All of Building B fell silent in an instant.
*'That measurement definitely said "unmeasurable"...'* *'So that guy is S-rank?'* *'I'd only ever heard about unmeasurable grades—to actually see one in person...'*
Gulp. The guild recruitment officers who'd come from their respective guilds swallowed hard as Jin-Woo turned their way. But no one dared to speak up.
"..." "..."
Even at C-rank, guilds engaged in fierce tug-of-war to recruit someone, lining up to get a single word in. B-rank? A guaranteed executive position. Guild shares, and more—each guild threw out extravagant offers, fighting tooth and nail. From the sidelines, it looked like a war. When you considered the value a high-ranking B-rank Hunter carried and the perks that came with successfully recruiting one, it was hardly surprising. Occasionally, a B-rank who'd rather be a snake's head than a dragon's tail would cave to persuasion. But from A-rank onward, the story changed. An A-rank Hunter received special treatment even at major guilds. Elite raid team membership was a given, and since dungeons were the elite's primary source of income, the compensation was enormous. That wasn't all. If no guild felt right, the Hunter could simply become a guild master themselves. They could build their own mid-tier guild—why bother joining someone else's? That was the level A-rank occupied. But now—the man who had just completed his mana measurement was being called S-rank. S-rank. Easy to say, but in all of South Korea, there were only nine awakened individuals of that caliber.
*'With him, that makes ten?'* *'The tenth S-rank Hunter...'*
This was not someone the mid-tier guilds' recruitment officers could hope to approach. Gulp. All they could do was keep swallowing silently. He was a prize beyond their reach. But then.
*'Wait a second...'*
*'Could this be an opportunity?'*
A brilliant idea flashed through the minds of a few quick-thinking scouts. What if they connected an S-rank awakened to a major guild? S-rank signing bonuses started at hundreds of billions of won. Even a one-percent commission on that would be enough to quit their jobs without a single regret. And if, by some stroke of luck, they caught that man's eye and became his personal manager—now *that* was living the dream. Hadn't they heard that one S-rank Hunter's personal manager received a Porsche as a birthday gift? Most of them were D-rank themselves, so for scouts, it was a mouth-watering fantasy.
*'...Should I go for it?'* *'My pitch is decent enough for anyone, right...'*
*'Should I just close my eyes and go for it?'*
A flurry of thoughts raced through the scouts' minds in a short span. The ridicule of failure lasts only a moment, but the sweetness of success lasts a lifetime. Just as the scouts exchanged glances and began inching forward—
Someone spoke up.
"Huh? That guy...?"
Maybe everyone was so tense that, without anyone deciding to, they all turned simultaneously toward where the first speaker was pointing. The scouts' eyes went wide.
"Agh!"
A man in a tailored suit was walking into Building B. Not a single person here didn't know his name.
"Choi... Choi Jong-In?" "Why is the Hunter Guild's master here?"
Sure enough, Choi Jong-In seemed aware of the stares. He gave his suit a quick adjustment and headed straight for Jin-Woo.
*'He came that fast after being contacted?'* *'Could it be that man already had a deal lined up with Hunter Guild?'*
*'Was he connected to Hunter Guild all along? The top guild really is a cut above.'*
Of course. The scouts accepted this natural conclusion without much fuss. Just as well they hadn't approached. Imagine how ridiculous it would have been to hit on him only to run into Choi Jong-In.
*'Wow...'* *'With Choi Jong-In showing up, the picture is complete.'* *'Impressive.'* *'The master of Hunter Guild... S-rank treatment really is something else.'*
Each for their own reason, they watched with warm admiration as the top guild's master met the highest-ranked awakened. Choi Jong-In stopped in front of Jin-Woo.
*'Thank goodness.'*
Jin-Woo had been fretting over the overwhelming attention. With the stares momentarily redirected, he was grateful—until he tried to walk past Choi Jong-In.
*'Wait, that's not right.'*
Choi Jong-In quickly called out to stop him.
