At the headquarters of the Hunter Association, the air grew heavy within the vice president's office. Reports arrived swiftly, carrying grim news: Lee Seong-jun, the returnee under their care, had been ambushed. His attackers were none other than the infamous Shadow Brothers—villains of A-rank, assassins whose names alone carried the weight of fear.
These brothers were not common criminals. Their reputation was cemented by their ability to eliminate even hunters stronger than themselves, such as the A+ rank Gu Min-gyu. Their very existence had long plagued the Association, for they specialized in assassination—swift, precise, and merciless. To hear that they had targeted a newly returned hunter was enough to shake the composure of even high officials.
Yet what followed was even more shocking. Seong-jun bore no wounds. No blood, no broken bones, no lasting damage. He had defeated the brothers alone—one slain, the other captured. To the Association, this was unprecedented. A man classified as B-rank had performed what even seasoned A+ hunters had failed to achieve.
This reality forced the leaders of the Association to reevaluate everything they thought they knew about Seong-jun. Had his second advancement as a returnee granted him extraordinary powers? Was he wielding a unique gift beyond measure? The vice president could only marvel at the possibilities, but deep inside, his joy was tempered by unease.
For this was not the first time their systems had failed. First, the Frenzy Gate incident. Now, this unmonitored ambush by high-profile villains. The cracks in the Association's reputation grew wider with each passing event. If word spread too far, public trust would erode, and suspicion would turn to anger.
Still, they could not afford hesitation. The source of the attack had to be uncovered. A-rank assassins did not act on impulse. They served a client. And in the underworld of hunters, whispers already circled around a guild draped in infamy: Hwanseong. Though they presented themselves as an official guild, their actions mirrored those of a villain syndicate. Many heinous incidents led back to their shadow, but concrete evidence was scarce. Until proof emerged, the Association's hands were tied.
Thus, the only immediate path was through the captured brother, Kim Ki-yeol. Yet villains of his breed knew well the cost of betrayal. No promise of lighter sentencing could outweigh the certainty of death at the hands of their own employers. Silence was survival. And so, though hours passed, the interrogation bore no fruit.
In the midst of this, Seong-jun himself remained calm. He had seen such darkness countless times in the Thousand Continents. He knew that shadows like these rarely spoke, for fear of the blade waiting in the dark. But his patience was not passive. He was not content to leave the matter in the hands of officials. Instead, he made his own quiet request—to confront Kim Ki-yeol directly.
For Seong-jun, this was not about revenge alone. It was about preparation. He had faced gods and demons in another life, and he understood the danger of hidden hands manipulating from the shadows. If enemies had already dared to strike at him, they might next aim for his family. To protect them, the mastermind behind the Shadow Brothers had to be revealed, no matter the cost.
And so, as the Association's leaders exchanged apologies and promises, Lee Seong-jun's eyes remained sharp. This battle with assassins was finished, but a deeper war was beginning. Somewhere beyond the walls of that interrogation room, hidden in guild halls and villain dens, the true enemy was waiting. And Seong-jun intended to drag them into the light.