The Hunter took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
It had been about three years since he left the military and started working independently.
He was gradually realizing he had no future in this field with his current abilities. He missed the pay he’d gotten as a soldier.
While debating whether he should go back to the military, he happened to hear about this event.
He’d heard that figures from the Special Ability units would gather, that perhaps even a big shot might attend, and that although the after-party was held privately, any Hunter qualified to attend.
After that, he’d asked a senior contact and barely managed to get an invitation. Even with his guild having gone under, being a guild master made it possible.
A hard-won chance—maybe a turning point.
Now’s when it matters.
The Hunter put on his mask and stepped into the hall.
A splendid sight unfolded before him. The ceiling was unusually high, as if two floors had been combined into one.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling. He was momentarily captivated by it before looking away. The hall’s appearance wasn’t what mattered.
The Hunter’s eyes lit up. With his future return to the military in mind, he planned to build connections.
Scanning the area diligently, one person caught his eye.
A man with a simple but luxurious-looking mask, an expensive suit, and an air of ease.
He was decked out in all sorts of expensive items. Even his watch had diamonds set densely along the bezel. Looking closely, it was indeed a watch from a famously expensive brand.
He’d heard big shots might come… could this be one of them?
I want to make a connection.
But the atmosphere made it hard to approach. While he hesitated, circling nearby, he noticed someone beside the man.
The companion of the apparent big shot was eating dessert. Gobbling it down with no regard for manners whatsoever.
Seeing that lowered his psychological barrier.
Maybe this isn’t as intimidating as I thought.
Right. If not now, when else would such a chance come along?
Working up his courage, the Hunter spoke to the brown-haired man.
“Good evening.”
“Hm? Good evening.”
The man returned the greeting with a smile, without rising from his chair. The bleached-haired one beside him didn’t even lift his head from his plate.
What is this?
Feeling ignored, the Hunter was put off. But since he didn’t know who he was dealing with, he held back and introduced himself.
“I’m Jo Wooyeon from Future Guild.”
There was no response.
Shouldn’t the other party introduce himself too, following the flow of conversation? Just as he started to wonder, the man scratched his cheek as if troubled and spoke.
“Hm… should I do that too?”
“!”
What did that mean?
The man’s attitude—as if it were obvious he didn’t need to—left him confused.
Could it be that this person was so important everyone already knew who he was without introductions? Was that why he hadn’t stood up when greeted?
The Hunter answered hastily.
“Ah, no. You don’t need to.”
Even so, he broke into a cold sweat, wondering if he’d made some mistake.
But…
The man in front of him, Seo Sinwoo, wasn’t even a Hunter. He was thinking about how to brush this off, considering using the fake name Kim Cheolsu.
Wasn’t the rule to hide your identity?
Honestly, these Association types really loved their networking. No wonder the Boss couldn’t stand the Association. He thought this to himself.
Fortunately, there was no need to use the name Kim Cheolsu after all. The Hunter let it pass without saying anything.
After getting permission and sitting down, the Hunter hesitated before speaking.
“I was a bit late today because I went into and came back out of a Gate that appeared near Incheon. Being late, it’s hard to join in on others’ conversations.”
“Is that so?”
Actually, the Hunter hadn’t really been that late.
Even though he’d cleared it with his guild members, having recently cleared a Gate was a badge of honor in itself.
It was just something he’d thrown out to show off his abilities.
Contrary to his expectations, even his confident remark didn’t draw much interest. If anything, the other man responded indifferently, as if he’d heard something trivial.
…What is with this guy?
The Hunter threw out a question to test the waters.
“Does the Hunter often go into Gates?”
It might come across as a bit presumptuous, but it was a question worth asking.
Whether he was an active Hunter or not. On top of that, knowing how often he entered Gates could help narrow down which department he belonged to.
He kept calculating in his head as he waited for the answer.
But then.
“…I used to, but these days I don’t go in myself.”
The Hunter thought.
He used to go into dungeons often, but doesn’t anymore? And if he’s someone everyone would recognize…
This person… is at least general rank.
No.
Seo Sinwoo had simply left out the rest of the sentence.
Just like the Boss said, I’ve practically been holed up at the hideout resting for almost a week.
The Hunter’s prior knowledge about the event’s attendees, Seo Sinwoo’s rude attitude toward him as if he were a subordinate, and the Hunter’s own nervousness combined into an absurd misunderstanding.
The Hunter, stiff with tension, swallowed hard.
“Well, then…”
That was when it happened.
Someone abruptly cut into the conversation.
“Can I get more?”
“Sure, as much as you want.”
The bleached-haired one, busy demolishing desserts, had spoken to the man assumed to be high-ranking military.
Once given permission, the bleached-haired one quickly grabbed his plate and stood up.
Speaking so casually without hesitation… who is this person?
The Hunter watched him, full of questions.
It was a brief moment as the bleached-haired one passed in front of the Hunter. Their eyes happened to meet faintly through the mask—red eyes.
“…!”
A vivid red.
The moment he saw it, a buried memory came flooding into his mind.
The memory behind his discharge from the military.
…During his military service, he’d once mistakenly entered a restricted area while looking for a bathroom.
There, he had accidentally glimpsed the Association Chairman’s secret room.
He’d fled quickly without anyone noticing… but the scene he’d witnessed that day, he still couldn’t forget.
A blood-soaked room seen through a small window. Eyes that met his as if piercing through him. Definitely eyes that lifeless, that red.
The Hunter stared blankly for a moment at the back of the bleached-haired one as he filled his plate.
