"Where are you? I'll be right there."
"I'm at the..."
"Okay, stay right there. Wait for me. Don't hang up the phone."
"U-Um!"
"What's wrong?" Cha Hae-In asked worriedly, stepping closer. She could easily see that Suzuki had completely lost his usual calm composure the moment he answered the call.
"I'm sorry, I have to go."
"Do you need my help?"
Suzuki stopped mid-step, turning to feel Cha Hae-In's intense, unwavering gaze on him. Her eyes hid nothing. She was deeply worried about him, and she desperately wanted to help. If there was anything she could do to ease his burden, even slightly, she would do it without hesitation.
Before he could answer, her expression softened.
"Am I being a nuisance?" Cha Hae-In asked softly, though she didn't step back. "If I'm causing you trouble, you don't have to force yourself to accept my help." Her face fell slightly, a faint trace of her old, isolating loneliness returning.
"No, it's fine," Suzuki replied quickly, his chest tightening. "Come with me."
"Okay."
Those simple words caused a breathtakingly beautiful smile to bloom across her face, completely wiping away any trace of her previous sadness.
Is it really going to be okay? Suzuki wondered internally.
He was used to solving all of his problems entirely on his own. Yet, a part of him felt incredibly relieved that Cha Hae-In wanted to share this sudden burden with him. However, he also felt a deep sense of hesitation. Bringing her along meant she was going to meet Sung Jin-ah—someone incredibly important to him. Worlds were about to collide.
This isn't the time to overthink things.
Suzuki still wasn't entirely sure why Jin-ah had called him in such a terrified panic, but he knew that if she called him, he absolutely had to be there. He was likely the only person she could rely on right now. She had stuck by him during his lowest, most miserable moments before his Awakening; it was only natural that he would drop everything for her now.
Without another word, the two S-Rank Hunters burst out onto the penthouse balcony and leapt into the night. They bounded across the sprawling Seoul skyline, moving with terrifying speed, desperate to reach Jin-ah as fast as possible.
However, while the two strongest members of the Hunters Guild raced across the city, a tense, secretive gathering was taking place in a heavily guarded conference room across town. Many of the most famous and influential individuals in the Korean Hunter industry were gathered around a massive oak table, and the sole topic of their frantic discussion was the Hunters Guild.
"Isn't there anything we can do?!" a Guild Master shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
"If we just sit back and let this happen, our market share will drop to zero! We won't have any high-rank gates left to raid!"
"The Hunters Guild is practically monopolizing the entire country right now!"
"I refuse to accept this! It's too early for them to consolidate that much power! No single guild should have an absolute monopoly!"
"Then what exactly do you propose we do?!" another yelled back. "Do you have any idea how to stop a guild with three S-Rank Hunters and dozens of elite A-Ranks under their command?! Not to mention, they are insanely wealthy now!"
With Kim Min-Jun joining Choi Jong-In and Cha Hae-In, the Hunters Guild's position as the absolute strongest guild in Korea was set in stone. No one could even attempt to shake it. The delicate balance of power that had previously been shared among the top guilds had been violently shattered.
It was an inevitable outcome, but the desperation in the room was palpable.
"Really... what a completely useless gathering," Baek Yoon-ho, the leader of the White Tiger Guild, sighed helplessly, rubbing his temples.
He severely regretted coming to this meeting. He had harbored a tiny sliver of hope that someone here might have a viable strategy to counter the meteoric rise of the Hunters Guild. But his expectations had clearly been too high. These men were just as clueless and terrified as he was.
With Kim Min-Jun's addition, the Hunters Guild had become untouchable. The rest of the guilds could only squabble over the middle-tier scraps. At best, they were fighting for second place.
For Baek Yoon-ho, the regret was agonizing. It kept him awake most nights.
If only I had been bolder back then...
If he had acted faster, Min-Jun could have been part of the White Tiger Guild. Baek would have proudly been the vanguard, holding the frontline while Min-Jun stood safely behind him, slaughtering entire dungeon ecosystems with his devastating arrows.
I underestimated him.
Historically, the 'Archer' class wasn't considered overwhelmingly strong. They were backline support, attacking from a safe distance, but lacking the raw, world-altering destructive power of a Mage. Even Baek, an S-Rank himself, hadn't believed that an S-Rank Archer could completely shift the balance of power in the country.
After all, the leader of the Fiend Guild, Lim Tae-Gyu, was an S-Rank Archer. And frankly, Baek was confident he could beat Tae-Gyu into a pulp with his bare hands on a Sunday afternoon.
