Why Am I Here?
Las Vegas.
The city of pleasure, the city of gambling—and above all, the city of crime.
That was why it was also known as Sin City, nestled in the heart of the Nevada desert.
In truth, the image of Las Vegas as a city of crime wasn't all that old. Up until recently, the "sin" in Sin City had been more about the religious connotations of a place that thrived on gambling. But now, it felt closer to Crime City.
Still, after being called Sin City for so long, the nickname had stuck.
"They call it a city of crime, but day and night here are completely separate worlds. Unless you deliberately seek it out, civilians have no reason to get tangled up in the nightlife."
Kang Moo-hyuk nodded at Jeong Do-il's explanation.
Jeong Do-il was the guide Joo Se-ah had recommended. More precisely, he was a hunter who had served as vice guild master of Taeseong Guild right before Kang Moo-hyuk joined.
In other words, Kang Moo-hyuk's predecessor.
Originally part of the American study-abroad faction, he'd left Taeseong Guild and joined the LA-based Rockstar Guild, where Korean-Americans were prominent, rising to lead a regular strike team. His skills were top-notch.
Even after leaving Taeseong, he held Joo Se-ah's abilities and charisma in high regard.
So when she reached out and asked him to guide Kang Moo-hyuk, he'd accepted without hesitation.
'Of course, even without Guild Master Joo Se-ah's request, I wanted to meet this Kang Moo-hyuk guy at least once. The more I see, the more amazing he is. How the hell did he revive that trash guild?'
Jeong Do-il had heard various rumors about Kang Moo-hyuk through the Korean diaspora grapevine.
Far from their homeland, the Korean community always kept an ear to news from the Korean Peninsula and its neighbors. Some groups even had dedicated intelligence networks. Korea's situation mattered greatly to them—and the reason was trade.
Most "Made in USA" hunter gear heading to Korea and Northeast Asia was manufactured in industrial zones near LA.
Korean-Americans dominated this sector, and the jobs and funds it generated flowed straight into LA's political coffers.
They had to stay sensitive to information.
Lately, with the Makyung crisis spiking orders for potions and gear, they were enjoying a second boom—and actively gathering intel on Kang Moo-hyuk, who stood at the center of it all.
"So, what guilds operate here...? Why are you looking at me like that? Something you want to say?"
Kang Moo-hyuk, feeling the weight of Jeong Do-il's piercing stare, trailed off mid-question.
"No, it's just... I think you're incredible."
"Incredible? In what way? Got some latest intel on this place?"
"Not Las Vegas, sir. You."
"Me?"
"You probably know this already, but I was your predecessor as expedition leader. I served as vice guild master at Taeseong Guild for four months."
"Ah, yes. The guild master mentioned it. Said you had great business sense."
"Coming from you, Expedition Leader Kang, that's embarrassing. In the end, I gave up on Taeseong Guild. Honestly, I thought I could handle it at first. But the guild's situation was... well..."
Jeong Do-il couldn't quite bring himself to say it was a total mess. Kang Moo-hyuk, sensing his frustration, summed it up for him.
"An environment where you couldn't focus on the work, right?"
"Yes, that fits perfectly. Internal factions, interference from the parent company. Above all, Chairman Taeseong had no will to grow the guild."
"I understand."
Kang Moo-hyuk shook his head, thinking of Tae Jin-seong.
He'd only recently confronted the Taeseong heir's scandal as leverage, but dealing with Tae Jin-seong was always exhausting. Indifference would have been easier; overt sabotage just multiplied the workload.
Jeong Do-il's complaints hit close to home.
"And even Hunter No Song-rin right there was a constant thorn, sabotaging everything—not just once or twice."
"No, back then we all had our reasons.... Expedition Leader, why the suspicious glare? I'm not like that anymore. You know that."
Caught off guard by Kang Moo-hyuk's side-eye, No Song-rin jumped to defend himself.
"Anyway, conquering the North Pocheon special zone and breaking away from Taeseong Group in that tough environment? That's impressive. And declaring a push into the Makyung on top of it?"
"That's a joint operation with the other tier guilds."
"That's what makes it even more impressive. Tier guilds have egos bigger than Korea or America combined. A C-grade guild... Ah, sorry."
"It's fine. That's the reality right now."
"Still, pulling cooperation from tier guilds is practically a miracle. And the rider wolf deal? Huge achievement. American guilds are buzzing. A mount rivaling our prized unicorns—and visually, the wolves look tougher, cooler. Haha, American hunters care about looks as much as Koreans do."
"Oh ho, excellent intel. We could sell them for a fortune here. Double the price. Triple, even."
"Haha, just kidding... wait, you're serious?"
Jeong Do-il fell silent, awkward at Kang Moo-hyuk's plan to gouge America's top guilds.
Kang Moo-hyuk didn't stop there, mumbling full business ideas.
"Slap a flashy brand on them—five times the price easy. Tie supply contracts to hunter training exchanges or joint drills. Or trade some know-how for..."
"Expedition Leader."
"Yes? Jang Deok-gu? What's up? Ah, sorry. Got lost in thought with you busy folks here."
