At this exact moment, the entrance to the Korean Hunter Association was an absolute madhouse.
The courtyard was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with screaming fans, aggressive journalists flashing cameras, and curious onlookers. But the real heavyweights standing near the front doors weren't just standard talent scouts. They were the absolute apex predators of South Korea.
Choi Jong-In, the Master of the Hunters Guild.
Baek Yoon-Ho, the Master of the White Tiger Guild.
Lim Tae-Gyu, the Master of the Fiend Guild, and currently the only S-Rank Archer in the country.
They had all gathered in person because everyone knew the new S-Rank was being escorted to headquarters for his official measurement. The moment that machine confirmed his rank, the bidding war of the century was going to start.
Even though Min-jun hadn't actually arrived yet—he was currently taking his midterm—every major Guild had already pulled his entire background file. They knew everything from his childhood hospital records to his current GPA at Seoul National University (SNU).
Why was the reaction so explosive?
Because of the internet. If Min-jun had been a normal, introverted college student, his Awakening would have happened quietly in his bedroom. He could have reported to the Association in secret.
But he was a streamer.
Even though his broadcast was at 3:00 AM, he had Awakened live in front of 100,000 people. And the moment he ended the stream, the clip shattered the internet. Right now, that video was sitting at over 50 million views and climbing.
"SNU Study Streamer Awakens as S-Rank Hunter LIVE!"
Min-jun didn't need a PR team to introduce him to the world. The entire planet already knew his face.
"Damn it, how long is this kid going to make us wait?!"
Lim Tae-Gyu let out a loud, irritated grunt, his foot tapping aggressively against the concrete. He kept his arms crossed tight, his face locked in a deep, dissatisfied scowl. But beneath that tough, annoyed exterior, he was practically sweating bullets.
Up until today, Tae-Gyu held the absolute monopoly as the only S-Rank Archer in South Korea. If this new kid had the same specialization, Tae-Gyu's entire corporate brand and market value were going to tank.
Please, Tae-Gyu prayed frantically in his head, staring nervously at the approaching van. Let him be a Mage. Let him be a Tank. Just please... don't let his class be an Archer.
Beside him, the massive, muscular Baek Yoon-Ho completely ignored the complaining. Yoon-Ho's eyes were glued to his phone, re-watching the clip of Min-jun's Awakening for the hundredth time. Yoon-Ho had the ability to transform into a literal white tiger, granting him terrifying beast-like instincts. Right now, those instincts were screaming at him. He didn't know why, but his gut told him he had to get this boy into the White Tiger Guild.
"If you're so busy, Tae-Gyu, why don't you just go back to your office?" Choi Jong-In smiled smoothly, adjusting his glasses. "In fact, Yoon-Ho, you can head home too. I can handle welcoming the rookie by myself."
"Stop slithering around like a snake, Jong-In," Yoon-Ho growled, glaring at the man. Jong-In's polite, calculated smile always made his tiger instincts bristle. "You know exactly how massive this kid's potential is! I'm not letting you poach him. He's joining my Guild!"
"Good luck with that," Jong-In chuckled softly. "Because I am getting him to sign with me, no matter the cost."
In Jong-In's sharp, calculating mind, the plan was already set. Min-jun was the perfect puzzle piece.
The Hunters Guild was currently the only Guild in South Korea with two S-Rank members: Jong-In (Mage) and Cha Hae-In (Fighter). If they added Min-jun (Archer) to the roster? Their Guild would instantly become an untouchable superpower.
Furthermore, Jong-In understood branding. Tae-Gyu looked like an exhausted, stressed-out salaryman. Yoon-Ho looked like a rugged barbarian. But Jong-In presented himself as a wealthy, refined gentleman. If Min-jun—a handsome, genius scholar from SNU—joined the sophisticated Hunters Guild, their corporate stock prices would absolutely skyrocket.
Naturally, the Association knew the Guild Masters were circling like sharks smelling blood in the water. But they couldn't physically force them to leave the public courtyard.
"Is the kid really still taking a test?" an Association staff member whispered nervously.
"Yes, sir. Chief Woo reported that he has to wait another twenty minutes for the exam to end."
"Sir, shouldn't we have just pulled him out of the classroom?" the staffer asked his boss.
"Don't be an idiot!" Go Gun-Hee, the elderly but terrifyingly powerful Chairman of the Hunter Association, barked.
The subordinate violently flinched.
"He is a young man eager to finish his education," Chairman Go scolded harshly. "What do you think the media would say if the government dragged a brilliant university student out of his exams by force?! Do you want to piss him off? Do you want to push him right into the hands of the United States?!"
"I... I am so sorry, Chairman!" The staffer bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, shaking like a leaf.
Go Gun-Hee just shook his head, dismissing the fool.
An S-Rank Hunter was an incredibly rare strategic asset. For a small country like South Korea, gaining a new one was a literal miracle that guaranteed national security. America's Scavenger Guild was infamous for throwing massive piles of cash at foreign S-Ranks to get them to defect to the USA.
If Min-jun wanted to finish his college midterm, then let him finish his midterm! Go Gun-Hee would happily wait all day if it meant keeping the boy happy and keeping him in Korea.
A few moments later, Chairman Go's earpiece buzzed. Chief Woo Jin-chul finally reported that their convoy was approaching headquarters.
"He's here," Chairman Go announced, stepping forward to personally welcome the new Hunter.
The paparazzi went absolutely feral, their camera shutters firing like machine guns as a sleek black Association van pulled up to the curb. The Guild Masters immediately tensed, preparing their best recruitment pitches, though they knew Chairman Go would try to block them with a trap of national patriotism.
Meanwhile, standing far away from the chaotic front lines, Cha Hae-In watched quietly.
The beautiful, blonde S-Rank Warrior held a thick, scented handkerchief tightly over her nose. She possessed a unique, highly unfortunate sensory mutation: to her, Mana smelled awful. And because Hunters were overflowing with Mana, they all smelled like rotting corpses to her.
Right now, standing downwind of Chairman Go and three other S-Rank Guild Masters, the putrid stench was absolutely suffocating. It made her want to throw up. She desperately wanted to leave, but duty required her to be here.
"HE'S HERE!"
"MIN-JUN OPPA! LOOK THIS WAY!"
"OPPA, WE LOVE YOU!"
The streamer's massive fanbase shrieked in excitement as the door to the van finally slid open.
As Min-jun stepped out into the sunlight, adjusting his glasses against the camera flashes, the crowd marveled at his calm, perfectly composed presence.
But Cha Hae-In didn't care about his face.
The moment Min-jun's foot hit the pavement, her eyes went wide. Her fingers went entirely slack, and the scented handkerchief slipped from her grasp, falling to the concrete.
The suffocating, rotting stench of the surrounding S-Ranks had suddenly vanished.
Instead, washing over her was a completely different scent. It smelled like crisp ozone. Like fresh, clean rain and morning dew.
For the first time in years, Cha Hae-In took a deep breath of a Hunter's Mana... and it smelled absolutely perfect.
---
I know.
Don't blame me, but considering Sung Jin-Woo's workaholic nature, who hardly ever visited Cha Hae-In, as Jin-Woo is too busy to grind up his level... let's not continue.
Also, there are now 30 advanced chapters on my P@treon.
Thank you!