Eclipse Hunters Guild (2)

The room was thick with an uncomfortable silence. Seung's gaze remained fixed on his stats, the numbers flickering on the screen before him. A few seconds later, he turned, his palm still pressed against the cool surface.

"Are we done here?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with a sharp edge as he looked at Mr. Choi.

Kim Eunji let out a heavy sigh, crossing her arms behind her back. Her eyes locked with Seung's, searching for something beyond the surface. "Mr. Lee Seung, your guild registered you as an F-rank, but these stats… they're too high."

Seung felt his teeth grind together, a faint heat rising in his chest. His free hand started to sweat, and he clenched it into a fist to keep it from shaking.

Kim Eunji didn't back down. She continued, her voice steady, "Is there a mistake with your registered rank, or... are you undergoing some kind of super evolution? I'm curious."

Seung's mind raced, panic threatening to overtake him. 'She's setting a trap! Damn it, what do I say?'

He knew the truth—he was stronger than an F-rank, maybe even close to E-rank—but admitting that would only raise more questions. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each beat growing louder as the silence in the room stretched on.

Mr. Choi, sensing the danger, stepped in. He could feel Eunji's icy stare, but he ignored it, focusing on diffusing the situation. 'This could get ugly fast,' he thought. 'But I can't let them take him away.'

Mr. Choi forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Haha, Miss Kim, please, be lenient with my employee. He's always so scatterbrained; it's a wonder he even remembered to show up today."

Eunji's eyes narrowed, her cold gaze pinning Mr. Choi. "What exactly do you mean, Mr. Choi?"

"Well," Mr. Choi began, scratching the back of his head, "Last time he went hunting, I had to remind him to wear his gear. He's forgetful like that—always misplacing things, forgetting important details. It's no wonder he didn't notice his stats changing."

Eunji's expression didn't soften. If anything, she seemed more suspicious. "Could you get to the point? We're wasting time here."

Mr. Choi sighed, realizing he was running out of options. "What I mean is, Mr. Lee forgot to do a stats checkup at the Hunter Centre. As you can see, even he's shocked by how much he's improved. It's like his mind is off somewhere else, haha..."

Despite his efforts, Eunji wasn't convinced. She turned to the elderly man beside her, whispering something before he handed her a bulky book. Flipping through the pages, she stopped and held it out for Mr. Choi to see.

"This is the Hunter record," she said, her tone cold and firm. "Mr. Lee Seung took his Hunter examination just a few weeks ago, after his Awakening. Do you really think it's possible for him to rise in rank so quickly?"

Mr. Choi swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. He knew if Eunji pushed any further, Seung might be detained for investigation, and that could spell disaster.

Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, Seung spoke up, his voice cutting through the tension in the room like a blade. "It's true, I became a Hunter a few weeks ago," he admitted, his tone calm but determined.

Eunji raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. Mr. Choi stared at Seung, his heart pounding, unsure of what the young man would say next.

Seung continued, his voice steady, "The reason for my rapid growth is simple. My sister has been in a coma for years, and I was told she could be cured with the Jar of Life. That's why I became a Hunter. I raid dungeons frequently to get stronger. I have to become stronger—there's no other choice. I might need to face a C-rank monster sooner than I'd like."

Eunji's eyes narrowed, her mind racing. There was something in Seung's words that struck a chord with her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding something back.

Moments later, Seung and Mr. Choi left the testing room. As they walked down the hallway, Seung felt a weight lift off his shoulders, but he knew they weren't out of the woods yet. He glanced back to see Eunji leaning against the doorframe, her eyes boring into their backs.

"Miss Kim, are you off his case now?" asked Mr. Chu, the elderly man standing behind her.

Eunji's gaze remained fixed on Seung and Mr. Choi. "I'm not buying his story so easily," she murmured, almost to herself. "But I have a plan."

Seung's heart skipped a beat as they reached the lounge. Suddenly, his eyes widened in horror, and he froze mid-step. "Stop the truck! There's a girl in the way!"

Everyone in the lounge turned to look outside. The guild's glass walls offered a clear view of the main road, where a little girl, no more than eight years old, stood frozen in fear as a truck barreled toward her.

