Gun-hwa (2)
Hunters. The guardians of humanity, protecting us from gates and dungeons while driving human progress through the spoils of those battles. Given how their lives literally depend on the latest intel, it's no surprise that internet communities—easy hubs for swapping info—sprang up everywhere.
And among those buzzing hunter communities, the most active by far was the Hunter Gallery. This behemoth always topped the site's post volume charts, and then a bombshell dropped.
Right there, a nuclear bomb in the form of Yoo Seo-ah's HunterStar post cheering on Kang Jinseong.
With her stunning looks, shining talent, matching personality, and the recent resurrection and revenge drama, Sword Flower Yoo Seo-ah was one of the most popular hunters in Korea right now. Her fan cafe, already at 50,000 members, had ballooned to 300,000 in just a week—and it was still climbing. Her momentum was unstoppable.
When they reconquered the Gangnam Station Gate in just three days and gave interviews, it was Yoo Seo-ah—not even Captain Kim Seo-hee—who got called up. Yeah, this was straight-up the Yoo Seo-ah era.
And now, this supernova leading the charge had suddenly posted a selfie with some no-name guy.
After joining Cheongmyeong Guild, in countless interviews when asked about her personal life, she'd always awkwardly stammer, "I don't really have many close friends... haha."
"Ah, so do you have a lover by any chance?"
At one press conference, hit with an icebreaker question:
"Boyfriend? Nope, don't have one."
"You mean not right now?"
"No, none."
"Never had one?"
"Nope."
"Oh, come on, you must've had one before?"
"Ughhh! I mean no! None at all! I've never had a boyfriend ever!"
She'd blurted it out with tears welling up, and it became the stuff of legend.
Pretty face, top-tier skills and talent, plus cute and pure? Yoo Seo-ah had every ingredient to make guys' hearts race. That's why, in just two months, she'd become the hottest hunter in the communities.
And today, she'd posted a support shoutout for Kang Jinseong on her HunterStar. A selfie of them shoulder-to-shoulder on a home couch, just the two of them.
The gallery going up in flames was inevitable.
The Hunter Gallery users claiming to be Yoo Seo-ah fans had their minds completely shattered. The unicorn stans who'd ridden her "pure, no experience" interviews were vomiting blood. Their spewed rage turned the gallery into a bloodbath, and non-fans piled on the fuel for total chaos.
Mods were banning left and right, slapping on 8-digit codes, but the flames wouldn't die. Just as all that firepower was about to rain down on Yoo Seo-ah, one post rose up.
A speculation post from the fixed-nick sword flower, infamous in the gallery as a Yoo Seo-ah stan.
The post's plausible logic started dousing the sky-high flames.
A few users still not getting it raised questions, but...
Wrapped up neatly in more plausible excuses. Just as the incident seemed headed for a peaceful close—"Kang Jinseong's a new Cheongmyeong recruit, and Yoo Seo-ah did promo at the guild's request"—another nuke hit the Hunter Gallery.
The exposé post revealing Kang Jinseong as a half-baked hunter, not a guild newbie.
The unicorns betrayed by Yoo Seo-ah turned their wails toward Kang Jinseong in an instant.
Hunters who knew Kang Jinseong piled on with more posts, flooding the gallery with anti-Jinseong content in seconds. All negative, naturally.
And so, Yoo Seo-ah's cheer post birthed the worst possible outcome.
※ The day after Yoo Seo-ah posted her HunterStar support.
I headed confidently to the hunter relay station near Seoul Station. A spot where solo hunters without guilds or fixed teams could form parties and grab requests.
Hadn't used it since teaming with Yoo Seo-ah. Four years? Long time.
Back in my half-ass no-unique-ability days, no one wanted me on their team. Ignored, told to fuck off—endless shitty days.
But now? Different story. I had my unique ability Full Bloom and my custom auto-pistols, Gun-hwa. Plus a shoutout from the hottest hunter around, Yoo Seo-ah. Might even have a mob of hunters begging to team up.
Was I finally living the popular life? Free pass to any relay team?
Click.
Harboring those hopes, I pushed open the relay station door.
"...Huh?"
The whole place went dead silent in an instant. Every eye inside locked on me.
And I realized those stares were laced with raw hostility.
What the hell, out of nowhere.