"A moment of your time, please."
Jin-Woo halted and turned around.
*'This man is the tenth...'*
Choi Jong-In peered into Jin-Woo's face, and his eyes lit up. He'd made excuses to his department head about investigating together, but he already knew exactly what had happened here.
*'With them shouting about unmeasurable and equipment errors so loudly, how could I not hear?'*
And thanks to that, he'd landed this incredible opportunity. An S-rank—an *S-rank*? If he brought this man in, Hunter Guild would hold three S-ranks, elevating it to a level where it could stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's best guilds, never mind Korea's. How could he not salivate?
*'No need to borrow a measurement device.'*
Their eyes met, and he could already feel the man's strength. Without question, a top-tier Hunter. Three days was too long to wait. Ahem. Choi Jong-In cleared his throat and, wearing his signature bright smile, spoke.
"I'm Choi Jong-In, master of Hunter Guild."
Jin-Woo knew that much. His face appeared on the news often enough. He was curious why someone this famous had come all the way to the Association to talk to him, but he didn't have the luxury of indulging that curiosity. A quick glance—Jin-Woo's eyes flicked to the clock on the wall.
*'5:50 now.'*
Even without factoring in travel time, every minute counted. He wore an expression that said the introduction was nice, but could you get to the point. Choi Jong-In looked slightly flustered and continued.
"Ah, it's just—I understand you just received your awakened evaluation." "That's right." "Do you happen to have a guild in mind?" "No."
A bright smile spread across Choi Jong-In's face.
*'This is it. I've got him.'*
Hunter Guild—one of the world's three greatest guilds. What a sweet name.
*'You're mine.'*
With a swelling heart, Choi Jong-In uttered words that might well go down in history.
"I'd like to discuss that with you. Could you spare some time?" "I can't. I'm sorry."
Jin-Woo declined curtly and walked straight out of the Association.
"..."
It happened so fast that Choi Jong-In didn't even think to stop him. Association staff and scouts alike were slow to process the situation, then horrified.
"Did the Hunter Guild's master just get rejected?" "What?" "Wasn't he just brushed off?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Choi Jong-In maintained his composure and turned to the side.
"Manager Park." "Yes?"
The manager answered with an awkward expression.
"Did I happen to leave out my introduction?" "That... honestly, I'm not sure either."
Of course, the manager had heard everything from start to finish. But this was hardly the time to be forthcoming. With the manager clamping his mouth shut, the mortified Choi Jong-In scratched the side of his head with his index finger.
*'Was I too eager to get a free ride...'*
Still, no need to despair. He was still far ahead of the other guilds.
*'I'm the only one who knows about the S-rank's appearance.'*
The re-measurement was in three days. There was still time before an official announcement.
*'I want to set up another meeting somehow...'*
Is there a good way? As Choi Jong-In pondered, his gaze caught someone rushing toward the Association.
*'Oh, that guy?'*
A familiar face. When the man pushed through the glass door, Choi Jong-In's lips parted in surprise.
"Why is President Baek here...?"
Baek Yoon-Ho's eyes widened at the sight of Choi Jong-In as well.
"Chairman Choi?"
Choi Jong-In quickly read Baek Yoon-Ho's expression.
*'He looks like he's been caught off guard...'*
He hadn't rushed over after a tip from an informant. The timing didn't fit that explanation.
*'From Baek Ho Building to the Hunter's Association is quite a distance...'*
Right. Baek Yoon-Ho had known from the very start. What would happen here.
*'He knew about that man's existence?'*
No—if he had, he wouldn't have so readily let the evaluation go through.
*'In my place, I'd have had the contract stamped before the assessment even started.'*
In that instant, the scattered puzzle pieces in Choi Jong-In's mind began snapping together.
*'...No way?'*
Baek Ho Guild. The training accident. The Red Gate. The mysterious helper. And now, the newly emerged S-rank awakened.
