Are you alright?" Jinwoo asked, his voice low and grounding.
Ju-Hee couldn't form words. She simply nodded, her gaze shifting between the lifeless body of Kang Taeshik and the man standing before her. The scrawny, battered E-Rank hunter she used to heal weekly was gone. In his place stood someone who had just killed a specialized B-Rank Assassin without breaking a sweat.
But beneath the sheer intimidation of his new strength, the look he gave her was completely unchanged. It was the same steady, protective gaze he always had.
"Mr. Song," Jinwoo turned toward the veteran hunter, his tone turning businesslike. "We need to clear the rest of this dungeon quickly.
The Association will have questions, and we need to make sure our stories match. Taeshik killed the criminals, and the boss killed Taeshik."
Mr. Song, still nursing his severed arm, gave a solemn, slow nod. "Understood, Jinwoo. You saved our lives today. We owe you that much."
As they moved deeper into the cavern to finish the raid, Jinwoo's mind drifted away from the damp stone walls.
Level 30 huh....
...
The air outside the gate was heavy, saturated with the screeching sirens of the Hunter Association's emergency vehicles. The glowing blue portal hummed behind them, slowly shrinking now that the dungeon boss had been slain.
A fleet of black sedans pulled up, doors snapping open in unison. Out stepped the clean-up crew alongside agents from the Surveillance Department—men wearing the exact same dark suits Kang Taeshik had worn.
Leading them was a sharp-eyed investigator holding a digital clipboard, his gaze scanning the survivors. "Hunters Lee Ju-Hee, Song Chi-Yul, and Sung Jinwoo. Step forward for questioning."
Jinwoo stood perfectly still, his posture relaxed, hands casually tucked inside his jacket pockets. Inside those pockets, however, his fingers lightly brushed against the small, cold crystal he had harvested from Kang Taeshik—the Stealth rune stone.
"We need a full report on the casualties," the lead investigator demanded, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Mr. Song's bandaged arm. "According to our records, Hunter Kang Taeshik was monitoring three high-risk criminals inside this D-Rank gate. All three criminals are dead. And Hunter Kang Taeshik is missing."
Mr. Song stepped forward, his voice steady with the practiced gravity of a veteran. "The gate was unstable. It wasn't a normal D-Rank. The monsters inside were highly aggressive, and the terrain split our party. The criminals panicked, drew the aggro of a massive horde, and were slaughtered instantly."
"And Hunter Taeshik?" the investigator pressed, his eyes darting suspiciously toward Jinwoo.
"He attempted to save them," Jinwoo interjected smoothly, his voice devoid of any nervous tremor. His *Sense* stat allowed him to read the investigator's micro-expressions, adjusting his tone to sound like a shaken, lucky survivor. "But the dungeon boss caught him off guard. It was an ambush. By the time Mr. Song and I managed to slay the boss, Hunter Taeshik had already succumbed to his wounds. The dungeon collapsed over his body."
The investigator stared at Jinwoo, trying to detect a lie, trying to measure the magical energy of the young man standing before him. But Jinwoo was actively suppressing his mana, presenting himself as nothing more than the low-level E-Rank the Association had on file.
"A B-Rank assassin, taken down by a D-Rank boss..." the investigator muttered, clearly unsatisfied but lacking any evidence to contradict the unified story of three survivors. He clicked his tongue and signed off on his tablet. "Very well. You're free to go for medical evaluation. But don't leave the city. We may call you in for further questioning."
As the agents walked away to secure the perimeter, Ju-Hee let out a long, shaky breath she had been holding the entire time. She looked up at Jinwoo, her eyes filled with a complex storm of gratitude, awe, and a lingering touch of fear.
"Jinwoo..." she whispered softly.
"Go get your injuries looked at, Ju-Hee," Jinwoo said gently, his tone softening just for her. "You did well in there , don't forget to call me when you recover and thank you for your hard work"
She nodded reluctantly, letting the medical team lead her away toward an ambulance.
Jinwoo watched her go, then turned his back on the flashing lights of the Association vehicles. Walking away into the bustling city streets, the cold atmosphere of the dungeon began to melt away, replaced by a sudden, grounding warmth. He checked the time on his phone.
*5:30 PM.*
He had promised Jin-Ah he would be back before dinner. If he was late, she would undoubtedly lecture him, pacing the apartment floor with that fierce, stubborn worry he had grown to cherish.
With a quiet smirk, Jinwoo quickened his pace toward the subway station.
The walk back from the subway station gave Jinwoo just enough time to collect himself. By the time he reached the door of the small apartment.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"I'm home," Jinwoo said, kicking off his sneakers.
The savory, rich aroma of a simmering home-cooked stew immediately hit his nose—a stark contrast to the metallic scent of blood and damp stone he had been breathing just hours prior.
"You're actually on time," Jin-Ah's voice called out from the kitchen. She peeked around the corner, holding a soup ladle, her eyes narrowed in looking at his shabby appearance.
She froze mid-step, her gaze tracking him as he walked into the living room.
Jin-Ah walked over, setting the ladle down, and circled him once like a detective examining a ever corner but found no wound visible only some torn clothes and blood stain.
"Okay, seriously, what is going on with you?" she asked, hands on her hips, looking up at him. "Did you get injured again today? Your jacket looks like it's torn by some animal. And your skin looks... I don't know even what to say.
Jinwoo rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a sheepish laugh. " It's just some wound traces which was already healed and I told you, your brother become stronger than before."
"Hmph. Right. 'Strong,'" she mimicked, rolling her eyes. But as she looked at his face—noticing the distinct lack of bandages, scratches, or bruises for the first time in months—the stubborn tension in her shoulders completely melted away.
A bright, genuine smile broke across her face.
"Well, whatever it is, I don't mind," she said, turning back toward the kitchen with a cheerful bounce in her step. "You actually came back in one piece today. That alone is enough , Go wash your hands, the stew is almost done!"
Jinwoo watched her retreat to the kitchen, a profound sense of relief washing over his chest.
To the rest of the world, he was becoming a terrifying anomaly—a hunter who could ruthlessly strike down a specialized B-Rank assassin in the dark. But here, in this dimly lit apartment, none of that mattered.
Sitting down at the table a few minutes later, the clinking of chopsticks and the warm steam from the bowls filled the room.