part of Jinwoo’s life forever, so he wanted a name that properly represented him. Hence, SoloPlay, but…

If it’s not resonating with others, then it doesn’t matter.

He needed something that represented him.

Jinwoo thought of something else. “How about Ahjin Guild?”

“Ahjin?” Jinah tried saying the name aloud and brightened. “It sounds like you just flipped my name, so I can get behind it. What does it mean?”

“It’s combining the Chinese characters for myself and moving forward.”

It was a name that made it clear this was something only he could do, and a name he’d like to attach to the guild he planned to move forward with.

“When you combine the characters together, it makes Ahjin, meaning I move forward.”

“Ohhh.” Jinah gave him the best compliment she could give. “That’s not bad, I guess.”

The next day, Jinwoo went to the office to propose the new name. “So about the guild name…”

Jinho, who had been in the office all morning, smiled brightly. “I really like it, boss!”

Just as how a swan looks peaceful floating on the surface of a lake but its feet are desperately kicking like crazy underwater, so, too, was Jinho.

I’m fine with whatever as long as it’s not SoloPlay.

He had thought long and hard about it. But introducing himself as “Jinho Yoo, Vice President of the SoloPlay Guild” physically hurt him. Jinho didn’t know why, but he could actually feel pain on one side of his chest.

But how could he complain about a name his beloved boss had worked hard to come up with? So just as he’d resigned himself to his fate, along came a fleeting opportunity.

“Let’s go with that, boss!”

With his partner’s endorsement, the name was settled.

“That’s taken care of.”

In his mind, Jinho was screaming for joy.

Jinwoo rubbed his chin in thought. “So all that’s left is finding the last founding member.”

“Oh, about that…”

“Yeah?”

“What happened with Hunter Cha yesterday?”

“Hunter Cha won’t be joining us. She’s not what I’m looking for.”

Hngh?

Jinho swallowed his gasp. He knew Jinwoo had high standards, but he couldn’t understand how he wasn’t satisfied with a hunter like Haein. She was an S rank, young, and her abilities were amazing, bar none. On top of that, she was gorgeous. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t made the cut.

That was, of course, by looking at it from an ordinary person’s perspective. Jinwoo was anything but ordinary.

He took down an S-rank magic beast almost entirely by himself on his first official raid after being reevaluated.

It made sense that Jinwoo wouldn’t settle for just a mid-tier S-rank hunter. But then, what kind of hunter would meet his standards? Several hundred had applied to their guild after seeing Jinwoo’s name in the description, but Jinho had a feeling none of them would do.

I don’t think we’ll ever find a better candidate than Hunter Cha…

Jinho was concerned that they’d never set up shop at this rate, so he carefully asked, “Um, boss? What kind of person are you looking for?”

“Someone with a hunter’s license but no interest in the guild’s activities. And someone we can trust.”

“Huh…?” Jinho knew the perfect fit.

That sounds like—

But at that moment…

Knock, knock.

Someone was at the office door.

“Who is it?” Jinho opened it to reveal two unfamiliar men standing there awkwardly.

It was Jongsu and Yoontae, the guild master and vice master of the Knights Guild respectively. They had come to Seoul on a whim to meet with Jinwoo.

Jongsu smiled brightly upon recognizing the S-rank hunter. “Oh! You’re here.”

Jinwoo stood up. “And you are?”

“Apologies, I haven’t even introduced myself.” Jongsu strode over to Jinwoo and politely stretched out his hand. “I’m Jongsu Park, the guild master of the Knights.”

Jinwoo nodded. No wonder Jongsu seemed familiar. Even people who weren’t that interested in the world of hunters would recognize the masters of the top-five guilds. They were on TV often enough.

But the Knights Guild was located in Busan, on the opposite side of South Korea.

Jinwoo looked quizzically at them. “What brings you here?”

“So the thing is…” Jongsu hesitated and exchanged glances with Yoontae before speaking with much difficulty.

