"Bro, apparently they're saying it's going to be hard to get approval for the Gate that opened up yesterday?"
Park Jong-Su, president of the Knights Guild, had his face harden the moment he arrived at work.
"What?"
Vice president Jung Yun-Tae quickly added an explanation.
"The Association's measurements came out a bit high."
"An S-rank Gate?"
"Not that — it's A-rank, but the readings maxed out at the top of the range."
"That's a real headache."
If it had been S-rank, they could have cleanly given up. The Knights Guild didn't have a single S-rank Hunter, so clearing an S-rank Gate was out of the question. They would have had to call in S-rank Hunters from all over the country, like during the Jeju Island raid, just to barely pull it off. But when the mana measurement results came back as A-rank, the story was different. The Knights Guild, one of the five major guilds, would hear people asking if they couldn't even handle a single A-rank Gate. Their already diminished standing could vanish entirely.
"Bro, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
"If we back off, Myungshin's guys will definitely move in..."
The Myungshin Guild from Honam. The word "Myungshin" made the veins on Park Jong-Su's eyes bulge.
"You want us to hand the Gate that popped up in our backyard to Ma Dong-Wook on a silver platter?"
"That's just where it would lead, bro."
"Over my dead body."
"Then you're going to take it on?"
Park Jong-Su, who had been worked up, clamped his mouth shut. Naturally. A single word from him could determine the lives of not only himself but his entire strike team. He couldn't just blurt out anything because he was excited. Park Jong-Su's head started to ache.
'Our guild's A-rank Hunters aren't inferior to those of any other major guild.'
No, in both quantity and quality of A-rank Hunters, they were on par with Hunters, the guild considered the best in Korea. Just that one S-rank. That was the Knights Guild — facing expulsion from the five major guilds simply because they lacked one S-rank Hunter. For the same reason, a typical A-rank Gate was more than manageable with just the Knights Guild's elites. But when a Gate's mana readings ranked at the very top of the A-rank spectrum, the Knights Guild, lacking an S-rank, had to put their team members at risk. Even classified as A-rank, the actual difficulty of clearing the Dungeon was close to S-rank. The Hunter's Association knew of this danger too, which was why they were reportedly hesitating over whether to grant permission or not.
'...'
As Park Jong-Su's dilemma deepened, Jung Yun-Tae spoke cautiously.
"Bro, if this turns into a Red Gate, we're all really dead."
"Yeah."
A top-tier A-rank Gate was already overwhelming — and then to have it suddenly become a Red Gate? Just thinking about it was terrifying. With good luck, half would make it out. If luck wasn't on their side, the entire strike team, himself included, could lose their lives.
'Thinking about it rationally, the right call would be to give this up.'
But the moment word spread that they were a guild that had given up on an A-rank Gate, the Knights Guild's fate would effectively be sealed. What rookie would seek out a guild with no S-rank Hunter that couldn't even handle an A-rank Gate?
"Then, bro, let's form an alliance with another guild and go in."
Park Jong-Su shook his head.
"They'd know full well we're only reaching out because we can't handle it alone — why would they willingly team up with us?" To handle an A-rank Gate they could have taken all for themselves if the Knights dropped out. Even if they agreed to partner up, it was still a problem.
'It would still be broadcasting our inadequacy.'
Dozens of creases gathered on both their faces. Just then.
"If bringing in another guild is too much, what about an individual?"
The two men turned their heads at the sound of a woman's voice from nearby. It was Jung Ye-Rim, a healing-type A-rank Hunter who handled the support role for the Knights Guild's elite strike team. A healer's voice carried significant weight. When that healer also held an A-rank rank with a diverse arsenal of skills to boot, there was no need for further discussion. However, with the Knights Guild's fate hanging in the balance, Park Jong-Su couldn't hide his troubled expression.
"We're heading into a top-tier A-rank Gate — what help can an individual really—"
Park Jong-Su's words trailed off.
