Choi Jong-In

Choi Jong-In is an S-rank Hunter, the founder and Guild Master of the Hunters Guild, and widely regarded as Korea's strongest mage-type Hunter. Known by the moniker «Flame Emperor», he built the Hunters Guild into one of the most formidable organisations in the country, attracting multiple S-ranks under his leadership.

As a fire magic specialist, Choi wields devastating flame-based abilities that earned him his imperial title. His pyromancy was unmatched among Korean Hunters, making him the go-to S-rank for high-level raids and the benchmark against which other mage-type Hunters were measured — at least until Sung Jin-Woo's meteoric rise.

Choi initially treated the rumours about a «new S-rank» with condescension, dismissing Sung Jin-Woo as an unproven anomaly. That attitude eroded the moment he witnessed Jin-Woo in combat: condescension shifted first to wary respect, and after the Jeju Island Raid at the Jeju Island S-Rank Gate and the clash with the Ant King, to outright reverence for the Shadow Monarch's overwhelming power.

Beyond the battlefield, Choi serves as the political face of Korea's S-rank Hunters. He is pragmatic and can be ruthless when the Hunters Guild's interests demand it, yet he genuinely invests in the safety and development of younger Hunters, balancing guild politics with a sense of responsibility toward the broader Hunter community.

Choi watches over Cha Hae-In like a protective elder brother, concerned for her well-being both as a fellow S-rank and as someone he personally cares about. His investment in the next generation of Hunters reflects a deep conviction that Korea's future depends on nurturing talent rather than simply hoarding power within the top guilds.