Chapter 19 – The Calm Before the Storm
A week had passed since the dungeon incident, Ha-Joon thought as he walked down the busy street toward the publishing house, a stack of carefully bound manga chapters in his backpack. The midday sun peeked through scattered clouds, casting shifting shadows on the pavement as a gentle breeze swept through the city.
"Cutting all those useless filler chapters was really a great idea," he murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction. "Now the story can move along much faster."
Ha-Joon had always admired legendary long-running series like One Piece and Naruto, but he couldn't ignore the bloated arcs and filler episodes that slowed down their pacing.
"If you don't cut the fat, when will you summon the strong characters?" he smiled. "Now that I've trimmed it down, One Piece is already in the Skypiea arc, and Naruto is about to leave the village with Jiraiya to train. Just one more chapter and I can start Shippuden."
His steps were calm, but behind that relaxed exterior, his thoughts whirled in calculated circles. The others are progressing well too, he reflected. But I can't afford to waste emotional energy. Every bit counts. I have to choose wisely which powers or characters to summon. Wasting it on something useless could ruin everything.
Soon, the modern glass facade of the publishing building came into view. He greeted the editor with a brief nod, handed over the manuscript, exchanged a few polite words, and then returned to the hustle and bustle of the city. The clouds began to part, sunlight breaking through like divine rays onto the ground, like in a cathedral.
At that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. The screen lit up with a familiar name: Yoo Jin-Ho.
"Hey, Ha-Joon," said Jin-Ho. "Can you meet me and Jin-Woo at the café?"
Ha-Joon raised an eyebrow. "What do they want to talk about?" he asked aloud, but after hearing the café was nearby, he agreed.
As he made his way to the café, his mind wandered again — this time to his recent growth. I've gotten much stronger over the past few days, he thought. My base form reached Rank C Hunter level. I even summoned the Sharingan… only two tomoe for now, but still. I also learned I can evolve my Dojutsu using emotional energy.
He allowed himself a small smile. I've only tested that with the Sharingan so far — it's cheaper than trying to evolve the Byakugan into the Tenseigan. I also learned a sealing technique with Naruto, and even Reverse Cursed Technique from Jujutsu Kaisen. Oh, and with the latest manga update, Natsu's power was boosted to Rank A.
After Natsu's power was updated in the manga, the versions of Natsu I had already summoned also rose to Rank A. That confirms my suspicion — their power levels match the latest chapter versions. I can now use him for 45 minutes, but that's enough. For now, I'm not far behind Jin-Woo.
The café came into view — a charming corner shop with wide windows and cozy lighting. Inside, Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho were already seated. Ha-Joon entered, the bell above the door chiming softly, and approached with an easy smile.
"How are you guys doing?" he asked, sitting in the chair across from them.
"I'm good," replied Jin-Woo with a slight nod.
"Same here," said Jin-Ho.
Jin-Ho leaned back, his smile turning into a more thoughtful expression. "Aniki," he said respectfully, "I have a proposal for you."
Both of them looked at him, intrigued. Jin-Ho laid out his plan: to start clearing dungeons together, gain experience, and eventually form their own guild.
"I get why you approached Jin-Woo," said Ha-Joon. "After all, he took down that spider boss. But what about me?"
Jin-Ho smiled. "You're the one who came up with the plan that allowed Jin-Woo to defeat the spider. Not to mention, you took down the other one with a well-laid trap. You're not an ordinary hunter."
"Thanks," said Ha-Joon, scratching the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.
Jin-Woo nodded slowly. "I'll think about it. For now, I have a raid to prepare for."
Ha-Joon's smile faltered. The dungeon with the prisoners? he thought darkly. His mind flashed to the memory of the man who died — leaving behind a wife and daughter, apologizing even with his final breath. Ha-Joon let out a long sigh.
"All right. Let us help you," he murmured. "I'm not a hero… but I'm not going to sit around like a coward either."
He pulled the backpack from beside his chair — the same one he used to carry his manuscripts — and opened it carefully. From within, he pulled out two small paper talismans, their surfaces inscribed with elegant runes.
Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Yoo Jin-Ho flinched slightly. "Are those… explosive talismans from that dungeon?" he asked, vividly remembering the deafening blast from before.
Ha-Joon offered the talismans to Jin-Woo. "They're not explosives," he clarified. "They're healing talismans. I got a few from a hunter friend."
Actually, he thought, they're from my own research. I sealed the Reverse Cursed Technique into them using Naruto's sealing methods.
"I can't accept this," said Jin-Woo, shaking his head.
"Don't refuse them," Ha-Joon replied, placing a firm hand on Jin-Woo's shoulder. "You're about to walk into another dangerous dungeon. You're going to need them."
Jin-Woo studied him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Thank you, Ha-Joon."
Ha-Joon waved it off. "No problem. All right, time to head home."
He walked away from the café, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows on the pavement. His thoughts were heavy, but his steps were steady.
I helped you as much as I could, he thought. Now you just need to survive long enough for Jin-Woo to find you and use that talisman.
The breeze blew again, tousling his hair and tugging at his jacket. But Ha-Joon didn't look back. He just kept walking — toward the unknown, toward the storm that was surely coming.
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