Jinhwan got up from the floor, still flexing his freshly healed arm, and walked out of the gym without saying much.
"Tell Uncle Joon to be ready. I wanna go outside," he said to Miss Cha, then disappeared into the hallway.
A few minutes later, he came down freshly showered and changed plain black t-shirt, cotton jeans, and a pair of dark sports shoes. He stepped out of the mansion and slid into the back seat of the sleek black car already waiting for him.
"So, where do you wanna go, young master?" Joon asked from the driver's seat, glancing back in the mirror.
"An E-rank gate. Buy it. And take me there," Jinhwan said coldly, eyes fixed on the glowing quest screen on his watch.
Joon paused for a second, then gave a firm nod. "As you wish, young master."
Twenty minutes later, the car came to a halt in the middle of a road that had been blocked off. Several people in black suits stood guard, and behind them, a swirling green portal pulsed with energy an active A-rank gate.
Joon stepped out and approached the group, stopping in front of a tall man who seemed to be in charge.
"Is this gate under the Hunter Association or some guild?" he asked casually.
The man looked at him for a moment before his eyes lit up with recognition. He gave a polite bow.
"It's under the Hunter Association. What can I do for you, Hunter Lee Joon?"
"I want access. Do the paperwork, I'll transfer the payment," Joon said, already typing something on his phone before slipping it back into his pocket.
"Understood. I'll take care of it. The gate is yours," the man replied, then turned around and motioned for the others to step aside.
"Let's go, young master," Joon called out.
Jinhwan stepped out of the car, calm as ever, and walked over to him.
"I need a weapon," he said, holding out his hand.
Joon went back to the car, popped the trunk, and pulled out a simple silver sword wrapped in cloth. He returned and handed it over.
"Will this do, or should I have someone fetch something better?" Joon asked.
Jinhwan took the sword, gave it a quick look. "It's fine. Let's go."
And with that, both of them walked straight into the gate and vanished.
A few seconds later, a woman in a ponytail who had been watching them from the side spoke up, concern on her face.
"Mr. Choi I know it's just a low-level gate, but still. A teenager and one man alone. Isn't that risky?"
The tall man-Choi kept his eyes on the gate. "You didn't recognize him?"
"Who?"
"That man. That was Lee Joon one of Korea's S-rank hunters." Choi replied.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, the Lee Joon? I thought he was just the kid's driver. Since he was calling him young master."
----
An hour passed inside the dungeon.
Joon was effortlessly taking down Poisoned Wolves one after another swift strikes, clean kills then tossing their bodies toward Jinhwan, who delivered the final blow each time.
Poisoned Wolves were low-class beasts, they're barely more than oversized wild wolves twice the size of a normal one, with the added danger of venom in every attack. While their poison could be lethal to low-rank hunters or regular people, for someone like Joon, they were nothing more than training dummies.
Now, inside the boss room, a truck-sized wolf lay barely breathing, already defeated by Joon's brutal offense. Its blood soaked the mossy stone floor.
Jinhwan stood still, staring at the glowing screen of his watch with a deep frown.
"Is something wrong, young master?" Joon asked, noticing the frustration on his face.
"Why didn't the quest complete even after all this?" Jinhwan muttered under his breath.
Then, without hesitation, he drove the sword straight into the boss wolf's skull. The beast let out a final whimper before collapsing fully but still, no system sound, no update, nothing.
The watch stayed quiet.
His eyes narrowed. His frustration deepened.
"Let's go." Jinhwan said coldly, turning around and walking toward the exit.
Joon didn't ask any questions. He simply followed.
As they stepped out of the gate, the portal behind them flickered once and then collapsed in on itself, vanishing completely.
But just a few steps ahead of them stood a man in his 40s, tall, with a visible scar slashed across his left cheek. He wore a clean white suit that contrasted sharply with the gritty surroundings. There was a strange calm in his presence.
"Hello, Mr. Lee," the man greeted with a gentle tone, his gaze focused on Joon.
Joon stepped forward until he stood in front of him, eyes locked.
"What brings you here, Chairman Sung Myungsoo."
Myungsoo gave him a small smile.
"You see, I heard someone beat up one of my employees last night."
His tone stayed pleasant, but the edge behind his words was clear.
"I can't just let anyone walk around freely after laying hands on my people." he continued, his gaze slowly shifting to Jinhwan. 'If I do, others might start thinking the Hunter Association is getting weak."
Myungsoo and Jinhwan eye's made contact they're looking to eachother.
"So what do you want? Say it clearly."
Joon was staring at Myungsoo, but then his eyes shifted to someone standing behind him, the same man Jinhwan had beaten last night in a fit of rage.
"Just apologize to him. That's all," Myungsoo said calmly, his gaze fixed on Jinhwan.
Hearing that, Jinhwan let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.
"That's all? Then where is he?"
His voice was sharp and cold, as always.
Myungsoo tilted his head slightly. The man behind him nodded and stepped forward.
Jinhwan walked up to him, stopping just inches away.
Then, before anyone could react, he smirked and swung his right leg high into the air.
With a swift motion, his foot came crashing down onto the man's neck, knocking him out instantly.
Myungsoo clenched his fist tightly, as if restraining himself.
The man collapsed, unconscious, while others rushed to help him.
[Chapter 3 end]