Baek Geun-ho, the master of the Nowon-gu district guild 'Marang', was a man directly affected by the gate incident where Jeong-woo awakened. He was also the owner of one of the four residence candidates Jeong-woo had selected.
He asked his most trusted aide, Yeon-hwa.
"Is the info solid? Even after the Heavenly Fire and Black Moon masters went in person, they came back looking all dejected?"
"Yes. The old man from Heavenly Fire has such a grumpy face it's hard to tell, but Black Moon definitely struck out."
"Right, so that's how it is...!"
Geun-ho grinned widely and rubbed his hands together. There was a time he thought all the guilds might go under, but things were falling into place so smoothly now. The blame for the failed gate tracking hadn't come under scrutiny. Jeong-woo's innate S-Rank news had been so explosive, and with no casualties, public interest had faded away.
The evaluation agencies had rubber-stamped the related reports amid the focus on Jeong-woo. The cleanup had been handled impeccably. How could Jeong-woo not look appealing in this situation?
And it didn't end there. Even Athena Guild—one of the top three—had failed at what they called the 'paper screening' stage, yet let Marang pass straight through. Maybe because they handled security for his residential area. Or perhaps they had a favorable view of Marang from the start. Either way, it was an absolute golden opportunity.
"The old-timers went first, and I don't know where the last one is, but it's definitely not one of the top three guilds."
That meant a walkover, right? The world's spotlight was zeroing in on Jeong-woo's nest. Marang Guild, possessors of an S-Rank. A chance to elevate the guild's recognition to global levels.
Geun-ho said with a beaming smile.
"I need to book a dermatologist. Can't have any blemishes for the interview."
"Drinking kimchi soup again. Anyway, take this first."
"What's that?"
"A gift for Hunter Seo Jeong-woo's daughter."
It was a shark plushie about the size of an adult's torso. Yeon-hwa adjusted her rimless glasses and added.
"It's trending with the kids these days."
"Ooh, nice! Uhahaha! Nothing melts a dad's heart like a gift for his daughter!"
Geun-ho snatched up the plushie and checked his expression in the mirror. His face screamed "thug" no matter what—slicked-back hair and a suit just made him look like a shady operator—but at least Geun-ho himself fancied it as 'intellectual charm'.
"I'll be off then! Miss Yeon! Keep an executive spot open for me!"
"Sure, it'll work out great. As I said, our size means we're not recruiting—we're just building connections..."
"I'm going!"
"...Sigh."
A man doesn't listen to nagging longer than three words. True to his motto, Geun-ho headed to the battlefield without looking back. He'd accept any conditions and bring him on board somehow. If he demanded the top spot, he'd even consider co-master status. That was his resolve.
In conclusion, regrettably...
"...Did I hear that wrong?"
"Hmm, it's a bewildering question, I admit. Let me repeat it."
Is this guy insane?
"If I say I want to enter an overseas Zero Gate, can you support that?"
He didn't know the full details, but even so, he could say for sure.
"That'd be picking a fight with the country, you know?"
"Aha, as expected."
Jeong-woo smiled ruefully, looking troubled yet gentle.
"Then I'm sorry, but I can't join Marang. Still, I'd like to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with you in the future, Master. Oh! I'll make sure to give the shark plushie to Segi. She'll love it."
"Uh..."
The young hunter-entrepreneur Baek Geun-ho, puffed up with dreams. He exploded without a moment's reconsideration. An end as refreshingly swift as his inflated ambitions.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Segi hugged the shark plushie tight, squealing and chattering away.
"This is baby shark~ Now we have daddy shark, mommy shark, and baby shark all together~"
Segi loved explaining things she knew. Jeong-woo nodded along with a fond smile, then gave the classic doting-dad response.
"Segi could be a teacher when she grows up."
"Tea-cher?"
"Yeah, teacher."
"But teachers wear glasses, right? Segi has good eyes—no glasses needed!"
"You can be a teacher without glasses."
"Really!?"
"Really really."
Parents see a genius in a kid who can add properly. She loved explaining things and spoke so coherently(?), so the thought of her on a podium felt perfect. Anyway, he'd have to thank Baek Geun-ho separately later for the shark gift.
Jeong-woo chuckled.
'More fun than I expected.'
What was it? He was exactly the guy from his memories, which made it enjoyable. Of the four options he'd carefully selected while pondering residences, he'd met two top guilds and Marang. Heavenly Fire and Black Moon had banked on their existing social infrastructure and prestige; Marang was a future bet.
'When does Baek Geun-ho awaken as S-Rank again?'
Three years? Four? During a gate shock outside Seoul, he'd held off hordes of monsters single-handedly and awakened. Becoming Korea's sixth S-Rank, he rocketed Marang to top-tier guild status overnight. That potential was a big reason for shortlisting them, but there was more.
Among the hunters Jeong-woo knew, Baek Geun-ho ranked top-tier for devotion to the greater good. He called himself a poser, but true to form, he believed 'using power righteously is cool'—sacrificing guild profits for public safety and convenience. Ironic that it kept him from the top until S-Rank.
Still, despite the personal affinity for him and the guild, it couldn't be the final choice.
'Guilds won't work. They're companies, after all. Bound to have institutional constraints.'
What Jeong-woo needed right now was exploration and subjugation rights for Zero Gates. For nations or corporations, the risks outweighed the benefits—tricky without the right position.
A way to break through that. A group free from such constraints. After much deliberation, the answer converged on one.
Jeong-woo stared at the business card for a long while.
[Anomalous Disaster Response Agency]
The last one he hadn't met yet. But it required a radical approach, so he'd saved it for dead last.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The immediate tasks: freedom of movement and eliminating external interference. Actually, there was a very simple way to achieve that.
'Just change the national agency's policy.'
