Whoa, look over there! That's Baek Yoonho from the White Tiger Guild!
Choi Jong-in from the Hunters Guild, too!
Look at all the press.
What are they even here for?
Are the two of you here to recruit Lee Minsung?
Minsung? Who are they talking about?
What's the likelihood that he'll be retiring from acting?
I'm not here for him.
Do you have any comment on his assessment?
I understand that Mr. Minsung has contracted with the Reaper Guild already,
so this is a separate matter.
Damn...
It would've spiced the story up.
What a waste of time.
I've heard the news.
That A-Rank gate that nearly hit the S-Rank threshold was real trouble, huh?
Nothing as serious as the red gate that cost the White Tigers a rookie A-Rank.
I heard you were on the verge of giving us a call, though.
He's the reason why that wasn't necessary.
The Hunters Guild is prepared to give him a very warm welcome as a show of gratitude.
Don't be ridiculous! He saved our people, too! And after a casualty, at that!
Do you really need more S-Ranks? Are you looking to start a war?
I could say the same thing to you!
Hey, if it isn't Jong-in and Yoonho.
You boys aren't here to try and snatch Minsung from us, are you?
Like I said, I don't give a damn about Minsung or Min-anyone!
I already said, I don't care about Minsung or Min-anyone!
Damn, you guys are in sync.
Uh, I'm here for my reassessment.
What's going on?
Check it out! It's Minsung's press conference!
The actor?
He's supposed to be a total playboy.
They call him the co-star killer.
What are they talking about?
Is he giving a public apology?
Don't care.
I'd like to thank you all for gathering today.
As you're all aware, I, Lee Minsung, have awakened as a hunter.
I'll be getting my rank assessed today.
Since the day I awakened, I've struggled with this decision.
But now I've made up my mind!
To fulfill the destiny that I've been born with!
I'll be fighting for Mr. Lim Tae-gyu, the guild master of the Reaper Guild!
Are your acting days over?
Isn't this jumping the gun before your assessment?
Will you be focusing on your hunter duties?
How gullible can they get? I've got my A-Rank already.
My contract with the Reapers is for two years.
I'll dabble in hunting for that time,
people will forget all about my scandals,
and after? I'll be an A-Rank hunter who acts.
No matter what rank I receive, I'm prepared to fight as a hunter with my life on the—
What do you think you're doing?!
Can't you see all these reporters?
You're in the way! Buzz off!
Uh, I have business with the Association.
It can wait!
Who is this oblivious idiot?
This entrance is closed! Now get out of here—
I'm afraid that isn't your call to make.
Ch-Chairman Go!
This young man is a guest of mine.
I seem to recall asking you to refrain from holding a press conference at this hour.
But... I'm trying to distract from my...
Right this way, Hunter Sung.
What the hell do I do now?
I'll be right back! I just need to confirm with the Association!
There's someone else being reassessed at the moment.
I'm afraid you can't enter until it's complete.
Dude, do you know who I am?
One word from me, and you'll be out on your—
I can't say I recognize you,
but I don't appreciate your lack of consideration.
After hearing about today, they came to await your results.
I'm sure they're interested in the first S-Rank hunter to appear in two years.
Before we begin the reassessment,
I'd like to confirm the nature of your hunter abilities.
What kind of powers do you have, Hunter Sung?
I can produce these.
I... assume this is a summon?
Then you have summoning magic.
That... sounds right, sure.
Hunter Sung.
I've received a detailed account of your abilities from Manager Woo.
You're not going to hold out on us, are you?
Yeah, I guess the cat's out of the bag at this point.
I can produce around a hundred more.
A h-hundred?!
That's unbelievable!
His magic power is tremendous!
It's enough to overwhelm even me...
This is Hunter Sung's power?!
Thank you for your patience. Your reassessment is now complete.
This is your new hunter ID.
Perfect. Now I can sell the Sphere of Avarice without raising any eyebrows.
That should cover the gear I need to beat the Demon's Castle!
You are now officially an S-Rank hunter.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with that strength.
Congratulations on your S-Rank assessment.