*—So someone helped Baek Ho that they don't want made public.* *—A rookie who hasn't completed awakened evaluation yet? Or a criminal who can't reveal their identity?*
Everything fit together. ...Found him.
*'It was you.'*
Baek Yoon-Ho was still out of breath from rushing over. Choi Jong-In smiled at the sight of him.
*'You missed your chance.'*
Because you're not me.
*'I'll take the opportunity, then.'*
Without a word to Baek Yoon-Ho, Choi Jong-In walked past him with an easy stride. Baek Yoon-Ho looked around. Jin-Woo was nowhere in sight.
*'Did I get here too late?'*
Watching Choi Jong-In's retreating back, Baek Yoon-Ho let out a quiet sigh.
"Haa—"
Of all the times and places for the Hunter Guild's master to be here. Baek Yoon-Ho scratched the back of his head and muttered.
"This is getting complicated."
***
Visitor hours at Seoul Ilshin Hospital ended at 8 PM.
"You're the guardian of patient Park Kyung-Hye?" "Yes." "Visiting is allowed. You're aware of the visiting hours?" "Yes, I am."
Jin-Woo made his way to the room where his mother lay. Thanks to hurrying, he arrived just in time. Creak. He opened the door and sat down beside his mother, who lay as if asleep.
*'Looking at her like this, you'd think she might open her eyes at any moment...'*
A sleep from which one could not wake. A sickness that had appeared after the Gates opened.
*'I heard there are over ten other patients with the same symptoms just in this hospital alone...'*
Jin-Woo gently took his mother's hand.
"Mom..."
Fortunately, the life-support device powered by mana crystals had kept her hands from wasting away over the long years of sleep. But mana crystals were expensive. The cost of running the machine nonstop for a single month exceeded five million won. Without the medical coverage he received as an Association Hunter, this would be a hospital no young man in his twenties could possibly afford. It was because he had tried so hard that he could sit here holding her hand like this. But now things were different. He could do more than just keep her breathing—he could truly cure her. The Elixir of Life. The remedy the System had gifted him. Whether he believed in it or not was a matter for later. Right now, crafting it was the priority.
"I'll save you."
She had been the one who, after Father disappeared, shouldered a frail body and held the family together. The time when he could see his mother again was not far off.
*'Just wait a little longer until then.'*
How long had he stayed at her side? After a while, Jin-Woo stood. He finished his visit in silence, walked out of the room, and closed the door. Turning around carefully, he spotted a familiar face.
"So it *was* you that day... who eliminated the beasts in the double dungeon?"
A low, rough voice. Sharp eyes. It was Woo Jin-Cheol, head of the Surveillance Division. Jin-Woo didn't answer. He had no reason to, and no desire to. Instead, he asked what he wanted to know.
"How did you know I was here?" "I speculated a few places a Hunter like you might go. I called the hospital, and they told me you were here."
The Association had been paying his mother's hospital bills.
*'Not anymore, though.'*
The hospital might have been the first place the Association thought to check.
"You came all the way here to ask about that day?" "No." "Then what is it?" "There is someone who would like to meet you. Could you come with me for a moment?"
The Hunter's Association Surveillance Division. Its primary duties were monitoring and controlling suspicious Hunters, and punishing those who broke the law. From a Hunter's perspective, they were hardly welcome. Jin-Woo's gaze was anything but warm.
"Is that an order?" "No."
Woo Jin-Cheol removed his sunglasses. Then, bowing at nearly a right angle, he spoke politely.
"I'm asking you, please." "..."
Jin-Woo hadn't expected the man who always seemed so stern to adopt such a deferential posture. After a brief deliberation, he decided he might as well find out who it was.
"Who is it that wants to meet me?"
Only then did Woo Jin-Cheol raise his head.
"Hunter's Association Chairman Ko Geon-Hee."
Woo Jin-Cheol's palm pointed past the corner behind him.
"The Chairman is here."