Quite some time had passed, and the cleanup was in full swing outside. The guild masters assembled in the main conference room of the temporary command center.
“Elf.”
The first item on the agenda was the identity of the hooded figure.
“They appear in games all the time. Looking at the long ears, beautiful appearance, and the ability to command spirits… the figure must be an elf.”
The guild masters who were present in the conference room had been involved in the incident. Among them were Shin Yoo-Sung and Oh Tae-Jin. The other two S-rank Hunters were overseas and could not attend the meeting.
Bang!
“We’re not here to talk about games, Guild Master Baekho! Please take this more seriously!”
Then, someone raised a point. It was the guild master of the mid-sized guild, Baekho Guild.
“I am taking it seriously! Do you have any better ideas? What do you think it is then? He appeared with a stem, had long ears, and could command spirits!”
“Well…”As was often the case with these kinds of meetings, the discussion didn’t progress and only circled around the same points. With so little information, such a situation was inevitable.
“What do you think? You’re the first one to encounter the scene.”
Someone asked Shin Yoo-Sung.
However, Shin Yoo-Sung crossed his arms, deep in thought. Even he didn’t have any concrete information.
“The only thing the figure said was Aquila. I assume that’s the name of a spirit,” Shin Yoo-Sung said.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And the figure also said that we should all be killed because we harmed their mother,” Shin Yoo-Sung added.
“The figure must be talking about the World Tree! They might be referring to how we are clearing the dungeons and destroying the roots!”
The guild master of Baekho Guild shouted excitedly. His fervent explanation swayed the others to consider his theory.
“It’s also possible that the figure is just a lunatic…”
Other opinions continued to be voiced, but eventually, the discussion narrowed down to two main theories. The first was that the figure was a terrorist from a secret organization. The second was the guild master of Baekho’s theory: the figure was an elf protecting the World Tree.
As the theories started to sound plausible, Shin Yoo-Sung seemed puzzled. Then, he looked at the association president, who had been silently listening with his eyes closed.
“What do you think, President?”
Shin Yoo-Sung directed the question to the association president. The president slowly opened his eyes, looked around the room, and spoke.
“The truth is… some of you might already know, but the same kind of elf has appeared in Seoul as well.”
“What did you just say?!”
Half the room, who had never heard this news, was shocked. The other half, who had already been informed by their guild members at command center, remained stern.
“Fortunately, the figure found there was dealt with successfully. I saw the footage before you all arrived.”
“People from Seoul managed to capture the figure?”
People were glad that there was footage, since it could be a significant clue.
“Why are you only telling us this now?”
As the guild masters voiced their complaints, the association president gestured to his subordinate. Soon, the video started playing on the conference room projector screen.
There was an elf with dark brown hair and long ears. Moreover, a man was confronting him.
While most people were focused on the elf, two people’s eyes widened as they recognized the man.
Wait, isn’t that the same guy from before?
That’s the father of that kid from before, isn’t he?
Oh Tae-Jin and Shin Yoo-Sung recognized Kim Do-Joon. Oh Tae-Jin had seen him in a report photo, and Shin Yoo-Sung had met him in person during Kim So-Eun’s Awakening registration.
Why is he there?
What is he doing there?
Both of them were visibly startled. Shin Yoo-Sung, who had no idea that Kim Do-Joon was a Hunter, was the most shocked. His eyes wavered significantly. Regardless, the video continued to play.
The location seemed to be some underground shelter, while the footage appeared to be shot with a phone. People were huddled together on one side, while the elf and Kim Do-Joon faced off on the other.
Kim Do-Joon made the first move.
"What is he doing?"
In the video, Kim Do-Joon charged with a spear, but then reached out with his bare hand, puzzling the onlookers.
"Whoa…"
"Oh my…"
They gasped as Kim Do-Joon’s arm, which had grabbed the elf, was swiftly torn apart.
Game’s over.
Is another Hunter going to intervene and deal with the elf?
Most of the people in the room were A-rank Hunters, each holding the position of a guild master. To them, the outcome seemed decided after the initial clash.
However, the situation reversed quickly.
Kim Do-Joon’s arm, which had been damaged, began to heal rapidly, almost as if he had a special regeneration skill. The elf, seeing this, gritted his teeth.
The elf lunged and swung his hand, but then abruptly turned around. Kim Do-Joon, using a peculiar skill, bound the elf and slammed him into the air.
The video, full of twists and turns, drew the viewers in completely. Initially focused on the identity of the elf, they soon found themselves engrossed in the battle itself.
Finally, the clash of the two storms was shown.
"..."
"..."
The video ended there, leaving the conference room in silence. Even after the playback had stopped, no one could take their eyes off the screen.
He killed the elf.
That elf looked at least A-rank. He even used strange skills…
And yet that guy managed to take it down alone?
The guild masters began murmuring. Some wondered if they could win against the elf. Yet, the man in the video not only held his own, but ultimately triumphed with a decisive blow.
“Who is that man?”
