Chapter 5

You were locked up in your office, sleepily staring at the television that played the popular drama everyone had been raving about. Lee Minsung was the lead actor, and you admit he did deserve some of the praise the media gave him.

But the kind and humble personality you'd thought he had came crumbling down the moment you had first met him.

"Stupid showoff…" You muttered, angrily glaring at the actor's heartfelt profession of love that would have made an earlier version of you blush. It was a wonder how modest he acted for the public despite his arrogant personality - you had to experience that first hand when you attempted to recruit him into the Association.

"Vice-Chairman? Are you there?"

Crap! Hurriedly powering off the television, you dash towards the door, inconspicuously drawing aside the curtain to see who had decided to visit. "Jinchul?

"Vice-Chairman." He replied, cautiously glancing over your shoulder to spot the disastrous state of your office. "There's been an interesting development."

"What do you mean?"

"Weeks ago, in a dungeon raid, eight people were killed in action." He said, handing a report to you. "The survivors were E and D-ranked."

"But isn't that a common occurrence?" You asked, turning away disinterested. "If that's all…"

"No. They cleared the dungeon. Moreover, one of the hunters was Sung Jinwoo."

You frowned. He must have joined a raid by himself, against your wishes. But at least it confirmed your suspicions that he'd recently grown stronger.

"So you suspect he's a false ranker?" You ask carefully, looking up at your companion. "Did you want to get him retested?"

He shook his head.

"That's not why I came." Jinchul replied. "Amongst the dead was hunter Hwang Dongsuk."

"Who's that?" You ask, confused. You've never heard of him, but his last name did seem familiar....

Wait. Your eyes widened, finally connecting the pieces. "He's related to S-ranked hunter Hwang Dongsu?"

"But isn't-" You stopped dead in your tracks, fearful eyes flickering to your colleague. "Isn't Hwang Dongsu still in America?"

"Not anymore," Jinchul said quietly. "He boarded an airplane minutes ago, currently headed for Seoul."

The room fell silent.

Hwang Dongsu was infamous amongst the S-ranks for being sadistic and cruel. Dealing with him had been a huge headache for the Association, especially since you couldn't exactly investigate an S-ranked hunter.

You'd never admit it, but it had been a huge relief when he was eventually poached by the United States' Scavenger Guild.

Thomas Andre had been a good choice to reign him in. You thought. Dongsu doesn't respect anything but pure, unadulterated power. But that also means he wouldn't hesitate to kill weaker hunters indiscriminately...

"...Does he think the two surviving hunters set a trap and killed his brother?"

Jinchul nodded.

"What are we doing here then?!" You shouted, feeling the beginnings of panic start settling in. "Contact the Scavenger's Guild and ask Thomas to step in!"

"They know."

"Huh?" You furrowed your brows, dread slowly settling into the bottom of your stomach.

"To them, two sacrifices are nothing if it means keeping Hwang Dongsu happy." Jinchul explained. "They were the first ones to warn us of his arrival."

"So we're just going to let him commit murder?!"

"What can we do?" Jinchul hissed. "He's a S-ranked hunter. The monitoring division can't touch him. Think of him as a force of nature - we can only hope the damage is kept to a minimum."

"B-But he's just one person… we have a bunch of S-ranked hunters that can definitely beat him..."

"You're not getting the full picture." Jinchul scowled. "If we do anything to Dongsu, it'll destroy our relationship with the U.S. Thomas doesn't take well to people touching his possessions, remember?"

"Ah…" You mumbled, internally mortified something so basic had to be explained to you.

But standing idly by while two hunters were in danger didn't feel right to you. You had to do something…

You paused, thoughtful.

"I suppose we could follow him and hope he doesn't try anything - maybe he won't do anything drastic with witnesses around."

"...Like kill Jinwoo?"

"Like kill Jinwoo." You agreed.

»»————-

Jinchul scowled, rubbing his temples in frustration. Not only did he have to wake up earlier than necessary, he had to drive you to the airport, where you would hopefully "persuade" Dongsu not to do anything rash.

Something like this normally wouldn't faze him, but the frequent teasing on the other hand...

"Oh come on, it's not that bad of an idea." You giggled, finding it amusing to watch the grumpy side of someone who was usually so analytical. It had taken years for him to open up to you, but in the end it was worth it, in your opinion at least.

"It's too early in the morning for this." Jinchul quietly said, his stomach fluttering from your smile. "We'll just end up wasting our time."

"But there's still a chance it goes smoothly, right?"

"I guess, but you still should have come prepared." He pointed at his suit, showing off the magical armor that protruded underneath. "I brought protection - we could end up fighting today."

"Eh... It shouldn't come to that."

He nodded. "I agree. But I'm more worried about the two hunters he might be after."

"Don't be." You give him what you hoped was a confident look, patting his thigh reassuringly. "You really think he'll do anything if I'm there?"

"Yes."

"..."

You shook your head, turning your eyes back onto the road and the rapidly approaching Incheon airport bridge. You wished your companion found you a little more reliable… but his lack of faith wasn't necessarily a bad trait.

It was the perfect complement to your carelessness after all, and besides - it suited him.

