TSOT#1 Chapter 26

Tae-jun rested his chin on one hand, his brow furrowing slightly.

 

“I see.”

 

The atmosphere was very different from when he had smugly explained why Joo-ah had been matched with a higher-ranked group.

 

Perhaps it was because the hastily assembled team formation hadn’t sparked as much buzz as expected.

 

He had intended to confirm whether Joo-ah was a Hunter contracted with a Constellation, yet he himself had never climbed the tower due to his own rank limitations.

 

Tae-jun fell silent, appearing lost in thought. His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk.

 

“Here’s what we’ll do.”

 

He let go of his chin and leaned back deeply into his chair.

 

His sharp black eyes scanned the B-team of the higher group standing before him, finally settling on Joo-ah.

 

“For now, the issue of team assignments is closely tied to instructions from the higher-ups. Changing teams without a valid reason would be difficult. We need some justification to avoid future disputes.”

 

Tae-jun’s lips curled into a smooth smile, which made Joo-ah’s brow twitch in irritation.

 

He continued speaking casually.

 

“I’ll give you five chances, Seo Joo-ah. Follow the orders of your current team and participate in the assigned tower missions. Afterward, report your climbing records to me in detail. Once you’ve completed five missions, I’ll use those records to negotiate with the higher-ups.”

 

Listening to him, Joo-ah let out a dry chuckle, her expression incredulous.

 

Tae-jun’s words flowed smoothly, but his true intentions were transparent.

 

While he claimed the team formation was dictated by higher-ups, what he really wanted was Joo-ah’s records to confirm if she was connected to a Constellation.

 

Jae-rim spoke in a polite tone.

 

“Could you reduce it to three missions? Even one climb to a high-level tower could be extremely dangerous for Seo Joo-ah.”

 

Despite his plea, Tae-jun let out a crooked laugh, his face devoid of compassion.

 

“What could you possibly report to me after only three missions? You need to consider my position too.”

 

Jae-rim had no choice but to nod reluctantly. Yeon-joo, standing beside him, sighed quietly.

 

Tae-jun’s authority likely played a significant role in their inability to assert themselves.

 

“What’s the big deal? Just set the tower level lower.”

 

However, Chan-hee spoke without hesitation, his words rolling off his tongue like an offhand remark.

 

Tae-jun’s eyes narrowed sharply as he fixed his gaze on Chan-hee.

 

“Each team has a designated tower level to climb. If the higher-ranked B-team climbs a lower-level tower, other teams would have to pick up their slack.”

 

Tae-jun’s cold voice filled the room.

 

Chan-hee, hearing this, let out a snort of disbelief.

 

“Don’t kid yourself, Association President. Hunters are already racing to clear bosses before the assigned teams even arrive. Do you think they care about that kind of balance?”

 

Joo-ah stared at Chan-hee, baffled—not by his words but by his audacious attitude toward Tae-jun.

 

“Why does he sound so strange today? Isn’t his sharp mind working as usual?”

 

She was speechless.

 

No one had ever spoken to Tae-jun so recklessly, not even when Joo-ah, as Kwon Eun-young, had been part of the elite squad.

 

Tae-jun, his expression icy, gave Chan-hee a stern warning.

 

“Mind your manners, Yoo Chan-hee.”

 

“Aren’t I being polite enough, Association President?”

 

Chan-hee replied casually, shrugging with mock innocence. Tae-jun’s face grew even colder.

 

Watching them in silence, Joo-ah whispered to Yeon-joo beside her.

 

“Is Yoo Chan-hee Hunter out of his mind?”

 

Yeon-joo responded with an awkward laugh. Joo-ah couldn’t hide her bewilderment as she continued to watch Chan-hee.

 

“What are you staring at?”

 

Noticing her gaze, Chan-hee raised an eyebrow and picked a fight. Joo-ah quickly turned her head forward.

 

Tae-jun ran a hand through his hair, revealing his smooth forehead. For some reason, it reminded Joo-ah of when Chan-hee had neatly styled his hair at the banquet.

 

“Fine. The next five missions will be in lower-level towers than usual for the higher-ranked B-team.”

