Chapter 62: An Offer He Can't Refuse

Cheol Su's stomach growled, its hunger nearly as fierce as his rage. A quick bite was in order, if only to quell the savage beast within. Without much thought, he followed his stomach's growling into the bustling streets of the academy.

As he made his way towards the nearest food stall, the sound of footsteps approaching from behind caught his attention. Before he could turn to face them, a hand clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Cheol Su, isn't it?"

The voice was deep and rich, with a smooth confidence that was impossible to ignore. When Cheol Su turned, he found himself face-to-face with three men, all dressed in sleek black suits, their faces hidden in the shadows of the surrounding buildings.

"If you have time, we'd like to talk to you about something. A certain…opportunity that's come our way." The tallest of the three stepped forward, his smile shark-like and cunning. Cheol Su's hand instinctively drifted towards his weapons, though he forced himself to relax. "I'm a bit busy at the moment. What makes you think I'd want to listen to what you have to say?"

The man's smile only widened. "Because we're the representatives of Thunderclap, and we've got a feeling you'd be the perfect fit for our guild."

At the mention of Thunderclap, Cheol Su's face darkened. The mention of Thunderclap, the infamous mercenary guild, was enough to send a jolt of recognition through Cheol Su. He knew of their reputation—their ruthlessness, their brutality, their efficiency.

But what would they want with him?

"What makes you think I'd want to join your guild?" he asked, his tone cold and calculating. "I'm already a part of the Arcane Academy."

"And the Academy is a fine place," the man conceded, his voice smooth as silk. "But there's something you don't know, Cheol Su. Something they've kept from the public."

With a click of his fingers, the man held out a tablet, the screen flaring to life with a video feed.

On the screen, Cheol Su watched as Evolvers from various guilds—including some he recognized—were ambushed in the outer safe zone by an onslaught of anomalies, their sheer numbers overwhelming even the most skilled of fighters.

The Evolvers fought valiantly, but the outcome was devastating. As the video came to a close, the man's voice broke the silence, its quiet intensity a stark contrast to the chaos on the screen.

"This is just one of many such attacks that have occurred in recent weeks. The Evolvers Association had originally categorized the areas within the outer safe zone as 'ordinary+' difficulty, meaning that the Evolvers who ventured there could expect to encounter a fair level of danger.

However, in recent weeks, these supposedly 'ordinary+' locations had turned out to be anything but, with reports of unprecedented anomaly activity—the kind of activity one would expect from areas classified as 'rare+' difficulty.

It was almost as if the monsters had grown in strength, numbers, and organization overnight. The Evolvers Association has chosen to keep these incidents under wraps, to avoid panic in the general populace."

Cheol Su's eyes narrowed, his mind racing to process the information. "Why are you telling me this?"

The man's smile was knowing. "Because we want you to help us stop it. "Thunderclap's strength lies in our tactical precision," the man continued, his voice smooth as a knife's edge. "But the mystical beasts has evolved terribly, more intelligent. We need someone who can match their evolution speed, people of your caliber who can make a difference, we need to bring them down."

The air around them seemed to thrum with electricity, charged with the weight of the offer.

Cheol Su's eyes darted from one man to the next, his mind calculating his next move. The implications were staggering. If the anomaly activity could suddenly spike in a supposedly safe area, then what was stopping it from happening in the inner safe zones, the cities, even the academy itself?

Cheol Su's mind raced as he considered the possibility that the Evolvers Association had vastly underestimated the danger lurking beyond their walls. Could this be the reason the attacks had been kept secret? To avoid causing widespread panic?

And if so, what did that mean for the future of the Evolvers? The men in black stood before Cheol Su, their eyes hard and serious as they weighed his potential.

"The stakes are high, Cheol Su. If these anomalies continue to grow unchecked, it's only a matter of time before they break through the outer safe zone and rampage through the inner zones, the cities, the very heart of our world." The man's voice was grim. "But with a talent like yours, we could turn the tide. With our resources, our expertise, and your power, we could stop these anomalies in their tracks." "And in return, we'll give you the kind of power the academy can only dream of," the man continued, his gaze holding Cheol Su's. "You'll learn secrets about your own powers, secrets that even the finest masters at the academy have never been privy to. You'll become a force to be reckoned with, unstoppable in your element, as dangerous as the anomalies themselves."

Cheol Su's heart pounded in his chest. The temptation was undeniable.

As Cheol Su considered the offer, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, the calm tones of his visual interface, Cyprus. "Cheol Su, do not rush into this decision. While their account of the anomalies may be accurate, their true motivations are far from altruistic. They will use you as a weapon, a tool to achieve their own ends."

Taking a deep breath, Cheol Su met the man's gaze. "Your offer is enticing, but I cannot commit to it without careful consideration. I will need time to think." The man's expression hardened, but he nodded curtly. "Very well. We will expect an answer by the end of the week." He turned and gestured to the others, and the group melted back into the shadows of the academy.

As they disappeared, Cheol Su felt a weight settle over his shoulders. He'd thought he'd come to the academy for training, but it seemed he'd stumbled into the heart of a growing conflict that threatened to shake the very foundation of the Evolvers.