Above their heads, the magic power values and levels of seven people floated into view.
Surprisingly, every one of them worked at this restaurant.
Three in the kitchen, three working the floor, and the owner, Yang Sang-ik himself.
What was even more astonishing was that all of them were C-class or higher Hunters, each with a magic power over 60.
In particular, Yang Sang-ik’s magic power surpassed 150, making him a Hunter of considerable skill.
‘This… isn’t just an ordinary restaurant, is it?’
From the owner to the employees, everyone was hiding their strength.
When he’d first come here, he’d felt like they were up to something in secret, and that feeling had been right on the mark.
‘Then Changsuk-hyung must be the same, right?’
Yang Sang-ik had said that Oh Changsuk wasn’t awakened, but the chance that was a lie was extremely high.
For a place that looked like just a simple barbecue joint to actually be a gathering spot for seven awakened Hunters—it was far too strange.
It wasn’t a particularly crowded neighborhood, nor was it a place where rifts frequently appeared or constant danger lingered.
So why, for what reason, had these Hunters set up a restaurant here and concealed their power?
Kim Seojun’s mind suddenly became tangled with thoughts.
“Student, would you like a drink?”
As Kim Seojun approached, Yang Sang-ik opened the fridge and pulled out a can of soda.
“No, it’s fine. I accomplished what I came here for, so I’ll be going. I’m sorry if I interrupted your business.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Take this with you on your way out. And don’t worry—I’ll pass along your number and message to Changsuk just as you gave them to me.”
Yang Sang-ik handed the canned drink to Kim Seojun.
“Thank you. Then, I’ll see you next time.”
“Of course. Come back with your parents anytime! I’ll throw in plenty of freebies. Hahaha.”
Kim Seojun left the restaurant just like that.
On his way home.
He kept mulling over Yang Sang-ik’s final words.
‘How did he remember that I came there with my parents?’
It had been well over a month since he’d visited that barbecue place with his parents.
Moreover, Kim Seojun had never mentioned to Yang Sang-ik that he’d come with his family.
His final words inviting Seojun to return with his parents weren’t just something said out of courtesy—it was clear he remembered exactly when Seojun had come and who he’d been with.
What were the odds that the owner of a restaurant, with hundreds of customers passing through daily, would remember a student who’d only visited once a month ago—and even know he’d come with his parents?
‘That means he’s had his eye on me from the beginning…’
There was no other explanation.
Kim Seojun hurried home, went into his room, and logged into the Rift Management Bureau’s intranet.
He tried searching the names of the employees he remembered from the shop, one by one.
Since everyone wore a name tag on their chest, recalling their names wasn’t difficult.
But none of the names turned up anywhere on the intranet.
If they were awakened Hunters, their names should have been in the Rift Management Bureau’s database. If a Hunter’s name couldn’t be found in the records, it meant only one of two things.
‘Either they’re secret Hunters operating for the government, or they’re “missing” cases who never went through the Hunter Academy after awakening.’
Secret Hunters were also called ‘Ghosts’. Unlike Jaegers, Ghosts were a globally renowned Hunter organization known by many, even if not much was revealed about them.
This Ghost organization existed in every country in the world, and the strength of each nation’s Ghosts was even used as a measure of national power.
Ghosts—whose names, faces, and identities were all but unknown.
They worked for their nations, silently taking out vicious villains or slipping into rifts for special operations.
Every year, Ghosts from around the world gathered for a competition to compare their strength.
Winning this competition meant a huge boost in national prestige, so every country would go to any length to recruit powerful Hunters into their Ghost organization.
If Ghosts were a transnational group serving as a yardstick for a nation’s strength, Jaegers were like a powerful hidden card found only in Korea.
Of course, similar special organizations existed in other countries as well.
But their names, structures, and members differed, and information was so thoroughly protected that nothing ever leaked out.
‘Could Changsuk-hyung and all those employees be Ghosts too?’
But they didn’t give off the vibe of agents carrying out top-secret missions for the state.