"Did you just think something incredibly rude about me?" Lim Tae-Gyu suddenly asked, narrowing his eyes at Baek from across the table.
"I wasn't thinking about you at all," Baek scoffed, not wanting to waste any more time. He stood up to leave, but—
"Wait a moment. Let's talk," Tae-Gyu said, dropping his voice as he stepped into Baek's path.
"About what?" Baek frowned. He didn't particularly like Tae-Gyu. In Baek's eyes, Tae-Gyu was weak. He didn't underestimate the man—an S-Rank was still an S-Rank—but the power gap between Tae-Gyu and Min-Jun was like comparing a firecracker to a tactical nuke. More importantly, Tae-Gyu was a corporate lapdog, operating under the thumb of a massive conglomerate sponsor, unlike Baek and Choi Jong-In, who had built their guilds independently.
"It's going to be a massive waste of time if we just continue to argue in circles," Tae-Gyu said, ignoring Baek's dismissive glare.
"Get to the point," Baek growled, realizing Tae-Gyu actually had an agenda.
"Let's work together."
"Go on."
"I will step down and serve as the Vice Leader of a newly formed Alliance Group. You will be the absolute Leader. If we combine our forces—two S-Rank Guild Masters leading a unified front—we can force all these lesser guilds under our banner."
Baek raised a surprised eyebrow. "I'm shocked you're willing to hand over the leadership position so easily."
"I can't do it," Tae-Gyu sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know my limits. I lack the prestige and raw power to keep these vultures in line. More importantly, if I become the leader, my corporate sponsors will immediately try to meddle and cause trouble. But you're different. You're independent."
"You seem to have some heavy thoughts about your corporate bosses."
"In the end, they're just mortals playing games with things they don't understand."
Normally, Tae-Gyu was entirely submissive to the mega-corporation that had sponsored the creation of the Fiend Guild. But he had recently realized that in the face of absolute, overwhelming power, corporate money was utterly useless.
Watching Suzuki rise from absolute nothing to become the hottest, wealthiest, and most untouchable Hunter in Korea—all while casually attending university—had been a brutal wake-up call. Tae-Gyu realized that clinging to his corporate pride was a waste of time.
With Min-Jun, Cha Hae-In, and Choi Jong-In united, the Hunters Guild was an unstoppable juggernaut. If Tae-Gyu didn't adapt immediately, the Fiend Guild would be crushed into dust.
Could he challenge Min-Jun to a duel to prove his worth as an Archer?
Don't be ridiculous!
Tae-Gyu had his pride, but he wasn't suicidal. He knew perfectly well that Min-Jun would obliterate him before he even managed to draw his bowstring. He had to form a powerful alliance, and Baek Yoon-ho was the only viable candidate left.
Baek slowly broke into a wide, feral grin. "You're right. They are just mortals."
"Then do we have an agreement?" Tae-Gyu asked, waiting for confirmation.
"Why not? Let's do it!"
Baek didn't waste another second. He turned back to the room and slammed both his fists onto the heavy oak table, the sheer physical force cracking the wood and silencing the room instantly.
"Stop wasting time whining like children!" Baek roared, his eyes glowing faintly with beastly aura. "I'll make this simple! The White Tiger Guild and the Fiend Guild are officially forming an Alliance! Who wants to join, and who wants to walk out that door and die alone?! Think very carefully, because there is no third option! Either the Hunters Guild swallows us all one by one, or we unite right here, right now, to resist them!"
He glared at the terrified Guild Masters. "Now, make your choice!"
"..."
The room sat in stunned silence. The lesser Guild Masters looked at Baek and Tae-Gyu standing shoulder-to-shoulder. They let out heavy, collective sighs, knowing they were about to be completely swallowed by the two S-Ranks.
But at least if they surrendered now, they could secure high-ranking positions within the new hierarchy.
Without a doubt, in that very moment, the Anti-Hunters Alliance was born!
"Jin-ah!"
However, Min-Jun was entirely unaware of the massive political upheaval he had just accidentally triggered. Even if he did know, he wouldn't have cared. No matter how many ants banded together, they were still utterly powerless in front of the apex predator.
His sole focus was on Sung Jin-ah, who was sobbing uncontrollably as she practically threw herself into his arms the moment he landed in the alleyway.
"Oppa! Please!" Jin-ah wailed, gripping his shirt desperately. "Jinwoo-oppa is gone!"
Min-Jun froze, his blood running cold.
"...What?"
---
Hmm?