In an A-Rank Dungeon in the USA:
The air was thick with blood, sweat, and raw fear.
A Hunter, slumped against the cold dungeon floor, trembled violently as he stared up at the monstrous figure before him.
It was tall, unnervingly so, its shadow stretching across the cavern walls like some nightmarish entity from the depths of hell.
Feral, piercing eyes.
Muscles coiled like steel cables.
A presence so overwhelming that the mere act of breathing became a struggle.
The Hunter's weapon was shaking in his grasp.
His mind screamed one thing—run.
But before he could act on that desperate instinct, the creature spoke.
Its voice was deep, weary—human.
"Do not worry," it said.
"I'm human.
I… want to.. go home."
With their nineteen raids completed, Po, Jinwoo, and Jinho found themselves at a cozy little restaurant—one of Jinho's picks.
There, plates of food were stacked high, and glasses were filled with alcohol.
Jinho, excited as ever, raised his glass.
"A toast!" he declared, grinning. "To our success!"
Po chuckled, raising his own glass.
Jinwoo simply sighed, but raised his drink anyway.
The three clinked glasses, downed their drinks—
And Jinwoo immediately paused.
"…Huh?"
Po smirked knowingly. "Yeah, I already knew."
Jinwoo frowned, checking his System notifications.
[System Notice: All consumed alcohol has been instantly filtered. No intoxication effects detected.]
Jinwoo slowly set his glass down.
"…You're telling me I can't even get drunk?"
Po, already halfway through another drink, simply shrugged.
"I mean, I wasn't expecting it to work on me either." He took another sip, sighing in satisfaction. "But hey, at least it tastes good."
Jinho, completely oblivious to their non-human circumstances, was already a few drinks in—his face flushed red as he continued his tipsy ranting about future plans, guild dreams, and glory.
Jinwoo, however, was lost in thought.
This was only the beginning.
Their recent raids had given them both a massive power boost.
He called up his Status Window to check:
[Status Window – Sung Jinwoo]Level: 61Strength: 111Agility: 111Vitality: 111Intelligence: 111Sense: 111
He glanced at Po, who gave a knowing smirk—he had checked his own System a while ago and their stats were nearly identical.
Jinwoo took another sip of his drink.
For now, this was a farewell.
But he'd use this time wisely.
He wasn't going to stop getting stronger.
The Interview with Baek Yoonho
A few days later, the White Tiger Guild Master sat across from a well-dressed interviewer in a televised interview.
"So, Guildmaster Baek," the interviewer started, adjusting their papers. "We've received multiple reports that two mysterious individuals played a critical role in the recent Red Gate incident. What can you tell us about them?"
Baek Yoonho, calm and collected, leaned back in his chair.
"…Not much."
The interviewer blinked. "Not much?"
Baek smiled. "That's right."
"Surely, as the Guildmaster overseeing the raid, you must know something about them."
Baek's smile didn't waver.
"Oh, I do. But that doesn't mean I have to share it."
The interviewer chuckled awkwardly. "So, you're keeping things under wraps?"
Baek's expression turned serious.
"You see, when you encounter people that interesting, the last thing you want to do is let every other guild in the country know about them."
The interviewer swallowed.
"…I see."
Baek simply smiled again.
'I need to recruit them first.'
The interview wrapped up, and Baek Yoonho exhaled tiredly in his office.
Just as he was about to relax—his phone rang.
He picked it up, his expression neutral.
"…Baek speaking."
A voice on the other end—calm, professional, yet laced with urgency.
"Mr. Baek, yes, this is about the Jeju Raid…"
Baek's eyes widened slightly.
He straightened in his chair.
"…Go on."
And with that, the next storm was set in motion.
To Be Continued…
AN: I hope I didn't butcher this intro and the chapter in general, my bad if I did mess it up.