《LV. 99 The Princess of Dark Flare》 CH 1 Have you ever heard of a princess of dark flare? She¡¯s a humanoid monster that appears deep in the darkness beyond the gate. She¡¯s quick like a cat and as pale as a vampire. I¡¯ve heard that she has a strange charm which you can¡¯t forget. A certain hunter, who was distracted by her appearance, was just standing still and then suddenly, his eyes were plucked out with the top of her parasol. If you see her, run away. ¡ªIf you can escape her black flame. *** It was late summer after a terribly long rainy season. As she was walking down the street, Eunha couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and looked at the paper in her hand once again. Test Number: 9782136 Name: Cha Eunha Note: Passed the Pet Grooming Department It was already the twenty-sixth time Eunha checked the acceptance letter and put it back in her bag. Even after repeating the process twenty-six times, it remained a clear letter of acceptance. She was finally able to study dog grooming at a famous university in the United States, something she¡¯s always dreamed of. Across the road where the smell of rain did not reach, she could see an empty bus stop. Eunha raised her head and looked up at the sky. It had stopped raining, but the heavy clouds could still be seen. Once again, Eunha looked at the acceptance letter and hurried. It was a twenty minute walk from school to her home. However, the street she¡¯s used to walking down everyday felt longer than usual. Not far away was a telephone box. Eunha wanted to inform her mother about the acceptance letter as soon as possible. Her mother would surely be delighted. Riiing¡ª Her heart was beating like crazy as the ringing tone continued. At last, the ringing stopped and a familiar friendly voice came over the receiver. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mom, It¡¯s Eunha.¡± Eunha spoke as calmly as possible, not forgetting to swallow her saliva. ¡°I don¡¯t have a hundred won, so I¡¯ll tell you quickly. You know, mom¡ª¡± But Eunha couldn¡¯t finish her words. Tock¡ª The telephone fell helplessly. Duuuung¡ª Suddenly, the sky cried loudly and dozens of red lightning bolts fell all over Seoul. The asphalt split and the atmosphere vibrated. As the surrounding buildings collapsed like dominoes, people began to run away as if they were running out of a collapsed ant house. ¡°Hello? Eun¡­Ha¡­.¡± The rain which began to fall again at some point was pounding on the payphone box, leaving black tear marks behind. ¡®What the hell is this? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ It was too vivid to be called a dream, and it was unbelievably terrifying to be called reality. A car crashed through the cracked asphalt, and the street lamp tangled with electric wires shook like crazy. The person on the signboard of the shopping mall that flew from somewhere was crushed as if they were a boiled potato. As Eunha watched the scene blankly, she felt like something heavy had fallen onto the payphone box. ¡°Aaah¡­!¡± Eunha heard her mom screaming over the phone. She quickly snapped out of her daze and reached back to grab the phone. ¡°Mom? Mom!¡± There was no answer no matter how many times she called out. I have a bad feeling. And bad forebodings were always right. Eunha immediately started running home. As she ran, she held the acceptance letter tightly in her hand. She couldn¡¯t remember exactly how she got home at that time. She just ran and ran in the opposite direction of those who ran past her frantically. Eventually, when she turned the corner and arrived at the familiar gate, Eunha dropped the acceptance letter she was holding. The wind mixed with someone¡¯s distant screams carried the acceptance letter that had been rolling on the floor, eventually flying away. *** September 1997. The world had changed. The red thunderbolts that fell from the sky left huge traces all over the country. The various cracks on the ground exuded a suspicious and gloomy energy, but it didn¡¯t cause anything special. Red thunderstorms occurred all over the world and the cracks that remained like traces were later called ¡®gates¡¯. Then one day, an incident occured in which researchers investigating cracks in the metropolitan area were killed in droves. Out of dozens, only one returned alive. ¡®There was a cicada bigger than a car or a bus! I lost my arm to it!¡¯ The world treated him like a maniac. However, it was soon revealed that his words were true. October 1997. Horrible monsters escaped the gates and appeared out in the world. It was a disaster. Starved monsters devoured passersby at random, regardless of age or gender. The government deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to various gates across the country, but none of the weapons developed by modern humans worked against them. Those things were good. Mother¡¯s funeral home. Due to the circumstances, it was only long after Eunha¡¯s mother passed away that she could rent a small funeral home. ¡°What? We don¡¯t have a house. We have three children, three!¡± ¡°What if I take care of her? If she¡¯s older than eight, she can stay!¡± Eunha stood motionless in front of her mother¡¯s portrait. She had no place to go. It had already been an hour since the relatives who only knew each other¡¯s faces used Eunha as a gossip subject. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know. Where¡¯s her father? We can leave her to her dad.¡± ¡°Oh, do it yourself! I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Shh! She¡¯s coming!¡± ¡­I can hear everything. After all her tears had dried up, Eunha touched the bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. That bracelet was all she had left from her mother after the house they used to live in collapsed and turned to dust. ¡°Eunha, you¡¯ll be an adult soon so you¡¯re going to be old enough to live by yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving you alone, but you know I have three kids. You understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°The state will provide you a temporary home and disaster relief funds, so you¡¯ll be fine. If you¡¯re still struggling, contact me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eventually, Eunha was left alone. The house provided by the state was made of boards and tents, but Eunha wasn¡¯t in a position to ask for more, so she was thankful for that. Since then, she¡¯s been spending her days with disaster support and free meals. ¡°Did you hear that? Ma Dongsik seems to have awakened.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since yesterday. It seems he was taken to the training centre.¡± ¡°Please, I hope it won¡¯t be me¡­ If I¡¯m drafted, I would have to live a life when I could die at any moment.¡± ¡°Me too. Fighting monsters like that¡­ I¡¯d rather be stuck in this rotten shack.¡± The atmosphere inside the free cafeteria was more chaotic that day. It had already been quite some time since extraordinary superpowers began to appear all over the country, or even all over the world. Eunha thought that was none of her business. Until that day. *** [Starting Identification.] [Name: Cha Eunha] [¡ª¡ªLoading¡ª¡ª] [Unique ability has been activated.] [Connecting to the new channel.] ¡®¡­What is this?¡¯ As she stretched out her fingers with a confused face, it seemed as if an electric current was flowing from the tips of her fingers. No, it wasn¡¯t an electric current. ¡®Fire¡­?¡¯ The flames spread like embers from her fingertips. It lit up the old and dark shack and no matter how much Eunha tried, the flames wouldn¡¯t go out until dawn. And a few days later. Someone from the state arrived. How did they know? They introduced themselves as a member of the National Security Agency and told Eunha to pack up her things. Eunha calmly followed their guidance and boarded the bus. There were around forty other people besides her. She only learned a few hours later that they all had also ¡®awakened¡¯ with superpowers like Eunha¡¯s. Finally, the place they arrived at was a training camp. ¡°Because of the unprecedented national disaster, you have been given the opportunity to devote yourself to the country.¡± The voice that rang through the microphone was heard by everyone gathered at the training camp. ¡°Keep in mind that thousands or even tens of thousands of lives are at stake for each and every single one of you gathered here.¡± The training camp was quiet as if someone had poured cold water over everyone. However, Eunha could hear sobs from time to time. The cracks, or gates, at various parts of the country are said to be filled with horrible and ferocious monsters. Eunha had also heard about it from the news. ¡®Are you telling us to deal with them?¡¯ Eunha looked down at her trembling hands. Although she had awakened, she had no idea how to use her ability to fight monsters. Yet, there was only one thing she knew. They killed her mother. They took away Eunha¡¯s home, her dreams, and her life. The cruel monsters did not wait for an unprepared awakened to appear. Even at that moment, the monsters were running wild and someone¡¯s family was dying. In a situation where every minute was precious, the hunters¡¯ training was shortened to only three months. It was a rather long time for Eunha. There was no reason for her to enter college, and she had no money left anyway. Eunha, who had lost everything, was braver than those who had everything. Her unique ability, ¡®fire¡¯, was optimised for combat. Her flame was very strong, aggressive, and unstoppable. April 1998. After completing the minimum training of three months, the hunters were immediately thrown at the gate. All they had was a dog tag hanging around their necks and a very heavy burden of ¡®mankind¡¯s last hope¡¯ on their shoulders. Cha Eunha. She had just turned twenty. CH 2 An old military transport vehicle was driving down on an unpaved road without a single street light. Gyeongju. After confirming the milestone seen outside the window. Yijun opened his mouth, his voice filled with anxiety. ¡°Eunha, have you ever been to Gyeongju?¡± ¡°No.¡± Eunha answered briefly. There was emergency food in her hand that had no taste or nutrition. Yijun smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek. Eunha was diligently bringing food to her mouth with her hand which had not healed from the wounds she had suffered yesterday. It didn¡¯t seem like he had any intention of looking at it. Eunha and Yijun were classmates at the training camp. However, there were still many things that Yijun did not know about Eunha. There were even more things that he couldn¡¯t understand. For example, they might die today, but Eunha could chew food with such a carefree face, and she couldn¡¯t remember the name of a colleague who had been traveling with her for several months. Cha Eunha. She was definitely something different from ordinary people. Originally, she was a person that nobody could get close to, but Yijun was actually longing for Eunha. If it wasn¡¯t for Eunha, Yijun would have probably died the last time he entered the Gate from Pyeongtaek. ¡®No matter how, she saved my life. I would¡¯ve ended up being crippled.¡¯ The three-headed wolf Yijun encountered back then gave him chills just thinking about it. Yijun glanced at Eunha, who was sitting next to him. After staring for a moment as she swallowed her food silently, Yijun decided to talk to her again. If it wasn¡¯t then, he didn¡¯t know when he would ever get a chance to. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ Eunha, did you sign a contract with a divine beast?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Really? Why? You¡¯re so strong, I, of course, thought you had already signed a contract.¡± Eunha looked at Yijun for a moment, but then collected herself again. Eunha¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t cold, but she wasn¡¯t a good person either. However, Yijun couldn¡¯t give up there. It was a rare opportunity to get to know Eunha, the best elite among his classmates. Yijun persistently tried to keep the conversation going. ¡°Eunha, you would look good with the dragon of the twelve divine beasts because it¡¯s the strongest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And again, the conversation was cut off. It was ruined. There were still two hours until they reached Gyeongju, but unfortunately, the wall between the two seemed thicker than expected. It was around the time when Yijun was almost on the verge of giving up. ¡°¡­You said you came from America?¡± As she put the leftover food in a black bag, Eunha suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°Uh? Oh, yes. My father is American.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eunha began to stare at Yijun. ¡°Now that I think about it, you¡¯re blonde.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Are you noticing that now?¡¯ Yijun felt a little sad for some reason, but he decided to ignore it. ¡°Do you know Quinlish College in America?¡± ¡°No, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. Where is it?¡± ¡°San Francisco.¡± Eunha muttered. ¡°That¡¯s the University I was going to go to. It was my dream to become a dog groomer.¡± ¡°But why¡ª¡± ¡ªdidn¡¯t you go? Yijun was about to ask, but ended up stopping mid-sentence with a blank face. Eunha was a year younger back then. In other words, it meant that the gate opened when she was nineteen. ¡°Looking at you reminds me of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± Yijun answered timidly and glanced at Eunha. Eunha was unaware of Yijun¡¯s eyes on her as she looked away, but while gazing at the passing landscape indifferently, she clenched her jaw. Her long hair flew in the breeze through the slightly open window. Her black, thick hair was so long that it tickled Yijun¡¯s nose while he sat next to her. As Yijun gently moved his upper body backwards, Eunha looked at him. ¡°¡­¡± Then, she said nothing while tying her hair up high with a rubber band from her wrist. Her hair, which Yijun definitely thought would smell bloody, smelled like the same supply soap he was using. Cha Eunha¡¯s face was so calm that Yijun couldn¡¯t believe it was the same person who had been slicing monsters and was covered in blood. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Yijun gathered all of his courage. ¡°Would you like to groom my dog later? He¡¯s a Bichon Frise, his name is William.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°H-He¡¯s very gentle.¡± Yijun blushed slightly while making the proposal. Eunha, on the other hand, looked at him with wide eyes. There was a brief silence. Raindrops were seen falling one by one on the window. Pit, pat¡ª When the sound of rain hitting the bus window suddenly grew louder, a small laughter was heard. ¡°¡­Okay, fine.¡± It was a very small and faint laugh that was buried in the sound of raindrops, but Yijun probably felt like he would never forget it. ¡°My name is Baek Yijun.¡± *** Yijun recalled the past and glanced next to him. Three years have already passed since he was with her. Those hard years led them to grow into fairly decent hunters. Yijun, who had always been holding everyone back, now had good enough skills to fill in his part. ¡°Do you still remember that promise?¡± Yijun sneaked up on Eunha, who was walking a few steps in front of him. ¡°What promise?¡± ¡°We decided to give William a haircut.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± Eunha nodded slightly. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°After this mission is over, my father will bring William to Korea.¡± Eunha¡¯s black eyes looked at Yijun. As always, Yijun couldn¡¯t look straight into those eyes that seemed to suck him in, and so, he lowered his gaze. ¡°T-T-That¡¯s why, when you leave the gate, tomorrow¡­ At¡­ At my house¡­ D-D-D-Do you want to come over?¡± ¡®Oh my God. Why am I stuttering so much?¡¯ Yijun had the urge to bite his tongue, which was moving as fast as his heart was beating. ¡°I will.¡± Suddenly, Yijun opened his eyes wide when he heard Eunha¡¯s approval which seemed to have come too easily. ¡°It won¡¯t bite me, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean William.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Okay. I look forward to it.¡± Eunha smiled softly as her dark hair fluttered away. Yijun stood with a blank expression for a while. He felt like Eunha was smiling more often compared to before. If he had any influence, there was nothing more pleasing. When he came to his senses, Eunha was already standing in front of the gate entrance which was already far away. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and come here.¡± She beckoned. Yijun couldn¡¯t stop the smile spreading from his lips. He didn¡¯t know how many years had passed since he looked forward to tomorrow like that. ¡°Did you bring your dog tags?¡± ¡°Of course, squad leader.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around and check.¡± The golden dog tag was a symbol of the hunters, and it had two roles: an expert¡¯s ¡®certificate¡¯ and a soldier¡¯s ¡®dog tag¡¯. After reconfirming that the dog tag was hung around each other¡¯s necks, the two entered the gate along with a group of hunters. The color of the gate was white. It was called a C-Class gate, which was classified at the lowest level of difficulty. At that time, there were eleven people, including Eunha and Yijun, who were put into the C-Class gate. There was no need to be nervous because they were a full squad of hunters. But accidents have always happened unexpectedly. *** ¡°T-That¡­ What the hell¡­!¡± By the time someone let out a frightened yell, they were already surrounded. One or two black tigers¡­ They were already surrounded by the time they had realised. Its body, teeth and even its claws were black, only the eyes of the tiger were shining red. They were about twice the size of an adult male and smashed a person¡¯s head like a watermelon by hitting them with their front paws. ¡°Argh!¡± The tiger, who persistently chased the runaways, tore their body apart with its sharp claws. Out of the eleven hunters, only Baek Yijun and Cha Eunha survived. Yijun looked at the monster with a frightened face, then he reached out his trembling hand and grabbed the hem of Eunha¡¯s clothes. ¡°E-Eunha. Let¡¯s run away.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t make any sudden movements.¡± Eunha gave Yijun a soft, but clear warning. ¡°Look. If we don¡¯t run or attack, it¡¯s quiet.¡± Only then did Yijun begin to read the behaviour patterns of the black tigers. As Eunha said, the tigers did not attack them if they stood still. But that didn¡¯t mean they could stay there forever. ¡°If you walk slowly without running off, we will surely get out of this place.¡± Eunha¡¯s words were credible. That was proved by Yijun who has been with her for three years. She had always been a role model for everyone since her training camp days. Both in terms of combat and strategy. ¡°But Eunha, if there¡¯s monsters left inside, the exit¡­ Huh?¡± It was strange. Originally, the gate had a system where the exit closes the moment you enter. The closed exits were never opened until all of the monsters inside were annihilated. But for some reason, Yijun saw an open exit in the distance. ¡°Keep walking, don¡¯t provoke them.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± The two took another step together in sync. But then. Growl! The calm tiger took an attack stance. From there, it came as a warning that if they moved one more step, they would be bitten. Yijun was frozen in place like a stone, and Eunha took another step without caring. ¡°Look, it¡¯s okay. Walk slowly.¡± Eunha beckoned Yijun, who was still frozen. When Yijun gained the courage to take another step¡­ Growl! Again, the tiger poised to attack. Eunha glanced back and checked the exit. The exit was still open. It seemed like they could get out anytime. At that point, Eunha had no choice but to notice what was going on, even if she didn¡¯t like it. ¡°It seems that it wants one person to be its playmate.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± For a moment, there was a horrifyingly heavy silence. Neither the tigers nestled inside the gate, nor the two people surrounded by them, moved. Yijun glanced at Eunha. For a brief moment, there was a mix of feelings. Maybe he saw his life flashing before his eyes. He had been with her since their training camp days. Without her, Yijun would have not been able to get that far all by himself because his body and mind were weak, and his unique abilities were lacking. ¡°Eunha, I-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to see William next time.¡± Eunha cut off Yijun¡¯s train of thoughts with her calm tone. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay. You¡¯d be better off living than me.¡± As if she had already made up her mind, she began to straighten out her messy clothes. ¡°Listen carefully. You¡¯ll walk alone towards the exit while I count to ten. If anything happens, run away and don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Eunha?¡± Perhaps she sensed Yijun¡¯s voice shaking because Eunha stared back at him with her dark eyes. ¡°If you have water and emergency food left, give it to me before you go. I may be able to last a few days, but if possible, I¡¯ll have at least one of them as a companion.¡± ¡°Eunha.¡± ¡°I have nowhere to return to even if I go outside, but that¡¯s not the same for you.¡± Eunha stared at Yijun with unwavering eyes. She took a step closer to the silent Yijun. ¡°What are you afraid of? Are you afraid you¡¯ll lose your friend?¡± She laughed quietly. ¡°Or are you afraid that you will suffer from guilt for the rest of your life?¡± There was nothing wrong with her words. Eunha strongly pushed Yijun¡¯s back, which was as hard as a stone statue. ¡°Cha, Cha Eunha!¡± Yijun hurriedly looked back. Growl! He heard a low, threatening growl. Eunha was not even looking at Yijun. She was touching her left wrist, staring at it while her black and thick eyelashes covered her eyes. Exactly, the worn-out wish bracelet on her left wrist. ¡°Eunha, I-¡± I can¡¯t go. Was what Yijun was about to say. ¡°It will get hot for a while.¡± Eunha laughed. Her white palms point towards Yijun. Then, a bright red flame began to bloom from the center of her small palm. Boom! A small explosion broke out from her palms. The side of the flame was insignificant, but it was enough to push out Yijun, who had a slender physique. In the aftermath of the explosion, Yijun¡¯s body was pushed towards the exit. As if he were floating in the water, he was helpless. As he found himself out of the gate, Yijun hurriedly raised his head. The gate door was closing at high speed. The air vibrated, and black cracks began to form on Eunha¡¯s face, arms and legs, which Yijun could see through the cracks in the gate. ¡°E-Eunha! Cha Eunha!¡± He quickly stretched out his hand, but the black sparks were so strong that it bounced back. ¡°It won¡¯t leave a scar.¡± Eunha¡¯s tone was filled with a little playfulness, as if she was teasing him. That was the last time Yijun heard Eunha¡¯s voice. CH 3 [The monsters have been cleared!] [The exit is activated.] ¡­. ¡­. [Warning. An unknown error has occurred.] [Resetting the gate.] It happened again. It was already the third time. The cause, however, was unknown, but¡ª ¡®I¡¯m trapped.¡¯ Eunha boldly accepted that fact. She had already noticed right away that the gate was somehow different from the ones she had cleared until now. In a normal gate, a boss monster appears when a certain number of monsters are defeated. And when Eunha got the nucleus of the boss monster, the gate closed. That was a common gate strategy. But this gate was different. No matter how many monsters were killed, the boss monster did not appear, but rather, the monster that was killed would respawn or regenerate. There was no strategy. ¡®If you don¡¯t want to die, keep killing.¡¯ That was what the gate seemed to say. Eunha decided to look for a place where she could rest for a little while. There was some time until the next battle. The area near Eunha¡¯s left rib was scratched by a sharp claw and she knew she had to hurry to stop the bleeding. After finding a suitable place, she looked at the backpack she was carrying on her shoulder. It was a backpack that Yijun dropped. There had to be something useful. Yijun was very meticulous and thorough. In addition to his water bottle and emergency food, he also brought along his extra shoes and underwear, and was often teased by Eunha who used to say ¡®Are you going camping?¡¯. ¡°¡­As expected.¡± Eunha found an emergency treatment kit while searching through the bag and smiled. In addition to the ¡®red pill¡¯, known as a panacea, there were also necessary first aid supplies such as sterile gauze, bandages, physiological saline, tweezers, and scissors. Yijun¡¯s attentiveness was very helpful when they traveled. Just like it was now. After disinfecting the wound, Eunha began to suture the opening of the wound with a medical thread and needle. It wasn¡¯t as good as an expert, but she was pretty skillful. It was possible because Eunha was a hunter who was on the brink of death countless times over the past three years. ¡°Ugh.¡± Eunha bit her lower lip at the pain which seemed to run all over her body. She wasn¡¯t used to it, even after three years. Eunha looked around after she roughly treated herself. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m thirsty.¡¯ The inside of the gate was similar to a typical cave. Stalactites in the form of icicles hung from the ceiling, and transparent water drops could be seen dripping from the ends. Eunha opened the lid of the water bottle and placed it where the water was dripping. When it came to food ingredients, they could be eaten as long as they were cooked well under the assumption that there was no poison. But that wasn¡¯t the case for water. If she got an upset stomach by mistake, it was game over. First of all, it was necessary to check if the color changed over time or not. ¡®Food is also a problem.¡¯ There were only two packs of emergency food in Yijun¡¯s backpack. It was an absurdly small amount. Eunha put the water bottle on the floor and checked the rest of the backpacks. They belonged to the rest of her dead teammates. Most of her teammates were eaten by monsters down to the bone, but there were about three or four intact backpacks. While she was searching through them one by one, Eunha¡¯s fingertips brushed over a piece of paper. ¡®She¡¯s my girlfriend. Isn¡¯t she pretty?¡¯ It was a picture of one of her teammate¡¯s girlfriend which he was so proud of. The drops of blood smeared across the picture were turning brown, but the girl was still smiling lovingly. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha put it back in the backpack and rummaged through another bag. There was an amulet said to have been given to one of her colleagues by his father right before he was drafted. Eunha remembered him as someone who talked about his father a lot. An almost used up sunscreen. That would be Hyejoo¡¯s stuff. They were a sweet child who always meticulously applied sunscreen on the backs of their colleagues¡¯ hands before training. The last thing Eunha discovered was a TOEIC workbook that a colleague, who always carried it in their arms, said they would one day quit being a hunter and find a new life. tl/n: TOEIC = Test of English for International Communication ¡°They brought these along on a mission¡­¡± If Eunha had known they brought such useless things along, she would¡¯ve had a very bittersweet word to tell them. But she couldn¡¯t do that anymore. If she did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it. Eunha slowly got up from her seat with a sad expression. She hoped that she¡¯d die while fighting the monsters, but dying of starvation like that was a huge no. That was where her colleagues died and Eunha knew she had to tear the tigers apart right in front of them. To do that, she had to eat first. And stay alive. ¡®If this is a cave, there must be mushrooms or at least moss.¡¯ Eunha couldn¡¯t wait for her wound to heal. She wasn¡¯t in a hospital room, it was literally a death ground. tl/n: had a hard time figuring this ¡®death ground¡¯ thing, but it¡¯s related to the art of war by sun tzu, and the ¡®death ground strategy¡¯ which is: cut your ties to the past, enter unknown territory where you have to fight like hell to get out alive. Eunha decided to get up and explore the surroundings. Unfortunately, however, there was no food. Ring! The notification sound, which had been quiet for a while, rang again. Before long, a blue message window appeared in front of Eunha. [The gate reset has been completed.] [¡ªLoading¡ª] [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is attacking!] ¡®What?¡¯ As soon as she turned her head, Eunha met the pair of red eyes which were shining in the dark. ¡®Why at a time like this?¡¯ Eunha grabbed her left side. A tingling pain spread throughout her whole body. A hunter had superior self-healing powers to those of ordinary people, but to heal such a deep wound, she needed at least a day¡¯s rest. In other words, the situation she was in was the worst. But hesitation would lead to death. Eunha stretched out her hand, which was covering her wound, towards the monster. A small, hot flame flared up over her open palm. ¡®If you don¡¯t kill, you die.¡¯ That was the first thing ¡®Hunter Cha Eunha¡¯ learned. *** How much time had passed since then? The inner wall of the cave was full of lines carved with sharp stones. There were some who were cut off halfway through. The wireless pager¡¯s battery had run out, so there was no way to know time. ¡®The last time I engraved was the 320th day. I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s been over a year by now.¡¯ ¡°¡­Ptui.¡± Eunha spat out the meat she was chewing. The tiger¡¯s meat had no taste. That¡¯s one of the things she¡¯d learned the hard way over the past year. In particular, the tendons were tough and difficult to chew. It was possible to cook and eat it in that cave even if there was nothing else because of her unique fire ability, but it wasn¡¯t delicious since she had to grill it over the fire without any seasoning. For the first week, Eunha ate it and vomited it later over and over again, but humans were adaptable animals. In order to survive, she had no choice but to eat the meat. Eunha put the water bottle that was only half full back down. The water dripping from the stalactites made it possible to obtain drinking water, but it was by no means sufficient. It took almost half a day to fill a bottle of water. Therefore, if she was very thirsty, Eunha had no choice but to drink the blood of the monster. The base of the hut was simply made with the bones of the monster, and the tent and the roof were made with leather. Eunha used the corpses of the monsters as fuel to set fires around it. It was a pretty effective way to temporarily stop the raids. That way, Eunha was able to survive within the gate for a long time. As much as she was grateful that nothing happened today, tomorrow was going to be difficult. That fact was no different from outside the gate. A battle in which a moment¡¯s mistake would lead to death. Repeating such battles, Eunha gradually evolved. It was development in exchange for life. Ring! [The gate reset had been completed.] [¡ªLoading¡ª] [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ smelled blood.] [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ will track your location.] Eunha stood up after tearing off the monster¡¯s leg, which was almost fully consumed. As soon as she escaped the hut, three monsters showed their teeth as if they¡¯d been waiting. Their eyes were burning as if they were going to avenge their friend¡¯s death. When Eunha spread her palms to create a flame, the beast-like monsters flinched. At that moment, a faint smile spread on Eunha¡¯s face under the shadows. ¡°Come on, you bastards.¡± They were no longer a threat to Eunha. The fireballs created by Eunha chased the monsters¡¯ tail, looking as if they were shooting stars. A monster was hit by the fireball and roared sharply, soon turning into a lump of charcoal. Grrr¡­! The other monsters, who were furious at the death of their friend, roared loudly and began to rush towards Eunha. Eunha lowered her hand that was outstretched towards the monster, and the fireball hit the ground instead. After confirming that the soil was turning black, Eunha raised her head. The moment the tiger was closing in on her, she kicked the ground hard. Whoosh! At the tip of Eunha¡¯s shoes, the soil on the ground rose like waves, temporarily blocking the field. The burned soil turned to black ashes, and Eunha grabbed the monster¡¯s head without hesitation. Boom! With the sound of the explosion, the battle ended very shortly. Eunha was checking the corpses of the monsters that turned into lumps of charcoal when she suddenly raised her head. ¡®Come to think of it, there were definitely three of them. Did the other one run away?¡¯ At that moment, the question came suddenly. Ring! The blue window appeared in front of her with a notification sound. [Warning. A huge mob is approaching.] [Lv. 68 Mutant ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ appeared.] [Lv. 68 Mutant ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ has found you!] ¡ªA sudden mutation? No, more than that¡­ ¡®Level 68?¡¯ Eunha¡¯s senses were warning her. She was certain of it because she almost died dozens of times. The opponent behind her was dangerous. When she slowly turned her head, there was a monster that was about twice as large as the Lv. 30 monsters she had encountered so far. Elite monster. It must have been a semi-boss monster, also known as a ¡®named monster¡¯. A low, menacing growl was heard that made Eunha tremble. She was feeling overwhelmed by the growl alone. ¡®I have to kill it as soon as possible.¡¯ She just barely finished one battle. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to drag it for too long. Eunha slowly opened her curled fist, and a small flame lit up like a candle in the center of her palm. At that moment, the impatient monster rushed in before Eunha could even throw the flame. Aaaah! A deep mark was left on the wall where the huge claws, which looked like elephant¡¯s ivory, scratched. It looked authentic enough that Eunha was sure it was hollow inside. Eunha looked down at her palms with anxious eyes. If she put all her energy into it, she could create a flame that was a little bigger than usual, but if she did, her stamina would be exhausted immediately after using it three or four times. ¡®But I have no choice.¡¯ She had to stay alive. Eunha spread her hands, determined. The tiny sparks, like fireflies, gradually gathered to form a small sphere in her hand. The moment the little sphere flew towards the monster and touched its forehead. Booom! There was a huge explosion. Soon, a more intense howl was heard. Clouds of smoke filled the cave in the aftermath of the explosion. Looking back, the monster¡¯s red eyes gleamed. ¡®Was that not enough?¡¯ Cold sweat ran down Eunha¡¯s chin. The monster rubbed its forehead on the floor, then exposed its teeth again. ¡®One more time.¡¯ Bang! ¡®Once more!¡¯ Boom! Boom! ¡®Once more¡­!¡¯ ¡®You won¡¯t be able to stand up this time.¡¯ Eunha couldn¡¯t even catch her breath because of the thick smoke as she stepped through it. Grr¡­ At the soft cry heard through the smoke, the strength in Eunha¡¯s legs was exhausted. That was her limit. Her mana was emptied. ¡®It seems that the tiger is also close to its limit. Its attacks have changed.¡¯ If they were to face each other without any weapons or flames on Eunha¡¯s side, the result would naturally be the victory of the huge monster. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Eunha¡¯s expression changed. There was only one way to defeat it. She stopped worrying for a second, raising her head as she made up her mind. The tiger¡¯s mouth was wide open, as if it was torn apart. A monster with skin harder than steel. Its unique weakness¡­ ¡®The soft flesh in its mouth.¡¯ Eunha reached out with all the strength that she had left. ¡°Close your mouth.¡± Eunha pushed her hand deep inside the tiger¡¯s mouth and the moment the tiger¡¯s mouth closed, a cracking noise was heard. Arghhh¡ª! Along with the roar, a huge explosion broke out fueled by Eunha¡¯s right arm. A large burst of flames crawled out of its tightly closed snout and smashed its head like a watermelon. The monster¡¯s teeth, blood, and flesh splattered everywhere. The tiger¡¯s body, which had lost its head, fell like a piece of paper next to Eunha. Ring! [You killed the first Named!] [Update in progress!] [¡ªLoading¡ª] As soon as the message window appeared, Eunha collapsed to the floor. ¡°¡­¡± She barely lifted her head and checked her right arm. Only half of her forearm was left and the bottom of it was torn off and bleeding. As she watched the blood gushing out like a fountain, her mind wandered. Eunha¡¯s body felt heavy like steel and breathing was burning her throat. In the midst of her mind drifting away, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. ¡®This is enough¡­¡¯ She fought and was killed a lot. ¡®This is enough. You did well.¡¯ Eunha squeezed out her remaining strength and reached around her neck and touched the dog tag. If one day someone were to find her there, she would need it. As she pulled it out of her shirt so that the dog tag could be seen clearly, her eyes fell on her left wrist. Hanging precariously on her scarred wrist¡ª ¡®¡­The bracelet.¡¯ Her mother¡¯s wish bracelet. It was so old that it would break if she pulled it a little. ¡®Why?¡¯ As soon as the bracelet came into view, her eyelids that were closing involuntarily stopped suddenly. The sound of her molars grinding filled the cave. Eunha was trying to squeeze out a force that wasn¡¯t there as she raised her upper body. Then, she tried to calm down her trembling left hand and spread out her palm. Pat. A small flame bloomed in her palm like a match. The shabby flame shook dangerously along with her frantically trembling hands. Without hesitation, Eunha pressed it on her right forearm. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Eunha bit her lower lip until it burst open, drops of blood dripping down her chin. The disgusting smell of burning flesh pierced her nostrils. A hunter¡¯s self-healing power was superior to that of a normal human, but it was not enough to help her cut off arm from which blood was pouring out like a fountain. That was the only thing Eunha could do to stop the bleeding. Eunha refused to extinguish the flame, even if she was rolling on the ground in pain. ¡°Argh!¡± The most awful pain a person can feel was being burned. Eunha held back and bit her lower lip until blood vessels popped and it turned blue, but she couldn¡¯t suppress her screams. ¡°Aaaaah¡­!¡± In the empty, silent gate, only her desperate scream echoed in the distance. It was so painful that death would¡¯ve been a better choice. By the time her skin turned black, the blood finally stopped flowing. Ring! [Update completed.] [A reward will be given.] A cheerful BGM was heard in her ringing ears, making it even more painful. tl/n: BGM = background music ¡®Re¡­ward¡­¡¯ Just before she lost consciousness, Eunha¡¯s fingers flinched. Something cold and sharp seemed to touch her fingertips. ¡­ ¡­ [Congratulations! You obtained the ¡®Elegant Parasol¡¯ of ¡®The Princess of Black Flare¡¯!] CH 5 Twelve Gods. Twelve divine beasts that protect the East. They were animals commonly known as ¡®zodiacs¡¯. It was known that the twelve divine beasts with mysterious powers select suitable awakeners* to make a contract, and ¡®contractors¡¯ are said to acquire special skills or characteristics in addition to their unique abilities. tl/n: awakeners = people with unique abilities Among them, one person chosen as an ¡®incarnation¡¯ would have unimaginable power, such as being able to borrow the appearance of a divine beast or being granted the power of a divine beast. However, it is said that signing a contract with a divine beast is harder than winning the lottery. In fact, there were only two contractors Eunha had ever met. There was only the training centre manager and the instructor in charge. Eunha did not see them in action, but she could see in their daily lives that their basic physical abilities, such as muscle strength, had improved significantly after signing a contract with a divine beast. Especially in the case of the instructor in charge, they were fine even if they hadn¡¯t slept for three days. ¡®Certainly, if I sign a contract with a divine beast, the battles will be much easier than it is now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a bad situation for Eunha. There was only one thing that bothered her. Eunha lifted her head and stared at the yellow message window. ¡°The only twelve divine beasts I know are the twelve animals. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a cat there.¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ stiffens.] [After a moment¡¯s pause, the divine beast blurts out that there are difficult circumstances.] It would be a lie if Eunha said she wasn¡¯t suspicious. In the first place, she didn¡¯t know what the cat was offering through the contract. Currently, Eunha was just a mouse in a jar. Even if she made a contract with the divine beast, what benefits would it bring to the cat? Simple curiosity or fickleness? [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ wiggles its tail as if it is displeased with your suspicions.] [When you burned your arm, who do you think was the one who healed you? The divine beast said proudly and condescendingly.] ¡°¡­Did you cure me?¡± Somehow, she knew that she was in better shape than expected. It was hard to think it was because of the hunter¡¯s self-healing power. However, it was foolish of Eunha to believe the words of a cat she met for the first time. But it would also be foolish to ignore such an opportunity in her situation. Eunha slowly licked her lips while being immersed in her thoughts. She had to ask the most important thing. ¡°¡­If I accept the contract, can you let me out of here?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ said it¡¯s not possible.] According to the cat, that was how it was. The gate was a black gate. In other words, an Unknown Gate wrapped in mystery. ¡®As expected, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary gate.¡¯ At that moment, Eunha¡¯s expectations turned into certainty. ¡®However¡­¡¯ When she entered the gate with her colleagues, the colour of the crack was clearly white. At what moment did it change to an Unknown Gate? Eunha didn¡¯t know. Well, if she had known, it wouldn¡¯t have been called ¡®unknown¡¯. Another yellow message window popped up in front of Eunha. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ said that if you want to escape from the gate, you must collect all five items to achieve the escape condition.] ¡°What are the five items?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ gestured to the parasol on your left.] ¡°This is one of the five items? Then, the other four¡ª¡± Eunha suddenly stopped. After a moment of silence, Eunha, whose expression changed, opened her mouth again. ¡°¡­Maybe, the other four Named monsters will drop it?¡± [Ding Ding Ding! The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ lightly knocked on the xylophone.] [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ nods, saying you¡¯re smart and that it has a good eye for people.] ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll give me the power to beat the rest of the Named monsters?¡± It was a sweet proposal. Eunha wanted to accept the proposal right away, but somehow she found it difficult to nod her head. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ added later, saying that there will be two restrictions on her contract with it.] Of course. There was a saying that nothing is free in this world. Rather, it would¡¯ve been harder to believe if there were no conditions or restrictions. ¡°What restrictions?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is the first and thirteenth divine beast; you should not mention its name. Secondly, you should give it your name.] There was no way she would mention anything about its identity because there was nobody else but Eunha in the gate. But what bothered her was the second restriction. ¡®You want my name?¡¯ Eunha narrowed her eyes. ¡°What does that mean?¡± [Literally, it says that your name will be mine, and you can no longer use it.] Perhaps it noticed that Eunha was hesitating, and the message window popped up once again. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ said check it out yourself if you don¡¯t believe me. Will you accept? ? Accept / Reject] The two buttons appeared in front of Eunha. She hesitated for a moment before raising her finger and pressing the ¡®Accept¡¯ button. [Golden eyes shine like stars.] [Object Identification. Cha Eunha.] [¡ªLoading¡ª] A bright, golden light enveloped Eunha. [Object Identification Completed.] [Starting Soon.] The golden light that surrounded Eunha suddenly changed to pure white. In an instant, a beam of light spread throughout the darkened cave. It had been a long time since Eunha saw light, so her eyes were tingling. When the rays of light finally disappeared, her vision finally came back. ¡°¡­!¡± Eunha suddenly turned her head and dropped the parasol she was holding. ¡°My right arm¡­¡± ¡®It came back. It also feels fine. Is this the power of the divine beasts?¡¯ Eunha fiddled with her right arm, which had returned intact. It was magic, or rather a power close to a miracle. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ shrugged its shoulders with a confident face.] Eunha didn¡¯t know if the cat was a divine beast or a monster, but it has proven that it was mysterious and powerful anyway. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ offered you a contract. Do you accept?] There was no need to hesitate any longer. ¡®It bothers me that it¡¯s asking for a name¡­¡¯ The gate monsters. Eunha was ready to sell her soul to the devil if she could get revenge on those who took away her dreams, future, and even her family. Her concerns didn¡¯t last long. Eunha¡¯s fingertips touched the ¡®Accept¡¯ button. Ring, Ring, Ring¡­ A short and cheerful notification sound followed. [The contract was successful!] [Your soul is now bonded to ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯!] [Agility is greatly increased!] [Passive ? ¡®Night Reader¡¯ Activated. It brightens your vision at night. Accuracy increases significantly when fighting in the dark.] Several message windows appeared in front of Eunha one after another, and the last red system window she saw for the first time popped up. [The power of the divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ ? Acquired ¡®Cat¡¯s Claws¡¯.] Cat¡¯s claws? No, it was more powerful than that. Unlike the skills and characteristics given by the contract, this power was special. Wasn¡¯t it something that only a few contractors who received the approval of a divine beast could acquire? Eunha heard that neither the training centre manager nor the instructor in charge had any powers. ¡®Cat¡¯s claws¡­¡¯ Eunha checked her nails. Except for her body feeling a little lighter, there was no noticeable difference. Ring, ring, ring¡­ After a few more notifications, the cat¡¯s message window popped up. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is wearing a meaningful smile.] [I have given you the power, so I encourage you to use it well.] ¡°Use it well¡ª¡± Before Eunha could finish her words¡­ Roar! There was a loud echo that made her hair stand up. There was a series of heavy roars. Eunha instinctively grabbed the ¡®Elegant Parasol¡¯. The inner walls of the cave were crushed like dough and a pair of huge front paws appeared. Grrrr¡­ [Lv. 78 Mutant ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ has found you!] It was the second mutant monster. Whoosh! Without warning, it swung its paw at Eunha, and she evaded it as gracefully as a butterfly. ¡®Fast. Not the monster, but me.¡¯ Eunha was surprised by her own movements and checked her hands and feet. Still, nothing had changed. [Lv. 78 Mutant ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is very angry!] [Status: Rage ¨C Monster¡¯s attack power is greatly increased.] Crack! The Named monster ground its teeth. If it had not been blocked by the parasol, Eunha would¡¯ve been hit. Sparks gathered in the centre of Eunha¡¯s palms, as if small seeds were gathered to make flowers bloom. Tssss! Soon, a huge spark came together, hitting the monster. Grrrr¡­ However, the monster did not fall. It was a stronger blow than the one in the battle with the first Named. How could she not knock it down? The ten level difference seemed to be bigger than Eunha had expected. While preparing to launch the next attack, a message window appeared in front of Eunha. Ring! [Power ?Do you want to activate ¡®Cat¡¯s Claws¡¯?] There was no use crying over spilled milk. Eunha was going to use everything she had available. As soon as Eunha made up her mind, the yellow message window lit up. [You have succeeded in activating the power.] [The ¡®Cat¡¯s Claws¡¯ will be maintained until a separate setting.] However, there was no explanation on how to use the power anywhere in the message window. Eunha clicked her tongue and quickly closed the message window. The Lv. 78 mutant monster in front of her was significantly stronger than the Lv. 68 one that she had previously fought. Even though her right arm regenerated and various stats increased due to the effect of the contract, she couldn¡¯t easily subdue it. Then¡ª ¡®I have to get its attention first.¡¯ But in an empty cave, how could she get its attention? Because it smashed the surrounding stalactite columns and cave walls, it became an open field with nowhere to hide. And there was only one hunter on that field, Cha Eunha. Her hands began to sweat. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ As she clenched her fists tightly, the sparks in her hand ignited. At that moment¡ª ¡­! The red eyes which were fixed on Eunha, suddenly shifted to the spark. The tiger¡¯s red eyes moved back and forth, following the movement of the sparks. [The golden eyes of the divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ sparkle! They¡¯re glowing.] ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ Eunha slowly opened her fist to confirm something, then clenched it again. Tap! The remaining sparks were scattered around like ashes. It looked like fireflies. The tail of the giant monster began to sway with a booming sound. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ leans low and wiggles its hips.] ¡®Certainly.¡¯ As soon as she was certain, Eunha did not hesitate any longer. She created numerous sparks using both hands at the same time. The sparks began to wander around the cave as if it had a soul. ¡®Yeah, like a mouse.¡¯ Boom! The Named monster swung its front paws at the sparks and approached them as if it had forgotten Eunha¡¯s existence, not even sparing her a glance. ¡®If I run, I would be like a cat.¡¯ Eunha grabbed the parasol. The sharp end of the parasol shone brightly. She only had one chance, and she won¡¯t be fooled twice. She put her strength on her heels. Seeing a gap, she rushed forward instantly. Whoosh! Without hesitation, Eunha stabbed its red eyes. Ghaaaa! The monster staggered with a tearful roar. As the huge body shook, the surrounding area began to vibrate violently as if there was an earthquake. Eunha pulled the parasol from its eyeball, this time lowering it to the floor. She kicked the floor with all her might and jumped up. Whistle¡ª One final blow must be delivered before the monster regains its sight. That was the switch that gave Eunha power to grip onto the parasol. Flames scattered around the parasol, engulfing it. It was supposed to melt in the strong flame, but the parasol made the flame even bigger as if it was covered with oil. Eunha took a deep breath and swung the parasol as if swinging a baseball bat. It left a black, sharp afterimage along the round curve drawn by the parasol. Argh! The tiger¡¯s neck turned one hundred and eighty degrees with the sound of bones breaking. Eunha seemed a little surprised by the immense power which went beyond her imagination rather than a dull hit. The monster sank to the floor with its neck turned and didn¡¯t move an inch afterwards. Eunha put her hands on her chest, which was rising and falling slowly, silently staring at the monster. After a few seconds passed, a message window appeared in front of her. [You have killed the second Named!] [Update in progress.] [¡ªLoading¡ª] After checking the message window, Eunha lowered her guard and her upper body. The sparks could be seen on the skin of the monster. ¡®With this size, it would be possible to peel off its skin and use it as a blanket.¡¯ The monster¡¯s skin wouldn¡¯t be able to serve as a blanket due to the holes that have been made. While looking at the body of the monster with a disappointed face, a cheerful BGM came along with a familiar notification once again. Eunha lifted her gaze which was fixed on the corpse and checked the message window. [Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Black Silk Dress¡¯ form ¡®The Princess of Dark Flare¡¯!¡¯] ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®What is that?¡¯ CH 6 Having returned to the hut, Eunha carefully checked the ¡®Black Silk Dress¡¯. There was a layer of mesh and a layer of black silk. The dress, which consisted of a total of two layers, was puffed with a silhouette in the form of a round umbrella without a petticoat. There was a black rose corsage near the chest. A long, black ribbon decorating the back of the waist and the subtly shining translucent fabric came down over the shoulder like a shawl. ¡°Hm.¡± Eunha furrowed her eyebrows in deep concern. Come to think of it, Eunha only wore school uniforms during high school and military uniforms after being conscripted. She had never worn casual outfits often, let alone a dress. So, the gown was quite burdensome. She also wondered if it was possible to fight in such a thick outfit. ¡®Still¡­ Like the parasol, the dress will definitely be of good use.¡¯ Loot was still loot; it wouldn¡¯t be of no value. The military uniform that Eunha was wearing smelled quite deadly because it hadn¡¯t been washed for too long. It was also torn in many places. Her body could be healed with the self-healing power and emergency kits, but that wasn¡¯t the case for clothing. Eunha made up her mind and took off her military uniform. She lifted the dress and started to put it on step by step. ¡°¡­¡± After a while, Eunha, who was in the dress, stood still. The feeling of the cloth touching her skin was not bad. However, the fabric was thin, so it was clear that the monsters¡¯ claws would be able to tear it without mercy. The military uniform at least had a special coating, but this¡­ Eunha looked down at the dress with disapproval. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ looks at you with an impressed look on its face.] [As expected, the dress suits you! It nodded, saying it had a good eye for people.] The dreary bonfire shone on her face. Eunha glanced down at her appearance, which was reflected in a puddle. ¡®¡­ Does it look good on me?¡¯ Originally, her skin was fair, but it hadn¡¯t been exposed to the sun for a long time and turned pale. Her black, untrimmed hair had grown down to her waist. In addition, her elbows, knees, and cheeks had scabs and scratches everywhere. With Eunha¡¯s appearance, the black dress, and the black parasol, she seemed like a vampire from a ghost story. Oh, and by the way. ¡­ Although she was wearing the dress, nothing happened. Why? ¡®Is it only triggered under special circumstances?¡¯ Eunha lifted the hem of her skirt and even tried turning around in place. ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, nothing happened. At that moment, Eunha¡¯s stomach rumbled. She decided to postpone her investigation of the dress for a while and fill up her stomach first. The most efficient way for her to recover her stamina was to eat and sleep well. Eunha checked the guts of the monster she caught yesterday. She then confirmed that they were dry enough and put them in a pile to make a bonfire. When she fixed a stone of an appropriate size on the bonfire and put some cut pieces of meat on it, there was a sizzling sound. ¡°¡­ Bleh.¡± Contrary to the sound, the taste wasn¡¯t good. Eunha should have gotten used to it by now, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling nauseous sometimes. When Eunha wiped her lips with her sleeve, a yellow message window popped up. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ carefully sticks out its front paw.] [Congratulations! You have acquired ¡®Fine-grained Salt¡¯!] Something fell in front of Eunha¡¯s eyes with a short, noisy fanfare. It was a small glass container that had a white powder inside, presumably salt. If there was salt, the nauseating meat would be a little more edible. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eunha never thought that a divine beast would be useful in this respect as well. She lightly seasoned the meat with salt and took a bite. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ rummages through its fur.] [Congratulations! ¡®Black Pepper with a Good Scent¡¯ has been acquired!] Pepper, too? Eunha didn¡¯t know if the cat was really one of the twelve divine beasts or not, but it had been helpful in many ways anyway. ¡®There is nothing wrong with receiving what is given.¡¯ Pepper was perfect for taking away the smell. Eunha shook the pepper shaker over the salted meat. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is sticking out its front paws again.] [Congratulations! ¡®Heavenly Truffle Oil¡¯ has been acquired!] ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Let¡¯s eat first. Eunha pressed the ¡®close¡¯ button in the yellow message window. Soon after, the next message window followed and popped up. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is looking at you.] [If you didn¡¯t like it, I¡¯d like to say that I have ketchup and mayonnaise.] ¡­ It was a long and noisy meal. *** A few days later, the gate was reset again. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ makes a suspicious cry.] One animal. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is terrifying.] Two. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ reveals its black claws.] Three. ¡­ [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ squeezes out the last of its strength and charges at you.] ¨DAnd seventeen. The battle took longer than expected, but there were no major problems. It was because Eunha had learned how to use the dress and parasol in just a few days. The ¡®Black Silk Dress¡¯, which seemed useless, was actually stronger than any other armour. Even the monsters¡¯ claws couldn¡¯t tear it apart. Eunha¡¯s explosive growth was largely thanks to the new contract. The ability ¡®Cat¡¯s Claws¡¯ was a passive skill that inflicted additional damage by adding sharp afterimages to all attacks that Eunha made. Because of this, Eunha was able to defeat monsters much more easily than before. Eunha swung her parasol without avoiding the monsters that rushed at her. Thwack! The monster that was bluntly hit into the air literally disintegrated. [The monsters have been cleared!] [The exit is activated.] ¡­ [Warning. An unknown error has occurred.] [The gate will be reset.] ¡°Haa¡­.¡± Eunha shrugged her shoulders up and down. Although she was stronger than before, Eunha was still human, so her physical strength was limited. Eunha had been smashing her monsters non-stop for several hours. As a result, she achieved the feat of completely eradicating all the monsters in the gate in less than a day. Eunha slowly raised her head. Her dark eyes that had been hidden in the shadows were sharply revealed. Eunha bent down and picked up her parasol, which had fallen to the ground. She slowly walked towards the mountain of monster corpses piled up behind her. As if worried for Eunha, a yellow message window popped up. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says it¡¯s enough and offers you a pink jelly.] Eunha looked ahead and continued walking, ignoring the yellow message window. When she finally arrived in front of the pile of monster corpses, Eunha grabbed her parasol and held it with both of her hands. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Blood splattered all over Eunha, and the blood on her black dress bloomed like flowers. The already dead monsters had their arms and legs cut off one by one. At the tip of the parasol, the broken pieces of muscle clung to each other. ¡°Bastards like you don¡¯t deserve to have corpses.¡± Eunha¡¯s low-pitched voice resounded through the cave. The sensation of slicing flesh was vivid in her fingertips. It was now a more familiar feeling than holding a pencil. Tuk. Something had fallen by Eunha¡¯s feet. A wish bracelet. When Eunha saw the bracelet that was cut off by a Lv. 30 monster during the battle, her dark eyes flared again. ¡®After your arms and legs, I will cut all of your blood vessels in the same way.¡¯ [Warning. The durability of ¡®Elegant Parasol¡¯ of ¡®The Princess of Dark Flare¡¯ is low. Repair is required.] Eunha ruthlessly threw away the parasol. Skid¡­ Instead of using the parasol, she picked up the stones around her. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! She stabbed, cut, and smashed. Even the cat couldn¡¯t say a word in response to her maniacal form. The cruel and sadistic frenzy ended soon after turning the monsters into ashes with her flames. There wasn¡¯t even a single chunk of meat left for dinner, but that didn¡¯t matter. Eunha rummaged through her pockets with her blood-stained hands. When she saw her wish bracelet, which had been broken helplessly, her anger surged again. Eunha returned to her hut and found her first aid kit, not even wiping the bloodstains on her face. Eunha, who took out the medical thread and needle with her hands that were covered in hardened blood, began to sew the bracelet carefully. She tried to use the materials in the kit, but there was a limit to restoring the bracelet with tools not suitable for her purpose. Eunha leaned against the wall of the hut without eating. Grasping her wish bracelet tightly in her hands, she slowly closed her eyes. ¡®Mom! Look what I made!¡¯ ¡®Wow, did my Eunha learn to make something like this?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, my teacher taught me. I¡¯ll give this to Mum. Since it¡¯s a wish bracelet, it¡¯s going to grant Mum¡¯s wish.¡¯ ¡®Oh really? Then, Eunha, will you tie it for me?¡¯ Eunha made a loose knot on her mother¡¯s wrist with her small, chubby hands. ¡®Mum, did you make your wish?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Mum wished for¡­¡¯ Then¡­ ¡®What did Mum say she wanted?¡¯ As time passed, Eunha woke up from her shallow sleep. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she soon realized that the bracelet had disappeared and came to her senses. Eunha got up and started to look around. Before long, she had found the stranded bracelet in a corner of the hut. ¡®I almost lost it.¡¯ A light of relief spread in her eyes. The moment she grabbed her bracelet, Eunha realized that it had been completely restored. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t Eunha who had restored the bracelet. It couldn¡¯t be a monster either. Eunha stared at the bracelet for a while. ¡°¡­ Cat.¡± A moment of silence passed. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ gently treads on your shadow.] ¡°¡­ Did you do this?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ nods its head up and down.] Eunha, who was gazing at the bracelet with an unknown look on her face, suddenly raised her head and opened her mouth towards the yellow message window. ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± Eunha grabbed the wish bracelet with her scarred hands. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ stands up with its ears perked up.] It was very happy to hear Eunha say thank you, so the yellow message window danced happily. Eunha carefully hung the restored bracelet onto her left wrist. She didn¡¯t forget to tie the knot tightly so that she wouldn¡¯t accidentally break it or lose it again. [Your eyes are twinkling like stars. They look very happy.] Suddenly, Eunha¡¯s body shone softly. The warm rays of light wiped away the blood stains on Eunha¡¯s face, hands, and dress. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ smiles satisfactorily.] A faint smile spread across Eunha¡¯s lips as she stared at the yellow message window. She couldn¡¯t see the cat, but she somehow felt like their eyes had met. *** Time passed slowly but surely. The cat, who had only been considered suspicious at first, was surprisingly a great helper and Eunha¡¯s only friend in the enclosed space. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ urges and pushes you.] Even when Eunha was on the verge of dying, [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ presses against your stomach.] When resting in the hut, [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ rubs its face against your ankle.] Even when they shared old stories from time to time, Eunha and the cat were always together. Perhaps it was because of her mood, but the closer Eunha got to the cat, the easier the battles became. Maybe it was simply because time had passed. The ¡®Elegant Parasol¡¯, which was more versatile than expected, the ¡®Black Silk Dress¡¯ that greatly reduced damage, and the ¡®power¡¯ of the cat were of great help in battles. [You have defeated the third Named!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the ¡®Black Rose Pendant¡¯ of ¡®The Princess of Dark Flare¡¯!] ¡­ [You have defeated the fourth Named!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the ¡®Thorn Shoes¡¯ of ¡®The Princess of Dark Flare¡¯!] Thanks to this, the battles with the third and fourth Named were finished more neatly than expected. Eunha listed the four pieces of loot collected so far in order. The first loot¡ªthe Elegant Parasol. The second loot¡ªthe Black Silk Dress. The third loot¡ªthe Black Rose Pendant. And the fourth loot¡ªthe Thorn Shoes. ¡®Now, there is only one left.¡¯ As long as she gets that¡ª Eunha fiddled with the loot with a glowing face. CH 7 ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡± Eunha wandered around the empty gate, then stopped in her tracks and muttered. The fifth Named monster did not appear. It felt like a few weeks had already passed. It was strange for the gate to be so quiet for so long. [Gate reset is complete.] [ ¨C ¨C ¨C Loading ¨C ¨C ¨C ] [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ has appeared!] There was another strange thing. The tigers, who used to run madly towards anything they encountered, became calm, perhaps because of their mood. They still respawned over and over again, but they didn¡¯t attack Eunha unless she made the first move. And even if Eunha attacked first, there were monsters that did not bare their teeth until the very end, although they would run away. ¡®Is it the result of repeated learning?