IH Ch 104

Chapter 104

Before arriving at the Hunter Association, Dohwa had remained behind with Ahn Yuna.

Hwang Jae-i only intended to ask one question to the President of the Association: What exactly happened with Hwang Ha-jin? Though he said he would be back soon, Jae-i still strapped a tracker-watch onto Dohwa’s wrist, slipped a ring onto his finger that could teleport him instantly back to the guild if needed, and tucked a pouch of expensive magic stones into the front of his hoodie, instructing him to throw it if something happened.

Knowing full well that even a fingernail-sized magic stone packed enough destructive power to obliterate several buildings, Ahn Yuna stared in disbelief, her eyes narrowed to slits. Jae-i, unfazed by her reaction, casually tossed her a personal protection effect device that would generate a five-meter safety barrier. Only then did she smile and politely bid him safe travels.

It was safe enough with Ahn Yuna around. All he had to do now was meet with that goddamn Association President alone and walk out. And yet, his feet refused to move. Jae-i stood rooted like a statue until Dohwa waved both hands at him from a short distance—almost as if telling him not to worry and go ahead. Only then did Jae-i reluctantly begin walking away.

He had never once visited the Association with a good feeling, but this degree of reluctance was rare even for him. Still, the instant he thought of Hwang Ha-jin, who had returned to the country without his knowledge, something hot and furious rose from the depths of his chest. The only difference was—unlike before, he could now manage it, keep it under control.

That hadn’t been possible in the past. Was it thanks to Dohwa? All Dohwa had done was soothe his scowling face and hold his hand—but—

“……”

Maybe… maybe that was all he had ever needed.

The idea that something so juvenile, something not even a child would ask for, could settle him made Jae-i rub his brow in mild embarrassment. For just a moment, his face twisted awkwardly, but the moment the elevator doors opened, it was back to its usual, impassive state.

“Guild Master Hwang Jae-i, shouldn’t you have called ahead? You came without notice. Good thing one of my meetings got canceled today, or it would’ve been a wasted trip.”

“……”

“I’ve been so busy since this morning, I haven’t even had time to eat. How about we go out for a meal together if you’re available?”

With the usual bright smile, Kim Wi approached confidently. As always, his face gave nothing away—not suspicion nor deceit. Jae-i, watching the man carefully, finally opened his mouth.

“I heard Hwang Ha-jin has returned to the country. I want to hear the President’s opinion on the matter.”

“……”

Having stepped right up to Jae-i, the President still wore a friendly smile. However, there was evident surprise in his expression—“You’re opening with that?”

Staring blankly at Jae-i, Kim Wi rolled his eyes.

“Hmm, well—”

Trailing off, he folded his arms and shifted his weight onto one leg, lowering his head thoughtfully. He was clearly buying time, pretending to be troubled. Unfazed, Jae-i remained silent, prompting the President to sigh and lift his head again.

“Looks like I’ll be skipping meals today too. Shall we go inside? As you know, this isn’t the kind of topic to discuss in the open.”

Having asked the question outright upon arrival, Jae-i saw no need to act polite. As if proving that, he slowly smiled.

“Let’s do that.”

“……”

The ever-smiling Kim Wi stiffened slightly the moment Jae-i’s rare grin appeared.

A thin blackout curtain was drawn over the Association President’s office window, darkening the entire space. The wall opposite them lit up with a full-sized video projection. A vast expanse of green forest appeared—Brazil’s Manaus region in the Amazon. Over this lush canopy, a massive gate formed. From the moment of its emergence, black and scarlet energies twisted against each other at the entrance, casting electric sparks in every direction. Just from appearances, it was clearly an S-class gate—or perhaps even higher.

S-class gate appearances were immediately relayed to hunter associations in every country, and naturally, guilds and hunters as well. Gates were, in principle, the responsibility of the country in which they appeared. However, sometimes, internal capacity was insufficient, and that was why alerts were sent to around the world—to call for support if this primary response failed.

