Chapter 59 - Turning Point (6)
Han Su-ah was in a great mood.
She'd gotten a full night's rest and woke up feeling fantastic, and for some reason, her makeup had gone on even better than usual.
Essential Armory, which had suffered through the dungeon break and its aftermath, had finally halted its downward slide. Now they were pushing back with Kim Sun-woo as their exclusive promotional model.
She'd come into the guild on her day off specifically to have lunch with him.
Relationships between people deepened based on the intensity of time spent together.
She had to close the gap little by little like this if she wanted any chance later...
"I'm Chae Eun-seo. Sorry for tagging along when you two were planning to eat. That's okay, right?"
"Of course."
Han Su-ah flashed a bright smile and nodded as if it were no big deal.
It was a spinal-reflex response, without even a 0.1-second delay.
The key was to make it seem like she wasn't bothered by the other woman at all.
No need to come off as prickly at their first meeting and put her on guard.
The lunch spot was the guild cafeteria.
With afternoon training scheduled, there wasn't enough time to head out.
Han Su-ah didn't mind wherever they ate, but the problem was the extra company.
A woman, no less.
"...?"
Kim Sun-woo tilted his head at Han Su-ah's even brighter smile than usual.
Did something good happen?
They picked up their ordered meals and sat facing each other at the table.
Han Su-ah naturally took the seat next to Kim Sun-woo, while Chae Eun-seo sat opposite.
"I heard only Main Assault Team members can use the underground training hall. Does that mean you're joining the assault team instead of being a team leader, oppa?"
"Nah, nothing like that. We're just training together. The guild master made an exception."
"Even if you're not on the assault team, you can use it with the guild master's permission. The bar's just set ridiculously high."
"Speak casually. You're older than me."
"Sure? Then that's great."
Chae Eun-seo nodded readily.
"In that case, drop the formalities with me too, oppa. We'll be seeing each other a lot going back and forth anyway."
"Works for me."
Chae Eun-seo was an exceptional black mage.
He already had some interest in black magic, so her help could prove useful.
The Parasa Flame showed absolute dominance against black magic and other impure forces.
But understanding the principles behind black magic would be better than just brute-forcing it.
Come to think of it, there's no end to learning.
As his martial arts realm advanced, it wasn't just about digging deeper into one path—broadening knowledge across fields became crucial too.
Just like the saying that knowledge is power.
With dungeon breaks and who-knows-what disasters looming, preparation was key.
"So it's true you hunted as an F-rank for nearly ten years?"
"Yeah. That's where I met Su-ah during that experiential training thing."
"Feels like ancient history already. Time flies."
The meal passed peacefully.
He'd wondered if she'd brought up the Parasa Flame or the initiation battle, but she avoided those topics.
Conversation centered on his F-rank days and how he'd first met Han Su-ah.
"Well, I'll head out. Good luck with training, you two."
"Yeah, take care."
"Bye~"
Maybe because neither Chae Eun-seo nor Han Su-ah had any rough edges, they hit it off quickly over the meal.
By the end, they were calling each other "unnie" and "dongsaeng," laughing like old friends.
After Han Su-ah left.
The two rode the elevator back down to the underground training hall.
"She's cute. I'd heard about the guild master's niece but never met her in person."
"...The guild master's niece?"
"You didn't know?"
Kim Sun-woo let out a sigh at Chae Eun-seo's surprised counter-question.
Han Kang-seok, Han Su-ah.
Same family name.
And Essential Armory always gave perks or special promotions to Mugung Guild members.
So that was the family connection?
One side's a top-10 Korean guild, the other's a major corporation.
Kim Sun-woo clicked his tongue in admiration at the impressive lineage.
Made sense—they'd hired those pricey Magic Tower mages without hesitation when he was trapped in the Cradle of the Broken Pilgrim.
The Night Team's subtle deference wasn't just because she was a rare utility hunter.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Nah, it's fine. She probably wasn't hiding it. Doesn't change anything even if she is the guild master's niece."
He hadn't approached Han Su-ah because she was the Essential Armory CEO's daughter.
If anything, they'd begged him to be their exclusive promo model.
Complete with top-tier gear and custom weapons.
...Though, admittedly, Han Su-ah's influence as part of the owner family had played a big role.
"So, did you figure out what you wanted?"
"...You knew?"
"It was pretty obvious the way you were probing."
Kim Sun-woo shrugged.
