On Joomin offered a light wave to the camera. His left hand, sheathed in a single, worn black leather glove, made a strong impression. The interviewer’s gaze lingered on the glove for a moment before Oh Joomin drew their attention back, tapping a gloved finger on the armrest of his chair. As their eyes met, a slow, lazy smirk spread across his face. The interviewer, momentarily captivated, hesitated before speaking. "Before I proceed, I’d like to clarify that the following is not necessarily the official stance of MMBC. Now then—Guild ‘Hyeonak’ has undoubtedly solidified its position as one of Korea’s top guilds. However, it also frequently finds itself at the center of various incidents and controversies. Some critics say certain guild members toe the line a little too closely. Since we have you here, could we hear your thoughts on the matter?" It was a provocative question. The caretakers watching the interview leaned in, engrossed, but Cheon Sol remained oblivious to the tension, his eyes fixed blankly on the screen. On Joomin, however, was as composed as ever. "Hyeonak Guild simply respects and protects the freedom of its members." At those words, Cheon Sol’s attention sharpened, and he quietly knelt on the floor in front of the TV. "Oh, dear, Cheon Sol. Scoot back a little. You'll hurt your eyes." Cheon Sol shuffled backward on his bottom. "So, are you saying that Hyeonak Guild plans to continue turning a blind eye to its members’ misconduct?" the interviewer pressed. Despite the directness of the question, Oh Joomin remained unfazed. "Did you say Hyeonak ‘toes the line’?" "Yes, that’s correct." "And you’re asking for my personal thoughts on that perception?" "Then I’d say you’re asking the wrong person. If Hyeonak is crossing the line, wouldn’t it be more sensible to ask the courts?" "My answer remains the same. I will continue to fulfill my duties as guild master. Protecting my members and respecting their freedom is my job. Since your question has nothing to do with my role, that is all I have to say." With that, he had taken the interviewer’s loaded question, wrapped it neatly in a napkin, and tossed it in the trash. The interviewer faltered, momentarily at a loss for words. The caretakers chuckled. "A righteous face, righteous power, and a righteous tongue to match," one of them remarked. Most people were likely impressed by Oh Joomin’s slick deflection. Cheon Sol, however, was fixated on something else entirely. Hyeonak protected its members and respected their freedom. Cheon Sol knew a little about guilds. They were like companies for hunters. He’d heard that being in a guild made it easier to handle things you couldn’t manage on your own. Did that mean… a bank account, too? If he joined a guild, could they help him open one? What if he became a member of Hyeonak? He could receive the guild’s protection and run his business freely. An image flashed through Cheon Sol’s mind: On Joomin helping him set up a bank account. With that money, Cheon Sol could find his mom and dad, complete his quests, and become the strongest hunter. They could all live happily together. "Now then, Guild Master On, do you have any words for hunters hoping to join Hyeonak?" Cheon Sol’s jaw, which had been hanging slack, snapped shut. Focus. This was a question he was very interested in. Oh Joomin let out a low hum, resting his chin on his hand. "We’ve been receiving a lot of applications… but Hyeonak doesn’t care who you are. Stop sending them." The interviewer was stunned into silence. So was Cheon Sol, his mouth falling open once again. For the finishing blow, Oh Joomin began to stand, as if to say, Can I leave now? The interviewer practically begged him for a little more, and Oh Joomin, looking thoroughly exhausted, reluctantly sat back down. With a wry smile, the interviewer’s expression seemed to say, This guy is playing us for fools. "Could you at least say a few words about the type of hunters Hyeonak is looking for?" Oh Joomin folded his arms, pretending to think for a moment before speaking nonchalantly. "If a new S-rank shows up, I might be interested." And with that, On Joomin stood up for good. The shell-shocked interviewer scrambled to wrap up the segment as the screen cut abruptly to a shot of Hyeonak’s towering headquarters. The caretakers murmured among themselves. "That’s his way of saying they’re not hiring." "He’s got some nerve, talking like that on live TV." "A righteous face, righteous strength, and a righteous tongue… but not such a righteous personality, huh?" Just then, Cheon Sol scampered over to one of the caretakers and tugged on her sleeve. "Seong saen-nim! Cheon Sol has a question!" "Oh, you're just adorable." She playfully pinched his chubby cheek. "What is our little Cheon Sol curious about?" "How do you go there?" The child’s tiny finger was pointing straight at the image of Hyeonak’s gleaming skyscraper. The caretaker chuckled at Cheon Sol’s sparkling, earnest eyes. It was hardly surprising that a child would be taken with someone as striking as On Joomin. "That place is about a twenty-minute bus ride from here." "Put it here, please." Cheon Sol held up his kid’s phone with the maps app open. She hesitated for a moment at the strange request but marked the location for him anyway. It was natural for a boy his age to be curious, she figured. And who knew? If they happened to pass by the building one day, maybe he could even get an autograph. But Cheon Sol’s purpose was vastly different from what she imagined. Cheon Sol is an S-rank too! Heonteo rankings were determined by the Awakener Nuri Center, which performed a comprehensive assessment of a hunter’s stats and skills. There was, however, one exception to this rule: skill rank. If a hunter possessed even a single Legendary Skill, they were automatically classified as S-rank, regardless of their other stats. And Cheon Sol’s skill? It was Legendary-tier. A bona fide S-rank. Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep. The crosswalk signal chimed, and Cheon Sol immediately raised his hand high in the air before stepping onto the pavement. The endless safety drills at kindergarten had paid off. As he crossed the street, his hand held high, a few of the adults walking past let out small chuckles. "Isn't he a model? He’s absolutely precious." Even after hearing such compliments hundreds of times, Cheon Sol couldn't help but rub his flushed cheeks as he hurried on his way. His destination was a colossal structure that stood out even in a forest of skyscrapers. The headquarters of Hyeonak Guild. Cheon Sol spun through the enormous revolving door and stepped into the lobby. Employees streamed past him, tapping access cards on the scanners at the entry gates. Below the scanners, sturdy metal bars blocked the path, retracting only when a valid card was read. So you can’t get in without one of those. Fortunately, Cheon Sol had something similar. He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a small plastic card. The bus pass he used for school trips had come in handy more than once. Cheon Sol waddled over to the nearest entry gate, stood on his tiptoes, and pressed his bus card against the scanner. Thunk. The metal bar didn’t budge. Why wasn’t it working? As he tilted his head in confusion, a long shadow fell over him. "Are you here on an errand for your parents, little guy?" A security guard loomed over him. Cheon Sol’s eyes darted around, but before he could answer, the guard’s polite expression shifted. Once it was clear he wasn’t an employee’s child, the man’s interest vanished. Kicked out onto the street, Cheon Sol sulked as he stared at the revolving door. He’d been escorted out so quickly that trying to go back in the same way was pointless. They would just stop him again. After a moment’s thought, he spun back through the revolving door and re-entered the lobby. The two security guards were still posted near the entrance. A mischievous grin spread across Cheon Sol’s face as he pulled a small toy from his bag. [Terrifying Laughing Squirrel Toy (F)] Automatically detects nearby targets and lets out a terrifying laugh. Hearing the laugh has a very low chance of inducing 1 second of panic. Cheon Sol set the Laughing Squirrel Toy on the floor and sent it into action.

Chapter 4: The Worn Black Glove