The Forsaken Awakening

Jinhyuk looked down at the black emblem in his palm, his fingers twitching slightly.

Welcome to the hunt, Jinhyuk?

Why does this sound like I just signed up for a lifetime of bad decisions?

"Uh… thanks?" he said hesitantly. "Do I… get a handbook or something? Maybe a guide for new members? A 'Surviving Your First Day in a Shady Syndicate' manual?"

Minji burst out laughing. Even Seongjun smirked.

"You really are something," Minji said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Most recruits try to act tough. You? You sound like you're about to file a complaint."

Jinhyuk cleared his throat. "No, no! Not a complaint. Just, you know… a very cautious request. I like knowing what I've gotten myself into before I wake up in a ditch."

Seongjun chuckled and clapped Jinhyuk on the back—hard. "You'll do just fine."

Oof—Okay, yeah, that guy's definitely A-Class at least. My ribs felt that one.

Minji slung an arm around his shoulder. "Let me give you the beginner's tour before you start crying."

"I wasn't going to cry," Jinhyuk muttered.

Minji ignored him and dragged him through the Syndicate's headquarters.

Syndicate HQ - The Totally Safe and Not Suspicious Tour

First stop? The Training Hall.

Jinhyuk barely took two steps in before a massive axe flew past his face and embedded itself in the wall behind him.

He yelped and dove to the side. "WHY IS THAT A THING?!"

A burly hunter, probably over 2 meters tall, scratched his head. "Oh. Thought you were someone else."

"WHO? WHO ELSE LOOKS LIKE ME?"

The guy shrugged. "Dunno. Some guy I owed money."

Jinhyuk inched away. "Okay. Good to know. Noted. Avoid axe-wielding lunatics."

Minji grinned. "You'll fit right in."

That was NOT the reassuring response I wanted.

Next stop? The Syndicate's Research Division.

A group of lab-coat-wearing hunters were arguing over a glowing, floating skull.

"This thing is definitely cursed!"

"No, no, it's just slightly haunted."

"That's literally the same thing!"

"Yeah, but 'slightly haunted' sounds way cooler."

Jinhyuk stared. "Why do I feel like I'm watching a horror movie in real time?"

Minji shrugged. "Eh, they're harmless. Mostly."

A loud BANG echoed from the room, followed by a scientist yelling, "WHO TOUCHED IT?!"

Jinhyuk took a step back. "We're leaving. Now."

Minji cackled but complied.

Finally, they arrived at the Syndicate's Archive Room.

This part was... different. Darker. Quieter. The air felt thicker.

Unlike the chaotic energy of the previous rooms, this place felt unnerving.

Jinhyuk gulped. "So, uh… what's in here?"

Minji's grin faded. "The real history of hunters."

Seongjun, who had reappeared at some point (seriously, how did he do that?), leaned against a bookshelf. "The stuff the DHR doesn't want people to know."

Jinhyuk glanced at the massive, ancient tomes stacked along the shelves. Some books were chained shut. Others pulsed faintly with an eerie glow.

…Okay. Yeah. This is DEFINITELY shady.

"Cool, cool," Jinhyuk said, voice cracking. "And, uh, totally unrelated, but—does anyone ever… disappear after reading these?"

Seongjun and Minji exchanged glances.

Jinhyuk's stomach dropped. "You know what? I don't wanna know."

Minji grinned. "Smart choice, newbie."

---

Jinhyuk sat in front of Seongjun, feeling like a mouse trapped in a cage with a dragon.

Seongjun casually sipped his tea, his calm expression completely at odds with the life-ruining request he had just made.

"You want me to… what?" Jinhyuk asked, hoping he misheard.

"Join the Department of Hunter Regulations as an employee," Seongjun repeated. "As a spy."

Jinhyuk blinked. "You know I'm a D-Class hunter, right? You need exceptional skills to enter DHR. C-Class dungeon experience. A resume that doesn't scream 'breaks bones from tripping on flat surfaces.'"

Seongjun smiled. "That's what makes it fun."

Fun for WHO?!

Jinhyuk swallowed hard. "And if I… hypothetically… refuse?"

Seongjun set down his cup. The air around them shifted.

The light in the room dimmed slightly. A pressure settled over Jinhyuk's shoulders, like he was standing at the edge of a cliff.

"Then I will have to—"

"OKAY, OKAY, I'M IN!" Jinhyuk jumped up, waving his hands.

Seongjun's smile returned. "Good. I knew you were smart."

Oh, I'm not smart. I just want to keep my organs where they belong.

The Impossible Task

Jinhyuk paced in his tiny apartment, ripping his hair out.

"How the hell am I supposed to get into the DHR in three months?! I'm a D-Class!"

The DHR wasn't just a government body. It was the ultimate authority over hunters. Only the best got in—C-Class dungeon experience was the minimum.

Jinhyuk flopped onto his bed. "I'm doomed."

No C-Class dungeon experience.

No crazy combat abilities.

No connections.

His illusion ability was useful in battle, but it wasn't flashy or destructive. The DHR only recruited hunters with raw power.

He sat up suddenly.

"Wait. What if I don't apply as a hunter?"

There were other positions in the DHR—analysts, combat instructors, support roles…

Maybe, just maybe, he could sneak in through a loophole.

Jinhyuk's hope lasted exactly five minutes.

He checked the requirements for non-hunter positions:

Advanced combat theory degree.

Three years of field experience.

Government recommendations.

Jinhyuk shut his laptop.

"Never mind. I'm still doomed."

Step One: Get Stronger (Somehow)

If he wanted to fool the DHR, he needed to power up. Fast.

Jinhyuk ran to his father's convenience store to grab instant noodles and think.

Jin Sangho, his father, looked up from behind the counter. "Jinhyuk? What's with the face? You look like you just bet your life away."

That's actually not far off.

"Nothing!" Jinhyuk forced a smile. "Just… work stuff."

His father snorted. "Work? Ha! If you actually had steady work, your mother wouldn't nag you every day."

Jinhyuk sighed. "I get it, I get it."

As he reached for the noodles, his sister Jinhee appeared out of nowhere.

"Oppa. You look guilty," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Jinhyuk froze. Jinhee was too smart for her own good.

"I do not!" he protested.

His younger brother Jinhwan peeked over the counter. "You do, though. Like, 'I accidentally sold my soul' guilty."

Jinhyuk groaned. "Can't I just buy my noodles in peace?"

His siblings exchanged glances.

Jinhwan leaned in. "What did you do?"

Jinhee smirked. "Who did you annoy?"

Jinhyuk stuffed the noodles in a bag. "Nobody! Stop interrogating me!"

Why do I feel like they'd make better spies than me?

Step Two: Enter a C-Class Dungeon (And Not Die)

Jinhyuk needed C-Class dungeon experience.

Which meant finding a hunting party crazy enough to take him.

He sent requests to different teams.

The responses:

"Sorry, we need stronger hunters."

"Try again after a rank-up."

"Lol no."

Jinhyuk groaned.

At this rate, I'll have better luck infiltrating the DHR as a janitor.

Then, a notification popped up.

[Request Accepted: Temporary Hunter Position]

- Party Leader: Choi Daehyun (C-Class, Azure Fang Guild)

- Dungeon: D-Class – Red Fang Wolf Nest

- Meet-up Location: Busan Gate 5, 10:00 AM

Jinhyuk stared.

Azure Fang Guild? One of the top mid-tier guilds in Korea?

Choi Daehyun… wasn't that the arrogant C-Class hunter he met before?

Oh no.

This was going to be hell.

But he had no choice.

He had three months.

He had to make this work.

Even if it killed him.