"No problem. Now I see why Taeseong—Iron Will—grew so fast. You're always thinking guild business, asleep or awake. Beyond me."
Jeong Do-il smoothed things over with a smile and got back on track.
"Sorry, we veered off. Mind if I explain the local situation again?"
"Please do."
"No guilds base here primarily. At most, branches of LA headquarters."
"Big city like this, no major guilds?"
"Several reasons. First, it's a tourist hub. Most visitors are civilians. In top security nations like ours, hunters are heroes. But from unstable monster zones or where hunters sway politics, views are negative—especially Eastern Europeans or Chinese tourists, who fear them."
The "hunter = hero" equation felt obvious to Koreans, but even next-door Japan saw hunters as shoguns or daimyo-like nobles.
They called it the Bakuhan system—Japan's new order post-awakening, a feudal class society in modern guise. The Japanese propensity to bow to power made it stick.
A democratic facade over feudalism.
Kang Moo-hyuk voiced his doubt.
"Not just tourism, though?"
"Right. Tourism pays well, but not like gates."
"The crime syndicates you mentioned?"
"Partly. The nightlife is run by criminal hunters—better at hunting hunters than monsters."
"What about the HCF?"
"Hunter Crime Force is chronically understaffed."
"Even short-handed, the US government cracks down hard on hunter crime. They wouldn't let syndicates slide."
"Monsters make geography a weakness. They stay under the radar—no major crimes."
"Ironically, these groups act as local monster vigilantes."
Like this:
By UN law, hunters couldn't be soldiers—except in government orgs. Civilians couldn't be conscripted outside emergencies.
Syndicates handled monster control in exchange for leeway, avoiding big cities dominated by major guilds. They carved out spots like Las Vegas, rife with gambling, entertainment, and liquor interests.
"US hunter security comes from harsh government crackdowns. Short on manpower, they hit with heavy sentences—fear as deterrent. Lately, calls to revive the death penalty for hunters."
"Punishment alone can't rein them in."
"That's where major guilds come in. The government works closely with Super S."
Super S was born from America's S-rank control law, Double S Article 11—a coalition of the nine US guilds with S-ranks.
Of America's 11 S-ranks, excluding two independents, it wielded the nation's mightiest force.
"Even with Super S, they ignore Vegas syndicates?"
"No reason to bother with small fry."
Only then did Kang Moo-hyuk realize his misconception.
Pre-trip Guild Cooperation Office data pegged Vegas syndicates at Korean major-guild scale.
Unacceptable in Korea—hence why he'd crushed Baekho Guild.
The gap: Korea's threats were US small fry.
'Gotta readjust my scale in America. Think big, plan accordingly.'
Kang Moo-hyuk corrected course.
"So, Hunter Jeong Do-il, guilds avoid direct clashes by setting up branches for defense?"
"Yes. And one more reason."
"One more?"
"Why you're here."
Kang Moo-hyuk got it instantly.
"Freelancers."
"Right. Another nickname: 'Freelancer's Paradise.' Their numbers make them the city's power."
* * *
"Why am I here?"
Thomas recalled Doctor Marie's request during his vacation.
'How many times have I saved your ass? Time to pay up. I treat kids like enemies, but my granddaughter? Spoiled rotten. She's in LA for some concert. Crowds draw every creep, so guard her just for the concert period. No refusals. Huh, that's from one of those singer's songs. She sings it nonstop—it's stuck in my head.'
Owing her so much, Thomas couldn't refuse.
Thus, the "BTA Free Day Meeting" venue.
Not an official label event but a fan meetup—perfect pre-concert hype.
"Miss Katherine. Stay within three paces of me."
"Three paces? How am I supposed to enjoy the event glued to you? Even for Grandma, this is too controlling."
"In a crowd this size, three paces is basic protection."
"You're a hunter. Can't you handle it from afar?"
"I'm close-range, not ranged."
"Ranged would be better from distance?"
"It's about physical capability gap. I'd respond slower than a close-range specialist in an emergency."
"Still faster than civilians."
"Against another hunter, that evens out."
"Why would a hunter target me?"
"Protection considers all possibilities..."
"Ugh, fine. You're naggy like Grandma. Should've never told her I was coming to LA. Why would hunters show up here?"
Thomas ignored Katherine's grumbling. Annoying, but Doctor Marie mattered. Her favors made granddaughter duty minor. Duty-bound, he never half-assed jobs.
Right now, he had no time for complaints.
'No hunters here? Then what's that one dancing over there?'
Thomas focused on the East Asian woman grooving to BTA beats with a glowing stick, random-dance event style.
She was far stronger than him.
Low-ranks struggled sensing higher ones, but Thomas's mana trait made him expert at it.
What really bugged him:
'She senses me too. In this crowd. Even with my mana hidden.'
Hiding mana fooled high-ranks. His weak power helped, plus trait mastery.
Yet she pinpointed him, kept him in range.
Seemed wary of his concealment.
'If she's hostile, I'm dead in seconds. First time for this.'
Amid the pressure, curiosity stirred in Thomas.