¡¯ Suddenly, Eunha remembered a documentary about killer whales she had seen a long time ago. The reason why killer whales, which are said to be very vicious, did not attack humans first. There were many hypotheses about them, but one of the strongest hypotheses was that they remembered the ¡®Human Killer Whale Massacre¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± Peek. Eunha turned her gaze towards the ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯. The monster whined, cried weakly, and then began to run away. ¡®Can repeated learning also apply to monsters? That can¡¯t be.¡¯ Eunha tilted her head while chasing it. At least, the guys that Eunha had been dealing with hadn¡¯t seemed that smart. Thud! With a dull sound, the tiger slammed into the floor. Even if it were carrying a white flag, there was nothing Eunha needed to look out for against the monster. For her, armed with various loot and powers, Lv. 30 monsters were no longer on the food chain. ¡®I have to go back empty-handed today.¡¯ Eunha turned with a clouded face. The number of resets she remembered had already exceeded twenty. From experience, she knew that the fifth monster would probably not appear today. Eunha wanted to look around a little more, but she wasn¡¯t in good shape. It might have been because she had searched for the gate and went several days without sleep. So, Eunha thought it would be better to go back and rest for today. ¡°¡­¡± After returning to the hut, Eunha looked at her reflection in a puddle of water. She drew a red line from her cheeks to the line of her neck with the blood that had splattered onto her from the battle. Eunha, who was quite accustomed to her appearance, raised her sleeve and gently wiped off the bloodstains. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ wakes up from a nap.] [It stretches, comes up to you, and rubs your cheek.] ¡°Today was a waste of time.¡± Unlike the happy-looking cat, Eunha mumbled in a subdued voice. ¡°Can I get out of here?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ tilts its head and asks why you want to get out of here.] [Didn¡¯t you choose to stay here in the first place? I don¡¯t understand you.] It wasn¡¯t wrong. Eunha had chosen to stay here on behalf of her colleague. A yellow message window appeared once again in front of Eunha, who had closed her mouth. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ quietly warns that it is dangerous outside.] However, Eunha¡¯s thoughts were a little different. ¡®I don¡¯t think monsters will kill me even if I go outside at this point.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a baseless idea. In the case of a Named monster, its level would increase by 10 each time. The first Named was at Lv. 68, the second 78, the third 88, and the fourth a whopping 98. The maximum known monster level was 99. In other words, Eunha had beaten a monster that was almost at the highest strength. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ coaxes you, saying that it would be better for the two of you to live alone happily.] The cat said had so, but Eunha still left the hut the next day and the day after that to get the last loot. But again, she couldn¡¯t find any clues regarding it, let alone the loot itself. The fifth Named monster couldn¡¯t even be spotted in the shadows. ¡®Why?¡¯ For monsters to appear, certain conditions must¡¯ve been met¡­ Maybe it was a simple internal system error. The error may have also been the reason for why the monsters hadn¡¯t been attacking themselves lately. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Eunha leaned against the wall of the hut and stared at the space in front of her blankly with a tired face. Carved bars lined the inner walls of the cave. Eunha, who had been gazing at them with a weary face, habitually touched the wish bracelet on her left wrist. ¡®Mother¡¯s death anniversary must be over by now.¡¯ Eunha couldn¡¯t time it exactly, but she could guess. No matter how busy she was with her hunter life, Eunha visited her mother¡¯s grave every year without exception. No one else ever visited but her. ¡®I think it¡¯s been over two years.¡¯ In other words, her mother¡¯s grave was left unattended for two or more years. It must have been overgrown with weeds by now, and a thick layer of dust had to have accumulated on the tombstone. Maybe a wild animal would¡¯ve dug it up into a mess. At this point, Eunha had gotten up from her seat. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ bites the hem of your dress.] [Weren¡¯t we going to play word chain together today? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot?] tl/n: if you don¡¯t know what word chain is, it¡¯s basically that game where a person says a word and the next person has to make a word with the letter that the first word ends with. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I want to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± Humans were so pathetic. It wasn¡¯t like this when Eunha gave up on getting out, but the moment she had the faint hope of ¡°maybe¡±, she changed her mind. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ looks at you with sad eyes.] ¡°Sorry.¡± At Eunha¡¯s will, the yellow message window disappeared into the air like scattering puzzle pieces. To leave no more room for arguing, Eunha left the hut without looking back. *** Seoul, South Korea. 6:31 PM Kim Gwanghyun, the team leader of the Hunter Association, stared intently at the piece of paper in his hand. ? Name: Shin Siwoo ? Registration number: ¨C ? Affiliation: Wolf Guild ? Stamina: S ? Magic: S ? Combat Power: S ? Potential: 120% ? Unique Ability: Nature ? Remarks: Non-registered (requires the issuing of a license) ¡­ No matter how many times he checked it, the contents printed on the paper did not change. The measurement record didn¡¯t indicate whether or not there was a divine beast contract or any details related to the divine beasts, because they didn¡¯t want it. However, even without such an indication, Gwanghyun already knew that the divine beast was the ¡®Incarnation of the Dog¡¯. Gwanghyun, who withdrew his attention from the measurement results, raised his head and looked at the young man sitting in front of him, Shin Siwoo. Siwoo wore an oversized hoodie. Even though there was a person in front of him, he still had one of his earbuds plugged into his ear, and his chin resting loosely on his hand. Siwoo hid his navy blue hair into his hood and sucked on the straw that was in his drink. Gwanghyun had the illusion that water was flowing in Siwoo¡¯s blue pupils. Otherwise, he might have simply been yawning. In front of Siwoo, Gwanghyun spoke very carefully and politely. ¡°Regarding the tutorial I mentioned, it is an unavoidable and mandatory course, so even if you have been measured as an S-Class, you cannot skip it.¡± ¡°¡­ So if I just do that, I won¡¯t be bothered anymore, right?¡± Siwoo, who had been quietly listening to his words, made eye contact with Gwanghyun for the first time. It¡¯d been exactly 49 minutes since Gwanghyun began chatting with him here in the cafe. It seemed that the unbreakable ice had finally cracked. Gwanghyun, who might¡¯ve missed the opportunity, quickly nodded his head. ¡°Of course. When you complete the tutorial, you will be recognized as an official hunter, so you can continue with your future activities as you wish. If you have any other thoughts, feel free to contact our association¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Siwoo got up from his seat without letting him finish. He put on the earbud he had removed, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and then flashed a blue glance at Gwanghyun. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you in an hour. I¡¯ll leave my bag here.¡± Siwoo left the cafe without taking his luggage. The B-Class gate that Gwanghyun spoke of was a short distance away from the cafe. When he arrived at the gate, the police who were guarding it recognized and approached him. ¡°Hunter Shin Siwoo, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The policeman stared at the young man. ¡®This person is the son of the Wolf guild leader¡­?¡¯ Because he was the next owner of the largest guild in Korea, ¡®Wolf¡¯, the public paid all kinds of attention to him, which had probably started since his birth. However, for some reason, he had never appeared in front of the public and was under a veil up until now. Very few people knew that the S-Class hunters ¡®Baekrang¡¯ and Shin Siwoo, who had been hot topics recently, were actually the same person. The Siwoo he met in person was quite different from what the policeman had imagined. It seemed that his weak body was just a rumor. ¡®On the outside, you¡¯re just an ordinary college student.¡¯ ¡­ No, he corrected. His appearance was too conspicuous for an ordinary person. As if blue paint had been dripped onto his black hair, his navy hair shone even bluer under the streetlight. His eyes, calm as a lake and as clear as ice, were closer to the pale colour of water rather than blue. Eyes changing in colour due to the influence of awakening were common these days, but nonetheless, it was still a very unique colour. So the sixth S-Class hunter in Korea had this kind of appearance. If he revealed his real name and face to the public, he would surely become a huge hit, so why was he hiding his identity? The policeman opened his mouth while holding down questions that could not be posed. ¡°The association has contacted us in advance. Let me know when you¡¯re ready so I can open the gate.¡± ¡°Please open it now.¡± Siwoo answered briefly. ¡®You¡¯re going to enter the gate like this?¡¯ The policeman¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He only wore jeans and a hoodie, and it seemed that all he had was his cell phone in his back pocket. Hunters with a high rank usually had special weapons or armor, but despite that, he was dressed very lightly. But what could he do? If they want it open, he¡¯ll have to open it. The policeman put his hand on the gate-opening device. When the device was activated, the barrier that covered the gate entrance disappeared. The bright green gate opened, as if inviting him. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 7:23 PM.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Siwoo ran into the gate without hesitation. ¡°Oh, Hunter Shin Siwoo. Please fill out the consent form fir¡ª¡± The policeman said belatedly, but Siwoo had already disappeared into the gate. ¡°¡­Will it be okay?¡± A junior police officer approached and whispered softly. A young hunter jumping into a B-Class gate like a blood god seemed concerning. It was only concerning because he didn¡¯t know that the young man who had just jumped into the gate was the sixth S-Class hunter in Korea and the real son of the Wolf guild leader. The policeman shrugged his shoulders, his mouth itching to talk, but he obeyed the rules. ¡°I think I¡¯m going home early today.¡± CH 8 Baekrang¡ªthe sixth S-Class hunter in Korea. He was said to be a great ice mage who could turn Seoul into Alaska if he wanted to, and that was just one of the many rumours surrounding him. The reason why Baekrang, the heart of the rumour of unknown origin, didn¡¯t appear in public was actually not as great of a reason as people thought. ¡®Is this the last one?¡¯ After smashing the monsters that attacked him one after the other, Siwoo lightly flicked his index finger. Clink! Along with the body of the monster it was holding, the ice was crushed like shaved ice. Siwoo swallowed his nausea at the same time. ¡®¡­ The smell.¡¯ Siwoo looked away from the monster shards that were shattered along with the ice. He hurriedly covered his nose and mouth with his sleeves as if suddenly remembering to, then rummaged through his hood pocket and pulled out a thick mask. It was true that he was the future leader of Korea¡¯s largest Wolf Guild and the sixth S-Class hunter. However, he was uncomfortable with gates and monsters, and had no intention of doing hunter activities. No, rather, he hated it. Siwoo, who was wearing his mask, discovered that his sleeve had been torn from the battle. The torn fabric felt uncomfortable, so if it continued like this, it would interfere with the battle. He couldn¡¯t take his shirt off, so after thinking for a moment, Siwoo quickly rolled up his sleeve. ¡°¡­¡± The scars on the surface of his arm were revealed. They were so severe that he doubted his eyes. The scars from punctures, burns, and sharp cuts were countless. Siwoo was well aware of when and where the scars were obtained, and that one of them stretched over his arm, to his shoulder, and to his back. The blue eyes staring at the dense scars sunk coldly. ¡®Can you carry ¡®Wolf¡¯ with this much?¡¯ Siwoo, who was staring at his scar, lowered his sleeve again, as if blocking it. At that moment, he was about to take a step. ¡°Hm?¡± Something glistened on his toes. Siwoo, who was wearing his mask, bent his upper body and picked it up. It was a purple ore the size of a fist. It was a stone that could be obtained by defeating the boss monster with the ¡®Gate Core¡¯. Bringing this back home would be proof that he had completed the tutorial. After taking the core, Siwoo checked the cell phone in his back pocket. The current time was 7:58. Clearing the gate seemed to take about 30 minutes. ¡®If you include the time needed to take a taxi back to where Kim Gwanghyun is and to get to the cafe¡­¡¯ It¡¯d probably be around 8:30. Siwoo wouldn¡¯t be late. After wiping his hands and the screen of his cell phone clean with a white handkerchief, Siwoo turned around. It was strange. ¡®The exit¡­ Is it still closed?¡¯ He had cleared all the monsters without leaving a single one. He also took the gate core. Siwoo stood still for a moment and began to think about the situation. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Even with the experience and knowledge accumulated for more than ten years through practical training, Siwoo had never heard of such a case. Maybe this was the unknown gate he¡¯d only heard of? ¡®No. It was definitely green.¡¯ A gate¡¯s difficulty level could be determined by the color of its opening. The data from the association stated that it was B-Class, and he clearly saw that the opening was green when he entered. So, there was only one case left. The case where there were two bosses. Sometimes there were monsters with two bodies, which happened in ways such as by splitting. ¡®I have no choice but to check.¡¯ Siwoo eventually went back to the center of the gate. A path of ice was laid down, indicating the direction he had been walking. Of course, there was nothing to be seen on it. After walking through the passage, Siwoo continued walking along the inner wall. Around the time when his blue eyes, which had sunk like a calm lake, were starting to get annoyed, he found a black opening that shook loudly in the deepest part of the gate. It was a phenomenon that he had never seen before, but his instincts were telling him that the last monster was over there. After hesitating for a while, Siwoo finally stepped in. The opening shuddered violently as if it were rebelling for a moment, then dispersed in the air with a pulsating sound. In an instant, a pitch-black darkness spread across his field of vision. Siwoo felt like he was drowning in ink. As time passed and his vision brightened again, Siwoo found a pair of eyes looking at him. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is charging towards you!] ¡®¡­ Tiger?¡¯ A giant black tiger was rushing towards him in a straight line. Siwoo raised his hand at an angle. As if snow had begun to fall, the tips of his dark blue hair slowly turned white. At the same time, as if a chill in the air was gathering, his fingertips also began to turn white. In the blink of an eye, a sharp blade of ice formed along his hand. Whoosh! The beast-type monster was cut in two by the cool blade that swung without warning. Siwoo frowned as he looked at the smoothly cut flesh. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ The beast-type monster was different from the insect-type monsters he¡¯d encountered so far. It was strange. A phenomenon he had never heard of before: a gate inside a gate. Clack¡ª At that moment, the black tip of a shoe suddenly appeared among the scattered ice shards. He could feel the powerful energy approaching him. Siwoo slowly looked up. ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re the real boss.¡± Contrary to his unshaking voice, Siwoo¡¯s fingertips were trembling faintly. It was as if he had been suppressed by an invisible spirit. But if he didn¡¯t get rid of it, he couldn¡¯t get out of here. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Because this¡¯ll be the last time.¡¯ Siwoo, who was determined, raised his hand. The cool chill began to concentrate once again following the shape of his hand. ¡°¡­ A boss?¡± Standing tall, his hands stopped in mid-air. Unbelievably, Siwoo heard Korean. The hair that had been dyed white returned to dark blue in an instant. ¡°¡­A woman?¡± His sharp eyes turned round. Walking through the darkness, ¡®it¡¯ was revealed to have the form of a human woman. *** About 5 minutes ago. After leaving the hut, Eunha was wandering around the gate as usual. The fifth monster she was looking for was still nowhere to be seen. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ve walked around in vain again today.¡¯ She lost the strength in her shoulders. Then, without thinking, her feet staggered as she stepped forward. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Eunha managed to regain her balance and touched her forehead. The floor was obviously still, but her brain shook as if a great earthquake had occurred. Her condition was at its worst these days, and it worsened day by day. Was it malnutrition? Maybe there was a limit to how much she could satisfy her hunger with tiger meat. Eunha didn¡¯t know how many days she¡¯d been locked up in the gate, but it wasn¡¯t just for a few days or weeks. It was understandable that her body was complaining, as she hadn¡¯t eaten properly for a long period of time. If that wasn¡¯t the case, it may have been because of her exhaustion from continuous battle. Since Eunha had been struggling to find the last Named monster these days, she hadn¡¯t been able to rest properly. In any case, the red sign of her health was not a happy one for Eunha. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is watching you.] It seemed that there was still one monster left. Guys who weren¡¯t even worth a fist seemed to be more irritating today. Annoyed, Eunha was about to swing her parasol. [Lv. 30 ¡®Red-Eyed Black Tiger¡¯ is terrified! It attempts to escape.] Again, the monster started to run away. Eunha sighed softly. She didn¡¯t really feel like chasing after the monster. In her heart, she wanted to ignore it, but she couldn¡¯t. No matter how bad a monster it is, if you don¡¯t completely eliminate it, you¡¯d be in trouble. It was at the moment when Eunha, who pressed her temple firmly, turned around to chase the beast. [Warning! System corruption detected. External interference is suspected.] [Forcibly resetting the gate.] [ ¨C ¨C ¨C Loading ¨C ¨C ¨C ] [Warning! An unknown error has occurred.] A dark red warning window popped up in front of Eunha. ¡®All of a sudden, what¡ª¡¯ A loud siren began to sound. The earthquake hit Eunha so strongly that it made her whole body shake. When the ground shook in the midst of a severe headache, Eunha lost her mind. Eunha managed to center herself and quickly scanned her surroundings. Cracks were forming on the inner wall of the gate. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ senses an unfamiliar presence and tightens its jaw.] ¡°So you¡¯re the real boss.¡± Holding her parasol in her hand and preparing for battle, Eunha suddenly froze on the spot. ¡°¡­ A boss?¡± If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, what Eunha had just heard was a man¡¯s voice. A human. So in this gate, there were humans and not only monsters. Eunha was soon able to face the blue pupils that were staring at her. They were full of hostility. ¡°Are you a human?¡± Mumbling in disbelief, Eunha seemed surprised. Her heart started beating loudly. She wasn¡¯t sure if it had been months or years since she had encountered something that wasn¡¯t a monster. Eunha took a step closer to him with an overwhelming feeling. Then, the person frowned without mercy. It was as if Eunha gave off an unbearable stench. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment¡ª¡± ¡°There is nothing to talk about with a monster.¡± Swish! A sharp-edged icicle drew a thin red line on Eunha¡¯s cheek and brutally nailed itself to the wall behind it. His ice-cold eyes were full of hostility. Siwoo quickly analyzed the opponent. The long hair that went down to her waist was as black as ebony, and her bloodless skin was as pale as a corpse. Red blood dripped down around her lips, which weren¡¯t even red, but purple. A suspiciously glamorous black dress. A black parasol with roses. Shimmering flames that wrapped around her body like a living snake. No matter how much Korean she spoke and how much she looked like a young woman, this was a gate. An uninhabitable gate. Siwoo¡¯s judgment that she wasn¡¯t human was natural. Whoosh! Loaded like bullets, icicles rushed towards her with the speed of lightning bolts. As if they were about to end with a single blow, the icicles defied the resistance of the air and struck in a straight line. Siwoo didn¡¯t want her to stay here anymore. There was the disgusting smell of monster blood, and the adrenaline that spread throughout his body was unpleasant due to the prolonged battle. Whoosh! Whoosh! After that, Siwoo continued to attack endlessly¡­ Was it because of his mood? His attacks never seemed to hit. ¡®This¡­ This is a B-Class gate?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be. The ease gradually disappeared from Siwoo¡¯s face. But he couldn¡¯t back down from here. Ding. [Activating the power ¡®Dog¡¯s Teeth¡¯.] A yellow message window appeared in front of Siwoo, although Eunha couldn¡¯t see it. Pshhh¡ª! The ice fragments surrounding Siwoo took the shape of a beast¡¯s sharp fangs. Eunha knew instinctively. The person genuinely intended to kill her. ¡®I can¡¯t help it then.¡¯ Eunha¡¯s eyes, which had only been focused on evasion, changed sharply. There was no way she could sit down and have a peaceful conversation. From the looks of it, the opponent was also an Awakened with unique abilities. In other words, he seemed to be a hunter. Then¡­ ¡®As long as I don¡¯t kill him.¡¯ With determination, Eunha leapt into the air in a soft arc. CH 9 Whirl¡ª The hem of her dress drew a black and beautiful wave. And in between¡ª Swish! ¡ªA ball of fire flew in. Its speed alone was astonishing. ¡®Your opponent isn¡¯t good.¡¯ An ice shield taller than his height was erected in front of Siwoo. Facing that cold temperature, the ambitious fireball went out like a lamp. Hiss! At the same time, shards of ice in the form of wild beasts¡¯ teeth flew towards Eunha. However, Eunha lightly avoided all of them and muttered with an expressionless face. ¡°Hiding behind a shield won¡¯t be able to kill me.¡± There was no nervousness in her calm tone. However, it was the same with Siwoo, who was standing behind the shield. He stared at the floor calmly. The ice shield that was hit by the fireball melted little by little, and water droplets dripped down. The moment the last drop of water fell into the puddle on the floor¡­ Shhhhh¡ª A stream of water gushed out as if it had been given a soul and stretched out to Eunha. ¡°¡­!¡± Water? Not ice? Eunha reflexively threw out fire, but it went out like a candle in front of a fire extinguisher. Unlike the flying fragments of ice, this had a tremendous amount of momentum. Eunha, who clicked her tongue belatedly, quickly kicked the ground and tried to leap into the air. Pang¡ª Eunha¡¯s body reeled from a momentary headache. The stream of water twisted its body like a snake, not missing the opportunity, and quickly wrapped around Eunha¡¯s neck. ¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯ By the time she realized it, it was already too late. She couldn¡¯t believe she was having a headache at a time like this. Furthermore, Eunha didn¡¯t know that the person could control water. She was complacent because she had gotten too used to the beast-type monsters in the gate. A very bad physical attitude in recent years had also played a part. Clearly, the young man in front of her was strong. Probably stronger than all the enemies Eunha had ever faced. Even so, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t win. This just happened out of negligence. The stream of water turned into a thick rope, strangling Eunha¡¯s neck without mercy. It began to block her mouth and nose one after the other, without leaving any time to remove it. ¡®I can¡¯t breathe¡­!?¡¯ She squeezed her tightly closed lips, and air bubbles leaked out. Am I going to die like this? That¡¯s what she thought. Suffocation or drowning. Eunha had never thought that her death would be like this. And by human hands? There was no comedy in this. Her mother¡¯s tombstone, which was cold, suddenly came to mind in her hazy mind. Eunha. Eunha. Go to school. Eunha¡­ Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ looks at you with anxious eyes.] [Unnie, ¡ªDon¡¯t.] [Golden eyes glow with a deep look of concern.] Gradually, Eunha¡¯s vision blurred. [The fur of the divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ begins to shine brightly.] [Congratulations! ¡®Ah¡ª¡¯ from ¡®¡ªHeuk¡ª¡¯ and Da!] It was no longer possible to read the letters because of the water that covered her face. ¡®More¡­ More than this, Eun.¡¯ Eunha closed her eyes tightly. It felt like something cold touched her forehead. Paah! Suddenly, her entire field of vision went black. The water that was blocking her eyes, nose, and mouth disappeared, and breathing was finally possible. ¡®¡­ What happened?¡¯ She closed and opened her eyes again. Her vision was still black. However, the message window that appeared in front of her was clearly readable. [You have achieved the hidden achievement ¡®Wear the Five Black Treasures¡¯.] [Achievement rewards will be given.] [ ¨C ¨C ¨C Loading ¨C ¨C ¨C ] ¡®¡­ Achievements? A reward?¡¯ Confused, Eunha started groping her face and body. Before long, she noticed that she was wearing a cold metal object over her head. The fifth item. There was no doubt. Eunha was convinced that this was the fifth item she had been looking for for so long. ¡®Cat¡­ so you were holding it?¡¯ At the end of the doubts that filled her mind, a wave of disappointment hit her. [Congratulations! You have acquired the title ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯. Do you want to use it right away? ? Yes/No] Eunha had to sort out the current situation first. She didn¡¯t know what effect the title had, but in order to subdue the strong enemy in front of her, she had to grab at whatever she had. Without hesitation, Eunha put her finger on the ¡®Yes¡¯ button. Ding. [The title ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯ is used.] Then, another message window overlapped the current one. [Your unique abilities evolve.] [Flame ? Dark Flame] Afterwards, the darkness surrounding Eunha disappeared in an instant. ¡°¡­ You.¡± Siwoo, whose face had changed, came into view. ¡°Where have you disappeared off to?¡± Instead of answering him, Eunha patted her hair. The feeling of the cold tiara was clearly transmitted to the tip of her finger. As expected, what just happened doesn¡¯t seem to be a hallucination. Fwoom! Even without opening her palms, flames were summoned from her shoulders. The flame with an ego flew towards the enemy in front of it according to its owner¡¯s will. ¡°¡­!¡± It was a different speed than before. Siwoo, who managed to activate his ice shield, realized that her flames had turned black. Even when the dark flames she shot out touched the ice, there were no signs of them extinguishing at all. It must have been no ordinary fire. The moment Siwoo faced the black burning flame, a forgotten memory flashed through his mind. ¡®The princess of dark flare?¡¯ It was a story told one day by a middle-aged hunter who he had happened to talk to. ¡®She spoke the human language and was said to be beautiful enough to charm hunters. When you meet that monster, run away without looking back. Her black flames are said to burn even the soul.¡¯ Humans were a race with fear and curiosity for an unknown realm that they had never experienced. It was natural for rumours and speculation about gates and monsters to spread. The Princess of Dark Flare. It was an embarrassingly childish name. Siwoo just heard that it might be the monster version of the Red Mask or the Hong Kong Grandma*¡­ tl/n: *common urban legends in korea Siwoo looked up at the humanoid monster in front of him. ¡°¡­ Princess of dark flare.¡± Then, her expression contorted strangely. He couldn¡¯t read what she was thinking now. Siwoo clenched his fist. A gate blocked on all sides. A formidable opponent and no confidence to win. The faint smell of blood. Fingertips that were getting cold. All of this forced out bad memories buried under the ice caps. The two of them resumed the attack, regardless of whoever came first. Black and blue sparks flew everywhere. The interior of the gate, with the right mix of water and fire, created a dramatic environment. Ding. [The 12 divine beasts ¡®Dogs Guarding the Deep Night¡¯ bare their teeth.] [I am very wary of that woman who smells like a cat.] ¡®¡­ Cat?¡¯ Siwoo looked at her with a glance. Looking at it again, it was a human-type monster that never appeared to be a beast-type monster. There was no time to observe her leisurely. Correcting his softened eyes, Siwoo beckoned towards the floor. The water around it started to come out drop by drop. The water droplets gathered next to Siwoo, and he immediately created a distant pool of water. Thanks to the flames, the surrounding ice melted like ice cream. It was a good thing for him to be able to summon such a huge spray. The spray savagely charged towards its immobile prey. It was more like a tidal wave than a spray. He watched with his own eyes as she was swallowed by the tidal wave. However. ¡®She didn¡¯t avoid it.¡¯ That is, there was no need to avoid it. Siwoo did not lower his guard. As if to prove his expectations, the tidal wave that swallowed her began to writhe wildly. Pwaaah! Half of the water evaporated, and the other half began to scatter in all directions, spewing hot vapour. The drops of water falling on the floor made loud hisses and spewed steam. It was obvious that the moment Siwoo touched it, he would receive severe burns. When Siwoo took a step back, ¡°I wanted to talk to you.¡± A low voice was heard from behind. It was so close that the hair on his neck stood up. Siwoo, who unconsciously swallowed his saliva, glanced behind his back. There, a black and white woman was smiling. The moment he saw that alluring smile, it felt like his breath had stopped. ¡®Is this the end?¡¯ It was a feeling that ¡®death¡¯, which he had never even thought of or even imagined, was finally embodied in front of his eyes. ¡°Actually, I guess I missed humans.¡± The area around the left cheek heated up. From the left field of vision, he could see a distant black flame dancing. And the next moment. Thump¡ª ¡°¡­¡± It fell down. ¡°¡­?¡± The humanoid monster, not himself. Siwoo stiffened and stared at the black hair that ran down his shoulders. She fell to the floor and didn¡¯t budge, like a broken clockwork doll. ¡®If¡­ If she hadn¡¯t fallen.¡¯ Cold sweat dripped down his back. Siwoo stood there for a while, like a sergeant, staring at the back of her fallen head. ¡®Is she dead?¡¯ No, it looked like she was still breathing, even if it was very faint. Fwoom. The sound of the gate opening was heard in the distance. Why was the exit open when the boss wasn¡¯t dead yet? The moment his curiosity struck, Siwoo reached out to her to confirm. Glint. A small light flashed from the corner of her neck. Something flat laid underneath a strange-looking pendant. ¡®¡­ This.¡¯ Siwoo¡¯s hand stopped mid-air. ¡ª A golden dog tag. It was the symbol of a hunter. CH 10 ¡°Why hasn¡¯t there been any news yet?¡± Gwanghyun stared nervously at his watch. Siwoo, who had confidently promised to return within an hour, had not returned. ¡®Should I just go home?¡¯ It was already well past his work hours. By now, it was clear that his daughter would be calling her father by now. Gwanghyun, who had been in this dilemma countless times, was unable to leave. ¡®If I left, I¡¯d have nothing to say to the president of the association.¡¯ The president of the Hunter Association was eyeing Siwoo. Shin Siwoo was an S-Class hunter. His natural lineage was also precious. More notably, he was able to handle water as well as ice. His abilities could be used indefinitely not only in battle, but also for fighting fires or rescuing refugees. ¡®The president of the association deserves to be greedy.¡¯ But will he accept the offer? Gwanghyun didn¡¯t think that he would even wiggle an eyebrow with his sense of humor. Siwoo was reluctant to appear in public. It was not known whether it was by his own will or the will of the Wolf Guild. Although he went through the tutorial process, which had been delayed until today, he still acted as if he was not interested in hunter activities. How the heck would he be able to entice Siwoo into the association? Gwanghyun dwelled on those unanswered worries for about 30 minutes. Just then, the bell rang. ¡°No, Hunter Shin!¡± Crash! The chair he was sitting on collapsed with a loud noise. The face that had just been rotten a few moments ago was nowhere to be seen, and Gwanghyun opened the door with a full-faced smile. By the way. Gwanghyun¡¯s face suddenly hardened when he saw Siwoo. ¡°Huh? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, well¡­¡± Siwoo trailed off at the end of his words. The hoodie he was wearing had holes in several places, as if it had been splattered by sparks. Burnt shoes, disheveled hair, and dark, ash-stained cheeks. Gwanghyun couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment at Siwoo¡¯s appearance, which was quite different from when he left the cafe. ¡®An S-Class struggled in a B-Class gate?¡¯ It was ridiculous. It¡¯d be more realistic to encounter a fire on the way back. ¡°Here you go.¡± Siwoo suddenly held out a purple mineral, the gate core. So, even though there were ups and downs, the tutorial seemed to have been completed. Gwanghyun didn¡¯t know why he became like that, but the fact that he came back after clearing the B-Class gate by himself was proof that he was indeed an S-Class Hunter. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. First, sit here. You must be very busy, so I will tell you quickly.¡± ¡°Do you know how to do something like first aid?¡± ¡°Yes, first aid¡ª.¡± Standing tall, Gwanghyun stopped. ¡°Yes? First aid? Where did you get hurt¡­?¡± ¡°Not me.¡± Siwoo quickly raised his thumb and pointed at his back. ¡°It¡¯s for her.¡± Only then did Gwanghyun realize that Siwoo was carrying something on his back. It was a young woman of a small figure, hidden by his large back. ¡°This is¡­ huh.¡± Gwanghyun took a breath. Wrapped in black cloth like a caterpillar, she had a very pale complexion. The wrists sticking out of her black sleeves were strangely pale and skinny. ¡°Please check her condition. I can¡¯t go to the hospital because of certain circumstances.¡± Saying that, Siwoo looked a little nervous. He was required to have first aid and basic medical knowledge so that he could solve incidents and accidents anytime and anywhere if he was a member of an association that handled hunter and gate-related tasks. But knowing this, Siwoo was still asking for help. From Gwanghyun¡¯s point of view, there was nothing wrong with accepting his request. It wasn¡¯t that he was asking for surgery right away, so if it was just a brief look, then it would be fine. The moment Gwanghyun was about to approach her, Siwoo suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Oh, be careful. If she wakes up now, I won¡¯t be able to stop her.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Gwanghyun slowly blinked his eyes. Did he hear it wrong? Siwoo, an S-Class hunter, couldn¡¯t stop her¡­ Gwanghyun looked at her slowly. It¡¯d been a while since he had seen someone with such black hair. Because of the influence of gates, contracted divine beasts, and superpowers, modern people, irrespective of the East and the West, had started to have colourful hair and eye colours. From Siwoo¡¯s attitude and unusual attire, he was obviously an awakened person. So, Gwanghyun couldn¡¯t believe that she had such pure black hair. Her hair wasn¡¯t the only thing that was odd. ¡®That dress. And unless I¡¯m losing my mind, the thing she¡¯s holding in her hand¡­ It¡¯s a parasol.¡¯ The dress with excessive lace was as black as her hair. Was it a cosplay? For such a thing, the details were strangely realistic, whether it was the slightly worn ribbon or the sleeve with a glimpse of blood. ¡°Well, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any specific injuries other than a severe fever. I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s just simply exhaustion.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not that bad?¡± ¡°Yes. When the fever goes down, she¡¯ll probably come to her senses soon. Well, I can¡¯t be sure since I¡¯m not a doctor, but that¡¯s my opinion.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± Was it because of the mood? For an instant, Siwoo¡¯s face seemed to be stained with relief. But after a moment, he jumped up from his seat and hugged her gently. ¡°Oh, wait a minute, Hunter Shin.¡± Gwanghyun blocked Siwoo¡¯s way. ¡°I still have something to tell you.¡± ¡°I will decline any invitation to join the association. As you know, I already have a guild.¡± ¡°But your father is already with the Wolf Guild¡­¡± ¡°I will decline.¡± Siwoo, who cut off his words, stared straight at Gwanghyun. He spoke softly with a face that didn¡¯t hide his annoyance. ¡°After the tutorial, didn¡¯t you say that I can carry out activities freely?¡± ¡°Well, then how about this? First of all, tomorrow¡­ No, visit the association whenever you have time¡ª¡± ¡°Get out of my way, please.¡± Siwoo, who cut off Gwanghyun¡¯s words once again, tilted his head. ¡°There are other things I need to prioritize compared to that.¡± He had no more courage left to stop him. In the end, Gwanghyun had no choice but to let the S-Class hunter go in front of his eyes. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not easy, really.¡± Gwanghyun stared at Siwoo¡¯s back through the window and watched as he gradually became smaller. Then, he suddenly realized one thing. ¡®¡­ Wait a minute. Come to think of it, that woman looked just like the Princess of Dark Flare in the ghost story.¡¯ A black dress stained with blood. A parasol with a black rose pattern. Shoes with thorns. Long hair. Blood-stained skin. Everything fitted perfectly. ¡®No way¡­ It can¡¯t be.¡¯ Gwanghyun shook his head. At that moment, Siwoo¡¯s warning flashed through his mind. ¡®If she wakes up now, I probably won¡¯t be able to stop her either.¡¯ Gwanghyun¡¯s movements stopped abruptly. His instincts were telling him. That girl, there¡¯s something about her. *** Something smelled good. Eunha slowly opened her eyelids. She had a headache that felt like someone was poking her forehead with a needle. This excruciating headache was yet to show any signs of getting better. ¡°This is¡­¡± She looked around with her forehead throbbing. Eunha recognized that the smell was the scent of fabric softener on the blanket. Eunha was still dazed. As she pulled her body up, she saw a white box in her hazy vision. ¡®This.¡¯ Carefully folded inside the box was Eunha¡¯s old military uniform. Why was this¡­? During her moment of confusion, a thin shadow fell beside Eunha. ¡°Oh, are you awake? I will bring the master.¡± It was a young woman cleaning the room. ¡®¡­ Room?¡¯ Only then did the surrounding environment clearly enter Eunha¡¯s field of vision. A fluffy bed, A wooden table, White curtains, And¡­ Sunshine. When her dazed eyes finally focused, her black pupils widened greatly. Crash! Eunha fell out of bed. ¡°Oh my, are you okay?¡± The woman came over and held out her hand. Without taking her hand, Eunha looked around her with a stunned face. ¡®This isn¡¯t a gate.¡¯ Escape¡­ Did she do it? How the hell? Eunha¡¯s memories were cut off at the end of the battle against the blue-eyed hunter. In her confused mind, a voice she had never heard before pierced through. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Ah, master.¡± ¡°Good job. Now get out.¡± Eunha raised her head. The blue-eyed hunter. It was him. ¡°How is your body?¡± Judging from his tone and expression, it seemed as if he was genuinely concerned about her physical condition, even though that wasn¡¯t possible. Whoosh! She didn¡¯t answer him and leapt quickly and stood on the edge of the bed instead. Black flames flared from her shoulders, as if to prove her hostility. ¡°¡­¡± It was strange. The man made a troubled face, and instead of taking his battle stance, he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I startled you.¡± Polite words. Eunha¡¯s eyes narrowed. Eunha did not loosen her hardened face in front of the man whose attitude and tone had changed. It was difficult to comprehend his attitude, which was very different from during the battle. ¡°I will tell someone to prepare gruel. Can you eat it?¡± A subtle silence passed between the two of them. Eunha still hadn¡¯t stopped her flames, and looked at him sharply. The hostility in her eyes still hadn¡¯t disappeared. Siwoo opened his mouth and spoke in the calmest tone possible without hastily narrowing the distance with Eunha. ¡°Please don¡¯t be so wary. If I wanted to do something, I would have done it already.¡± Eunha checked every inch of her body. There were no signs of injuries or restraint except for the lack of strength in the body and severe headaches. Rather, traces of treatment were seen everywhere. ¡°¡­ Why did you attack like you were about to kill me? What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a situation where anyone could misunderstand?¡± There weren¡¯t just a few humanoid monsters that appeared in gates. They were rare to say the least, but they had still appeared before. Furthermore. ¡°Normal humans don¡¯t smell that strongly of blood.¡± ¡°So you still think I¡¯m a monster.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? If I had thought of it that way, I would have already killed you while you were sleeping.¡± Exhausted, Eunha slept soundly for almost two days. During that time, twisting her neck would¡¯ve been easier than breaking a child¡¯s finger. But, Siwoo didn¡¯t. Eunha glanced at him. From Eunha¡¯s point of view, there were many things she wanted to ask him. How he got into the gate, how he was able to get himself out of there, and¡­ ¡®You called me the Princess of Dark Flare.¡¯ How did he know about the title that even Eunha didn¡¯t know? ¡°¡­¡± The black flame that was burning by her side slowly faded away. Of course, it wasn¡¯t completely extinguished. Eunha, who sharpened her eyes, raised her gaze. Siwoo was sitting a little further away in an upright position. He had a respectful attitude as if he was speaking to his superiors. ¡°Thank you.¡± In front of Eunha, who seemed to have a bit of heart to talk, he showed a smile of relief. Eunha¡¯s eyebrows twitched. What the hell is up with this guy? Meanwhile, Siwoo thought. Judging from the circumstances so far, there was a high probability that she was human. The evidence was as follows. 1. The gate exit was open even though she was not dead. What this meant was that she wasn¡¯t the gate¡¯s boss. 2. Siwoo checked the surroundings without leaving the gate immediately after Eunha had lost consciousness. As a result, he found a hut nearby that looked like it was made by human hands. A pile of monster corpses was charred, as if it had been used as a campfire, and there were old military uniforms, wrapping paper presumed to be emergency food shells, and books with dust on them. ¡®I don¡¯t know why the TOEIC problem book was there.¡¯ tl/n: TOEIC is the Test of English for International Communication 3. Monsters are supposed to attack defenseless humans. This was unconditional. However, as soon as she opened her eyes, she did not attack the caretaker she had met. And lastly, 4. ¡°I¡¯ll give this back. I borrowed it for a while.¡± Siwoo held out a golden dog tag to Eunha. The investigation was already over, so it was no longer needed. Eunha received it with a wary gesture and naturally hung it back around her neck. Siwoo, who was sitting opposite to her, stared with a strange gaze, then slowly opened his mouth. ¡°First of all, welcome to the world 30 years later, sunbae.¡± As soon as Siwoo finished speaking, Eunha, who was now wearing her dog tag, stiffened like a rock. ¡­ What? CH 11 note: ¡®unni¡¯ is a term used by younger women to address older women. ¡®sunbae¡¯ refers to people with more experience (opposite is ¡®hoobae¡¯) ¡°The golden dog tag from military service. Hunters of today don¡¯t have it.¡± At first, he thought it was fake. However, Siwoo soon found out that it was the real thing. It bothered him a little that the name had been erased, but it did not change the conclusion that it was genuine anyway. A first-generation hunter. Siwoo, unable to hide his excitement, couldn¡¯t wait for her to open her eyes and look up the number on the tag. By the way¡­ Sadly, there was no personal information left that could be of any help. 30 years had passed since the first generation was active, and at that time, hunters and ordinary people alike died very often. There were too many casualties to count the missing. There would be a lot of missing information. Even if information about her remained, it was probably the Korean Hunter Association that was keeping it. Even if he was an S-Class, Siwoo had no right to inquire about it at will. ¡°My name is Shin Siwoo. May I ask for your name?¡± ¡°¡­ I am¡­¡± Eunha, who had slowly moved her lips, stopped talking. ¡®¡­ My voice.¡¯ It didn¡¯t come out. Even when she moved her lips, her voice didn¡¯t come out as she wanted it to. Eunha put her hand on her neck with a strangely stiff face. Then, a scene from the past flashed before Eunha¡¯s eyes. [Firstly, do not mention the 13th divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯. Secondly, I ask you to give me your name.] [Literally, it means that your name is mine, and you can no longer use it.] ¡®The restrictions the cat said. You¡­ were you talking about this?¡¯ Eunha found a pen and paper lying on the table. She quickly went over there and took the pen. ¡°¡­¡± Her hand didn¡¯t move when she tried to write her name. It was as if she was bound by an invisible chain. In front of the stiff Eunha, Siwoo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°¡­ I see. You still can¡¯t easily believe what I¡¯m saying. I understand.¡± How could he gain her trust? Siwoo pondered for a moment, then rummaged through his pocket and pushed the screen of his phone to her. May 12, 2031. That was the date displayed on the screen. ¡°¡­ What is that?¡± This time, her voice came out as expected. Eunha touched her neck and stared at the square machine that Siwoo held out. ¡°A phone. It¡¯s a cell phone.¡± Eunha narrowed her eyes. The design was different from the cell phone she knew. In front of her still doubtful face, the news was shown. <¡ð¡ð Daily> May 12, 2031 As Eunha stared at the news, her eyes began to shake. If today really was May 12, 2031, it meant that she had been locked up in the gate for 30 years and 2 months. ¡®No, that can¡¯t be true.¡¯ It was true that she had been locked in the gate for a long time. Although she had given up on counting the date halfway through, Eunha was arguably certain. It couldn¡¯t have been as long as 30 years. Was the passage of time different on the inside and outside of the gate? A place where phenomena that couldn¡¯t be explained both scientifically and with common sense occurred. That was the Unknown Gate. Even so©¤. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ 53 years old?¡± If 30 years had passed, Eunha would have turned 50 now. It was ridiculous. Eunha hurriedly turned around and stood in front of the full-length mirror that was in the room. She looked the same as before she was locked in the gate. The only difference was that her clothes had changed from a military uniform to a dress, and her hair was longer than before. ¡°I understand that this must be very shocking. It¡¯s the first time this has happened to me as well, so I also can¡¯t believe it.¡± Eunha with agitated eyes. And Siwoo, who watched her quietly. In the room where the white curtains fluttered, a heavy silence fell as if cold water had been poured on it. Eunha, who had kept her mouth closed for a while, slowly raised her head. ¡°¡­ I want to see it with my own eyes.¡± It wasn¡¯t a story that could be easily trusted unless you checked it yourself. *** In a running car. Siwoo, holding the steering wheel, glanced towards the passenger seat. Eunha was silently staring at the scenery through the window. It looked very strange, and it wasn¡¯t just because of her dress. It was as if she had just fallen out of the sky. She had an expression like that. ¡°¡­¡± The scenery outside, changing so quickly that the eyes couldn¡¯t follow, was quite different from the appearance of Seoul that Eunha knew, even at a glance. Arriving at their destination, they parked their car in a suitable place and got off. In the unfamiliar landscape, Eunha turned the corner in a direction her body remembered. It had to be there. ¡®¡­ No.¡¯ Eunha stopped in her tracks. It was a shantytown where refugees who had lost their homes after the Gate Incident would go. It was also the place where Eunha last lived. The address was unmistakable. However, there were no traces of the house where Eunha inhabited. Only commercial buildings and dazzlingly bright signs were flashing. Eunha saw a tree with a white ribbon next to it. The tree, which had been called the ¡®Tree of Hope¡¯ among refugees, had grown more than twice its height and looked down at Eunha. ¡®One day, when this sapling grows much bigger than the shack here, I hope this nightmare of reality will end.¡¯ On the day the seedlings were planted, someone¡¯s earnest prayer was still vivid in Eunha¡¯s mind. ¡°Can you believe me now, sunbae?¡± Eunha, who stood in place, didn¡¯t show any change in her expression. She only clenched her fists very slightly. The sun was slowly falling behind the building that seemed to cut through the sky. Eunha¡¯s black hair fluttered. The smell of blood was carried by the wind and reached Siwoo¡¯s nose. It was a smell that normal humans didn¡¯t have. Eunha didn¡¯t move in place for over an hour. As the white moon hung over the darkened sky, Siwoo, who was slowly getting used to the smell of her blood, glanced at the time. ¡°Shall we go back?¡± She fixed her gaze on the pine tree and licked her lips slightly. ¡°¡­ Where?¡± Where the hell was she supposed to go? She had already lost her home twice. Siwoo, who stared at her expressionless face, turned his back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to my mansion first and finish the rest of your story? There must still be a lot of things we want to ask each other.¡± The black eyes fixed on the pine tree moved slightly. Eunha glanced at Siwoo¡¯s back. ¡­ There was no other choice. *** She couldn¡¯t sleep. The caretaker who had cleaned her room brought new sheets, pillows, and even pajamas that were just the right size. But Eunha didn¡¯t change her clothes and just sat across the table. The clock on the wall showed 2:30 in the morning. She moved her gaze to the window. The moonlight she encountered for the first time in years was very cold, to the point where her heart froze. Only the sound of the ticking clock could be heard in the silence. A yellow message window popped up in front of Eunha, who was still like a doll. Ding! [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ appears in the shadows.] It was the first message window that appeared after Eunha left the gate. It would¡¯ve been nice, but¡­ Prior to its appearance, there were many things that Eunha wanted to ask the cat. ¡°¡­ Is this what you meant by taking my name?¡± In the dark room with no lights on, Eunha touched her lips. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is reading the mood.] [It says that it was a constraint at the time of the contract, and now avoids your gaze by saying that it is not an area where it can do anything.] ¡°¡­¡± Eunha quietly stared at the message window. Yes, it was strange for her to argue with the cat. The cat clearly mentioned the restrictions, and it was Eunha that accepted the contract. During the time she was locked in the gate, Eunha was not in a position to make her own demands. So at this point, it wasn¡¯t really something the cat needed to deal with. ¡°¡­ This.¡± Eunha took off the tiara she was wearing and held it close to the message window. Then, as if projecting the cat¡¯s reaction, the message window vibrated loudly and¡­ It started to fade as if running away. Eunha raised her eyes sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t avoid me. You had this, right?¡± The yellow message window that was caught by the neck did not respond. Eunha opened her mouth again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± The cat should have known how long Eunha had been searching for the fifth Named monster. In the end, the fifth Named monster did not exist. The last item was owned by the cat, not a monster. Eunha would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t feel betrayed. Because she was locked in the gate for a long time, Eunha had thought of the cat as her only companion. So, she wanted to know why. Eunha waited for the yellow message window to pop up with a subdued expression. After a while, a message window cautiously popped up. [The divine beast ¡°Cat Wandering in Darkness¡± begins grooming itself vigorously.] The cat said. [I was going to give you the fifth item someday. However, there was an unexpected external intrusion, so there was no choice but to hand it over faster than planned.] ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give it to me earlier? You knew I was trying to escape the gate.¡± [The divine beast ¡°Cat Wandering in Darkness¡± blinks slowly at you.] After a while of silence, a ding sounded once more. [I wanted you to hang out with me because you¡¯re the only family I have.] Family. At that word, the lips that were about to utter another sentence stopped. Come to think of it, the cat was calling Eunha ¡®unnie¡¯. Since when did the cat think of Eunha as family? When they were playing together in the Unknown Gate? When she defeated the monsters and returned to the hut to grill meat? When they had small conversations right before they fell asleep? Eunha didn¡¯t know. However, ¡®since when¡¯ wasn¡¯t important now. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ begins to tremble, saying that the outside is dangerous, scary, and that everyone seems to hate it.] Eunha and the cat were in a state where their souls were bound by a contract. Therefore, when Eunha left the gate, the cat couldn¡¯t stay in the gate either. Eunha glanced at the vibrating yellow message window. Although her knowledge of cats was limited, she had heard somewhere that cats were territorial animals. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s okay.¡± As she murmured involuntarily, the yellow message window that had trembled like an aspen suddenly stopped moving. Seconds after that. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ carefully asks if you have ever hated it. Its golden eyes look very sad.] [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ donates 100,000 coins to you as an apology. Would you like to put it in your inventory? ? Yes / No] Eunha, who had been thinking about something else for a while, turned her gaze back to the yellow message window. Since it was just a text, the shape of the cat couldn¡¯t be seen, but it was as if it was really there. Eunha, who was staring at the message window, opened her mouth and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°Whatever the outcome, it won¡¯t change the fact that I was able to get out of there thanks to you.¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ pricks up its ears. The triangular ears move happily.] ¡°But, I¡¯ll still take this.¡± Eunha pressed the ¡®Yes¡¯ button that appeared in front of her. She didn¡¯t know where and how to use the coins yet, but she thought they would be useful someday. [You have obtained 100,000 coins!] A fanfare rang out in the quiet room where moonlight shone. That night, Eunha had to suffer from loud gossiping until she fell asleep. *** A few days had passed. Siwoo gave a room to Eunha, who was physically and mentally traumatized. He also said that he was, to some extent, responsible for her passing out. Siwoo, who said he wouldn¡¯t ask for details until she was willing, really acted accordingly. He certainly didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Although their first meeting was like that, he seemed to genuinely care for Eunha. In the spacious room he had given her, Eunha sat on the bed and stared blankly out the window. The distant cry of a baby bird could be heard in the distance. In the piercing sunlight, Eunha turned her head. The feeling that 30 years had passed gradually grew stronger, and what came after that was a feeling of emptiness. A booklet as thick as a dictionary came into Eunha¡¯s field of vision. Lying on the table, it was¡ª. ¡®Just in case you¡¯re curious.¡¯ It was handed over by Siwoo yesterday afternoon. Below that was the seal of the Hunter¡¯s Jurisdictional Association. He said to burn it in moderation if not needed, but Eunha left it on the table. She lightly touched the first page of the list with her index finger, then put it back on the table. Eunha¡¯s sunken black eyes fluttered faintly. ¡®Friend.¡¯ The cat told Eunha that she was its only friend. Eunha had a friend. A friend who fought for a better future during training camp with her. Even her colleagues, who had each other¡¯s backs inside the gate. Their present appearances must¡¯ve been drawn somewhere in that thick book. It took a full day to open the first page of the list. Using the faint moonlight instead of the fluorescent lamp, Eunha carefully opened the list. Page 113 was the page where her hand stopped moving. That was the day. The day Eunha was trapped in the gate. ¡¤ Cha Eunha ¨C Deceased The name of Eunha, who was the squad leader at the time, was at the top. It seemed that she was known to the public as dead. Locked in the gate, she was stuck inside for several years, which was 30 years outside. Her decision to die must have been forgotten. Eunha¡¯s black eyes slowly traced down the column. ¡¤ Song Habin ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Park Gyuyeol ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Kim Seongmin ¨C Deceased She turned the page again, ignoring the faces, voices, and expressions of her colleagues that were flashing in her mind. ¡¤ Choi Jeongi ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Kim Gyuchan ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Lee Yeonhwa ¨C Deceased Biting her lower lip, she turned the page again. ¡¤ Choi Jiyeong ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Yang Sky ¨C Deceased ¡¤ Kwon Hyeju ¨C Deceased Just by looking at the names listed, the nightmarish memories of that day were vividly replayed in front of her eyes. Her hand gripped the list tightly, leaving deep wrinkles on the page as if tearing the paper. She didn¡¯t want to see it anymore. The moment she was about to bite her lower lip and throw the list away, a name located at the bottom of the page came into view. CH 12 Siwoo went to Eunha¡¯s room to look for her early in the morning. They had a lot to ask each other. Eunha first asked how he was able to enter the Unknown Gate. According to Siwoo, it was a coincidence. ¡°It was in the B-Class gate that I entered. I clearly saw that the entrance was green.¡± ¡°Really?¡± In March 2001, the gate that Eunha had entered was a C-Class gate. Could the Unknown Gate, where Eunha was locked, be the type that had its entrance disguised as an ordinary gate? That would be the most logical way to think about it. ¡°Then, how did you get out? Where did you get out from?¡± ¡°From the exit.¡± Looking at Siwoo, who answered nonchalantly, Eunha was immersed in thought. At the time of the battle with him, Eunha had obtained all five items. There was a high probability that the exit opened then. Eunha, who gently stroked her chin, raised her head. ¡°Why did you call me Princess of Dark Flare?¡± ¡°Hey, weren¡¯t you openly cosplaying?¡± Cosplaying? It was a fact Eunha had found out later. ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯ was a story passed down like an urban legend amongst hunters. ¡®So¡­ A myth.¡¯ Standing next to Eunha, who stared at the black parasol with strange eyes, Siwoo slowly turned his head to look around. A nearby glass table came into view. Above it, there was a breakfast that seemed almost untouched, and a list of hunters spread out beside it. ¡°The list seems to have been checked.¡± Eunha, who was immersed in thought, moved her gaze to the list. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re all dead. Except for one.¡± A voice without emotion. Her expression was calm, like her unagitated voice. Sitting by Siwoo¡¯s side, she was deeply immersed in her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A brief silence passed. Siwoo, who was looking at Eunha¡¯s silent figure, carefully opened his mouth again. ¡°¡­ If Sunbae wants, I¡¯ll look into it. That one person. I¡¯ll be able to find out his contact information and where he lives soon.¡± He wasn¡¯t just bluffing. In fact, for Siwoo and the Wolf Guild, it was easier than a piece of cake. Besides, if she met her colleague, he¡¯d know her true identity. ¡°No.¡± Eunha shook her head. ¡°I know he¡¯s alive already, so it¡¯s fine.¡± If she met Yijun, he would probably be very happy. But, he would also be just as confused. ¡®30 years have passed, so Baek Yijun will be 54 years old¡­ I guess.¡¯ He was still a blonde young man in his twenties in Eunha¡¯s mind. When Eunha would say something was just a scratch, he would come running with an emergency kit, make a warm expression when talking about the puppy he was raising, or talk about tomorrow even in a bloody gate. A simple, kind, and gentle person. Eunha remembered with a nostalgic face and gently brushed her hair. She thought that a reunion after 30 years wouldn¡¯t be very beautiful. Baek Yijun was a delicate person. At that time, that incident would have left some amount of trauma because he had a weak heart. Eunha didn¡¯t want to appear in front of his eyes and re-open his wounds. Especially if it was already 30 years ago. ¡°Then, is there anything else you want? We¡¯ll help you as much as we can.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ve done enough already.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that; you can say anything. What do you need? Things you want to eat or people you want to meet, anything is fine.¡± It was a little uncomfortable for him to keep trying to provide something even though it was okay. It had been like that since before, but Eunha thought that nothing was free in the world. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Black pupils stared intently at Siwoo¡¯s face, to the point where the boundary between the pupils and irises were not clear. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± It was a natural question. Siwoo was treating her like a distinguished guest without any conditions, payment, or deadline. However, the answer that came back was unexpectedly short and blunt. ¡°Because Sunbae is a first-generation hunter.¡± 1st Generation Hunters. Literally, it referred to the first hunters who experienced the beginnings of this turbulent era. ¡°¡­ Why is that?¡± Eunha asked with an incomprehensible face. ¡°Is it really that great of a title?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Siwoo replied immediately. ¡°Most of the first-generation hunters either died, disappeared, or became beings in a vegetative state, only left with a consciousness. You deserve to be revered just by enduring such horrific and terrible times.¡± Eunha, who heard Siwoo¡¯s words, was overcome with a strange feeling. In her opinion, she wasn¡¯t as great of a person as he thought she was. She had awakened by chance and was drafted at the age of 20. She then expressed her vengeance and wrath to monsters. It was crazy. And that was it. ¡°Modern hunters are really bad. Even I, who was measured as an S-Class hunter, was almost defeated by Sunbae. If Sunbae hadn¡¯t fainted, I would have been helpless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seeing Eunha nodding her head without even thinking deeply, Siwoo coughed slightly. But, Eunha wasn¡¯t being arrogant. She was confident she could beat him right now, even if she had to fight him again right away. If Eunha had been in good shape and had known that he could handle water as well as ice, it would have been a fight that she would never lose. ¡°A survivor of an Unknown Gate with skills that exceed those of a current S-Class hunter. If the existence of Sunbae is known to the media, it will probably become a big issue nationwide.¡± Gates and monsters. Even with the power of human science, they could not find out the nature and cause of them. Especially in the case of the Unknown Gate. As the name suggested, it was a place shrouded in mystery. Unlike other gates, laws or rules were not constant there, and the difficulty level or the spawn area was not set either. The existence of Eunha, who had survived for 30 years in the Unknown Gate, would be very appealing to gate researchers. ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eunha had now accepted reality, but it was still a reality that was less realistic than a dream. The world that Eunha knew, Seoul, did not exist anymore. Siwoo looked at Eunha, who was sitting in her seat like an empty doll, and carefully opened his mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, can I make a proposal?¡± ¡°¡­ A proposal?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve been thinking about this whole time.¡± Siwoo stood up, looking at the exhausted Eunha. ¡°But before that, I think it would be better for you to take a little rest. Any length of time is fine. As for the proposal, you can let me know if you want to hear it later.¡± In Siwoo¡¯s mind, he wanted to stop her right now, but the first thing to do was to understand and empathize with her sudden appearance into the world 30 years later. ¡°You can always call someone if you need anything.