After the parent-teacher conference, Po and Jinwoo went to track down Han Song-Yi.
Finding her wasn't hard—she was hanging out at a small café, looking completely disinterested in anything school-related.
When she spotted them approaching, she narrowed her eyes.
"...Jin-ah's brother? And…" she paused, looking at Po.
Po flashed a grin.
"Hey there, pretty eyes."
Song-Yi froze.
For a second, she forgot how to breathe.
What the hell?! How did someone just say something so casually and make it feel like a punch to the soul?!
Jinwoo sighed. "Ignore him. He does this to everyone."
Song-Yi wasn't hearing him.
Instead, she was staring at Po like he had just descended from heaven itself.
"…Who are you?" she asked, still dazed.
Po leaned on the table, resting his chin on his palm.
"A concerned senior, here to give you some wise advice."
Song-Yi blinked rapidly, face heating up.
"Which is?"
Po's grin widened.
"You're too cute to die young. Finish school first."
That was it.
That was the moment Han Song-Yi officially fell for him.
To prove their point, Po and Jinwoo took Song-Yi along for a C-Rank Gate that was being handled by the White Tiger Guild's strike squad.
Their plan?
Jinwoo believed she'd see the horrors of battle and quit wanting to be a Hunter.Po already knew what was coming, but he went along to make sure she'd survive.
Ahn Sang-Min, a senior officer of the White Tiger Guild, welcomed them.
"You two again?" He smirked. "Heard you've been causing a lot of noise lately."
Jinwoo shrugged. "We just get things done."
Po gave a lazy wave.
"Got room for a rookie?"
Ahn looked at Song-Yi and raised an eyebrow.
"She a new Hunter?"
Po nodded. "Figured she should get a taste of reality before throwing her life away."
Ahn sighed. "Fine, but stay close to the Party."
With that, they began to enter the Gate.
Far away, Hwang Dongsoo stepped off a plane, his predatory gaze scanning the city skyline of Seoul.
His younger brother, Hwang Dongsuk, had gone missing.
He had a bad feeling about it.
As an S-Rank Hunter from America, he was given a VIP escort by the Hunter Association.
A suited man named Woo Jinchul greeted him with a polite nod.
"Mr. Hwang, welcome to South Korea."
Hwang Dongsoo grinned, his presence wild and untamed—almost feral.
"Let's cut the polite crap," he said, voice dripping with arrogance.
Jinchul's smile didn't falter.
"As you wish. I'll escort you to your hotel."
Hwang scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Good. I've got some hunting to do."
Back at the C-Rank Gate, things were going smoothly at first.
The strike squad entered efficiently, no wasted movements, time, the Party was confident at first.
Song-Yi, while nervous, managed to keep her composure.
Po and Jinwoo stayed close to her, watching her reactions.
But then—
Something went wrong. Po and Jinwoo sensed it immediately
The air vibrated unnaturally.
The sky above them twisted.
Then, in a single heartbeat—
The entire dungeon changed.
A Red Gate had replaced their sky-blue C-rank one.
Po's eyes flashed. He had seen this moment coming.
Jinwoo, sensing the shift, immediately turned to Ahn Sang-Min.
"Contact the main strike squad. NOW."
Ahn, realizing the danger, didn't question it. He grabbed his Phone.
"This is Ahn Sang-Min—!! A Red Gate has appeared! We need immediate assistance!"
On the other end of the line, a deep, commanding voice responded.
Baek Yoonho, the S-Rank Leader of the White Tiger Guild.
"I'm on my way."
The line cut.
But they all knew—
Help might not arrive in time.
And in front of them—
The Ice Elves had begun to move.