Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The man standing before him was physically fine, better than anyone else could be considering the strength and dexterity that had honed his body into the most powerful of weapons. But there was something lurking underneath the tough exterior, while the man himself was nothing but a protective wall for others, the cracks were beginning to show. His own resilience has been proven over and over but everything had a breaking point. Because of his position as Chief Inspector of the Korean Hunters Association's Surveillance Team, Jin-chul had seen many hunters break under the pressure, especially those who tried to keep to themselves. While it had taken longer for him to notice it with Jin-woo, it might only be a matter of time until it really got to him.

Jin-chul held his tongue as he watched the younger hunter accomplish what many would consider impossible, almost chastising himself for ever doubting the other’s strength. While his eyes told him there was nothing to worry about, he knew better. Thankfully, his relationship with Hunter Sung was more unique than most, having been there when the other woke up after the double dungeon. He, more than anyone else, knew just how much the experience had changed the man. Jin-chul had to often remind himself that Jin-woo was only a weak E-rank hunter when they met.

If he were to disclose this information to any who knew the hunter as he was now, they would never believe him. The hunter in front of him was strong enough to casually reprimand one of his shadow soldiers while they were all in the middle of conquering a gate.

To his left, Jin-woo kicked one of his shadow soldiers away from a monster corpse, “Oi, don’t eat that. Do you know how much monster corpses are worth?” The many naga that inhabited the gate were currently being torn apart, their thick hides tearing as is paper. What would normally take a well experienced and coordinated team to accomplish, Jin-woo was able to do within an hour or so.

Chairman Gun-hee had asked him to observe Jin-woo’s raid of the A-rank gate, partially because of the special allowances they had made for the new guild leader. As someone who would never refuse the chairman’s wishes, he of course accepted. Beyond following orders, he was interested in seeing just how far the other hunter had progressed. What he now observed with his own two eyes exceeded any previous expectations he carried.

Jin-chul had once spoken to Baek Yoon-ho since the other had also noticed Jin-woo’s unique awakening. Having first met the man after the incident with the White Tiger guild’s new recruits and red gate, Yoon-ho had picked up on the strength of the newly reawakened hunter. He had later approached Jin-chul himself to ask about it after meeting Jin-woo again before the Jeju Island Raid. While neither knew the reason behind it, they both agreed it was impossible to know what the upper limit would be. A hunter that had the power to continuously gain strength was unprecedented.

Everything about the man was a mystery and he seemingly was involved in any minor or major incidents since they first met. Jin-chul only knew fragments of the whole truth but it was enough to cause concern. While he could advise most to turn to their family for support, Jin-chul understood Jin-woo to be the type who wished to avoid placing any more stress on their loved ones. And with the recent gate break where his own sister had been endangered, Jin-chul knew he need not bother suggesting such a thing.

He bit his lip out of frustration. Because of the importance of S-rank hunters to the country, Jin-chul couldn’t let the other man continue on his self-destructive path. Partially breaking him out of his thoughts, a limp monster landed to the right of where he was standing, the shadow soldier of Jin-woo’s that had dispatched of it quickly leaving to take care of another monster. The attacks that had snuffed out the gate monster’s life were clean, it had never stood a chance. A trembling appendage reached towards Jin-chul who delivered a swift kick to its head, finishing it off.

The battle within the gate raged on but Jin-chul’s guard was down. Compared to all previous times he had entered a gate, he never felt safer than now. What he witnessed was a massacre. Jin-woo was more than the one-man army that everyone believed he was. Jin-chul had given up on understanding it over the past few minutes instead opting to just observe and try to consider the implications later.

Jin-woo’s summons made quick work of the gate’s monsters. It was almost too easy, Jin-chul had to force himself to not laugh. To the side he could see that everything could be considered ordinary because of Yoo Jin-ho’s reactions. From what he had looked into, the Vice-Guild Master of the Ahjin Guild would be by far, the most familiar with Jin-woo’s fighting strength and style. Looking beyond Jin-ho, he could see the other summons that weren’t fighting had taken over gathering the remains and mining the magic crystals within the gate.

Jin-chul addressed Jin-ho for the first time since entering the gate, “Is this what your guild’s raids are usually like?”

“Of course, Hyung-nim is the strongest,” Jin-ho replied, beaming with admiration. Jin-chul was surprised the other didn’t bemoan his own lack of power, but was instead content to provide assistance to Jin-woo. While he wasn’t envious of the other’s limitless potential, Jin-chul would admit he did feel quite useless in comparison.

“Has he ever told you about his reawakening?”

For a moment Jin-ho was silent, his own face thoughtful before he finally replied, “In the past, when I have tried to ask him about it he would either change the subject or answer half-heartedly. I have my own ideas about what happened but he has never opened up about it. I’m here for him if he ever wants to mention it, but for now I will continue to support him however I can.”

“Seems like Jin-woo has found himself a great companion,” Jin-chul smiled back.

“Ah, I wouldn’t go that far!” Jin-ho exclaimed, his face red from embarrassment. “If anything, I am just honored to be his friend.” Jin-chul couldn’t help but smile softly as the close bond between the two hunters was obvious yet heartwarming. Unable to get too involved in the matters of others because of how much his work required of him, Jin-chul unfortunately didn’t have anyone he could consider a friend aside from the Chairman.

His eyes were drawn back to the summons fighting the monsters that occupied the gate, he couldn’t help but notice one of the summons was probably even stronger than himself. Jin-woo really was in a league of his own.

“He really will leave everyone else behind him, won’t he,” Jin-chul mumbled to himself. “The top of the mountain is quite lonely if you’re the only one who can reach it.”

The efficiency at which the shadow soldiers coordinated their movements was child’s play compared to other guild parties. An army built for overpowering, built to cover any weakness, built to protect. Monster blood and viscera painted the cave floor, the attacks of the shadows soldiers landing without much resistance. Any damage the shadow soldiers were inflicted was but for naught as Jin-woo’s seemingly unending mana restored them immediately. One of the shadow ants was finally hit but killed it’s aggressor within the next minute in retaliation. Before too long, only the boss, an A-rank Naga, remained.

“Cancel summoning for everyone except the ones working,” Jin-woo declared as his summons warped and quickly returned to the hunter’s own shadow. Jin-chul, who had unconsciously drawn closer, almost jumped back instinctually as the ground around him was bathed in the returning shadows.

“Why did you cancel your remaining summons?” he asked. “They are strong enough to defeat the boss.”

“If I rely too much on my summons, my skills would become rusty,” Jin-woo answered, summoning a dagger as he glanced over his shoulder at Jin-chul. His expression confident, yet trustworthy. Jin-chul couldn’t recall a time he had felt safer as the charming hunter stood between him and the towering boss. Even such a practiced and experienced hunter as himself was only but an A-rank, unable to ever overcome the wall that was his own power limit.

The air around Jin-woo swirled and rushed past Jin-chul as the S-rank hunter launched himself towards the boss. What happened next was but an instant, the boss dead in one strike, Jin-chul could do nothing but watch and marvel at the spectacle. With incredible precision and speed, Jin-woo had run up the serpentine body of the Naga before aptly splitting the head in two with a single attack. For a moment, everything seemed to slow, Jin-woo landed gracefully back on the ground as the corpse of the Naga collapsed, dead.

Breaking himself from his own amazement and tearing his gaze from the now dead boss, Jin-chul looked back to the source. Seemingly happy with his accomplishment, Jin-woo seemed to pause and stare off into space. But, thinking that no one was looking, frustration briefly painted the hunter’s face. As if a mask fell, the man’s true feelings were revealed before he quickly composed himself. Jin-chul looked over at Jin-ho who didn’t seem to notice but was instead preoccupied with handling the organization of the remaining shadow soldiers who had not returned to Jin-woo. He doubted that he could know the S-rank hunter better than his own guildmate, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Across from them, Jin-woo’s spirits began to rise, the frustration from a moment ago all but forgotten. Jin-chul almost convinced himself that what he had picked up on was nothing but then he saw the smile falter. Even after such a wonderful display, something was bothering the other man. It would be understandable for the hunter to be shaken by the danger his sister had experienced recently, but Jin-chul’s intuition told him there was more to it.

He walked over to part of the Naga corpse, convinced he could find out what had disappointed Jin-woo and could let his worries rest. Before he could come to any conclusion, he looked up in shock to see Jin-woo create yet another summon from the dead Naga, seemingly naming it before it too joined the multitude within the man’s shadow. Contradicting the success that the raid had brought, Jin-chul’s worry for the S-rank hunter continued to increase.

Above them, the cave ceiling started to shake, parts of it crumbling and falling to the ground around them, signaling the collapse of the gate. Considering all three hunters were well versed in what conquering a gate entailed, none were surprised.

“Hyung-nim, it’s time for us to leave the gate,” Jin-ho called over to his guildmate.

“Right, let’s go,” Jin-woo replied to the other. As Jin-woo decided how to transport the Naga corpse, Jin-chul’s mind raced. While he had the chance, he began to try to talk himself into acting before the moment passed.

For all that he picked up on over the years, both due to the nature of his job and his own personality, Jin-chul had made it a principle of his to not interfere in the lives of others more than necessary. He was there to accommodate, to help when needed, but he never overstepped. But somehow, he couldn’t let himself forget about the shadow of a frown on Jin-woo’s face. Unable to erase it from his mind, he steeled himself. Maybe, this one time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get involved.

-----

The three who had entered the gate not too long ago now walked back through to the bright flashing of the crowd that waited taking photos. Jin-chul was sure their pictures would be in the news before too long. The fact that Jin-woo had cleared a gate all by himself was exciting enough to warrant the front page in the morning. Beside him, he heard Jin-woo and Jin-ho talk about the crowd that greeted them.

“Hyung-nim, there are more reporters than before,” Jin-ho noticed.

“Looks like it,” Jin-woo replied, trying his best to keep the flashing from blinding him.

“There is a lot of attention on our guild’s first raid,” Jin-ho added, his own mouth hanging open in amazement.

Jin-woo turned away from the crowd, “There is no need for this much attention though.”

It didn’t surprise Jin-chul to overhear Jin-woo’s aversion to the attention, having known the man to prefer privacy. Keeping the hunter’s personal information confidential was just a small part of his job. Behind them, one of Jin-woo’s larger summons carried the Naga corpse through the gate, causing the crowd to break into an even louder uproar.

Almost too caught up in his own thoughts, Jin-chul finally noticed Jin-ho had headed for the car, with Jin-woo about to follow. Before he realized, he had reached out to Jin-woo’s arm, surprising both himself and the S-rank hunter.

“Chief Woo, is there something else you need?” Jin-woo asked, startled at the uncharacteristic action. For a moment, he couldn’t help the fear that shot through him. While he rationally knew Jin-woo to be reasonable when it came to S-rank hunters, he was in no position to boss the other around. If he were to carelessly offend an S-rank hunter, even being one of the strongest A-ranks in South Korea himself, he would not stand a chance.

“Ah, right,” Jin-chul cleared his throat and let go of Jin-woo’s arm, his usual air of professionalism returning. “Actually, I was wondering if you would like to join me for a drink?”

Jin-woo blinked at him in response, seemingly in shock at such a sudden request. Their previous interactions had always been kept to just business and that’s how both had preferred to keep it. Desperate to keep the other from getting the wrong idea, Jin-chul spoke again before Jin-woo could come to his senses and turn down the offer.

“Apologies for my forwardness, but something seems to be bothering you,” Jin-chul explained. “I may not be able to help, but the least I can do is offer a distraction, or someone to talk to. Regardless, after such a success, it would be kind to let yourself relax, if only for an evening.”

Jin-woo’s expression froze, the vulnerability that Jin-chul had caught onto earlier flashing across his face, “I would love that.”

“Allow me a moment to change out of my armor,” Jin-chul requested, in disbelief that Jin-woo actually agreed. Jin-woo nodded before turning to Jin-ho who had been waiting by the nearby car they had arrived in.

“Head back without me, I have business with Chief Jin-chul,” Jin-woo explained. As he removed the armor he was wearing, Jin-chul couldn’t help but overhear as neither of the other two were too far away. It didn’t take him too long before everything was once again packed away. It was quicker than it usually took him since he hadn’t worn all his armor to accompany the gate raid. He slung the suit jacket he had worn earlier over his shoulder, picking up the case that held his armor in his other hand. Jin-woo, having talked to his guildmate, walked back over.

“My vehicle is nearby,” Jin-chul motioned for Jin-woo to follow him. The nearby guild association members held back the excited crowd that was still taking pictures as the two of them made their way to the nearby car. The car itself was nothing too fancy, like the man’s usual choice of sunglasses, it was sleek and black. Jin-chul walked over to the driver’s side and unlocked the car. While Jin-woo opened the passenger door and sat down, Jin-chul opened the door behind the driver’s seat to place his suit jacket and case on the backseat.

Sitting down himself in the driver’s seat, Jin-woo spoke up next to him, “I shouldn’t be surprised your car is so clean.”

“I sometimes need to escort foreign S-rank hunters, I find it more convenient if I can just use my own car since it sometimes takes too much time to go and get a vehicle from the Hunters Association,” Jin-chul explained as he began to drive them away from the gate.

“Is that how you knew to warn me about Hwang Dong-soo? Because you accompanied him when he came back to South Korea to find out what happened to his brother?” Jinwoo asked, recalling the previous conversation they had after the red gate.

“Knowing the man and his personality, it was originally an assumption I had made. But after talking with him myself, it became quite clear that he was determined to go after you,” Jinchul explained. “You spend enough time around S-rank’s and it gets easier to predict their actions. I can think of one S-rank that doesn’t entirely apply to though.”

“Are you ever not working?” Jin-woo asked, his tone light but with a thread of concern. Jin-chul almost replied I could say the same about you before reconsidering.

“My job requires me to be available 24/7 in case the worst happens,” Jin-chul replied, oblivious to Jin-woo’s own concern. Jin-woo hummed in agreement before leaning against the passenger door. The short attempt at conversation had ended, neither wanting to break the comfortable silence they now found themselves in. Jin-chul was used to only having to speak when necessary and Jin-woo was a man of few words when it came to those he wasn’t related to.

Before too long, they had arrived at the nice but out of the way bar that Jin-chul had chosen. He pulled into a parking space and turned off the ignition. Now that they were far away from the crowd that greeted them outside the gate, both hunters were more visibly relaxed. Many sought the fame and attention that the job brought but Jin-chul and Jin-woo despised it.

“Don’t worry, this place is pretty empty this time of day, it doesn’t get busier until later,” Jin-chul reassured Jin-woo, noticing his reluctance to open the car door.

“You really are doing your best to protect my privacy,” Jin-woo teased.

“I’m not one for crowds myself,” Jin-chul replied. He hadn’t had much time to interact with the other man directly, but he was soon finding himself enjoying the company. If anything, they had a decent bit in common.

Because his original intention of accompanying the other hunter into the gate was still important, Jin-chul quickly texted Gun-hee that he would give his report as soon as he got back to the association. Satisfied he could now spare some time, Jin-chul exited the car along with Jin-woo. It was still a little early in the evening, the sun low on the horizon, bathing the sky in warm shades, oblivious to the dangerous gates that threatened their society on a daily basis.

“Shall we?” Jin-woo asked, gesturing to the door. Jin-chul nodded and walked over, opening the door for his companion to enter. They walked up to the bar and ordered their drinks before finding a table in the back corner, more secluded from the rest. For a few minutes, the two sat there in silence, enjoying their drinks and looking out the nearby window.

“So...you noticed,” Jin-woo finally spoke, the two having avoided the reason for their outing long enough.

“Pardon my intrusion into personal matters,” Jin-chul apologized. “I know it’s none of my business but with your sister getting attacked recently, you’ve seemed to be carrying a lot on your shoulders. You also strike me as the type to try to do everything yourself, and I can’t promise I’m capable of helping, but if you ever want to talk I am willing to listen. At the very least, I can make things easier when it comes to Association business.”

“Hmmm…” Jin-woo swirled his drink around in the glass, glancing away, his face furrowed in contemplation. Jin-chul’s hopes sank as he worried the other will decline to divulge anything.

“If you don’t want to talk, I will not be offended Hunter Sung,” Jin-chul added. “It may be presumptuous of me to say so, but I can only assume you have been through a lot since we first met. You seem as if you’re a different person now.”

“Did you know…” Jin-woo began to speak, “-the reason I became a hunter was to provide for my sister and pay for my mother’s medical bills. It was reckless and there were many times I should have died because of how weak I was, but I needed to continue, even carrying the title of Weakest Hunter I wasn’t able to stop.”

“I-I was aware,” Jin-chul couldn’t help but feel his heart hurt as Jin-woo looked back, a sad smile adorning the hunter’s face. Jin-chul had known the basic information about Jin-woo’s situation but sometimes, because of the sheer amount of paperwork that was passed his way, it was more a memorization of facts instead of understanding the implications, the emotions involved.

“Regardless, that’s how I ended up in the double dungeon and almost died,” Jin-woo continued. “Everything that we had said about it was true.”

“I don’t doubt you,” Jin-chul glanced down, embarrassed by his initial skepticism when looking into the incident. “There was no proof after we had retrieved you, but your story and all the others’ accounts matched.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jin-woo replied, noticing the other’s hesitation. “You had thought I experienced a reawakening and you weren’t entirely wrong, something did happen, something that changed everything. It just wasn’t anything like the usual...”

The man once again fell silent, trying to decide what to say next. Jin-chul took another sip of his half unfinished drink. He wasn’t prepared for Jin-woo to open up so much but it wasn’t an unpleasant surprise, quite the opposite. Assuming Jin-woo would prefer to open up to Jin-ho instead, he would have considered convincing the other to talk to his guildmate a success.

“A comrade of mine within the double dungeon, Song Chi-yul...a master at kumdo but unable to win against a B-rank hunter because of the base difference in power even if he is incredibly skilled. Hunters aren’t able to surpass their limits, an undeniable fact that I myself believed in. What would you do...if there was no limit to how strong you could become?” Jin-woo asked him, eyes filled with determination. “What if, unlike other hunters, you were given the opportunity to exceed the limit that has continually held you back?

“I-” Jin-chul had to stop himself from replying for a moment, his thoughts beginning to race. “I don’t know...but that sounds like a suffocating responsibility.” The sudden questions Jin-woo had asked him had caught him off guard even if they somewhat confirmed his suspicions.

“A suffocating responsibility?” Jin-woo repeated.

“Yes. If given the opportunity to achieve such power, I can only imagine how it’s driven you,” Jin-chul replied. “Because then, you’ll feel like you can’t rest for even a moment. If you waste time, you aren’t getting stronger, and if you aren’t getting stronger you can’t protect everyone. I can imagine how it’s been weighing on you all this time.” Jin-woo stared at him for a moment before the edge of his mouth raised in a slight grin.

“That’s not what I was expecting…” Jin-woo mumbled, seemingly at a loss for words himself.

Unable to prevent a slight smile out of fondness for the other, Jin-chul replied,“To be fair, none of this is what I was expecting either,” “You help others without a second thought and you’ve improved so fast since we first met, it’s unbelievable. Because you have the opportunity to get so strong, you start to tackle every problem just by yourself, but that doesn’t mean you can just shrug off the mental toll. Compared to other S-ranks, you go above and beyond in your effort to save others.”

“I remember when you had told Gun-hee you wouldn’t be joining the Jeju Island Raid Party...it was very understandable considering your mother had woken up. But once things started to go south for the other S-ranks, you were there, you protected them,” Jin-chul reminisced. “Even if you rationalize that it’s for your own benefit, it’s to help yourself get stronger, you care too much.”

“I...I guess I’ve never stopped long enough to really think about it,” Jin-woo admitted. “You shouldn’t think of me so highly, I am but one man…”

“That’s why it’s even more important. Compared to you, I’m sure it’s not much of a reassurance, but others aren’t as weak as you think,” Jin-chul replied. Opening his mouth to protest, Jin-woo was ready to counter back before realizing that Jin-chul wasn’t done speaking. “I’m not saying you think less of others or anything like that, just….maybe once in a while, you can trust someone to have your back. You’re so busy protecting everyone else, but you also need support, even if you don’t realize it.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say this much before,” Jin-woo smiled at Jin-chul before putting his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand.

“The same could be said about you,” Jin-chul replied with a frown before his expression once again softened.

“You’re right though…” Jin-woo whispered under his breath.

“What did you say?” Jin-chul asked, having not heard correctly.

Sighing and turning to face away, Jin-woo answered, “I said that you’re right...even if I don’t want to accept it. But even if I wished for it, I can’t slow down now, we both know the number of gates appearing is only increasing. If anything, I need to work harder.” Jin-chul couldn’t help but sigh as the man across from him stood up. “Even now, I should be working instead of drinking.”

“Hunter Sung, forgive me, but you can’t help anyone if you run yourself ragged,” Jin-chul stood up to face the other. “If anything, take care of yourself for the people who care about you. I realize you don’t want to trouble your family but maybe you could speak with Jin-ho about this?”

Determination had set into Jin-woo’s expression, “If I don’t get stronger I won’t be able to protect them. I need to do this. No one else needs to be burdened, I can carry this all on my own.” Jin-chul watched as the other vanished before his eyes with one last ashamed glance. Letting himself slump back into his chair, he stared at the unfinished drink across from him, the words left unsaid refusing to leave his thoughts.

“I need to help him...somehow,” Jin-chul promised to himself. He would lay down his life if needed to keep the other man standing, South Korea needed Jin-woo, more than anyone realized.

Chapter Text

Jin-woo having left him, Jin-chul decided against finishing the rest of his drink, opting instead to return to his car. He was tempted to stew in his own thoughts longer but he had a report to give. While driving back to the Association his thoughts drifted. Like usual, Jin-woo seemed so far beyond anyone’s reach, almost more than human. Jin-chul grit his teeth in frustration, the man’s usual calm aura falling away.

“He isn’t going to get himself killed but he will wreck his mental health in the process,” he sighed, his fingers anxiously tapping against the steering wheel as he finally pulled up to the association building. He turned right to enter the employee underground parking. Quickly going through the motions of turning off the ignition, unbuckling his seatbelt, and locking his car, Jin-chul hurried inside.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul, you seem to be in a hurry, is something wrong?” a nearby employee asked upon noticing Jin-chul’s arrival.

“Everything is quite alright, just running late,” he lied, giving a slight bow to the other man in greeting before hurrying along. A few others shot him curious glances as he walked over to the nearby elevator. Known for his rationality and composure, Jin-chul did not seem like himself but most knew well enough to not get in the way of his work. Tapping his foot as the elevator moved torturously slow for his liking, Jin-chul pulled his phone out of his pocket, his finger hovering over his list of contacts.

“I shouldn’t pressure him…” he mumbled before putting the phone back. He ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was still in order and straightened his clothing ever so slightly. The elevator door slid open and he walked through as soon as the space was side enough. Walking down the hallway to his left, his feet followed the path he knew by heart. He stopped before the large door at the end of the hall and cleared his throat.

Jin-chul knocked on the door, “Chairman Go Gun-hee, I have returned from accompanying the Ahjin Guild’s first raid.”

“Please come in Chief Jin-chul,” Gun-hee replied from inside. Jin-chul opened the door and quickly stepped past, closing it behind him. Gun-hee turned from where he had been standing next to the window. “You really don’t need to knock considering how long we have worked together.”

“My apologies, but I would hate to intrude if you were busy,” Jin-chul countered. Gunhee smiled from fondness for the other man before gesturing to the nearby chairs. Considering their long relationship, Gun-hee had always tried to get Jin-chul to not be as formal around him but Jin-chul had always refused.

“Have a seat,” he suggested, moving to sit down in one of the chairs himself. Jin-chul sat across from the older man, his fingers tapping lightly on the arm of the chair.

“So tell me, how was the raid?” Gun-hee asked when he realized Jin-chul wasn’t going to speak first. Jinchul stopped his tapping on the chair arm and leaned slightly forward, his elbows on his knees and his fingers steepled.

“What I experienced was not a raid...it was a one-sided massacre, to put it gently,” Jin-chul answered. “Hunter Sung Jin-woo is much stronger than any of us believed. If I went into detail, it would only sound more unbelievable. Everything from dungeon clearing, corpse retrieving, and magic crystal harvesting, all can be accomplished by just Jin-woo alone. ”

Gunhee turned away in thought for a moment, “Hmm...I don’t doubt it coming from you. I know just how many raids you have accompanied in the past. Few are as familiar with the varying strengths of South Korean hunters. Even so...you seem troubled.”

“Ah…” Jin-chul realized that it would be impossible to hide his unease from the other. “I’m concerned for the mental wellbeing of Jin-woo. I can’t imagine anything would be able to kill him at this point but no matter how strong, everyone needs some support...”

“Jin-chul, if you believe there is a reason for concern, you should trust your instincts,” Gun-hee replied. The Chairman stood up once again and looked out the window, down at the city below. “For now it might be best for you to get some rest, you have been working non-stop lately. Maybe Hunter Sung Jin-woo isn’t the only one who needs to take better care of themselves.”

Jin-chul bit his lip, Gun-hee’s words sinking in, “Yes...I understand. I will take my leave now.” Gun-hee had turned back to look at Jin-chul, the expression of a concerned father on his face. Jin-chul bowed to his superior and mentor before walking back to the door.

“Have a good evening Jin-chul,” Gun-hee called after him. Jin-chul returned the farewell and closed the door softly behind himself. Taking a moment, he leaned against the nearby wall once again pulling out his phone, staring blankly at the number for Jin-woo. Deciding against it, he instead glanced at the time. Normally, he might actually consider taking the Chairman’s advice and getting some rest but today he doubted he would be able to. Either from a need to get more work done, or his own anxieties he already knew sleep would evade him yet.

Further down the hallway, in one of the nearby rooms, Jin-chul heard some voices speak up. The nearby commotion caught his interest and reinvigorated his workaholic nature. Whatever it was, he already knew it wasn’t good. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Jin-chul quickly made his way to where he could hear the others.

“It’s just getting worse and worse-”

“Right over Tokyo too! I wonder how they’ll handle it…”

“Do they even have the resources?” Yet another voice spoke up. “Considering all the S-ranks that died in the Jeju Island Raid.” The small crowd had gathered around the nearby TV mounted on the wall, the footage showing an unbelievably large gate hanging menacingly over Tokyo. The nearby buildings and streets died in the red light, foretelling of the disaster to come. Upon noticing Jin-chul’s entrance into the room the employees’ overlapping chatter died down slightly.

Jin-chul glanced at the nearby newscast, “What has happened?” One of the closer employees cleared her throat and addressed Jin-chul.

“A S-rank gate has appeared in the middle of Tokyo,” she explained. Jin-chul could almost feel his heart stop for a moment. With everything happening, he had hoped they could have a brief respite but he was proven wrong.

“Truly unfortunate news...I’m sure Japan will contact us soon. Let’s start considering our options. If this gate were to break, it would be bad for all of us,” he announced. Gesturing a few to follow him and get to work, Jin-chul walked out of the room, his thoughts already going through his new to-do list and all the paperwork that would soon cross his desk.

“It’s going to be a long night..” he whispered, his feet moving not because of his physical energy but through willpower alone.

-----

Jin-chul caught himself from nodding off at his desk for the fifth time within the past hour. Downing the rest of the coffee that was in the nearby mug, he started looking over the paperwork in front of him once again. He could have sworn there was even more than an hour ago but he didn’t remember where it came from. While he spent a lot of time in the field, he also spent a decent bit dealing with the less fantastical aspects of his job. He hadn’t done anything but work since the news about the gate in Japan had spread. As usual, the association had reached out to all South Korean S-rank hunters. Jin-woo was clearing another gate by himself and hadn’t given a clear answer on the situation with Japan. Jin-chul had decided not to contact Jin-woo himself and had given someone else the job of asking the S-ranker since he feared his concerns would interfere.

“There’s just more and more to do…” he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“Chief Woo,” greeted a coworker from the Association's Surveillance Team as he approached Jin-chul’s desk. “Japan is receiving help from Yuri Orlov.”

“That is good news. I’m sure it will cost Japan a lot but it may give the time for better measures to be taken. If Yuri is not capable of buying time, I fear that the future will become much more grim,” Jin-chul replied thoughtfully. “Have we heard anything more from Hunter Sung Jin-woo?”

“No,” the man replied. “As of now, his answer is still a no. He did say he would consider it and was hesitant to decline.”

“I suppose we’ve done all we can for now…” Jin-chul stood up from his desk, his legs unsteady from lack of sleep. The employee reached out and helped him from falling over.

“You really should get some rest, Chief Woo,” he suggested. “We’ll let you know if the situation changes.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Jin-chul replied. As much as he wanted to keep going, his need for sleep had long past won.

-----

“I will save everyone! You all just have to remember who saved everyone here!” Yuri Orlov’s voice was heard from the news broadcast playing on the TV in front of Gun-hee. Jin-chul stood a little ways back, his eyes on the clipboard he held instead of the screen.

“I don’t know whether Yuri Orlov can block the S-rank gate, but I fully understand the consequences if he happens to fail,” Gun-hee spoke his thoughts aloud before looking over his shoulder at Jin-chul. “How is Hunter Sung Jin-woo these days?” Jin-chul’s thoughts returned to his main worry. Even with the S-ranked gate in Japan, he couldn’t help but think about Jin-woo., especially since he had assumed the hunter would help with the gate without hesitation.

Jin-chul looked up from the clipboard with the relevant information, “He is working through the gates in Seoul. All the checkmarks are gates that the Ahjin guild has asked for raiding rights.” Jin-chul handed the clipboard over to the Chairman. Gun-hee’s brow furrowed as he took in the report Jin-chul had provided. The number of checkmarks that dotted the report were quite impressive considered it was one hunter doing all of the work.

“All-all of these?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised in slight surprise.

“Hunter Sung Jin-woo has been quite busy. Since the region overlaps with the White Tiger, Hunters, and Reaper Guilds, we are doing our best to prevent conflicts between them,” Jin-chul added, having worked with Gun-hee long enough to know what the man would have asked next. “I have personally spoken to the guild masters.”

“A small guild with only one person who can be called a hunter, is fighting with the larger guilds...I can only laugh,” Gunhee smiled. “He continues to surpass any expectations we have.”

“I think that way as well,” Jin-chul agreed. “With Hunter Sung Jin-woo around, we can feel much more secure for South Korea’s future.”

“Was there no other explanation from the Ahjin guild?” Gun-hee wondered. “Makes me wonder which of the two of you is more of a workaholic.”

“Ah-” Jin-chul’s voice caught in his throat as Gun-hee smirked at him. “They only wanted the nearby gates for just one week due to certain circumstances that they did not disclose. Considering him a man who values privacy, I did not press for more information.” Jin-chul ignored Gun-hee’s comparison, keeping the conversation to only the matter at hand.

“Mmm, it will be fine if it is just that,” Gun-hee concluded. Jin-chul looked away from the Chairman as an incoming call caused his phone to vibrate. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket, glancing down at the screen before back up at Gun-hee.

“Yes, ah-I have a call. May I be excused for a moment?” he asked.

“Take it, I have an appointment so I will have to go as well,” Gun-hee dismissed the younger hunter, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in.

Jin-chul bowed, “Yes.” Hurrying out of the room, he answered the phone the moment the door closed. “This is Chief Woo Jin-chul.”

“Chief, we received a report. I think you should go check it out,” the employee who had called explained. “You remember the school where the orcs came out?”

“What has happened…” Jin-chul replied, his words trailed as the feeling of dread settled within his stomach. The fact that Jin-woo’s own sister and classmates had been there when a gate broke only accelerated his paranoia.

“It doesn’t seem like anything serious has happened but...from the gate in the school yard, they found a double dungeon,” they answered.

“A double dungeon?!” Jin-chul repeated, hoping he had heard incorrectly. His grip tightened on the phone and he started to walk down the hallway, his footsteps heavy.

“There is more…” the employee paused, hesitant to relay the next piece of information. “Hunter Sung Jin-woo has entered the double dungeon.”

-----

The crowd of officials and other hunters that were gathered around the gate stepped aside as Jin-chul approached, clad in full armor with seven other hunters from the Association's Surveillance Team accompanying him. He knew full well that if it was something that Jin-woo couldn’t handle there would be nothing they could do to assist.

“Monitoring Department, this way!” one of the Association employees called them over. Her sense of urgency did not help Jin-chul’s anxiety wane. He kept his face masked and calm, trying to avoid worrying anyone further.

Jin-chul walked past the employee and his calm facade collapsed in a moment as he sensed the magic raging within the gate. His feet froze to the ground and he clenched his fists. Whatever was happening in the gate was beyond what any of them could handle. For the first time ever, Jin-chul began to worry about Jin-woo’s physical wellbeing.

“Chief?” “Sir?” Two of the hunters he had brought with him noticed the change in his composure. He flinched at hearing them behind himself, having had his thoughts drowned out by what he now faced.

“Do you not feel it…A terrible magic storm,” Jin-chul finally replied, having collected himself enough to reply. A drop of sweat ran down the side of his face, falling off from his jaw. Running a hand nervously through his hair, Jin-chul turned back to the others, his expression grave. “Is there a large guild nearby preparing for a raid?”

“Yes, the Hunters guild is preparing,” the closest subordinate replied.

“What about the two S-rank hunters? Choi Jong-in and Cha Hae-in,” Jin-chul questioned.

“They are both participating in the raid,” another of the hunters confirmed. Jin-chul’s anxiety only alleviated slightly, he turned back to the gate.

“Put in an emergency request for cooperation with the Hunters guild,” he ordered. Jin-chul was always a man with theories and even if he did have some insight and recent confirmation as to what had happened with Jin-woo, he could no longer think of the other on the same terms. The magic he could feel emanating from the gate would force weaker men to their knees within an instant. Whatever the S-rank hunter was facing was beyond the means of mortal men.

“Right away sir,” the employee who had greeted them when they arrived dashed off, her fingers already on her phone. Jin-chul began to nervously pace in front of the gate, his thoughts regarding keeping his cool long forgotten.

“Chief…” one of the hunters reached towards him.

Jin-chul waved him off, “It may not be that bad, but we need to prepare for the worst.” He turned to address them. “It’s imperative we confirm the safety of Hunter Sung Jin-woo. I’m sure you’re all well aware of his value to the country, the association, and more.” He crossed his arms across his chest to hide the slight tremble in his hands.

Taking an unsteady breath he continued, “While it’s true that Hunter Sung is much stronger than any of us, it is our duty to do everything we can to aid him.” The hunters nodded in confirmation. Satisfied he got the point across, Jin-chul resumed watching the gate in front of him, the unfamiliar magic sending chills down his spine. Every second they waited, his anxiety and worry continued to climb. His emotional response to run in fought against his better judgement of waiting for the Hunters guild to arrive.

“The Hunters guild members are on their way,” the employee who had dashed off earlier returned with the good news.

“Good to hear,” Jin-chul replied, not even turning away from the gate. He was currently spending all his focus on paying attention to any fluctuations in the magical energy he was sensing. Unfortunately, the unfamiliar magic power was overpowering, making him unable to sense Jin-woo.

“Who was originally raiding the dungeon before Hunter Sung Jin-woo arrived?” Jin-chul asked.

“Members of the Bravery Guild. They had been in there for two hours when Hunter Sung Jin-woo arrived and told us they would be in danger and the raid needed to be cancelled. Before any of us could do anything, he entered the gate himself to retrieve the raid team,” she recounted. “They are nearby if you need to speak with them…”

“I will do so as we wait-” For but a brief moment, the magic power changed and Jin-chul could feel Jin-woo beyond him, inside the gate, and while it should have brought him a sense of comfort the change instead filled him with a sense of dread. Jin-chul’s mind began to go through the options he had before him.

“If it’s only to buy them enough time…” Jin-chul whispered under his breath as he steeled himself for a foolhardy decision.

