After hearing those words, Manager Kim I-gang reflexively opened his mouth.

"Right."

There must be something you want to say.

So, he spoke first.

"Yes, of course, this is only applicable while I'm here. But a guild that relies solely on one person’s performance cannot grow in the long term. I'll do my best to help Nexus expand as much as possible while I'm here. Improvements in member recruitment and training methods, for instance. By the way, do you know the guy who placed third in this Hunter exam? He’s affiliated with the academy here, his name is Kang Dae-han."

Kim Soo-ae responded immediately.

"Yes, that's right. Kang Dae-han, who took the third spot."

"Didn’t he suddenly change his weapon? I advised him on that. I noticed it by chance when he came in to sign the scholarship contract last time, and I helped him adjust."

"Wait, was that 'mysterious academy official' actually you, Suho?"

Kim Soo-ae was truly surprised.

After all, Kang Dae-han was an unexpected find in this exam.

But to think Suho was behind that discovery.

Moreover, she had been trying to figure out who that 'mysterious official' mentioned by Kang Dae-han was.

And now she realized it was Suho.

Suho replied.

"Yes, at the time, I wasn’t officially staff, so I just passed myself off as an associate. But by now, I’m sure my face has become quite familiar. This should verify my abilities as a trainer, don’t you think?"

"Of course. According to our data, we didn’t expect Kang Dae-han to pass this year either. But thanks to you, Suho, he managed to achieve third place… Truly remarkable."

Suho smiled, nodded, and then turned his attention to Bae Dong-hyeok.

"What do you think? Wouldn’t this be a win-win strategy? What’s your opinion, Director?"

All eyes turned to Bae Dong-hyeok.

Though he appeared surprised by Suho's bold proposal, as the head of a large guild, he quickly crossed his arms and spoke with cool detachment.

"These are excellent conditions, just as you described. To refuse this offer would be foolish. However, there is one question I’d like clarified before we proceed as you suggested."

"What question would that be?"

"Earlier, you mentioned you would prove yourself through the Sealed Gate. However, as you may know, the Sealed Gates are designated for special government management, making private bids difficult, even for large guilds like ours. The government prioritizes public safety over generating revenue from bids. So how do you intend to secure access to a Sealed Gate?"

Oh, is that all?

Suho answered nonchalantly.

"I’ll handle that issue separately. Once I bring back the entry pass for the Sealed Gate, we can publish sequential articles—starting with my joining the guild, followed by the challenge, and finally the clearing of the Sealed Gate."

"Haha… It seems you have everything planned out, Hunter Suho."

"Indeed. And with that in mind, let’s hold off on the 'official contract' for now. I'll first prove my words by clearing a Sealed Gate. That should be enough to confirm if I’m bluffing or not."

Bae Dong-hyeok clicked his tongue and said,

"Really, Hunter Suho, you leave us with no room to refuse."

"Well, I think this is just the standard approach. No matter how much of a rising rookie I am in the domestic field or even if I cleared the Tower of Trials, I haven’t reached level 100, and at best, I’m still a ‘rookie.’ I think I need to remove that label quickly and prove myself to be a rainmaker for the scene."

Suho’s flawless answer left Bae Dong-hyeok speechless.

In fact, everyone around him was equally impressed.

"Let’s continue with the specific arrangements after I secure the entry pass for the Sealed Gate."

"Understood."

As Suho stood up, everyone else promptly rose as well, seeing him off to the building's entrance.

Once Suho left Nexus and drove away in his red Ferrari, Bae Dong-hyeok spoke.

"Manager."

"Yes, Director."

"From now on, gather all the necessary documents related to Hunter Ahn Suho and create a special team dedicated solely to him."

"Already? Shouldn’t we wait until he brings back the pass… or perhaps even until he clears the Sealed Gate?"

"Timing doesn’t matter much. However, I’d like to show some sincerity by preparing in advance. From what I can tell, Hunter Suho will fulfill every promise he made."

"Is that an intuition?"

"Look at his eyes. Those eyes… they were the eyes of someone who had already seen the answer. No hesitation."

"I see..."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Bae Dong-hyeok’s words.

***

Korean Hunter Association (KHA) Building.

Jung Chul-min sat at his desk, massaging his temples.

Not long ago, he had received a call from the deputy head, pressing him about why there hadn’t been any news yet.

‘Ha… How am I supposed to bring Suho here?’

Despite the fact that the Tower of Trials was operated as a public gate to nurture new Hunters, it was still a dangerous gate that had been cleared, so it was only fitting that Suho be recognized.