»»————-

"How can you be so relaxed at a time like this?" Song-I asked, turning to see Jinwoo lounging on a bench just beneath the swirling magical gate. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to control her nerves. Wasn't he an E-ranker just like her? What was his secret?

"It's just a C-ranked gate." Jinwoo said, not bothering to look up. "We're clearing it together with a full raid party, including experienced raiders from the White Tiger guild, so the risk is almost non-existent."

"I see..."

Jinwoo shifted his attention back towards his phone, scrolling through lines of unread texts and voicemail. He'd loath to admit it, but he had been so focused on clearing dungeons lately that he'd neglected to keep up with messages from friends and family.

Speaking of messages, here's one from the Hunter's Association just now...

Vice-Chairman

1 week ago

> I haven't seen you in a while. Do you want to catch up?

Jinwoo

5 days ago

>Sorry, busy

Vice-Chairman

3 days ago

> Jinah wants me to remind you about the parent-teacher meeting tonight. It's at five. Don't forget to come!

Jinwoo

3 days ago

> Okay

Vice-Chairman

3 hours ago

> 5 Missed Calls

> Where are you?

So many missed calls? Jinwoo thought, frowning. She wouldn't call me in such a succession unless she had something important to say…

"Hey newbies!" The raid leader shouted, grabbing everyone's attention. "Gather up! We're going in now!"

"Yes sir!" A unison of voices responded.

Guess it'll have to wait. Jinwoo thought, pocketing his phone as Song-I dragged him towards the portal. Whatever message he missed, he'd just have to get back to it later. The raid would be over soon anyway. It was just a simple training exercise.

He stepped inside the gate, feeling the familiar sticky sensation of the portal clinging to his body right before the transition. No matter how hard he tried to get used to it, entering the gates always gave him nervous butterflies...

Wait… sticky sensation?

"Something's wrong!" Jinwoo shouted, forcing his head back through the portal. "Call the Association right no-"

The gate started warping, rapidly shifting from blue to blood red. Sparks flashed around the center, running outward like crawling cracks of lightning. The force of it pushed Jinwoo back inside, as if he weighed no more than a hollow doll.

"N-No way..."

"W-What's going on?"

The White Tiger members could only look on in shock. The pattern was rarely seen, but it was unmistakable nonetheless.

"Damn it… It's a Red Gate!"

»»————-

Hwang Dongsu walked leisurely, led through the Incheon airport by two of his guards. The air he breathed in was familiar, the pathway he walked on was silvery marble polished and smooth. There was a sense of exquisite craftsmanship to the dome-roofed terminal, unlike the more utility focused designs he had gotten used to back home.

Ah, home. He thought, smirking. This place used to be my home... but that was before I realized our hunters were weak, before I was offered a gift I couldn't refuse…

Dongsu moved through the short walkway, towards an arch flanked by two Association employees. These weren't the members he'd sometimes see before raids, standing stiffly at attention. They wore Association colors, but beneath their black suits were functional plates of magic armor. They eyed him seriously as he approached.

One of them he was familiar with, the monitoring division's Woo Jinchul. Next to him stood another hunter. He sucked in a breath.

She looked younger than expected, appearing barely older than twenty as she stepped forwards to greet him. But her eyes seemed to belie her true age. They were clear gold, sharp and piercing. These were not the eyes of a young girl.

"We've been waiting for you." She said, staring up at him.

Her features were beautiful, but it wasn't enough to disguise the leaden yellow aura emanating off her in waves. If it was years ago, he would have greeted her politely, head bowed, not daring to meet her eyes.

But this time was different. His trip to the United States had given him two gifts - power and prestige. He was part of the Scavenger Guild now. A snuff towards him would be one towards Thomas Andre, the current strongest hunter of this era. No sane person on Earth would dare risk slighting him.

He smirked.

"As expected of the Association, butting in where they aren't needed." Dongsu said. "Why is the guard dog of Seoul escorting us today?"

"It's only natural for us to receive and observe S-ranked hunters arriving in Korea."

"Oh. Is that right?." He leered. "Don't worry. I'll be out of your hair right after I finish some... business."

"And does your business involve E-rank hunter Sung Jinwoo and D-rank hunter Yoo Jinho?" She asked, looking at him carefully.

Hwang Dongsu's cheerful expression faded.

"You already know? Then we can skip all this." He rasped, walking towards the exit of the airport. "Once I deal with those two, I'll be out of your hair."

"Wait."

She stepped in front of him, drawing in a slow breath.

"If you were to… kill them, it would not only be detrimental for the image of the Scavenger Guild, but would also reflect poorly on you, a hunter representing them."

Dongsu sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground for a moment.

"I don't care about my own image." He said frankly. "But even I know how killing two hunters in public would reflect on my guild."

She relaxed slightly. That was something at least.

"But let's say that hunter joined a raid, and during that raid, that hunter met a strong monster." He smiled, savouring the moment as his insinuation slowly dawned on her. "The hunter fought valiantly, and so did his friends. But in the end it wasn't enough. That hunter... died."