Glancing over his shoulder at the others he spoke, “Talking to the Bravery Guild raid team will have to wait. I’m afraid every second counts, you all will stay here and enter with the Hunters guild, updating them on the situation. I will go ahead and do everything I can to give us all more time.”

“Chief, shouldn’t we go with you?” one of them immediately protested. More than one of them looked stunned at hearing Jin-chul’s decision, knowing their leader would never take such rash actions.

“It’s too dangerous, I can’t ask you all to take on that great of risk,” Jin-chul explained as he took a few steps, standing right before the gate. “Wait here for the Hunters guild and join me as soon as you can.” Without another word, Jin-chul stepped through the gate. The moment his foot touched the ground inside, he allowed his strength to propel him quickly forward, running faster than he had ever before. Thankfully his class was fighter and covering ground with ease was simple due to his enhanced speed.

The magic he sensed became more suffocating the deeper he travelled inside the gate as if he was diving into an unending ocean. Instead of scaring him away, Jin-chul’s sense of urgency only increased. Whatever Jin-woo was facing was beyond what he could handle but he didn’t dare risk holding off any help any longer.

“I really have become a fool,” he mumbled to himself as he rounded another corner in the gate’s many intersecting tunnels. “How arrogant of me to think I will be able to help…” Jin-chul pressed into the ground with his heel, causing him to slow down to a stop in front of the door to the fabled double dungeon. Taking a few shaky breaths he reached for the door, his hand stopping a centimeter away. Fear caused him to falter, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Don’t be a coward now...of all times,” Jin-chul laughed at himself. Taking advantage of his momentary courage, he shoved the heavy door open, quickly stepping inside. Nothing could have prepared him for what lay inside. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the broken rubble, the signs of a vicious battle, and most importantly the ominous statue that towered over everything else in the room. Everything he saw correlated with the original account given of the double dungeon. His terror at what this meant for Jin-woo, a survivor of the double dungeon, increased exponentially.

“What’s this? I don’t remember inviting a human?” The sinister voice seemingly had no source but Jin-chul immediately knew it to originate from the imposing statue, the monster that could crush him without a second thought. “Must be another external interloper.”

Jin-chul, startled that the monster before him spoke, altered his stance to be more defensive before speaking, “Who are you?” The statue brought a finger up to its lips, the seemingly human gesture mocking him.

“Hush now, you’ll interrupt the king’s slumber,” it warned. Jin-chul’s eyes immediately found what the statue referred to. Jin-woo was standing, completely still past the large monster, at the end of a crater in the floor. The S-rank hunter’s clothes were in a poor state and fresh blood dripped from his forehead. Jin-chul almost reached towards the other man out of instinct before he felt the incredible bloodlust near him.

He dove to the side. The large stone sword the monster carried missed his spine by just an inch or two. Blood poured from where it had managed to hit him on the side, the warmth unsettling against the cool air of the dungeon. Jin-chul jumped back, putting more distance between himself and the monster. Upon landing though, he realized just how badly the sword had cut into him, almost losing his footing.

“Strong human, you’ll make a fine offering for the king,” the sinister voice once again spoke. Jin-chul shoved his earlier anxiety to the back of his mind, tightening his hands into fists. If he were to survive this, he needed to not let anything distract him. All around him, the ground shook and the rubble that had previously been scattered around the room started to reform into stone statues. Jin-chul’s vision swam as warm blood dripped down his side. He pressed a hand to his side, the blood ran through his fingers unhindered. Realizing his attempt to slow it was useless, he instead focused on the threat in front of him.

“Looks like I was unable to do anything after all,” he muttered under his breath. The main statue turned back to observe its still alive prey, having taken its time after the earlier strike. Jin-chul would have been insulted with how obvious it was playing with him but his own pride was of little importance.

“I’m surprised you survived that puny human, guess I’ll just have to swing again,” it spoke, the corners of its mouth curling up into a menacing smile. Jin-chul was tempted to turn and look at Jin-woo one last time but it took all he had to stay standing.

“Guess this is the end…” he whispered as a flash of grey filled his vision. Instead of the painful, violent death he was expecting, Jin-chul felt something pull him out of the way at the last minute. They slid across the stone ground as a flash of fire consumed the air behind them.

“Someone heal him!” his rescuer shouted as she gently set him down. Jin-chul came to his senses to realize Cha Hae-in had saved him. Beyond her, the hunters he had brought along as well as the Hunters guild raid party were fighting the stone statues. The source of the fire originated from the guildmaster himself, Choi Jong-in.

“We-we have to save Hunter Sung Jin-woo,” Jin-chul managed to say between heavy gasping breaths. One of the Hunters guild healers crouched down beside him as Hae-in stood back up, her ferocious aura swirling about her. She glanced down at Jin-chul, nodded, and then leapt away to join the fray.

“More uninvited guests have arrived!” the booming voice laughed around them. “I will give you all a chance to watch the glorious king’s birth which will only happen once all my puppets have been destroyed. That is, if any of you are still alive by then.” Past the main statue, an even larger one rose up, brilliant light pouring from the eyes, a harbinger of death.

“Everyone dodge!” Jong-in shouted to the others. The healer who had been attending to Jin-chul roughly pulled him to the side. The two tumbled away as the ground split open from a brilliant gleaming of light. Pieces of rubble shot past them, a few hitting against their armor. The sound of the attack rang in Jin-chul’s ears, disorientating him even further. The sounds of fire magic as the dust began to settle were a huge relief, telling them of the others still fighting.

“Hang in there Chief Woo Jin-chul,” the healer encouraged. A drop of sweat dripped from her chin onto Jin-chul’s breastplate, a forced smile on her face for reassurance even as her hands shook in fear. He knew her, he couldn’t place her name at the moment, but he was familiar with who she was. Like everyone else who had arrived, she was no stranger to dungeons yet even she was shaken to the core. The soft light of her magic glowed along the edges of his vision, Jin-chul’s pain finally receding.

“Destroy the statues while it’s distracted!” Jong-in ordered over the roar of battle. Most of the others had managed to keep close together to support each other in the battle. Unfortunately because of the earlier attack, Jin-chul and the healer had gotten separated from the rest. Jin-chul heard some of the other hunters panic as they slowly began to realize just how strong the statues were.

“These bastards, their physical resistance isn’t normal! Everyone be careful!” Jong-in shouted for a moment in between launching fire at the statues. Jin-chul started to push himself to his feet, cursing his own uselessness in the situation.

“Chief Woo, please let me finish healing you first,” the healer asked, her expression fearful. Right behind her one of the statues approached, having gotten past the others fighting. It’s heavy footsteps scraping against the ground, counting down to their bloody deaths.

“There’s no time,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist. As he jumped to the side with the healer, a large stone fist landed on where they just were. Jin-chul pulled her close, protecting her from the debris caused by the impact. They landed twenty feet away and Jin-chul placed her behind himself as he caught his balance. Their relief was momentary as the statue quickly turned towards them and got ready to attack again.

“We need to get back to the others,” Jin-chul shouted, pulling her along as the statue continued to attack. At the rate things were going, one well placed hit could snuff them out.

“There are too many enemies in the way,” she replied as they once again dodged another certain death attack. They had begun to run along the outer perimeter of the circular arena, looking for an opportunity to rejoin with the rest of the hunters.

“Is he-” Jin-chul began to say before having to dive out of the way. Across the room, a large fireball from Jong-in was launched to the still figure of Jin-woo. Jin-chul immediately concluded that the attack was an attempt to wake up the other hunter. While not the method he would have chosen, he realized that it was their best chance. Dashing any hopes, the main statue moved to intercept the attack, the fire landing uselessly against the stone.

“You dare attempt to interrupt the King’s slumber!” it roared, having not moved for a majority of the fight it now launched itself towards Jong-in. All the nearby tanks and fighters pushed back against the attack, protecting the mage class hunter. Following up the defense, Hae-in dashed forward and unleashed a powerful sword strike against the monster.

Dealing with their own opponent, Jin-chul pushed the healer out of the way as he deflected the next attack from the nearby statue with his fist. His attack had done nothing but he wasn’t concerned with that at the moment. Thankfully, none of his bones had broken upon impact.

Noticing a gap in their defenses, Jin-chul urged the healer to rejoin the others, “Now’s your chance, go! I’ll follow close behind!”

“You better not die!” she shouted back as she ran to the rest of the hunters. The intent of his earlier words had not been to lie, but to keep the healer safe. Now just having to protect himself, Jin-chul jumped back to dodge another strike before spinning on his heel and dashing around towards Jin-woo. Noticing his movement, Hae-in jumped and swung her sword at the main monster again as a distraction.

“Get out of the way!” she yelled, desperate to reach Jin-woo herself in Jin-chul were to fail.

The towering statue grinned as he defended, “You are fun to play with...very fun.” Hae-in landed back on the ground, her sword at the ready to try again.

“Try acting outside of my design a bit more,” the statue taunted.

Hae-in’s sword danced around her as the statue laughed, his face full of elation. Their swords met in an incredible clash as Hae-in tried to break through the enemy’s defenses. Before she could react, its sword cut deep into her shoulder. With a shout she pushed off the large stone sword with her feet and launched herself back to a safer distance.

“Haha, are you already finished? You follow the design in the end. Humans are no fun at all,” the maniacal laughter filled the room.

Another fireball from Jong-in hit a statue, causing no damage. Jin-chul was 200 feet away from Jin-woo.

“My design predicts and responds to any result.”

Hae-in was forced back to keep herself in one piece, blood pouring down her arm. Jin-chul was 150 feet away from Jin-woo.

“These small attacks have no chance of breaking my design.”

The tanks desperately fought to keep the other hunters safe as they slowly lost ground. Jin-chul was 100 feet away from Jin-woo.

“You must be unable to create a noticeable result.”

The number of injured hunters increased faster than the healers could heal. Jin-chul was 50 feet away from Jin-woo.

“We have to wake up Hunter Sung Jin-woo!” Jong-in shouted as he launched another fireball at the monster. “There is no other way.”

Jin-woo was almost within reach, Jin-chul concentrated more of his power into one final leap to clear the distance when the head of the statue swiveled around to spot him. Now in the air with limited movement, the most he could do was raise his arms in protection. A sickening crack rang out as the hand of stone slammed the A-rank hunter into the ground. Before he could understand the damage done, Jin-chul was grabbed by the statue. He was lifted up into the air, all means of escape gone.

“Don’t think you can sneak past me,” it warned, slowly closing its fist. Jinchul felt as one of his ribs broke and punctured his lung. A violent cough and blood dripped down from his mouth. Convinced he was done for, it took him a while to realize the pressure had stopped.

“A shadow…it can’t come outside due to the room’s rules but its presence is there for sure. He is a human but the king assigned a soldier to him,” it’s voice was near deafening as close as it was to Jin-chul. It tilted its head ever so slightly in confusion and narrowed its eyes. Bringing Jin-chul closer to its inhuman visage it sneered, “How did you find this place? What is your relationship with Sung Jin-woo?”

Another cough full of blood and Jin-chul raised his head to address it, “A close friend and confidant, here to save Hunter Sung Jin-woo.”

“Curious, was that the king’s intention?” the monster regarded Jin-chul for a moment. “Fine, I will give you a chance. Today, one of the great monarchs is going to descend upon this world. I will give you the chance to witness this glorious scene. But for everyone else, they will all die where they stand.” Jin-chul managed to look past the giant statue holding him where the rest were desperately fighting for their lives.

“You think I would be happy to live while you kill them all, hah! If you’re going to kill me, just go ahead and do it. I would rather die than see the outcome of your plan. I refuse to let it warp my impression of the man I respect,” Jin-chul smiled back, blood filling his mouth again. “I don’t bargain with monsters like you.”

“If that’s what you desire,” the empty eyes looked back down at him. In the next instant, Jin-chul couldn’t help but scream as bones broke and pain consumed him.

“DON’T TOUCH THEM!” Jin-woo’s voice shot through to Jin-chul’s waning consciousness. Rubble rained down and he felt himself falling. Something caught him within the next moment and everything around them turned to a blur. The strong arms he was laid in held him close, a small comfort after everything that had happened.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul, you need to drink this,” Jin-woo’s urgent voice barely reached him over the pain that coursed through his veins. “You need to make sure he drinks this, and heal him as well, please don’t let him die.” Jin-chul vaguely felt Jin-woo’s presence leave his side and the mouth of a vial being pressed to his lips.

“Stay with us…” someone pleaded as the edges of his vision began to darken, his limbs going slack. The sound of stone breaking filled the air, but all Jin-chul could hear was the decline of his failing heart.

“It’s not working!” the same voice shouted as Jin-chul’s head fell slightly to the side, the last thing he saw was Jin-woo defeating the remaining statues.

At least everyone else will be okay… All that remained was the darkness that flooded his vision, cold having consumed his body. Just as he thought everything would end, everything before him turned white. A voice that rang softly, like the sound of bells, addressed him.

“Would you like to help Sung Jin-woo?”

Chapter Text

Death was not how Jin-chul had imagined. He couldn’t feel his physical body and couldn’t sense anything tangible either. He was both himself and everything at once, an existence encompassing nothing. All he could see was a white void stretched before him without end. He wasn’t sure if he could look around or even if he was seeing what he thought he was. Even if he was able to look around, the view would have remained the same.

“Would you like to help Sung Jin-woo?” the heavenly voice once again asked. The ringing was inhuman yet he could understand what was being said. Unable to feel his mouth, Jin-chul wasn’t sure how to reply. Rising within his own thoughts was a resounding ‘Yes’ in answer to the question. It was his duty to ensure the other hunter was protected. Driven by his role and something he did not yet understand, Jin-chul welcomed the opportunity.

“I see...I owe a debt, a debt for loyalty,” the bells rang out within the void and Jin-chul’s own corporeal form. In front of him, from the white, a vision came into existence. A grand shining cathedral, the focus was a throne, a language he was unable to understand carved into the back. Upon the throne sat a large regal figure with long white hair wearing white robes, adorned with golden armor and crown.

“I have no love, I do not understand the feelings of my own creations. Because of this, they rebelled against me. Yet there was one, one who never faltered,” the scene before Jin-chul changed again. “The emissary Asborn.” An angelic figure shone on a battlefield of corpses, its own once beautiful visage marred by battle and blood with its great wings tattered and torn, the back of the figure pierced by many spears. The final stand and death of the emissary Ashborn.

“I had given Ashborn another power but it was already too late. They returned to find me dead upon the throne…” the being explained. Jin-chul was unable to discern any remorse in their voice or any emotion at all. Upon seeing the god he now spoke to, dead on the throne with no signs of a struggle, one thought came to mind ‘How were you defeated?’

“The ability to create is different from the ability to fight,” it elaborated. “Even now, my existence is waning, only shattered fragments remain. I will soon be unable to continue my existence, the world I brought into being will be left without me. I do not care for the outcome or those affected by it. I simply want to repay Ashborn with my final breath.

‘Why me?’ Jin-chul thought.

“I’ve seen your care towards Ashborn’s chosen. He is to face many trials and tribulations still as the monarchs draw near. Knowing Ashborn, he will probably succeed, but it may come at a cost. Aside from that, you just happen to be someone I have managed to reach, nothing more, nothing less.”

‘I see…” Jin-chul wasn’t sure what to make of its apathy.

“Be warned, this power will take its toll on you and if you push yourself too far, I can not guarantee you’ll withstand it,” bells chimed. “It makes no difference to me whether you accept.”

‘I don’t care about what it’ll do to me, if it’ll allow me to help Hunter Sung Jin-woo, I accept,” Jin-chul replied, sure of his decision.

“I understand...I bestow unto you the gift of creating strength. Whether a human is frail or strong, you can go against the flow of the current laws and allow them to surpass those limits,” the voice, now barely audible, answered Jin-chul’s desire. With the fading of the being who spoke to him and the fading of the white to black, Jin-chul’s consciousness also fell away.

-----

Woken with violent coughing and an aching body, Jin-chul sat up and bent over in the hospital bed he now found himself in. For a moment, the world around him seemed detached as if he were not himself and something had changed, something he couldn’t place. With a snap, the feeling left him and he felt whole and well, the earlier coughing and aching a world away. Even with his return, he remembered every second of his earlier experience and he could sense that he would never be the same.

“Chief! Chief Jin Woo-chul,” someone opened the door and rushed to his side. His second in command with the Association's Surveillance Team, Su Hye-jin. “How are you feeling?”

Su Hye-jin was a fit woman because of her hunter class of tanker. Her short blond hair and immaculate clothes gave her an air of professionalism. Contrasting her usual cool demeanor, there were small details of her appearance left askew. As he looked at her, Jin-chul felt something foreign. With just a glance, he could understand how powerful she was as a hunter as if it were simply instinct. Her power was so tangible, almost as if he could reach out and touch it. What his new power was capable of clicked into place.

Jin-chul took a moment to take everything in before replying, “I feel fine...can you please update me on what happened?”

“When the Hunters guild, Surveillance team members, and Hunter Sung Jin-woo exited the gate you were unconscious and carried by Hunter Sung. There were also a few dead hunters, one from the surveillance team, Ok Min-Hyuk, and three members of the Hunters guild also died,” she explained as she pulled over the nearby chair and sat down next to the bed. “At that point, you were physically fine but no one knew why you weren’t waking up. Jin-woo himself collapsed shortly after you all exited the gate, seemingly from exhaustion. He is also in the hospital and has not yet woken up. I can’t say that the Association has been peaceful since. Losing you alone would have caused an upset, but with Hunter Sung also at risk, everyone has been dreading the worst.”

“Jin-woo hasn’t woken up yet?” he repeated urgently upon hearing the news. Everything else she had conveyed seemed to pale in comparison. Jin-chul’s hands gripped the sides of the bed as if he were about to get up.

Placing a hand against his chest and forcing him to lay back, Hye-jin sighed, “You just woke up Chief, please stay in bed for at least a few minutes. Like yourself, there seems to be no danger to Hunter Sung’s life, he just hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I see…” Jin-chul’s shoulders visibly relaxed yet his expression turned grim, “Have we started the process of handling everything regarding the dead hunters?”

“Yes, I’ve seen to it myself that things have gone smoothly in your absence,” she reassured. “You can take your time and have the entire day off or two. Knowing you though, I’m sure you’ll be back in the office no later than today.” Jin-chul glanced at the semi-open blinds of the nearby hospital window, the position of the sun revealing it was around noon.

“What about the S-rank gate in Japan?” Jin-chul asked, turning back to Hye-jin.

She sighed, “You just can’t wait to give yourself more stress, can you? Leave that problem to everyone else for now. You don’t want to ruin your handsome face with wrinkles already do you?”

“Please, just update me on the situation. I feel fine and if anything, knowing would help my anxiety more than not knowing at the moment,” he replied. If he were the only one in the room, he would have already stood up and begun getting dressed. The only reason he had any self control was because of Hye-jin’s presence and his respect for her request.

She bit her lip and glanced to the side, “They are currently preparing for Yuri Orlov to create his barrier to block whatever comes out from the dungeon break. Most people are hopeful but many others are sceptical that he will be able to handle it. While he is the most powerful support type hunter, being able to handle an S-rank gate by yourself is always a risk.” Jin-chul tried to recall what he had seen of Yuri’s power before as his mind calculated the possibilities. He was well aware the other could accomplish many things, but considering the direction the world was going in, it wasn’t too unreasonable to worry.

“I see...can you start preparing a flight for me to travel to Japan?” He asked, full well knowing the ridiculousness of his request. Hye-jin’s mouth dropped open and she stared at him blankly before her expression changed to exasperation.

“What on earth are you saying?! You want to go to Japan?” she shouted before realizing the volume of her outburst. She sighed and continued at her normal volume, “You can’t be serious, please tell me you are joking...I’m very much used to forcing you to get some sleep, eat something for lunch and so on, but this is too much. Why would you even go there to begin with? No offense sir, but you’re just an A-rank...one of the strongest in South Korea but still!”

“I-I can’t really offer an explanation…” he answered as he rubbed his forehead, aware of the beginning of a headache. “Just know that I am sure of this decision.”

“You really aren’t going to elaborate?” she asked.

“Not at the moment. I’m not completely sure of it myself but on the chance that my hunch is right I need to go,” he admitted.

“Hah-who are you and what have you done with my boss? You’ve never been one to act on a hunch before. Whenever I spouted theories at you, you would ask me to come back with the cold hard facts,” she huffed, seemingly as frustrated with his uncharacteristic answer as with his original ask.

“Not that I ever thought about it much, but maybe it was time for me to change a little,” he reminisced on his time since joining the association, partially wondering what had brought about such a change himself.

“Fine…” Hye-jin sighed. “I’ll humor you, but if you dare die over there, I will bring you back to life just to lecture you.” She pressed her lips into a thin line and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Jin-chul.

“I will accept those conditions,” he confirmed with a slight laugh. Since she had been brought onto the team, Jin-chul had grown used to her personality even if some of it probably came about under orders from Gun-hee.

“I guess I can arrange the flight then,” she nodded, her expression softening. Standing up, she glanced at him once more. “You stay in one piece, you hear me? With you dead, I have a lot more work to do and I like getting sleep.”

“I will, trust me, I don’t enjoy getting injured,” he replied with a sheepish smile.

“Somehow I don’t really believe you, or at the very least, you enjoy work more than you hate getting injured,” she pointed accusingly at her boss. “Anyway, I’ll go handle the plane now. Before you ask, the association member outside the door can take you to Jin-woo’s room.”

“I wasn’t going to ask that next,” he scowled.

“Uh-huh...so why did you run into a gate on your own in fear of the man’s safety?” she raised her eyebrow at him, one of the corners of her mouth twisted into a smirk. “It’s gotta be something significant to make you take such a big risk. And beyond that it was foolhardy and stupid.”

“He’s an invaluable hunter to the country. If he were to die, it would be a loss we would not be able to make up for at this point,” he glanced away and explained how he professionally viewed the decision, not wanting to touch on how he might feel personally, something he had been ignoring himself.

“Alright, you will have to tell me more about your love life later,” she bit back, turning around and walking to the door before Jin-chul could protest, the sound of her heels punctuating her point.

“That’s not what it is!” he shouted after her in indignation before mumbling to himself. “I’m just worried about him…” Now that he was alone, Jin-chul wasted no time in getting out of bed. He was reluctant for a moment, worrying that he would feel worse standing up. Thankfully, once he pushed himself up from the side of the bed, he found he felt just as well physically.

Jin-chul reached over to the nearby chair where they had draped his suit across the back. He quickly pulled off the hospital clothes and started dressing himself. Once he was done, he grabbed the nearby case that they had also left for him and opened it to confirm his armor had been repaired and the pieces that had been in the worst shape were replaced. Jin-chul sent a silent thank you to Gun-hee for accommodating him to such an extent. Since he had become a hunter, he had picked up the habit of always having it close at hand.

On the small table next to the chair were the rest of his belongings. He put the wallet and phone in his pants pocket and his badge in the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket. He gave the room one more look as he walked to the door in case he missed anything. Usually whenever he got injured it didn’t warrant a hospital visit so it had been a while since he woke up in one.

“Could you escort me to Hunter Sung Jin-woo’s room?” he asked the Hunters Association member stationed outside the door as he exited.

She bowed in return, “Of course Chief, right this way.” She gestured down the hallway on the left and began to walk in that direction. Jin-chul followed close behind, carrying the case of armor in his left hand and straightening his tie with his right. Like with Hye-jin, he could sense her power as a hunter and the longer he concentrated on it, the more information about skills and stats he was able to pick up on. It almost felt too intrusive, to know that much just from looking at someone. Hye-jin had once theorized that America had someone who could increase the power of a hunter, even if it was limited in how often it could be used. Jin-chul hadn’t put any thought into her theory, believing it to not have enough weight. Now that he realized he could do something similar, she might have caught onto something back then.

They didn’t pass too many more hospital rooms before the association employee stopped in front of a door on the right, “Hunter Sung Jin-woo is in here.” She once again bowed to Jin-chul and stepped to the side.

“Thank you,” he replied as he entered the room very much like his own. Laying in the bed was a still unconscious Jin-woo without any sign of physical injury. Sitting next to the bed was Jin-ho. From the bags under his eyes, Jin-chul could tell the other hunter had been there for a while. He wouldn’t have been surprised to hear the hunter had spent the night in the chair he now sat in.

“Chief Woo!” Jin-ho exclaimed, standing up.

“No need to get up on my account,” Jin-chul gestured for the other to sit back down. Jin-ho pulled another chair next to the bed and sat back down on his own.

“It’s a relief to know you’ve woken up,” he added, a slight smile breaking through the somber expression he wore.

“Thank you,” Jin-chul sat down in the other chair. “I’m certain that Hunter Sung will also wake up soon. He’s much sturdier than myself after all.”

“I’ve never seen him like this...it doesn’t seem real,” Jin-ho sighed. Jin-chul placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

“He’s stronger than any of the other S-rank hunters, if anyone will pull through, it’ll be him. And as they had said, he probably just needs some time to wake up, we have nothing to worry about,” Jin-chul reassured him. Looking at the sleeping Jin-woo himself, Jin-chul couldn’t help but also worry. In an attempt to push such thoughts to the back of his mind he refocused on Jin-ho. His power was much less compared to the other two hunters, his limit lower. Wanting to distract himself from thinking about Jin-woo, he stood up from the chair and took a step or two away before turning back to Jin-ho.

“Thanks for stopping by,” Jin-ho smiled at him. “And for trying to reassure me about Hyung-nim.”

“You don’t need to thank me…” Jin-chul paused, wondering how he could pose such a request. “This is going to sound strange, but I need to try something. Could you hold out your hand, I promise it will be beneficial, or at the very least, have no effect.”

“Um...okay,” Jin-ho agreed, his expression more curious than confused. “I can’t imagine what you would be referring to, but I trust you.” The younger hunter smiled and stood up before holding out his hand to Jin-chul.

“Thank you,” Jin-chul nodded. He reached out and gently turned Jin-ho’s wrist so the palm faced upward. Placing his own two hands to either side of the space above Jin-ho’s, he narrowed in his focus, concentrating on the power within. A rush of energy exploded between them as magic spun and centered around Jin-ho’s hand, a galaxy of twinkling lights.

“Wha-” Whatever Jin-ho was going to say abruptly ended because of his own sense of awe. Jin-chul could feel the pulse of Jin-ho within his own two hands as he held the visualization of the other’s power.

“Stay still,” Jin-chul mumbled as he narrowed his eyes, not noticing Jin-ho’s eyes travel to stare at Jin-chul himself. Jin-chul reached into his own pool of mana and after choosing an amount he thought appropriate for this trial, he poured it into Jin-ho’s own power. Before he could get trapped in giving Jin-ho more than he intended, Jin-chul broke away gasping for breath. The power that had been between them faded, returning to Jin-ho. Jin-chul briefly closed his eyes as he caught his breath and his heart stopped racing.

He opened his eyes to see the other hunter looking quite perplexed and baffled. Jin-chul wiped the slight sweat from his forehead and let go of Jin-ho’s hand before stepping back. A soft golden glow he hadn’t noticed before was also shining around them before it too slowly went away.

“What-what did you do?” Jin-ho glanced between himself and back at Jin-chul. He rolled and flexed his right arm, “I feel...stronger? Yeah, stronger!” Jin-chul focused enough to get a feel for Jin-ho’s power. It had increased enough for the hunter to be considered on the weaker end of C-rank instead of D-rank.

“I will attempt to explain when I return, just, keep an eye on Hunter Sung Jin-woo will you?” Jin-chul requested. Jin-ho stopped his examination of his own arm muscle to look back at Jin-chul.

“Of course, you can count on me to look after Hyung-him. But uh...did you know your appearance changes when you do that, it was really surprising!” he exclaimed.

“Ah...I was not aware…” Jin-chul bit his lip and crossed his arms as he considered the implications. He would much have preferred something more discreet. “What-how does my appearance change?”

“If I had to describe it…” Jin-ho paused, thoughtful. “I would say your hair bleeds to white, your eyes glow golden and you have this, crown er...armor thing?”

Jin-chul immediately recalled the appearance of the god he spoke to, “I see. Thanks for informing me. I have one more request…”

“What is it?” Jin-ho asked, seemingly eager to comply.

“Don’t mention this to Hunter Sung Jin-woo when he awakes, there is no need to cause unnecessary worry and he’ll find out about it eventually anyway,” Jin-chul explained.

Jin-ho looked at the sleeping Jin-woo and nodded, “I can do that. I’ll leave it to you to bring it up.”

“Thank you, I should take my leave-” Jin-chul was interrupted by his phone vibrating. He reached in and pulled it out of his pocket to see Gun-hee was calling. “Looks like I have a call to answer, I’ll leave you with Hunter Sung.”

"Take it easy!” Jin-ho called after him as he left the room. He nodded at the employee that was still stationed outside the door.

“Let me know as soon as Hunter Sung Jin-woo is awake,” he instructed.

“Of course, sir,” she bowed. Satisfied, Jin-chul walked past her, down the hallway. He answered his phone, thinking it would be Hye-jin to notice Gun-hee was calling instead.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul speaking,” he answered.

“I’ve heard you’ve just woken up and have already requested a flight to Japan without much of an explanation...I’m relieved you’re awake but I must ask, why do you want to go to Japan?” Gun-hee spoke. “I gave up on trying to get you to stop working after you get injured but I am not sure if I should allow you to go to Japan at the moment.”

“I understand your hesitancy to accept my request…” Jin-chul paused. As much as he wanted to explain he wasn’t confident in his capacity to. “I don’t quite understand it myself, but the double dungeon changed something. To put it simply, I believe I can help in containing the gate if I were to go to Japan.”

A few second of silence lapsed on the other end of the call before Gun-hee replied, “I will not press you for more at the moment, but be assured, the moment you set foot back in South Korea I am banning you from any work for at least a day and you will try your best to explain.”

“That I can do,” Jin-chul smiled at hearing the Chairman’s worry for him. “I promise to not get injured and come back to South Korea.”

“In that case, I’ll allow it. Good luck Jin-chul,” Gun-hee accepted that he would be unable to convince Jin-chul and reluctantly conceded. “Remember, you need to take a short vacation when you get back.”

-----

Even with how quickly arrangements had been made, Jin-chul nervously tapped his fingers on the armrest as the plane started its descent into Tokyo. Everyone had advised he fly to an airport not so close to the gate, but Jin-chul couldn’t help but feel time was of the utmost. The sinking feeling he felt regarding the gate in Japan continued to grow the closer they got as if compelled by some invisible force. It wasn’t because he had doubted Yuri’s abilities before, but instead a greater understanding that lay within was beyond the S-rank hunter’s current capabilities. He could sense something sinister within.

His gaze locked on the sky as they continued their descent. The gate was so large that it could easily be seen from most anywhere in Tokyo, its oppressive atmosphere filling the air. Down below, he could see the Japan Hunters Association transporting the last of the magic crystals that were needed for Yuri’s barrier. It was an impressive amount for sure, but it still failed to impart any comfort in him. Accompanying him on the small plane were a few other Surveillance Team members. He would have preferred to fly alone to keep anyone else out of danger but Hye-jin had refused to take no for an answer when he had arrived at the airport.

“Chief, Matsumoto Shigeo, the Chairman of the Japanese Hunters Association is at the airport to greet us,” one of Jin-chul’s subordinates updated him on the situation.

“Interesting...maybe he hopes that I have Hunter Sung Jin-woo with me. Or he actually listened to my request to meet Yuri immediately,” Jin-chul thought aloud.

“I can imagine they are desperate for any help we can give,” the Surveillance Team member replied.

“Probably. Even if I am only an A-rank, he probably suspects I have something up my sleeve to suddenly fly to Japan,” Jin-chul mused. “Regardless, Gun-hee updated me on his own meeting with Matsumoto and I hope to deal with the man as little as possible.” Japan’s chairman had not been forward with them back during the Jeju Island raid, even going so far as an attempt to wipe out the South Korean S-rank hunters who went. This information had not been made public but Gun-hee had figured it out immediately. As Jin-chul had finished talking, he felt the slight jolt of the plane hitting the runway and within a few minutes they had arrived, the plane coming to a complete stop. Jin-chul wasn’t surprised at the lack of air traffic considering the current situation. At least it made their own arrival proceed more smoothly. As Jin-chul retrieved his case from the compartment he had stored it in, the others began to deplane.

Jin-chul followed close behind and the moment he set foot on the steps leading down from the plane door, he looked back up into the sky. Everything around them was bathed in the sicky red light that poured forth from the gate. Now that they were closer, he could feel the presence that concerned him even more. It was unlike anything he had felt within a gate.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul of the Korean Hunters Association's Surveillance Team, I hope your flight was pleasant,” an employee of the Japanese Hunters Association greeted him and the others who escorted him as they got off the plane. Behind them, Matsumoto stepped forward to greet the South Koreans as well.

“Matsumoto Shigeo, Chairman of the Japanese Hunters Association,” he gave them a slight bow which Jin-chul returned in kind. After he straightened up, he looked past Jin-chul at the plane door before turning back. “Is Hunter Sung Jin-woo not with you?”

“No, he is not. As the gate is close to breaking, I would appreciate it if you would take me to Hunter Yuri Orlov as we don’t have long,” Jin-chul replied, his patience already wearing thin with the Chairman. Matsumoto failed to disguise the disappointment and stress that clouded his face at Jin-chul’s answer.

The Japanese Chairman frowned at Jin-chul’s reply but even he understood the urgency of the situation, “Of course, we have arranged a car to take you.” He nodded at one of the nearby Japan Association members and they motioned for Jin-chul and his team to follow. They were led to a black van, where two of the Japanese Association members sat up front and Jin-chul and his subordinates in the back. The car ride that followed was dead silent as everyone hesitated to say anything, fearful that it would prompt the gate to break early. The tension in the air continued to climb.

Maybe the most unsettling was the dead and silent streets of Tokyo, with all the nearby citizens having been evacuated; those further out were still being evacuated as fast as possible. Many of the residents of Tokyo had obviously left in a hurry, their own homes having to be left behind. There was a bag here or there that had been dropped in the rush to leave that hadn’t even been bothered to pick back up.

As the car got closer to the location of the gate, Jinchul’s escort began to drive past the military tanks and troops that had been stationed. A precaution, but one that would be useless if the hunters were to fail. The defenses and the magic crystals that both encircled the perimeter of the gate were impressive, but that was just what was required of an S-rank gate. Some of the S-rank Japanese hunters stood atop the nearby buildings as they drove down the street that the portal interrupted. In front of it, outlined by the red light, were Yuri and another Japanese Association member, the man dwarfed by the Russian’s larger stature.

Jin-chul wasted no time in stepping out of the car, not even waiting for those who arrived with him, before walking over to where Yuri Orlov stood. As he approached he overheard the current conversation the Russian hunter was having.

“About 200,000 tons of magic crystals. More than sufficient to power the barrier,” he explained to the Association member next to him. “Position the barrier with the gate at the center and the magic will begin drawing upon the magic crystals. After that, the barrier will pull in the magic all by itself. By the way...this is weird….” Yuri paused in his boasting and stiffened, the gate veteran was on edge.

“Huh? Has there been a mistake?” the nearby employee asked nervously.

“No, the barrier is perfect. However…There seems to be someone nearby.” Jin-chul noticed Yuri’s attention drift to a nearby building instead of him and the others that were approaching. From where they stood, it was impossible to see if someone stood atop it.

“Huh,” the nearby stunned employee seemed to have his blood pressure increase as Yuri had turned his attention to something other than the barrier.

“Who are you? Show Yourself!” he shouted towards the nearby buildings before falling silent.

“Do you think a brave person would still be nearby when the dungeon break is tomorrow?” the employee asked, even more confused than before.

