A massive, swirling A-Rank Gate hovered ominously over a locked-down intersection in the heart of Seoul.
Beneath it, the Hunters Guild's elite 'A-Team' was fully geared up and ready for war. The team was led by Son Ki-Hoon, a highly respected veteran A-Rank Tank. Heavy tower shields were enchanted with protective magic, broadswords were freshly sharpened, and the backline Healers were sitting cross-legged on the asphalt, quietly meditating to maximize their mana pools.
Everyone was mentally preparing for the brutal battle ahead. Yes, they were hardened veterans who had survived countless raids, but an A-Rank dungeon posed a catastrophic level of danger that demanded absolute, unwavering focus.
In some Guilds, veterans often grew arrogant and careless. But Choi Jong-In was a businessman first and a Mage second. He forced his Guild members to follow strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Arrogance led to casualties, and casualties plummeted the company's stock price. Because of that strict corporate discipline, the A-Team never let their guard down.
The assault team was ready, the support staff was on standby, and the perimeter was secured. The only thing they were waiting on was the VIPs.
"He's here."
"It's the new S-Rank."
"Kim Min-jun."
Instead of arriving in a heavily armored tactical transport like a normal Hunter, Min-jun stepped out of the back of a sleek, black luxury sedan. He was wearing his bespoke, navy-blue Void-Weave blazer and casually sipping a premium iced Americano. His hands were completely empty. He hadn't even bothered to bring a bow—a detail the veterans found highly concerning, unaware that his S-Rank weapon was currently resting as a simple white-gold ring on his finger.
Naturally, Cha Hae-In stepped out of the sedan right behind him.
Unlike Min-jun's corporate scholar aesthetic, she was dressed in her signature crimson battle gear. The armor was designed to be skin-tight, offering maximum aerodynamic mobility for her high-speed swordplay. However, the functional design also heavily accentuated her athletic, feminine silhouette.
She had tied her golden-blonde hair back into a practical ponytail, and as she walked, the gentle sway of her hair offered a tantalizing glimpse of her smooth, pale nape.
Min-jun wasn't an irrational simp, but he was still a healthy, nineteen-year-old guy. Naturally, he was going to be slightly affected by the sheer proximity of Cha Hae-In's charm. If he didn't even notice, he wouldn't be human.
By utilizing his psychology background, he could perfectly mask his external reactions, but biological attraction was a completely natural response. How was he supposed to stop it? Forcefully turn off his emotions and become a cold, calculating robot? That sounded completely miserable. He had been given a second chance at life, an overpowered AI, and the wealth of a billionaire. If he couldn't actually enjoy the human experience, what was the point of surviving?
[Report. Based on current hormonal and behavioral metrics, the user has a 98.7% probability of making Cha Hae-In fall in love.]
...Read the room, Manager, Min-jun sighed inwardly.
It was a highly complex situation. He really didn't want to steal Sung Jin-woo's canonical love interest just because he smelled like fresh air. If anything, he should probably be focusing his attention on someone else—someone who had actually stayed by his side and supported him when he was just a broke, exhausted university student.
But dealing with the complicated mess of human romance was a problem for another day. Right now, he had a job to do.
Min-jun walked over to the A-Team. Son Ki-Hoon, the Raid Leader, stepped forward to greet him. Ki-Hoon might only be an A-Rank, but he had years of terrifying frontline experience. According to the standard tactical textbook, a squishy backline Archer desperately needed a massive, reliable Tank like Ki-Hoon to survive.
"Alright, Min-jun-nim. Welcome to the A-Team," Ki-Hoon began, his voice gruff but respectful. "We are executing standard A-Rank protocol today. I will take the vanguard and draw the boss's aggro. Our Mages will provide heavy AoE cover fire to keep the mobs off you. Your job is to stay perfectly centered with the Healers and snipe the high-value targets from a safe distance."
The plan was incredibly simple, standard, and highly effective.
"What do you think, Min-jun?" Cha Hae-In asked softly, turning to him and waiting for his final approval.
