Chapter 101. The Spores

Inside the car on the way back, Baek Hwi-Soo glanced up at the rearview mirror. There, he saw Yeon Hong-Ah sitting in the back seat, absentmindedly staring out the window, resting her chin on her hand.

“You did great today, Guild Master,” he said, breaking the silence.

“

Mhm

...” she responded, barely acknowledging him.

“You’re great as always. Thanks to your leadership, not a single guild member lost their life in that chaos,” said Baek Hwi-Soo.

“

Yeah...

”

“What do you plan to do about Park Min-Hee?” Hwi-Soo asked cautiously.

“

Mhm...

” she replied.

Baek Hwi-Soo sighed quietly and shrugged. This had been going on for a while now. No matter what he said—whether it was a comment or a question about guild matters—her responses were short and uninterested. He knew the reason, of course. It was what had happened in front of the reporters earlier.

— I’ll have to decline.

That was Kim Do-Joon’s blunt response to her recruitment offer—an S-rank Hunter, no less. He simply rejected it, without hesitation nor consideration whatsoever.

An S-rank Hunter was treated like royalty wherever they went. It was no surprise that countless Hunters were eager to join her guild, many even willing to leave their current ones on the spot. There were even A-rank Hunters who said they’d quit their guilds right then and there if they received an offer from her.

Of course, her guild didn’t actively poach Hunters, since there was no need to create unnecessary enemies or bad blood. However, the point was clear: an S-rank Hunter was a big deal. And yet, she had been flat-out rejected. When was the last time anyone had ever refused her like that?

“Don’t be too upset,” Baek Hwi-Soo said, trying to console her. “I tried recruiting Kim Do-Joon myself a while back, and he outright refused.”

That made Yeon Hong-Ah flinch. She turned to look at him, intrigued.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You remember the Hunter I was so eager to recruit? The one who killed the boss alone and escaped the multi-root dungeon? That was Kim Do-Joon. You didn’t know?”

Yeon Hong-Ah blinked in surprise. She clearly hadn’t made the connection.

Wait a second...

As she thought back, she recalled that incident. Baek Hwi-Soo had been unusually enthusiastic, giving her a passionate report about a Hunter who had caught his attention. She had told him to handle it as he saw fit, but when it didn’t work out, she didn’t look into it further. And now, it turned out that the Hunter he had been so fixated on was Kim Do-Joon.

“But didn’t you say he was only B-rank back then?” she asked.

“Technically, I estimated him to be somewhere between the upper B-rank and lower A-rank. Who would've thought he’d grown so powerful in such a short time...?”

Baek Hwi-Soo shuddered, remembering the mountains of Sky Beaks’ corpses in that dungeon. If it had been him, could he have done the same? Could he have possibly taken down all those monsters and the boss on his own? Both of them were technically A-rank Hunters, but it felt like there was an invisible gap separating their abilities.

Feeling bitter, Baek Hwi-Soo asked quietly, “So, what’s the plan now? Should we keep trying to recruit him?”

Unlike his previous solo efforts to bring in Kim Do-Joon, the offer had come directly from the guild master herself. If they kept pushing after being flatly rejected, they’d become a laughingstock among other guilds.

Yeon Hong-Ah thought it over, weighing her options. She wasn’t the type to care much about appearance. Nevertheless, she also wasn’t naïve enough to believe that continuing to pursue him would change anything. If Kim Do-Joon had any interest in joining, he would have left some room for negotiation, but he didn’t.

Eventually, she sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing.

“Let’s not be too persistent. We can just keep in touch occasionally, check in now and then.”

“Understood,” Baek Hwi-Soo nodded.

With that, Yeon Hong-Ah turned her gaze back to the window, and the car quietly glided down the road.

***

The next day, Kim Do-Joon's name dominated the trending search lists: "Kim Do-Joon," "Hunter Kim Do-Joon," "special promotion," "Yeon Hong-Ah’s rejection," and several other related terms.

└ Yeon Hong-Ah personally invited him, and yet he turned her down?

