If it weren’t for the desperate crowd control efforts by the police and the Association’s employees, the scene of the incident would’ve descended into pure pandemonium from the maddened crowd.
The reporters had also rushed here as soon as word got out and were now busy snapping away with their cameras.
“Uh? It’s Sung Jin Woo!”
“Quick! Take his pictures!!”
Jin Woo evaded their gazes and wordlessly walked over to someone that seemed to be a staff member of the Hunter’s Association.
This staff member immediately froze up in nervousness after seeing Jin Woo’s face. That was how scary the Hunter’s complexion looked at that moment.
“S-Sung Jin Woo Hunter-nim….”
“Where’s my sister?”
“Miss Sung Jin-Ah and other students have been transferred to the Seoul Il-Sin hospital. They are safe.”
“…..”
Jin Woo nodded his head, his expression still remaining grave, and turned around to walk away.
The staff member unconsciously swallowed dry saliva while watching his back get further away.
Gulp.
The first thing those arriving here did was to confirm the status of the student named Sung Jin-Ah, as per the instruction from the Association.
Thankfully, she was unhurt. With the exception of abrasions suffered around her neck and wrists, there were no other injuries on her.
Hunter Park Jongryeo was the one who had rescued her, so he should know that fact better than anyone, yet….
‘Even then, for him to be that pissed off….’
It was a good thing that he arrived on time, otherwise, how would he have reacted if something happened to his sister? The staff member shuddered from the terrifying dizziness he suddenly felt just then.
It indeed was a huge relief.
Contrary to the relief of the staff member, though, Jin Woo was feeling quite gloomy at the moment as he pulled out his phone.
‘I’m sure Mom’s about to get the news.’
Too many students lost their lives at the hands of the monsters. Rather obviously, his mother would feel like her world was about to crumble after receiving the news.
‘Before that happens, I need to tell her that Jin-Ah’s okay.’
He thought as such and was about to tap the “Call” icon, but then, he heard an unexpected voice coming from behind him and stopped.
“I’ve already sent some of the Association’s agents over to speak to your mother, Sung Hunter-nim. They should be on their way to the hospital as we speak.”
Jin Woo looked behind him.
“Mister Association President.”
Goh Gunhee stood there, his complexion as dark as Jin Woo’s.
Even though the President himself was not at fault here, as the person representing South Korea’s Hunter’s Association, he was feeling the burden of responsibility for failing to prevent this tragedy.
Jin Woo could only express his gratitude for Goh Gunhee looking out for his family even under the current circumstances.
That prompted Goh Gunhee to shake his head.
“No, it’s us that should be thanking him.”
Seventeen students survived.
It was only because of Park Jongryeo’s arrival that those students among the trapped in the school building were able to get out of there alive.
“Yet, we are also constantly in your debt, Hunter-nim.”
Jin Woo could only smile bitterly at that.
He could have help saved a lot more students if he were able to use the Shadow Exchange and get here right away.
Such regret seeped clearly into his expression.
Goh Gunhee could faintly sense what Jin Woo was feeling right now from his expression. But the older man shook his head.
‘Now isn’t the time to wallow in our emotions.’
Indeed, didn’t he have something important to say to this young man? Goh Gunhee raised his head.
“Will you be heading to the hospital now?”
Jin Woo thought back to the Gate in Gwang-An-ri, but quickly stopped worrying about it.
His MP remained the same as before. Meaning, Beru and his ants were conquering the dungeon without encountering any problem at the moment.
‘Well…. It’s not just any soldier but Beru, so it’ll be fine.’
There was no need to worry about the progress of the raid right now.
“Yes, I am.”
“Please, let me give you a ride there.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“Please, allow me. There is something else I wish to talk to you about on the way, as well.”
Jin Woo initially declined thinking that the offer was made out of courtesy, but he nodded his head after seeing the earnest attitude of the Association President.
“Alright, I will.”
Jin Woo followed Goh Gunhee’s guidance and they both climbed into the back seat of the waiting car.
Even though it was a full-size saloon, the back seat felt cramped after Goh Gunhee’s huge frame and Jin Woo’s wide shoulders climbed aboard.
