During the Time in the Tower
I couldn't make heads or tails of the current situation.
What?
Seong Yu-mi and Jeong Chan-woo left the Association?
No matter how much I racked my brain, it felt like some lame hidden camera prank, so I even searched it up on my phone.
“……”
How the hell is this real?
A quick search revealed that a week ago, Seong Yu-mi and Jeong Chan-woo had suddenly submitted their resignations and left the Association.
Seong Yu-mi had definitely said she'd lift the spell on my sister-in-law.
After that, I entered the tower.
I spent about two weeks inside before coming out.
Which means something must've happened during those two weeks that made Seong Yu-mi and Jeong Chan-woo leave the Association...
What the hell went down?
Seong Yu-mi is an S-rank hunter.
Unless she turned villain, there's no way the Association would've let her go.
Plus, Jeong Chan-woo, the strongest A-rank, left with her, so it's way more likely they quit for personal reasons.
So what could those personal reasons be?
What could've made both of them resign at the same time?
“-Mir.”
No matter how hard I thought, I came up empty.
I'd already tried contacting them multiple times, but neither picked up.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
“Mir!”
“...Huh?”
I snapped out of my thoughts at the voice from ahead and looked up.
There stood Gini, fidgeting in a pink hoodie and a long white skirt.
“A-Are you okay?”
“Looks good on you.”
After taking down the villain.
Separate from the shocking facts I'd learned, the shopping continued.
I'd considered heading straight to the Association, but figured it'd just stir up more chaos, so I held off.
Her small frame actually suited these clothes perfectly.
I nodded emphatically at how great she looked and told the clerk,
“Add that one in with everything else we set aside.”
“Right away.”
“How much?”
“On the house.”
Huh?
I blinked at the clerk.
She beamed at me and said,
“You saved our department store, Black Dragon.”
“That was just my job as an Association hunter.”
“The owner called and insisted you take it for free. No need to feel burdened.”
Tch.
I smacked my lips lightly and nodded slowly.
That had to be at least 300,000 won, and they're just giving it away.
Sure enough, department store owners like that are loaded and generous.
Jackpot. Saved some cash.
I controlled my expression as best I could and asked her to pass on my thanks to the owner.
She smiled happily and said she would. With that, Gini and I left the store, our hands full of bags.
“...We really got all this for free?”
“Yep.”
“Master really is amazing...!”
What'd I even do?
I scratched my cheek and glanced up at the darkening sky.
“...Gini.”
“Yes.”
“Mind swinging by somewhere real quick?”
Gini nodded without a word.
From her calm expression, she'd probably noticed something was up with me ages ago.
Still, she hadn't pried and acted normal.
This kid, way younger than me, had some real depth to her consideration.
Probably had to, just to survive.
I gave a wry smile and told her,
“Nothing big. Just some coworkers I worked with suddenly all quit.”
“Ah...”
“Figured I'd drop by. Doesn't seem like them.”
At least the Association might give me some answers.
With that, Gini and I headed for the Awakening Association.
As always, the Awakening Association was packed.
I slipped through the crowd, pulled my badge from my pocket, and hung it around my neck.
“Let's go, Gini.”
“Y-Yes!”
Gini hesitated at the throng of people but perked up at my voice and followed.
We boarded the elevator and headed to the ninth floor.
The doors are opening.
The doors slid open with the announcement.
The view beyond was exactly the same as before I entered the tower.
I stepped out in silence, turned, and stopped in front of the familiar door.
“Coming in.”
I knocked and opened the door.
I'd hoped the scene inside would be the same too.
“...”
No such luck. A lot had changed.
The room was completely empty.
No files on the bookshelves, no clothes on the rack.
Not even Jeong Chan-woo's sword on the shelf.
“It's real.”
They were really gone.
I considered checking the infirmary.
But my sister-in-law was probably gone too.
Then Gini, staring at the wall, muttered,
“Something's there.”
“Hm?”
I turned at her words.
And my eyes widened.
“Why's this still here?”
Seong Yu-mi's secret room.
It should've vanished when she left the Association, but the passage remained in the wall.
I hurried over and placed my hand on the wall leaking mana.
My hand sank right into it.
The space beyond was intact.
I poked my head in without hesitation.
“...Empty, as expected.”
The interior was barren.
I stepped inside carefully, eyeing the familiar sofa, chairs, and desk in turn.
Then.
“This?”
My Black Dragon eyes caught a trace.
A sharp spike of mana sticking out in the otherwise calm space.
Too faint for Gini or Omen to notice.
But Seong Yu-mi wouldn't make that mistake—I knew her best.
I reached out and gently touched the spike.
The moment I did.
“A letter.”
A small paper appeared in my hand.
I unfolded the quietly folded note and peered inside.
My face hardened instantly.
Suddenly summoned to the Association's disciplinary committee.
Received discipline for all sorts of reasons.
“W-What's wrong?”
“...Nothing.”
I quickly refolded the letter so Gini couldn't see and ground my teeth.
“Just... kinda disgusting.”
“...Pardon?”
The letter's contents were nothing much.
Just.
“Guess the Association has its power struggles too.”
