Chapter 32
As the meal came to an end and Jung Cheol-min finished paying, they were just about to leave the restaurant when Jung Cheol-min spoke up.
“Suho-ssi, by the way…”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure about this? As you might have noticed the last time you were here, there are sometimes reporters waiting in front of the Korean Hunter Association building, hoping to catch a big scoop.”
It was true. Just like reporters who frequent police stations, there were always journalists loitering around the entrance of the Korean Hunter Association, hoping to catch a potential story.
Today was no exception. A quick glance revealed a few reporters gathered in small groups, chatting among themselves.
Seeing this, Suho chuckled and replied.
“Oh, if that’s the case, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. If you’d prefer, we can meet at the entrance on the first floor.”
“What? Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll head out first, and we can meet on the first floor, okay?”
With that, Suho stepped ahead and made his way out. Jung Cheol-min, worried, was about to ask if he should accompany him, but then something remarkable happened.
“…Huh?”
Suho suddenly vanished.
What was this? Just a moment ago, he was right there nearby.
It was strange, to say the least.
But the truth was, Suho hadn’t actually disappeared. The effect of the “Achromatic Solitude” engraved in the First of the Triple Strike triggered a perception distortion, causing Jung Cheol-min to unconsciously fail to notice Suho.
Seeing Jung Cheol-min’s bewildered expression, Suho nodded in satisfaction and entered the Korean Hunter Association building, passing right by the reporters at the entrance.
***
The two met again inside the building.
Curious, Jung Cheol-min asked Suho.
“How did you manage to get in, Suho-ssi? There were reporters outside.”
“Just a skill effect, that’s all. Shall we go now?”
“Ah… Yes, of course.”
A skill effect. Jung Cheol-min was curious but held back, as it was considered respectful not to pry into a hunter’s abilities.
Soon, the two made their way to the association chairman’s office, located on the top floor of the Korean Hunter Association building.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Jung Cheol-min spoke.
“As you probably guessed, you’ll just need to take a quick photo in the chairman’s office and have a brief chat. Thank you once again for doing this.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
Just as Jung Cheol-min said, everything was already set up for a photo op with Suho when they entered the chairman’s office.
Upon spotting Suho, the association chairman, Jang Kyung-hwan, and the vice chairman, Park Gyu-man, greeted him with broad smiles.
“Ah, Hunter, you’re here. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jang Kyung-hwan, chairman of the Korean Hunter Association.”
Jang Kyung-hwan had a genial appearance and a sturdy build. His impressive resume included being a five-term congressman.
At the same time…
‘This is the man who clung to the chairman’s seat until there was a major overhaul later on.’
His power only ended after two changes of presidency.
Of course, even then, it felt more like he retired after squeezing every last bit out of his position.
But this time would be different.
‘Before the current president’s term is over, I will make sure you’re ousted.’
Suho recalled his memories involving Jang Kyung-hwan from the Library of Memories.
Jang Kyung-hwan was a typical corrupt official. He used association funds for personal matters, was involved in hiring scandals, and failed to fulfill the responsibilities of the Hunter Association, spending most of his time idling.
As a result, during the period when the Korean Hunter Association should have been growing, it instead became the target of widespread criticism.
The most representative issue was wages—he played a major role in ensuring that field hunters affiliated with the Korean Hunter Association received meager pay.
Beside him, Vice Chairman Park Gyu-man was like his mouthpiece.
‘In some ways, this guy is an even bigger problem.’
To curry favor with the chairman, he often went overboard, pushing for unnecessary actions—just like when he instructed Jung Cheol-min to bring Suho here today.
However, Suho showed none of these thoughts and instead smiled warmly as he spoke.
“Yes, I’m Ahn Suho. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Haha, the honor is mine. In that spirit, may I ask for a quick photo? We’d like to use it in the promotional brochure we’re preparing. Having someone as outstanding as you as the model would greatly help build the association’s image.”
“Oh, of course. No problem.”
Normally, the conversation would lead to a casual ‘I’m a fan, can we take a picture?’ But here they were, asking for a photo right from the start.
Of course.
That’s just how they are.
It wasn’t surprising in the least.
So, the photo session began.
One with just the chairman.
One with just the vice chairman.
And finally, one with everyone together.
They made sure to take plenty of shots.
After the photo op, the secretary left, and the conversation finally began.
The vice chairman, who was seated across from Suho, raised his teacup and spoke.
“By the way, I heard that your goal, Hunter Ahn Suho, is to join our Korean Hunter Association…”
At this, the chairman’s eyes sparkled with interest, while Jung Cheol-min began to feel tense.
The chairman had the sharp gaze of a hawk spotting its prey, while Jung Cheol-min worried about what nonsense these old men might spout next.
But contrary to Jung Cheol-min’s concerns, Suho’s eyes sparkled more brightly than ever.
“Haha, yes. As I mentioned in the hunter exam interview, my dream is to join the Korean Hunter Association.”
Upon hearing this, the chairman and vice chairman’s faces lit up with delight.
“Oh, may I ask why?”