“President, who is that man? I don’t recognize his face among the A-ranks I know. Is he a foreign Hunter?”
“Please, tell us!”
The people gathered at the conference room pressed the association president for answers. Since the video was first reported to the association, and the president had seen it beforehand, they assumed he had already investigated the man’s identity.
Above all, the president did know who the man was.
E-rank Hunter, Kim Do-Joon.
When he first heard this information from his subordinate, he was furious, thinking it was a joke. However, after seeing the photo in the report, the president was astounded. Kim Do-Joon was indeed an E-rank Hunter who had been certified for less than a year.
Despite knowing everything, the president remained silent.
“Hey, isn’t that the guy who topped the Hunter Exam last year?”
Someone finally spoke up.
“What?”
“Did you just say last year?”
Many people thought that was impossible, refuting the other person’s comment.
If someone took the exam last year, it would be hard for that person to even reach D-rank. How could one have acquired such skills in such a short period of time? More testimonies emerged from different guilds.
Guild masters started sharing information. According to some, their human resource team tried to recruit Kim Do-Joon several times. Moreover, some guild masters even handed him a business card.
The guild masters were either in disbelief or feeling dejected. Shin Yoo-Sung was among them. Apparently, not just his daughter, his father also had extraordinary abilities.
So the father and daughter are both prodigies.
Shin Yoo-Sung had never been told that he lacked talent, otherwise, he wouldn’t be an S-rank. Yet, to him, the fact that Kim Do-Joon managed to rival an A-rank in just a year was nothing short of astonishing.
What was I like in my first year?
In his first year, Shin Yoo-Sung was running errands for his superiors, fetching coffee.
“Anyway…” The association president spoke softly, his voice commanding enough to quiet the room. “Let’s discuss the elf in the video. That’s our current agenda.”
“But we can’t ignore that man either…”
“That man,” the president cut in, indicating the discussion was over. “I will meet with him personally.”
***
When Kim Do-Joon opened his eyes, he saw a familiar ceiling. He was home.
“Daddy!”
“Whoa!”
Seeing Kim Do-Joon awake, Kim So-Eun rushed over to him.
“Are you hurt, Daddy? Are you going to the hospital too?”
Kim So-Eun asked with worried eyes. After recently being discharged, she was afraid her father would be hospitalized, thus separating them again.
Kim Do-Joon hugged Kim So-Eun and checked his body. Fortunately, thanks to Siwelin’s excellent treatment, he wasn’t in pain.
“I’m fine. It seems like Unnie took good care of me,” Kim Do-Joon reassured Kim So-Eun.
“Really? You’re really okay?” Kim So-Eun replied.
“Of course I’m okay. Anyway, where is Unnie?” Kim Do-Joon asked.
“She’s at the store,” Kim So-Eun replied.
When Kim Do-Joon got up and put on a cardigan, Kim So-Eun clung to him. He chuckled and took his daughter’s hand, leading her to the store. There, they saw an elderly man in a suit and hat talking to Siwelin.
“This is very important. Can I please meet him?”
— As I said, he’s resting right now.
“Can you inform him about me when he wakes up?”
— I guess I can do that.
“Thank you.”
The old man turned to leave but spotted Kim Do-Joon coming to the store.
“He’s awake!”
Hearing this, Siwelin also turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kim Do-Joon and Kim So-Eun.
— How are you feeling? Are you okay?
“Yeah, all thanks to you. You did a great job,” Kim Do-Joon replied to Siwelin.
— Oh, it was nothing.
Siwelin waved her hands dismissively, and Kim Do-Joon smiled at her.
“But who is this gentleman?”
— He’s a customer who kept asking where the owner was.
“Oh, really?”
— He said this is who he is.
Then, Siwelin handed Kim Do-Joon a business card from her pocket.
Son Chang-Il, President of the Korean Awakener Association
Kim Do-Joon was shocked to see the title president. It hadn’t been long since he met the guild master of Mir, and now the president of the Awakener Association was here!
The old man removed his hat and greeted Kim Do-Joon politely.
“I’m Son Chang-Il, and I have something I’d like to discuss. Do you have a moment?”
Considering the timing of the visit from the Association, Kim Do-Joon could easily guess the reason.
Eldora, it must be about him.
Kim Do-Joon also had many questions. He wanted to know what happened to Hwaseong, and whether they figured something out about the black pillar, and so on.
“Sure. Come in.” Kim Do-Joon nodded and led him to the inner part of the store.
Kim Do-Joon brought a coffee table with guest cushions, then served tea. After that, he sat across from the president.
“Sorry for the humble setting. I’m looking for a new place to move, but I haven’t found anything yet,” Kim Do-Joon said.
“Really? Someone like you could move into a luxury apartment without any issues,” the president replied.
“I’m looking for a place that’s close to the store.”
The small talk, though seemingly trivial, carried implicit information.
“Someone like you,” he said… he must have done some research on me.
