At Pi Seong-yeol's summons, Suho made his way to the Special Division Chief’s office.

Upon his arrival, Pi Seong-yeol greeted him with a sly smile, rising from his seat.

“You’re here, junior?”

“Yes, senior.”

“Have a seat.”

The room was much larger and more sophisticated than Lee Wan-ik’s office—an unmistakable testament to the disparity in power.

As Suho sat down, Pi Seong-yeol opened the mini-fridge beside him, pulled out a can of soda, and placed it in front of Suho.

“I hear you had some fun in the Awakening Division?”

“Not at all.”

“Not at all? Word is, your performance there was extraordinary. That’s the Suho I know—always exceeding expectations.”

“Thank you.”

“Drink up.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Pi Seong-yeol’s encouragement, Suho opened the can and took a sip. Only then did Pi Seong-yeol begin to speak.

“The first one you caught was Kim Goong-won, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I heard you went to Acro Tower.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Did you see anyone else there besides Kim Goong-won?”

A subtle expression crossed Pi Seong-yeol’s face. Clearly, he already knew the answer.

This would make things easier.

Without hesitation or change in expression, Suho answered, “I also saw Son Baek-geum.”

“Then why did you leave him there?”

“I didn’t think he was someone I could handle.”

At that, a spark lit in Pi Seong-yeol’s eyes, and a faint grin tugged at his lips.

“Interesting. What makes you think you know what I was going to say about that?”

“Weren’t you going to talk about Son Baek-geum’s connections?”

“Pahaha.”

Pi Seong-yeol burst out laughing at Suho’s response. He took a sip from his own can, still grinning, and set it back down.

“Exactly. I was going to talk about his connections. So, you left him because you thought you couldn’t handle it?”

“To be honest, yes.”

“Then why didn’t you report it to me?”

“I was waiting for the right justification.”

“Justification?”

“Yes. Even though I’m expected to join the Special Division, I’m not officially a member yet. Plus, your name didn’t come up in this situation. I thought it would be presumptuous to bring up Son Baek-geum without proper justification, so I waited. I figured either you or the Vice President would call me eventually.”

“Hmm…”

Pi Seong-yeol narrowed his eyes, clearly impressed.

The response was exactly what he had hoped for.

With both corners of his mouth now lifted in a pleased smile, he said, “Suho.”

“Yes, senior?”

“Well done.”

“Thank you, senior.”

“From now on, if there’s anything you can’t handle, report it all to me. I’ll tell you how to deal with it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re not even asking why?”

“You must have a reason for it, so why should I question it?”

“Pfft… You crazy bastard.”

Now fully laughing, shoulders shaking, Pi Seong-yeol looked entirely pleased with Suho.

Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a card and handed it to Suho.

“You’ve worked hard. When you’re done for the day, take your close friends out and eat something good. None of that cheap pork belly nonsense—go for Korean beef or seafood. If you want to drink, drink. I won’t care how much it costs.”

“No, really, I haven’t done anything to deserve this.”

“Hey, when an elder gives you something, just take it and say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Good. Take care. See you next time.”

Suho stood, bowed lightly, and left the office, tucking the card into his pocket as he walked away.

As he exited, he thought to himself, There’s definitely something going on between the Vice President and Pi Seong-yeol.

Still, he hadn’t expected Pi Seong-yeol to let the matter slide without saying anything.

At the very least, Suho had thought he’d be instructed to bring in Son Baek-geum. The lack of any such directive struck him as suspicious.

Hmm.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Suho pulled out his phone and dialed Seo Gi-won.

• “Yes, boss.”

“Hey, I’m about to send you some numbers. Gather all the photos, text messages, call logs, and messenger conversations tied to them. Bring Hyun-min if you need help.”

• “Got it.”

“You’re not even asking whose numbers these are?”

• “If you’re asking me to do it, it must be important.”

Suho laughed at that. He realized this must have been how Pi Seong-yeol had felt earlier when he’d laughed at Suho’s responses.

“Good. Put in the work, and let’s grab dinner after you’re done. Talk to Hae-won about what you want to eat—I’ll cover something expensive.”

• “Hell yeah! Got it.”

“Great.”

Ending the call, Suho sent Seo Gi-won the contact information for Pi Seong-yeol and a few other individuals.

***

After meeting with Pi Seong-yeol, Suho headed to the Non-Awakening Division with Eom Jun-seong.

Their first stop was to meet Lee Se-hyun, the head of the division. The moment Lee saw Suho, he greeted him enthusiastically.

“Oh my, Suho, you’re here?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ahn Suho.”

“Haha, sit down, sit down. I’m Lee Se-hyun, head of the Non-Awakening Division. I’ve heard so much about you. They say you performed spectacularly in the Awakening Division?”

From the moment they met, Lee unleashed a flood of praise. Suho responded with a modest smile.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? I heard you even scored perfectly on the theory exam. Being too humble can be a bit off-putting, you know? Haha, just kidding. So, do you know what you’ll be doing in the Non-Awakening Division?”

“Yes, I heard briefly that the focus is on locating unregistered Players.”

“Correct. But finding unregistered Players is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Unless we have specific tips, we don’t actively investigate. So, for this evaluation, just find one person. That’s all. Find one, and your field assessment here is done.”

