At the very top floor of the Honor Group's headquarters, where Chairman Kim Seok-hoon ruled over his empire of unimaginable wealth, security was said to be tighter than anywhere else in the nation. A single reinforced door was guarded by ten elites, four of them A-rank hunters and one at the level of S-rank. Under normal circumstances, this fortress-like defense ensured the chairman could work in complete safety.
But today, that security was tested. Oh Kyung-hyun, Guild Master of the White Tiger Guild and one of Korea's strongest hunters, arrived carrying an aura so fierce that the guards themselves trembled. Though they tried to hold him back with cautious words, none of them dared to provoke him. For Oh Kyung-hyun was an SS+ rank hunter, a being few in the country could match.
He entered the office with heavy steps. Inside, Kim Seok-hoon remained composed, even though the Honor Group had suffered devastating blows. The affiliate known as Honor Trading had collapsed overnight. Park Sung-hoon, the man who smuggled Jo Se-hyeok and directed the attack, was eliminated. Executives tied to the plan were left hospitalized, their organization shattered.
Kim Seok-hoon pretended ignorance, claiming it was all the doing of Park Sung-hoon alone. But Oh Kyung-hyun was not deceived. He issued his warning with killing intent sharp enough to choke the chairman. If the Honor Group ever touched Lee Seong-jun again, it would not be one affiliate that fell—it would be the entire conglomerate. Leaving behind only his threat, the White Tiger Guild Master departed, his murderous aura still lingering in the air.
For the first time in years, Kim Seok-hoon found himself suffocating with frustration. His empire was vast, but now forces that had long remained silent were beginning to move. Vice President Go Tae-hyun of the Hunter Association had suddenly begun rallying allies among politicians and businessmen who opposed the Honor Group's dominance. Separately, the White Tiger Guild had openly defied him. And all of it stemmed from one name—Lee Seong-jun.
Although he tried to cut the trail by discarding Park Sung-hoon, the association would not stop there. They would search for even the faintest flaw to exploit. The Honor Group was already under suspicion for tax evasion, and if mishandled, even the smallest issue could become a disaster. Yet Kim Seok-hoon remained confident. His empire would recover once he stabilized. But he engraved two names in his heart with murderous hatred: Oh Kyung-hyun and Lee Seong-jun. Sooner or later, he vowed, both would pay the ultimate price.
Meanwhile, across Korea, the news of Jo Se-hyeok's arrest spread like wildfire. Media headlines praised the impossible feat—Lee Seong-jun, once called a "Super Rookie," had defeated an SS-ranked villain singlehandedly. To the public, it was shocking beyond belief. To hunters, it was confirmation of his rise beyond the ordinary. He was no longer a rookie. He was ascending toward legend.
Not everyone received the news with joy. Among them was Yoon Ki-seong, an S-rank villain bound by a forced contract of subordination to Seong-jun. He had expected Jo Se-hyeok to win, which would have freed him. Instead, Seong-jun's victory chained him further. At first, he cursed his fate. But soon, his perspective shifted.
The Hunter Association, empowered by Seong-jun's actions, was crushing villain organizations across the nation with surgical precision. Countless criminal groups tied to Jo Se-hyeok were eradicated overnight. Yet the Scavenger Crew, Yoon Ki-seong's faction, remained untouched. This was no accident—Seong-jun had warned him in advance, ensuring their survival.
For the underworld, this meant opportunity. With rivals falling, Scavenger could rise unopposed. And though Yoon Ki-seong was bound to Seong-jun, he realized it was not necessarily a curse. With the reputation of the man who defeated Jo Se-hyeok looming behind him, he could rule the underworld as if wearing a crown.
Seong-jun would never waste time governing criminals. That left Yoon Ki-seong with the chance to act as a regent of the underworld, wielding immense power and wealth under Seong-jun's shadow. His bitterness gave way to ambition, and plans began to form. While the world celebrated Lee Seong-jun as a rising superstar, Yoon Ki-seong quietly prepared to seize the throne of the underground.