Lobby of the Seoul Central Hunter Administration.
Han Ji-won stood with her arms folded, checking the time.
9:00 a.m.
He was already an hour late.
Vroooom!
Before long, the thunderous growl of an engine echoed outside. A man stepped out of a convertible and sauntered into the lobby—Ryu Seung-kwon. Even from a distance, he was unmistakable. The flamboyant snake tattoo that coiled from his neck down to his ankles was his signature mark.
He was considered one of South Korea's top rising prospects.
Of course, "Runner" didn't count as a prospect.
These days, the trend was different. Runner was simply in a league of his own.
Spotting Han Ji-won, Ryu removed his sunglasses.
"Oh? You're already here? You could've taken your time coming down. I'm a bit late, huh?"
'A bit?' It had been an hour.
Despite the irritation bubbling inside, she smiled.
"Not at all. I should be the one waiting. You turned down numerous naturalization and transfer offers to come here."
"That's why I like you, Director Han. High position, but you really know how to read a situation. With your information network, you must've heard—just yesterday China offered me an astronomical amount."
"Yes. I received the report."
"I was tempted, but patriotism made me hold off. Haven't rejected it yet though. Just… on hold."
Patriotism, my foot.
It was all because of the bag.
No matter how much China offered, money wasn't a real temptation to Ryu Seung-kwon. As the only son of Jaewoong Construction, he had more than enough already.
"Shall we head down?" she asked.
"Wait, Director Han."
He casually slung an arm over her shoulder. Every Hunter Administration employee nearby sucked in a breath and quickly looked away.
Ji-won smoothly removed his arm, maintaining her smile.
"If we're going to be seeing each other often, there's no need to rush things."
She showed no anger, no disgust.
She needed him—for now. She was building a new power structure to counter Lee Chang-gi and Jin Yoon-ho.
"Nice, I like that. Too easy wouldn't be fun anyway. So—the bag's ready, right?"
"Yes. That's why I contacted you."
"Ha! As expected of someone from a prestigious family. You've got serious skills. Even our company couldn't secure that, but you managed it. Now that I'm here, you've got nothing to worry about. I'll deliver real results—way better than that so-called Runner who's all hype."
She knew he was talented. That was why she had secured the bag for him.
But surpass Runner? That was delusion.
No matter how desperate she was, she wasn't foolish enough to deny reality. Still, once the team was complete, the situation would shift. Influence wasn't built through tower climbing alone.
They took the elevator down to the underground level.
"Good morning, Strategic Director."
Hunters lining the hallway bowed.
"Good work, everyone."
She replied calmly—but for the briefest moment, she sensed something strange in the air.
What was that?
Normally she would've pressed them, but with Ryu beside her, she let it slide.
Clank.
After the security check, the heavy vault door opened.
Ryu stepped forward eagerly—only for Ji-won to block him.
"Only directors have access beyond this point. Please wait. I'll bring it out."
He shrugged. As long as he got the bag, he didn't care.
Standing before the storage locker, Ji-won inhaled deeply.
This had been a massive investment.
Please don't let this backfire.
She keyed in the password and opened it.
And—
"??????"
She had never in her life felt so many question marks explode in her head at once.
Why? Why was it empty? She had personally confirmed it was there.
Unable to believe it, she reached in.
Cold metal. Nothing else.
The strange tension from earlier flashed through her mind.
She strode quickly—almost running—toward one of the Hunters.
"Explain. What happened?"
"I—I…"
"Speak."
"This morning, we received orders and left our posts for about an hour."
Her face darkened.
"You left? On whose authority? This team's duty is to guard this place 24/7."
She pulled out her phone, ready to deal with whoever gave the order.
"Who issued it?"
"The Hunter Administration Chief."
Her fingers froze.
"…Who?"
"It was a written order under the Chief's name. Director Lee Chang-gi personally accessed the vault."
It felt like a hammer struck her head.
"What's going on? Don't tell me there's a problem with my bag," Ryu drawled behind her. "That'd be very inconvenient. Maybe I'll revisit that offer I put on hold."
