Jeju Island: Entering the Storm
Seoul Central Hunter Association Headquarters. The lobby was already packed with people. Hunters and guild officials from every region mingled with association staff, creating a chaotic atmosphere. Those who had completed their volunteer registration were being processed one by one and directed toward the waiting area. Low murmurs rippled through the crowd.
My appearance—wyvern-leather armor covering my entire body and an extradimensional bag slung over my shoulder—naturally drew attention. Following the guidance, I stepped up to the registration counter.
“May I have your name, please?”
“Byun Jihoon.”
The clerk’s fingers tapped briefly across the keyboard. After checking the monitor, she nodded.
“Hunter Byun Jihoon. Your volunteer registration has been confirmed.”
The moment my identity was verified, hushed whispers began to surface around the previously quiet counter.
“Hey… that guy.”
“Isn’t that the free hunter who’s famous for only going after break zones?”
Someone’s cracked voice broke the ice, and as if on cue, every gaze in the vicinity swung toward me.
“He cleared breaks alone? Without a team?”
“Yeah. He turns down every guild offer and moves solo. I saw him around Cheongpyeong once, but his presence feels completely different now.”
The murmurs quickly turned into confident testimonies. Especially among those who had witnessed the Chuncheon incident firsthand, there was even a trace of awe in their voices.
“I saw him in Chuncheon this time… He was no joke. In the blink of an eye he was everywhere, treating B-rank monsters like regular mobs and carving through them.”
“How is that even possible alone?”
“I’m telling you, I saw it. That wyvern armor—he probably bought it with the money he made there. Look at the mana flowing through it.”
After a brief pause, one hunter swallowed dryly and continued carefully.
“……I saw it too. He sliced an A-rank monster’s neck clean off with that glowing sword. At first I thought an S-rank physical-enhancement hunter had shown up.”
“Rumor has it the Blue Dragon Guild is after him too……”
Overly blatant stares and speculation lingered at my back. I said nothing, simply adjusted the extradimensional bag on my shoulder and waited for the next instruction.
“Your current registered rank is confirmed as C-class.”
“Volunteer hunters, please move to the designated waiting area shortly according to the guidance.”
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
“……C-class?”
Someone let out a derisive laugh, shattering the silence.
“What the hell? Everyone was going on about Chuncheon, but it was all just rumors. Some rich kid who spent a billion won on gear.”
“Right? A C-class wearing wyvern leather…… He’ll probably see a monster’s face in Jeju and run screaming.”
There was laughter, but some faces couldn’t finish the laugh. I didn’t even glance their way. The looks directed at me shifted from curiosity to wariness, then quickly into cold calculation. Still, I said nothing. I had no reason to explain my abilities to them, nor any need to correct their misunderstandings. I simply stood in place, waiting for the next guidance.
That was when a man wearing armor emblazoned with the Blue Dragon Guild crest moved first from a short distance away. After scanning his surroundings, he began walking straight toward me. Slightly later, a man in Hyunmu Guild armor noticed the scene. He spoke quietly to the aide beside him.
“Find out who that is. Blue Dragon is moving personally.”
The aide nodded and left. I still didn’t know that, at this very moment, the eyes of two major guilds were simultaneously fixed on me.
“Hello. I’m Jang Jae-jun, Team Leader of Blue Dragon Guild’s Team 1.”
He gave a light bow. It was a formal greeting, but his gaze had already swept over me—eyes still weighing and calculating.
“Ah, yes. Byun Jihoon.”
I answered flatly, but he continued.
“I was impressed by what I saw at the Chuncheon break site. Your movements—reading the flow without stepping into the front line—were extraordinary.”
At that moment, the aide who had left approached Team Leader Ji Woo-hyun of the Hyunmu Guild and whispered briefly into his ear.
“He’s from the Gyeonggi Northern Branch’s Investigation Team 3. Currently operating as a free hunter after resigning.”
Ji Woo-hyun’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this. Wearing a relaxed smile, he walked over to me.
“A pleasure. I’m Ji Woo-hyun, Support Team Leader of the Hyunmu Guild.”
His demeanor was as natural as if we were already acquainted.