¡± Click. Eunha, who was left alone in her empty room, rubbed her left wrist like a habit. The feeling of her old wish bracelet would always magically reassure her. It was said that rivers and mountains changed in 10 years, but in 30 years, rivers and mountains would¡¯ve changed three times. Eunha quietly closed her eyes. Her world had changed, and so had the environment around her. She felt as if she was living in a vivid dream. There were no neighbourhoods that Eunha knew, There were no people Eunha knew, She didn¡¯t even remember the Eunha from before. So, what could she do here in the present age of 2031? For what purpose was she here for, what kind of life could she live, and what kind of dream should she live in? There was a time where she had such worries. It was probably in her sophomore year of high school. Before submitting her ¡®Career Hope Letter¡¯ she received from her homeroom teacher, Eunha showed it to her mother. ¡®Eunha, you¡­ ¡¯ After confirming her dream career, her mother looked at Eunha with a surprised face. ¡®Mom, I don¡¯t want to go to college. I just want to earn money by getting a job in a suitable place.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to. Eunha. We¡¯re not in such a bad situation that you have to give up college.¡¯ ¡®Mom, still¡ª.¡¯ ¡®Listen carefully. Mom wants Eunha to live her own life.¡¯ Yes, that¡¯s what her mother had said. Eunha slowly dusted herself off and walked endlessly through the waves of memories that began to appear clearly. ¡®What is life?¡¯ Eunha thought that¡¯s what she had asked. And her mom, maybe she laughed. Without any answer, she just stroked her head, sat side by side with Eunha, grabbed a pen, and looked at the career sheet with her. ¡®It¡¯s getting to know your mom from now on.¡¯ A lie. Her mother, who had said so, suddenly left Eunha¡¯s side one day. And to this day, Eunha had not been able to find the ¡®life¡¯ that her mother had said. Even if it was a problem she hadn¡¯t thought of until now, she had an unwanted awakening and was forcibly drafted into the military, and the life that followed her hunter activities was not her life. Eunha slowly opened her closed eyelids, rummaged through her arms and pulled out two crumpled bills. She had a habit of carrying bills in her hands from a long time ago. It was because of the nature of her job as a hunter that she couldn¡¯t carry a wallet. Most of them fell out somewhere during the battle inside the gate, so there were only two left. She carefully spread the face of Toegye Yi Hwang, drawn on the bill, with the palm of her hand. ¡®Two thousand won is enough.¡¯ Since it was in the same town, the basic fare should be sufficient. Eunha immediately got up from her bed and left the room. Siwoo¡¯s house was so spacious that the word mansion would fit better. After a long attempt, Eunha was finally able to find the entrance hall. The moment she was about to leave the front door, Eunha paused for a moment. The full-length mirror located in the shoe closet reflected her own image. ¡ª Black. It¡¯s very¡­ Eunha looked around. Employees wandering around the mansion were seen. ¡®¡­Should I ask them to lend me some clothes?¡¯ She thought for a moment, then shook her head. It was a nuisance to do that. This house had already given so much. After pondering for a long time, Eunha finally grabbed the doorknob. ¡®Let¡¯s just take a taxi.¡¯ That would be better. Eunha quietly left the mansion. Outside, it was a quiet residential area. Unlike the place where Eunha used to live, it was a neatly arranged landscape, so she could tell that she was in a wealthy area at a glance. Eunha crossed the street and came out to the main road. A familiar yet unfamiliar landscape welcomed her. Siwoo¡¯s home was in Banghak-dong, Seoul. It was where Eunha had lived until she was 19 years old. Elementary school, middle school, and high school, she had attended all of those here. The landscape had changed a lot, but Eunha could tell that the house she used to live in was close to where she was. It was the house she had lived in with her mother for more than a decade after her parents had divorced. In fact, it was within walking distance, but Eunha still decided to take a taxi. It should be the basic rate anyway, and she had enough money on hand. After waving by the roadside, a taxi stopped shortly after. ¡°287-14.¡± Eunha, who got in the back seat, spoke briefly about her destination. Two thousand-won bills were crumpled in her hand. ¡°Lady, you¡¯re wearing some pretty clothes. Are you going to a festival somewhere?¡± The taxi driver, who saw Eunha¡¯s outfit through the rearview mirror, smiled happily. ¡°¡­ Oh, well¡­¡± Eunha, who glossed over the answer, fixed her gaze out the window. The scenery of Seoul, which was unfamiliar to Eunha, passed by like a flash of lightning. As expected, it took less than five minutes to arrive at the destination. It was just about the basic fare. Upon confirming that the taxi was stopping in the car lane, Eunha handed the driver the two bills she was holding. ¡°Keep the change.¡± It was at the moment when she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the back door. ¡°Lady, are you kidding me?¡± Huh? Eunha was suddenly grabbed by the taxi driver. CH 13 ¡°What? The police station?¡± ¡°Yes. They say she¡¯s a young woman in a black dress with a black parasol¡­ She seems to be the master¡¯s guest.¡± When Siwoo heard the news that Eunha had been arrested at the police station, he doubted his ears. He secretly kept someone on her just in case, and the first report was ¡®police station¡¯. Why? ¡°I¡¯ll go see her myself.¡± Siwoo stopped what he was doing and drove to the nearby district. When he opened the glass door and went inside, he saw Eunha sitting in front of a policeman. ¡°Oh, are you her guardian?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Siwoo, who was momentarily speechless, hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m her guardian.¡± ¡°This woman here got a free ride¡ª¡± ¡°I paid.¡± It was two thousand won. After cutting off the police officer¡¯s words, Eunha raised her head. 2001. At that time, the basic fare for a taxi was about 1,600 won. ¡°What time period do you think you are in? How are you going to take a taxi for two thousand won?! Lady, do you think this is funny?¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ raises its claws, saying that it will pluck out all of the man¡¯s remaining hair.] [I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve been sharpening my claws for this very moment.] ¡°Come on, calm down and¡ª¡± While the police tried to stop the taxi driver, Eunha looked at the yellow message window with a dry expression. It was crazy, so calm down. That¡¯s what it meant. ¡°I thought it was strange from the moment she entered the car! I¡¯m sorry, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a rude customer in my 10 years of being a taxi driver!¡± The taxi driver, despite the police officer¡¯s efforts, screamed in frustration. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that the man should¡ª] Meanwhile, Siwoo was able to barely grasp the situation. As he looked at Eunha with stern eyes, she blinked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Who should he blame? Since Siwoo knew that Eunha was from 30 years ago, it was not advisable to blame her. Siwoo took his wallet out from his back pocket and handed out two sheets of paper to the taxi driver. ¡°Sorry. My friend is a little¡­ sick. We ask for your understanding.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a person without common sense like this!¨D¡± The taxi driver¡¯s eyes widened. <¡ð¡ð Bank / Cheque> ?1,000,000 The two pieces of paper that Siwoo readily handed over were cheques. Siwoo had willingly given over two million won to the taxi driver. ¡°Ah, oh my¡­ This¡­¡± The taxi driver, who had a vein popping out of his neck, suddenly became calm like a gentle sheep. After 10 years, or even after 30 years had passed, the worth of money still seemed to remain. Eunha looked at Siwoo¡¯s side with a sullen face. It was a pity that she had suddenly become a sick friend, but he was still here to clean up Eunha¡¯s mess. He wouldn¡¯t have interrupted and intervened for nothing. ¡°Your work hours must¡¯ve been disrupted because you came to the police station, so please accept it. My friend probably didn¡¯t do that on purpose either. If you have any additional fees, please contact us.¡± The taxi driver, who was handed the bills and business cards, scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Well, when you live in the real world, all sorts of things can happen.¡± Heh heh heh. The taxi driver, who burst into laughter, luckily didn¡¯t pursue Eunha anymore. Thus, Eunha was able to leave safely from the police station. ¡°Sunbae, do you know? The basic fare for a taxi in Seoul is now 5,500 won. If it is a night ride, then it¡¯d be 6,100 won. Sunbae didn¡¯t pick up a knife, but it¡¯s no different from committing a robbery.¡± Just as Eunha gradually realized that 30 years had passed, Siwoo was also slowly realizing that she was a person from 30 years ago. Eunha, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked out the window with an expressionless face as usual. There was no sign of remorse on her face. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t know, but he suddenly took me to the police station.¡± ¡°Then call me¡ª¡± Siwoo, who was about to say something, paused. Right. Eunha didn¡¯t have a cell phone. In other words, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to call someone and ask for help. Siwoo, who had realised that point, turned his head awkwardly and grabbed the steering wheel. ¡°¡­ No, nevermind. So, where did you want to go?¡± ¡°The cemetery.¡± Siwoo, who was speechless for a moment at her simple answer, stared at Eunha through the rearview mirror. Eunha, who made a detached expression, gently touched her left wrist. ¡°My mom. The day the gates first opened, she fell into a crevasse and died. If 30 years have passed as you¡¯ve said, I must have neglected my mother¡¯s grave for 30 years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A brief silence passed. Then, he changed his signal. Siwoo held the steering wheel and did not release his foot as he stepped on the break. Behind them, a horn sounded. ¡°¡­ Where is it?¡± Taking his foot off the brake, Siwoo opened his mouth. He suddenly felt Eunha looking at him. ¡°It would be difficult to be taken to the police station alone again, so I¡¯ll take you there.¡± *** A small cemetery was located at the foot of a low mountain. It seemed that it had been a long time since people had stepped here, and the dirt road was overgrown with weeds. At one point, the entire area around the mountain was the site of a cemetery. Originally, her mother¡¯s tombstone was erected in a remote place at the foot of the mountain. Later, she moved her mother to the most scenic and spacious place she could afford with the money she had saved while working as a hunter. At that time, Eunha was very active and was promoted quickly. But, it was all useless. Eunha crouched down in front of the tombstone, which was obviously old at a glance. She had thought it would be 2 years, maybe 3. However, she had neglected her mother¡¯s grave for at least 30 years. ¡®Even this place has changed.¡¯ In Eunha¡¯s memory, the place was more beautiful and clean. Eunha stared at her mother¡¯s tombstone with subdued eyes. A swarm of ants was forming black dots on the cold stone. Eunha slowly reached out her hand and gently wiped the surface of the tombstone. However¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Her fingers were covered in gray ash, similar to dust. Almost-burnt shavings from incense candles suddenly came into view. It was clear that someone had smoked incense here. ¡®Who did it?¡¯ Eunha stared at the scented candles with a curious gaze. No one she knew could have visited her mother¡¯s tombstone. Behind the pondering Eunha, Siwoo quietly stretched out his hand. White snowflakes bloomed on his broad palms. ¡°I haven¡¯t prepared anything.¡± He bent down on one of his knees and quietly placed a snowflake in front of the tombstone. The glistening surface reflected the light from the sunset and shone brightly. Eunha shifted her gaze from the ash on her hand to Siwoo. ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± In front of the tombstone, Eunha put her hands together and closed her eyes. As she did 30 years ago, Eunha repeated the words she wanted to convey but couldn¡¯t say over and over again. The hem of her dress, blown by the wind, fluttered. Her long, dark hair brushed past her dry cheeks. Eunha got up from her seat and turned her head. The place where her black eyes settled was a small world that could be seen beyond the tombstone and under a quiet hill. This was why Eunha had placed her mother in this cemetery. She could see the town where Eunha was born and raised at a glance. The road she used to walk on every morning. A nearby park she used to go to every weekend. The night view she watched while hanging laundry on the veranda every evening. Looking at those things, Eunha thought. ¡®¡ª I want to go back.¡¯ She wanted to go back to the place where everything had changed but hadn¡¯t changed. She didn¡¯t know if she had left it there somewhere. What her mother said was her ¡®life¡¯. At least, there was no ¡®life¡¯ at the Hunter Training Center. It wasn¡¯t in the gate, nor in the pile of monster corpses. So, she wanted to go back. Even if there was nothing left there, Eunha wanted to go back and check it out. The villa where Eunha and her mother lived had long since collapsed, and a new apartment had been built in its place. Eunha, who noticed the apartment, muttered softly. ¡°From that apartment, you can see the whole town.¡± Siwoo, who was standing next to her, turned his head to follow Eunha¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ah. You mean that apartment? It¡¯s newly built, so I know it¡¯s quite expensive.¡± At first glance, it was a high-rise apartment that looked over 30 floors. If you thought about the flashy exterior and the wide river running behind the apartment, it would be odd if it wasn¡¯t expensive. There was no way that Eunha, who had no money to her name, could buy the apartment. Her red lips moved slightly. ¡°You said you had an offer.¡± The grand mansion where he lived. The ability to be able to willingly hand over a large sum of money when they were in the police station. Even the people in the mansion who called him ¡®master¡¯. If you considered everything, he was definitely rich. So. ¡°I would like to hear your proposal.¡± Whoosh. The wind blew. Siwoo looked at Eunha. The sun was slowly setting behind the mountain, making the shadows of the two lengthen. Their half-shaded faces were dyed scarlet. ¡°The proposal I was talking about was for you to work as a hunter in our guild.¡± ¡°A hunter?¡± ¡°Just for a year. Please act as a hunter for a year under a contract. During that period, we¡¯ll split the profits gained from your hunter activities 12:0.¡± The eyes of the pair met. 12:0? Not 10:0? Reading Eunha¡¯s strange eyes, Siwoo smiled softly. ¡°In addition to 100% of the profits, I¡¯m saying that we¡¯ll give you an additional 20%.¡± [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says to only trust it and urgently advises you not to fall for the words of a stranger.] Ignoring the pop-up window that appeared in front of her eyes, Eunha opened her mouth. ¡°¡­ Do you gain anything by doing that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Siwoo replied immediately. His blue eyes stared at Eunha without wavering. ¡°A lot.¡± It was true. Siwoo needed Eunha that urgently. It was obvious since she was a ¡®first-generation hunter¡¯ with skills that surpassed his own. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks if money is what you need. It opens its mouth as if crying.] [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ has donated 100,000 coins to you. Would you like to put it in your inventory? ? Yes / No] A yellow message window popped up aggressively, as if the cat was afraid of losing its friend. Coins. Eunha, who saw the word, suddenly recalled her memories from before. Come to think of it, the cat gave her coins last time too. But, she didn¡¯t know how to use them or what their value was compared to won. ¡®I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious.¡¯ The only thing she knew at this point was that the currency needed to relive her memories wasn¡¯t coins, but won. ¡°If you complete the contract for one year, you will get enough money to accomplish everything you want.¡± ¡°You know what I want?¡± Eunha asked. Siwoo smiled softly and pointed to the bottom of the quiet hill. ¡°Not just that one apartment, but the entire apartment complex. I¡¯ll let you buy the whole thing.¡± Eunha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. There was silence for a moment. Siwoo and Eunha, who had been looking at the bottom of the hill, slowly opened their mouths. ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡± Yeah. If you think about it, the only thing the current Eunha could do was cut down monsters. She could go back there in a year. If that was already determined, she would cut hundreds of monsters¡¯ necks and bring them right in front of him. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll help you.¡± With a smile, Siwoo took out a business card from his pocket and pushed it towards her. Shin Siwoo, CEO of Silver Moon Management 010-XXXX-XXXX [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ shouts, asking how much it is.] [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ has donated 100,000 coins to you. Would you like to put it in your inventory? ? Yes / No] ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but coins are different from won.¡¯ ¡­ But money was still money. It would be best to keep it for now. After pressing the ¡®Yes¡¯ button, Eunha looked at the business card once again. Wolf. That simple word clearly came into view. Under the darkened night sky, Eunha¡¯s black eyes were fixed on Siwoo¡¯s business card for a long time. Eunha then raised her head. Her lips moved a little. ¡°Alright.¡± There was no reason to hesitate any longer. CH 14 Hunters with abilities that transcended ordinary people were double-edged swords in society. They served as weapons against monsters that could not be subdued with human weapons, but there were also many cases of abuse of that power. The only force that managed and controlled such hunters. It was neither the government nor the people, but the ¡®Hunter Association¡¯. Recently, however, the status of the association was getting weaker everyday. ¡°Have you heard from Hunter Shin Siwoo yet?¡± Even if the sky fell, there would be a hole which you could rise through. Daeyoon, the president of the Hunter Association, was anxious because he could not get the solution in front of him. ¡°No, President. I¡¯ve been trying to call him¡­¡± In response to Gwanghyun¡¯s answer, Daeyoon pressed his temple with his fingers. He really, desperately wanted Siwoo. Of the hundreds of thousands of Korean hunters, there were only six S-Class hunters. In other words, it meant that he was a rare talent who was born at a terribly low probability of 0.001%. If Siwoo became a hunter belonging to the association, they would have their first S-Class hunter. ¡®It¡¯s for balance.¡¯ Daeyoon was sure. Currently, 4 out of 6 S-Class hunters had their own personal guilds. While those four guilds were increasing their strength with every passing day, it became dangerous for the association¡¯s position and prestige to decline more than it already had. If it did, it would be no different from a warning that an era of lawless hunters was approaching. In other words, they needed to quickly recruit an influential hunter to join the association! The current members of the association were at their limit. ¡°But will he really leave the Wolf Guild and join the association?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Shin Siwoo is not on good terms with the Wolf Guild?¡± ¡°But blood is thicker than water, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There is no tree that doesn¡¯t fall after ten hits. Try to stay in touch first.¡± Shin Siwoo. While he was a member of the Wolf Guild, he established a subsidiary called ¡®Silver Moon¡¯ and claimed the title of CEO for himself. Silver Moon was not a guild, but a hunter management company. One might think of it as a stepping stone before becoming the next guild leader, but Daeyoon had a foreboding feeling that it would not be the only one. ¡°Well¡­¡± Meanwhile, Gwanghyun scratched his cheek as if he were in trouble. Daeyoon, the president of the association, had never officially talked to Siwoo yet, so he could still say that. Siwoo had a talent for freezing people with his smiling face. Gwanghyun was convinced that Siwoo¡¯s persistence would most likely be stronger and harder than his ice shields. Gwanghyun was not confident enough to break through that ice shield. Rather than contacting him, it was more comfortable to visit the master of the Corps Guild, known as the ¡®geeky otaku¡¯. ¡°Oh, come to think of it.¡± Gwanghyun suddenly raised his head as if he had remembered. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you last time? The Princess of Dark Flare¡­¡± ¡°Are you still talking about that? Aren¡¯t you ashamed as an adult to be swayed by stories like these children¡¯s jokes?¡± The Princess of Dark Flare was an urban legend amongst hunters. There were many other urban legends that were similar. There was the ¡®Bat Man¡¯ who would suck the blood of hunters, the ¡®Black Reaper¡¯ where the souls of dead hunters gathered and wandered through cracks, and many others. ¡°Hey, you were the type of person who would wear a dog on the back of your hand back in the days of the Red Mask*.¡± tl/n: *an urban legend and it¡¯s more or less explained in the next dialog. it¡¯s originated in japan and the korean version is just a variation of it. you can google it as ¡°red masked woman¡± or ¡°kuchisake-onna¡± if you want to know more. ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then? How would you respond to the question ¡®Am I pretty?¡¯ If you said no, your throat would be slit, and if you said yes, she would cut your mouth to look like her. Were you even able to go to school if you were this scared?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because a member of the association believes in an urban legend. If you understand, don¡¯t let me down anymore.¡± They say you shouldn¡¯t judge people by their looks, but Daeyoon was as conservative as his appearance. The current association existed because that conservative tendency was favoured by the government. Yes, that was true, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know her identity, but Hunter Shin definitely said that he couldn¡¯t even beat her himself.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. That¡¯s just because the young Hunter Shin is humble.¡± ¡°No, he seemed to mean it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. It would¡¯ve been more productive to make at least one more call to Shin Siwoo during this useless conversation.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious¡­¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Gwanghyun, who had been kicked out, stood in front of the slammed door and touched his heart in sorrow. ¡°Ha. Should I really quit my job?¡±¡¯ It was exactly his 201st urge to resign. Usually, in the case of such an inflexible person, they would never believe what people said until they saw it with their own two eyes. So, there was only one way. Gwanghyun tightened his tie as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Team Leader, are you leaving work already?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look for me for a while.¡± ¡°What? Um, okay¡­?¡± Gwanghyun grabbed his bag and got in the elevator without looking back. ¡®I¡¯ll never come back until you need me!¡¯ Gwanghyun pressed the ¡®close¡¯ button with his index finger, engulfed in anger. *** A week had passed since Eunha had escaped the gate. Click, click. It was a quiet room. Eunha, with a very serious face, raised her index fingers and tapped the keyboard. ¡®Wolf Guild¡¯ Information related to the Wolf Guild poured through the white screen. Eunha slowly scrolled down and read the information one by one in her head. Siwoo brought a laptop in consideration of Eunha. Since connecting to Wi-Fi was difficult for Eunha, he had set up all of the settings in the end. Thanks to this, Eunha was able to easily find information about modern times even in her room. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunha, who was browsing the internet, gently stroked her chin. It was true that the Wolf Guild seemed to be the largest guild in Korea. However, its fame seemed to have become a double-edged sword. [Title] Look at those who curse at wolf guilds [Writer] ¡õ¡õ (121.204) | 13.4.2031 2:11 PM | [Views] 21,946 | [Recommended] 1,333 [Content] If it weren¡¯t for the Wolf Guild, would Korea have become a hunter powerhouse? I know that there are conspiracy theories, and there are obviously problems with sticking to a coercive system. But, as a result, don¡¯t a number of S-Class gate clean-ups make less money than Wolf¡¯s?? [Comments] 122 ©¸>¡õ¡õ: no hahahaha i¡¯m defending it lol, honestly, it¡¯s because s-class gates are the best way to get money ©¸>?:: that¡¯s true, right? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i¡¯m not interested in hunters or guilds, but i know wolf guild¡¯s the most famous. honestly, the wolf guild is way better in terms of recognition. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: it¡¯s the same reason that so many popular celebrities have so many anti¡¯s. it¡¯s such a big place so there are so many rumors. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: isn¡¯t the wolf guild leader about to retire? since wolf has done a lot, which guild will be the next batter? As Eunha scrolled down further, she suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. ¡°Sunbae, it¡¯s me.¡± It was Siwoo¡¯s voice. Eunha closed her laptop and opened the door. Siwoo, who entered the room, began to arrange something on the table. ¡°These are the minimum things that Sunbae will need to live in modern times. Keep it.¡± Account Number: XXX-XXXXX-XXX ¡ð¡ð Bank Co., Ltd. May 19, 2031 Creating a temporary identity was not a task for the Wolf Guild. So of course, Siwoo himself did not do these cumbersome tasks. ¡°¡­ Lee Yura?¡± Eunha, who was checking the items listed, muttered in confusion. ¡°Yes. Of course, it¡¯s just an alias.¡± Forgery of documents. It was a method used secretly by hunters who lived in hiding. ¡°It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t want to reveal that you were a first-generation hunter. And, I don¡¯t even know your real name yet.¡± Siwoo, who had spoken up to that point, glanced at Eunha. ¡°You still don¡¯t want to tell me, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha had tried to say her own name, but her throat would choke up. ¡°If not now, I hope you¡¯ll tell me someday.¡± In front of Eunha¡¯s silence, Siwoo turned his gaze away without asking any further questions. ¡°First of all, Sunbae will need to learn a little bit about modern times.¡± Siwoo opened the bag he had brought. A myriad of books poured over the table. <101 Common Sense Essentials of Modern People> e/n: our tl didn¡¯t explain but in case u don¡¯t know, doraemon is a character in a manga. ¡°You want me to read this?¡± ¡°Yes. I was told to only choose books that were easy to read, but is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha shook her head with a trembling face. Yes, it must have been prepared with thoughtfulness, and it would be absurd to tell him that he should put it down and let it go. ¡°Back in Sunbae¡¯s days, that is, around the end of the 90s, the boundary between the awakened and soldiers was not clear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eunha glanced over the books in front of her and nodded her head. ¡°There, look at page ten. Unlike in the past, where military service was forced regardless of one¡¯s will, today, there is freedom of choice.¡± As Siwoo had said, in the past, every Awakened had to become a hunter. This was because they were the only ones who could kill monsters, since they were human but had non-human powers. Under the name of ¡®Hunter¡¯, they were sent into gates with a golden dog tag around their necks. Just like how Eunha and Yijun were. Many hunters and ordinary people alike had died. An immeasurable amount of blood had covered the earth, and mankind gradually began to adapt to the changes. ¡°And in the late 2000s, the world started to recognize working as a hunter as a profession.¡± People praised the hunters, cheered for their work, and raved about the results they produced. Yes. At some point, hunters became both the saviors and entertainers of mankind. In particular, it was the ¡®S-Class hunters¡¯¡ªa special rank among hunters that drew attention from all over the world. There were only six in Korea. ¡°One of them is me.¡± Siwoo said in a calm tone. He was neither bragging nor being modest. It was in a polite tone, as if describing an established fact. He was definitely strong. Eunha was able to nod because she had fought with him for a while. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that the S-Class hunter should freeze to death! It says that if Unnie hadn¡¯t lost her mind, it bet you wouldn¡¯t have been more than roast meat.] ¡­ The cat¡¯s dislike of Siwoo was not an illusion. Not knowing that the cat was poignantly gossiping about him, Siwoo continued to speak steadfastly. ¡°Sunbae is an S-Class hunter like me¡­ No, you¡¯re a first-generation hunter with superior skills. When it becomes known that such a talented person has been recruited, Wolf will be a topic of discussion even more than now.¡± ¡°You need that kind of popularity.¡± Eunha, who was reading , said. Siwoo smiled softly. Eunha couldn¡¯t figure out what the meaning of that smile was, but it probably didn¡¯t mean anything negative. ¡°But, there is a problem.¡± ¡°What? If you are not satisfied with the terms of the contract, you may revise it according to your wishes.¡± ¡°No, not that.¡± Eunha hesitated for a moment. Her contract with the cat had restrictions. Because of those restrictions, Eunha had lost her name. ¡®To explain the loss of my name, I¡¯ll have to explain the contract with the cat.¡¯ Problems arose there too. There were two restrictions. Eunha couldn¡¯t tell her name or talk about the cat. Eunha, who was deeply absorbed in her thoughts, slowly moved her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to reveal that I¡¯m a first-generation hunter. So firstly, I want to keep the story about the Unknown Gate a secret.¡± At Eunha¡¯s words, Siwoo tilted his head. But after a while, Siwoo nodded as if he understood and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ I see. Considering your past when you were forcibly conscripted and used as a living weapon, you must be tired of your hunter life now.¡± ¡®¡­ Huh?¡¯ Eunha raised her head. Siwoo had a slightly sad expression for some reason. ¡°After this contract is over, it sounds like you want to get away from the world and live a quiet life.¡± Siwoo understood enough. It was because he was also tired of the hunter world. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t announce that you are a first-generation hunter, your skills will still be a topic of discussion. There are many ways.¡± Siwoo, who had spoken up to that point, rose from his seat. He put on the coat he had taken off and glanced at Eunha. ¡°First of all, the easiest way is to prove your skill.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By measurement.¡± He picked up his car keys. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now.¡± CH 15 Kim Gwanghyun. 39 years old. A member of the Hunter Association. An atheist. But as of today, he decided to believe in God. Although he ran out of the office under the pretext of a business trip, he was worried about how to create a natural meeting with Siwoo or the unidentified woman. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got a call from him first!¡± The moment he got the call, he was so surprised that he rolled off the sofa. Siwoo had contacted him to measure the ability of the woman in the black dress. It was possible to apply for measurement on the association website or by mobile, so contacting Gwanghyun directly meant something. ¡®As expected, that woman is special.¡¯ Gwanghyun toned down his excitement when he answered the phone and looked at the man sitting across from him. ¡°My name is Park Jehwi.¡± The man who introduced himself as Park Jehwi held out a business card to Gwanghyun. Park Jehwi 010-XXXX-XXXX Silver Moon Management, a subsidiary of the Wolf Guild, specialized in training and managing novice hunters. It meant that Siwoo sent people from Silver Moon here. ¡®You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to give that woman this much power¡­!¡¯ Gwanghyun let out a silent scream. It was, of course, a scream of joy. If all went well this time, even the president of the association, who had not believed his words, would widen his eyes. ¡®Success is right in front of you.¡¯ Today would be the historic day where Korea¡¯s seventh S-Class hunter was born. The moment the woman in the black dress put her hand on the meter, he had no doubt that the measuring device would be dyed a dazzling golden colour. Not to mention, it was not only Gwanghyun who imagined a brilliant future. ¡®This is an opportunity that will never come again.¡¯ Jehwi clenched his fists invisibly. He had joined Silver Moon and worked there for 7 years. If he did this well, his status in Silver Moon Management would be second to only Siwoo. ¡°Ah. They¡¯re here.¡± Jehwi put away his phone and looked up. Then Gwanghyun jumped up from his seat as if he had been waiting. ¡°They arrived earlier than expected. Then, let¡¯s go.¡± The smiles on the faces of the two people did not know how to leave. The Korean Hunter Association was a 30-story building. Except for the lobby on the 1st floor, there were basic training rooms for novice hunters from the 2nd to 10th floors, and reception rooms for treating and managing hunters who came from abroad on the 11th to 20th floors. And the measurement room was here, on the 21st floor. Ding. As soon as the elevator door opened, Gwanghyun spread his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as the elevator door opened, Eunha was surprised by a strange man¡¯s face. ¡®I almost set his face on fire.¡¯ Whether or not Gwanghuyn knew that Eunha had barely managed to keep the flames in, he just smiled softly and came closer. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived. Here, I got your parking ticket.¡± Jehwi, who rushed to Siwoo, pushed out a small piece of paper and glanced at Eunha. ¡°Ah, young master. This person is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I said hunter.¡± Jehwi held out his business card to Lee Yura, no, Cha Eunha. ¡°Nice to meet you, hunter. My name is Park Jehwi. I¡¯m CEO Shin¡¯s secretary and a member of Silver Moon Management. Please feel free to call me Manager Park.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, okay.¡± Eunha, who was handed the business card, glanced at Siwoo. Who? Her face seemed to be asking. ¡°They¡¯ll be Sunbae¡¯s manager from today on. It will help if you have it by your side.¡± Manager? At Siwoo¡¯s words, Eunha stared intently at the business card that was handed to her. ¡®The world has become so much better.¡¯ The era has come when a hunter who is not a singer or actor has a manager. Eunha didn¡¯t know why the existence of a manager was necessary in any specific situation yet, but she understood that the times had become kinder to hunters. ¡°The measurement will be completed in about 10 minutes. Do you have any valuables or articles of clothing you¡¯d like to leave here?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, I will guide you right away.¡± The three of them moved from the waiting room to the measurement room under the guidance of Gwanghyun. The measurement room he guided them to was the widest among the five measurement rooms, and all sides were made of glass, so it was possible to see the hallway and the adjacent room from inside. ¡°Oh, oh!¡± ¡°That woman¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that person over there from Silver Moon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Oh my gosh. They already have a manager?¡± Numerous people were taking pictures of the room with cameras through the window. It was like being an actor who appeared at a fan signing event. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean much to Eunha. ¡°Why are there so many people?¡± Siwoo furrowed his brow slightly. In crowded places, all kinds of smells were mixed together. In front of Siwoo, who put a sleeve on his nose and showed an unpleasant look, Gwanghyun coughed and avoided his gaze. ¡°Ah. Hunter Yoohwan of the Immortal Guild just visited. They¡¯re reporters who followed him, and I guess they¡¯re still here.¡± It was a blatant lie. A new star may be rising in Korea today, so could you stay still? They were intended to cover the historical moment and set an example for the president of the association, who did not believe in him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. For now, Hunter Shin can wait here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gwanghyun, who skillfully changed the topic, stared at Siwoo, who was calculating something in his head for a brief moment. Come to think of it, since Eunha had decided to hide that she was a first-generation hunter, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get her popular in a different way. Maybe a headline like ¡®Wolf¡¯s New Hunter, A New S-Class?¡¯ In the end, Siwoo did not do anything to the reporters and took a seat in a nearby chair. ¡°Put your right hand here. Please try not to move on the platform as much as possible.¡± The measuring device was in the form of a capsule large enough to fit two adult men. It was a useful machine that comprehensively ranked hunters¡¯ capabilities and potentials around the world. Of course, it was an object that did not exist in Eunha¡¯s days. Eunha, who settled inside the measuring device as Gwanghyun told her to, recalled the conversation she had with Siwoo on the way here. ¡®We¡¯re going to the Hunter Association?¡¯ ¡®Yes. In order to become a hunter in modern times, rank inspection and the issuing of a license are inevitable processes.¡¯ Even if you created a temporary identity, wouldn¡¯t you be caught if you went to such a place recklessly? In front of Eunha, who had a questionable face, Siwoo told her not to worry. ¡®Since the appearance of gates, birth and death reports have not been going smoothly, not only in Korea but also around the world. They won¡¯t ask for your identity like that.¡¯ Siwoo also added that since a hunter¡¯s license is equivalent to the right to access gates, ability was more important than identity when issuing it. ¡®Sunbae¡¯s abilities are stronger than anyone else¡¯s, so even a temporary identity like this will be enough to measure you. Besides, Wolf is backing you.¡¯ There was no association or rank measurement in Eunha¡¯s days, and Siwoo knew more about modern times than she did. Thus, Eunha no longer questioned him and came to the Hunter Association. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost done. Oh, don¡¯t forget to not move.¡± Gwanghyun put a helmet on her head and attached metal rings to her wrists and ankles. Click, click. In the meantime, the sound of camera shutters did not stop. The flash was so bright that it hurt Eunha¡¯s eyes. Before closing the capsule, Gwanghyun peeked his head in. ¡°Before you get a license, you¡¯ll need to decide on a nickname, so what would you like to name yourself?¡± Nickname? Eunha, who was wearing her helmet, rolled her eyes. Did she have to decide on something like that? Eunha had always been ¡®17th Battalion, 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon.¡¯ This was because she was Squadron 1¡¯s only leader, Cha Eunha. However, she couldn¡¯t change her nickname to ¡®Captain of the 17th Battalion, 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon, 1st Squadron¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± Was she always a person with no sense for naming? Eunha looked back at her memories. Come to think of it, the name she gave to the wandering puppy that was always hovering around her house was ¡®Blackie*¡¯ because its fur was black. e/n: *no note needed but¡­ it¡¯s a common thing in korea, usually given to pets (or even toys) that¡­ well have black fur. The name of the chick she raised in elementary school was ¡®Bwok¡¯. Her goldfish¡¯s name was ¡®Fishy¡¯. In front of the speechless Eunha, Gwanghyun silently waited for her answer. The reporters who could see through the window were all watching. At that moment¡­ Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ suggests ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯.] Eunha stared at the yellow message window and slowly blinked her eyes. It didn¡¯t seem like a good name, but it was a nickname that she¡¯d throw away after a year anyway. She thought that it was good enough, and nothing else came to mind. ¡°Princess of Dark Flare.¡± As Eunha muttered her answer, somehow, the surroundings became quiet as if cold water had been poured onto the room. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Princess of Dark Flare. My nickname.¡± Gwanghyun made a slightly startled face. Soon afterwards, he corrected his expression and closed the capsule door. ¡°Ah, yes, okay. Alright.¡± After closing the capsule, Gwanghyun tapped the screen that appeared nearby with his finger and entered the nickname ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯. Beep, beep, beep. As Gwanghyun moved his finger, the sharp sound of an electronic button resounded in the measurement room. ¡®To refer to yourself as the Princess of Dark Flare¡­ What the hell?¡¯ Are you the main character of the story? But her attitude was too detached for that. Was it a concept? It was too realistic to even be called a concept. When Gwanghyun, who had finished his thoughts, and his typing turned on the machine, Vwoooom¡ª The whole capsule began to vibrate. Eventually, the vibration stopped, and a woman¡¯s voice mixed with electronic sounds was heard. [Data collection in progress. Please wait. Collection will be completed soon.] ¡­ [Data collection in progress. Please wait. Collection will be completed soon.] ¡­ [Data collection in progress. Please wait. Collection will be completed soon.] ¡­ For some reason, the loading took longer than expected. ¡®What is it, a machine malfunction? That can¡¯t be right.¡¯ Gwanghyun looked at the capsule with a burning face and bit his fingernails. As the people watching from the outside started talking one by one, the BGM announcing the completion of data collection came out. [Data collection is complete.] ¡®Finally¡­!¡¯ [Subject: Lee Yura] [Nickname: Princess of Dark Flare] [From the collected data, the rank of the subject is determined to be ¡®F¡¯.] [Printing details.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Whirrr. In the frozen air, the sound of paper being printed by the printer echoed strangely. With a rattling sound, the capsule door opened and Eunha came out. She had a calm face with no hint of emotion. ¡°Is that the result?¡± No one answered. Eunha picked up the printed sheets and scanned the contents with her black eyes. CH 16 On the way back to the mansion. Inside the car, there was only silence. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that Unnie is an F-Class, Unnie¡­ And hits the ground.] The cat was always like that. ¡°An F-Class hunter¡­¡± Jehwi, who was holding the steering wheel, also had a confused expression on his face. Eunha made an indifferent face, but she also thought that the F-Class judgment was surprising. Although there was no rank system 30 years ago, Eunha was a hunter recognized by the superiors to the point that she was promoted to a squad leader. It was also thanks to her unique ability of ¡®fire¡¯, which was superior in terms of combat. Moreover, unlike then, Eunha now had a contract with a divine beast. Still, she was an F-Class. It was definitely weird. ¡®Come to think of it, the measurement results didn¡¯t indicate whether there was a contract with a divine beast or not.¡¯ Was it because the cat that Eunha had contracted to was not included in the twelve divine beasts? Anyway, it was a relief. She had to hide the fact that she signed a contract with the cat due to the restrictions. ¡®No way.¡¯ Was it because the contract with the cat was not entered into the measuring instrument that she was classified as F? ¨DNo. No way. Eunha had never once thought of herself as weak. Even before she signed the contract with the cat. While the three of them were immersed in different thoughts, it seemed that they had arrived at the mansion. Jehwi stopped the car. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Good. Wait in the car for a moment.¡± Siwoo, who got out of the car first, opened the back door. After seeing Eunha get out of the car, he closed the door and opened the trunk. Then, he took out a box. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a terminal. Open it yourself.¡± Inside the box was a machine smaller than the palm of her hand. It was quite similar to a pager from Eunha¡¯s memories. ¡°In the future, this terminal will be your partner in the gate. This little guy identifies battles and collects data. When a certain amount of experience is accumulated, you can go back to the measuring machine and update the rank.¡± He carefully explained how to use the terminal. It was easy to use, and the operations were not very difficult. Eunha, who was looking at the terminal, lifted her head and checked Siwoo¡¯s expression. His attitude had not changed from before the measurement. Eunha, who had doubts, opened her mouth and spoke straight-forwardly. ¡°¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to cancel the contract?¡± ¡°What do you mean cancel?¡± ¡°The result. It said I¡¯m an F-Class.¡± He seemed to want a hunter who would bring attention. While hiding the fact that she was a first-generation hunter, she came out as an F-Class, so there was no reason for him to insist on Eunha anymore. After a moment of silence, Siwoo, who understood the gist of her words, burst into laughter. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Because I know that Sunbae is not an F-Class.¡± ¡°Then why did the measurement result come out like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I don¡¯t know.¡± The measuring instruments owned by the association were identical to the state-of-the-art measuring instruments used by the World Hunter Administration. It was said to be the most reliable measuring instrument on Earth. It bothered him that the official measuring instrument, which had no errors, only showed errors for Eunha. They needed to know more about the oddity, but one thing was for sure. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make any sense for an F-Class hunter to fight with me, who¡¯s so skilled.¡± You¡¯re still an S-Class. Saying that, Siwoo turned his back. After checking the time on his cellphone, he hurriedly got back into the car. ¡°You head in first. I have my next schedule. Manager Park will give you detailed instructions on how to use the terminal tomorrow, so take a good rest today. Don¡¯t worry about canceling the contract.¡± Siwoo emphasized once again. ¡°F-Class is the lowest rank, but if you think positively, you can acquire a large amount of experience, even in small battles. It means that your growth can be limitless.¡± ¡°According to the results, my potential is 4%.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I don¡¯t believe in the measurement results.¡± Siwoo opened the car door. Just before getting into the car, he raised the corners of his lips one last time. ¡°No matter the outcome of the results, we can prove them wrong with action.¡± *** However, the opportunity to prove them wrong rarely came. The license and terminal had been distributed, and originally, she was supposed to start her hunter activities right away, but it was not easy. It was all because of the stigma of her being an F-Class hunter. But because of that, Eunha had enough time to encounter and learn modern culture. Eunha scrolled the mouse wheel with a more familiar touch. [Real-time news] ¨Œ Headline news ¨Œ Latest ¨Œ View order ¨Œ Recommended She could tell at a glance that she had no good articles. But that didn¡¯t stop Eunha from scrolling down. She wasn¡¯t hurt by the pixels that popped up on her monitor. It¡¯s also because it was, to some extent, expected. She appeared as a rookie hunter who stood out just by her outfit and had the famous Wolf Guild backing her. Moreover, there were many reporters around at the time of the measurement. When the F-Class measurement result came out, the laughing that could be heard through the window was still clear. Eunha opened another window. Click. The sound of the mouse echoed through the still room. [Title] the wolf guild is starting again lolol wolf is acting so strange o-o [Writer] ¡õ¡õ (121.204) | 2031.5.29 PM 7:45 | [Views] 473,886 | [Recommended] 26,642 [Content] i can smell the fishiness again kekeke. was it princess of dark flare? my ears are cringing ;; [Comments] 1,225. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: ye and how can they fight in such clothes in modern times ;;; she should step on her clothes and fall. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: http://hunterprofile.co.kr/main/1 2232643/?id=eFHSdc go here lol i heard she¡¯s f class? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: wolf is being weird hahahaha how many applicants do they have to hire an f class as a hunter hahahaha ©¸>¡õ¡õ: f class¡­ LOLOLOLOLOL ©¸>¡õ¡õ: so, when is the 9th season of blade of XX coming out? ©¸> hahahahahahahahaha -see more- ¡­ ¡­ [Title] my grandfather told me something [Writer]¡õ¡õ(121.233) | 2031.5.29 PM 10:33 | [Views] 251,322 | [Recommended] 3,218 [Content] my grandfather said that it was the princess of dark flare? I heard that¡¯s the name of a monster from an urban legend? It¡¯s said that it was quite famous among old-generation hunters o-o he said that she would wear a black dress and hold a parasol [Comments] 831 ©¸>¡õ¡õ: if she got the concept from that monster, she looks like she¡¯s psychotic lol ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i¡¯ve heard of it!! they say they seduce men and women and set them on fire hahahaha ©¸>©¸>¡õ¡õ: oh, that¡¯s right. i heard that she¡¯s in by the upper level of the wolf guild lol I heard it because an oppa i know is in the wolf guild personnel team ©¸>¡õ¡õ: weren¡¯t there hunters who cosplayed as the red mask in the past? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: oh, the kid who killed an ordinary person and was captured? isn¡¯t he in prison now? o-o ©¸>¡õ¡õ: hunters are popular these days and people know they make money, so they want to be one too hahaha they think they¡¯re qualified to be hunters so one day they wake up and go inside gates, and only once they get their arms chopped off do they come to their senses ;;; Knock, knock. The finger that was scrolling the mouse wheel stopped. It was the sound of someone knocking on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me, hunter.¡± It was Jehwi. When she opened the door, he bowed his head with two cups of coffee in both hands. ¡°It¡¯s coffee, can you drink it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I bought an Americano, but let me know if you need syrup. Are you used to using your laptop?¡± ¡°I kept forgetting the Wi-Fi password, so I just put it there. Other than that, there were no problems.¡± A small post-it note was attached to the edge of the laptop monitor. Wi-Fi: K_GiGA_10G_NQFidg Password: 1tlstldn2CHLRH! A strange question loomed in Jehwi¡¯s eyes as he stared at it. He¡¯d been thinking about it since last time, but it was strange to think that such a young person was not familiar with modern culture. Jehwi once asked Siwoo about it. The answer that came back was that her hometown was in a very rural area. And the reason why she knew little about modern culture was that she grew up under her great-grandfather. ¡®How rural is it that she doesn¡¯t even know how to use Wi-Fi?¡¯ ¡®Ilsuk-ri, Haeul-myeon, Manrye-eup, Gyeongsangnam-do.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Sunbae¡¯s hometown.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Even if she¡¯s from such a rural area, wouldn¡¯t she know of it?¡¯ Jehwi thought, tilting his head. Oh, and by the way. ¡°What were you looking at?¡± Taking his eyes off the sticky note, he glanced at the monitor. ¡°¡­ Ah, um.¡± And at the same time, his face hardened. Countless comments were pouring down the screen. At first glance, he knew they did not have good intentions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to check things like this, you know. These days, netizens type things without thinking.¡± Oops. Mistake. Jehwi covered the laptop. Then, he looked away without saying a word. ¡°Ranks in the hunter world are quite absolute. This is a fact that applies not only to the hunter world but also to association officials and the general public.¡± Modern people tended to blindly trust the measuring instruments of the association. An A-Class was stronger than a B-Class, and an S-Class was stronger than an A-Class. Those ideas were simply accepted. Many people would praise hunters who were measured with a high rank without questioning it. It was like how a student would blindly trust their university. ¡°The standards they set are not always absolute.¡± At least, that¡¯s what Jehwi thought. If the unique abilities of an A-Class hunter were focused on healing, their ability to fight could¡¯ve been weaker than that of a B-Class hunter who specialized in short-range combat. Wasn¡¯t that normal? ¡°But¡­ As for the reason why you got into this kind of gossip, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a matter of rank.¡± Jehwi looked at her cautiously. Black hair and black eyes. It was a pure black that was rarely seen in modern times. What¡¯s more, she wore a black dress that seemed like it was tailored to fit her and even a parasol with a design that didn¡¯t fit the times. She was in a conspicuous outfit, enough to be mistaken for a cosplay. ¡°These are things I need.¡± Perhaps realizing the meaning of that gaze, Eunha said softly. Eunha herself was aware of how conspicuous this outfit was and that the impact would not be good. ¡®But I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Eunha¡¯s ¡®Black Flame¡¯ was a set effect. It could only be activated when the Elegant Parasol, Black Rose Pendant, Thorn Shoes, Obsidian Tiara, and Black Silk Dress were all equipped. If any one of them were missing, the effect would be removed. In other words, the black flames could not be used. The difference in destructive power between her flames and the black flames was not small. If she wanted to enter a gate where she didn¡¯t know if an accident would occur, it would be best to use the most efficient equipment. ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± Jehwi looked away from her dress. He couldn¡¯t force her if he didn¡¯t have the right to do anything. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t you have strong allies called Wolf and Silver Moon?¡± He stirred the straw in his drink and smiled. ¡°The rank won¡¯t matter in front of Wolf¡¯s name.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± It was a very confident smile. CH 17 A few days later. As if to prove the power of the Wolf Guild, Jehwi found work for Eunha, who was measured as an F-Class. ¡°¡­How?¡± Eunha blinked slowly as she checked the gate entry schedule. The total number of people registered was twenty. Fifteen members from the ¡®Roar¡¯ Guild, Two gatherers, Two porters, and¡­ Support: Princess of Dark Flare ¨C Wolf At the very end, Eunha¡¯s nickname hung like a tail. In the case of an F-Class, the lowest among the hunter ranks, it was said that it would be difficult to find a job not only in Korea, but also anywhere else in the world. If people received an F-Class measurement, it was the reason to tell them to quit being a hunter and to return to their main job. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Rank doesn¡¯t matter in front of Wolf¡¯s name.¡± Jehwi shrugged his shoulders triumphantly. He had done it. Even when the only cases of F-Class hunters being recruited for gate attacks were for ¡®gatherers¡¯. Gatherers were mainly responsible for collecting and moving the resources in gates such as ores, plants, monster corpses, and other loot needed for research. A similar role was the porter. They were people who would carry the goods. In the case of combatants, in addition to the basic mission allowance provided according to the difficulty of the gate, a portion of the money made from loot could also be given. However, gatherers and porters were the so-called daily workers or part-timers. There weren¡¯t many guilds with people kind enough to willingly pay an expensive allowance for an F-Class hunter, who wouldn¡¯t be of much help in battle. ¡°Guilds are usually greedy. Even C-Class gates are quite expensive, so they won¡¯t want to give up even a single seat to an external hunter. But it can¡¯t be helped since the hunters are all gathered for profit anyway.¡± They were in an underground parking lot. Jehwi got into a car and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Does Wolf have the right to attack a C-Class gate?¡± Eunha took her eyes off the schedule and looked at Jehwi who was holding the steering wheel. ¡°Wolf didn¡¯t even participate in the C-Class gate auction in the first place. We don¡¯t need it.¡± There were few guild members with a rank low enough to be put into a C-Class gate, and Wolf guild members fought similarly to actual combat at the ¡®mock gate¡¯ in the guild training center. The ¡®mock gate¡¯ was created by gathering phantom-related hunters. It was their training system that Wolf members would boast about, as it differentiated them from other guilds. ¡°But the CEO said that if he had known that something like this would happen, he would have bid for at least one C-Class gate in advance.¡± ¡®Perhaps sooner or later you¡¯ll sweep the lower gates.¡¯ Jehwi smiled and turned his steering wheel. In addition, how many bottles of soju he emptied to win this gate, how important this debut stage would be on future hunter activities, what would be good for dinner tonight, if she liked the smell of the air freshener¡­ His chatter continued until they reached their destination. Jehwi and Eunha, who parked their car in a suitable place, walked towards the gate entrance. Many hunters had already arrived there and were waiting. Somehow, it seemed that their gazes were all directed towards Eunha. Maybe it was because she¡¯d been a hot topic on the internet lately? Was it because of her annoyingly flashy outfit? Perhaps it was for a simpler reason than that. Since the hunter society had a subtle hierarchical order, there was a high possibility that it was because the F-Class Princess of Dark Flare, who was the most inexperienced, had arrived the latest. ¡°Hunter, here.¡± Jehwi held out a small backpack to Eunha. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I brought it with me because I thought you¡¯d need it. It has a first aid kit, bottled water, towels, and a wireless charger.¡± Eunha stared at it intently. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Jehwi tilted his head. Eunha shook her head and took the backpack. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Oh man, one of the hunters participating in the gate today is a BJ. It¡¯s a chance to get some screen time, so it¡¯s best to stand next to that BJ whenever possible. He¡¯s the man in the red hoodie over there.¡± tl/n: BJ is an acronym for broadcast(ing) jockey, they¡¯re basically streamers ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Oh, and again¡­¡± ¡°The entrance is open. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Oh, then see you later! Go for it!¡± Jehwi clasped his hands tightly. Eunha smiled lightly and turned away. ¡°I will open the gate! Hunters will stand in three rows, and gatherers will enter after that!¡± Hunters scattered all over the place and formed lines one after another. ¡°Wait, you there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You, in the black dress.¡± Someone put a hand on Eunha¡¯s shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw a tall man looking down at her. ¡°F-Classes should stand in the back row. What are you proudly standing in the first row for?¡± The sound of laughter was heard from all around her. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know.¡± Flick. Eunha, who carelessly slapped the hand on her shoulder, retreated to the back row. The man frowned as if he didn¡¯t like something. ¡°Hunters, please take a step back! The entrance is opening. Five, four, three¡­¡± Whoooom¡ª The air vibrated and the gate entrance began to flash. The surrounding trees trembled as their leaves fell. ¡°¡ªTwo, one!¡± The birds sitting on the branches hurriedly flew into the sky. The air surrounding the area became heavy, and Eunha¡¯s heart thumped at the familiar but unfamiliar pressure. ¡®This feeling.¡¯ Eunha clenched her fist. This sensation, as the hair on her skin stood upright and a feeling of excitement resembling fear wrapped around her body. It had been a few years, no, thirty years. ¡®I hope this goes well¡­¡¯ Jehwi bit his nails with a worried look. Eunha¡¯s back gradually faded through the rippling cracks. *** ¡°Gatherers, please refrain from working until I give you instructions, and keep an eye on the lights so you don¡¯t get lost.¡± It was the man in the red hoodie who led the hunters and gatherers at the front. ¡°Wow. Isn¡¯t that the BJ King God?¡± tl/n: to clarify, his job is being a BJ, and his alias is King God ¡°The Roar Guild hired him this time. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Just by getting on his show, you can expect a huge rise in popularity. How much was the recruitment fee?¡± ¡°At least in the billions.¡± Gatherers were heard whispering. It seemed that he was the famous BJ hunter that Jehwi was talking about. King God fixed his phone on a long selfie stick and turned on the flash. It served as a light to brighten his face and a signal to those who followed him. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a C-Class gate.¡± The BJ reassured the people with a smile on his face. C-Class gates usually employed E and F-Class hunters, and even D-Classes. It was said that he came to take on the role of the leader and to shoot a broadcast. Yes. It was said that the difficulty level was easy enough to be filmed on TV. It was no different from Eunha¡¯s time. The only difference was that the demand for hunters had surged compared to that time, and the hunters who entered the gate seemed quite relaxed. It was said that the system of conscripting the Awakened regardless of age or gender had long since disappeared. In other words, those who were currently active as hunters had all wanted to become one. Moreover, the welfare and position of hunters had greatly improved in modern times. However. ¡®Even if it¡¯s a C-Class gate, you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down.¡¯ Eunha thought. Thirty years ago, the place she was confined to was also a C-Class gate. In hindsight, it was an Unknown Gate, but it was still a disaster that had occurred in a C-Class gate. Even after thirty years had passed, humans had not been able to solve the mysteries surrounding gates, monsters, and the twelve divine beasts. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if something unexplained happened. [Lv.9 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ reveals itself!] A message window appeared in front of the hunters all at once. The terminal Eunha put in her pocket vibrated. ¡°It¡¯ll be a pretty exciting broadcast to see Lv.9 monsters appear at the beginning. What do you think, everyone? Ten moon balloons for an electric shock, a hundred for a one-on-one battle, and a thousand for a special move.¡± tl/n: I¡¯m guessing that moon balloons are some sort of currency (like bits in Twitch) The BJ, a C-Class hunter, leisurely held a selfie stick and induced the audience to respond. [Lv.9 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ makes an ominous cry.] [Warning! It summons a comrade!] The numbers of monsters grew. There were seven in total. But there were nineteen hunters here, so it wasn¡¯t a very intimidating number. ¡°Everyone, take care of my share.¡± Someone leapt towards the monsters at high speed. Crunch! As the blade on his black axe swung in the air, a blue electric current arose. After that, all the hunters who were waiting entered an attack stance. [Lv.9 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ spits poison.] [Status Abnormality: Poison ? Antidote or Removal Skill is required.] Bang! Clash! Psh! Various battles took place in accordance to each person¡¯s unique abilities. Among them, Eunha stood tall and watched the battle closely. ¡®The tails are being cut off.¡¯ Some of the salamanders who had their tails cut off ran away. The tails, which had lost their bodies, jumped up and down like fish on land. ¡°Gatherers, get all of the tails before moving on to the next area. They¡¯re pretty expensive. Be careful not to damage the leather as much as possible.¡± At the BJ¡¯s instructions, the gatherers rushed to open their bags. Someone approached Eunha, who was staring at them. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re scared, but you have to hit at least one. I don¡¯t know how you got here, but shouldn¡¯t you at least get some experience?¡± It was a hunter wearing a ¡®Roar¡¯ guild uniform. At her words, another hunter next to her nodded their head. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s worthwhile to do even a little. Don¡¯t you know? Maybe you¡¯ll even rank up here.¡± Ah. Come to think of it, there was a system called experience points. Eunha checked her terminal. [Displaying the experience points obtained from the current gate. ? EXP ¨C 0. Do you want to reset?] ¡°¡­¡± From the words of the hunters, it seemed that if she hit even one, the number of experience points would rise. Eunha put her terminal back into her pocket and started walking. She didn¡¯t like their words or actions, but she didn¡¯t feel particularly upset either. They were right. She had to take care of herself. It was the same before and now. Eunha held her black parasol in her hand. Monsters constantly attacked the hunters. She couldn¡¯t continue to not do anything. [Lv.9 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ attacks you!] Just then, a suitable monster appeared in front of Eunha. She reflexively summoned her black flames. ¡®¡­That one.