"Are you certain you want to join the Association?"
"From what I've heard, the guilds are already eager to poach you. I imagine a few of them would offer you an enticing paycheck if you asked," the Chairman said with a joking tone.
Joo-Hee smiled politely as she took her seat.
"I'm aware, Chairman. But I didn't come here just for a paycheck or status," she met his eyes with quiet determination.
Joo-Hee continued, her expression turning serious.
"Well, I'm quite sure of my decision, Mr. Chairman. But…" she paused, glancing sideways at Woo Jin-Chul before finishing, "... that could change, depending on your answer. So, I hope the two of us can talk in private."
Go Gunhee raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden shift in her demeanor.
A small, intrigued smile tugged at his lips as he gestured toward Woo Jin-Chul, "Wait outside for a moment, Jin-Chul."
Woo Jin-Chul gave a short bow and exited without question. As the door shut behind him, Go Gunhee leaned back in his chair, studying Joo-Hee with renewed interest.
'As expected,' he thought. 'For her to come here first instead of visiting the other guilds… there must be something she wants, something only the Association can provide. Now, what could her conditions be?'
"Now then, Ms. Lee," he said aloud, his voice calm, "we're finally alone. Let's hear it, what are your conditions?"
Joo-Hee nodded in approval, reached out to the coffee table, and lifted a delicate teacup. She took a small sip before setting it down gently. Her eyes stayed on the cup as she spoke with cool clarity.
"I want a slot in the third Jeju Island raid."
The words had barely left her lips when a wave of pressure surged through the room.
Go Gunhee's aura exploded outward, shaking the air itself. For most hunters, the sheer weight of it would have been suffocating.
But Joo-Hee, whose body had been strengthened thanks to her system's upgrade, held her ground. She grit her teeth slightly, bracing against the crushing sensation.
'So I was right,' she thought. 'The Association really is planning the third Jeju Island raid at this moment in time. But I didn't expect such a reaction from the Chairman. His energy… it's heavy, unpleasant. As expected of someone known as the Brightest Fragments of Brilliant Light.'
Still, despite the pressure, she managed a calm breath.
'I should be thankful he's holding back. If he weren't… I wouldn't even be able to face him right now.'
With cold, sharp eyes, Chairman Go Gunhee stared at her.
"Little girl," he said, his voice calm but laced with steel, "I don't know where you heard that, but be careful with your words. As they say, ignorance is bliss. But too much of it… can lead to your own demise."
Joo-Hee didn't flinch. She held his gaze, her expression unreadable even as her mind seethed.
'Ignorance, my ass. I know the entire story of this world already. If anything, I should be the one warning you, Mr. Chairman,' she thought.
Finally opening her mouth, she said, "You're right, Mr. Chairman. Ignorance can be dangerous, but so can silence. I have my reasons for wanting to be there. And despite being recently reawakened, I believe I can contribute meaningfully to the raid."
She spoke with poise, weaving a fabricated but compelling story, one crafted carefully to sound logical, desperate, and persuasive. It was a planned performance meant to move even the most seasoned veteran.
But it wasn't enough.
Go Gunhee shook his head with a scoff, "Ms. Lee, such reasons won't suffice. Please don't treat an S-rank gate as some minor excursion. Even the slightest misstep there can kill you. I can't gamble with the life of someone who holds potential. Especially not someone who still can't control her newly awakened powers."
His disappointment was visible in his furrowed brows, his tone more weary than angry.
'I had hopes,' he thought. 'I thought she could become something more, a hunter who might stand tall among the best. Perhaps I've grown too old… and too eager.'
He looked at her again, voice firm and final.
"Let's not talk about this further. I can't accept that condition. Please choose another, Ms. Lee."
A storm brewed behind Joo-Hee's calm exterior.
'Is this old man serious?' she thought. 'Do they really not understand how desperate this situation is? No wonder Eunseok died. With preparations this sloppy and decisions this rigid, failure is inevitable.'
Her fists tightened slightly in her lap as she fought the urge to speak her mind. But a sharp glint passed through her eyes, one that spoke of someone not willing to back down.
...
The discussion dragged on for several minutes, with tension rising like a drawn bowstring. Joo-Hee, her patience fraying, clenched her jaw before speaking with forced composure.
"…It seems I came on the wrong day, Mr. Chairman."
Each word left her mouth edged with disappointment and quiet ire.
"I'll be going now. Thank you for your time."
She gave a curt bow before turning to leave.
Go Gunhee only sighed and shook his head. "Please reconsider your decision, Ms. Lee. I can accept any other condition but that."
But Joo-Hee didn't respond.
As she neared the door, her fingers subtly moved. With a whisper of mana, she activated her skill, [Nature's Embrace].
Behind her, a small, ethereal transparent board sprouted midair, composed of intertwined vines. On its smooth, leaf-like surface, golden letters slowly carved themselves into existence:
_______________________
Mr. Chairman, my conditions are final. It's up to you to consider. If not, I'm pretty sure there are other ways for me to join the raid without going through the Association.
And you should really think it over... Who knows? Maybe I'm the only one who can heal your sickness.
_______________________
The board remained floating long after Joo-Hee had left the room.
When Go Gunhee read the final line, his eyes widened in shock. His body stiffened as he slowly rose from his seat.
"…How did that girl know…?!"
Just then, Woo Jin-Chul burst into the room after hearing his chairman's startled shout.
But by the time he stepped in, the plane of transparent barrier had already begun to crumble, words curling inward and retracting, until it disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.
...
Almost an hour later, Joo-Hee reached her room, grumbling to herself with a scowl on her face.
"That old man…! Even spinning that whole dramatic story didn't work."
She threw herself onto the bed with an exhausted sigh.
"Going there was a waste of time. He's so inflexible, it's honestly frustrating."
She narrowed her eyes at the ceiling and muttered with a half-smile.
"…Let's see if you can still ignore me after what I did."
.
.
.
A/N: Sorry that it took quite a while. Well, my vacation was really great that I almost don't want to go back to the city hehe. I almost even forgot how to continue the story lol TT