“Perhaps we’ve met around the Northern Branch? Your face looks familiar.”
Jang Jae-jun’s gaze immediately flicked between the two of us. He clearly had no intention of losing the information war. I pretended to search my memory for a moment before shaking my head.
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at remembering faces. It’s already been over a year since I quit being an investigator.”
At those words, Jang Jae-jun’s eyes flashed briefly. His expression was one of weighing the significance of the phrase “former investigator.”
“Haha, that happens. You must have seen me in passing at the branch office. I tend to remember faces quite well.”
A short silence followed. No one spoke, yet the calculations between them never stopped. The first to speak was Team Leader Jang Jae-jun.
“Hunter Byun Jihoon. I assume you’ve heard about the Jeju deployment. Our Blue Dragon Guild will be taking the lead in this operation, but we’re short on hands.”
His tone was cautious, but the core of the proposal was clear.
“We need the kind of movement you showed in Chuncheon. You handled your assigned sector without stepping into the front line. Speed, offense, no wasted motion.”
Team Leader Ji Woo-hyun didn’t miss the opening.
“Hyunmu will also be deployed as support. We’ll be handling reconnaissance and rear stabilization. If someone as flexible as you, Hunter Byun, can serve as the backbone, field operations will become much smoother.”
Jang Jae-jun nodded and continued.
“There’s no need to join a guild. Simply coordinating movement routes will be sufficient. We’ll guarantee maximum autonomy within the command structure as well.”
It was certainly an exceptional offer. But my answer had already been decided.
“I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of moving with a guild.”
The air sank in an instant. Both team leaders’ expressions hardened simultaneously, and the surrounding noise faded. With all eyes gathered in one place, I continued.
“As a volunteer hunter, I plan to operate independently according to association guidelines. I will also follow only the association’s operational command.”
When multiple people moved together, decisions dragged and coordination increased, blurring the results. When I moved alone, things were always simpler and the conclusion cleaner. Team Leader Ji Woo-hyun spoke first.
“Jeju is a region with too many variables to operate solo. Sudden situations are frequent, and the standards for handling incidents are strict. If you at least coordinate routes with the support team—”
“That will be difficult as well.”
This silence was neither short nor subtle in its discomfort. Team Leader Jang Jae-jun seized the opening. With the corner of his mouth raised, he spoke lightly.
“You seem accustomed to moving alone. Most capable individuals are like that. However, Jeju is a place where ‘incident records’ are left before results.”
His tone was gentle, but the intent was obvious.
“Simply having a guild name attached will resolve most of the noise that arises in the field. For someone as conspicuous as you, Hunter, that difference will be even greater.”
I looked at him for a moment and spoke clearly.
“If noise arises, I will handle it myself.”
Jang Jae-jun’s smile stiffened for the briefest instant. His eyes changed, then returned to normal.
“You’re certain. I’ll take that to mean you’re outside our management scope.”
Team Leader Ji Woo-hyun picked up the thread.
“In that case, all responsibility for on-site judgment will fall on the individual. Post-operation support may also be limited.”
“I’m aware.”
The reply was short, and neither man pressed further. Yet their gazes did not easily detach. I turned my back on those stares and waited once more for association guidance. For now, I had no intention of being bound to anything.
The personnel assigned to Jeju headed toward a nearby air force base using vehicles prepared by the association. It had been designated as the temporary assembly point, and several military transport planes bound for Jeju were already waiting on the runway. Hunters boarded in order, divided by guild. Unlike the commotion felt in the association lobby, the air here had settled into an eerie calm. From this point on, preparation took precedence over words—whether due to tension or because everyone was running their own calculations.
I was guided to the volunteer hunter section without any guild affiliation mark. The surrounding gazes hadn’t completely disappeared. Even while moving to find a seat, persistent eyes continued to glance my way. The atmosphere inside the transport plane didn’t change much either. Only the texture of the whispers had shifted slightly.
“You saw him in the lobby earlier, right?”
“Heard he’s a volunteer hunter.”
“He volunteered for Jeju? At a time like this?”
