The truth finally surfaced. The ominous red aura that had unsettled many was none other than the power of Hunter Lee Seong-jun. When this fact was realized, everything fell into place—the strange confidence he carried, the unshakable presence he displayed, and the overwhelming strength he revealed against enemies no one else dared to face.
Hong Min-ki trembled with awe. In less than half a year, this returnee had risen beyond the level of a rookie. Lee Seong-jun now stood shoulder to shoulder with the most powerful hunters of Korea, the SS-rank elites of the five great guilds. For the Hunter Association, which had been losing ground to growing corporations and returnee unions, he was the bright hope they had been praying for.
Meanwhile, in the Special Investigation Headquarters, disbelief spread like wildfire. Reports confirmed the unthinkable—Lee Seong-jun had defeated Jo Se-hyeok, the SS-ranked villain known as the Rookie Slayer, before the Blue House team could even arrive. At first, many dismissed his words as reckless confidence. Now, they realized it was the calm declaration of a true powerhouse.
Vice President Go Tae-hyun, while proud of Seong-jun, could not relax. He knew the Honor Group, a conglomerate with unimaginable wealth and influence, would never leave such a rising star alone. Its chairman, Kim Seok-hoon, would move to crush him at all costs. But Go Tae-hyun had prepared for this. Years of corruption records had been collected against the Honor Group and its allies. With this, he could force them into retreat, buying Seong-jun the time he needed to grow into an unstoppable force.
If they could secure even a single year, Lee Seong-jun would ascend beyond the reach of any power in Korea. The Vice President resolved to strike first, aligning with politicians, businessmen, and reformers to cut into the Honor Group's web of influence. Yet, one problem still remained unsolved—how to properly reward Lee Seong-jun. His contributions to the Association were immeasurable: the fall of the Shadow Brothers, the clearing of the First Raid Gate, and now the defeat of Jo Se-hyeok. And yet, he had received nothing more than what any hunter was due by right.
As Go Tae-hyun struggled to decide on a reward worthy of Seong-jun's efforts, the young hunter returned to the Association. He accepted the greetings of officials politely, but behind his calm smile was a storm of fury. Through Jo Se-hyeok's interrogation, the truth had been revealed. The villain had been smuggled into Korea and empowered under the orders of Park Sung-hoon, the president of Honor Trading and legal adviser to the Honor Group. But Park was only a pawn. The mastermind was Chairman Kim Seok-hoon himself.
The Honor Group had crossed a line that could never be forgiven. They had touched Lee Seong-jun's family, the most precious people in his life. That crime demanded a price beyond measure.
Though the Hunter Association moved to pressure the conglomerate, Seong-jun knew it was not enough. He would tighten the leash on the Honor Group until they could never again raise a hand against him or his loved ones. But even he understood the danger. Waging war alone against a corporate empire risked dragging his family into greater peril. For that reason, he sought allies with power equal to his own.
With cold determination, Seong-jun pulled out his phone. Among his contacts was a name he had saved for such a time: Oh Kyung-hyun, Guild Master of the White Tiger Guild. The time had come to forge alliances. The war against the Honor Group had only just begun.