United States – Hwang Dongsoo's Hospital Room
Hwang Dongsoo jerked awake, his breath ragged, his body aching from the brutal beatdown he had suffered.
His mind replayed the memory—the overwhelming force, the effortless domination, the cold, unyielding voice.
"Don't you ever step foot in Korea."
Dongsoo's fists clenched.
"I'm not saying it for my son's sake."
His Aura flared involuntarily.
"I'm saying it for yours."
The humiliation burned deep. He wasn't just beaten—he was warned.
And that final part…
"You will never rest in peace, even in Death."
His teeth gritted.
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hwang Dongsoo."
The Deputy Director of the Bureau stood beside him, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp.
"You're certain that man was a Magic Beast?"
Dongsoo nodded without hesitation.
The Deputy pulled out a tablet, swiping through footage.
The screen showed Il-Hwan—not in battle, but helping civilians.
One clip showed him lifting a crushed car off a family.
Another showed him guiding children to safety.
The Deputy's gaze didn't waver. "You still think he's a Magic Beast?"
Dongsoo didn't hesitate.
"Yeah."
The Deputy sighed. "So you're saying this thing is… pretending to be human?"
Dongsoo's lips curled into a snarl. "I don't care what he's pretending to be. He's a monster."
The Deputy put away the tablet.
"…Il-Hwan has fled the States."
Dongsoo scowled. "Fuck."
He knew what this meant.
If that bastard had left, there was only one place he could've gone.
Korea.
His fists tightened.
I need artifacts. Powerful ones.
Once I recover from this…
His eyes burned with cold fury.
I'll rip him to shreds.
Back in Korea
Sung Jinwoo sat across from Po, looking through armor listings.
"I need something to resist fire magic."
Po snorted. "Can't you just dodge?"
Jinwoo gave him a look. "Ever fought something you can't dodge?"
Po shrugged. "Fair point."
But there was a problem—
He didn't have enough money.
Po could've crafted something, but where was the fun in that?
"I feel like fighting or just going into some Dungeon," Po admitted, stretching lazily.
Jinwoo smirked. "Same."
So—
They signed up for a Raid.
Since Jinwoo still hadn't officially re-evaluated, he was still listed as E-Rank.
Po? He was only A or B-Rank due to concealed evaluations.
And so—
The Hunters Guild accepted them for a raid.
As Miners.
Once the Strike Squad had cleared everything except the Boss, the mining team was allowed in.
Jinwoo and Po moved fast, getting a huge chunk of magic crystals.
Of course, they smuggled some into their inventories.
No one noticed.
Well—
Almost no one.
When they wandered toward the Boss Room, looking for some fun—
A voice stopped them.
"What do you think you're doing?"
They turned.
Standing there was Cha Hae-In.
She had noticed them the moment she stepped in.
Unlike other Hunters, she had a sensitive nose—she could smell Mana.
And yet—
These two…
They didn't stink.
Every Hunter reeked of excess Mana. Some more than others.
But them?
There was nothing.
It was strange.
No.
It was intriguing.
Her heartbeat picked up.
For the first time, she felt something different.
Was this… attraction?
She shook her head. Focus.
"You're in the Mining Team," she said firmly. "Not the Strike Squad."
Jinwoo sighed. "Got caught."
Po grinned. "Whoops."
She led them out, keeping an eye on them the entire time.
Something about these two…
She needed to know more.
Cha Hae-In sat on her bed, staring at her phone.
After some hesitation, she called her Guild.
"Could you get me some information?" she asked.
The voice on the other end asked, "On who?"
She took a breath.
"Hunters Sung Jinwoo and Po."
There was a pause.
Then—
"Do you mean the ones from the Hunters Association?"
She frowned. "Yes."
The man on the phone hesitated.
"…That's interesting."
Cha narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
The response made her freeze.
"Guildmaster Choi made the same request yesterday."
Her grip tightened on the phone.
Their files were concealed.
Why?
Why were these two the exception?
Why—
Why didn't they smell?
Jinwoo and Po sat around, chatting with the Miners again.
The previous day had been fun.
But today?
It was going to be better.
A Hunter walked up.
"Our Porter didn't show up," he said. "We need two people to carry the equipment."
Po and Jinwoo exchanged glances.
Then—
They raised their hands at the same time.
"We'll do it."
They entered the Gate.
As the Dungeon's air settled around them, Jinwoo's expression hardened.
Something felt off.
His gut told him this was different.
Beside him, Po suddenly grinned.
Jinwoo's eyes narrowed.
"…What did you see?"
Po smirked.
"This is going to be fun."