CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE!
────the guild conference.

❝I WON'T SHOW MERCY.❞

THE NEXT DAY WAS the international guild conference.

in front of the venue was a sea of reporters. they began clicking away on their cameras, following the hunters every move.

the couple walk together silently, jin-woo leading [y/n] as she lagging behind a bit.

"are you alright miss [l/n]? you seem a bit tired, you usually have a skip to your step." a hunter bureau employee mentions.

she averts her gaze with a nervous laugh. "i just woke up on the wrong side of the bed that's all!"

her statement causes her partner to quietly snort to which she retorted with a jab on his side.

she instinctively fixes her skirt of her white dress, regretting on letting jin-woo convince her on wearing a dress.

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'he's acting so calm as if anything that happened last night never even happened.' [y/n] thinks with a tick mark. 'that stupid, cheeky, lovable and bastard...'

her thoughts immediately go to the events that happened only mere hours ago and she feels her face heat up.

'he really did mean what he said...'

she was a bit grateful it did happen, if she were being honest. any thought of that man was gone from her mind and now she can properly heal, without any set backs.

it felt so liberating and free.

"thinking about me again?" jin-woo whispers cheekily in her ear causing her face to heat up in embarrassment.

[y/n] furrows her eyebrows in frustration before mumbling angrily. "you promised me you'd be gentle!"

"that is extremely hard, especially when it comes to you, my love." he replies chuckling, sliding his hand into hers.

the reporters catch this action and uproar of questions fill the air, asking the two hunters if they were couple.

"there are a lot of reporters." jin-woo mentions, as the two ignore their questions.

"it seems the reporters have already caught wind of your fight," a hunter bureau employee whispers to him. the couple the stays silent as he explains the current situation.

"we've secured a testimony from hwang dong-su and kim min-hyuk's party." he explains. "the hunter bureau will ensure that the truth behind the incident comes to light."

[y/n] squeezes her lover's hand. 'i don't wanna think about them anymore...'

'we came to america for just one reason.' jin-woo thinks squeezing her hand back. 'as soon as my questions are answered, i'll have no business here, anymore.'

the employee then passes a pair of earpieces to jin-woo, "i will translate the contents of the presentation through these."

he then turns to [y/n]. "i have been informed you're fluent in many languages, hunter [y/n] [l/n]. so, i'm assuming you'll be fine?"

the female hunter nods with a cheeky smile. "yeah! i'll be alright!"

the employee walks away, leaving the two alone so they can enter the conference room. the male hunter brings the hand held to his lips and his lover softly smiles.

"you nervous?" [y/n] asks as he straightens his posture.

"i don't need to be." jin-woo states as he looks her with and adorning grin. "when i have you by side."

she giggles and feels her face heat up. "you're so cheesy, you know that?"

"only for you." he retorts back causing the smile on her face to brighten.

the two calm themselves down before pushing open the doors to the guild conference.

the moment jin-woo and [y/n] made their appearance, the talking inside came to a sudden halt. gazes of curiosity and fear came flying at them from all directions.

their eyes glowed their respective colors, as a form of intimidation. as too show they are clearly not afraid of their stares.

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THE COUPLE WORDLESSLY walk down to their seats, ignoring the whispers that were said about them.

"is that the asian hunter who beat down thomas andre until he was almost dead?"

"they said if the foreigner join in on the fight, he might as well been 6 feet in the ground. it was almost an act of mercy."

"apparently, they played significant roles
in the tokyo gate as well.

"to have utterly destroyed thomas, who reigned over hunters like a king. i can't believe it."

once they arrived to their seats, jin-woo pulled out [y/n]'s chair for her before he sat down. even then, everyone kept staring at the two.

a short, old man walked up to the podium located at the front of the room as the hunters quietened down.

"hello, everyone. i am doctor belzer," he begins, clearing his throat. "i'm sure you are all aware that the number of gates being generated has shot up, and that stronger monsters have started to appear. but not many of you may know that unusual activity has been detected above the skies."

belzer had put an emphasis word, 'skies', which had caught the interest of many hunters.

"it's been widely reported that the magical energy concentration being absorbed into the atmosphere is becoming increasingly greater." he continues. "but i want to refer to this magical energy found in the atmosphere differently. until we are able to find a more appropriate term to call it, we will refer to it as the magisphere."

the then scientist gestures with his hand as a huge map was displayed on the screen behind him. it was a basic map of the world.

"did you know that the magisphere is currently gathering above the skies of several countries?" belzer questions and the noise level among the hunters rose up after that question.

belzer signaled his audience to quiet down and listen to his explanation. "we have observed this phenomenon in a total of 10 places and out of all those places, the magisphere is most concentrated here." the scientist pointed to the biggest circle on the atlas as he read it out.

