Chapter 281

Seoul City Hall, Fissure Management Division.

The quiet office stiffened at the words of three A-rank Hunters standing in front of them.

“We would like to terminate our contract with Seoul City Hall.”

Standing in an orderly line with their hands neatly clasped were Han Dong-Hyun, Yoo Mi-Ra, and Yoo Jung-Ho. The abrupt declaration from Mejai Guild, one of the main forces supporting the Fissure Management Division, left Cheol-Soo in shock. He jumped up from his seat and hurried over.

“W-wait, Hunter Han! Why all of a sudden...?” he asked, alarmed.

Since Do-Jun’s return from the hospital, this was the first time a Hunter had initiated a contract termination. Previously, unilateral contract cancellations were common. However, over the past year, Hunters had maintained a positive relationship with the Fissure Management Division without any complaints.

It was especially surprising coming from the Mejai Guild, who closely followed Do-Jun. Just two months ago, at a company dinner, they even promised to stick with City Hall to the very end.

“Did we make some kind of mistake? If so, we’ll correct it immediately!” Cheol-Soo pleaded desperately.

An F-rank? No, even a C-rank wouldn’t have warranted such a reaction from him, but these were A-rank Hunters. Not just one, but three of them. Losing them would be a major blow to the division. Cheol-Soo looked ready to grab onto their legs if necessary.

Dong-Hyun bit his lip and averted his gaze. He replied, “There’s only one reason. We realized this was a waste of time.”

“A w-waste of time?”

“We are A-rank Hunters. Seoul City Hall pays each of us an annual salary of 300 million won, that is 900 million for the three of us. That’s an amount we could earn from just a single Fissure raid. There’s no reason for us to tie ourselves down to the City Hall for an entire year just for that sum.”

“T-that’s...” Cheol-Soo couldn’t say anything more.

It was a brutally honest truth. Undeniably correct.

“Besides, we didn’t voluntarily sign this contract in the first place. It was a directive from the Bureau Chief. But we’ve fulfilled our obligations by staying for the full year, so we believe we’ve done our part. It’s over, Chief.”

Hyuk-Soo, listening beside Cheol-Soo, couldn’t say a word. He could only let out a bitter laugh. Yes, this situation was only natural. Mejai wasn’t at fault.

I’m sorry,

Dong-Hyun thought.

I’m sorry, Chief Kang, Supervisor Kwon, and Supervisor Lee.

One year. It felt like a short time, but so much had happened during that year. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they had developed a bond almost akin to family. Watching the somber expressions on Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo’s faces, Dong-Hyun felt conflicted.

Unlike the others, Do-Jun showed no reaction. He simply met Dong-Hyun’s gaze with a calm expression. Then, he pulled a document from his desk drawer. It was the “Hunter Work Log,” which tracked the Hunters’ attendance, work hours, and leave.

“Last month, you took a vacation to China, to Wudaokou, in Beijing,” Do-Jun said after briefly skimming the log.

Wudaokou was a lively district famous for its Koreatown. With top universities like Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Renmin University nearby, it was a hotspot for international students. It was similar to Itaewon in South Korea.

Do-Jun had never been there himself, but when Mejai Guild reported their vacation plans, he had looked it up out of curiosity.

“Hunter Han, did something happen there?” he asked Dong-Hyun.

At that moment, all three of their eyes wavered, and Do-Jun didn’t miss it.

“N-no, Supervisor Lee. We just had a good time on our trip,” Dong-Hyun answered.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then. I’ll assist you with your contract termination.”

Cheol-Soo flinched and held Do-Jun back. “H-hey, Do-Jun!”

Hyuk-Soo placed a hand on Cheol-Soo’s shoulder as if he were trying to say that no amount of begging would change their decision now.

Here’s the termination form," Do-Jun said, handing them the document. “Please fill it out and bring it in tomorrow morning.

***

The three Mejai Hunters came to a quiet café in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul.

“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you guys,” Dong-Hyun said, his voice full of regret.