"..." Son Ki-Hoon held his breath.
"It sounds perfect," Min-jun smiled politely, bowing his head slightly. "Let's follow the Captain's strategy. I am the rookie here, after all. Please take care of me, Captain Son."
"Yes, sir! Leave the frontline to me!"
Son Ki-Hoon's chest immediately puffed out in pride. He felt genuinely respected! If Min-jun had acted like an arrogant, spoiled brat, the veterans wouldn't have said anything out loud, but they definitely would have let a few monsters slip past the vanguard just to scare the kid.
But Min-jun was polite, respectful, and actively acknowledged the veterans' expertise. His attitude instantly won the team over.
Min-jun kept his polite smile fixed on his face, but inwardly, he was shaking his head.
Human psychology is almost too simple, he thought.
He knew exactly why it was so easy to manipulate their affection. First, his S-Rank status demanded natural reverence. Second, having Cha Hae-In acting as his personal escort visually cemented his overwhelming importance to the Guild Master. Nobody disrespected Choi Jong-In's investments.
Having successfully secured the team's total loyalty with a single psychological trick, Min-jun casually glanced at the swirling blue Gate.
Manager. Analyze the spatial distortion.
[Scanning... Mapping dimensional topography. Calculating enemy density, boss-level threat signatures, and optimal firing trajectories.]
[Analysis complete. In conclusion, utilizing optimal auto-pilot parameters, the user can completely clear this dungeon in exactly 45 seconds.]
"....."
Min-jun paused mid-sip of his iced Americano. Really?
[Affirmative. Would you like to engage auto-mode and allow me to handle the physical execution of the battle?]
"....."
Min-jun lowered his coffee cup. He looked at the heavily armored A-Team, then back at the Gate.
"Captain Son," Min-jun said, his voice suddenly dropping its polite, rookie tone. "I apologize, but we need to revise the strategy."
"Yes, sir?" Ki-Hoon blinked in confusion.
"I will walk in first," Min-jun stated smoothly, adjusting his glasses. "You and your men will wait out here for exactly forty-five seconds. Then, bring in the mining carts."
"....."
The entire assault team stared at him in dead silence.
"What?! Sir, that's literal suicide!" Ki-Hoon shouted, his panic instantly overriding his respect. "It's an A-Rank Gate! You can't just—"
"Captain," Min-jun interrupted calmly. "If I am constantly pampered behind a wall of heavy shields, I will never truly understand the danger of a dungeon. If I don't face the abyss myself, I won't grow. Will you allow me this?"
"That's..." Ki-Hoon stammered, completely torn.
What Min-jun was saying technically made sense for a Hunter's growth, but he was the Guild's most valuable asset! If he got hurt, Jong-In would literally fire the entire team!
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Min-jun-nim?"
A voice suddenly crackled from a smartphone held by a nervous Guild staff member. On the screen, Choi Jong-In was watching the live feed from his penthouse office.
"Yes, Guild Master," Min-jun replied, looking directly into the camera lens. "Let me take the vanguard."
"Very well," Jong-In smiled slyly through the screen.
Jong-In had zero intentions of stopping him. He actually wanted to see the boy face genuine danger so he could fully grasp the importance of corporate infrastructure. Plus, Cha Hae-In was standing right next to him. If things went south, she could pull him out in a heartbeat.
And somewhere in Seoul, watching the live public broadcast from his cracked phone screen, Sung Jin-woo just let out a heavy, utterly helpless sigh.
"Show me what you've got, Min-jun," Jong-In encouraged over the speaker.
"Leave it to me."
Min-jun handed his iced Americano to a completely bewildered medic. He stepped toward the swirling blue vortex. Without breaking his stride, he raised his right hand.
The white-gold ring on his finger violently expanded, unfolding into the sleek, glowing frame of the Logic Arc.
With the Manager actively feeding absolute, mathematical perfection into his nervous system, Kim Min-jun stepped through the Gate.