Hunter Association

The chill of the cold metal bed seeped into her back.

"Hoo..."

Shin Songhee stared at the empty ceiling, letting out a long sigh. She lay in a bare room with nothing but the bed. Why did they lock us up... I just want to go home...

The isolation ward in the Hunter Association's medical facility. Under the pretext of "treatment," she had been confined here for so long that even her sense of time had dulled. The alien sensation wriggling inside her body was still vivid. Small bat wings and a swishing tail. And... a body far more sensitive than before, boiling with insatiable lust.

Having become a succubus, she was no longer an ordinary human detective.

Sunbae... what is Koo Kang-cheol sunbae doing right now?

The thought of Koo Kang-cheol's face made Shin Songhee bite her lower lip without realizing it.

That day, at Nam Seohee's party, the "Awakening Fruit" they had tasted together. That was the start of every nightmare. Mingled with the horrific memories of the mud festival, fragments of her intense tryst with her sunbae flashed back. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The hot kiss in the shower, his firm body, and... the bizarre changes in her own body.

"Haa..."

Feeling her body heat up, Shin Songhee clenched her thighs together. Ever since that day, her body went into heat at random times. A succubus's form constantly craved men's essence.

Trapped in isolation, the only way to sate that desire was to comfort herself. Slowly, she brought her hand to her breast. The fuller-than-usual mound reacted sensitively at the touch. Her nipple hardened instantly.

"Sunbae... I miss you..."

Her fingers trailed downward slowly. To her already slick, secret place. Closing her eyes, she pictured Koo Kang-cheol. His rough breathing, solid muscles, the hot sensation piercing her. Just imagining it set her body ablaze.

"Hngh..."

With a small moan, her fingers gently rubbed her clit. She indulged herself, reliving that day's memories.

Discovering that the path to awakening was the "Awakening Fruit" had been a huge accomplishment. But she never imagined she'd be classified as a "hazard."

Bat wings and a tail. Herself, transformed into something not human. The notice of transfer to the Hunter Association medical facility felt like a death sentence.

"Got it. Don't worry too much, sunbae. I'll be fine."

She'd pretended to be calm when they parted, but inside, despair had overwhelmed her. Surrounded by armed Hunter Association agents boarding the transport vehicle, her sunbae's worried gaze was the last human warmth she saw.

Since then, Shin Songhee's life had been a cycle of experiments and observations. Tests, drug injections, and unidentified "treatments." She realized she was no longer human—just a research subject.

But amid it all, her body kept changing. Stronger, more sensitive, more... succubus-like.

Am I just going to become a monster like this?

Fear surged, but so did a strange sense of liberation. Shedding the shackles of humanity to live by instinct. Maybe that was her new fate.

"Sunbae... if we meet again... will you recognize me?"

She trembled in climax. Her ragged breaths filled the empty isolation room. She couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes were from sorrow or the remnants of pleasure.

Laying her exhausted body back on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the bed, she whispered Koo Kang-cheol's name once more. It might be the last thread proving she was still human.

Then it happened.

Before her eyes, blue energy particles began gathering in the air. Like a nebula in the night sky, they swirled and shimmered slowly. More particles joined, forming a faint outline.

It was... a door.

Shin Songhee held her breath. A mysterious gate appearing in her sealed isolation room. Terror mixed with an inexplicable anticipation, making her heart race.

At the same time, a quest window appeared before her. Her pupils burned bright red as the window reflected in them.

The moment she accepted the quest, Shin Songhee realized what mattered more than the identity of "Shin Songhee" in her mind. She was no longer human. A demon serving Baal. The fact that she was a low-tier demon etched itself clearly into her brain.

Like under hypnosis, she walked toward the gate without hesitation.

"Lord Baal... please accept me."

###

National Intelligence Service underground bunker, special situation briefing room.

In the heavy silence, only the holographic screen emitted a blue glow. It endlessly updated data on bizarre incidents worldwide, along with profiles of "Awakened" and "hazards."

"A total of 157 confirmed Awakened domestically so far. Of these, 82 are registered with the Hunter Association and managed as hunters."

The analyst's low voice echoed. At the head of the table, NIS Director Kang Tae-jun listened with a stern expression.

"Consuming the fruit grants awakening abilities with a certain probability, but side effects like Detective Shin Songhee's demonization classify them as hazards. As you see, green for 'Awakened,' red for 'hazards.'"

Beside him sat key executives from each division, including Koo Kang-cheol, the new team leader of the special cases unit and an Awakened himself.

At Shin Songhee's name, he gnawed his lower lip.

