The Nexus Guild headquarters in Seoul was in chaos from the crack of dawn.

The cause? The unexpected visit of a VVIP guest.

Because of this, the Guild Master of Nexus, along with the Vice Guild Master, Director Kim Soo-ae, and other important guild executives, were all summoned urgently.

As they waited at the front entrance, the sound of a supercar engine grew louder.

*Vroom!*

From far away, a red Ferrari came into view, stopping right in front of the guild’s main entrance.

It was the *Chariot* of Jo Jin-hwi, one of his many prized supercars.

"...Is this really the only one available?"

"Haha, yes. Apologies."

"It can't be helped... but I'll be grateful for the ride."

And so, the choice was made.

After the car stopped and the door opened, Suho stepped out, and the Nexus executives quickly greeted him.

"Ah, you've arrived. Hunter Ahn Suho."

"Thank you for coming all the way here this early in the morning, it's an honor."

The identity of the VVIP guest was none other than Suho.

Just as he had told Jo Jin-hwi, today, Suho had come to join the Nexus Guild.

Responding to their enthusiastic greetings, Suho replied warmly.

"Yes, nice to meet you. CEO Bae Dong-hyuk. By the way, where should I park?"

"Someone help park the car for Hunter. You can leave it with valet service, and we’ll go right ahead to the meeting."

"Alright, I'll leave it to you then."

After handing over the keys, they started moving together.

The meeting, surprisingly, was held in the highest conference room next to the CEO’s office on the top floor of the Nexus building.

As Suho looked out the window at the expansive view of the city, he spoke.

"Your office view is quite impressive."

"Haha, of course. We didn’t just move into this building for nothing. But before that..."

A glance was exchanged between the people present.

They were confirming the information Kim Soo-ae had relayed.

That’s why Kim Soo-ae, as the representative, was the one to ask.

"Suho, the call you made earlier... is it really true?"

"That I’m joining Nexus?"

"Yes."

"Yes, it’s true."

"......!"

At that, everyone—from Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk to Vice Guild Master Yoon Doo-won, Academy Director Kim Soo-ae, and Secretary Kim Yi-gang—all silently clenched their fists, holding back cheers.

No wonder.

Suho was currently the most talked-about rising star in the country... no, perhaps even the best rising star in the industry.

Perhaps that’s why Kim Soo-ae was the most relieved.

‘He’s grown absurdly fast in just a few days, I honestly wasn’t expecting this...!’

It was true.

Suho’s resume was nothing short of spectacular.

Even before becoming a Hunter, he had soloed the Shindorim Station Minor Gate.

He was the top scorer of the notoriously difficult Hunter Exam.

In addition, he had soloed the Tower of Trials, something no one had expected, and during his time in the Tower, articles had even been written about him aiming to become a government Hunter.

Then, out of nowhere, he had contacted her this morning.

Saying that, if the conditions were right, he would join the Nexus Guild.

‘Right. A government Hunter? With abilities like his, countries outside Korea would be eager to recruit him.’

That’s why.

When Suho contacted her, Kim Soo-ae initially thought that the article about him wanting to become a government Hunter was just another publicity stunt.

Some people did that to raise their market value.

Then Suho spoke.

"But as I mentioned over the phone, I plan to join only if the conditions are right."

At that, Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk immediately responded.

"Please, just tell us. No one can match the conditions we can offer here at Nexus."

"I’m glad to hear that from you, CEO. Then I’ll speak without hesitation. But before that, I assume everyone here has read the PBS article about me, right?"

"The one where you mentioned you wanted to be a government Hunter?"

"Yes."

"Yes, I’ve seen it, but..."

Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk hesitated, unsure of what Suho was getting at with these preambles.

From his years of experience in society, he deduced...

‘Is he going to say something like... he originally wanted to be a government Hunter, but now he needs more money, so he’s asking for more?’

He could predict that much.

However, the words that followed left Bae Dong-hyuk and everyone else shocked.

"Even though I’ve come here today to join Nexus, my ultimate goal hasn’t changed. I still intend to join the KHA and become a government Hunter."

"Excuse me?"

"What...?"

Is he insane?

Then why did he come here?

But none of them dared voice those thoughts, and there was a brief silence as they exchanged uncomfortable glances. Eventually, Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk spoke up for everyone.

"Then, with that goal in mind, why would you want to join a private guild?"

