Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hunter Association Certified Training Center No. 17, located on the outskirts of Seoul.

Inside the training hall, where the crisp air of early morning lingered, Kang Jina was staring blankly down at her own palm. This unfamiliar sensation flowing through every vein in her body. It had started after she drank the mysterious tonic her brother had prepared for her the day before. At first, she had simply felt a bit lighter on her feet, but after a night's sleep, her entire body felt not just full but overflowing with magical energy.

'What on earth did you feed me, Oppa?'

Jina stepped up to the training-use magical energy measuring device, half-believing and half-doubting. Built in the shape of a heavy bag, the device calculated a hunter's strike force and total magical energy in real time, converting them into numerical values. Jina's usual reading was around 4,500. It placed her in the upper ranks among C-rank hunters, but fell far short of crossing the wall into B-rank.

Jina let out a short breath and drew the practice sword from her hip. Without even trying to concentrate, magical energy flowed smoothly all the way to her fingertips. As though it had been hers all along—no, as though strength she had always possessed was only now finding its proper path.

Her body spun fluidly and surged toward the heavy bag. The blue magical energy loaded into the tip of her sword traced a sharp arc, cleaving the air.

CRASH—!

It was no mere impact. With an explosive boom, the heavy measuring device let out a mechanical screech and buckled backward. The support struts wobbled and dust drifted from the ceiling—that was the scale of the shock. Jina was awed by the fact that she felt almost no recoil in her wrist. Her magical energy was perfectly absorbing the impact.

BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

The numbers on the display panel atop the device began spinning wildly. When they finally stopped, Jina's eyes flooded with shock.

[Measured Value: 28,120]

"Twenty...... eight thousand?"

Jina's voice trembled. A reading of 4,500 had leaped more than sixfold overnight. This was no ordinary growth. It was an overwhelming amount of magical energy—enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the very top of B-rank hunters, or perhaps even beyond.

Jina slid the sword back into its scabbard with trembling hands. Her brother's unfamiliar gaze in the alley yesterday, and the annihilation of the guild branch. Every piece of the puzzle was pointing in a single direction.

"This is absolutely not some ordinary tonic. Oppa, what are you really?"

Her question scattered emptily through the vacant training hall.

***

At the same time, a taut tension hung in the living room of Somyeong's home. It should have been the hour for a late breakfast and lounging lazily on the sofa watching TV, but today, uninvited guests had arrived.

"I am Team Leader Han Minwoo of the Hunter Association's Investigation Division. I would appreciate a moment of your cooperation."

A man with neatly slicked-back hair and sharp-framed glasses presented his official ID. Behind him, investigators in black suits stood in an imposing posture. Han Minwoo was an A-rank awakened who handled major cases in the Seoul region, a man who had solved countless cold cases on the strength of his keen instincts alone.

"Oh my, what brings such distinguished people from the Association? Did we do something wrong?"

Somyeong came out carrying a tray with three cups of instant coffee, bowing so deeply it bordered on groveling. A worn-out T-shirt and sweatpants with saggy knees. The shabby appearance of a textbook F-rank porter. Han Minwoo looked Somyeong over with eyes that appeared indifferent but cut like blades.

"The Black Lion Guild's Branch No. 2, which Hunter Kang Jina was formerly affiliated with, was completely destroyed in an explosion last night. Were you aware of this?"

"What? Oh my goodness! Why there? Thank heavens our Jina didn't go there yesterday."

Somyeong patted his chest in exaggerated relief. The act was flawless. From evading the eyes of countless rivals in the martial world to ascending to the seat of the Heavenly Demon, he had learned the art of deception to the bone. But Han Minwoo's eyes were not so easily fooled.

"Between 6 and 8 PM last night, where were the two of you?"

"We were at home, of course. I was waiting for our Jina to come back from training so we could have dinner together. If you go to the kitchen, there's still leftover kimchi stew from yesterday—would you like to check?"

Somyeong gestured toward the kitchen with an easygoing grin. Instead of answering, Han Minwoo drew a palm-sized device from his jacket. It was a high-performance magical energy detector, custom-made by the Association.

"If you'll excuse me."

Han Minwoo flipped the switch and aimed it at Somyeong. A fine wave rippled through the air, scanning his entire body. If Somyeong was concealing even the slightest trace of magical energy, this device would sound its alarm without mercy.

[Magical Energy Response: 0.02 (Unawakened Level)]

Only cold numbers appeared on the screen. Even the lowest-ranking awakened should register at least 10. Somyeong's reading was lower than a civilian's—truly the level of a pebble rolling along the roadside.

'Strange.'

Han Minwoo furrowed his brow. Machines do not lie. The man before him was clearly an ordinary civilian, or at best an F-rank porter who was a hunter in name only. Yet his instincts—that chill running down his spine—kept sending warnings.

The instinctive fear of a herbivore standing before a predator. Though the numbers said he was harmless, deep within Somyeong's eyes, a vast and unfathomable abyss seemed to lurk.

"Team Leader, nothing came up. The CCTV footage from the area also shows no record of anyone from this household going out during the time of the incident."