‘Maybe we should give him an award?’

No, that would definitely get shot down by upper management.

They would probably criticize him for arranging an entire award ceremony just for one photo op.

Of course, Jung Chul-min knew the real reason behind this excuse.

Award photos and ‘friendly-looking’ photos without any official award in hand had vastly different impacts on public perception.

‘This is a pain.’

Just then,

Brrr.

An unfamiliar number appeared.

Who could it be?

Jung Chul-min quickly answered.

"This is Team Leader Jung Chul-min of Gate Management, Team 1."

- Hello, Team Leader Jung? It’s me, Ahn Suho.

"Su… Suho?!"

The person on the unfamiliar number was none other than Suho.

Startled, Jung Chul-min shot up from his chair like a spring.

Realizing that his subordinates were watching, he hurried out of the office to find a quiet place.

"Suho, this number… is it a new one?"

- Yes, the calls were too much on my old number, so I set up a secondary line. You can contact me here from now on.

"I see… Thank you so much for reaching out. Honestly, after the Tower of Trials, I thought I’d never hear from you again."

- Oh, come on, how could that happen? Anyway, are you free now?

"Right now?"

- Yes, I haven’t eaten yet. How about meeting at Songrae Soup House in front of the KHA? I passed the test and became a Hunter, so now we can meet casually, right? If you’ve already eaten, we could just grab a coffee…

"No, no! I haven’t eaten! I was too busy, so I skipped lunch! I’ll book a room at Songrae Soup House under my name and wait."

- Thank you.

The call ended.

Jung Chul-min stared blankly at his phone, wondering what this was all about.

‘Well, I guess I’ll find out.’

With that thought, he prepared to meet Suho.

***

Songrae Soup House.

A soup restaurant near the KHA, and a favorite spot for both Jung Chul-min and Suho.

The restaurant had private rooms, which made it a frequent choice for them.

Jung Chul-min secured a small room and waited until Suho arrived.

When Suho entered, Jung Chul-min stood up to greet him.

"You’re here?"

"Yes, I was nearby. It’s been a while since I came here."

"Oh? You know this place?"

Of course he did; he used to come here whenever he stayed up late for paperwork or night shifts.

But he couldn’t say that, so he replied casually.

"I used to come here often when I was working nearby. Shall we order first? The boiled pork set here is great. I’ll go with that."

"I’ll have the same."

"Two boiled pork sets, please!"

After placing their orders, Suho poured water for them and spoke.

"Anything troubling you these days? Like the association trying to get me to come in?"

"Pfft! W-what?"

Jung Chul-min choked on his water.

His eyes widened as he stared at Suho.

"W-what do you mean by that…?"

"I was just wondering why, right after I cleared the Tower of Trials, you tried so hard to bring me to the association. Usually, even after clearing a hard gate, you only request relevant information, not ask someone to come in. So I did some research and found that in cases like this, it’s often to take promotional photos with the association heads."

It wasn’t just a guess.

A quick look at the promotional materials would reveal many photos of star players who had cleared hard gates.

Caught off guard, Jung Chul-min stammered.

"T-that…"

"It’s fine. You could have just been upfront with me. It’s not difficult for me."

"...I apologize."

Jung Chul-min’s face flushed red.

He felt as if he’d been stripped bare.

Suho hadn’t meant to put it so bluntly, but his plans took precedence over Jung’s pride.

Suho continued.

"So, it’s true. Still, I appreciate your consideration. I found out that in some cases, they forcibly bring people in under dubious accusations. But you were considerate and

 polite."

Jung Chul-min laughed awkwardly.

"Haha… Well, I can’t be too forceful."

"So I was thinking, maybe it’s time to visit the association. I appreciate what you’ve done, and as someone aiming for the KHA, it wouldn’t hurt to meet the President and Vice President."

"Ah… yes, that would… be good."

"Then, should we go after we eat, or should I schedule it for later?"

"After we eat is fine! Just a moment!"

With that, Jung Chul-min quickly stood up to grab his phone.

He must have been feeling pressured.

Suho felt a bit sorry for him.

‘Just hold on a little longer, hyung. After this year, I’ll take care of everything.’

Soon, after arranging Suho's visit, Jung returned, his face finally showing some relief.

"They said we can visit after lunch. I’ll cover this meal."

"Sounds good."

The two enjoyed their meal together.

Jung, relieved to have his problem resolved, and Suho, happy to reconnect with an old friend over their favorite soup.