“It’s not your fault, Dong-Hyun. Those bastards were just throwing their weight around! They couldn’t stand seeing us get the Celestial Qilin Elixirs.” Yoo Mi-Ra consoled him.

Despite her effort, Dong-Hyun buried his face in his clasped hands, saying nothing. Watching from the side, Yoo Jung-Ho patted Dong-Hyun’s back. No matter what, he was still their guild master. A guild followed its master’s decisions and stood by them. Seven years could be seen as short or long, but one they had spent together.

“Dong-Hyun, it’s okay. It’s not like we’re going off to die. Just think of it as spending five years in China, gaining experience, and taking a break,” said Yoo Mi-ra.

“I’m sorry....”

Last month, the Mejai Guild went on vacation to Wudaokou. Unfortunately, they ended up clashing with China’s top guild, Black Dragon House.

While exploring Wudaokou, they had stumbled upon an A-rank Great Fissure. Inside, they defeated the boss monster, the Celestial Qilin, and obtained three Celestial Qilin Elixirs. Each of them took one, which turned out to be a mistake.

“I checked. I made sure,” Dong-Hyun said, gritting his teeth.

Just like in Korea, China’s Fissures were managed by their Hunter’s Bureau. Fissures were open to everyone, and any artifacts obtained were legally bound to the person who acquired them. It was written in the law.

But the Black Dragon House was above the law.

“If you go to China, never touch a Fissure claimed by the Black Dragon House.”

This was common knowledge among Hunters.

The Black Dragon House operated above the Hunter’s Bureau, choosing Fissures at their whim, enforcing their will through sheer force. A Fissure that was fair game today could suddenly become a “restricted zone” by tomorrow.

“There were no Black Dragon members there. I made sure,” Dong-Hyun muttered.

“There weren’t. But the moment the Celestial Qilin Elixirs dropped, the Chinese Hunters inside the Fissure must have gotten an alert.”

The Celestial Qilin Elixir was a rare legendary drop, believed to appear only with extraordinary luck. Miraculously, Mejai Guild managed to obtain three of them.

“It’s tomorrow, right...?” Dong-Hyun asked.

“Yes...”

Tomorrow was the day the Black Dragon House was to arrive in Korea. The situation was worse than they had expected. The Black Dragon House was sending Yang Zhuoqi to negotiate.

Yang Zhuoqi, ranked fifth among China’s Hunters, was a man with immense influence, and he demanded 100 billion won per Celestial Qilin Elixir, bringing the total compensation up to 300 billion won.

The Black Dragon House had given them two options: either to pay the 300 billion won or join the Black Dragon House and work for China for five years.

Yoo Mi-Ra had tried to spin it positively, saying they could gain experience while traveling. But everyone knew the truth. If they joined the Black Dragon House, it wouldn’t be a cushy gig. They would be worked like dogs.

On days when an S-rank Great Fissure needed to be raided, they would likely be used as nothing more than human shields. Yoo Mi-Ra and Yoo Jung-Ho knew this well, but neither said it out loud.

“Dong-Hyun, why don’t we ask our Hunter’s Bureau for help?” one of them suggested.

“We can’t do that. Did you forget? The Hunter’s Bureau doesn’t interfere in disputes between foreign Hunters.”

“I know that, but...”

Each country’s Hunter’s Bureau represented its government. If they got involved, it could escalate into an international crisis. In the worst case, it could even spark a war. That’s why interference was strictly forbidden.

“This is worse than we thought. Dong-Hyun, are you really going to let them drag us to China?”

“Dammit, enough!” Dong-Hyun suddenly shouted. “You two stay out of this. I’ll figure something out.”

His lips trembled. Tears welled in his eyes, humiliating him even further.

Yoo Jung-Ho let out a bitter chuckle and said, “If you die, I’ll die too.”

“You little—!”

“Both of you, stop it!” Yoo Mi-ra pleaded.

