"What... what did you say...?"

Lee Soo-ah's face contorted in disbelief. She hadn’t expected this kind of response.

"Lee Soo-ah Hunter, first of all, I have plenty of money, as you know. I'm also an S-rank Hunter... And I don't really understand why you're doing this, but do you even have the authority to say such things?"

Her words hit the mark.

"I heard earlier that Ji-hoon became the team leader and that you were demoted to a department head position..."

Her tone was pointed, digging into the sensitive topic.

"Moreover, if we’re talking about who’s closer to Ji-hoon, it seems like I have a much longer history with him. Haven't you only known him for about ten days? That's what I heard."

"…"

Lee Soo-ah was completely floored by Cha I-seul’s words, unable to refute a single point. Her expression hardened, her face slowly turning into a mask of despair.

"Whether I approach him or not is my decision... And if I do end up joining Blue Guild, I don’t think you'll have the authority to say anything at all."

Cha I-seul seemed to have quickly grasped the situation, reading Lee Soo-ah's attitude and responding accordingly.

"Hah... I’m still the representative Hunter of Blue Guild, Lee Soo-ah. Things may be a bit chaotic right now, but I’ll sort it out soon. Blue Guild is mine. You should listen to me."

Lee Soo-ah, desperately holding onto what little composure she had left, spoke in a tone that sounded almost pleading, as if she were burning her last bit of pride to prevent losing everything.

"I think Blue Guild is planning to make Ji-hoon their main Hunter soon."

"No!!!"

Her response was almost hysterical, a sensitive nerve struck.

'Damn... Ji-hoon... This can’t be happening...'

Lee Soo-ah felt like she was being pushed further into a corner. Up until now, she had complete control over Blue Guild. Her word had been law.

But now, everything was crumbling. It was as if a rolling stone was dislodging the firmly planted one.

And then there was Baek Ji-hoon, seemingly gathering more and more S-rank Hunters around him.

'No... This can’t be...'

"I was originally going to refuse, but seeing how desperate you are, I think I should reconsider my decision. Are you hiding something?"

Cha I-seul asked, her gaze sharp.

"Hiding something?"

"Why are you so adamant about keeping Ji-hoon to yourself? Are you trying to monopolize him? Does Ji-hoon have some special trait that makes you want him all to yourself?"

Her questions cut deep, probing with precision.

"No, there’s nothing like that. Just stay out of it."

Lee Soo-ah was slowly getting caught in the web of the conversation, losing control of the situation. She had no cards left to play.

"It seems you've only piqued my curiosity even more."

Cha I-seul smoothly stood up, indicating that she had no more business with Lee Soo-ah.

"I’ll consider your offer to join Blue Guild and get back to you. Thank you."

With a polite bow, Cha I-seul left.

"Oh no..."

Lee Soo-ah was on the verge of collapse.

'What have I done... I’ve only made things worse...'

She felt like an ant trapped in a pit, struggling desperately but unable to change her fate. No matter what she did, it wasn’t working.

'The whole plan is falling apart...'

Just a week ago, she had been living comfortably, as the sole S-rank Hunter of Blue Guild. But now, nothing she did seemed to have any effect, and it was starting to infuriate her.

"Uh... Ji-hoon..." "Yes, what is it?" "Are you really planning to recruit all the S-ranks?" "Yes, that’s my plan. I’ll lead them all." "Seriously...?" "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"So... what should I do...?" "Just continue to lead Hunter Division 1 as the department head. You know, Hunter Section 1?"

He responded as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Hah..."

Lee Soo-ah pouted slightly.

"Stop getting involved in weird things and just focus on your own duties."

"Okay..."

S-rank Hunter Lee Soo-ah couldn’t muster a reply and simply walked away.

'You never know how things will turn out. Just two weeks ago, I was living as Cha Soo-hyun’s lackey, and now I’m at a level where I can command S-ranks as my subordinates.'

It was a thrilling situation.

'I don’t know what she’s planning, but she won’t be able to stop me...'

Watching Lee Soo-ah walk away, Baek Ji-hoon couldn’t help but let a small smile escape.