"THAT IS, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA."

immediately, everyone turns to look at jin-woo and [y/n]. mutters and mumbles erupted from the other hunters in the room.

"now, there's no need to look at mister sung and miss [l/n] like that." belzer points out. "if they're the ones herding around the magisphere above the sky, then they're already past the realm of a hunter after all."

jin-woo and [y/n] glance at each other with a knowing look in their glowing eyes. they both shared the same thoughts.

'10 PLACES, COULD IT PERHAPS BE RELATED TO NUMBER OF MONARCHS?'

"as we do not know its cause, there's nothing we can do to deal with it at the moment," belzer explains. "however, just because it is not possible to deal with, doesn't mean that there isn't a need to deal with it. the world may be faced with great change once again."

then director of the hunter bureau walks onto the stage, approaching the scientist. "doctor belzer, is that the end of the presentation?" he questions.

"yes," the old man replies with a nod.

"then i'll take it from here," the director replied. belzer nodded and took his leave, letting the director to do what he wanted.

the director stands behind the podium, his eyes glancing at the two most powerful hunters before looking ahead again

"i have something urgent to announce to the hunters that gathered here today," he starts. "and it is with a heavy heart that i deliver this news. around 2 weeks ago, hunter christopher reed was assassinated by a group of unidentified assailants."

"nation-level hunter christopher reed, assassinated?!"

"is this some sort of a joke?! there's no way!"

"the only one who can kill a nation-level hunter is someone with equal strength!"

"WHAT IF IT WAS THAT GUY WHO FOUGHT THOMAS YESTERDAY?!"

at the assumption, everyone turns to the couple. who only ignored their stares.

jin-woo, squeezes [y/n]'s hand, under the table. in search of some kind of comfort. she squeezes back in reassurance, letting him know she was here for him.

"the news of christopher reed will be officially released tomorrow," the director adds. "please listen carefully without misunderstanding."

everyone turns their attention back to the director as images appeared behind him of the christopher reed incident.

"there is a man we suspect to be the perpetrator of this crime." he continues as two new pictures appear on screen.

jin-woo narrows his eyes, knowing what's coming. [y/n] caresses the back of his hand with her thumb.

"SUSPECT S."

one photo was taken moments after he had arrived at the hunter bureau for identification purposes.

while the other was taken years ago. the hunters did their absolute best to not turn around as they convinced themselves that the man and jin-woo only looked alike, and nothing more.

the male player grits his teeth as the situation seemed so confusing to him.

dungeons are the territory of rulers, the two players know this. then jin-woo is reminded of the old dragon, kamish said to him.

"my king, there were four human beings who borrowed the power of the rulers. please be wary of them."

'i don't know why the rulers sent a monster in the form of my father. perhaps it had to do with what kamish said...' he ponders, already feeling tired of this meeting.

he takes a glance at [y/n], who was looking ahead and as she was actually paying attention to the director's words. jin-woo was then suddenly in a trance by her beauty.

his eyes glance at her exposed neck, make up covered up the marks that he made. he remembered how much she'd smacked his arm this morning saying.

"do you know how much time it takes
to cover this up!?"

then, vivid memory of last night pops into his mind, the view he gotten as he ruined her body.

he catches himself before his mind goes any further and deadpans. 'fuck, i need to stop letting myself be like this.'

"the man found in a gate in the united states was determined to be a monster who was capable of speaking human language." the director states, bringing jin-woo back to his senses. "moreover, we requested the aid of s-rank hunter hwang dong-su who spoke korean to lead the interrogation, but..."

he pauses, before continuing. "the suspect took down hwang dong-su in the middle of the interrogation and brought the hunter's association down in a sea of flames."

images flashed after one another as it showed the hunters the aftermath on the screen.

"the culprit was powerful enough to defeat hunter hwang dong-su, who acted as a member of the main force in the scavenger guild. 'strong humanoid monsters like him who escaped from the dungeon, may have targeted hunter christopher reed together.' that is the conclusion that we have come to at the hunter's association." the director explains, solemnly.

suddenly, a video clip was played in front of them and jin-woo's eyes widen when he realizes that the suspect was trying to talk to hwang dong-su.

"don't you ever step foot in korea. i say this not for my son, but for you. or you won't be able to rest, even after death."

the player's heart pulsed powerfully just then. he suppressed his wildly pounding heart and called out his new addition to the shadow army.

"greed!'

that said shadow had already knew what his king wanted to know through their shared mental link, so the summon immediately reply.

