Being Obsessed Over by an S-Rank Hunter
At that very moment, in a VIP room at a specialist hospital for awakeners in Gangnam.
Eunseol Baek leaned back against the headboard, staring blankly out the window.
A light bandage wrapped one arm, but the rest of her had already healed without major issues.
Right after conquering the gate, she'd been rushed to the hospital, where top-tier healers had treated her for hours.
Afterward, she'd fallen into a deep sleep, waking only recently.
……
Her body was nearly recovered, but her mind remained a tangled mess.
"I am but a mere servant, moving at my master's will."
"If you wish to regard me as your benefactor, offer that gratitude to my liege."
……Liege.
The female vampire had said her rescue came on orders from her "liege."
How strong must someone be to command a subordinate like that?
And why… had that person helped her?
Knock knock.
The sound snapped her from her reverie.
"Pardon the intrusion."
A man entered with a deep, resonant voice. Middle-aged, impeccably dressed in a suit, with a sturdy build—Taesung Kim, president of the Korean Hunter Association.
"How are you feeling?"
"President."
Eunseol gave a slight nod.
"Much better."
"I'm relieved to hear it."
Taesung returned the greeting politely and sat in the chair by her bed. In his hand was a small fruit basket, which he set on the bedside table.
"You must have been through quite a shock. Rest is your top priority for now."
"Thank you."
Eunseol replied curtly.
They'd worked together for years.
A relationship of mutual respect without unnecessary familiarity.
Taesung prioritized results over sentiment—a dedicated public servant focused solely on strengthening the Association and the nation.
That made him easier for her to deal with, in a way. No personal emotions or hidden agendas.
"The Association has issued an official statement on the incident," Taesung said after a brief silence, getting to the point.
"It was safely concluded by Eunseol Baek's solo raid. No damage to nearby residents. The difficulty reassessment investigation is ongoing."
"Understood."
"The public is at ease. The prevailing opinion is that the Ice Emperor saved Korea."
He continued.
"However."
He paused there.
"There's one thing I'd like to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Just before the gate closed, a system window confirmed the entry limit had been reached."
Taesung's voice dropped a tone.
"The on-site support team witnessed it, and details have leaked online. With so many eyes around, it's hard to keep under wraps."
……As expected.
It made sense.
Officially, she was the only hunter who'd entered. A full entry limit meant someone had slipped in unofficially.
"Internally, we're estimating an A-rank or higher with stealth skills."
Taesung's eyes fixed steadily on her.
"Did you see anything inside?"
Rather than directly asking why she'd struggled, he used the intruder as a pretext to gently probe the internal situation.
She read the intent easily.
"Yes."
Eunseol opened up.
"First… there was only one monster inside the gate."
"One."
"Yes. But it was on another level."
Recalling that overwhelming power, she added briefly.
"Even at full strength, I couldn't match it. At least S-rank. Maybe higher."
"…Good grief."
Taesung's brow furrowed slightly.
"And it was a vampire-type monster. A vampire."
"A vampire."
He murmured the word softly.
"How did you take down something that powerful?"
"A woman of unknown identity appeared. She must have been the one who filled the entry limit."
Eunseol stated the facts flatly.
"She showed up just as I hit my limit and killed the monster."
Taesung's eyes widened a fraction.
"In one blow? A monster beyond S-rank?"
"Yes. A top-tier ranker. Elite level."
"Did you identify her?"
"Not exactly, but she seemed like a vampire too."
"……."
Taesung fell silent instead of responding, his expression suggesting he was piecing together information in his head.
"A vampire hunting another vampire……."
He muttered quietly.
Then his gaze shifted subtly.
"—Vampires remind me of something."
Eunseol caught his meaning immediately.
True Ancestor.
She'd already been thinking the same name.
"True Ancestor."
Taesung finally voiced it.
"Unregistered awakener. Cleared Nightmare Floor 3 of the Tower of Trials in three seconds. An outlier existence. And that term ties to vampires. Quite the coincidence."
"……It is."
"We can't rule out a connection to this incident."
Eunseol nodded quietly.
"And."
Taesung pressed on.
"One more thing comes to mind."
"……Black Cow."
She preempted him, and he nodded.
"Yes. The Black Cow annihilation. A mysterious force wiped out an entire underworld guild in short order."
"……."
"That event, the True Ancestor, and now this Seollim-dong incident with vampire involvement……."
Taesung lowered his voice.
"Three incidents. They might all tie into something much larger."
"……."
A vast, shadowy scenario.
Silence briefly filled the room.
"Nothing else you saw?"
At the question.
Eunseol hesitated.
She still hadn't mentioned one part.
Liege and servant.
Her final exchange with the female vampire.
But it stayed unspoken.
"……No."
She answered shortly.
"She didn't even give her name before vanishing."
"I see."
Taesung nodded.
His usual steadfast expression showed little change.
"Thank you for the valuable testimony."
He rose calmly.
"I've kept you too long while you're not fully recovered. My apologies. Rest well."
He bowed lightly and turned.
As he walked slowly toward the door.
Just as his hand reached the knob.
He paused.
Without turning back, facing the door.
"……If."
He let the words slip in a low voice.
"Anything else comes to mind, please let me know anytime."
With that.
The door closed quietly.
……
Silence returned to the room.
Eunseol gazed at the firmly shut door.
As expected.
True to his veteran instincts in the hunter world, the president had sensed it.
That she was hiding something.
Yet he'd withdrawn without pressing— a sign of respect.
In the end… I didn't say it.
She hadn't mentioned the "liege" to the president.
Why not?
Did she not want to hand over something she herself hadn't sorted out?
Or did it feel wrong to pry into her benefactor's identity?
She couldn't pinpoint the reason.
But somehow, revealing that "liege's" existence to others didn't sit right.
And.
Someone that strong would surely cross paths again, one way or another.
She had an intuitive certainty they'd appear before her once more.
Of course, getting entangled with such a being was a little frightening.
But more than that.
……It was the first time.
She whispered to herself.
Someone seeing her at her weakest… and helping without demanding anything in return.
No exploitation, no deals—just pure salvation.
In her life of walls like ice, this was the first.
Yeah, I can't live indebted.
Eunseol slowly opened her eyes.
A faint resolve glimmered there.
She vowed to herself.
One day, she'd find that "liege" and express her proper gratitude.
With the decision made, the chaotic thoughts in her head began to settle.
Then her gaze drifted to the smartphone on the bedside table.
……Friend.
The thought came naturally.
The one friend she'd thought of in her brush with death.
They'd planned to duo today, but the gate incident had kept her from reaching out.
I should message them.
After crossing death's door once.
Her one friend who treated her without conditions felt all the more precious.
Eunseol reached for the phone and picked it up.
She unlocked the screen and opened the LeoHun mobile chat app.
A familiar nickname in her friends list.
Tododok—
She typed her message with a pleased smile.