An investigator standing behind him reported quietly. Somyeong had already used his demonic energy to tamper with all nearby surveillance camera footage. Modern technology was convenient, but for one who commanded energy, it was equally full of vulnerabilities.

Han Minwoo finally sighed and put the device away.

"We received intelligence that Hunter Kang Jina was subjected to unfair treatment by that guild, so we stopped by to verify. If anything comes to mind later, or if you experience any threats, please contact this number."

Han Minwoo placed a business card on the table. Somyeong received it with both hands, bowing again and again.

"Yes, yes! Of course. You work so hard, Team Leader. Won't you at least stay for another cup of coffee......"

"No, I'm busy. I'll be on my way."

Han Minwoo turned and headed for the front door. Just before opening it, he glanced back one more time at Somyeong. Somyeong was still smiling like a fool and waving. But Han Minwoo saw it. For just an instant, the shadow at Somyeong's feet had stretched abnormally long before vanishing.

***

Once the investigators had left completely, silence settled over the house.

Somyeong took a sip of the now-cold instant coffee. A faintly sweet yet bitter flavor lingered on the tip of his tongue.

"Sharp one, that fellow."

All trace of the groveling from moments ago had vanished from Somyeong's voice. His low, sunken tone pressed down heavily on the air in the living room.

The front door opened again, and Jina stepped in. Just back from the training center, her face was flushed, and her eyes were brimming with questions. She stared at Somyeong, sitting on the living room sofa.

"The people who just left—they were from the Association, weren't they?"

"Yeah, they came to check because there was an incident at the Black Lion branch. It's nothing, don't worry."

Somyeong nonchalantly began peeling an apple. Jina walked up beside him and quietly looked down at his hands. The precise handiwork, peeling the skin in one unbroken, even strip.

"Oppa, I got my magical energy measured at the training center today. It came out to twenty-eight thousand."

Somyeong's peeling hand faltered for a moment. He looked up at Jina with a performance of surprise.

"Whoa, is my little sister a genius? Was the tonic that effective? Talk about getting your money's worth."

"Don't lie to me. You think a single dose of tonic does this? Oppa, tell me the truth. What did you do to those people yesterday? And what I drank—what was that stuff, really?"

Moisture welled in Jina's eyes. More than fear, it was confusion—and the worry that her brother might have gotten caught up in something dangerous because of her. Somyeong speared a freshly peeled slice of apple with a fork and brought it to her lips.

"Jina."

"Don't change the subject!"

"Sometimes in this world, miracles that are hard to explain just happen. What matters is that you now have the strength to protect yourself, and the trash that was tormenting our family has been taken out. Isn't that enough?"

Somyeong's voice was gentle, but within it lay an irrefutable resolve. Jina bit her lip and accepted the apple slice he offered. Sweet juice spread through her mouth, but the doubt in a corner of her heart did not disappear. Her brother was no longer the pushover she had once known.

Just then, Jina's smartphone rang loudly. The screen displayed 'Caller ID Restricted.' When Jina answered, a deep male voice came through.

"Am I speaking with Hunter Kang Jina? This is Director Kim Sangcheol from the White Tiger Guild's Personnel Department."

Jina's eyes went wide. The White Tiger Guild. One of South Korea's top three guilds, a massive organization backed by the conglomerate Taesung Group.

"Yes, that's me. What is this about......"

"We reviewed your recent measurement data through the Association's database. Your growth has been remarkable. Our guild would like to extend a formal recruitment offer. Of course, there is a verification process to assess your abilities beforehand."

"Verification?"

"There is a B-rank evaluation dungeon run being held near Seoul tomorrow. If you pass the test there, we guarantee industry-leading treatment."

After hanging up, Jina's hand was trembling faintly. The White Tiger Guild. An opportunity she had never dreamed of. But at the same time, the words 'B-rank dungeon' made her heart drop. No matter how much her magical energy had risen, for someone lacking real combat experience, it could be an overwhelming challenge.

Jina looked at Somyeong, who was turning the pages of a book.

"Oppa."

"Yeah?"

"I have a test tomorrow. It's the White Tiger Guild entrance test, and it's a B-rank dungeon."

Somyeong replied offhandedly, not lifting his eyes from the book.

"Nice. My little sister's getting hired by a major corporation?"

"......Will you come with me? Be my porter again this time."

Jina's request was not simply because she needed a porter. She wanted to confirm it. In the sealed space of a dungeon, she wanted to see with her own eyes the true extent of the overwhelming power her brother was hiding. And she felt a strange certainty that with her brother by her side, she could make it through any dungeon, no matter how dangerous.

Only then did Somyeong close his book and let out a quiet chuckle.

"A major guild, huh? The daily pay must be good. Of course I'm going—got to hype up my little sister."

A mischievous light glinted in Somyeong's eyes. But the thoughts behind it were a little different.

'The White Tiger Guild. If my sister is going to be working there, I ought to see for myself what kind of people they are.'

The apple peel fell smoothly onto the plate, unbroken to the very end.

A new hunting ground—no, a new journey—was about to begin.