Would you mind letting me thank you for your help the other day?
I've got something I'd like to discuss with you, as well.
If you could spare some of your time...
Sorry. I've actually got something to attend to right now.
Hang on, there's still—
Huh? What did he...
Uh, hey...
Hmm?
Hey. Hey, pay attention!
What?
That's Jinwoo—uh, your brother on the stream.
Huh?
No way! How?!
We've only just been able to confirm this information.
He really did make the news.
I tried to tell you! He's got a killer's eyes!
It's been one hour since Chairman Go appeared,
No telling what kind of messed-up stuff he's done!
accompanying him to his reassessment...
and now Hunter Sung has been officially named as S-Rank.
The Association's database has been updated,
and while there has been no announcement, it seems his S-Rank status is confirmed.
He is now
the 10th S-Rank hunter in the country—
the first to emerge in the two years since Hunter Cha.
An S-Rank?!
W-Wait—
He's the tenth S-Rank!
Hurry! Get after him!
But... my press conference...
Don't let him get away!
I wasn't able to get Mr. Sung to accept the offer.
I see.
Sorry.
There's still something I need to take care of on my own.
And to do that, I need to keep fighting and get even stronger.
Joining up with any organization would only get in the way.
Jinho.
That's why...
He... also asked me to join him.
And you realize how selfish that would be?
I had every intention of letting Jinsung run this operation.
You then came in, and despite everything you said,
instead of actually accomplishing anything,
you intend on forsaking your responsibilities to work elsewhere?
You can't be serious.
Dad, I'm sorry.
But I'm still going to work with Mr. Sung.
Then you had best be prepared for the consequences.
Back away, please!
Please keep a reasonable distance!
Don't push! It's dangerous!
Don't wear yourself out dealing with them.
We'll give you a lift home.
It's okay.
He's so physically gifted, despite being a mage-type hunter...
President Baek?
So fast! Faster than I could see!
He's gotten even stronger since then.
How is that possible?!
It's time to gear up.
We've been waiting for you, Hunter Sung.
You're looking for artifacts capable of defending against flame, yes?
May I inquire the specifics?
I'm looking for protection from a dungeon that's pretty hot.
I see! In that case...
These may be what you're looking for.
A cape that you can wear on top of your clothes, and a ring that's easy to equip.
Perfect!
And at these prices, they should be well within your budget.
I don't suppose... I can get a discount?
I'm ever so sorry, sir, but the listed prices are the only ones we offer.
That said, if you can shatter this glass, then you can have them free of charge.
We happen to use glass that is magically enhanced, you see.
This glass? I can sense magic power, but not that much...
Constructed as to not even budge under blows from an A-Rank hunter.
Across all the globe, you won't find a display case of comparable security!
Wait, please! It was only a joke, I'm afraid.
Any unusual vibrations will summon security, even if the glass isn't fully broken.
Oh! I didn't realize. Sorry.
No, I should be the one to apologize. It was in most poor taste.
Well.. uh... I was looking for some other stuff, too. Like daggers.
I'm in charge of weapons, so please allow me.
Right this way.
But he hadn't even touched it...
How much for this one?
For that item, if you'll look here...
This little thing?
It's only about as strong as Kasaka's Venom Fang.
In that case...
Sir?
Where'd I put it...?
How much could I get for this?
Oh, this is impressive.
I can sense an attention to detail from the craftsman.
It was just an item on sale in the store...
I believe it would sell for no less than a hundred million.
A hundred mill—?!
But it only cost 2.8 million gold.
If the store's items can be sold at these prices...
I might not even need to sell the Sphere of Avarice.
Could I use your bathroom?
Oh, sure.
I knew he was strong.
But what I saw... goes far beyond that.
The magic power I could sense from the assessment lab,
and the athleticism he showed...
His reawakening should be long since past.
And yet he's even stronger since then. Is that even possible?
What if he's not a reawakened hunter...
but one capable of getting stronger over time?
They're finally gone. Now I can head to school without worrying...
You mean the press?
The Association must've chased them off.
