One Week Later
To join the International Guild Conference, both Cha Min-Jae and Cha Hae-In took a long thirteen-hour flight to finally reach the USA—New York—for the upcoming conference.
As they walked out of the airport, the area around them was filled with reporters and cameramen clicking pictures, flashing lights surrounding them from all directions.
"You really have a great reputation. You took all the focus from everyone the moment you walked in," Cha Hae-In muttered, walking beside Min-Jae.
"I mean, there are other hunters here as well. I'm sure there are many hunters more awesome than me."
"You can act humble sometimes. That's good to know."
"Hmm. By the way, I heard Sung Jin-Woo will be taking a direct flight from Thailand, and he'll be arriving tomorrow. Did you know that?"
Cha Hae-In's face suddenly flushed red. She turned toward Min-Jae quickly. "Of course I know. I mean, it's not like it's a secret or anything."
As she replied, the both of them stopped in front of the cameras for a second, giving them a perfect shot, before walking forward again.
"Welcome, Hunter Cha Min-Jae and Hunter Cha Hae-In."
A woman, appearing to be in her mid-twenties and wearing formal business attire, approached them. Two other people stood behind her. "I am in charge of taking care of both representatives of the Hunters Guild during your stay here for the International Guild Conference. My name is Anna Mitchell. Nice to meet both of you."
She spoke in perfect Korean.
Cha Hae-In nodded politely. "Thank you."
Min-Jae simply gave a nod, already sensing the magical energy presences around him. Though it was obvious—it would be pointless to focus on them too much, because even in the airport, there were many big-name hunters present. And this was the USA, after all, where most of the world's top hunters lived.
"Please, follow me. I will escort you to your designated hotel for your stay," Laura said.
They were led outside to a sleek black SUV waiting at the curb. The driver opened the door, and they climbed inside. Laura sat in the front passenger seat while Min-Jae and Cha Hae-In settled into the back.
The SUV pulled away from the airport smoothly, merging into the busy New York traffic.
---
"So," Min-Jae said after a moment of silence, glancing at Cha Hae-In. "You seemed pretty flustered back there when I mentioned Sung Jin-Woo."
Cha Hae-In shot him a look. "I wasn't flustered."
"Your face turned red."
"It did not."
"It definitely did."
She sighed. "Can we not talk about this?"
"Why? It's cute."
"I didn't blush —" She stopped herself, realizing she was only making it worse. "You're impossible."
"I know."
They sat in silence for a moment before Cha Hae-In spoke again, her tone softer. "Are you sure he will arrive tomorrow ?"
"Sung Jin-Woo? Yeah, he said he would. He's flying in tomorrow."
"Right."
Min-Jae glanced at her. "You should just talk to him. You know, like a normal person."
"I do talk to him like a normal person."
"Sure. If 'normal' means turning red and avoiding eye contact."
She elbowed him lightly. "Shut up."
He chuckled.
'At least I know, you two are endgames. It was easy to understand after watching just 19 episodes, plus, being present for sometimes in this universe too. So, I may as well tease about it a bit, I mean why not. Mr. Hunter Sung Jin-woo will probably be my Brother In-law after all.' Min-Jae thought, as the car drove by towards their destination.
---
After about an hour, the SUV pulled up in front of a luxurious hotel in the heart of Manhattan. The building was tall, modern, with glass panels reflecting the city lights.
Laura led them inside, handling the check-in process smoothly. Within minutes, they were handed their keycards and escorted to their rooms on one of the upper floors.
"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me," Laura said. "The conference begins the day after tomorrow. Until then, feel free to explore the city or rest."
"Thanks," Min-Jae said.
Cha Hae-In nodded. "We appreciate it."
Laura smiled and left.
---
Min-Jae entered his room and set his bag down. The space was large and well-furnished, with a king-sized bed, a desk, and a sitting area. But what caught his attention most was the balcony.
He walked over and stepped outside.
The view was breathtaking. The city stretched out before him, buildings lit up against the night sky, the sounds of traffic and life humming far below.
He leaned against the railing, hands in his pockets, and stared out at the city.
'Strongest hunters from every country will be here during the conference,' he thought. 'I wonder where I rank among all these hunters worldwide. I heard they're considering both me and Sung Jin-Woo from South Korea for the National Rank Hunter title. But does it even matter?'
He frowned.
'In the end, all these hunters, gates, and everything—they're just stepping stones for the upcoming war between the two sides.'
He sighed.
'I wanted to say these things to Sung Jin-Woo face-to-face, but he was out in Thailand. When I called him, he actually picked up—which was nice of him—but he said he'd be coming to the USA directly from there. So I explained as much as I heard from the King of Giants, the Monarch I met. And yeah, killed. Erased, technically.'
Min-Jae crossed his arms.
'He was a bit surprised at first, but I guess he knew more than I did. His responses told me that much. He even knows what the Rulers look like. Anyway, the world is probably stepping toward its end. Even as a person coming from another universe, with the powers of a character I created thinking it would be powerful... I didn't think I'd end up in this universe.'
He paused, another thought crossing his mind.
'Now that I think about it, wasn't there something in the first season of Solo Leveling? Sung Jin-Woo killed the brother of one of the S-Ranks in the USA, right? And that guy even visited South Korea to try and kill him. I wonder if Sung Jin-Woo comes here, will we see a face-off or not? Guess we'll have to wait and find out.'
He straightened up, shaking off the heavier thoughts.
'Until then, since I'm in the USA... let's do some shopping.'
With that, he turned and headed back inside, already planning where to go.