‘Or maybe they’re unregistered awakenings who never reported to the Rift Management Bureau?’
That seemed more likely.
They didn’t seem like an evil underground organization with ill intent, but you could never be too careful with people.
‘Maybe they even know where my house is already?’
It was quite unsettling, not knowing their identity while they seemed to know everything about him.
But there was nothing Kim Seojun could do for now, so he had no choice but to quietly bear the discomfort.
‘Sigh… Why is it so hard just to live a peaceful life?’
Kim Seojun sprawled out on his bed, folding his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.
And for a moment, he thought about how to talk to Yoo Hoseong about Oh Changsuk when they met tomorrow.
*****
After finishing his shower, Oh Changsuk was drying his hair with a towel.
Beeep, beeep.
Hearing his phone ring in the living room, Oh Changsuk walked over and checked the screen.
‘Yang Sang-ik?’
The caller was Yang Sang-ik.
It was Friday night, so he’d be busy running his side business at the barbecue shop. What could be so urgent?
Oh Changsuk tilted his head, then answered.
“Yes, this is Oh Changsuk.”
-This is Yang Sang-ik. Sorry to disturb you while you’re resting. I thought I should let you know right away, so I called.
“What’s going on?”
-Do you remember Bang Hyojin?
Yang Sang-ik mentioned Bang Hyojin’s name to jog his superior Oh Changsuk’s memory.
“Bang Hyojin? Ah, the woman who pretended to be an influencer and sold fake O-parts? Isn’t the Bang Hyojin case already closed?”
Bang Hyojin, who’d made a scene at the shop Oh Changsuk ran on the sly, had been quietly dealt with over a month ago when her true nature was revealed.
-When Bang Hyojin came to our shop, the student who caught your eye… do you remember?
After a moment’s thought, Oh Changsuk quickly remembered which student Yang Sang-ik meant.
“You mean that sharp-eyed kid? Of course I remember.”
-That student just came by again.
“To our shop? For what?”
If the student had come just as a regular customer, Yang Sang-ik wouldn’t have called at this hour.
-He was looking for you. He even checked your name tag to learn your name.
“My name? Did I ever go near that student?”
It had been over a month ago, but as far as Oh Changsuk could recall, he’d never approached the student directly.
-I think the student might have caught on to your abilities. He left a Hunter Academy instructor’s phone number for you.
“A Hunter Academy? Puhaha! This is a bit embarrassing. Am I supposed to attend Hunter Academy at my age?”
-This isn’t just something to laugh off. For a student who hasn’t even graduated from the academy to read your movements and realize you’re not ordinary…
“You’re saying that student’s instincts are extraordinary.”
Oh Changsuk said with a faint smile still on his face.
To think a kid he barely remembered would recommend Hunter Academy just from a single subtle movement.
What an interesting student.
-We should probably take a closer look and reassess him.
“Go ahead. I’m curious about him myself.”
-I’ll send you the results as soon as I can.
“And send me the instructor’s number the student gave you, too.”
-Yes, understood.
After finishing the call with Yang Sang-ik, Oh Changsuk changed into a neat suit and stood in front of the mirror.
A short man with a pockmarked face.
Because of his looks, Oh Changsuk had suffered through an unhappy childhood, but when he awakened to the mystery called “Descent,” he gained power strong enough to overturn everything.
Still, his unusual appearance had led to ostracism even at the Hunter Academy.
At first, he’d held his feelings in, but the more he did, the worse the bullying from his peers became.
Eventually, Oh Changsuk’s anger exploded.
His magic power was insignificant, but the “Descent” mystery was so overwhelming that his outburst became a legendary incident at the academy.
The death of the ringleader who bullied him. The injuries, some severe, to 26 classmates who had abetted it.
Because of this, Oh Changsuk was expelled from the academy and had to spend a year in prison.
Fortunately, because the incident was judged to be impulsive and the bullying against Oh Changsuk had been severe, his sentence was reduced to a year.
