The Wolfsrein's Invitation
"It was you, Mr. Taemin. Wow, those techniques from earlier were truly amazing. I could hardly believe my eyes. Have you heard of our guild by any chance?"
"Well, I've only been active for a short time, so not really."
"Ah, in that case, would you be able to visit us sometime when you have the chance?"
"Why would I..."
"Oh, it's nothing suspicious. One of our executives really wants to meet you. If you look us up, you'll see we have a great reputation. It's a bit awkward for me to say it myself, but... we're one of the guilds with the most people waiting to join. Even if nothing else, it would be a solid foundation for your growth moving forward."
Taemin nodded reluctantly at Park Min-woo's words.
"I'll think about it."
"Sure. Here's my business card—come to the address below if you decide to visit. I have other business to attend to, so I'll be off."
After Park Min-woo left, Taemin looked at the business card. No title meant he was probably just a regular guild member.
Even someone at that level is just a regular guild member.
Taemin recalled the hunters who had surrounded him earlier. Every one of them had impressive skills. If he hadn't had his unique class, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
Park Min-woo was likely a high-level hunter to command people like that. If even he was just a regular member, Taemin could guess the guild's scale and power.
"Guess I'll head back for now."
Abandoning the hunt, Taemin headed to the entrance, hyper-vigilant for any trouble. Contrary to his worries, not even an ant was in sight as he exited the dungeon safely.
Back home, he booted up his computer and started web surfing.
Wolfsrein... Wolfs...
"Found one."
Information on Korea's top 10 guilds was sparse and fragmented. The same went for the others—almost like it was deliberately restricted. The top 10 guilds had some news interviews, enough to infer their general vibe.
"This guild does a lot of charity."
He couldn't trust news completely, but it looked decent. They even did volunteer work occasionally, so their public image was solid.
Now, what to do?
Taemin couldn't help but agonize. One of Korea's top 10 guilds—an executive no less—wanted to meet him.
With that kind of force, they could've just dragged me away.
That's what he thought, at least. Even if he'd broken through their encirclement, waiting forces outside would've caught him easily. Now that his identity was exposed, there were plenty of things nagging at him.
"Yeah. I can't keep hunting in secret forever."
Taemin decided to accept their invitation. He'd have to think about guilds eventually anyway.
The next morning, he drove to the address on the business card.
Wolfsrein's headquarters was near one of Seoul's most rundown slums—a civilian-restricted zone since the monster outbreak. Passing the ruins, he reached the top and saw a massive fortress-like wall and buildings come into view.
This must be it.
Calming his nerves, Taemin entered. A guarding hunter approached.
"What brings you here?"
"This person gave me their card."
The hunter took the card and asked for his name.
"Your name, sir?"
"Park Taemin."
"Please wait a moment."
The hunter radioed a report, then returned politely.
"We'll park your car. Follow me, please."
Taemin got out and followed. The interior was far larger than it looked from outside. Entering the rightmost of the jaw-dropping buildings, he took the elevator to the third floor and was led to a VIP lounge.
Sipping coffee amid the luxurious decor, a man in his early thirties appeared.
"Hello. Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Sin Dong-hyun, deputy manager of HR."
"No, just got here... Park Taemin."
"Yes, Mr. Taemin. Nice to meet you. Let's sit and talk. Uh... this might be rude, but feel free to skip it if you're uncomfortable. We're just so curious—I have to ask. What's your class?"
Taemin answered honestly.
"Il-sala-ja."
"Il-sala-ja... Hmm. What's that?"
"No idea. I haven't been awakened long."
"Ah, so you don't know your traits well yet, right?"
"Yeah, not yet."
"No guild affiliation... Did you know the dungeon you hunted in belongs to our guild?"
"Heard from the guys at the entrance. But I'm not in a guild, and I hunted legally under hunter law."
"Right, of course. I'll explain that later. Last question... what's your level?"
"36."
"...Pardon?"
"36."
"Thirty-six? How are you that strong at 36?"
"Beats me..."
Sin Dong-hyun looked shocked. Internal estimates had pegged him at least level 70. Snapping out of it, he said,
"Sorry, I was caught off guard. Wow, 36... Please wait here a sec. Need to grab something."
"What?"
"The enlistment contract. No pressure—just showing you."
♦ Chief of Staff's Office.
"What do you think?"
"Sir, doesn't seem affiliated anywhere. No signs of lying—just a regular guy in his twenties."
"Class is Il-sala-ja? First one, right?"
"Yes. If he's telling the truth, it's not in Korea... or the world."
"Can we recruit him?"
"We'll try. At that level, solo hunting's impossible without a guild. If it were another guild's dungeon, he'd have been executed on the spot. As you know, others treat killing intruders as normal. Plus, we can offer him tons—info alone is restricted at his level."
"Good. Woo him well. Top-tier treatment."
"Yes, sir."
♦ Wolfsrein Annex VIP Lounge.
"Sorry for the wait, Mr. Taemin. Here's our guild enlistment contract."
Sin Dong-hyun handed over the documents. Taemin looked troubled.
"I haven't decided on a guild yet..."
"I know. But hear me out—your mind might change."
Sin Dong-hyun laid it out.
"Since you awakened recently, you're unfamiliar with the scene's rules. You mentioned hunter law—yes, it's national law, so you assume it applies. But it predates guilds. Early awakeners banded under government lead to save the country—no issues then. But once monsters cleared cities and peace returned, dissatisfaction grew. High-value resources like mana stones went to government elites. Hunters started defecting. That's how guilds formed. They were suppressed at first, but numbers exploded—government lost control."
He took a sip from his glass.
"Guilds appealed to awakeners: pay a fee, keep your loot. Worlds apart from government's scraps. Awakeners flocked. As guilds grew, leaders demanded portals—which we effectively won, though government claims oversight."
Taemin felt confused. This contradicted online info.
But he wasn't stupid. Most info came from Hunter Agency, ending with "support us"—clear propaganda.
Sin Dong-hyun's story rang truer.
"I get the gist."
"Already?"
"Yeah. So I messed up—hunted without checking properly."
"Not what I meant. The real point's next."
"Next?"
"Yes. Key part. When did awakenings drop?"
"Three years ago?"
"Five exactly. Almost none past three. Pre-that awakeners are high-level now—no low-level hunters for beginner/low dungeons, so guilds ignore them. Mid/high dungeons? Demand outstrips supply—guilds guard tightly. Every guild does. But turf wars breed invaders—executed on site."
"Executed meaning..."
"Killed."
"We don't. Unless they strike first, we go easy."
"I... see."
"That's the problem. Profit-driven killing. Seems like turf now, but normalized? Chaos. Lawless world. So big guilds secretly build war forces."
"But government..."
"Can't stop war. Strongest single force, but simultaneous guild uprising? No counter. Weaker they get, stronger others do. They'd watch, then clean up after."
"Ah, yeah..."
"So, why not join us? Explained already—solo growth's tough without guild."
"Appreciate it, but why me suddenly?"
"Simple. Brass interested in your class. Unique, unreported."
"Our terms: full free hunting/raids. No guard duty. Officer-level dorms, shop discounts. Non-emergency events optional. All benefits, total freedom."
Taemin felt good inside. If real, no reason not to.
Top 10 guild: endless info, support dungeons.
"Contract length?"
"Standard five years—or one-year trial. Cancel anytime."
"Really?"
"Yes. If it suits, formal contract then."
Unprecedented offer. All growth needs, no strings.
Of course, prove it in time. But their confidence spoke volumes.
After brief thought, Taemin spoke.
"Sounds good. Let's do it."