Chapter 10: There Are Many Ways To Obtain The Information We Need

Frank Lee scanned through the site as he browsed the available missions among the countless categories listed. Focusing on the ones open to him, he searched for something suitable. Most of the Dungeons were E-Rank or D-Rank, with the majority being E-Rank. There were only a few C-Rank Dungeons available, and beyond that, none were accessible to him. This was due to the limitations of his identification. Since Frank was only a C-Rank hunter, he could only see missions tied to his rank or lower.

Occasionally, B-Rank dungeons would recruit C-Rank hunters, but they were rare. Most of the available missions were either already occupied and only required additional support to assist with equipment or were far beyond his abilities and requirements. After over 40 minutes of searching, Frank turned off his computer and sighed. "I didn't manage to find anything today. Maybe tomorrow," he muttered as he closed his laptop.

As he leaned back in his chair to relax, his phone buzzed with a notification. Initially, Frank planned to ignore it if it wasn't relevant. However, upon glancing at the screen, his eyes widened. The sender of the message caught his attention—it was Gao Tan. Sitting up straight, Frank felt a wave of nostalgia. Back when he was a rookie hunter, struggling to secure low-ranking Dungeons and usually tasked with minor roles like carrying equipment, Gao Tan had been the one to change his fortune.

Gao Tan, a veteran hunter, had once invited Frank to join a low-level sea dungeon raid. At the time, it had been a surprising and unexpected opportunity. That mission had not only helped Frank improve but also gave him invaluable insight into how high-ranking hunters operated. It remained the most significant gain of his career in dungeon raids.

Now, receiving a message from Gao Tan brought back those memories. Frank opened the message and read it carefully. As he read, his lips gradually curled into a smile. Gao Tan had secured spots for a team to raid a high-level sea dungeon. The dungeon was unusually large and offered abundant rewards, so Gao Tan had gathered several associate hunters to join the expedition. In the message, Gao Tan extended an invitation to Frank, urging him to respond quickly as the spot could easily be taken by someone else.

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Frank Lee was about to jump for joy when he saw the message. He couldn't believe he had landed a dungeon raid opportunity right after obtaining his license. In his excitement, he accidentally stomped his foot on the edge of the city's tablecloth, causing it to jerk slightly. "Ouch!" he winced, immediately sitting back down and rubbing his leg to ease the pain. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he grabbed his phone and began composing a reply.

Instead of texting, he decided to call Gu Ji-hoon directly. Meanwhile, far away in New Seoul, South Korea, atop a towering skyscraper, the moon shone brightly through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the building's top floor. The room was mostly empty, save for its centerpiece—a man bound to a chair with chains. His hands were cuffed tightly behind him, and his mouth was gagged. The man struggled to breathe freely, his eyes darting to the five men in black suits standing around him. Their dark sunglasses and stoic expressions gave away nothing.

One of the men stepped forward, removing the gag from the captive's mouth. "Gu Ji-hoon, this is your last chance," the man said coldly. "The boss has no personal grudge against you. Just tell us where you've hidden the mythical item, and I promise on his name that we'll let you go."

Gu Ji-hoon smirked, his defiance evident. As soon as his mouth was free, he spat on the man's leg. "Screw you, your boss, and all of your lackeys. You can all go to hell. I'd rather die than hand over the item."

His stoic face move the lightly as he showed him mocking smile. "Still loyal to that demon of a boss, I see," he said. "Even after all this time, even though your organization will be nothing more than a criminal group."

The man in black, who had remained expressionless until now, suddenly stepped forward with lightning speed. He grabbed Ji-hoon by the throat, his grip firm. "Don't you dare speak ill of my boss," he hissed. "You have no idea who he is or what he's capable of."

Despite the suffocating grip, Ji-hoon didn't flinch. He glared straight into the man's dark sunglasses. "I don't care who he is, and I don't fear him—or you. Do whatever you want, but I'm not telling you where the item is. If you want to kill me, go ahead, but you're wasting your time."

The man in black scowled, his frustration evident. His right fist began to swell, enveloped in a dark, purplish energy that radiated like a compact storm. The sheer pressure caused his hair to flutter backward. "If that's what you want, I'll gladly grant your wish," he said menacingly.

Before he could strike, a soft yet commanding voice interrupted. "That's enough."

The man froze, the dark energy dissipating instantly. He turned to see a young man standing in the doorway. His presence exuded authority, and his gaze was sharp enough to cut through steel. Despite all he had heard about their boss, this was the first time Ji-hoon had seen him in person. he was far younger than he had imagined for someone leading such a powerful and secretive organization.

"There are many ways to obtain information we need," he said calmly as he approached. "Brute force is crude and often counterproductive. If he dies, we lose the information entirely. That would be a waste."

"But Sir," the man in black protested, "he's resolved to die rather than reveal the location of the mythical item. I was only guaranteeing his wish."

The man smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. "And do you think it would be so simple to kill someone like him? Gu Ji-hoon is no ordinary man. He's a peak C-Rank hunter, and his strength far exceeds the initial stages of C-Rank. There's a reason he hasn't tried to escape yet—he knows he could snap these chains like candy if he wanted to."

The room fell silent as his words sank in. Even bound, Gu Ji-hoon radiated an aura of defiance and power. The young man turned his piercing gaze toward him. "We'll find another way to make you talk," he said softly, her tone carrying a dangerous edge.

His name was Kim Ji-Min.