"Me...? Are you asking me to join your side?"

Cha I-seul looked genuinely taken aback. It was unusual for a single guild to have more than one S-rank Hunter, and even more unheard of for an S-rank to try and recruit another.

Just looking at the relationship between Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Hana was enough to show how chaotic things could get when two S-ranks were in the same guild. After all, there couldn't be two suns in the sky.

"I think I need to hear more about this..."

Cha I-seul's expression was one of deep contemplation. Given our history, it was understandable. We had always had a peculiar relationship.

If it hadn't been for family matters, perhaps we might have even grown closer than Cha Soo-hyun and I did. Of course, if that had happened, it would have been much harder for me to live as well as I do now.

"Hmm... I'll have to think about it... It's not something I can decide on quickly."

She looked slightly troubled.

After Cha I-seul left...

"Ahem, excuse me, Mr. Baek Ji-hoon." "Yes?"

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Hana approached.

"We just saw Cha I-seul Hunter leave. Tell us the truth. What was that about? Why was she here? Cha I-seul is the representative S-rank Hunter of Zeus Guild, isn't she? Why did she come here? It's incredibly rare for an S-rank Hunter from another guild to visit our office. It happens maybe once or twice every five years. You need to tell us everything."

Lee Soo-ah bombarded me with questions.

"That information is classified."

"What?? What do you mean, classified?!"

Her face filled with shock.

"Oh, come on... Please tell us. What’s going on? You’re not really planning to recruit Cha I-seul, are you? Right? Please..."

Lee Soo-ah began pleading.

"She said she needed to think about it."

"What?! You were serious about recruiting her?"

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Hana's faces immediately hardened. They looked like they were dealing with a serious crisis.

"Oh no..."

They wore expressions as if the world was crumbling around them.

"So... what exactly is your relationship with Cha I-seul? Did you know her before? Surely not? You’re just acquaintances, right?"

"She’s my childhood friend. We’ve known each other for 20 years."

Lee Soo-ah looked as if she had been struck by lightning, standing there as if she had turned to stone.

"Soo-ah, snap out of it."

Yoo Hana, looking just as startled, tried to bring her back to reality.

"Well, I think I'll be heading back now."

I hurried past them, leaving them behind.

"Hah..."

Lee Soo-ah remained in place, her mouth agape, unable to move. She stood there like a statue.

"Hey, Soo-ah, what are you doing? Playing freeze tag again?"

Section Chief Cha, wearing a bright smile, spoke to her without a clue.

"Yoo Hana Hunter, why is Soo-ah acting like this? She’s been like this a lot lately."

"Oh... it’s because Baek Ji-hoon keeps doing strange things."

"Strange things? What strange things?"

"Hah... Isn't it enough that we already have two S-ranks? It feels like Blue Guild has already conquered the industry. Just releasing a press statement should be enough to end it, right?"

Yoo Hana’s voice was sharp, while Lee Soo-ah still stood there, dazed.

"Well... yeah, having three S-ranks in one guild is unheard of... We've had two before, though."

Section Chief Cha seemed to be reminiscing about the old glory days.

"But... is Mr. Baek Ji-hoon, no, Team Leader, really planning to recruit another S-rank Hunter?"

"Huh?!"

Section Chief Cha’s smile grew even wider.

"Who could it be? Is there anyone suitable for our guild?"

"Hah... Do you know Cha I-seul?"

"Of course I do. She’s the representative S-rank Hunter of Zeus Guild, and quite the beauty too. Don’t tell me..."

"Yes, it seems she’s the target for recruitment..."

"Oh..."

Section Chief Cha looked positively ecstatic.

"Ugh... Section Chief Cha! Is this really the time to be happy?"

"Then when?"

"No, our A-Team, no, Blue Guild’s identity is at stake!!!"

Lee Soo-ah finally snapped out of it and started scolding Section Chief Cha.

"What even is our A-Team’s identity?"

"Isn’t it me, Lee Soo-ah?"

"No, that’s old news."

Lee Soo-ah’s face grew even more shocked.

"I think our A-Team is about to become the top in the nation. No, the top in the world. Hahaha!"

Just the thought seemed to fill Section Chief Cha with joy.

