Lv.99 Princess of Dark Flames (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

Hunters possessing abilities beyond those of ordinary people were a double-edged sword for society.

They served as weapons, eliminating monsters that human firearms could not subdue, yet there were also numerous instances where they abused their power.

The sole organization capable of managing and controlling such hunters was neither the government nor the public—it was the ‘Hunter Oversight Association.’

However, recently, the association’s prestige had been steadily diminishing.

“Still no word from Hunter Shin Si Woo?”

Even if the heavens collapsed, there would be a way out. Go Dae Yoon, chairman of the Hunter Oversight Association, was frantic because he couldn’t grasp the solution right before his eyes.

“Yes, Chairman. We’ve been attempting to reach him continuously, but…”

At Kwang Hyun’s reply, Dae Yoon pressed his fingers firmly against his temple. He truly, desperately wanted Si Woo.

Among hundreds of thousands of Korean hunters, there were only six S-rank hunters—precious talents born with an abysmal probability of just 0.001%.

If Si Woo would become an association-affiliated hunter, the association would finally possess its first S-rank hunter.

‘This is for balance.’

Dae Yoon was certain of it.

Currently, four out of the six S-rank hunters each led their own guilds. As those four guilds grew stronger day by day, it was dangerous for the association’s standing and influence to diminish any further—it was practically a warning that an era of lawlessness among hunters was approaching.

Thus, they urgently needed to recruit an influential hunter into the association! Relying solely on current association personnel had reached its limit.

“But will he really abandon the Wolf Guild and join our side?”

“You know as well as I do that Shin Si Woo doesn’t get along well with the Wolf.”

“But blood is thicker than water, isn’t it?”

“They say if you chop at a tree ten times, it will fall. Keep trying to make contact for now.”

Shin Si Woo. Though affiliated with the Wolf Guild, he had deliberately established a subsidiary named ‘Silvermoon’ and claimed the title of its representative.

Silvermoon wasn’t a guild but a hunter management company. One might assume it was a stepping stone toward becoming the next guild master, but Dae Yoon had a hunch it was something more than that.

“Hmm…”

Meanwhile, Kwang Hyun scratched his cheek awkwardly. Chairman Dae Yoon could say such things only because he’d never formally spoken with Si Woo himself.

Si Woo had a talent for freezing people solid with nothing but a smile. Kwang Hyun was certain his stubbornness was even firmer and sturdier than the ice shield he could conjure.

Kwang Hyun had absolutely no confidence he could break through that icy barrier. He’d rather visit the master of the Legion Guild—rumored to be a “weird otaku”—than deal with Si Woo; it would be far less stressful.

“Oh, come to think of it…”

Kwang Hyun suddenly lifted his head as if remembering something.

“Didn’t I mention it last time? That Black Flame Princess…”

“Are you still going on about that? Aren’t you ashamed, a grown adult, being swayed by childish nonsense like that?”

The Black Flame Princess was merely a ghost story circulating among hunters.

There were many similar tales: the ‘Bat Human’ who drank hunters’ blood, the ‘Black Reaper’ said to be formed from the gathered souls of dead hunters wandering the rifts, and so on.

“You must’ve been the type who wrote ‘dog’ or ‘see’ on the back of your hand during your red-mask days.”

“…I didn’t write anything.”

“Oh? Then how did you answer when asked, ‘Am I pretty?’ If you said no, she’d tear your mouth in anger; if you said yes, she’d tear it anyway. How did you even manage to go to school without fear?”

“Don’t mock me.”

“That’s exactly what I’d expect from someone in the association believing such ghost stories. If you understand, don’t disappoint me further.”

Though one shouldn’t judge by appearances, Dae Yoon was as conservative as he looked. It was precisely this conservatism that had earned the government’s favor, allowing the association to exist as it did. True, that was the case—but still…

“I don’t know her true identity, but the new hunter clearly stated it: even he couldn’t defeat her.”

“Tsk, tsk. Young people these days—so modest.”