"Alright everyone, let’s focus."

Yoo Hana had gathered the members of Hunter Division 2.

"You all know that I’ve been appointed as the department head, right?" "Yes..."

Morale among the members of Division 2 was quite low. They seemed to be struggling to accept the current situation.

"Why did this happen all of a sudden? What’s going on with Hunter Division 6? And Ji-hoon... I mean, Team Leader... What’s his deal? Last week he was rumored to be dating Lee Soo-ah as soon as he joined." "I don’t know. I don’t understand what’s going on, whether this is good or bad." "It’s bad. Our Division 2 used to be the main attackers of Blue Guild. We’re completely sidelined now." "But isn’t it amazing that we have three S-rank Hunters in our guild? It just feels like we’re being overshadowed by them." "Sigh... Maybe..."

The members of Division 2 murmured among themselves.

"I plan to run things even tighter."

"What?"

They all looked slightly shocked.

"We were already operating at full capacity..." "Yes, I’m aware. But I think we need to push even harder."

"What...? How much more...?"

Their expressions hardened.

"Our department has been reorganized, right? The most important thing now is our image. I want Hunter Division 2 to be the fastest and most outstanding department."

Yoo Hana's eyes gleamed with determination.

'I need to look further ahead...'

She had already concluded that the influx of S-rank Hunters couldn’t be stopped. Instead, she decided her best course of action was to survive by competing within the new hierarchy.

'The board is already set. I might as well aim to be number one in it.'

She glanced over at Lee Soo-ah, smirking slightly.

'Poor Soo-ah keeps making all the wrong moves. No matter how much she clings, Ji-hoon won’t give her a second glance.'

Her smile grew, seemingly pleased with her own thoughts.

"So, are we getting any new recruits?" "We’ll stick with the current structure for now and recruit later!" "Alright..."

The members of Division 2 slumped slightly.

"Cha I-seul Hunter? How did it go?"

Naturally, the members of Zeus Guild were all focused on Cha I-seul as she returned.

"Hmm... We just caught up a bit." "So, how was it, seeing him after so long?" "Well... hmm..." "Did he say anything noteworthy?" "Hmm..."

Cha I-seul hesitated. Should she mention the recruitment offer or not? She knew what kind of fallout it could cause if she did.

But she had already made up her mind.

'Sigh... It would be great to work with Ji-hoon as a Hunter...'

It was something she had dreamed of for a long time. The idea of working together seemed like it would be enjoyable.

"Actually... Blue Guild offered to recruit me..."

"What????"

She spoke cautiously, causing the members of Zeus Guild to react in shock.

"Surely... you’re not planning to leave...?" "If you leave, our guild is doomed." "Please, don’t go."

Their faces were filled with anxiety, clearly sensitive to the tectonic shifts happening within the Hunter industry.

"Sigh... It’s just that..."

Her internal conflict was evident.

'I need to think carefully. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'

She thought of Lee Soo-ah. The look on her face had been one of sheer desperation.

It was clear. Lee Soo-ah wanted to keep Baek Ji-hoon close, but it was also clear that Baek Ji-hoon had no interest in her at all. In just ten days since he joined Blue Guild, the situation had completely shifted.

While she didn’t know exactly what had transpired, she realized that she could easily find herself in a similar position.

'What if... I just let this opportunity slip by and then never get a chance to be with Ji-hoon again? What if I end up in Lee Soo-ah’s situation...? I’ve already spent a long time separated from Ji-hoon...'

The thought was terrifying. She couldn’t let that happen.

'Maybe it’s better to seize this opportunity now, even if it means facing some backlash. If I wait too long, I might not be able to catch him again...'

'Besides, Ji-hoon... He mentioned that he plans to recruit even more S-rank Hunters... If that happens...'

It was a strange situation. But something told her that things would unfold just as Baek Ji-hoon envisioned. She had that feeling.

'I can’t let this chance slip away...'

Ding-dong.

A message notification sounded.

'Who could it be?'

[Ji-hoon, I'm moving to Blue Guild.]

It was Cha I-seul.