*
In the mountains, thick with fog, the steady sound of water made me feel at peace.
At the top of the mountain, which seemed to be full of spiritual energy, stood a traditional-style Korean house, Hanok.
It had a slightly modern atmosphere rather than a completely traditional feel.
In front of the long fence, a woman was looking around.
A tall, slender figure, with neatly arranged black hair that showed a subtle sky-blue hue whenever it caught the light.
The woman, whose every movement seemed graceful, shuddered slightly as she recalled the memories of that day.
,'If it hadn't ended like that, I would have definitely come in first place.'
The woman's fairy-tale-like appearance was further enhanced by the mysterious atmosphere around her.
Just then, the woman turned her head as she heard someone approaching.
"Hehe, you've already arrived, Hye-ji-ya."
"Grandfather."
Park Hye-ji bowed lightly, seeing Choi Tae-soo approaching with a relaxed expression.
"Yes, was it difficult coming all the way here?"
Choi Tae-soo's residence was at the top of the mountain, and there were no proper roads around it as people didn't frequent the area.
There were many paths that were almost cliffs, making it a difficult place for ordinary people to access.
"There weren't any particular difficulties."
Park Hye-ji, as a Hunter who ranked within the top 3 at the Korean Academy, found this mountain path to be nothing to her.
In fact, even though she had just arrived, she looked perfectly composed without any signs of disarray.
"Yes, you mentioned there was a survival evaluation?"
Choi Tae-soo looked at his granddaughter with a gentle expression.
Could those who had suffered at his hands ever imagine that he was capable of such an expression?
He was merciless to his enemies, earning him the fearsome nickname "Skull Crusher."
But to his family, he was just an ordinary grandfather.
"Yes, Grandfather. But there was an accident, so it wasn't a proper test."
If the test hadn't been abruptly ended by the Cult Leader's attack, she could have come in first place.
And to make matters worse, she finished in third place.
It was as if fate was playing a trick on her, always ending up in third place like this.
She felt so wronged.
"Yes. You said you came in third place?"
"I could have gotten first place! If the test hadn't ended like that, I definitely would have come in first place!"
Perhaps it was because she had been holding it in for so long. As soon as she heard the word "third place," her voice rose, as if she had a lot of pent-up frustration.
"Third place is still a very high ranking, isn't it? You'll be recognized anywhere with that. Hehe."
Choi Tae-soo simply smiled, finding her reaction endearing.
Seeing this, Park Hye-ji cleared her throat and turned her head away.
"Let's go inside then. It's chilly outside."
There seemed to be a special energy in the area, making it feel particularly cool compared to other places.
"...Yes, Grandfather."
Park Hye-ji followed Choi Tae-soo through the gate, and as she crossed an invisible boundary, a space larger than it appeared from the outside unfolded before her.
There were crock platforms in the corner, several buildings, and a large pond next to a water mill that continuously made the sound of water turning.
Once inside, unlike the exterior appearance, modern appliances were arranged throughout.
"Sit down and wait. I'll bring out some tea."
"Grandfather, I'll do that, so please sit down!"
"Ahem. You stay still. If I treated a guest like that, this old man would get a bad reputation."
"But..."
As she waited in the living room, seeing Choi Tae-soo's firm expression, she saw him carrying an expensive-looking teapot and teacups.
"Tea leaves taste best when brewed at the right temperature."
The moment the teapot was placed on Choi Tae-soo's thick, scarred hands, hot steam began to rise along with Mana.
Chamomile tea with a refreshing scent. Choi Tae-soo began to pour chamomile tea into the teacups, along with some light snacks.
Chamomile tea that soothes the mind and body.
Choi Tae-soo asked his granddaughter about various things and listened to her recent updates.
He had already received a report about what happened during the survival evaluation, but hearing it directly from the person involved was different.
"If it hadn't ended like that, I would have come in first place. Yoon Seo-ah and Lee Da-eun would be no match for me now."
"That's something you can only know by trying."
"Whose side are you on, Grandfather!"
"Hehe."
Choi Tae-soo smiled bitterly inside at Park Hye-ji's confident and assertive voice.
Was it because of the modifier that followed Park Hye-ji like a label, the granddaughter of Korea's best Hunter?
Although she didn't show it, she must have been feeling pressure.
She might not realize it, but that seemed to be why she was always somewhat obsessed with being the best.
He could see that she wanted to be recognized by him, but he deliberately treated her more strictly.
Knowing how difficult and dangerous being a Hunter was, he hoped his delicate granddaughter would give up.
But that had the opposite effect. On top of that, she was so talented that there was no way to stop her.
She spoke as if she was ashamed of being in third place, but third place in the Korean Academy was by no means an easy achievement.
