---
The morning sun broke across Seoul with soft golden light, painting the streets with a peace that never truly existed.
Jin-Soo stood at the Guild's balcony on the 22nd floor, watching the city breathe.
Below him, lives moved on—clocks ticked, horns blared, lovers kissed, and children ran in school uniforms.
None of them knew that beneath this very building, people were being drained alive.
> "They all trust the Guilds," he muttered.
"They think we're heroes."
His fingers clenched the metal railing.
> "But we're just weapons dressed in uniforms. Tools for the powerful."
> [System: Passive Observation Mode – Activated]
[New Opportunity Detected: Suspicious Internal Group – Codename 'Red Spiral']
He blinked.
"Red Spiral?"
> [Encrypted communication network hidden within Azure Blade. Keywords suggest growing dissent. Origin: Hunter Division, Level 18.]
> [Suggestion: Infiltrate and investigate.]
A chance.
Not everyone inside this corrupted tower may be rotten.
---
Three Hours Later – Level 18, Equipment Division
Jin-Soo walked through the hallway, careful to look confused. Lost. Weak.
A few Hunters passed by without acknowledging him.
He paused near the storage crates and leaned against a wall like he was catching his breath.
One woman noticed him.
She had short hair, dark eyes, and an old scar under her chin. She wore Guild armor—but her boots were scuffed and her belt was military-issue.
She approached casually.
"You're the new E-rank, right? The one who walked out of Mok-dong?"
Jin-Soo raised his eyebrows slightly. "I guess the rumors are faster than my footsteps."
She smirked. "Depends who's watching."
She looked around, then whispered:
"Do you know what they're doing three floors below?"
Jin-Soo didn't flinch.
"…I have a guess."
"Then we need to talk."
---
Secret Meeting Room – Level 18, Storage Bay 4
There were five of them inside.
All Hunters. Low to mid-rank. None famous.
One wore broken gauntlets.
One had burn scars on both arms.
One never took off his hood.
They weren't a squad. They were survivors.
Each one had seen the truth—or enough of it to break their loyalty.
The woman, who now introduced herself as Kang Mi-Ra, motioned Jin-Soo to sit.
"Red Spiral is not a rebellion," she said. "Not yet. We're just… witnesses. Waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Jin-Soo asked.
Mi-Ra leaned forward.
"For someone stronger to do what we can't."
> [System Alert: "Red Spiral" contact verified. New Quest Path Unlocked – 'Within the Ashes.']
> [Do you wish to lead them? Y/N]
Jin-Soo didn't answer the system.
Not yet.
---
Later That Night – Secure Data Leak (Offsite)
Back in his dorm, Jin-Soo connected to an ancient laptop patched with copper wire and an enchanted battery. It wasn't on any network. It ran an OS from fifteen years ago.
The only thing it had was a one-way port into the Association's leak registry—meant for whistleblowers.
> [Attach file: Video – Essence Battery Core Room]
[Attach file: Audio – Azure Commander conversation]
[Anonymous Tag: For Justice.]
He hesitated.
This was no longer about him.
It was about how far the world would let monsters wear suits and sit in towers.
He clicked Send.
---
Midnight – Association Emergency Meeting Room
In a secured war room beneath Seoul's Association HQ, red lights flashed.
Six officials sat in silence, watching the footage repeat:
A Guild officer mocking a prisoner.
A magical battery draining Hunters.
A phrase etched in stone:
> "Azure Blade shall pierce all kings."
"…This," one of the directors whispered, "is treason."
Another leaned forward.
"Find the source. Now. And if this is real…"
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
"…Azure Blade will fall."
---
The Next Morning – Azure Blade Training Hall
Jin-Soo stood in line with twenty other Hunters for a combat drill.
He pretended to stretch.
He flinched when fake monsters roared.
He dropped his blade once on purpose.
Laughed at himself.
Played the role of the fool.
All while whispers floated around him.
> "That guy? I heard he walked out of a mutated gate alone."
"He doesn't look like much."
"Must've been carried by someone."
He smiled faintly.
> [System: Deception Level – 92%. Status: Hidden.]
Suddenly, Mi-Ra appeared beside him during cooldown.
"You sent something, didn't you?" she asked softly.
"I don't know what you mean."
She smirked.
"Good. That's the answer of a survivor."
Then she whispered—
"There are others. In other Guilds. Watching. Waiting. If this thing spreads… it won't just be Azure Blade that burns."
Jin-Soo looked at her, then at the sky beyond the training windows.
And he whispered, almost to himself:
> "Let them all burn."
---
Final Scene – Somewhere in a Guild Office
Inside a locked office, the Commander watched the footage of Jin-Soo training.
Over and over.
Not what he did—but what he didn't.
His gaze narrowed.
"Where's your tell?" he murmured.
"You show no pressure. No fear. No edge."
He turned to his aide.
"Double the surveillance."
"And activate Project 'Core Split.' He's hiding something. Something... alive."
---