Chapter 30

About three weeks later, on July 31. "2031, Hotter than Summer: Star Hunter" was broadcast on the cable TV channel OnHunt. Even considering that it was not a public broadcasting station, the ratings for the day were quite successful.

"Did you see it?"

Kim Gwang-hyun, 39, a member of the Hunter Jurisdiction Association. He paused the screen and lifted his head with a confident look.

"Hmm."

Ko Dae-yoon, the president of the Hunter Jurisdiction Association, gazed at the paused screen with his narrow eyes. The black-clad woman on the LED screen was a new hunter brought by the Wolf Guild, remembered to have been measured as F-class. However, there was no particular reason to pay attention to her at the time. An F-class hunter who had contracted with the Wolf Guild in a mercenary form—special, perhaps, but only to that extent. Even if she was a hunter brought by Siwoo himself, it was not uncommon for S-class hunters or guild officers to bring new members or subordinates to the association.

"What did I say, President?"

Gwang-hyun tapped the desk with the remote control, as if he had known this would happen. Although she did not engage in combat on the show and the content was likely edited and restructured to some extent, the woman on the screen did not appear to be an ordinary F-class hunter. That much could no longer be denied.

However.

'The measuring device must not have malfunctioned.'

He could assert this with certainty. While pocket-sized measuring devices owned by regular guilds occasionally showed errors, the measuring device at the association headquarters was of a different caliber. It had never malfunctioned or broken down, and it regularly received updates from the International Hunter Association.

It was not for nothing that everyone trusted the measuring device and the ranks so much.

President Dae-yoon, who had been stroking his chin, turned his head toward Gwang-hyun.

"Any investigation?"

"Please look at this."

Gwang-hyun rummaged through his briefcase and laid out the documents he had gathered over the past few nights for this moment. Dae-yoon began to examine the documents carefully. Among them were the materials submitted when she visited the association for measurement.

"Princess of Black Flame. Real name is Yoo Yura. Place of birth is Haeil-myeon, Manryeup-eup, Gyeongsangnam-do; current residence is Banha-dong, Seoul. Graduated from the Pochon Hunter Training Center, 126th batch. Unique ability is nature-based—"

"Wait. Pochon Hunter Training Center?"

Dae-yoon, who had been listening silently to Gwang-hyun, suddenly cut him off.

"Yes, the training center that closed in October 2029."

Gwang-hyun put down the document he was reading and replied. It was a well-known incident. An unknown gate appeared at the training center, resulting in countless injuries and deaths. It was one of the few 'disaster-level' accidents recorded in modern times.

Dae-yoon examined Yoo Yura's training center graduation certificate. The stamp at the bottom was clearly genuine, and there were no suspicious aspects visible to the eye.

After the incident, the training center was closed, and all the documents related to the graduates stored there were burned.

Therefore, even though the stamp of the training center director was present, this graduation certificate must be a restored version, not the original.

'Is it a coincidence?'

That she happened to graduate from that training center. And just before the incident.

Tap, tap.

Dae-yoon sat quietly, slowly tapping the armrest of his chair.

Yoo Yura.

Yoo Yura.

...Yoo Yura.

"Perhaps it is related to the urban legend?"

At the sound of his voice, Dae-yoon snapped out of his deep thoughts. Normally, he would have teased or scolded Gwang-hyun for still talking about it, but this time was different.

'I don't believe in urban legends.'

However, it was necessary to investigate Yoo Yura, the Princess of Black Flame.

Dae-yoon stopped tapping the armrest and lifted his head. Their gazes met in a peculiar way.

"Continue the investigation. If any suspicious points are found, contact the Wolf and have her appear at the association."

"Yes, President."

"And call the former director of the Pochon Hunter Training Center."

"The former director?"

Dae-yoon, without taking his eyes off the documents related to the Princess of Black Flame, spoke in a low voice.

"I may not remember all the graduates, but who knows?"

***

Crescent Dining

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