The grill sizzled as intestines roasted, the rich sound of fat dripping filling the air. Park Samjung set down his tongs, cracked open a frosted bottle of soju, and shared drinks with Jin-ho. Laughter and warmth passed between them, their bond like family. They toasted, smiling as if nothing in the world could disturb that moment of peace.
Yet both men knew they were being watched. Hidden eyes followed their movements from a distance. Park Samjung noticed first, his years of working in intelligence making such things impossible to miss. Jin-ho had noticed too, but he brushed it off. He was used to it. The shadow behind him was always the same—Kang Myungjun's men.
Still, today's meeting had nothing to do with them. Jin-ho was here for another reason. He had come seeking something he never thought he would—a chance to borrow money. As they shared drinks, he carefully asked about old friends, listening to how his juniors were living. But the more he heard, the heavier his chest grew. Most of them were struggling, barely surviving. The world had become harsher, and luck was cruel. He realized he had been too distant, too absent from their lives.
His plan crumbled. He had hoped to find someone with the means to help him, but instead, all he found was hardship. His juniors had nothing to spare. The soju tasted bitter now, burning with the weight of reality. He needed money to keep his son away from dangerous gates, but how could he beg from those already suffering? Pride and desperation clashed inside him, leaving him exhausted.
Samjung, however, had been watching closely. With a serious expression, he placed a bank card on the table. It was from a hidden account, money saved in secret. Not a large sum, but more than Jin-ho had expected. The gesture shook him deeply. He hadn't asked, yet Samjung had understood. Embarrassment, gratitude, and shame tangled in his chest. He hadn't come to beg from this particular friend, but in truth, that was exactly what he needed.
Samjung reassured him with quiet strength. He said it wasn't just a loan but an investment—because Jin-ho's son was no ordinary hunter. Siwoo was the world's first to earn a double title, and if he rose higher, Samjung only wanted to stand by his side. No more words were needed. The two men exchanged a firm nod, the weight of their brotherhood unspoken but undeniable.
Meanwhile, far away, Kang Myungjun sat in the back of a car returning to Seoul. His secretary handed him a phone call from Chief Yeon, and the report left him stunned. Jin-ho had actually accepted money from a junior—something unimaginable for a man of his pride. Worse, he had even asked about other juniors' situations, confirming just how desperate he had become.
For Myungjun, it was proof. Jin-ho had finally broken. The once-proud man who never bent now swallowed his pride for the sake of his son. To Myungjun, it meant only one thing—Siwoo truly was a useless hunter crippled by monster phobia. Otherwise, Jin-ho would never have lowered his head.
Leaning back with a twisted smile, Myungjun decided there was no longer any need to keep tight surveillance. He gave orders to pull most of his men, leaving only a few behind. The lease on Jin-ho's home would continue as planned—whether he was thrown out or not didn't matter. To Myungjun, the man he once envied and admired was now nothing more than a shadow of his former self, not even worth the dirt under his nails.
Yet at that very moment, in another place, Siwoo's life was taking a sharp turn. His eyes widened as Minjun revealed the mana stone extracted from the Bear Tiger. The stone itself was already worth a fortune, containing immense condensed energy. But Minjun claimed he could amplify it—multiplying the mana it held.
The possibility was staggering. No one in the world had ever managed such a feat. A mana stone that could be amplified meant endless potential, a breakthrough beyond imagination. Siwoo stared at the glowing stone, heart pounding with both disbelief and hope.
The impossible might just be within reach.