Hunters Association

In the morning, Kim Ji-woo was still sleeping. It's a peaceful rest from the eternal nightmare for him.

It's been a while since Ji-woo had a time like this. In the Great War, he couldn't even dream of getting asleep because of the worry about assassins attempting to kill the shadow of Stormrage.

Sadly, again. Every good thing in the world would never last long enough.

The quiet morning passed in just a second as Ji-woo forcefully woke up after hearing an argument outside his room.

"Why didn't you go back home last night, Ji-won~ah?"

"Is not Eomma business!"

"Your Oppa is back. He is in his room now resting. Lower your voice." Ji-woo's mother helplessly reminded her daughter and told her about Ji-woo's comeback.

"Oppa? the man missing for six years, that Oppa? Bulls**t!"

"Ji-won~ah, you can't speak to your own family like that... He's still your Oppa..."

"How come Eomma is sure that man is Oppa? Maybe he's just a con man... "

Kim Ji-won didn't believe and denied the existence of her brother to the end. For someone that had gone and left a mess in their family. He doesn't deserve to get welcomed at home.

Ji-won got angry the more she thought that her father died while trying to find her brother, leaving her mother alone supporting the family of two of them.

Ji-won's personality changed, and she was a bit harsh toward her mother after living in poor conditions for a few years.

"That phone? That's for him. Isn't it? When I'm asking for money, Eomma says there is none!?"

Ji-won's eyes focused on her mother's hand and looked toward the phone box. Seeing that her mother had money but didn't give her the money made her angry and irritated more than hearing her brother's news.

"Eomma can explain this..."

Before her mother could calm her, Ji-won rushed to her room and closed the door immediately.

Slam, Bang--

The mother was shocked by the door sound.

Ji-woo then came out from his room and looked toward his mother. He couldn't bear his sister's attitude anymore, but he understood her frustration because of him.

So, Ji-woo decided to let his sister's behavior go and tried to comfort her mother.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

"Ah, Eomma is fine. You must hear our loud voice. I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, Ji-woo~ya."

"I'm already awake. So, it's fine, mom." Ji-woo shook his head and persuaded his mother.

"Let me wash my face and brush my teeth first. Then I will help to prepare breakfast."

Ji-woo walked hurriedly to the bathroom, leaving his mother in the living room alone without having time to say anything.

After Ji-woo had done with everything, he got back to the living room and helped his mother set up the table for breakfast.

"You must hear what we said earlier... Ji-won didn't mean what she said. She was just lonely since you and your father are gone..."

Before his mother continued to talk and felt guilty about Ji-won's words, Ji-woo interjected.

"Mom. Don't worry about me. This time I will be the one that takes care of the family."

Ji-woo smiled while reassuring his mother.

"You have grown up already. I'm very grateful you're back and alive.

"Ji-won~ah, Let's eat breakfast. Your Oppa is here too. Come to see him."

Creak, Ngeee--

The sound of the door opening made both Ji-woo and his mother stare at Ji-won's room.

"Ah, it's been a long time since you didn't meet your Oppa. Greet him first..."

But Ji-won didn't walk toward the table. Instead, she went to the front door.

"Ji-won~ah, eat first before going to school."

"Don't want to! And you, I don't care who you are, but you better leave this house quickly. Before I report you to the police!"

Ji-won rejected her mother's plea and spoke harshly toward her brother, Ji-woo.

"Don't speak to your Oppa like that, Ji-won~ah..."

His mother tried to stand up and stop Ji-won from leaving but was being held back by Ji-woo.

"It's okay, mom. Let Ji-won go to the school. Mom can sit and eats first for now."

Ji-won heard Ji-woo speak to her mother like that, sneered at him. "F*ck off, jerk!"

Ji-woo could hear the mocking, but he only shook his head and shrugged.

"Don't come back late later, Ji-won~ah. Okay?" Her mother tried to reach Ji-won. However, Ji-won had already left the house. Slammed the front door as she did to her room before.

"Eomma didn't understand why she changed like that, Ji-woo~ya." His mother sighed, and it made Ji-woo know that his family was suffering so much these past few years without him.