After being released, Oh Changsuk lived on the bottom rung for a while.
He worked any job he could find, but his unfortunate appearance meant he was never easily accepted anywhere.
Being an ex-convict made finding work even harder.
After more than a year of hardship, Oh Changsuk finally got his break.
Someone from the shadows of Korea’s underworld recognized his abilities and took him in.
From there, Oh Changsuk’s life became smooth sailing, and he even rose to the top spot of a powerful organization.
That organization was the Cheongan Twelve Branches (天干十二支).
‘A student who would introduce me to the Hunter Academy after seeing my face… how amusing.’
For Oh Changsuk, who had deep-seated insecurities about his appearance, this was refreshingly novel.
He always dressed sharply and wore masks and sunglasses to hide his looks, so the small gesture from a student was genuinely touching.
So far, few people had ever approached him with genuine kindness despite his appearance.
The previous deputy leader of the Cheongan Twelve Branches—virtually a mentor to him—was one of those few.
Oh Changsuk put a cigarette in his mouth and stepped out onto the veranda.
It was already dark outside, but neon signs lit up the surroundings in dazzling colors.
Leaning against the balcony railing on the third floor of a hotel-like building, Oh Changsuk lit his cigarette and looked down at the lawn below.
There, plenty of people were enjoying a party.
They wore masks, gathered in groups, laughing and chatting happily.
The party was supposedly hosted by an unknown chaebol family, but it was far from a simple gathering.
On one side of the vast lawn was a stage with a podium, and rows of chairs had been set up in front.
People gradually moved to take their seats, and soon, a middle-aged gentleman appeared on the stage.
The moment he appeared, the noise vanished.
“Now, I’d like to thank everyone for attending our Twelve Branches auction tonight. I trust you’ve all reviewed the items up for bidding? You’d better brace yourselves, because among tonight’s lots, there are not one but two O-parts—both ancient relics.”
As the gentleman finished speaking, the eyes of the crowd gleamed with greed.
*****
Saturday, 4:28 a.m.
Kim Seojun met Yoo Hoseong and Joo Gwangsik in front of Exit 4 at Jung-san Station.
The three of them got into a car and headed to Hannam-dong, where a family of the Holy Spirit resided.
Since it was so early, there were hardly any cars on the road.
Before arriving at Han Se-ah’s house, Kim Seojun spoke to Yoo Hoseong about Oh Changsuk.
He asked that, should Oh Changsuk get in touch, they show as much consideration as possible.
Yoo Hoseong asked who Oh Changsuk was, and Kim Seojun answered briefly.
He said Oh Changsuk was a local hyung who seemed capable of awakening a powerful mystery, but had been unable to do so yet due to difficult circumstances, so he hoped they could help him attend the academy at a lower cost.
Yoo Hoseong agreed without hesitation.
He said he was already grateful just to have Joo Gwangsik as a friend, and tuition was no problem—they could even let him attend for free.
Kim Seojun liked this forthrightness about Yoo Hoseong.
In his previous life and in this one, Yoo Hoseong had always felt like a warm, reliable older brother, standing solidly behind him.
About thirty minutes later, the car arrived at the western forest of Maebongsan, right in the middle of Seoul.
Han Duho, chairman of a certain group.
His mansion was as grand as its name implied.
It was so far from the main gate to the main building that they had to ride in a car, and the expansive walls—perhaps for defense against monster waves—were both tall and studded with guard posts.
There were heavy weapons stationed every twenty meters, making the rumor that not even an ant could get past the fence seem true.
Driving further up the mountain road, they finally saw a huge, magnificent building emerge from the forest.
A European-style manor straight out of a movie.
After parking in front, the group entered the mansion.
Yoo Hoseong came here almost daily, and Joo Gwangsik had visited three or four times and was used to it, but Kim Seojun was amazed by the scale and beauty, seeing it for the first time.
“Amazing, right? Every time I come here, I wonder if this is really Korea.”
At Joo Gwangsik’s casual remark, Kim Seojun nodded awkwardly.