Woo Jinchul was sitting in the driver’s seat, and nodded his greeting through the rear-view mirror.
Jin Woo also nodded slightly as his greeting.
…
The car slowly set forward and only then did the Association President stop hesitating and speak up.
“…In a way, you could say that today’s tragedy has been foretold in advance.”
His expression was hard.
On the other hand, Jin Woo was feeling confused.
‘Does that mean the Association didn’t do anything about an incident they could have prevented in advance?’
Before his confusion had the chance to transform into anger, the Association President pulled out his phone and showed Jin Woo its display.
It showed a graphical chart.
“This shows the increase in the Gate activity around the city of Seoul for the last six months.”
The dots drew a gentle curvature but when it got nearer to present, it suddenly spiked up steeply.
“And this side shows the stats from around the world.”
If the Association President didn’t make that clear, Jin Woo might have mistaken them for two of the exact same thing. That was how similar-looking the inclines in those two graphs were.
“The numbers of Gates appearing has spiked up noticeably throughout the world.”
…
Goh Gunhee’s complexion got darker and darker.
“However, that isn’t the only strange thing.”
He returned the phone back into his inner jacket pocket and carried on.
“People wanting to confirm their Awakened rankings are practically lining up in a long queue outside the Association every day now.”
The number of Gates where monsters come out was increasing, and at the same time, the number of Hunters who were supposed to block the Gates was also increasing? As if to maintain a balance?
Seeing Jin Woo’s interested expression, the Association President spoke in a complicated tone of voice.
“We think that…..”
Goh Gunhee ended his lengthy explanation while implying that it was only his personal hypothesis.
“….Something is changing.”
Jin Woo nodded his head.
This was indeed interesting information. Anyone could tell something big was afoot from that data. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean Jin-Woo could do anything about them right now. It was the same story for Goh Gunhee, as well.
Also, a simple phone call would have sufficed if it was about sharing of information and a hypothesis. Jin Woo thought that Association President wouldn’t have taken time out of his packed schedule to simply have this conversation.
“In that case, what you wish to talk to me about was…..?”
As if he was waiting for that, Goh Gunhee picked up a briefcase resting by the footwell and pulled out various documents from there.
“Japan, the States, China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany, and even from the Middle East….”
All the nations with some international clout were brought up abruptly.
“These are all the official documents sent in from those nations that wish to make contact with you, Sung Jin Woo Hunter-nim. I’m fairly certain that some of them even have made unofficial contacts with you already.”
Jin Woo briefly recalled the incident involving the American Hunter Bureau’s people, but decided not to mention it.
“In all honesty, we at the Hunter’s Association simply don’t have any rights to stop these people. No, we can only protect your personal information according to your request.”
Jin Woo silently listened to the older man’s story.
“I know that everything depends on your decision, Sung Jin Woo Hunter-nim, but…. But, I fear that our country will not be able to adapt to the incoming changes if you decide to leave us.”
Rather than a concrete answer, Jin Woo shifted his gaze out of the car’s window. As he fell deeper into a myriad of distracting thoughts, one of the biggest hospitals in the country entered his view.
It was the very hospital where Jin-Ah had been admitted to.
“We will provide you with every convenience we can possibly provide.”
Goh Gunhee stuffed the documents back inside the briefcase and asked Jin Woo with a tense expression.
“So, would you please remain in South Korea?”
“You’ll provide all the convenience you can?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Jin Woo’s question was met with Association President Goh Gunhee’s assured answer.
Officially, there were eleven S-rank Hunters recorded in the Korean Hunter’s Association’s database.
But, they had lost three now. Two died at the hands of monsters, while one abandoned Korea for America.
From the perspective of the Hunter’s Association, they could not afford to be hands-off in this matter anymore.
They wanted to do everything they could – this wasn’t just the opinion of Association President Goh Gunhee, but the rest of the Association as well.
‘Unless it’s the other S-rank Hunters…..’
They definitely could not afford to let Hunter Sung Jin Woo slip away.