“We have to take care of this pretty big A-rank gate, and…” He steeled himself and got to the point. “May we have a minute of your time? I swear you won’t regret it.”

Jongsu clicked one of the many news videos and played it for Jinwoo.

The video had presumably been taken by regular people whose voices were filled with fear, and understandably so, considering the enormity of the gate. It was taller than a ten-story building. While civilians had gotten used to gates appearing without warning anytime, anywhere, this one was still big enough to actually frighten people.

“There’s really no correlation between the size of a gate and its rank,” Jongsu explained once the video had ended. “But we’ve confirmed that the incredible amount of mana coming from this particular gate matches its size.”

The news piqued Jinwoo’s interest. “Is it an S-rank gate?”

“We were told it wasn’t impossible to rank this one, but it still came in just below the limit. This seems to be the biggest gate to ever appear in Busan.”

That meant the gate was as close to S rank as an A-rank gate could get.

So it should yield a good amount of experience points, shouldn’t it?

Unlike Jinwoo, whose heart was beginning to soar, Jongsu sounded glum. “Like you’ve seen, the association doesn’t want to give us the permit.”

“Because it’s too dangerous?”

“As you know, we have no S-rank hunters in our guild. The association just doesn’t trust us to handle the gate.” Jongsu paused to look at Jinwoo. “If you’re still looking for a guild to join—”

Jinwoo interrupted him by gesturing to the file sitting on the meeting room table. The words printed on the cover caught Jongsu’s eye.

List of Applicants for the Guild’s Founding Members

Jongsu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “Oh, um…”

Jongsu’s plan to recruit Jinwoo for the Knights Guild had gone up in flames, so it was time to discuss the real topic at hand.

“The elite hunters of the Knights Guild rival those in the Hunters Guild. The only difference is we don’t have an S rank who can lead them.”

The Knights had done well until now, but no one knew what could happen in this raid. In the event that something unexpected might occur, they needed a high-rank hunter in their party.

The presence of an S rank could turn a situation around. The man sitting in front of him, Jinwoo himself, was a prime example of this. His sudden appearance had changed the fate of the Korean team when they were facing death.

Seeing Jinwoo in person, he seemed like thoroughly reliable even in the eyes of a fellow hunter.

Would he…give me an autograph if I asked for one?

Jongsu understood why Yerim had suggested they ask Jinwoo for an autograph even if he rejected their proposal.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No, nothing.” Jongsu laughed and waved it off. “If you join our strike squad this one time, Hunter Sung, we can do this raid.”

Jinwoo crossed his arms and leaned back. Before Jinwoo could mull it over, Jongsu hurriedly added, “Of course, we would give you proper compensation.”

He produced the contract he had brought with him. “We’ll give you twenty percent of the profits.”

A large guild offering an individual 20 percent of their profits from a dungeon was an excellent offer most couldn’t even begin to dream of. When a large guild raided a dungeon, an S-rank hunter would usually receive around 10 percent, but the Knights Guild was offering Jinwoo double that. It was certainly a lucrative offer.

However, Jinwoo had a different idea. “Fifty-fifty.”

Jongsu was in the midst of taking out a pen. His hand quivered. “Pardon me?”

“If you treat me as a guild and not a person, I’ll cooperate.” Jinwoo spoke firmly.

Jongsu agonized over the counterproposal.

Guh…!

However, Jongsu couldn’t play hardball like Jinwoo. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Knights Guild depended on this raid.

Jinwoo tutted to himself—20 percent isn’t it.

It wasn’t that Jinwoo was attempting to take advantage of the Knights Guild’s desperate situation. He was merely offering the most equitable split after taking everything into consideration, and that was fifty-fifty.

Not even the elite members of the Knights can hold a candle to my shadow soldiers.