“Did I say it was a person?” Yuri countered before looking over his shoulder at Jin-chul. “Looks like we do have human guests though.” Jin-chul bowed to the S-rank hunter as one of the Association employees that had accompanied him stepped forward. Since they had people of three different nationalities, the employee switched to speaking in English like Yuri had been. Jin-chul himself knew a fair bit of other languages and was well versed in both Japanese and English.

“Hunter Yuri Orlov, this is Chief Woo Jin-chul of the Korean Hunters Association's Surveillance Team. He has requested to speak with you,” she explained.

“Oh? Has he? And what would you wish to speak with me about? We really don’t have the time now, considering the S-rank gate I am supposed to be stopping,” Yuri replied, stroking his beard as he examined Jin-chul.

“I promise it won’t take much of your time but I would like to discuss it in private,” Jin-chul glanced sideways at the others. Now that he knew his appearance also would change he wanted as few to know about it as possible. He would have preferred to ask the S-rank hunter to step inside one of the nearby buildings with him but he worried that if he asked for too much, his request would be rejected.

“Hah! You’re an interesting one,” Yuri laughed, placing a heavy hand on Jin-chul’s shoulder. “So brazen to demand my time, especially now. Fine, I will hear you out.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul almost sighed in relief. For all his urgency to arrive, he was grateful the S-rank support hunter was willing to listen. Yuri directed him to the side, his hand still on Jin-chul’s shoulder until they were a short distance away from the others. Jin-chul purposely stepped so that Yuri was between himself and any else who would be nearby. It wasn’t a huge comfort, but he was a good deal smaller. His action was not unnoticed by Yuri who, for all his faults, had a keen eye.

“What’s so important you flew over here in a hurry? You do seem...different,” Yuri regarded him with narrowed eyes. “There already was something inhuman over there and now there’s you.”

“Inhuman…” Jin-chul looked over to where Yuri had noticed a presence earlier and could feel something familiar even if he couldn’t place it.

“Regardless, it’s caught my interest, at least enough to listen to what you have to say,” Yuri added with a wide grin.

“I ask that you not speak to anyone of what I am about to say next…” Jin-chul paused to see if Yuri had any complaints. Taking the silence as acceptance since they were short on time, he continued, “I won’t explain how it works or why, but I can increase your limit as a hunter. Considering how important it is that your barrier is maintained, I ask for nothing in return, just that you keep this a secret.” Yuri crossed his arms and thought in silence for a moment.

“That’s a bold claim...for it’s a well known fact that no hunter can surpass their limit. What you receive when you awaken is all you get,” he replied, clearly skeptical of Jin-chul.

“All I ask is you give me a chance,” Jin-chul bowed. “I understand how you might not believe me but I have nothing to gain from deceiving you.”

Yuri let out a short laugh, “Fine, what do you need to do? It does not appear that you have ill intent.” For all his arrogance, Jin-chul noticed the signs of the S-rank hunter’s nerves getting to him. As no one knew what to expect from the gate, he could understand how it would worry even S-rank hunters. If Yuri’s ego were bigger, he wouldn’t have had a chance of helping.

“Hold out your hand. Palm facing up,” Jin-chul instructed. Yuri raised an eyebrow but did as Jin-chul asked. Like with Jin-ho, Jin-chul placed his hands to either side of the empty space above Yuri’s open hand. He reached deep within his own mana reserves as well as pulled forth the power of the S-rank hunter. Glorious green light expanded from a singular point creating shifting auroras of blue, green, silver, and gold. Disregarding the Russian’s surprise, Jin-chul began to add his own mana to the large well that was Yuri Orlov’s power. The golden glow he had noticed last time was brighter and only increased as he continued. Unlike with Jin-ho, he knew he couldn’t hold back.

Jin-chul felt his mana quickly drain along with his hands beginning to shake and his knees feeling weak. Just when he felt he was about to pass out, he held onto the last bit of his mana and allowed the power to flow back into Yuri. He started to fall back but a large hand grabbed his wrist, steading him and keeping him on his feet. Coming to his senses, Jin-chul realized that Yuri had reached out.

“There is no need to doubt your words...whatever you did, I can feel the immediate effect,” Yuri mumbled, flexing his other hand as he once again looked back at Jin-chul in an attempt to understand. Faced with something beyond himself, for once the façade of self-importance was nowhere to be seen. The Russian cleared his throat, “You should sit down near the others or get back in the car and leave, get as far away as you can.”

“I thought you said you could hold back the gate as long as needed?” Jin-chul questioned as Yuri let go of his wrist, able to stand on his own now.

“That’s what I would like to believe,” Yuri admitted. “But this gate feels different. If we survive this, I will be sure to thank you with a drink.”

“I’ll hold you to that, just keep the barrier going,” Jin-chul replied. Yuri grinned wide, the man’s earlier arrogance restored. He helped Jin-chul back to where the others were waiting. Based on the looks on their faces, Jin-chul knew they had seen a part of what he did, or at least, what Yuri’s back hadn’t blocked their view from. One of the employees opened their mouth to speak when suddenly, everyone froze. Up in the sky above them roared a great thundering and the gate began to crack open, an entire day before it was supposed to.

“Ah, ah! The gate!” the employee who had accompanied Yuri exclaimed as he stumbled back. “The gate is breaking open!” Everyone who was gathered, whether they be military, hunters, or Association employees, couldn’t help but tremble as monsters began to exit the gate. Large giants towered over the city itself, striking fear into all who saw them. Yuri handed Jin-chul to one of his subordinates and walked to where he had been standing previously. He downed the alcohol in the flask he had attached to his belt and faced the incoming threat.

“The bosses that appeared in upper A-rank dungeons are coming out right away?” He spoke before raising his hand towards the barrier, magic sparking from his fingertips. “This much isn’t a problem.” The Surveillance team member who was helping Jin-chul stand started to pull him away from the gate.

“Chief Woo, we should take our leave now in case things get dangerous,” they urged. Jin-chul couldn’t stop them from guiding him away, but he also couldn’t help but worry he hadn’t done all he could. The magic that flowed from Yuri joined with the magic that poured from the magic crystals around them, all converging in a single point above the S-rank gate. A giant barrier formed in a flash, containing the giant that began to swing its axe down upon Yuri. Like the rest that followed it, it was now trapped within the S-rank hunter’s barrier. Everyone close enough to Yuri jumped at the impact, their own fear winning over their confidence in the barrier.

Yuri roared in response, “AHAHAHA! I didn’t think I’d only be seeing monsters from A-rank Dungeons! Did you think the likes of you would be able to penetrate my barrier!?” Jin-chul let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding in. The S-rank hunter may be a bit much, but he had the power to back up most of his claims. Unfortunately the relief wouldn’t live long.

“Huh?” Yuri took a step back in shock as everyone else either started running or froze. From behind one of the giants exiting the gate, an even larger monster violently shoved the giant aside. The power that they couldn't predict, their worst fears proven true was now in front of them. It was four times the height of the giants, its eyes glowing a bright blue. The monster’s neck was adorned with tusks and bones and a giant sword rested at its waist.

With a single step it reached the edge of the barrier, bringing its giant sword up and into an attack against their one defense. Yuri himself panicked before holding up his hands in a desperate attempt to keep the barrier together. For a brief moment, the world around them stilled before the sword strike failed to completely cut through. Sharks broke off from where the sword had stuck but the barrier itself remained whole.

Regaining his composure, Yuri closed up the crack in a moment, sweat dripping from his forehead. The monster swung again, but Yuri, more prepared this time, was able to hold the barrier together without the strike weakening its defense. His shoulders shook slightly from the effort but the man himself remained steadfast, all their lives dependent on his barrier.

“Everyone! Get all the healers here now! We need to support Hunter Orlov as best we can!” one of the Japan Association members shouted as a few officials began to mobilize, scrambling to provide aid.

Jin-chul nervously laughed to himself, “Guess I was right to come here after all...Jin-woo please wake up soon…”

Chapter Text

With a jolt, Sung Jin-woo awoke from his deep slumber to find the nostalgic view of a hospital ceiling greeting him. Overcome with a strong sense of deja-vu, Jin-woo realized it had now been twice he ended up in the hospital after a double dungeon. Unlike before though, Jin-woo experienced a deep sense of urgency. Never one to waste time, he shoved himself up into a sitting position.

“The hospital…?” he mumbled, still dazed. He shoved the blanket that was on himself off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Considering what he had gone through, he was surprised to feel completely fine. Aside from the unsettling second heart he had been given, he was otherwise all healed. Jin-woo placed a hand on his chest. The unearthly heartbeat within felt all at once the most natural thing in the world and the most foreign. Whatever was done to him didn’t seem to carry immediate negative effects. He couldn’t even blame it for causing him to pass out since that could have just as easily been his own doing from overworking himself.

Realizing that he was alone, Jin-woo glanced at the hospital room door. A memory of his first meeting with Jin-chul came to mind and he half expected the Chief Inspector to walk through and greet him. The hospital door slid open with a bang but not with who he expected.

“Hyung-nim!” Jin-ho’s surprised expression quickly melted into a heartfelt smile. “I’m so relieved to see you’re awake!”

“Jin-ho...What happened?” Jin-woo asked, his own memory of how things ended a little fuzzy. He could recall most of what happened in the double dungeon and started parsing through what he could recall when his heart stopped. “Is Chief Woo Jin-chul alright!?” Jin-woo’s right hand gripped the bar along the left side of the hospital bed, his knuckles white.

“You can calm down, the Chief woke up two days ago,” Jin-ho hastily explained. “Like yourself, he seemed to have died but then was sleeping. Everyone was waiting for the two of you to wake up. I was so worried…” With a sniff, Jin-ho rubbed his nose, the dark circles under his eyes hard to miss. The slightly disheveled appearance telling of his friend’s reluctance to leave his side.

Jin-woo smiled, “Don’t worry, I have no plans to die anytime soon.” As much as he hated when others worried for him, Jin-ho’s concern warmed his heart. “Wait...you said he woke up two days ago?”

“Yes, you’ve been asleep for three days,” Jin-ho clarified.

“Three days!” Jin-woo exclaimed, mind reeling before resting his chin on his hand. Oddly enough, it matched with how long he was asleep when he first became a player of the system. His brow furrowed as he came to terms with missing so much time. If he knew he would have been out of commission for so long he would have taken a little more care of his physical wellbeing. Tapping the fingers of his other hand on the bed railing, he began considering what he needed to address next. “...what happened?”

“Huh, what do you mean?” Jin-ho replied.

“I’m talking about the S-rank dungeon that appeared in Japan,” Jin-woo grit his teeth as he prepared for the worst. It wasn’t that he wanted to doubt the strength of other hunters but instead that he found he had no choice after recent experiences. The few deaths from the double dungeon would stay with him, having already committed their names to memory. The stronger he got, the more he would have to take care of by himself. All he had wanted was to protect his family, not the entire world.

“Hyung-nim...it doesn’t look good. The monsters within the S-rank gate were stronger than anyone thought they would be..” Jin-ho tried to explain.

“So the raid failed?” Jin-woo interrupted and pushed himself off the bed. He rushed past Jin-ho and over to where someone, he assumed his mom, had left some clothes.

“Not exactly...Yuri’s barrier has been able to contain it, but he won’t be able to hold out for much longer. The attacks it has withstood have taken a lot out of him and even more magic crystals had to be transported to increase the barrier’s power. Because they haven’t gotten someone to take care of the monsters themselves, it’s a precarious situation that could change at any moment. There are other S-ranks ready to jump in once the barrier breaks, but things look grim. The most dangerous monster that had first appeared seems to have gone back inside the gate for now, but no one strong enough to defeat it has arrived in Japan,” Jin-ho explained. Jin-woo’s shoulders sagged in relief. While the situation wasn’t good, it was better than he had hoped for. Yuri’s resilience had provided him time and he would be sure to make good use of it.

“What about the National Rank hunters?” Jin-woo frowned. “Surely someone strong enough could have addressed it within the past two days.”

“Because of other S-rank gates, they haven’t been available,” Jin-ho sighed. “It hasn’t just been Japan, but the others seem to be well handed at least. Unfortunately, the S-rank gate in Japan also caused several A-rank gates to appear within Tokyo as well. So all the S-ranks Japan has hired and their own have been dealing with those.”

Jin woo started to get dressed as Jin-ho continued to explain, “A lot of healers have used up their mana keeping Yuri standing, but their efforts are starting to have less and less of an effect. Oddly enough, even with things becoming less and less hopeful, there are a few that have refused to leave Hunter Orlov’s side. I can imagine it has helped with his morale while the rest of the world is criticizing him for his big talk from before. ”

“I really would like to at least check on Jin-ah before I leave for Japan…” Jin-woo paused and reached for the nearby TV remote, turning it on to see what the current situation was. His eyes widened. The monsters contained were gigantic, their vicious attacks on the barrier causing cracks to spread in the flickering barrier. Thanks to Yuri’s power, the cracks would disappear, but the time in between the attack and repair was getting longer. There was no sign of the more dangerous monster Jin-ho had mentioned but it was clear that the battle of attrition was going to lead to Yuri’s loss.

The screen changed from the overhead shot to a more zoomed in shot of Yuri. The large Russian faced the tragedy head on, his arms outstretched to his barrier, magic flowing from his shaking hands. One of the Japanese S-rank Hunters stood with him, helping hold him up as a healer stood close by, ready to assist. As the shot panned up behind them, Jin-woo took a step forward to the TV, panic setting in because of what he saw. The remote he had been holding hit the floor with a clack.

“Why? Why is Chief Woo Jin-chul there!” His head whipped around to Jin-ho, desperate for an answer.

“That’s-I am not sure…” Jin-ho hesitated as he searched for what to say. “Right after he woke up, he stopped by to see how you were doing and next I heard, he left for Japan and has been there since.”

“Why-why would he go to Japan?” Jin-woo sighed as he fretted. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, pressing against his forehead with the fingers on his right hand. “Why is he acting so out of character recently…” Jin-woo had always assumed he wouldn’t have to worry for Jin-chul’s safety considering how careful he had known him to be.

Using his Share Senses ability, Jin-woo closed his eyes and looked through the eyes of the shadow soldier he had placed on Jin-chul to get a closer look. His anxiety spiked when he noticed that Jin-chul himself also seemed to be exhausted. Jin-woo wanted nothing more than to rush to his side but he also realized that running off without at least talking to his mom and sister would be cruel. Turning his attention to Yuri, he tried to get a sense of how much longer the man could hold out. Considering that Jin-chul was there, he would be able to swap with his shadow soldier at any time to instantly teleport.

“Hyung-nim?” Jin-ho, worried over Jin-woo’s sudden silence, prodded for a response.

“I need to talk to my Jin-ah and mom quick. Jin-ho, I want you to contact Chairman Gun-hee. I’m going to Japan as soon as possible,” he announced, turning to his friend.

“You’re going to Japan!” Jin-ho exclaimed, his jaw slack. “Are you certain about this? It’s much more dangerous than Jeju Island…The monsters that came from the gate...”

“Are you really that surprised I would go?” Jin-woo asked. He appreciated the concern of his friend but there was no one who would be able to stop him if he really wanted to go.

Jin-ho turned his head to the side and sighed, “I shouldn’t be. First Chief Woo and now you...both of you seem determined to place yourselves in danger. You know...from when I first met you, you’ve always been the height of strength in my eyes, someone I could count on, someone I could look up to. Before I knew it, you were an irreplaceable friend...I was really worried when you wouldn’t wake up.”

“You’re my best friend Jin-ho, please just trust me once more,” Jin-woo smiled back, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder in assurance. “I promise I’ll come back.”

Jin-ho shook his head, “No. If you’re going, I’m going with you!”

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Jin-woo paused. It was bad enough he had to worry about Jin-chul, he really didn’t want to worry about Jin-ho either.

“You just asked me to trust you and I do. I trust that with you there, nothing bad will happen. If you’re safe, I’ll be safe too!” Jin-ho insisted. “I can’t let you go by yourself, whatever it is, I’m here to support you and don’t you forget it!”

“Hah...I can really count on you can’t I…” Jin-woo scratched the back of his neck. “Alright, you can come with me, but in order to make sure they don’t fail before we get there, I will need to teleport us to Chief Woo Jin-chul. I would hate to leave him and Yuri holding out any longer than needed, taking a plane would be too risky. Contact the Chairman and I’ll speak with my family quick. Meet me at the association in an hour.”

Jin-ho steeled his nerves and nodded, “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”

“Good, time is of the essence, so make sure the Chairman knows we’ll be leaving immediately,” Jin-woo added.

“Of course,” Jin-ho replied. Having turned off the TV they were ignoring, Jin-woo grabbed the rest of his things. His elevated heartbeat caused him to fumble and drop the shoe he was attempting to put on. Cursing under his breath, he quickly grabbed it and tied the laces within record time.

“Don’t worry...I’ll be there soon…” he whispered as he once again looked at Jin-chul through his shadow soldier. He clenched his fists at his sides as Jin-ho shrugged his suit jacket back on. Focusing solely on Jin-chul, Jin-woo watched as the Chief Inspector sent away everyone but the Japanese S-ranks, Yuri, and himself when he heard the fear-filled shout.

Jin-woo suddenly reached out and grabbed Jin-ho’s arm, “Change of plans, we are leaving now!” What he saw through his shadow soldier was quickly replaced by his own vision as he and Jin-ho teleported.

-----

Jin-chul leaned against the nearby car to keep his balance. Increasing Yuri’s strength two days ago had taken a lot out of him and he had next to nothing when it came to his mana reserves. He could feel it slowly come back, but at the rate it was taking, he would not be able to help Yuri a second time. Jin-chul considered giving one of the Japanese S-ranks a small boost in power but with how worn out he was it wouldn’t make a noticeable difference.

After the first few hours of the gate being open, they had sent most further away from the gate. There was a Japan Association member with both Yuri and Jin-chul along with two Surveillance team members close by. Realizing the military would be useless in this case, they had retreated, leaving just the S-rank Japanese hunters as backup for Yuri. One of them currently supported the Russian as the A-rank healer was currently healing the man, staving off the ever looming exhaustion. The other S-ranks that Japan had hired were further back, either dealing with an A-rank gate or not wanting to risk getting too close yet. Due to another S-rank gate in Maryland, they would receive no help from America either.

The other hunters that stood nearby were all members of the Draw Sword Guild, the remaining four who were left after the other S-rank guild members died on Jeju Island. Minoru Hoshino was helping keep Yuri standing while Reiji Sugimoto, Atsushi Kumamoto, and Kanae Tawata were ready to step in and fight the moment they were needed. Just like with the hired S-ranks, the other Japanese S-ranks were also dealing with A-rank gates.

Jin-chul himself had stayed partially out of obligation. The sensible thing would have been for him to leave after the gate broke, but he had decided to stay after sending most of his companions away. He had also already received several phone calls from Hye-jin and Gun-hee asking him to leave the gate, both concerned for his safety. But as Jin-chul watched Yuri give it his all, truly try for the first time in his life and be pushed to the limit, he couldn’t forgive himself for walking away. Beyond wanting them all to survive, he also believed that Yuri would be very helpful in the future. If he were to ensure Jin-woo had powerful hunters covering his back, he needed to make sure already valuable S-rank hunters did not die.

“Chief Woo,” one of his subordinates walked up from where he had been standing to the side. “The Chairman is calling.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul bowed his head slightly as he took the phone and answered. “Chairman?”

He heard a sigh on the other end before Gun-hee replied, “I’ve been watching as the situation over there unfolds and I am once again asking, no, ordering you to return. Please Jin-chul, I understand you don’t want to, but you and I both know this is beyond your capabilities.”

Jin-chul let out a short laugh, “You also know I can’t honor that order. I may not be capable of helping in this situation but I am determined to see it through to the end.”

“You realize if we had the manpower, I would have sent an S-ranker to babysit you without hesitation. But with Hunter Sung Jin-woo unavailable, they are still busy with the A-rank gates at the moment,” Gun-hee sighed. “Once you get back, I’ll put you on house arrest, don’t test me. If only I wasn’t chairman I would have flown to Japan myself with you.”

“I concede, believe me, for once I want nothing more than to rest after all this,” Jin-chul admitted.

“Good. If the situation gets more dangerous, retreat as fast as you can,” Gun-hee requested. “Since I can’t convince you of anything else, again, at least promise me that much.”

“Will do,” Jin-chul agreed as he hung up on the call. He slid the phone into his pocket and slowly walked over to Yuri. The healer who had been helping him was near collapsing, the last of her mana spent.

“How much longer do you think he’ll be able to hold out?” Jin-chul asked the others. Yuri didn’t reply but Jin-chul did notice the almost imperceptible frown that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Next to him the healer’s look of despair spoke volumes.

“I doubt Yuri can last much longer, I dread not even an hour,” Minoru explained, having to shoulder the weight of the other S-rank hunter.

Jin-chul glanced at the nearby wavering barrier, “That’s not encouraging…”

“Those cowards the association hired...they don’t need all of them for the A-rank gates. The lot of them, using the A-rank gates to leave the real fight to others...,” Minoru mumbled. “I can’t believe they are all just essentially sitting back, waiting for Yuri to fail.”

“While I completely agree, we need to decide what we’ll do once the barrier breaks,” Kanae chimed in, her focus not wavering from the barrier itself as she addressed her companions. Her fingers tapped nervously on the sword that hung at her hip.

“Would we be able to evacuate with Yuri fast enough and put some distance between ourselves and the monsters once the barrier gives out?” Jin-chul asked. Minoru frowned as his mind worked through the statistics.

“I would like to say yes, but considering what we are facing, I doubt it. I think Kumamoto and Sugimoto would be able to get away but I don’t think Tawata and I are fast enough to get away from the stronger monsters. And that’s not considering carrying Yuri to safety. Even handling the giants will be tough, I was really impressed when they couldn’t harm the barrier. That said, as long as the one monster stays in the gate, we should still have a chance,” he explained. Reiji walked over to join them, having overheard the conversation.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul, you and everyone else but us four of the Draw Sword Guild and Yuri should leave now. It’s been quite honorable of you to stay but it would be in your best interests to leave. In the case we can hold out enough for stronger help to arrive, you’re not in any state to help or even an S-rank,” he spoke bluntly, half out of a desire to see the other away from danger.

“With all due respect, Guild Master Sugimoto, I would like to stay. I will send the rest off though,” Jin-chul replied.

Reiji sighed, “I don’t understand your insistence to stay. I suppose it’s your funeral though.”

“I could ask the same of you. If you wanted to, you and the others would easily be able to get to safety if you abandoned Yuri,” Jin-chul pointed out. “I’m sure you can empathize with my reluctance to leave.”

“Tch. I can’t believe I am saying this, but the man has earned some respect even if our initial negotiation with him did not paint a great impression,” Reiji frowned. “Fine, send the others away and be ready to run. I won’t force you to leave but I can’t promise your safety if you stay either.” Yuri himself didn’t speak to defend himself, not wanting to waste any of his waning strength on talking.

“Understandable, I wouldn’t dare ask for as much,” Jin-chul bowed. He walked back and gathered all the rest that had remained nearby. After some weak protests, he was able to convince them to retreat. He watched the car drive away, almost wishing he had gotten on it as well.

“Don’t keep us waiting too long Hunter Sung…” he sighed, his heart uneasy, wanting nothing more than news the other hunter was awake. Behind him, he heard a shout and he whirled around in worry. Yuri had collapsed, Minoru and Kanae were desperately carrying him away from the barrier as Reiji and Atsushi covered their retreat, weapons drawn. Beyond them, sensing that the barrier was but paper, the most threatening of the monsters once again emerged. Jin-chul’s hand shot into his pocket and pressed the call button, having left Jin-woo’s number ready on the screen. Even if he knew the other was probably still asleep, he still did so out of desperation.

The first sharp ring cut through the air. The giant monster stomped forward and began to raise its sword. The second sharp ring and the strike upon the barrier joined in chorus. The third sharp ring and Jin-chul had reached Minoru and Kanae, giving his assistance so they could all move a little faster. The fourth sharp ring and the ground behind them shook and shattered. The fifth sharp ring and a great shadow fell upon the group retreating, blotting out the red light from the gate.

Jin-chul looked up, the sword swinging upon them as if to nail their coffin shut. He didn’t even have time to react, the milliseconds counting down to his death. Just as the sword was about to hit them, inches away, sparks rained down all around them. A great darkness covered them, acting as a protective blanket. An innumerable number of eyes looked back from within the abyss as the shadow began to twist and form into many forms around them. Above them, the monster was pushed back, Jin-woo himself landing on the ground a few feet away.

“Sorry for being late,” he looked back over his shoulder at Jin-chul in relief.

“Hah...I think you’re right on time.”

The monstrous soldiers continued to pour from Jin-woo’s own shadow, the multitudes he commanded were ready to go to war. They leapt forward to hold back the nearing giants. To everyone’s surprise, the massive giant decided to step back and guard the gate itself, allowing the others to pour forth and attack the city. Finally getting past his initial surprise, Jin-chul realized that Jin-ho had accompanied Jin-woo.

“Jin-ho, make sure Chief Woo gets to safety. After that, take a few shadow soldiers with you and make sure that no one was missed during the evacuation,” As Jin-woo gave his guild member instructions, two shadow soldiers retrieved Reiji and Atsushi who were both now covered in injuries from protecting the others. Jin-woo relaxed a little now, having confirmed everyone was still alive. Jin-chul couldn’t help but notice that beyond the relief, the close call had weighed on him.

Before anyone could say anything more, Jin-woo vanished and a nearby giant fell into two halves, cut cleanly through. Anger radiated from the S-rank hunter as he jumped from the shoulder of the dead giant to cut up another one. He moved and attacked with such finesse that it looked effortless. Jin-chul couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“Come on, we need to get out of here, let Hyung-nim handle the monsters,” Jin-ho urged them to evacuate in broken Japanese. Because of his unfamiliarity with the language and the pressing nature of their current situation he had to repeat himself a second time for the core message to get across to Kanae and Minoru.

“Shouldn’t we help him?” Kanae asked, hesitant to leave everything to one hunter. Jin-ho glanced at Jin-chul, having not understood her reply. Jin-chul quickly provided a translation.

“Let’s get Yuri to safety first,” Jin-ho replied with Jin-chul translating, determination filling his voice. Nearby, one of the dead giants fell against the nearby building. Jin-ho held up his shield over his head and the rubble landed harmlessly on the ground. “No need to be here forever.” Jin-chul realized that Jin-ho and Jin-woo must have come right away since Jin-ho hadn’t even had time to put on armor.

“Right, let’s go,” Minoru agreed with a nod, more concerned with the wellbeing of his fellow guild members than holding onto a foolhardy sense of pride. He motioned for Kanae to once again help him move the unconscious Yuri. The two shadow soldiers that had grabbed Reiji and Atsushi picked them back up, ready to follow the group. A few other shadow soldiers also stayed with them, forming a protective circle around the hunters. Leading them was the intimidating knight Jin-chul had seen fight when he observed the Ahjin guild raid. If he was at all fearful of it before, those feelings were now replaced with unwavering trust.

“Chief Woo, come on,” Jin-ho urged, breaking the other out of his thoughts.

“Ah-yes,” Jin-chul accepted he would be unable to help Jin-woo and reluctantly agreed. They began to make their way from the battle raging behind them. They weren’t moving super fast because of the injured, but they were able to keep up a reasonable pace. Thankfully, due to Jin-woo’s overwhelming strength, they really didn’t need to worry about watching for enemies from behind.

-----

Blood splattered across the nearby building, a trophy to yet another giant killed. Without even jumping back down to the ground, Jin-woo leapt to the next, his daggers moving fast enough to become an indiscernible blur. Unnerved by how close Jin-chul and the others had been to dying, he let his anger fuel his strikes. The violent sound of flesh torn open filled his ears as another of his victim’s roars of pain rang through the air

“Why, just why!” he shouted. “Why would they all place themselves in danger like that!” Another head rolled, another arm severed, and another corpse crashed as Jin-woo let out his frustrations. His thoughts raced as the image of Jin-chul dead flashed through his head, followed quickly by just as horrific images of everyone else present dead before returning to Jin-chul again.

“Why, why, why,” he mumbled as the monster he just killed crashed into the viscera filled street below. “Why couldn’t you have just stayed in South Korea!” The shadow soldiers around him fought with even more strength, sensing their king’s state of mind. Desperate to please, they tore the nearby giants apart with ease. Jin-woo landed on the street, his feet finally touching the ground again as he watched his army work. Having given into his anger, he forgot his plan to let the shadow soldiers take care of the giants so they could grow more powerful.

“Guess I should get to work…” he sighed, running a hand over his face before turning to the giant corpses littered around him.

“Arise,” he commanded, the outline of the dead giant wavered as shadows reached up to the sky. Within but a moment, a new shadow soldier stood, ready to serve Jin-woo. Letting his desire to kill all the monsters take over, Jin-woo quickly collected more shadow soldiers as other S-rank hunters finally arrived to help. Kanae approached him after overcoming her initial shock as she watched him create more shadow soldiers.

“Thank you Hunter Sung,” she bowed. “Without your arrival, we certainly would not have made it out alive.” As she spoke, Minoru joined at her side, also bowing in respect for their savior. It took a moment for Jin-woo to parse what she had said, his understanding of Japanese lacking. Even if he couldn’t completely understand, the sentiment was quite clear.

“No need to thank me,” Jin-woo shook his head. “I’m just glad I was able to get here in time.” He tried his best to reply but had to pause here and there as he searched for the correct words for what he wanted to say.

“How can we help?” Minoru asked.

“I’ll take care of the stronger monsters...to be honest I would much rather have everyone else stay out of the way, if only for my own peace of mind. But I understand asking that of you would be too much,” he sighed before realizing he had said all of that in Korean. Switching back to speaking Japanese, he added, “Feel free to help the shadow soldiers with the giants.”

“Of course,” Kanae replied, relieved that he didn’t refuse their help completely. Jin-woo nodded and the two Japanese S-rank hunters took off towards the nearest giant.

“Why can’t everyone just stay safe and let me handle this?” he complained, scratching the back of his neck. Another giant fell further down the street in a bloody heap. Jin-woo dashed over to it.

“Arise!”

-----

As Jin-chul and the others had retreated, the other hired S-ranks finally moved past them to assist Jin-woo.

“Cowards,” Minoru once again muttered under his breath. “Now that Jin-woo is here with his army they don’t hesitate.”

“Over here!” someone shouted ahead of them. The group that Jin-chul had sent off earlier waited for them, having brought an A-rank and a B-rank healer. The shadow soldiers that carried Reiji and Kumamoto gently set down the two S-rank hunters before standing nearby, ready to stop any threats that dared approach. Minoru and Kanae lowered Yuri to the ground before stepping back.

“We’re going to help Hunter Sung as much as we are able, please make sure our guildmates are healed,” Minoru requested of the two healers.

“You needn’t worry,” the A-rank healer replied. “I can promise you that they are in good hands.” The healer was already working on the caved-in side of Reiji, having been hit by the blunt force of the earlier attack. The B-rank healer worked on healing Kumamoto as Yuri wasn’t currently bleeding out like the other two.

“Thank you,” Kanae bowed quickly before she and Minoru took off running in the direction they had just escaped from.

“When did Hunter Sung Jin-woo wake up?” Jin-chul asked, turning to Jin-ho who also stood alert by the guarding shadow soldiers.

“Just a few minutes before we teleported to you,” Jin-ho replied. “Really good timing isn’t it?”

Jin-chul let out a nervous laugh, “I suppose so.” Satisfied the injured hunters would be okay, he walked over to join Jin-ho.

“So...that thing you did in the hospital, is it related to why you came here?” Jin-ho asked. “Whatever it was, the effect hasn’t gone away, I still feel stronger.”

“Yes...I did the same with Hunter Yuri Orlov, just to a greater extent,” Jin-chul explained. “I wasn’t sure how much it would help but I wanted to do what I could until Hunter Sung woke up.”

“Huh, I guess you could say your decision saved a lot of lives,” Jin-ho smiled.

“You give me too much credit,” Jin-chul replied. “It’s because of Hunter Orlov and Hunter Sung that I am standing here now.”

Jin-ho laughed, “You always did seem the modest type. You know, I almost gave Hyung-nim a heart attack when I told him you were in Japan.”

“He-you what!?” Jin-chul exclaimed as he tried to figure out what to say. Flustered and confused, he glanced away. He never would have guessed the other would fret so much about his own wellbeing.

“He seemed quite upset that you flew over here,” Jin-ho added, a slight smirk creeping onto his face. Jin-chul opened his mouth to protest but someone from behind them called over.

“Chief Woo Jin-chul, the chairman called,” one of his subordinates ran over with a phone.

“Now is not the time for this,” Jin-chul grumbled at Jin-ho. Thankful for the distraction from the current conversation, Jin-chul stepped away and gratefully accepted the phone call.

Chapter Text

Jin-chul let the phone ring two more times before finally answering, “Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul speaking.” After his recent stubbornness he was hesitant to talk to Gun-hee but he knew deep down, the chairman would just be relieved more than anything.

“For once, can you answer less professionally? You know it’s me,” Gun-hee sighed. “Anyway, I’ve been informed of what happened and I would like you to finally return. Please Jin-chul, you’ve worried this old man enough as is.”

“I-I’ll return,” Jin-chul replied. “I’ll even take that day off that you wanted.” He took a few steps away from the group for the sake of privacy.

“I know you will, I’ll have Hye-jin make sure of it,” Gun-hee replied.

“You really don’t trust me to take the time off with supervision do you?” Jin-chul smiled.

“Not after every other time you’ve said you would take a day off,” Gun-hee pointed out. “I’ve learned my lesson. I wouldn’t think you need a babysitter at your age but you continue to prove me wrong.”

“Fair enough, I do deserve that,” Jin-chul laughed as Gun-hee reprimanded him.

“I’ll let the other members of your team know to prepare for your flight back,” Gun-hee explained.

“Sounds good,” Jin-chul agreed. “Would you like me to stop by when I get back?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before a long sigh, “Of course not! Have someone drive you home. I will not be having you step foot anywhere near the association until you’ve gotten 9 hours of sleep, at the very least,” the Chairman admonished. “As much as I’d like to make sure you’re alive myself, I trust in Hunter Sung Jin-woo’s abilities.”

“Understood,” Jin-chul laughed. “I’ll head to the airport shortly.”

“Thank you,” Gun-hee replied. “Have a safe flight and get some rest. That’s an order.”

“Thank you Chairman,” Jin-chul ended the call with Gun-hee. Jin-ho, having noticed the call was over, walked up.

“You’re returning to South Korea?” Jin-ho asked.

“Ah yes, I’ve delayed returning long enough. And now with Hunter Sung Jin-woo here, we won’t have to worry, Japan is in safe hands,” Jin-chul smiled as he handed the phone back to the Surveillance Team member, Reon Yeong-jin, who lingered nearby.

The man bowed, “We have a car nearby prepared to take you back to the airport.” Yeong-jin gestured to the right where Jin-chul could see another subordinate alongside a Japanese Hunters Association member or two.

“I’ll be right along,” Jin-chul replied.

“Yes Chief,” Yeong-jin nodded and left the two hunters, joining the others by the car.

Jin-ho raised an eyebrow, “Already? Seems like you’re in a hurry to get back. Avoiding a certain someone?”

“Tsk. I am not avoiding anyone, I have simply been away for too long and have been ordered to return and take some time off of work,” Jin-chul argued. Jin-ho’s smirk spread into a big grin which only caused Jin-chul’s scowl to deepen. “I can assure you that your assumption is misplaced.”

“I guess I’ll just have to let a certain someone know you’ve already left,” Jin-ho teased.

“I don’t mind if you let him know, don’t misconstrue our relationship Hunter Yoo,” Jin-chul frowned but the end of his mouth curled up slightly as if fighting a smile. “I’m sure Hunter Sung has many other things to worry about that take precedence. Besides, I have no reason to avoid anyone at the moment. Now...if you’ll excuse me, I should be on my way.” Jin-chul gave Jin-ho an abrupt bow before leaving to join Yeong-jin and his escort to the airport.

