The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the gathered crowd.
In a vast open field on the outskirts of Seoul, hundreds of hunters from various guilds had assembled, their eyes fixed on a shimmering portal that pulsed with an otherworldly energy.
This was no ordinary gate – its size and the intensity of its aura marked it as at least S-rank, a challenge that would typically require multiple top-tier guilds working in tandem to close.
At the forefront of the assembly stood the members of the White Lotus Guild, with Shadow and Thorn Princess at their center.
Behind them, arranged in a loose semicircle, were the leaders and elite members of other prominent guilds, including Choi Sung-min of the Crimson Phoenix Guild.
His face was set in a mask of forced neutrality, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his skepticism and perhaps a touch of envy.