Only a small number of ordinary people awakened, and among them, only those with potential above a certain standard were gathered at the Korean Academy.
Moreover, this generation was considered to have an overwhelmingly large number of outstanding talents, so being in third place in such an Academy?
It meant that she was so outstanding that she could devour even large corporation Hunters.
She only lacked experience, but otherwise, she had nothing to be inferior about.
"Oh, I met Kim Si-woo during the test."
"Kim Si-woo, you say?"
Choi Tae-soo showed an interested expression when Kim Si-woo's name came up.
"Tell me more about it."
Choi Tae-soo listened to the story about Kim Si-woo through his granddaughter.
True to her confident and honest nature, she began to tell the story as it was.
Meeting Kim Si-woo after fighting with Kang Min-ji, and the story of their battle.
"He already used his Unique Territory?"
"I can do that much too."
"I know that. I know how amazing our Hye-ji is."
"...If I had been in perfect condition, I wouldn't have been pushed back like that. I can definitely acknowledge his swordsmanship skills, but..."
Choi Tae-soo internally exclaimed when he heard Park Hye-ji acknowledge him.
He had thought that she had animalistic senses since they first met, but he never expected his granddaughter to acknowledge someone so easily.
She had high standards in these areas because she had been surrounded by monsters since she was young.
,'Has he grown even more than before?'
He knew from the news that he was growing rapidly, but he seemed to be even more amazing than he had thought.
He knew that he was definitely not an ordinary guy when he saw those eyes back then, but he never thought he would be this much.
,'I want to meet him again.'
If it hadn't been for the monster back then, he could have checked his skills himself, which he found regrettable.
"Yes. So, the test ended because of that strange guy."
According to the report, Kim Si-woo had subdued him, but they still couldn't identify the identity of that guy.
Since he was dead, there was nothing to worry about, but he still felt uneasy.
"Thank you for telling me. But it seems like you came here because you wanted to say something, right?"
Park Hye-ji shuddered slightly at Choi Tae-soo's sharp remark. She took a deep breath and continued.
"...I really can't beat you, Grandfather. Yes. I came here because I wanted to ask you for a favor."
"I'll say it again, I can't accept you as a disciple."
"It's not that, so don't worry."
"I see."
"Do you know that you will be conducting a dispatch mission from the Academy soon, Grandfather?"
The dispatch mission was a type of experiential learning where students went outside the Academy to carry out missions.
In the case of a very small number of outstanding students, large guilds would put in a designated request for recruitment purposes, but this was a very rare occurrence, and most students would directly select a dispatch location and carry out the mission.
Even though it was a mission, they were still students, so they needed a guardian.
Generally, they would accompany the Hunters at the dispatch location as assistants to carry out the mission.
Even though they were assistants, they could gain a lot of experience by hunting directly with a guild, and of course, they could earn a lot of money if they were skilled, as it was a request format.
It was a good opportunity to receive direct instruction from active Hunters.
"Yes, so the date has already come."
"Please put in a designated request for me."
Requests were made on a guild basis. Since the students had to be protected, there was a high probability of accidents in mediocre places.
Therefore, it was technically not possible for Choi Tae-soo, who did not have a guild, to make a request, but if he found a way, it was not impossible.
Since he couldn't accept her as a disciple, she seemed to be looking for another way. To carry out the mission, she had no choice but to accompany him, and of course, she would be able to gain instruction.
,'But I can't do that.'
It could cause rumors, and it could be more burdensome for his granddaughter.
"You know my answer, right?"
"Grandfather!"
Choi Tae-soo scratched his head at Park Hye-ji's eyes, which showed that she wouldn't give up easily.
Wasn't it thanks to that never-give-up personality that Park Hye-ji was who she was today?
The moment he was wondering how to persuade her, something flashed through his mind.
,'She doesn't seem like she's going to give up looking at her eyes, so rather...'
Choi Tae-soo looked at Park Hye-ji and said.
"Then I have a condition too."
*
"Did you understand what I said?"
"Hmm..."
Park Hye-ji was standing in front of me.
I never thought she would suddenly come to me like this after the test.
I never thought that she would suddenly come and ask me to carry out a designated request with her.
"It's an opportunity to receive instruction from my grandfather. You'll regret it if you miss it, you know?"
Perhaps because the news from last time had a strong impact, quite a few guilds had put in a designated request.
The Grim Reaper Guild was among them, and Min-ji and Seo-ah were going to do it there, so I was thinking of doing it together.
Suddenly, Choi Tae-soo?
And with Park Hye-ji alone?
,'What should I do?'
After much deliberation, I answered.
"No."
"Of course, you'd accept... Wait, what did you just say?"