“Why do they both constantly bottle up their feelings?” Jin-ho sighed, shaking his head as a disappointed father would. “Won’t talk to anyone when they are stressed or anxious, let alone admit they care about each other when it’s so obvious.”

Jin-ho turned to one of the nearby shadow soldiers, “You don’t mind taking me closer to the gate do you?” The shadow soldier shook its head in refusal.

“Don’t be like that, I just want to watch from a distance,” Jin-ho added. He would have thrown his arm over the shadow’s shoulder, but it was much taller than himself. The shadow soldier paused before nodding. “That’s more like it,” Jin-ho grinned as he grabbed up his nearby shield.

“Let’s go support Hyung-nim!”

-----

The horrifying crunching nearby from the ants eating a giant alive, the breaking of glass as another was felled, and the screams of yet another cut off by blood pouring down it’s throat, the discord caused Jin-woo to feel nauseous. For all his time spent hunting monsters, the more violent fights still did get to him. The smell of corpses was overpowering and blood covered the streets, a far cry from the job’s romanticization by the media.

He was reminded time and time again about his lingering trauma from when he was an E-rank hunter. He was beyond grateful that the others had bought enough time, he dreaded to think about what would have become of Tokyo had he not woken up in time. He could imagine it would have escalated to become a hell-like landscape

Jin-woo had taken a step back from the fighting, allowing his summons, especially the newer nagas, to level up. If he were to save everyone like he hoped, they would need to grow stronger as well. Working with the shadow soldiers were the other S-rank hunters, both the ones that Japan had hired and the Japanese hunters. Even though it hadn’t been long, the two groups worked well with one another. Jin-woo smiled softly, touched by their insistence to fight even if he was capable of handing it on his own.

“My king,” Beru landed next to him and kneeled. “All that were evacuated earlier have been attended to. The other humans brought healers.”

“Thank you. How many giants remain?” Jin-woo asked, his eyes scanning the city around him. He could see a few left, already dealing with several summons and hunters each. The gate itself loomed nearby where Jin-woo stood.

“Only the few you see now,” Beru replied. “Because of your power and the assistance of the S-rank hunters, the giants stand no chance. And considering none were able to get far from the gate, we haven’t had to track any down.” Jin-woo nodded in agreement.

“And yet...I’m tired,” he sighed. While he hadn’t done much of the fighting himself, he already wished for it to be over. Physically he had recovered but it was beginning to feel like just one thing after the next. Jin-woo wished for just a day of peace. He let himself sink into a sitting position on the office building rooftop.

“My King?” Beru instantly drew closer out of concern. The ant hovered around him like a worried mother.

“I’m alright Beru...just want this to be over,” Jin-woo forced a slight smile even if he knew the ant wouldn’t be convinced. Beru sat down next to him as the two watched the battle.

“Is there anything I can help you with, my king?” Beru asked, waiting for an answer.

“You already help enough…” Jin-woo replied. “I just wish there was someone else who could do all of this.”

“But there are none as great as you, my king,” Beru insisted, its loyalty unparalleled.

“You’re biased…” Jin-woo sighed. He crossed his arms and watched as the giants lost their battles before turning and looking back at the gate itself. The strongest and largest giant still stood there, guarding whatever lay beyond. He reluctantly stood up from where he was sitting, steeling himself for the next fight.

“About time for me to take you down,” he glared at the final obstacle. The large hulking monster looked down on him, even with the many city blocks separating them. A sadistic smile stretched across its face. If it were to leave its post, it would take but a few steps to be within attacking distance. Jin-woo’s frustration rose when such a creature looked down on him. Having defeated the other giants, the rest of the shadow soldiers began to return, ready to face the new threat. Everyone from Igris’ elite soldiers, Tusk’s high orcs, the ice bear division and more, gathered around the gate. From behind, Kanae and Minoru cautiously approached Jin-woo.

“Hunter Sung Jin-woo…” Kanae began, hesitant as she glanced past him at the remaining giant. Like himself, the other hunters felt uneasy at its presence.

Jin-woo shook his head at her and pointed away from the gate, “I can take it from here, the rest of you get to safety.” This time he didn’t even try to speak in Japanese but she understood his body language well enough. She and Minoru bowed slightly and hurried back to the other S-ranks, getting them to retreat as well.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jin-woo watched them all leave. Once he was satisfied the other hunters were far enough away he looked back at the gate.

“No one else was in the vicinity, correct?” he asked Beru and Igris.

“All the humans have retreated, my king,” Beru replied and Igris nodded in agreement. Jin-woo’s heart rate slowed, if only a little.

“Someone has to do it,” Jin-woo mumbled to himself. He didn’t doubt he was capable but the anxiety of what would happen if he were to fail didn’t escape him. The few deaths from the association members and Hunters Guild coming to help him in the double dungeon reminded him he couldn’t fail. “I wonder if this is what Yuri felt? I guess there is no reason to wait any longer…” The army around him shifted as they all prepared to strike.

“Charge!” Jin-woo shouted, arm outstretched to the target. The thunderous noise as the army descended upon the remaining enemy was soon drowned out as a single sword strike obliterated a good portion of their forces. Moving faster than the eye could track, the giant had made its presence known.

“What the-!” Jin-woo exclaimed as he raised his arm to shield his eyes from the dust that now blew past from the impact. The destruction wiped out several city blocks as well as any of the shadow soldiers that were there a second before.

“That took out more than a hundred…” Jin-woo bit his lip and shifted his weight to the other foot. He was impressed by how much power it displayed, outside of his prior expectations. But it wasn’t enough to cause panic, at least, not yet. Instead, his irritation and anger rose.

Without hesitation, Tusk used his giantification ability and took a deep breath. What followed was an eruption of flame, capable of even melting monsters with fire resistance. The raging inferno was blocked by the giant’s hand, which then struck Tusk to the ground in indignation. Before Tusk could recover and get back up, the monster grabbed one of the shadow soldier giants and slung it down upon Tusk, disintegrating them both.

It was an understatement to say the shadow soldiers had no chance against the boss-level giant, even with how much they outnumbered it. A simple wave of the hand and shadows soldiers were swept away. As if playing with them, the attacks proved effortless. Jin-woo’s frustration was felt among the members of his army as they struggled against the giant. The shadow soldiers continued their assault, coming back almost as fast as they were destroyed because of Jin-woo’s mana.

Igris and Beru stood behind Jin-woo while a large portion of the ants attacked the monster from the ground and other summons attacked from the sides. The sword strike of a knight, the stab of a trident from a naga, all of the soldiers’ attacks glanced uselessly off the monster’s thick skin. Angered by the ants being trampled, Beru moved to dart forward and attack but Jin-woo held out his arm in front of it.

“Wait...not yet,” he cautioned. Igris, similarly, also wanted to join the assault but both honored the wish of their monarch. Jin-woo was aware of his own depleting mana reserves but yet he waited. Even if the shadow soldiers returned immediately, he did not enjoy seeing them attacked. Gritting his teeth, he tried to bear with it longer.

Instead of defending, the monster allowed these attacks to hit, knowing they would be useless. Again and again, the shadow soldiers died, relying on Jin-woo’s mana to return. It was then that he noticed the exception, the flaw in the monster’s defenses. Everything else he allowed to hit, every attack, but when it came to his face the monster chose to block instead. Tusk’s earlier attack was the only one that warranted blocking. Jin-woo’s anger simmered as he watched another attack tear through the summons.

“How dare you put people in danger and harm my army,” he growled. “Kaisel!” Responding to his shout, the large dragon burst forth from his shadow, it’s black wings stretching up into the sky above. Jin-woo leapt onto Kaisel’s back as Igris joined him. Beru took off flying along with them.

“Let’s go!” he shouted as all four shot towards the monster. Beru attacked first and flew past the monster, its wings a blur as the monster dodged to the side. Following Beru's attack, Igris raised its sword from the back of Kaisel. Lightning flashed from the blade, highlighting the evening sky around them. Leaning back to dodge, the monster raised his own sword. The seconds before it hit stretched as Jin-woo and Igris both abandoned their places from Kaisel’s back.

As much as Jin-woo hated his summons being hit, he only let the anger fuel his fighting instead of letting it hold him back. Kaisel immediately disintegrated and returned to Jin-woo’s own shadow. While in the air, Jin-woo activated his sneak skill. As he fell, both Igris and Beru attacked at the giant’s face. His theory was provided more proof as the giant dodged both attacks.

Before he could fall further down, Jin-woo reached out with Ruler’s Authority. The telekinetic force pulled himself up towards the giant’s face. Allowing the momentum to carry him up, he equipped the Demon King’s Daggers. While blocking more of Igris’ lightning, Jin-woo took the opportunity to undo his sneak skill. Already fast because of using Ruler’s Authority, he launched himself across the giant’s face, slashing deep into its right eye. Blood burst out behind Jin-woo as he sped forward and landed on the giant’s shoulder.

He couldn’t keep himself from grinning in satisfaction as his attack dealt damage. Taking the initiative, Beru flew in close, not even a second later. The dangerous claws of the ant king raked across the giant’s face, contributing to the fountain of blood. Jin-woo launched himself off the giant’s shoulder to keep the momentum of the attacks going. Before he made contact, the world suddenly spun around him, black dots intruding upon his vision.

Jin-woo hit the ground, his bones rattled from the impact and his breath knocked out of him. He grit his teeth and jumped back up in an instant, pushing any thoughts of the pain to the back of his mind. Above him, Igris had also gotten hit, the shadows dissipating before it quickly reformed. Using its sword, Igris dug into the side of the giant, attempting to save itself from falling. Attacks not directly aimed at the face still had no effect and the sword wasn’t able to sink in.

Leaping forward, Jin-woo called out to Igris, “Return to me!” The large knight melted and reformed with Jin-woo’s shadow. Using Ruler’s Authority once again, Jin-woo grabbed onto the giant’s arm when it slammed its fist down upon some of the nearby ants. The movement of the giant's arm lifting back up launched him into the air.

“Now!” he shouted. Igris left his shadow in a flash, lightning collecting around them as it raised its sword and fell upon the giant’s face. Jin-woo joined quickly enough, summoning more daggers to continue the assault. Beru and Igris charged in the slight pauses between his own attacks. The rest of the shadow army continued to attack as well, serving to help overwhelm the giant who was now having to focus on defense.

Across from the battle, on the roof of what used to be an office building, Jin-ho stood next to the few shadow soldiers that had not joined the battle. Those that stayed back had instead been tasked with making sure he and the other hunters stayed safe. Upon arriving, the battle between Jin-woo and the boss giant had already begun, the other S-rank hunters further back than where Jin-ho now watched from.

“Hah...there really is nothing I can say about that,” he mumbled, his jaw slack from shock. What he watched exceeded even his own expectations. “Hyung-nim himself is a monster at this point,” he laughed to himself. He had been worried about Jin-woo, but those worries now seemed ridiculous as he watched the giant gain more and more injuries.

Jin-woo, having already injured the one eye, slashed at it again with his many daggers, creating an opening. As disgusting of an approach it was, he realized how effective an attack from the inside would be.

“Beru!” he shouted as he dug into the giant’s skin with the dagger in his left hand to prevent being thrown off. The giant thrashed in an attempt to dislodge the hunter but Jin-woo’s grip stayed firm. Taking advantage of the giant being distracted, Beru dove through the gap where the giant’s eye had been and started to attack from inside. The giant opened its mouth to scream but before it could for long, the raucous sound was abruptly cut off from blood bubbling up from within its throat.

Down below the ants had torn away enough at the ankles of the giant, sending it crashing to its knees. The ground around them shook and once again, dust billowed up from the wreckage below, obscuring the battle from onlookers. Jin-woo righted himself from where he hung on the monster’s face.

Attacking with the dagger in his right hand while Beru tore it apart from the inside resulted in the face quickly becoming a bloody pulp. Its efforts waned and its struggle slowly crumbled. With one last slash, the body of the giant crumpled, all life leaving its remaining eye. Jin-woo put his daggers into his inventory and leapt back away from the falling corpse. The weaker shadow soldiers started to blend back into the darkness that gathered around him while the stronger ones stood at attention, proud of their king’s victory.

[You have defeated your enemy]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

The messages dinged in his head and the announcement of the monster’s defeat lifted his spirits until he froze. Realization flooded his mind and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

“That thing…” his eyes landed on the soulless gaze of the dead giant, “That thing wasn’t the boss…”

“Hyung-nim!” The exciting voice of Jin-ho called out from behind him. Jin-woo turned around to meet his friend’s eyes and Jin-ho stopped in his tracks. “What-what’s wrong?” His eyes wavered and he took a step or two back as he noticed Jin-woo’s troubled expression. Instead of answering, Jin-woo narrowed his eyes and observed the gate before glancing back down at the defeated enemy. Most unsettling was the lack of black smoke rising from the corpse.

“I can’t extract the shadow..” he muttered under his breath as yet another message entered his head.

[It’s impossible to perform Shadow Extraction on the target.]

“I-I don’t understand…” Jin-woo scratched the back of his head in frustration. “If that wasn’t the boss of the gate, then what is?”

“Hyung-nim…?” Jin-ho called out softly from behind him again.

“Sorry…” Jin-woo walked back to his guildmate. “I was trying to figure something out...this isn’t over yet.”

“What do you mean?” Jin-ho asked, worry flashing through his eyes.

“I-” Jin-woo opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as he noticed the jaw of the giant begin to move. He immediately stood protectively in front of Jin-ho and summoned his daggers back into his hands.

“Ah-” Jin-woo almost laughed as he realized the cause.

“My king, it is I, Beru,” the ant king, who had attacked the giant from the inside, emerged from the mouth. It moved closer and kneeled before Jin-woo, keeping up the usual behavior despite being covered in the unpleasant innards of the giant. Jin-woo reflexively covered his nose with his arm and Jin-ho moved back a few steps.

“Yes, well-” Jin-woo tried to keep his composure upon smelling the viscera that covered Beru but faltered when he lowered his arm to address his soldier. “You did good Beru.”

The pouting summon bowed from where it kneeled, “I thank thee, my king.” Jin-woo forced a smile as he found the urge to cover his nose again.

“If you return...I think it’ll help,” he suggested. Beru nodded and dejectedly returned to Jin-woo’s shadow, the carnage that covered it left on the ground in front of Jin-woo. He covered his nose again, “What a disgusting smell…”

“So what now-” Jin-ho began to ask when the air around them exploded outward. Jin-woo pulled the other hunter closer as the wind whipped around them, the remaining shadows returning to his own. The dust and debris that flew around was enough to take out the weaker hunter in a single hit. Thankfully, it left as violently as it arrived and they stood still as the dust around them settled. Shocked, not by the wind itself but the direction it left in, Jin-woo exhaled the breath he had been holding.

“What was that!” Jin-ho exclaimed.

Jin-woo furrowed his brow, “The magic energy of that giant…” Past the giant, for the first time since arriving, Jin-woo was able to get a good look at the inside of the gate. Before, it had been hard to look inside because of the giant’s form obscuring it. The magic energy that had flowed out from the giant had flown back inside the gate, deepening the foreboding aura that it emitted. Jin-woo reached out to his cheek and looked at his hand to find blood.

“Magical energy able to cause a cut…” he mumbled. For all he had been through, it was a first for the S-rank hunter. At the edge of his senses, he could feel the other S-rank hunters edge closer, curious about the final outcome. Jin-woo summoned Igris and a few of the elite soldiers back from his shadow.

“Jin-ho, wait here and make sure no one else enters,” Jin-woo ordered, the flat tone of his voice giving the other chills. “It’s very important that everyone else stay out here.”

“Of course Hyung-nim,” Jin-ho nodded. Jin-woo gave his friend a soft smile in hopes of it giving reassurance. He then turned to Igris who bowed, already aware of what he wished. While realizing that whatever awaited him inside the gate was dangerous, he wanted to leave a few of the stronger shadows outside just in case.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised, launching himself through the broken gate without another word.

-----

Outside the gate Jin-ho stood, eyes fixated on the ominous corridor that lay beyond. The large walls stretched up to an arched ceiling, large enough for the giants to pass through, larger than he had even seen for a dungeon. Behind him, soft footfalls were heard. Kanae and Minoru approached with the healed Reiji. Accompanying them was a Japanese Hunters Association member. Reiji addressed Jin-ho in Japanese.

The accompanying association member translated, “Was that giant not the boss of the dungeon?”

“No, Hyung-nim has gone inside to take care of the rest. He asked me to make sure no one else entered,” Jin-ho shook his head and explained. The association member conveyed what he said to the Japanese S-ranks.

Reiji regarded the gate with a furrowed brow and Jin-ho immediately understood the feeling, the same anxiety permeating his own thoughts.

“He’ll be back soon,” he reassured himself, as he turned from the S-ranks to watch the gate. Jinho was confident in his friend’s ability to overcome all odds but this was the greatest threat the strong hunter had faced.

-----

Within the broken gate, Jin-woo landed on the marble floor. Around him towered giant walls, decorated with embellishments and torches, the only sources of light surrounded by the unending darkness within the dungeon. High above him, near where the walls sloped inward, sat gargoyles on small outcroppings of the pillars that supported the large cathedral-like corridor.

It was more magnificent than any dungeon he had stepped foot in, his instincts honed from when he was an E-rank screaming at him to stay quiet, to not say a word. Because of this, he kept his army within his shadow.

Above the gargoyles was the arched ceiling, windows that revealed nothing but the abyss beyond. The center of the ceiling was just as embellished as the walls and pillars, fingerprints left behind by a grandiose architect. Every little detail only served to set him more on edge, waiting for the smallest of movements that would mean an incoming attack. The soft purple light from Jin-woo’s eyes fell onto the ground in front of him as he slowly advanced.

Slinking out of his shadow to hover at his shoulder, only partially formed, Beru whispered with its voice barely audible, “My king...can you hear it?”

Jin-woo nodded. As they had gotten closer, he began to hear it, the laughter that echoed deep from within. Even more baffling, was how light-hearted the laughter was.

“What boss laughs when their dungeon is invaded…” Jin-woo wondered, his own voice but a whisper. The corners of his mouth creased into a slight frown as he continued, one step at a time. In the direction of the hearty laughter he could feel an incredible magic energy. Jin-woo had been surprised by the boss giant’s magic energy but what he faced now was suffocating. The air within the dungeon was hard to breathe and it caused his composure to falter.

“You’re the only one that can do this,” he mumbled to himself in an attempt to raise his morale. Knowing he couldn’t back down, Jin-woo forced himself to venture further. In order to press back, he unleashed the magic power he usually kept hidden. He was sure the boss was already aware of his presence but even with releasing his own magic energy to such an extent, the laughter continued. Whoever awaited him, they were unfazed by such a display.

“Today is just full of surprises…” he sighed. Because of the many torches along the corridor, Jin-woo’s shadow surrounded him due to the many angles of light. From within, the gazes of the shadow soldiers were piercing, enough to strike fear in the strongest of monsters.

At the end of the corridor they had been travelling through, it opened into a large circular room, just as grand and elaborate as the rest of the dungeon. The sight in the middle stopped Jin-woo in his tracks.

“HAHAHA! HILARIOUS!” The voice that had been laughing boomed from the dungeon boss in the middle of the room.

“OH, YOU DETESTABLE RULERS!” Large chains extended from the ceiling, from the floor, from the wall, all with the purpose of containing the prisoner before Jin-woo.

“WITNESS WHO HAS FOUND ME FIRST!” Some of the chains didn’t end in manacles but were instead deeply anchored in flesh.

“WELCOME, MONARCH.” It spoke, not with the language of any human, but with the language of monsters. The being itself was not human either. Like the other monsters that had exited the gate, it was giant. Upon looking at his face, Jin-woo realized he bore a resemblance to the giant he had defeated outside the dungeon. Or, as he realized, it was the giant outside the gate that resembled the boss that was now before him.

“THESE CHAINS...HURRY AND UNDO THESE CHAINS,” the giant roared, elated at Jin-woo’s arrival. “I NEED TO LET THE OTHER MONARCHS KNOW THE TRU-” The giant’s voice came to an abrupt stop as he narrowed his eyes and studied Jin-woo. Jin-woo had been trying to get a read on the other as well but wasn’t yet sure what to make of the situation. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but the boss chained up wasn’t it.

After the deadly silence, the giant was the first to speak, “YOU..” his eyes narrowed and face twisted into a more sinister expression. “YOU ARE NOT THE ONE I KNOW.” Jin-woo examined the bonds that held the monster down instead of immediately replying.

“Are these Rulers responsible for doing this to you?” Jin-woo gestured to the chains fixed to the surrounding architecture. He decided to attempt to get some answers first. Whoever had chained up the giant had done a good job, allowing Jin-woo to converse with the dungeon boss. He wondered if things would have gone differently in the absence of restraints.

“THEY ARE TRYING TO USE ME. AS A STEPPING STONE FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF THE TRUE WARFARE ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE,” the giant explained, his distaste for the rulers apparent as he referred to them. Jin-woo had spoken to higher intelligence monsters before, but this was the first time he could converse with one who could explain anything worthwhile. From the few words spoken, a million questions flooded into Jin-woo’s mind.

“Who are these Rulers you speak of?” Jin-woo continued his questioning. While the giant had seemed more hostile once he had realized Jin-woo wasn’t who he was expecting, since talking to him, that hostility had thankfully not increased.

“ANCIENT ENEMIES OF THE MONARCHS,” the giant answered. Jin-woo’s brow furrowed in thought. He could only conclude that these rulers must be his enemy as well then, considering what he was shown when in the double dungeon.

“So if they chained you up like this, that must mean…”

“YES. I, TOO, AM A MONARCH,” the giant confirmed. “ALL THE MONARCHS AND RULERS MOST LIKELY HAVE YOU IN THEIR SIGHTS. AS YOU ARE NOW, YOU LACK THE STRENGTH TO FACE THEM ALL. YOU REQUIRE SUPPORT.”

“Support?” What the giant just said set Jin-woo on edge. It unsettled him to know others were looking for him while he didn’t know what or who they were.

“RELEASE ME FROM MY SEAL. I WILL HELP YOU.” Jin-woo paused upon hearing the declaration. The last thing he expected was an ally upon entering a dungeon. Or at least, an ally that wasn’t a newly made shadow soldier.

“You’ll help me? You, a monster, will help me, a human?” Jin-woo’s suspicion rose at the offer before him. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” Having not encountered another monarch as of yet, he was very unsure what to make of the other’s words.

“THEN, I SHALL MAKE YOU BELIEVE ME,” the smile the giant wore transitioned to a more neutral expression as he moved his lips. Jin-woo concluded the boss was chanting a spell. The magic energy within the room changed and Jin-woo shifted to a more defensive stance, his daggers already equipped in his hands. Since no attack immediately came, he waited, alert but not yet hostile. Since the tension was so high, he almost flinched when a message from the system appeared.

[King of Giants, Monarch of the Beginning, Legia, has activated the Skill: Pledge of Trust (Negotiable).]

[Will you accept the Skill: Pledge of Trust (Negotiable)? (Y/N)]

Jin-woo was curious, both because of the skill and the title and identity of who he now bargained with. The title, King of Giants, only served to hammer the connection between the boss and all the previous monsters that had exited from the gate. Without knowing much himself, he decided that accepting the skill would be more beneficial than harmful.

“Yes,” He answered and the familiar ting of the system sounded and another message appeared.

[Pledge of Trust (Negotiable) has been initiated]

[Through the mutual consent of both the initiator and acceptor, the two parties involved cannot lie to one another until the contract has been terminated.]

Now that the skill was active, Legia repeated his promise from earlier, “RELEASE ME FROM THIS SEAL. I SHALL HELP YOU.”

Jin-woo, wanting to confirm the skill was actually in effect, opened his mouth with the intention of lying. Instead of what he intended to say, no sound was produced. Legia was pleased with Jin-woo’s struggle to lie and let out a harsh laugh.

“THAT’S RIGHT. THAT IS THE POWER OF THE PLEDGE OF TRUST,” he confirmed. Jin-woo almost replied with another lie that he trusted Legia but he immediately realized he wouldn’t be able to say so. Even with the skill active, Jin-woo couldn’t bring himself to trust the other monarch yet.

He first asked something that had been bothering him for a while, “How come it’s possible to converse freely with you and not the other monsters?”

“YOU MUST BE REFERRING TO THE DENIZENS OF THE CHAOS WORLD,” Legia replied with a mocking grin. The superiority the monarch felt over Jin-woo became more and more apparent. “YOU KNOW EVEN LESS THAN I THOUGHT. I SHALL ASK YOU SOMETHING IN RETURN. HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF PLACING THE MERE DENIZENS OF THE CHAOS WORLD ON THE SAME PEDESTAL AS A MONARCH WHO RULES OVER THEM?”

For the first time since his initial impression, Jin-woo began to understand the regality that Legia would have carried himself with if not for the chains binding him. Jin-woo lowered his daggers, convinced that, at least for now, the monarch had no plans to attack him.

“ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE CHAOS WORLD EMERGING FROM THE SO-CALLED GATES ARE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, REMNANTS OF THE DEFEATED ARMY. THEY HAVE LOST THE BATTLES AGAINST THE ARMY OF THE RULERS AND HAVE BECOME CAPTIVES,” Legia explained the connection between the rulers and monsters.

“THEY HAD TO REMAIN TIED TO A LEASH FOR AN UNCOUNTABLE NUMBER OF YEARS, SO IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THEIR EGO HAS BEEN ERODED SOMEWHAT. HOWEVER, I AM THE KING, CLEARLY DIFFERENT FROM THE LOWER SORT. I HAVE WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE FATED DAY WHERE I MAY MAKE MY ESCAPE.”

“AND THUS, OUR ENCOUNTER,” he finished, his lips pressed into a thin yet slightly sinister smile. Jin-woo couldn’t imagine an expression on the monarch that didn’t have a touch of hostility. His heart raced as he began to fully understand the opportunity presented before him. After the barrage of unknowns he had experienced, it was finally time for answers.

Wanting to confirm another question of his, Jin-woo asked, “By any chance, when you said the army of the Rulers, were you referring to those silver armored beings with wings on their backs?” He thought back to the army he saw within his vision in the double dungeon.

“CORRECT, THOSE ARE THE ARMIES OF THE RULERS,” Legia confirmed, verifying that what Jin-woo was shown previously was in fact, probably something that happened in the past. Jin-woo’s distrust of the rulers increased since whoever had his power before him was fighting the rulers’ army in the vision.

“SINCE YOU ARE IGNORANT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING, ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN. THEY ARE PREPARING FOR WAR,” Legia added once Jin-woo did not reply. “THEY ARE CHANGING THIS WORLD INTO A SUITABLE BATTLEFIELD TO ENGAGE THE MONARCHS. A LAST DITCH EFFORT, THEY ARE DESPERATE ENOUGH TO DARE BRING THE HUMANS INTO THIS,” Legia smiled, confident in his ability to win Jin-woo over. Jin-woo’s brow furrowed in thought.

“The magic energy...from the gate,” he realized. To juxtapose the curse of the monsters, there was the blessing of the magic energy. They couldn’t have one without the other.

“THERE IS SIMPLY NO BETTER WAY TO PROPAGATE THE TYPE OF ENERGY THAT DIDN’T EXIST BEFORE THAN SACRIFICING THE BLOOD OF THOSE THAT POSSESS THE NECESSARY ENERGY,” Legia replied, expanding off of Jin-woo’s conclusion. “THE RULERS HAVE CRUELLY UTILIZED THE CAPTIVES THAT HAVE LONG BEEN IN THEIR POSSESSION.”

“So this war…” Jin-woo’s newly formed opinion of the rulers dropped even lower. He couldn’t understand how such a method was justified. Even if he didn’t like monsters himself, Jin-woo felt angry at his world being used in such a way.

“JUST ANOTHER BLOOD-SOAKED STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE MONARCHS AND THE RULERS,” Legia confirmed. “THIS WORLD AND ITS INHABITANTS SERVE BUT AS THE MEDIUM FOR WHAT’S TO COME.” Jin-woo’s heart sank. The answers were not what he wanted, and the futility of his struggle weighed on him.

Legia’s expression changed from smug to more serious, “NOW HURRY AND FREE ME, THERE ISN’T MUCH TIME LEFT.”

Jin-woo narrowed his eyes at the sudden urgency, “Why is that?”

“ONCE THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU COMING IN CONTACT WITH ME GETS OUT, BOTH THE MONARCHS AND RULES WILL NOT SIMPLY SIT BACK AND WATCH ON ANYMORE. THEIR ENVOYS HAVE SURELY ALREADY BEGUN THEIR SCHEMES,” Legia explained. His earlier sense of superiority due to Jin-woo’s ignorance turned to annoyance.

“You still haven’t explained clearly, why are they after me?” Jin-woo replied with his own frustration. Even if he had gotten some of his questions answered, he hadn’t arrived at the truth of the matter. From what he had heard already, it didn’t look like it would be good, but he needed to know more before making a decision.

“THAT POWER YOU POSSESS ISN’T ACTUALLY-” Legia began before Jin-woo interrupted.

“Isn’t actually mine,” he waved dismissively. “I know even that much.”

Legia frowned, “THE MERE FACT THAT POWER IS WITHIN YOU COULD ONLY MEAN THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAS BETRAYED THE OTHER MONARCHS. YOU HAVE BECOME AN ENEMY OF BOTH THE MONARCHS AND THE RULERS. HOWEVER, ONLY I PLEDGE THAT I SHALL STAND BY YOUR SIDE AND ASSIST YOU. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU FREE ME.”

“Why couldn’t I just kill you and make you a shadow soldier instead?” Jin-woo asked, unable to bring himself to fully trust the other. Because of all his uneasiness, he would much rather Legia serve under him as a shadow soldier. For a moment, the monarch flinched, an expression he had not seen on the other’s face revealed itself but then was gone.

“WE, THE MONARCHS, AS WELL AS THE RULERS, ARE MADE OF SPIRITUAL BODIES AND CAN’T BE TURNED INTO SHADOW SOLDIERS ONCE WE ARE DESTROYED,” he explained. While Jin-woo thought through the details, Legia repeated, “WILL YOU FREE ME NOW?”

Jin-woo looked back at the giant, trying to gather his thoughts. His own worries told him that gaining another ally would be nothing but beneficial. An ally stronger than any shadow soldier even would be a huge weight off of his back. But yet, he continued to waver, an itch at the back of his mind telling him he missed something.

Legia’s expression darkened ever so slightly, “DO YOU HESITATE BECAUSE OF THEM?”

Jin-woo froze, “Because of them?”

“HMMM, I THOUGHT I SENSED SOMETHING BUT I MUST HAVE IMAGINED IT.” Legia looked beyond Jin-woo in the direction of the gate. “SURELY THIS ARRANGEMENT HAS NO DRAWBACK FOR YOU?” Legia pointed out, turning back to address Jin-woo.

“You are right…” Jin-woo attempted to push aside his paranoia and moved forward with his daggers at the ready. He looked at the monarch’s face one last time before violently cutting through the main chain holding down Legia’s right arm. He then moved onto the left arm. But the moment the second chain was severed he froze.

Jin-woo leapt back, putting some distance between himself and the monarch as he realized his mistake, “You said you would stand by me...but are you on the side of humanity?” He cursed himself for overlooking such a simple fact, his own weariness having driven his actions.

The deathly silence that stretched between them confirmed the truth that Jin-woo dreaded. While they both processed it, Jin-woo used Ruler’s Authority to catapult himself over the monarch. His eyes proved it. Embedded in the back of the monarch’s neck, the one thing that all monsters he previously encountered had, a magic crystal. Unable to resist the order within, the monarch couldn’t help but desire to kill humans.

Before he could react, Legia turned as much as he was allowed because of the remaining chains and Jin-woo was flung into the nearby wall by the giant’s large hand. The hostility that now emitted from the monarch immediately told Jin-woo that negotiations were over. Another enemy now awaited him.

“Again and again,” he muttered after coughing up some blood. Jin-woo grit his teeth as the higher shadow soldiers he still had with him materialized and charged forwards.

“YOU WON’T STAND A CHANCE ON YOUR OWN!” the monarch roared, voice consumed with anger as the shadow soldiers attacked. Even chained, the strength on display was more than Jin-woo hoped for. Having spent mana already outside the gate, Jin-woo knew he would have to end this fight fast.

“DO YOU HOPE TO SIDE WITH THEM!? YOUR LOYALTY GAVE YOU NOTHING! AND THE RULERS WON’T TRUST YOU,” Legia shouted as he crushed an ice bear under his large fist before turning to look back. Jin-woo pushed himself away from the wall.

“YOUR LOVE OF HUMANITY WILL BE YOUR UNDOING!” a sadistic smile bloomed on the monarch’s face. Jin-woo himself filled with rage as he thought of everyone he wanted to protect. Using all his strength he propelled himself forward. Legia attempted to slam him down to the ground but Jin-woo’s speed won. His two daggers plunged deep into Legia’s chest, up to the hilts. The monarch coughed up a mouthful of blood, covering any of Jin-woo’s own.

Jin-woo lifted his dagger to stab again but was slammed down upon the floor, his other dagger no longer in his hand. As his vision swam, he heard the outcry of Beru who moved to be between him and Legia. Jin-woo’s panic increased as his heart pounded. It had been a while since he had gotten hurt beyond insignificant injuries. All the other giants paled in comparison, the monarch before him would become a calamity if free.

Another strike from Legia and Beru dissolved into shadow. Letting his adrenaline take over, Jin-woo attacked, using Beru to obscure his movement. Once again, he was able to sink his dagger in deep. The summons worked to keep Legia’s hands away from Jin-woo as he held onto the dagger left in Legia to keep himself close. Continuing to attack with the other dagger he wielded, Jin-woo used his own skills without pause.

Both Legia and Jin-woo were coated in blood when Legia’s struggle finally ceased. Jin-woo breathed a sigh of relief as his hand trembled, well aware of how close he came to running out of mana completely. He flung himself off the giant as the deep rumble in the other’s chest notified Jin-woo that Legia wasn’t done talking.

“I suppose this is the end for me…” Legia laughed bitterly, his voice weaker compared to before. “As the battles between the residents of your world and the captured denizens of the Chaos World become more and more intense, this world will transform further and further into a battlefield,” he warned, his expression twisted into a cruel, dying smile.

Interrupted by another bloody cough, he added, “I pray...that everything you wish to protect burns into ashes in the all-ending conflagration of the war….”

“That isn’t going to happen,” Jin-woo snarled as he swung his dagger, the fresh blood flung off by the gesture.

“In the end, only you and your soldiers will remain if anything at all...a lonely existence awaits you,” Legia managed a smirk through the pain. Enraged, Jin-woo moved in a flash and the head of the monarch hit the marred stone floor.

[You have killed one of the Nine Monarchs, the Monarch of the Beginning ‘Legia’.]

[Calculating the total earned experience points.]

[Due to the enormous amount of experience points, this process will take some time.]

“This is just getting more and more complicated,” Jin-woo grimaced. As much as he was happy to have gotten stronger there was only so many unknowns he could handle in a day. The dings of the system rang in his head as the level up windows popped up in front of him.

“One, two-” Jin-woo quietly counted to himself, “-seven..eight?!” The S-rank hunter leaned back and put his right hand on his hip as he ran the other through his hair. “Beyond him not being trustworthy, I suppose I was correct in my decision to kill him,” he rationalized. It had shaken him to kill a more intelligent opponent, the feeling was quite unsettling compared to slaying just another monster. More than anything, with the strength the monarch possessed, it was his duty to ensure it had never stepped foot outside the gate.