└ Wow... just how gutsy is he?

└ Then, isn’t he already set to join somewhere else?

The idea of an A-rank Hunter rejecting an offer from an S-rank Hunter caused a storm in the comments section. Moreover, it wasn’t just any veteran A-rank Hunter, either. He had been abruptly promoted through the rare and unfamiliar special promotion process.

└ I heard the Association President vouched for him.

└ So, is he going to join the Association?

└ Seems like it. Otherwise, why would the President put his name on the line for him?

In truth, Kim Do-Joon got a special promotion in exchange for giving the elf corpse to the Association President, but that detail was never disclosed to the public. As a result, the public's speculation naturally drifted toward this idea. Without further context, this was the only explanation for Kim Do-Joon's rapid rise that made sense.

After skimming through the comments, Kim Do-Joon closed his browser.

So I was on the news...

That explained the missed calls and messages piling up on his phone. Many were from unknown numbers, but most were from contacts he already knew, like the business associates and such. Since he couldn’t afford to ignore the familiar ones, he started replying to each message.

As he was doing so, his phone buzzed. It was a call from Son Chang-Il, the Association President.

“Hello,” Kim Do-Joon answered.

— Good morning. I hope this isn’t a bad time.

Son Chang-Il’s voice came through.

“No, it’s fine,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

After checking if the timing was appropriate, Son Chang-Il began with some small talk, asking how Kim Do-Joon had been. Kim Do-Joon didn’t have anything notable to share, so he gave brief answers.

Besides, Son Chang-Il already knew about his trip to the Sky Bridge dungeon with Yeon Hong-Ah. As for the incident at the Frozen Harbor, Kim Do-Joon didn’t plan to talk about it. In the end, he could only talk about trivial stuff.

— Congratulations on your new place. I see you’ve finally moved into a proper home.

“I’ve got a kid to think about now. If it was just me, I could’ve lived in the shop.”

— Oh, nonsense! Even if you’re on your own, you should have a proper home especially with all the money you’re making!

Hahaha

.

Kim Do-Joon had recently moved, which led to a few more light-hearted exchanges. After the conversation had warmed up, Son Chang-Il finally got to the main point.

— Have you seen the articles about you? They really captured a good shot of you and Hunter Yeon together.

“Yes, I saw them. It's causing quite a stir,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

If someone were eavesdropping on this conversation, they’d have thought it was about some kind of scandal. But of course, that was not the case. In fact, most of the comments online had not tried to link the two romantically.

Had Kim Do-Joon accepted the recruitment offer, perhaps there would have been more of that kind of speculation.

— I’ve already spoken to the press and asked them not to bother you too much or chase you down for interviews.

“Did you really?” Kim Do-Joon’s eyes widened slightly.

— Was that unnecessary?

“No, not at all. I appreciate it,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

It was a thoughtful move. Excessive attention was the last thing Kim Do-Joon needed, not just because it would be annoying for him, but also because he wasn’t sure how it would affect Kim So-Eun.

— I’ll keep handling things that way then. On a different note, though... I wanted to mention something else.

What followed took Kim Do-Joon by surprise.

— A few days ago, Hunter Yeon asked me to introduce her to you.

“To... introduce me?” Kim Do-Joon replied with a puzzled look.

It had to have been before they met in the dungeon. However, Kim Do-Joon wondered how Yeon Hong-Ah even knew of him.

— She didn’t mention you by name specifically. She was asking about the Hunter who killed Eldora. She said she was collecting equipment with Spirit Affinity.

“Oh,” Kim Do-Joon nodded in understanding.

The video of Eldora’s defeat was stored with the Association, but it hadn’t been released to the public. Therefore, Yeon Hong-Ah would not have seen it. Even if she had, Kim Do-Joon had been a small figure in the chaotic battle, so it would’ve been hard to identify him from that alone.

So, she asked him for help because she thought he would know the truth behind it all?

— What do you think? If you’re open to it, you could meet her again and talk things over.

“We just parted ways yesterday, though...” Kim Do-Joon replied with a touch of hesitation.