But Jae-i had no memory of such a monstrous gate being reported. Had it appeared before he was born? There was no record of such an S-class gate in the location listed in the education archives either.

Then, at the heart of the gate, a white dot began forming. That dot widened rapidly until the entire gate was enveloped in brilliant white light—then disappeared completely.

“……”

Jae-i’s brow raised in surprise, wondering what this was all about. As if anticipating that reaction, the same footage played again, repeating the event exactly.

Only after the footage was shown twice did the room brighten again. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Jae-i’s face remained composed as he processed it; Kim Wi, watching him, finally spoke.

“It’s still in the experimental phase. But based on the data they’ve shared, that skill could be developed for full deployment within two to three years.”

“……”

“I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I’d put the odds at 50/50. Still, if—even by chance—it’s real, we can’t afford to let it go to some other country, right?”

Finally, Jae-i raised his head and met the President’s eyes.

“For now, they claim it’s still in the research stage. But once the work continues, information’s bound to leak out. And do you think the U.S. or China will just sit on their hands? Think about what could happen if those two superpowers got ahold of this tech first.”

“……”

“They came to us first. We couldn’t very well just turn them away.”

“So you’re saying Hwang Ha-jin has been developing this Gate-Erasure Skill—and in exchange for sharing it, he negotiated his reentry into the country? Without even informing me?”

“That’s not exactly it. By the time I realized what was happening, he was already entering Korean airspace. And it seems like this time, he came with firm intention—he’s already struck deals with government agencies…”

“So that’s it.”

Leaning back in his chair with his full weight, Jae-i let it creak beneath him.

“You hated that Hwang Ha-jin was cooperating with the government from inside the country and pressuring the Association.”

“……”

“If that technique gets recognized as legitimate, the government can sell it to other nations—and then you’d be forced out by a Hwang Ha-jin backed by, say, the U.S. or China. Scary thought, right?”

With a chilling grin, Jae-i looked up. It was the brightest smile he had ever given in front of them.

Normally, a smile would convey goodwill—but not here. Kim Wi, sensing danger from that smile alone, gave a weak laugh.

“Man, did you have to spell it out that severely? That really stings.”

Even though Jae-i’s words were like sharp knives, the President made no efforts to refute them. Shrugging as if embarrassed, he finally wiped the false smile from his face.

Known for his laid-back demeanor and charming looks, Kim Wi usually gave a good first impression—but Hwang Jae-i knew that the face without that smile was the real one.

“How can you be sure the Gate was actually erased and not just hidden? Don’t you know what Hwang Ha-jin’s like? He’ll do anything for reputation and gain. He might claim he did it out of loyalty to his homeland—but I’d bet he’s already struck simultaneous secret deals with other countries.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to get humiliated later, you better wake up, Mr. President.”

Returning to a life before the emergence of gates was humanity’s shared dream. A peaceful existence without sudden deaths. To achieve that, every nation continued relentless research. The hope that they could someday eliminate these disasters completely.

For over a century, since their first appearance, science had advanced enough to calculate locations and times of future gate formations. In some nations, gates with very low danger levels were even auctioned off for Guild or Association training.

But never had anyone removed a gate without first clearing it.

And yet, just now, the video showed what looked like an S-class gate disappearing altogether. If it were merely special effects or tricks, Kim Wi wouldn’t be taking this so seriously. If, as he said, the U.S. or China preemptively got exclusive rights to this power, the implications were dangerous. Nations chanted “world peace,” but who could say what they’d become once they had absolute power?

If the curse of gates became a tool for one nation to dominate others, what then would become of this world—or of humanity’s future?

Maybe Kim Wi had invited Hwang Ha-jin back here precisely to monitor him, knowing this very real possibility.

From the President’s perspective, it was a sensible gamble.

Logically, Jae-i understood. But emotionally—he could not accept it.

He glared straight at Kim Wi.