The Hunter Academy had been buzzing lately, and the reason was none other than the “Guild Presentation.”
With mid-June approaching, the third-year academy students were getting closer to graduation, and they needed to decide whether to start their careers as solo Hunters or join a guild.
The bulletin board at the academy was covered with posters announcing the schedules for various guild presentations. Third-year students stood in front of it, carefully examining the posters of the guilds they were interested in.
“The third years must have a lot on their minds,” Hye-Jung remarked as she walked down the first-floor hallway.
“Yeah, just half a year left until graduation...” Yoon-Hee muttered as she watched them.
Since she had started her first year barely half a year ago, she couldn’t really relate to their struggle, and her indifferent tone made that clear.
Noticing that, Hye-Jung asked, “Yoon-Hee, you said you didn’t have any particular guilds you wanted to join, right?”
She recalled the conversation they had back in the Troll’s Valley. Unlike herself, who had a clear idea of the guild she wanted to join, Yoon-Hee had said she wasn’t sure yet.
Yoon-Hee was staring intently at one of the posters that the third-year students didn’t even glance at: the poster for Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division’s Contract Hunter presentation.
Hye-Jung nudged Yoon-Hee’s shoulder.
Startled, Yoon-Hee flinched and said, “W-what?”
“What’s got your attention? The contract Hunter poster?” Hye-Jung asked.
The Fissure Management Division was notorious for its poor working conditions, lack of proper suits or artifacts, and mostly attracting F-rank Hunters who were desperate for any job to make ends meet.
Seeing Yoon-Hee’s reaction, Hye-Jung let out a knowing chuckle. “Now that I think about it, your dad works for the Fissure Management Division, doesn’t he?”
Watching Yoon-Hee’s face flush red, Hye-Jung burst into laughter, teasing her further. Could it be that Yoon-Hee’s lack of interest in guilds stemmed from this?
“Y-yeah...” Yoon-Hee answered, sounding embarrassed.
“Are you interested in becoming a contract Hunter?”
Even though it was obvious that she had been staring at the Seoul City Hall poster as if trying to burn a hole through it, Yoon-Hee frantically waved her hands in denial. “N-no! Not at all!”
Even a passing five-year-old could tell she was interested.
Hmm... But why would she want to become a contract Hunter of all things? Hye-Jung thought.
Even her father, Do-Jun, would be against it. As her father, it was only natural that he would want her to join at least a mid-tier guild capable of providing proper care.
Hye-Jung thought back to when they were trapped in the Troll’s Valley.
The Fissure Distortion had turned the trolls even more aggressive than usual, but what puzzled her most was the arrival of the S-rank Hunters who came for their rescue.
Not just one or two, but ten of them.
There’s definitely something going on... Hye-Jung thought.
How had a mere civil servant like Do-Jun managed to avoid running into the aggravated trolls, locate their hiding spot, and, most baffling of all, why did the S-rank Hunters treat him with such deference?
“How shall we proceed?”
Hye-Jung couldn’t forget the way the Sword Emperor, Lee Kang-Hyun, addressed Do-Jun as though he were a superior.
After lunch, the staff of the Fissure Exploration Unit gathered in the small conference room at the City Hall to rehearse their presentation, which was scheduled to take place in a few days.
No one knew what prompted the Hunter Academy to give Seoul City Hall’s Fissure Management Division a chance to host a presentation. Since the division’s establishment, this was the first time such an opportunity had been offered.
“Ahem! Ah, ah. Good afternoon! I’m Kang Cheol-Soo, the Section Chief of the Fissure Exploration Unit at Seoul City Hall’s Fissure Management Division. It’s an honor to meet the future Hunters who will carry the weight of this nation...”
“Chief, why don’t you take a short break?” Do-Jun suggested, seeing that Cheol-Soo had been rehearsing for over an hour without a break.
Cheol-Soo was trembling and stammering, clearly nervous despite this being a mere practice run.
“Y-yeah, maybe I should.”
Placing the microphone down on the podium, Cheol-Soo sat down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Hyuk-Soo handed him a bottle of barley tea, which he promptly downed in one go.
“But why did the Academy suddenly give us a slot at their presentation?” Hyuk-Soo asked, still baffled.
It was hard to understand, as over five hundred guilds and management companies were emerging across Korea, and among them, only well-established mid-tier or higher organizations could host presentations at the Academy. The Fissure Management Division was among the lowest-tier groups that were often, if not always, overlooked.
“Didn’t you take the call, Hyuk-Soo?”
Cheol-Soo turned to glare at Kwon Hyuk-Soo, but looking equally puzzled, Hyuk-Soo gestured toward Do-Jun, who was sipping his barley tea.
Recalling the phone call, Hyuk-Soo said, “They said they’d already spoken with Do-Jun. The administrative office politely asked about scheduling the presentation, and I was honestly surprised by how courteous they were.”
Both Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo turned their gazes toward Do-Jun.
“They brought it up first,” Do-Jun said simply.
He hadn’t done anything at all, really. The Academy had suggested that there might be students interested in the Fissure Management Division, so they figured hosting a presentation wouldn’t be a bad idea.
That was all. No, there was one more reason.
In the Hunter Academy Annex Auditorium, the third-year students sat in their seats, waiting patiently.
Today was the briefing for Seoul City Hall’s contract Hunters, the first session in a series of guild presentations held every one or two days. However, the students weren’t exactly excited about this particular one.
The third-year students chattered noisily.
“Who’s even going to work at the City Hall?”
“Exactly. If this wasn’t mandatory, no one would’ve shown up.”
“Still, it’s strange how they have four A-rank Hunters there.”
“One of them is that Cha Ye-Ji, right? The Hunter everyone talks about.”