— Which is exactly why another meeting would leave a lasting impression, don’t you think? It’s not every day you get a chance to build a connection with an S-rank Hunter.

That was a fair point. However, after a moment of consideration, Kim Do-Joon shook his head.

“No, I’m fine. Besides, I no longer have Eldora’s sword. You can let her know that,” he said, decisively.

In the past, his curiosity would have pushed him to meet her again, but now, not anymore. They had already met, and he had turned down her offer. Any further interaction would likely feel awkward and forced. Plus, he had no intention of giving away the equipment with Spirit Affinity.

I need that for myself and So-Eun.

Even at that moment, Hwang Hyun-Woo was probably crafting items for him using the Spirit Stones he had collected. However, Kim Do-Joon had no plans to part with them.

“Understood. I’ll pass on the message,” Son Chang-Il said before ending the call.

Kim Do-Joon tilted his head, slightly puzzled. Son Chang-Il had seemed particularly cheerful throughout the conversation, especially toward the end. Unbeknownst to him, Son Chang-Il was pleased with the rumors, which made it sound like Kim Do-Joon was secretly aligned with the Association, resulting in his bold refusal toward a prominent figure like Yeon Hong-Ah.

Indeed, Son Chang-Il hadn’t given up on recruiting him yet. After the call was finished, Kim Do-Joon set his phone down and stepped outside into the backyard, where Jecheon Seong was engaging in a light exercise. From what he had heard, the exercise was meant to cultivate a delicate balance of stillness within motion and motion within stillness.

As soon as Jecheon Seong noticed Kim Do-Joon’s arrival, he paused and grinned.

“Ah, there you are. How about a quick round?” Jecheon Seong asked with an eager smile.

“I’d be honored,” Kim Do-Joon replied, getting into his position naturally.

Whenever they had free time, the two would spar. Sometimes they used weapons, but those sessions were reserved for a more isolated area on the nearby mountain. In the backyard, however, they kept it to simple hand-to-hand combat.

Whoosh!

Kim Do-Joon launched a punch toward Jecheon Seong.

Though they called it “simple,” the speed and force of their movements would terrify any ordinary person.

Bang! Pa-pa-pang!

The sound of their fists cutting through the air echoed, each strike powerful enough to knock someone out cold if it landed.

“How did your mission go?” Jecheon Seong asked casually, his voice calm despite the intensity of their sparring.

At the same time, he aimed a fierce punch straight at Kim Do-Joon’s face. The blow was precise and carried significant weight, far from the casual tone of his question.

“It went fine, but I didn’t achieve what I set out for,” Kim Do-Joon responded, deflecting the punch with a swift movement of his forearm. What followed was a retaliatory kick toward Jecheon Seong’s vital points.

Whoosh!

Neither of them hesitated to aim for vital points, even in a friendly match. Although they weren’t trying to kill or maim each other, their combat level naturally led to such direct and intense exchanges.

“You said you wanted to test a method to strengthen your inner power, right?” Jecheon Seong asked.

“Yes,” Kim Do-Joon confirmed.

To Jecheon Seong, the term "inner power" referred to what Kim Do-Joon recognized as mana. Mana wasn’t something one could naturally increase through sheer will. Unless someone raised their Compatibility or consumed rare elixirs, their maximum mana wouldn’t grow.

However, Kim Do-Joon had experienced something unusual during the Frozen Harbor incident. His mana stat had increased on its own. This led him to go look for an A-rank dungeon, wondering if he could replicate that experience in another dungeon.

“I’ve thought about it before, but you Hunters are truly strange,” Jecheon Seong remarked, sidestepping Kim Do-Joon’s strike.

“Strange? How so?” Kim Do-Joon asked, his brow furrowing.

“I’ve observed many warriors, Hunters here I guess, including you, and there’s something odd about the way you wield your power,” Jecheon Seong continued, casually blocking a punch as their fists collided with a resounding crack

.

Kim Do-Joon’s eyebrow twitched as he felt the difference in their strength, but Jecheon Seong’s composure showed that he was clearly in control.

