The next morning, Jinwoo arrived at the designated assembly point early.
The air was filled with the low hum of conversation—hunters checking equipment, exchanging greetings, tension hanging faintly beneath practiced smiles. It was a familiar atmosphere, one he had once entered with fear weighing heavily on his chest.
Jinwoo stepped forward calmly, his presence was quiet.
And then—
"Hmm?"
A familiar voice reached his ears.
He turned and saw Song Chi-Yul standing near the portal , posture straight despite the years etched into his face. His sharp eyes widened slightly the moment they landed on Jinwoo.
"…Sung Jinwoo?"
"Yes, sir," Jinwoo replied, bowing his head politely.
Song Chi-Yul studied him openly, disbelief flickering across his expression.
"You look… different."
Taller and more sharper.
The air around Jinwoo felt steady, grounded—nothing like the fragile E-ranker who had once clung to life in the double dungeon.
Nearby, a few other hunters glanced over.
Jinwoo recognized them too.
Survivors.
Hunters who had escaped the nightmare of the double dungeon alongside him.
Whispers spread quietly.
"Isn't that…?" "He was there with us back then…" "Was he always built like that?"
Jinwoo offered them small nods of acknowledgment.
Then—
His gaze paused.
And his breath caught.
Lee Joohee stood a few steps away, adjusting the strap of her staff. Her auburn hair caught the morning light, eyes focused yet gentle as always.
She looked the same.
And yet—
When her eyes met his—
They widened.
"…Jinwoo?"
For a heartbeat, the noise around them faded.
"Yes," he said softly. "It's been a while."
Joohee stared.
The man in front of her was unmistakably Sung Jinwoo—but not the one she remembered. He stood straighter now, his shoulders broader, his presence calm and assured.
Gone was the fragile boy who had once smiled weakly through pain.
Her heart skipped.
When did he become like this…?
Jinwoo felt something warm stir in his chest.
Back then, he hadn't even dared to think about her like this.
He had felt too small and weak before.
But now—
He met her gaze without hesitation.
Without lowering his eyes.
After this dungeon, he thought, I'll ask her to go out as it was quite normal for hunter have more than 1 wife and in this life his goal is to live fully and get every woman he desire not just body but also win their heart.
But First—
He would clear it this dungeon.
Joohee realized something too.
As Jinwoo turned to listen to the briefing, her eyes lingered on his back.
Her heartbeat refused to slow.
When this raid ends… she decided quietly, fingers tightening around her staff.
I'll be the one to ask him out.
Neither of them spoke their thoughts aloud.
But the atmosphere shifted the moment the Hunter Association officials arrived.
Jinwoo felt it instantly.
Footsteps—measured, authoritative. The sound of boots that belonged not to hunters .
Hunter Association staff moved in pairs, escorting a group of men , their wrists were bound with reinforced cuffs.
A criminal hunter.
Murmurs rippled through the assembled raid party.
"So they're using a dungeon raid for prisoner labor…" "Disgusting, but effective."
Jinwoo's eyes narrowed slightly.
And then—
He saw him.
Tall. Lean. Sharp-eyed. His expression was calm—too calm. The man wore an Association uniform, the emblem stitched neatly on his chest.
Kang Taeshik.
B-Rank Hunter.
Assigned as supervisor.
Jinwoo's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
So it really is you.
In his previous life—or rather, in the future he remembered—Kang Taeshik had been exposed as a murderer. A man who used his position to execute criminals inside dungeons where no witnesses could escape.
A serial killer hiding behind the law.
But it didn't end there.
To erase all traces—
He had tried to kill everyone else in the raid.
Accidents in dungeons were common.
Dead hunters couldn't testify.
Kang Taeshik didn't know it yet.
But the man standing quietly among the hunters—
Already knew everything about him.
Jinwoo leaned back against the wall, his expression relaxed,
He didn't confront him and nor he look at him for more than a passing glance.
Jinwoo's gaze drifted briefly to Lee Joohee and the others who had survived the double dungeon. They laughed nervously, unaware of the danger.
Kang Taeshik's sharp eyes swept across the group, briefly pausing on Jinwoo.
Something flickered there.
Curiosity?
But he looked away.
To him, Jinwoo was still just another low-ranked hunter.
harmless and insignificant.
Jinwoo smiled faintly.
Go on, he thought calmly.
And when you turn your blade on us—
His fingers twitched slightly at his side, sensing the weight of Steel-Fang in his inventory.
That's when I'll end you.
The dungeon gate roared to life, blue light spiraling outward.
The Acting leader Song Chi-Yul raised his hand.
"Everyone—move out!"
As they stepped into the gate—
Kang Taeshik walked at the rear, hands in his pockets, eyes cold and indifferent.