"Ah!"
Mid-sentence, a certain someone suddenly came to mind. The man who had single-handedly wiped out S-rank magical beasts — not A-rank, but S-rank! Unable to contain his excitement, Park Jong-Su jumped to his feet.
'If Sung Jin-Woo came!'
He was the one who had defeated magical beasts that all of Korea's S-rank Hunters combined couldn't dent, and done so with ease. If he joined them, the safety of the strike team would be all but guaranteed at one hundred percent. And that wasn't all. They could also avoid the stigma of having to borrow another guild's strength to handle an A-rank Gate. If anything, the Knights Guild's reputation would only go up. A raid alongside the greatest Hunter would only be a boon for the guild. Their team members' lives and the Knights Guild's honor — it was a brilliant way to catch two birds with one stone. Park Jong-Su, now in high spirits, asked with an animated voice.
"What's Hunter Sung Jin-Woo been up to lately?"
Both Jung Ye-Rim, who had spoken up first, and Jung Yun-Tae, who had been listening quietly, shook their heads.
"Aside from the news about him handling a Gate that opened up on a road a while back, it's been quiet."
Jung Yun-Tae, recalling Sung Jin-Woo from recent news, pulled out his phone.
"Should I try to look up Hunter Sung Jin-Woo's contact info, bro?"
"No, no. Put the phone away."
"Huh?"
"How could we handle something this important with a single phone call? We need to go see him in person."
"Ah!"
Once Jung Yun-Tae agreed, Park Jong-Su said with a smile.
"Let's head up there."
***
That night. Lying in bed, Cha Hae-In had the covers pulled over her head and was thrashing in agony.
'What do you mean it seems that way, it seems that way!'
At this point, wasn't it practically a confession! Her movements, kicking the blanket furiously with her feet, came to a halt. A sudden thought crossed her mind.
'Then...'
How should she interpret Sung Jin-Woo's answer?
-Isn't there a better option than joining a guild?
She had hurriedly excused herself by saying she'd think about it, but every time that moment came back to mind, the pain made her thoughts freeze up. Burning hot. The resurfacing memory made her face flush once more. When she had faced the enlarged summon's crazed eyes, she had sensed death that was absolutely unavoidable. Absolute terror. The fate of prey. Then, watching ten claws swoop down from both sides, Cha Hae-In had squeezed her eyes shut. But then. She felt a warm heat behind her. At the same time, a familiar scent wrapped her in a warm embrace.
'Ah...'
Cha Hae-In gently opened her eyes and looked back. Jin-Woo was holding the summon's claws back, glaring fiercely at it. It was true that her heart had raced fiercely in that moment. But.
-Could it be... do you have feelings for me?
Asking something like that in a situation like that — wasn't that cheating?
'No.'
Cha Hae-In shook her head quickly, as if trying to shake off her thoughts. Even if he had asked that, she shouldn't have answered honestly. 'He might think I'm a weird girl.' But. Even as she told herself she shouldn't, her mouth moved on its own. When she was with Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, something about his presence put her at ease and made her show a side of herself she never normally revealed. As if she were someone else entirely.
'As if she were someone else?'
Those words felt strangely familiar. Where had she heard them? She definitely remembered hearing a similar expression somewhere. Just then. A memory that had been erased from her mind flickered across her consciousness.
-......please relay this.
She sat bolt upright.
'......!'
Even though it wasn't that long ago, as if waking from a dream, a voice that had faded into the hazy distance of her memory resurfaced.
-...please tell him.
'I will.'
Cha Hae-In tried to recall the contents of that voice and its owner. The shape of her memory, which had been faint as though shrouded in thick fog, gradually came back into focus.
-......please tell him to be careful.
'I had met Hunter Min Byung-Gu.'