"it is as you suspected, my liege."

while jin-woo's thoughts got more confusing and complicated. [y/n] glances at him and their glowing eyes meet.

she gave him a raised eyebrow, silently asking what was wrong. he only gave her look that said, 'i'll explain later.' she nods understanding his choice.

the lengthy explanation of the director
was now coming to an end.

"we plan on requesting the aid of all guilds around the world to apprehend 'suspect s', and ask that you contact us immediately upon discovering him. that is all." the end of the director's explanation caused an uproar of questions that the hunters had been holding back.

they all impatiently raised their hands into the air, hoping to be called on.

"is there any proof that 'suspect s' is not human?" a hunter asks.

"his magic emission completely matches
that of a monster next question?"

"it's said that he claimed himself to be a human who went missing in a dungeon, did the hunter he described really exist?" another inquires.

"yes, it was a real person. next."

"THEN HOW COME YOU WON'T YOU REVEAL THE HUNTER'S IDENTITY?"

"ah..." the director trails off. "he's connected to one of the hunters present here, and so we've decided not to reveal that information. any other questions?"

it was then, someone sitting at the back of the audience hall raises his hand. even before the director could call out his question, the man spoke first.

"STILL, WOULDN'T IT BE MORE HELPFUL TO REVEAL HIS IDENTITY IN PURSUIT OF HIS ARREST? DON'T YOU THINK SO, CHEIF?"

at the sudden question, everyone turns around to look at china's seven-star hunter, liu zhigang.

before the director can even answer, zhigang interrupted him, his glowing eyes narrowed. "i'll be direct about this. what's the monster's relation to hunter sung jin-woo?"

the director stays silent before averting his gaze with a scoff, looks like the cats out of the bag now.

"well, if hunter liu zhigang really wants to know i guess we have no choice. during the questioning, suspect s revealed himself to be hunter sung jin-woo's father." he stated causing an uproar of whispers. "we are carrying out our investigations assuming this is true."

zhigang looks down at the two prominent figures who sat close to each other.

he smirks, noticing the aura they gave out. 'like yin and yang, how amusing.'

"hunter sung jin-woo, if suspect s turns out to be your missing father and other hunters attempt to hunt him down, what will you do?" he asks, as if he wanted to know what his reaction would be.

"it's only right that hunters hunt down monsters," jin-woo starts, squeezing his lover's hand. "and if he is indeed a monster, then i'll take care of him myself. but if he is not a monster, but rather truly my father...."

everyone turned back to jin-woo as they became intensely curious as to what he might say next.

his mind flashes back to all the events that have happened to his friends, all in where they've gotten hurt. then, an image of a smiling [y/n] appears in mind. his one and only sun.

"THEN I WILL PROTECT MY FAMILY, EVEN IF THAT MEANS I'LL MAKE AN ENEMY OF EVERY SINGLE HUNTER IN THE WORLD."

an uproar of gasps fill the room and zhigang smirks before his glowing eyes land on the women wearing white

"HUNTER [Y/N] [L/N]."

he calls, causing her eyes to widen and she sweats. 'why am i being dragged into this?!'

"rumors say that you and hunter sung jin-woo are quite close," he starts. "i've also heard that you didn't participate in the fight with thomas andre as an act of mercy."

she furrows her eyebrows, confused by that, as that not what actually happened.

"so, tell me? will you be showing mercy towards any hunters if the man that is suspected is your friend's father?" he questions with the tilt of his head.

what he didn't expect was for him to may eye contact with her. those glowing gold eyes sent shivers down his spine and a strained smile forms on his lips.

'i can see why everyone is so obsessed with her...'

"my relationship with hunter sung jin-woo doesn't concern you." she speaks, her eyes narrowed. "and to answer your question, if he truly is a monster, i, along with hunter sung will hunt him down. but, on the off chance that he is his father..."

a confident smirk graces her lips as her eyes shine brightly like a raging fire.

"MY ANSWER IS, NO. I WON'T BE SHOWING MERCY, I'D KILL EVERY SINGLE HUNTER IN THE WORLD IF IT MEANS MY FAMILY IS SAFE."

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THE MEETING FINALLY ended and the couple stay side by side as adam guides them out of the hall.

"did you two mean what you said back there?" adam asks the two.

"yes," they shortly reply.

the agent sweats at their confidence. "to say such a thing in front of 500 of the strongest hunters in the world, from over 120 different countries... there are probably only three hunters, you two included, who would dare say something like that."

"and whose the other person?" [y/n] questions with the tilt of her head as she hugs her lover's arm.