"Oh no..."

Realizing that Section Chief Cha wasn’t going to side with her, Lee Soo-ah touched her forehead and staggered slightly.

'No... Ji-hoon, this is bad. Why? Why are there so many S-rank Hunters coming to Blue Guild...'

Just a week ago, such a situation was unimaginable. Now, everything was changing at a breakneck pace.

'I was too complacent. You idiot, Lee Soo-ah. You should have acted last week... Hah...'

Just a week ago, Lee Soo-ah had complete control over A-Team. She could command everything, dictate the course of the 1st through 6th Hunter Departments.

She even had some sway over the Blue Guild’s high-level executive meetings.

But now, it felt like she was falling rapidly, like a gourd with a broken string. The future seemed even more bleak, with more S-rank Hunters likely to join.

The rarity of S-rank Hunters made them extremely valuable. But now, they were no longer as rare. Three of them in one guild was already overwhelming, and with Cha I-seul potentially joining...

'No... this can’t happen...'

She felt as if she could collapse.

"Soo-ah, what do we do?"

Yoo Hana’s eyes were filled with uncertainty.

"I... I’m going to see Cha I-seul. I can’t just stand by."

Lee Soo-ah quickly ran out.

"So... me, in Blue Guild...?"

It was a thought she had never entertained. S-rank Hunters almost never switched guilds.

Their guild essentially became their identity.

As the representative Hunter of Zeus Guild, Cha I-seul naturally thought of Zeus Guild as a part of herself. But now, after meeting Baek Ji-hoon again...

He was asking her to join Blue Guild. It was already impressive enough that Blue Guild had Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Hana...

'What’s this about? Baek Ji-hoon? What’s he trying to do? Is he really trying to gather S-rank Hunters? No way... Could it really be? Does that even make sense?'

Although it was just a passing thought, she quickly dismissed it as absurd. Yet, at the same time, she found herself oddly drawn to Baek Ji-hoon’s words.

'Hmm... He’s changed a lot since I last saw him. He seems even more impressive than before...'

There was something about him, an aura that drew people in. While he still had the same familiar traits from their childhood, there was also an unexplainable charm emanating from him.

'He seems more manly... Should I really consider going to Blue Guild...?'

She thought of the people in Zeus Guild.

'But I can’t just abandon my team... What should I do...?'

Her mind was in a complete mess, tangled with conflicting thoughts.

"Hmm..."

"Excuse me!!!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice as loud as a thunderclap.

"Ah! You scared me."

"Cha. I. Seul."

It was Lee Soo-ah.

"Lee Soo-ah Hunter?"

"Let’s have a talk. Somewhere quiet."

Lee Soo-ah had chased after her.

"Tell me, Cha I-seul, what’s your game here?"

Lee Soo-ah asked aggressively after taking a sip of tea.

"What do you mean by 'game'?"

Naturally, Cha I-seul looked puzzled, wanting to hear more from Lee Soo-ah. The question had come so abruptly that she had no idea what the context was.

"Why did you come here to steal Baek Ji-hoon?"

Cha I-seul’s expression shifted slightly, as if she understood something.

'Oh, she must think I’m here to scout Ji-hoon.'

"It’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t come here to scout him."

"Then why are you here?"

Lee Soo-ah narrowed her eyes, staring intently.

"I’m here to discuss collaboration between guilds. The Hunter industry has been in an uproar today, with everyone scrambling to work with Blue Guild."

"Yeah...?"

"There’s never been anyone who ascended to S-rank so quickly. He’s risen even faster than Cha Soo-hyun last week... That alone makes him incredibly attractive..."

"No! What’s so attractive? There’s nothing attractive about Baek Ji-hoon. Stop being interested in him."

"I was talking about collaboration."

"Oh... Uh... yes, yes..."

Lee Soo-ah, slightly flustered, cleared her throat.

"Anyway, let me be direct. Stay away from Baek Ji-hoon."

"Pardon?"

"I’ll pay you whatever it takes. Just stay away from him. How much do you want?"

She sounded like a disapproving mother-in-law from a weekend drama.

"I’m afraid not."

Cha I-seul was not one to back down easily.