Chapter 63 — Why So Suddenly?
Chapter 63 — Why So Suddenly?
Translation: GodTL
Three days had already passed since the shocking incident of Sia's outburst.
Thanks to Rokan's meticulous care in every possible way, I was able to quickly recover from the aftermath of that day.
Of course, it still wasn't easy to even handle training, let alone conquer Gates.
But fortunately, I'd recovered enough to manage daily life.
Sia was the same.
According to Rokan, it would take a few more days for Sia to fully regain her condition, but even so, he said her recovery speed was faster than expected.
Along with that, Rokan added:
'This is all thanks to you. Because you forcibly stopped her outburst, her mana didn't completely deplete.'
Still, while it was fortunate that Sia's condition was better than expected, my heart remained uneasy.
'What if this leaves trauma for Sia?'
What happened that day was an unfortunate accident no one could have predicted.
Like a natural disaster—an earthquake, perhaps.
But according to Rokan, Sia seemed to be blaming herself, as if all of this was her fault.
As proof, since that day, she hadn't made our usual video calls—or even voice calls—and only sent short messages sparingly.
With her demeanor doing a complete 180, how could I not worry?
'No matter how much I tell Sia it wasn't her fault...'
She must already believe it was.
No matter what comforting words I offer, she probably wouldn't hear them right now.
At this point, all I could do was wait, hoping time would heal her.
After taking a sip of the elixir Rokan had left behind, I lay down on the bed.
Whether it was lingering effects from the incident or just exhaustion from having too much on my mind, I'd been in a daze for days now.
They say sleep is the best medicine, so I was about to close my eyes when—
My phone rang.
Checking it, I saw an unknown number.
'Another guild official or reporter's call...'
I pressed the volume button to mute the ringtone.
It wasn't as frequent as when my rank was reassessed, but calls still came in sporadically.
I couldn't turn off my phone either—what if Sia called?
Until Rokan established the guild, I'd probably have to endure this inconvenience.
'It'll take some time.'
Between taking care of me and Sia and repairing the dungeon Gate, he was already busy enough. Where would he find the time to create a new guild?
For now, the only option was to let it go.
After placing my phone on the bedside table, I tried to sleep again.
Or at least, I intended to.
But then—
Knock knock.
Someone was at my door.
I hadn't ordered any packages or delivery food.
Thinking it might be Rokan, I opened the door without much thought.
But—
Standing there wasn't Rokan, but a man I'd never seen before.
And he wasn't even Korean.
He was a towering white man, nearly two meters tall, dressed in an immaculate suit.
Realistically, what were the odds of a suited foreigner showing up unannounced at my tiny studio?
"...Who are you? Ah—I mean, who is this?"
With nothing about the situation being normal, I stammered in surprise.
"Pardon the intrusion. Are you Hunter Yun Min-jun?"
But from the man's mouth flowed flawless Korean—completely at odds with his appearance.
Too startled to notice at first, I realized upon closer inspection that he was wearing a translation artifact around his neck.
"...Yes, that's me."
Hiding my shock, I replied as calmly as possible.
"I am Chris Wood, executive secretary serving Guild Master Lia Black of the Aura Guild."
"...What?"
The Aura Guild—wasn't that one of the top ten most famous guilds even in the United States, the strongest nation for Hunters?
And their guild master, Lia Black, was said to be one of the few SSS-rank Hunters in the entire world.
But, more importantly—
Why would the Aura Guild suddenly come looking for me?
Had news of my rank reassessment reached the United States?
No, even if it had...
A guild like the Aura Guild must have an abundance of high-ranking Hunters and prodigies. Why come all the way to Korea for me?
While I stood dumbfounded, Chris continued.
"Our guild master has taken great interest in the achievements you've recently accomplished. As such, she wishes to meet you in person."
The leader of a world-class guild had sent her secretary to personally request a meeting.
I'd received plenty of contacts before, but this was the first time a guild master of this caliber had reached out directly.
Hearing that, conflicting emotions surged in my chest.
Discomfort—not only had they obtained my personal information and address, but they'd shown up unannounced at my home.
At the same time, gratitude—that the Aura Guild had flown all the way from the United States just to scout me.
...This felt strange.
Should I be angry or thankful?
And one more thing—
'It's not like I have any choice in where I go...'
As much as I appreciated their effort, I had no intention of accepting any guild's offer, no matter the conditions.
What mattered to me wasn't anything else—it was awakening my Dragon powers as quickly as possible so I could be with Sia.
I couldn't exactly tell them the truth about that.