“It’s nothing grand… but as you might have read in the interview, I’m actually a gate orphan. So, I’ve always thought that I need to contribute to ending the gate crisis as soon as possible to ensure humanity’s safety…”
A typical, predictable story.
It was the same story he had told Jung Cheol-min and Jo Jin-hwi.
It might be considered a bit cliché, but Suho’s backstory was precisely the kind of narrative that those in power loved the most.
A tale of overcoming adversity and hardships, a pearl born from the mud, the classic rags-to-riches story.
Of course, it wasn’t a story concocted strategically to appeal to their tastes.
Everything was true.
Suho really was a gate orphan, and it was true that he joined the Korean Hunter Association with the hope of ending the gates.
When Suho finished speaking, the association chairman put on a sympathetic expression.
“Oh my… what a story. But to have grown up so strong and upright, your parents in heaven must be very proud.”
“Haha, I hope so.”
“In that case… what department would you like to work in if you joined our Korean Hunter Association?”
Suho quickly answered the question.
“As I mentioned to Team Leader Jung before, I’d like to work in the Gate Division, where I can directly attempt gate clearances.”
“Haha, of all places, you want to work in the toughest one… How selfless you are.”
“But the Gate Division is exactly where someone as capable as Hunter Ahn Suho should be. But wouldn’t other guilds be trying to recruit someone like you? Haven’t you considered those offers?”
“Oh, other guilds.”
At the mention of other guilds, Jung Cheol-min’s face turned pale.
He was tense, as it was a plausible concern.
Seeing this, Suho chuckled and replied.
“Actually, I’ve received calls from everyone—from Hexagon to Nexus. They’ve even promised me compensation beyond my imagination. But how should I put it? None of them really resonate with me.”
“Oh, so Hunter Ahn Suho isn’t swayed by material things like money?”
“Yes, I’m of the mindset that as long as I’m not starving, money doesn’t really matter to me… If they had offered something like gate access instead, the conversation might have been different.”
“Gate access?”
“Yes, since my ultimate goal is to end the gate crisis, I want to become stronger as quickly as possible. That’s also why I want to join the association—priority access to various gates is my primary motivation.”
“Oh….”
“Wow, Hunter Ahn Suho, you really do think differently.”
Both men were impressed by Suho’s words.
Perhaps feeling pleased, the association chairman turned to Jung Cheol-min and asked.
“Team Leader Jung, is there anything we can do on our end to help such a righteous person?”
“From the association, you mean?”
“Yes, if he’s so eager to access gates, why not give him one or two of the gates we manage? As far as I know, our association controls quite a few gates.”
“Ah, that’s true. But they’re all sealed gates or hard gates that are difficult to clear….”
Jung Cheol-min trailed off, clearly flustered.
And for good reason—the gates managed by the association were either public gates like the Tower of Trials or hard gates like sealed gates.
However, at that moment, Suho’s eyes lit up.
“Sealed gates or hard gates would actually be even better. Aren’t those the true enemies of humanity? If given the chance, I’d like to challenge those sealed gates, which are notoriously difficult to manage.”
“W-What?”
Suho’s sudden declaration left Jung Cheol-min utterly shocked.
“Wow, Hunter Ahn Suho! I quite like the way you think. What’s so difficult about that? Go ahead and do it.”
Chairman Jang Kyung-hwan approved more enthusiastically than anyone else.
“Mr. Chairman!”
“What is it, Team Leader Jung?”
“Uh, well….”
Jung Cheol-min was at a loss for words.
How did things escalate so quickly?
And to think Suho, whom he trusted, would also go along with this.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You’re truly remarkable.”
“Haha, if such a righteous person is willing to tackle the troublesome sealed gates, then of course we should support him fully. Isn’t that what the association is supposed to do?”
“Give me the opportunity, and I’ll give it my all.”
Suho responded eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this.
‘This is insane…’
Jung Cheol-min was not just flabbergasted—he was starting to feel angry.
Sure, Ahn Suho was a newly minted hunter and might not fully understand how things work, but for the chairman and vice chairman, who should know better, to act like this?
Do they even know what they’re getting into?
Sealed gates were so dangerous that they had claimed countless lives, prompting the government to take over their management directly.
Without proper verification, even large guilds struggle to obtain entry rights, let alone someone like Ahn Suho, an individual hunter.
‘This is why I hate dealing with non-awakened bureaucrats…!’
If they had ever personally entered a gate, could they make such rash decisions?
But more than anything, there was one point that irked him the most.
‘Sealed gates are known as the graveyards of hunters, so why would they send our promising talent into such a place…?’
Jung Cheol-min didn’t want to lose Suho.
Suho could potentially become a great hunter in the future.
That’s why Jung Cheol-min wanted to nurture him with great care, turning him into a hero who would contribute to world peace.
But the mood was so positive that he couldn’t suddenly turn serious and try to dissuade them.
Knowing the internal situation, only Jung Cheol-min was left feeling frustrated and helpless.
But on the other hand, as Suho saw Jung Cheol-min’s reddened face, he smiled furtively to himself.