¡¯ Flap. The tail of a salamander, which seemed to have been cut from the previous battle, came into Eunha¡¯s field of vision. It fell to the floor and was moving like a living creature. The moment Eunha was distracted by the moving tail, Psh¡ª! A fast arrow flew in from behind. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you afraid of Lv.9 monsters?¡± Eunha looked back. It was the big hunter who had put his hand on her shoulder earlier. Ignoring his words, Eunha turned her head again. The tail that had thrashed like a raw fish up until recently had suddenly disappeared. ¡®¡­It seemed to be moving as if being led somewhere.¡¯ Eunha narrowed her eyes and looked around. Most of the cut tails went into the gatherers¡¯ bags. After a couple more battles, a short rest period was given before the next move under the direction of the commander. Eunha, who sat in front of the bonfire, checked her terminal. [Displaying the experience points obtained from the current gate. ? EXP ¨C 0. Do you want to reset?] Eunha glanced at the zero that appeared on the screen of her terminal. She hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of even a single monster properly yet. They had only just passed the halfway point of the gate. There was still a chance. Eunha tucked her terminal back into her sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t be too discouraged. It¡¯s always like that at first.¡± Someone tapped Eunha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you the Princess of Dark Flare from the Wolf Guild?¡± It was the BJ hunter in the red hoodie. CH 18 The one who had approached Eunha was the BJ hunter who wore a red hoodie. His cell phone was still pinned to the end of a selfie stick. Eunha glanced at his cell phone. The chat window displayed on the screen was being updated at a frightening speed. [oh my god, look at the good things our baby is doing ??] [in the meantime, you¡¯re even doing beginner hunter care¡­ king god, you are¡­ ] [are you hurt anywhere???] [¡®King God¡¯s Wife¡¯ sponsored 1004 moon balloons! ¡®you are my light. please live with me!!!¡¯] [ ?¡®Wondaedong Fire Fist¡¯ has become the 27,302th fan club member! ? ] e/n: wondae-dong is a city in daegu ¡°Ahaha. ¡®King God¡¯s Wife¡¯, thank you for the moon balloons. Thank you for joining the fan club, ¡®Wondaedong Fire Fist¡¯.¡± King God didn¡¯t comfort Eunha, but instead turned his head toward the camera. He didn¡¯t forget to wave his hand with a fresh smile. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks who the hell that guy was talking to like that?] ¡®¡­ I agree.¡¯ Eunha carefully observed King God. Hunters these days seem to make money and work in this way. She could feel through her skin that the world had changed. To Eunha, who was a first-generation hunter, he had a very strange appearance. ¡°What¡­ As those of you who have watched my broadcasts know, there are a few beginner hunters who are discouraged when they¡¯re put into practice. In that case, seniors with a little more experience should help. Shouldn¡¯t they?¡± After communicating with his viewers for a long time, King God finally turned his head back to Eunha. ¡°I wasn¡¯t like this from the beginning either. Everyone has difficult times. If it¡¯s okay with you, can I give you some tips?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that.¡± He glanced at the camera. It seemed to be some kind of signal saying that the viewers were watching. ¡°Now, listen. The monsters will come soon. Beginners with no experience will think that the smallest one is the weakest, but that¡¯s not actually true. The smaller it is, the faster it is.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t know yet, but it¡¯s true. You should keep that in mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha stared at King God with a dry look. Perhaps he took it as a signal that she was listening, and so King God continued to share his unnecessary advice with a slightly excited voice. ¡°If you are not confident in your accuracy, it is more advantageous to aim for the bigger ones. Big guys usually move slowly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. In this gate, the guys here are salamanders, so their speed isn¡¯t that fast. That¡¯s fortunate for a beginner like you.¡± King God whispered softly in Eunha¡¯s ear. ¡°It¡¯s expedient, but if you only aim for bigger guys, you will be able to easily get experience points as well. Got it?¡± He smiled, showing his canines. The chat window was moving at a terrifying speed. Most of the content was something like ¡®Kyaaaa!¡¯ or ¡®??¡¯. Next to Eunha, who was looking at the chat window that updated like lightning with blurred eyes, King God continued to babble. ¡°Oh, staying true to your concept is a great thing, but you¡¯d better leave that accessory behind.¡± ¡°Accessory?¡± He tapped the ¡®Elegant Parasol¡¯ with his index finger. ¡°It looks pretty expensive, but if you lose it, you won¡¯t be able to find it. There¡¯s no such thing as a lost and found inside a gate.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t an accessory¡ª¡± At that moment. Rumble¡­ The ground began to tremble. An earthquake? No, it was a signal that a horde of monsters was approaching. ¡°Come on, everyone! Get into your ranks. The next monster wave came faster than I thought, but it only shortens the time needed before we get back home. Don¡¯t be frightened.¡± King God calmed the people around him like a leader. He led the gatherers to a safe corner and returned to Eunha again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said earlier. The big guys. If you hit one and retreat, you¡¯ll still get experience points.¡± Leave it up to me to finish. King God gently tapped Eunha on the shoulder as if reassuring her. He then disappeared with several support hunters. [The divine beast ¡®Cat wandering in Darkness¡¯ clicks its tongue, saying it¡¯s seen everything now.] ¡®Yeah.¡¯ Eunha empathized with the cat¡¯s words and looked around with dry eyes. [Lv.13 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ uses its poisoned tongue.] [Lv.16 ¡®Cunning Salamander¡¯ uses a skill. ? Sharpened Claws] The level of the monsters was higher than before. But like before, they still weren¡¯t very threatening. ¡°Are you scared?¡± The large hunter from before approached. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks why he keeps on trying to pick a fight and wonders if he wants to have a hole in his face.] She imagined a figure of a cat with its fur on end in front of her. It was so cute that Eunha burst into laughter. Perhaps the man misunderstood that smile, so his face hardened strangely. ¡°¡­ If you¡¯re going to stand there like that, why don¡¯t you join the gatherers?¡± He flicked his finger, pointing to the corner. It was a place with a group of gatherers. And after that¡ª ¡®There¡¯s something there.¡¯ Eunha¡¯s gaze was fixed on a huge shadow cast on the inner wall. ¡°What? Do you not like that? What¡¯s wrong with it? You¡¯re also an F-Class.¡± ¡°¡­ Be quiet.¡± It was difficult to gauge the distance due to his loud voice. ¡°What?¡± Whoosh! Leaving the man behind, who had pursed his lips like an idiot, Eunha took a quick leap. A huge shadow was approaching from behind the gatherers. [Lv.20 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ appears!] Screeech! A strange cry resounded throughout the gate. The gatherers¡¯ bags began to jump like living creatures. ¡°It¡¯s Lv. 20! That guy is the boss!¡± ¡°What? So suddenly?¡± ¡°What are the gatherers doing? Hurry up and fall back!¡± The surrounding hunters began to move urgently. However, for some reason, the gatherers did not run away and stayed in their places. ¡°Ugh, what is this?!¡± ¡°Hey, the bags¡­!¡± Some of the terrified gatherers threw their bags to the ground. Through the open flaps, the salamanders¡¯ severed tails danced frantically. As if attracted by a magnet, they all started moving in one direction at once. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Eunha, who had fought in gates for a long time, learned one thing. Monsters had something called ¡®comradeship¡¯. Not all monsters were like that, but it was the case in some instances. When monsters who mourned the deaths or injuries of their comrades became ¡®angry¡¯, their ATK or DEF would greatly increase, just like now. tl/n: ATK = attack, DEF = defense [Lv.20 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ is grieving! Skill ? Mother¡¯s Tears] [In a state of rage, the monster¡¯s attack power is greatly increased.] The monster wailed. As if reacting to the sound, the gatherers¡¯ bags, to be more precise, the tails inside, flailed crazily. The gatherers were holding their bags with both hands and trying their best to hold on, but it was unclear how long they could hold out. At this rate, the gatherers would be thrown into the mouth of the monster with their bags on. ¡°Everyone throw your bags away.¡± ¡°Um, what¡­¡± ¡°Throw them quickly!¡± As Eunha shouted, the startled gatherers threw their bags. Tails that protruded like living snakes through the flaps of the open bags returned to their mother as if they had their own wills. [Lv.20 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ swallows a tail. Level UP.] [Lv.21 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ swallows a tail. Level UP.] [Lv.22 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ swallows a tail. Level UP.] ¡­ The boss monster that ate the tails as if they were sausages was getting bigger and bigger. [Lv.29 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ checks its surroundings in search of the last tail!] Thud¡ª ¡°Twi, something¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s Lv.29¡­¡± e/n: ¡®twi¡¯ short for ¡°twitch¡± since the guy is a streamer and everything Someone collapsed on the spot. One of the hunters by her side grabbed Eunha by the neck. ¡°Are you crazy?! After it swallowed all those tails, it leveled up! How are you going to take responsibility?¡± Flick. Eunha brushed off the hand that had grabbed her collar in one move. ¡°Then? If the gatherers had continued to hold their bags, they would have been eaten instead.¡± At the sound of the two people arguing, the eerie eyes of the ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ turned to the pair. ¡°Ugh, damn it!¡± The hunter who had been shouting at Eunha slowly retreated back. Eunha looked up at the monster and straightened her parasol. At that moment, someone¡¯s urgent voice was heard. ¡°Hey, you! I told you to attack the big ones, but that one¡¯s too big!¡± ¡°Back off quickly! What are you doing!¡± BJ King God called out urgently. But Eunha turned her head back to the monster, pretending she didn¡¯t hear anything. And at the same time, Whoosh¡ª! She kicked off the ground and sprung up. ¡®It¡¯s no use.¡¯ King God covered his mouth. It was too dark here. Even he didn¡¯t have the confidence to quickly catch the movements of the monster in this darkness. Moreover, the parasol was too small to deal damage to monsters. In other words, in his view, neither destructive power nor accuracy could be expected. However, [Passive ? ¡®Night Vision¡¯ activated.] As Eunha leapt into the air and reached the ceiling, a hint of gold flashed across her dark pupils. Her target was the giant monster in front of her. In the hand that tightly held the parasol, Eunha¡¯s knuckles cracked slightly. Screeech! [Lv.30 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ has detected danger!] [Lv.30 ¡®Queen of the Swamp¡¯ uses a skill. ? Skin Hardening] When the distance from the target was closed, Fwoosh! Black flames bloomed along the shape of the parasol. ¡°Hey, come on, wait¡­ !¡± The moment King God took a deep breath and opened his mouth. Thud¡ª! The monster fell to the ground with a dull sound. In a single blow. CH 19 The next day, an article related to the Princess of Dark Flare brought about a huge issue. Eunha sipped the coffee Jehwi had brought and checked it. [Comments] 6,206 ©¸>¡õ¡õ: a level 29 monster in a c class gate? hahaha it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve seen a gate error ©¸>¡õ¡õ: wow, that¡¯s crazy. are those flames? i think it looks kinda like cream ;;; ©¸>¡õ¡õ: hey, shouldn¡¯t she be an s class? isn¡¯t she an a class at the very least??? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: that can¡¯t be real hahahaha ©¸>¡õ¡õ: as expected, the wolf guild is famous for being difficult to join, so you have to prove that you entered wolf first o-o ©¸>¡õ¡õ: wow, look at the udyr level of change. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: fly up, suzaku~ e/n: udyr = a champion from league of legends. suzaku = one of the four lords from final fantasy XIV. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i was watching king god¡¯s broadcast, and she was so rude. she spoke informally to the senior hunters and ignored them, that¡¯s no joke ; ©¸>¡õ¡õ: even if you¡¯re strong, you don¡¯t have to be rude. guys like that king god you guys are into will show their true personalities once they turn off the broadcast. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: to be honest, there are only a few hunters who are actually kind, most of them are just doing it for the money and popularity ©¸>¡õ¡õ: aren¡¯t you all idiots here? the other hunters did everything, she just went in for the last hit. how can an f class hunter kill such a high-level monster in a single shot? It doesn¡¯t make sense. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: ?? didn¡¯t the measuring machine malfunction? that¡¯s what I heard??? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: wow¡­ i don¡¯t think she¡¯s an f class ¡°It¡¯s amazing, hunter.¡± Jehwi applauded and looked at Eunha. She was an F-Class, but she got incredible results that he couldn¡¯t believe. She was a person the CEO entrusted to him directly. ¡°The CEO was very pleased.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. As proof of that, he prepared you a present.¡± Blink. Eunha blinked slowly as she was biting her straw. ¡°¡­ A gift?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jehwi smiled meaningfully. He knew what present Siwoo had prepared because he only paid for it. It was Jehwi himself who had actually prepared it. ¡°You will definitely like it.¡± *** Bright headlights casted light over a long stretch of road. ¡®I have a present I want to give you. Let¡¯s pack our luggage first.¡¯ It was just as Jehwi had said. Siwoo, who suddenly visited Eunha, had said those words. But she had barely any luggage at all. An old military uniform, an old backpack, and a laptop were all she had. The night streets of Seoul were dark. Without headlights, it would be impossible to tell whether this was Seoul or a rural area. Building signs that flashed past midnight would¡¯ve been quickly extinguished by 10 pm if they were from thirty years ago. The commercial buildings they passed by were rolling down their shutters like iron bars, as if they were all following a promise. More than thirty years had passed since the appearance of gates. It was true that the lives of modern people became peaceful as the supply and demand of hunters evened out and their average combat power soared, but they could not return to the world before the advent of gates. It had been proven that the probability of a gate appearing was higher at night than during the day. As Eunha stared at the moonlight-dyed asphalt through the window, the car came to a stop as it reached its destination. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Siwoo opened the passenger door, and Eunha slowly got out of the car. It was a place not far from Siwoo¡¯s mansion. Eunha craned her neck and raised her gaze. If she hadn¡¯t, the top of the building would be out of sight. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°This is where Sunbae will live for the next year.¡± Eunha turned her head towards Siwoo. She looked very surprised. Just by seeing the outside of the building, she could guess that it was comparable to a hotel. The contract clearly included the provision of food, clothing, and shelter, but she didn¡¯t know that such a luxurious officetel would be prepared. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡± Siwoo gestured. But Eunha just stood there and stared at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Fwip. Suddenly, Eunha opened her pale palm. A handshake? Siwoo, who harbored a small misunderstanding, extended his right hand. Slap. Eunha lightly slapped Siwoo on the back of his hand and opened her mouth indifferently. ¡°The key.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You have to give me the key so we can get in.¡± For a moment, Siwoo, who was as hard as a stone, slowly blinked his eyes. Ah¡­ She was someone from thirty years ago. Even the obvious fact that they could enter a house without a key had to be taught individually. ¡°¡­ I will take the lead.¡± The two took the elevator to the 17th floor. Beep, beep, beep. When Siwoo pressed the number pad, the door opened automatically without a key. It wasn¡¯t a commercial building or a department store, so it was surprising that the entrance to a house was like this. Room 1702. The two people who checked in entered the room. Eunha slowly looked around the neatly organized interior. From furniture to daily necessities to comfortable pajamas, everything was carefully prepared. She found a pink post-it note in the spot her eyes had moved to. After walking on the cold floor, Eunha grabbed it. ?? Round button at the top ¡ú All lights on ?? Button 1 ¡ú Living Room ?? Button 2 ¡ú Bedroom ?? Button 3 ¡ú Bathroom ?? Button 4 ¡ú Balcony and laundry room ?? Bottom triangle button ¡ú All lights off ?? If the remote control doesn¡¯t work, charge it with the charger at the entrance for at least 10 minutes. ¡îDon¡¯t ever break it¡î Eunha paid attention to the crooked asterisk at the bottom of the post-it notes. The crumpled star looked exactly like Siwoo¡¯s handwriting, which she saw at the time of writing the contract. She thought it was a little funny when she pictured him grabbing a small post-it and writing the note down with a pen. ¡°I was afraid you might¡¯ve gotten confused.¡± Siwoo, who came closer behind her back, scratched his cheek. When did he come here to write this? ¡°¡­ You¡¯re meticulous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a basic consideration.¡± Wshhh¡ª As Eunha walked through the white curtains, she saw a balcony of suitable size. The night view of Seoul sleeping peacefully under the full moon caught her eye. ¡°If you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll be able to see where your mother is. Can you see the hill behind that blue sign?¡± The moonlit face of Eunha was reflected on the cold balcony¡¯s glass surface. As Siwoo said, her mother¡¯s tombstone was clearly visible from here. However, rather than being moved by his consideration¡­ ¡®Strange.¡¯ The royal flooring and the view of the Han River over the balcony. There were at least four empty rooms and a wide bathtub in an open living room. The sofa, table, and even the carpet on the floor looked quite expensive. Her pitch black eyes, which slowly swept through the room, returned to Siwoo. ¡°Money, you have a lot of it?¡± Eunha wondered if Siwoo would harden for a moment at her sudden remark, but he raised the corner of his mouth slyly. ¡°Did you not know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¨D Nothing. Eunha didn¡¯t know much about him, just as he didn¡¯t know much about her. ¡°I don¡¯t know specifically how much the position and status of the hunters have risen compared to before, nor how important the Wolf Guild is.¡± As always, Eunha opened her mouth with an expressionless face. Tap, tap. Skinny fingers tapped the glass surface of a table. ¡°But I know that contracts like this are not common.¡± A thin horn sounded from somewhere not too far away. A white curtain that embraced the still night air puffed up. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s because Sunbae is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡¯s because I¡¯m a first-generation hunter.¡± Eunha cut off his words. Where the white curtain gently swept past, unshaking black eyes appeared. ¡°I thought I had the right to know the real reason.¡± Eunha looked up at Siwoo at an angle. Her black hair shone under the moonlight. Siwoo had accepted Eunha¡¯s condition of not revealing that she was a first-generation hunter. He created the alias of Lee Yura for her and didn¡¯t reveal her identity to the guild members or even the cleaners of the mansion. But was his reason for doing that just because she was a ¡®first-generation hunter¡¯? The benefits that Eunha received from him were so unconventional to the extent that they alone could not be explained. Even Eunha, unknowing of modern prices, felt that way. Siwoo spoke in a low voice. ¡°Are you thinking of breaking the contract after hearing the reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the reason. I just want to understand.¡± There was a long silence that made it feel like even the second hand of the clock was moving slowly. The only thing that illuminated the room was moonlight. Inside, the eyes of the two were quietly intertwined. ¡®I thought it was a success, but it turned out to be a failure.¡¯ ¡®Young master, don¡¯t disappoint the master.¡¯ You¡¯re the only one. Only you can do it. If only you were good. Only you. Just you. Only if you¡¯re good. You have to do it. Just you alone. You¡¯re the only one. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the end of the long silence, Siwoo slowly blinked his eyes. Eunha was still staring at him with her jaw clenched. It was better because it was dark here. Siwoo didn¡¯t have to worry about even showing his face to her. Siwoo, who turned his back in the moonlight, raised the corners of his lips faintly. The falling moonlight thankfully hid his slight shaking. ¡°It¡¯s scary.¡± ¡­ He was scared? Eunha¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on him. Siwoo leaned loosely against the glass door and crossed his arms. His half-shadowed face was facing away from Eunha. ¡°The monsters are scary and the smell of blood is unbearable. So, I¡¯m going to quit being a hunter.¡± Blinking, he laughed. ¡°I¡¯m running away.¡± The largest guild in Korea¡ªWolf. It was himself who was always mentioned as the son and the next guild leader. It was as if he was always shackled by the foot. And two years ago, after being measured by the association, he became Korea¡¯s sixth S-Class hunter. That fact put shackles on Siwoo¡¯s other foot. Responsibility. Duty. It didn¡¯t matter. Siwoo wanted to throw off those shackles. Even if it meant hiding in the shadow of a hunter stronger than himself. ¡®If you want to laugh at me, laugh.¡¯ It was far better to live a life full of scorn than a life he didn¡¯t want. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha¡¯s black pupils were torn, as if observing him. After a long silence, she licked her lips. ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as the clear and concise answer came back, Siwoo¡¯s eyes widened. The words he had prepared in response to whatever she would say scattered like dust. Eunha, standing in front of a curtain that repeatedly rose and fell, said nothing more. Eunha, who closed the glass door that was slightly open, glanced at Siwoo again. ¡°Why?¡± Seeing her asking if he had anything more to say, Siwoo licked his trembling lips. ¡°¡­ Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes. You can go now.¡± In the silence where even the smallest noise from the outside was completely blocked, the sound of her sleeves passing by was exceptionally loud. Siwoo stared blankly at her side. The side of her face was gently coloured, as if it were painted by the night view past the balcony. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Siwoo, who came to his senses, slowly walked to the front door as if being pushed away. ¡°¡­ Then, rest comfortably.¡± Siwoo finally looked at Eunha. She still wasn¡¯t looking his way. ¡®Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡¯ Why do you want to run away when you¡¯re the son of Wolf¡¯s leader? Why do you think you¡¯re so weak when you say you¡¯re an S-Class? He thought she would say something like that since she was a first-generation hunter. However, she ended the conversation so plainly that he had lost his breath. Did she dismiss it as a joke? No, Eunha¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t joking. ¡®Why?¡¯ Click. Until the moment the door closed, he couldn¡¯t get the answer he desired. *** New York, USA. 11:46 PM A room with thick black curtains that blocked not only the flashy neon signs but also the loud sound of traffic. Water droplets fell from blonde hair that wasn¡¯t completely dry. They dripped onto a white sheet and gradually spread, leaving light marks. Plop. Another droplet fell onto the marks that had spread like petals. <¡®Roar¡¯ Guild Encounters High-Level Monsters in a C-Class Gate.> ¡°¡­¡± His gracefully outstretched fingers moved slowly and touched the phone screen. They swiped the screen back to the top. Below the article headline, a photo of a woman in a black dress was visible. He carefully swept over the screen that displayed the long hair that was dark like ebony and hung down to her waist, as if he was touching a glass doll. ¡°She¡¯s a hunter who has recently become an issue in Korea.¡± A manager, who was organizing luggage, suddenly approached him. She lifted her glasses and fixed her gaze on the screen of his cell phone. ¡°It was said that she¡¯s someone who signed a hunter contract with a famous guild in Korea. Thanks to the value of the guild¡¯s name, it became a topic of discussion at the time of measurement, and although she seemed strong, the result was said to be F-Class.¡± ¡°¡­ F-Class?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a problem with Korean hunters these days. Only their appearances are eye catching, but there¡¯s nothing substantial¡ª¡± The manager, who had spoken up to that point, closed her mouth in an instant because she noticed the grey eyes staring at her. ¡°Watch what you say.¡± Her body stopped as if tied to an invisible thread. She couldn¡¯t move, like an insect caught in a spider web. It was an unexpected reaction. It¡¯d already been ten years since she had started working with him. It was strange that he, who hated even talking about Korea, had reacted differently than usual. However, Catherine gently bowed her head. ¡°¡­ It was a slip of the tongue. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He was Korean. To be precise, he was half Korean. After thirty years of living in the United States, he had no regrets about his homeland, but it may have been unpleasant for others to talk about his home country. Thud. The feeling of being bound that had been tying her whole body disappeared, and she collapsed on the floor, dazed from the sudden release. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t reproach her any more. All she could do was turn her gaze back to the phone, as if led by him. He often looked for articles or videos related to Korea, but it was unfamiliar for him to stare at them with such concentration. ¡°Then, rest comfortably. I¡¯ll come see you tomorrow morning at eleven.¡± It was the moment she was about to leave the room after finishing her business. ¡°Book a flight. To Korea.¡± He said. Looking at the man who still had his eyes fixed on the screen, she glanced blankly at his mouth. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°As soon as possible.¡± At his sudden remark, her glasses slid down her nose. Did he suddenly get homesick? No, it couldn¡¯t be, because he was the person who had avoided even talking about Korea. Unable to ask for the reason, she calmly chose to answer according to the set rules. ¡°Um, first¡­ How about contacting the guild first? What¡¯s more, the Korean people may think¡­¡± But then. The grey eyes which had been fixed on the screen this whole time glanced towards her. At the same time that her hands and feet felt as if they were bound again, his lips drew a faint arc. ¡°Am I still in a position where I need to read peoples¡¯ minds?¡± It was a gentle smile as usual. But she knew after seeing him every day. The eyes facing her didn¡¯t contain a single smile. CH 20 A few days had passed since then. Today was the second mission for the Princess of Dark Flare. ¡°The CEO is very busy. He wanted to see you off in person today, but it seems that he didn¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eunha responded indifferently to Jehwi¡¯s words. ¡°He was very sorry.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seeing her nod her head briefly, she didn¡¯t look particularly disappointed. Maybe she wasn¡¯t very interested in the topic itself. Jehwi, who coughed a little, decided to change the topic. ¡°Hmm. Do you like the house?¡± ¡°Yes, very.¡± The house that Wolf had provided was like a palace. She had never lived in such a luxurious house, even when her mother was alive. And even after that, she had lived in a shack that was on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, Jehwi, who was holding the steering wheel, thought. ¡®Well, it would be weird if you didn¡¯t like it.¡¯ It was such a luxurious officetel. Even Jehwi, who had been an assistant to Siwoo for a long time, was surprised. ¡®What? That officetel¡­ Are you talking about that?¡¯ ¡®Yes. It¡¯s not far from the mansion. Oh, it¡¯s also nice since it¡¯s a place where you can see the Star Forest.¡¯ Star Forest was a very expensive apartment complex built recently. If he wanted the officetel with a view of the apartments, the sale price would be enormous just because of its location. ¡®There should be CCTV in the hallway as well as in the lobby on the first floor. The higher the floors, the better, so no one can spy from outside.¡¯ Jehwi was aware that he was giving her special treatment, but it seemed that it was to a greater extent than he¡¯d imagined. Sure, she was a good person. But she was a bit quirky and bizarre, and it was surprising that she showed results that exceeded expectations despite her being an F-Class. However, it was still unknown why the CEO cared so much. Perhaps there was more to her that he didn¡¯t know. ¡°So, it¡¯s a B-Class gate today?¡± Jehwi looked at Eunha through the rear-view mirror at her sudden voice from the back seat. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± An F-Class hunter going into a B-Class gate. In general, it was a nonsensical story. Jehwi constantly emphasized it right before entering the gate. The fact that Eunha killed the Lv.30 monster didn¡¯t have much of an impact. There weren¡¯t many people who believed that Eunha killed the Lv.30 monster in the first place. The most influential theory among netizens was the so-called ¡®last hit¡¯, that is, the theory that all she did was finish it off. But how did they manage to get a seat to a B-Class gate? There was a clear and simple reason. ¡°This is the power of Wolf and Silver Moon.¡± Jehwi laughed as a representative. From then until arriving at their destination, Jehwi carefully explained information that could be given to Eunha in advance as a manager. He explained that it was as dangerous as it was great for an F-Class hunter to be put into a B-Class gate. If you entered a gate that didn¡¯t match the difficulty level, you would have no choice but to face an annoying situation in battle. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that her? Something about dark flare?¡± Even before the battle could even begin, Eunha already faced an annoying situation. ¡°It¡¯s not about dark flare. It¡¯s the Black Dragon, you idiot.¡± ¡°Wow, she¡¯s not a hunter. Isn¡¯t she a complete cosplayer?¡± ¡°Do you want to go and talk to her?¡± ¡°No thanks. There¡¯s something strange about her eyes.¡± Thanks to the contract with the cat, Eunha¡¯s hearing was improved along with her night vision. Even if she didn¡¯t want to hear them, she had no choice but to listen. Eunha pretended not to hear anything and carelessly wiped the mud off her body with a towel. The gate had occurred in the aquarium. Gates often inherited the characteristics of the area where they appeared. Because of this, the floor was now covered in a sea of ??water. Damp mud would splash from even the smallest step. Eunha went through the bag Jehwi had brought her and pulled out a towel. With it, she began to meticulously wipe the mud off her shoes and clothes. ¡°If you have time to clean up, stay alert and follow along. There¡¯s no one from Wolf here. If you fall behind, there¡¯ll be no one to look for you.¡± A hunter pointed at Eunha and warned. It happened at the same time a lump of mud came from somewhere. As Eunha flicked away the lump of mud, laughter was heard from all around. Eunha glanced at the pile of mud that had fallen to the ground and opened her mouth. ¡°What if I didn¡¯t clean it?¡± Eunha asked, looking straight at him. ¡°If the mud hardened like this, wouldn¡¯t it interfere with future battles?¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows twitched at Eunha¡¯s attitude. In the cold silence, Ha! He burst into a short laugh and walked over to Eunha. ¡°Look, you think you¡¯re so cool just because you killed a Lv.30 monster. All the hunters here are capable of that. Of course, experience matters more than that. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stay in the back row. Don¡¯t pretend to know things. Annoying.¡± He deliberately kicked the ground hard and turned around. Dirty mud splashed all over the place from his kick. If Eunha hadn¡¯t twisted her upper body slightly, she would have had mud all over her face. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks why all hunters are rude and wild like savages.] [Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? You didn¡¯t show your true self! The angry cat¡¯s breathing grows rough.] ¡®Forget it.¡¯ Eunha drew her attention away from the message window that vibrated excitedly. What would she gain by flipping out here? Satisfaction? She¡¯d never craved anything like that. Although it was only for the contract period, Eunha wasn¡¯t a solo hunter. She carried a responsibility for being in Wolf. She was well aware that any of her actions could turn into an arrow for the Wolf Guild or Siwoo. Accidents caused by a moment of anger were something children would make. ¡®It¡¯s rather nice because I don¡¯t have to do any bothersome things.¡¯ Eunha only watched from the back, but she would still earn her share after the sweep was completed, so she had no regrets. Eunha decided to relax and watch the battle. [Lv.32 ¡®Predating Great White Shark¡¯ is approaching at its full strength.] [Lv.26 ¡®Ferocious Giant Jellyfish¡¯ stretches out its poisonous tentacles.] As the gate difficulty increased compared to the last time, the level of the monsters that appeared was also greatly increased. However, as such things were not a problem to them, it showed that their skills could not be compared with the previous hunters. While Eunha stared at the battles indifferently, someone approached. ¡°Hello, we meet again.¡± They had a thin body with a sad impression. He was the D-Class hunter and popular BJ ¡®King God¡¯. e/n: in ch 17, they called him a c-class hunter but in this chapter they¡¯re calling him a d-class so we¡¯re just as confused. It¡¯s hard to misstranslate too because of how the classes are written in the raws (ex: C? ??) so maybe the author just tripped¡­ ¡°Why are you here?¡± He belonged to the Roar Guild. Eunha heard that it was the Hwarang Guild, not the Roar Guild, who had won the bid for this gate, so why was he here? e/n: hwarang = flowering knights, an elite warrior group of young males in an ancient kingdom in the korean peninsula that lasted until the 10th century. Perhaps reading the question in Eunha¡¯s eyes, King God scratched his cheek and opened his mouth. ¡°Actually, I got a seat after hearing that you were coming to this gate.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? Because I wanted to talk to you one more time.¡± Eunha¡¯s black eyes scanned him as if searching. No malice was felt. The cat was also quiet. After that, King God naturally started walking according to Eunha¡¯s stride. The fact that she was being judged in either a good or bad way on the Internet was well known to King God, who was active as a BJ. However. He saw the moment that the camera couldn¡¯t capture with his own two eyes. ¡®She didn¡¯t even seem intimidated.¡¯ Like a beast in front of its prey, she stood in front of the monster. She was like that even now. Moreover, she was a person introduced by Siwoo, who was appointed as the next guild leader of Wolf. He was King God, famous for surviving the BJ world¡¯s red ocean. His nose was sensitive to smells that would benefit him in the future. tl/n: ¡°Red oceans are all the industries in existence today ¨C the known market space, where industry boundaries are defined and companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of the existing market.¡± ¨C a google search ¡°Some people think you only finished the monster off, but I don¡¯t think so.¡± As he was walking alongside Eunha, he suddenly lowered the tone of his voice. ¡°Are you an incarnation?¡± There was a question mark attached to the end of his words, but his eyes were full of certainty. A divine beast could have dozens, or even hundreds of contractors, and could share some of their power with those contractors. However, an ¡®incarnation¡¯ was quite different. A person who fully inherited the power of a divine beast, not just part of it. Each divine beast could only choose one incarnation. The criteria for selecting an incarnation varied for each god, and there were far more gods who did not choose an incarnation compared to those who had one. If a person met a divine beast¡¯s high expectations, the target chosen as an ¡®incarnation¡¯ would gain tremendous power. A typical case was the Chinese S-Class hunter, Wang Wei. He was the incarnation of the ox, and rumor had it that he was strong enough to lift a bus with one hand. Among the hunters, there were even jokes about whether he would be able to move an airplane with his bare hands if he were to become a ¡®manifestation¡¯. ¡°There¡¯s no other way for an F-Class hunter to kill a Lv.30 monster in one hit. Whether or not you have a contract with a divine beast it wouldn¡¯t have been displayed on the measurement results. Which of the twelve divine beasts are you the incarnation of? The dragon? Or is it the tiger? Judging by your destructive power, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the rabbit or sheep.¡± As if waiting for her to evaluate his reasoning, he looked at Eunha with anticipation. ¡°¡­ I.¡± As Eunha bit her lip, someone¡¯s urgent cry was heard not too far away. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s ordinary people here?!¡± Ordinary people? Everyone, including King God and Eunha, turned their heads at once. ¡°¡­ It looks like they got caught up in the gate.¡± Eunha muttered in a low voice and turned towards it. The answer to King God¡¯s question didn¡¯t come in the end. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ I¡¯ll come.¡± King God scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡®Was it just a feeling?¡¯ In an instant, it seemed that her eyes had changed. King God, whose hair had stood up, rubbed his arms and followed Eunha. He thought to ask about the divine beast at another time. *** ¡°Seven, eight, nine¡­ There are exactly ten.¡± The gate leader in charge of this gate, ¡®Mobius¡¯, spoke. Mobius was a C-Class hunter, but rumors said that he would rank up to B-Class soon. He was talented and had many followers as well. ¡°They¡¯re tourists that were in the aquarium. I¡¯m going to request reinforcements with my terminal. Let¡¯s stop here and wait until they arrive.¡± When a gate appeared in a densely populated area, it was quite common for ordinary people there to be caught inside the gate. This was an aquarium. And, it was on the weekend. It wasn¡¯t surprising for tourists to be swept away by the gate. Usually, before hunters were put into a gate, a hunter-related association would check whether or not any civilians were swept in through a radar network first, but there were cases where they couldn¡¯t determine anything. But there were only ten people, so the thirty or so hunters gathered in the gate would be enough to protect them. Mobius had already sent a request for reinforcements through his terminal before reassuring the civilians and had the hunters build a defensive line. ¡°The hunters are in the defensive ranks, so we just have to catch the monsters that attack us and sit while we wait.¡± Yes! This gate is nothing! The excited King God¡¯s shoulders shook. ¡°Did you say you were Yura? Would you like to try this? It¡¯s hot among BJs that do mukbang these days.¡± It was when King God was rummaging through his pockets. ¡°¡­ Crying.¡± King God raised his head at the sound of Eunha¡¯s low voice and dropped the jelly he was holding. ¡®Wh- what¡­?¡¯ Her black eyes were tinged with gold. Like that of a beast who crouched in the dark, her pupils were torn vertically. ¡°I can hear a child crying.¡± D-Did she hear a God or something? Or was this part of a concept? Her expression is too serious for it to be an act. ¡°You, your eyes suddenly¡­¡± Swish. Eunha turned around and started walking hurriedly to somewhere. The eyes of other hunters, including the leader Mobius, were focused on her. ¡°Wait. Where are you going?¡± Mobius grabbed Eunha¡¯s wrist. ¡°There. I can hear the cry of a child.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Eunha¡¯s words. It went without saying that the higher the rank, the sharper the senses. He had a higher rank and more experience than any of the hunters here, but he couldn¡¯t even hear footsteps, let alone crying. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to act alone. Please sit down and do your duty as a defender.¡± ¡°No. I will go.¡± Eunha hit the hand that was holding her wrist in an instant. It wasn¡¯t a strength that could easily be missed. Mobius looked down at his hand and raised his head. Eunha was already disappearing behind a corner. ¡°Whoa. They say that the more foolish one is, the less fearful they are.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I have to follow her. If something happens to her, she might get Wolf involved. You two, can you come with me?¡± Mobius chased after Eunha with two other hunters. Even at this moment, Eunha continued to step in one direction without hesitation, as if she really heard crying. ¡®What in the world are you hearing?¡¯ This was why Mobius didn¡¯t like bringing in novice hunters. From then on, he promised to never¡ª ¡°¡­!¡± Mobius, who was chasing Eunha, stopped. His eyes, unbelieving of the sight in front of him, were wide open. ¡°Eugh, waahh.¡± A child was crying. The child who held their doll tightly had tears dripping down their face but still held their breath, afraid that they would be discovered by a monster. ¡°Little kid.¡± Eunha held out her hand. ¡°Ugh, wahhh! A ghost¨D!¡± Suddenly, as if the child had a seizure, they burst into tears. It seemed that Eunha¡¯s pale face and gloomy outfit was too frightening for the child. In front of the crying child with a runny nose, Eunha awkwardly pulled back her hand. ¡°Child, it¡¯s okay now, so follow me. It¡¯s safe over there.¡± Unlike when it was Eunha, the child did not cry when he saw Mobius. Eunha would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t upset, but it was okay since he was safe. ¡°Why are you like this, kid? Let¡¯s go.¡± Mobius scratched his head as if he was in trouble. As Eunha stood from a distance and watched, the child seemed to be stuck in one place, saying that they wouldn¡¯t go. Eunha made sure that the surroundings were safe and turned around. There was nothing more she could do. But at that moment. ¡°Wahhh, Mama¡­¡± Standing still, Eunha¡¯s footsteps stopped. Her eyes met the child who was half sitting on the floor, crying. ¡°Mama¡­ She, she¡¯s not here¡­ Wahhh.¡± All of a sudden, dusty fragments of memories appeared in Eunha¡¯s brain. Crushed concrete. A left arm, strangely bent under a broken piano. ¡®¡­ Ma¡­ ma.¡¯ A girl, collapsed in front of it all. In front of her eyes, Eunha saw herself from 30 years ago. CH 21 She always thought of that time. 1997. If a hunter had been there, or if she had awakened then, would her mother not have had to die? Could she have shown her mom her college acceptance letter? ¡ª Mom, was she happy? It was like being in an endless swamp. When she woke up, Eunha was fiddling with her left wrist like she always did. ¡°You must¡¯ve been very scared by yourself.¡± Pause. Her hand, which was stroking her wish bracelet, stopped. As she slowly lifted her head, she saw the back of Mobius, who was soothing the little kid. ¡°Do you like candy?¡± He took a strawberry flavored candy from his pocket and handed it to the child. The child whimpered but held the candy tightly in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the ahjussis will definitely find your mother.¡± tl/n: ahjussi means uncle but it can also be used to refer to middle aged men ¡°Re, really¡­?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Mobius smiled sweetly and wiped the child¡¯s wet eyes. He brushed the dirt off her cheeks and even tied her messy hair back. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Yeri¡­ Ahn Yeri.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cute name. What kind of clothes is Yeri¡¯s mom wearing?¡± ¡°A red dress.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re wearing a matching outfit with your mom.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As if he had been through this many times before, he handled the child very naturally and skillfully. As the girl¡¯s face, which had been drenched in anxiety, gradually dyed with relief, Mobius entrusted the child to the hunter by his side. ¡°Take the little girl and go back to where we found her. Send a search party over here. Two¡­ No, three people would be good.¡± ¡°Yes, Leader.¡± The girl who was quickly put into the hunter¡¯s arms waved her hand. ¡°Ahjussi, thank you!¡± Mobius waved his hand back until the child disappeared past the wall. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha leaned against the inner wall, staring at him quietly. The child¡¯s bright smile, full of relief, was firmly stuck in her mind and did not leave for a long time. *** February 1998. It had been about a month since she had been drafted and entered the training camp. It was a time when the hunter system was not fully established yet. Monsters often escaped from gates where clearing was delayed, so the weak were captured and used as training monsters in many cases. ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s amazing.¡± Someone exclaimed in an amazed voice. ¡°How many monsters did they kill alone¡­?¡± From the fierce flames, Eunha walked out. What she held in her hand was the severed head of a monster. The trainees who had weak stomachs vomited everything they ate the moment they saw it. The monster¡¯s blood had a peculiar and foul odor. Eunha, who appeared with the nasty blood all over her body, stood in the middle of the training ground. ¡°You must be crazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that I¡¯m not insane.¡± The moment where admiration turned into criticism came faster than the change of seasons. Eunha kicked the monster¡¯s head like a ball. She watched the head as it rolled over and slowly lifted her foot. Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! She mercilessly trampled the already severed head and crushed it. Its eyeballs popped out and an unidentified liquid gushed out like a fountain from its broken head. Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Eunha did not stop. The trainees who had been watching the bizarre scene couldn¡¯t bear it in the end and slowly crept away from Eunha. In the end, all that was left was Eunha, ¡°Stop.¡± And the training grounds. He grabbed the neck of the monster Eunha was stepping on with his bare hands. ¡°Give it to me.¡± The head of the training camp threw the monster¡¯s head away at Eunha¡¯s voice, which was as empty as the look in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± As if possessed by something, Eunha took a step toward the monster¡¯s head that flew far away. ¡°The Hunter¡¯s Code of Conduct.¡± The training camp commander said gravely. Eunha stopped walking and turned back slowly. ¡°¡­ One, recognize that your inherent ability is a double-edged sword and abide by the law. Two, protect the people with honor and faith.¡± The dry voice mechanically recited the Hunter Code. The head of the training camp, who was looking at the blood clinging to Eunha¡¯s lips, sighed heavily. ¡°Do you know why there¡¯s nothing mentioning the extermination of monsters in the Code of Conduct?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha shook her head quietly. Her black gaze remained fixed on the monster¡¯s head. ¡°Because those two things are much more important than catching and killing monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Cha Eunha. Everyone here has lost a family member. I also lost my daughter.¡± Eunha¡¯s gaze slowly moved from the monster to him. She saw empty pupils that resembled her own on his face. ¡®This won¡¯t bring your mother back to life.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want him to say those words. She¡¯d heard enough of them already, and she¡¯d already felt it too. He clasped her shoulders tightly with both hands. The eyes of the two similar people met. ¡°There will be far more people you will save in the future than the people you didn¡¯t save.¡± In the midst of the strong sand-filled winds that made her eyes stiff, he patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I hope that will comfort you.¡± Eunha slowly blinked her eyes. *** ¡°Did you call me, Leader?¡± Three burly hunters appeared. They seemed to be the members of the search party, meticulously bringing the necessary equipment like flashlights, weapons, and ropes. ¡°Ah, you came sooner than I thought. Did you hear the story?¡± ¡°Yes, the child¡¯s mother is missing.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go back then.¡± ¡°Yes, Leader¡­ What?¡± The three hunters stood still in the same place. Mobius, who was ahead of them, looked back at them. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How about¡­ the search operation¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the search operation.¡± Mobius, who tapped one cheek lightly as if thinking deeply, smiled softly. ¡°We went to the center of the gate, but we were forcibly stopped due to the appearance of more monsters than expected. There were no survivors or clothes that matched the description of the missing person.¡± Mobius gently shook his head. His lips drew a faint arc. ¡°Right?¡± Faced with that smile, the hunters looked into each other¡¯s eyes with sour expressions. Drip. The sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling quietly echoed through the still area. ¡®Whether we save ten people or one person, the allowance we receive is the same. Why would we do anything that could endanger ourselves more?¡¯ Yes, if you think about it, it was a very realistic story. If ordinary people were found inside the gate, the leader would call for reinforcements through the terminal. In other words, if they sat down and comforted the citizens, they could comfortably finish clearing the gate and take their share. Even if the inside story was revealed later, it didn¡¯t matter. Because their only sin was following their leader¡¯s orders. Eventually, the biggest hunter among them stood in front of Mobius. ¡°Alright.¡± It would be more comfortable now and in the future to silently follow his orders. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes, Leader.¡± It was at the moment Mobius moved towards the passage, and the other three hunters turned to follow him. ¡°Ah, f*ck. You scared me!¡± A hunter jumped, cursing. Clutching his chest, his eyes widened. A woman in a black dress, hidden in the shadows, was emitting a sad glare from her eyes. Since when had she been standing there? They didn¡¯t notice her at all. Her hair was dark enough to blend into the shadows that covered the inside of the gate. She was wearing a black dress and holding her pointed parasol like a cleaver. It was such an impressive scene that you couldn¡¯t help but notice it. She was the F-Class concept hunter, the Princess of Dark Flare. ¡°Wh, what? You almost made me have a heart attack!¡± The black eyes that were deep enough to give you goosebumps just by meeting them were staring intently at him. ¡°What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you going?¡± They motioned towards the passage leading out. However, Eunha looked up at him without moving, then quickly turned away. Click, click. And she started walking in the opposite direction. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the wrong direction? Where are you going?¡± The hunter grabbed her wrist. No, they tried to catch her. Eunha lightly avoided their hand and looked back at them. ¡°We have to do a search.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you just hear the leader?¡± ¡°I heard. They did a search to the center of the gate. I¡¯ll go look a little deeper.¡± At that moment, the four hunters, including Mobius, noticed. That woman, it was clear that she wanted to go alone. ¡®You really are insane.¡¯ As it turns out, that woman wasn¡¯t inexperienced nor a beginner. She was just a crazy girl. ¡°It¡¯s a thing of the past that hunters have a high mortality rate, but¡­¡± Mobius let out a complicated sigh and scattered his bangs. ¡°I¡¯m telling you because you don¡¯t seem to know, but there are only two cases in which a hunter is killed or seriously injured in a gate. First, it¡¯s in the event of an unexpected accident. Second, it¡¯s if you fearlessly enter a gate that doesn¡¯t correspond to your class.¡± There were many other hunters besides her who wanted to play the hero. Mobius had watched carefully and seen what their end was. ¡°So?¡± Eunha responded by turning her head and throwing a glance at him. Her body was still facing the opposite direction. She was so carefree that he actually burst out laughing. Mobius decided to point out the problems one by one for the novice hunter who seemed to have lost her fear. ¡°It seems you¡¯re sure that the child¡¯s mother is inside the gate, but if she¡¯s not, you¡¯ll be held accountable.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The crime of disobeying the orders of the person in charge must be quite large. The damage inflicted on the guild cannot be ignored either. Can you afford it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha stepped forward without looking back. At that time, one of the hunters who was watching the scene eventually couldn¡¯t stand it and blocked Eunha. ¡°Look at you. Are you ignoring the leader¡¯s words now? Not only do you lack gate experience, you¡¯re also ignorant of the hunter hierarchy.¡± He leaned on one foot and looked down at Eunha as if showing dislike. This was the problem. In modern times, where the number of the awakened had increased remarkably, there was a riot that only believed what they saw in the media, and every dog and cow wanted to become hunters. It was disgusting to the point that he couldn¡¯t stand it. In particular, the concept of a hunter entering a gate wearing a slinky dress offended him even more. ¡°Which generation are you from?¡± He asked aggressively. He had been the first 23rd-generation graduate from a training school back in October 2028. It had already been three years. The pitch black pupils that faced Mobius slowly moved and landed on him. The conscription system had disappeared, and even Eunha was now well aware that this world was a world in which becoming a hunter was not forced upon the awakened. In a modern hunter training center, only a shell of its former self remained. For modern hunters, a training center was just like going to a four-year university to get a better job. It was fine if you went, and it was okay if you didn¡¯t. Even so, it was surprising that there was still a hunter who was talking about hierarchies and other things. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? Which one?¡± The corners of Eunha¡¯s lips rose slightly at his question. The moment he met her black eyes, he felt a chill go down his spine. Her lips, bright red as if they were dripping with blood, moved ever so slightly that the movement could not be detected. ¡°Me?¡± The voice that melted into the darkness didn¡¯t travel far. It just barely touched his ear from in front of him. ¡°The first generation.¡± CH 22 RP: Kim & Sebastian ? TL: Whee ? PR: Sebastian ? Editor: Kim On their way back. A hunter approached Mobius. ¡°Leader, are you going to leave that woman alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve warned her enough, yet she still chose to leave on her own. If this causes problems, she¡¯ll be solely responsible for it.¡± Don¡¯t worry. Reassured by their leader¡¯s smile, they scratched the back of their neck and backed away. On the other hand, at the end of their shifted gaze, they saw the face of their colleague who had their mind elsewhere. ¡°Hey, is something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± The colleague who closed their mouth hesitantly turned their head and looked back at the passage they had walked past. In her black dress, the Princess of Dark Flare had already disappeared in the opposite direction. It seemed that she was really going to look for the child¡¯s mother alone. An F-Class hunter, in a B-Class gate. ¡°¡­ I heard her say she¡¯s from the first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A graduate from the first training camp.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pft! Another hunter who was walking by caught their words. After laughing for a while, he looked at the person as if they were more curious about them, who had believed it straight away. ¡°Do you think that makes sense?¡± The fellow hunter¡¯s tone seemed to be slightly sarcastic, but there was an unwavering conviction in it. If she was a first-generation graduate, that meant she graduated in April of 1998. That was more than 30 years ago, even before government agencies took concrete measures against gates. It was a time of chaos. During that time, the number of hunters gathered by mandatory conscription far exceeded the number of modern hunters. However, the number of first-generation graduates who had survived that period was now only in the single digits. It was natural. At the time, hunters were not treated as well as they were now, and there were no specialized training courses. After only three months of short training, they would have been thrown into gates almost naked, so it would¡¯ve been stranger not to die. For this reason, the surviving first-generation graduates were still talked about for more than 30 years, with their pictures hanging at the entrances of training centers or in textbooks of the Hunter Training Academy. Of course, that woman was not among them. ¡°You must have heard wrong. Or maybe that girl really is mentally ill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± They knew very well that it didn¡¯t make sense. However, the strange, inexplicable sensation they felt the moment they met her eyes was still fresh in their mind. The person glanced back once more. The passage was dark as if it were swallowed by shadows. In the end, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of it for a long time. *** ¡°Hah, haa¡­¡± Without a moment to catch her breath, the woman ran. ¡°Yeri, where are you? Yeri!¡± She called out her daughter¡¯s name anxiously. Who would have imagined that she would be swept away by the gate at the aquarium she visited for her daughter¡¯s birthday? She was going to wait patiently for hunters to come, but waves suddenly hit the two of them, and she was separated from her daughter. How would you feel if the sky fell? Now that even her shoes were washed away by the water, the woman ran through the gate with her bare feet. Even though she knew the sound of her own urgent footsteps could alert a monster, she couldn¡¯t stay still. Even at this moment, the thought that her daughter could have been eaten by a monster was heartbreaking. ¡°Yeri¡­!¡± The hoarse voice of the woman echoed through the empty gate. How deep had she gone? Little by little, her light source disappeared as her phone ran out of battery, and she could no longer rely on its flashlight. The darkness that enveloped her was as thick as the despair she felt. Clack. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Her body was so weak that she momentarily dropped the camera she was holding. The memory card in her camera was filled with important work data as well as memories with her daughter. It was at the moment when the woman bent her torso, carefully holding her camera in her hand as it might¡¯ve broken. Screeeech! A terrifying cry resounded through the air. Oh my God. The woman couldn¡¯t even raise her bent upper body, and her whole body stiffened. ¡®Yeri¡­¡¯ A light passed in an instant in front of the woman¡¯s eyes. She clasped her camera with trembling hands. Splash. Splash. Splash. She could feel the monster behind her coming closer. Screeech¡ª! The woman closed her eyes tightly. However, ¡­ ¡­ Nothing happened. Very slowly, she opened her eyes. Her pounding heart wouldn¡¯t calm down. She covered her mouth with a hand and turned around. ¡°¡­!¡± There were golden irises. The colour was inhuman, shining eerily brightly in the dark. ¡®Mon, monster¡­?¡¯ The woman was so startled that she stuttered and dropped the camera in her hand again. Black flames wrapped around her like a snake. The roaring fire engulfed everything in front of her. In the middle of it, Eunha lowered her gaze indifferently. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha was looking at the woman, or more precisely, the dress she was wearing. She showed no signs of hostility. Suddenly, the woman noticed that her surroundings were unusually quiet and turned her head. A gigantic jellyfish was seen hanging in a corner, twisted. Its thin tentacles were all cut off, scattered over the floor like torn threads. ¡®Did she¡­ kill it?¡¯ Was it the woman in black? The woman once again turned her gaze to Eunha. Drops of blood were dripping from the tip of the parasol Eunha held. Her pale face was reflected in the pool of blood that had formed on the floor. How many seconds had passed like that? ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The moment when the woman gathered her courage and opened her mouth¡ª Swoosh! Suddenly, Eunha swung the parasol. The woman¡¯s widened eyes followed her. Fwooom! The black flames, swimming in the air as fluidly as fish, seemed to be connected to its owner by an invisible thread. Screech! The screams of monsters were heard everywhere. There was no way to grasp all the monsters¡¯ positions in such a dark space. Fwoom! Swish¡ª Thwack! For a brief moment, unbelievable sounds were heard one after another from a very close distance. It smelled like something was burning. The woman could only close her eyes tightly and earnestly hope that this hellish situation would pass quickly. Eventually, complete silence came around. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The woman slowly opened her eyes. There weren¡¯t golden eyes that shone like a wild beast¡¯s, but dark, calm eyes looking at her. Eunha saw that the woman¡¯s shoulders were still trembling faintly. Instead of waiting for her to answer her question, Eunha reached out to her. The woman looked at the hand that came out to her and opened her mouth with a terrified voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m¡ª¡± Tch. As usual, her voice was blocked. Being unable to say her name? It wasn¡¯t the only problem. Eunha shut her mouth and looked down at the outfit she was wearing. The loose sleeves and the long ribbon that wrapped around her waist were both things that didn¡¯t suit her as a hunter. In many gates, they were not suitable for Eunha as she needed to cut and slash numerous monsters. Why was she here now? What was she here for? ¡®If Sunbae completes the contract for one year, you¡¯ll get enough money to achieve everything you want.¡¯ Eunha raised her gaze. ¡°I just¡ª¡± The woman in front of her was looking at her. Yes. Eunha was well aware of the anxiety in those eyes. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen them. No, she had seen them countless times before. It seemed like she was finally facing her death which was still far away. Just like how a candle that is about to go out at any moment would struggle to hold on. Those eyes, gripped by fear and terror, were bound to Eunha¡¯s, as if barely hanging on. Eunha knew. What those eyes were looking for. What she was waiting for. ¡°Hello¡­ there?¡± The woman tilted her head towards the towering Eunha. Instead of her fancy dress, she wore old military uniform, Instead of a parasol, she had bare hands covered in dirt, Instead of thorn shoes, she wore boots with worn-out soles¡ª e/n: in case you¡¯re confused (i am too) i¡¯m guessing this is eunha imagining herself or remembering the past in a hunter¡¯s outfit. ¡°I am¡ª¡± Eunha pursed her lips, thinking of a lie. She wasn¡¯t the ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯ at this moment. She was neither ¡®Lee Yura¡¯ nor ¡®Cha Eunha¡¯ either, Just. ¡°¡ª A hunter.¡± *** ¡°Mama!¡± ¡°Ye, Yeri! My daughter¡­!¡± The woman hugged her daughter and wept. The moment she joined the main party and saw her daughter¡¯s face, relief seemed to surge through her like a wave. Eunha watched them from afar and quietly turned away. When Eunha appeared, she could hear nearby hunters murmuring. Pretending to be blind to her surroundings as she walked, her eyes met Mobius, who stood in the middle of the crowd. ¡°¡­¡± With a surprised expression on his face, Mobius raised the corners of his mouth creakingly as if conscious of the gazes around him. Unless they were an idiot, any person could tell that the smile was obviously not a sign of welcome. He knew Eunha was going to say something as she approached, but Mobius turned his head away without saying a word. Eunha didn¡¯t even bother approaching him. ¡°Yu, Yura, where have you been? I was so surprised when you suddenly disappeared.¡± Meanwhile, King God had noticed Eunha and ran to her side. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks why he¡¯s pretending to be so friendly and thinks that whoever sees it will misunderstand and think he is a close friend.] The cat seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Unaware, King God stood in front of Eunha as he panted. ¡°The reinforcements just entered the gate. Fortunately, the sweep can be finished safely¡­¡± King God¡¯s eyes turned towards Eunha¡¯s parasol. The moment the bloody parasol met his eyes, he covered his mouth and shut it. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s blood!¡± King God began to screech and make a fuss. Thanks to that, the gazes that had barely moved on were gathering one by one again. ¡°Are, are you hurt? Was it from just now? What the hell happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Eunha opened the parasol indifferently, wiped the blood off the surface, and folded it back. Shortly thereafter, reinforcements arrived, including a significant number of healing hunters. Thanks to the B-Class reinforcements, they were able to clear the gate safely while protecting the citizens. Fortunately, no major accidents occurred. ¡°Oh, Hunter!¡± As soon as they got out of the gate, Jehwi rushed to Eunha. Like a manager, he had a bottle of water in one hand and an emergency kit in the other. ¡°Where did you get hurt¡­ Oh my God! Did you wash your face with blood? What the hell is all this?¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t her blood, the atmosphere was dark, but other than that, it wasn¡¯t as bad as the brutal atmosphere of a horror movie. It was the face covered in blood that she saw almost every day, so she wasn¡¯t scared of it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± King God and Jehwi were very ferocious. She was already mentally exhausted because of them. Eunha moved forward, face covered in fatigue. It didn¡¯t look like she was injured from the back as she strode towards the car. Jehwi followed her in fear. ¡°Are you really not hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Still, I think you should check in case you didn¡¯t notice something. Once we¡¯re in the car¡­¡± Jehwi took out a first aid kit from the trunk. The wounds inflicted on Eunha were scratches at best, but he provided first aid with care and attentiveness, as if he were performing surgery. Watching his trembling hands and worried eyes, Eunha secretly burst into laughter. This was because it reminded her of her mother, who made a fuss when she accidentally dropped a knife. She had said several times that she was okay, but a bandaid was still put on her. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re smiling, I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t seem seriously injured, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m really fine.¡± Eunha answered while fastening her seat belt. Jehwi, who was staring quietly at her figure, grabbed the cell phone he had left in the car and opened the door. ¡°Please wait a moment, Hunter.¡± Click. He closed the car door and stood up. ¡®If something happens to Sunbae, please contact me immediately.¡¯ After thinking for a while, Jehwi started tapping on the screen of his cell phone. 010-XXXX-XXXX ¡°Ah, President. This is Park Jehwi. Nothing happened, but¡­¡± CH 23 [Real-Time News] ¨Œ Headline News ¨Œ Latest ¨Œ Viewed ¨Œ Recommended [Title] what¡¯s with black flare [Author] ¡õ¡õ (126.339) | 203 1.6.23 5:49 PM | [Views] 182,172 [Recommended] 7,894 [Content] does it make sense for them to clear the b-class gate as an f-class? not even as a gatherer, but a hunter??? if the meter isn¡¯t broken, i think wolf stabbed the association in the back pocket for money lol [Comments] 651 ©¸>¡õ¡õ: since when did concept hunters work for wolf? i think wolf isn¡¯t planning to raise her as a hunter but to raise her as a star hahaha ©¸>¡õ¡õ: fr hahahahaha ©¸>¡õ¡õ: what a concept bug ;;; i really want to get rid of her along with the bugs in the world tl/n: ¡°???¡± (?? being concept and ? being bug) is used for mocking someone who is deeply stuck in their own created character. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: no because did she enter a gate wearing her dress again? hahahaha is she not ashamed of doing that at her age ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i know right **** wake up ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i don¡¯t think it¡¯s fake?? wasn¡¯t there also the level 30 monster from last time?? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: still, wolf could have taken an f-class hunter with no skills?? but i agree that there are other possibilities ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i think it¡¯s just aggro ©¸>¡õ¡õ : Sit down and make money. Up to 490,000 won per day!!<¡ª[email protected] @ Link http://kmoney.com/askl?/dVJA?332 ¡ù ¡ù ¡ù Foreigners welcome, housewives welcome, college students welcome 24 hours a day K-Talk consultation, all book gift vouchers worth 100,000 won are provided immediately upon subscription¡ù¡ù¡ù -View More- ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo stared at the monitor and closed the internet window. This was somewhat expected. He didn¡¯t think the public¡¯s opinion would easily support her. The public was like that. At one moment, it would be hot due to rumors of a famous actor¡¯s affair; the next moment, they would change their target like they were always after a popular BJ¡¯s backdoor advertising controversy that had just broken out. Knowing such a public well, Siwoo found someone to take the spotlight on his behalf. And she was playing the role very well. With no complaints whatsoever. Thanks to this, he could feel that the interest in ¡®Baekrang¡¯ was noticeably decreasing recently. At this rate, he would be able to disappear from the public¡¯s eye in a year. Like a person who never existed. It might¡¯ve been possible to end it like that. Everything had been going smoothly so far. Whether or not she was on the internet¡¯s chopping block didn¡¯t really matter to Siwoo. ¡®But.¡¯ Somehow, he felt uncomfortable. Was this really okay? He suddenly had such a question. This was close to anxiety, like he seemed to be on the wrong track. Why? He didn¡¯t know. Tak. Siwoo got up from his seat. ¡®Ah, President. This is Park Jehwi. Nothing happened, but¡­ Hunter Lee Yura was slightly injured.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± After thinking about it for a moment, Siwoo grabbed the phone that he had put face-down next to the computer. 010-XXXX-XXXX Brrring¡­ After a few rings, a familiar voice came through the receiver. ¡¸Hello?¡¹ ¡°Sunbae, I heard you were injured.¡± ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ Crunch. After the sound of snacks being chewed, an indifferent voice followed. ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal.¡¹ To say it wasn¡¯t a big deal meant that she was hurt. ¡°¡­ What are you doing now?¡± ¡¸I¡¯m watching something. Why?¡¹ ¨C No way. Siwoo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. With the phone between his ear and his shoulder, Siwoo hurriedly grabbed his coat. ¡°May I ask what you¡¯re watching?¡± ¡¸The ¡¯90s Inkigayo Special.¡¹ tl/n: inkigayo (or the music trend in english) is a music program broadcasted by SBS Thank God. She was looking at something pointless. Siwoo put on the black hat he had left on the desk. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡¸The ca¡ª Yeah. Alone.¡¹ e/n: to avoid confusion: she meant to say ¡®the cat¡¯, but she can¡¯t tell anybody about the cat because of their contract The voice sounded a little confused. As he put his ear to the phone¡¯s speaker, Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes moved. The car keys on the glass table came into his sight. ¡°Is it fun?¡± ¡¸So-so.¡¹ ¡°Really? Can I watch it with you?¡± ¡¸¡­?¡¹ ¡°I¡¯m heading there now.¡± Click. Before Eunha could say anything, Siwoo hung up the phone. ¡°Young master? Where are you going?¡± When Siwoo opened the door, he ran into a guild member who was walking down the hallway. Siwoo pressed his hat on and swung past them. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± ¡°What? Now?¡± The guild member who checked their watch went to stop Siwoo. ¡°It-it¡¯ll be time for you to pay him a visit soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back before then.¡± ¡°But¡­ ¡± The guild member stood in the center of the hallway without being able to do anything. Today was the one time every month when Siwoo would visit his father, Gwihoon, the master of Wolf. Thinking of the master who would have waited eagerly for today even while lying on his sickbed, they couldn¡¯t just let Siwoo go. ¡®You didn¡¯t even go last month after all.¡¯ It was a fact known to all members of Wolf that Siwoo had no intention of succeeding the guild. It was also known that he was not happy with his father. ¡°Young Master, how about going to the hospital now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more urgent than that.¡± ¡°If you could take care of your business after meeting the master¡­¡± Siwoo¡¯s face wrinkled as they blocked his path. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me and go away.¡± * * * Eunha sat in front of the TV and stared at her phone, expressionless. ¡®What¡¯s this.¡¯ Was he interested in the music of the ¡¯90s? But he wouldn¡¯t have been born at that time? ¡®¡­ It¡¯s surprising.¡¯ As Eunha thought about it, she put down her phone and turned her gaze back to the TV. There was also a can of beer from when Jehwi filled the refrigerator not too long ago. A popular idol at the time was dancing and singing on the TV screen that filled up the entire wall. Lyrics appeared as white captions below the footage from a camera as it turned 360 degrees. The idol reflected on the screen had their bangs raised like antennae and was wearing clear orange goggles. She didn¡¯t think of it at the time, but looking at it now, it seemed to be quite tacky. Eunha stiffened after wetting her throat with some beer. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m not in a position to think like that.¡¯ Eunha glanced at the dress hanging in the corner of the living room. It wasn¡¯t a design that could be called simple. It was very flashy. And if that dress wasn¡¯t black, but red or yellow. ¡°¡­¡± Maybe she should be grateful for the dress being black. In any case, the stage costumes worn by idols in the ¡¯90s and the dress she wore were not suitable for the present era. Shortly thereafter, the doorbell rang. ¡°Sunbae.¡± It was Siwoo. His arrival time was very fast, even considering the fact that he was close to her house. His blue eyes looked over Eunha¡¯s shoulders and quickly scanned the room. The TV was turned on. Siwoo¡¯s face dyed with a faint relief when he heard the ¡¯90s songs that sounded through the speaker. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It¡¯s not over yet, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Eunha let Siwoo in. ¡°Is it raining outside?¡± Eunha asked, muttering as she handed Siwoo a dry towel. Siwoo took the towel with a bewildered face. Although he was wearing a hat, his hair had gotten wet. ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡± Eunha glanced at Siwoo as she walked to the refrigerator. ¡°I was going to record the first part, but I didn¡¯t know how to record it. There¡¯s no tape.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s alright, no need for a recording.¡± He thanked her for the towel. Putting a neatly folded towel on the table, Siwoo sat down in front of the TV with a calmer face. ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little scratch. I¡¯m fine.¡± As Eunha had said, she didn¡¯t look any different from usual. It was a relief. The moment the calmed Siwoo turned his gaze. ¡°¡­¡± He saw a laptop on the table that was turned on. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: really wish i could skip past all the concept bugs, i hate seeing them Everything he didn¡¯t want her to see was pouring from the dim light of the monitor. Eunha had a new can of beer and looked at Siwoo, who had frozen in place. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­ Have you seen them?¡± Eunha followed Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes and shrugged a little. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tshhh. After taking the canned beer, Eunha gulped and swallowed the carbonic acid she wanted. Wiping her wet lips with the back of her hand, she opened her mouth carelessly. Turns out, she had something to ask him. ¡°What is a concept bug?¡± At the question that flew like a fastball, Siwoo¡¯s eyes were instantly dyed with bewilderment. How should he explain it, or how could he explain it? A sign of considerable trouble seemed to stir up a vortex in his blue eyes. ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± In the end, what came out of his mouth was an apology without any explanation. Eunha, who was eating dried squid, stopped his hand and looked up at him. Siwoo was staring at the laptop. Black pixels became thorn-like sentences that poured from the pure white monitor like rainwater. They were blades and arrows. Poison, which was supposed to be directed at himself, not her. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Sunbae heard such things.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Sunbae¡¯s¡ª¡± He wanted to hide away. The words he couldn¡¯t even spit out became dust and scattered in the air. Siwoo pursed his lips tightly. After all, this was part of a ¡®contract¡¯. Eunha accepted the contract, and Siwoo promised to pay a large sum of money. Originally, it was supposed to end there. At the time when the contract was stamped, he wouldn¡¯t have cared about any disadvantages caused to the other party. However, the problem was that she was a first-generation hunter. A period of upheaval. Hunters called the late ¡¯90s that when gates first appeared. Just by reading books, he could feel how dark and miserable those times were. If he had to ask himself to live in that time right now, or to survive, he honestly didn¡¯t have the confidence to do it. A returnee who overcame those times and returned after surviving several years in the Unknown Gate. It was she who put herself in front of the public. She did it out of necessity, and she would pay the price for it, but she nevertheless dishonored herself as one of the first-generation hunters. Only for their own goals. He was not as comfortable with it as he thought. ¡°There is no need to apologize unless you acted against the terms of the contract.¡± The side view of her holding a can of beer was unbelievably calm. ¡°Do I have to pay attention to how people react? They are of no help in clearing gates or fulfilling the contract.¡± ¡°A hunter¡¯s awareness has a huge impact on their work. If the critical public opinion about Sunbae does not go away as it is, future activities may be hindered.¡± Eunha¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change despite Siwoo¡¯s words. She just stared intently at him. ¡°Therefore?¡± Eunha opened her mouth and tilted her head slightly. ¡°Even if that happens, you¡¯re not going to break the contract.¡± ¡°¡ª I.¡± ¡°Raise your head.¡± Eunha opened her mouth concisely to Siwoo, who had almost put his forehead on the table. ¡°You are my contract partner. And in this unfamiliar modern world, you¡¯re the only one I can lean on.¡± ¡°¡­ Sunbae.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to bow your head. To me and or the public.¡± Siwoo slowly raised his head and looked at Eunha. ¡°Rather than just apologizing, give me a direction now. Isn¡¯t that your job?¡± Unshakable black eyes. That firm gaze seemed to hold Siwoo strongly so that he could no longer bow his head. In front of those eyes, Siwoo only vaguely realized. The reason his own heart was so uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she was too dazzling to be overshadowed, to be buried in the word ¡®concept¡¯. CH 24 ¡°Young Master. Don¡¯t let Wolf down. I¡¯ve always told you that it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the future of Wolf, or even the Korean hunter world, depends on it.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying.¡± Swish! The man pulled his small, limp arms. Young Siwoo was already exhausted and was dragged along by the man¡¯s power, unable to keep up with his pace. ¡°It smells. I think I¡¯m going to throw up¡­!¡± As the entrance of the gate got closer, Siwoo started crying again. ¡®I hate going in. I really hate it! Even if I desperately endure,¡¯ ¡°Monster¡¯s blood originally has a bad odour. It¡¯s something that every hunter has to put up with.¡± Siwoo, who was young and small at that time, was eventually forced to stand in front of the entrance by a harsh hand. ¡°Young Master, those who have power must know how to use it in the right places. That is their responsibility; that is their weight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Both Wolf and the world need your power. Are you still willing to give up here?¡± At the man¡¯s words, Siwoo staggered forward. He then stared at his small hands with wet eyes. ¡®Can I really? Can I really save people? If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t be crying here. If it¡¯s something I have to overcome, I want to overcome it.¡¯ However, ¡°Bleugh.¡± The stench drifted through the wide open gate entrance. Contrary to Siwoo¡¯s heart, his nose and body strongly rejected the smell. Siwoo covered his nose with both of his hands and closed his eyes tightly to calm his twisting stomach. ¡°3, 2, 1. I will open it now.¡± Puaah! The surrounding area was engulfed in red light. The sensation of entering the gate was too much for the young boy to handle. He flailed through the abyss that didn¡¯t have a ceiling or floor, and when his feet barely touched the ground, he made eye contact with a mantis twice his size. Kriiik¡ª! The mantis ran at him with a strange noise. It was a well-crafted hologram. He lost points when attacked, but he didn¡¯t actually get hurt. However, the bloodlust that the monster exuded, the stench, and the fear that Siwoo felt were undoubtedly real. ¡°D-don¡¯t come any closer!¡± Siwoo raised his small palm into the air as his resolve from before entering the gate faded. Then, ice was instinctually formed into a blade. The sharp icicle fell like a heavy raindrop towards the giant mantis. Thud¡ª The mantis¡¯ watermelon-sized head rolled in front of the little boy. ¡°Uh, ah¡­¡± Siwoo fell on his rear, not even screaming. The monster¡¯s blood that had erupted from its severed neck was bubbling like lava. [Passive ? ¡®Sharp Sense of Smell¡¯ activated.] An indescribable stench stung his nostrils. He quickly raised his hand to cover his nose and mouth, but the smell creeped in between his fingers. ¡°Bleurgh!¡± Young Siwoo retched yellow vomit onto the floor in front of the monster¡¯s corpse. Like other times in the past, he eventually fell to the floor like a paper doll. When he awoke, Siwoo had returned to his room in the mansion. He seemed to have been moved by someone. Since this was not the first time, Siwoo rose with no sign of surprise. ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°¡­ F-Father.¡± Korea¡¯s first S-Class hunter. The owner of the Wolf Guild that was said to be the best in Korea and Siwoo¡¯s father, ¡®Shin Gwihoon¡¯, stared at his young son with a deep blue glare. They could hardly be called the eyes of a father looking at his son. ¡°If this is your current condition, you won¡¯t even be able to complete the tutorial, let alone become the next guildmaster. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my son.¡± What flew in with the sound of his tongue was a sharp wind that made his heart freeze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father¡­¡± ¡°Get stronger.¡± Gwihoon left the room without looking back. The hand that stretched out to grab the cold father stopped in the air. Bang! The door shut tightly, and a chill blew through the room. Was it the room that was frozen, or was his little body the one that was cold? Siwoo pulled up his thick blanket and wrapped it around himself. At the age of eight, Siwoo¡¯s spring became winter. It was cold. It was so cold. * * * Wolf¡¯s only son. The young master of Wolf. Someone raised by the first S-Class hunter in Korea. At the age of seven, he was a prodigy who became the incarnation of the divine beast, ¡®Hound That Guards the Midnight¡¯. tl/n: previously mistranslated as ¡®Dogs Guarding the Deep Night¡¯, we decided to change it after a poll in our server which you should join All of these were the labels that always followed Siwoo. Sometimes they became a fence stronger than anything else, but at other times they became a heavy and thick noose that strangled Siwoo. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Young Master. You¡¯ve killed as many as 20.¡± The man checked the scorecard of the mock gate¡¯s results and admired it as if he could not believe it. Beside him, Siwoo, who had grown a lot taller than before, brushed off the remaining frost on his hand. ¡°The next stage. Open it.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At the time, Siwoo was only seventeen. At that young age, he was already able to wipe out 20 monsters. The average number of monsters hunted by Wolf¡¯s elite A-Class or higher hunters in one gate was between seven and eight. It was true that he awakened and trained at a young age, but Siwoo was an ¡®awakened¡¯ who had not even been issued a hunter¡¯s license yet. Even then, his skills were already far exceeding those of the guild¡¯s elite hunters. It was surprising, but given that he was the son of Wolf¡¯s guildmaster, it was also natural. Everyone looked at Siwoo and thought that he would make the front page of the newspaper as the next S-Class hunter. They didn¡¯t know if it would be tomorrow, a year from then, or a slightly more distant future, but regardless, he had a bright future. After completing his training, Siwoo left the training grounds without looking back. After training, it was essential for him to go for a walk to get rid of the stench left on his body. He was busily walking down the dark alleyway until his steps came to a standstill under the streetlight. ¡°Ugh.¡± Siwoo quickly shut his mouth at the wave of nausea that traveled up his throat. [¡®Hound that Guards the Midnight¡¯ of the twelve divine beasts is looking at you anxiously.] ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± Siwoo managed to calm his stomach that was about to turn over at any moment. It was a trick he learned after several bouts of sickness. It was when he calmed down and started walking again. ¡°Ah¡­ Aghh!¡± He heard someone scream. It wasn¡¯t far away. Siwoo turned his head. Through the window of a two-story house, he saw a child with their upper body half exposed. Wind fluttered through their pajamas. Siwoo soon found out why the child was terrified. A dark shadow loomed over them. It was a monster. ¡°S-save me!¡± The child shouted as they hung precariously from the window. It wasn¡¯t that late into the night yet. A few passersby walking down the street like Siwoo stood there and looked up at the child with anxious faces. ¡°W-what should we do? They¡¯re going to fall.¡± ¡°A hunter! Are there no hunters?! Report it quickly!¡± ¡°Dammit. It¡¯s been received¡­¡± A large man appeared among the riotous passersby. He seemed to be a hunter. He was clearly different from other citizens and had a relaxed attitude as well, but the sword on his back was the real evidence. The man with the blade stared at the child hanging from the window, then he turned around and started walking elsewhere. Then, someone nearby blocked his path. ¡°H-hey. Aren¡¯t you a hunter?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you saving them?¡± ¡°Why should I? This is not a mission I received from my guild, and this is not the gate I applied for.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hunter!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m on the way to my destination for a mission.¡± The man said with an annoyed face. Citizens looked at him coldly, but no one forced him to do good. Reports made by the passersby had already been received, so a hunter would be dispatched from the support guild soon. However, it was not the hunter in front of him. ¡°But if you leave like that, that child¡ª¡± ¡°Looking at it, it seems like a low-level monster. If that¡¯s all, even someone with a baseball bat should be able to beat it up.¡± Siwoo overheard the conversation and clenched his fists. ¡®Those who have power must know how to use it in the right places. That is their responsibility; that is their weight.¡¯ He smirked. What the hell had he been learning? Was it all fake, or was the scene in front of him a lie? Soon after that, Siwoo realised one thing. There were a lot of trashy hunters in this world. Beings who casually trampled on others for their own gain. People who had awakened purely by luck, made money with it as if it were their own innate ability, mocked others, and ignored damage. He¡¯d had enough of it. What was even more disgusting was the fact that the Wolf he belonged to was no different. ¡°He¡¯s going to die soon.¡± ¡°Who? Father?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Maybe that was why. Even when Gwihoon, the head of Wolf and his father, was at death¡¯s door, he did not feel particularly sad or depressed. He had no good memories of his father in the first place, and he only saw him as a useful tool rather than a son. Gwihoon¡¯s death also meant the liberation of Siwoo. Of course, if Gwihoon died, Wolf would take Siwoo as its master. But, he could ignore their opinions. Because there was only one person in the world that Siwoo couldn¡¯t ignore, and that was his father, Gwihoon. For this reason, Gwihoon tried to hand over the guild to Siwoo before he died, at any cost. It was because of Gwihoon¡¯s urging that the tutorial that had been delayed was now carried out. ¡ª And then. During his reluctantly-accepted tutorial, Shin Siwoo met Cha Eunha, a first-generation hunter. * * * Drip, drop¡ª Heavy raindrops hit the balcony windows. In the room where the lights were off, thunder flashed between the two people¡¯s faces. ¡®Concept hunter¡¯ was a coined word to refer to the hunters who acquired powers through awakening, but did not fight for various reasons, such as danger or non-combat orientation, and were active while holding a concept. In other words, they aimed for popularity or recognition through methods such as streaming and participating in entertainment programs, in addition to monster subjugations and gate clearings. Eunha, who was listening to Siwoo¡¯s explanation, suddenly expressed her doubts. ¡°Then why are concept hunters ignored? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Becoming a concept hunter is a path that hunters with low ranks or lacking abilities often choose. That¡¯s why there¡¯s prejudice against it.¡± In recent years, their popularity had been established, and recognition of concept hunters had gradually improved with evident results in terms of income, but the direction of the activity of concept hunters was not much different from what was generally called a show business. The criticism came from the fact that the best thing they could do with their powers was to become a show business aimed at the general public. ¡°So I¡¯m being misunderstood as a concept hunter. And accordingly, the internet¡¯s reactions are affected by this.¡± At Eunha¡¯s words, Siwoo nodded faintly. He thought as he fiddled with the empty can he had placed on the table. After a while, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the black dress hanging on a hanger. ¡®I don¡¯t think that her rank is the only reason why she¡¯s surrounded by this kind of gossip.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Click, click. As she tapped the empty can with her fingernail, Eunha contemplated something. In front of her, Siwoo slowly opened his mouth. ¡°A proposal for casting the Princess of Dark Flare in an upcoming hunter special on cable TV came in. No one can predict what the public opinion would be like if you appeared as a concept hunter. Of course, it could make it better, but¡ª¡± It could also make it worse. If that happened, Eunha would have to take poisoned arrows from the world alone. Siwoo wanted to avoid such a situation if possible. ¡°I can refuse your appearance on the show for now, so why don¡¯t we do that first and watch the situation for a while?¡± It was the best decision Siwoo could think of. ¡°If this continues, the misunderstanding of being a concept hunter will change even more. Even if that¡¯s not a big deal, it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing if the public opinion of you swelled more than now, and your reputation among hunters deteriorated further.¡± ¡°Then there is only one answer.¡± In the room filled with the sound of rain, Eunha¡¯s low voice resonated. ¡°We have no choice but to change the prejudice against concept hunters.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± At Eunha¡¯s words, Siwoo tilted his head at an angle, showing that he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I have an idea. To do it, it would be better to appear on the show you mentioned earlier.¡± Eunha gently raised the corners of her lips. ¡°You want¡­ to appear?¡± Siwoo¡¯s face stiffened at the unexpected remark. If she appeared on a TV program, she would become even more of a hot topic than now. Did she say that knowing that would happen? ¡°It would be good to prove it to as many people as possible.¡± Eunha rose from her seat while brushing back her hair and glanced at Siwoo. ¡°Did you bring your car?¡± ¡°¡­ I brought it, but¡­¡± Siwoo stared at Eunha with a puzzled face. Eunha smiled at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a while.¡± CH 25 At a famous shopping center. ¡®If I wear a dress like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to stand out even if I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ Those were the words brought up by Eunha when they had left the house. Of course, it would¡¯ve been better for her to wear the dress, even if she didn¡¯t like it, in battle. However, she could stop wearing the outfit in her daily life. But, it would be inconvenient. Because she didn¡¯t have any other clothes for going out. So that was why. That was the reason why she decided to go shopping all of a sudden. Eunha walked past the lined store windows, looking for suitable clothes. Siwoo quietly followed Eunha without saying a word. Come to think of it, she had no idea when the last time she leisurely went shopping with someone like this was. It was probably the day before her mother died. The shopping center Siwoo guided her to was a dedicated space for VIPs only. Thanks to this, she was able to look around freely without worrying about people¡¯s gazes. ¡°Shall we go back?¡± With a shopping bag in hand, Eunha glanced around as she turned her head. ¡°Are you done already?¡± ¡°Yes. One outfit is enough.¡± All Eunha bought were long jeans and a plain, short-sleeved t-shirt with no logo. Suddenly, Siwoo¡¯s blue gaze shifted downwards. It was towards the shoes Eunha was wearing. ¡°¡­Now that you¡¯re out, how about looking around for some shoes?¡± ¡°Shoes?¡± Eunha stopped walking and looked down at her shoes. Certainly, it wouldn¡¯t have been a bad idea to buy shoes that were comfortable to walk in. ¡®However¡­¡¯ Eunha pondered for a moment, then flipped through her sleeves. Eventually, she pulled out a penguin-shaped coin purse. It was a gift she had gotten. She opened the beak of the penguin. Then she closed it. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can buy it next time.¡± Although Eunha had made quite some profit from the two gates she had cleared, she didn¡¯t have much cash with her because she had most of her money stored in a bank account. She didn¡¯t even have a debit or credit card. So, she couldn¡¯t afford to spend a lot of money on shopping. Siwoo watched Eunha as she stored her penguin purse and let out a low smile as he licked his lips. ¡°Since this is a long-awaited shopping trip, I¡¯ll buy you that much.¡± Peek. Eunha turned her head and looked at him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Siwoo had already provided Eunha with more than just a down payment. A phone of the latest model and a high-end officetel. Jehwi, the competent manager he also assigned to her, was conscious enough to not make any more demands, even when he was in charge of cleaning the house and managing her schedule. Perhaps reading Eunha¡¯s mind, Siwoo folded his arms with a face that seemed a little dissatisfied. ¡°Do I look like someone who can¡¯t afford to buy a pair of shoes?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Siwoo raised the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m quite rich. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t charge you back for it later, so just keep your coins in your purse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he had seen it. The two five hundred won coins that were in the penguin¡¯s mouth. Well, given the inflated prices of modern times, the money wouldn¡¯t even be able to buy a pair of socks, let alone shoes. ¡®I have many coins.¡¯ Since they hadn¡¯t been used, 300,000 coins probably still remained in her inventory. ¡°What can I do with 300,000 coins?¡± Eunha suddenly asked Siwoo as she walked down the street. He was a hunter. He also had a pretty high rank. So, he must¡¯ve known the uses and value of coins. ¡°¡­You have 300,000 coins?¡± Siwoo was walking a few steps ahead but suddenly stopped with a look of surprise. Coins were a currency sponsored by a god. In other words, having coins meant that you had signed a contract with a divine beast. ¡°No. I¡¯m just asking.¡± Eunha pretended to be innocent. Siwoo stared at Eunha and soon looked up, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It is difficult to calculate coins as a normal commodity, but¡­¡± His blue eyes looked through the air. He opened his mouth, tapping his forearm several times with his index finger. ¡°If I had to guess, maybe 30 billion?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Ah, of course, in won, not dollars.¡± e/n: ?30B = ~$24M (USD), ~22M€. A yellow message window popped up in front of Eunha, who had stopped walking with a surprised face. Ding! [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ smiles proudly. Have you seen, have you clearly seen my wealth¡ª] Siwoo¡¯s face abruptly overlapped the yellow message window. He had a questioning look on his face. ¡°Who has 300,000 coins?¡± ¡°¡­I just saw it on the internet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe it too deeply. Most of them will be bluffs.¡± In the first place, she showed a tendency to be addicted to the internet. Siwoo shook his head nervously and took a step away. Was it like that? Was it something like that?! On the other hand, a yellow message window went wild in the corner of her vision, perhaps not liking Siwoo¡¯s choice of words. ¡°As you may be aware, there are some divine beasts who have hundreds or thousands of contractors.¡± Siwoo also added that like many powerful people, divine beasts wanted more followers. ¡°Even if one contractor was particularly favored, they wouldn¡¯t be able to pour power or coins into them alone.¡± Ah. At that moment, Eunha vaguely understood. The cat had said to Eunha, ¡®you are my only friend¡¯. Thinking back, it also meant that for the cat, Eunha was its only contractor. ¡°¡­So what can you do with coins?¡± ¡°You can purchase useful items in the System Market that is held from time to time.¡± ¡°System Market?¡± That was something Eunha didn¡¯t know. ¡°You can buy items such as consumables like potions, equipment such as weapons and armor, and skill books. It opens randomly, and the products that come up are random as well.¡± And once a year, an auction where you can obtain valuable resources or equipment retrieved from gates, called a hunter auction, is held. It was said that the currency used for the auction was coins. Although it was impossible to exchange coins for cash, in some ways, it was a currency worth more than cash. Siwoo spoke up to that point and stared at Eunha with strange eyes. ¡°Are you interested in a contract? Well, since it¡¯s Sunbae, signing a contract with a divine beast would only be a matter of time.¡± Rather, it was more strange that she hadn¡¯t signed a contract yet. ¡°¡­Not really.¡± Eunha roughly answered and passed Siwoo as she walked forward. 30 billion, 30 billion¡­ Only that was deeply embedded in her mind. * * * Eunha and Siwoo finally got out of the shopping center around sunset. Siwoo said that he would only buy a pair of shoes but did not stop there, giving her a hat, a bag, and even a phone case. Eunha stared at Siwoo¡¯s hand with a puzzled face. The shopping bags he held with both hands were a testament to their enormous spending. Even 30 years ago, she had never enjoyed such a hot shopping experience in one day. ¡°If I had known that there would be so much luggage, I would have parked nearby.¡± SIwoo didn¡¯t seem to be affected. ¡°It¡¯s much later than I expected. Are you fine?¡± Although he was like a porter with both hands full, Eunha was well aware that he was not such an idle person. ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Siwoo shrugged his shoulders once. He glanced at the time. It was well past 7 p.m.. The time he was supposed to go to the hospital was 6 o¡¯clock, so it was quite late. Bzzt¡­ Even at this moment, his phone was vibrating violently. There were 23 missed calls. All from the guild¡¯s side. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t have any important plans today.¡± He turned off his phone and said softly. ¡°By the way, you look like a different person, Sunbae.¡± As she stood with her back to the sunset, Eunha¡¯s appearance was quite different from when she left the house. It was the first time he¡¯d seen Eunha in everyday clothes and not a dress. He thought it¡¯d be very strange, but it surprisingly wasn¡¯t. She had fit into the modern world without any sense of oddness. To the extent that he had completely forgotten that she was a first-generation hunter from 30 years ago. ¡°I really can¡¯t believe you¡¯re 53 years old.¡± ¡°Neither can I.¡± Eunha expressed her understanding with a neutral face. It was somehow funny, so Siwoo burst into a faint smile. After exiting the shopping center, they slowly started walking towards the parking lot. Looking down the weekend streets was like looking at an anthill infested with black specks. ¡°Ah, that woman¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen them somewhere.¡± ¡°Where, where?¡± Eunha suddenly stopped walking. She was unaware of it because she had gone to the VIP-only shopping center. Come to think of it, it was only natural that there were people who¡¯d recognize her face now that the media controversy over the Princess of Dark Flare was raging. Even though she had changed clothes, it seems that her face had spread more than expected. She hadn¡¯t ever imagined that she would be subjected to something like this since she wasn¡¯t even a celebrity. She didn¡¯t appreciate the sudden hail of attention and gazes. The moment she was about to quicken her steps after stopping in order to get out faster. Cover¡ª A shadow was cast over her sight. When she suddenly lifted her head, she saw Siwoo¡¯s chin as he fixed his gaze in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m glad I bought the hat too.¡± Without replying to Siwoo¡¯s words, Eunha slowly raised her hand and smoothed down her hair. ¡°Right?¡± His eyes, clear as lakes, were curled in the shape of a crescent moon. Eunha, who belatedly realized that there was not enough shade over her head, opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Meanwhile, the crowd that followed them was still there. ¡°Ah, where have I seen her?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be that woman? That¡­ Dark Flare Dragon, was it?¡± ¡°Did she have that kind of image?¡± Despite the fact that she hid her face under the shade of her hat, the eyes of passersby followed Eunha viciously. Whether or not they knew it was rude, they hovered around her. Swish. Then, Siwoo stood in front of Eunha, as if blocking them. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the car.¡± She didn¡¯t usually think about it, but seeing him up close like this, Siwoo was taller than she¡¯d thought. Siwoo hurried his steps in a position that seemed to shield Eunha. Because of their close distance, Eunha¡¯s shoulder touched Siwoo. ¡°Sorry.¡± Glancing up, Eunha looked at Siwoo and apologized briefly. Siwoo opened his mouth while staring in the opposite direction, not looking at Eunha. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± At that moment, Siwoo realized one thing. ¡®Strange.¡¯ It was very strange. Siwoo secretly glanced at her, as if observing her. Eunha always had an unpleasant bloody scent. But why was it that¡­ She didn¡¯t seem to have the smell of blood right now? It was more refreshing than that, and somehow comfortable. He¡¯d never smelled it, never known it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± ¨DIt doesn¡¯t seem to be an unpleasant smell. CH 26 S Hospital in Seoul, 7:59 p.m. The single room that was concealed by blinds was very spacious. ¡°The child.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. I¡¯m trying to call him, but¡­¡± The man in a black suit lowered his gaze in shame. ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± The man in a white hospital gown was Gwihoon. He was an S-Class hunter who was once called the best hunter in Korea and Wolf¡¯s old master. He beckoned slowly, and the man standing next to him hurriedly pulled the blinds open. As it was a hospital room on the top floor, the sparkling night view of Seoul was spread like a carpet outside the window. It was like a sea at night, studded with stars. ¡°So Siwoo is raising a hunter these days.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Gwihoon asked, a man standing next to him presented a picture that he had printed in advance, as if he had been waiting. It was an ordinary woman, except for her black dress and black parasol. ¡°¡­A concept hunter?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that kid, raising a concept hunter? She¡¯s even said to be an F-Class hunter.¡± ¡°¡­That¡­¡± Behind the speechless man, another man suddenly appeared. He was an executive of the Wolf Guild, Lee Hagyun. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary F-Class. We are investigating, so please wait a little longer.¡± ¡°Wait a little longer?¡± Gwihoon¡¯s eyes changed. At the same time, he pulled the IV drip out of his arm and threw it on the floor. Crash! ¡°Did you just tell me to wait a little longer?¡± He got up from bed. Those who stood around tried to support him, but he pushed them away and scrambled to get up and stand on his feet. Although he grew old and weak, he was still the first, or maybe the second, S-Class hunter in Korea and used to be called the strongest. He had an appearance that was not dampened by the white and plain hospital gown, and the aura of his piercing eyes still radiated sharply. ¡°Everyone knows I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°You must not waste a second or minute.¡± His blue eyes turned to the photo that suddenly fell to the ground. Dark hair and black eyes. She was a woman who seemed uncomfortable, wearing her strange dress. That was the reason. He had to keep an eye on her. * * * Eunha got up early in the morning, changed clothes, and was ready to go out. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve worn this outfit.¡¯ She rarely wore the ¡®Princess of Dark Flare Set¡¯ because she had been at home without participating in any hunter activities lately. She packed them in a paper bag, and Eunha deeply admired the dark designs. As Siwoo had said, the Princess of Dark Flare was cast in <2031, A Star Hunter Hotter than Summer>, which was planned as a summer special by the TV station On Hunt. Today was the recording day. For the recording, she had to become the ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯. Ding dong¡ª ¡°Good morning.¡± Her manager came in wearing a suit. It was quite strange to see him dressed differently than usual, but it was because it was the day they had to go to the broadcasting station. However, it was not only Jehwi who had an unfamiliar appearance. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Ms. Hunter not wearing a dress, haha.¡± Jehwi scratched the nape of his neck and smiled. ¡°This appearance is definitely less flashy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She would need to change into the dress when they arrived at the recording site, but it was more comfortable to wear a white tee and jeans during the trip there and back. The two headed for the underground parking lot and got into the car. The commute to Seoul was complicated. On the way to the station, Jehwi told a funny story so that Eunha wouldn¡¯t get bored whenever there was traffic or when the car stopped. It wasn¡¯t actually a particularly interesting story. However, after she would obligingly nod and respond, they were able to arrive at the On Hunt broadcasting station. ¡°Ah, Ms. Hunter. This is it.¡± Jehwi waved from the opposite side to Eunha, who was about to get out of the car and head straight to the entrance of the station. He took Eunha to an indoor studio located behind the station. ¡°They said that there¡¯s going to be a small fan signing event for the audience before the recording begins.¡± ¡°A fan signing event?¡± Eunha indifferently moved her lips. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can have fans.¡± It wasn¡¯t modesty or self-depreciation. No matter how old she was, Eunha knew about the responses from the internet¡¯s comments. To have a fan when the words ¡®concept bug¡¯ and ¡®extremely disgusting¡¯ were thrown all over the place¡­ ¡°Why not?¡± Jehwi was walking a few steps ahead and glanced back. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Jehwi smiled a little shyly, and Eunha looked at him with dry eyes. ¡°¡­Why are you making that face?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re making a lame joke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. It¡¯s real.¡± Jehwi walked over to Eunha. ¡°Can I get an autograph in advance?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jehwi really brought a paper and pen from somewhere. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that she¡¯s the first fan of Unnie¡¯s. Not him, it¡¯s me, me! She shouts.] [Looking around, it starts searching for a paper and pen from somewhere.] e/n: for those who don¡¯t know yet, the cat is a female cat and she¡¯s referring to eunha as ¡®unnie¡¯ which is used by a younger woman to address an older woman, not necessarily blood related. from now on we¡¯ll use ¡®she/her¡¯ for the cat as well to avoid confusion. that¡¯ll also be the only korean word that i won¡¯t translate to english since it makes more sense ¡°It¡¯ll be over in an hour or so because there aren¡¯t that many people in the audience.¡± In the end, Jehwi was successful in receiving Eunha¡¯s signature and held it to his chest, smiling pleasantly. She was a hunter who the manager considered special. He was sure that someday she¡¯d become a celebrity who would make her name known in Korea! And he was the one who got her first autograph. That fact made him happy. On the other hand, the venue where the fan signing event was held was not very wide. As Jehwi had said, it looked fairly simple. It seemed to be like that because it was an event that was held with an audience selected through a raffle. Eunha changed into her Princess of Dark Flare outfit at a booth installed nearby and headed to the center of the fan signing event, following the guidance of the person in charge. ¡°You can sit here.¡± Looking at the name tag displayed on the reserved seat, she realized that she was really branded as a ¡®concept hunter¡¯. Eunha sat down, picked up a bottle of water that had been placed in advance, and looked around. A total of ten hunters, including herself, were divided into groups of five at two tables and sat in their respective seats. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be watching from nearby.¡± Jehwi, who bowed his head briefly, quickly disappeared among the staff. And not long after, the audience, who had been lining up outside the venue, began to enter the venue one by one following the guidelines. ¡°Wahhh¡­!¡± It felt like the whole venue was warming up from the heat of the driven fans. They started lining up in front of each hunter. A hunter who sat on the far right seemed to be quite popular, although Eunha didn¡¯t know who they were. There was already a long line in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m a huge fan¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Seoyoon. Kim Seoyoon.¡± ¡°Ms. Seoyoon, you came today even after getting stuck in a traffic jam? Thank you for coming.¡± The hunter skillfully treated the fan and scribbled their autograph with graceful hand gestures. ¡°Th-thank you!¡± The fan in line waved their hands with an overwhelmed face and disappeared. This time, she turned her head to the left. The hunter sitting just to the left of Eunha was a middle-aged man dressed as a clown. ¡°Hello! Thank you for coming today!¡± ¡°Ahaha, way to go today, Mister!¡± e/n: ??? was used here, meaning middle-aged man. usually you¡¯ll find it translated as ¡®uncle¡¯, but ¡®mister¡¯ works just as well, especially when they don¡¯t exactly know each other. ¡­Maybe he was a concept hunter. The line wasn¡¯t as long compared to the hunter who sat on the far right, but he seemed to be quite popular, as fans continued to come and get autographs. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha let go of the pen she was holding because she didn¡¯t have a reason to hold it. Then, a yellow message window popped up in front of her. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that all these people have no eyes.] [Don¡¯t be discouraged. Because in terms of fame, among the hunters gathered here, the Princess of Dark Flare beats them all.] The cat seemed to have misunderstood her. Eunha wasn¡¯t particularly hurt or disappointed. She never thought that the Princess of Dark Flare would have fans in the first place. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that to a hunter, what use is a fan? She snorts, saying it¡¯s all useless.] [I strongly curse everyone here, for one day they¡¯ll regret not getting an autograph from you!] Ding, ding, ding¡­ Rather, it seemed that the cat was more hurt and disappointed. How could she kill time? Eunha unscrewed the cap of the bottle of water she had placed next to her and wet her throat. He had said it would be about an hour, so it¡¯d be over like nothing if she could pass the time. ¡°U-unnie.¡± Suddenly, she heard a child¡¯s voice from somewhere. Eunha, who was drinking her bottled water, turned around and saw that no one was there. ¡°Here, here.¡± Chubby hands that peeped up from behind the desk waved. As she looked down, Eunha saw a little girl looking up at her on her tiptoes. ¡®¡­This child.¡¯ She looked familiar. The paper the child was holding came into Eunha¡¯s field of vision. The child swallowed nervously, and she carefully held it out. ¡°Please sign it.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± Nod, nod. Her expectant round eyes shone like stars. Eunha then checked the clothes the girl was wearing. It was a black dress with a large ribbon. A dainty crown sprung up from a snap pin and was tucked on her head. Finally, she saw a black umbrella that the child was clutching in her right hand. The flower pattern printed on it was a different design, but it was obviously¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Eunha¡¯s gaze turned downward. An elegant parasol placed over the desk came into view. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that it¡¯s a fan! A fan is finally here! It bounces in the air and does a somersault.] The cat said that she didn¡¯t need a fan before. Eunha smirked. Then, the little child standing in front of her said ¡°Wow¡­!¡± and her eyes twinkled. ¡°Mummy, mummy! The princess laughed!¡± The girl¡¯s voice was so loud that even the hunters around her and the fans lined up in front of them turned their heads all at once. Eunha looked at her child with her eyes wide open. She was surprised enough that it showed on her face. ¡°Hello. Long time no see?¡± At the same time, a woman standing behind the child approached Eunha. ¡®This person is¡­¡¯ The moment she faced her, a memory that she had forgotten resurfaced in Eunha¡¯s mind. The gate that had occurred at the aquarium the other day. At that time, she was the woman in the red dress who was saved by Eunha. ¡°I was really grateful then. After that day, the child insisted on wearing a black dress¡­ I was excited after hearing that Ms. Hunter was coming here today, so I brought my daughter.¡± The woman smiled at the child in her arms. ¡°No, I was just doing what I was supposed to do.¡± Eunha looked down at the paper held out by the child with a puzzled expression on her face, then slowly grabbed her pen. ¡°Yeri¡­ Was it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± In front of the child who answered vigorously, Eunha slowly moved the hand that was holding her pen. ¡°¡­Here you go.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The excited child started running around in place. ¡°Thank you!¡± The child and her mother thanked her several times before leaving. Eunha waved her hand without taking her eyes off them until the child left the fan signing venue. ¡°¡ªThank you too.¡± As she slowly said her farewell, she smiled. It was unbelievably bright compared to her dark clothes. CH 27 note: there were a lot of stuff and references that some people might not know about so everything that¡¯s marked with *, has a note at the end of the chapter. As Jehwi had said, the fan signing event was over in about an hour. While leaving the venue and moving to the waiting room on the seventh floor of the broadcasting station, Jehwi tapped the screen of his cellphone. [You] [3:43 PM] President. After the fan signing session, we are moving to the waiting room. [CEO Shin Siwoo] [3:43 PM] ok Jehwi put his phone away and looked to his side. ¡°Those people from earlier, you must¡¯ve known them.¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± ¡°You seemed very happy to see them?¡± ¡°Yes. I was surprised.¡± ¡­No way, Ms. Hunter was? Jehwi looked at Eunha¡¯s face, then turned his head again. The two stood in front of a door with the paper on it among the many other doors in the hallway. When they opened the door and entered, they saw five hunters who had already arrived and were sitting on the sofa. ¡°Hello, this is the Princess of Dark Flare. We look forward to your cooperation!¡± Jehwi, who greeted them on behalf of Eunha, began to unpack in the corner of the waiting room. ¡°The waiting room provided is definitely different since it¡¯s a broadcast planned as a special feature. I think it¡¯s five times the size of my room.¡± Jehwi whispered to Eunha, looking a little excited. But then, a hunter who was sitting on the sofa while eating a catered lunch opened their mouth with a slightly blunt tone. ¡°This is the hunter waiting room.¡± There seemed to be thorns in their gaze. ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m her manager, so I¡¯m stopping by for a while. I¡¯ll just unpack and go to the staff waiting room¡­¡± ¡°No, her too.¡± They motioned, jutting their chin towards Eunha. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Her, she¡¯s a concept hunter. This is the waiting room for regular hunters.¡± Huh? Jehwi blinked, bewildered. ¡°No, she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Eunha stopped Jehwi and left without saying a word. ¡®Really, who do they think they are!¡¯ Even though she was an F-Class and wore a flashy dress, she was still a contracted hunter from Wolf! Jehwi wanted to say something to express his frustration, but he couldn¡¯t help but close his mouth when he saw Eunha¡¯s back. ¡®I don¡¯t know which guild they belong to, but I¡¯ll find out. I¡¯ll tell the president everything.¡¯ In an attempt to get rid of the subdued atmosphere even a little, Jehwi smiled a little awkwardly. However, Eunha was still silent. Jehwi gently knocked on the door and carefully turned the doorknob. Click. ¡°Hello¡­ Hm?¡± The scene that appeared in front of them had a very different atmosphere from the waiting room they had just seen. Four hunters were sitting side by side on the narrow sofa like a package of Vienna sausages, eating cup noodles. ¡°Ah, sit here.¡± A middle-aged man who noticed Eunha jumped up and gave up his seat. He was the middle-aged man who was dressed up as a clown at the fan signing event. He sat on the window sill and started to blow on his cup noodles . ¡°Ah, please excuse me.¡± Jehwi entered the waiting room and looked around for a place to unpack, but there was no free space left in the waiting room, which seemed to be less than 30 square metres. ¡°Ah, I¡­ I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± In the end, Jehwi roughly piled up his luggage on a dressing table and left the waiting room with a puzzled face. ¡°Ah, eat this. The shoot might take a while, so it would be better to fill up your stomach in advance.¡± It was a small bowl of cup noodles. The food was quite different from the lunch boxes that the other hunters were eating just before. ¡°Here, some chopsticks.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± Eunha took the cup noodles and wooden chopsticks and looked around as she held them. Four very unique hunters sat huddled in a narrow waiting room, including a person with their mouth pierced wearing coffee-colored stockings, a Pierrot clown, and a person wearing a satgat in a cotton hanbok.* Eunha, who was looking at them with slightly judgemental eyes, suddenly saw her reflection in a mirror. ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t in a position to talk either. The stark discrimination between ¡®general hunters¡¯ and ¡®concept hunters¡¯ didn¡¯t stop at just lunch boxes. When she checked the scripts piled up on a desk, there were many parts that she didn¡¯t understand. She couldn¡¯t be sure since she hadn¡¯t checked all of them, but she thought it was like using concept hunters to glorify general hunters. It wasn¡¯t just that. Eunha put her script back in place and turned her head towards the door of the waiting room. Some presumed stylists were busy going back and forth between the general hunters¡¯ waiting room. However, no stylist came into this cramped waiting room. The hunter wearing stockings got up from their seat and looked out the door. ¡°Can¡­ Can we get makeup too?¡± A staff member who had been frantically walking down the hallway stopped in front of them. ¡°Ah¡­ For the concept hunters?¡± Eunha couldn¡¯t see her face, but she seemed to be smiling. ¡°My hands aren¡¯t free. I heard that concept hunters can do makeup for themselves, so do you need it?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really necessary because I¡¯m already wearing my stockings, haha.¡± The hunter who wore stockings scratched their head shyly and closed the door to the waiting room. There was an awkward silence. The person in the Pierrot costume who was sitting in the corner suddenly got up, trembling. ¡°Well, it¡¯s only for a day or two. Let¡¯s prepare soon so that we won¡¯t be late for the shoot.¡± It was as if they were accustomed to being treated like this. They moved in a hurry and started putting on their facial makeup. Standing one step behind them, Eunha looked at their backs. * * * ¡°Now then, the star-of-the-show rookie! Let¡¯s meet ¡®Windmaker¡¯.¡± At the same time as the MC¡¯s introduction, a bright eye-numbing spotlight turned on. Relative to the MC in the centre of the studio, general hunters sat on the left, and concept hunters were on the right. The MC introduced the hunters in order from left to right. ¡°Where did the nickname Windmaker come from?¡± A spotlight fell on Windmaker. It was the same hunter who boasted the longest line at the fan signing event. Scattered screams erupted from the audience as their face was caught on camera. Most of the people in the audience were seen holding fans with their face printed on them. It was a moment when Eunha felt once again that their popularity was considerable. ¡°It¡¯s a nickname given to me by my fans when they saw the wind coming out of the tip of my fan.¡± ¡°I see. Could you show us a little bit?¡± At the request of the MC, Windmaker took out a fan from their waistband. It was made of bird feathers. They gently swung it, making greenish wind draw its drafts into a vortex. Thud, thud, thud. A watermelon, which had been prepared several metres in front of them, was cut into bite-sized pieces. Eunha sat in her designated seat and watched them closely. Nature-based hunters who freely used water, fire, and wind belonged to a precious axis. In Eunha¡¯s judgement, Windmaker looked like a wind mage, but in actuality, it seemed that it was the fan that caused the wind. ¡°Wow, if you had swung it a little bit harder, the woman in the front of the audience would have gotten a new haircut.¡± Exaggerated laughter erupted from the audience at the MC¡¯s joke. There were also enthusiastic cheers mixed in. The spotlight moved sideways. From now on, it was time to introduce the concept hunters. The first one in the order was the middle-aged hunter dressed as a dark clown. Eunha remembered that he had some fans at the fan signing event. ¡°The guest I would like to introduce to you this time is ¡®Mr. Clown¡¯! Hello.¡± ¡°Hello-pyu!¡± Mr. Clown raised both hands, trembling, and uttered a strange greeting. ¡°Ah, yes, hello. Say, how old are you this year?¡± ¡°53-pyu*!¡± He shook his head back and forth in a funny way. A sound that felt like an unconcealed puff of laughter came from the direction of the audience. Under the ridicule that engulfed the studio, Eunha hardened her face. ¡®¡­You¡¯re the same age as me?¡¯ It was truly unbelievable. And, he was a year younger than Yijun. The reality that she thought she had accepted a long time ago suddenly awakened in Eunha. He was over fifty years old, but he was very skillful in using the ¡®pyu¡¯ talk, and surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel even the slightest shame. She admired his professional spirit. The MC introduced the guests in the order they were seated in. Starting with Mr. Clown, each person¡¯s turn passed one by one. The last in the order was the Princess of Dark Flare, Eunha. ¡°Next is the most talked-about rookie! This is the ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to ask. Do you have a black flame dragon in your left hand*?¡± The MC held the microphone in front of Eunha. Light pierced her eyes as she narrowed her brows. Originally, she was supposed to recite the lines that fit her concept like the Pierrot clown. Eunha glanced at the script card on the desk. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha, who had removed her gaze from the script card, raised her head again. The MC, guest hunters, and audience were all looking at her. Eunha licked her lips slowly. ¡°¡­No.¡± Shaaa. At Eunha¡¯s answer, the studio was engulfed in silence. ¡°U-um. Alright.¡± The MC, who was watching the PD, naturally changed the topic with their professional skills. ¡°Your dress is very fancy, reminiscent of the Rococo era. Where did you get it? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s from a department store¡­ Was it from Rodeo Street? Oh, is it Dongdaemun*?¡± Then, someone shouted from the direction of the audience. ¡°Jongmyo*!¡± The hunter sitting next to her covered their mouth as their shoulders shook. With the sound of laughter swirling around her, Eunha slowly licked her lips with an indifferent expression on her face. ¡°¡­I just picked it up.¡± As if those words were the trigger, laughter erupted around her. * * * Afterwards, a break was given with the PD¡¯s permission. All of the cast members returned to their respective waiting rooms. Of course, the concept hunters, including Eunha, were sent back to their cramped waiting room. ¡°Ha¡­ This feels like hell.¡± The man in the hanbok threw their satgat to the floor. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to make ends meet. If I knew I¡¯d be treated like this, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted the offer in the first place.¡± ¡°Be patient, be patient. You¡¯re still getting paid a lot for appearing.¡± The hunter wearing stockings comforted him. They were thrown into the waiting room like it was a chicken coop and were all in the same situation. ¡°No, the normal hunters are getting normal questions. Why not us!¡± The man huffed and trampled on his hat. The MC¡¯s question of ¡®How many dried persimmons can you eat?¡¯ seemed to be quite unpleasant*. Although they were working as concept hunters, they were still fully awakened and licensed hunters. To be treated like a toy just for the fun of the show and for the ratings was hurting their pride. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± The satgat hunter finally started to pack his belongings. The rest of the hunters only looked at him, and no one stopped him from being caught in his own anger. ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± The person dressed as a Pierrot clown, who had been silent all along, grabbed the satgat hunter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But if you¡¯re out, the shoot might end.¡± Unlike when he was in front of the camera, he spoke in a normal voice. During the break, he had taken off his makeup and seemed like an ordinary middle-aged man. Except for his red striped Pierrot outfit. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad? I¡¯m sure that the second part of the shoot will be like this too.¡± ¡°Who cares? If I get paid and get recognition, it¡¯ll be like killing two birds with one stone. I need to buy a padded jacket for my daughter.¡± ¡°Money can be earned elsewhere. I¡¯ve been to six gates this year. I¡¯d rather risk my life in a gate compared to getting ridiculed here.¡± The satgat hunter trembled in anger. ¡°I know that well. I¡¯ve been to gates too. But I can get the same amount of money from clearing 10 gates by just appearing once today.¡± Mr. Clown sat in front of the dressing table and smeared thick paint onto his face. His wrinkled hands drew straight lines more skillfully than anyone else. What Mr. Clown said wasn¡¯t wrong. Although it wasn¡¯t the same for everyone, most concept hunters weren¡¯t strong in combat. Even if they entered the same gate, their salaries would differ depending on their rank, guild, and achievements. In the case of a famous hunter like Windmaker, they would receive a thousand units for clearing a gate. It was an amount that would take the concept hunters gathered here five to six gates to obtain. ¡°So sit down. Now that you¡¯ve already finished the first part of the shoot, you should stay and get the money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The satgat hunter clenched their fist. ¡°Yeah. Let us be patient.¡± ¡°If it really bothers you, you can ask the director to edit it.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Shit.¡± In the end, the satgat hunter slumped nervously on the sofa. He knew very well that what they were saying wasn¡¯t wrong. Meanwhile, Eunha watched them from a corner. Tap tap. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Look. It¡¯s my daughter.