"So what do you want? Say it clearly."
Joon was staring at Myungsoo, but then his eyes shifted to someone standing behind him, the same man Jinhwan had beaten last night in a fit of rage.
"Just apologize to him. That's all," Myungsoo said calmly, his gaze fixed on Jinhwan.
Hearing that, Jinhwan let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.
"That's all? Then where is he?"
His voice was sharp and cold, as always.
Myungsoo tilted his head slightly. The man behind him nodded and stepped forward.
Jinhwan walked up to him, stopping just inches away.
Then, before anyone could react, he smirked and swung his right leg high into the air.
With a swift motion, his foot came crashing down onto the man's neck, knocking him out instantly.
Myungsoo clenched his fist tightly, as if restraining himself.
The man collapsed, unconscious, while others rushed to help him.
Jinhwan turned back to Myungsoo.
"Thanks for bringing him here, old man. I didn't get to beat him properly last night because of Uncle Joon."
His smile sent chills down the spine pure malice.
"You think you can get away with this? If I wanted, I could kill you in seconds," Myungsoo snapped, his face twisted with fury. The atmosphere around them instantly shifted, heavy with tension.
"You say that like you actually could," Jinhwan replied coolly, adjusting Myungsoo's tie with an unsettling calm.
"If you're going to threaten me, at least practice first."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping, eyes gleaming icy blue.
"Don't do something this stupid again. If you piss me off one more time, the Korean Hunter Association will lose its only chairman and the world will lose one of its few S-rank hunters."
Myungsoo stared at Jinhwan for a moment, then responded,
"I heard you just awakened. Rank E-minus. That's not even a proper rank. And you're threatening me? Do I look that easy to you?"
Jinhwan smirked, pulling his hands back and slipping them into his pockets.
"Who said I need to lift a finger to kill you? Did you forget who I am, old man?"
His tone was colder than ever.
"I'm not in the mood for your little apology games. Don't bother me again."
With that, he turned and walked back to the car, slipping into the back seat without another glance.
Everyone around them stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
Myungsoo looked at Joon. Joon met his gaze silently, then walked past him to the car, got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove off.
Myungsoo stood there for a moment, then let out a low chuckle.
"That brat really threatened me, huh.."
He turned around and headed for his own car. The men in black suits had already rushed the unconscious man to the hospital.
After Myungsoo left, a woman with a ponytail walked up to Choi and stopped in front of him.
"Who was that boy, Mr. Choi?" she asked, clearly unsettled.
"He's the owner of SYNC Tech," Choi replied plainly.
Her expression shifted into shock.
"You mean the corporation that supplies high-tech weapons across the whole world? He's the owner?" she murmured in disbelief.
Choi gave her a small smile and patted her shoulder.
"Let's go. I'll treat you to something."
----
Jinhwan stared out the car window, lost in thought.
From the driver's seat, Joon glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Did something happen, young master? You've been checking your watch a lot since this morning." he asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
Jinhwan raised his right hand and leaned forward a bit, showing him the watch.
"It's working. It's showing a quest
an E-rank gate hunt. If I complete it, I can level up."
As Joon saw the screen, he immediately stopped the car in the middle of the road.
"When did it start working?" he asked, surprised.
"Yesterday," Jinhwan replied.
"There was also a voicemail from Mom and Dad. They said they made this watch for my safety, that's all. The quest popped up this morning."
He pulled his hand back, resting it casually in his lap.
Joon frowned, thinking.
"But the quest isn't marked complete yet. even though we went into that E-rank gate, and you delivered the final blow. That should've counted."
He paused for a few moments, then spoke again, as if something clicked.
"I think the quest means a real hunt
on your own."
"Can you say it clearly, Uncle Joon?" Jinhwan asked, a bit confused.
Joon nodded.
"You see, it's a man-made device. Not like in fantasy novels or webtoons where some god gives you powers. This is tech so the quest probably wants you to gain actual combat experience."
He glanced at Jinhwan through the mirror again.
"That means hunting by yourself. Pushing your limits. Learning how to control your mana in real battle. Not just getting carried or delivering the final blow."
Jinhwan listened quietly, then smiled.
"Let's go then. Check if there are any other gates open right now." he said, excitement in his voice.
"Okay." Joon replied with a smile, starting the car again.
----
They stood in front of another E-rank gate, located deep in a forest just outside the city. The dense trees swayed slightly with the breeze, their rustling mixing with the low hum of tech as people moved around.
Around them, several employees from SYNC Tech were busy unloading and arranging high-end equipment. Dozens of reinforced steel boxes lay open on foldable tables filled with various weapons, mana detectors, drones, and armor sets glowing faintly with embedded energy lines. The area looked more like a mobile war zone than a hunt prep site.
Jinhwan glanced around, clearly unimpressed.
"Why did you call this many people here?" he asked flatly, eyeing the organized chaos.
"I had to," Joon replied, walking over to one of the tables, his coat fluttering in the breeze.
"Since you're planning to go solo into the gate, I told them to bring every piece of equipment we had ready. Just in case."