Kim Do-Joon assumed that rather than a slip of the tongue, it was a deliberate statement. The president probably wanted to convey that he knew something about Kim Do-Joon and wanted to cut to the chase.
The president likely knew he’d defeated Eldora. In fact, that was probably why he came to visit. If the president had investigated further, he might also have known about Kim Do-Joon killing Gwak Dong-Gyu, escaping the B-rank multi-root dungeon, and topping the Hunter Exam.
This was all public knowledge about Kim Do-Joon.
After sipping his tea, the old man spoke.
“I’ll get straight to the point. Can you hand over the body of the elf you defeated to us?”
“The body? Wait, did you say elf?”
Kim Do-Joon tilted his head at the word elf. The Association President chuckled, and began to explain what had transpired in the conference room. He mentioned that, due to the strong insistence of the Baekho Guild Master, the higher-ups had firmly decided to label the entity as an elf.
Upon hearing this, Kim Do-Joon found it plausible. It seemed to fit Eldora’s appearance and abilities perfectly.
“The body is currently stored at the Association. Upon preliminary inspection, we determined those ears to be real,” the Association President continued on.
“Really?”
Kim Do-Joon was surprised to hear that. The Association President nodded in confirmation.
“In order to reach a more definitive conclusion, we want to perform an autopsy on the body. Can you hand it over to us?”
Although the sudden request was strange, it made sense after hearing the explanation.
“We are not asking for it without compensation. We are prepared to offer you a suitable reward,” the president added.
“A reward?” Kim Do-Joon asked.
“First, there is a reward unrelated to this transaction. You’ve eliminated a threat and protected people, so you will receive a monetary reward.”
It’d be given regardless of whether he handed over the body.
The Association President continued, “If you hand over the body, I will submit a special promotion request on your behalf.”
This system would allow a Hunter to be promoted without fulfilling the usual requirements, based on the recommendation of a qualified Hunter.
However, the Hunter who recommended it would take full responsibility. Due to the heavy responsibility, the system was rarely used. The Association President was one of the few who had the authority to submit such a request.
“Usually, proof of one’s ability is required, but the video footage pretty much does that. You should be able to be promoted to A-rank without any trouble. What do you think?”
Kim Do-Joon pondered for a moment. A special promotion was quite a tempting offer. He had been struggling with dungeons that did not match his Compatibility.
I’d be crossing a significant threshold by reaching Rank A!
As an A-rank, he could enter all existing dungeons, including A-rank and S-rank dungeons, bringing him closer to obtaining the Golden Divine Elixir.
My ultimate goal is to cure So-Eun. If there’s a shortcut, there’s no reason to refuse it.
Kim Do-Joon decided to accept the offer. The elf’s body had no particular use for him.
However, he did not want to hand it over without any conditions.
“But, I have a few conditions,” Kim Do-Joon said.
“Go ahead. If it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen.”
The association president nodded, as if he had been expecting this.
Kim Do-Joon took a sip of his tea to organize his thoughts.
“First, if you discover anything about the elf, I want you to share that information with me. Will the body be sent to a research lab?”
“Yes, it will likely be sent to the National Monster Research Institute,” the president replied.
The National Monster Research Institute was located in Gangwon-do, where Kim Do-Joon had taken his Hunter Exam.
“I’d like you to share the results with me,” Kim Do-Joon said.
“Alright, I’ll send you the documents that come to me. What else?”
“Second, if any information about the Golden Divine Elixir or a similar fire-elemental elixir comes in, I want to be informed first,” Kim Do-Joon added.
“The Golden Divine Elixir? Why would you… Ah, forgive me for the unnecessary question.”
The Association President stopped himself and shook his head. If Kim Do-Joon needed money, he would not specifically mention the Golden Divine Elixir. It was obvious why he needed it, so there was no need to pry and risk offending Kim Do-Joon.
“Honestly, items of that caliber don’t come in often, but I got it. If any information comes in, you will be the first to know,” the president replied.
“Thank you.”
“Do you have any other conditions?”
“No, those are sufficient.”
Fortunately, the conditions weren’t too demanding for the president. Therefore, the Association President nodded in satisfaction.
“Then, we have a deal. I will apply for your special promotion, share the research results, and provide information on the Golden Divine Elixir and fire-elemented elixirs. Are we good then?”
“Yes. Please prioritize the third condition.”
“Understood.”
The two men shook hands. Although a formal contract would be drawn up later, the terms were agreed upon.
“Now that our deal is concluded, let’s move on to another matter,” said the Association President.
Kim Do-Joon tilted his head in curiosity, thinking the discussion was over.
The Association President smiled and spoke.
“Hunter Kim Do-Joon, would you consider joining our Association?”
Kim Do-Joon’s interest waned immediately. He had received countless offers from other guilds. Although the Association was different, his answer remained the same.
“Sorry, but I…” Kim Do-Joon said.
“If you agree to join the Association…”
The President’s tone was full of suspense. The following words were quite surprising.
“We will fully support your promotion to S-rank.”
It was an extraordinary offer.
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