"The remaining 75 Awakened are missing or presumed outside Association control. Notably, 24 hazards have vanished from surveillance in the past week."

The analyst displayed new data. Their last traces linked to regions where specific "gate" phenomena were observed.

"Gates?"

Director Kang Tae-jun frowned.

"Yes, Director. Suspected unidentified dimensional passages appearing intermittently worldwide. All missing hazards vanished through these gates. Their destination and purpose remain unknown."

The briefing room grew heavier. Awakened alone caused chaos; uncontrollable hazards slipping through gates threatened national security.

Kang Tae-jun stood.

"Hiding the existence of Awakened and hunters from the media is no longer feasible. We must disclose information gradually without causing panic and clarify the Hunter Association's role."

The executives nodded. In the US, Awakened videos were already leaking on YouTube. CIA deleted them promptly, but they spread rapidly on sites like Pornhub.

"The Hunter Association has launched to manage Awakened, but we need to expand its scale and authority. Awakened are no longer mere mutants—they're a new national asset and potential threat. Remember, in the international arena, hunter numbers may become a new measure of national power."

His gaze turned to Koo Kang-cheol.

"Team Leader Koo. As you know, most Awakened are ex-drug addicts—high-risk. We've formed a dedicated fruit-hunting team. Coordinate with them to scout dangerous Awakened."

"Understood, Director."

Koo Kang-cheol replied firmly. His eyes held a detective's duty and an Awakened's turmoil. Thinking of Shin Songhee ached, but he suppressed it. National security came first.

"Currently, NIS and Defense Ministry hunters total five. Association mana tests rank them: three A-rank, two B-rank. Team Leader Koo of the scout team will command them."

"Yes, sir."

"Develop ideas to scout known S-rank hunters. Intel suggests guilds forming around them. If we don't harness hunter power for the nation, we're in danger."

Fear lingered in Kang Tae-jun's eyes. A sense of crisis for the nation's survival wouldn't fade.

He stared at the gate image on the screen, murmuring, "Gates... what the hell is inside them?"

As his words ended, the emergency siren blared. The screen flooded with red alerts.

Kang Tae-jun paled. Koo Kang-cheol shot to his feet, heart pounding wildly.

"Shin Songhee...!"

That was her location. Using his rubber ability, he stretched his body like chopsticks and raced off.

At the Hunter Association medical facility, not a single hazard remained in containment. Security footage showed only Shin Songhee smiling brightly as she entered the gate.

"What the hell is that gate?!"

###

Returning home late, Koo Kang-cheol collapsed on the sofa. His wife and son slept soundly. The mass hazard escape from the Hunter Association medical facility was a shock. Even Shin Songhee had vanished beyond the gate. Retrieving her seemed impossible.

Habitually, he opened his laptop and replayed the "Gangnam Mud Festival" video. No matter how many times, the masked man's identity eluded him. But his voice from the party lingered.

Then, a call from Lee Jieun, a scout team member and ace hacker whose powers shone in cyberspace.

- Team leader, I backtraced the IP of the 'Gangnam Mud Festival' video uploader. Tough, but I got a lead. Haah...

"Something turn up?"

- Hint from an unexpected place. Hngh...

"Where?"

- Nam Seohee's apartment had 20 hidden cameras, all online. Probably for blackmailing partygoers with footage. Haaah...

"Nam Seohee had other saved videos?"

- Yes, secured party interior cam footage. Hng...

Koo Kang-cheol recalled his frenzied sex with Detective ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Shin Songhee at the party.

"Ho... by chance."

- Ah. Deleted your video with Detective Shin Songhee, team leader.

"Thanks."

- Cam data shows the man entering at 11 is a mind-manipulation Awakened. Near S-rank ability. Hng... uh.

"Mind manipulation? So that's why..."

- Name: Park Woojin. Shockingly, the same Park Woojin chef from TV. And his ex-wife, Shin Serin, is close to Nam Seohee. Hng... yesssh~

"Park Woojin... Assemble the full scout team on emergency. Jieun... you aren't watching something weird right now, are you?"

- No, team leader. Slurp... click.

The call ended. They needed to find Park Woojin. His info, his power.

"Must scout Park Woojin... No idea why he's fighting Nam Seohee, but..."

Still, Lee Jieun seemed off. She was definitely masturbating during the call.

"Got a headache of a team..."

The scout team was elite in the NIS. Including team leader Koo Kang-cheol, five members total. He reviewed their profiles.

"They'll be fine people, right?"

Koo Kang-cheol started to worry a bit.