Cheol-Soo peeked through the curtains from behind the podium, scanning the auditorium filled with third-year students. He swallowed nervously, his face pale.
Standing beside him, Do-Jun noticed Cheol-Soo’s anxious demeanor and watched him with concern. He seemed even more tense than during the rehearsal in the City Hall’s conference room.
The emcee spoke into the microphone. “Now, we will begin the presentation of the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division. Everyone, please welcome them with a round of applause.”
At the introduction, Cheol-Soo straightened his tie and slowly walked to the center of the podium while Do-Jun and Hyuk-Soo sat on simple metal chairs at the edge of the stage.
Cheol-Soo tapped the microphone, testing it.
The auditorium was so quiet that it was immediately clear there were no issues with the audio system. Despite the announcement asking for applause, not a single clap was heard. The tension was palpable, like walking on eggshells.
“A-ahem... G-good afternoon. M-my name is Kang Cheol-Soo, the Section Chief of the Fissure Exploration Unit at the Seoul City Hall F-Fissure Management Division.”
The opening remarks didn’t go the way he planned, fumbling and tripping over his words. Soft chuckles rippled through the audience.
“It’s an h-honor to meet all of you bright students today.”
His voice quivered with tension. Cheol-Soo continued explaining the benefits of joining the Fissure Management Division as the slides transitioned on the projector. However, these benefits seemed laughably inadequate compared to the scouting offers from guilds and agencies, failing to capture the students’ interest.
As Cheol-Soo grew more flustered, his confidence waned. More students began to doze off or chat amongst themselves.
“S-so, in conclusion, Seoul City Hall...”
Honestly, he already saw this coming. For students skilled enough to make it to their third year at Hunter Academy, even the lowest-ranked students were equivalent to C-rank Hunters, with the top students practically S-rank material.
Naturally, they wouldn’t be interested in joining a contract role that even F-rank Hunters hesitated to accept.
“That... is all. Thank you.”
What was supposed to be a one-hour session ended in less than forty minutes.
“This concludes the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division briefing,” the emcee concluded the session.
With the announcement, Do-Jun and Hyuk-Soo stepped onto the stage alongside Cheol-Soo to bow in farewell. As Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo smiled bitterly, feeling defeated, the students yawned and prepared to leave.
Just then, Do-Jun took the microphone from Cheol-Soo and announced, “That concludes the briefing for our general contracts. Now, I’ll give a brief explanation about the special contract at our division.”
Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo’s eyes widened as they stared at Do-Jun.
“D-Do-Jun, what are you doing?” Cheol-Soo whispered in shock.
Some students, who had been about to leave, stopped in their tracks and turned toward the stage—more specifically, toward Do-Jun, who held the microphone.
“The special contract hires will be selected through a rigorous evaluation process. If no one meets the criteria, not a single candidate will be chosen.”
Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo exchanged confused glances. They had never heard of this “special contract.” What was Do-Jun talking about?
Murmurs spread through the audience.
“What’s this about special contracts?”
“Maybe they’re offering more money.”
“Should we stay? This is so boring, though.”
Ignoring the chatter, Do-Jun continued, “The details of the special contract are confidential and will only be disclosed to those who are selected.”
More students prepared to leave, rolling their eyes. But then, Do-Jun dropped the next bombshell, freezing everyone in their tracks.
“To pique your interest, here are the names of the evaluation panel members: Hunter’s Bureau Chief Jung Young-Chul. Behemoth Guild Master Lee Kang-Hyun, and its members, Ryu Jun-Yeol and Moon Ae-Kyung; Icarus Guild Master Kang Min-Hyuk, and its member Han Min-Ji; Phoenix Guild Master Kwak Young-Ho, and its member, Yang Ik-Hyun; Messiah Guild Master Lee Jin-Goo, and its member, Jo Min-Hyung. A total of ten evaluators.”
The students stared at Do-Jun in utter disbelief.
Among the ten names mentioned, one carried as much weight as the president himself: the Hunter’s Bureau Chief.
The other ten were S-rank Hunters—the pinnacle of Korea’s Hunter society.
Why were all S-rank Hunters of Korea’s top guilds—Behemoth, Icarus, Phoenix, and Messiah—being mentioned at this presentation?
“The application period for special contracts will be announced on Seoul City Hall’s website in January next year. Please review the requirements carefully before applying. This concludes our presentation. Thank you.”
The students were left stunned.
What exactly was this special contract? Why were the titans of the Hunter society serving as evaluators?
Do-Jun’s announcement sparked an insatiable curiosity among the students.
“This can’t be true,” a student muttered.
Three days later, it was finally time for the presentation of Icarus Guild—one that the third-year students looked forward to the most.
Aside from Behemoth, which didn’t recruit members, Icarus was the next biggest option.
As Icarus Guild Master, Kang Min-Hyuk, stepped onto the stage, cheers erupted from the auditorium.
After his presentation, a brief Q&A session began.
One student raised a hand and asked, “During the Seoul City Hall presentation, they mentioned something about a special contract. They claimed that the Hunter’s Bureau Chief and S-rank Hunters would be evaluators. Is that true? It sounded unbelievable, like a scam...”
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Min-Hyuk, eagerly waiting for his reply.
“The special contract...”
After a very brief puzzlement, Min-Hyuk smiled and answered, “Ah, yes, that’s right. The Bureau Chief and the top ten Hunters will evaluate the candidates.”
The room buzzed with murmurs.
Another student raised their hand and asked, “What’s so special about this contract that it has such a crazy evaluator lineup?”
The students held their breath, waiting for his response.
“Are you interested?” he asked the student.
“Depends on the details.”
Looking around the room, Min-Hyuk brought the microphone closer to his lips.
“Well, I doubt that any of you would even qualify.”