…Someone connected to the Association Chairman?
This was beyond his level.
“So, what?”
The man in front of him asked, picking up the sentence he’d left unfinished. But—
“I— I think my companions have arrived, so I should— Enjoy your meal!”
Pale-faced, the Hunter hastily said his goodbyes and scrambled away.
“What was that?”
***
A masquerade ball.
With everyone wearing masks, security was naturally lax. Who came up with the idea to plan a party like this?
I made no effort to hide my boredom, leaning back in my chair and idly swinging my legs.
“Everyone’s living the good life…”
No one was approaching us.
Maybe because we obviously looked out of place, or maybe because of the bleached-haired one beside me, shoveling dessert into his mouth like a starving animal.
Someone had approached at first, but after rambling on about things no one cared about, he’d left quickly.
Bored, I started observing the masked people around us.
Even though this was supposed to be an after-party following the main proceedings, everyone seemed quite formal.
Most of them were probably Association personnel and Hunters. Like the man from earlier.
The Association… officially called the Special Ability Command.
Simplest way to think of it: a military force that handles Awakeners.
Opinions had been pretty divided about it at first, but by now it was regarded as an indispensable institution.
And this was the very 10th anniversary event hosted by that Association.
If someone died at the end of the event—especially in a venue packed with Hunters—it would definitely tarnish the Association’s reputation.
That was exactly what the Boss was hoping for.
If I failed, I’d die.
If I succeeded, I’d probably die too—either to the System or to Choi Haegang.
It seemed like a no-win situation either way, but the solution was simple.
I just had to not kill Yeom Hajae and stay put.
[Breaking News: Monster Rampages into Association Building… Numerous Casualties]
This party was going to fall apart into chaos without me lifting a finger.
My plan was to go through the motions of trying to kill Yeom Hajae, then frame the monster’s intrusion as a terrorist attack to make things even messier before slipping away.
That should be enough to satisfy the Boss, right?
“Ooh.”
Beside me, Jang Ijung, who’d been diligently devouring cake, licked the cream off his thumb in admiration.
“This cake is really good.”
“Is that so?”
He looked disgustingly carefree. Come to think of it, for this spy, this was practically a homecoming.
As I stared blankly ahead, bored, Jang Ijung spoke up.
“Looking for ‘that person’?”
“Yes.”
That too… but actually, I’d been feeling a strange gaze on me from somewhere for a while now.
It’s not Choi Haegang, is it?
I didn’t want to think the owner of that gaze could be Choi Haegang.
The mask I was wearing had a special ability attached that interfered with others’ perception. But somehow, I had a bad feeling that even that kind of trick wouldn’t work on Choi Haegang.
I let out an involuntary sigh, opening my mouth.
“Ahh.”
“?”
Something sweet and creamy touched my tongue and melted.
“Mmph… what is this?”
“It’d be a waste to come all this way and not eat anything.”
If this were the old days, I would’ve just spat it back in his face.
“Ah, haha… I’m fine. Ijung, you eat plenty.”
I had no choice but to chew and swallow the bread in my mouth along with a curse.
“‘That person’ still hasn’t arrived.”
“Right. It should be starting soon…”
I answered while checking my watch, and Jang Ijung tapped my shoulder.
“There.”
Looking up, I saw a man in a black mask entering the hall. Eye-catching red hair. Yeom Hajae.
I immediately checked for anyone following close behind him.
Yeom Hajae, glancing around, had no one near him. He seemed to have come alone.
Just as I started to relax, Yeom Hajae suddenly turned to look this way.
?
The instant our eyes seemed to meet through the masks, the lights in the hall went out.
Of all the timing…
It became hard to keep track of Yeom Hajae’s movements. As I scowled in frustration, a spotlight snapped on, revealing a mask-wearing emcee.
“We will now begin the closing of the 10th anniversary founding ceremony.”
The emcee, dressed as if for a magic show, droned on with boring remarks. The program that followed was equally dull—the national ceremony, the national anthem, and so on.
“This occasion has been prepared for all of you who have worked hard for our nation. Tonight, we ask that you set aside your burdens and enjoy yourselves freely. Thank you.”
I snorted. Enjoy yourselves freely, he says.
Not knowing a villain was right in the middle of the banquet.
Soon, monsters would come crashing in and people would start dying, yet here he was telling everyone to set down their burdens like it was nothing.
This is exactly why they get criticized for failing to respond properly to attacks.
Once the emcee left, the lights slowly came back on and classical music began to play.
People started sitting at tables or wandering around, exchanging greetings. Despite the masks, everyone seemed to vaguely recognize one another.
Jang Ijung had piled a mountain of desserts in front of him. I’d lost count of how many plates he’d gone through.
“Still hungry?”
“Yep.”
Still, to avoid getting in trouble with the Boss, I had to at least go through the motions of following orders. I planned to find Yeom Hajae before Jang Ijung finished this plate.
Right, Yeom Hajae…
…where did he go?
I was paying attention until the national ceremony!
I scrambled to search the crowd for red hair.
Fortunately, he wasn’t hard to spot, since Yeom Hajae was standing.
He was hovering near other tables. He’d exchange a few words while standing, then leave the table.
This happened several more times.
At first I wasn’t sure, but as I kept watching, it became unmistakable.
For some reason, people were avoiding Yeom Hajae.
Some kind of rank divide?
No. More than that…
Fear?
Just then, Yeom Hajae, having run out of places to go, leaned against a wall ;
I rose from my seat with a smile.