His smile turned nightmarish, stretching from cheek to cheek.

"Don't you get it? I can do whatever I want inside the dungeons."

»»————-

You thought things over while Jinchul drove, escorting Hwang Dongsu and his two colleagues towards the C-ranked dungeon. You were in a tight spot. The United States was an invaluable ally for Seoul, and as a nation with under ten active S-ranked hunters, you needed all the friends you could get.

But could you really sit idly by when Jinwoo was in danger?

"Aha, as I expected." Dongsu said, scrolling through the Association database on his phone. "Hunter Sung Jinwoo… currently inside a C-ranked gate."

You looked away, doing your best to ignore him as his two companions stared at you, making lewd comments behind your back. Even if they thought you couldn't speak English, it still wasn't hard to figure out the meaning behind the words.

If it weren't for Thomas Andre…

"Ugh…" You moaned. Would you really allow Dongsu to kill Jinwoo while you stood idly by, unable to do anything? No. This wasn't like you at all. While an S-rank hunter was invaluable for the war...

"We're here." Jinchul said, stopping the car.

The C-ranked gate stood oddly, in an almost abandoned residential district. It burned fitfully, illuminating the area with an eerie, bluish glow. Although it was barely past midnight, nobody was around, not even the Association employees whose sole purpose was to ward off the portals.

But that small detail suited Dongsu perfectly. The less witnesses, the better.

"Let's go." He gestured, and his two teammates got out of the car, stepping through the gate without hesitation. As they walked, their surroundings changed.

The sky above grew darker, and residential homes and street lights gave way to dark pillars of stone that rose beneath a sky of unfamiliar stars. They continued in darkness, and eventually the ground beneath them shifted from concrete to cracked marble, rife with pockets of moss. It reminded Dongsu of a vast, empty cathedral, long forgotten and falling into disrepair.

Even as he stepped further into the dungeon, he was disturbed by the lack of monsters. If this was a regular gate, there should have been magical beasts rushing forward, trying to kill them at regular intervals.

Instead, there was a complete and utter lack of sound and life.

But he set those doubts to the back of his mind, pushing blindly ahead. He came all the way here to hunt, and he sure wouldn't be leaving Seoul without completing the kill. But still, it was strange. This was a C-ranked gate, yet his instincts told him this place was wrong. As if there was something inside, hostile and much and stronger than he.

He grabbed one of his hunters, stopping him from advancing.

"What's stuck in your teeth now, Dongsu?" His companion asked tiredly.

"Listen."

There was a stirring in the air directly above them.

It was a sound of movement, a rustle as if something were rubbing a piece of cloth against brittle glass. It was a soft noise, almost going by unnoticed if not for his enhanced senses. His forehead prickled with sweat, and he was filled with a sudden and pure sense of terror.

Dongsu's body trembled, his fingers clenching into a tight fist.

And a woman stepped in front of them, her body a silver shadow in the darkness. Her expression was intent, but her posture relaxed, as if she had just got up and stretched.

She stood there, staring at them with hollow eyes.

Ah, it's just her. Dongsu snorted, relaxing. She scared me. What the hell was she doing anyway? There was no reason for someone from the Association to follow them inside, unless they planned on interfering...

"Don't worry boss, I got this." A hunter stepped up before he could say anything.

"My fair lady." He said in clumsy Korean. "Are you lost?" He held her gaze for a moment, before looking back towards his group, as if seeking their approval.

"Is anyone willing to bring her home?"

One of the hunters smiled, as if enjoying a particularly good joke. Hwang Dongsu laughed aloud, the subtle tension leaving his body.

You stared back at them, the empathy in your expression falling away like a cracked mask.

The hunter paused. What...?

You slashed with your palm. There was barely any resistance as it passed through the man's neck. His head landed on the floor, mouth open in a soundless scream.

"H-Harding!"

The remaining hunter shouted in surprise, scrambling back from the dead body of his comrade. You shook the blood from your hand, turning your gaze towards him.

His body clenched for a moment, before he turned away to run.

"Help me-"

You attacked. The edge of your palm swung out in a relentless blur of strikes, cutting down the remaining hunter.

Dongsu stood, paralyzed with horror as one by one, he watched both men die. No, he thought. NO! He jumped forwards with lithe grace, gathering power into his fist. "What are you doing?" He demanded, charging forward. Empower!

You blocked the blow.

Dongsu scrambled backwards, eyes wide as if you had turned into a monster. "You bitch!" He screamed, charging at you again. "I'll kill you!"

You ignored his words, ducking under the man's guard before grabbing his face and pushing with precise control.

Dongsu smashed into the floor, his body making a sickening crunch.

"Stop…"

He tried to scrabble away across the slick, cold stone, but his body wasn't working. You had broken his leg, shattering bone.

"Spare me!" He shouted in agony. "What is it you want? I'll give you money! Mana crystals!"

You stalked forward, aloof.

"Please…." Dongsu whispered, teeth chattering from the pain. "You don't want to do this, Thomas Andre will know-"

You looked down with dark eyes, your expression unreadable.

"Did you already forget?…Nobody knows what happens inside a dungeon."

»»————-