 

Tae-jun spoke as though he no longer wished to deal with Chan-hee.

 

Relieved, Jae-rim immediately spoke up.

 

“I’ll take responsibility for reporting Hunter Seo Joo-ah’s records.”

 

Tae-jun nodded in approval, gesturing toward the door with his chin.

 

“If you’re done, please leave. I have plenty of work to handle today, and we’ve already wasted 30 minutes.”

 

He glanced at his expensive wristwatch with an irritated tone.

 

Jae-rim bowed first.

 

“Thank you for your time, Association President.”

 

Yeon-joo and Joo-ah followed suit, bowing and heading for the door. In contrast, Chan-hee left without so much as a farewell.

 

Thud.

 

The sound of the door closing reverberated in the quiet room.

 

“Does Hunter Yoo Chan-hee have a powerful backing too?”

 

Walking through the corridor with her team, Joo-ah asked with a curious expression.

 

Though he clearly heard her, Chan-hee let out a faint laugh and didn’t turn around.

 

Yeon-joo chuckled, amused.

 

“Does he seem like someone who’d need backing to stand up to the Association President?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Joo-ah answered without hesitation, making Chan-hee click his tongue in exasperation.

 

“You all think the same way.”

 

Yeon-joo playfully chimed in.

 

“Well, Hunter Seo Joo-ah  isn’t wrong, is she?”

 

Jae-rim, walking beside Chan-hee, clarified the situation.

 

“Chan-hee is the younger brother of Yoo Tae-jun, the Association President.”

 

“What?!”

 

Joo-ah stopped in her tracks, startled. Yeon-joo laughed, stopping as well.

 

“Is that so shocking?”

 

Jae-rim also paused, looking back at her.

 

“Chan-hee doesn’t go around mentioning it, so most people don’t know.”

 

It didn’t seem like Chan-hee was actively hiding it, judging by Jae-rim’s casual explanation.

 

Joo-ah stared at Chan-hee’s back, dumbfounded.

 

She had heard that Tae-jun had a much younger sibling who was also a Hunter, but she never imagined it was Chan-hee.

 

“Are you coming or not?”

 

Chan-hee, annoyed, turned back to look at them.

 

Seeing his expression, Joo-ah couldn’t help but think that the ill-tempered Tae-jun and Chan-hee were indeed alike.

 

“Let’s go, D-rank. If we’re climbing towers, training starts today.”

 

With a frown, Joo-ah resumed walking, Yeon-joo and Jae-rim following suit.

 

Chan-hee wasn’t joking when he mentioned training.

 

Joo-ah found herself barely managing to block the massive hand of an A-rank virtual monster with her sword.

 

“Your stamina keeps dropping. Heal yourself while blocking the attacks.”

 

Chan-hee’s voice, filled with frustration, came from behind her.

 

Joo-ah gritted her teeth and replied.

 

“If I could, I would’ve done it already!”

 

The monster’s heavy hand came crashing down relentlessly. Unable to withstand the force, Joo-ah was sent flying.

 

Before she could recover, the monster lunged at her, pinning her body beneath its massive foot.

 

“Ugh.”

 

She felt like she would be crushed to death.

 

 

Stamina: 39 / 413 (-374)

 

Her stamina plummeted rapidly, and the monster gathered energy in its horns for a final attack.

 

Just as the brilliant light was about to explode,

 

Bang!

 

The monster vanished, struck by a taser bullet from behind.

 

“If your level has increased, show some results.”

 

Chan-hee, putting the taser gun back into his inventory, offered Joo-ah a hand as she lay on the ground.

 

Glaring at him, she reluctantly took his hand. His large palm firmly gripped hers, pulling her up with surprising ease.

 

“Whether it’s E-rank or D-rank…”

 

Joo-ah widened her eyes as Chan-hee leaned in close.

 

“Your skills are still pathetic.”

 

He whispered with a smirk.

 

Joo-ah scowled and pulled her hand away, standing on her own.

 

“I’ll try again.”

 

With a determined glint in her eyes, she cast a healing spell on herself, significantly restoring her stamina.

 

Chan-hee, amused, grinned and summoned two more A-rank virtual monsters from the system.