Jinhwan scanned the tables, then turned to one of the SYNC employees a young woman in a black suit with a tech visor over one eye.
"Which one has a sword?" he asked.
The woman wordlessly pointed to a long rectangular box stacked near the edge of a nearby table.
Jinhwan walked over and opened it. Inside was a sleek, single-edged sword with a crimson handle. He picked it up and gave it a quick swing.
"It's light." He looked back at the woman.
"What can it do?"
She stepped forward calmly.
"If you channel your mana into it and swing, it releases a slash based on your mana output. The blade itself has a minor mana amplification buff nothing huge, but enough to enhance your attacks in short bursts."
"Is that so." Jinhwan muttered, twirling the sword once before turning toward the gate.
Just then, a sharp buzz came from his pocket. He stopped and pulled out his phone, checking the screen. His fingers tightened slightly around the device, irritation flashing across his face.
"Seventh time this month." he muttered under his breath.
"I'll take your class later."
He shoved the phone back into his pocket, exhaling slowly as he walked toward the swirling blue gate.
"Young master, you can't enter the gate with just a sword!" Joon's voice rang out, firm but laced with concern. He took a step forward, his brows furrowed deeply.
"You're not letting me come with you, and now you're only taking one weapon? At least bring some other equipment armor, anything."
Jinhwan stopped, turning slightly to glance at Joon over his shoulder.
"You're the one who said it, Uncle Joon real battle is the only way to grow. If I go in knowing you've got my back, I won't give it everything." His tone was steady, serious.
"And if I'm weighed down with equipment, I won't get the struggle I need. No shortcuts. I need to do this on my own."
The forest seemed to fall quiet for a moment, the wind pausing as if to listen.
Without another word, Jinhwan faced the swirling green gate. His expression was unreadable.
"Don't follow me. That's an order."
With that, he stepped forward and vanished into the gate, the light swallowing him whole.
----
As he entered the gate, everything was swallowed in darkness. Jinhwan couldn't even see his own hands. The suffocating blackness sent a chill down his spine.
Reaching into his left pocket, he pulled out a small torch. The moment he switched it on, it burst with an intense light that cut through the gloom.
"What the hell is this." he whispered.
As he looked up, his breath hitched. Countless black shapes were hanging from the ceiling, each one around his own size. The sight froze him.
He quickly turned off the torch. His breathing grew heavier.
Should I go back? It would've been better if I came with Uncle Joon.
He took a step back, about to turn around then stopped.
I've come this far. I've finally awakened. I can grow stronger now. If I back off here, how will I ever take revenge. against whoever's behind connecting these gates to Earth? I'll kill them. I swear I will.
Tightening his grip, he raised the sword with both hands. Rage surged through him, and he swung blindly at the ceiling.
"HIAAAAAAAAAA!"
But nothing happened. No mana slash. Nothing.
He stared at the blade in disbelief. Then he smacked his own forehead with his palm.
Fuck. I don't even know how to pour mana into something. I don't even know how to use mana. I'm stupid.
Suddenly, a soft flutter echoed through the space. Wings.
These creatures wake up because of his scream just now.
The silence shattered as dozens of those creatures began to stir.
"Fuck."
He turned and bolted toward where he thought the gate was, but in the darkness, he'd lost all sense of direction. Desperate, he switched the torch back on and spun around
Only to find a flat, empty ground stretching all around him.
He spotted a small cave far off in the distance. Without thinking, he sprinted toward it. But the light had already done its damage.
Every single one of the creatures was now flying after him.
He turned his head while sprinting and saw thembats. But not normal ones.
These things had no eyes, no faces.
Only a giant, gaping mouth.
"Shit!" he cursed, still running.
Suddenly, the ground vanished beneath him one of the bats had snatched him in mid-air. Its claws gripped his body tight as it brought him closer to that monstrous mouth.
He dropped both the torch and the sword in panick. With a surge of fear, he covered his ears with both hands.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
The bat screamed directly at him.
Even through his hands, the sound pierced deep. Blood leaked between his fingers. His head throbbed his ears ringing, splitting his vision blurred.
His body went limp. His eyes started to close.
And then
Through the fading light, a woman appeared.
Her long purple hair swayed gently, hiding most of her face. But her voice. soft and warm, like sunlight after winter.
"Live happily, my sunshine."
His eyes flew open.
He gasped.
Still in mid-air, still in the bat's grip but something had changed.
His blue eyes gleamed like fire.
Blue veins lit up beneath his skin, glowing softly, pulsing with new power.
With a growl, he reached up and grabbed the bat's legs tightly.
"HIAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
He threw his body downward, yanking the creature with him.
CRASH!
They slammed into the ground, the ground cracking slightly under the impact.
Jinhwan lay on the ground, panting hard, chest rising and falling rapidly.
Then Beep.
[Quest: Hunt in an E-Rank Gate.]
[Complete.]
[Reward: Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level: 02]
[Mana Points: 14]
His eyes flicked to the watch on his wrist, still catching his breath. A smile slowly formed on his face.
Then Beep.
[Quest: Hunt.]
[Reward: Level Up]
[Chapter 3 end]