"he's in the hospital right now."

the female player lets our a quiet snort while the male player bites his lips as to not laugh. imagining a beat up thomas andre resting on a hospital bed.

"there will be a feast in just a moment," adam informs them with a smile as the couple halts their movements. "the hunter's association has put a lot of care into organizing it, so if you two aren't too busy, perhaps you could dine with other hunters—"

the agent notices they were silent and looks ahead to see why they were.

LIU ZHIGANG.

he had a group of body guards behind him as he confidently approaches the two hunters.

before he could start speaking, he takes a moment to admire [y/n]. he comes to even more of an understanding why everyone was so obsessed with the gorgeous women.

'truly, she's magnificent...'

then, peeling his eyes off of her, he starts talking to the hunters.

"he says he caught a giant monster that you two let slip away on the coast of china," the agent translates surprising the two hunters.

"you can speak chinese too?" the [h/c] haired player exclaims, a bit impressed.

adam sheepishly smiles at the beautiful hunter. "i am in charge of asian branch, after all. though as i'm not as versatile and fluent as you are, miss [l/n]."

the girl cheekily grins with a sweat, knowing the real reason behind why she is fluent.

"keeps translating, please." the dark haired player says as he glances at the agent.

the agents nods. "yes, sir. he says surprised to find that the giant monster was stronger than expected. and it was even more difficult as the battle took place on water."

liu zhigang continued on and adam translated it again, "he says he's been wanting to meet you two ever since. he's been curious to see what kind of hunters could take down such strong monsters so easily."

then, the chinese hunter says something else. catching [y/n] off guard as her face heats up in embarrassment.

taking notice of this, jin-woo turns to adam "and?" he asks adam. "he said something else, didn't he?"

the man hesitantly looks between him and zhigang, "he says he also had been waiting to meet hunter [y/n] [l/n], to see if she was as beautifully warm and kind as people say she is."

the dark haired hunter narrows his eyes at the chinese hunter who gave him a wave of dismissal before speaking again.

"he says, that he was only curious in meeting her. it's obviously telling what kind of relationship the two of you have." adam translates with a sigh of relief.

zhigang outstretches his hand to them and
gave the couple a genuine smile.

"he says he's happy you put hunter thomas in his place and that he has no doubt hunter thomas was in the wrong." adam continues as the three hunter exchange handshakes.

the next few sentences liu zhigang spoke had [y/n] and adam shocked for a moment. jin-woo looked at them curiously as the agent then translated it for him.

"AND HE SAYS... THAT HE'S HOPING FOR THAT REASON, SUSPECT S ISN'T A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY."

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THE COUPLE WATCHES the chinese hunter walk away, a bit surprised that he had such confidence to say that.

"he said he doesn't ever want to fight you two, so i don't think he had any ill intent." adam explains to them.

"it's alright." jin-woo assures, eyeing zhigang once again as his arm wraps around [y/n]'s waist.

adam bids farewell to them and walks away, leaving the two alone.

"are we going to go to the feast then? i know jin-ho would like to go." the female player points out.

the male player looks down at her and sighs. "he did mention it would be good for our guild if we'd make connections there."

[y/n]'s face brightens and she claps excitedly. "yes! i now have an excuse to wear the outfit i've been wanting to wear!"

jin-woo chuckles at her sudden excitement for such a small thing and before he could say anything , someone else approaches them.

"HUNTER SUNG JIN-WOO AND HUNTER [Y/N] [L/N], COULD YOU SPARE US SOME TIME?"

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"ITS BEEN A while, hunter sung jin-woo and hunter [y/n] [l/n]." norma selner greets as the couple sits across from her.

"likewise, miss selner!" [y/n] replies with a bright and enchanting smile

"i never thought you'd come see us again," jin-woo adds, wondering on what she wants them.

"i've been having the same dream every night lately," norma spoke. "of top hunters being hunted down by someone, and a few days later, these dreams have become a reality."

the [h/c] haired hunter raises an eyebrow. 'the hell? is she playing or is she being serious?

"you mean christopher reed?" [y/n] questions, crossing her legs and crossing her arms.

"we warned mister reed, but he wouldn't listen," the director explained. "you know how that turned out."

the two hunters narrows their glowing eyes as images of christopher reed's dead body flash in their minds.

"powerful hunters who have been supporting our world will continue to die." norma continues with a trembling voice, "those hunting these hunters will not stop."

"so... you're here to warn us too?" jin-woo guesses a bit worried if he and his lover would in be danger.

the black woman shook her head, "no. i'm here to ask you two to protect the hunters."

this causes the couple's eyes to widen.
not expecting such a statement.

i've been trying to remember the faces of those who got hunted in my dreams, but it was no use." norma explains. "so i've decided to try something else. even if it was just a dream, i'd use my ability to look into their true nature, their true form."