In truth, what amazed him wasn’t the scale or style of the house, but the sense of constant surveillance everywhere.
As they followed a neatly dressed butler down the hall, Kim Seojun counted at least twelve CCTV cameras.
He also noticed mechanisms that could shut down windows or sections of the hallway in case of emergency.
Most surprising of all were the suited men they passed along the way.
A quick check with his mind’s eye revealed that every one of them had magic power over 100—B-class Hunters or higher.
Most were “Normal” rank, but as they went deeper inside, some were even labeled “Elite.”
They wore pistols inside their jackets, though that seemed more for show.
From their well-trained bodies, it was clear they all had formal martial arts training.
‘Truly worthy of a top ten family.’
Kim Seojun was impressed on several fronts.
This might not be all of the Saint Han family’s forces, but even with just this, they could easily fend off several special Hunter squads.
‘If this is what’s visible, their hidden power must be even more incredible.’
Kim Seojun felt greatly reassured knowing Han Se-ah was living somewhere so safe.
“The young lady is waiting for you.”
The butler, who looked to be in his forties and wore a constant smile, also possessed A-class magic power.
When the butler pushed open a heavy door, they saw a huge dome-shaped hall.
It was roughly fifty meters in diameter.
Shock-absorbing mats covered the floor.
“This is today’s classroom. The Han family’s private training hall, apparently. Look, the star of the show is already here.”
Joo Gwangsik, clearly excited, started showing Kim Seojun around as if it were his own house.
The butler quietly closed the door and left.
“There’s one more guest today?”
Han Se-ah was doing light weight training a bit away, and a woman in similar workout clothes approached instead.
“This is a student from the Academy who’ll be helping with today’s lesson.”
“Oh, you’re awakened too? Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Chae-ha, Se-ah’s manager.”
Introducing herself as the manager, Lee Chae-ha was a young woman of twenty-two.
On the way here, Joo Gwangsik had explained that she awakened at seventeen, graduated from the 1st Hunter Academy with top honors, and was hired straight into Han Group as a special recruit.
She had caught Han Duho’s eye while still a student, and since then had managed everything for Han Se-ah, knowing all the family’s inner workings.
‘Magic power 406… that’s incredible.’
Even for a manager, her magic power was well above A-class.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Seojun.”
When Kim Seojun took off his mask and introduced himself, Lee Chae-ha smiled brightly.
“Oh my. You look like a model. Anyway, please take good care of our Se-ah.”
Embarrassed by the compliment, Kim Seojun just nodded and smiled back.
At that moment, Han Se-ah, who had been stretching, turned quickly toward Kim Seojun.
She looked a bit surprised.
“…Huh? Are you that Kim Seojun, the runner-up from the tournament?”
Apparently, Han Se-ah had recognized him as well.
“Hahaha. You saw it too, Se-ah? Yes, that’s him. The guy who took second place in the last Academy Tournament, and my best friend.”
Joo Gwangsik piped up, and Han Se-ah’s eyes became big and round as she dashed over like a bunny.
“Seojun-oppa, it’s so nice to meet you! Thank you for putting on such an amazing match. You were the very image of the Hunter I dream of becoming.”
“Ah, yes…”
Kim Seojun replied with an awkward smile.
“What do you mean, ‘yes’? You’re nineteen this year, right? Then you’re ‘oppa’—so talk casually, okay?”
“Huh? Ah… sure, I’ll do that.”
Kim Seojun also preferred speaking informally, so he had no reason to refuse.
Just then, Joo Gwangsik butted in.
“Um, can I talk casually too?”
Though he’d been here several times, Joo Gwangsik had never been told to drop the formal speech.
“Uh… yes, go ahead.”
After a slight pause, Han Se-ah reluctantly nodded.
“Wahaha! Thanks a lot. I mean—thanks, Se-ah!”
“Yeah, yeah. Haha. Hahaha.”
Han Se-ah’s smile was a little strained as she laughed back.