Unexpected Encounter

He signaled to some people in a distant direction. In no time, six men surrounded the clones, their eyes burning with determination. Lee Seung smirked, seeing his clones still calm and nonchalant.

"Let's see if it's really luck."

**CHAPTER 25**

As the referee blew the whistle, the two teams maintained their stances, ready to begin the fight. Meanwhile, a man and a woman peered through one of the sparring room's windows. The man appeared to be in his thirties, while the woman, with hints of gray in her hair, was likely nearing sixty.

"Aish, don't do that!" the woman whispered harshly as the man's head escaped their hiding spot at the window. She slapped his back, whispering again, "Do you want him to see us?"

The man smiled slightly. "What? A B-class fighter scared of a mere E-ranker?"

The woman ignored him, peering into the sparring room. She saw the two masked men had beaten their six opponents.

"Why the hell are we keeping watch on someone like him? This is a mockery of our status!" the man exploded, spitting on the ground.

Glaring at him, the woman raised her nose sarcastically and nodded her head in disappointment. "Look at this fool. If you dislike tailing a young boy that much, you should have voiced your disinterest to Miss Kim Eunji," she scolded. "You should..."

She paused as the man stood up from his squat. "You can leave without me when you are done tailing him. I'll have some sandwiches nearby," he said, grinning. Without wasting a second, he walked away from the building. The woman, disbelief in her eyes, stared at him until he crossed the road to the other side.

"He can't commit to a single thing." She turned her gaze back to the sparring room.

INSIDE THE SPARRING ROOM

"Your friends are quite skilled. They should visit us more often," said the leader, shaking Lee Seung's hand tightly.

The young man smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to react—he was only a spectator yet was receiving almost all the compliments. "Ah, sure, they will," he said, withdrawing his hand from the man's grasp. He and his clones then exited the room.

Seung dug his hand into his pocket upon reaching his apartment and brought out the keys. It was when he entered that he remembered the promise he made to the two guys.

"Sorry we couldn't get something edible on our way home, little guys. Maybe I can get it tomorrow. I have got to do something inside," he said, walking to his room's door.

"Okay, sir."

Inside, Lee Seung sat at one edge of the bed and launched the Hunter wiki. His entire body was buried in the darkness of the room, except for his face dimly lit by the phone's light.

He scrolled to 'Raiding Teams' where different monster slayers sign up and work together to bring down a particular dungeon with the profit shared on a given percentage. Lee Seung discovered a team on the page of B-rank Hunters looking for a lower class to help them with their bags.

'Next one.'

The next one was a D-team in need of a C-rank healer. Healers are another division of metahumans who harness their magic to cure injuries. Even the lowest class could heal a broken bone.

Minutes passed, but he was still scrolling. He hadn't found the class of team he was looking for.

'Are everything related to C-rank really scarce?'

While boarding a taxi home earlier, he grew a sudden feeling of deviating from the purpose he became an Awakened for. That's why he resolved to find C-rank teams online in need of someone to do minor work.

'Maybe it would pay to ask my manager for help. With just getting into a third-rate team, my sister could be cured. I would demand the Jar of Life at the end of the operation, instead of money, since the material isn't valued like others,' he thought, searching his manager's contact.

Just then, someone sent him a text message.

"Uhm? Who...is this?"

He opened the message and read it quickly.

-Hi, this is Jiwon. Let's meet at the abandoned factory tomorrow morning and go to school together. Che...it seems I have forgotten some things you taught me. 7:00 AM, sharp!

* * *

The next day, Lee Seung's white shirt was graced by the warm golden hue of the morning sun as he stepped out of his apartment, with his bag slung over his shoulder. "Why do I feel excited to be about to meet her?" he mumbled, a smile playing around his lips. He sighed loudly. "Let's go and show the exam what we have got, Lee Seung!"

He took a cab to a subway around his former neighborhood and trekked to the factory where Jiwon was already waiting.

The walkway beside the abandoned factory was cracked and uneven, with weeds sprouting between the slabs. Faded graffiti adorned the factory's walls, adding a touch of color to the otherwise dreary setting.

"You're late, Mr. Lee Seung," Jiwon remarked in a friendly manner.

Lee Seung began to rub his neck, smiling wryly. "Please, be lenient with me..."

Jiwon responded immediately, "Ehh... who said I was upset? You take words too seriously."

She started to move forward, and Seung walked by her side. It was awkward on his side as neither of them spoke.

He halted upon sighting a tall shadow directly in front of him. His brows furrowed as he glanced forward.

Before him stood a muscular man, someone he could have sworn he had encountered before. But where had they met?

"Oh-oh, here you are, Mister hand-you-over-to-the-police!" exclaimed the man, his voice maniacal and reverberating. Lee Seung's mouth fell open as he realized who the man was.

'How did he get out of prison so quickly?!' he thought, clenching his fist. 'Aish, this is the last thing I expected on the day of the exam...!'

Bang!

A twenty-millimeter thick rod struck Lee Seung's head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Lee Seung! Seung!" Jiwon cried out, her voice laden with anxiety and panic. As she moved closer to him, two other men gripped her arms tightly and forced her to her knees. "Let... go of me!"

Another man, the one wielding the rod, moved the weapon towards her head and stopped it halfway.

"What a crazy bitch you are. Shut your mouth before I help you shut it!" the man yelled at her.

"Argh!" Lee Seung grimaced loudly, slowly getting to his feet.

Just then, Jiwon's trembling finger pointed at him. Her eyes were wide with fear, her teeth gritting. She stammered, "You... Lee Seung... you are... you are bleeding!"