After the evaluation test finally ended, silence filled the wide hall.
A short time later, Louis had already received his official license.
It wasn't a big surprise, considering the unusual abilities he showed during the test.
But what truly caught everyone's attention was the classification given to him by the evaluation committee:
He was officially registered as a close-combat type hunter.
It was the only classification that made sense for someone like him.
Outside the building, however, the scene was completely different.
The moment the name "Kim Yoo Won" was added to the national hunter system, the media exploded into chaos—very similar to what happened in the original story.
The tenth S-Rank hunter in South Korea.
The news spread like an explosion.
Every second, more reporters gathered behind the metal barriers—asking questions, shouting, trying to get a photo or even a single word.
But despite all this noise, Louis didn't care at all.
He was walking calmly toward the exit of the building, as if he had just finished a normal meeting.
Beside him, President Go Gun Hee was chatting with him in a friendly way—light laughs, relaxed tones… almost like two close friends rather than the president of the Association and a newly evaluated S-Rank hunter.
From a distance, Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoon-Ho noticed this strange scene.
They exchanged a quick look.
The same thought appeared in both of their minds—
A thought that wasn't impossible… but one they never expected to confirm so soon.
Still, they decided to make sure before jumping to conclusions.
Near the exit door, Louis and Go Gun Hee noticed the two standing there.
Go Gun Hee smiled knowingly, a smile full of hidden meaning.
"Why are you two still standing here? I know how busy you usually are… so what's the matter this time?"
It was a simple sentence, but the tone and expression on the president's face confirmed the suspicion they had only moments ago.
Before either of them could speak, the president continued:
"I'm guessing you're both thinking the same thing…"
And before the atmosphere became more awkward, Louis spoke in his calm, straightforward tone:
"Yes. I've already agreed to join the Association."
Both men raised their eyebrows at the same moment, but Louis continued before they could interrupt:
"However… because of my abilities, I want to work as a kind of mercenary under the Association. For at least two years."
"I'll help small and medium guilds clear the dungeons that have been increasing recently. And I'll use it as a way to prove myself as well."
Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoon-Ho exchanged another look, very different from the first…
Then Louis added honestly:
"If any of the five major guilds make an official request for my support, I'll consider it too."
But deep inside, his thoughts were far clearer:
Creating a new guild like Sung Jin-Woo did in the original story?
Or joining an existing guild?
Both would limit him.
Both would take away his freedom.
Working under the Association alone…
that was the only way to keep his movements free and make the best use of his time.
Louis lifted his eyes toward the gray sky through the glass door…
Just two years.
Then the moment would come.
The Dragon King's invasion would happen in two years anyway.
No matter what he did in this world…
his time here was limited.
With Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoon-Ho now certain of their guess, every question they had planned to ask Louis disappeared.
The presence of Chairman Go Gun-Hee alone was enough to shut down any discussion, and the power Louis had shown during the test added even more reason for silence.
The two hunters simply exchanged a short, polite conversation with him before allowing him to leave, without trying to stall him any further.
Just before he walked out, Go Gun-Hee turned toward Louis, a mix of seriousness and reassurance showing on his face.
"Your requests aren't difficult, Hunter Kim Yoo-Won… I will personally make sure they're approved. I'll contact you myself when it's time for you to take your duties."
Louis smiled lightly and replied with clear respect:
"Thank you, Chairman."
As for Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoon-Ho, even though they were extremely curious about the conditions Louis had set for joining the Association, they stayed silent.
Neither of them dared to ask more questions now that everything was obvious: Hunter Kim Yoo-Won was not someone they could treat casually, and the Chairman was personally handling him.
Before Baek Yoon-Ho could even raise his hand to warn Louis about the chaos waiting outside, Louis calmly placed his hand on the door and opened it without hesitation.
And the moment he stepped out…
the world exploded around him.
Flashing camera lights, microphones pushing forward, and reporters shouting one question after another:
— "Is it true you're the tenth S-Rank Hunter?!"
— "How would you describe your strength?!"
— "Will you join one of the major guilds?!"
— "What's your comment on the test results?!"
For a brief moment, Louis remembered his past life before reincarnation—where he had watched celebrities go through the same thing on TV.
And now… he was the one in the center of it.
Even so, he smiled.
Not an embarrassed smile, nor a fearful one… but a confident, calculated smile, meant to leave a clear impression in everyone's mind.
Then he looked back toward Chairman Go Gun-Hee.
Louis spoke with a light tone mixed with exhaustion:
"I'm sorry, Chairman… for leaving this mess for you to handle."
Go Gun-Hee let out a short, genuine laugh.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of everything. Just go… the Association will release an official statement soon explaining everything."
Louis nodded gratefully.
And in the very next moment…
He vanished.
He used teleportation for the third time that day, leaving behind collective shock:
the frozen reporters, the security staff, and even the hunters standing around out of curiosity, all trying to process what they had just witnessed.
Only a faint shimmer remained in the air…
another clear sign that the tenth S-Rank Hunter was anything but ordinary.
*** *** ***
As the days passed, the chaos surrounding the tenth S-Rank Hunter began to slowly fade.
But that didn't stop Louis's image from spreading like wildfire.
His snow-white hair and glowing red eyes—features he decided to keep from his real-world appearance—became an icon everyone talked about.
And his confident smile became constant material on TV shows, news platforms, analysis videos, and internet memes.
All of this was happening while Louis had already settled down, and his status as an official member of the Hunter Association was publicly announced nationwide.
This announcement alone was enough to spark endless discussions among hunters, guilds, and even normal people.
Ever since the appearance of S-Rank hunters—and aside from the Hunter Association's chairman, Go Gun-Hee—"Kim Yoo-Won," with his strange power and unusual appearance, was the only S-Rank who agreed to join the Association.
Even so… Louis didn't care about any of this noise.
He had already completed the first part of his plan.
And now… it was time to move to the second part—the step that would decide his fate in this world and whether he could earn a perfect evaluation or not.
His plan to subdue the protagonist of this world… Sung Jin-Woo.
He knew very well that there was no way he could defeat Jin-Woo in a fight after Jin-Woo became the Shadow Monarch.
Besides, once Jin-Woo obtained the System, learned about leveling up, and gained the ability to grow endlessly, it would be impossible to subdue him afterward.
Trying at that point would be closer to foolishness than planning.
So… Louis had only one option.
Prevent Sung Jin-Woo from obtaining the System from the very beginning.
And completely block the birth of the future Shadow Monarch.
And the first step toward that… started here.
Louis stopped in front of the Central Hospital gate.
One of the largest hospitals in Seoul, and the place where Sung Jin-Woo's mother had been lying for years.
She was suffering from a rare condition called the Eternal Slumber Syndrome—a disease like a curse that puts the patient into a deep coma they never wake up from.
The true cause of the disease was something no one in this world could understand, but it was connected to the world of the Monarchs and a power humanity had never seen.
Louis knew this very well.
And he also knew something else:
This exact day… was the day Sung Jin-Ah always visited her mother.
A weekly routine that never changed.
And the perfect timing for the first step of Louis's plan.
He raised his head, looked at the huge building in front of him, and smiled—a small smile unlike the one the public saw on their screens.
A smile of someone approaching the start of his real game.
Then he walked toward the hospital entrance—
Where a change would begin…
a change whose true scale no one would realize until it was far too late.