If Go Gunhee were to lend his support, then even the most average guy would be on the fast track to success.
The National Assembly, the government, the Hunters Association, and even the mass media, too – it’d be very hard to find a sector that Go Gunhee’s reach did not extend to.
Not only that, if the person receiving that support just so happened to be an S-rank Hunter?
‘I can’t even imagine how far a person like that would climb up.’
All of a sudden, Jongryeo pictured himself sitting right next to the member of National Assembly Go Gunhee while kitted out in a super-dope designer business suit.
His heart palpitated ever so slightly.
‘Such an opportunity wouldn’t come knocking every day, right?’
Even if one wanted to walk down on this ‘different path’ Go Gunhee had suggested, not everyone was qualified to step on this road, after all.
However….
There was one important thing missing from that scenario.
‘If I sign up with the Association, I won’t be able to increase my level.’
The higher-ranked Hunters working for the Association never participated in raids at all. Their main role was to deal with other Hunters, not to hunt down and kill monsters.
And, even if he managed to get permission and participate in raids organized by the Association….
‘Dungeons the Association deals with are rank Ds and Es, those that the Guilds aren’t interested in.’
Could he continue on by hunting down low-level mobs that didn’t even give him any experience points? No, of course not.
Jongryeo strongly balked at the idea.
Thump.
Thump.
Imagining that caused his heart to thump way harder and faster than imagining himself being next to the Association President Go Gunhee.
Go Gunhee too sensed the change in Jongryeo.
‘His breathing has suddenly picked up. Did he finally make up his mind?’
He could only hope that the decision was a good one.
‘No, it simply has to be a good one.’
….If he thought about his remaining time.
His own anticipation no less than that of Jongryeo’s, Go Gunhee waited for the answer. Each passing second felt like a minute.
Jongryeo eventually opened his mouth.
“Accept.”
Go Gunhee sighed in relief.
“But…”
Go Gunhee’s expression hardened immediately.
“I’m aware that hunters working for the Association never participated in raids.”
“So you want to continue fighting against the monsters?”
“That’s correct.”
Jongryeo didn’t bother with unnecessary explanations and spoke frankly.
“I want to enter Gates and hunt down monsters. I believe I’ll be able to find what I’m seeking for inside dungeons.”
Jongryeo looked him in the eye.
“If you can allow me to continue participating in raids then I’ll gladly join the Association. That is all I ask.”
Goh Gun-Hui’s eyes widened.
A man like him standing on top of many others knew whether someone was telling the truth or lying through their teeth simply from the light emitting from their eyes.
The position he occupied could only be reached by possessing such a skill, after all. That was why Go Gunhee knew it.
‘Those eyes…. He’s being dead serious.’
Go Gunhee’s own eyes staring at Jongryeo did a 180.
‘How long has it been since I felt this?’
By the time Go Gunhee had ‘Awakened’, his body was already too old. That was why, instead of fighting against monsters, he looked for other things he could do, instead.
By using the money he got from selling his company, he established the Korean Hunters Association, gathered Hunters, and with his fame serving as the foundation, he marched straight into the National Assembly, and even had a hand in creating laws that governed Hunters.
However, there was this lingering regret in his heart that would never go away, even though he worked tirelessly all this time.
‘If only I was younger by 20, no, 10 years, I’d been…. With these young people, I…..!’
Thump, thump, thump….
Go Gunhee pressed his hand on his chest. His heart that threatened to quit at any time was pounding quickly, rather noticeably, now.
‘My heart can still make a noise like this?’
The rhythmic beating of the heart felt good.
“It’s a deal Hunter Park Jongryeo. Welcome to the Association.”
Go Gunhee was smiling brightly.
“Thank you for your consideration.” Jongryeo lightly bowed towards Go Gunhee and Woo Jinchul and left the waiting area.
______________________
With excellent timing, agents from the Association’s Investigation Department arrived in front of the Gate. Their eyes grew real round after spotting Jin-Woo leisurely exiting from the Gate as it gradually closed behind him.
“H-Hunter-nim!! Are there any other survivors besides you?”
“No. No one else.”
“Euh!!”
The expressions of the agents hardened in an instant.
Nine people entered it, yet only three walked out alive. This undoubtedly qualified as a huge incident.
What with several similarly bad incidents occurring within a single district, it was little wonder why these Association agents felt like they had stepped on an almighty pile of dog poo at this very moment.
They wanted to make sure there were no other survivors, but the Gate closed on them so that was no longer possible, too.
This was precisely the reason why Jin-Woo waited around until the time limit was almost up, however.
‘Well, I can’t let them know that there indeed was a survivor, now can I?’
With this, the testimonies of the three survivors would have to suffice. One of the agents spoke with a complicated tone of voice.
“Just now, the Investigation Department has received a telephone call from the chairman of the Geumgang Industries, wishing to hand himself over.”
It was here that Song Chi-Yeol entered into the conversation.
“The chairman of the Geumgang Industries, you say?”
“He’s the father of the victim, and he allegedly has paid off the Hunter Kang Taeshik from the Monitoring Division to murder the convicts.”
“Oh….”
The chairman had confessed to everything after he heard that Kang Taeshik was indeed successful in killing the rapist.
‘Although, it wasn’t Kang Taeshik but me….’
Cops headed there, and the Association came here, it seemed.
Jin-Woo listened quietly before asking a question.
“If that’s the case, there is no problem on this side, isn’t that right?”
At Jin-Woo’s question, the agents formed troubled expressions.
“Yes, basically.”
There was a clear evidence of Kang Taeshik’s crimes, and these three people fought Kang Taeshik in order to survive. Just as Jin-Woo asked, there was nothing here that could be seen as problematic.
….Except for one thing.
One of the agents asked the part that felt the most suspicious to him.
“Just who delivered the final killing blow to Mister Kang Taeshik, who was a rank B Hunter?”
The agents had only arrived at the scene not too long ago, and they were not briefed on the minute details of the situation yet.
‘Oh, well. The distance from here to the Association headquarters is really far, so it can’t be helped, huh. It’s already quite commendable that they had arrived here before the Gate actually closed.’
The agents, and before anyone knew it, only Jin-Woo and Yi Ju-Hui remained on the scene.
The sun had set a long time ago.
Ju-Hui must’ve found Jin-Woo and the somewhat altered aura he emitted a bit foreign, because she hesitated greatly before cautiously approaching him.
“Would you like to walk with me for a little while?”
‘Is she talking about that dinner date?’
He was starving after moving around for a bit today, so he found her suggestion to his liking.
Jin-Woo agreed with a welcoming expression.
“Okay, let’s.”
As if they had made a promise earlier, the two young people began quietly walking side by side under the soft lights of the street lamps.
“….”
Ju-Hui’s eyes remained fixed to her toes.
Because, if she tried to raise her head, her gaze automatically drifted towards to her side. She tried very hard not to think about it, but it was of no use.
In the past, she found him comfortable to talk to, but now, the current Jin-Woo was overflowing with this certain sense of power. She found it much harder to talk to him now as a result.
‘Just what happened….?‘
He was strong enough to subdue a rank B Hunter without too much trouble. He had changed so drastically.
Since he requested her to keep it a secret, she wasn’t planning to pry, but his amazing transformation kept tugging at the corner of her mind.
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