In front of him, the corpse decomposed to sand, no shadows or smoke. Jin-woo cautiously stepped towards the pile of sand before leaning over and picking out the magic crystal that lay among the grains. He held it up and examined the impressive magic crystal. While he looked over it and pondered, the shadow soldiers that had helped in the battle returned to Jin-woo’s shadow.

“So I need to face these rulers…” he mumbled to himself, the visions he saw within the double dungeon sending chills down his spine. “Hah-I wouldn’t even be able to hold a candle to them as I am now…” Everything, everyone he cared about came to the forefront of his mind. If their world was to become a battlefield, he would need to become strong enough to protect at least the people important to him, if not everyone else. Too many thoughts raced through his mind to dwell long on any. Inside a dungeon wasn’t the best place to experience a crisis.

“That’s a little greedy, isn’t it,” he mused to himself. Jin-woo turned to leave but carelessly knocked one of the loose chains that had held the monarch with his foot. An odd sensation settled in the pit of his stomach for a moment. Curious of the cause, Jin-woo reached down and grasped it in his hand.

“Ah-” he confirmed that the chains were indeed special. As he held onto it, his MP was steadily drained, his magic energy being absorbed. “I see...that was the trick to confining a monarch. Now, is the cause the dungeon or the chain?” Jin-woo slashed at part of the chain, leaving the cuff in his own hand. The moment it was disconnected from the nearby wall, he felt the effect stop.

“So the dungeon then,” he deduced as he tossed aside the chain. It hit the hard floor with a loud clunk that echoed around the room, breaking the uneasy silence. “Let’s get out of here…”

He could feel the agreement of his soldiers within the abyss they dwelled inside. Slight tremors began to spread throughout the dungeon, signaling the collapse. Jin-woo made his way down the long corridor but since he wasn’t proceeding with caution this time, he made it back out in a fraction of the time. He wanted to put as much distance between him and his recent source of distress.

-----

Once on the plane, Jin-chul allowed himself to sink into his seat, his exhaustion finally getting the better of him. The economy plane seat currently felt like the greatest luxury on earth. Because it wasn’t a commercial flight, they had settled for just taking a smaller plane with only the Surveillance Team members aboard aside from the small crew.

“Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul, the plane will be taking off ten minutes from now,” Yeong-jin informed him.

“Thank you, did you get the information I asked about?” he replied, having requested Yeong-jin look into a few things once he arrived at the airport. Since they had needed to wait a little while for the plane to get ready to take off, Jin-chul figured they should make use of it.

“The Federal Bureau of Hunters didn’t want to divulge any contact information for Thomas Andre and Christopher Reed, but the Deputy Director, Michael Connor, has asked for you to contact him,” Yeong-jin explained as he handed over a folder. “I have yet to hear back anything regarding Liu Zhigang, Siddharth Bachchan, or Juliette Lefebvre. Do you uh-mind me asking why you are so interested in contacting the National Rank Hunters?”

Jin-chul paused, unsure how much he wanted other people to know, “I guess you could say I need to confirm something.” More than anything, even with his position, the truth sounded a little too preposterous.

Yeong-jin stared for a moment before finally blinking, “If you say so Chief...let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul dipped his head towards Yeong-jin who walked away to leave him to his own thoughts. As much as his hand itched to reach for his phone and call Michael Conner immediately, he resigned himself to blankly looking over the information in the folder. He wasn’t too surprised how hard it was to contact the National Rack Hunters considering part of his job was to keep Jin-woo’s personal information unknown. What he found surprising was that the deputy director wanted to speak with him.

“Maybe I will have some luck after all…” he mumbled as he placed the folder in his briefcase and leaned back in the seat to stare at the ceiling. Within a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

-----

Waiting for him outside were Jin-ho, an association employee, Reiji, Kanae, and Minoru. Jin-ho waved as Jin-woo exited, the gate behind him continuing to collapse. Coated in blood, both his own and Legia’s, as well as his apparent disheveled and injured state caused the hunters awaiting him great concern. His strength was known by them all and they could only wonder what had met Jin-woo inside the dungeon to push him so far.

Jin-ho jumped down from the nearby rubble he and the others had been standing on, “Hyung-nim! Are you okay?” Jin-woo looked at how much mana he had remaining. Confirming it was enough, he summoned Beru who immediately began to heal himself.

“I will be,” Jin-woo managed a small smile, trying his best to not appear weak or injured in front of everyone. He found it hard to smile, but it wasn’t because of his injuries.

“Thank you Hunter Sung Jin-woo,” Reiji stepped up and bowed to the other. The association member translated for them. “You’ve done us all and the entire country of Japan a great service. Would you like me to call a healer here?” Reiji hesitated on the question, glancing at Beru.

“No healer necessary,” Jin-woo answered and held up his hand to stop any complaints. “I’m sure you’ll all have your hands full in the coming days, don’t worry about me. As you can see, I will recover in no time.”

Reiji’s strict expression melted a little, “Thank you...if you ever need our help, don’t hesitate to ask. I don’t know how we could ever repay you...”

“Of course. And no need to worry about payment...” Jin-woo nodded and gestured for Jin-ho to accompany him as the state of his wounds had already improved thanks to Beru’s healing.

“Thank you again Hunter Sung,” Reiji once again thanked Jin-woo as the two members of the Ahjin guild walked past. Kanae and Minoru gave slight bows as well. Beru trailed behind Jin-woo, trying to heal him as they walked.

“How is everyone else?” Jin-woo asked as they continued. The Japanese S-ranks didn’t follow which Jin-woo assumed was because they wanted to make sure the gate fully collapsed.

“Everyone is quite alright!” Jin-ho gave him a thumbs up. “As you saw, Hunter Sugimoto is healed as is Hunter Kumamoto. Yuri was still unconscious when I left but the healers said it was just because of exhaustion.” Hunters who had helped with the giants were here and there as they made their way back. Most greeted Jin-woo and Jin-ho, but Jin-ho was the one returning the greetings.

“...and?” Jin-woo prompted, at once aware of who Jin-ho left out.

“And?” Jin-ho feigned ignorance back, unable to stop the smirk that rose to his face.

“You know who I am asking about…” Jin-woo replied, voice deadpan.

“Tsk, Hyung-nim, you need to be a little more discreet about your affections,” Jin-ho teased. Jin-woo stopped dead in his tracks to turn and glare at his guild mate.

“What did you say?” he leaned in threateningly over the other.

Jin-ho, well aware the other would never hurt him, continued, “You heard what I said.”

“Well, is he okay?” Jin-woo pressed for an answer, ignoring Jin-ho’s teasing, refusing to indulge it longer.

“Fit as a fiddle thanks to you,” Jin-ho reassured him with a thumbs up. “He did leave already though.”

“WHAT!” Jin-woo exclaimed, his jaw dropped a little before he quickly closed it into a frown. “Why is he gone already?” he crossed his arms and started walking again, having picked up the pace from before. The slight pause in their walking had allowed Beru to heal Jin-woo fully and it disappeared back into Jin-woo’s shadow.

“The chairman called and asked him to return,” Jin-ho explained as he tried to keep with Jin-woo’s longer stride.

“He could have waited until I was done,” Jin-woo grumbled. Rationally, he knew he shouldn’t be so upset but his feelings got the better of him. “Didn’t even give me time to say anything.” With everything he now knew, he was more impatient than ever to truly confirm the wellbeing of Jin-chul.

“If you’re so impatient, can’t you just teleport again?” Jin-ho asked.

“Can’t. Since we teleported to him earlier, there is no longer a shadow soldier attached to him...since I had to fight immediately upon arrival I forgot to put another in his shadow,” Jin-woo complained. He internally cursed at himself for forgetting to do so. Up ahead, he recognized where Yuri had been holding up the barrier. Further down the street, he could see several hunters and officials.

“Could you teleport to someone else in South Korea then?” Jin-ho asked.

“Yes...but I don’t want to interrupt someone’s privacy if I can avoid it,” he sighed. “Besides, it would be a little strange to just vanish...we’ll just take a plane back. And I’m sure the association president will want to talk…if you say he’s okay, I’ll just have to trust you on that.” Jin-woo convinced himself that he would wait a little while longer.

“Guess so,” Jin-ho shrugged. As they neared the small, temporary encampment, one of the support type hunters ran up.

“Hunter Sung Jin-woo,” she bowed and greeted him in decent Korean. “All the hunters you saved earlier have been healed. None of them will suffer any lasting ill effects.”

“Thank you…” he began but paused as if to ask her name.

She caught on and smiled, “I’m Hunter Okano Reiko, an A-rank hunter of the Draw Sword Guild.”

“Thank you Hunter Okano, I appreciate your help,” Jin-woo replied with a smile. A slight blush rose to her face and she turned away.

“Of course! Do you uh-” she noticed the blood and torn clothing on Jin-woo. “Do you need healing?” Reiko asked.

“My injuries have been healed but thank you for the offer,” Jin-woo shook his head.

“Okay, just let me know!” she replied before dashing off.

“Such a heartbreaker, aren’t you Hyung-nim?” Jin-ho smirked and moved to lay an arm across Jin-woo’s shoulders before remembering about the blood and deciding against it.

“What are you talking about?” Jin-woo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s just like you, not even realizing when you have charmed a fair maiden,” Jin-ho shook his head from side to side. “Of course, there is a simple explanation, someone else has caught your eye!”

“We’re not discussing this,” Jin-woo replied before walking past Jin-ho to the encampment. He wasn’t truly agitated, just annoyed at the other’s jabs. He muttered under his breath, “Stop talking nonsense.”

While he appreciated the distraction from everything else he had been thinking about, he didn’t want that particular topic to be the distraction. Jin-woo reached the encampment and after a quick search, found that Jin-chul had indeed already left. He rolled his stiff neck on his shoulders and sighed.

“Hah, you don’t look like someone who just got back from single handedly conquering an S-rank gate,” a deep voice laughed from his right. Jin-woo turned to see Yuri Orlov awake and grinning. The large Russian still looked worn out but some color had returned to his face. Beru left Jin-woo’s shadow slightly to hover again over his shoulder.

“He said that your expression doesn’t match your recent victory, my king,” Beru translated. Yuri regarded the ant king that had partially formed next to Jin-woo but didn’t seem too surprised. Jin-woo could assume that the other S-rank hunter had already heard some of what happened while he was unconscious. Either that, or the recent few days had lessened any impact that Beru’s sudden appearance would have.

“Can you thank him for keeping the monsters contained?” Jin-woo asked Beru. Jin-ho nodded in agreement with Jin-woo’s request, thankful the ant king could translate.

“Of course, my king,” Beru replied. It then fully materialized next to Jin-woo and turned to Yuri, repeating what Jin-woo had said in Russian. Yuri’s reaction was to once again laugh before walking up and placing his large hand gently on Jin-woo’s shoulder, completely ignoring the blood that still coated it. If it had been any random hunter, Jin-woo would have immediately brushed their hand off but considering what Yuri had done, he allowed it. Yuri’s expression changed from joyous to sincere.

“I would like to truly thank you Hunter Sung. Without you, I would be dead at the moment,” he admitted which Beru conveyed to Jin-woo. Jin-woo could recall what he had seen of the other hunter on the news before he left for the double dungeon and it was an odd contrast to the man he now conversed with. He supposed that a near death experience could change a man. The two continued to converse with Beru acting as a translator.

“Your thanks isn’t necessary, I only did what had to be done,” Jin-woo replied.

Yuri shook his head displeased before letting his hand drop from Jin-woo’s shoulder, “You and that Chief Inspector, both of you running around asking for nothing in return. You should be greedier.”

“Wait, what was that about Chief Woo Jin-chul?” Jin-woo asked, his attention immediately honing in on the mention of the other hunter.

Yuri regarded Jin-woo for a moment before replying, “I think it’s something you should ask him yourself. He asked me to not speak of it, but without his arrival, I’m afraid I would have not been able to contain the one boss giant.” Jin-woo’s brow furrowed and he bit his lip as he tried to understand what the Russian hunter was saying.

“Do you have his number?” Yuri asked as Jin-woo continued to theorize.

“Huh?”

“His phone number, I promised to buy him a drink,” Yuri explained with a smile. “Of course, that offer extends to you too.”

“Ah...sure,” Jin-woo reached for his phone but Beru interrupted, asking for Yuri’s phone itself. Yuri obliged and Jin-woo watched as the ant king typed in the correct phone number. Beru then added Jin-woo’s own number as another contact before handing the phone back.

Jin-woo raised an eyebrow and turned to Beru, “Why do you have that memorized?”

“Sometimes my king is not the best at remembering names and other things...my apologies, my king,” Beru bowed. Jin-woo glanced away for a moment out of slight embarrassment.

“Thank you...if you ever need my services Hunter Sung, don’t hesitate to reach out,” Yuri added.

“Why is everyone so eager to return the favor…” Jin-woo sighed before realizing. He turned to Beru, “Don’t translate that part.”

He was too late and Beru had already conveyed what he said to Yuri. Yuri’s deep laugh filled the air again.

“Such a lone wolf, aren’t you?” Yuri smirked. “I suppose you have the right to be, considering your strength.”

“Ah-that’s,” Jin-woo failed to think of a defense.

“Anyway, again, if you ever need the help of myself, as great as it is, just let me know,” Yuri grinned, removing his hand from Jin-woo’s shoulder. Even with his new modest behavior, the past arrogance of his character shone through from time to time.

“I’m sure they have something to drink around here,” Yuri glanced around before waving to Jin-woo and Jin-ho and walking off.

“Huh…” Jin-ho exhaled. “You’re just making all kinds of new friends.”

“Not sure if we’re close enough to be considered friends,” Jin-woo argued. Like Yuri, he glanced around the encampment. “I’m going to find someone who can get me a change of clothes...and a bath.”

Chapter Text

Jin-chul woke up rather abruptly, enough to accidentally fall out of bed and hit the floor with a thud.

“Where…” he mumbled as he rubbed his head and shoved his hair out of his eyes. Jin-chul glanced around to find the familiar setting of his own apartment bedroom. “Ah, right.” Shaking off the disorientation, he began to remember everything of recent.

“Guess that wasn’t all a hallucination brought on by exhaustion,” he laughed to himself as he grabbed the side of the bed and pulled himself up. The last thing he could recall was getting home, hastily changing into shorts and a t-shirt, and then collapsing on bed. Reaching blindly to the bedside table, he hand knocked against his phone, nearly causing it to fall onto the floor. He grabbed it and rubbed his eyes as he turned on the screen.

Somehow, there were next to no notifications except for a text or two from Gun-hee, a text from Hye-jin, and a missed call and a text from Jin-woo. Compared to what usually came his way during a typical day, it was quite surprising how little people had tried to contact him. He was sure that Gun-hee had something to do with that. Jin-chul chose to look at the text from Jin-woo first, a little too impatient to read what it said.

-Please call me when you wake up-

“Hah...what kind of text is that?” Jin-chul smiled, amused by the brevity of the message. “He would be someone who texts like that.” Before calling Jin-woo back, he chose to look at the other text messages first. From Gun-hee, it was mostly just a warning to stay away from work.

-Don’t you dare come in to the office when you wake up-
-If you think about paperwork even once, I will know-

As Jin-chul read the text from Hye-jin, he heard a knock at the door.

-Chief. I’ll be at your place around 11:00 with coffee.-

“Right on time,” he mumbled as he stood up and ambled his way to the door. She continued knocking until he finally let her in.

“Well, you look like you just rolled out of bed,” she teased, brushing past him to put his coffee on the nearby kitchen counter. She was dressed up as she usually was for work with her professional suit. Jin-chul wasn’t sure if that meant she would be leaving before too long or she just considered keeping him away from the office just a normal work day.

“That’s because I did,” Jin-chul replied.

“I’m actually surprised at that, you’ve never been asleep this late in the morning,” she smiled. “Of course, you did work yourself nearly to death so…” Having gotten Jin-chul coffee, she had, of course, gotten herself some as well. Hye-jin took a sip and leaned against the counter.

“I got it alright, you and the Chairman don’t need to say it a million times,” Jin-chul sighed as he picked up the coffee she had brought him. He took a cautious sip and once he confirmed it wasn’t too hot, he took a longer drink.

“Alright, I’ll lay off for at least an hour,” she gave him a lopsided grin.

“Only an hour?” Jin-chul asked.

“Yup, that’s all I can promise for now,” she wagged her finger at him and took a long sip of her own coffee.

“You know, you’re truly the annoying younger sibling I never had,” Jin-chul laughed. He glanced back down at his phone and set the coffee on the counter.

“I aim to please! Don’t you know acting as a younger sibling figure is the best way to move up in the world?” she laughed.

“I highly doubt that,” Jin-chul gestured with his phone. “I need to make a call, just...hang out I guess?”

“Mmm, work call?” Hye-jin eyed his phone like a vulture.

“Personal,” Jin-chul replied, deadpan.

“Uh huh,” she raised an eyebrow and took a long sip while staring at him. “I guess that’s allowed.”

“I wasn’t asking for permission,” Jin-chul growled. He left her in the kitchen and walked back to the bedroom. Jin-chul tapped on the contact number and it started ringing. After the second ring, Jin-woo picked up.

“Good Morning Chief Inspector, I hope you are well,” Jin-woo greeted, his voice light.

“Thanks to you, Hunter Sung,” Jin-chul replied as he leaned against the nearby wall and looked out the window at the city below.

“Mmmm, yes. We should discuss your recent tendency to have near death experiences,” Jin-woo elaborated. “I can’t be there to save you all the time.”

“Believe me, I don’t want to end up dead,” Jin-chul sighed.

“Then why would you, a man I’ve always known to be cautious, keep running head-first into danger? Remember when you warned me about Hwang Dong-soo? I’m simply returning the favor and trying to keep you alive, ” Jin-woo prodded. Jin-chul ran a hand through his hair and bit his lip as Jin-woo wouldn’t drop the subject.

“I apologize for causing you trouble Hunter Sung,” he finally replied.

“I’m not asking for an apology...I’m asking for you to stay safe,” Jin-woo sighed. Jin-chul nearly let his phone slip from his fingers upon hearing a response he wasn’t expecting. He was prepared for the other hunter to be frustrated with him after all the extra work he had caused.

“I uh...I’ll try my best,” Jin-chul answered.

“Good,” Jin-woo replied and then Jin-woo heard the call end. He pulled the phone away from his ear to see Jin-woo had hung up.

“Huh...okay,” Jin-chul let out a soft laugh. “Not what I was expecting...but not in a bad way…”

-----

Jin-woo nodded to himself as he hung up the call. He was relieved that Jin-chul had called right away. Even having already talked to the Chairman to confirm that Jin-chul had made it home safely, he was impatient to talk to the man himself. Every moment extra he was in Japan his irritation grew. Jin-woo had never been one for the more political side of being a hunter. Nearby, Jin-ho was the one handling the Japanese Hunters Association.

Even after all of his insistence that he didn’t need to be repaid, the Japanese Hunters Association wouldn’t let him be. So far within negotiations, he and Jin-ho would be paid for a portion of the magic crystals from the defeated giants. It was more than enough in Jin-woo’s opinion since he didn’t need any more money. He covered his mouth as he yawned and his eyes glanced over as Jin-ho and Reiji stood up and shook hands.

After the Japanese Hunters Association Chairman, Matsumoto Shigeo, had his darker plot revealed to get the South Korean S-rank hunters killed during the Jeju Island Raid, the man was arrested and the Chairman position was empty at the moment. Whether he would take up the mantle or not, Reiji filled in as a temporary replacement. Jin-ho and Reiji bowed to each other and Jin-ho walked over to Jin-woo, a slight skip in his step.

“Negotiations are done Hyung-nim, we can head back to Seoul now,” Jin-ho smiled. “You can stop impatiently tapping your foot.” The previous night, the two of them had stayed at a fancy hotel, all expenses paid as the Japanese people wished to show their gratitude. To honor their wishes, as well as the wishes of the association, Jin-woo kept himself from teleporting back to South Korea.

Jin-woo immediately stopped tapping his foot, not realizing he had started, “Good, let’s get to the airport.” Having teleported to Japan, neither had passports but the Japanese Hunters Association would make arrangements for the flight back.

“I noticed you were on the phone for a minute there, finally get a call back?” Jin-ho prodded.

“Yes...stop looking at me like that,” Jin-woo grumbled. “Let’s go already.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll leave,” Jin-ho laughed. Not even paying attention as to whether Jin-ho was following, Jin-woo spun on his heel and left the conference room. As they left, Jin-woo pulled out his phone again and called another of his contacts who immediately answered.

“Mom, how are you and Jin-ah faring?” he immediately asked. He had already posed the question the day before after the conquering of the gate but he still felt guilty for taking off immediately from the hospital without talking to them.

“I can’t get Jin-ah to do much beyond eat…she continues to spend most of the day sleeping in her bed, but her spirits lifted when I told her you would be back today. We were both really worried but we look forward to your return, my son,” the soft voice of his mother, Park Kyung-Hye, replied.

“Of course. After everything recently, I am planning on taking a few days off and spending them with the both of you,” he promised. “I am sorry for leaving immediately after waking up.”

“You’ve already apologized, no need to say so again. I’m just grateful you are safe,” she reassured. “As long as you come back, you don’t ever need to apologize.” Jin-woo’s heart sank at her request because he knew just how much his father’s disappearance still affected her.

“I will always come back, I promise. The flight leaves within the hour, I’ll be home before you know it,” he assured her.

“Don’t be late for lunch, I’ll make sure it’s ready for when you get here,” she replied and Jin-woo could hear the smile she wore through her voice.

“Thanks mom, see you soon.”

“Have a safe flight my son,” she bid him farewell. Jin-woo ended the call and dropped his phone into his pocket.

“Looks like you have your personal time all booked up for when we return,” Jin-ho smiled. By now the two had exited the building and noticed the Association Employee waving them over to a nearby car.

“Everyone has to take a break from work now and then,” Jin-woo replied.

Jin-ho stared at him for a moment in shock, “Never thought I would hear you say that.”

“Even I can admit I may have pushed myself a little hard recently,” Jin-woo retorted.

“Mmm, if you say so,” Jin-ho replied, unconvinced. Jin-woo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, unable to refute the other. Once the two were situated inside the car, Jin-woo began to feel slight relief. It wouldn’t belong before he would be back home and able to spend time with the people he cared about.

-----

Jin-chul had gotten Hye-jin to leave eventually. Thankfully, something had come up at the office that needed her attention and Jin-chul had been able to convince her that it was more important than to babysit him. He sat at the dining room table with the folder that Yeong-jin had given him on the plane. His eyes landed on the number for Michael Connor. Go Gun-hee had said not to work but Jin-chul was just going to make another personal call.

He tapped his phone screen to enter the correct number and pressed the call button. Jin-chul leaned back in his chair and bit his lip. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to get into contact with the National Rank Hunters aside from being upfront, which he was reluctant to do.

“Michael Conner, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters,” the man who answered the phone greeted.

“Good Afternoon Deputy Director, I am Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul,” he replied. “I heard you wanted to speak with me?”

“Yes, thank you for getting back to me Chief Inspector, I was told you wanted to get in contact with our two National Rank Hunters but your associate didn’t divulge why,” he answered. “I have my own reason for reaching back out, but I would like to know what your intentions are.” Jin-chul tapped his fingers on the edge of the table as he thought through his options.

“I’m not able to explain how I know, but it’s very important that we prepare ourselves for what’s to come in the future. I’m sure you’ve noticed the trends with the gates?” Jin-chul decided to take a more discreet approach for as long as he could afford.

“Yes, it is rather concerning…” Michael trailed off. “So considering I put you in contact with Hunter Andre and Hunter Reed, what do you hope to accomplish? Both are very busy, you must understand. If you say we need to prepare ourselves, forgive me for being frank, but hunters are unable to get stronger after they awaken.”

“I might be jumping to an assumption here, but by just returning my call, I don’t think you truly believe that,” Jin-chul replied. A moment of silence on the other end told him he hit the nail on the head.

“What do you want? Surely you can’t be proposing such an offer without asking for something in return,” Michael asked, still clearly skeptical.

Jin-chul switched his phone to his other ear and leaned against the dining room table, “I ask for nothing except that you allow me to meet with Hunter Christopher Reed.”

“An interesting request...okay, I can accommodate,” Michael conceded. “I’ll reach out and arrange things. I must say, I don’t trust such an odd request but because of someone else, I am willing to see how things play out.”

“That is all I ask for,” Jin-chul reiterated.

“Then it’s settled, I will have someone reach out once I know the details,” Michael sighed.

“Thank you Deputy Director,” Jin-chul replied.

-----

Jin-woo hurried off the plane the moment it landed, ignoring the safety protocols. Jin-ho, being more mindful of the plane’s crew, was attempting to catch up as Jin-woo walked to an area clear of other people.

“Kaisel,” he summoned the dragon from his shadow as Jin-ho caught up, trying to catch his breath.

“Can you at least drop me off Hyung-nim?” he asked.

“Where do you need to be dropped off at?” Jin-woo nodded, willing to give his friend a ride. Since they were already back, he could delay seeing his family for another few minutes.

“Just take me back to our guild building for now, I want to do a few things quick related to all the negotiations after you conquered the S-rank gate. It’s more tying up loose ends in paperwork than anything else,” he replied. Jinwoo gestured to Kaisel and Jin-ho pulled himself up onto the dragon’s back. Jin-woo jumped up to join him and the dragon quickly took to the sky. He couldn’t help but smile at hearing Jin-ho’s excited shouts while riding Kasiel. The current weather was thankfully not too cold so neither had to worry much about the temperature of the air as they flew higher up in the sky. Before too long, they had already arrived at the Ahjin guild building. Compared to driving, there was no traffic to get in the way after all.

Kaisel gracefully dipped down alongside the building, pulling in its wings more as it decelerated to a stop. A gust of wind blew out from where they had landed. The people who had been nearby looked on in wonder, a few taking out their phones to capture the moment. Jin-woo ignored them and watched Jin-ho jump from Kaisel’s back.

“I’ll talk to you later Hyung-nim!” Jin-ho waved as he hurried inside the building.

“Don’t work for too long,” he called after his guildmate. He deeply appreciated Jin-ho handling everything for the guild that Jin-woo was not at all experienced in. Jin-woo was able to summon Kaisel again when he noticed someone looking his way nearby. Across the street stood Hae-in. She wore more casual clothes than usual and he got the impression she had been checking to see if he would be at the guild building.

Jin-woo leapt across the street to greet her, “Hunter Cha Hae-in.”

A slight blush spread across her face and she glanced away before making eye contact, “I heard from the Chairman that you would be returning today and I was hoping to make sure you returned safely.”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” he smiled back at her, touched by her worry.

She cleared her throat slightly, “After what happened in the double dungeon…are you okay? Everyone was very worried when you collapsed and the warning Byung-gyu had given me about your power is still worrying. I realize that whatever happened in there must have been connected to you personally.”

“I must confess, I can’t fully explain and I still have many questions myself, but I assure you, I’m still me,” he replied in an attempt to reassure her. Hae-in smiled in return.

“That’s a relief to hear,” she nodded. “Well, I’m sure you have people you want to see, so I won’t hold you up any longer.”

“Thank you Hae-in,” Jin-woo replied. “We’ll have to talk later.”

“Of course Hunter Sung,” she bid him farewell. Jin-woo waved before closing his eyes, reaching out to the shadow soldier he had left within his mother’s shadow, not wanting to waste a moment more. Upon connecting to it, he could see her in the kitchen, finishing the lunch she had promised he would return to. Jin-woo teleported, swapping with the shadow soldier and opened his eyes to the familiar scene.

“Oh! Jin-woo,” his mom turned around, surprised by his sudden appearance before her expression melted into a warm smile. “Welcome home son.”

“Took me long enough,” he replied as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He hugged her back before the two parted and she turned to the stove.

“Tell Jin-ah lunch is almost ready. I’m sure she will join us at the table now that you’re back, safe and sound,” she requested.

“Of course,” Jin-woo nodded, leaving the kitchen before turning to the right, the door to Jin-ah’s room five feet away. He couldn’t help the guilt that built in his stomach. He was already anxious enough about how she would respond. He had once again left her and placed himself in danger.

The door wasn’t fully closed and open a crack. He knocked lightly on the door frame and waited for a response.

“Come in,” she replied, her voice just above a whisper.

Jin-woo gingerly opened the door to allow himself into the room. Her room was dark because both the blinds were closed and she hadn’t turned on any lights. Jin-ah herself was curled up under the blankets. The room wasn’t a mess like he would have expected but it made sense his mother would have been keeping it tidy. Jin-woo sat down on the side of her bed.

He paused for a moment before speaking, “I’m sorry…” Everything he had prepared to say died on his tongue as Jin-ah shifted and pushed herself into a sitting position. There were visible bags under her eyes and her hair was disheveled. She wore a shirt a few sizes bigger than her and pajama pants, clear signs she hadn’t left the room today.

Jin-ah reached out and grabbed onto his sleeve like a lifeline as she made eye contact, “I…I would have asked you to stay. I know I’ve never asked you to before…but…”

“I know..” Jin-woo frowned and smoothed out the tangled hair on top of her head. “I wish I could have stayed and I hate worrying both you and mom.”

“I understand…” Jin-ah forced a slight smile. “You saved so many people…I just wish someone else could take your place and you could be home, safe with us.”

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t agree..” Jin-woo admitted, absentmindedly scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. “Someone has to do it…but these next few days, you don’t need to worry. I’ll make sure to be around.”

“Thank you…” Jin-ah’s forced smile relaxed.

“Now, what do you say we join mom for lunch?” he asked, hopeful she would say yes. Jin-ah didn’t reply but nodded in response. Jin-woo’s heart ached as he saw the state his sister was in and he promised himself he would figure out how to create a safe world for his family.

—--

Jin-chul, dressed in more casual attire, walked through the South Korea Hunters Association halls. His clothing a clear sign of it being his day off. What Jin-chul considered casual was still on the formal side and no one in the building had even seen him in anything less than dress pants, shirt, and shoes. Fellow coworkers greeted him as he passed but no one started talking about work or bothering him with any documents to be signed. Jin-chul was at the Association today to speak with Gun-hee and nothing more.

He stopped in front of the doors to Gun-hee’s office and knocked.

“Come in,” Gun-hee replied from inside. Jin-chul opened the door and another higher ranking member of the Association passed by him. The two of them returned silent greetings. He assumed that Gun-hee had just finished with another meeting.

“I’m glad to see you’re at least taking your day off somewhat seriously,” Gun-hee grinned and shook his head. Jin-chul, having not seen the Chairman in person since the double dungeon, immediately noticed what he couldn’t detect before. A direct link between some higher being and the chairman. Unlike the power he had sensed from the normal hunter, this was of another level. He couldn’t help but smile at such a revelation, knowing how strong the Chairman was, he couldn’t say he was surprised.

Jin-chul was unaware if the connection meant that whoever had given Gun-hee his power would be aware of the Absolute Being’s power within him. He knew of the link existing but didn’t understand the details of how it worked. Jin-chul didn’t even know what to call the presence he felt but he understood it was connected to the Absolute Being.

“I wouldn’t dare go against direct orders,” Jin-chul replied, sitting across from the Gun-hee on one of the comfy chairs that occupied a section of the large office. On the coffee table between Jin-chul and the sofa Gun-hee sat on were two steaming mugs of tea. Jin-chul picked up the closer one, knowing it was for him.

“I would believe you if you had said so a month ago but these days, you continue to surprise me,” Gun-hee laughed. “I must say, it’s about time you explain yourself.”

“I do deserve that,” Jin-chul smiled, immediately at ease in the presence of the man he revered as his mentor. “Where to begin...” he wondered, tapping his fingers against the mug.

“I’ve already heard bits and pieces from the others who were with you and Hunter Sung Jin-woo in the double dungeon, but I would like to hear your account of it,” Gun-hee explained.

“I suppose that’s a good place to start,” Jin-chul agreed before taking a sip of the tea. “I assume you already know the double dungeon is connected to Hunter Sung in a more personal manner than we had previously assumed.”

“Yes, Jong-in had also reached the same conclusion,” Gun-hee confirmed.

“Whatever had happened the first time Jin-woo was in a double dungeon caused a change. Not a reawakening but something different…he was given the opportunity to grow stronger in order to house great power,” Jin-chul attempted to explain. “I’m not sure why I was chosen, but I have also received power from something beyond human. Not in the same way, I don’t believe I can grow stronger like Hunter Sung has been capable of, but I can instead cause the power of other hunters to increase.”

Gun-hee’s eyes lit up in realization, “You increased Hunter Yuri Orlov’s power.”

“Yes..I had a bad feeling about what the S-rank gate in Japan would contain and I realized I could help. That’s why I took off immediately,” Jin-chul added.

Gun-hee stroked his chin and appeared to be deep in thought, “Can I assume you now know more about the state of our world?”

“I believe Hunter Sung knows more than me,” Jin-chul sighed. “Unfortunately I wasn’t given too much information from the being that spoke to me…but I think I talked to...God.” Jin-chul felt heat rise to his face. Saying it out loud was embarrassing because he understood just how absurd it sounded.

“Don’t worry, I believe you,” Gun-hee smiled in response, trying to contain his laughter at how hesitant Jin-chul had been.

“Huh…” Jin-chul gaped, shocked that Gun-hee would accept it so easily.

“As long as we have known each other, you have never once told me a lie beyond small, meaningless things,” Gun-hee’s expression melted and looked at Jin-chul like a fond father would. “I trust you. As unbelievable as it sounds, if you say it’s true, I believe you.”

“...Thank you,” Jin-chul’s shoulders relaxed and he took another sip of his tea before it started to lose more of its warmth. “I must admit, most of my reluctance to talk to you about it was because I didn’t want to sound crazy.”

“There are probably many who wouldn’t believe you, but you can trust I’ll always be here for you. Hunter Sung too, I’m sure you’re reluctant to speak to him, even though you both have had similar experiences,” Gun-hee added.

“I-I needn’t trouble him with anything unnecessary, he already has too much to think about,” Jin-chul frowned.

“I can assure you, Hunter Sung won’t think of it as a bother,” Gun-hee smiled. Jin-chul raised an eyebrow, questioning the meaning behind Gun-hee’s words when they both heard a knock at the door.

“Association Chairman Gun-hee, you asked to meet with me,” Jin-woo said from beyond the door. Jin-chul nearly jumped when he realized who it was and a stray droplet from the hot coffee landed on his hand.

“Please enter Hunter Sung Jin-woo,” Gun-hee replied and stood up to greet the S-rank hunter. Jin-woo entered and walked over, bowing slightly to Gun-hee. His eyes landed on Jin-chul and lit up with surprise. Now that he could get a better look at Jin-woo, Jin-chul could notice the second heart that beat within Jin-woo’s chest as well as the multitude of shadows that followed him. Unlike Gun-hee, there was no link to a greater power, but instead, the incredible power was centered within Jin-woo himself. It also emitted a different aura than of other hunters.

“Chief Inspector,” Jin-woo greeted.

“Hunter Sung Jin-woo, it’s a pleasure,” Jin-chul nodded at the man in return. He was already a little unsure of how to act around the other hunter. While he hoped their relationship was more than professional at this point, he didn’t want to assume.

“Why don’t you join us,” Gun-hee gestured to the chair next to Jin-chul and Jin-woo sat down as Gun-hee returned to where he had been sitting.

“What did you want to discuss?” Jin-woo asked the Chairman, not wasting time with small talk. Jin-chul tried to ignore glancing towards Jin-woo too much and tried to focus on his tea or Gun-hee instead.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the upcoming International Guild Conference?” Gun-hee asked.

“Of course,” Jin-woo replied, confirming that no further explanation was needed.

“Excellent. This year, instead of the Hunters Guild, the Ahjin Guild has been invited to attend and represent South Korea,” Gun-hee explained. Jin-chul glanced over at Jin-woo to see the S-rank hunter was surprised. Jin-chul himself had expected such news considering how well known Jin-woo had become, not just in South Korea, but the entire world.