They were no match for Jinwoo’s soldiers either in quantity or quality. And that was before adding Jinwoo into the equation, meaning 20 percent would basically be working for free. This would be a fair and beneficial deal for both parties. Why would Jinwoo agree to anything less and undervalue himself?

“How about forty to six—”

“This isn’t a negotiation.”

“So you won’t accept anything other than a fifty-fifty split?”

Jinwoo nodded in response.

Ngh…

Jongsu was lost in thought.

I figured this guy would be easy to deal with, since he’s young and seems nice enough, but…

He understood where Jinwoo was coming from, though. Jinwoo could single-handedly beat all the other S-rank hunters. That was the kind of person they were trying to recruit, so what Jinwoo was suggesting wasn’t unreasonable.

No…

Jongsu shook his head. It definitely wasn’t unreasonable. Had Jinwoo been spiteful, he could’ve asked for 80 percent. Besides, Jongsu needed this deal to go through more than Jinwoo did. It would be an unimaginably huge loss for the Knights Guild to give up on this raid. On the other hand, what would Jinwoo lose? Absolutely nothing.

Jongsu felt as if he had been forcibly seated at the bargaining table by gunpoint. Considering the whole situation, wasn’t Jinwoo being a gentleman by asking for only half?

But that wasn’t all. If this deal went through, the Knights Guild would have secured the most reliable insurance they could get. Yoontae’s words from yesterday popped into his mind.

“Boss, we’ll be done for if it turns out to be a red gate.”

But if Jinwoo accompanied them? He hadn’t faltered once as he dealt with several thousand S-rank magic beasts. Jongsu had watched with his own eyes what happened to the ants on Jeju Island.

He did all of that, didn’t he?

The reality of who exactly was sitting in front of him suddenly sank in.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard. After what he had witnessed with the ants, how could Jongsu even think about offering a mere 20 percent?

The rude one was me all along.

Jongsu readily admitted his mistake. In his mind, he was now thankful for Jinwoo’s generous offer. But his gratitude could go only so far. Since Jongsu had to surrender something, it was only fair to request something from Jinwoo in return, but what?

After a long deliberation, Jongsu cautiously opened his mouth.

“We will accept these terms, but in return…”

“In return?”

“Can we leave the magic-beast boss to you?”

Jongsu’s face was serious as he resolved to get this one concession from Jinwoo, no matter what. Since the boss tended to cause most of the damage in a dungeon, Jongsu was willing to raise the stakes by asking Jinwoo for the sake of minimizing the danger to the strike squad.

Seeing what he did in the ant cave, he shouldn’t have a problem dealing with the boss alone.

Jongsu pressed his lips tightly together as he nervously anticipated Jinwoo’s response. As the silence wore on, his worry about being rejected grew, and his face hardened.

On the other hand…

Snort.

As he fought to keep the corners of his mouth down, Jinwoo raised his hand from his chin to cover the smile threatening to escape and quickly furrowed his brow. He wanted it to seem like he was deep in thought over Jongsu’s request.

His ruse worked. Wringing his hands anxiously, Jongsu lost all sense of time as he anxiously waited. Finally, Jinwoo let out a sigh like he had no choice.

“All right, then.” He waited a beat before continuing. “I’ll do it.”

Jongsu pumped both his fists under the table.

We did it!

He felt as if all his worries and concerns had washed away. Why had he dragged this matter out for so long? He should’ve opened with this. Ever since they left Busan, Jongsu had been tense, but he now wore a big smile on his face.

All that was left to do was contact the association about the raid permit. With Jinwoo joining the strike squad, there shouldn’t be any obstacles.

“The gate was discovered a while ago, so we should get the raid started tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“Oh.” Jongsu paused from packing up his items. “Why don’t you ride down with us in our car?”

He figured it would be more efficient to go together rather than make arrangements for travel, schedule a meeting place and time, and all that.

“We can put you up at the most luxurious hotel in the area.”

