The portal rippled like liquid glass, humming with dimensional energy.
Jinhyuk took one last glance behind him—at the sect, the stars, and the girl who had stolen a small, dangerous part of his heart.
Then he stepped through.
---
He landed in an abandoned alley in Seoul, cloaked by illusionary arrays passed down from the cultivation world.
> [Location Shift: Modern World – Earth]
[System: Hidden Status Activated – Cultivation Concealed]
[Target Objective: Investigate Father's Death | Protect Family]
[New Passive: Shadow Hunter – All aura, mana, and Qi suppressed unless activated]
He looked into a cracked window nearby.
The reflection was no longer the ugly, chubby teen people used to mock.
Now, he was tall. Lean. Striking.
Sharp jawline. Piercing eyes.
Handsome beyond reason.
"…Guess I won't be ignored anymore."
---
He took a cab to the quiet district where his mother and younger sister lived. The apartment was small, old—but clean.
When he knocked, the door opened almost instantly.
"J-Jinhyuk?"
His mother gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes welled up in tears as she stepped forward to touch his face.
"You… You've changed so much."
His sister peeked out from behind. "Oppa…?"
He smiled and pulled them both into a tight hug.
"I'm home."
---
Later that night, while they slept, Jinhyuk stood by the window, staring out at the Seoul skyline.
> [Hunter Ranking Detected]
[S-Rank Guilds Active in the Area: 4]
[Elite Hunters Detected: 17]
[Hidden Dungeon Energy: Present – 3km Radius]
The city wasn't peaceful anymore.
Monsters emerged through gates. Hunters had become the elite of society.
And worse… one of those top-ranked hunters had ties to his father's death.
Jinhyuk clenched his fist.
> [New Quest: Uncover the Truth – Find "White Fang" Guild's Hidden Records]
[Warning: Enemy S-Rank Hunter Detected – Identity: Unknown]
He couldn't go public yet.
So he'd play it slow.
Hidden.
Patient.
---
The Next Morning – Transfer School
Jinhyuk arrived at the elite hunter academy in a black uniform, his handsome face completely unfamiliar to anyone.
The class was filled with whispers.
"Who's the new guy?"
"He looks like an idol…"
"But I don't feel any mana from him. Is he a normie?"
The instructor called him forward. "Class, this is Lee Jinhyuk. Transfer student. No recorded mana levels… yet."
Mocking laughter followed.
And from the back of the class stood a girl with bright crimson eyes, long black hair tied in a regal ponytail.
Elegant. Cold. Dangerous.
She was Seo Mirae—an S-rank awakened.
She narrowed her eyes at him and smirked.
"Hmph. Another nobody trying to chase glory."
Jinhyuk met her gaze with indifference.
"I'm not chasing anything," he said. "I just don't like being bored."
---