Chapter 25: Q&A Session (1)

Since coming out of the dungeon, Seo Ye-rin’s gaze hadn’t moved from one spot.

Unlike the people standing in a circle at a distance from the gate, there was one man standing alone right in front of it.

His plain black hair and eyes blended with his dark martial arts uniform, creating a calm and dignified atmosphere.

She could tell the moment she saw him.

With that overwhelming presence—and the bright expression of the woman standing beside him—anyone would instantly realize it.

That’s him.

That man is the one who taught this woman.

The moment Seo Ye-rin realized that, she swallowed hard.

He was truly a fearsome presence.

The dissonance between her perception and what she was sensing only amplified the feeling.

His presence was so faint that she even doubted whether he was really an awakened one.

But even though she couldn’t feel any significant magic or energy from him, the presence he radiated was unreasonably intense.

A-rank? S-rank?

She had never felt anything like this, not even in front of the Association President.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Seo Ye-rin’s neck.

Feeling as though she might stop breathing at any moment, she clenched her fist tightly.

‘The media doesn’t matter right now.’

Usually, Seo Ye-rin would proudly bast of her achievements in a situation like this.

She would have used the moment to elevate the Association’s reputation, increase her own value, and win over the public.

But this wasn’t one of those “usual” situations.

Seo Ye-rin credited Choa with resolving the Red Gate incident.

It was only right, especially since the woman had learned martial arts from the man standing before her.

He had surpassed S-rank in raw combat ability alone, and despite having neither experience nor qualifications, had raised a mere D-rank awakened one to a top-tier C-rank Hunter in a short amount of time.

If she could learn anything from a man like that—no, even just form a friendly relationship.

It would surely bring enormous benefit, no matter what form it took.

“Th-this is my business card. If you’re ever interested… I mean, no pressure at all, but still, if you feel like it… I’d appreciate it if you reached out.”

And so, she handed him her card.

Even while stammering and hesitating, Seo Ye-rin firmly extended her business card, hoping desperately to hear a positive response.

“Hm, I’ll gladly accept your card.”

Cheon Hwi took the card from Seo Ye-rin’s hand.

Seo Ye-rin’s face briefly lit up with a bright smile, but as if she became aware of the eyes around her, she cleared her throat and composed her expression before speaking again in a firm voice.

“Ahem, first of all, Miss Choa and um…”

“My name is Song Cheon Hwi,” he said.

“Mr. Song Cheon Hwi, we’ll need you to accompany us to the Association for a short while. Would that be alright?”

Normally, the standard procedure would be to bring someone in without much of a discussion.

Handling the situation afterwards—hearing their side, offering compensation, etc.—was always complicated.

But despite that, Seo Ye-rin asked in a soft, polite tone.

Not only did she want to leave a good impression, but more importantly, she knew there was no way they could forcibly take Cheon Hwi with them.

“Of course. I’m sure things are hectic for you in many ways,”

Cheon Hwi nodded, understanding the situation the Association must be in.

“Thank you. Then, this way…”

Seo Ye-rin skillfully directed the Association staff who had gathered at the scene and led the way.

The crowd was gently pushed back, and one by one, people started dispersing as they confirmed the gate had completely vanished.

“You probably heard everything. I’ll end the stream here.”

–Kyaaah

–Please don’t do this to us.

–This can’t be real.

–Please tell us more about it later on the stream.

Cheon Hwi ignored the viewers’ cries and ended the broadcast.

Then, after checking on the still-dazed Choa who was lost in the moment, he followed Seo Ye-rin toward the Association.

That marked the end of the Red Gate incident, which had heated up the internet for an entire day.

The Red Gate, which had momentarily sent chills through the public, ended as a lighthearted incident—but its impact was anything but light.

A single D-rank awakened individual who streamed on Trizik had resolved the Red Gate.

Every media outlet across the country, desperate for a scoop, rushed to report on the story.

[Breaking News: The Hero of the Red Gate Incident is a D-rank Awakened?]

[Trizik Streamer in Her 20s, Choa—Revealed to Not Even Have a Hunter License…]

[A-rank Hunter Seo Ye-rin Denies Slaying the Boss Monster, Says It Wasn’t Her.]

Normally, headlines like these would have been dismissed as sensational fake news, but this time, the public’s reaction to the story was completely different.

“C-rank boss monster Bloody Arachne was defeated alone by the internet streamer Choa, who accompanied me.”

That statement was made directly by Seo Ye-rin, the A-rank Hunter who leads the Audit Division of the Association—an internal team known for its precision and ruthlessness.

