After the first briefing ended,
There was someone approaching Jong-sik.
But it wasn’t just one person.
The chairman, along with Gong Se-hee and the leaders of each team, found him. The dungeon exploration team behind Jong-sik was also among them.
“Um, Captain. Can we clear out first?”
Baek Ho-dam spoke on behalf of the team. Just a while ago, they had been brimming with excitement to participate in a major operation, but now their faces were stiff and rigid.
Why wouldn’t they be?
As soon as they entered the meeting room, they experienced firsthand their own abilities.
None of the three could stop Min-melee from rushing towards Jong-sik first. Moreover, every hunter participating in the operation was looking down on Jong-sik’s team.
‘Not the treatment you’d expect for a team leader…’
‘If only I were a little stronger.’
The team members who felt this way gritted their teeth.
Venting frustration wouldn’t change the situation.
So they hoped to head straight to the training room. To hone their skills even further.
“Where’s everyone going without me?”
“…To the training room. We need to start working on our bodies right away, as the chairman said.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll join you once I’m done.”
Jong-sik nodded in agreement. Soon, except for Pyeong-ari, the members of the dungeon exploration team hurriedly left the meeting room.
Meanwhile, Se-hee, who was waiting for the conversation with her team members to end, immediately spoke up.
“Um, Hunter Jong-sik, I mean, Captain….”
But before she could continue, someone else approached him first. It was Chairman Nam Woo-jong. Se-hee glanced at Nam Woo-jong, who had cut her off.
“Captain Jong, instead of that, how about we all go down to the training room together?”
However, as their conversation continued, a smile spread across Se-hee’s face. Isn’t Nam Woo-jong saying exactly what she wanted to say?
“Afternoon. Is everyone ready?”
“Yeah. As the mission leader, I should also be aware of the team members’ skills. I noticed earlier that you only exchanged greetings with Hunter Gong Se-hee.”
“Greetings? Ah, um. So, you’re saying you want me to spar with the other hunters excluding Gong Se-hee?”
“That’s right.”
The sparring scene on the monitor left a bitter taste. What could they possibly see? Hence, he wanted to witness it firsthand. Nam Woo-jong suggested sparring with the team members for this purpose.
Meanwhile, Se-hee swiftly interjected into the conversation regarding Jong-sik excluding her.
“Just a moment. Why are you excluding me? I didn’t have a chance to properly showcase my skills earlier. This time, I’ll show them accurately. It could be useful for strategizing the mission.”
Jong-sik listened to her words and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost lunchtime.
“Um. To cut to the chase, it might be awkward for anyone to do that.”
Suddenly, silence fell among the people surrounding Jong-sik. They didn’t expect such a straightforward rejection. Then, Pyeong-ari, sitting next to Jong-sik, spoke up. She promptly represented Jong-sik’s perspective.
“To request another spar from someone who just arrived and sparred with Hunter Gong Se-hee is a bit much. I’m sorry, but I think it’s an unreasonable request. Moreover, we can already assess the skills of other individuals through video analysis. Considering that, I’ve already collected combat videos of everyone, so there shouldn’t be any difficulty in strategizing.”
It was a reasonable refusal.
Upon this, Chairman Nam Woo-jong remained silent.
The other hunters were the same.
Even if they were in Jong-sik’s shoes, they would have refused. Sparring with so many people would consume a lot of energy.
As the crowd surrounding Jong-sik began to disperse, Jong-sik spoke again.
“It’s inconvenient now, so let’s spar one by one when we meet in the training room.”
It was worth it.
Jong-sik responded while concealing his intentions.
And that statement became the turning point.
For two days straight, the training ground buzzed with activity.
Rumors even spread that Se-hee ate and slept there.
And so the time passed.
The man known as the Prophet, Ramus.
As Jong-sik had expected, he was a dark wizard.
For 15 years, he had served as an apprentice to his master, doing everything from kidnapping young children to be used as experimental subjects to collecting the blood of virgins.
And so it went on for 15 long years.
His master reached a new level, the 5th Circle, and as a result, Ramus was presented with a golden opportunity. It was the chance to become an official disciple.
But! Bang!
On the very day Ramus was to be recognized as an official disciple!
On the very day before his next lesson!
His master disappeared. He vanished without a trace.
“He’s lasted quite a long time. His work is quite satisfactory. Ramus. I’ll impart special teachings to you. Come to my laboratory tomorrow at 3 a.m.”
The day Ramus was to be recognized as an official disciple!
The very next day, before his next lesson!
His master was gone. He disappeared without a trace.
“He must be crazy.”
At that moment, Ramus truly thought he was going crazy. Why wouldn’t he? At 26, Ramus was too old to find a new master. And it was too late to find another path.
How many lives had he taken in the name of securing research materials for his master? A whopping 15 years had passed. All he knew were a few dark magic spells from the 1st Circle, kidnapping children, and collecting virgins’ blood.
So he studied dark magic by scouring through the data left behind by his master. He replicated the experiments his master had conducted. Material procurement was easy since it was something he was already familiar with.
But one thing remained unchanged: his lack of progress. While his master ascended to the 5th Circle, he remained stuck at the 1st Circle for years.
