"I was just happy to see you, so I said hi. Why the long face?"
Jang Dongpil approached with his usual smirk.
What?
Happy to see me?
That didn't look like a happy face to me.
Jang Dongpil was always an unpleasant sight.
But what was he doing here?
Lee Siwoo kept his guard up as he asked, "What brings you here? You usually stick to Rank 2 P-Type Gates."
"Normally, yeah. But today, I just felt like checking out the Pyeongtaek Gate."
"A D-rank gathering hunter in Pyeongtaek? That's like a pro baseball player suddenly deciding to join an amateur league."
"Ah-ha. As expected, Assistant Manager Lee knows our world too well. How am I supposed to fool you when you're this sharp?"
That smug grin never left his face.
Siwoo had the urge to punch it right off.
But now wasn't the time for that.
Too many eyes were watching. And more importantly, everything happening at the gate was recorded on CCTV.
'That bastard is like stepping on dog crap—the more you mess with it, the worse it stinks.'
Siwoo had no intention of getting involved with Jang Dongpil, even over something trivial.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, do whatever you came for."
He was about to turn away when—
"Hey, Assistant Manager Lee. Why so cold? Alright, you're right. What could I possibly gain from a place like Pyeongtaek Gate? A spot where only E-rank hunters hang around?"
A few nearby hunters shot him dirty looks.
After all, most of the people here were exactly the "E-rank nobodies" he was mocking.
But Dongpil didn't care. He held his head high, unaffected.
Why would he? He was a D-rank gathering hunter from Thunder Guild, ranked 15th in the country.
That status gave him an obnoxious level of arrogance.
Whatever.
"So, you do have a reason for being here. What is it?"
"Whoa, look at you, all sharp and serious. You weren't like this before. And now you're even speaking informally to me? Tsk, tsk. You've changed. Anyway, I'll tell you."
Dongpil pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a flick.
Puff.
Blowing out a cloud of smoke, he finally spoke.
"Our guild master wants to see you."
"You came all this way just to tell me that?"
"Yeah. Why else would I bother coming here?"
Siwoo studied him with an unreadable expression.
His phone had been off since yesterday.
Not only that, but he had unplugged the landline at home and even the phone at his father's dojo.
If someone wanted to reach him, they'd have no choice but to come in person.
'Well, I guess it wasn't too hard to figure out where I'd be. The only gate a rookie gathering hunter like me would enter is Pyeongtaek. I was too predictable.'
Shaking his head, he answered, "I have no interest in joining any guild right now. Don't waste your time."
"Damn, you're still as prickly as ever. A single day as a hunter, and you've already changed this much? You used to be so nervous around me back when we worked at the company."
That bastard.
Siwoo clenched his fists, anger boiling inside him.
He wanted nothing more than to shut Dongpil up with his fists.
'Calm down. A trained fighter shouldn't resort to violence so easily.'
Especially not in front of a gate.
This was his first day as a hunter—he had no intention of ruining it with unnecessary drama.
After a final glare, he turned his back on Dongpil.
"Tch. Boring bastard."
Siwoo heard the annoying voice behind him but ignored it, walking straight into the hunter facility building.
Any location with a gate had one of these facilities.
Owned by the KHA, the building provided convenience services for hunters—showers, locker rooms, sleeping quarters, even a cafeteria for quick meals.
Of course, nothing was free.
All licensed hunters paid a gate usage fee, which was basically a tax funding these facilities.
'Being a hunter does have its perks.'
Siwoo entered the locker room, changing into his hunter suit.
Since amplification devices extracted mana directly from the body, most hunter suits were designed to connect to them.
A single amplification device was enough to replace equipment like needle-based mana extractors.
For that reason, hunter gear was built around these devices.
Naturally, if you asked any hunter what the number one essential item was, the answer would always be the same—an amplification device.
Siwoo zipped up his suit, checking himself in the mirror.
'Not exactly stylish.'
But it was just temporary.
In a week, his custom-ordered suit would be ready—designed like everyday clothes but equipped for his all-rounder playstyle.
Clapping his hands together, he took a deep breath.
Now, all that was left was to enter the gate and start gathering valuable plants.
'Let's get moving.'
With that, he hurried toward the gate.
Meanwhile, Jang Dongpil shook his head, watching Siwoo disappear into the facility.
'That damn bastard.'
He had never liked Siwoo—not since college.
Studies, sports, even video games—there was nothing he could beat him at.
And then there was his girlfriend.
Siwoo had dated Moon Seolhee, the most popular girl on campus.
That had made Dongpil jealous beyond words.
'Bastard.'
If given the chance, he would've taken her away in a heartbeat.
Luckily for him, he awakened as a hunter.
And with money and power on his side, he had won Seolhee over.
'She's a demanding woman.'
If he hadn't become a hunter, if his family hadn't been well-off, she would've left him ages ago.
The thought made him anxious.
Seolhee was his biggest weakness.
And now, of all things, she had brought up Siwoo.
"Guess what? That idiot Siwoo was hitting on me. He said he still can't forget me. Can you believe it? How dare he look down on us?"
That was what she had told him yesterday after returning from an interview with Siwoo.
Just hearing it had made his blood boil.
'That son of a—should I just kill him?'
If only it were that easy.
But P-Type Gates weren't the place for murder.
Especially not a Grade 3 P-Type Gate.
The Hunter Bureau would investigate thoroughly.
Since P-Type Gates were considered the safest, a homicide inside one would cause an uproar.
So today, he'd settle for scaring Siwoo instead.
'That weakling dares to go after my woman? I'll teach him a lesson.'
Turning away from the facility, Dongpil headed for the parking lot.
His silver sedan was waiting.
As he opened the door, a rat-faced man inside peered up at him.
"Did you find him?"
"Yeah."
"You sure this is a good idea? What if the guild master finds out?"
"Like he cares. We've done this before, haven't we?"
Dongpil grinned.
Tonight, Siwoo would regret ever crossing him.