"was that why you looked into our eyes the last time?" [y/n] points out.

"yes," she nods confirming her answer. "the endless power that lies within them... once i came into contact with them, i was forced to wake up from my sleep. i still remember vividly, the voice i heard from 'it' and her."

'is she talking about aurora? she's made contact with aurora!?'

"what did 'it' and she say?" the female player words carefully, noting of norma's shaking figure.

"TO GO BACK... AND PREPARE FOR WAR."

the player's eyes widened as they both knew what war norma was referring to. it was the battle between monarchs and rulers. but which side was killing the hunters?

"what does that have to do with you asking us to protect the hunters?" jin-woo asked.

"it's because i detected a similar power within the both of you." norma answers, confidently.

'so, she did meet aurora.' [y/n] thinks narrowing her glowing eyes, 'but she doesn't know who exactly she is, i only know because woo told me her name while i told him the name of the shadow monarch...'

"they are an existence beyond hunters. we require the help of your immense powers to stop them," the director adds with a sigh. "to be completely honest, we weren't completely convinced when we were told that only you two could protect them. but we changed our minds when we saw the battle between hunter sung and hunter andre yesterday."

he continues. "hunter [l/n] has already proved she is strong enough to take down hunter andre, if that were to ever happen. anyways, we don't expect you to help us without any compensation. we offer anything you want, even the rune stones that belonged to kamish."

"there are hunters in this world who have received powerful blessings and they have supported the world with their powers," norma informed them. "if they disappear, this world will not be able to last."

the couple glance at each other, staying silent and thinking about the offer.

BUT IT OBVIOUS WHAT THEIR
ANSWER WOULD BE.

"i'm sorry," jin-woo speaks as [y/n] nodded her head as she shared the same message with him.

"is this because you still have personal grudges against hunter andre?" the director frantically questions.

"that's not it," the female player replies, shaking her head, sadly smiling. "it's because we still don't know who we need to be fighting against yet."

her answer shocks everyone in the room. it was only to be expected, though such a tempting offer.

it would be suicide.

norma and the director were left speechless as jin-woo stands up from his seat.

"well, then... we'll be taking our leave." [y/n] announces as she takes her lover's hand, guiding her up from her seat.

the two bow slightly before turning to leave the room. adam watches the two walk away, hand in hand. thinking back at what the said at the conference.

"then i will protect my family, even if that means i'll make an enemy of every single hunter in the world."

"my answer is, no. i won't be showing mercy, i'd kill every every single hunter in the world if it means my family is safe."

it was silent between them and they stop in their tracks, sighing in unison.

"agent white," jin-woo calls as the two turn to look at him with small grins. "could you give us the list of hunters they wanted us to protect? i'd appreciate it if you could provide an opportunity for us to meet those hunters as well."

ada a bright smile paints his lips as he eagerly nods his head, happy they accept the deal.

"OF COURSE!"

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BACK AT THE HOTEL...

jin-woo looks at the watch on his wrist as he sits on the bed, he complied to [y/n]'s wishes on letting her change her outfit for tonight's feast.

"sunshine," he playfully whines. "you done yet?!"

he hears her sigh in annoyance from the bathroom, "you know damn well this wouldn't be taking so long, if someone didn't decide to go overboard on my neck!"

he pouts at statement and mumbles. "well, it's not my fault you're irresistible..."

after a few more minutes, [y/n] finally walks out of the bathroom with a happy hum.

"so what do you think!"

jin-woo turns around and his eyes widen, taking in the sight before him.

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[pretend the top is white!]

───── ⋆⋅ ☽ ⋅⋆ ─────

she giggles at his wordless reaction as he slowly gets up from the bed, walking over.

"it would have taken longer if i decided not to wear the turtle neck." she mentions cheekily.

he approaches silently and delicately holds her hands as she looks up at him with a hum. jin-woo takes in every detail of her face and body, loving every single bit of it.

"have i ever told how much you drive me insane?" he whispers as he just mindlessly stares at her.

[y/n], suddenly feeling extremely shy, "i-i think you have, multiple times."

his right hand moves to hold her face. she instinctively leans into the palm of his hand.

she looks up at him innocent expression mirroring the one she wore last night. and it takes all it has in jin-woo to not drag her back to the bed.

so, he kisses her forehead. "you look ethereal, my love."

"thank you, darling." she says, giving him a sunny smile. she then goes to hug his arm and lean into his body, before saying.

"C'MON! WE DON'T WANT TO BE LATE!"