A 1st Circle dark wizard.
That was the result of 15, no, 18 years of dedication.
In the end, Ramus was filled with frustration, despair, and burning hatred.
“If only my master were still here!”
If he were, Ramus believed he could have reached the 3rd Circle!
And if he had reached the 3rd Circle, he could have summoned the soul he had longed for!
Ramus sharpened his teeth day after day, perhaps without even realizing that a fragment of darkness dwelled within him.
‘How much time had passed?’
On a day like any other, as Ramus was immersed in his research, he lost consciousness.
“Where…?”
And when he woke up, he found himself in a different world. That’s when he realized where his master had disappeared to. But the astonishment didn’t end there.
“My child, I will claim you.”
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind. It was dark, sticky, and imbued with irresistible power.
“Do you wish to summon the soul of the mother who abandoned you? Then follow the path I illuminate. There, you will find a gift for you.”
In that moment, Ramus instinctively understood. He recognized the voice of an incomprehensible being. A being that claimed it would claim him. Rather than fear, he felt ecstasy. He was finally immersed in the joy of welcoming a new master.
Of course, this being was closer to a master than a mentor. Anyway, it was all thanks to the master’s prophecy that Ramus came to be called the Prophet.
“In 48 hours, follow the coordinates I provided and lead the humans. A battlefield awaits them.”
The location provided by his master was where a gate had appeared, teeming with pure magic. Ramus absorbed the magic as his master instructed. In less than a month, he had reached the 2nd Circle.
Grateful, Ramus, in his black robe, knelt and bowed his head to the ground. He recalled his master’s instructions from a few days ago.
“I can witness my master’s incarnation there. Wait for me, my master. Your disciple will depart soon.”
It was the place where his master was sealed. He was instructed to lead treasures there. Naturally, Ramus obeyed. To awaken his master, he summoned the hunters from America, who already believed him to be the Prophet. Deceiving them was easy.
And now, tomorrow, he would finally welcome the long-awaited incarnation of his master.
That’s when someone entered Ramus’s room. It was Crystal, a member of the team sent from the United States and a skilled wielder of frost. She was also Matthew’s daughter, the leader of the team.
Although she didn’t possess the skills to participate in the operation, she joined the team for some reason.
“Oops, looks like I interrupted your prayers. Sorry if I disturbed you!”
Anyway, she chirped with a lively voice. Ramus’s face, still bowed in gratitude, turned cold.
Why wouldn’t it? The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted by the very type he despised the most—’women’, like his mother who abandoned him.
But when he raised his head, he wore a calm smile as if to say, ‘When did that ever happen?’ After all, there was no turning back now.
“It’s alright. It’s just finished anyway.”
“Oh, that’s good then. Dad’s about to leave soon, so hurry up. Have you packed everything?”
“There’s nothing to pack. I can leave right away.”
Ramus rose from his seat, and Crystal chuckled. Understandably so. Ramus hadn’t packed anything at all. Well, there was one thing. A small dagger. But it seemed insufficient.
“Are you really going like that?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Of course, there’s a problem! You should at least bring cosmetics and clothes.”
“It’s fine. This is enough.”
“Ugh. You’ll regret it if you find it uncomfortable later, and I won’t be responsible.”
“….”
“Ugh, whatever. Let’s just go!”
With a silent glare from Ramus, Crystal shook her head and left the room. For a moment, disdain flickered in Ramus’s eyes as he stood behind her.
‘Arrogant woman.’
He chewed on that thought as he followed her out of the room. It was time to go to the long-awaited place.
Some time later.
Twenty hunters, including Matthew, set foot in South Korea. Simultaneously, they revealed the hidden information they had been carrying. It was information about the location where the gate would appear.
As the prophet from the United States, Ramus, had stated:
An A-rank gate would appear in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on a mountain.
In the midst of misfortune, there was a silver lining; the location was in an area with low population density. Therefore, evacuation proceeded swiftly without any major issues.
Temporary shelters were set up in nearby areas, and the waiting government officials diligently supported various tasks.
Meanwhile, at the Hunter Talent Development Institute, it was bustling with activity as well.
Why wouldn’t it be?
Their comrades who would enter the gate together and the enemy they would fight for the loot had arrived.
Just like on the day when the Korean hunters arrived, the staff members were running around hectically, preparing to welcome them.
Amidst this, after finishing a sparring session, Jong-sik leaned against the window frame and looked outside.
He could see black vehicles lining up. He scrutinized the black sedan in the middle of the line of cars.
“It seems like it’s there.”
A sinister yet familiar aura enveloped him. Sure enough, as a man stepped out of the parked car, magic swirled around him. Jong-sik’s eyes narrowed.
‘Prophet, my foot. You’re a damn dark wizard.’
At the same time, Ramus, who had just stepped out of the car, widened his eyes and looked around nervously. There was one reason for this. It was because of the voice resonating in his head. It was definitely not his master’s voice. The content was different as well.
At that moment, Jong-sik sent another message telepathically.
‘No matter how much you look around, do you think you can find me? If you’re curious, come to the mountain behind you at midnight. Or I can come to you directly to expose your identity.’