“Do they realize my guild has only the minimum number of hunters required to be recognized as a guild?” Jin-woo replied, skeptical.

“They’re well aware,” Gun-hee answered. “Your recent achievements are not escaping notice and even within South Korea, you’re easily our strongest S-rank hunter. It makes sense for them to invite you.”

“I see,” Jin-woo bit his lip in consideration, almost as if he wanted to refuse.

“The conference isn’t for a week, so you needn’t worry about ending your time with family early,” Gun-hee reassured Jin-woo. “You, more than anyone, deserve a break. And the conference itself won’t require nearly as much from you as an S-rank gate. There is nothing to worry about and establishing connections with other strong hunters would be good for you.”

“Understood,” Jin-woo replied, accepting the invitation.

“Once we have the details decided, I will let you know. You will probably also need to do a quick press conference before leaving, though I am sure you would rather not,” Gun-hee laughed, well acquainted with Jin-woo’s aversion to public attention.

“I can do that,” Jin-woo sighed, accepting his fate.

“Good, now that it’s decided I won’t keep you,” Gun-hee smiled. “You too, Jin-chul. We can speak more tomorrow when you return to the office.”

“Of course Chairman,” Jin-chul nodded in acknowledgment, and set down his tea, having finished it while Gun-hee and Jin-woo were talking.

“Have a good day Chairman Gun-hee,” Jin-woo stood and gave a slight bow to the Chairman before walking to the door.

“You as well Hunter Sung,” Gun-hee replied. Jin-chul also stood up as the other two exchanged words and joined Jin-woo at the door.

Jin-woo opened the door and gestured for Jin-chul to walk ahead of him. “After you, Chief Inspector.”

“Ah, yes,” Jin-chul hesitated before obliging Jin-woo’s offer. Behind him, Jin-woo followed and closed the door behind them. Jin-chul paused, unsure if he should say anything before Jin-woo’s gaze landed back on him.

“You’re joining me for dinner,” he spoke, voice unwavering. Jin-chul was about to turn him down even though he wanted to accept, but when he realized that Jin-woo wasn’t going to take no for an answer, he smiled.

“Did you have a place in mind?”

Chapter Text

Jin-chul was surprised to find where Jin-woo had in mind for dinner. The two had parted after talking at the Association office with Jin-woo giving him the address of the place he had chosen. Jin-chul had gone home and upon realizing the restaurant Jin-woo picked was a higher end establishment, he cleaned up his appearance and dressed more formally. Jin-woo didn't strike him as the kind of person to enjoy high dining often. Even with all of the money the man had earned as an S-rank hunter, he seemingly never spent any of it. Not that he was complaining considering the lack of less formal attire in his apartment closet.

Upon arriving at the fancy restaurant, a few people glanced his way, but due to his less glamorous position in the Association he wasn’t a well known public figure. The restaurant itself was situated on one of the higher floors of a skyscraper, one look out of the large windows to his left revealed the dazzling night view of Seoul below. The furniture within eyesight was all high-end, from the tables to the light fixtures. Even the walls were adorned with beautiful and striking embellishments. Within just a few moments, Jin-chul was greeted by a smartly dressed host.

“Welcome Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul,” he bowed. “Your companion for the evening is already here, I’ll direct you to where you will be dining.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul replied. The employee gestured for Jin-chul to follow him and the two made their way through the restaurant. The current number of customers was shockingly few. Before asking Jin-woo directly, Jin-chul could assume one of his reasons had been to avoid a lot of people. If this meant the time was carefully chosen to avoid a crowd or Jin-woo himself was the cause of fewer clientele, Jin-chul couldn’t tell.

To his surprise, instead of leading Jin-chul to one of the tables they passed by, the host escorted Jin-chul to the balcony door at the other end of the restaurant. He opened the door and they were met with the warm evening air. Jin-woo, dressed up as nice as Jin-chul, was leaning against the railing and looking over the menu he held in his hands. Upon hearing the door open, he looked up with a warm smile, the corners of his eyes creasing ever so slightly.

“I’ll return with some drinks, what would you both like?” the host asked. The professional he was, he kept his composure in the presence of two high level hunters.

“I’ll have a glass of the Prosecco Balan,” Jin-woo replied as he set the menu back on the table and sat down.

“Pinot Noir for me,” Jin-chul added.

“I’ll have that for you right away,” the host replied, bowing to the two hunters before leaving them on the balcony alone.

“I must admit, this seems out of character for you,” Jin-chul pointed out as he sat down across from Jin-woo.

Jin-woo regarded what he said for a moment before defending himself, “I suppose with all the money I have now it doesn’t hurt to have a nice dinner every now and then. Besides, the balcony provides decent privacy.”

“I suppose so. I can’t even imagine how much you make now, even with giving a large portion of your earnings from A-rank gate raids to the Knights Guild,” Jin-chul chuckled. He was well aware of the agreement between the two guilds, having heard about it personally from a subordinate.

“They do most of the work when it comes to handling the magic crystals,” Jin-woo explained. “And I don’t have much interest in the money myself.”

“True, I’ve never gotten the impression that it mattered to you beyond being able to provide for your family,” Jin-chul agreed. “Most S-rank hunters definitely spend more and indulge more in my experience.”

“What about you?” Jin-woo asked.

“I’m not sure I understand what you are asking?” Jin-chul replied.

“You’re clearly not interested in money either so why do you work all the time?” Jin-woo elaborated. “Any of the guilds would be more than happy to hire you and you would make a lot more than working for the Hunters Association.”

“I can’t argue with you there…” Jin-chul smiled. “Someone needs to help the Chairman handle all the S-rank hunters. I would never win in a fight against one, but I can be more intimidating than other A-rank and B-rank hunters and serve as a voice of reason. Besides, the Chairman is the closest thing I have to family, I could never leave him and work for someone else. More than that, it’s important work that suits me.”

Jin-woo fell silent for a moment, thinking over what Jin-chul had told him. His fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the table, “How long have you worked for the Hunters Association?”

“Mmmm, I think around 7 years now,” Jin-chul replied. “I awakened as a hunter not too terribly long after our world changed.” Before the conversation could continue, Jin-woo noticed the host walking in their direction inside the restaurant. The quick service should have been expected considering the quality of the dining experience and reviews that were posted online.

“Ah, we should probably decide on our orders quick,” he suggested. Their conversation came to a lull as both hunters perused the menu, deciding on the expensive meal they would order. The prices for everything on the menu were, of course, on the higher end. Neither hunter took too long since everything looked good. They quickly relayed the orders to the host when he stepped out on the balcony before once again being left to their own company.

After a moment of lingering silence, Jin-chul broke the silence, “I hope your family is faring well.”

“Yes, both my mother and Jin-ah are happy to have me back home. Jin-ah has also improved since the gate break at her school,” Jin-woo answered.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Jin-chul smiled.

“I don’t mean to pry, but you mentioned that the Chairman is the closest thing you have to family, what about your parents? Or any siblings?” Jin-woo asked. Arriving at the conclusion it was only fair because of what he knew about the other’s family, Jin-chul decided he didn’t mind.

He swirled the wine in his glass for a moment before replying, “My father left when I was young and I don’t have any siblings. My mother was an amazing woman and she did everything she could to provide but she passed in an early gate break...it was after that I resolved myself to do everything I could to help prevent other people from losing their loved ones. After I became a hunter, I immediately chose to work for the Hunters Association. While this means I deal with hunters instead of monsters, I felt it was the best way for me to contribute.” Thinking back on what happened, Jin-chul couldn’t help the sad smile that adorned his face for a brief moment. Considering how long it had been since then, he could keep his poise when talking about it, but that didn’t mean the grief never left.

“I-I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure your mother would be proud of what you have accomplished,” Jin-woo reassured him. His mouth transitioned from a slight frown to a kind smile.

Jin-chul could feel a slight tear or two begin to form before he pushed down the grief that resurfaced. From the day they met, he had empathized with Jin-woo when he found out about the man’s own mother. While it wasn’t public knowledge and they had kept the information from spreading, when the news that Jin-woo’s mother had left the hospital reached his desk, Jin-chul had been overjoyed. Instead of questioning how it happened, he was just happy for the miracle. Taking into account what he now knew, he concluded that Jin-woo had done something.

“How did the rest of your trip in Japan proceed?” Jin-chul asked, changing the topic.

His question was met with soft laughter, “It seemed terribly long. Since I let Jin-ho deal with more matters concerning the guild, I hadn’t realized exactly how long that stuff can take. And their insistence at giving us more of the magic crystals then we cared for caused it to take even longer.”

“I’m sure you were eager to get back,” Jin-chul said. “I’m glad you have Jin-ho to take care of negotiations. He’s quite good at it too.”

“Yes, I am quite blessed to have found such a good friend,” Jin-woo replied. “His birthday is soon and I’m not quite sure what would be a good gift I have to admit.”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to receive anything from you,” Jin-chul replied. “When you’re that close, as long as you put thought into it, most people would never complain.”

Jin-woo nodded in agreement, “That is true.”

“When did you two first meet?” Jin-chul asked.

“We both had joined the gate raid led by Hunter Hwang Dong-suk in order to meet the number required for the raid,” he explained. “Since we were the two outsiders, both of us were targeted by Hwang Dong-suk.”

“That makes sense,” Jin-chul agreed. “I was aware both of you were involved, but I wasn’t sure if you had met before then. Considering you and Jin-ho were E and D rank, I assumed you might have run into each other previously.”

Both had been so wrapped up in their conversation that Jin-chul almost jumped as the opening of the balcony door startled him. They thanked the waiter as their meals were carefully placed on the table. The exquisite aroma filled the air and Jin-chul realized just how hungry he had gotten.

“Can I get anything else for you gentlemen?” the waiter asked, respectfully standing by the table.

“I believe we’re good?” Jin-woo glanced questioningly towards Jin-chul who nodded in confirmation.

“Enjoy the meal,” the waiter dismissed himself and left through the balcony door.

The two ate in comfortable silence, making small talk here and there. Jin-chul was happy to let the harmonizing tastes linger on his tongue while enjoying the presence of Jin-woo. As delicious as the meal was, the man across from him was more distracting than he would ever admit.

A question continued to weigh on his mind, one that Jin-woo hadn’t asked him yet. So far, the other hunter hadn’t brought up Jin-chul being in Japan or the double dungeon once. After finishing up his meal within another few bites, he took a longer sip of his wine.

“I’m surprised, you haven’t asked me about it yet,” Jin-chul admitted as Jin-woo’s attention turned from his meal to Jin-chul.

He swallowed the bite he was eating and spoke, “I don’t want to rush you. I certainly want to ask, but I leave bringing it up to you. The two people who could have explained kept their replies to my question vague.”

“Ah-well,” Jin-chul cleared his throat. “I don’t mind explaining…I was hoping you could clear some things for me as well?”

“Of course,” Jin-woo answered, taking another bite, close to finishing his dinner as well.

“Hmmm…I guess you could say, like yourself, I have found myself not reawakened but with a new power. I can increase the power of other hunters, that’s why I went to Japan,” Jin-chul began to explain.

Jin-woo glanced over in surprise before pushing his empty plate slightly to the side, “I see. So you increased Yuri’s power.” The S-rank hunter nodded to himself as if he had just confirmed a theory. He rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together to rest his chin on, directing his full attention to Jin-chul.

“I did,” Jin-chul confirmed. “I also received the power by someone who referred to you as the chosen of Ashborn and claimed to owe a debt to Ashborn. But that’s unfortunately all I was told…I can also see the power you hold is different from all the other hunters.”

“Could Ashborn be…the shadow monarch?” Jin-woo thought aloud.

“The shadow monarch?” Jin-chul prompted Jin-woo to continue.

Running a hand through his hair, he thought for a moment before speaking, “Inside the S-rank gate in Japan…I ran into a Monarch, specifically, Legia, Monarch of the Beginning. When he began to talk to me, he addressed me as if I were also a Monarch before realizing I wasn’t who he was thinking. The way he spoke about it confirmed that the Shadow Monarch is where my power comes from.”

“So whoever gave me power owed a debt to the Shadow Monarch?” Jin-chul mused.

“Yes, and there is more than that. Our world is basically just being prepared to be a war zone for the Rulers and the Monarchs to fight. That’s the purpose of the gates, the destruction they wreck in turn for the power hunters have,” Jin-woo explained. “So frankly, neither sound great, but the Monarchs seem to want to kill all of humanity.”

“These rulers…do you know what they look like?” Jin-chul asked, wanting to confirm a suspicion he had.

“They look angelic,” Jin-woo replied.

Jin-chul nodded in confirmation, “The power I was given must be from a Ruler then. Again, I wasn’t told much, but I did get to see how they died. Or, I guess whoever gave me this power might have been in charge of the Rulers…”

“It’s important we find out more as soon as we can…I fear the coming threat will be too strong,” Jin-woo sighed, staring down at the table. His posture shifted and he placed a hand on the table while continuing to rest his chin on the other. In a moment, not of rational thought but purely fueled by feelings, Jin-chul reached out and placed his hand on Jin-woo’s. Jin-woo glanced up and they made eye contact.

“You won’t have to face this all alone,” Jin-chul reassured him with a soft smile. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you. I promise you I’ll provide you with allies that can watch your back in the coming days.” For a moment, Jin-woo was stunned. He glanced from Jin-chul’s hand, back to his face. He opened his mouth for a moment, about to speak, before closing it. The hesitation caused Jin-chul to worry if he was too bold.

“Thank you,” Jin-woo finally replied, returning the smile. “I know I can count on you. You, more than anyone, have always been dependable.”

“Hah, I mean, I think I have caused more trouble for you as of late than anything else,” Jin-chul laughed.

“I can’t completely deny that,” Jin-woo’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a soft chuckle. “I think I’ve aged ten years in the past two weeks. But…Japan’s casualties were kept to zero because you flew to Tokyo without a second thought.”

“Oh, I’m the last person responsible for that-” Jin-chul attempted to deny.

“You’re too humble for your own good,” Jin-woo shook his head. “You realize you’re the strongest A-rank in the country right?”

“That kind of thing is hard to judge,” Jin-chul continued to deny the compliments.

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree then,” Jin-woo replied. Jin-chul realized that his hand was still placed on Jin-woo’s and awkwardly pulled away from the other man before clearing his throat. Contrasting the comfortable silence from when they were eating, now they were met with an uncomfortable air. Neither was sure of how to continue the conversation.

“I suppose it has gotten late and I sure don’t want to keep you from your family for longer than necessary,” Jin-chul straightened his tie and stood up from the table.

“Yes, since we’re done eating it would be okay to call it a night,” Jin-woo agreed. For as much as the two hunters had grown closer, there was still so little they knew about each other and neither was sure how to bridge the abyss between them.

Before Jin-chul could fill the silence Jin-woo spoke up again, “I’ve already given what they need to cover the bill.”

“I can cover my half-”

“No need,” Jin-woo shook his head. “I was the one who asked you to join me, it’s only right that I pay for it.”

“If you insist…”

“I do,” Jin-woo confirmed.

Jin-chul laughed, “I’ll concede you have won this battle then, but you must let me pay next time.”

“Next time?” Jin-woo raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, it’s only right to treat you to dinner after you have saved my life twice,” Jin-chul pointed out. He wasn’t about to admit, to himself or anyone else, that he might have another reason for such a proposal.

“I’ll hold you to that then,” Jin-woo nodded. He briefly turned away from Jin-chul before glancing back. “Do you mind if I…teleport back? I didn’t drive here and had ridden Kaisel.” The S-rank hunter seemed almost embarrassed.

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Jin-chul laughed as Jin-woo’s face turned a more reddish shade. Now aware that the shadows, or at least some of them, had names, Jin-chul made a note to himself to keep track. He immediately assumed that Kaisel had to be the dragon shadow. “I can also give you a ride home, either works for me.”

Jin-woo waved his hand in dismissal, “I would hate to impose and make you go out of your way.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m more than happy to,” Jin-chul reassured. He doubted that Jin-woo would accept but he figured it didn’t hurt to offer.

“Alright, I’ve been told that teleporting home can be a little startling,” Jin-woo admitted.

Jin-chul let out another soft laugh, “I’m sure it can be.” Any tension that had been in the air briefly after they finished their earlier conversation had vanished. All things considered, the dinner had gone quite well, even with both men not having ever been the most social.

—--

Jin-woo slept past ten in the morning for the first time in months. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while stretching out with his other arm. After a long yawn, he reached for the edge of the bed. He drug himself to the side and lazily dropped his feet to the floor. The bright light of mid-morning shone through the half-closed blinds of his window. Using his hands to shield his eyes, he continued to wake up and come to his senses.

He glanced over to where he had dropped his phone on the floor last night as he crawled into bed, exhausted. Thanks to the case and the height it was dropped, no harm was done. Jin-woo unlocked it and squinted at the screen. He had a missed call and a text message from Jin-ho but nothing from Jin-chul. For a brief minute, he fret over the possibility that last night’s dinner hadn’t gone as well as he thought. Ignoring his anxiety, he quickly opened the text from his friend.

-I know you’re probably taking today off too…but just in case…-
-I won’t be available if you need me, there was a family emergency.-

Jin-woo’s panic spiked for a brief moment before he bit his lip and forced himself to calm down. Worrying wouldn’t benefit him or Jin-ho at the moment. He abruptly pulled on some clean clothes as well as a pair of shoes he had in his closet. Whatever it was, Jin-woo wanted to be there to help if possible. He used Share Senses on the soldier within Jin-ho’s shadow. He wasn’t prepared to see Jin-ho in the hospital, gazing upon the all too familiar sight of a family member affected by Eternal Slumber. Jin-ho, like Jin-woo in the past, was clearly distraught. Jin-woo couldn’t stand to see his friend in such sorrow.

While he understood his supply of Holy Water of Life was very limited, he immediately decided to use one to cure Jin-ho’s father. Hoping to be more discreet, he made himself wait until Jin-ho began to leave. Before teleporting with Shadow Exchange, he used his stealth skill. As Jin-ho, along with a friend of his father’s left, Jin-woo teleported in unseen.

Once they were further down the hall and turning around the corner, out of sight, Jin-woo entered the room Jin-ho’s father was in. He was plagued by bad memories from when his mother first entered Final Slumber. It was a cruel fate and one he wished he could banish from the world. At the very least, with his limited resources, he would save Chairman Yoo Myung-han.

Jin-woo gently removed the respirator mask from Myung-han’s face before opening the bottle of Holy Water of Life he had summoned from his inventory. He tipped back the Chairman’s head and administered the cure. Once done, Jin-woo returned the empty bottle to his inventory and left the room, still using his stealth skill. Having already seen it work, he had no doubts that the Myung-han would recover soon enough. There was no reason for him to linger any longer.

He wandered down the hospital room halls as he figured out which direction to go to leave. He hoped one day the cooldown on Shadow Exchange wouldn’t be so unreasonable. Two hours was much too long for Jin-woo’s comfort.

Once he was out of the hospital and no one was directly looking anywhere near him, Jin-woo undid his stealth skill. Near the hospital entrance, he noticed Yoo Jin-hee was entering. Content that Jin-ho would find out in no time because of his older sister, Jin-woo decided to give the family space. Jin-ho might realize later that he was responsible, but Jin-woo didn’t want anyone aside him or his close family to find out.

Now able to relax, Jin-woo tried to decide on what to spend the rest of his morning on before remembering he once again just teleported from his room. It would be much quicker for him to just walk home or ride Kaisel than wait for when he could teleport again. Jin-woo decided to take things slow and just walk back. While he would rather avoid any contact with other people, he also understood that most wouldn’t directly bother him. Pausing at a nearby cafe, he grabbed a latte before continuing on his way. The nice weather alone warranted the walk.

Many did glance his way during the walk and others brought out their phones, presumably to take pictures but Jin-woo ignored them. He had begun to accept that such visibility was a price to pay for the power he had acquired.

The hospital wasn’t an unreasonable distance from where he lived with his family and because of his own strength and height, the walk only took forty-five minutes. Upon unlocking the door and stepping inside he found both his sister and mom watching a drama on the TV.

“That’s not the door to your bedroom,” Jin-ah teased, her complexion had improved since the day before.

“I stepped out to help a friend,” Jin-woo scowled.

“Are you sure stepped out is the right phrase?” she pestered. “We do have a front door.”

Before Jin-woo could object further, his mother spoke up, “Why don’t you join us, we can watch something all three of us will enjoy.” The show his family were watching seemed to be a romantic drama at a glance. Jin-woo didn’t even mind watching it even if it wasn’t his favorite thing ever, as long as he got to spend time with them.

“Give me just a moment, I’m going to put my jacket in my room,” he replied.

His mother nodded and Jin-ah called after him, “Don’t keep us waiting!” Jin-woo smiled in fondness as he opened his bedroom door. Not wanting to just fling the jacket on his bed, he turned to his closet and hung it back up. Before going back to the living room, he looked at his phone to find there was still nothing from Jin-chul. Jin-woo frowned and sat down on the edge of his bed. He assured himself he would just use it briefly to check in on the other man as he activated Share Senses to check on Jin-chul.

For a moment, he was confused regarding where Jin-chul was because of the slight steam. The realization dawned on him and he got a full view of Jin-chul leaning against the bathroom counter only wearing a towel around his waist. Before he could fully react, Jin-woo’s eyes were drawn to the sculptured muscles of Jin-chul’s upper body. His eyes dwelled on Jin-chul’s collarbones before travelling down and as his gaze drew near to where the towel was he came to his senses and released Share Senses.

Jin-woo felt the heat rise to his face and he buried his face in his hands for a moment. The slight rise in heartbeat worked to break through his denial. The more rational part of his mind attempted to shove down any rising feelings.

“Shit…” he muttered, dragging his hands down his face. Jin-woo could no longer deny what he had begun to feel but it didn’t help him understand how to handle it any better.

A thankful reprise from his own inner turmoil arrived in the vibration of his phone. He quickly picked it up to see an incoming call from Jin-ho.

Before Jin-woo could get in a word he was greeted by Jin-ho’s happy crying, “I don’t know how you did it but I don’t know how I can ever repay you Hyung-nim,” Jin-ho managed to get a sentence out through the sobs.

“You don’t need to repay me,” Jin-woo comforted his friend. “I’m more than happy to help you and your family.”

“Hyung-nim!!!” Jin-ho sobbed as he somewhat composed himself. “Sorry for the crying, today’s been a lot.”

“You’re good,” Jin-woo reassured. “And please don’t feel the need to repay me, just consider it a birthday present.”

“This is too much,” Jin-ho objected. “This would cover every birthday for the rest of my life!” Jin-woo smiled as there was a pause on the other end of the line. “Oh, my sister is calling-”

“Spend time with your family, we can talk later,” Jin-woo replied.

“Thank you Hyung-nim, thank you so much,” Jin-ho added. “I’ll call you tomorrow!” With his final promise, Jin-ho hung up the call.

“Brother, are you coming back?” Jin-ah shouted from the living room.

“Be right there” he shouted back before standing up and walking back out the door.

—--

“Good Morning Chairman,” Jin-chul adjusted his tie with one hand while holding his phone in the other. His foot was on the chair in front of him, untied shoelaces ready for when his tie was satisfactory.

“Good Morning, I’m surprised you aren’t in the office yet. Slow morning?” Gun-hee asked, amused.

“Actually, I was going to ask you if I could attend to something else this morning instead of coming into the Headquarters,” Jin-chul explained as he awkwardly attempted to tie his shoe with one hand. After just two seconds, he gave up and changed his phone to speaker, placing it on the table right next to him.

“Well that’s a surprise. Continue,” Gun-hee prompted.

“Ah yes…I was wondering if one of the larger guilds is doing an A-rank gate raid this morning and if I could join. I would like to check something,” Jin-chul explained.

“I assume this is related to our conversation yesterday?” Gun-hee assumed.

Jin-chul confirmed, “Yes. I want to see if there are ways to restore my mana faster aside from just waiting for it to come back over time.”

“Hmmm… Looks like the easiest gate raid to join would be one the White Tiger Guild is doing this morning,” Gun-hee paused for a moment and Jin-chul heard the sound of paper being moved. “I can text you the details and let the Associate employees at the gate know you are on your way.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul replied as he placed his other foot on the chair and tied the second shoe. “I’ll be at the office after lunch.”

“Don’t worry too much about it, things are well handled here so take your time,” Gun-hee assured him. “Let me know if you find anything interesting.”

“Of course, I’ll talk to you later,” Jin-chul replied.

“Yes, good luck on the raid,” Gun-hee and Jin-chul exchanged farewells before the call ended. Jin-chul reached over to where he had hung his blazer on the back of another chair and pulled it on. He checked the contents of the case on the table, making sure all of his armor was present. After confirming, he closed the case and shoved his phone in his pocket before walking over to the apartment front door. Jin-chul grabbed his keys from the nearby kitchen counter and stepped out.

—--

“You’re not joining the raid as a member of the Surveillance Team?” Baek Yoon-ho questioned, his eyebrows pinched together in confusion. The towering guild leader usually gave off a more aggressive air but more than anything, his curiosity was winning at the moment. Unlike Jong-in, the guilder leader’s strength was not in concealing his emotions and he tended to be easier to read.

“Yes, I want to join your raid as just a hunter,” Jin-chul clarified. “I don’t ask for any kind of payment, I just would like to take part in the raid.”

Yoon-ho let out a light sigh, “I’m not sure why you want that…but there’s no way I could turn down your offer considering I would love for you to join the actual guild, even if I know you won’t be.” The man’s cat-like eyes narrowed as he observed Jin-chul.

“I appreciate your flexibility in this matter,” Jin-chul gave a slight bow.

“You…” Yoon-ho leaned in closer as he regarded the A-rank hunter. “You’re stronger than before.” Many could dismiss the White Tiger Guild Master as someone with more brawn than brains but any who actually knew him were aware of his remarkable observational skills. Jin-chul had heard the other rushed to the Association when hearing Jin-woo’s was having his rank reassessed.

“Yes,” Jin-chul confirmed, aware that lying would be useless.

“Hmph,” the large man leaned back away and gestured to the gate. “We’ll be beginning the raid in a few minutes, you arrived just in time.” Yoon-ho’s mouth stretched into a wide grin and Jin-chul had a slight suspicion part of it might be due to knowing something before Jong-in. Over the years, the slight rivalry between the two was easy to notice.

Jin-chul nodded, “I’ll put my armor on quick then join everyone else.” Yoon-ho looked over Jin-chul one last time before nodding. He turned back to his guild members and stepped away. Jin-chul walked over to where members of the White Tiger Guild had left some of their things. He placed his case down and began putting on the pieces of his armor. The motions were so familiar to him that it only took him a few minutes and as he finished, he could sense the hunters all moving closer to the gate.

Jin-chul closed the case for his armor and walked over to join them. He recognized most members among the ranks because of his position. Even more so, he knew their ranks without using his own new insight to judge better. Yoon-ho briefly addressed his guild before they began to enter the gate, the S-ranker taking the lead. If it was his usual job as observing a guild’s raid, Jin-chul would have lingered more towards the back of the group, but since he fully intended on fighting as much as he could, he stayed near the front of the raid party instead.

Upon entering the gate, the insidious tunnels that stretched from the entrance ended in darkness. Slowly, red eyes began to shine through the darkness and an orc charged the group. In an instant, Yoon-ho’s power surged and the guild master’s hair and eyes transformed as he tore into the orc with his claws. As he tore out the orc’s throat, other members of the guild surged forward to fight the other orcs that poured from the tunnels. Their experience working together was very apparent as the members of the guild fought the incoming threats.

Jin-chul paid attention to where he could fit in within the battle and he soon found himself fighting up front along with Yoon-ho. Assisting Yoon-ho were other A-rank hunters and with Jin-chul’s help the raid progressed smoothly.

Admittedly, Jin-chul had more experience fighting other hunters. He sparred with other A-ranks often and even Gun-hee in order to polish his skills and to prevent his abilities from stagnating. Since he was less involved in actual raids, this meant he more often dealt with hunters as opposed to monsters. Thankfully, after the first few, he fell into a more comfortable rhythm as he picked up on the obvious tells the monsters had before they attacked. Jin-chul also watched the other hunters fighting with him to pick up on what weak spots they targeted.

“Not too shabby for someone who never fights in gates,” Jin-chul turned to the right upon hearing Yooh-ho land next to him and address him. The S-rank hunter radiated power and the man’s physique backed up the overwhelming confidence.

“If I don’t keep up, how would I ever handle you S-rankers,” Jin-chul joked.

Yoon-ho laughed, “True enough. All the guilds want you for a reason after all. Not that we begrudge you for staying with the Hunters Association.”

“That’s good considering I would never leave,” Jin-chul mused. Around them, the other guild members continued to fight.

As the monsters continued dying from their efforts, Jin-chul finally picked up on a change. Even if he didn’t kill a monster himself, he could feel mana pour into him from the corpses. With a harsh crunch, the orc in front of him fell backwards, the face bashed in from his own fist. Jin-chul took a moment to observe what only he could see. The mana from the monster, visible to his eyes, swirled up from the body before entering Jin-chul’s own.

Yoon-ho, about to rejoin the fray, paused to examine Jin-chul again before slicing into a nearby high orc. Having loitered by Jin-chul for long enough, the guild master made up for the lost time with his ferocious assault on the high orcs, helpless before the S-rank hunter.

Realizing he was still just watching, Jin-chul chastised himself and rejoined a nearby A-rank tanker and sent a powerful punch into the high orc’s flesh. The already injured orc died at the harsh blow and they quickly moved onto the next enemy.

The rest of their gate raid went well and the gate boss wasn’t a problem. Jin-chul lingered near the back of the group while they exited, deep in his own thoughts. His mana hadn’t been fully restored to what it was when he had first woken up after the double dungeon but it was certainly an increase from when he had drained it boosting Yuri’s power.

“Well…that’s interesting,” Jin-chul turned to see Yoon-ho was walking next to him, equally deep in thought. “Like Hunter Sung Jin-woo you seem to have come across something interesting. I heard that you both ended up in a double dungeon from the Hunters Guild. I assume that experience changed you both?”

Jin-chul nodded, “I’m not surprised you heard about that.” He glanced up ahead and away from Yoon-ho to notice that everyone else was out of earshot. Jin-chul thought through the options in his head. While his plan had been to prioritize strengthening the National Rank Hunters more than anyone else, he was more familiar with the Korean S-rank hunters and trusted them.

“Hunter Baek Yoon-ho, I have a proposition for you,” Jin-chul began to explain. “But it would be best to have it as a private conversation.” Yoon-ho’s eyebrows lifted as the man’s curiosity peaked. He looked past Jin-chul towards where his guild had reached the gate.

“Go on ahead, the Chief Inspector and I will join the rest of you shortly,” he shouted. A few guild members shot them inquisitive looks but most just continued through the gate. Once they were alone, the S-rank turned back to Jin-chul, waiting. They had made good time on their way back to the entrance of the gate and there was still plenty of time before the gate would collapse.

“Hold out your hand. Palm facing up,” Jin-chul instructed, not bothering to explain. He was well aware that Yoon-ho probably would believe him but he figured it would be easier to just let the other man experience it. He also was a little tired of explaining it.

“An odd request,” Yoon-ho mused but held out his large hand anyway. Jin-chul placed his hands to either side of the empty space above Yoon-ho’s palm. Like with the two times he had done it before, Jin-chul reached in and pulled out the power that lay within Yoon-ho. Unlike Jin-ho or Yuri, the S-rank hunter’s power was more volatile, wilder. It raged with a certain ferocity and as Jin-chul added to it, he felt like he was feeding a hungry beast. He didn’t let his mana drain completely but he didn’t hold back either. Before travelling to America, he would be sure to take part in another gate raid.

Jin-chul cut the link and took a step back, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow when he noticed the piece of hair that usually refused to get smoothed back with the rest was longer and white. His armor also caught his notice out of the corner of his eye. It had changed in color and brilliance. Too distracted by his own changes, Yoon-ho speaking up startled him.

“I can’t say I’ve seen anything like this,” the S-rank hunter’s eyes glanced between Jin-chul and himself, nothing escaping his notice. “You seem surprised?”

“Ah yes…” Jin-chul cleared his throat as he noticed his appearance began to return to normal. “It was a little different than last time I did it.” He turned his attention inward and could feel the foreign power felt more like his own now. There was a familiarity that hadn’t existed before.

“I assume you want me to keep this quiet?” Yoon-ho asked. “I don’t think anyone else will be able to notice the change in my strength. Well, I suppose anyone else aside from you and Hunter Sung Jin-woo.”

“I would appreciate it,” Jin-chul nodded.

“Feel free to join my guild on any raids in the future,” Yoon-ho offered. “And thank you for this gift, I will make sure to use it well.”

“Of course, all I ask is that you support Hunter Sung Jin-woo as much as possible,” Jin-chul replied. “With the increase in gates, we fear darker days are to come.”

Yoon-ho nodded, “I will admit, it’s set me on edge. There are some days I would rather not have the heightened senses that I possess.”

“I will count on you in the coming days,” Jin-chul offered a slight bow.

“I will do my best,” Yoon-ho promised, nodding in return. “We’ve probably kept my guild waiting long enough. If you need me for anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul replied, ending the conversation.

Jin-chul and Yoon-ho stepped through the gate. Having been the last ones to exit, neither had to worry about the other raid members. Their conversation, albeit short, had been long enough for some of the hunters to have already changed out of their armor. Yoon-ho gave Jin-chul a slight nod and left to talk with his guild mates.

Jin-chul walked back to where he had left his case and started to take off his own armor. He sighed in relief when he could see it was all how he expected. He could remember a mention of his appearance changing when using his power, but he much preferred to not draw attention unless necessary. He turned and glanced over his shoulder as he heard footsteps approaching.

One of the A-ranks addressed him, “Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul, there is someone here for you.”

His brow furrowed, “Who?”

“Ah, uh…” the A-rank hunter looked towards where everyone involved had parked nearby. Jin-chul looked in the same direction to notice a familiar hunter leaning against his car.

“Hunter Sung Jin-woo seems to be waiting for you,” the A-rank hunter voiced their own opinion.

“It does seem to be that way, thank you,” Jin-chul replied. The A-rank hunter nodded and dismissed themself. Jin-chul closed the case with his armor before picking it up and walking towards his car. The corner of Jin-woo’s mouth tugged up slightly as he noticed Jin-chul approaching.

“Did the Chairman tell you where to find me?” Jin-chul asked as he opened the trunk to put his armor in the car. Jin-woo opened his mouth to reply but hesitated a moment before recovering.

“Yes, he did,” Jin-woo replied, almost as if he were unsure in his answer. Jin-chul was used to the other man dodging questions but he was surprised to find that the S-rank hunter wasn’t good at lying.

“I can see why you tend to just not answer instead of lie,” Jin-chul remarked, his own expression smug. Jin-woo pouted and opened the passenger side door now that the car was unlocked. Both of them entered the car and before Jin-chul put the key in the ignition he turned towards Jin-woo.

“Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but why are you here?” Jin-chul asked. He hadn’t expected to hear from the other hunter again so soon.

“I was hoping you could join me for lunch,” Jin-woo replied.

“Alright, where are we eating?” Jin-chul smiled.

“Ah, I can give you directions,” he explained instead of giving Jin-chul a direct answer.

Jin-chul laughed, “I see we’re keeping the destination a surprise then.”

—--

“This is the apartment building where you live…” Jin-chul raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer and Jin-woo exited the car to join him. He had begun to recognize where they were going as Jin-woo gave him directions but instead assumed they would just be eating close to where the S-rank hunter lived.

“Yes?” Jin-woo replied, as if confused to why Jin-chul would be surprised.