When she had lost consciousness and been dragged into a bottomless darkness, the one who had grabbed her wrist was Hunter Min Byung-Gu. Her sense of calm had been broken, a fleeting feeling of unease. She remembered thinking it was odd, seeing the black armor enveloping Hunter Min Byung-Gu's entire body. Only his face was exposed. Even that face looked oddly sad, different from how he usually appeared. As her memories from that time slowly began to surface, Cha Hae-In suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Hunter Min Byung-Gu spoke with a face that looked like he was holding back tears.
-To Hunter Sung Jin-Woo.
'To Hunter Sung Jin-Woo...?'
-Please tell him to be wary of the power he possesses.
***
Jin-Woo, fresh out of the shower, stood in front of the bathroom mirror.
'Hmm...'
He definitely looked okay in the mirror, at least. But. That a beautiful woman like Cha Hae-In was actually fond enough of him to consider switching guilds.
'Am I really at that level?'
Jin-Woo peered into the mirror. A small laugh escaped him. He had no intention of falling into any kind of self-delusion, even without anyone telling him. There was only one area he felt confident about. His muscles, which grew denser day by day through the Daily Quest he never missed a single day of, and his height, which had shot up considerably — whether from the System's influence or something else, that was all. In the end, it all came down to his body. His face... well, aside from slightly intense eyes, wasn't it just the kind you'd see on any street? But just then.
'Wait.'
Jin-Woo's gaze in the mirror turned serious. He tilted his head forward slightly and looked more carefully. Mirror Jin-Woo and real Jin-Woo stared at each other for a long while.
'Huh?'
Something unusual flickered in Jin-Woo's eyes. His gaze swept across every part of his face. Sure enough. Something had changed. The small scars, moles, and blemishes that would go unnoticed at a glance but could be spotted upon close inspection had all vanished without a trace.
'Was it the Will to Rehabilitation buff effect?'
Among the buff effects received as the price of becoming a player, there was one that read "Restores all damaged parts of the body." It was powerful enough to regenerate even the leg that had been severed by the statue. Minor skin damage being healed might not be so strange after all. But what was truly surprising was...
'...I think I actually look a bit younger?'
He was in his mid-twenties. But the person in the mirror looked like he was in his early twenties — two or three years younger. It was astonishing. He had heard that mana could slow an Awakener's aging to some degree — was this a similar phenomenon?
'Whatever...'
Jin-Woo, realizing it looked ridiculous for a grown man to be staring into a mirror by himself, stepped out of the bathroom. Just then, his younger sister happened to step out of her room, and the two siblings reunited in the living room. Jin-Woo flashed a grin and called out to Jin-Ah.
"Hey, sis."
"Yeah?"
"How do I look to you?"
"How do you mean?"
"Like, a guy's charm."
"Huh?"
Jin-Ah furrowed her brow.
"Where'd you pick up that baseless confidence again? To me, you're just the same old homebody brother."
"Yeah, thanks."
Jin-Woo gave a wry grin and pinched Jin-Ah's cheek, and Jin-Ah retaliated with a sharp kick to his shin. Naturally, it was Jin-Ah who hopped up in pain.
"Did you forget what kind of brother I am already? With that brain, can you even study properly?"
"Excuse me?"
Jin-Ah pouted and glared.
"I got first place in my whole grade on the last practice exam, you know."
Jin-Woo found his sister's reaction amusing and swallowed a laugh. One of the things he liked about having family was that no matter how much he changed, they always treated him the same way, in the same place, with the same attitude. Jin-Woo rubbed his damp hair with a towel as he passed by Jin-Ah.
"Good work."
"You too."
As Jin-Woo was about to head into his room, something came to mind and he turned back.
"Oh right. I'm thinking of starting a guild."
"Oh!"
Jin-Ah's face lit up and her eyes sparkled.
"Are you going to be called boss now too?"
"If things work out."
"What's the guild name?"
"That's actually what I was about to ask."
"Oh! What is it, what is it?"
Jin-Woo asked his sister, who was looking at him expectantly.
"How about the Solo Play Guild?"