“I’m fully aware of the public uproar surrounding the recent Red Gate incident. However, setting that aside, the Audit Division’s statement is factual, and this has been thoroughly verified by our internal investigation as well…”

When even the Association President, who rarely spoke publicly, gave an official statement, the public’s attention became completely fixated on one person.
Trizik streamer Choa.

Just who is she?

With national interest zeroing in, information began to surface in an instant.

Since she was already a known figure on the platform, it wasn’t hard for people to dig into her background.

And then came the moment when the industry’s long-held common sense was completely overturned.

[Trizik streamer Choa—‘Shocking’ revelation: Failed the Hunter license exam just one month ago due to lack of skill.]

[Professor Park Han-gyu, Department of Specialized Studies at Seoul National University: ‘This defies logic.’]

[Growing suspicions about potential fraudulent registration—public demands clarification.]

It had only been a month.

Someone who had barely managed to graduate from the academy, considered talentless, had now transformed into a genius acknowledged even by an A-rank Hunter from the Association.

And that wasn’t all.

She had entered her first dungeon, survived a Red Gate incident, and even defeated the boss alone.

No matter how one looked at it, this was far from normal.

Naturally, suspicions started popping up within academic circles.

The media, seizing the opportunity, spread those theories like wildfire, and soon, a wave of speculation swept the public, accusing Choa of being a fraudulent registrant.

Fraudulent registrant.

A term referring to awakened individuals who intentionally fake their rank during the grading process to receive a false classification.

In today’s world, where someone with a strong Trait can surpass entire teams, fraudulent registration is considered a serious crime worldwide.

Because of the potential danger to society, being caught carries extremely heavy consequences.

As a result, public perception is very negative.

In fact, nearly every known fraudulent registrant had been exposed during their arrest for criminal activity.

Naturally, Choa, who was now under such suspicion, found herself on the receiving end of intense public scrutiny.

However, just as suddenly as the wild accusations had appeared, they vanished without a trace.

As if they had been erased in the blink of an eye, the suspicious public began to question why the backlash had disappeared so quickly.

“I personally verified the rank of internet streamer Choa. A month ago, she was indeed a D-rank awakened individual. However, under the guidance of an exceptional teacher, her skills rapidly improved within that one month.”

The Association President, known for his strict and solemn demeanor, declared this with an even more serious tone than usual.

The Association’s response seemed to say they wouldn’t tolerate such rumors under any circumstance.

While the President’s sudden public statement was unexpected, the weight of a comment made by Korea’s strongest S-rank Hunter was beyond imagination.

Thanks to that, the suspicions that Choa might be a fraudulent registrant quickly disappeared.

No media outlet dared to directly oppose the Association President’s words.

[From D-rank to top-tier C-rank in just one month? What’s the secret?]
[Rising streamer Choa’s teacher revealed to be a new broadcaster on the same platform.]

[Who is Song Cheon Hwi, the teacher of streamer Choa?]

Instead, all the attention shifted to a new figure.

An extraordinary educator with the ability to elevate a D-rank awakened to top-tier C-rank in just one month.

Even the Association President had no choice but to acknowledge the existence of such a master.

Convinced they had finally landed a major scoop, the media enthusiastically released article after article.

A mysterious man with very little known about him.

From what he had publicly shown in his broadcast, he clearly possessed at least B-rank combat ability—and, astonishingly, remarkable teaching talent as well.

The public was interested, of course, but the real disruption came in the professional world.

The trainer industry.

Always plagued by a shortage of capable instructors, constantly crying out for talent.

And now, a monstrous instructor had appeared out of nowhere like a comet.

Someone who had turned a struggling academy dropout into a seasoned top-tier C-rank Hunter.

His skills were already proven.

He must be recruited.

No matter what it takes, a position must be created for him, and he must be treated with the utmost respect.

The industry started moving busily, the media kept churning out stories, and the internet was completely on fire.

Public opinion flipped again and again, the trainer industry was in a frenzy, and attention toward Cheon Hwi skyrocketed.

It was chaos.

And yet, despite everything going on, Choa and Cheon Hwi hadn’t turned on their broadcast—not even once.

Surely, they’d go live soon and offer some kind of explanation… right?

Around that time, people across the internet found themselves thinking the same thing, though for different reasons.

[LIVE / Song Cheon Hwi: Post-strategy Celebration Broadcast]

Suddenly, Cheon Hwi’s stream came online.

“Miss Choa, are you curious as to why I insist on using honorifics outside of the broadcast?”

“Uh, yes, I’ve been really curious about that… Um, was that a rude question, by any chance?”

Out of nowhere, a Q&A session had begun.