Pre-Jeju Warm-ups

Jinwoo stood by the hospital window, his gaze trailing over the sprawling city below. The neon lights painted the streets in vibrant colors, casting reflections on the glass. His arms were crossed, a contemplative expression on his face as he listened to the sounds of laughter and conversation behind him.

His mother was awake.

The weight that had pressed down on his shoulders for years felt lighter—not gone, but manageable. He had kept his promise.

He turned slightly, glancing over at his mother and sister.

Kyung-Hye was stroking Jin-Ah's hair, her eyes full of warmth and unspoken emotions. Jin-Ah, now finally relaxed after all the shock and tears, was grumbling lightly, though she made no attempt to move away from her mother's embrace.

Jinwoo smiled.

"You've grown up so much," Kyung-Hye murmured. "When I last saw you, you were just a little girl."

"I'm still growing," Jin-Ah sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. "I—I even learned to cook! Oppa used to be really bad at it, but now he's better…"

Jinwoo scoffed. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

Jin-Ah smirked. "A little."

Po chuckled from his spot near the doorway, watching the reunion unfold with a fond expression. He was truly happy for his friend, for both of them.

For a moment, he saw it—a ghost of the past, a fleeting apparition standing next to Jinwoo.

It was the old Jinwoo.

The scrawny, exhausted, and weak Hunter who had struggled through D-Rank dungeons, barely scraping by, barely surviving.

And now?

The contrast was staggering. The present-day Jinwoo stood tall, his frame strong, his presence commanding. He was no longer prey—he had become the Hunter now.

Po nodded approvingly.

Their hard work had paid off.

Jinwoo glanced at his phone and sighed. "Seems like people are losing their minds over Kaisel."

Po peered over his shoulder. The news feed was filled with confusion and speculation about the enormous wyvern that had been seen soaring over the city earlier.

"Pfft," Po smirked. "They'll get used to it."

Jinwoo simply shrugged and ignored it. He had bigger things to worry about.

A moment later, his phone buzzed again—this time, an incoming call.

Jinwoo's brows furrowed. It was from the Hunter's Association.

He exchanged a glance with Po before answering.

"Understood. We'll be there soon."

Kyung-Hye looked up at him. "You're leaving?"

Jinwoo nodded. "Just for a bit. The Association wants to talk to us."

Po sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, duty calls and all that." Then, a mischievous glint entered his eyes as he turned to Jin-Ah. "Don't worry, Jin-Ah, I'll make sure your brother comes back in one piece."

Jin-Ah rolled her eyes. "He's way stronger than you, idiot."

Po gasped in fake offense. "Such hurtful words from someone so young!"

Jin-Ah scoffed but grinned.

But before they could teleport away, Po glanced at Kyung-Hye, his lips curling into a teasing smirk. "By the way, Mrs. Sung, your daughter really likes me."

Kyung-Hye blinked. Then, realization dawned on her face.

Po didn't give Jin-Ah a chance to react. With a swirl of purple energy, they disappeared.

Jinwoo barely had time to process his sister's horrified shriek.

Hunter's Association Headquarters

Jinwoo and Po arrived in the Association building, their feet touching down lightly on polished floors. The vast halls were buzzing with activity, but all eyes seemed to subtly drift toward them.

It wasn't surprising.

After all, Jinwoo wasn't just an S-Rank Hunter—he was Sung Jinwoo.

As they walked through the halls, the receptionist nervously directed them toward Chairman Go Gunhee's office.

Inside, the 'elderly' Chairman sat behind his desk, fingers steepled together in thought. He glanced up as they entered, a warm but firm smile on his face.

"Jinwoo, Po," he greeted. "Thank you for coming."

Jinwoo nodded. "What's the situation?"

Gunhee leaned forward slightly. "We're preparing for the Jeju Island Raid. We need every available S-Rank Hunter."

Po whistled. "Big job, huh?"

Gunhee sighed. "It's a disaster zone. We've failed three times already. But this time, we have a real chance."

Jinwoo remained silent, his eyes narrowing. He had already planned to go to Jeju—he wanted to wipe out the ants, not just for Korea, but for his own growth.

But before he could respond—

A sudden wave of mana surged through the building.

A clash.

Jinwoo and Po's heads snapped toward the direction of the disturbance.

Gunhee's brows raised in impressed surprise. "You both noticed?"

"Hard not to," Po muttered.

Gunhee sighed and stood up. "It's just some **S-Rank Hunters warming up for the Raid. Come, I'll show you."

Hunter's Association Gym – Training Area

The sound of flesh hitting flesh, the dull echo of impacts against the floor, and the roars of exertion filled the air.

Jinwoo and Po entered the massive gym, where several S-Rank Hunters had gathered.

At the center of the training area, two men were engaged in a heated spar.

Baek Yoonho, Guildmaster of White Tiger, stood shirtless, his upper body pulsing with muscle. His hair had turned stark white, and his eyes glowed yellow—a partial transformation from his Beast Shifter abilities.

His opponent was Ma Dongwook, Guildmaster of Fame Guild, a powerful martial artist. Unlike Baek, he didn't have a transformation ability, but his pure hand-to-hand combat was exceptional.

Jinwoo and Po observed as the two clashed again—Baek moved with animalistic speed, his strikes powerful and wild, while Dongwook countered with precise, calculated movements.

Gunhee chuckled. "They've been at it for a while. Good way to get the blood pumping before the Raid."

A deep voice cut in.

"Jinwoo."

Jinwoo turned to see Choi Jong-In, Guildmaster of the Hunter's Guild.

"Mr. Choi." Jinwoo nodded.

Choi Jong-In smiled. "Looks like you'll be meeting some new faces soon."

Jinwoo raised a brow. "New faces?"

Choi Jong-In nodded toward the other side of the gym.

Jinwoo turned—and froze.

A group of Japanese Hunters stood together, talking amongst themselves.

They exuded power.

The leader—Goto Ryuji—stood confidently, his piercing eyes scanning the room. His presence was like that of a predator assessing his prey.

Jinwoo's eyes flicked over the others:

Minoru Hoshino – A stocky but agile fighter.

Mari Ishida – An enigmatic woman with an unreadable expression.

Kanae Tawata – A fierce warrior with a razor-sharp gaze.

Atsushi Kumamoto – A burly fighter with a quiet demeanor.

Tatsumi Fujishima – Observant, watching everything carefully.

Kenzo Tanaka – Confident, smirking slightly as he leaned against the wall.

Akari Shimizu – The only healer in the group.

Ippei Izawa – A slim assassin with sharp, calculating eyes. Kei – A Mage, crackling with suppressed magic.

They had come from Japan for the Jeju Raid.

Jinwoo's gaze lingered on Goto Ryuji.

These Hunters were strong.

But they had never met him or Po before.

That would change soon.