Jinchul returned to his own department, the sterile, silent halls a stark contrast to the charged atmosphere of the President's office.
His mind, once a disciplined, orderly filing cabinet of police procedures and hunter protocols, was now a whirlwind of possibilities and secrets.
He walked past the desks of his subordinates, each one a face he knew and trusted—to an extent. He trusted their skills and their loyalty to the Association, but he couldn't trust them with the truth.
He called over his two most senior and discreet team members, Team Leader Lee and Team Leader Kim. They were both seasoned C-Rank Hunters, their mana signatures radiating a quiet, steady competence.
They had been by his side since his early days in the Surveillance Team, and if anyone could handle this new, bizarre mission, it would be them.
He led them into a small, soundproofed conference room, the blinds already drawn. The silence was absolute. "I have a new, classified mandate from the President himself," Jinchul began, his voice low.
"Effective immediately, we need to subtly check not only raids, the appearance of gates but also all the details including the timing, rank, and all other information that needs to be collected and analyzed."
Team Leader Lee, a man with a stern face and an even sterner gaze, simply nodded. Team Leader Kim, a younger woman with an inquisitive mind, raised an eyebrow. "Subtly, Chief? Why?"
"You will be working directly under my clearance," Jinchul replied, his gaze unwavering not responding to her question immediately. "Your first task is to cross-reference data from the National Hunter's Associations for the last 2 years. I want you to look for any Gate that has a mana signature that is either unusually high for its rank or a Gate that has been reopened after being cleared."
He paused, his mind already going over the memory of the "Earthling's" knowledge. "And I want you to pay close attention to any Mana signature that shows a sudden increase after the first appearance. It's a long shot, but we need to start somewhere."
The two looked at him with an expression of polite bewilderment. They were trained to see the obvious—to hunt monsters and track mana signatures. What Jinchul was asking for was an esoteric kind of detective work, a hunt for patterns in chaos.
"This is all you will be told for now," Jinchul said, his voice a finality. "This is a top-level security clearance. You will not discuss this with anyone outside of this room. And you will report all findings directly to me. Understood?"
"Yes, Chief," they said in unison. The quiet respect in their voices was a reassurance. They didn't understand the mission, but they understood the man giving it. He will not talk nonsense.
He dismissed them, and as they left the room, his mana-sight, which was always in a passive, observational state, picked up something. A faint, almost imperceptible of someone's mana. It was a subtle, intrusive resonance.
He focused on it, tracing it back through the hall to a familiar presence—Kang Taeshik, a B-Rank Hunter in his team, known for his stoic demeanor and exceptional fighting skills. The "Earthling's" memory flashed in his mind.
The hunter was a part of the Association, but he was not truly part of the Association or to protect the people. A short, humorless laugh escaped Jinchul's lips. His new life was proving to be far more complicated than his old one.
He went back to his desk, the hum of the computers and the murmur of his team a jarring symphony of normalcy.
He sat down and pulled up the official Hunter's Association database on his terminal, typing in the name of the man he now knew was an imposter.
The data that came up was immaculate. Kang Taeshik, age 35, a B-Rank Hunter, joined the Association 10 years ago, spotless record, no unusual activities, no strange disappearances. He was a model citizen, a trusted employee - the perfect disguise.
Jinchul sighed, a heavy, quiet sound. It wasn't just a simple matter of getting rid of a Rat. The "Earthling's" memory was clear on this point. He closed the file, his mind already working on a new problem.
He had a more urgent and, in his opinion, more critical matter at hand. President Go Gunhee's Injury.
The "Earthling's" memory was clear: the President's death had been a pivotal moment, a turning point that had left the Korean Hunter's Association in shambles. He had died from fighting the monarch but couldn't go out fully due to hidden injuries.
He closed his eyes and thought of the S- Rank Healer in Korea, Min Byung-Gyu. He was retired, a man who had dedicated his life to healing others and had now turned away from the battle.
In the "Earthling's" memory, Min Byung-Gyu had died to the Ant King. He could change that and also try asking him to check the President instead of normal doctors.
Jinchul had a choice to make. He had to approach Min Byung-Gyu and ask for his help. Because he could not let events take their course, knowing that the President, a man he had come to respect and trust, would die, and the Association would be left without its strongest pillar. He knew he had to take the risk. He had to convince him, the man who is not a hunter now.
So now he had to deal with two hunters. One he may need to destroy and another to save. "Let's do it one by one. I need to meet directly with Min Byung-Gyu who is also the friend of Baek Yoonho (Guild Master of the White Tiger Guild)" Jinchul thinks.
Jinchul then thought of checking about the hunters working for the association. The Association's role is primarily administrative, including:
Ranking hunters through evaluation tests.
Granting licenses and permits for dungeon raids.
Monitoring gates and managing the overall hunter system.
The Association's own active hunter force, like the Surveillance Team led by Woo Jinchul, is a relatively small and highly skilled unit focused on law enforcement and national-level incidents, not routine dungeon clearing.
Looking at it, Jinchul murmurs " We need hunters who will work for the association. Even if it's small the team will need to have everything. Looks like I will be disturbing President a lot"
Jinchul thought of the hunters who are currently working for commission or freelancing rather than fully be part of the guilds. He needs to focus on getting them onboard the association. He gets the current information of the hunters available from their database.
The team needs to have a Tanker, Damage Dealers (Mage, Swordsman etc) and a healer. To say in earthling words a Balanced Party.
Jinchul returned to the President's office, the weight of his thoughts a palpable cloak around him. The plan he had formulated was audacious, a fundamental shift in the Association's strategy.
It couldn't be done from his desk; it needed the full authority of the President. Go Gunhee looked up from his paperwork as Jinchul entered, a faint, questioning arch in his brow.
"President," Jinchul began without a preamble. "My earlier proposal—the one to track anomalies—is a long-term solution. But we have immediate vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. To face the coming storm, the Association needs its own shield and spear. We need a team."
Go Gunhee leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly in interest. "We have few teams and Guilds already. What makes yours different?"
"They are reactive. They respond to Gates, to raids, to situations as they unfold," Jinchul explained, his gaze steady. "I propose a new, specialized team. One with two primary functions: Surgical Strike and Emergency Response. A small, elite squad that can handle high-priority threats with speed and precision, bypassing the slow, bureaucratic response of a large-scale mobilization."
He continued, his voice taking on the professional rhythm of a man presenting a plan he had considered from every angle. "This team would not be a guild, nor a permanent unit. It would be a temporary, needs-based assembly of the most skilled, loyal, and efficient hunters the Association has and we need to hire more if we can. We need a team that can be deployed at a moment's notice to a crisis point, whether it's a Gate that has reopened or a high-ranking monster that has escaped a dungeon. Their core would be offense, defense, and a support healer."
Go Gunhee listened silently, his posture unmoving. He saw the logic, the cold, practical efficiency of the proposal.
He also saw the inherent risk. Such a team would be a direct challenge to the power and prestige of the major guilds. It was a declaration that the Association, not the guilds, held the true power to protect the nation.
"I agree with the logic, Jinchul," Go Gunhee said, his voice a low rumble. "But the political fallout would be immense. The guilds would see this as a direct affront. A move like this could turn the guilds against us. I will bring it before the committee for discussion, but it may not be an easy approval."
Jinchul bowed respectfully. "Thank you, President."
"You are dismissed," Go Gunhee said, his eyes already returning to his paperwork. The conversation was over, and the outcome was uncertain.