“No, he seemed quite serious.”

“Enough. It’d be more productive to make one more call to Shin Si Woo’s side than waste time on such useless talk.”

“No, I mean…”

“Leave now.”

Pushed out as if shoved, Kwang Hyun stood before the slammed-shut door, pounding his sorrowful chest.

‘Hah. Should I really quit?’

It was precisely his 201st impulse to resign.

Ordinarily, with such a stubborn person, they’d never believe anyone’s words until they saw it with their own eyes.

Then there was only one way.

Kwang Hyun tightened his tie decisively.

“Team Leader, are you leaving already?”

“Don’t look for me for a while.”

“Huh? Is something…?”

Bag in hand, Kwang Hyun stepped into the elevator without even glancing back.

He wouldn’t return until he’d secured something worthwhile! Enraged, Kwang Hyun forcefully jabbed the close button with his index finger.

A week had passed since Eun Ha escaped the Gate.

Tap, tap-tap.

In a quiet room, Eun Ha, wearing an unusually serious expression, tapped the keyboard with both index fingers raised.

‘Wolf Guild’

Information about the Wolf Guild poured onto the white screen. Eun Ha slowly scrolled down with the mouse wheel, neatly filing each detail into memory.

Si Woo, considerate of Eun Ha, had brought over a laptop. Since even connecting to Wi-Fi was a hardship for Eun Ha, Si Woo had ultimately set everything up himself. Thanks to him, Eun Ha could now easily look up information about the modern era from within the room.

“Hmm.”

While browsing the internet, Eun Ha quietly stroked his chin. Indeed, the Wolf Guild certainly appeared to be Korea’s largest guild. Yet its fame seemed to have become a double-edged sword.

[Title] Check out the people bashing Wolf Guild [Author] □□ (121.204) │ April 13, 2031, 2:11 PM │ [Views] 21,946 │ [Likes] 1,333 [Content] Without Wolf Guild, would Korea have become such a powerhouse of hunters? I get that conspiracy theories exist, and their rigid system is clearly problematic, but honestly, isn’t it undeniable that Wolf Guild leads in S-rank Gate clearances? [Comments] 122

┖>□□: LMAO, defending while pretending not to defend LOL. Honestly, they clear S-rank Gates because those Gates pay the best, right?

┖>□□: That’s fair, though?

┖>□□: I don’t really care about hunters or guilds, but I know Wolf Guild is the most famous. Honestly, by name recognition alone, they’re untouchable.

┖>□□: It’s just like popular celebrities—they get more hate the more famous they are. It’s a huge organization, so of course there’s lots of gossip, that’s all.

┖>□□: Isn’t the Wolf Guild Master about to retire? Since Wolf’s taken so much, which guild will be next?

Just as he scrolled down to that point, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

“Senior, it’s me.”

It was Si Woo’s voice. Eun Ha closed the laptop and opened the door. Si Woo entered the room and began laying out various items on the table.

“These are the bare essentials you’ll need to live in the modern era from now on. Please keep them safe.”

<Mobile Service Activation Guide Customer Yu Ra>

Account Number: XXXXXXXXXXX

○○ Bank Co., Ltd. May 19, 2031

Creating a temporary identity was practically trivial for the Wolf Guild. Of course, Si Woo himself hadn’t personally handled these tedious tasks.

“…Yu Ra?”

Eun Ha murmured in confusion as he examined the arranged items.

“Yes. It’s a pseudonym, of course.”

Document forgery—a method secretly used by those who wished to hide their true identities as hunters.

“You expressed that you didn’t want to reveal you’re a first-generation hunter. I still don’t even know your real name.”

Having said that, Si Woo glanced sideways at Eun Ha.

“You still don’t intend to tell me, do you?”

“…”

Just trying to speak his name caused his throat to tighten.

“It doesn’t have to be right now, but I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me someday.”

Faced with Eun Ha’s silence, Si Woo asked no further and turned his gaze away.

“For now, Senior, you’ll need to learn a bit about the modern era.”