¡± Mr. Clown smiled warmly and held out his cellphone. Eunha¡¯s eyes turned to look at the screen. On it, a girl in a navy blue uniform was smiling like the spring sun. ¡°Isn¡¯t she pretty? My daughter, Minji.¡± He blew a breath on the screen and wiped it with his sleeve. ¡°Since she has SATs this year, she doesn¡¯t come home until it¡¯s late at night to study at cram school. She isn¡¯t like me, so she studies really well.¡± Eunha stared at Mr. Clown¡¯s face as he excitedly told stories about his daughter. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy her a new padded jacket before winter comes. My heart breaks when I see her shivering when she comes back from cram school every day. Which colour do you think would look good on her?¡± His smile wasn¡¯t a concept. It was the smile of a father smiling like the spring sun, just like his daughter. NOTES: for the concept hunter descriptions: pierrot is a character from pantomime and commedia dell¡¯arte. satgat is the korean term for those slightly conical bamboo hats often seen in asia, and hanboks are traditional korean clothing. for mr. clown¡¯s lines: the raw texts were ????? and ???. as you can see, there¡¯s a ? at the end of both of them, which is pyu. it¡¯s similar to people saying hello-nya for the role abbreviations: MC stands for master of ceremonies (basically a host) and PD stands for production director. about the black dragon in her hand: a reference to chuunibyous/people with 8th grader syndrome for the places the MC mentions: rodeo street is a major outlet shopping centre, dongdaemun [market] is a large commercial district for jongmyo: a reference to jongmyo shrine, was likely used to call eunha¡¯s outfit old-fashioned for the persimmon question: similar to ¡°how many burgers can you eat?¡± which in korea is a rude way of telling someone they¡¯re a big eater. CH 28 RP: Lizz & Sebastian ? TL: Whee ? PR: Sebastian ? Editor: Kim The second part of the recording began. Unlike the first part which focused on introducing the 10 hunters and explaining the special, the second part was a talk show that included a Q&A. ¡°Of the gates that you¡¯ve cleared so far, which one remains the most memorable? Can we hear the story?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ From five years ago, I think the A-Class gate on Nami Island is the most memorable.¡± Oh¡­ The crowd was buzzing. The ¡®Nami Island A-Class gate¡¯ that Windmaker mentioned was a gate that appeared on August 7, 2026. At the time, the association measured the gate as A-Class, and the ¡®Devil¡¯s Eye¡¯, which had appeared as the boss monster, was a whopping Lv.76. The average level of monsters that appeared in A-Class gates was between 41-60. In other words, it was common for a ¡®gate error¡¯ to occur at that time. Monsters level 70 or higher were at a level that could only be defeated by at least five A-Class hunters who fought with a strategy. If they didn¡¯t, the participation of S-Class hunters in battle would be necessary. Unfortunately, there were no S-Class hunters among the first fighters at the time, and only three A-Class hunters were present. In the midst of great difficulties during the boss battle, ¡®Dr. Plant¡¯ had arrived like a comet. As the owner of the Rose Guild and the most famous healer in Korea, he was one of the six S-Class hunters in Korea. ¡°Oh my god, Dr. Plant?¡± The recording studio began to stir. The MC asked an unscripted question, unable to hide their excitement. ¡°What was Dr. Plant like?¡± ¡°As you can see in videos of him, he was very elegant and dignified. His abilities were beyond imagination. The petals he had conjured covered our wounds, and the vines he had grown carried the wounded safely out of the gate. It was an amazing sight.¡± ¡°As expected, S-Class hunters are different.¡± ¡°Yes. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. I came to see him after clearing the gate, and he¡ª¡± Windmaker talked about what happened that day. The experience of clearing the gate with Dr. Plant seemed to be very great. It might¡¯ve been boring, but everyone stared and listened to Windmaker. Among the hunters gathered here, he was the only one who had shared a mission with an S-Class hunter. And so, that fact made him even more special. ¡°How about the Princess of Dark Flare?¡± Swish. The spotlight turned to Eunha. Eunha¡¯s face appeared on the large LED screen in the back. ¡°What was your most memorable gate?¡± Eunha kept her mouth closed at the MC¡¯s question. There was a slight silence in the studio. ¡®A memorable gate.¡¯ For a brief moment, Eunha remembered the gates she had cleared up until now. There were so many to the point where it was literally ¡®uncountable¡¯. If she had to pick one of the most memorable gates, it would be the Unknown Gate, which she had been trapped in for a long time. ¡®But I can¡¯t say that here.¡¯ Eunha held her microphone and pondered what to answer, then slowly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t remember because there are so many.¡± Pft. A laugh came from an unknown person. ¡°You¡¯ve only cleared two gates so far. Are you saying that those two times were too much?¡± A general hunter was openly sarcastic in their seat. That became the trigger, and another hunter opened their mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on her. For a concept hunter, they might be. Their main job isn¡¯t gate clearing after all.¡± In the distance, she could see a screenwriter paying attention to the PD. However, the PD didn¡¯t stop them or the recording and simply watched the scene with their arms crossed. Due to the nature of a pre-recorded broadcast, it would be simple enough to just edit the problematic parts out. ¡°I heard that you killed a high-level monster. Why are you being so stubborn with your concept when you¡¯re not even going to get paid? It¡¯s not worth the money.¡± Another regular hunter asked. The audience was quiet. In the recording studio that had become as cold as an ice-covered road, a hunter jumped up. ¡°Can you stop?¡± It was the satgat hunter sitting on the far left of the concept hunters¡¯ side. His fist was clenched so tightly that his veins were about to burst. He slammed it onto the table. He seemed unwilling to hide his fiery temper. ¡°I don¡¯t think those words are in the script.¡± ¡°Is there a law that says you have to say only what is in the script? It¡¯s not fun if it¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you all curious about why Wolf¡¯s new hunter wears a dress and cosplays as a character? Are you not?¡± The general hunters, concept hunters, audience, and even the staff. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Eunha. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve only cleared two gates.¡± Eunha slowly opened her mouth. ¡°But it¡¯s not because I¡¯m a concept hunter.¡± Eunha turned her head towards the satgat hunter who was standing on the far left. ¡°This hunter here has cleared six gates this year alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The satgat hunter loosened the fist he was clenching. Did this woman remember his passing words in the waiting room? Eunha turned her gaze away from him, this time towards the general hunters. She gently curled her red lips. ¡°How many gates have you cleared this year?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both the regular hunters and the concept hunters became quiet, as if cold water had been poured on them. Among them, Windmaker, who had been silent for so long, spread their fan and covered their mouth. ¡°Money is more important than numbers. As a rookie hunter, if you aren¡¯t familiar with it, I will carefully inform you that not all hunters receive the same pay.¡± ¡°Then I will change the question.¡± Eunha turned her head to Windmaker. The face of the Princess of Dark Flare, who had not laughed once, showed up on the LED screen behind them. ¡°How many people have you saved this year?¡± Silence fell once again. * * * It would start then. The beginning of the battle between the general hunters and the concept hunters. This time, the objective of the third part of the shoot was ¡®winning¡¯. Naturally, they were divided into two teams: the general hunter team and the concept hunter team. The subject of the first match was arm wrestling. As a tournament-style game, the concept hunter team and the general hunter team competed in the order planned in the script. The first one up from the general hunter team was Windmaker. As if proving that his popularity didn¡¯t stem from his warm appearance alone, he defeated the concept hunter team¡¯s members one after another. The second general hunter in the order didn¡¯t even have a chance to go. ¡°Ahh¡­ Concept hunter team! Will the general hunter team take five million wones worth of department store gift certificates like this?!¡± The MC turned over a flap on the scoreboard located in the centre of the studio. The current score was 3:0. Of course, the three was for the normal hunters, and the zero for the concept hunters. ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Mr. Clown got up from his seat. The concept hunters looked at his back with worried eyes. ¡°How dare you guys use Windmaker first.¡± ¡°My pride had taken a hit. Show us what you¡¯ve got, Mr. Clown!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to win, but I can¡¯t show my daughter a 5:0 score because I¡¯d be embarrassed.¡± Mr. Clown went out to the centre of the room. ¡°Mister, are you gonna be okay?¡± Windmaker held Mr. Clown¡¯s right hand and murmured quietly enough to be heard only by him. His arrogance still reached Eunha. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s begin. Three! Two! One!¡± When the MC¡¯s count was over, the two people¡¯s arms swelled up. Windmaker had faced three hunters already and seemed to have lost his strength, as he was struggling quite a bit. ¡°Ghk!¡± Mr. Clown clenched his trembling right hand, shaking as he gripped the table like he was trying to break it. His face was hot and red, and his molars ground together. In a word, he seemed to be struggling. But¡ª ¡°Are you that desperate for money?¡± The moment Windmaker¡¯s lips drew an arc. ¡°You still have to play according to your age, though.¡± Bang! The table cracked. In an instant, the studio froze. The MC, who was blinking his eyes dumbfoundedly, came back to his senses and straightened their microphone. ¡°U-uh¡­ T-this is a win for Windmaker¡ª!¡± Fweet! The sound of a whistle announcing the end of the match echoed in the frozen studio. ¡°This broadcast complies with safety regulations, such as ambulance and paramedic deployment! Do not let young children attempt to replicate this!¡± Crazily, the MC continued the process smoothly. After that, Mr. Clown trudged back to his seat. ¡°It was a disappointing match¡­¡± He hid his injured right hand away from the camera. However, all the concept hunters sitting on their seats, including Eunha, saw it. Drops of blood flowed out one by one from the back of his wounded hand as it sat on the edge of the table. ¡°That¡¯s too much. No matter what you call it, it¡¯s still a broadcast¡­ Was there anything like this in the script?¡± ¡°What did you waste your time doing when you had the power to break even the table? Are you just playing around?¡± The concept hunters began to roar. At that time, a hunter who had been silent raised his hand. ¡°Wait. The wound is worse than I thought.¡± The satgat hunter said with an angry voice. The MC glanced at the PD with bewildered eyes. The PD crossed their arms, drawing a large X. The youngest screenwriter, who was sitting in a staff seat, noticed and rushed to the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t delay the shoot. I¡¯ll bring a first aid kit later, so let¡¯s start recording again¡ª¡± ¡°What? Later? Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s bleeding right now?¡± When the unnamed hunter in a hanbok shouted, the youngest screenwriter hesitated. In the end, the PD who was sitting in their seat said something in a muffled voice. ¡°Concept hunters don¡¯t seem to have self-healing powers, do they?¡± Shaaa. The air in the studio grew heavy. What broke the silence was the gentle laughter of Mr. Clown. ¡°Hahaha. A wound like this is nothing compared to what happens in gates. It¡¯s okay, so you can continue recording!¡± ¡°However¡ª¡± Mr. Clown held the wrist of the unconvinced hunter. His face, which had been comical like a clown¡¯s, turned serious in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Mr. Clown whispered quietly so that only they could hear it. Eventually, the rest of the recording continued without interruption. The staff brought a new table to the centre of the studio, and Windmaker sat there, relaxed. ¡°Just get it over with. You need to heal your wound.¡± At the words of Windmaker, laughter flowed from the audience. Some of the crowd murmured, as if criticising Windmaker, but most of the audience was filled with his fans. The voices of the few melted into the laughter of the many and were quickly overpowered. The MC checked the progress board and put his mouth to the microphone. ¡°Hey, viewers! The current score is four to zero. The Princess of Dark Flare is the last one remaining. Will she be able to stop Windmaker¡¯s winning streak?¡± The camera was raised in the air, and Windmaker¡¯s face was captured by the LED screen behind them. Rise. Eunha got up from her seat. ¡°You don¡¯t need to work too hard. That man is ruthless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t come here to win anyway.¡± ¡°Just act moderately without getting hurt and come back.¡± The concept hunters whispered encouragingly to Eunha from behind. Eunha took a step forward and slowly turned her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Her red lips curled. Their worried eyes widened. Standing in front of Windmaker, Eunha silently rolled up her right sleeve. ¡°Aww, how intense.¡± Windmaker rolled their shoulders. Eunha sat across from him without saying a word and put her elbow on the table. ¡°¡­Do I look like a concept hunter?¡± Eunha asked in a low voice that only he could hear. The moment Windmaker¡¯s eyebrows twitched and trembled, the MC¡¯s voice was heard from the speakers installed throughout the studio. ¡°Oh, how confident she is! The Princess of Dark Flare, can she defeat Windmaker¡­¡± Bang! A loud noise echoed throughout the studio. The table had been split in two and fell apart, collapsing on the floor. The tremor was enough to rattle the light fixtures suspended in the air. For a moment, the studio was enveloped in silence. Similar to the previous rounds, the match was over in a very short time. ¡°Next.¡± However, the results were different. CH 29 4:1, 4:2, 4:3, 4:4, Bang! and 4:5. The results were turned around in an instant, like flipping the palm of a hand. ¡°Th-the results of the arm wrestling match is four to five; the concept hunter team wins!¡± The scoreboard in the centre of the studio shone brightly. It was not just the audience, but the cast and even the staff had their mouths wide open, jaws dropping to the floor. ¡®4:5.¡¯ After confirming the score, Eunha got up from her seat and leisurely returned to the concept hunters¡¯ seats. The concept hunters waiting in their seats only stared at Eunha, their pupils dilated like startled rabbits. ¡°Uh¡­ Miss. Were you always that strong?¡± Mr. Clown smiled awkwardly and spoke to Eunha respectfully. There was slight admiration in his eyes, which were quite different from before. There was still silence in the studio. Eunha picked up her bottle of water and looked around. During the recording, a signal had not been dropped yet. ¡°Director¡­ What should we do?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± A low-pitched conversation could be heard from somewhere. It was the place where the staff were gathered. Looking at their eyes, the other hunters didn¡¯t seem to hear it. Eunha concentrated her focus on her ears without changing her expression. ¡°Continue with the shoot. Change the table to a new one.¡± ¡°Is that really okay?¡± The PD¡¯s gaze seemed to point towards Eunha¡¯s direction. Eunha did not avoid their gaze. ¡°It¡¯ll be enough to use the interesting parts and edit out anything problematic.¡± A signal to continue the shoot was sent, and staff began to rush around the recording site. In the midst of the crowd, Eunha saw the youngest screenwriter carrying a first aid kit and running around the regular hunters¡¯ seats. Although there was a rule for everyone to control their strength, Windmaker¡¯s hands swelled like rubber gloves submerged in water. It was like a clown¡¯s, no less. Eventually, the youngest screenwriter who closed the first aid kit was returning to her staff seat. Eunha stood in front of them. ¡°Here, too.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­!¡± The youngest screenwriter tried to open the first aid kit on the spot. Eunha grabbed her hand. ¡°Not me, over there.¡± Ah¡­ The youngest screenwriter¡¯s eyes turned towards Mr. Clown. Eventually, she approached him and handed him an ice pack. ¡°Miss? You don¡¯t need it?¡± Mr. Clown didn¡¯t use the ice pack that was handed to him and suddenly offered it to Eunha first. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nod. Eunha slightly bowed her head once. She wasn¡¯t just being considerate. Eunha¡¯s hand, which had faced five hunters one after another, was still intact. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Like other broadcasts, there is a script anyway, so there¡¯s no need to overdo it and win.¡± Mr. Clown was still smiling, as if his right hand didn¡¯t hurt. He said that it was okay and gave Eunha the ice pack. Perhaps that was why clown was his nickname. * * * Swoosh! ¡°W-what an incredible speed¡­!¡± Whoosh! Swish! Thump! Thump! This match was Whac-A-Mole. The game would be won by the person who whacked the most moles that appeared on the screen within 30 seconds. Brown moles were +10 points, Black moles were -20 points, And golden moles were +30 points, as stated by the rules. ¡°Th-the Princess of Dark Flare! 4,120 points in total!¡± Bababam! An unbelievable score flashed on the huge screen. Even the noisy audience became quiet, as if everyone had been doused with cold water. ¡®4,120 points¡­ Is that even possible?¡¯ Windmaker was speechless at the unbelievable score, even after seeing it with his own eyes. 4,120 points. In other words, Eunha had caught 25 brown moles and 129 golden moles in 30 seconds. The second-ranked Windmaker had scored 2,990 points, which meant that Eunha had widened the gap and topped the list. The mindblowing showdown between the two teams continued, including a 100m dash, a Hunter¡¯s Common Sense Quiz, and a basketball shooting game. Overturning everyone¡¯s expectations, the concept hunter team was frighteningly able to tail the general hunter team¡¯s score. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is waving a signboard. Way to go! Way to go! Way to go!] And then. At last, the final match, hide-and-seek, had arrived. Here, the true winner would be decided. ¡°I think this is going to be a hit.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something you have to make a promise to, director?¡± ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s not even on air yet, so it¡¯s too early to predict ratings.¡± Eunha stared at the staff carrying shooting equipment on their shoulders. Although it was just an entertainment show, it was too cruel and heartless for the world to simply dismiss it as such. In other words, you shouldn¡¯t just sit around and enjoy it. All the cast members moved to an outdoor studio to shoot hide-and-seek. When all the staff and cast members gathered, a lighting fixture in the centre shone, as if to announce the start. The rules for this match were simple. If the tagger found all the people within the time limit, the tagger team would win. In other words, the key point of victory was deciding on who would be the tagger. ¡°Who would be better?¡± It was discussion time. The concept hunters who gathered to decide the tagger collectively looked at one person. They had realised it by now. They knew who the ace of their team was very well. At the moment when all of their anticipation-filled eyes were focused on Eunha. ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Satgat Hunter raised his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not good to rely on her too much. She¡¯s already done a lot, so why don¡¯t we take care of the last one ourselves?¡± ¡°I agree with that opinion.¡± Mr. Clown also supported his opinion. ¡°I know that Stocking Hunter¡¯s unique ability is a physical strengthening one. Right?¡± A hunter wearing a dinosaur-shaped doll mask opened their mouth. Hunters each had their own unique abilities. The best way to win was to make use of their unique abilities according to the type of each match. The opposing team, the general hunters, must¡¯ve been well aware of that. That was why they made Windmaker go first for arm wrestling. ¡°A-actually¡­ I¡¯ve had a stomach ache for a while now¡­¡± Their face was white enough for it to be noticeable even through their stockings. In addition, she saw them leave their seat in the middle of the recording. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to somehow put up with it, but I think running is going to be difficult. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Grabbing their stomach, they groaned and said. Their stockings seemed to be drenched with cold sweat. ¡°Then what do we do? I¡¯m not confident in my athleticism¡­¡± ¡°And Mr. Clown is injured.¡± The concept hunters started buzzing. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡ª¡± The moment Satgat Hunter opened his mouth, Eunha took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The concept hunters looked at Eunha anxiously. ¡°Will you be alright? You don¡¯t have to strain yourself¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t dependable. She¡¯d already proved her strength beyond all doubt. ¡°You¡¯ve already done a lot. You can rest now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Regardless of their voices of concern, Eunha loosened the ribbon on her waist. With it, she tied her long hair up. A thin nape was revealed when her waist-length black hair was lifted. ¡®This is the last match.¡¯ Her dark eyes that were once desolate were now lit by a bright light. This was an opportunity that wouldn¡¯t appear again, so she wanted to finish it to the very end. Beep! A whistle signalled the start of the match. The time limit given was 10 minutes. Eunha stood tall and silently closed her eyes. A few seconds later, the moment she opened her eyes¡ª ¡°Sh-she¡¯s gone¡­?!¡± The MC¡¯s confused voice rang throughout the outdoor studio. A small black shadow flickered between branches that were intertwined like a large cobweb. It was so fast that the camera couldn¡¯t keep up. < COUNTDOWN ? 9:32 > ¡°Whoa!¡± Less than 30 seconds into the game, someone was heard yelping from not too far away. And then¡­ < COUNTDOWN ? 7:15 > ¡°Wahh, I got tagged¡­¡± < COUNTDOWN ? 5:44 > ¡°H-how the hell?!¡± < COUNTDOWN ? 3:38 > ¡°Ack, you scared me!¡± Even the hunters who had been hiding in proper places appeared with their hands bound tightly. ¡®Is there a radar on the top of my head?¡¯ It was ridiculous, but they couldn¡¯t help but think that. That¡¯s how quickly Eunha caught the hunters. The outdoor studio was not a small place. The whole small forest behind the studio was being used. Moreover, the view was dark due to the thick broad-leaved trees. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if one tripped on a stone and hit their head if they weren¡¯t careful because of the time limit. [Passive ? ¡®One Who Reads the Night¡¯ is activated.] Eunha¡¯s eyes gleamed with gold. As if experiencing a second awakening, her senses were able to notice the chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves. ¡®The last one is northeast.¡¯ At the same time, Windmaker had completely hid their body between some roots and silently looked around. The place they hid in was in the deepest part of the forest. If his previously-hidden colleagues could use up the time, no one would be able to reach this point of the forest, whether it was the Princess of Dark Flare or not. Crackle. He heard footsteps from somewhere. ¡°¡­!¡± His heart was pounding. He almost made a sound, but he managed to hold it in and calmly unfolded his fan. He had never even imagined that he would use it for a variety show, but¡­ [Active ? Do you want to use ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing¡¯?] A green wind began to swirl around Windmaker¡¯s body. Using this technique, he would be able to maintain a state of stealth for about 10 seconds. No matter how fast a hunter was, they would never be able to find him if they weren¡¯t good at detecting presences. Beep. Beep. Beep. The continuous sounds of the timer in the silence seemed to match his heartbeats. The remaining time was¡ª < COUNTDOWN ? 0:01 > At the moment when he was swallowing his laughter, convinced of his victory. ¡°Come out.¡± Beep¡ª With the sound of the whistle, the birds hiding in the forest flew away. * * * ¡°For the 2031 Onhunt Summer Special , this year¡¯s victory belongs to the concept hunter team! Congratulations!¡± Bababam! Fanfare broke out, and the staff gave each of the five concept hunters a large flower garland. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finally announce today¡¯s MVP.¡± tl/n: MVP stands for most valuable player Badum badum badum¡ª The heart-throbbing drum beats stopped, and a huge fanfare once again erupted to the point where it was ear-numbing. ¡°Congratulations! The MVP is the Princess of Dark Flare!¡± At the MC¡¯s dramatic hand gestures, the staff approached Eunha and handed her a large panel. Countless eyes mixed with envy flocked to Eunha. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Well done, everyone!¡± The guests left the studio, and the staff started to clean up. Standing in the middle, Eunha tore off the back of the panel and took out the gift certificate envelope. ¡°¡­¡± She could feel that the general hunters were looking in her direction. At the moment she turned her head away from the mixed gazes of resentment and awe. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Someone came up to Eunha. It was the hunter dressed in stockings. ¡°Thank you so much for today.¡± They took off their stockings and bowed their head. Starting with them, the concept hunters who were seated also began to flock to Eunha one by one. ¡°You don¡¯t know how exhilarating it was to see those guys¡¯ bewildered expressions.They looked like fools.¡± Unlike the first time they met in the waiting room, they were all smiling and laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll take a commemorative photo in 30 minutes! Good job, everyone!¡± At the call of the staff, the cast returned to their waiting room. Just as Eunha was turning away, Mr. Clown suddenly approached her. ¡°Congratulations, MVP.¡± Covering his sweaty hair with a towel, he smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure my Minji will be happy to know that Dad¡¯s team won. Thank you so much.¡± Mr. Clown¡¯s even teeth were openly revealed. His daughter. After hearing those words, Eunha¡¯s gaze fell to the gift certificate envelope in her hand. ¡®What colour do you think would be good for my daughter¡¯s padded jacket?¡¯ Eunha stared intently at the gift certificate envelope and eventually raised her head. * * * It was approaching midnight. After taking a commemorative photo with the entire cast, the concept hunters were starting to prepare to go home. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m so tired.¡± ¡°The recording took longer than expected.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because a lot of things that weren¡¯t in the script happened. Did you see the bewildered looks on the staff?¡± Among the chatting concept hunters, Mr. Clown checked his cellphone. [Princess Minji ?] [11:53 PM] dad, I just finished school! can you come pick me up???? hahaha Isn¡¯t the road dangerous at night these days! Leaping up from his seat, he hurriedly picked up the bag he had left on the corner of the sofa. Flutter. Something fell through the slightly opened zipper. When he turned to the floor, he saw a white envelope at the end of his gaze. ¡°¡­?¡± Was it a fan letter? That couldn¡¯t be it. He leaned over and picked it up. On the surface of the envelope, there were words scrawled on with a black felt-tip pen. The moment he found it, Mr. Clown shook his head. ¡°Hey, have you seen the Princess of Dark Flare?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t you see them at the commemorative photo shoot?¡± At that moment, the unnamed hanbok hunter who was about to leave the waiting room glanced back. ¡°Ahh. If it¡¯s that person, her manager took her away as soon as the recording was over. Why?¡± ¡°N-nothing¡­¡± As Mr. Clown¡¯s words died on his tongue, he looked at the envelope in his hand with a puzzled face. CH 30 About three weeks after that, on July 31st, <2031, Star Hunter Hotter than Summer> was broadcasted on cable TV channel Onhunt. Even taking into account that it wasn¡¯t from a public broadcasting station, the ratings that day were reported to be quite successful. ¡°Did you see it?¡± Kim Gwanghyun¡ª39 years old and part of the Hunter Association. He paused the screen and raised his head with a confident face. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± The president of the Hunter Association, Go Daeyoon, stared at the still screen with squinted eyes. A woman in black appeared on the screen. She was a rookie hunter brought in by the Wolf Guild, and he remembered that she was measured as an F-Class. There was no reason for him to notice her at the time. An F-Class hunter who signed a hunter contract with the Wolf Guild. If it was special, then it was special, but that was it. It didn¡¯t matter who Siwoo brought. There were many other cases where S-Class hunters or guild executives brought guild members, including new recruits, to the association. ¡°What did I say, President of the Association?¡± As if he knew it was going to be like this, Gwanghyun tapped the table with the remote control. There were no battles being aired, and there had to be some content that had been edited and reorganised to some extent due to the nature of TV programs. But still, she certainly didn¡¯t look like an ordinary F-Class on the screen. That alone could not be denied. However. ¡®Is there any possibility that the metre was malfunctioning?¡¯ But it had been confirmed. Pocket-type measuring instruments owned by ordinary guilds sometimes showed errors, but the measuring devices at the association¡¯s headquarters were at a different level. There hadn¡¯t been a single error or malfunction so far. Even updates from the International Hunter Association were regularly reflected. It meant that everyone didn¡¯t just trust the measuring device and the rank it gave her for nothing. Association President Daeyoon stroked his chin and turned his head toward Gwanghyun. ¡°What about the investigation?¡± ¡°Look this way, please.¡± Gwanghyun rummaged through his briefcase and arranged the materials on his desk. He had been waiting for this moment, even in his sleep. Daeyoon began to examine the materials carefully. Among them was the data submitted from the time she visited the association for measurement. ¡°The Princess of Dark Flare, real name Lee Yura. Her birthplace is Haeul-myeon, Manrye-eup, Gyeongsangnam-do, and she¡¯s currently living in Banha-dong, Seoul. The 126th graduate of the Pocheon Hunter Training Centre. ¡°¡­Wait. The Pocheon Hunter Training Centre?¡± Daeyoon was quietly listening to Gwanghyun¡¯s words and suddenly cut him off. ¡°Yes. That training camp that closed in October 2029 is correct.¡± Gwanghyun put down the material he was reading and answered. It was a famous incident. An unknown gate occurred at that training centre, which caused countless injuries and deaths. It was one of the few ¡®disaster-level¡¯ incidents recorded in modern times. Daeyoon looked at ¡®Lee Yura¡¯s¡¯ training centre graduation certificate. The stamp on the bottom was obviously genuine, and there were no suspicious parts that could be seen with the naked eye. After that incident, the training centre closed down, and the graduate-related documents kept inside the training centre were also burned. Therefore, although the seal of the training centre was stamped, this graduation certificate must¡¯ve been a restored copy, not the original. ¡®Is it a coincidence?¡¯ She had graduated from that training camp. And right before the incident, at that. Tap, tap. Daeyoon sat still and tapped the handle of his chair slowly. Lee Yura. Lee Yura. ¡­Lee Yura. ¡°Isn¡¯t it also related to an urban legend?¡± At that sound, Daeyoon broke free from his deep thoughts. Normally, he would have teased or yelled at him for still talking about it, but it was different now. ¡®I don¡¯t believe in urban legends.¡¯ However, it was necessary in order to learn more about the Princess of Dark Flare, Lee Yura. Daeyoon stopped tapping his finger on the handle of his chair and raised his head. Their suspecting gazes met. ¡°Proceed with the investigation. As soon as anything suspicious about her is found, contact Wolf immediately and have her appear at the association.¡± ¡°Yes, President.¡± ¡°In addition, call the former director of the Pocheon Hunter Training Centre.¡± ¡°The training camp?¡± Daeyoon kept his eyes on the Princess of Dark Flare¡¯s data and slightly opened his mouth. ¡°I may not know all of the graduates, but they might.¡± * * * It was a small restaurant located in a relatively remote alley in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The ¡®CLOSED¡¯ sign at the entrance was colourless, and the signboard of the store was lit up with a soft light like a crescent moon. Clack. Eunha glanced at Siwoo as she brought a fork to her mouth. He had wanted to commemorate her first broadcast appearance in a simple way, but he looked like he had no intention of eating, as his eyes were only fixed on the screen of his cellphone. ©¸>¡õ¡õ: she killed it ©¸>¡õ¡õ: remeasurement is urgently needed everyone ©¸>¡õ¡õ: ?? what¡¯s with her black flames???? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i¡¯m speechless, she¡¯s so charming ©¸>¡õ¡õ: 4120 points???? did i see that right????? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: how many moles did she catch in 30 seconds??? is that even possible? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: vote edited ©¸>¡õ¡õ: but how¡¯s mr. clown¡¯s arm in the meantime ?????? it¡¯s breaking my heart¡­ ©¸>¡õ¡õ: am i the only one who got goosebumps from those 43 minutes and 22 seconds? the black flame on her left shoulder just comes out and disappears ©¸>¡õ¡õ: LOLOLOLOL i can already hear the sound of windmaker fans exploding lmaooo ©¸>¡õ¡õ: she is a concept hunter, right¡­? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: why else would she wear a dress like that and carry a parasol ;;; think about it ©¸>¡õ¡õ: there are many people who have preconceptions about concept hunters, but there are many cases where concept hunters are stronger than general combat hunters ©¸>¡õ¡õ: the comment above lololol look what this has given birth to hahaha this is freaking funny ©¸>¡õ¡õ: that¡¯s true. my cousin is also a concept hunter. he¡¯s a b-class, and he¡¯s also part of a guild. he said it¡¯s more profitable being a concept hunter ©¸>¡õ¡õ: is that the case for the dark princess? then what¡¯s up with the f-class measurement? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: i like her even if she¡¯s an f-class. it¡¯s a sight for sore eyes ©¸>¡õ¡õ: the amount of netizens who judge first ;; haha it all changed during the arm wrestling with windmaker. i was completely entranced ©¸>¡õ¡õ: this is the person my dad was talking about ©¸>¡õ¡õ: the atmosphere is a little different from last time in king god¡¯s stream. did you get your act together after being cursed at? ©¸>¡õ¡õ: did you change your strategy because wolf didn¡¯t like it? lolol ©¸>¡õ¡õ: they left it in neutral tl/n: refers to the neutral gear in a car that stops the power in a car¡¯s wheels but still allows the driver to control the steering wheel. is basically saying that she took the lead ©¸>¡õ¡õ: marry me unnie ¨C View More ¨C The finger that had been scrolling on the screen for a while suddenly stopped. ¡°The reactions are positive.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eunha answered roughly and moved her spoon. She didn¡¯t seem very curious. Well, she wasn¡¯t the type to care about the internet¡¯s reactions in the first place. ¡°Sunbae is really great.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a first-generation hunter?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great too, but¡­¡± Now that he had put his phone down, Siwoo leaned his chin against his palm loosely. ¡°I think I can believe that you¡¯re trying to get rid of the prejudice against concept hunters now.¡± Eunha raised her black eyes and looked at Siwoo. At first glance, his blue eyes seemed to be sunken as usual, but Eunha could see now. He was in a very good mood at the moment. Well, she was glad he seemed to be happy. Siwoo was the person who had hired Eunha, so it was good for him to be satisfied. ¡°¡­Oh. I¡¯ve been meaning to show you this for a while.¡± As if she suddenly remembered, Eunha rummaged through her pockets. Clack. Eunha put her hunter terminal on the table. Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes naturally turned to Eunha¡¯s terminal. [Displaying currently obtained experience. ? EXP ¨C 0] Siwoo¡¯s face hardened when he saw the terminal. She had already been to a gate twice. But the fact that the experience value was zero¡ª ¡°Why is this¡­ No way, you didn¡¯t kill even a single monster?¡± ¡°No. I killed.¡± A wrinkle formed between Eunha¡¯s eyebrows. Not only was she measured as an F-Class, but there was also a problem with the terminal. At this point, modern technology was becoming questionable. ¡°It¡¯s not urgent, but it looks like it¡¯s broken. Can you fix it? I asked Manager Park, but he said it was beyond his ability.¡± Siwoo carefully observed her terminal. Judging from its outward appearance, it showed no signs of being broken or submerged. Temporary system errors were common. They could be solved by resetting, repairing, or replacing the terminal. ¡®If that¡¯s not the case.¡¯ Was she already maxed out, or in other words, had she reached the limit of accumulated experience? ¡®No, that¡¯s not possible.¡¯ Unlike monsters, hunters had no concept of ¡®levels¡¯. Although there was a ¡®rank¡¯ that was arbitrarily suggested by the International Hunter Association, it was only a device that categorised them by classes. S-Class was only the highest rank, not the upper limit. In fact, even within the S-Class, skills varied very widely. Although it differed greatly depending on the unique ability and the presence or absence of a divine beast contract, potential ability was also different for each individual. Siwoo stared at the terminal with strange eyes. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll need to take a closer look. Can I borrow it for a while?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t find an answer for now, he put it in his bag. The reason was unknown, so it would take a considerable amount of time to determine the cause. He¡¯d need to give her a new terminal for the time being. Siwoo, who packed the terminal away, put a smile on the corner of his lips and grabbed his cup, as if to change the mood. ¡°Anyway, today is a day to celebrate. Let¡¯s stop talking about work. Steak is the main dish, so please try it right away. It must have cooled down already.¡± Among the empty plates, the cooled steak stood out in particular. ¡°If you don¡¯t like medium rare, I¡¯ll tell them to cook another one.¡± Today was a day for her. At the moment Siwoo was raising his right hand to call for a chef, Eunha lifted her head. ¡°The smell of blood, didn¡¯t you say it was disgusting?¡± His right hand stopped in midair. Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes stared at her. ¡°Also, I¡¯ve gotten tired of meat for many reasons.¡± Eunha chewed her food with a calm face. She still hadn¡¯t touched the steak. ¡°¡­¡± Ding! [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that damn guy¡¯s been staring at Unnie too hard.] [I¡¯m going to pull out those blue eyes of his right now and turn them into soda-flavoured candies.] Ding, ding, ding¡­ It was almost impossible to use her fork with the tiring pop-up messages. Eunha stopped eating and raised her head to look at Siwoo. ¡°What?¡± The moment their eyes met, her dark hair fell down along her shoulder like silk. Along with her hair, Siwoo¡¯s gaze also fell downwards. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Siwoo, who hesitated for a while, eventually only left that dull response. Had he ever told her that he had a sensitive sense of smell? Even if he did, he was very surprised that she remembered it, since he himself couldn¡¯t recall it. However, the most surprising thing was that he wasn¡¯t even aware of when he had started to stare at her. CH 31 RP: Lizz and Sebastian ? TL: Whee ? PR: Sebastian ? Editor: Kim May 1998. It was a day when the sky poured heavily. It was about a week after she had finished her three months of training and became a ¡®hunter¡¯. Upon a report stating that a gate had appeared in downtown Uijeongbu-si, 35 hunters including Eunha were dispatched to the area. Of course, there was neither the Hunter Association, which detected the appearance of gates and transmitted a disaster message, nor a terminal to notify hunters of the appearance of a gate at that time. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re late.¡± A cigarette soaked in rain was crushed to the ground, and the squad leader spat out a curse. The gate, which had already entered a ¡®saturated¡¯ state, was spitting out a wave of monsters. ¡°Th-this¡­ is hell.¡± Someone¡¯s distant despair was heard, mixed with the sound of rain. It was a gate that had already devastated a squad two days ago. In front of them, some hunters had already stiffened up like stones. Maybe it was the sense of death. It was a feeling that hit them every time they stood in front of a gate. ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡± The squad leader commanded the lost hunters and started giving instructions. Of the 35 dispatched hunters, 20 were put inside the gate, and the remaining 15, including Eunha, were organised in several colours outside the gate. ¡¸Zone A, collapsed shopping mall has been checked. Artillery tractor is now moving. Rear support is needed.¡¹ ¡¸Zone A-4, zero survivors. Two small monsters captured. Coordinates: 273, 129. Secure a base.¡¹ ¡¸Zone B-2, 10328 Hunter Shim Joohyun¡¯s left leg has been amputated. Currently unconscious and unable to proceed with the mission. Mission will continue with rest of personnel.¡¹ Small portable radio transceivers. Those little machines were the only way to connect those scattered in hell. Even that was not very useful, as communication was cut off the moment they entered the gate. On the surfaces of crumbled buildings and torn, fallen signs, bloodstains of unknown origin were splattered randomly. Eunha, who had been staring at them, stopped walking. ¡°P-please help me¡­¡± It was terrible. A steel bar the size of a forearm had pierced the man¡¯s stomach. Eunha walked through the heavy rain and approached him. The moment she grabbed the reinforcement bar embedded in his stomach with both hands, his blood-stained hands quickly overlapped hers. ¡°N-not here¡­ Not here¡­ But my¡­ Daughter, my daughter got involved.¡± Cough! The blood the man threw up splattered onto Eunha¡¯s cheek. The dark blood mixed with rainwater and dripped down her chin. His hand clung to her with all its might, even near death. Eunha slowly moved her mouth to the radio transceiver. ¡°Zone A-4, one survivor. Severe abdominal injury and bleeding. Emergency AMB call. Coordinates: 203, 199¡­¡± ¡¸Z-zone B-3, a large monster has been discovered. It is currently heading north at a high speed¡­ A-ack!¡¹ Crackle. There seemed to be some static. Someone screamed in the distance. As for whose scream it was, she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Request¡­ Please request¡­¡± Moving her mouth away from the radio transceiver, Eunha looked down at the man who held onto her tightly until the end. Eunha covered the back of the man¡¯s hand. With her other hand, she once again lifted the transceiver. ¡°Third Platoon, First Squad, 98-S10102794 Cha Eunha. Zone A-4 reconnaissance completed. Will now support the internal gate team.¡± ¡¸¡­¡¹ Crackle. No answer was returned. The man¡¯s hand that was still clenched tightly fell into the muddy water. Eunha got up from her spot without hesitation. She pressed her military hat deeper and hurried her steps as raindrops mercilessly pounded her cheeks. The gate entrance greeted Eunha openly, as if welcoming her to enter at any time. At the time, there were no control devices to manage entrances like in modern times. At a time when all they could do was pour water into a bottomless well, hunters flocked in like moths to a flame, all because they were a little stronger than civilians. Squelch, squelch. Heavy boots plodded through the mud. Upon entering the gate, there was a foul odour. The corpses of both monsters and colleagues were scattered throughout. Beyond that horrendous scene, she noticed something dark. ¡ªKureuk, Kureureuk¡­ A monster which was making bizarre sounds noticed Eunha¡¯s presence and turned its head creakingly. It was a monster with a bird¡¯s head and a horse¡¯s body. After its meal, the area around its mouth was dyed red. There was no hesitation. Paah! It was a movement that she had repeated hundreds of thousands of times at the training camp. A winding flame hit the monster. There was an explosion, and the monster began to howl with a bizarre sound. Kwieeeek¡ª The only difference from training was that the monsters encountered in battle did not fall in a single blow. The monster engulfed in flames twisted its body. It struggled in pain and eventually started vomiting things out. Iron desk legs. A bicycle wheel. Almost dissolved leaves, ¡°¡­¡± ¡ª And a pink hem with rabbits on it. The thin hem of a dress was pushed to Eunha along with the vomit that flowed like a river. Eunha leaned down and picked it up. Kwieeeeek! The cry that became louder was directed towards Eunha. Eunha raised her gaze without taking a step backwards. As she gripped the hem in her hand, drops that were unknown whether they were blood or tears flowed down her face. ¡°¡­Monster bastard.¡± She felt her blood rush. If she had seen that vomit some time, no, an hour ago, it would have still had a form. She thought that her mother must¡¯ve been eroded in the stomachs of these bastards in the same way, although all that was left of her was an arm. To think of taking the torn hem to the man who begged for his daughter to be rescued, even while his stomach was pierced, she really couldn¡¯t be sane. Swish! Clang! Bang! From then on, she couldn¡¯t remember what had happened well. There were countless charred corpses. She only came to her senses because of the disgusting stench, and the other hunters stared at her with pale blue complexions. From that day on, Eunha became the squad leader. It was funny. The fact that a person who had only experienced one actual battle immediately ascended to the position of squad leader. The reason was simple. The former squad leader had died, and Eunha had annihilated the most monsters. Many people died, and many monsters were killed. That was the reason Eunha became the squad leader. Not only the position of the squad leader but also the allowance, which was worth more than Eunha¡¯s university tuition, was given to Eunha. After having her life and dreams taken away, she was able to get her hands on money after stepping on the corpses of her colleagues and slashing monsters. Eunha took the money and moved her mother¡¯s grave to a better place. At last, in front of her mother¡¯s grave, Eunha tried to reach out to the cold tombstone. ¡°¡­¡± Crusted blood. A scar that hadn¡¯t gone away yet. Black dirt stuck between her fingernails. Eunha stared intently at her hand, which had almost touched her mother¡¯s tombstone. ¡ª She couldn¡¯t. It was then that her radio sounded. ¡¸In Paju, Gyeonggi-do, a red lightning strike occurred at Hunter Training Centre 601. The expected difficulty is unknown. Both the first and second companies of the 17th Battalion should be dispatched as soon as possible. I repeat. In Paju, Gyeonggi-do, a red lightning strike¡­¡¹ Eunha turned around. A dry wind suddenly blew and passed her mother and herself. Somehow, it seemed that the gravestone that cooled down with the sunset still shining against its back was scolding her. * * * More than 30 years had passed since then. ¡°¡­¡± Black eyelashes casted a light shadow over her cheeks. Eunha stood straight like a scarecrow and looked down at her mother¡¯s tombstone. After hesitating for a long time, Eunha slowly lowered her upper body. She carefully set down the bouquet in her hand. Purchased on the way here, it only consisted of the flowers her mother loved while she was alive, and the wrapping paper was crumpled from how long she had been holding it. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m here.¡± There was no answer returned. Instead, a faintly humid wind blew across Eunha¡¯s cheeks. There seemed to be a faint smell of soil and wood, along with the smell of soybean paste stew from somewhere. For a moment, Eunha put her nose in her sleeve and sniffed. It was just in case she smelled like blood. She thought that she couldn¡¯t smell anything, but Eunha took a step back. As she gazed at the gravestone from a step away, she realised that there was something strange. ¡°¡­?¡± It felt strangely clean around the tombstone. Even the lush weeds felt like they had been pruned¡­ ¡®This.¡¯ There were traces of someone burning incense just like the other time. Eunha ran her finger across the grey ashes. It seemed that not much time had passed since the incense was lit. ¡®Who?¡¯ Eunha carefully traced her memories. However, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would visit her mother¡¯s tombstone. As she stood in front of the tombstone like that, the sunset was about to fall. Eunha organised what was around her and slowly got up. In the end, she couldn¡¯t deduce the visitor of her mother¡¯s tombstone. ¡°Then, I will come again.¡± Even by the end of today, there were a lot of words that she couldn¡¯t say or hear. The moment she left everything behind and slowly stepped away. Bzzt¡ª Her phone vibrated. [Blue Eyes] [7:22 PM] Sunbae, where are you? It was a message from Siwoo. Eunha looked at the screen indifferently, then put the cellphone back. Soon after, it began to ring. Brring¡­ 010-XXXX-XXXX After contemplating for a moment, Eunha slowly swiped the screen. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡¸Sunbae, you must not be home.¡¹ ¡°Mn. I had some business to attend to.¡± ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡°What?¡± ¡¸I hope you didn¡¯t get arrested again.¡¹ Who did he think she was? Eunha faintly furrowed her nose. ¡°No. I¡¯m just going out for a while.¡± Her mother¡¯s tombstone suddenly appeared in Eunha¡¯s field of vision. ¡°¡­By any chance, did you stop by my mother¡¯s tombstone?¡± ¡¸No. Why?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Shin Siwoo? Well, even when they had first stopped by the tombstone, there were signs that someone had visited it. So, was it her mother¡¯s friend? But how did they know where the tombstone was? In the midst of her deep thoughts, Siwoo¡¯s voice was heard over the receiver once again. ¡¸Anyway, Sunbae. You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, have you?¡¹ ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± The moment she said that in an indifferent tone, ¡¸Last time, Sunbae wanted to eat ¡®Grandma Kim Yoonrye¡¯s Rice Soup¡¯.¡¹ Pause. ¡¸I just entered the store.¡¹ Eunha stopped in place and pursed her lips with a very serious face. ¡°¡­How?¡± Kim Yoonrye¡¯s Grandma Rice Soup was a small soup restaurant located behind Eunha¡¯s high school at the time. It was also a place she often went to with her mom. It was said that now, the grandmother had passed away, and her son had inherited it as the second generation. Unlike before, the interior of the store had been remodelled cleanly and the store had appeared on TV several times, so it seems to have become a very famous restaurant. She heard that the usual waiting time for one meal was two hours¡­ Hold on. ¡°Are you waiting?¡± ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Oh my god. He didn¡¯t seem like a man with that much free time. No, more importantly, if he was really waiting at the soup restaurant, now was not the time to be like this. ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± Eunha immediately hung up the phone. She had also heard a low laugh over the phone. She hurriedly walked towards the restaurant from her memories, but it was strange even when she thought about it again. It would¡¯ve been okay to have Manager Park do it, so why did Siwoo go to the soup restaurant himself? It was at the moment she turned the corner with the unanswered question. ¡ª There was a pungent smell from somewhere. ¡®¡­A fire?¡± As she turned her head, she saw thick smoke rising from not too far away. Loud sirens and people¡¯s urgent cries were heard one after another. ¡°What, is there a fire?¡± ¡°Woah. That¡¯s cool. Seems dramatic.¡± ¡°It looks pretty big. Let¡¯s go!¡± The pedestrians who were walking down the street began to buzz. She had to go through that road to get to her destination, so Eunha moved in that direction as well. As she neared the scene, the air seemed to thicken. She turned the corner and saw a high-rise hotel building. ¡°Woah. It¡¯s the hotel over there.¡± ¡°This is crazy. It¡¯s going to be on the news, right?¡± Click, click. Passersby stopped on their way and flashed their cameras. The hotel was engulfed in a raging fire, and black clouds were spitting out from every window on each floor. Eunha frowned and covered her mouth and nose. The smoke was so strong that her eyes and nose were stinging. A gas explosion? Or an arson case? ¡®No.¡¯ Eunha stood tall and stopped moving. Then, she slightly raised her index finger and started counting the number of floors in the hotel. One, two, three¡­¡­ A spark bounced from exactly the third floor. ¡®It¡¯s a crack.¡¯ In other words, this was not a fire site, but a gate appearance. CH 32 RP: Lizz and Whee ? TL: Whee ? PR: Sebastian ? Editor: Kim Just as the Meteorological Administration predicted a heavy downpour the next day, the association generally foretold and warned of the appearance of gates. However, in the case of a burst gate, as its name suggests, it was an unexpected gate that even the association could not predict. When a burst gate appeared, it was necessary to confirm it, and a disaster notification alarm would be sent not only to the hunters¡¯ terminals but also to the mobile phones of the general public. But times have changed. No one shivered at a disaster alert anymore. The next episode of a manhwa was more urgent than the annoying alarm. Look at the present. Pedestrians stopped on their way and shot videos with a series of exclamations. Police officers herded them and set up barricades. ¡°It is dangerous here. Please step back.¡± However, the passersby only moved a few steps backward and did not completely leave the place. Eunha did the same. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a gate?¡± A police officer who was helping with the barricade looked up at Eunha. She wore jeans and a white tee. With her long hair tied up, she was at best a young woman in her early twenties. In other words, this person was also a spectator. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s¡­ as you can see.¡± The policeman quickly turned their gaze away from Eunha and went back to work. Eunha stared at the police officer¡¯s face and opened her mouth again. ¡°But why are firefighters coming instead of hunters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because hunters are dispatched only after a gate auction is over and the winning bid is completed.¡± It was like that. The process of the procedure. A burst gate was no different. What are you even asking for? The policeman did not hide their annoyance. If a gate was cleared within seven days, the monsters inside wouldn¡¯t come out. The damage wouldn¡¯t spread much, and the value of the magic core dropped by the gate boss would also grow with each passing day. So, in modern times, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to start clearing the gate only after the seven days had been deliberately waited out. It was the story she heard from Jehwi. So, Eunha knew it well. However¡­ ¡°Come on, go away.¡± The policeman motioned to Eunha, who was standing idly, as if they were being disturbed. After all, the ¡®Corps¡¯ guild hunters would come soon. They were especially famous for only relying on advanced gates, so you wouldn¡¯t have to wait for seven days to fly by. Their only job was to minimise damage until they arrived. Many people were busy, including the firefighters who were putting out fires with long, thick hoses, rescue workers moving people with serious injuries, and police officers installing blockades at the gate entrance. Then, without any warning, the fire suddenly began to grow. ¡°I-it¡¯s crazy! The fire¡­!¡± ¡°If this continues, I¡¯m moving to a nearby building!¡± The onlookers stirred. The voices of the firefighters who were putting out the fire became urgent. ¡°Raise the water pressure as high as it can go!¡± ¡°B-but we won¡¯t be able to endure it?¡± ¡°The hose! Pull out more of the hose! What are you doing!¡± Then, one of the firefighters holding the firehose yelled. ¡°Ack!¡± Their body couldn¡¯t stand it because the water pressure had been raised too much. The uncontrolled firehose began to run wild like a living snake. The firefighters around them were in a hurry to get the hose which had flown out of their hands as it flapped and sprayed water. In the end, behind a firefighter who had been hit in the back of the head by the hose¡¯s iron tip, a fireman opened his mouth. ¡°Th-the fire! Get away!¡± Flames swirled in Eunha¡¯s dark eyes. ¡®Cha Eunha. Everyone here has lost a family member. I also lost my daughter.¡¯ ¡®There will be far more people you will save in the future than the people you didn¡¯t save.¡¯ Eunha slowly blinked in front of the thick smoke that made her throat sting. ¡®I hope that will comfort you.¡¯ Paah! She moved her body reflexively. Eunha supported a board caught in the flames with one hand and held the fallen fireman with the other. ¡°W-what?!¡± The eyes of the policeman who had been talking to Eunha widened. What Eunha was supporting was a sign that had fallen off the surface of the hotel. It did not have a weight or size that could be held in one hand. What¡¯s more was that it must have been very hot from the fire. ¡®A-a hunter?¡¯ They thought that she was just a normal person, but she was a hunter? However, it was surprising that she was holding a signboard that had been heated by fire with her bare hands, even if she was a hunter. ¡°Y-you should retreat! The fire is coming!¡± The policeman came to their senses and shouted loudly. Eunha looked back. The fire that grew larger was right in front of them. In that short period, Eunha judged the situation. One hand was holding a sign, and the other held a fallen fireman. Since neither of her hands were free at the moment, her movement was limited. Then, there was only one answer. Whoosh! Just before being swallowed by the flames, Eunha threw the firefighter she was holding at the policeman. ¡°¡­!¡± Before the policeman could even shout, Eunha was swallowed by the fire. * * * The special ability that Eunha had gained through awakening was ¡®fire¡¯. Perhaps because of that, Eunha was able to withstand the flames that made it difficult to even breathe. In the first place, she could make fire with her bare hands. In other words, her fire resistance was almost maxed. The fire on her skin didn¡¯t create burns. ¡°Cough.¡± However, the thick smoke was a little difficult. Eunha walked inside the hotel while fanning the smoke. It wasn¡¯t long before she realised that she had entered the gate. It seemed like she had been swept away while walking through the fire. ¡®Is it a gate with fire properties?¡¯ Ding! [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is coughing! Keugh, keugh! It asks what the hell this black smoke is and urges you to get out of here quickly.] ¡°That¡¯s what I was planning to do even if you didn¡¯t rush me.¡± Eunha took out her phone from her back pocket. She opened a yellow app and tapped on the screen. Only one person was registered on the messenger. She left him a short message. [You] [7:41 PM] You should eat first. ¡­ [Message failed to send.] ¡°Ah.¡± Eunha then realised that her cellphone was useless inside the gate. To use her phone inside the gate, she would need a special data plan provided by a telecommunication company, which cost a whopping 79,900 won per month. Not even all gates supported data. From the perspective of the realistic and frugal Eunha, such a plan was not worth the money. The terminal is¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not urgent, but it looks like it¡¯s broken. Can you fix it?¡¯ It had been entrusted to Siwoo. She couldn¡¯t help it. Eunha put her phone in her back pocket and started walking again. ¡®Come to think of it, what colour was the opening?¡¯ When she was suddenly swallowed by the flames, she didn¡¯t have the time to figure it out. At the moment when she was deeply immersed in thought. [Lv.22 ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯ is attacking you!] Shhk! Something flew in. Eunha quickly spread her palms. Bang! The fire struck and caused an explosion. ¡°¡­Level 22.¡± Eunha murmured as she avoided the aftermath of the explosion. If that was so, then this seemed to be a B-Class gate. With that said, there was no need to be nervous. Fire sparked in all directions, leaving holes in Eunha¡¯s t-shirt. Of course, the damage was zero. There was no impact, just a slight feeling of heat that was close to a sting. [Lv.22 ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯ starts singing a strange song. Skill ? 100 Degree Melody] But it was the same for them. Fire attribute monsters had resistance to the fire attribute, just like Eunha. ¡®I should have worn the dress.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t know this would happen. Eunha sighed a little as she looked at the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing. When the Princess of Dark Flare Set was equipped, the set effect, Dark Flame, would be activated. Dark flames could even burn normal flames, so to speak, it was a weapon that transcended flames. It would have been able to inflict a huge blow and ignore compatibility. What¡¯s more, it would have been easier to get out of here if she had the parasol. ¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯ She just had to put in more effort. Eunha gently touched her palm and raised her head. With the fairy¡¯s ¡®100 Degree Melody¡¯ skill, red energy in the form of notes was flying at high speed. It was difficult to fight against the same attribute because there was no easy way to settle it. Fwooom¡ª! However, that was only under the assumption that they had the ¡®same firepower¡¯. * * * About an hour later. [Lv.22 ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯ is attacking you!] [Lv.22 ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯ is attacking you!] [Lv.22 ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯ is attacking you!] ¡°Woah, what are these guys!¡± A hunter wearing a military beret jumped. The monster in front of them, a ¡®Fairy of Blazing Fire¡¯, was level 22 and not even a very threatening monster. But the number was just astonishingly large. ¡°How many are just at the entrance? What kind of ant den is this?¡± ¡°Looking at these guys, it seems like they¡¯re born from the flames.¡± Another hunter standing next to them calmly murmured. Likewise, they were also wearing a beret. ¡°In other words, they¡¯ll regenerate almost indefinitely in this fire-engulfed gate.¡± The hunter who was ahead wrinkled their face, as if bothered. If they weren¡¯t dealt with in one blow, the flames would split into two, and there was a high possibility that the number of monsters could duplicate. ¡°Even so, there are too many.¡± No matter the fact that the gate was created at the site of a fire, there was an overcrowding of the fire attribute monsters. ¡ªAs if someone had fought them earlier and had already broken them up. ¡°Is there a problem? If they regenerate infinitely, you can just kill them by hitting them infinitely.¡± It was a simple and obvious answer. ¡°That¡¯s our way.¡± The hunter smiled and fluttered his cloak leisurely. There were seven stars embroidered with gold thread on the dark green cloak. Below that, there were dignified Chinese characters for ¡®Corps¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Master?¡± They looked back. ¡°¡­Master?¡± The figure that should have been there was nowhere to be seen. The five remaining hunters looked around at the same time. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Master?¡± ¡°They were here a moment ago¡­?¡± ¡°You should have been watching!¡± ¡°Then, were you paying attention?¡± The adult men started arguing, shouting, and screaming. In the meantime, a short-haired hunter calmly opened their mouth. ¡°Everyone, stop. Master isn¡¯t a child. He doesn¡¯t like to be bothered, so he probably went straight to the boss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At their words, the hunters who were fighting shut their mouths. Yes, that made sense. Their master didn¡¯t have the ability to get injured in a B+ Class gate. It was a fact that all the Corps members gathered here agreed on. ¡°He was pretty excited to try out the newly developed ¡®Flame Blast Bazooka¡¯.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible if it¡¯s Master.¡± The Corps members nodded in unison. ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything worth money before the gate closes. Didn¡¯t we invest our money in this gate? We should get our money¡¯s worth.¡± They didn¡¯t even hire gatherers just to save a little more money. They each carried tools such as pickaxes and shovels on their shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The moment a hunter expressed his agreement. Paah! As if someone had pulled a trigger, they scattered east, west, north, and south at the same time. It was as if this simulation had been repeated dozens of times. But they too were not people who would collapse at this level of gate. The guild they belonged to was one of the strongest guilds representing Korea. Surprisingly, there were only seven people. However, all of them were famous rankers. In terms of unity and individual fighting power, there was even a saying that they were one step above the famous Wolf Guild. A small number of elites who gathered their core power. That was what Corps was. And Corp¡¯s guildmaster, ¡®Trickster¡¯. He was Korea¡¯s fifth S-Class hunter and was famous as a military maniac. He didn¡¯t stop at purchasing all kinds of military supplies at high prices, but also produced his own guild Corps uniforms in the form of military uniforms. The guild members of Corps called their master a military otaku, and he was commonly known as ¡®militaku¡¯. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an insult. They were proud of that fact. Meanwhile, at the same time. ¡°Ah.¡± Corp¡¯s guildmaster, Trickster, found something half-buried in ashes. Trickster squatted down, as if drawn to it, and began to dig it out of the ashes. When the dark ashes were swept away, a shiny object was fully revealed. ¡°Hmm.¡± Trickster picked it up with one hand and waved it in front of him. Looking at it, it was definitely, ¡®A military tag?¡¯ It was also golden. Why did a legendary item that only first-generation hunters had fall into the middle of the gate? Trickster also had a few similar items, but most of them were well-made imitations. Most of the originals had been donated to the Hunter Museum. ¡ªHowever. Trickster judged and looked at it carefully. Wait a minute. 1998.01.03. There was an exact date of issuance and a military service number below it. The name was¡­ scratched off. This time, he checked the back. The words ¡®MADE IN KOREA¡¯ were not engraved. The tip of his hand began to tremble faintly as it held the dog tag. Before long, his eyes filled with ecstasy that neared madness. ¡°¡­Woah, this is real.¡± CH 33 Bzzt¡ª There was a vibration in his pocket. It was from the terminal, not his cellphone. ?2031/8/6/Wed. ?H Hotel in Banha-dong, Seoul ¨C Crack occurred around 7:00 PM. (Detailed coordinates: 829, 337) ?Estimated difficulty level: B+ ? Guilds currently participating: Corps (82.6%) / Paradise (11.9%) / Roar (3.5%) / Million Volt (2.0%)¡­ ¡®It¡¯s nearby.¡¯ Siwoo put the terminal back with a sullen face. It wasn¡¯t the message he had been waiting for. After a while, Siwoo picked up his phone, deciding to send Eunha a text message. [You] [7:43 PM] Sunbae, where are you? ¡­No reply. The ¡®1¡¯ next to the message showed no sign of disappearing at all. tl/n: in kakaotalk (the app he¡¯s using), a number indicates how many people haven¡¯t read a message (in this case, the 1 is eunha) He stared at his phone for a while. ¡°Customer, here¡¯s your order of two bowls of sundae rice soup and kimchi dumplings for two.¡± The worker brought the cart and laid out the food on the table. After the employee left, Siwoo took out the spoons and chopsticks from the cutlery given and set them neatly in front of and opposite himself. As time passed, the line at the entrance of the restaurant grew longer and longer. ¡°Customer, you¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. They¡¯ll be coming soon.¡± Waiters stopped by the table from time to time to drop a hint. Had he known this would happen, he would have rented the whole store. He had avoided that method since Eunha was a person who would be too burdened by such things, but now, he regretted it a little. Siwoo, who had been guarding their table like Mangbuseok, finally made up his mind and grabbed the phone he had turned over. tl/n: mangbuseok is a fabled wife who turned to stone waiting for her husband (you can find more online for the actual legend) Brring¡ª ¡¸The person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable¡­¡¹ She didn¡¯t answer. Again. Brring¡ª ¡¸The person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable¡­¡¹ Siwoo¡¯s anxious face reflected on the black screen. At this point, he was a little worried. ¡®Did something really happen?¡¯ Siwoo glanced at the table. The soup, which had been boiling in an earthenware pot, had already cooled. The people waiting at the entrance of the restaurant were swarming like ants. ¡°Customer, if you don¡¯t mind, can you pack it¡­¡± The employees were also tired of waiting and began to give him signs in earnest. ¡°They¡¯ll be coming soon.¡± Siwoo repeated the same words like a parrot. He had said that, but¡­ Blue eyes fixed on the phone once again. The cellphone never rang in the end. * * * Step, step. By the time she got used to the sound of the embers, Eunha realised that she had reached the centre of the gate. [Lv.36 ¡®Hardened Magma¡¯ is burning hot. Warning. A flame sphere is being created!] In the case of a normal gate, the level of the monsters that appeared would increase as you went further in. She believed that she had passed the centre. The baseball-sized flame sphere created by the monster flew towards Eunha at a great speed. Fwooom! Then, it exploded. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± It would need something else other than a flame sphere. Eunha put out the remaining embers like it was a match and walked towards the monster. Thud! When she kicked the monster¡¯s stomach with her right foot, it made a dull sound and crashed into the wall. A web of cracks spread across the concrete. Ding! [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ says that this guy doesn¡¯t taste good and will give you something to flavour it if necessary.] Eunha frowned slightly. The cat seemed to think Eunha enjoyed eating monsters. When she was trapped in the unknown gate, she had no choice. She would be in danger of starvation if she didn¡¯t eat. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ is rummaging through its fur.] [Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Sour Ketchup¡¯!] ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Eunha confirmed that the monster was dead and waved her hand as she turned her head away. She had something more important than ketchup at the moment. On the floor, there were mottled splotches of monster fluid and black ashes. Eunha squatted and looked at the floor carefully. ¡®No.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t here either. The golden dog tag. Where the hell did she drop it? Eunha touched her empty neck and clenched her jaw. ¡®It¡¯s almost time for the boss to come out.¡¯ When a boss appears and gets killed, the gate would then close within a few tens of minutes. There would be no way to re-enter the gate once it had been closed. So now, she had to find what she had lost before she defeated the boss. However, the inside of the gate was engulfed in flames, and black ash covered the floor as well. Finding a dog tag here was like searching for a needle on a sandy beach. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ It was when she was searching through the ashes with a troubled face. ¡°Woahh!¡± A boy¡¯s voice was heard from not too far away. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was definitely a boy¡¯s voice. A questioning look appeared on Eunha¡¯s face as she stared in the direction the voice came from. ¡®Survivors?¡¯ There was no way. Eunha was now well past the centre of the gate. To get here, you had to break through layers upon layers of flames. In other words, it could be concluded that ordinary people could never reach this place. Eunha started walking in a straight line towards the place where the unidentified voice was heard. It was southwest, beyond the flames that bent like waves. Whoosh¡ª Bang! When a sphere-shaped flame shot towards the fire wall, a path was created like the miracle of Moses. Eunha quickened her steps. ¡®Is the firepower greater than I thought?¡¯ Meanwhile, Trickster looked at the bazooka in his hand with black ashes on his face. It was heavy, so it was inconvenient to carry, but wasn¡¯t bad with its level of destructive power. Trickster hugged the bazooka with a satisfied face. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I brought it.¡¯ He held it lovingly, like it was a pet. Trickster hummed as he walked down the road. Footprints were embedded across pitch black ashes. ¡®I¡¯m very lucky today. There is no problem with my newly-developed darling, and I even got something for free!¡¯ Trickster laughed and rummaged through his pocket. Seeing the twinkling golden dog tag, he smiled happily. ¡°You are my treasure number 79.¡± Where would he put it? If he left it at headquarters, it might get damaged, so he¡¯d better keep it in the basement safe, right? ¡®No, no. I won¡¯t be able to see it then.¡¯ Hm. It would be better to order a specially-made glass tube. It could be made to be very strong so that it would never break. As soon as his thoughts reached that point, he wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible, even by a minute or a second. Trickster cherished the golden dog tag around his neck. He needed to show this to the guys right now. What kind of face would everyone make? Maybe they¡¯d be surprised? It was when he turned the corner with an excited step. ¡°¡­Oh?¡± [Lv.40 ¡®Giant Fire Moth¡¯ flaps its wings. Warning. The ambient temperature rises rapidly!] Right when he was looking for it, the boss monster directly revealed itself. Thanks to it, he could save himself some trouble. Trickster paid attention to the purple gem embedded in the centre of its body. It was the core. He needed it to go back and get out. He didn¡¯t have any more business here. Trickster balanced the bazooka he was carrying on his shoulder. Kachak. The moment he loaded the bazooka¡ª. Whoosh! Bang! ¡°Eh?¡± Kieeek¡­ He hadn¡¯t done anything yet, but the boss monster just fell to the floor. Trickster alternated between looking at the boss monster crawling on the floor and his bazooka. He hadn¡¯t attacked yet¡­? Did he have auto-attack enabled? Aha, it seemed that his colleagues had already arrived. Those guys, it was amazing how their skills improved by every passing day. Flap¡­ Flap flap flap! The fire moth that fell to the ground trembled and shook its wings. It was like a cockroach that had been directly hit with pesticides. A thick liquid was smeared on the floor following its faint movements. [Lv.40 ¡®Giant Fire Moth¡¯ brings out its embers. Warning. It will explode soon.] As if it had been doused with oil, flames began to spread slowly along the wings in leaf-like outlines. They couldn¡¯t steal the last hit. The moment Trickster straightened his bazooka. ¡°Stay back, kid.¡± An unfamiliar voice was heard. It wasn¡¯t a colleague¡¯s voice. He lifted his head and saw a slender figure hovering over the blazing fire. Swish! The figure walked nearer and cleared the flames with a single gesture. As if taming the flame, she repeated the movement until the fire died down at her touch. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The identity of the figure was a woman in a white t-shirt and jeans, her dark hair tied up high. Who are you? He didn¡¯t even have the time to ask that. Eunha passed by the boy just like that and approached the fire moth that had fallen face-flat onto the ground. She then grabbed the monster¡¯s half-ablaze wings. ¡®Bare-handedly?¡¯ Trickster¡¯s eyes widened a little as he watched it. Her actions alone proved that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. Trickster lowered the bazooka in his grip and watched her actions. Flap! Flap! The fire moth struggled to get out of her hands, but she never let go of its wings. Instead, she put more strength into her arms, pulling both sides at the same time. Split¡ª ¡®Woah.¡¯ The wing had been helplessly torn and fell to the floor like a piece of toilet paper. At the vivid scene, Trickster whistled slightly. Originally, it was fundamental to suppress the wings of flying-type monsters. But to tear it off¡­ It was common for hunters to use their own abilities or weapons that fit their battle class when dealing with monsters. It was really the first time he¡¯d ever seen someone grab and tear a monster with bare hands. ¡®Is she part of the physical strengthening class?¡¯ If so, then that explained it. However. ¡®What are you going to do about the explosion?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that the moth that was pushed to a corner would self-destruct. The thing was already burning red all over its body. No matter the fact that she could physically strengthen herself, serious injuries were unavoidable if she was hit with an explosion only a few centimetres in front of her. Trickster grabbed the bazooka he had lowered. The show wasn¡¯t bad, but at the moment, he had to step up. He didn¡¯t want to see her go off like a firecracker in front of his eyes. However. ¡®¡­The light is gone?¡¯ Trickster¡¯s face was dyed in joy as he stared at her, but it turned serious in an instant. The flames that covered the wings were extinguished. ¡ªNo, no. The fire wasn¡¯t extinguished, but absorbed. Trickster looked carefully. The flames vanished into her palms, like she was taming the fire. ¡®A nature-type hunter?¡¯ He was suddenly convinced of that. She had put out the fire in some way. Did she deal with it using the opposite attribute, water? Maybe she had dealt with the fire itself. If she was a hunter with a nature-based attribute, he couldn¡¯t have not known about her. This was because there were so few nature-type hunters in Korea. So, where did this woman come from? Eunha didn¡¯t stop until she tore off every last bit of its wings. Rip¡ª Kieeeek! Finally, the moth¡¯s movement came to a standstill after its ear-shattering screech. She even knew the strategy to attack the monster. It was a monster that had the form of a moth. Among insect-type monsters, they were on the weaker side in terms of destructive power and defence compared to stag beetles and wasps. However, as it was a boss monster, its endless spewing of fire and vast wings made it difficult to deal with. But it also meant that it was nothing without its fire and wings. And she had taken care of its fire and wings at the same time. ¡®In a very simple way at that.¡¯ Eunha trampled the moth with all its wings torn off. Stomp, stomp, stomp. At her kicks, the moth¡¯s head was gradually buried in the ashes. The appearance was alien and familiar at the same time, and it felt like she had repeated the action dozens or hundreds of times. By the time she stopped kicking it, the head had changed to an unrecognisable shape that resembled crushed garlic. ¡®D-did you have to go that far¡­¡¯ It was the first time in his life that he felt sorry for a monster. In the end, she delivered a final blow with brutal certainty. Thump¡ª! A thick liquid spread widely over the dark ashes. Even as Trickster furrowed his brow at the foul stench, the woman turned her head towards his direction with an unchanging expression on her face. ¡®Heuk¡­¡¯ The purple blood of the monster had splattered like paint on her pale, bloodless face. Snap. Eunha stepped on the already dead thing¡¯s antenna once more. Eunha stood in front of the boy and inadvertently rubbed her cheek with the back of her hand. However, she still had blood on it as she bent her knees slightly and brought herself to eye level with the boy. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± A drop of blood dripped down along her thin jawline. Trickster, who was staring at the bloodstains on the floor, slowly raised his head. ¡°¡­N-no.¡± He had used honorifics without thinking. CH 34 He was a boy with a small stature. He had orange hair that seemed like it was covered in the colour of a sunset. The single dot under his round, acorn-like eye was also pretty cute. Fortunately, there were no signs of trauma on the boy, who at most looked like a middle school student. Eunha glanced over the boy from head to toe and softly asked him. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± ¡°¡­My parents?¡± Nod. ¡°Th-they¡¯re not here.¡± Freeze. Eunha stiffened. This was an unexpected development. Did that mean that he was an orphan? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ He wasn¡¯t relieving himself here, right? Either way, she shouldn¡¯t probe for more details. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Eunha straightened her knees with a slightly stiff face. The boy was looking at her with large, rabbit-like eyes. He didn¡¯t look frightened, but he probably hadn¡¯t accepted this situation as reality yet. She didn¡¯t know the inside story, but she somehow felt sorry for him. ¡°How did you get here?¡± In a softer voice, Eunha asked the boy another question. But that was what the boy, Trickster, wanted to ask. This gate was the gate Corps had won the bid for. So, the boss monster belonged to Corps as well. There was no way a hunter wouldn¡¯t know of the gate auction system. Moreover, if she was a hunter with this level of skill, she wouldn¡¯t be a rookie. Trickster reached that conclusion and raised his head. Wait. Was she a gate stealer? Was there a strong hunter who would steal from Corps? ¡®If so.¡¯ His round eyes sharpened in an instant. Trickster touched the bazooka on his shoulder and licked his lips slightly. First, he needed to confirm it. ¡°Noona, are you a hunter?¡± tl/n: noona is a term used by younger men to address women older than them Rumble¡ª At the same time as Minjoo¡¯s question, their surroundings began to slightly quake. Small sand-like debris fell onto their heads. Just as a shadow covered the boy¡¯s head, Eunha quickly reached out her hand. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a hunter.¡± The concrete wall that was falling towards the boy was caught by Eunha¡¯s hand, making a loud noise. ¡°So don¡¯t worry and follow me.¡± Eunha beckoned to the boy, supporting the wall with one hand. Trickster looked at her with bewildered eyes. ¡®Did you just save me?¡¯ She was afraid that he was going to get hit by a falling concrete wall? Him, the fifth S-Class hunter of Korea? If his colleagues in Corps heard about this, they would have grabbed their stomachs and started laughing. ¡°Come on. If you stay there, you¡¯ll end up as a dried filefish fillet.¡± tl/n: aka jwipo, it¡¯s a pressed fish jerky sold as street food (you can search it up for a visual) But the woman in front of him seemed unaware of that fact. He may have saved people before, but he¡¯s never been saved himself. No, it was actually difficult to say that they had saved him¡­ Trickster approached Eunha with a strange face. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she suddenly started to stroke his hair. What? What¡¯s happening? Trickster looked up at Eunha with questioning round eyes. [The monsters have been cleared!] [The exit is activated.] A blue message window popped up in front of both of them. Then, a purple marble, the ¡®gate core¡¯, rose from the corpse of the fallen boss monster. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. The gate will close soon.¡± Eunha took the core and reached out to the boy who still looked puzzled. Her hand had a thin and elegant form, but it was covered with black ashes. Trickster stared at the dirty hand that had been stretched out to him and raised his head, looking at her once more. He couldn¡¯t find any hostility or suspicion in her black pupils. ¡®¡­You don¡¯t know me?¡¯ There was no way. Among hunters these days, there probably wasn¡¯t anyone who didn¡¯t know Trickster, the Master of Corps. He could have that sort of confidence because he was Korea¡¯s fifth S-Class¡ª ¡°You¡¯re not moving?¡± Eunha slowly tilted her head. Her dark tied-up hair fell down her shoulder. ¡°Do you want a piggyback ride?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Trickster, no, Song Minjoo was convinced this time. ¡®This woman really doesn¡¯t know me.¡¯ Are you from an alternate timeline? Feeling an unknown sense of defeat, Minjoo opened his mouth suspiciously. ¡°Noona, I¡¯ll let you know. I¡¯m Corps¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Eunha cut off Minjoo¡¯s words and walked closer. Then, she stared intently at Minjoo¡¯s neck. ¡°That.¡± Eunha slowly raised her index finger and pointed to something. The golden dog tag flashed in her black pupils. ¡°I think that¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a brief silence. Minjoo, who had become rabbit-eyed, opened his mouth slightly. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Did you pick it up?¡± Minjoo hesitated to answer. ¡°That dog tag is precious to me. I would like it back.¡± Minjoo looked up at Eunha. It didn¡¯t look like she was lying, but it was hard for him to fully believe her, as it was only their first time meeting. If this person was the owner of the dog tag, then it would be right to return it. ¡®On the contrary, if you¡¯re not the owner, then I don¡¯t have to give it back, right?¡¯ Minjoo raised the corners of his mouth while clasping the military tag with his fist. He had an idea. ¡°Then, tell me the number.¡± Minjoo said playfully, holding the military tag tightly so she couldn¡¯t see it. Military service numbers weren¡¯t as simple as blood types. If she wasn¡¯t the owner of this golden dog tag, she¡¯d never be able to¡ª ¡°98-S10102794.¡± Eh? ¡°Blood type O. The issuance date is January 3, 1998.¡± Eunha spoke up to that point and held out her hand. ¡°Return it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What. Really? No, how? Minjoo blinked his eyes with a perplexed face. Tak! Eunha snatched the golden dog tag from Minjoo¡¯s neck as he stood blankly. The movement was so fast that it took his breath away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Eunha put the dog tag around her neck and reached out to Minjoo. The two moved towards the gate exit, holding hands. In the meantime, Minjoo racked his head. ¡®This person¡­ What the hell is she?¡¯ After the boss was killed, the fire inside the gate gradually disappeared. As for the remaining flames, they were quickly extinguished with only a light gesture from Eunha. It was like they were matches put in front of a fan. This degree of skill was at least B-Class. Maybe B+, or even A-Class. She had a unique nature-based ability, but above all¡­ ¡®The owner of a golden dog tag.¡¯ He tried to put all of those words into his head, but there was no clear answer. ¡®Is this person also a militaku?¡¯ Peek. Minjoo secretly glanced at Eunha, who was walking while holding his hand. ¡°What?¡± Eunha asked without looking to her side. ¡°Tell me if your legs hurt.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± She also didn¡¯t know his identity. Even now, he could have said, ¡®I am Trickster of Corps!¡¯, but¡ª ¡®¡­¡¯ Minjoo stared at their clasped hands and bit his lip firmly. Her ash-covered hands were dirty, but they were firmer and warmer than he had expected. It was his first time holding hands with someone. It wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought it would be. Meanwhile, Eunha raised the corners of her lips slightly as she walked while looking ahead. She could feel the small hand holding her own tighten. Even if he pretended to be an adult, he still seemed to be a child in the end. ¡®He must have been very scared.¡¯ Eunha had seen many children like this. She had once used to see herself in them. Eunha also put a little strength into her hand, as if to reciprocate the action of the one she held. Then, the boy raised his round eyes and looked at her. Their eyes met. His hand was still in her grip. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± She thought it would be good to bring up something. However, Eunha was far less talkative than she thought she was. What should she talk about with the child¡­ She didn¡¯t know if she would make the child cry by saying something too carelessly. It was a new experience for her. After thinking for a while, Eunha slowly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Do you like soldiers?¡± It was the best choice of topic for Eunha. It was an inferred result from the fact that the child was holding a toy bazooka model, wore a military uniform-patterned hoodie, and looked at the golden dog tag preciously. Then, a twinkling galaxy shone in Minjoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± An unexpectedly great response came back. ¡°They¡¯re awesome. I especially like the military uniforms. No other school uniform or uniform has such a sophisticated design.¡± Minjoo talked excitedly. ¡°Aren¡¯t the weapons so cool? In particular, I like the basic K-2 the most. It¡¯s such a simple and stylish weapon that always inspires me.¡± His hand shook in her grip. Fortunately, the topic selected seemed appropriate. Eunha nodded her head with a slightly proud heart. ¡°The K-2¡¯s not bad. The accuracy is also good. But it¡¯s too heavy.¡± Eunha spoke up to that point and thought for a moment before adding briefly. ¡°In terms of simplicity, I don¡¯t think it can match the K-1.¡± tl/n: they¡¯re both rifles Minjoo widened his eyes as if surprised by Eunha¡¯s answer. ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯ A trembling voice could be heard between the hands that covered his mouth. ¡°Do you like the K-1?¡± ¡°¡­? Mn.¡± She thought that his eyes suddenly changed. Eunha nodded her head even though she thought it was odd. Minjoo suppressed the feeling of wanting to jump in place. In the modern times of 2030, there were no soldiers who used a K-1 or K-2. No, in the first place, after gates, monsters, and awakenings occured, the value of human firearms dropped significantly compared to before. But this person¡ª ¡®The conversation is flowing?!¡¯ Minjoo¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡°Because I prioritise mobility. Since the K-2 is a gas piston type, it is easier to maintain and is more durable than the K-1, but it¡¯s too heavy.¡± Eunha said calmly, recalling her experiences at the training camp. Although human firearms generally didn¡¯t work against monsters, she had learned to handle weapons, including firearms, just in case. ¡®Due to the nature of a hunter¡¯s life-and-death fighting style, there were many people who preferred the K-1, which was more mobile than the K-2.¡¯ Although she had been formally trained, she had never actually used a gun in a gate. Minjoo had succeeded in toning down his excitement a little and opened his mouth with a calmer expression. His voice was still trembling faintly. ¡°Heaviness is definitely a disadvantage, but¡­ I think it¡¯s a huge advantage to be able to shoot even when the buttstock is folded.¡± ¡°Right. There are definitely things to be improved, but considering that it was a weapon produced with Korean technology of the time, it can¡¯t be denied that it is a masterpiece.¡± ¡°So you agree?!¡± In the end, Minjoo couldn¡¯t stand it and jumped up. This person! Regarding when he referred to the K-1 and K-2, which are shit guns! His shoulders were shaking with joy, as if he had finally met a true colleague. The two of them started talking about guns and soldiers. Their hands, which were holding each other awkwardly at first, were swaying as if they were dancing. When they finally came to their senses, they had arrived at the gate exit. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Minjoo stopped walking. It was a shame for the conversation to end like this. It seems that he had clenched the hand that he was holding without knowing. Eunha turned her head towards Minjoo. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± What should he do? Use a trick to hide the exit? However, there was a risk of being trapped in the gate permanently if he did anything wrong. Still, it was so sad to part like this¡­ It was a moment when he was deep in his thoughts. ¡°Oh, I found him!¡± A man¡¯s voice could be heard from somewhere. Eunha turned her head. Six adults who wore identical clothes and cloaks were looking in their direction. ¡°Mas¡­!¡± Swish. Minjoo hid behind Eunha. Eunha and the others widened their eyes at his actions. Looking at the boy hiding behind her, Eunha opened her mouth softly. ¡°Anyone you know?¡± Shake shake. Minjoo shook his head vigorously. As if a little frightened, he shrunk his shoulders and squeezed Eunha¡¯s sleeve tightly. He looked like a delicate herbivore. ¡°Who are you?¡± At the boy¡¯s denial, Eunha looked at them and asked. A dark green cloak and a crooked military beret. The clothes they wore were¡­ They were very similar to the design of the military uniform that Eunha remembered. Among them, the tallest man at the forefront of the group, Bae Joonhwan, the second-in-command of Corps, approached. ¡°We¡¯re Corps¡¯s¡­ Hm?¡± Something gleamed in his vision. A purple marble held by the woman in front of him. That was definitely the gate core. The moment he noticed it, Joonhwan¡¯s eyes suddenly turned hostile. ¡°¡­Are you a stealer?¡± ¡°A stealer?¡± Eunha tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Joonhwan blinked his eyes, as if dumbfounded. Was she really ignorant, or was she terribly shameless? ¡®What the hell is Master thinking?¡¯ At this point, she was no different from being completely clueless. That woman was holding the gate core as if she wanted it to be seen, but their master, Trickster, didn¡¯t stop her. No, he even hid behind the woman. ¡®Why?¡¯ He¡¯d always acted out of line with expectations, and he had done so this time as well. Joonhwan gave the colleagues standing behind him a strange look. His colleagues all shook their heads. None of them completely understood their master, who was famous for being unpredictable. Joonhwan turned his eyes to Eunha again, fixed his gaze on the gate core she was holding, and firmly opened his mouth. ¡°Corps has won the bid for this territory. Therefore, the monsters, resources, and gate core here are all ours. This is a very valid argument according to the Hunter Act.¡± At his words, the colleagues standing behind him nodded their heads. Obviously, Joonhwan wasn¡¯t saying anything wrong. Joonhwan opened his mouth once more at a closer distance, with their noses almost touching each other. ¡°If you are not planning to declare war on Corps, put that gate core down right now¡ª¡± The moment he said it. Flinch. Joonhwan stiffened up like a stone statue. ¡°¡­¡± The boy hiding behind Eunha, their master, was glaring sharply in his direction. ¡®M-master?¡¯ Joonhwan looked at Minjoo with bewildered eyes. Minjoo fiddled with the bazooka on his shoulder and smiled. Shut. Your. Mouth. CH 35 ¡°What the hell is Master thinking?¡± Joonhwan, the second-in-command of Corps, grumbled as he hid behind a telephone pole. ¡°There must be a reason. No matter how unpredictable and mischievous Master is, he¡¯s not the type of person to be kind to an unfamiliar hunter for no reason.¡± The same went for the gate stealer too. A woman added with a whisper. ¡°Are you planning to seize the opportunity and retake the gate core?¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? It¡¯s ours anyway. It¡¯ll be fine if we confidently take it back.¡± ¡°If so¡­ was it love at first sight?¡± Okay. That was rather credible. Minjoo definitely seemed to have entered puberty recently. He seemed to be harsher than before. So, it was natural to be interested in the opposite sex. It could be even said that it had happened to him later compared to other kids his age. ¡°Is he into older people?¡± They watched the woman walking next to their master. Then, Joonhwan tilted his head. ¡°Hmm, I think I¡¯ve seen that woman somewhere.¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± The eyes of his colleagues all focused on Joonhwan. He cocked his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Where did I see it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re addicted to social media. Is she another girl you follow?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± What was it? She was strangely familiar. Did he see her on TV? He didn¡¯t think she was a celebrity or actor. As he got lost in thought without responding, one of his comrades exclaimed quietly. ¡°Oh! They¡¯re moving. Let¡¯s go after them.¡± The Corps colleagues continued to follow the footsteps of Eunha and Minjoo. All of them were rankers and were hiding their presences almost perfectly. However. [Passive ? ¡®Cat¡¯s Whiskers¡¯ is activated.] Eunha glanced back. ¡®They¡¯re still following us.¡¯ It felt like faint hostility was in the air, wetting her skin. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t any murderous intent. She didn¡¯t know what kind of relationship they had with this child, but looking at the child¡¯s expression from earlier, it didn¡¯t seem like a very good one. ¡®Originally, we should have parted ways as soon as we left the gate.¡¯ But it was impossible to pretend to be ignorant of a minor being followed by unknown people without their parents. Eunha took his hand and glanced at the boy tailing behind her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although he wasn¡¯t really hungry, Minjoo nodded his head. ¡°Someone I know is waiting at a rice soup restaurant nearby. Can you have soup?¡± ¡°I can eat anything!¡± Feeling proud of his answer, she put her hand on his head. A gasp was heard from behind a telephone pole. The sound was very audible. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Minjoo smiled shyly and casted a subtle gaze at the nearby telephone pole. He had also been aware of his tailing colleagues from the start. ¡®It¡¯s really annoying.¡¯ If he was alone, he would have already spurted ahead to throw them off, but he was with Eunha now. Since he was pretending to be an ordinary boy, he couldn¡¯t use his abilities hastily. However, he could put on a simple trick that interfered with facial recognition. Although it was possible to avoid the public¡¯s gaze with it, it was a useless trick for colleagues who already knew who he was. ¡®Should I just leave them behind?¡¯ But if that happened, Eunha would realise that Minjoo wasn¡¯t an ordinary boy. When he saw her fighting, she seemed to be a pretty good hunter. Of course, there was nothing to lose or cause trouble if he revealed his identity. However¡­ ¡°Watch out for cars.¡± Eunha gently pulled the hand she held. Then, she walked on the outside of the sidewalk in place of Minjoo. ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you.¡± Minjoo looked at Eunha with a slightly confused face. He had a very strange feeling. He didn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t explain this feeling. All he knew was that it felt mushy and ticklish. They soon reached their destination. Grandma Kim Yoonrye¡¯s Rice Soup. A clean signboard caught his eye. ¡°Welcome. There are a lot of people waiting right now. Please write your name and contact information at the bottom here so we can call you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with someone inside.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. What¡¯s the table number?¡± ¡°The table number¡­¡± When Eunha hesitated to answer, Siwoo¡¯s voice was heard from afar. ¡°Sunbae.¡± Siwoo placed himself between the clerk and Eunha, quickly checking Eunha¡¯s state. Except for the fact that she looked a little tired, she didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries. There were also no signs of detainment. Only then did Siwoo open his mouth again with a more relaxed expression. ¡°Why are you so late?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± That was all Eunha responded with. It was too long to explain every detail one by one. Above all, she was hungry. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°The food is already cold. You can order something new if you want¡­¡± Pause. Siwoo, who was returning to his seat, stopped moving. His blue eyes turned to the small hand that was holding Eunha¡¯s. ¡°You¡ª¡± Siwoo¡¯s face hardened like stone as he looked at him. He stared at the little boy with his blue eyes silently, as if searching. The moment when Siwoo¡¯s lips parted slightly. ¡°¡­Hic, Noona.¡± Grab. Minjoo held onto Eunha¡¯s sleeve. Eunha raised her head and looked at Siwoo. ¡°If you stare so coldly, he¡¯ll be scared.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m protecting this kid for a while. He¡¯s hungry. It¡¯s fine, right? Him eating with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo looked at her and Minjoo alternately with a somewhat dumbfounded face. Sunbae¡¯s attitude towards Minjoo was as if she were dealing with an ordinary boy¡­ ¡®Ha.¡¯ After the realisation struck him like lightning, Siwoo smacked his hand on his forehead. Right. Sunbae was from 30 years ago and was uneducated about modern hunters. It¡¯d be better if he started talking. Siwoo had concluded that much and opened his lips, Jingle¡ª The door to the store opened with the sound of a bell. At the same time, the inside of the store began to buzz loudly. ¡°Welcome, customer. Are you a group of six?¡± ¡°What? Ah, yes.¡± Entering the store were six hunters wearing dark green cloaks. Celebrities didn¡¯t have to worry about the long queue in front of the store. Just by adequately showing the symbol on the cape, everyone scrambled to yield to them. Siwoo¡¯s face twisted strangely after seeing them, or to be more precise, the cloaks they were wearing. ¡°What? Weren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± It would be better to watch the situation first. He hadn¡¯t been able to determine the exact situation yet. Let¡¯s not act rashly. This was a regular restaurant. If they had the right idea, they wouldn¡¯t make a fuss here. Even if they didn¡¯t do anything, the general public recognised Corps and were staring at them. At the very least, they couldn¡¯t make any aggressive moves in this restaurant. ¡®I have to step up now.¡¯ Siwoo turned his gaze away from the boy and led them to the table he had reserved beforehand. ¡°Take this away. I¡¯ll order everything again.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The clerk who received the reorder disappeared, and Siwoo handed out the wet towels brought by the clerk to Eunha and Minjoo respectively. ¡°Noona, look at this.¡± Minjoo nudged Eunha. Tada! It was a crane folded from a wet towel. ¡°I can fold this too.¡± Tada! This time, it was a rose. Eunha looked at him and smiled softly. ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, Siwoo looked at them and stiffened. Was it just him? The two looked friendly. That couldn¡¯t be right. He didn¡¯t know what the hell was going on. Siwoo hated this kind of situation the most. It was now an unpredictably frustrating situation. Siwoo grabbed the cup in front of him and gulped down the water. Clatter! The cup made a loud sound as it was set down, and the water in it swayed shallowly. Siwoo wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand and opened his mouth determinedly. ¡°I thought he was in middle school, but he must be a tall elementary school student.¡± Then, the boy¡¯s dark brown eyes turned towards Siwoo. The air seemed to freeze violently for a moment. But it was only for a moment. ¡°¡­Noona.¡± Again, he grabbed Sunbae¡¯s sleeve and pouted his lips. As the space between Eunha and Minjoo narrowed, the space between Siwoo¡¯s eyebrows narrowed as well. ¡®What are you up to?¡¯ Siwoo stared at the boy with guarded eyes. Then, he glanced towards the entrance of the store. ¡°Hey, they¡¯re members of Corps!¡± ¡°Awesome! Should I ask them for a picture¡­?¡± Both customers eating inside the store and passersby alike stopped by the windows and stared at the Corps guild members who were cloaked in green. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As he was watching them, his eyes met with one of them. They immediately turned their head, conscious of Siwoo¡¯s gaze, but Siwoo didn¡¯t look away from them, narrowing his eyes. * * * ¡°Was the meal good?¡± ¡°Very.¡± Eunha finished eating and laid down her spoon with a satisfied face. How many years had it been since she last tasted this sundae rice soup? No matter which rice soup restaurant she went to, none of them could match this place¡¯s taste. ¡°Thank you.¡± At Eunha¡¯s brief gratitude, Siwoo stiffly scratched his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You can let me know when you want to come again.¡± ¡°Mn, I will.¡± ¡°If you tell me what you want to eat, even if it¡¯s not rice soup¡ª¡± At that moment, Minjoo, who was sitting next to Eunha, suddenly raised his head. ¡°Noona, look at this.¡± Tada! A tank! This time, he made a tank by folding a tissue instead of a wet towel. He was still doing that? This was why he hated children. Siwoo furrowed his brow. He had no idea that he wasn¡¯t controlling his facial expression. ¡°I ate well thanks to you, Noona. This is a gift.¡± Regardless, Minjoo held out his folded tank to Eunha. By the way, the shape was quite interesting. How did he make a tank out of tissue¡­? Eunha was surprised by the accuracy. ¡°You¡¯re good with your hands.¡± Eunha wasn¡¯t good at responding and uttered a monotone exclamation, but Minjoo still grinned, as if he was happy with even that. It was the smile of a perfectly innocent boy, but not in Siwoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is nothing. You can let me know if you want another one at any time. I can also make grenades and military trucks.¡± Minjoo spoke confidently and turned his eyes to Siwoo. Siwoo didn¡¯t avoid his gaze. The glares of the two who faced each other head-on seemed to cause a spark in the air. After tidying up her seat, Eunha stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the washroom before we leave.¡± Two pairs of eyes turned to her. ¡°Okay, go ahead, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Be back soon, Noona.¡± Right after Eunha left the table, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a chill in the air. Minjoo looked down and started folding a tissue again, and Siwoo clenched his jaw and stared intently at him. A short stature and orange hair. A single dot under his round, dark brown eye. A hoodie with a camouflage pattern. ¡®I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯ It seemed like he was obstructing facial recognition with some clever technique, but he couldn¡¯t completely fool Siwoo¡¯s eyes, as he was also an S-Class. Siwoo, who had been silent all this time, slowly licked his lips. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Siwoo lopsidedly leaned his upper body on the back of his chair and asked directly. ¡°Trickster.¡± His blue eyes were full of confidence. Then, Trickster stopped fiddling with his tissue and tilted his head. ¡°What, Hyung?¡± tl/n: hyung is used by younger males to refer to an older male A small, faint giggle scattered into the bustling air. ¡°So you¡¯re a hunter too? CH 36 Baekrang, the son of Wolf and the sixth S-Class hunter in Korea, was a celebrity, but ironically, Siwoo was not. It was because he was famous for being the only son of Wolf¡¯s leader, Shin Gwihoon, but personal information such as his face were not known. Therefore, although Siwoo had recognized Minjoo, Minjoo could never know Siwoo¡¯s identity by only looking at his face. ¡°Since you saw through my trick, I think you¡¯re a pretty high class. Who are you affiliated with?¡± However, Minjoo seemed to have noticed right away that Siwoo was both an awakener and a hunter. Thump, thump, thump¡­ The table vibrated faintly. The cheeky little boy was shaking his legs. Siwoo burst out a small dry laugh at the attitude that had changed as easily as a mask, which was completely different from how he acted around Eunha. He wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. ¡°I¡¯m so honoured that you gave me a good evaluation just for being able to see through such a shallow trick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The state of active hunters these days isn¡¯t very good. That¡¯s why you were able to get a compliment.¡± Trickster moved his still finger and continued folding his tissue once more. His small hands were quite skilled. Without even looking at Siwoo, Trickster parted his lips. ¡°You asked me if I was going to do something, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s not like that. I just became interested in a person with the same hobby as me. That¡¯s a given, right?¡± ¡°The same hobby?¡± Siwoo slightly furrowed his brow. From what Siwoo knew, Eunha¡¯s hobbies were probably watching reruns of 90s music specials and classic movies. ¡®Does this youngster have such a hobby?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it. So, he judged it as such. He was definitely lying right now. ¡°Let me make one thing clear.¡± A strange air flow flowed between the two of them after the calm, low-pitched voice spoke. ¡°You better not approach her more than necessary.¡± Crackle¡ª White frost formed on the glass of water in front of them. As if it was winter, the air around them turned chilly. ¡°Is that a warning? Or a threat?¡± Trickster laughed joyfully and tapped the frozen cup. He didn¡¯t look intimidated at all. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I do. Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite confident against Corps. Hyung, are you part of Wolf?¡± ¡°Hm. Do I have to answer?¡± At Siwoo¡¯s response, the smile that had been on Trickster¡¯s lips disappeared like smoke. Silence drifted like a chill between the two of them again. Clack, clack. The sound of small nails tapping the frozen cup was particularly loud. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± The gaze that had been looking into the air suddenly reached the man on the other side of the table. Trickster¡¯s round eyes curved into crescent moons. ¡°Seeing you say that, Hyung, you seem to have a pretty deep relationship with Noona?¡± A deep relationship. Was their relationship something that could be called deep? In reality, the answer was clear. They were simply in a contractual relationship, nothing more, nothing less. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t want to bring that simple fact out of his mouth. And absolutely not in front of the brat before him. ¡°And if I do?¡± In response to the answer that he gave, the boy¡¯s lips drew a curve, as if he had been waiting for that. ¡°Actually, Noona stole from a gate that our Corps won.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± A faint crack appeared on Siwoo¡¯s unwavering face. Did he just hear it wrong? A gate¡­ What did he mean? Sensing his reaction, Trickster said with a playful smile. ¡°Hyung is a hunter too, right? You should know it well. When a stealer appears at a successfully auctioned gate, the guild has the right to arrest and punish the stealer. The association can¡¯t even intervene with that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± Siwoo narrowed his eyes and spoke without shaking. ¡°She¡¯s not the type of person to become a stealer.¡± That¡¯s right. He was a little surprised to hear that a gate was stolen from, but that was the correct answer. Siwoo didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of trust in the Trickster he had only met for the first time today. It was the right decision to trust Sunbae rather than this cheeky kid. ¡°Check it out for yourself. It¡¯s in Noona¡¯s right front pocket. ¡®My¡¯ gate core.¡± However, Trickster¡¯s attitude was strangely confident. To the point where he wondered if he was telling the truth. Of course, if everything he said was true, then it would be quite a nuisance. As Trickster had said, stealing from a successful bid was equivalent to a high-level crime in the hunter world. In Eunha¡¯s days, there wouldn¡¯t have been a system for auctioning or bidding on a gate, so she wouldn¡¯t know. If that had really happened, it would be his fault for not explaining it to her in detail. However. ¡®I don¡¯t care.¡¯ Siwoo raised his chin with a relaxed expression. ¡°If it¡¯s just the gate core, isn¡¯t it enough to compensate you?¡± ¡®Just say the price. I¡¯ll give it to you, so go away like I wanted since you¡¯re done eating.¡¯ ¡°No.¡± Trickster smiled meaningfully, showing his canines. ¡°She dared to steal from Corps¡¯s gate. Don¡¯t you think the price of that crime can¡¯t be converted into money?¡± ¡°¡­Then? Tell me what you want.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want.¡± Trickster slightly shrugged his shoulders, then opened his mouth. ¡°You should mind your own business.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Siwoo¡¯s eyes changed sharply. However, Trickster continued speaking easily, not paying attention to him. ¡°I said that I was interested in someone with a common hobby.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As evidence of that, I didn¡¯t hold Noona responsible for stealing the gate core. Don¡¯t you see my colleagues behind us? Those guys didn¡¯t even raise a hand at Noona. Even though either of us could¡¯ve done that, we came here to eat rice soup together instead.¡± Trickster tapped an empty bowl of rice soup. He curled his lips, small fangs poking out. ¡°If you don¡¯t want this to escalate into a conflict between guilds, I recommend you mind your own business.¡± With those last words, Trickster reached for his tissue and started folding it again. As he was humming and concentrating on folding the paper, he looked like an ordinary boy, but Siwoo still stared at him with sharp eyes. Just mind your own business. It was a form of intimidation. However, Siwoo wouldn¡¯t be threatened by a middle school boy. It didn¡¯t matter if the opponent was an S-Class hunter. He didn¡¯t want to lose to an immature kid who didn¡¯t know how to back down. ¡°Hey.¡± The moment Siwoo called out to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Eunha had just returned and stood by the table. The frozen glass of water reflected in Eunha¡¯s dark irises. Obviously, the water was lukewarm before she went to the bathroom. ¡°¡­¡± After staring at it for a long time, Eunha turned her head back to them. Outwardly, the two didn¡¯t seem any different. ¡°¡­You¡¯re here already?¡± Siwoo raised his head and looked at Eunha. It sounded as if he had wanted her to come a little later. ¡°I already paid. Let¡¯s head out.¡± Eunha quickly turned her back. Following her, Siwoo and Minjoo also rose from their seats. But at that moment. ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo¡¯s gaze was pinned to the bump in Eunha¡¯s pocket. ¡°Sunbae, you have something in your pocket.¡± ¡°Ah. This.¡± Eunha rummaged through her pocket as if it was something insignificant. Shhk, the thing that she calmly pulled out was¡ª ¡°A gate core.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Siwoo¡¯s eyes widened as he faced the purple marble. ¡®Bleh.¡¯ Trickster met his gaze while hiding behind Eunha¡¯s back and stuck out his tongue, as if to show off. ¡°I happened to be swept in by a burst gate on the way here, and I picked it up after killing the boss.¡± ¡°So¡­ a burst gate.¡± Come to think of it, the terminal had sounded while he was waiting for her. A crack had occurred in Banha-dong at H Hotel. Could it be that she was swept up there? How the hell did she ¡®accidentally¡¯ get swept away by a burst gate? Agents from the association, police officers, and firefighters weren¡¯t just for decoration. ¡°Mhm. A burst gate.¡± Eunha lightly nodded her head while holding the gate core. The aloof demeanour he thought he had gotten used to was strange after a long time apart. Trickster¡¯s words were true. How should he handle this? While he was in deep thought about it. ¡°This, what do I do with it?¡± Eunha suddenly thrust the gate core in front of Siwoo¡¯s eyes. In Eunha¡¯s days, the rule was to submit obtained gate cores to the people above her. If she were to say who her superior currently was, it would be Wolf, who had hired her, or in other words, Siwoo. ¡°This gate core is¡ª¡± The moment Siwoo opened his mouth urgently. Bzzt¡ª A vibration sounded. It was Siwoo¡¯s cellphone. ¡°¡­Please wait a moment.¡± Siwoo stared at the phone with an embarrassed expression. 010-XXXX-XXXX Seeing the name that appeared on the screen, Siwoo frowned slightly. What was going on during such an important moment like now? ¡°I¡¯ll take this call and be right back.¡± After leaving the restaurant, Siwoo answered the call in the alley next to the store. ¡°Hey. What is it?¡± ¡¸President, where are you now?¡¹ ¡°I¡¯m out somewhere. Why?¡± ¡¸A¡­ guest has arrived.¡¹ ¡°A guest? For me?¡± He didn¡¯t know if the owner of Wolf, Shin Gwihoon, had a visitor, but for him? ¡®Are they from the association?¡¯ That was all he could think of. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would come to visit him. ¡°Send them back.¡± ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡°Send them back. Just roughly make something up and do it.¡± Ugh¡­ To the small groan that came in through the receiver, Siwoo added more words at the end. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy right now. Kick them out, and don¡¯t let them come back. You know what I mean, right?¡± ¡¸Yes, I understand.¡¹ ¡°Okay. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± What was important now wasn¡¯t an unknown guest. Siwoo put his phone in his back pocket and put his forehead in his hand. ¡®The gate core.¡¯ ¡®I happened to be swept in by a burst gate on the way here, and I picked it up after killing the boss.¡¯ ¡°Ha.¡± He roughly understood the situation. So, Sunbae stole the core from the gate that Corps had won the bid for, and the Corps guild members who noticed it came after her. But apart from that, there was one thing he didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Why is Trickster hiding his identity from Sunbae?¡¯ That point was still dubious. Whether it was inside the gate or on the way to the rice soup restaurant after her escape, he could have reclaimed the gate core from her at any time. But he didn¡¯t. ¡®I¡¯m just interested in a person with the same hobby as me.¡¯ ¡­No, he would never believe that. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t come up with a reasonable answer. ¡®Let¡¯s head back first.¡¯ Trying to do this here wouldn¡¯t give him an answer. As he strode towards the restaurant, he felt a vibration in his back pocket again. 010-XXXX-XXXX He thought that he had explained everything clearly, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t the case. Siwoo answered the phone again with a brief sigh. ¡°Why are you calling again?¡± ¡¸P-president.¡¹ The voice over the phone was nervous to the point that it was incomparable to before. ¡¸The representative said that if you were away, they would go to see the master. What should I do?¡¹ What? Siwoo furrowed his brow. They were the one who came to him without prior notice and demanded a meeting. ¡°Since when did the Wolf Guild¡¯s headquarters become a neighbourhood supermarket?¡± No one didn¡¯t know of Wolf¡¯s status in Korea. Jehwi stuttered at Siwoo¡¯s words. ¡¸They want to talk about something related to the Princess of Dark Flare.¡¹ Freeze. The Princess of Dark Flare. At those words, Siwoo paused. A long silence passed after that. Then, Siwoo slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Who is it, that bastard?¡± His cold voice seemed to have no intention of hiding his hostility and wariness. ¡¸That¡­ They said that they came from the ¡®Chaser¡¯ Guild.¡¹ ¡°Chaser?¡± It seemed like he¡¯d heard it from somewhere before. Where was it? It didn¡¯t seem like a very famous guild, since it hadn¡¯t remained clearly in his memory. As he was deeply immersed in his thoughts, Jehwi¡¯s voice came through the receiver. It was a cautious and discreet voice, as if he was afraid of being eavesdropped on by someone. ¡¸It¡¯s the American hunter guild, Chaser.¡¹ CH 37 ¡®He¡¯s not coming back.¡¯ Eunha turned her head, glancing at the entrance of the restaurant. Siwoo had said that he was going to answer his phone, but he never returned. The military group guarding the entrance to the store had disappeared. They probably started to stalk them from a distance. ¡°Let¡¯s head out first.¡± Standing at the entrance would interfere with business, so it would be better to go outside. Eunha left the store with Minjoo. ¡°Sunbae.¡± She ran into Siwoo as he was about to enter the restaurant. His face was strangely hardened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a matter to attend to. I¡¯ll be going first.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of call it was, but she thought it was something important. Eunha nodded her head. ¡°Then what about this?¡± Eunha brought out the gate core to Siwoo. Siwoo said ¡°That¡­¡± and trailed off when Minjoo, who was holding Eunha¡¯s hand, stuck out his head. ¡°Since Noona got it, it¡¯s hers, right?¡± Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes turned to the boy. The boy smiled, his acorn-like eyes crinkling. ¡°Can¡¯t she take it with her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was it¡­ like that? Eunha stared at the gate core and put it in her pocket. Siwoo, who had been looking at Minjoo with an unreadable expression, turned to Eunha. ¡°¡­Sunbae, do you have any connection with the United States?¡± ¡°America?¡± Eunha finished storing the gate core and tilted her head slightly. ¡°No. Not really.¡± She had certainly gotten into an American university in the past, but she never actually went. She had never even gotten to travel there. ¡°Is that so?¡± Siwoo¡¯s face hardened again. Actually, he could¡¯ve asked if she really didn¡¯t one more time. But Siwoo did not. A ringtone chimed as he was deep in thought. It was Siwoo¡¯s cellphone. He clicked his tongue briefly and answered the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll head there right now.¡± And then he abruptly cut off the call. The phone call that lasted for a split second must have bothered him greatly, as he turned away with a cold face. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving first. I¡¯ll get back to you tomorrow, and¡­¡± At the end, his blue eyes turned to the boy, Minjoo. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to do anything.¡¯ Siwoo stared at him and opened his mouth firmly. ¡°If anything happens, please text, no, call me.¡± His eyes, cold as ice, were still fixed on Minjoo. Eunha nodded her head even though she thought it was odd. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a must.¡± Siwoo emphasised it again before he hurriedly walked around the alley and disappeared, leaving only Minjoo and Eunha. Eunha turned her back from the direction Siwoo had disappeared to and looked at the boy. Right. She had to do something with this child¡­ ¡°Kid. Do you have any relatives or other family members?¡± ¡°No.¡± Minjoo responded immediately. That wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°Then, where¡¯s your house?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have one.¡± That was half a lie. It was true that he didn¡¯t have a house, but since he was living in the Corps Guild¡¯s headquarters instead of a house, he technically had a home. However, Minjoo didn¡¯t say that. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ Eunha looked at the boy and swallowed a small sigh. The current time was around 10 p.m.. In other words, it was time for passersby to return to their homes and shops to close. It was a normal scene in modern times after gates appeared. ¡®It would be better to take him home first and then take him to the police station early in the morning.¡¯ Even at this moment, the suspicious military group was staring intently at this place. She didn¡¯t know what they would do if she sent the boy to a police station. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my house first.¡± ¡°To Noona¡¯s house?¡± Minjoo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Minjoo cut off Eunha¡¯s words and started to jump. Oh my god. Her house. It was likely that she was also like him. Besides, she even had a golden dog tag! In such a person¡¯s house, there must be rows of all sorts of valuable items comparable to a golden military tag. Even just imagining it made his heart dance with anticipation. ¡°Then, first of all.¡± Whish. Suddenly, the height of his field of vision rose sharply. When he regained his bearings, Minjoo realised that he was in her arms. ¡®Eh?¡¯ Whish, whish, whish. Pressing her heels to the ground, she bounced up like a spring until she stood on top of a nearby two-story building. Her movements were as light and agile as a stray cat scaling a stone wall, and there were barely any bumps. ¡°It¡¯s better to leave some people behind first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You might be motion sick for a bit. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Minjoo unintentionally answered her and slowly blinked his eyes. At that moment, Eunha waited before leaping again. Whoosh¡ª It was much higher than last time. It felt like the moon in the night sky was right in front of them. Her black hair fluttered like silk against the moonlight. With the sound of them cutting through the wind, his vision changed rapidly every time he blinked. ¡®This person.¡¯ He had thought that she was no ordinary hunter, but this was beyond his imagination. Other than Song Minjoo, who was an S-Class, all members of Corps were top-ranked in Korea. For one to reach a high rank, their ability to hide their presence had to be excellent. It was the simplest and most important means of surviving in a highly difficult gate. All of the members of Corps were capable enough to go into gates ranked A-Class or higher. The fact that she felt their presences could be regarded as proof that she could also enter gates that were at least A-Class, or even higher than that. Moreover, this speed. ¡®What the hell is it?¡¯ Watching her fly over the roof of a building while holding himself like a princess, Minjoo secretly swallowed his dry saliva. ¡®It¡¯s strange that I didn¡¯t know of such a talented person.¡¯ Currently, there are a total of six S-Classes in Korea. They knew each other¡¯s faces, as well as their real names. ¡®Ah, except for that guy.¡¯ That is, the Baekrang or Heukrang who followed some strange mysticism despite joining the S-Classes last. tl/n: you may think that it¡¯s weird that he got mixed up between baek and heuk which seem completely different, but baek = white and heuk = black so yeah The nature of this relationship between hunters didn¡¯t change much, even if you went down to A-Class. Among Korean hunters, the proportion of S-Class hunters was only 0.01%. In the case of the A-Class hunters who followed that, it was 0.2%. Considering the fact that D, E, and F-Class hunters accounted for 90% of the total, A-Classes or higher were a huge minority. Therefore, if you were a hunter who had worked in the field for more than a few years and was an A-Class or higher, you would have no choice but to encounter hunters in a similar position to you. Not only was that in gates, but also at auction sites or on the System Market. So that was why it was weird. Where the hell did a hunter like Noona come from? Minjoo glanced back while being held by Eunha. ¡®Tsk tsk.¡¯ Minjoo clicked his tongue slightly and turned his head forward again. Seeing that the guys¡¯ presences had disappeared, they had probably lost sight of her a long time ago. Even if the future of Corps was dark, wasn¡¯t this a little too dark? ¡®I¡¯ll need to retrain them. And¡ª?¡¯ Minjoo, who was held like a princess, glanced at Eunha. ¡®I¡¯ll need to keep an eye on Noona as well?¡¯ But¡­ Despite his decision, Minjoo would soon find out who she was. ¡°¡­Woah.¡± It was Eunha¡¯s house. As soon as he took off his shoes and stepped inside, Minjoo¡¯s round eyes landed on something black. ¡®A dress?¡¯ The thing hanging inside a pure white built-in wardrobe definitely seemed like a dress. Minjoo stared at the dangling lace and ribbons before lowering his gaze. ¡®This.¡¯ He crouched onto the floor and touched something with his hand. It was a black parasol that was laid at the bottom. The moment he held it in his hand, a memory flashed before his eyes. It had happened at the guild headquarters not too long ago. ¡®Master, have you seen this?¡¯ Joonhwan laughed while watching TV and spoke to him. At that time, Minjoo had responded roughly, as he was about to complete his new weapon, the ¡®Flame Blast Bazooka¡¯. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Here, this woman. The Princess of Dark Flare, or something like that. Is she really hitting all those goals?¡¯ Minjoo glanced at the TV while holding his screwdriver. On the screen was a woman with dark hair, black eyes, and a black dress. ¡®Hmm. A concept hunter.¡¯ ¡®Yes. But if you look at her actions, she¡¯s a little different from a normal concept hunter, isn¡¯t she? Look. She¡¯s a concept hunter, but is that really an F-Class level of skill? What do you think, Master?¡¯ ¡®What do I think? It¡¯s edited, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Minjoo answered indifferently and turned his attention away from the TV. ¡®Turn off the TV or change the channel. It¡¯s so loud.¡¯ For him, such an entertainment program was out of the question. So, he didn¡¯t look at it much. That¡¯s because his almost completed darling had priority over the concept hunter in the entertainment program. ¡ªBy the way. ¡®Is Noona the Princess of Dark Flare?¡¯ Minjoo dropped the parasol he was holding. Actually, the fact that she was the Princess of Dark Flare wasn¡¯t that shocking. The most shocking fact for Minjoo was. ¡®I thought you were like me.¡¯ She had a taste for the Rococo era, not the military. Flump. Minjoo sat down on the sofa, as if collapsing. The joy of meeting his soulmate was now gone, and disappointment took hold. Had he known this, he wouldn¡¯t have followed her home. ¡®¡­Should I go back?¡¯ As he rolled on the soft sofa, he suddenly felt an unfamiliar touch on his fingertips. When he turned his head to look at it. ¡°¡­!¡± Minjoo¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. This, this, this! ¡®A military uniform?!¡¯ Countless exclamation marks floated above Trickster¡¯s head. This texture, this pattern¡­! It was definitely a military uniform. ¡®It¡¯s not just a military uniform.¡¯ Minjoo stretched out a trembling hand. There were wings embroidered on the right chest, and the black leather protectors covering its wrists and ankles were telling. This was the legacy of the old hunters who had lived during the conscription system! ¡®It¡¯s a great relic that only first-generation hunters wore, and even if you can spend tens of millions of won, they don¡¯t exist anymore, so you can¡¯t get them, right?¡¯ It was also the first time he¡¯d actually seen one. He carefully moved his outstretched hand to check the chest area. Unfortunately, there was no name tag. It was something that would¡¯ve caused the price drop, but there was something even greater in its place. A green shoulder strap. This is¡­ ¡°Would you like to sleep on the bed? I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa.¡± Hearing Eunha¡¯s voice from behind, Minjoo creakingly turned his head. Eunha had brought a spare blanket and was standing in front of the sofa. ¡°¡­Noona.¡± Minjoo licked his trembling lips. A gust of wind blew through the slightly open window, puffing up the curtains with air. The face of the young boy came closer after the curtain had passed. ¡°Where did you buy this?¡± Twinkle, twinkle¡ª The boy¡¯s eyes were shining like never before. * * * ¡°Ah, he will be coming soon.¡± After hanging up the phone, Jehwi had returned to his seat. The woman sitting opposite to him had introduced herself as ¡®Catherine¡¯. Catherine was an attractive woman and wore a sharp suit with square glasses. Her hair was tied into a neat updo, as if it was unacceptable for even a single strand of hair to be out of place, giving a mature and orderly impression. ¡°I was worried since I suddenly came and requested an unreasonable meeting, but I¡¯m glad that he readily agreed.