"Cek, cek, tes mikrofon. Sekali lagi, kami sangat menyambut semua orang di Taman Hiburan Monster! Mari kita mulai dengan wahana pertama, [Putaran Mimpi dan Harapan]? Semua orang, pastikan sabuk pengaman sudah terpasang, dan ayunkan tangan dengan penuh semangat—berangkatuuu!!"
"Berangkatuuu!!"
Ketika anak-anak berteriak, Park Su-bin tersenyum cerah dan bertepuk tangan. Sabuk pengaman berbentuk X mengencang di tubuh anak-anak, dan bola-bola bercahaya yang membawa mereka melayang perlahan ke langit.
Bola-bola itu melayang perlahan, berputar mengelilinginya.
"Wow!! Aku terbang!"
"Ibu, aku terbang!!"
"Waaahhh!"
Terlalu cepat untuk puas hanya dengan ini!
Sebuah percikan cahaya magis berkedip di mata Park Su-bin, dan bola-bola itu mulai bergerak naik turun secara serempak.
Kyarureuk~ kyarureuk~ Tawa meledak saat anak-anak tertawa kecil dan bergoyang dengan gembira.
Bahkan orang dewasa di luar jendela pun melambaikan tangan kepada mereka.
Jika Hunter lain bisa melihat pemandangan ini, mereka mungkin akan pingsan.
Mengubah teknik pertempuran menjadi teknik non-pertempuran bukanlah hal mudah.
Namun ia telah menyesuaikan sabuk pengaman berbentuk X, kecepatan, dan gerakan—ditala halus sesuai usia anak-anak agar mereka tidak pusing.
Itulah definisi multitasking ekstrem dan kontrol mana.
Sebuah pemandangan yang layak disebut jenius.
Namun bahkan ini belum cukup untuk menggambarkan bakat Park Su-bin sepenuhnya.
Saat detak jantung anak-anak kembali normal setelah wahana yang menyenangkan, Park Su-bin menjilat bibirnya dan menaikkan suaranya sekali lagi.
"Dalam sekejap, wahana kedua, [Lompat, Boing Boing Pong Pong], akan dimulai. Hitung sampai tiga!"
"Satu!"
"Dua!"
"Tiga!"
Saat anak-anak berteriak "tiga," bola-bola itu memantul ringan, melontarkan mereka ke udara—dan dalam sekejap itu, mata Park Su-bin berkedip dengan mana.
Transformasi.
Manipulasi.
Manifestasi.
Sebuah trampolin dari sihir murni terbentuk, menangkap anak-anak yang melayang di udara.
Boing boing~ bounce bounce~
"Lompat!"
"Wow!"
Sungguh gila.
Ini melampaui teknik—ini adalah seni.
Berapa banyak Hunter di seluruh liga yang bisa melakukan hal seperti ini? Tentu kurang dari sepuluh.
Jauh lebih mudah melepaskan sihir penghancur tinggi daripada menampilkan tingkat kontrol mana yang demikian.
Ini bukan latihan—ini adalah bakat.
Bahkan, hanya dibutuhkan satu hari bagi Park Su-bin untuk menguasai skill [DIY. Taman Hiburan Monster] ini.
Lebih tepatnya, setengah hari, karena ia baru mulai mempersiapkan diri setelah Lee Shin memberitahunya tentang acara hari ini.
Sebuah bakat yang benar-benar layak disebut monster.
Namun, yang tak kalah menakjubkan, meskipun ia menampilkan seni yang tak masuk akal itu, Park Su-bin terlihat menyesal.
"Jika aku punya satu hari lagi, aku bisa membuatnya lebih baik lagi."
Sementara ia mempersiapkan wahana ketiga, [Kapal Bajak Laut Berayun], sebuah pemandangan yang agak aneh sedang terjadi di ruangan lain...
"……"
Mata biru langit Baek Yeon-woo menatap tajam ke arah gadis di hadapannya.
Gadis itu menelan ludah. Berbeda dengan kelompok prasekolah Park Su-bin, kelompok ini sedikit lebih tua.
Mungkin karena itu, gadis yang memegang tangannya memiliki sedikit kemerahan di wajahnya.
"……Kau."
"Aku…?"
"Kau harus belajar."
"Eh, belajar…?"
"Kau terlihat pintar. Tidak, kau memang pintar. Kau punya bakat, dan tangan yang lembut juga. Kau harus melakukan sesuatu yang membantu orang lain."
Sebuah booth peramal satu hari, yang didirikan atas saran Lee Shin!
[Mata Surga] jelas-jelas merupakan Sifat Tipe Keajaiban—dan SSS-tingkat pula.
Ia tidak bisa melihat masa depan seperti seorang suci, maupun mengejar hasil yang menguntungkan seperti [Super Intuisi] dari Raja Sepuluh Ribu, namun ketika datang kepada persepsi bakat orang lain, ia tak tertandingi.
Gadis itu membungkuk sopan dan berdiri. Kali ini, seorang gadis lain duduk.
Baek Yeon-woo, yang masih belum terbiasa tersenyum ramah, berusaha sebaik mungkin.
"Halo."
"Halo."