Still not there yet...

Kim Do-Joon thought, feeling a twinge of frustration. He wasn’t surprised by the result, but it still felt bitter.

For now, he set that thought aside and pressed on with the conversation.

“What exactly seems strange to you?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

“The energy that flows through Hunters, what you call mana, doesn’t seem to align properly with each person,” Jecheon Seong explained.

Kim Do-Joon’s expression grew more puzzled, prompting Jecheon Seong to elaborate.

“Inner energy, or mana in your case, typically harmonizes with the individual’s nature. Even if two people learn the same techniques, their energy manifests slightly differently depending on their body’s constitution.”

In Jecheon Seong’s world, the natural energy absorbed from the surroundings would transform to suit the individual’s nature, a necessary process since the energy, while natural, was still a foreign element to the body.

"So, in the world I come from, a warrior's inner energy always resembles the person who wields it. But here, it’s different," Jecheon Seong said.

In the martial arts world, Jecheon Seong knew that a person’s inner energy was an extension of their very essence. A man with a fiery temperament had energy that burned hot and wild, while a calm, composed man’s energy flowed like a still, deep lake.

Even if two people practiced the same martial arts, their energy would still reflect their individual character. However, the mana of Hunters in this world didn’t seem to match them at all.

"What do you mean?" Kim Do-Joon asked, frowning in confusion.

Jecheon Seong grimaced slightly before explaining.

"It feels... as if their energy wasn’t cultivated naturally. It reminds me of inner energy forcibly injected by someone else."

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes narrowed as he listened to him. Jecheon Seong was comparing mana to the incomplete inner energy transferred from one person to another or, worse, the kind of energy stolen through forbidden techniques. In other words, Hunters’ mana seemed foreign, almost like it had been implanted rather than developed from within.

***

A week had passed since that conversation. Since the cooldown period ended, Kim Do-Joon returned to the Frozen Harbor. Taking a deep breath, he filled his lungs with the icy, crisp air, feeling a strange clarity settle in his chest.

Energy that’s been forcibly injected...

Kim Do-Joon recalled Jecheon Seong’s words from days earlier. It wasn’t entirely unfounded, he thought. Hunters increased their Compatibility and mana stat through battles. And the moment they first Awakened to their power of mana was the key.

No one knew how or why a person Awakened. Scientists had been researching the phenomenon for decades, but they still hadn’t cracked the mystery. However, every Hunter knew about the process.

[Spores are spreading.]

Kim Do-Joon clearly remembered the moment it happened to him. Every year, red flowers would bloom, releasing a shower of spores into the air. He could still feel the horrifying sensation of the spore latching onto the back of his neck, like something being branded into his very being.

According to Jecheon Seong, Hunters’ mana felt as if it had been injected by an outside force. And when Kim Do-Joon thought about it, the only outside force that made sense was the World Tree.

But why?

This question gnawed at him.

According to the elves, the World Tree was a monstrous entity, feeding off humans like a parasite. Its roots spawned terrifying monsters that hunted humans as if they were nothing more than prey. In that case, why would a creature like that—one that treated humans as food—grant them mana to fight back?

Without the Awakening process, the human territories would be much smaller than they were now. Sure, they could use weapons to fend off the monsters, but they would never have been able to fight back against the tree itself, let alone push its influence back.

If not for the Awakening, humanity’s land would have shrunk year by year, consumed by the World Tree’s growing influence.

I’ll have to ask Elena about this next time we meet,

Kim Do-Joon muttered under his breath.

There had to be something more to this, albeit he couldn’t piece it together just yet. He let out a slow exhale, ready to step onto the frozen sea, when suddenly, a strange message appeared before his eyes.

[Naga Warriors are invading.]

“What the...?”

Kim Do-Joon stared at the notification in surprise. He quickly glanced up, scanning the horizon.

[You have claimed the empty land of ‘Harbor.’ Defend against the invaders and conquer their territory.]

In the distance, across the frozen sea, he could see dark figures racing toward him on sleds.