"OH, MY GOD!"

"Someone, please help her!"

"Dear lord, she's going to get hit!"

The room erupted in panic, people scrambling to the windows, while security guards bolted out of the building, waving frantically at the truck driver.

"Pull over! Stop the truck!" they yelled, but their cries were in vain. The truck showed no signs of slowing down, and it was mere inches from the girl.

Suddenly, a loud BAM echoed through the air, followed by a metallic buzz and the screeching of tires. Everyone in the lounge held their breath, their eyes locked on the scene outside.

When the dust settled, Seung slowly looked up. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Who… who stopped the truck?!"

A man with white hair, clad in a long black coat, stood at the front of the truck, one palm pressed firmly against its bumper. The truck, which had been hurtling toward the girl at full speed, was now completely still, as if it had run into an immovable object.

"It's him! That's Park Junho, the S-rank Hunter!" someone in the guild shouted, their voice filled with awe.

Seung was utterly overwhelmed. He had heard stories of S-rank Hunters, but seeing one in action was something else entirely. 'He stopped that truck with just one hand… How?'

"There's no need to be so shocked, Mr. Lee," Mr. Choi said, a hint of a smile in his voice. "That's just a glimpse of what an S-ranker can do."

Before Seung could respond, the S-rank Hunter appeared at the guild's entrance, the little girl safely in his arms. His movements were so fast, Seung barely registered them. All he could do was whisper, "Wow…"

'So this is what it means to be the best? I can't even move that fast using Light Speed,' Seung thought, his mind racing.

Mr. Choi leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper. "A word of advice: don't make it obvious that you admire him."

"Why not?" Seung asked, confused.

"Because he can be a real jerk sometimes," Mr. Choi replied, his tone dead serious.

Seung barely had time to process this when he heard the sharp click of expensive shoes against the tiled floor. The sound grew louder as the S-rank Hunter approached, stopping just beside Mr. Choi.

A smirk played on the man's lips as he looked at Seung. "Nothing's more fun than making an entrance, don't you think, Mr. Minho?"

Mr. Choi forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I suppose it depends on the entrance, Mr. Park."

Park Junho chuckled, his eyes flicking up to the ceiling as if he found the whole situation amusing. "It's a shame you were expelled from Dongwon Guild. You wouldn't be stuck in this… less-than-glamorous role as a mere manager."

He turned his gaze back to Mr. Choi, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Surely, you must have some clever retort for that?"

Seung stared at Mr. Choi in shock. He had never known that Mr. Choi once worked for one of the most prestigious guilds in Seoul—or that he had been expelled.

'But for what?' Seung wondered, his mind swirling with questions.

Mr. Choi's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white, but he kept his composure, his face betraying none of the anger boiling inside him.

Park Junho's gaze shifted to Seung, then back to Mr. Choi. "It's amusing, really. You're too stingy to hire a proper manager, so you do all the work yourself. How… quaint."

At that moment, Seung, feigning innocence, accidentally stepped on Park Junho's foot. "Oh my! I'm so sorry, sir. That was an accident…" he said, his voice filled with mock concern.

'What the hell is his shoe made of? Steel?' Seung thought, glancing down at the S-rank Hunter's unscathed shoe.

Park Junho didn't even flinch, his expression remaining as cool as ever. He looked down at Seung, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I see you're his employee. How about you come work for me instead? I'll pay you a billion won per day to be my errand boy."

Seung instantly recognized the game Park was playing—trying to sow discord between him and Mr. Choi. He met the S-rank Hunter's gaze, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Wow, sir, that's a generous offer. But may I ask you a quick question?"

"Go ahead," Park Junho replied, his confidence unwavering.

Seung leaned in slightly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Who do you think is wealthier? A man with a thousand gold coins or a man who owns a field of precious herbs?"

Silence fell over the room. Park Junho's smirk faltered for just a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied Seung. The young man's calm demeanor didn't waver, even as the seconds ticked by.

Finally, Park Junho chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "I see you have a sharp tongue. I'll give you that."