Goh Gunhee’s eyes gleamed with the light of determination. As the representative of the Hunter’s Association, he had met countless Hunters over the years. Several of them were those whom you’d qualify as some of the strongest in the world, as well.
However, Sung Jin Woo was the first Hunter ever to make his heart race this madly.
Not just as the Association President, but as the citizen of this nation, he definitely wanted Jin Woo to remain in South Korea.
[“We will provide you with every convenience we can possibly provide.”]
Those words expressed the Association President Goh Gunhee’s strong will to keep Jin Woo in the country. They also contained how highly the older man thought of the young Hunter, as well.
“If that’s the case….”
Jin Woo thought for a little while, before opening his mouth.
“Will you let me enter high-ranking Gates all by myself in the future?”
“Pardon me?”
When he was faced with a completely unexpected demand, Goh Gunhee’s eyes opened up wide.
“Are you asking me to exclude you from the minimum headcount rule?”
Jin Woo nodded his head.
“Huh-uh….”
The regulation regarding the number of raid team members was the minimum safety net in place for the Hunters. It was a policy to prevent the incidents of Hunters entering a dungeon without sufficient preparation and losing their lives.
However….
Did Hunter Sung require such a safety net when his summons could beat down countless S-rank monsters? Abruptly recalling a certain scene from the ant tunnel raid, Goh Gunhee asked as his expression tensed up.
“By any chance…. The raid permits your Guild will be issued with, are you planning to clear those Gates all by yourself?”
“Yes.”
Goh Gunhee became speechless from Jin Woo’s straightforward reply. There was not one trace of worry in his voice.
‘Could it be that he made the Guild just for this…..?’
Did he do that so he could solo-clear high-ranking dungeons?
There were many powerful Hunters throughout the world, but none of them planned their raids in this manner.
But, when the images of this Jin Woo confidently chatting away, and the Jin Woo back in the ant tunnel summoning countless soldiers to sweep away the ant monsters, overlapped in Goh Gunhee’s eyes, the older man suddenly began shivering almost uncontrollably.
‘A one-man army….’
For Goh Gunhee, who had been constantly worried about the unchecked growth of the major Guilds, that proved to be one hell of an attractive concept.
Ba-dump, ba-dump!!!
His heart began racing again.
Goh Gunhee placed his hand on the chest that began to hurt a little, and formed a bitter smile after comparing himself to the virile and healthy-looking Jin Woo.
“Will it be difficult?”
Jin Woo asked, but Goh Gunhee immediately shook his head.
“It’s not going to be impossible.”
Indeed, it wouldn’t be impossible, but it’d be quite difficult, nonetheless. That was what Goh Gunhee thought.
But, just what kind of man was he? He was the President of the Hunter’s Association, an S-rank Hunter, and the member of the National Assembly.
This was a request from not just anyone, but Hunter Sung Jin Woo. Even if it was a tough request, there would be nothing holding Goh Gunhee back from fulfilling it.
And if that was enough to keep Hunter Sung in South Korea, then all the better for it.
“Leave it to me.”
Jin Woo grinned brightly after hearing Goh Gunhee’s confident reply.
‘Nice.’
One of the things that could’ve proved to be a source of headache got resolved just now.
“Thank you.”
Jin Woo smiled and expressed his gratitude, and Goh Gunhee replied with a smile of his own.
“I always bring this up, but well, it should be us thanking you, Hunter-nim.”
Screech.
The large saloon carrying the two stopped at a bit of distance away from the hospital’s entrance.
“Let us speak again soon, Sung Hunter-nim.”
“Of course.”
After sharing simple goodbyes, Jin Woo climbed out of the car.
The news of the victims being transferred to this hospital must’ve gotten around, because there were a lot of reporters camping by the entrance already.
The car stopping a fair distance away from the entrance was all due to Woo Jinchul’s consideration.
There was little doubt that another commotion would’ve broken out if the car carrying the Association President came to a stop in front of the hospital and Jin Woo climbed out from there.
‘It’s times like this that being famous can get really annoying.’
Jin Woo shook his head and used ‘Stealth’ to conceal himself.
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