Seven years.
That's how long I had until the Kamish Raid.
The deadliest S-Rank disaster in history. The battle where only five survived. Where humanity met its true limit.
But this time, it wouldn't just be five.
I'd be there.
And I'd survive.
Hunter Association HQ – Central Seoul
The summons came quietly.
A black envelope delivered by hand. No return address, only the Hunter Association's seal and a time.
"Room 17-A. No delays."
I knew what it meant.
Someone had connected the dots.
The office was minimalist. A wide desk, two chairs, a mirror behind the official seated across from me.
His name was Park Il-Kyun, Division Chief of Recruitment. Middle-aged, composed, with sharp eyes and a sharper voice.
He tapped a pen against a dossier.
"You're hard to ignore, Mr. Lee."
I said nothing.
He slid a tablet forward.
"Your clearance isn't high enough to see what's inside… but this is a live dungeon log."
He turned the screen briefly.
Frozen frames of my last dungeon appeared. Phantom movement. The boss falling. No sound. No face. Just a blur.
"Four analysts spent two days trying to identify you."
He leaned back.
"I recognized your movement style."
I kept my tone neutral. "What do you want?"
"A contract," he replied. "Low profile. Flexible. You'll join our internal strike team. We won't push you to reveal your rank… for now."
I raised a brow. "And why would you offer that to an unranked teenager?"
Park smiled faintly. "Because the Hunter Association doesn't like secrets it can't control."
He slid the contract forward.
"You'd receive resources, training, dungeon clearance permits, and access to private data… including classified Gate forecasts."
That last part made me pause.
Gate forecasts.
That's what I needed.
To predict when and where the Kamish Gate would appear.
To trace the timeline more precisely.
To be ready.
But…
"What's the catch?" I asked.
"Simple," Park said. "When we say jump, you jump. When a disaster hits, you're deployed. And when we want answers—" he leaned forward, "you give them."
I stared at the contract.
Then stood.
"Let me be clear," I said quietly. "I don't work for anyone. Not yet."
I turned toward the door.
"But I might take information... in exchange for silence."
Park chuckled. "I knew you were dangerous."
"I'm just getting started," I replied.
That Night – Abandoned Mall Rooftop
The city lights below twinkled like a galaxy.
Mi-Na sat beside me, eating from a plastic cup of instant tteokbokki.
"You turned them down?" she asked, half shocked.
"I didn't turn them down," I said. "I set terms."
She shook her head. "You're like a walking red flag."
"Better than being a pawn."
She studied me.
"Is this about power?" she asked. "Fame? Revenge?"
I stared into the horizon.
"No."
"Then what?"
"Seven years from now, something's coming," I said. "Something that'll wipe out every unprepared S-Rank."
Mi-Na paused mid-bite. "How would you—?"
"I just do," I said, cutting her off gently.
"I don't need to be a star," I continued. "I need to be a sword. The sharpest one on Earth."
Underground Lab – Hunter Association Black Zone
Elsewhere, Park Il-Kyun spoke quietly to someone through a secure call.
"Yes. He refused full recruitment. But I made him curious."
He glanced at a monitor showing mana fluctuation charts.
"Pull all Kamish-related records. I want to know why that name came out of his mouth."
The person on the other end paused. "You think he knows?"
"I think he's planning something," Park said grimly. "Something big."
Three Days Later – Dungeon Run
I cleared another E-Rank Gate, this time in a storm drain tunnel system.
At this point, most bosses didn't scare me.
But I didn't just fight to kill.
I fought to master.
In this dungeon, I limited myself again. Only one skill per fight. One blade. No blinks.
A wild ogre, E-Rank, charged from the mist.
I ducked, swept its leg with precise footwork, and slit its tendon before it could scream.
No wasted motion.
[Hunter's Instinct – Lv. 3 | Passive Chain Bonus Triggered]
[+3 Agility | +1 Strength]
[New Sub-Skill Unlocked: Focus Surge]
Focus Surge (Passive):
Temporarily heightens mental clarity and motion perception during threat spikes.
Effect: +20% reaction speed for 5 seconds when HP drops below 40%.
I exhaled.
More and more, my skills were evolving.
Not flashy. Not loud.
But clean. Precise.
And deadly.
That Night – Home
I came home to see my dad watching old boxing tapes on the living room TV.
He looked up as I entered, raising an eyebrow.
"Your footwork's improving," he said.
I smiled faintly. "Been practicing."
He nodded once, then gestured me over.
"You know what makes a champion?"
"Talent?" I guessed.
"Pain," he said. "Pain that didn't kill you. Pain that taught you."
I sat down beside him as the screen played two tired boxers clashing in the twelfth round.
"The guy who survives isn't always the strongest," Dad said. "It's the one who knows he has to survive."
I looked at him.
And for the first time… wondered if he saw more than I let on.
Monarch Realm – Throne of Storms
A third Monarch stirred.
"The mortal grows too fast. Too precise. The fracture deepens."
Another voice laughed, dry and cold.
"Let him come. Let him stand before us."
And far below, in a chamber beneath America…
A slumbering beast twitched its wings.
Kamish.