"If our sudden visit has displeased you, I humbly bow my head in apology. We never intended to cause you any discomfort, Yun Min-jun."
"...Ah, no. It's fine."
The fact that he preemptively apologized, as if he had read my mind, made it even more burdensome to refuse outright.
"If you're uncomfortable, we'll leave without another word. But if you're willing, may I have just a moment of your time to explain our purpose?"
True to his role as the seasoned secretary serving the leader of a major guild, Chris continued with impeccably polite professionalism.
"To be honest, our Guild Master has personally flown to Korea from the United States to meet Hunter Yun Min-jun."
"......?"
So it wasn't just the secretary—an SSS-rank Hunter had come all the way from the U.S. just to see me?
"While recruiting you to our Aura Guild is her primary objective, she expressed that regardless of whether a contract is signed, she wishes to speak with you sincerely—Hunter to Hunter."
"..."
No, why is this so overwhelming?
Just talking to the secretary was pressure enough, but the Guild Master herself had traveled from another continent?
"It doesn't have to be today. If you'd prefer another time, she's willing to adjust her schedule to accommodate yours."
At this point, it seemed the Aura Guild's leader was too skilled at making people feel obligated.
I'd never heard of such an aggressive recruitment approach before.
Is this how they do business in the U.S.?
Before I knew it, cold sweat had started trickling down my back.
How could I coldly refuse without even hearing them out when they'd gone to such lengths?
An SSS-rank Hunter wasn't someone you met every day.
"...Understood. Since you've gone to this much trouble, I can't exactly turn you down. But I just woke up, so I'll need an hour to get ready. Can you wait that long?"
"Of course. We'll return in an hour."
Chris bowed slightly and left without another word.
What in the world is happening right now?
As I got ready, I tried to make sense of the situation, but none of it added up.
No matter how you looked at it, an SSS-rank Hunter personally coming to scout me was beyond excessive.
"There's got to be another reason besides recruitment."
Not that I had any concrete proof.
But as they say, there's no such thing as a free favor.
A heavyweight like her—someone who could be considered a super VIP anywhere—wouldn't go this far out of her way without an ulterior motive.
I had no clue what it might be, though.
At this point, I figured I'd need Rokan's wisdom.
After changing, I called him.
But whether he was busy with dungeon maintenance or something else, Rokan, unfortunately, didn't pick up.
So I sent him a brief text summarizing the situation before heading out.
"Then, allow me to escort you."
With utmost courtesy, I followed Chris.
Chris stopped in front of a high-end foreign car worth at least several billion won.
He opened the door for me and gestured inside, mentioning that the car had a mini fridge with drinks—I could take whatever I wanted.
Curious, I peeked inside and saw an array of premium liquor bottles, their labels gleaming.
Why are they treating me like royalty all of a sudden?
At this point, I was starting to feel uneasy.
No matter how much potential they saw in me, this was too much.
Frankly, even I thought this was excessive.
There had to be something else they wanted from me beyond guild recruitment.
While waiting for Rokan's reply, I racked my brain for possible motives, but nothing came to mind.
Before I knew it—
"We've arrived."
Chris opened the car door as soon as we stopped.
I'd assumed we'd meet in some private, business-appropriate location to discuss terms.
I was wrong.
Before me stood one of the top five most luxurious hotels in the country.
At this point, I wasn't just surprised—I was getting scared.
"We're meeting the Guild Master... here?"
"That's correct."
Guided by Chris, I was led to the suite where Lia Black, leader of the Aura Guild, was staying.
As soon as we arrived, Chris rang the doorbell.
"Guild Master, Yun Min-jun has arrived."
"Come in."
Chris unlocked the door and ushered me inside.
And there, I finally came face-to-face with the woman who had summoned me here—Lia Black.
Bronze skin radiating vitality, hair as dark as a moonless night, and rare amber eyes.
She's even more... overwhelming in person.
Lia Black—the SSS-rank Hunter famous not just for her power but for her flawless beauty.
Seeing her in person, her allure was beyond imagination.
Her looks were one thing, but her presence was no joke either.
Not that it mattered to me—I had Sia—but any single guy would've fallen for her at first sight.
Hell, maybe even women would be enchanted.
And then there's her outfit...
I knew Western fashion was more liberal than Eastern styles, but this liberal?
I didn't even know where to look.
If Sia saw this, she'd probably cover my eyes in a panic.
But whether she noticed my discomfort or not, Lia smirked at me.
Then—
"Welcome, Min-jun. I appreciate you coming all this way."
She called out to me.
In a voice so intoxicating it felt sticky.