But Jinwoo didn’t need to suffer through a long car ride. He merely had to place one of his soldiers in Jongsu’s shadow. That way, he’d never get lost or be late. Jinwoo snuck a peek at the circular shadow making its way across the floor as he offered up an excuse.

“I have an errand to run this evening, unfortunately.”

“I see.”

“I’ll be there on time.”

Barring the guild master himself being late, of course.

At that moment…Yoontae, who was coming back from the restroom, let out a yelp. “B-boss!”

Startled, Jongsu sprang to his feet. “What? What is it?”

“That shadow just moved! From that side to that side.”

Jongsu paused, then glared at his vice master. “Yoontae…have you been drinking?”

“……”

Yoontae was at a loss for words at the cold reception and sheepishly scratched his nose.

“I asked if you’ve been drinking.”

“I only had a couple cans of beer at the rest stop, boss.”

“Didn’t I tell you to be careful when we’re on official business?”

“I’m sorry, boss.” Yoontae bowed apologetically to Jongsu and Jinwoo. “My apologies, Hunter Sung.”

Jongsu bowed to Jinwoo as well as he kept Yoontae’s head pushed down. “Please allow me to apologize for the disruption. Yoontae is a good guy but sometimes talks nonsense when he drinks.”

“No, it’s okay. Shadows can move around sometimes, I’m sure.”

As they were about to conclude the meeting on a good note, Jinwoo’s cell phone began to vibrate on the table.

Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr.

Who is this?

He checked the caller ID, but it was a number he had never seen before.

“Excuse me. I need to answer this.”

“Please go ahead.”

The nervous Jongsu and noisy Yoontae simultaneously breathed out sighs of relief as Jinwoo politely excused himself from the room.

Yoontae muttered, “I’m telling you, that shadow was really moving…”

“Drop it!” Jongsu’s glare shut him up.

After a brief silence, Yoontae’s curiosity got the best of him. “So how did it go?”

“How do you think? Of course he decided to join the raid.”

“That’s great!” Yoontae’s expression went from anxious to excited. Smiling, he inquired, “By the way, did you ask him about joining our guild?”

“Forget it. He said he was making his own and showed me this…”

Jongsu picked up the file of applicants like Jinwoo had.

Yoontae chuckled. “With all the guilds already established, how much can this guild be expected to grow? If he joined us, he’d be treated like a king. He’s going through a lot of trouble for nothing.”

“I agree.” As Jongsu pursed his lips in disappointment and moved to put the file back, an application fell out. He winced and quickly picked it up but then froze.

“Huh?”

The picture of a woman attached to the application was one he knew well.

“Oh!” Yoontae was stunned as well. “Boss, isn’t that…?”

He still couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but Jongsu nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah, it’s the vice president of the Hunters Guild.”

Yoontae quietly stared at Haein’s picture before glancing at the other man. “Boss, maybe we should let them acquire us.”

Jongsu immediately scowled. “Oh, shut up…”

Outside the office, Jinwoo answered the call, and a familiar female voice came from the other end.

“Hello, dear.”

Upon hearing the voice, Jinwoo felt relieved and strangely disappointed at the same time.

“Did you buy a cell phone, Mom?”

“Yes. I called you because I had a sudden desire to hear my son’s voice as soon as I bought it. Are you busy? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Jinwoo glanced back at the two waiting men from the Knights Guild and smirked. “Not at all.”

“That’s a relief. But I’m not sure if this was a good idea. I still can’t get used to this kind of thing.”

“Did you go to the store on your own? You didn’t take Jinah with you?”

“Why bother her when she’s busy with her studies?”

It’d be nice if his mother thought less about her kids and more about herself sometimes.

He sighed to himself as he ended the call. So…why was he so disappointed that it was his mother calling?

Who was I expecting it to be?

Jinwoo smiled as he put his phone in his pocket and then looked up.

The twinkle in his eye was back. Thanks to the men from the Knights Guild, he’d be able to breathe in the air of a dungeon once more.