She ignored him, jaw clenched tight, and turned sharply.
Director of Personnel Lee Chang-gi.
This time, he'd crossed the line.
"Excuse me."
She snatched an axe from a passing Hunter. He jumped in shock but didn't dare protest.
This wasn't the calm, composed Han Ji-won they knew.
Right now, she looked capable of killing someone.
She shot up the elevator and marched into Personnel. The secretaries jumped to their feet but couldn't stop her.
Bang!
She slammed the door open.
"Director Lee—!"
But the fury died on her lips.
Hunter Administration Chief Kang Young-hoon was already there.
Neither Lee nor Kang looked surprised.
"Sit down," Kang said calmly. "Strategic Director."
As if they had been expecting her.
The moment Jin-hyuk stepped into the house, a rich, savory aroma greeted him.
It was still early; most restaurants weren't open yet. Momo must've made doenjang stew herself.
"Supreme Commander's back!"
Kancho, who had been gaming with Momo, greeted him enthusiastically—before immediately returning to the game.
"I thought you ran off," Seira said, handing him a practice sword. She was already prepared for sparring.
Jin-hyuk swallowed dryly. He could already envision himself getting thoroughly beaten.
"Run? Never."
He accepted the sword and checked his status window.
Black Knight Order Swordsmanship – Beginner Lv.9
One level away from advancing to Intermediate.
When he moved from Basic to Beginner, the changes had been dramatic—his aura had formed, and his techniques had diversified noticeably.
He couldn't wait to see how much stronger Intermediate would make him.
"Seira, hold on. I've got something for Kancho and Momo."
"Very well. Eat first before you come. You'll need strength."
"The knight speaks truth. Koreans run on rice," Elia added solemnly.
"You have to eat while you train! That's how you grow tall!" Camela chimed in.
"Smells weird, but it tastes good," Dark muttered from the table.
Jin-hyuk gave a thumbs-up. The smell alone made his stomach rumble—but experience had taught him something important.
Getting beaten on an empty stomach hurt less.
"A present?!"
"Momo wants a present!"
Kancho and Momo dropped their controllers and sprinted over, skidding to a halt in front of him. Their noses flared with excitement.
"Kancho first."
"Yodel Ranger Deputy Commander Kancho!"
Kancho puffed out his chest, eyes shining fiercely.
"I got you a bag to carry your clay."
He slipped Rasvelt's Picnic Bag over Kancho's shoulders.
"WOOOOOOO!!!"
Kancho dashed to the mirror, admiring himself from every angle and shouting in delight.
"Sir! Thank you, Supreme Commander! I can carry tons of clay now!"
He carefully folded his old bag and placed it inside the new one.
"An old comrade deserves rest!"
His ears twitched nonstop—clear proof of his joy.
"Momo's present!"
"You have to do something first."
"What?"
"Hand me your bag."
Momo froze.
Kancho poked her. "She's turned into a stone statue."
After a long pause, Momo slowly removed her bag and handed it over, utterly dejected.
"Momo's going to sleep. No present."
Just like the first time they met—when she'd lost her bag and slept all day.
Jin-hyuk held up the new one.
"This is Peltz's Bag—the Warehouse Master's."
"Wha—?!"
Momo recoiled in shock.
"She's stone again. Now she's Mo-harubang," Kancho narrated helpfully.
As someone with the Golden Eye that could appraise an item's worth, the shock hit her harder than anyone.
Jin-hyuk gently slung the bag over her shoulders.
A beat passed.
"WAAAAAAAH!!!"
Momo's scream nearly lifted the roof.
"This is suuuuuuuuper! Super super super amazing!!!"
She bounced around wildly before skidding to a stop in front of the mirror.
"How's Momo's new bag?!"
She turned toward the table expectantly.
Elia and Camela coughed awkwardly under the intense pressure to praise her properly.
Jin-hyuk stepped forward to help—
Ding!
An unexpected notification window popped up.
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T/N:
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