"Namaku Baek Yeon-woo. Namamu siapa?"
"Um, Cha Sohee."
"Ada yang ingin kau tanyakan?"
"Tidak terlalu… Oh! Kenapa kau dan anak-anak Lee Shin tidak masuk raid? Butuh istirahat? Atau kau terluka? Oh tunggu, mungkin itu rahasia?"
Mata Baek Yeon-woo melebar karena pertanyaan berani itu, lalu melunak.
"Tidak terluka, hanya istirahat. Tim 2 memiliki Hwarang hyung dan Kapten bersama mereka."
"Oh, sudah lama sejak Hye-jeong unnie dan Raja Gunung pergi bersama, ya? Sayang sekali. Aku ingin melihat mereka. Kenapa siaran raid hanya untuk orang dewasa sih? Itu sebabnya aku harus menjadi Hunter secepatnya."
"Kau sepertinya sangat tertarik dengan guild kami."
"Aku sudah putuskan hari ini. Aku akan bergabung dengan Guild Mir. Kau tidak perlu berterima kasih. Ini pertama kalinya aku melihat ibuku begitu bahagia."
"Benarkah? Kau ingin menjadi Hunter?"
"Bukan ingin—aku akan."
"Keren. Lalu bolehkah aku melihat tanganmu?"
"Jika senior meminta, tentu."
Gadis berani yang sudah memanggilnya "senior."
Ia memancarkan sedikit nuansa aneh, namun karena Baek Yeon-woo telah belajar dari Lee Shin, jenis energi semacam itu justru terasa akrab.
Maka ia tersenyum cerah dan memegang tangannya...
"Hmm? Oh? Hm……"
"Ada apa?"
"Tidak bisa melihat dengan jelas."
"Ha~ memang sudah kuduga."
Gadis itu mengangkat bahu seolah ia tidak terlalu berharap, namun tatapan Baek Yeon-woo tetap terpaku padanya.
"Aku akan melihat lebih jelas lain kali."
"Tidak apa-apa. Kau orang pertama yang benar-benar mendengarkan aku. Terima kasih."
Baek Yeon-woo watches her walk away with a serious face, then turned to the boy who sat down next, smiling again.
"Hi, I'm Baek Yeon-woo. What are you curious about?"
Just like that, Park Su-bin gave happiness, and Baek Yeon-woo gave guidance.
It was a truly meaningful time.
Even this much would surely be unforgettable for the children.
But compared to the "kid president" herself, Yu Ri-ra, they fell just a bit short.
Her sincerity was on another level. She played at the children's eye level—exactly at it.
"What?! Yeon-woo's a cat?"
"He's not a fox!!"
Crackle!
Looking at the sparks flying between Yu Ri-ra and the little girl you can feel the passion crackling.
After ten years of fangirling, she's a veteran who's seen it all!
How dare anyone challenge a senior like her?
Faithful face-fan Yu Ri-ra (21 years old).
Two years of fangirling, age is just a number!
Still young but burning with passion!
Rising face-fan Bang Yumi (11 years old).
Cat-face vs. fox-face—a legendary showdown!
"How do you call that a cat? Look at this photo—those sharp, cutting eyes! A cat's eyes should be rounder."
"Unnie, it's about vibes. The feel! Look here—his smile, his eyes, his little tooth! That's totally cat energy! He's about to meow any second!"
"The tooth is a fox symbol! And you mentioned it first—look here, the philtrum! The difference between fox-type and cat-type faces is the philtrum! Yeon-woo's isn't prominent!"
"That's so outdated! It's all about vibes! Look at the cute nose wings here! That's a total cat-type feature!"
Both refused to back down—the older sister yelling with her neck veins showing, and the younger sister's face red with determination.
"Ha! You cheeky little—!"
"I won't lose!!"
"…But that photo is pretty good. Where'd you get it?"
"Oh, I was just thinking that too! From a fan page admin unnie."
…and yet, they still managed to praise each other's photos.
Everyone, behold—the bright future of Korean fangirling.
Meanwhile, the shy fangirls who had been quietly watching began to join in.
At this age, good looks reigned supreme—nothing united girls faster than a handsome face.
Then, one of the staff checking blood pressure, Agent No. 5, casually dropped a bomb:
"Isn't Su-bin cuter though?"
Mothers, who'd been waiting for a chance to chime in, nodded along, saying someone like Su-bin was a real gem—and in the blink of an eye, the battlefield expanded.
"Yeon-woo, what are you doing pressed against the wall?"
"Shh… Why?"
"The kids said to give this to Ri-ra noona."
"Later."
"Huh? Why? What are you doing?"
"Shut up and don't move."
"O-okay…"
"Bokchi, you'd better be good to me."
"O-okay. Oh, but the kids said they wanted to see you! You can rest if you're tired though…"
"Weren't you just playing with those little ones? Let's go. How tired can it be?"
And so, Baek Yeon-woo, who had underestimated the children, had his very soul drained by their endless energy, and Park Su-bin's Monster Land only closed after the second and third rounds of re-opening.
Of course, the fierce cat-vs-fox debate ended without a victor—declared a truce at last.
________________________________________
After the sponsorship activity ended and on the way back to the guild.