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ON THE LAST day of the international guild conference, hosted by the hunter's association—

"THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTERS."

the venue was decorated elegant and the the hunters who were invited were dressed in such elegance.

the three friends walk side by side as they enter the venue, body guards trialing behind them.

"jin-ho how are you feeling? you're not in any pain, are you?" [y/n] asks, worryingly for her friend.

the young hunter shakes his head. "i'm good as new, [y/n]! no need worry!"

her [e/c] eyes water comically as she hugs her best friend, tightly while also trying not to let the tears fall.

"you had me so worried, jin-ho!" the beautiful hunter exclaims.

matching her expression, he hugs her back. "please, i was so scared! but i knew you guys would come and save me!"

jin-woo sweats at them child like demeanor, but was happy nonetheless that his best friend was safe.

onlookers, watch the three interact, surprised to see the two most powerful hunters in the room.

"oi, look..." one mumbles as a group of three eyes them in interest.

"i know." another says. "they're right in front of us, and yet i can't feel their presence at all. their on a different level."

the three friends all laugh happily, their little group finally whole, once again.

"so hunter next to them must be..."

"the one they fought thomas andre to save."

the two s-rank hunters garnered a lot of attention, more so [y/n], as she is, quite possibly, the most beautiful person in the room right now.

all eyes were on her as she smiles like the sun, how she held herself with poise and elegance. quite literally, beauty incarnate.

some would like to take their chances with her but when they see how jin-woo held her close by her waist.

THEY'D RATHER KEEP THEIR LIVES.

suddenly, a man approaches the three. "it's an honor to meet you, hunter sung jin-woo. i'm the ceo of a global corporation specializing in dealing with monster remains."

"we'd like to purchase all the giant monsters that you and hunter [y/n] [l/n] have hunted." he explains, giving them a smile. "do you have a moment?"

'what good timing.'

jin-woo gestures to jin-ho. "me and partner are mainly in charge of the raids, and my vice guildmaster here is in charge of all business related matters."

"i'm ah-jin guild's vice guildmaster, yoo jin-ho." he greets, shaking hands with teh ceo.

the couple watches how he thrives in this type of setting, all with small smiles on their faces.

"i'm gonna go get a drink." [y/n] points to the one the tables and jin-woo nods, letting her do watch she wants. knowing she can very much well take care of herself.

he watches her figure disappear in the crowd, he lets out simple shadow to follow her.

one can never be too cautious.

"hunter sung, here's the list," adam called from the side. he stopsas the man passed him a tablet.

"we've ranked the hunters by points we assign them, based on their contributions and activity," the agent informs him as he looks at the list. "these are the top ten hunters leading in points. if you are to accept our proposition, you would likely be asked to protect these people."

"so you're saying they are top priority," jin-woo mutters as adam hums, confirming his statement.

"where do [y/n] and i rank here?"

"if we took into account the giant monsters you two took down... probably third or fourth." adam answers, honestly.

the dark haired player reads the names the list, trying to remember their names.

'what a drag. i should just put a shadow soldier on each of them, instead memorizing their names.' he thinks, sending out some of summons under the shadows. 'i'll tell [n/n] to do the same with her knights. besides this is an optimal environment to put summons on people.'

he hands back adam the tablet. "thank you, if you don't mind. i'll be enjoying my night with my lover."

the agent nods but before he leaves, jin-chul frantically approaches them.

"hunter sung." he calls, confusing the hunter but he had slightly bad feeling about this

"IT'S ABOUT HUNTER [L/N]."

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A LITTLE BEFORE...

[y/n] approaches the table where all the food and drinks were set.

before she could go back to her boyfriend a few young female hunters had approached her.

it seemed she had gained a few fans.

they talked to her for a bit and then asked her for a picture. of course, [y/n] being the kind soul she is, couldn't say no.

they bid their goodbyes and left excitedly, as if it was their dream to meet the beautiful s-rank hunter.

'ah they were so cute!' she thinks with a smile as she takes a sip of her champagne. 'never knew i made fans...'

"HUNTER [Y/N] [L/N]."

an unfamiliar voice calls her name from behind her, turning to face a surprising guest.

before her was the famous thomas andre, he was dressed appropriately for the feast all but the cast around his left arm.

'now what is this?' she thinks, her eyes beginning to glow gold. 'i didn't think he have the guts to show up.'

"thomas andre, fancy meeting you here." she greets in english, shocking him a bit.

the large man couldn't help but be weak in the knees at her presence. he greatly underestimated on how ethereal she was in person.

as if she was a goddess.

