"So… which of you is The Breaker?"
The silence that followed Director Selam's question was absolute.
All eyes were glued to the two Koreans. Sung Jinwoo's face remained an unreadable mask. He simply looked at Director Selam, then slowly shifted his gaze to Minho, a silent, almost imperceptible query passing between them. It was the first real acknowledgment they had exchanged.
Then, a low chuckle broke the stillness.
It was Minho.
He leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, which was a stark contrast to the tension choking the room. "The Breaker?" he mused, as if tasting the name. "That's a name I haven't heard in a while. It sounds so… dramatic."
"This not a matter to laugh at, Hunter Lee Minho," the American rep spoke after being silenced long ago.
"You people and your little codenames. 'The Breaker'. It sounds so dramatic for a man who was just cleaning up the dungeons you all were too slow or too scared to touch."
Director Selam found his voice, though it was weak. "That is not an answer, Hunter Minho. The hunters sent to make contact—"
"—Were a nuisance," Minho interrupted, his smile never fading but his eyes becoming more focused just a degree. "I was busy. I made it clear I wanted to be left alone. When people ignore a clear warning and chase you with intent, what would you call that?" He looked around the room, his gaze challenging. "I believe the term you all love to use for my actions in Brazil is 'self-defense'. It applies here, too. They attacked me on sight. No questions. No warnings. Just blades and spells because I was in a dungeon they wanted, or because their guild master told them to bag a trophy."
He admitted it. So casually, like it was the most normal thing out there to do. He admitted he was the feared Breaker and that he had killed the hunters sent after him.
Thomas Andre slammed his fist on the table, his anger just hanging on by a thread. "You admit to murdering fellow hunters!"
Minho's head snapped towards Andre, his grin disappearing. It was clear he was getting tired of the so called 'Goliath'. "I admitted to removing obstacles. They were not my 'fellows'. They were pests who couldn't take a hint."
He finally stood up, placing his hands in his pockets. He looked at Selam, then at the rest of the room, his demeanor shifting from amused to utterly bored.
"Fine. You want your transparency? You want to know who The Breaker is?" He gestured to himself with a slight nod. "It was me. Lee Minho. I was cleaning up Korea's mess while you all were holding meetings about what never concerned you. I didn't want the attention, I didn't want a guild, and I certainly didn't want to be here, listening to you cry about hunters who were stupid enough to attack someone clearly out of their league. I won't be this calm next time."
He began to walk towards the main exit, his translator scrambling to follow him with hurried steps, the crowd of the world's most powerful hunters instinctively parting to create a path for him.
"Consider this my official resignation from your little global witch hunt," he announced without looking back. "Handle what you want yourselves. I've got other things in my head anyways. I'm out."
And just like that, Lee Minho, The Breaker, the man who killed Christopher Reed, walked out of the International Guild Conference, leaving a room full of stunned, terrified, and furious hunters in his wake.
He hadn't taken more than three steps from the door when he noticed four hooded figures approaching him.
He could hear whispers from those who were around confirming who these people were. The Australian Quad.
They had cleared dungeons as a team in Australia. Just like the Breaker, they remained anonymous, but unlike Minho, they couldn't be traced.
Now they were here at the venue of the International Hunter Conference.
However, Minho knew better. He felt the energy coming from them and the corner of his lip twitched up slightly. "Well well well," he mused as they approached.
The leader stopped in front of Minho and what happened next got everyone around gasping. Suddenly—to everyone's surprise—the leader went down on one knee, followed by the other three.
"My King," the leader said with a grin, his canines longer than a human's.
[Fifth Disciple, "Kasa" has joined the Dragon Court!]
[Sixth Disciple, "Thundero" has joined the Dragon Court!]
[Seventh Disciple, "Sarker" has joined the Dragon Court!]
[Eighth Disciple, "Rion" has joined the Dragon Court!]
[2/2 requirements met for entering the Crimson Purgatory!]
[You can now access the Crimson Purgatory!]