"Honestly, it’s to make it easier to enter the KHA."

"Excuse me?"

"I plan to take the 5th-level exam at the end of this year."

The 5th level.

The highest level that one could enter through an exam.

For the KHA, this meant starting at the team leader position at the very least.

At that, Bae Dong-hyuk narrowed his eyes.

"You mean because of the extra points for being part of a large guild?"

Suho smiled faintly.

Indeed, if you had experience in a private guild, you would get extra points when applying for the KHA.

However, at the 5th level, the bonus points didn’t apply unless you had worked at a guild for at least five years.

What did that mean for Suho?

Suho chuckled.

"No, that’s not it. There are more complex reasons, but the first one is... do you know the saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Simply put, I plan to take advantage of the psychology of wanting what others have. I will continue to rise and be a topic of conversation, becoming the most talked-about figure. With that kind of fame and ability, I might even easily pass the 5th-level exam. But, as I mentioned in the interview, if I only show interest in the KHA, I feel like they will treat me like a fish caught in their net."

At that, everyone nodded lightly.

It made sense.

If it were the KHA, they could easily treat him like that.

"Especially the 5th-level exam, where the final interview is the most important. I know the president has a lot of influence there, and he is a former five-term congressman, so he’s very interested in re-election or other public positions."

Without needing to elaborate further, everyone agreed.

If Suho were successfully brought into the KHA through Nexus, the person who would benefit the most would be the president of the KHA.

Suho continued.

"So, I’m proposing a deal to you, CEO. I plan to use Nexus to make it easier to get into the KHA, and in return, Nexus can fully utilize me for the next six months."

With that, Suho had stated his intentions clearly. Bae Dong-hyuk fully understood.

Now, only the details remained to be discussed.

But before talking about those, Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk had one question for Suho.

"I understand your intention. But before we begin the formal discussion, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"Given your reasons, why Nexus and not Hexagon or Prime? Why us specifically?"

It was a somewhat unexpected question.

If that was truly the reason, there were other top guilds like Hexagon, which was the industry leader, or Prime, often referred to as the KHA’s dog.

But Suho’s answer was completely unexpected.

"I read the speech you made when you founded Nexus."

"The speech?"

"Yes, I read it. And while I can’t speak for other guilds, at least Nexus’s goal to contribute to the end of Gates in Korea is something I can get behind."

Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk’s speech.

To others, it might have seemed like just another generic speech, but he had written it from the heart.

Why?

Because, like Suho, Bae Dong-hyuk had lost his family to the Gate Shock.

‘In fact, Nexus has done more for Gate-related disaster relief than anyone else.’

In his past life, Nexus had also been the most devoted guild.

At Suho’s words, Bae Dong-hyuk looked as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

"...What you said in your interview was true. Your ultimate goal really is to end the Gates."

"Yes, I didn’t lie in the interview. That’s why I tried to clear the Tower of Trials."

Bae Dong-hyuk chuckled.

"Now that you say it, I have nothing left to say. But if that’s your goal, do you really need to join the KHA? You can achieve your goal just as easily by working as part of a private guild like us."

"Well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it. But if I really want to contribute to ending the Gates, I believe I need to take on challenges that others won’t. For example, Gates that are too dangerous and are being managed separately by the government

—like Sealed Gates."

"Excuse me?"

"Sealed Gates?"

"Are you serious?"

Sealed Gates.

There had been many failed attempts to clear these Gates due to the high number of casualties, and the government had sealed them off for special management.

These were, for all intents and purposes, disasters.

While the five Great Calamity Gates were considered the worst, the Sealed Gates were no less dangerous.

They were often called "minor calamities" or "calamity-level Gates."

But paradoxically, solving these Gates would bring the most peace to humanity.

‘And it’s the easiest place to prove my abilities.’

Suho was confident.

In fact, by the later stages, most of the minor calamity Gates in the country had been cleared, and Suho had all the strategies and hidden pieces of information related to them in his memory.

This time, he planned to make full use of the Sealed Gates.

Suho continued.

"So, over the next six months, all the Sealed Gates that get cleared will carry Nexus’s name. Until I can join the KHA, I plan to fully commit as a member of Nexus. And after that, I’m sure—"

Suho glanced around at the faces of those present, then smiled.

"I’m sure, in six months, the industry’s power balance will be completely overturned. Nexus won’t be the third-place guild anymore; it will be the undisputed number one."