As expected.

Suho had anticipated that the Non-Awakening Division would assign him to locate unregistered Players. He had already prepared a shortlist of candidates for registration.

With confidence, Suho replied, “Understood.”

“As expected of Hunter Ahn Suho. So full of energy. Here, these are all the reports we’ve received so far. Eom Jun-seong will guide you through the details. Best of luck, Hunter Ahn.”

“Thank you, I’ll do my best.”

“Haha, great! Good luck, then.”

It felt like night and day compared to before—Suho was now treated with immense respect.

Suho couldn’t help but feel good. Being welcomed wherever he went was undeniably satisfying.

In the division’s meeting room, Eom handed Suho the materials from Lee Se-hyun and began explaining.

“As the head mentioned earlier, this evaluation focuses on locating unregistered Players. But unlike unupdated Players, unregistered Players are like needles in a desert. Finding even one can be a daunting task.”

“That’s okay. We still have to try.”

“I knew you’d say that. I’ll arrange for the relevant officer to assist you.”

“Thank you.”

After finishing his explanation, Eom left to fetch the designated officer. While waiting, Suho began reviewing the provided materials.

“These are all just tip-based reports.”

It was inevitable. Unregistered Players were virtually impossible to identify unless they came forward themselves.

“Unless they’ve leveled up significantly, most low-level Players have very few options.”

To level up, one had to enter Gates. But to do that, they needed to register as a Player and pass the Hunter exam. Although the Hunter exam wasn’t mandatory, Player registration was. It was a safeguard against potential disasters.

Still, some people avoided registration entirely. They despised the idea of being classified as an Awakened or had jobs that only non-Players could do.

“Athletes are a prime example.”

Others avoided registration due to societal perceptions or personal reasons. Finding and registering such individuals was the primary role of the Non-Awakening Division.

That’s why Suho had already prepared a list of potential candidates for his field evaluation.

Just then, the meeting room door opened, and someone entered.

It was Cho Seong-gil, the unregistered investigator assigned to oversee Suho’s evaluation.

“Hello, Probationary Officer Ahn.”

“Hello.”

Cho Seong-gil. Another unfamiliar face from Suho’s past.

Sitting across from Suho with his characteristic cheerful demeanor, Cho spoke.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you achieved record-breaking results in the Awakening Division.”

“It’s nothing. I just followed the evaluation requirements.”

“Haha, then I guess you’ll do the same here in the Non-Awakening Division. By the way, Han Ho-seong from the Awakening Division is my colleague from training. He couldn’t stop praising you—so much that it’s raised my expectations.”

A critic turned fan is always the loudest, Suho thought.

It made sense. Han Ho-seong had once been one of Suho’s harshest critics.

As Suho responded with an awkward smile, Cho leaned forward with a subtle expression.

“So, are you planning to work solo on this one as well?”

Ah, so that’s what he was aiming for.

Fine.

Suho had been planning to request the same thing anyway, so there was no reason to refuse.

Suho nodded. “Yes, I’ll handle this one on my own.”

“Haha, understood. If you run into any issues, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Having completed his meeting with the Non-Awakening Division’s officer, Suho stood and prepared to leave. It was time to visit the candidates he had earmarked for registration.

***

Swoosh!

An arrow flew through the air.

And then—

Thud!

The arrow landed squarely in the bullseye.

It was Park Goong’s shot.

The coach immediately shouted, “First place goes to Park Goong! That means Park Goong will be representing us in tomorrow’s competition.”

“Wooow…!”

The coach’s declaration drew cheers from the group.

At the same time, though, everyone reacted as if it were a foregone conclusion.

“As expected of Goong.”

“Park Goong never disappoints.”

“With this level of skill, Goong’s definitely going to win the tournament tomorrow.”

“Yeah, no doubt about it.”

Park Goong.

The pride of Anseong High’s archery team and one of Korea’s brightest archery prospects.

Everyone believed it without question.

And Park Goong himself had no doubts about it either.

After practice, one of his teammates approached him and asked, “Goong, what are you doing after this? We’re planning to hit up karaoke—come with us.”

“Nah, you guys go ahead. I have to help out at my mom’s shop today.”

“Seriously? We finished early today because of the tournament tomorrow, and you’re still helping at your mom’s shop?”

“Sorry, but I’ll feel better if I do.”

“Man, you’re the only one around here who’s such a good son.”

“True that. Goong’s the golden child, and you’re the delinquent.”

“Hey, come on! But okay, I’ll admit it.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow!”

“Yeah, sorry about this. See you!”

Park Goong was well-known for his filial devotion.

Living alone with his single mother, Park Goong always helped out at her shop on days when practice ended early, just like today.

He had never thought of it as a burden.

No, he believed it was only natural.

He knew that it was thanks to his mother, who supported his dreams despite their tough circumstances, that he was able to be where he was now.

With that thought, Park Goong headed to his mother’s shop to lend a hand as usual.

But then—

“…Huh?”

He froze the moment he arrived.

Park Goong couldn’t believe his eyes.

Standing in his mother’s shop was none other than the famous Ahn Suho, the Hunter.

Blink.

Park Goong blinked as he stared at Suho.