“Are we eating at your place by any chance?” Jin-chul asked. Like with Jin-woo’s sudden appearance and offer for lunch, he didn’t dislike it, he just wasn’t expecting it.

Jin-woo smiled, “I figured it might have been a while since you had a home cooked meal made by someone else. And my mother is an excellent cook.” Jin-chul returned the smile and boasted.

“I wasn’t expecting you to act on that. I suppose that’s what I get for sharing personal information,” Jin-chul mused.

“Both you and the Chairman never leave the office so I doubt you have had a home cooked meal together,” Jin-woo added.

“Guilty as charged,” Jin-chul admitted.

“Let’s not keep them waiting,” Jin-woo ushered Jin-chul inside before the man had a chance to protest or come up with some kind of excuse.

As he was dragged towards the elevator door Jin-chul did attempt to speak up, “I really would hate to intrude-”

“If anything, my mother will be happy to have another person to eat with us,” Jin-woo reassured him. “

Jin-chul threw his hands in the air and laughed, “Alright, I surrender. You’ve convinced me. I can’t even win a fight against an S-rank.”

“Good,” Jin-woo pushed the up button to the side of the elevator. Someone must have just taken it to the ground floor because they didn’t have to wait and the doors slid open with a ding immediately. Jin-chul joined Jin-woo in the elevator and leaned against the wall while Jin-woo pushed the button for the floor.

“How was the gate raid?” Jin-woo asked.

“It was good. Apparently dead monsters quickly refill my mana,” Jin-chul explained. “I’ll probably try to take part in another tomorrow.”

“If you secure a gate, I can accompany you,” Jin-woo offered within a heartbeat. “My shadow soldiers are quite efficient. We could do a few gates before evening.”

Jin-chul smiled, “Thank you, that sounds good to me.”

“It’s decided then,” Jin-woo nodded as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened with a ding. Jin-woo gestured for Jin-chul to step out first and the two hunters exited the elevator. Jin-chul followed as Jin-woo walked down the hallway to the right.

“If there is any mess in the apartment, you can blame it on my sister,” Jin-woo laughed. “Considering mom is back home now though, I doubt there is any.”

“Don’t worry, the least I can do is not judge the state of your apartment,” Jin-chul smirked. Jin-woo came to a stop in front of a nearby apartment.

Jin-chul lingered behind Jin-woo as the S-rank hunter opened the apartment door and announced his arrival, “Mom, Jin-ah, I’m home.”

A woman poked her head around the corner from where Jin-chul could assume the kitchen was, “Welcome home my son. Would you like to introduce us to your guest?”

“Brother, I’m surprised you’ve managed to have not just one, but two friends,” Jin-ah walked over, eager to tease her brother. She leaned to the side to look at Jin-chul past Jin-woo, “He’s not really the most social, is he?”

“Ah, I suppose-”

Jin-woo cleared his throat before Jin-chul could respond to Jin-ah and addressed his family, “This is Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul of the Korean Hunters Assocciation’s Surveillance Team.” Jin-chul stepped up to stand in front of Jin-ah and Jin-woo’s mother, Kyung-hye.

He gave the two a polite bow, “It is a pleasure to meet you both.” Kyung-hye gently took Jin-chul’s hand in her own.

“Thank you for helping my son,” she greeted him.

Jin-chul returned the greeting, “Don’t worry, your son has done plenty to help me as well, so it’s only natural I do the same.”

“I’m still relieved to know there is someone so reliable watching out for him,” she smiled. “I can imagine you both are hungry so I’ll finish up lunch. Feel free to make yourself comfortable Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul.” Kyung-hye left the rest to return to the kitchen.

“Oh! I’ve seen you before,” Jin-ah exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with recognition. “You came to see Jin-woo after the double dungeon way back.”

Jin-chul nodded, “I did, I’m surprised you remember that.” He could recall having seen Jin-ah that day but hadn’t been expecting for her to recognize him in return. Compared to some hunters, Jin-chul had always considered his appearance to not stand out as much.

“How do you know Jin-woo? Beyond just through work I mean?” she asked.

“You’ve answered your own question,” Jin-woo replied. “I simply continued to cross paths with the Chief Inspector after the double dungeon.” Jin-chul would have answered that the two were acquaintances but after what Jin-woo said, he wasn’t sure if he should frame their relationship more intimately.

“Hmph! That’s less than what you said about Jin-ho even,” she complained.

Jin-chul raised an eyebrow, “What did he say about Jin-ho?”

“He even admitted they were friends,” Jin-ah answered. “And you have never brought him over for lunch so clearly you’re close with Chief Inspector Woo. Geez, getting information from you is sometimes like pulling teeth.”

“That’s enough out of you, maybe you should help mom finish lunch,” Jin-woo spun his sister around and gently pushed her towards the kitchen. She turned over his shoulder with a pout before walking into the kitchen.

“Sorry about her, she can be a little nosy,” Jin-woo apologized which only resulted in a soft laugh from his guest.

“I must say, you have a nice family,” Jin-chul replied. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course,” Jin-woo nodded.

Jin-ah’s head appeared from around the corner, “Lunch is ready!” Jin-woo scowled as he realized she hadn’t even had the chance to help their mother finish preparing lunch.

—--

As the sound of the drama that his mother and sister were watching filled the background, Jin-woo’s thoughts drifted to matters off screen. Lunch had gone well but yet he was nervous. When he was an E-rank hunter he hadn’t given any thought towards love. Back then he kept getting hurt so often that he loathed the idea of putting anyone in the position of having to grieve a dead boyfriend. He also didn’t have the time for love back then.

Things were different since he became stronger but he still felt the need to hold back. There was still so much danger around every corner and the future was bathed in uncertainty. He didn’t have any more free time compared to before either.

At least with just inviting Jin-chul to lunch the other man could interpret it however he wanted without Jin-woo having to put himself out there. If Jin-chul came to the conclusion their relationship was to be platonic instead of romantic, Jin-woo had resolved to never say more. The conversation at lunch had kept to more casual topics of conversation. Jin-ah had also surprisingly not pushed for more information like he assumed she would.

“That actor looks like you,” Jin-ah jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Jin-woo shot her a fake glare before finally focusing back on the TV screen. He could see the slight resemblance but came to the conclusion that Jin-ah had just wanted to get his attention.

“A little,” he relented.

She grinned back at him, “You’re deep in thought. Do you even know what’s happened in the show for the past half hour?”

Jin-woo racked his brain, trying to remember even just the plot, “This is…a historical drama?”

“Well duh, that much is obvious,” Jin-ah smirked.

“Don’t tease him too much Jin-ah,” Kyung-hye laughed at her children’s antics.

“Teasing is the only way to get any information out of him!” Jin-ah protested. For a moment her expression grew more serious, “You’re allowed to chase after what you want you know..”

“What…?” Jin-woo blinked at her, confused.

“You spent so much time just doing everything you did for mom and I…you are allowed to do things for yourself,” Jin-ah pointed out.

“She’s right dear,” his mother added. “Please think of yourself now and then.”

Jin-woo stood up from the couch, “I’m not sure where this conversation is headed, but I am going to excuse myself.” He heard Jin-ah call after him but he quickly closed his bedroom door before collapsing on the bed. The drama wasn’t helping to distract his thoughts so he might as well go to bed early.

Chapter Text

Jin-chul woke up to his phone ringing on his bedside table. It was a number he didn’t recognize but he realized the area code was American and concluded that Michael Connor must be calling him back.

He answered the phone to be greeted by the man in English, “Good Morning Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul. Would now be a good time to talk?”

Jin-chul threw the covers off of himself and shoved his feet into a pair of nearby slippers, “Yes, I am available. Thank you for calling me back Deputy Director.”

“I’ve spoken with a colleague of mine and she and I both agreed it would be good for you two to meet,” he explained. “Of course, we also realize that the International Guild Conference will be in five days and there is a chance you will be involved. Would you be able to fly out tomorrow to DC?”

“Tomorrow morning?” Jin-chul paused. “Can I call you back in an hour after I speak with the South Korea Hunter Association's Chairman?”

“Of course, I do realize it is quite short notice and you have other obligations,” Michael agreed. “It is evening over here in America but I will be available to answer the phone for a few hours yet.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul replied. “I will get back to you soon with an answer.”

“Sounds good, I will talk to you later Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul,” Michael said. The two ended the business call and Jin-chul resigned himself to getting ready for work instead of lingering in bed for longer. He had enjoyed the past two days more than he would ever confess to, especially the opportunity to stay in bed longer in the morning.

The Chief Inspector hurried through his morning routine, his hair a tad bit too untidy for his liking but more important things were at the forefront of his mind. He was grateful for the progress that had been made on meeting the American National Rank hunters even if the reprieve from anything more stressful would now be short-lived.

The drive to the Association headquarters was uneventful, and as soon as he started walking through the building he was met with many greetings. Jin-chul returned them as he made his way to Gun-hee’s office. A quick knock on the door and he let himself in, the recent reprimand of not having to wait for permission fresh in his mind.

“Good Morning Jin-chul,” Gun-hee greeted, a steaming cup of coffee in his right hand and the day’s newspaper in his left. The older man glanced up from the article he had been reading to give his mentee a warm smile.

“Greetings Chairman,” Jin-chul bowed before sitting down across Gun-hee at the large desk.

“Are you returning to the office today?” he asked. “I won’t stop you, but do know that if you need another day or two off, I will allow it. You will be needed to escort the Ahjin guild when they go to the International Guild Conference.”

“Escort?”

“Technically your role accompanying them is of a bodyguard,” Gun-hee smirked as he set the newspaper to the side and took a sip of his coffee.

Jin-chul let out a short chuckle, “You’re not serious are you?”

“Only partially,” Gun-hee laughed. “Believe me, I am amused by it as you are. It’s regulation, so no need to give it much thought, just know you will be going with them to America. They will also need someone fluent in English, so it works out well.”

“About that, I was going to ask you if it’s okay if I leave for America tomorrow morning instead?” Jin-chul asked.

“Hmmm, is this regarding recent developments?”

“Yes…I had reached out to the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters,” Jin-chul explained. “I want to increase the power of all the National Rank hunters.”

Gun-hee nodded in thought for a moment, “I see. I do have my reservations, but it’s probably the best course of action considering the increase in gates. After what happened with Goto Ryuji and Matsumoto Shigeo’s schemes, you could say I don’t have as much trust in other countries…but I trust your judgment.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised, I thought you would be more against it,” Jin-chul paused before admitting. He breathed a sigh of relief once he realized there was no ensuing lecture.

“You’ve grown since I hired you,” Gun-hee stroked his beard. “You’re a great leader and you understand the politics of the hunter world well. You and Hunter Sung Jin-woo are also the two individuals who have the best chance at beating the coming threats we are to face. If you believe that strengthening the National Rank hunters is necessary, I won’t question you.” Jin-chul scratched the side of his neck and looked away, he was never the most comfortable with compliments.

“Thank you…” Jin-chul whispered before clearing his throat. “I’ll update you on how it goes. It also seems that the death of monsters does in fact restore the mana I use.”

Gun-hee nodded, “That’s good to know.”

“With your permission, would I be able to just work before noon and join Hunter Sung Jin-woo for gate raids this afternoon?” Jin-chul asked.

“You’re more than welcome to,” Gun-hee smiled. “And don’t push yourself too hard this morning, it’s not necessary.”

“Thank you Chairman,” Jin-chul stood up and bowed. “I won’t disappoint you.”

Shaking his head, Gun-hee replied, “You never do, my boy.”

—--

Jin-woo was helping his mother wash dishes after they had finished eating breakfast.

“Any plans for today?” Kyung-hye asked him as he dried the next plate she handed to him.

“I’ll be doing a few raids on A-rank gates today…probably,” he replied. Jin-chul had confirmed he liked the idea but he had yet to receive confirmation through a text or call.

“Like always, I just ask that you stay safe,” his mother smiled at him. “If you need anything, just let us know, Jin-ah and I are always here for you.”

“Thank you mom, “ he returned her smile. Having finished drying the current plate he held, he gently placed it to the side in the dish rack. Kyung-hye handed him the next and they continued. Jin-woo heard the muffled noise from the drama Jin-ah was watching in the living room. His sister’s mood and disposition continued to slightly improve and he was thankful to see her doing better.

“If you manage to get yourself in the hospital one more time, you’re not leaving the apartment again,” his mother warned but the tone of her voice was light.

“You say that like I can’t just teleport outside,” Jin-woo joked back.

“You may be all grown up now, but I’m still your mother,” Kyung-hye added. “I see you’ve grown rebellious in my time away…of course, you’ve become a fine young man as well.” Having finished rinsing off the last dish, she handed it over to Jin-woo with a warm smile.

“I’ve missed a lot of things…but that doesn’t mean we can’t make more memories now,” she reassured herself from the regret that flashed across her face.

“Of course,” Jin-woo agreed. “I can’t say for sure, but in the future…we might not have to worry about gates.” Kyung-hye raised an eyebrow, her face skeptical.

Jin-woo placed the last dish in the dish rack now that it was dry, “I mean, nothing is for sure…but I am doing something about it.”

His mother placed her hand on his shoulder, “Don’t be afraid to accept help from others. You may even be the strongest, but that doesn’t mean you have to face everything alone.” Jin-woo nodded at her advice when a quiet ding sounded from his cellphone on the counter. He had changed it earlier from vibrate to know immediately when he received any texts.

“Don’t let me keep you from your plans any longer,” Kyung-hye laughed, patting him on the shoulder before walking past into the living room. Jin-woo scowled at her light teasing. He grabbed his cell phone and unlocked it to see that Jin-chul had texted back like he hoped.

-I have emailed you some gates I secured for this afternoon. I will be free at 2:00 pm.-

Jin-woo typed a reply, unable to keep himself from grinning.

-Sounds good.-
-I’ll pick you up.-

—--

“Any questions?” the chairman asked as Jin-woo looked over the schedule he had been given. The two of them had spent the last half hour discussing the upcoming International Guild Conference. A lot of the finer details wouldn’t matter in the end but Gun-hee had been thorough with his explanation.

“I don’t have any at the moment,” Jin-woo replied. “But is it really okay for my guild to represent South Korea? We’re very new and have only three members.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Gunhee lifted up a hand and reassured him. “None of the other guild leaders begrudge the decision either.”

Jin-woo nodded, “I believe that’s all I need then.” He stood up and glanced at his phone in his right hand to check the time.

“You’ll be at the build conference with him, but Wednesday is the Chief Inspector’s birthday,” Gunhee’s voice interrupted Jin-woo’s thoughts. The younger man glanced up to see the older smiling. “I thought you might be interested in knowing.”

“It’s probably pointless to try to deny that,” Jin-woo smiled back.

“It really is, I’m glad you can be sensible sometimes,” Gun-hee chuckled. The older man stood up from his chair and walked over to the nearby floor to ceiling windows. He looked out at the city below them as Jin-woo also walked over.

“I know you two will protect the other,” the Chairman broke the silence. “But do be careful. Not only are you both needed for the Association but I would also hate to lose you or Jin-chul.”

Jin-woo opened his mouth for a moment before closing it. Unsure of how to respond, he simply nodded.

“I don’t know why the trip to America unsettles me so much,” he added. “I’m sure you won’t run into any problems, but do keep an eye out. Jin-chul will be able to help with any translations needed, I don’t know how well you speak English.”

“I know some of the basics, but not near enough to hold a lengthy conversation,” the younger hunter admitted. “I wasn’t exactly the most focused on school for a while…as I am sure you are aware.”

“Of course,” Gun-hee replied. “Have you ever thought about pursuing higher education, if given the chance?”

Jin-woo scratched his head, “I’m not sure, I haven’t put much thought into it.”

“I guessed your answer would be along those lines,” Gun-hee laughed. “Maybe you can figure it out one day.”

“I might not have that chance…” Jin-woo pointed out. “I don’t dare hold any hope for a future. Anything can happen to a hunter.”

Gun-hee placed his hand on Jin-woo’s shoulder, turning to face the S-rank hunter, “There is no better time than the present. If there is something you want, better to pursue it now.”

“But what if it would mean that there is another person who would be hurt if I were to-”

“You’re fooling yourself if you think he wouldn’t already mourn you,” Gun-hee interrupted. “We don’t get to decide how much other people care about us. If you fear that getting closer would make any loss more painful, wouldn’t it be better to spend the time you have now with that person?”

“I don’t-”

Gun-hee continued before Jin-woo could protest, “Take it from this old man, even if the future is uncertain, make the most of what you have now.”

“I’ll-I’ll think about it…” Jin-woo sighed, still unsure of what he should do.

“Good,” Gun-hee smiled. “Now I believe you have an appointment to get to, I don’t want to make you late. But I suppose someone who can teleport wouldn’t be the type to keep people waiting.”

“Thank you Chairman,” Jin-woo nodded as Gun-hee removed his hand from the younger hunter’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and reached out to the shadow connected to Jin-chul, letting himself be pulled through space to join the other.

—--

The guts of a monster flew by Jin-chul as Jin-woo cut another in half, the sword effortlessly cleaving through the flesh, muscle, and bone. Jin-chul leapt over the S-ranker hunter and delivered a devastating punch to the monster that had been directly behind the fresh corpse. Around them, the shadow soldiers fought as well, providing support. Compared to when Jin-chul had accompanied the Ahjin guild, the shadows only prevented the hunters from being overwhelmed instead of taking on all of the fighting themselves.

Jin-chul smiled in satisfaction as he could feel the mana from the dead monsters gravitate towards himself. Alongside Jin-woo, he felt unstoppable in the moment.

As they fought, his senses sharpened and the flow of power became clearer and clearer. Like before, he started to pick up on the true limits of what he was capable of. Jin-chul could even guess how much mana a certain kind of monster would give him after the recent fighting.

“That’s all of them in this cavern,” Jin-woo announced as he kicked a dead grand jackal that had been skewered on his sword off of the blade. The hyena-like monster was the A-rank version of the weaker dungeon jackal.

“Fighting certainly is a breeze with you,” Jin-chul laughed, amazed at how fast they had wiped out the monsters.

“You say that while you yourself were able to pummel plenty,” Jin-woo added. “There aren’t many who can claim they didn’t slow me down.”

Jin-chul raised an eyebrow, “Acting quite high and mighty today aren’t we?”

“Maybe I just want to impress someone,” Jin-woo teased before realizing what he said. A slight blush rose to his face and he turned away from Jin-chul, walking to the nearby corridor that led deeper into the gate. “Anyway, we should continue.”

Jin-chul shook his head and followed after before whispering to himself, “He said what I thought he said…right?”

The two hunters walked alongside each other in comfortable silence. Some shadow soldiers returned to Jin-woo’s own shadow as others accompanied them. Beru stood tall right behind them, ever alert.

The corridor turned to the right and emptied into a larger cavern, full of more grand jackals. Without a word, the two hunters shot off into the hoard, in sync with one another. A jackal would leap for Jin-chul’s back but get cut open with a slash. Another would run towards Jin-woo just to get pounded into the ground by a gauntleted fist.

While fighting, Jin-chul began to notice a strange anchor that pulled him towards Jin-woo. The immaterial sensation felt new but comforting. Instinctively, he pulled it towards himself. As he did so, Jin-woo, who was currently attacking a grand jackal, suddenly moved even faster, his attack’s destructive force tearing it to shreds.

The S-rank hunter paused and looked over at Jin-chul in bewilderment, “What did you do?”

“I’m not even sure…” Jin-chul tilted his head slightly and stroked his chin.

“Whatever it was, it increased my power,” Jin-woo mused, looking at where he held his sword while opening and closing his other hand. “I’m used to getting stronger but this was like an instant boost. It’s fading away now though.”

Jin-chul could feel the anchor sinking back away from him to Jin-woo. He pulled it towards himself again and Jin-woo’s eyes widened.

“I guess I can temporarily increase the power of another hunter, someone close by,” Jin-chul explained. “Not sure if they need to be someone I am familiar with or not since it’s just the two of us in here with the monsters.” While the two conversed, the shadow soldiers continued to fight, giving them space to talk without being interrupted.

“Might as well see what we can do with it?” Jin-woo suggested with a smirk.

Jin-chul laughed, “I see I’m a support type hunter now, huh. Let’s do this.” The two nodded at each other. As Jin-chul increased the power of his companion, he could feel the angelic armor once again begin to form over his own. He continued to keep the temporary increase in power active to support Jin-woo. Following after the S-rank hunter, Jin-chul fought the leftovers that remained in the wake of destruction.

While they made their way through the gate, the two hunters continued to experiment, confirming the limits of how much Jin-chul could temporarily increase the power of his companion. It induced a strange intimacy that neither could name but couldn’t be ignored.

As they approached the boss room, the two hunters had stopped calling out to each other while fighting. They had already grown comfortable enough with the other’s fighting style that words were unnecessary.

“Ready?” Jin-woo turned to Jin-chul and asked.

“Of course,” he confirmed. “I have you with me.”

“Ah-” Jin-woo faltered for a moment before recovering. “I suppose so.”

Jin-chul nodded and the two stepped into the larger room together, their confidence palpable.

Chapter Text

Slightly sore from the few A-rank gates they conquered earlier in the day, Jin-chul leaned against the side of the shower, eyes closed as the warm water hit his face. He had never pushed himself so hard inside a gate, but when it came to keeping up with Jin-woo it was required. Thankfully he didn’t have to worry about any further work after and could just focus on relaxing and cleaning off the sweat and grime from fighting.

Surrendering himself to the fate of leaving his warm sanctuary, Jin-chul turned off the water and opened the shower door. He reached for the nearby towel and started drying off before stepping out on the bathmat. As he rubbed himself dry, he noticed the slight vibration of his phone. Reaching over to the sink counter, he unlocked it to check out the new notification.

-Hope your evening is free-
-I’ll be there to pick you up in an hour-

Jin-chul laughed at Jin-woo’s assumption he would have nothing else going on. The other man had been spot on about Jin-chul’s lack of social life.

-I am available, but what is this about?-

He replied to Jin-woo and continued his after-shower routine. Once he was done with the towel, he pulled on the underwear and pants he had set nearby as well as ran a comb through his damp hair. Another text from Jin-woo popped up on his phone.

-It’s a surprise, just be ready-

“I don’t know why I even asked,” Jin-chul sighed, a soft smile adorning his face. Having shaved in the morning, he ignored that part of his routine. Instead, he threw the towel over his shoulder and exited the bathroom. A few stray drops fell from the ends of his hair onto his bare back before he adjusted his towel to catch any more.

He wandered over to his bedroom and slid open the closet door, blankly staring at the clothes inside.

“Why am I putting thought into this,” he mused, settling on a still nice, but more casual outfit of dress pants, dress shoes, a belt, and a nice button up. Jin-chul ran the towel through his hair until it was damp instead of dripping wet and donned the rest of his outfit. He brought the towel back to the bathroom and hung it up on the hook on the inside of the door. Turning towards the mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair and opened the medicine cabinet. Jin-chul pulled out some product and placed it on the sink counter for when his hair finished drying.

He quickly tidied up the bathroom before walking back out into the rest of the apartment where he poured himself a glass of water and grabbed a protein bar from the cupboard. Jin-chul was always a fan of efficient snacks and meals, it saved time when he was busy.

An hour wasn’t a terribly long time but since he was spending most of it just waiting, the minutes crawled by. Once his hair was dry, he grabbed the product he left on the sink counter and finished getting ready in regards to his appearance. Jin-chul wrapped a watch around his wrist and sighed when he realized he still had half an hour to go.

While he was planning on doing it a little later in the evening, before he went to bed, he started packing what he would need for his trip to America early in the morning. Just as he finished up, a hand reached around him and closed pushed down the top of the suitcase sitting on the bed, closing it. Jin-chul turned around to find Jin-woo standing right behind him. The other man took a step back and grinned.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Jin-chul nodded, “I just figured I would make use of the time until you arrived.”

-----

Jin-woo hadn’t put too much thought into teleporting to Jin-chul’s apartment. Now he was faced with the awkwardness of not being able to teleport back to back, a problem he found himself making more and more often. Without a car, he really only had the option of riding Kaisel with Jin-chul again. An exciting mode of transportation but not the most sensible at the end of the day.

“I can assume you didn’t bring a car?” Jin-chul laughed as Jin-woo paused for a moment. “If we don’t want to draw attention with Kaisel, why don’t I drive and you can direct me?”

“Or I guess I can let you drive my car,” he raised an eyebrow. “You certainly have enough money for repairs if anything were to happen to it. Even with a dragon and teleportation, surely you haven’t forgotten how to drive.”

Jin-woo scowled at the teasing and held out his hand, “Give me the keys.”

After handing over the keys with a smirk on his face, Jin-chul walked around Jin-woo to the apartment’s front door. The lock clicked as he turned it and Jin-chul pulled the door open, gesturing for Jin-woo to walk through. Once both men were in the hallway, he gestured for Jin-woo to lock it, since he now had the keys. The man obliged and the apartment was once again secure.

Jin-chul jiggled the door knob to make sure, “Thank you.”

“Let’s go,” Jin-woo nodded in response and led the way as the two of them walked down to the apartment’s parking garage.

-----

Jin-chul could sense the power of familiar S-rank hunters before they arrived at their destination but he waited to comment on it until they were closer.

“You’re not taking me to some kind of work meeting are you?” Jin-chul asked. Complaining about such an outcome would ultimately be against his workaholic nature, but he doubted Jin-woo would pull such a trick. His thoughts picked through the possible purposes of their outing as if he were looking through a filing cabinet.

“Only if you want it to be,” Jin-woo replied as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, the stoplight ahead having turned green. The S-rank hunter continued to be as secretive as always.

Jin-chul tapped his fingers where they were resting on the car door, “How vague. It’s not surprising though from a man as elusive as you.”

“You know more than anyone else,” Jin-woo pointed out in his defense.

“And it was no simple task to find out what I know now.”

“But now you know.”

“I do.”

An awkward silence lapsed between the two. Sensing the S-ranks enter his immediate vicinity, Jin-chul realized they had arrived. Jin-woo turned off the street into a cozy parking lot. A warm and inviting restaurant awaited them. It was clearly on the higher end so Jin-chul could only assume it cost a hefty sum to rent the entire restaurant for an evening. He immediately recognized the Association employees stationed at the door as his own subordinates. Looking past them and into the restaurant, he confirmed what he already knew, the most powerful hunters in the country had all gathered.

Immediately turning to Jin-woo, he opened his mouth to speak as a shadow slid across and kept him silent.

“Don’t ask, just follow,” Jin-woo waved his hand and the shadow left as quickly as it had manifested. Exaggerating a sigh, Jin-chul shook his head slightly.

“Alright, let’s go inside,” he gave in and opened the car door since answers would be found sooner upon entering the restaurant. He stepped out and closed it behind him, Jin-woo doing the same on the other side. Following the younger man, Jin-chul approached the restaurant entrance.

“Welcome Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul,” the two surveillance team members at the door greeted the hunters and opened the door, the inviting interior now laid before them.

“Good evening, I hope you both are being paid overtime for this,” he replied, ignoring the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Maybe, maybe not,” one of them grinned, a man who Jin-chul himself had mentored. “Even if we weren’t, we owe you this much for all you have done for us.”

“I will accept, just this once,” he relented, any desire to protest long lost. Now inside, Jin-chul properly looked at who all had gathered.

The occupants consisted of every S-rank hunter in South Korea along with the more prominent A-ranks, members of his own team, Gun-hee, Jin-woo’s mother and sister, and Jin-ho. The restaurant itself also had a bar, employees working to provide drinks to the hunters. Some of the tables had been pushed together, a large array of appetizers laid out for the taking.

The unneeded tables had been neatly arranged along the walls to allow for more room to move around in. The employees who were present, while slightly nervous, were very professional and able to keep their composure around the dangerous customers. A modestly decorated but delicious looking cake was centered among the appetizers, untouched until it would be time to dig in.

There were no typical birthday decorations of any kind, but such fanfare wouldn’t be fitting for the occasion. Jin-chul couldn’t recall a previous time where this amount of effort was put into his birthday but he wouldn’t say he disliked it. It warmed his heart to see those he was most closely acquainted with gather because of him. Due to his position, he could never truly tell how the S-ranks in the country actually felt about him, whether he was more of a bureaucratic nuisance or an acquaintance, maybe even a friend.

The first to run up and greet him was Hye-jin, “Happy Early Birthday!” She grinned and pulled Jin-chul further inside, a drink in her other hand. He kept himself away from that hand, concerned she would spill the still fairly full glass.

Gun-hee turned as Hye-jin walked over with Jin-chul in tow. He had been speaking with Jong-in and Yoon-ho, the two guild leaders currently doing their best to reign in their rivalry while they enjoyed what Jin-chul hoped was their first drinks of the night. Their respect for Jin-chul went unspoken but he wasn’t so dense as to not notice.

“Happy Birthday Jin-chul,” Gun-hee greeted his subordinate and friend.

“Happy Birthday Chief Inspector,” Jong-in congratulated the man.

Yoon-ho smiled, sharp teeth visible, “Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul replied, “Don’t go overboard, considering this party is for me, I would hate to look after any drunk S-rank hunters.”

“I doubt they have anything strong enough,” Yoon-ho laughed as he glanced over at the options.

“Why don’t we put that to the test?” Jong-in spoke softly before taking a sip of his own drink. His attempt to elicit a reaction from the other guild leader had not gone unnoticed as Yoon-ho shot him a soft glare.

Jin-chul sighed as Jin-woo walked up from behind and the shadows at his feet swirled menacingly, “Don’t worry, if they get out of hand, I’ll take care of it.”

Just as the words were spoken, all six turned as a loud crash filled the air. On the other side of the bar, Dongwook was apologizing to the employees and a broken glass was shattered on the floor nearby. His stature put him at a disadvantage when it came to navigating interior spaces, even if he was incredibly coordinated when it came to combat.

The large man gave a sheepish grin as he moved out of the way so the employee waiting with a broom could clean up the mess.

“I don’t think it would be possible for a bunch of S-ranks to all get together without something breaking,” Hye-jin laughed. “Of course, it’s usually the same culprits.”

Yoon-ho scowled and downed the rest of his drink as more of the partygoers began to gravitate over to greet the guest of honor.

-----

Jin-woo leaned against the bar, further away from the more crowded center of the room. He tilted his glass and swirled the amber liquid around as he watched everyone else.

“It’s not enough,” he mumbled, the reality that it wouldn’t last deeply rooted in his thoughts. Everyone in the room already had a strong shadow soldier attached to their shadow but Jin-woo wished he could take even more proactive measures. He had worked himself ragged recently but he could never feel satisfied.

“You seem distracted,” Hae-in’s voice at his side brought his focus back to the present. “Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying the party? You are the one who planned it after all.”

“I’m enjoying myself,” he replied, turning to her. The woman S-rank hunter was holding a handkerchief in her hand but was not at the moment covering her nose with it. Unlike most of the others, she didn’t have a drink but Jin-woo had seen her frequently snacking on the appetizers available. In particular, she tended to choose the options more mild in flavor.

She was flustered for a moment before talking back, “Anyone can see that you are out of it.”

“The International Guild Conference is soon,” she added, changing the subject.

“Does it bother you that I will be attending instead of you and Jong-in?” Jin-woo asked.

Hae-in shook her head, “The Hunters guild is usually the one to attend but that’s before you became a S-rank. It’s only natural for that honor to go to you now.”

“I see,” Jin-woo examined her expression for a moment. Relieved to find no resentment, he allowed his shoulders to relax. The two stood in silence, opting instead to listen in on the other conversations in the restaurant.

Jin-chul was speaking with Tae-Gyu and Jongsoo along with a few surveillance team members that Jin-woo was not familiar with. The actual words spoken were lost on him as his attention ended up more focused on the Chief Inspector than anything else.

“Everyone loves him,” Hae-in remarked, having noticed the object of Jin-woo’s gaze.

Jin-woo nodded.

“But I think…that doesn’t exactly describe your feelings,” Hae-in continued. “At least, not in the same way the others love him.”

“I didn’t have a chance did I?” she mused, face slightly red as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“You-” Jin-woo’s eyes widened as he realized what she implied.

She shook her head and laughed, “I should have known. Maybe, considering how dense you are, you should think just a little longer on how he may feel about you. It’s one thing to realize your own feelings, another to discover what someone else feels.”

“You’re too observant,” Jin-woo finally remarked, his brow slightly furrowed. “You and Gun-hee…and my family.”

“Maybe, in some sense, you can be easy to read,” Hae-in smiled. “See, most of the time, you have a very good poker face. But every once in a while, I see a glimpse of strong emotion…you just do your best to keep everything inside.”

“I’m at least harder to read than you,” he commented.

“That’s not fair, you couldn’t even tell how I felt about you,” she pointed out. Both knew she had won but Jin-woo didn’t want to back down.

Before he could attempt to defend himself, Jin-ho walked up and joined them, “You could be more social Hyung-nim! I should have realized you would be the type of person to organize a party and then just stand alone in the corner all evening.”

“I’m not alone,” Jin-woo replied.

“Hae-in has an excuse,” Jin-ho retorted, eyes glancing at the handkerchief she held. “You do not.” Hae-in laughed at the playful teasing as Jin-woo scowled.

“Fine, I’ll socialize more,” the S-rank hunter gave up the fight.

“Good,” Jin-ho nodded with conviction. “Now…about those appetizers.” The young man left just as suddenly as he arrived, leaving his amused friend behind.

-----

Surprised at how little anything work related had been brought up in conversation, Jin-chul couldn’t help the sense of nostalgia that settled over him. Everyday, it became harder and harder to imagine the absence of hunters and gates, his own existence so intertwined with such a world.

In just one evening he had learned things about the hunters in attendance that he wouldn’t have known through reports. Such as the classic car Tae-Gyu has put away in his garage while doing the restoration himself. Or that Yoon-ho would have become a firefighter were it not for his current occupation. Other facts he learned included Jong-in’s love of chess, Dongwoo’s volunteer work every Saturday, and Jongsoo’s hobby of competitive gaming.

“Here is your slice of cake,” Kyung-Hye approached Jin-chul and held out the small plate. The woman’s warm smile never failed to lift his spirit since their initial meeting.

“You really didn’t have to,” Jin-chul took the offered cake with slight hesitation.

She lightly shook her head, “I noticed you hadn’t made your way over yet. Just chalk it up to being a mother and wanting to make sure everyone is fed.”

“I’ll accept that,” Jin-chul smiled. He grabbed the fork that laid across the plate next to the cake and took a bite, savoring the rich flavor that filled his mouth.

“You and my son,” she sighed. “Had to hand him some cake too.” Jin-chul looked around the room for the other man to find him currently talking to Gun-hee, an empty plate in his hand indicating the cake was already eaten.

“It’s nice isn’t it, to do something more relaxing,” she asked.

“It is,” Jin-chul agreed. “I’m sure it’s quite the shock…to see how everything has changed after waking up.”

Kyung-Hye nodded, “Nothing I can’t handle. I’m more than happy to just see them again. I regret the lost time of course, but we have plenty of opportunities to make memories in the future.”

“Very true,” Jin-chul agreed, taking another bite of the cake.

“Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul, do come over for a meal whenever you wish. It’s not a tall order to make enough food for one more person and we enjoy your company.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Jin-chul shrugged. “I appreciate the hospitality.”

“Don’t just appreciate it, do come over,” she insisted.

He finished the current bite of cake before speaking, “I can’t promise anything, but I will try.”

“Good,” Kyung-Hye confirmed.

-----

Jin-woo found the cool night air to bring him a sense of comfort. It caused him to stay alert, to not let his guard down. He had not taken a sip of alcohol throughout the night, the glass he once held had long since been abandoned on a table.

As much as he reassured himself that Jin-chul traveling to America before him would be okay, he couldn’t help the creeping sense of unease. But for all his paranoia, he knew it would be unreasonable to go early just because Jin-chul was. And while he trusted Jin-chul to take care of himself, he also was well aware of just how dangerous the world had become.