I swallowed my rising anger and stared at the crumpled paper.
Nothing special in the contents.
Just that Seong Yu-mi had been suddenly hauled to the disciplinary committee.
And slapped with discipline for a bunch of reasons.
That was it, but the aftermath was obvious without thinking.
Couldn't stomach the discipline, so she quit.
What a bunch of useless bastards.
I clicked my tongue and held the paper up to Cheori on my shoulder.
“Cheori. Burn it.”
“Kkung.”
Whoosh.
The paper ignited in my hand.
I let the blackened ashes drop and walked back out the way I'd come.
Waiting for me was.
“Nice to meet you, Black Dragon. First time seeing you like this?”
A muscular man with black hair and yellow eyes.
I eyed him coldly as he blocked the door.
He grinned and waved lazily.
First time seeing his face.
But I knew who he was.
“S-rank hunter. Wolf Fang Heo Hyun-yoon, I presume.”
“Oh? You know me?”
“Hard not to know one of the three S-ranks at the Association.”
Ah, wait.
“Guess it's two now?”
“...”
Pfft.
Heo Hyun-yoon chuckled wordlessly at my response.
I stared back without reaction.
“What's with the attitude? I don't know why Seong Yu-mi left either. She just up and quit, left me confused.”
“Sure.”
“I'm just here to look after Black Dragon, the last one left on her team.”
Heo Hyun-yoon blinked innocently.
I replied to the loathsome bastard in a flat tone.
“No need.”
If you were gonna do that, you should've from the start.
Exhausted from villain hunts, I'd once asked Seong Yu-mi.
Was the workload always this heavy?
She'd said it disgusted her.
That it was all busywork she couldn't avoid.
Only two could dump busywork on an S-rank like Seong Yu-mi.
Heo Hyun-yoon, the S-rank always on TV.
And Kang Yong-chan, the perpetually busy Association president.
Who between them dumped it on her?
And who between them.
“I'm resigning.”
Framed her with bullshit and got her disciplined?
Didn't need deep thought for the answer.
Heo Hyun-yoon snickered and shook his head at my reply.
“Hey, Han Mir. Think carefully. Sticking with Seong Yu-mi who's already gone gets you nothing.”
“...”
“Power, money—they come from picking the right side. And I'm graciously offering you mine right now.”
He extended his hand toward me.
And I gladly smacked it away hard.
“Fuck off. What the hell is this bullshit?”
“...”
“Aren't you turning 30 this year? Act your age. Quit playing power games at the Association that's supposed to save lives, you prick.”
I brushed past the frozen Heo Hyun-yoon and kept walking.
“I joined the Association to make money, yeah? But not under you.”
“...”
“C'mon, Gini. This guy's bad luck.”
“Y-Yes!”
As Gini and I headed through the door.
A savage burst of mana—and a beastly, fur-covered arm—smashed it to splinters.
I turned blankly, locking eyes with Heo Hyun-yoon, veins bulging on his forehead.
“...Done talking?”
“What? Got more?”
“...One star's gonna fall tonight.”
Fur sprouted across Heo Hyun-yoon's body.
Soon, a massive wolf's sharp fangs tore at my throat.
But.
“What's this guy's deal?”
It wasn't me.
I muttered blankly ahead.
Gini giggled and whispered,
“Illusion.”
“Man, what a total moron.”
A giant mutt was just snapping at empty air.
Maybe call a famous dog trainer or something.
As I watched impassively, I glanced at the splitting air.
There.
“Black Dragon! Sorry I'm la— what the hell's he doing?”
“You're late, Hunter Seong Yu-mi.”
Seong Yu-mi appeared right on cue.
She eyed Heo Hyun-yoon gnashing at nothing like a bug, then turned to me with a smile.
“Long time no see?”
“Yeah.”
“That kid next to you...”
“As you guessed.”
She clocked Gini as a summon right away.
Seong Yu-mi nodded and silently extended her hand to me.
“Grab on.”
“Got it.”
I took her hand and offered mine to Gini.
The moment Gini grabbed it.
“Gah!”
Heo Hyun-yoon snapped out of the illusion.
By the time he whipped around desperately.
“...Seong Yu-mi!”
No one was left.
Teleporting while holding Seong Yu-mi's hand, I looked around.
“Where's this?”
“That Chinese place you wrecked back then.”
“...”
I knew that much without asking.
What I meant was why bring me here?
Seong Yu-mi didn't answer, just pointed one way.
A familiar car was pulling up smoothly.
“Long time no see, Hunter Han Mir.”
“You been well?”
“That's what I want to say to you.”
Click.
Seong Yu-mi opened the door and winked lightly at me and Gini.
“Hop in both of you. Long way to go.”
“Gini, you first.”
“Okay.”
I got Gini in the car first, then climbed in after.
Before I could even buckle her seatbelt, the car glided out of the alley.
“So, where we headed?”
“Jangwon-dong.”
“What? Why there?”
That's my neighborhood.
Seong Yu-mi glanced at me in the rearview and chuckled.
“Turns out someone else lived there too.”
“...?”
What was she on about?
I tilted my head and leaned back as the car sped on.
The scenery outside whipped by fast.