If the nation's stance was the obstacle, change it. If vested interests blocked it, nullify those interests. There was one group in Korea that could pull that off.
[Anomalous Disaster Response Agency]
The agency preparing for gate shocks, monitoring and managing overall gate occurrences. Currently, a sub-department of the Hunter Management Bureau, focused on special gate responses. But in the future, it would be different.
'It succeeds the disbanded Management Bureau.'
The Response Agency becomes the new Management Bureau. Upgraded to directly enact and review hunter-related laws. So, consider this: 'What if I accelerate its launch ahead of schedule?'
If he made it happen himself and placed national hunter operations at its center, institutional constraints would be his to mold. A position created with that in mind, for today.
"Pleased to meet you. Shin Jeong-woo, I'm Jin Ho-jong, director of the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency."
A corner booth in a large cafe near his one-room. Weekday afternoon, not too crowded, and with a hat on, no prying eyes. Jeong-woo sat across from a middle-aged man in a wrinkled suit, exuding lazy fatigue.
Gray-streaked hair in a sporty cut covering half his head, modest build, half-lidded sleepy eyes—like a burned-out civil servant. But don't let your guard down. After all, 'he's the one who disbanded the Management Bureau.'
This man had ousted all the top hunter-turned-politicians hailed as the pinnacle. One unforgettable incident: he crashed a press conference and beat up a congressman on the spot. The politician, on death's door, confessed tearfully to the corruption evidence Jin Ho-jong shoved in his face, with dozens of cameras rolling.
Exposing their misdeeds to the world, he restructured national hunter systems as the Bureau's successor, then branded public hunters as 'solely for protecting society from gate threats'—isolating them as a detached state entity. All in half a year. Director Jin Ho-jong was that bold and formidable. Tension was necessary.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Shin Jeong-woo."
"Wow, what a fine young man. Great manners too."
"It's an honor to meet a first-gen hunter. Saw you on the news a lot growing up."
"Ancient history. You've got bigger things ahead than that."
"That past made this present possible."
"Gilding the lily when I've got nothing left..."
The middle-aged man scratched his cheek sheepishly. Then added.
"Surprising, though. A bright young guy like you interested in a backwater department like ours."
"Is it?"
"Sure is. If I were you, I wouldn't touch this place. I'd head to hotshots like Black Moon, Heavenly Fire, Athena. Live it up there, right? Penthouse overlooking the Han River... stacks of supercars at home... that kind of life."
Then he probed sharply.
"...But you come here. Must be something worth seeing. That's what I'm curious about."
The chill wasn't imagination. Jeong-woo saw the sharp glint in those languid eyes. He smiled wryly. He knew full well this was an unreasonable choice.
For the public good? Then the Management Bureau made more sense. For personal gain? Response Agency even less. So, limited words at his disposal.
"Wasn't the scout offer from the Response Agency?"
"Just fishing. Gotta pretend to work while living off taxes."
"But now that I've here, you need a reason."
"Feels iffy otherwise."
Ho-jong slurped his coffee and continued.
"What do you want to do here, young man?"
Plausible interview lines flashed through Jeong-woo's mind. None hit the mark. 'Not really.' He'd seen all sorts. Formed countless ties. He knew blunt words didn't work on everyone. To Jeong-woo, Ho-jong seemed squarely in that camp. So he dropped the polish. Time for sincerity.
He voiced a tangential but major factor in his job choice.
"Punctual hours. Guaranteed leave. Travel incentives. Heard the workload's super light."
A bit embarrassing, but this fit his goals too.
"Raising the kid alone, so I need evenings with her. Drop her at daycare on the way in, pick her up after work. Weekends out playing together."
Jeong-woo's smile turned awkward. He knew airing this face-to-face was rude. But still, this regression, he aimed high. So, as much as prepping for disasters ten years out, he wanted joyful days for today's Segi. The Response Agency guaranteed that work-life balance, so he said it straight.
Throat dry. He sipped coffee. Silence. Just exchanged glances.
"You're hired."
"Pardon?"
"That's the right answer."
Ho-jong nodded firmly. Still inscrutable expression, but the sharp glint in his eyes had vanished clean. He offered a handshake.
"Spot on, Shin Jeong-woo. We're the country's top tax thieves. Looking forward to it. Let's bleed the nation dry together."
Did that really do it? The sudden shift left him stunned; he fumbled for the hand. Ho-jong gripped it tight. That moment:
"I like it. People like you who get attachments. Willing to sacrifice for it. They do great work."
The words carried double meaning. His dark eyes peered through, and Jeong-woo realized this man...
"Even better if they've got a black heart. Smart ones."
...was not someone to underestimate.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
For a while, Jeong-woo news flooded the world, but as someone said, issues bury issues—his story faded amid fresher hooks. To the public, yes. Not reporters. His next move was certain, and breaking it first was prime scoop material.
How could they drop interest? Stubbornly, some tailed his neighborhood quietly enough that even summons didn't react, gathering intel. Others leveraged info networks and databases. His quiet life yielded no gains for days.
Then.
"Senior! Shin Jeong-woo heading to Anomalous Disaster Response Agency!?"
"What nonsense rumor? Spend time on corporate announcements instead..."
"No, it's official!"
"What!?!?"
An unforeseen bombshell move. The world buzzed. Meanwhile, the man at the center? Preparing to move.
"Segi, that outfit goes here."
"Not taking this one?"
"Nope, buy new clothes for the new closet."
"New clothes!"
"Yeah, clothes. New shoes too."
"Segi wants Beeping shoes!"
"Beeping? What's that? After the move?"
"Yeah! Love Beeping! All my friends have Beeping!?"
Contract signed, his pocket now held the Response Agency's tens-of-billions-won signing bonus, secured from the nation. Time to leave this rundown one-room.
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