“Usually people try to avoid it. We’ve been hearing the outskirts have already collapsed.”
“That’s exactly why it’s suspicious. Maybe he came knowing where he’d be deployed.”
“Could be someone the guilds tried to recruit and missed? Blue Dragon and Hyunmu were both moving earlier.”
“Word is the association deliberately kept him registered as C-class because he’s the type that can’t be controlled.”
“Still, it’s Jeju…… What does he think he can do alone?”
The whispers never stopped brushing past my ears. Rather than curiosity, they sounded like people confirming one another’s calculations. I didn’t bother turning my head. I had no intention of explaining, nor did I feel any need to clear up misunderstandings. Only a strange sensation remained—this time, they weren’t reevaluating my abilities, but questioning why I was here at all.
Shortly afterward, the transport plane began to rumble and vibrate. The seatbelt sign lit up, and the aircraft slowly rolled down the runway. The city lights visible through the window gradually receded. Now, truly, we were moving toward a point of no return.
After some time had passed and the outline of Jeju Island was faintly visible outside the window, a sharp broadcast cut through the ambiguous silence hanging in the cabin.
“Attention, all support hunters heading to Jeju. The outer defensive line of Jeju City has collapsed.”
In an instant, the air inside the plane visibly sank. Even the hunters who had been exchanging low conversations fell silent at once.
“The Tamna Guild and naval forces are doing everything they can to hold the line, but they have been unable to completely prevent monster incursion into the city. An emergency evacuation order has been issued within Jeju City—”
There was no need to listen to the rest. Collapsing buildings, endless streams of evacuees, and the uncontrollably expanding control zone—the situation was clear enough for anyone to grasp. Someone spat out a low curse and clicked their tongue.
“If the outskirts are breached, that means the city is completely exposed.”
“That’s why the association made Jeju the top priority. The situation is far more serious than we thought.”
I exhaled quietly while gazing out the window. The collapse of the outskirts and the chaos in the city meant an orderly, full-scale battle was impossible. In the end, the hunters would scatter individually and fight a chaotic melee, filling the gaps where the lines had broken. There was no better justification for operating alone than this.
The transport plane descended and entered Jeju airspace. Below the window, a scene of black smoke and red flames tangled together filled the view. The outskirts of Jeju City. What could be called a defensive line no longer existed in any recognizable form. Monsters moved in scattered groups along roads cracked like spiderwebs. When I shifted my gaze toward the city center, the scene grew even more horrific. People poured out screaming between tangled vehicles, and buildings with their outer walls torn away stood precariously. Alarm sirens and screams mixed together, making the entire city feel like one massive block of noise.
“Upon landing, proceed immediately to your designated deployment points. Maintain the chain of command, but prioritize on-site judgment.”
Chain of command. I repeated the words inwardly. But in that pandemonium below, perfect control could never function. And chaos was always an opportunity.
Kwaaaang—!
The transport plane landed roughly, the fuselage shaking violently. The moment the hatch opened, Jeju’s air rushed in without mercy. The instant my feet touched the runway of Jeju Airport, the first thing I felt was the faint smell of gunpowder mixed with the sea breeze. The airport interior itself was still maintained as a safe zone, but the black smoke rising in the distance beyond the runway—over the outskirts of Jeju City—made it clear that this place, too, had already fallen within the war’s reach.
Even before fully disembarking from the transport plane, the guild assembly points were already splitting apart chaotically. Names representing the Republic of Korea naturally came into view. The Blue Dragon Guild and the Hyunmu Guild, followed by the smaller and medium-sized guilds. Hunters gathered beneath each guild’s emblem, and officials moved busily as if already anticipating the next movement. Free hunters were herded to one side by the association staff’s shouted instructions. While the sound of support vehicle engines grew louder from the large guild side, I slipped out of that flow. It was a spot right behind the association personnel—unobtrusive, yet offering a clear view of the entire battlefield situation.
Shortly afterward, the person in charge from the Hunter Association stepped forward holding a megaphone.
“We will now begin the operational briefing for the Jeju region!”
The murmuring noise vanished in an instant. What remained on the runway was not preparation, but each person’s resolve.