Feeling slight guilt, he had kept quiet that he knew Jin-chul would be leaving earlier. Gun-hee had mentioned it and Jin-woo wanted to give the other man the opportunity to tell him the news himself.

“I doubt I will ever get to see you truly enjoy yourself at a party,” Jin-chul spoke as he exited the restaurant to join Jin-woo.

“You should go back inside, it’s your party,” Jin-woo turned to face him as Jin-chul stopped at his side.

The Chief Inspector shook his head, “I need to thank you.”

“It’s nothing much,” Jin-woo replied, dismissing the gratitude.

“I’m not going to try to convince you, I know how stubborn you are,” Jin-chul gave a soft sigh. “All I can do is say what I want to, you can interpret it how you will.”

The brief conversation ended and the two looked out into the night. Jin-woo fought the urge to break the silence as his scattered thoughts prevented him from settling on a new subject. Ultimately, he preferred the silence to a half-hearted attempt.

Jin-chul ended up being the one to continue, “I will be leaving for America tomorrow morning and once you arrive, I will be there to meet you at the airport.”

“Thanks for letting me know,” Jin-woo nodded, chastising himself for the brief answer instead of voicing his thoughts. After they had spent time fighting in dungeons together and experimenting with Jin-chul’s power, the older man had explained his plans regarding America.

“Hopefully he’ll hear me out, unfortunately Christopher Reed is known for his arrogance,” Jin-chul remarked. “And I am just an A-rank Korean hunter.”

Jin-woo waved his hand dismissively, “I’ll make him listen if I need to.”

“It’s reassuring…but I find myself having to rely on you more and more,” he admitted. Jin-woo glanced at Jin-chul in an attempt to judge the emotion behind his words. Unsure of the intent, he spent a moment putting together a reply.

“So many depend on you, what’s wrong with you depending on someone else every once in a while,” Jin-woo explained.

“It’s not fair, to put more work on you,” Jin-chul frowned.

Instead of responding, Jin-woo gestured and Igris rose from his shadow. The knight switched with the weaker shadow soldier in Jin-chul’s shadow.

“I can divide the workload,” Jin-woo smiled. “If something does happen in America, all you need to do is call for me.”

Jin-chul pressed his lips into a straight line and narrowed his eyes, “I will agree to that, but nothing is going to happen.”

Jin-woo shrugged in an attempt to keep the mood light, “You never know. What time does your flight leave in the morning?”

“At 6:45am,” Jin-chul answered. “So we shouldn’t linger here too late into the night.”

“Agreed,” Jin-woo glanced back at the guests inside. A few had already left to get adequate sleep before working in the morning, especially the guild leaders who had early morning raids. Around half of the surveillance members had also gone home.

“My car keys?” Jin-chul held out his hand.

“Oh, right,” fishing them out of his pocket, he handed the car keys back to the rightful owner.

Jin-chul looked to see Gun-hee was still inside, “I need to meet with the Chairman before tomorrow. I imagine we’ll talk again soon and I’ll see you in America for sure.”

“Of course,” Jin-woo nodded.

“Goodnight Jin-woo,” Jin-chul smiled and walked back inside, leaving Jin-woo alone with the stars shining above..

Due to the absence of other thoughts, Jin-woo started to obsess over his own stats and strength as a player. Before going to America, he was determined to increase his power as much as possible.

“Everything will be okay,” he confirmed to himself.

-----

Jin-chul and Gun-hee had gone back to the office for their discussion. When they had left the party, it was pretty much wrapped up. Both had settled down in the lounge area across from each other in the big office.

Wanting to confirm his suspicions but at the same time not wanting to confuse Gun-hee, Jin-chul considered his options regarding what he now assumed to be a Ruler that was connected to Gun-hee. He had a feeling that pulling the Ruler’s power to the surface in order to converse might harm Gun-hee who already had failing health.

“Take your time,” Gun-hee broke the silence. “I don’t know what you want to say, but don’t rush yourself.”

“Thank you sir…” Jin-chul mumbled. Now more accustomed to his own power and having developed it, he could sense that the other being was now fully aware of his presence.

“What I am going to say next is not directed at you Chairman, but rather the source of your power as a hunter,” Jin-chul explained. The older man regarded his subordinate and nodded.

“Go ahead.”

Jin-chul’s gaze was not directed at Gun-hee but seemingly through him as he spoke, “You will do everything in your power to not further harm the Chairman’s health. I don’t claim to understand your motives, but I ask that you keep him alive.”

Gun-hee smiled, “Always strange to have others talk about you in the same room.”

“I’ve said what I want to say,” Jin-chul sighed, standing up. “If you’ll excuse me, I will be going home to get some sleep.” He couldn’t be sure whether the message got across or how much of their world was experienced by the Ruler.

“Jin-chul,” Gun-hee spoke and the Chief Inspector stopped and glanced back. “I’ll see you when you come back home.”

“Of course,” Jin-chul nodded and the Chairman smiled in return. A comfortable quiet settled over them, only interrupted by the sound of Jin-chul’s resumed footsteps and the opening and closing of the door.

Chapter Text

A great unease settled over Jin-woo as the new gates that were opening revealed the dungeons were changing from what he and others had always taken for granted. Mana stones were no longer present and the danger posed by the inhabitants was greatly increased. While this wasn’t a threat to Jin-woo, he worried how it would affect all other hunters and the possible deaths that would follow.

It was for this reason specifically that he had Jin-ho busy with other work for their guild, an indirect way of telling him to not accompany Jin-woo into the dungeons. To keep himself busy, he had spent all morning fighting with his shadow soldiers at his side. He realized he may be a little greedy in monopolizing gates from other guilds but the complete lack of mana stones made him feel less guilty since it wasn’t harming their revenue as much as it would be otherwise.

The monster closest to him ignored the shadow soldiers and charged right towards him but the Demon King’s Short Swords were equipped in his hands in just a second and the large ice bear’s head was cleanly severed from its body.

The terrain that encased him was composed of large ice caverns, deep crevasses cut through the floor with a dark abyss lying below, the contents unknown. The monsters housed by this hostile environment were reminiscent of the monsters he fought during the Red Gate Incident with the White Tiger’s Guild but much stronger.

“What is going on…” he sighed, knowing that there wasn’t anyone to answer him. Around him, the last of the monsters were being killed off by the shadow soldiers, some of them particularly passionate about serving their lord.

He unequipped the Demon King’s Short Swords and sat down on a nearby frozen rock to watch the battle as it finished.

“My king! I shall provide a better chair, please use me if you must,” Beru flew over and insisted after noticing Jin-woo sit down.

The hunter laughed, “Just go kill the boss so we can leave.”

The ant king’s eyes sharpened and it bowed, “Of course my king.” Like an arrow shot from a bow, it launched itself into the air and flew away from Jin-woo in the direction of where the boss lay in wait.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Jin-woo pressed his thumb against the screen, causing it to wake up. It was only 11:00 in the morning and Jin-chul would not be landing in Washington DC until 8:50 in the evening. He closed his eyes and took a quick peek through Igris who was residing within Jin-chul’s shadow, just long enough to confirm the other man was safe on the plane.

“Mom probably has lunch almost ready,” Jin-woo noted to himself and stood up. He could sense now that Beru was fighting the boss and recalled back the other shadow soldiers, the rest of their enemies having been vanquished.

Jin-woo waited just long enough to sense Beru’s victory and started walking back towards the gate, “He’ll catch up.”

—--

With a slight bump, the plane landed smoothly with the familiar feeling of the wheels making contact with the runway. Jin-chul had fallen half-asleep and only now with the sense of landing permeating through his subconscious, did he open his eyes again. Because of his job, he could have flown private but he hated the waste of fuel it would cause. Instead, the Association had bought out first class for Jin-chul and the accompanying members of the Surveillance team. Gun-hee had sent five members with him, all A-rank despite Jin-chul’s reluctance to accept.

The Koreans waited as the crew started the process of directing the other passengers off of the plane. They weren’t in a terrible hurry and none minded waiting a little longer.

He switched his phone off of airplane mode to see texts come in. The first was from Gun-hee.

-I hope the flight went smoothly. Let me know when your have arrived.-

Jin-chul typed out a quick response.

-The plane just landed, I will call after I have met with the Deputy Director.-

The second text was exactly from who he expected, Jin-woo.

-Keep me updated-

Jin-chul replied.

-I will call you when I am back at the hotel.-

“Sir, everyone else has deplaned now,” a flight attendant walked down the aisle and stopped next to his seat.

Jin-chul nodded, “Thank you.” She expressed the usual farewells her occupation asked for as Jin-chul and his subordinates took their luggage and exited the plane. They passed the other crew members that happened to be along the way, following the common courtesy of saying goodbye. Only Jin-chul himself and one of the surveillance team members understood English past the very basics though.

“Chief,” one of them walked closer, phone in hand, and spoke in Korean. “Our ride to the Federal Bureau of Hunters is waiting.”

“I’m not surprised. I’m sure we’re all very tired since the flight was 13 hours…but it’s only 8am right now and the start of the business day,” Jin-chul replied, the group now being escorted to a more private entrance of the airport. The Surveillance team member who knew English was the one coordinating with the employee directing them.

The woman asked. “Should we have our luggage sent ahead to the hotel?”

He nodded, “Might as well. Hopefully we will have time to rest before anything else after this meeting.”

“Yes sir,” she bobbed her head up and down and walked forward to be beside the team member who spoke English. She quickly explained what she told Jin-chul to him so it could be conveyed to the airport employees.

While they traveled through more secure and private areas of the airport, they weren’t completely hidden from the public eye and the common passerby would stop and take notice of the group.

“I’m sure anyone traveling right now is keeping an eye out for attendees of the conference in the next few days,” one of his subordinates noted. “It isn’t everyday you see so many strong hunters.”

“In comparison, I’m sure we are quite dull,” Jin-chul replied, putting on his dark sunglasses for some sense of anonymity. Those with the opportunity took pictures and video from a distance, some more discreet than others.

Aside from the slight fame, the rest of their trip through the airport was incredibly uneventful and soon enough they were all getting in the limo provided as their transportation. One of the Surveillance Team members left the group to go to the hotel with their luggage.

As they drove through the city, Jin-chul occupied his time by looking out the window. It had been a while since he had last been to Washington DC. In the past few years, because of his schedule, someone else had come with the Hunters guild members for the International Guild Conference instead of himself.

His subordinate who could speak English had opened the divider to speak to the driver, “How long until we reach our destination?”

“Around 20 minutes to the Hunter Bureau’s HQ,” the driver answered. The Surveillance Team member nodded and closed the divider. He translated for the other members who might not have understood.

“It’s going to be a long day…” Jin-chul sighed, he had never liked traveling.

—--

Their arrival at the Hunter Bureau’s HQ was met with a lot of attention. As a guest of the Deputy Director, the employees were perfectly professional towards the Koreans. Two B-rank hunters were responsible for escorting them around the HQ.

“Welcome Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul of the Korean Hunters Association, the Deputy Director is expecting you,” a young woman smiled brightly at them after they had arrived on the twenty-third floor of the building. She was clearly Michael Connor’s secretary but Jin-chul could sense that she was also a C-rank hunter. He was surprised at how many employees were hunters. There were obviously lots of higher ranking hunters within the building at the time, but some of the employees that just did administrative work were also awakened.

“I am Emma Hoffman, Michael Connor’s personal assistant,” she introduced herself. “If there is anything you require during your time here, do not hesitate to ask.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Jin-chul introduced himself as well in English. The words were minorly awkward on his tongue because of lack of practice.

“I must ask that everyone but the Chief Inspector wait here in the reception room,” she requested in regards to the four surveillance team members.

Jin-chul addressed his subordinates in Korean, “If I take too long, please go ahead to the hotel.”

“Yes sir,” one replied, the other three bowed their heads in agreement.

“Chief Inspector, please follow me,” she instructed, gesturing to the nearby hallway before turning on her heel and walking in said direction. The office was of pristine quality, highly maintained and well built. With all the traffic that came through the Hunter Bureau’s HQ, Jin-chul imagined the janitorial staff was quite large to keep up the high quality image portrayed.

He followed her, leaving their escorts and his subordinates in the waiting room. Large windows alongside the hallway gave an excellent view of the city. The headquarters was situated on the outskirts of Washington DC, towering above everything surrounding it.

Emma came to a stop at a set of large doors, presumably leading to Michael’s office. She reached for and grabbed the door handle, pulling it open. She stepped to the side and waved her hand towards the inside, her intent for Jin-chul to enter first was clear.

“Thank you,” he smiled and entered the room. The office was situated at the corner of the skyscraper, allowing for a lot of natural light with the floor to ceiling windows that covered one wall and half of the other. In order to shut out the blinding rising sun, the window blinds along the one wall were all closed.

The section of the wall that was not occupied by windows had a giant monitor set into it. In front of the screen was a table befitting an executive office with comfortable office chairs for meetings. Past that, surrounded by all the windows was a large desk and elegant office chair, the back of it facing the windows and in front of the desk were a few chairs situated around a low coffee table for guests. Along the windowed wall, mostly in the corners, was an array of indoor plants to give the office a warmer touch. To his left, opposite of the area with the monitor and table, were bookshelves and filing cabinets with some modern art hung above to decorate the room

Michael Connor was seated at his desk and a woman that Jin-chul did not recognize sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, a cup of coffee on the coffee table in front of her. She was dark skinned with black curly hair and bright turquoise eyes. Michael was not a hunter, that much was incredibly clear, but the woman, Jin-chul could sense her power before entering the building.

Upon the door opening, both turned to see him enter.

“Chief Inspector Woo Jin-chul from the Korean Hunters Association is here to see you,” Emma announced.

“Thank you Emma,” Michael smiled and stood up from his desk. The personal assistant nodded and dismissed herself from the room, closing the door as she went.

The Deputy Director crossed the room and offered his hand to Jin-chul, “Welcome to the Hunter Bureau’s HQ, I hope your flight was pleasant.”

Jin-chul shook the man’s hand, “It was long, but I can’t complain.”

“Please, take a seat,” Michael gestured to the chairs near the desk as he himself walked back to sit down. As Jin-chul approached, the woman who was seated stood up.

“This is Mrs. Norma Selner,” Michael spoke for her as she extended her hand in greeting. Jin-chul shook her hand as well and sat down across from where she was seated.

Taking a brief moment to evaluate the hunter across from him, Jin-chul noticed what set her apart. Unlike other hunters that received power from another source and acted as a container for it, she was more like a conduit. Power entered her but it could also be directed in a way unlike other hunters. She could give, not just receive.

“What we are about to discuss can not leave this room, I’m sure you understand,” Michael explained.

“I agree,” Jin-chul replied, nodding.

Norma sat back down and joined the conversation, “I am not sure if you were aware, but I have met with Hunter Sung Jin-woo before.”

“I was not,” Jin-chul replied with slight hesitation. He knew that Michael Connor and Adam White had met with Jin-woo but he didn’t know that Mrs. Selner had been with them.

“I will explain then,” she took a quick sip of her coffee. “I have the ability to help a hunter exceed the limit of their power. Of course, this only works within certain conditions.” If he had met her prior to the double dungeon, Jin-chul would have been shocked upon the revelation. When speaking of her power, she did not come across as boastful or arrogant, simply confident in what she could do.

Norma had watched for his reaction, “You don’t seem too surprised.” Michael also considered the ramifications of Jin-chul’s poker face. Both Americans had gone through this explanation many times before and even Jin-woo had given more of a reaction than the Chief Inspector. Jin-chul could sense their unease growing as they faced something new.

“I assume it’s related to what you hinted at over our phone call,” Michael spoke up. “And considering you didn’t know about Mrs. Selner’s ability, you know of another way that hunters can get stronger.”

Jin-chul thought about how much information he can divulge, “Your assumption is correct. I already knew that a hunter surpassing their limits was not impossible.”

“Hunter Sung-”

“No,” Jin-chul held up a hand and interrupted Norma. “Hunter Sung Jin-woo’s power has nothing to do with this. How does your ability work? You’ve used it in regards to Hunter Sung Jin-woo, yes?”

“I-” Norma sighed and rubbed at her brow with her hand as if to fight away a headache. “I looked at his power, but that was the extent of it.” Her discomfort caused her to avoid direct eye contact with Jin-chul while Michael continued to watch him closely.

“I’ll be straightforward with my question this time,” Michael said. “Are you capable of increasing a hunter’s power? Or is someone on your team capable of such?” Even knowing Norma personally, the Deputy Director still seemed skeptical.

“I am capable of increasing the power of a hunter,” Jin-chul confirmed.

“Then why come here to increase the power of the American National Rank Hunters?” Michael immediately asked while leaning forward and tapping the fingers of his right hand on the desk, his expression serious. “Why offer to increase the power of another Nation’s hunters when you have nothing to gain? Certainly it is much more beneficial to use your resources on Korean S-rank hunters.”

“I understand you are suspicious, but I assure you that I have no ulterior motives,” Jin-chul answered. “If you must have a reason…I would phrase it as preparation. In the future we may face stronger enemies and because of that, I want to give humanity the protection that will be required.”

Michael and Norma exchanged a glance before Michael replied, “Please allow Mrs. Selner to look at your power as a hunter. It’s a matter of trust.”

“If that is what is required,” Jin-chul agreed.

Norma’s face scrunched and the corner of her lip quivered, betraying her mask of composure, “Please, hold out your hand.”

Jin-chul did his best to not worry her further and held out his right hand over the coffee table in front of them.

She took his hand in her own, “Now, look closely into my eyes.” Jin-chul followed her instructions and the two made eye contact. He could feel her power come alive and her eyes glowed a brilliant blue. He allowed a little of her power to cross his own defenses and she gasped, eyes widening.

Michael abruptly stood up from his desk, worry etched into his expression.

“It’s okay, I’m alright,” she reassured the Deputy Director as she breathed a sigh of relief. Jin-chul could feel her power exit himself and draw back into her. While he understood what she did, he was curious himself what exactly she saw and felt.

Michael’s shoulders relaxed but he still walked around to the front of his desk and leaned against it, closer to his guests. Norma pulled back and settled in her chair. Jin-chul placed his hand back in his lap and waited for her to speak.

“You and Hunter Sung are similar in ways…” she began. “I can’t claim to understand but you are the only two hunters I have met that do not have a limit. And your power… it doesn’t flow through you from somewhere else, it originates from you unlike other hunters. Unlike Hunter Sung, your power is warm, inviting, safe…”

“What does that mean?” Michael asked. “What are you?” Both looked towards Jin-chul.

“I am human but allow me some privacy. I won’t explain the circumstances,” he countered. “Just know, more than anything, I will do what is required help humanity. Korea, America, it doesn’t matter, we all need each other.”

The tension that had been building in the room was finally beginning to dissipate. Norma finished the coffee she had been drinking while Michael checked something on the cell phone that was on his desk.

“Thomas Andre is not in town yet for the Conference, but Christopher Reed lives outside of New York City and that is an hour and thirty by helicopter,” Michael informed him. “I will set something up, in the meantime, I’m sure you would prefer some rest.”

“Thank you,” Jin-chul nodded. “I look forward to your call.”

“We have provided transportation back to your hotel, Emma can direct you where to go,” Michael explained. “It was a pleasure talking with you.”

“Likewise,” Jin-chul replied, having grown more confident in speaking English over the course of the conversation. The two men exchanged another hand shake and Norma stood up from her chair.

“Talk to you later Chief Inspector,” she smiled and also shook hands with the Korean once again.

—--

The hotel was high class and all the rooms they had reserved were right next to each other. Since his meeting hadn’t carried on for too long, the rest of the accompanying Surveillance Team members who came with had gone back to the hotel when he did.

Upon opening the door, Jin-chul scanned the room, surprised by the quality, “He didn’t need to spend so much.” He had half a mind to argue with Gun-hee over the accommodations but considering the convenient location for the conference and the fact that they had already checked in, he decided to forgo that battle.

His luggage had been neatly placed next to the far wall, next to a comfortable chair that matched the small table beside it. Immediately to his right upon entering the room was the door to the bathroom. Suitable for the price paid, it was adorned with elegant fixtures and a modern design. The typical staples of any hotel or motel room were neatly staged around the rest of the room. A queen bed with two small end tables on either side, each with a lamp on top, was the central draw of the room. The wall above it had a painting and the wall across from it had a dresser along with a TV mounted above.

Jin-chul walked across the room and drew open the wall length curtains to admire the view. He and the members of his team were on the sixth floor of the hotel. Turning to the left, he picked up one of the two larger suitcases and placed it on the bed. Opening it revealed pieces of unused armor, not having yet seen a single battle. It was tightly packed in for travel and the rest of the armor was in the other large suitcase.

As for the design, it was similar to his other set of armor but the quality was much higher. The metal was reminiscent of ivory in shade with gold adornments. He reached in and pulled on one of the gauntlets and closed and opened his hand. Easily the most comfortable he had worn.

With his other hand, he tapped the most used contact in his phone and waited for his boss to pick up.

“Jin-chul, how is America?” the Chairman asked.

“Thank you for the birthday present,” he replied instead of answering the question. He turned over his hand with the gauntlet as he held it in front, admiring it.

“I’m happy you like it,” his mentor chuckled. “You are hard to shop for.”

“You have told me,” Jin-chul nodded.

“How did your meeting go?” The Chairman asked.

Jin-chul pulled off the gauntlet, setting it back in his suitcase, “It went well.”

He sat down in the chair nearby and continued to update Gun-hee on what had happened in the meeting, recounting the conversation he had with the deputy director.

“Are you happy with how things are progressing?” Gun-hee asked.

“Considering what I have heard about the National Rank hunters, they will be even more difficult to handle than S-ranks,” Jin-chul sighed. “Hopefully speaking with Christopher Reed will go smoothly.”

The Chairman laughed, “Yes, I have heard about his personality. But if anyone can manage, it’s you.”

“I do have experience in babysitting,” Jin-chul joked. “I imagine having the Deputy Director with me will at least convince him to hear me out.”

“True,” Gun-hee agreed. “You’re back at the hotel now, yes?”

“I am.”

“Good, get some rest then,” the older man instructed.

“I was planning on it,” Jin-chul smiled. “Just need to make one more call first.”

“Good enough for me,” Gun-hee replied. “Goodnight Jin-chul.”

“Goodnight sir.”

—--

It wasn’t until eleven at night that Jin-woo finally got a call. He picked up the phone after letting it ring once. He had been at his desk, but as he answered the phone, he moved to the bed, sitting down on the edge.

“Sorry for calling so late,” Jin-chul apologized immediately. “I didn’t wake you did I?”

“I was still awake,” Jin-woo confirmed.

“Good.”

“You won’t even need to fly to America,” Jin-chul pointed out. “You can just swap with whoever I am sure you placed in my shadow.”

“Would you like me to now?” Jin-woo asked after a slight pause.

“I need to sleep soon, I’ll let you know when I am back up,” Jin-chul shook his head. “You might as well come to America early, or at least, I could enjoy some company for dinner. A thirteen hour difference means it’ll be breakfast for you.”

“I don’t mind having something suited for dinner as breakfast,” Jin-woo replied.

“I’ll see you in the morning then,” Jin-chul smiled.

“I’ll be there,” the grin that spread across Jin-woo’s face did not fade as he hung up the phone.

—--

The harsh interruption from his ringtone forced Jin-chul awake. He threw out an arm to grab his phone from the nearby nightstand, the time on the screen revealing that he had only napped for a few hours and was awake much earlier than his alarm was set for. He tapped at the icon to answer, the caller ID showing Michael was the culprit.

“Hello Deputy Director,” Jin-chul fought to keep the weariness from his voice.

“Sorry to call on you so soon Chief Inspector Jin-chul,” he apologized. “But we have a problem.”

“A problem?”

“I have already sent someone to the hotel for you, they should be there in ten minutes. I will update you on the way to Christopher Reed,” Michael explained.

“Understood, see you soon,” Jin-chul replied. With the click of the call ending, Jin-chul dropped his phone on the bed as he hurriedly got dressed. Within a few minutes, he looked just put together enough. Not to his personal standards, but thankfully to the standards that would be expected professionally.

He made sure to grab the two large suitcases, while not his only luggage, they were by far the most important. He hoped that he wouldn’t need the contents but he would bring them, just in case.

Chapter Text

“You are saying that Christopher Reed may be killed…” Jin-chul slowly repeated what Norma said, needing the words to be said again for his brain to process the information. Between the gravity of the statement and the fact that it wasn't his first language, it was important that he heard and understood it correctly.

“Yes,” she nodded in grave confirmation. All four occupants in the helicopter were completely silent. Jin-chul was accompanying Michael and Norma to the national rank hunter’s mansion. The only other person present was a pilot who Jin-chul assumed had already been sworn to secrecy. Hopefully, one day soon, he could be less involved with so many secrets. In a better world, his worries wouldn't be so complicated and numerous.

“If there is anyone who can help him…” she paused. “It would be you and Hunter Sung Jin-woo.” Jin-chul hadn’t realized just how quickly they would become so trusted. Of course, the S-rank gate in Japan caused Jin-woo to enter the world stage. Everyone would be watching him from now on and his power shone brilliantly in the spotlight.

“Will he believe you?” Jin-chul asked, worried the prideful hunter wouldn’t accept their help. Personally, he harbored his own doubts about Norma’s capabilities. He knew her power was unique and she was skilled at what she did, but having a vision of the future was another matter entirely. The reason he put any faith in it was that his own experiences taught him there was so much more to know about the world. There was always more someone could learn.

“He may be angry at first,” Norma sighed. “But I hope he does.”

“Mrs. Selner and I will speak with him first,” Michael explained. “After that, we will see if he is willing to speak with you.” Jin-chul hoped that the new and foreboding circumstances wouldn’t ruin his chance of speaking with the national rank hunter. Unexpected variables always made him feel uneasy. He vastly preferred to have a solid plan to execute.

“I understand,” he nodded. There wasn’t much for the three of them to talk about beyond the dire business at hand so the rest of the helicopter ride passed in silence except for the overpowering sound of the helicopter blades spinning. Jin-chul looked out at the ground far beneath them before shifting his attention to his phone. Because of the time difference, Jin-woo would still be asleep right now but he decided that it would be best to keep the man updated. Any texts he sent would be seen once the man woke up.

-Need you to come to America. Christopher Reed may be in danger.-

Jin-woo would see it whenever he woke up and that was good enough for Jin-chul. What worried him was the possibility that a national rank hunter could even be killed. As far as he knew, there shouldn’t be a threat that strong. When he thought about it, Jin-woo himself had to be nearing the strength and power of a national rank hunter.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. The helicopter began to descend, the luxurious American mansion now fully in view. He found it laughable, the enormity of such a dwelling compared to how he and Jin-woo both lived. National rank hunters truly experienced another world. Jin-woo could use his riches to live in a larger house, have a nicer car, and more, but he didn't. It was something that Jin-chul liked about the other, that his priority wasn't wealth.

The helicopter blades began to slow while they landed and life left the vehicle as it was turned off. Michael and Norma began to get out as soon as it was completely at rest, the nervous air that bounced between them became more and more obvious. The pilot remained but Jin-chul quickly joined the other two after taking off his headset.

”Wait here until we come back,” Michael requested and Jin-chul nodded as he lingered by the helicopter. He could sense the strong power within the mansion and it moved as Christopher went to meet with the other Americans. He closed his eyes and focused on the power. It was like Gun-hee, where there was something beyond his power, something that connected to someone more powerful. He once again wondered what could threaten such strength.

Even with the building sense of dread in his gut, he knew he could count on Jin-woo to be there when needed. Even with all the terror in the world, one man would come to save the day. Whenever he thought of the man, he felt a sense of comfort and safety. He was pleased that the two of them were closer and he hoped it would continue as they fought to save the world. The relationship he desired from the man had evolved beyond a professional one.

Jin-chul found himself checking his phone every few minutes while he waited but reasonably, Jin-woo was still sleeping. He didn’t want to deprive the other man of sleep when he could avoid it, that’s why he hadn’t called and had just sent the text.

With the sun shining up in the sky and the soft sounds of nature around him, it felt wrong that Christopher’s life could be at risk. The world was too serene, too calm for such horror to occur and break through. But like the appearance of gates, everything could be lost at a moment’s notice. He wondered if he should call Gun-hee but he didn’t want to bother him with something that may not even be a concern since the man certainly had his hands full already.

He almost didn’t notice when Michael and Norma left the mansion and walked back over, too caught up in his own thoughts. Both of them didn’t seem that happy and he imagined the discussion couldn’t have gone well.

”Christopher Reed is interested in speaking with you,” Michael sighed.

”But he won’t take my warning seriously,” Norma was frowning. “I advised him to seek help from Hunter Sung Jin-woo but he won’t hear it.”

”Maybe I can change his mind?” Jin-chul wondered, glancing at where he felt the national rank hunter was.

”I won’t stop you from trying,” Michael shook his head. “But I believe once he thinks about it longer, he will take our warning seriously. Christopher is a prideful man, but he isn’t stupid.”

The deputy director walked past Jin-chul to the helicopter but looked back over his shoulder before boarding, “We will wait here while you talk with Hunter Reed.” Jin-chul nodded and began to walk towards the same door that the Americans exited through. With each step, he rehearsed what he could say to the powerful hunter. Ultimately, he could give the hunter the truth and nothing more.

Christopher sat waiting as Jin-chul opened the door and stepped inside. As for the room that framed the man, it was clearly expensive. There were large windows paired with a luxurious and tidy interior. The hunter himself was lounging on one of the two high-end sofas present in the room. Jin-chul sat down on the other, an elegant coffee table in between them. He noticed the business card on the table, which he assumed Michael and Norma had left. On the small piece of paper was the chairman’s number.

”Hunter Christopher Reed,” he greeted, sensing the confidence and power with which the man carried himself. “What did they tell you about my coming here?” Jin-chul hoped his English sounded fluent enough. He felt like any fault would cause the man’s opinion of him to drop. Even if someone was smart, translating that intelligence through another language could be difficult.

”They told me you are looking to increase the power of the National Rank hunters,” Christopher examined him curiously. “But I don’t see how that would benefit you at all.” Jin-chul had expected as much, that the man would judge his intentions by what possible value he could gain. On top of that, he was clearly on edge because of the previous discussion.

”That is correct,” Jin-chul nodded, always the professional. “My reason is simple, to secure the future of humanity. There is no better way to do that than make the strong stronger.” It wasn’t that he was opposed to strengthening weaker hunters, but they wouldn’t be as well equipped to handle the hardships ahead.

Christopher Reed was silent, evaluating the inexplicable foreigner that was sitting across from him. Jin-chul could see the suspicion in the man’s gaze, the hesitation to believe him. It wasn't something he had been told, but he expected that Norma had made Christopher more powerful at some point and even that had come with a catch.

”Mrs. Selner vouched for you…but she also told me I am in danger of dying,” Christopher frowned. ”Frankly, I don’t trust you.” He reached across the table and grabbed the business card before flipping it around in his hand to look at the number

”Surely if I try anything, you would be strong enough to stop me,” Jin-chul pointed out. “Prevent me from doing anything harmful.” Christopher was silent again for an uncomfortable amount of time.

”I will consider it,” he decided and Jin-chul felt a small sense of relief. “I’ll let you know if I need your offer.” Immediate acceptance would be stranger than the caution Christopher exercised. If Jin-chul was American, it would be different, but he wasn’t.

“Thank you,” he bowed his head briefly and stood. The man waved his hand absentmindedly, his thoughts drawn elsewhere. The conversation was over so Jin-chul didn’t think it would be impolite to leave. There was also no need to exchange contact information as Christopher could easily reach out through Gun-hee or Michael.

”Have a good day,” he wished the hunter and left the room.

—

Jin-chul collapsed onto the bed when he got back to the hotel, annoyed that he hadn’t been able to get any decent sleep. He stared at the clock and wondered if he should even try to before dinner with Jin-woo. The other man would forgive him if he was tired.

Resting his eyes until then wouldn’t hurt though. Jin-chul dressed down to something casual, a plain t-shirt and sweatpants, before laying back down on the hotel room bed. On his phone, he set an alarm and put it on the nightstand. He would allow himself enough time to shower and get dressed before Jin-woo would come for dinner.

As his breathing slowed, Jin-chul was captured by the sleep he thought would elude him.

—

He stirred awake and the lack of sunlight outside of the window made him scramble to sit up. The glowing display of the electronic clock on the nightstand told him it was past eleven, too late to have dinner. Swearing, he reached for his phone. It was horribly unprofessional of him to sleep when he was supposed to be meeting someone.

”Don’t worry about it,” a calm and deep voice from beside him spoke and he turned to see Jin-woo casually lounging on the other side of the bed, sitting with his back against the headboard.

”You…” he was stunned and more caught off guard than he had ever been in a dungeon.

”I’m sorry,” he immediately apologized, embarrassed by his mistake as his cheeks colored slightly. Jin-woo smiled, seemingly amused by his reaction.

The hunter shook his head, “I didn’t want to wake you. You needed the sleep and we can have dinner tomorrow.”

”Did you at least eat something?” Jin-chul still worried, not wanting the other man to have gone hungry.

”I did,” Jin-woo nodded.

”I’m sorry,” Jin-chul apologized again.

”It’s okay,” Jin-woo smiled again. Jin-woo felt like he could get lost in that smile, so safe and reassuring. Whenever Jin-woo smiled, it felt like everything would turn out okay.

”You should explain that cryptic text though,” he pointed out.

It took Jin-chul a moment to process the request with his sleep deprived mind, “Oh…Mrs. Selner had a vision that Christopher may die.” He cursed himself silently for being so careless.

”You’ve been working yourself too hard,” Jin-woo frowned slightly, sensing how horrible Jin-chul felt about it. “I have a shadow soldier watching Christopher Reed’s mansion. I couldn’t get too close though, he would sense it if I did.” Jin-chul wondered if the man was annoyed he wasn’t as strong as a national rank hunter yet.

”Thank you,” he breathed a sigh of relief, reassured by the fact that the hunter was still alive. If he was able to meet with Christopher again, he would ask about Jin-woo coming with him.

”You can thank me with dinner,” Jin-woo smirked slightly. “And I won’t let you sleep next time.” Jin-chul let out a short laugh.

”I can accept that,” he smiled.

”I don’t speak English either and only understand the basics,” Jin-woo remarked. “I want my translator.” Jin-chul felt his heart stop for a moment before he smiled.

”Sounds good to me,” he agreed, looking forward to it. With the promise of another dinner, he was now left in a hotel room, late at night, with another man. This wasn’t a situation he was well versed in handling. Jin-chul wasn’t even sure why he was so concerned with being able to navigate it, it shouldn’t have been anything that would make him nervous. He almost wanted to ask what now? Even with everything that had happened recently, Jin-chul wasn’t sure what Jin-woo was thinking.

”Would you like to do something fun?” Jin-woo suddenly stood up, a mischievous grin pulled at the corners of his mouth.

”Fun?” Jin-chul thought for a moment. At the moment, he didn’t feel like he could just fall back asleep. He also wasn’t hungry so a late dinner didn’t capture his interest.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked.

”You’ll see,” Jin-woo smiled, keeping it a secret. “Get changed, I will wait in the hallway.”

“Okay,” Jin-chul laughed slightly, amused by the secrecy. He ultimately decided to not overthink it and let whatever happened happen. Jin-woo left the room and Jin-chul changed into something slightly nicer but still casual, jeans and a light sweater. It felt strange to be so dressed down in front of the other man. Since he was unsure of what to expect, he also made sure he had his wallet, room key, and phone on him.

Exiting the room himself, Jin-chul noticed Jin-woo’s gaze linger on him for longer than usual before the man glanced away.

”Where are we going?” he asked.

”To the roof,” Jin-woo grinned.