He'd noticed around midway through the meal.
A strange sense of déjà vu crawled up his spine while he was eating.
He looked up, and his senses flagged an unfamiliar incongruity.
...An enemy?
This was the heart of Mugung Guild.
No monster could slip in amid all these hunters.
Tracing the sensation, he eventually pinpointed it.
Chae Eun-seo carefully drawing out mana to scan him from the outside.
"So, what'd you find? Analysis results?"
"...You're not mad?"
"Depends on your answer."
He wasn't particularly offended.
Her black magic had been utterly rejected at its core and perfectly dismantled.
Even he'd be pretty shocked in her shoes.
Her head would spin wondering what the hell he was.
Chae Eun-seo had just gone for a more direct approach.
"Truth is, I couldn't analyze you properly. Nothing shows up when I try to read anything."
"I see."
"If you let me scan inside your body, I could investigate more thoroughly..."
Chae Eun-seo fidgeted with her hands and glanced his way.
Her eyes burned with the desire to dissect his body somehow.
So this is her real intent.
Kim Sun-woo gave a wry smile.
Of course, he had no intention of allowing it.
He didn't trust her enough to let unknown black magic into his body.
No telling what effects the mana might have once inside.
When Kim Sun-woo flatly refused, Chae Eun-seo looked disappointed.
"Can't be helped. Martial artists are tricky due to their internal energy systems. Still, if you're ever curious, just let me know."
Not likely.
Kim Sun-woo smiled and swallowed his response.
After that, days flowed into the same routine.
Head to the guild's underground training hall, train all day, go home and rest.
Occasionally hang out with Su-ah or head to Essential Armory HQ for promo shoots.
Seeing his face and voice on TV and online ads felt awkward as hell.
He wondered if it'd even work, but the "hero who saved Gangwon Province" title still carried weight. It had boosted the company's image and sales significantly.
"Essential Armory's playing the long game. They believe you'll hit A-rank."
"A-rank, huh."
Kim Sun-woo mulled over Han Su-ah's words as the Night Team gathered in the office.
A-rank wasn't something you rushed like B-rank.
The monstrous hunters swarming the underground hall were mostly stuck at B-rank.
Need major achievements or recognition from existing A-ranks.
A-rank hunters were practically national representatives.
Not just power—character, tendencies, and track record mattered.
No shortcut, even with top talent.
...Unless you had the overwhelming skill to bypass it all.
"Everyone's here. Let's start the briefing."
Robert, looking refreshed from his return, addressed the Night Team.
"First off, this mission isn't in Seoul—it's out of town. Expect a four-day trip."
"A long trip?"
"Yes."
He nodded at the team's questions and continued.
"Location: Pohang. Reports say it's a dungeon similar to the one that broke in Daehak-ro recently. We've been tasked with preliminary investigation."
"Tasked... meaning..."
"Yes. Association-designated mission."
"Knew it!"
"They picked Night Team because of our Daehak-ro interior scouting experience?"
"Exactly. We only have Sun-woo, Vice Team Leader Sung Ha-rin, and Hunter Lee Han-soo with that experience, but it earned us high marks."
Robert glanced at the quietly seated Kim Sun-woo.
He'd probably gotten word from the guild master already.
The Association picking Night Team was thanks to him, really.
"Huashan Sect couldn't join, unfortunately, but Crimson Tower's sending support."
"What's the dungeon's rank?"
"Originally D-rank. Now estimated C to early B."
The hunters nodded.
For recon, not full clear, Night Team plus Crimson Tower should suffice.
...We planned to just poke around lightly back then too.
Kim Sun-woo recalled Death's Land and the vampire encounter.
They'd gone in to check it out and got ambushed.
Probably something similar this time, but he wasn't too worried.
"Mugung's Main Assault Team handles the actual raid. Some members will accompany the recon, so no major concerns there."
The news of elite hunters joining lightened everyone's faces.
Solid merits and experience with minimized risk.
Though some worried it meant something ominous if the Main Assault Team was mobilizing.
Should be fine with those guys along.
Kim Sun-woo leaned back, picturing the beastly hunters grinding away underground even now.
Training that'd drop most hunters in an hour or two—they did it daily for half a day straight.
Several cuts above same-rank hunters in other guilds.
Reason Mugung held top-10 status despite its smaller size.
"Details are on the intranet. We leave in two days. Review and prepare thoroughly."