'it was true, pictures don't do her justice. her beauty rivals the descriptions of aphrodite...' he thinks, feeling himself be flushed.

everyone in area could only watch in shock, wondering what might happen.

"if you're here for sung jin-woo, i can
direct you to him."

"no, i came to meet you first miss [l/n]."

[y/n] blinks, sighing in relief. 'so he's not here for revenge. thank god, cause i really don't feel like fighting.'

"i'm here to apologize on the behalf of one my guild members, kim min-huyk." thomas starts, bowing slightly, shocking everyone in the area.

'what...?'

her eyes glow a fiery gold, narrowing. "thomas, i don't know how you came to know-"

"I TOLD HIM."

a familiar voice comes into the conversation and [y/n]'s eyes widen to see who it is.

"mari..." she mumbles as she watches the girl approach her and thomas straightens his posture.

the look on the young girl's face was full of pure guilt and regret.

"wait, how?"

"i visited you."

the player blinks and stays quiet, letting the brunette explain how she knew.

"when you were still unconscious, i visited you. the doctor mistook me for your friend or something." mari starts, looking away. "they told me the state of your body and it doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

[y/n] furrows her eyebrows. 'she visited me... but why?'

the young healer sighs, reading her expression. "you can believe whatever you want. but, i wasn't gonna sit in silence about it any longer."

"but why didn't you say something before?" the player argues, trying not let her anger get the best of her.

"because, i know i was the last person you wanted sympathy from." the healer retorts back.

'she's not wrong.'

mari's face turns guilty as she rubs the back of her neck. "i also came here to apologize. for the way i've acted towards you in the past and recently."

'apologize...?'

"i looked down on you because you were weak and i knew you hated me, but there were times you would treat me with genuine kindness, it was those times where i thought you were above me..." she starts, rubbing the back of her neck. "i hated it, i just couldn't bare to look at you because of it. then, out of no where you suddenly getting stronger."

mari actually followed [y/n] closely. she listened to any rumors about a supposedly weak [h/c] haired girl with [e/c] eyes, entering gates and coming back alive.

until she disappeared entirely.

after a while, that's when mari received news of [y/n] becoming a s-rank in south korea of all places, while she was stuck in [your country]

"ever since you've become a s-rank, i kept telling myself that it was all just lies. but, then you kept one upping everyone's expectations." she continues, leaving the hunter in absolute shock. "you've forced me to realize my weaknesses even if i didn't want to admit it."

the two lock eyes. "i don't think anything will change between us, but i just wanted to say it before the guilt eats me up."

mari suddenly bows, properly.

"I'M SORRY FOR EVERYTHING I'VE DONE UP UNTIL NOW."

[y/n] goes to speak but the healer doesn't let her. "i am fully expecting you not to accept my apology. after all i've done to you, i don't deserve your forgiveness. but these past few days gave me a lot to think about."

the brunette straightens her posture. "that's all i have to say, and i glad you went and got your revenge for what that bastard did to you."

the female player could only stare at her. mari was a prideful person, she was the last person she expected an apology from.

but to go out of her way and help her out? to push her pride aside and bow to her and apologize?

IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE.

"i don't accept your apology." the [h/c] haired hunter states and the healer nods understanding her decision. "but i will acknowledge that you decide to man up for once and admit your faults."

"i barely deserved that." she mutters, looking away. "but, thank you for your kindness."

[e/c] eyes soften at mari, she was at least happy to know that she was making effort to change. 'maybe in a another life... things could have be different.'

then, [y/n] turns to thomas. "thank you for apologizing on the behalf of your guild member. though a man like him doesn't really deserve it."

the tall man nods. "that i know. thank you, miss [l/n]."

'you know what, he's not such a bad guy.' the female hunter eyes him, putting her empty drink on tray held by a person that was passing by.

"would you be as so kind as to direct me where mister sung is?" he continues and before she could do such a thing.

HE WAS ALREADY RIGHT BESIDE HER.

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JIN-WOO WAS, AT the very least, confused.

to find his girl chatting with thomas andre and a that girl that insulted her at the airport, ever so calmly.

he wraps and around [y/n]'s waist, pulling her close to his chest. his presence had everyone flinch, not even realizing he was there.

"don't worry, mister sung jin-woo." mari interjects, before things could get messy. "he comes in peace, he came to see [y/n] on the behalf of apologizing on what happened to her."

his eyes glance at his lover and she nods, confirming the girl's statement. he calms down a bit, realizing that she was in no real danger.