Si Woo opened the separate bag he’d brought along. Whoosh—countless books tumbled onto the table.

“You expect me to read these?”

“Yes. I specifically asked for books that are easy to read. Is there a problem?”

“…”

Eun Ha shook his head with a reluctant expression. Well, Si Woo had clearly thought this through and prepared them carefully—it would be shameless of him to complain.

“Back in your time, around the late ’90s, the line between Awakened individuals and soldiers wasn’t clearly defined.”

“That’s right.”

Eun Ha nodded as he skimmed over the books before him.

“Look here, page 10. Unlike in the past, when awakening forced you into military service regardless of your will, nowadays you have the freedom to choose.”

As Si Woo said, in the past, every Awakened individual had to become a hunter. They were the only ones capable of killing monsters, possessing power that was human yet beyond human.

They charged into battle wearing the flashy title ‘Hunter’ and golden dog tags around their necks—just like Eun Ha and Lee Jun had done.

Many hunters died, and many civilians died. An immeasurable amount of blood covered the earth, and gradually, humanity began adapting to this new reality.

“And by the late 2000s, the world began officially recognizing hunters as professionals.”

People praised hunters, cheered for their exploits, and were ecstatic over their achievements.

Indeed, at some point, hunters had become both saviors of humanity and exceptional entertainers.

Particularly drawing global attention were the ‘S-rank Hunters’—a special tier among hunters. It was said there were only six in all of Korea.

“One of them is me.”

Si Woo spoke calmly. He wasn’t boasting nor feigning humility; his tone was matter-of-fact, as if stating an obvious truth.

He was indeed strong—Eun Ha, who had briefly fought him, could nod in agreement.

[Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ sneers: “S-rank? Freeze to death! If my sister hadn’t lost consciousness, someone like you would’ve ended up roasted alive!”]

…It seemed the cat’s dislike of Si Woo wasn’t just his imagination.

Unaware that the cat was viciously badmouthing him, Si Woo continued resolutely.

“Senior, you’re a first-generation hunter whose strength rivals—no, surpasses—mine, an S-rank hunter. If it becomes known that Wolf has recruited someone of your caliber, they’ll become even more of a sensation.”

“So you need that publicity.”

Thud. Eun Ha closed the book he’d been reading, , and spoke.

Si Woo gave a faint smile.

Eun Ha couldn’t decipher the exact meaning behind that smile, but it probably wasn’t negative.

“But there’s a problem.”

“What is it? If the contract terms aren’t to your liking, we can revise them as you wish.”

“No, it’s not that.”

Eun Ha hesitated briefly.

His contract with the cat came with restrictions. Because of those restrictions, Eun Ha had lost his name.

‘To explain losing my name, I’d have to explain my contract with the cat.’

But that presented another issue. There were two restrictions in total: Eun Ha couldn’t speak his name, nor could he speak about the cat.

After deep thought, Eun Ha slowly moved his lips.

“It’d be a bit difficult to reveal that I’m a first-generation hunter. I’d also prefer to keep anything related to the Unknown Gate secret for now.”

At Eun Ha’s words, Si Woo tilted his head slightly. But only for a moment. He then nodded as if understanding and spoke.

“…I see. Considering the past—being forcibly conscripted and used as a living weapon—it’s understandable you’d be utterly fed up with hunter life by now.”

…Huh?

Eun Ha looked up. Si Woo wore a slightly sympathetic expression.

“So once this contract ends, you wish to leave the world behind and live quietly.”

Si Woo fully understood. He himself was equally disillusioned with the hunter world.

“Even without publicly declaring you’re a first-generation hunter, your skill alone will surely make you a sensation. There are plenty of ways.”

Having said that, Si Woo smoothly rose from his seat. He put on the coat he’d left aside and glanced briefly at Eun Ha.

“For now, the easiest method of proof would be best.”

“Method?”

“Yes. Measurement.”

He picked up his car keys.

“Let’s leave right away.”