¡± She smiled as she pushed up her glasses with her fingers. Jehwi replied with an ¡°Oh, yes,¡± and forced a smile. ¡®He¡­ did not readily agree.¡¯ Jehwi knew because he had been by Siwoo¡¯s side for a long time. As soon as he brought up the Princess of Dark Flare, the mood had changed. Jehwi picked up his teacup and glanced at the woman sitting across from him. By the way, she was really fluent in Korean. There was no awkwardness in both pronunciation and intonation. The badge on her left chest was particularly bright. It was in the form of a large letter C engraved on the surface of a gold horseshoe. ¡®So that¡¯s Chaser¡¯s badge¡­¡¯ It was his first time actually seeing it. Chaser was a hunter guild belonging to the United States, and although it wasn¡¯t a large one, it was a historical guild established in the early days of the emergence of gates. ¡®I heard that Chaser¡¯s guildmaster was formerly a US colonel and a well-known hunter.¡¯ However, that was the only piece of information that had come from overseas. Actually, not much information was known even in the United States, so there wasn¡¯t much you could find here in Korea. At any rate, in order to work at a guild at Chaser¡¯s degree, that level of skill in foreign language was essential. Perhaps noticing how Jehwi stared at her with curious eyes, Catherine took her lips off of her teacup and smiled. ¡°Are you interested in our guild?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s very mysterious since it¡¯s so veiled.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She set down her teacup and looked down at the badge on her left chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Chaser either.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I wear their badge, but to be honest, I belong to its subsidiary, Clamp Management, rather than Chaser.¡± Catherine placed her own business card on the polished glass table. Woah¡­ Even her business card was engraved with gold leaf. So she was in management. Since they were from the same industry, he thought they would get along well. So, they exchanged business cards and chatted with each other over tea. As Jehwi had predicted, the two working in the same industry had quite a lot in common. For example, the fact that they both had a stubborn boss. ¡°I also went on a business trip to Beijing one unexpected night at the order of the CEO. It was my wife¡¯s birthday that day¡­ Haha. Thanks to that, my wife wouldn¡¯t even make me meat side dishes for a while.¡± ¡°I see. I also had to delay my own schedule and come to Korea in a hurry. If I go back to America, I probably won¡¯t be able to go home for a few days.¡± ¡°You seem to be going through a lot.¡± The two looked at each other and smiled fondly. It felt like they didn¡¯t have to say anything more. Not long after that, the door slammed open. Bang! ¡°Ah, Young Mas¡­¡± ¡°Are they here? The guest.¡± It was Siwoo. CH 38 ¡°Um¡­¡± Tick, ??tock. The sound of the clock ticking in the silence was particularly loud. Jehwi made a stressed noise and opened his mouth with difficulty. ¡°President, this is Catherine from the United States¡­¡± Siwoo disregarded Jehwi and turned his gaze to Catherine. ¡°What are you doing so far from America?¡± It was not Catherine who was rather embarrassed by the blunt question, but Jehwi, whose presence had already disappeared. Jehwi made a short ¡°Ah¡­¡± and looked at Catherine. ¡°I¡¯ve come because there is an important matter here. I hope you understand.¡± Siwoo sat down on the sofa and fixed his messy bangs. Catherine smiled calmly and put down her teacup. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if the sudden visit was very rude, Hunter Shin Siwoo. I¡¯m Catherine Hudson from Clamp Management, a subsidiary of the Chaser Guild.¡± Catherine handed out her business card to Siwoo as she did with Jehwi. Siwoo stared at Catherine¡¯s business card with narrowed eyes. Chaser. It was really Chaser. What the hell did an American Hunter Guild have to do with Wolf and the Princess of Dark Flare? First, be vigilant and wary. That was also the old policy of Wolf. Like a dog¡¯s traits. Siwoo took his eyes off her business card and looked at her carefully this time. Beyond her transparent glasses, emerald green eyes curved into crescent moons. It was a smile that showed her proficiency rather than beauty. In other words, it was the type that Siwoo hated. ¡°The reason I came today is because I have a proposal for the Princess of Dark Flare, who has a contract with Wolf.¡± ¡°¡­But why did you come to me?¡± Catherine grinned at Siwoo¡¯s feigned ignorance. ¡°It¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t Wolf that she contracted with, Hunter Shin Siwoo. It was you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± Siwoo didn¡¯t answer, but looked at her deeply as if he was trying to figure her out. How did Catherine Hudson, no, Chaser know that? And when did they find out? Siwoo glanced at Jehwi and glared. Jehwi flitted like a pigeon and shook his head violently. ¡®It wasn¡¯t me!¡¯ He seemed to insist. ¡°This.¡± Catherine picked up the suitcase she had next to her and put it on the desk. She opened the case with a deft hand. ¡°¡­!¡± Jehwi¡¯s eyes widened when he saw its contents. The briefcase was filled with a huge amount of dollar bills, with not even a single gap between them. ¡®How much is all of that worth?¡¯ Gulp. His throat moved reflexively. However, Siwoo had an unmoved expression with his arms crossed, his gaze still fixed on Catherine and not the money. So was it this kind of business? They wouldn¡¯t have come if that was the case. Even in front of the cold Siwoo, Catherine¡¯s dazzling smile remained. It was as if she had a long-standing immunity to such things. ¡°My boss has an interest in the Princess of Dark Flare. It will be in the form of terminating the contract before its designated end, but if you agree to my proposal, we will naturally pay the full amount in the above data¡­¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Siwoo stood up, as if he didn¡¯t need to hear any more. ¡°I don¡¯t need any money. Go back and tell that to your boss.¡± His blue eyes darkened terribly in an instant. ¡°And get rid of your interest.¡± As if she had expected this to happen, Catherine opened her mouth with a relaxed face. ¡°Excuse me. It seems like I said that too bluntly. In addition to the payment, my boss has added that he will send an A-Class hunter specially trained by Chaser for five years for a three-year contract. Without any cost, of course.¡± ¡°Even if you send an S-Class hunter instead of an A-Class, my answer will remain the same.¡± The air surrounding them chilled. Even though the room had no windows, it felt like an outside breeze had blown in from somewhere. ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine pushed up her glasses and closed the briefcase. Was this development also expected? She didn¡¯t look disappointed at all. Jehwi looked between Catherine and Siwoo with an anxious face. ¡®No, why is the president so angry?¡¯ Could it be that they¡¯d hurt his pride by offering too small of a sum to the unrivalled Wolf? It could¡¯ve been. For Jehwi, it was an eye-widening amount, but for Siwoo, the young master of Wolf, it may have not been so. But was that something to be so upset about? As always, it seemed difficult to understand him. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll leave and deliver the message.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Just before Catherine left the room, Siwoo stepped in front of her. ¡°Your boss. You have to tell me who they are.¡± Why was it that an American guild from overseas, not the Hunter Association or another large-scale guild in Korea, wanted the Princess of Dark Flare? ¡®They even dug up information and willingly offered that sum of money.¡¯ Whatever the reason was, Siwoo had no intention of breaking the contract with Eunha. But, he needed to know who wanted Eunha, where they were, and what they did. Catherine met Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes and looked at him quietly. If she had not been resistant to that type of gaze, his cold eyes would¡¯ve been enough to make her legs go weak. But she was someone who had similar experiences dozens of times. There was no way she would be intimidated. ¡°He will introduce himself, not me.¡± Click. As she turned the doorknob, she spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you soon, Hunter Shin Siwoo.¡± * * * The next morning. Eunha had given Minjoo the bedroom and woke up on the sofa. She slowly raised her upper body and opened the curtains. As the window faced south, the dazzling morning sun broke out like waves onto the marble tiles. Eunha yawned a little and put on her slippers, heading to the bedroom where the boy was. It would be a good idea to eat breakfast before heading down to the police station. Seeing that there were no noises, the boy must¡¯ve still been soundly sleeping. ¡°¡­¡± No. Eunha stood still and listened quietly. The room was quiet. To the point where it was unnaturally so. Tak, tak. She knocked on the bedroom door. There was no answer back. After a few more knocks, Eunha slowly opened the door. Sure enough, no one was there. ¡°¡­Where did he go?¡± Eunha murmured as she stood in place. Wrinkle-free bed sheets. Tightly closed windows. Tidied slippers. It was like putting the boy to sleep yesterday had been a dream. The bedroom was neat to that extent. Suddenly, a sticky note on the bed sheet caught her eye. Eunha walked to it and checked it. It was written in a rounded font. It seemed like the boy had left it behind. Below that, one more sentence continued. Eunha took her eyes off the post-it note. Black eyes once again scanned the empty bedroom. It was a very clean bedroom, like no one had been there all night. But there was something even weirder than that. ¡®¡­.When?¡¯ Her gaze passed through and out of the bedroom, as if she was drawing a line with her eyes to the front door. She was a light sleeper. After making a contract with the cat, she had become even more sensitive. And even last night with the boy, she had slept more lightly than usual. Because it would be necessary to defend the boy and get out of the house in case the green cloaked people were still after him. ¡®However.¡¯ She didn¡¯t realise. Up until when the boy had already tidied up the room, opened and closed the door, and exited the front door. It meant that Eunha had been asleep and didn¡¯t notice it. It was a nonsensical concept. ¡°¡­¡± Eunha stared at the front door before turning her head again to look at the sticky note. Eunha¡¯s eyes narrowed as they stared at the bubbly handwriting. Suddenly, a small murmur resonated in the silent room. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to walk him home.¡± * * * Seoul, Korea. 9:36 a.m. There was a large door located in the corner of the top floor of the Hunter Association. It was a drawing room that only President Go Daeyoon and his guests could use. ¡°Is that really true?¡± Daeyoon asked with a strangely hardened face. The middle-aged man in a dark grey hat nodded his head. ¡°Yes. I tried asking the teaching assistants who worked in the training centre at the time after being called by the association, but¡­¡± The man trailed off for a moment before carefully opening his mouth. ¡°No one remembered a trainee named Lee Yura.¡± Daeyoon gently rubbed his chin. He had expected it to some extent, but it was still surprising. In October 2029, the Pocheon Hunter Training Centre was closed due to an unknown gate. The man sitting in front of him now was the head of the city¡¯s training centre at the time. ¡°Of course, the number of trainees under each leader is not small, so they may not remember the names and faces of every trainee.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± Daeyoon nodded lightly and stared intently at the papers on his desk. It was the personal information of Lee Yura that he had found so far. Of course, there was nothing much about her personal information. As Daeyoon¡¯s subordinate, Gwanghyun, had said, she was shrouded in mystery. ¡®But she couldn¡¯t have fallen from the sky.¡¯ Daeyoon sighed and lifted his head. ¡°That¡¯ll be all for now. More importantly, today is¡ª¡± The door to the drawing room swung open without warning. ¡°A-association President!¡± ¡°Ugh. This damn guy¡­¡± Daeyoon, who was having a conversation with the training director, stood up and frowned. ¡°What kind of urgent matter is there for you to open the door without knocking?¡± ¡°S-sorry.¡± Gwanghyun had an unusually dishevelled appearance and was breathing heavily. ¡°Your tie is lopsided. And elevators aren¡¯t just for show.¡± At Daeyoon¡¯s mention, Gwanghyun hurriedly corrected his crooked tie. Daeyoon clicked his tongue, then opened his mouth to scold him. ¡°What happened this morning? Did a burst gate appear?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°Then, did you get any information about Hunter Lee Yura? If so, then I understand.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Gwanghyun scratched his cheek shyly. ¡°Hunter Lee Yura¡­ We are still investigating the Princess of Dark Flare.¡± As expected, it seemed that they weren¡¯t able to find anything either. It seemed to take longer than expected. ¡°Is that so?¡± Daeyoon looked away from Gwanghyun and turned to the training camp director he was talking to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s usually a competent subordinate. This is just an extreme case.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Um, Association President.¡± Gwanghyun suddenly butted in again. ¡°It¡¯s not about Hunter Lee Yura, but there¡¯s something just as¡­ No, there is something more important than that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Daeyoon answered offhandedly and shuffled through the materials on the table. ¡°Maestro is coming to visit Korea.¡± Freeze. The hand that was flipping through the papers stiffened in the air. The eyes under his greyish brown eyelashes began to tremble. The former training camp commander who sat quietly next to him had the same reaction. ¡°What did you just say¡­¡± Did he hear it wrong? Yes, he must have misheard it. That¡¯s right, it couldn¡¯t be true. He must¡¯ve said the wrong person. But the composure he had struggled to maintain was of no avail. It wasn¡¯t an illusion, as Gwanghyun placed both hands on Daeyoon¡¯s desk and confirmed his previous statement. ¡°Maestro, I said Maestro. The first Korean, no, the first S-Class hunter of Korea.¡± His anxious voice trembled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s Hunter Baek Yijun.¡± CH 39 Incheon International Airport. 3:11 a.m. Catherine, with her neat hair and angular glasses, looked around. This was a special security gate reserved for private plane holders or those who were entering the country in secret. Reporters and ordinary passengers were not allowed to set foot here. Catherine glanced at her wristwatch after making sure that there was no one around her. ¡®It¡¯ll be time for him to arrive soon?¡¯ As soon as she had thought so, the door she had been waiting for opened. The sound of the automatic door opening resounded unusually loudly in the cold, silent lobby. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± A clean black shoe tip came closer with the sound of a step. He answered while rolling his shoulders lightly, as they had been stiff from the long flight. ¡°The world has gotten much better. It only took 10 hours to get from New York to Incheon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it was comfortable.¡± Catherine smiled and lifted her head. His hair was blonde, but it was a shade that neared beige. His neat haircut gave an urban and sophisticated impression. However, his eyes, which looked both silver and grey, seemed a little tired and subdued. ¡°It was fine. It was a little hot.¡± He took off his black suit jacket, revealing a white shirt fitted to the shape of his toned body. Beside him, Catherine skillfully grabbed the jacket he had taken off. Loosely tugging at his black tie, he glanced around. ¡°The Incheon Airport has changed a lot.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He turned his head after blandly expressing his agreement. His eyes met the window, as if they were involuntarily drawn to it. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just the landscape that had changed. The two walked through the empty lobby. When they stepped onto an empty escalator, it moved with a rattling noise. Through the window that spanned across a wide wall, he could see the bustling airport at a glance. Until he reached the bottom of the escalator, his grey eyes remained fixed on one place. ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Catherine, who had been looking straight ahead, suddenly turned her head. Catherine looked in his direction and smiled. ¡°How is it to visit Korea after such a long time? Are you glad to see it?¡± ¡°Glad to see it?¡± He let out a low laugh. ¡°No way.¡± In front of him, Catherine closed her mouth. She noticed it immediately. The emotion that dwelled in his darkened grey eyes was by no means happy or yearning. Catherine thought about it. It was clear that his sudden trip to Korea was also closely related to the Princess of Dark Flare. Although she hadn¡¯t heard it directly from him, she was completely sure of it. Otherwise, she had no idea why he would suddenly decide to go to Korea, since he hadn¡¯t stepped foot in Korea for 30 years. ¡°As for Wolf? How was it?¡± He asked, putting on the leather gloves he had in his pocket. The time had come. Catherine pushed up her glasses that had slid down and opened her mouth heavily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I failed.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He lightly clenched his fist before unfurling it. The wrinkles on his black leather gloves gently smoothed out. She couldn¡¯t read any emotion from his side view or brief reply. He didn¡¯t seem happy, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of disappointment either. She was just glad that he didn¡¯t blame her. After receiving an order from him, Catherine had entered Korea first. Then, she found all the information she could on the ¡®Princess of Dark Flare¡¯. As a result, Catherine determined that the Princess of Dark Flare was not just an F-Class concept hunter. As a matter of fact, many people watched the Princess of Dark Flare appear on a broadcast and assumed that it was edited. But Catherine didn¡¯t think so. The fact that she was being protected by Wolf and that her own boss cared about her was proof that she wasn¡¯t normal. Actually, it would¡¯ve been quickest to ask her boss directly about this. Behind her clear glasses, her slightly troubled eyes turned to look at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Catherine closed her mouth. Because he wouldn¡¯t give her a proper answer anyway. After that, there was no more conversation between the two. There were some glancing eyes while they left the airport, but thanks to the security officers who were informed of the situation in advance, they were able to get to the car without any problems. The stylish black car had windows tinted dark enough that they completely blocked the outside view. ¡°This is a nice car.¡± ¡°It was prepared in advance.¡± ¡°Competent, as expected.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Catherine loaded the luggage into the trunk and got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Shall we go right away?¡± Catherine grabbed the steering wheel and looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t heard her, as he was staring out of the window, seemingly deep in thought. Catherine skillfully turned on the ignition and ran the navigation on her phone. ¡°What would you like to do? At this time, it will take less than an hour to reach Gangnam-gu.¡± He was the one who had been in a hurry to go to Korea. It was late, but he must have wanted to knock on Wolf¡¯s door right now. But he muttered an unexpected reply with his chin on his hand. ¡°No, let¡¯s go to the hotel today. It¡¯s not polite to visit a guild¡¯s headquarters before dawn anyway.¡± ¡°Is that really alright?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m tired.¡± He leaned deeply into the soft seat. The voice was unusually low, so it rang softly in the silent car. ¡°Then¡­ I will drive straight to the hotel.¡± Catherine stepped on the accelerator without any further ado. Shining headlights beamed onto the street where deep darkness laid. The car body vibrated lowly and the scenery outside the window slowly began to move. Then, when he turned his head casually, he noticed a brightly lit signboard. Until it disappeared completely from his field of view, Yijun did not take his eyes off of it, as if they had been nailed to it. ¡°¡­¡± The streetlights that shone through the windows quickly flickered light onto his face before disappearing. The next day. The whole country was buzzing on the internet, newspapers, and TVs. Maestro had come to visit Korea. He had returned after 30 years. * * * ¡¸As much as I trusted you, I trusted my friend too¡­!¡¹ tl/n: fun fact this song is Wrongful Meaning by Kim Gun-mo The large wall mounted TV screen shone. Eunha thought as she listened to the familiar song coming through the speaker. ¡®It¡¯s still a good song to listen to now.¡¯ She thought that the point of this song was that the melody was exciting while the lyrics were full of despair and betrayal. Even thirty years later, the song was still famous, and the masterpiece was still a masterpiece. However, the singer was different from how Eunha remembered them. Was it because time had passed? It was very disappointing. Eunha checked her reflection in the veranda window. Nothing had changed. Except that her hair was a little longer. ¡®Would you like to groom my dog later? He¡¯s a Bichon Frise; his name is William.¡¯ Why? That guy suddenly came to mind. By now, he must be as old as the singer on TV. She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him at a glance. He was a person who had a shy smile and looked as lovely as a balsam flower. When she had said that to him, he used to jolt and shake his head in denial. However, the face that remained the most vivid in her mind was the one she saw last. ¡®Eunha! Cha Eunha!¡¯ Baek Yijun had reached out to her with a face that seemed like he had lost the world. It was Eunha that had been trapped in the gate, but she remembered his face looking like he was the one who was trapped. She wondered what he could¡¯ve been doing right now. He hated fighting in battles and was a soft-hearted boy. In the now peaceful world, he might have stopped working as a hunter and started living out his life peacefully. She thought about how he would look if she were to meet him. He might burst out crying in surprise. Ah, but he was over fifty now, so maybe he wouldn¡¯t cry. Either way, he would still be shocked. Since he must¡¯ve lived thinking Eunha was dead. Smile. When she remembered that face, a dry smile leaked out. Then, a yellow message window popped up before her. Ding. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks what you¡¯re thinking about. Golden eyes grow round with curiosity.] ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ old memories. There was a boy who was with me before I was locked in the gate, and I wonder how he¡¯s doing now.¡± A yellow message window came up again. [The divine beast ¡®Cat Wandering in Darkness¡¯ asks if he was a close friend. It seems to be sulking a little.] ¡°A friend¡­?¡± Eunha muttered softly as she lifted a can of cold beer from the table. Cold water droplets on the surface of the can dripped down after meeting her fingers. ¡®T-T-That¡¯s why, when you leave the gate, tomorrow¡­ At¡­ At my house¡­ D-D-D-Do you want to come over?¡¯ Her lips drew into a thin line as she brought the can to her mouth. If you could call a person who you readily sacrificed yourself for, even in the face of a monster the size of a house, a friend; If you could call a person who you smiled with while looking forward to tomorrow, even when your life could end the next day, a friend; If you could call a person you wished a good life for, regardless of wherever they were and whatever they did, a friend, then¡ª ¡°Yes.¡± A rare smile bloomed on Eunha¡¯s lips as she took a cool sip of beer. ¡°I think so.¡± The smile that bloomed slowly and faintly like dye on a white cloth faded, and Eunha suddenly turned her head toward the balcony. Through the transparent glass window, the now familiar scenery of Seoul came into view. If he was out there somewhere, she just wanted to tell him. That she was alive, and she was doing well in her own way. So, I hope that you are, too. * * * [Breaking News: The American Maestro Arrived at Incheon International Airport Early in the Morning on the 10th Yesterday] [Netizens Are Paying Attention to Maestro¡¯s Visit to Korea. What is the Purpose of His Visit?] [Well-Known BJ King God Says on SNS That ¡®Maestro, you¡¯re my old idol.¡¯] [Title] maestro came to korea? [Author] ?? (125.107) | 2031.8.10 2:01 PM | [Views] 42,979 | [Recommended] 1,431 [Content] i thought that he wasn¡¯t going to come back to korea anytime soon, so why all of a sudden???? did he get kicked out of the us ;; [Comments] 788 ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: are you an idiot haha, chaser has a place in the us so why would he be kicked out ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: he didn¡¯t just come to take a break? ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: it¡¯s been 30 years and he came back to go sightseeing?? lmaoo what is he thinking to come back for a tour, he¡¯s just gonna get sweared at BAHAAHHAH his head must be really empty ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: the rumours have been circulating for a while but is he coming back to work in korea now?? ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: that traitor old man has crawled back to korea, fking disgusting hahaha how shocking ;;;; ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: the comment above is so ignorant. in the 2000s when times were toughest, he did everything they wanted to do for three years ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: i agree tbh cuz at that time, the country forced people into gates with only their bare body and didnt give them proper compensation so being in korea must¡¯ve exhausted him ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: the people defending him are traitors ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: think about it idiot lololol if you¡¯re in korea, you get paid basically nothing for the forced conscription but tbh, what¡¯s so bad about it? would you rather live in the stubron us or hell joseon? ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: stubron (x) stubborn (o) ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: i heard that american hunters get paid thousands of dollars a month for dignity maintenance, position support, and other expenses if they¡¯re above a-class haha, he¡¯s even an s-class. how could a crazy person come to korea after kicking it all away? ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: wow that¡¯s amazing hahaha but if he¡¯s really coming back to korea, which guild would he enter???? is it wolf as expected?? ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: the monkey king will be obsessed with trying to recruit him into immortal ©¸> ¡õ¡õ: nono at his level, he can just create his own guild lmao Knock, knock. Siwoo had been looking at the screen but raised his head at the sound of a knock on the door. Jehwi opened the door and entered. ¡°So they¡¯re here.¡± Siwoo turned the computer screen off and stood up from his seat. It seemed that the person he¡¯d been waiting for had finally arrived. ¡°Shall I take you there?¡± When Siwoo nodded, Jehwi hurriedly disappeared. Siwoo was the first to sit down at the long table in the centre of the room. He tapped his hand on the glass table while holding his chin with the other. ¡°¡­¡± His hardened blue eyes glanced at the phone next to him. He grabbed the phone with the hand he used to tap the table and checked the messenger. [You] [7:20 AM] Sunbae [You] [7:20 AM] That kid from yesterday, you better keep away from him [You] [7:20 AM] He¡¯s Trickster, and he¡¯s a pretty famous hunter in Korea [You] [7:20 AM] Of course, that isn¡¯t a good thing They were messages he had sent the day after eating with Eunha at the rice soup restaurant. However, to this day, the 1 by the side of the messages had not disappeared. Was something wrong? Seeing that she hadn¡¯t replied after days had passed made him a little worried. However, in order for Siwoo to visit Eunha¡¯s house, he needed an excuse because they weren¡¯t close enough for him to go in and out of the house for no reason. Actually, he could¡¯ve made an excuse if he had wanted to. There was a limited edition DVD of a well-known film that had been airlifted from overseas a while ago, and he could have also used a meeting for her next mission as an excuse. But today, there was something more important than that. Knock, knock. At the sound of the knocks, Siwoo put his phone in his pocket and opened his mouth. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and a bewildered Jehwi came in. After that, a familiar woman nodded her head. ¡°Hello, Hunter Shin Siwoo. We meet again.¡± It was Catherine. The woman who belonged to Clamp Management, a subsidiary of Chaser. Siwoo¡¯s blue eyes widened. To be precise, it was because of the large silhouette that stood behind her. CH 40 There are six S-Class hunters in Korea. Keum Roje, the leader of the Rose Guild, best healer in Korea, and public figure, ¡®Doctor Plant¡¯. Yoo Hwan, the ¡®Monkey King¡¯, who is a master of physical strengthening and is called the big brother of all hunters. Song Minjoo, the youngest S-Class hunter and a famous military maniac, ¡®Trickster¡¯. Kang Ayeon, the ¡®Phantom Thief¡¯. An egotistical and self-righteous hunter who insists on being independent and clears burst gates. Shin Siwoo, the most recently announced S-Class hunter and a mysterious ranker with none of his information revealed, ¡®Baekrang¡¯. And Shin Gwihoon, the master of Wolf and Korea¡¯s top S-Class hunter, the ¡®Midnight Sun¡¯. But actually, there were seven S-Class hunters in Korea. ¡®Baek Yijun, Maestro.¡¯ Soon after Catherine, Yijun appeared. He was a man with fine features, and a black suit jacket was draped slightly over his broad shoulders. His wrinkleless white shirt and casually styled blonde hair gave a neat impression. ¡°This is Maestro, the boss I had mentioned earlier.¡± The only Asian in the world rankings¡¯ top five. The No. 1 famous hunter who was still mentioned first by the Hunter Academy. And above all. ¡®¡­Korea¡¯s first S-Class hunter.¡¯ A ¡®Korean¡¯ who was judged as an S-Class before Shin Gwihoon, the owner of Wolf. But ironically, he was not included with the six S-Class hunters of Korea. The reason was simple. It was because he gave up his Korean citizenship and chose an American citizenship instead. There were many voices who criticised him for choosing the United States over Korea. However, no one had denied that he was one of the ¡®world¡¯s most well-known hunters¡¯. ¡®Why is such a man here?¡¯ Siwoo stayed sitting in his seat and looked up at him silently. It was a look that couldn¡¯t be described as kind. However, Yijun did not avoid his gaze. Rather, he even crinkled his eyes, smiling. ¡°Can I sit?¡± Informal speech. It wasn¡¯t very pleasant, but he didn¡¯t need to point it out. Siwoo knew the real age hidden behind his young appearance. In fact, he was his senior by a long way. ¡°¡­You can.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yijun sat down and glanced at Catherine. Then, with her head bowed, Catherine turned away. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be stepping out briefly.¡± ¡°Ah, i-if you need anything, please call for me. President.¡± Jehwi noticed the signs and followed Catherine, leaving the room. ¡°It seems like this is your mansion.¡± Yijun looked around the spacious room and said. ¡°Is it okay to call me to a place other than the Wolf Headquarters? Or is there a reason for this?¡± In the silent room, the two pairs of different coloured eyes met. Siwoo seemed unwilling to respond to Yijun¡¯s words. He only continued to stare at him with sharp eyes. Yijun raised a corner of his mouth in a slightly playful manner. ¡°What, is it because I look younger than you expected?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo didn¡¯t answer this time either. However, his blue eyes were still fixed on Yijun. The higher the rank, the more abilities incomparable to ordinary people one had. It wasn¡¯t just about the unique abilities granted by the System. There were self-healing powers that would heal wounds in addition to agility and destructive powers, and even things as simple hearing and sight had evolved tremendously. Slow ageing was another characteristic for top rankers. However. ¡®¡­This isn¡¯t normal.¡¯ The man in front of him, Baek Yijun, looked too youthful. He had seen his face in pictures, but he¡¯d thought that those were pictures of his youth. However, he appeared as a young man like the one in the photos in person as well. He looked good, like he was in his late twenties. At most, he only looked like he was in his early thirties. It wasn¡¯t just slowed ageing at this level. Wasn¡¯t it more like rejuvenation? Yijun took off his black leather gloves and set them on the glass table. He grinned as he casually swept back his hair with gracefully outstretched fingers. ¡°I know how you feel, but I wish you¡¯d stop staring at me. Your gaze is too intense.¡± ¡°¡­Why did you come?¡± Siwoo asked directly. ¡°If you want to talk, I¡¯ve already finished with her. There¡¯s nothing more to add on my part.¡± Indeed. Catherine had a reason for failing. That firm and determined attitude did not seem to be shaken by any means. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t have a hobby of repeating conversations.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo¡¯s expression wrinkled. Was he kidding with him right now? ¡°¡­Why.¡± When Yijun heard what he had said, he let out a small laugh. ¡°Why? I have something to ask you.¡± His laugh was only there for a moment. When the laughter disappeared like a haze, he opened his mouth firmly. ¡°Why did you sign a contract with the Princess of Dark Flare?¡± Siwoo¡¯s eyebrow twitched in response. The cause wasn¡¯t the chillingly low tone of voice. The Princess of Dark Flare. It was because of that familiar name that came out of his mouth. ¡°¡­Do I have to answer?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yijun placed his elbow on the handle of his chair, resting his chin on his hand. Beneath his light blonde hair, his grey eyes held a cold glint. ¡°Depending on your reason, my future actions will change.¡± At that moment, Siwoo knew instinctively. What was in those eyes was not meant as a threat or warning. ¡®Enemy.¡¯ That was quite fierce. But why? Why would Maestro mark him as an enemy when they¡¯d only met each other for the first time? Siwoo looked straight at him and opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with her?¡± ¡°Do you think that you have the right to ask that?¡± ¡°Then do you have it?¡± Siwoo twisted the corners of his lips. ¡°What right do you have to come to me and ask me about her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A suffocating silence engulfed them. They stared at each other unblinkingly. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ A small sound leaked through Siwoo¡¯s teeth. It was a sound that didn¡¯t go well with a smiling face. ¡®It was the same with Trickster not too long ago, and this time it¡¯s Maestro.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why these annoyances happened so often. However, what was certain was that Siwoo had no intention of cancelling this contract even if something troublesome would happen in the future. He would never allow it. ¡°If you were curious about her contract with me, you could have gone to her directly and not to me, who had already expressed my refusal once. But you didn¡¯t, and you came to see me again.¡± Siwoo spoke up to that point and raised his head to stare at him across the table. ¡°So, I can only think of it like this.¡± The moment the two gazes met, Siwoo slightly curved his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a reason that you can¡¯t meet her in person and ask her directly.¡± Yijun didn¡¯t answer. He only turned his head downwards. After a moment of silence. The shoulders covered by his black suit seemed to tremble faintly. ¡°Haha. How amusing.¡± He unexpectedly started to chuckle. ¡°I think I got the answer I was looking for.¡± Siwoo hardened his mouth. He had no memory of giving an answer to his question. ¡°What answer¡ª¡± Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Excuse me, Hunter Baek. The Korean Hunter Association has contacted us.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice came through the closed door. ¡°Ah. Okay.¡± Yijun nodded his head and got up from his seat. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to come to Korea.¡± Muttering softly, he reached out towards the leather gloves that he had taken off. Yijun put on his gloves one by one and got up from his seat. He was already a tall man, so he was much more intimidating when he stood up. ¡°¡­¡± However, Siwoo stared straight at him with an undaunted gaze. After a brief exchange of glances, Yijun raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°How troublesome.¡± Yijun waved a hand in his black leather gloves and grabbed the doorknob. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again soon, Baekrang.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Click. When Siwoo¡¯s eyes widened, the door had already been firmly closed. A few minutes later, the door opened again. ¡°P-president.¡± It was Jehwi. Seeing Siwoo, whose mood seemed to have plummeted to the floor at a glance, Jehwi turned his eyes. ¡°I got¡­ coffee¡­¡± ¡°Take it away. They already left.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jehwi took the tray where the tea set was placed and turned around. He was about to leave the room when a cold voice caught him by the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m taking the car.¡± ¡°The¡­ car? Where are you going?¡± Stand. Siwoo got up from his seat and put on his hood. In the pale shade that fell on his face, his blue eyes flickered. ¡°To Sunbae¡¯s house.¡± * * * Ding dong¡ª Eunha woke up suddenly to the sound of the bell and raised her head. She seemed to have fallen asleep while watching TV. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ There were only two people who could visit Eunha. Shin Siwoo and Park Jehwi. Unsurprisingly, what appeared on the intercom screen was Siwoo wearing a dark blue hood. When she pressed the open button, Siwoo¡¯s figure disappeared from the intercom screen. A little later, after Siwoo got onto the elevator and arrived on the 17th floor, he knocked on the front door. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She opened the door and looked at him. When he entered the house, he looked at the groggy Eunha and suddenly spoke to her. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± ¡°Yeah, for a while.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Siwoo murmured in a low voice, then quickly checked the inside of the house. There were definitely no signs of anyone stopping by. After confirming that, Siwoo turned his head toward Eunha with his usual face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to my message?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Eunha rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her phone. ¡°Because of my cellphone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siwoo slowly blinked his eyes. The phone in Eunha¡¯s hand was charred, as if it had been on fire. Eunha spoke as she tapped the screen that didn¡¯t light up. ¡°This happened at the burst gate I got swept up in.¡± If her cellphone had been broken since then, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to check the messages Siwoo sent in the first place. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± ¡°It would be quicker to just buy a new one.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Eunha quietly swiped the cellphone, as if feeling a little disappointed. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll borrow the kitchen.¡± Siwoo took off his hood and strode towards the kitchen. After that, Eunha¡¯s dubious eyes followed him. ¡°¡­You know how to cook?¡± ¡°Simple things.¡± Siwoo answered briefly and first put on the apron that was hanging on the wall. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, as Jehwi would have stocked up some food on his own. Siwoo was rummaging through the refrigerator and slowly turned his head. He saw Eunha sitting at the table. ¡°¡­Sunbae.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Siwoo moved his lips slightly. ¡°Do you know Maestro?¡± ¡°Maestro?¡± Eunha was touching her broken cellphone and glanced in his direction. ¡°No. Never heard of them.¡± Siwoo stared at Eunha quietly. She didn¡¯t seem to be lying. He hadn¡¯t seen her for a while, but he knew that she wasn¡¯t a liar. ¡°¡­Really?¡± Siwoo turned his head toward the refrigerator again. Carrots, green onions, potatoes¡­ Curry rice would be fine with these ingredients. Click. Siwoo closed the refrigerator door while holding some vegetables, and more words flowed out of his mouth. ¡°Then it sounds like you don¡¯t know Baek Yijun.¡± ¡°Baek Yijun?¡± Eunha¡¯s voice came from behind him. A potato suddenly fell from Siwoo¡¯s arms when he turned his head. It wasn¡¯t because Eunha had reacted like she knew him. ¡°How do you know him?¡± Siwoo had stiffened after seeing Eunha¡¯s unfamiliar expression. Eunha¡¯s eyes were wide, as if she was happy to hear that name. Did she know what kind of face she was making? ¡°No, I¡­¡± For some reason, in front of her, Siwoo¡¯s next words wouldn¡¯t come out easily. CH 41 ¡°¡­What will happen to us?¡± Eunha turned her head at the sound of a voice coming from her side. The single small candle wasn¡¯t very warm, so his hand was trembling softly as he held it tightly. As a result, both the candle and Yijun¡¯s shadow shook dangerously. ¡°N-no. Should we just talk about what we¡¯re going to eat tomorrow?¡± Yijun tried to raise the corners of his mouth, but they didn¡¯t go up as he wanted. It was good to talk about tomorrow. At least for that time, he could think about tomorrow instead of today. Even if some would call it avoidance, it didn¡¯t matter. Wiggling the hand holding the candlestick, Yijun spoke. ¡°I¡­ um, I¡¯d like a salad filled with fresh vegetables and grilled salmon.¡± He was pretending to be cheerful, but he couldn¡¯t fool Eunha¡¯s eyes. He had been with her for three years. Eunha stared intently at the flickering candle with her dark eyes, then quickly turned her head. ¡°¡­I want to eat rice soup.¡± ¡°Rice soup?¡± ¡°Yes. The rice soup that I often ate with my mom. The kimchi dumplings there are also delicious.¡± Her face, softly lit by the shabby candle, was facing forward. ¡°Can we go together someday?¡± Drip¡ª Drops of water fell from the tips of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Drip¡ª When the particularly clear sound was heard again, Eunha opened her mouth. ¡°Of course.¡± After the short answer, Eunha rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a blanket. ¡°You better get some sleep before the candle goes out. That¡¯s the last candle.¡± Then, after brushing off the dirt on the blanket, she held it out to Yijun. ¡°Use it. I don¡¯t need it.¡± She rested her back against the mossy wall of the cave without hesitation. Then, Yijun jumped and held out the blanket again. ¡°Lean on this. Your clothes will get dirty.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to change if a military uniform that¡¯s already covered in blood gets some dirt on it?¡± ¡°Still¡­ ¡° Yijun¡¯s face dimmed at Eunha¡¯s insignificant answer. His heart was heavy. Since when did she stop worrying about blood on their clothes? And until when would she be like this? ¡°Come on, just take it.¡± In the end, Yijun half-forced the blanket behind Eunha. Eunha just looked at Yijun with a slightly annoyed expression, but didn¡¯t stop him. A long silence passed after that. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t sleep. Yijun glanced at the colleague sitting next to him. Black hair and black eyes. The cat-like eyes that rose sharply were wary of their surroundings, but they were no longer scary. ¡°Eunha. Can¡¯t you sleep as well?¡± Whish. The black eyes that had been fixed forward turned towards his direction. ¡°If I fall asleep, I won¡¯t be able to stop an unexpected attack.¡± Suddenly, the green epaulettes on her shoulders came into view. Yijun didn¡¯t know how much weight they held. ¡°Eunha, you know¡ª¡± ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t sleep, I won¡¯t sleep either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eunha stared intently at Yijun. Then, she burst into a small laugh. ¡°Do as you please.¡± In front of her, Yijun also smiled. Yijun knew. Unexpectedly, Eunha was a person who laughed at trivial things like these. But her smile was like a haze. Something light and faint that would disappear quickly when you reached out to it. The two sat side by side against the damp inner wall of the cave. The two long shadows that stretched onto the moss-filled wall looked alike. Inwardly pleased at that fact, Yijun opened his mouth as he stared at their shadows on the wall. ¡°¡ªSo, my father wants me to come to America. The same goes for my mother.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Yijun¡¯s lips thinned as he glanced away. Even in the cave where the only light came from a little candle, her black eyes seemed to twinkle like a galaxy. Yijun slightly lowered his eyes. His long lashes casted even shadows on his pale cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I like it.¡± Eunha tilted her head. His voice was so low that she couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Yijun looked at her figure quietly and smiled. ¡°Never mind. How about you, Eunha? Didn¡¯t you want to go to university? You said it was your dream to become a dog groomer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that anymore.¡± After a very brief silence, the voice that came out of her lips was terribly calm. ¡°The world has changed.¡± Her powers had manifested at the end of her nineteenth. She was drafted when she was only 20 years old, and she was entering her third year as a hunter this year. If the world hadn¡¯t changed, she would have been living the life she wanted by studying in the United States by now. ¡°Then when peace returns someday.¡± When that time comes, will you go to America with me? Yijun couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. It was because of a sudden violent tremor. * * * ¡°After that, it¡¯s as you know.¡± With a click, Eunha put her spoon down and ended the story. Under the warm light that illuminated the living room, Siwoo and Eunha¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Baek Yijun escaped, and I was trapped in the unknown gate.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Siwoo also put down the spoon he was holding. Compared to Eunha¡¯s empty bowl, the bowl in front of him was still full of curry rice. ¡®For him¡­ Sunbae¡­¡¯ She got trapped in the unknown gate. Simply put, it was a sacrifice. As he thought about it, a question naturally came to mind. ¡®Why?¡¯ Siwoo had never made such a sacrifice for anyone, and he had no intention of doing so. Even for his own family. ¡°What was he like?¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t think he would be convinced of any answer. But, he was curious. What kind of person was he for her to willingly sacrifice herself? ¡°Well, if I had to describe him, I¡¯d say he was a soft person.¡± Eunha stared at her empty bowl and murmured faintly. There was even a faint smile on her lips as she recalled her memories. ¡®A soft¡­ person?¡¯ Who? Maestro? He couldn¡¯t even pretend to smile at the words he couldn¡¯t agree with. Eunha¡¯s face turned serious when her gaze reached Siwoo. ¡°Then you tell me now. How do you know Baek Yijun?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much to it. There¡¯s no Korean who doesn¡¯t know of him.¡± At Siwoo¡¯s words, Eunha tilted her head. She didn¡¯t seem to understand what Siwoo was saying. He didn¡¯t want to say anything that praised Yijun, but he had to. Siwoo opened his mouth again. ¡°He¡¯s Korea¡¯s first S-Class hunter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Long black hair fell down her shoulder. Eunha looked like she was genuinely surprised. It was natural. Because battle was the last thing that Eunha would associate with the Yijun she remembered. ¡°Ah. Saying that he¡¯s Korea¡¯s first S-Class might be a bit misleading. Since he¡¯s American.¡± After adding that, Siwoo got up from his seat, his chair dragging on the floor. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s visiting Korea. It¡¯s his first visit in about 30 years.¡± Siwoo indifferently uttered those words before taking the dishes on the table to head for the sink. His hand stopped as he was about to put on a rubber glove. ¡°¡­Sunbae.¡± Siwoo moved his lips stiffly without turning his head. ¡°Sunbae, do you want to meet him?¡± It was a very difficult question, so his lips didn¡¯t move as well as he wanted. The answer didn¡¯t come right away. He didn¡¯t know if the question he asked had been too much. He shouldn¡¯t have asked. Belatedly, such regrets came flooding in. ¡°Not at all.¡± Siwoo¡¯s head whipped back with a whoosh. Eunha was sitting on her chair with her chin resting on her hand, and their eyes met. ¡°Why are you surprised? Do I really need to see him?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Siwoo blinked his eyes slowly and asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sacrifice yourself for him?¡± ¡°Sacrifice?¡± She said one after another as she ran her hair down her shoulders and behind her ears. ¡°You must think of me as a hero.¡± So to speak, it was close. It couldn¡¯t be denied that being a first-generation hunter was close to being a hero for modern hunters. But Eunha didn¡¯t see it like that. ¡°Then you are mistaken. I¡¯m probably a lot more apathetic than you think.¡± On that day, at the moment she was trapped in the unknown gate, Eunha had not made any sacrifices. She simply chose the option that would cause the least damage when she thought about it realistically. Eunha no longer had the strength, hope, or anything to live for in reality. So, she chose to stay in the gate. She had no intention of overplaying it as a sacrifice. ¡°It¡¯s Sunbae who¡¯s mistaken.¡± Siwoo turned around and quietly denied it. ¡°You¡¯re probably a much nicer person than you think.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Eunha held her chin before gently lowering her hand. There was a moment of silence. Siwoo put on the rubber gloves and turned on the tap. He didn¡¯t know if he had done it to hide the awkwardness. Shwaaa¡ª Tap water rushed from the faucet and poured out vigorously. A low laugh was heard from behind him. ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Siwoo suddenly paused while he was cleaning the dishes. But after that moment, Siwoo casually resumed his scrubbing. After cleaning the dishes, Siwoo put on his hoodie again and took his car keys. ¡°Hm. I¡¯ll get you a new phone tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not urgent, so it doesn¡¯t matter if you take some time to get it.¡± ¡°No, it is urgent. For me.¡± Siwoo shook his head resolutely. She really didn¡¯t know that not being able to communicate with her was a frustrating thing for him. Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if something happened sooner or later with Trickster or Maestro. Both of them were people to keep an eye on. Siwoo put on his shoes while holding the food waste bag he had tied up beforehand. ¡°I¡¯m very thankful for a lot of things.¡± Eunha muttered as she stood in front of the shoe closet. Siwoo was tying the laces of his sneakers and glanced up. ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s just. Some stuff.¡± Eunha leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. ¡°It would have been really difficult without you.¡± ¡°¡­No, well, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Siwoo turned his head down after giving the brief and flat reply. After wrestling for a long time with his shoelaces that were particularly troublesome today, he lifted his downturned head. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Mn, see you tomorrow.¡± Eunha gently waved her hand. After the small motion, she made her escape and hurried away. Thump, thump, thump. The sound of footsteps in the hallway was especially loud. Ding dong¡ª ¡¸17th floor.¡¹ The moment the elevator door opened, Siwoo realised that he had not been able to get the information he needed. He should have asked Eunha, whose cell phone was broken, about Trickster and Yijun in more detail¡­ Siwoo quickly turned his head and stared at the closed front door. ¡®See you tomorrow.¡¯ ¡ªWell, it didn¡¯t matter. Siwoo turned his head again and got onto the elevator. ¡­ ¡­ Ding dong¡ª ¡¸First floor.¡¹ The moment the elevator door opened and he took a step out. ¡®It would have been really difficult without you.¡¯ He turned his head involuntarily. Suddenly, his eyes met in the elevator mirror. ¡°¡­¡± It was then that Siwoo realised he was making an unfamiliar face. ¡­Had he known that he had such a stupid face, he wouldn¡¯t have looked in the mirror in the end. Siwoo used some effort to pull down the corners of his lips that were slowly creeping up and hurriedly got out of the elevator. CH 42 Note: For this chapter there is a certain sentence that may be offensive, as it¡¯s racist. We changed it a little so it wouldn¡¯t be as offensive, but we¡¯ll also put the original translation at the very bottom. Those who would not like to see it can just skip it (also, please be in light mode if you do not wish to see the text, as dark mode will unhide it). ¡®Do you know Maestro?¡¯ Black eyes stared at the laptop screen. Eunha put her hands on the keyboard, as if possessed. ¡®Sunbae, do you want to meet him?¡¯ Click, clack. Even if she only entered ¡®Maes¡¯ in the search box, related search terms lined up in a long line below because of the autocomplete function. Maestro¡¯s visit to Korea Maestro¡¯s personality Maestro photo Maestro traitor Maestro wealth Both of the hands on the keyboard stopped. After a few more clicks, Eunha slowly lowered her hand. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s stop.¡¯ Yeah, she said she wouldn¡¯t care. Even if she met him again, she couldn¡¯t expect any positive results. And above all¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t assume that Baek Yijun is also hoping for a reunion with me.¡¯ If he, who was once her colleague, was still alive and had reached a position where he was recognized by the people, that was enough. It would be cruel of her to reopen his old wounds while knowing of his fragile personality. What did she really want to check by doing that? Did she simply want to be reassured that her choices that day weren¡¯t wrong? No, maybe she was just shaken for a moment by a reunion with the past she vaguely recalled. Eunha erased the ¡®Maes¡¯ by pressing the delete key and laid flat on the bed. Either way was selfish. She stared at the ceiling that seemed particularly high today, then slowly closed her eyelids. She no longer had a past. When she had seen her mother¡¯s severed arm a long time ago, Eunha¡¯s past was also cut off with it. It was foolish to feel the emptiness of that fact only now. ¡®But what if.¡¯ As if drawn to something, Eunha opened her tightly closed eyes. In the lightless room, black eyes that blended in with the darkness wandered aimlessly across the ceiling. If she could meet him, what would she say then? You¡¯re glad I¡¯m alive, right? Do you remember me? William¡­ Is he dead? ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Eunha closed her eyes again. The night was getting deeper and deeper. It was like the pitch-black night had only come for her. * * * In the drawing room on the top floor of the Hunter Association. All the windows were blinded. It wasn¡¯t to block out the sunlight, as it was approaching midnight. Clack. The sound of a glass teacup hitting a saucer echoed lightly in the quiet air inside. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to say thank you.¡± Yijun, who put down the teacup, raised his head and said. On the other side of him was the current head of the Korean Hunter Association, Go Daeyoon. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to enter the country quietly.¡± Although broadcasting stations and newspapers alike were buzzing about Maestro¡¯s visit to Korea, it was the association¡¯s contribution that allowed him to get into the car comfortably at the airport. ¡°It was the natural thing to do.¡± Daeyoon smiled warmly and raised his head to look at the man opposite to him. Baek Yijun. Although he had now moved to the United States, he was a first-generation Korean hunter who had managed to survive the turbulent times. At the same time, he was also the first S-Class hunter from Korea. Even if he didn¡¯t currently hold Korean citizenship, that fact would not change. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet a living legend in person like this. It¡¯s an honour for me, too.¡± ¡°You praise me too much.¡± ¡°Too much, you say. Ah. I¡¯ve prepared what you mentioned. You asked for Grandma Kim Yoonrye¡¯s rice soup, correct?¡± Daeyoon rang a bell on the table, and the door opened soon after. A woman who appeared to be an association employee placed a large bag on the table. ¡°Here it is.¡± And then, she glanced at Yijun. ¡®This person is Maestro¡­¡¯ Blonde hair shone brilliantly under the incandescent light. Because of his mixed race, his elegant features caught her eye at a glance. When their eyes suddenly met, his grey eyes gently curved. The woman¡¯s breathing stopped, and behind her, Association President Daeyoon¡¯s cough could be heard. ¡°Hmm. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Ah, please excuse me.¡± The employee came to her senses and quickly closed the door and left. ¡°It¡¯s late, but if you don¡¯t mind, have a spoonful. I told them to heat it up, so it won¡¯t be cold.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Daeyoon opened the bag and arranged the disposable containers on the desk. ¡°But it¡¯s surprising. I didn¡¯t expect you to want to eat something like rice soup. It seems that you miss the taste of Korea.¡± Daeyoon smiled and held out a spoon to Yijun. It was past midnight. It was too late to eat, but Yijun took the spoon wordlessly. ¡°So it tastes like this.¡± Yijun ate the rice soup and murmured lowly. ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing. It tastes really good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that this place is famous for its food. It¡¯s also my first time hearing of it. Do you usually enjoy rice soup?¡± ¡°No. Not really.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so?¡± The grey eyes looking down at the rice soup in the container seemed to have sunken. He didn¡¯t know why he wanted to eat it if he didn¡¯t like it. Still, watching him silently eat from the spoon until he could see the bottom of the container, he wondered if he really liked it. With the empty rice soup container in front of him, Daeyoon opened his mouth heavily. ¡°¡­So, I¡¯m really worried about a lot of things these days. It¡¯s not easy to balance power, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yijun put down his spoon and nodded his head knowingly. ¡°It can be said that it¡¯s a task for the World Hunter Association. Day by day, the abilities of hunters are soaring. It makes them dependable, but at the same time, it¡¯s terrifying.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Daeyoon wiped his hands with a wet wipe and took a long breath. ¡°In the case of the American Hunter Association, I know that a lot of high-level hunters are hired as association agents, but in our case, it is not easy.¡± Daeyoon lifted his cup of green tea. He took a sip of the warm tea to calm his burning stomach and spoke again. ¡°Just sending a search agent immediately into a burst gate is already an overwhelming thing to do.¡± What could hunters above A-Class feel so sorry about that they would stay in the association while receiving a salary? The only thing that the association had that was better compared to guilds was the existence of private insurance. In other words, there was no reason to join the association unless you were a person who prioritised public interests over private ones. In addition, among modern hunters, a person with a sense of justice was called a freak or a pushover rather than a hero. It was a very bleak situation. ¡°It would be a great help if there were hunters like you in the association.¡± Daeyoon glanced at him. There was anticipation in the subtle glance he gave. Yijun just smiled softly without saying a word. Considering his position as the head of the Korean Hunter Association, Daeyoon wasn¡¯t just speaking carelessly. ¡®Do you really not plan on hiding your intentions?¡¯ The doors of the Korean Hunter Association were always open. It was similar to that kind of appeal. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m just kidding.¡± A joke. Even though he thought otherwise, Yijun just pretended not to understand and kept his smile. Daeyoon slowly changed the topic with a cough. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the activities of the Chaser Guild. You subjugated Florida¡¯s S-Class gate this time, right? And in four days as well.¡± ¡°Even if it was an S-Class gate subjugation, it¡¯s not just Chaser¡¯s achievement. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible without the North American Guild Alliance.¡± Yijun picked up his teacup with a smile on his lips. The moment the bittersweet tea spread in his mouth, a picture came to the end of his inadvertent gaze. His grey eyes were fixed on the photo that was left unattended in the corner of the guest table. ¡°¡­That.¡± ¡°Ah. She¡¯s a rookie hunter who recently started working.¡± Daeyoon glanced at the picture. It was the side view of a woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and a black dress. It was Hunter Lee Yura, the Princess of Dark Flare who had recently been closely monitored. ¡°I¡¯m investigating something a little suspicious.¡± He had forgotten to clean it up. Daeyoon nonchalantly said that it wasn¡¯t a big deal and turned the picture upside down. However, Yijun¡¯s gaze was still fixed on the back of the photo. ¡°Something suspicious?¡± ¡°She was measured as an F-Class, but her skills seem too good for that. As you know, there is no way that a measuring instrument used worldwide would cause errors. In many ways, it¡¯s something to be concerned about.¡± The smile that had stayed in Yijun¡¯s eyes disappeared for a moment. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± But it was only for a moment. Yijun closed his mouth and lowered his gaze. ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°No.¡± An immediate answer. There was no hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s just that her outfit is quite unique.¡± Something lingered in the eyes that quickly fluttered shut before disappearing. However, Daeyoon didn¡¯t notice it and nodded. That¡¯s right. He was a first-generation hunter and had been in America for the past few decades, so how would he know about the Princess of Dark Flare? Yijun did not bring up the Princess of Dark Flare anymore. Daeyoon did the same. The topic naturally moved from the Princess of Dark Flare to unknown gates. ¡°I see. Unknown gates are still¡­¡± Yijun stroked his chin with a serious expression on his face. All gates had a structure that couldn¡¯t be grasped by modern human technology, but unknown gates were particularly so. Gates themselves were a global phenomenon, but unknown gates appeared frequently only in East Asia, and especially in Korea. The difficulty was unpredictable. There were times when precious loot that couldn¡¯t be found in regular gates was obtained, but as the cause of appearance and the method of destruction were unknown, it couldn¡¯t be denied that there were more losses than gains. ¡°Maybe unknown gates are the biggest challenge for the Korean Hunter Association.¡± Daeyoon¡¯s murky face floated on the tea¡¯s surface. Research on unknown gates had been carried out for the past 20 years with neighbouring countries, mainly in Korea, but it was impossible to suggest a solution for something that couldn¡¯t be explained in the first place. ¡°I seem to only be talking about heavy topics.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Because Hunter Baek is so reliable, I seem to be lamenting without realising it. Seriously, I can¡¯t help but hope for a hunter like you in the association. Haha.¡± ¡°I will consider it.¡± ¡°Right, you¡¯ll¡ª¡± Huh? Daeyoon, who was holding his teacup to his mouth, hardened like a stone statue. When he raised his head with widened eyes, his eyes met with Yijun, who was picking up the suit jacket he had put on the sofa. ¡°J-just now¡­ What¡­¡± ¡°I said that I will consider it.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oh my god. Daeyoon almost dropped the teacup he was holding. Unlike Daeyoon who had stiffened in surprise, Yijun calmly checked his watch. It was already past one in the morning. Yijun approached the window and looked outside, lifting his finger between the blinds. ¡°I have to go back now. I¡¯m tired because I¡¯m still jet lagged.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yes. Go and do that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details again through my attendant. Is that fine with you?¡± ¡°O-of course. Anytime.¡± Daeyoon nodded his head heavily as he blinked in confusion. ¡°And thank you for the rice soup. I ate well.¡± Click. The door closed. Regardless, Daeyoon remained stiff and was unable to move for a while. Baek Yijun¡­ Maestro offered to join the association? And to the Korean Hunter Association, not the American Hunter Association? Of course, it wasn¡¯t confirmed yet, but¡ª ¡®Why on earth?¡¯ Even the president of the association couldn¡¯t help but ask such a question. But aside from his doubt, he had no intention of missing out on this opportunity. Daeyoon jumped up from the sofa and strode forward, reaching for the phone on his desk. Here is the original translation of the aforementioned offensive sentence (highlight below to view):