"hunter sung jin-woo, allow me to ask one thing." thomas says, lifting his injured left arm and looks at him. "this arm, because it took damage from magic power that was too great, the healer's magic is not working. the doctor also said the same thing to me. even though it is slowly recovering, it is far from complete recovery."

he puts his arm down, furrowing his eyebrows. "if it were you, you could have single handedly wiped out my entire guild after dealing with me. even amidst all the commotion, not a single member has died, excluding mister hwang and mister kim, who were the cause of the commotion. back then... why did you let us live?"

the dark haired player stays silent for a bit before giving his answer.

"BECAUSE NONE OF YOU HAD COMMITTED A SIN THAT DESERVES DEATH."

this shocks thomas andre. it left him pondering for a moment.

"i see." he mumbles before turning around. "i plan to have a great funeral for mister hwang. for he has committed a sin that deserves death, but please let him have a funeral."

then, he slowly begins to walk away. "mister kim, will not be having such a funeral for the actions he has committed towards hunter [y/n] [l/n]."

'i wasn't gonna let that bastard have one anyway...' jin-woo thinks with the grit of his teeth.

"once my arm heals, i would like to have a meal with you and miss [l/n]. if you give my manager your contact information i will contact you later," thomas says as he walks away from the hall, with mari leaving behind him.

laura took a step forward, bowing at the two hunters. "my master just showed his gratitude to you for not harming his guild members. no matter how he looks, he's actually a shy person."

[y/n] glances at the man again. 'yeah, i can see it.'

"hunter-nim, pardon my rudeness but could you please tell me your contact information? my master wants to give you two a gift of gratitude. please tell me if there is anything you want." the stoic blonde woman tell the two.

"we're good, thank you," jin-woo responses curtly.

"my master... is very competitive so he becomes uneasy when he feels he owes someone a favour," laura adds looking down a bit. "anything would do, so could you please tell me something?"

[y/n] holds her chin in thought. "how about some useful weapons? daggers for us both."

"i understand. i appreciate your understanding miss [l/n]," she thanks before bowed to them once again and walking away.

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"WELL, THAT WAS something." [y/n] mumbles, as she gets out of her boyfriend's embrace and holds his hand.

"you can say that again..." jin-woo mutters, keeping a good hold on her hand.

'never letting her out of my sight ever again.'

"well then, shall we get going to meet the hunters? i can be your guide," adam suggests to the two.

"no need. there's a person missing. the sixth hunter on the list," the dark haired hunter informs him.

the agent sweats looking at him. "how did you..."

'oh is he talking about the list of hunters we were asked to protect?' the [h/c] haired wonders as she closes her eyes for moment. she locates the shadows within the hall of the venue.

so, she does the same with her knights, pairing up with the shadows. she opens her eyes again. 'that should do it, truly this is the best place to assign knights too.'

jin-woo eyes the group of people chatting about the sixth hunter who they had apparently lost contact with days before the conference.

'was he already done in?' he thinks, narrowing his glowing eyes. 'that leaves 7...'

then, a tug on his arm takes him out of his thoughts. he looks down to see his [y/n] gesturing to the dance floor.

'oh no...'

a slow song had just begun and it's seems the female hunter was itching to dance with him. "please! one dance woo!" she pleads with puppy eyes, knowing he's weak to them.

well, weak to her.

he sighs, giving it some thought before nodding. "fine, but just one though."

[y/n] squeals in excitement as she drags him by the hand to the dance floor with a smile. jin-woo softly grins at her excitement. 'happiness looks amazing on her...'

finally, the two made it to the dance floor.

there were already people dancing to the music and before the female hunter could ask her partner to dance, a hand is outstretched to her.

"MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE, MY QUEEN?"

jin-woo asks her, his expression soft. [y/n] blinks in shock before giving him a radiant smile, putting her pretty hand in his.

"OF COURSE, MY KING."

he takes his lover's delicate hand and pulls in her, having his other hand by her waist as her hand holds his shoulder. the two begin to sway with the music, following every beat and note.

"you know, you're pretty good at this." the male player teases her.

she rolls her eyes at his comment. "what? did you expect i was gonna step on your feet?"

"yes, if i'm being honest."

"you know what, i'm gonna do it on purpose now."

the couple bursts into giggles, then jin-woo brings her closer. now, his hands were on [y/n]'s waist while hers were around his neck.

"hey, sunshine." he starts. "i love you, so much. you know that?"

her heart flutters in her chest at his words. such simple words that held so much meaning. her enchanting [e/c] eyes soften as she pecks his lips.

"i love you too, lover boy." she replies, causing her partner to smile.

but such a sweet moment had to come to end as a warning like feeling courses through them. a summon, alerting them of something.

SOMEONE WAS IN DANGER.

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE! END!
────the guild conference.