Korea's Strongest: Kang Sung-gi (4)
Park Hye-na seemed eager to keep talking to me just to tease Kim Seol-bi, but that wasn't possible. Because today's star, Baek Seonghun, had made his entrance.
As soon as he stepped through the door, the air turned icy. Being S-rank hunters, their mana flared with every shift in emotion. And right now, I was sharpening my senses, trying to read it all.
Baek Seonghun was a tall man with a sinister vibe. He wore a hood that didn't suit the setting, and his face was pale. The hood obscured it, but he seemed bald, with even his eyebrows cleanly shaved. He looked nothing like the image I had in mind.
And I wasn't the only one who thought so. These people had probably seen him more often than I had. But the murmuring atmosphere made it clear his appearance had changed recently.
From my experience, I'd seen hunters' auras shift based on their abilities many times. S-rank hunters rarely grew or changed their traits. So Baek Seonghun's current state was an extremely rare case. No one here seemed to know, but something had definitely happened to him lately.
Baek Seonghun scanned the room, his expression slightly displeased. Then someone approached from behind him with heavy footsteps.
"Sorry, sorry. You guys already started?"
A woman with a massive build and tattoos everywhere. The kind of style that might have a cult following depending on taste, but hard to approach casually. Seo Na-yeon had arrived.
She casually smacked Baek Seonghun's back with her shoulder.
"Hey, move it. Why're you blocking the door?"
Baek Seonghun turned slowly.
"Ah, fuck. You scared the shit outta me. What's wrong with you? Got leukemia or something?"
No S-rank hunter would get a disease like that. And that kind of talk wasn't good for actual patients. Seo Na-yeon was showing her true colors from the get-go.
She glanced around the room and headed toward Park Hyun-jun's crew, people she was on good terms with. But then she spotted something unexpected.
Our eyes met, and I let out a small sigh.
"Honey! What're you doing here?"
She made a huge fuss and came straight over to where I was sitting.
"I figured you hated these kinds of meetings, so I wasn't expecting you. Anyway, gimme your phone number~ I wanna hit you up, but I got no way to reach you~"
Kim Seol-bi's brow furrowed naturally. Park Hye-na watched the scene with wide eyes.
"What the...?"
I told Seo Na-yeon, "Either sit quietly or go over there."
She flinched at my cold response.
"Honey... you mad?"
When I didn't answer, she pouted. Still, she didn't go anywhere else. She pulled out a chair and asked cautiously,
"Can I sit here?"
"But no more talking."
Even if she sat across from me, she'd keep glancing over and acting conscious of me. I figured it was better to have her next to me. She was already the type to draw eyes, and her loud call-out had all the hunters staring this way.
Baek Seonghun was looking too.
"Oh..."
He spoke while still standing.
"And who might you be?"
Introductions were necessary anyway. Half the room knew me, but the other half didn't.
I stood up.
"Sorry for the late intro. I'm Kang Sung-gi, recently awakened as an S-rank."
"Ahh..."
Baek Seonghun nodded.
"It's been ages since we got a new S-rank hunter. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah."
The other hunters glanced over, whispering among themselves. Park Hyun-jun and Kim Hyun-cheol looked complicated, while the rest seemed arrogant. They figured I knew who they were, so no need for greetings or names.
I had no intention of chatting them up one by one either.
"We'll talk more later."
Baek Seonghun seemed curious about me, but he had more pressing business. Makes sense—he was leading this meeting.
With the S-rank dungeon raid approaching, they had to meet eventually. But without knowing what happened to Jo Dong-geun, everyone was probably hoping someone else would step up.
"Looks like everyone's here now."
Baek Seonghun pulled off his hood. His appearance got even weirder. My guess about the bald head was right, but I never expected tattoos on it—a bizarre, eye-catching design of a snake and scorpion intertwined.
Why would an S-rank hunter get something like that, especially on his head? If Kang A-jin, Valentina, or Luiza were here with their knowledge, they might figure it out. But I had no clue.
Kim Seol-bi looked surprised too, but she didn't say anything.
More than that, our side felt awkward with Seo Na-yeon sitting there. She was following my order to stay quiet, but she was grinning ear to ear, thrilled to see me after so long.
Kim Seol-bi obviously hated it. Not long ago, Seo Na-yeon, Park Hyun-jun, and Kim Hyun-cheol had broken into Kim Seol-bi's house. They'd paid the price, but they weren't exactly welcome sights for me or her.
Baek Seonghun headed to the podium—the spot Jo Dong-geun used to take. Sure enough, he brought him up first.
"Couldn't reach Jo Dong-geun at all. Anyone here know where he is?"
No one answered.
Of course, Kim Seol-bi and I knew what happened to him. But no way were we spilling it here.
"Ideally, Jo Dong-geun would've led this, but since that's not happening, I had to call you all."
Baek Seonghun grinned like he was pleased. I sensed he was happy no one knew where Jo Dong-geun was. He'd probably investigated on his own. Concluded he wasn't anywhere in the country. And that he wouldn't just pop up out of nowhere.
If nothing happened to Jo Dong-geun, he wouldn't miss the S-rank dungeon raid.
It was the S-rank hunters' biggest duty. Big money, sure, but more importantly, a chance to show the public they were safe because of us.
Dictators do that kind of thing. With the raid looming, the media kept airing pieces on what an S-rank dungeon breakout would mean. Obvious orchestration.
I'd avoided those news stories on purpose, but looking back, fear always spread before these raids. Praise for S-rank hunters—especially Jo Dong-geun—skyrocketed. How safe Korea was thanks to them, over and over. YouTubers and influencers went wild.
"Hmm..."
"What're you thinking?"
Kim Seol-bi asked as I watched Baek Seonghun.
"That head tattoo—think it means something?"
"Huh?"
She finally clocked it too.
"Yeah, doesn't seem like his style..."
Seo Na-yeon glanced at me but kept quiet since I told her to shut it.
Baek Seonghun continued.
"As you know, we've got the Hongcheon Dungeon raid coming up. Some might think it's business as usual, no big deal. But unfortunately, we've had a major loss in manpower. We need someone to fill Jo Dong-geun's spot."
He paused there. Park Hyun-jun and Kim Hyun-cheol looked at me. Natural train of thought, maybe. Jo Dong-geun vanishes, new S-rank hunter awakens. If filling the spot, check the newbie's abilities first.
But Baek Seonghun showed zero interest in me. Like he wanted to shut down any possibility of attention shifting elsewhere.
"Luckily, I've had some great fortune lately and grown a lot stronger."
Baek Seonghun smirked. The hunters murmured at "major growth." I knew better than anyone that S-rank hunters could grow, but the others clearly didn't.
Common wisdom: S-rank hunters don't grow anymore.
"You could call it a second awakening."
He was bragging, but no specifics on how much or what abilities. After his solo hype, he wrapped up.
"I'll lead this raid. Just follow the strategy I make, and you won't even miss Jo Dong-geun."
As Baek Seonghun tried to end it smoothly, someone shot up a hand.
I jumped at the voice right next to me.
"Hold up!"
It was Seo Na-yeon, hand raised high.