The sterile, brightly lit halls of the Korean Hunter's Association headquarters felt strange after the mana-soaked darkness of the dungeon. Jinchul and Taeshik sat side-by-side, in the cabin looking through the documents
The air was cool and smelled of polished floors and disinfectant, a stark contrast to the scent of decay and dust they had just left behind.
Taeshik's usual swagger was gone. He looked at Jinchul, seeing him for the first time not just as a superior, but as an office man "So that's what you meant by 'change'?" he asked
Jinchul ignored the taunt, his gaze as calm and steady as ever. " We need a team." As he began to look through the documents "A team isn't just about power, Taeshik. It's about balance. We need a healer, a mage, a tank, and an scout/assassin"
Taeshik fell silent beside him, his curiosity outweighing his usual cynicism. "A healer? A mage? You're building a raid party? We are the raid party, Chief."
"No," Jinchul countered, his voice firm. "This is a team that can operate in any environment, against any threat. We have the scout/assassin. You." He gave a curt nod. "Your speed and efficiency are unparalleled. You're the spear that strikes with precision."
"And who else?" Taeshik pressed, a hunger for knowledge in his eyes.
"The healer, we've already found. His name is Min Byung-Gyu," Jinchul said, the name feeling natural on his tongue. "He's the only one who can heal what even A-Ranks can't."
Taeshik's eyes widened slightly. He knew the name. A man who had disappeared from the hunter world, a top-tier healer who had refused all offers from the major guilds. "He's retired. Good luck with that."
"He just needs a reason to return to the fray," Jinchul said, his tone confident. "He will come by." He continued, "The mage we'll be recruiting is Song Chi-Yul, a C Rank Fire Mage and swordsman."
Taeshik scoffed. "A C-Rank? You've got to be joking. The man's a fire mage and a swordsman. You think he will be able to team up with us?"
"Yes he is a perfect fit for our team," Jinchul replied, his voice a low rumble in the otherwise quiet hallway. "He is not part of any Guild, that's a plus point. He has years of training, not just in magic, but in his sword art."
"You're looking for people who are not part of any Guild" Taeshik said, a hint of realization dawning on his face.
Jinchul continued looking through the file, his expression unreadable. "We still need a tank, someone who can protect us. I have a few names in mind.".
Jinchul was thinking. The threats humanity faced were growing in power and scale. The hunters he had met were powerful, yes, but they were still human.
They were driven by money, fame, and a desire to protect their own. He couldn't trust a hunter who would abandon the fight for a higher salary. He needed a team that was loyal to the mission, not to a guild.
"I have a theory, Taeshik," Jinchul said, breaking the silence. "The strongest hunters in this world aren't the ones with the most mana but are the ones with the strongest will. A will to protect, to fight, to endure." He leaned forward, his hands clasped on the desk. "I'm looking for hunters who can do the impossible."
Taeshik scoffed. "There are dozens of S-Rank tanks. Why not just go for one of them? We could offer them more money, a higher position-"
"And they'd leave the moment when another offered them a better deal," Jinchul interrupted, his voice sharp. "No. I'm looking for a different kind of strength. Not just raw power, but resilience"
He stood up and walked to the window, his gaze sweeping over the city below. He saw the mana signatures of every hunter in the association. He saw not as a collection of people, but as a vast, interconnected web of energy.
He turned back to Taeshik, his expression grim. "The threats we'll face in the future won't be like anything we've seen before. We need a team that's a perfect counter to their abilities. A healer who can easily heal others. A mage who is as adept with his sword as he is with his magic. And a tank who will stand in front of us, with us. You who are an assassin and also a scout"
He then looked at Taeshik with the same smile he had on his face in the dungeon, making him feel a mix of fear and excitement. "You see, we're not just hunters anymore. We're a force for order." He smiled. "Now, let's go find our next member."
Taeshik trailed after Jinchul, his curiosity overriding his usual cynicism. "A C-Rank? Really? The Association's top two hunters recruiting a C-Rank? This is going to be the laughing stock of the entire hunter community," he muttered, his voice a low rumble.
Jinchul didn't answer. He simply went to his car along with Taeshik who drove him to the location. The ride was silent, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the dungeon raid. As they pulled up to a small, unassuming building.
Taeshik's eyes widened in surprise.
It was a dojo, a traditional martial arts school, its wooden sign weathered and its sliding doors closed. The only hint that this was more than a place of simple training was the faint, rhythmic pulse of mana emanating from within, a steady, controlled hum that spoke of disciplined power.
Jinchul left the car and walked to the door. He didn't knock. Instead, he simply stood for a moment, a rare, unreadable look on his face.
He extended his hand, and a gentle wave of mana rippled from his fingertips, causing a faint, ethereal glow to shimmer across the dojo's wooden facade. The mana wasn't a show of force, but a silent greeting, a recognition of a fellow master.
A moment later, the door slid open. Standing in the doorway was a man of unassuming stature, his face lined with the wisdom of age.
It was Song Chi-Yul, the C-Rank fire mage. He held a wooden practice sword in his hand, and his robes were simple, well-worn, and spotless. His eyes, however, were not the eyes of a simple mage; they were the eyes of a warrior, sharp and full of an unwavering resolve.
"Chief Woo," Song Chi-Yul said, his voice quiet but firm. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" He glanced at Taeshik, a flicker of recognition in his gaze, but his attention returned immediately to Jinchul.
Jinchul bowed slightly, a gesture of respect from one martial artist to another. "Mr. Song. I am here to offer you a position."
Song Chi-Yul's expression remained impassive. "A position? I am not looking for a government position, Chief Woo. My work is here"
"I know," Jinchul replied, his voice a low rumble. "And that's precisely why I'm here. I'm not offering you an office job or a job like mine. I'm offering you a place in something new. A team whose focus will be only on clearing gates."
Taeshik shifted uncomfortably, his impatience palpable. This kind of talk was not his style. He was a man of action, not words. But Jinchul continued, his focus unwavering.
"I've studied your fighting style, Mr. Song," Jinchul said, his gaze fixed on the man's wooden sword.
"Your mana even though not as powerful as Choi Jong-in, your true strength is in your sword. You don't use magic to overwhelm your opponent. You use it to enhance your movements, to guide your strikes. You are a true hybrid, a warrior who understands that mana is not just a weapon, but a tool."
Song Chi-Yul's eyes widened slightly. No one had ever described his fighting style with such precision. The major guilds had only seen his low rank, his small-scale fire magic, and dismissed him as a support hunter except one S Rank Hunter. But this man, this Chief Woo, a Hunter's Association bureaucrat, saw the truth.
Song Chi-Yul was silent for a long moment, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. He looked at the powerful A-Rank hunter in front of him, a man of such power and foresight that it felt like he could read his soul.
He had seen the raw power of the major guilds. He had seen their arrogance, their greed, their willingness to abandon a fight for a better payday. But this man was different. This man was offering him a place not for his power, but for his skill, for his unique way of fighting.