Suddenly, Ji-woo's mother looked at him and then gave him a hairband. "Tie your hair with this. It must be hard eating with that long hair."

Ji-woo immediately tied his hair, making his face clear to be seen by his mother.

"Your face is still the same as before." Ji-woo's mother smiled while eating with her son.

Last night, Ji-woo already knew more about his family's current situation. His mother shared the story of his father dying in a car accident, and that's how his mother got money for a place to set up a street food stall from his father's insurance.

At that time, Ji-woo's mother didn't have any choice except to keep living because they didn't have any relatives that they could lean on. She needed to pay her daughter's school fee and the cost of living for both of them alone.

Ji-woo's sister started to become rebellious three years ago. Ji-woo's mother couldn't bear to ask her daughter to help earn money to make a living. So, she endured the hardship resulting in Ji-won's poor attitude. It's just with working so hard alone. She couldn't monitor Ji-won's activity all the time.

Trying to earn money for six years made Ji-woo's mother familiar with work now. At least what she earned could support both mother and daughter's living costs. She even saved some money even though the amount was small.

Ji-woo was determined to shoulder the burden of his family from now on after listening to his mother's story.

'This time, I wouldn't let my family suffer. And I need to earn some money too.'

---- ----

---- ----

Seoul, Hunters Association's headquarter building.

"We currently have a total of 213 Portal Gates across the land. Three tier-6 Portal Gates, nine tier-5 Portal Gates, 21 tier-4 Portal Gates, 31 tier-3 Portal Gates, 48 tier-2 Portal Gates, and 101 tier-1 Portal Gates,"

"Tier-6 Portal Gate..." Chairman Yu massaged his temple after hearing the report from his secretary.

Just tier-5 Portal Gate alone, even with 10 S-rank hunters, couldn't clear the dungeons unscathed.

That was how dangerous tier-6 Portal Gate was. Korean couldn't afford to send more than 15 S-rank hunters, only to clear the dungeons from tier-6 without getting any casualties.

Who will close the rest of the Portal Gates that was still not closed around their country if South Korea lost its manpower?

Not to mention the threat from the Red Gates, which could appear from any tier of Portal Gates anywhere at any time. How worrying this problem was for everyone.

Even the higher-ups from the government would have a headache over this problem.

What they needed to do now was to keep some essential hunters and not rush to close all the Portal Gates.

Only when the Red Gates appeared would they get forced to use their hunters without reserving them.

"Even though the Portal Gates were hundreds only. It was still not enough to overcome them with more than tens of thousands of hunters we had in South Korea. Not only do we lack staff for the Hunters Association, but hunters that can handle the dungeons are inadequate too.

"What we need now is more high-ranked hunters to be ready and defend our country from the Red Gates."

Beep, Beep--

The intercom at the Chairman's table was ringing and stopped their talk.

"What?"

"Sir Chairman Yu, Chief Lee from the Monitoring division requested to meet you. What should I do?"

"Let him come in."

"Yes, sir!"

Creak, Ngeee--

The door of the Chairman's room opened.

Chief Lee walked to the front desk of Chairman Yu after closing the door when he came in. He stood on the same line as the Chairman Secretary on the right side.

"It's rare for you to come and see me. Shouldn't you be busy right now?"

"I have something to say to you, sir."

"Alright, say it."

Chief Lee then took a glimpse of the secretary. And Chairman Yu noticed the movement and immediately told his secretary to go out of the room.

Now, only both of them were in the room.

Chief Lee didn't beat around the bush. "I met someone yesterday around the Portal Gate, I can't feel any Mana from him, and he didn't get affected by Mana impact."

"Maybe he has an artifact to hide the Mana?" Chairman Yu still couldn't understand why Chief Lee, making this seem such an important matter to him.

"No sir, he just wore plain clothes, and I didn't even trace any artifact around him. The weirdest thing from him is..., Mana that should be all over the place because of the Portal Gate seems like avoiding this man."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't notice it before because the Portal Gate appeared in the middle of a crowded place. But of all people around the Portal Gate, only he seems to have a barrier blocking the Mana to get close to it."

Chairman Yu was surprised and straightened his back on the chair. "Eh? Interesting."