Lee Shin was watching the sunset beyond the car window. Maybe it was because he had faced his past self for the first time in a while, but that setting sun looked like someone's face.
That face that used to nag so much.
— "Shin, sincerity isn't some big thing. You keep your mouth shut and act. Anyone can talk. That's fake. The real thing— it's proven through action. That's the sincerity I know."
That was right. Anyone can speak with words.
Cherish your fans. The immense wealth you take comes from their pockets, and the honor you enjoy is thanks to them. So, treat your fans well.
But in truth, many guilds just saw fans as wallets.
If even the guilds were like this, could the hunters be any better? Some hunters thought that keeping a distance from fans was how they maintained their superiority.
Even right now, it was the same. It was all about the competitive raid match — about how they were in trouble — and not a single guild comforted their disappointed, exhausted fans.
Lee Shin refused to compare himself to such idiots.
How could he not love those who loved what he loved?
The league, the hunters, this world — Lee Shin could only feel gratitude and thankfulness toward it all.
That was Lee Shin's sincerity.
So, as he had learned, he acted upon it.
"……"
At the very least, he wanted to show those kids through his actions that this world was a place so lovely it gave you chills. He meant the ones sleeping in the back seat — Park Su-bin, Baek Yeon-woo, and Yu Ri-ra.
"Noona, let's take a slow lap before heading back."
"Okay."
"The sunset's nice."
The car carrying Lee Shin — Rollin — entered the guild only after the sun had completely set.
•
•
— "I hope you find a place to rest your heart. That's my true wish for you."
________________________________________
Meanwhile, despite the guild masters having grabbed the association president by the collar, the situation of the guilds showed no sign of improving.
[ After the competitive raid, the league is showing unusual signs. ]
[ Raid captains unanimously complain of exhaustion. "The level of competition has gone too far." ]
[ Anonymous hunter: "It's insane. It's completely different from last year. Every single match is nerve-wracking." ]
[ After injuries, now it's fatigue? ]
Hunters struggled with competition and pressure they had never experienced before. And this directly led to stamina issues, tightening the noose around the necks of guild leaders.
"Sir, the raid captain has officially requested a rotation. The main members are more exhausted than we expected."
"They don't care about incentives anymore. They want rest. You say it's off-plan? Why should we care? You're the one who made the guild's plan, aren't you?"
Hunters knocked on the CEO's office door, demanding work-life balance.
By this point, the guild plans made at the start of the year were long gone. They were barely past the early stage of the league— if it was this bad now, how terrible would it get later?
Guild leaders had to find a way. Yes— unless they wanted to follow the already-ruined association president into the abyss.
[ Core Guild representative: "The Secretariat is turning the league into a battlefield." ]
[ Haemu Guild criticizes the overheated competition: "Hunters' safety must be guaranteed at all costs." ]
[ Guild leaders unite their voices: "The Secretariat must take action." ]
So they twisted themselves around, trying to shift the blame toward the Secretariat…
But instead, the Secretariat scoffed.
[ Korean League Secretariat Director's official press conference: "Our safety measures are perfect. We will respond firmly to false rumors." ]
[ The Secretariat, rather flustered: "We're surprised by how unprepared they are… It makes us reconsider the league's overall level." ]
And to the final question about the "battlefield," instead of giving a clear answer, they displayed the league's original name on the banner.
The name of this league.
[ Guild War League ]
War.
A war.
This league was always meant to be a war — you were just complacent.
Because of the Secretariat's firm stance, Lee Shin's old words resurfaced in the spotlight.
— ??: "To me, the league is war."
— ㄷㄷㄷ Everything's happening just as LeeGod predicted ㄷ;;
— ★Mountain King is a god, Lee Shin is invincible☆
— I can't help but worship him.
While other guilds were gasping for air amid all kinds of troubles, the Mir Guild made no comment about the Secretariat.
And at that very moment, a post appeared on the community board.
— Everyone, it seems Santa really does exist.
It was the story of Lee Shin visiting a hospital ward with the kids. A long, heartfelt post written by a father of a sick child moved the entire community to tears.
— Kgh…
— ㅠㅠ As expected, our CEO ㅠ
— LeeGod's a fool— a fool who only knows his fans ㅠㅠ
While other guilds complained about tight schedules and fatigue, the Mir Guild — the league's #1 — was managing just fine and even doing good deeds?
Those who had been complaining instantly became the bad guys.
— Lol patheticㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— You'd think they were title contendersㅎ;;
— Ha… I wish they'd just stop talking. I'm embarrassed for them.
— League Division 1 manager's SNS just dropped: '1>19' ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— Damn, truth bomb — one's better than nineteen.
Under that barrage of ridicule, the complaining guilds all shut their mouths at once.
Meanwhile, the Mir Guild's reputation soared to the heavens — even the President publicly said other guilds should learn from them.
But then, at that very moment—
Just when the praise and admiration for Mir Guild filled all of Korea—
A perfectly timed bombshell dropped, as if waiting for this moment.
— "We have completely analyzed Mir Guild's patterns."
It was a challenge from their next opponent in the upcoming match — the Royal Sword Guild.
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