Solo Leveling : Fire

Chapter 12

After successfully clearing the dungeon, Choi and his team made their way to a well-known restaurant to eat. The air buzzed with excitement and satisfaction as the group, still high on the adrenaline from their raid, settled into their seats. The restaurant was a lively place, filled with other hunters and civilians alike, all enjoying their meals and conversations. The scent of grilled meat and warm broth filled the air, making their stomachs growl in anticipation.

As they started eating, Jinsoo, still processing everything that had happened inside the dungeon, looked at Choi with a curious expression. "So, when do you plan on officially registering the guild?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Choi, who was casually eating his meal, looked up and leaned back in his chair. "I was planning to wait until the guild's base was fully built before applying," he explained. "But now that I think about it, there's no reason to delay. I can apply as early as tomorrow. While the main base is being built, we can just buy a temporary building and operate from there."

Jinsoo nodded thoughtfully, considering Choi's words. "That makes sense. A temporary base could work just fine for now. But where exactly are you planning to build the main guild headquarters?"

Choi smirked and placed his chopsticks down. "On a mountain."

The entire table went silent for a moment. The hunters sitting around him stared at him, unsure if they had heard correctly. Jinsoo nearly choked on his drink. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say a mountain? You're building our guild on a mountain?"

Choi nodded, taking another bite of his food, completely unfazed by their reactions. "Yeah."

Jinsoo placed his cup down and shook his head in disbelief. "Are you serious? Why in the world would you need a whole mountain just to build a guild?"

Choi leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Because it's not just going to be a guild building. It will include a full training center for our members, living spaces for hunters, and, most importantly, a shelter for civilians in case of a large-scale disaster or an unexpected calamity. We're hunters. We're supposed to be the first and last line of defense for people. If something happens, I want to make sure we have a safe place where we can protect them."

The table went quiet again, but this time for a different reason. Jinsoo and the others looked at Choi, their expressions shifting from surprise to admiration. One of the hunters, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "I never thought about it like that... That's actually a really good idea."

Jinsoo exhaled and leaned back in his chair. "Wow... I didn't know you were this kind-hearted, Choi. I always saw you as the strong, silent type, but this? This is something else."

Choi simply shrugged. "It's just common sense."

They continued eating, the conversation shifting to lighter topics as they discussed their battle in the dungeon, the most dangerous moments they had encountered, and how Choi had practically soloed the boss monster. The more they talked, the more everyone realized how much potential their guild had with Choi leading them.

Once they finished their meal, they all went their separate ways. Choi, now alone, walked to his car, deep in thought.

"If the Hunters Guild won't exist in this timeline, then I should recruit the Striker Team before someone else does," he muttered to himself.

The Striker Team was a well-known group of skilled hunters who, in the original timeline, had joined a different guild. However, since things were changing, Choi saw an opportunity to bring them into his own guild instead. They would be a valuable addition, especially with the upcoming threats he knew were bound to happen.

With that plan in mind, he drove home, his thoughts running through potential recruitment strategies. Once he arrived at his house, he immediately went to check on the mysterious egg he had obtained from the dungeon. It sat in the same place, its dark, smooth surface reflecting the dim light of his room. He picked it up and observed it closely.

"To hatch the egg, I need to pour mana into it from time to time... Sounds simple enough."

Holding it gently in his hands, he began channeling his mana into the egg. Almost immediately, he felt a strong pull, as if the egg was eagerly absorbing his energy. However, he didn't expect it to drain nearly half of his mana in just a few seconds.

"Damn... That's a lot more than I expected," he muttered, feeling slightly lightheaded from the sudden depletion of energy. "If it's taking this much mana, then whatever's inside must be incredibly powerful."

Despite the exhaustion, he smirked. "Well, no pain, no gain. I guess I'll be doing this once a day."

Placing the egg back down carefully, he stretched and let out a tired sigh. It had been a long day—clearing a dungeon, forming the guild's foundation, and now nurturing this mysterious egg. He had a lot to do in the coming days, but for now, he needed rest.

He walked over to his bed, laying down as his mind replayed everything that had happened. The guild, the Striker Team, the egg, and the future battles he knew were coming... There was a lot on his plate, but he wasn't the type to back down from a challenge.

With one final deep breath, he closed his eyes. "Tomorrow's going to be another busy day..."

And with that, he drifted into sleep, ready to take on whatever came next.