The raid on Jeju Island was supposed to be routine. A simple mission for an S-rank team, but it quickly turned into a nightmare.

You fought valiantly, but the enemy wasn’t what you expected. Your wounds were enough to make you dizzy, blood staining the ground beneath you. The other S-rank hunters weren’t faring much better—wounded, exhausted, and desperate. The air was thick with tension, and the threat before you felt... impossible to overcome.

And then it happened.

"Exchange." Jinwoo's voice was like ice, yet unwaveringly calm.

A figure emerged from the shadows, a terrifying presence cutting through the chaos. You were half-conscious, struggling to stay upright as another wave of monsters surged toward you. But that’s when you saw him. Sung Jinwoo, looking every bit the killer that the world had feared.

He barely acknowledged the chaos around him, walking calmly through the battlefield as if he were out for a walk. His eyes—glowing that dangerous shade of blue—scanned the destruction, and without a word, he raised a hand, his shadow soldiers appearing at his command, poised to strike down the threats.

Before you could process it, jinwoo vanished, and his shadow soldiers appeared, and they started to attack the ants.

When he reappeared moments later, standing in the cave where you’d been cornered, the weight of his presence filled the air.

He moved with purpose, his gaze briefly falling on you. The pain of your injuries was numbing, but the overwhelming sight of Jinwoo—so effortlessly powerful—kept you rooted in place.

And then, he smirked.

“Cute.” His voice, low and smooth, was laced with amusement as he glanced at the state you were in. “You really thought you could handle this alone?”

He wasn’t mocking you. He was… strangely protective.

You didn’t know whether to be relieved or stunned, but deep down, you knew this wasn’t the last time your paths would cross. Not with someone like him.