Dong-Hyun let go of Yoo Jung-Ho’s collar. Then, without another word, he stood up and stormed out of the café.

Yoo Jung-Ho slumped back into his seat, releasing a long, exhausted sigh.

***

As Do-Jun had instructed, the Mejai Guild arrived at Seoul City Hall the next morning. Inside a conference room separated by glass partitions, the guild members sat in a row.

“Did you bring the documents?” Do-Jun asked.

“Yes...” Dong-Hyun carefully handed over a large envelope with both hands.

An A-rank Hunter showing such respect to an ordinary civil servant was unusual. Even Dong-Hyun himself couldn’t quite understand why. He had simply gone with the flow. After all, S-rank Hunters, along with Young-Chul, had been utterly deferential to Do-Jun. At some point, it became natural for contract Hunters to behave the same way.

“Hunter Han,” Do-Jun said.

“Yes, sir.”

“I believe we’ve worked together for quite some time now. The same goes for Hunter Yoo Mi-Ra and Hunter Yoo Jung-Ho. During our last gathering, you clearly stated your commitment to staying with Seoul City Hall until the end.”

For some reason, those words felt profoundly meaningful, and Dong-Hyun experienced a stirring emotion in his chest. However, that was exactly why he couldn’t involve Seoul City Hall in this.

“Hunter Han, my job is to oversee ‘Fissure and Hunter-related matters.’”

Why was he suddenly bringing up work?

“As such, if any of our contracted Hunters encounter difficulties, it is my duty to listen and take corrective measures,” Do-Jun said. “This will be my final question. Did nothing really happen in China?”

Silence filled the room.

Sweat dripped from Dong-Hyun’s clenched fists.

Do-Jun’s unwavering gaze was fixed on him. His calm and composed eyes seemed to say that he already knew everything.

***

The meeting was scheduled to take place at the Hunter’s Bureau. While Yang Zhuoqi’s trip to Korea was partly because of the Mejai Guild, the most important issue involved the Hunter’s Bureau.

“Why are you here...?” Yang Zhuoqi asked, his hostility unmistakable.

Inside a small meeting room, Dong-Hyun opened his mouth to speak, but Do-Jun stopped him and answered instead. “I’m involved in this matter as well.”

“This is an issue between the Black Dragon House and Mejai.”

Yang Zhuoqi, who had once lost to Do-Jun in a duel in the Hunter’s Bureau basement, had since undergone relentless training and leveled up. From his previous eighth rank in China, he had risen to the fifth. He had sharpened his blade for the day he would face Do-Jun again.

“I am responsible for these Hunters,” Do-Jun stated.

“Responsible?”

“Yes. You see, they are contracted with Seoul City Hall.”

Yang Zhuoqi scoffed in disbelief. “You’d better stay out of this. I’m not here as Yang Zhuoqi the individual—I’m here representing the Black Dragon House. You may know the situation, but this is far beyond something Seoul City Hall should be interfering in.”

He deliberately emphasized Black Dragon House, China’s largest guild, which boasted seven of the country’s top ten rankers.

“In China, it is explicitly stated that ‘anyone can access the Fissure, and any artifacts obtained therein belong to the individual who acquired them.’ Our Hunters defeated the Celestial Qilin with their own strength and rightfully obtained the Celestial Qilin Elixir. There should be no issue,” Do-Jun remarked.

It was a risky statement from him.

Dong-Hyun turned sharply to look at Do-Jun. Provoking Yang Zhuoqi any further could lead to serious consequences. Even Yoo Jung-Ho and Yoo Mi-Ra looked visibly uneasy.

“

Tsk

.” Yang Zhuoqi smirked. “Korean civil officials really are hopelessly stuck up. Listen up: things don’t work according to the law as neatly as you think they do.”

Do-Jun asked, “So, you don’t intend to follow the law?”

“The words of the Black Dragon House are the law in China.”

“Hm.” Do-Jun chuckled. “Can you take responsibility for that statement?”