A New Morning Dawns
A new morning dawned. After sharing a rare night of intimacy with Yoon Ji-young, Park Taemin got up and immediately took her to a quiet lakeside.
"Why here?"
"I said I'd give you a gift yesterday, remember? Just wait a sec."
Taemin left Yoon Ji-young standing there and opened his inventory, pulling out items suited for her. As he laid several pieces on the ground, her eyes widened in surprise.
"What are all these?"
"What else? The gifts I mentioned. Take a look."
Taemin waited, already picturing her shocked reaction.
A moment later, Yoon Ji-young, who had placed the items in her inventory to check their info, stared at him with a dazed expression. She'd expected something rare at best as a "great gift," but all the gear he gave her was Unique-grade—she couldn't help but be stunned.
And rightly so. Unique items were so scarce that even money couldn't always buy them; supply barely met demand. Even scouring every regional market turned up only a handful, yet he'd given her three. No wonder she was floored.
The weapon especially stood out.
"Honey, this is too much..."
"What do you think? Like it?"
"Where on earth did you get these?"
"I asked if you liked it. Does that matter?"
"Of course I love it. But it's so extravagant... I don't know if I deserve it."
"Of course you do. You've more than earned it. That staff looks good on you, right? Dual skills—super useful for hunting."
"Yeah. Good? I could use it for life. You really mean I can have it?"
"Jeez. What, are we strangers or something?"
"But I haven't done anything for you."
"Haven't done anything? Just having you by my side is the most precious gift to me."
Taemin meant every word. By now, she was irreplaceable to him.
"Taemin."
Tears welled up in Yoon Ji-young's eyes, touched by his sincerity. He gently pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear.
"I love you. So much."
"I love you too."
They held each other tightly for a while, reaffirming their love, until people started appearing in the distance. They pulled apart, composed themselves, and returned to their duties.
As usual, Taemin dove into guild construction work and headed to the executive meeting room after lunch. The meeting kicked off with a report from Combat Support Chief Kim Yoon-jin.
The procurement team had safely gone back and forth to the city two weeks ago without issue. Following Chief of Staff Kim Hwan's orders, Kim Yoon-jin mobilized her intelligence unit to scout the outside world. Though most info came from mass media, they had a rough grasp of the situation.
"As expected, Honam, Busan, and Gyeongnam are mobilizing. They've all turned against the New Justice Party. East and West have formed an alliance for now, but media outlets are speculating a nationwide coalition will form soon."
"I see. So it's come to that. This puts Hwarang in a real bind. No matter how strong they are, they can't fight all of Korea. They could crumble fast if we play it right."
Kim Yoon-jin replied apologetically to Chief of Staff Kim Hwan's words.
"It's too early to say for sure. They're getting support from China—over 20,000 troops have already crossed for war prep. And we just learned today: Japanese forces have flooded Jeju Island. They're backing the current government, so Japan might be involved too."
"China wasn't enough—they're dragging Japan in? What the hell are they thinking?"
"We couldn't dig that deep. As you know, our info is all surface-level..."
"Mm. Fair enough. Still, this is progress. Compared to when we first arrived, we've come far. Keep it up—you can lean on the execs for whatever you need."
"Yes, Chief."
"Anyway, how's internal construction? I walked around—most facilities seem set."
Management Chief Kim Hana spoke up.
"Once we finish the two new warehouses, the laundry by the bathhouse, and the extra restrooms in back, Phase 1 should wrap up. The magic lights you mentioned last time? Sorted with help from Director Sin Dong-hyun and Captain Park Taemin."
"Good. Facilities are covered for now. Yoon Ji-young."
"Yes, Chief."
"How much food and combat supplies are stockpiled?"
"Food could last about six months without resupply. Potions—for small parties, enough for the whole guild for two months. Essentials? At least two years' worth."
"Perfect. Food's building up steadily anyway... Looks like we've got daily needs covered. From a bare dungeon to this—human potential knows no bounds. I never expected it. Great work, everyone. Keep pushing a bit longer."
"Yes, Chief."
"That wraps today's meeting?"
Taemin, who had been quietly observing, raised his hand.
"Chief."
"Yes, Captain Park?"
"I have something on guild hunting."
"Guild hunting? Speak."
Taemin got the floor and summarized recent events.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. I went pretty far—no forces guarding this area. They must be ignoring us."
"Could be a trap."
"If it was, something would've happened by now. I've been hunting for over ten days."
"Checked mid-tier dungeons?"
"Saw a few en route, but not thoroughly. I stuck to upper-tier."
"Hm. Too soon to talk hunting then. As you know, few can handle upper dungeons from here—Death Land at best."
"Do we need mid-tier?"
"What? Where then?"
"I scouted a spot. Perfect for the whole guild to grow together."
"Where?"
"Demon King's Castle."
"Wh-what?"
The chief stammered at Taemin's words.
"Demon King's Castle? You serious? That's..."
"I'm speaking from experience. Other dungeons take too long to secure and clear—no real growth either. Give me a fortnight. I'll get everyone to A-rank."
The room erupted in shock.
"What? Everyone to A-rank in two weeks?"
"Captain, is that possible?"
"A-rank in a fortnight?"
Taemin, anticipating the reaction, continued calmly.
"Very possible. I've power-leveled staff like this before. Chief Kim Yoon-jin knows—she was there."
Kim Yoon-jin, who had worked under him, nodded silently. Back then—not upper dungeons, but relic sites—the management team had skyrocketed in a month.
"Hm. But Demon King's Castle... You sure? If you fail, we're all dead."
"Don't worry. I've run every scenario over ten days of hunting. It's solid. Follow my lead—no major risks."
Convinced by his confidence, the chief turned to the execs.
"Your thoughts?"
They all voiced approval.
"Why say no to a boost?"
"I think it's good."
"Don't know how dangerous it is, but with the captain? No fear."
There was reason for their positivity. Most had ties to Taemin. His otherworldly skills in hunts made even Demon King's Castle seem doable.
With consensus, the chief nodded to Taemin.
"When do we start? Plan?"
"Tomorrow's ideal. Too many means EXP penalties and construction delays, so two teams. Everyone hunts every other day."
"Two teams? That's 150-ish. Shrink it? Never been, but EXP efficiency..."
"No. Perfect number. Trust me."
The chief nodded firmly.
"Approved. Meeting adjourned. Captain Park—stay. Got something private."
Execs filed out, leaving Taemin and Kim Hwan at the round table. Taemin spoke first to the chief's grim gaze.
"Something on your mind?"
Smiling faintly, Kim Hwan revealed his thoughts.
"Hard to say. But looking at what you've done... Maybe you should be in this seat."
"What do you—"
"Guild's thriving, but what have I done? You pushed me here, but it's too much for me. No regrets. It's burdensome. If you want it, it's yours."
Taemin shook his head firmly.
"Don't say that. No one in the guild has more history with Wolfsrein, more experience and grit than you. My shoulders ache under this role already. Sure, pre-hunter, high seats looked glamorous. But now? Ugh, no thanks. Chief has to be you. Lead us well."
"Mm. Can't argue that. Thanks."
"No problem."