An A-rank gate that’s closer to an S rank, they said.

It felt like forever since his last proper workout. Had it only been a week since he got back from Jeju Island? He’d cleared one B-rank red gate since then, which had been nothing special and had taken very little effort.

Ba-dump, ba-dump!

Jinwoo hadn’t felt his heart racing like this in a while and found himself looking forward to tomorrow’s raid.

All the elite hunters of the Knights Guild were gathered at the meeting place. They were excitedly anticipating the raid, and for good reason.

This was a gate that could jeopardize their lives, and if it turned out to be a red gate, they wouldn’t have an escape route. But everything would be okay, because Jinwoo Sung would be joining them on this raid.

“Yes!” Yerim had let out a scream of joy as soon as she heard the news. The other hunters had also expressed their delight in their own ways at the deployment of this ultimate safety net.

Only one person was anxious here—Jongsu, the guild master, who nervously awaited him.

Damn it, I should’ve just made him come with us yesterday.

Jongsu checked his watch. It was five minutes to eleven. The raid was supposed to begin in five minutes. Jinwoo had said he’d be there on time, but Jongsu could see neither hide nor hair of him. His stomach began to churn.

They couldn’t even begin without Jinwoo. The association had immediately handed over the permit when they were informed of Jinwoo’s participation. Such was the influence of the S-rank hunter’s name. So to go in without him?

More importantly…

Jongsu looked at the faces of the strike squad, their eyes bright and eager. The strike squad themselves could end up boycotting the raid even before the association could cancel it if Jinwoo didn’t show.

Three minutes left.

Jongsu anxiously fished out his cell phone but forced himself to be patient and put it in his pocket. Surely it was rude to call someone who’d already contacted him ten minutes earlier and said he’d be there soon.

But Jongsu couldn’t sense a powerful presence in the area. The guild master searched for something to calm his nerves and ended up with a cigarette in his mouth.

Where in the world are you, Hunter Suuung…?!

Meanwhile…Jinwoo exited his apartment building. He wore comfortable clothes and sneakers. When he checked the time, it was one minute to eleven.

As he looked up, he saw gray clouds gathering. Had Jinah taken an umbrella with her? But that thought was fleeting.

I should get going.

Jinwoo pulled up his hood and smiled. First, he activated Stealth, and then…

Shadow Exchange.

…he swapped places with his shadow soldier.

At Jinah’s high school, three male students were annoyed at having to run an errand for their art teacher.

“Isn’t this forced labor?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are we doing his job for him?”

Despite their complaints, they arrived at the second art classroom, which was currently being used for storage, and unlocked the door.

“Oof, the dust.”

“Ugh.”

Since the room had been unused for quite some time, they were met by a big cloud of dust. Worn art supplies, abandoned drawings, and model statues used for sketching were scattered throughout.

“How many statues did he ask for again?”

“I’m guessing six, since there are six groups.”

“Come on… Even if we each carry one, we’ll still have to make two trips.”

“I mean, unless you can carry four at once…”

They rolled up their sleeves, but when one of them moved to grab a statue in the far corner, something caught his eye.

“Huh?”

The others also came closer at his strange tone.

“Hey, that’s…?”

There on the wall was a large black hole. It was a gate about the size of a person.

The biggest of the three students inspected the gate and laughed. “It’s no big deal.”

He placed his hand on its surface. “It’s a closed gate, so it’s perfectly safe. No one can go in except hunters, and nothing can come out.”

Yet, at that moment…

Krik!

A crack appeared on the surface of the gate, and a hand shot out to grab the student’s head.

“Huh?”

He struggled, but the hand wouldn’t budge at all. And then…

Crunch!

There was a sound similar to a nut being cracked, and blood sprayed everywhere.

“G-gaaaaaah!”

“Joonsuk!”

When the two other students screamed as they were splattered with blood…the black surface of the gate shattered like glass, and magic beasts started pouring out into their world.