Uh, if you were gonna be on TV, could you at least tell me,
instead of making a huge scene out of nowhere?!
Whoa, it wasn't my idea.
Oh, by the way...
I'm gonna be out of the house for about a week, starting tomorrow.
Again? What now?
Could you people give it a—
Yoo Jinho, your trusty sidekick, has arrived!
Huh. Is this a friend of yours?
You must be his sister!
I'm your brother's trusted assistant, Yoo Jinho!
Starting tomorrow, we're gonna be on a job for a week.
Tomorrow? What are you—
We're gonna be on a job.
Aren't we?
Y-Yep! Tomorrow's job is a big deal! Painfully so...
They might be gone for now, but given all the media coverage...
Come out.
Huh? I thought Tusk had four bodyguards.
Where's the other one?
Right, I didn't get to extract his shadow because he was smashed into the ceiling.
Well, whatever. Strong as you are, three of you should be plenty.
You're in charge. I need you to protect Jinah.
Look after my sister for me.
I should take a few more precautions while I'm at it.
Start your patrol.
Might end up making the city a little safer, come to think of it.
Thanks for letting me stay the night.
I don't mind, but what are you gonna do going forward?
He didn't say you had to move out.
It's my way of owning up to the consequences.
What's this job at the DS Tower, though?
You mentioned yesterday that you wouldn't be coming home for a week.
Well... Let's call it training.
You wanna get even stronger?! After earning an S-Rank?
I guess I do.
Thanks. I'm heading out.
Sure! Come back safe.
A ring enchanted with water, and a cape with wind...
That'll help me beat the heat.
It's time I finished off the Demon's Castle.
Quest info?
"Collect Demon Souls 2."
I need to defeat the Demon Monarch, Baran, and collect his soul.
Rewards... A rune stone for Shadow Exchange.
That sounds like a job-exclusive skill!
That's a better reward than last time. A nice bit of extra motivation.
Let's head to the 75th floor, where I left off.
I never would've thought Jinho would take off on his own.
Do you miss him?
A troublesome child has left the nest, that's all.
Honestly, I'm surprised he stuck around as long as—
That's strange...
Honey?
It's all dark...
Honey?!
Honey!
Time for a test drive.
Come on out, Tusk.
He blew it away?! And that's after being nerfed?
Might have to think carefully about how to use that move.
For now, I'll have Tusk hold on to the Sphere of Avarice.
I see. Jinho came to visit, then?
Yes... I told him it was exhaustion.
I'm sorry about this.
Then it's... Eternal Sleep Disease?
Yes. After periods of sudden drowsiness, it leads to a persistent coma.
How did I end up with such a disease?
It tends to occur in people with naturally low resistance to magic power
after prolonged exposure to it.
Do you have any hunters in your personal life?
Honey...
My son's a hunter.
We can't be certain that is the cause, but...
The entire world is permeated with magic power these days.
And I have no resistance.
Am I being... culled?
Sure is peaceful, huh?
Sure is.
You wanna go fishing after?
Aw, come on. We're still on patrol, y'know.
What... is that?
I formed six squads of shadows for efficiency's sake.
Looks like having them split up has paid off.
When I sent them out, I gave them two orders:
Each team is to take down any enemies they encounter,
and if they find an entry permit, they're to let me know.
That means missing out on any other items,
but we're making much faster progress in exchange.
Or so I thought.
But it's been two days since we made it to the 80th floor,
and the pace has slowed down a lot.
Is there some reason?
The shadows are being destroyed.
That's the high orc squad A.
I didn't think any of the greater demons would be a match for the high orcs.
I'll recall them and go check it out.
Squad B's down now, too.
I don't know who did this, but they must be pretty fierce.
Something doesn't make sense, though. Tusk's squad was right by squad A.
So why was squad B, which was further away, the next to go down?
Did they know they weren't strong enough to beat Tusk?
If they target foes based on strength, that implies a level of intelligence.
And if that's the case, the next target is likely...
Makes sense.
No wonder the magic beast soldiers couldn't handle them.
I've been curious for a while now.
Do magic beasts feel fear?
Guess I have my answer.