That man, Lee Jaehyuk.
His movements were sharp, effortless, and far beyond what his status should allow. No hesitation, no fear. And that strange surge of power mid-fight… it wasn't natural. It was something else entirely.
"Who are you really?" she whispered, staring at her trembling hands.
Her eyes shifted toward the framed photo beside her bed herself and her brother, smiling under the summer sun. The memory tugged at her chest.
"I'll get the money, just wait for me," she murmured softly.
For a brief moment, Jaehyuk's voice from earlier crossed her mind.
"You should go home and fetch yourself something to eat."
It was a simple line that sounded careless and yet it lingered longer than it should have. She let out a faint laugh.
"You're strange… but maybe not as bad as you look."
She lay back on her bed, eyes heavy. The noise of the city outside faded, replaced by the slow rhythm of her breathing. For once, sleep came easily.
Across town, Jaehyuk walked beneath the flickering lights of a narrow street. His phone screen glowed in his hand dungeon listings, guild advertisements, and system logs scrolling past his eyes.
Then a new notification appeared.
> [System Notice] — Skill Evolution Unlocked: "Void Resonance"
Conditions met: Strength output exceeded limit ratio.
Evolution path available.
His gaze sharpened. "So that's what it was…"
He tapped [Accept]. A low hum rippled through the air, followed by a pulse beneath his skin energy gathering, twisting, reshaping.
> [Skill Evolved: Abyssal Convergence]
Effect: Absorbs nearby mana to boost all physical stats by 25%.
Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Side effect: Severe fatigue after use.
The rush faded, leaving behind a faint tremor in his hand. "Abyssal Convergence… fitting."
The next day, they set out to visit the local Independent Hunters Club a place where unregistered players and guildless wanderers gathered in hopes of being recruited.
Their goal was simple: find members and make their guild official.
As they walked down the busy street, Jaehyuk bumped into someone rounding the corner at full speed.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" the stranger blurted out, bowing repeatedly. "I'm in a hurry....here, take this!"
He shoved a business card into Jaehyuk's hand before continuing, "I'll, uh..treat you to lunch later! Gotta run!" And with that, he dashed off, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Jaehyuk looked down at the card.
'Kim Hyunjae,' it read in neat lettering.
"Huh," he murmured.
While Hyunjae had been fumbling to apologize, Jaehyuk had already scanned him a reflex at this point. The readout had surprised him. Strong.. His energy signature was dense, stable and refined.
Interesting, Jaehyuk thought, tucking the card into his pocket.
"Hey," Nayeon called, glancing back at him. "What's taking you so long?"
"Nothing," he said simply. "Let's keep moving."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the club. The building was cramped, filled with chatter and the faint hum of system interfaces. Hunters of all levels sat around, comparing stats or advertising their availability.
Jaehyuk's eyes flicked over the crowd. Pathetic. No wonder no one recruits them. Most of their energy levels barely registered past beginner-tier thresholds.
As they waited in the hallway, a middle-aged operator spotted them and approached with a polite smile. "Ah, good morning! Are you looking for a guild, or looking for members?"
Nayeon straightened up immediately. "We're here to find members to join our guild, sir!"
"Ah, excellent!" The operator nodded, gesturing for them to follow. "Come this way. I'll have you wait in a room and send in some of our most promising hunters. You can decide who you'd like to recruit."
"Thank you, sir!" Nayeon said cheerfully.
Jaehyuk sighed, pressing a hand lightly against her head. "Why are you so energetic this early in the morning?"
"Ah- hey! Cut it out!" she yelped, batting his hand away while glaring at him.
He smirked faintly. "You're loud when you're mad."
"Then stop messing with me!"
He didn't reply just let a small chuckle slip before walking into the room ahead of her.
The operator handed Jaehyuk a folder.
"Here are twenty applicants," he said proudly. "All of them promising hunters."
Jaehyuk flipped through the files, unimpressed. "We'll see about that."
The first applicant stepped into the room a nervous-looking girl clutching her staff tightly.
Name: Lim Dahyun
Class: Healer
Rank: C+
Main Attributes: Recovery Magic, Support Buffs, Light Affinity
Jaehyuk leaned back in his chair, unimpressed. "Huh… you're one of the promising hunters the old man mentioned?" he muttered, his tone dripping with disappointment.
"Is… is something wrong?" Dahyun asked softly.
"Hey," Nayeon whispered from the side, elbowing him lightly. "What's wrong with you? She's waiting."
Jaehyuk sighed, flipping to the next page. "I'll call you in if I decide. You can leave for now."
"Y-Yes, sir…" Dahyun stammered, bowing before quietly leaving the room.
"Next," Jaehyuk called.
The second hunter entered calm and confident.
Name: Nam Joohe
Class: Mage
Rank: B
Main Attributes: Fire Manipulation, Arcane Amplification, Mana Shield
Jaehyuk scanned her, and his eyes softened slightly. Her potential was undeniable. A+ if trained properly.
Her control was clean, her aura steady a born mage, but one who'd clearly been held back by lack of experience and team synergy.
"I'll call you in once I've decided," Jaehyuk said, glancing up.
Nayeon gave Joohe a bright thumbs-up from the side.
Joohe smiled, bowing before leaving the room.
Jaehyuk noticed and frowned. "What are you smiling for, looking like an idiot? Though, even when you're not smiling, you still look like one."
Nayeon's jaw dropped. "Are you picking fights with me again, huh?" she said, shoving his face playfully.
Jaehyuk chuckled under his breath, flipping to the next profile.
Hours passed. They'd gone through all twenty applicants some underqualified, others too arrogant to work in a team. Out of everyone, only three stood out enough to be accepted.