Scene: White Tiger Guild – VIP Lounge
Alaric sat awkwardly on a ridiculously plush couch.
Guildmaster Jinhwan Ra was kneeling in front of him like a butler with a god complex, massaging his shoulders with religious devotion.
"VIPs shouldn't feel even a twitch in their joints! My king—er, I mean… honored guest! Are you thirsty?! Hungry?! I can get a foot warmer!"
He moved to Alaric's feet, kneading his calves like he was praying to a shrine.
"Do you want gold?! Women?! Private hot springs?! A condo on a floating island?!"
Alaric just blinked, unamused.
Tara stood off to the side, arms crossed. Arin stared in embarrassment.
WHAP!
Tara slapped the back of Jinhwan's head so hard he face-planted into the carpet.
Scene Change – Private Office, Five Minutes Later
Jinhwan now sat at his desk with a cartoonishly large bump on his head and a bag of ice.
Alaric leaned back in his chair while Arin and Tara sat nearby.
Jinhwan cleared his throat.
"Right… let's start over."
"On behalf of the White Tiger Guild, thank you for saving one of our own."
Arin gave a small bow.
"Seriously. Thank you. At first, I thought you were some inhuman killing machine… but no. You're just stupidly powerful."
She laughed awkwardly.
"The only time I've felt that kind of pressure is from him."
She nodded toward Jinhwan.
Jinhwan beamed.
"And thank YOU for coming today, my lucky charm—I MEAN, Ahem… Mister Alaric…"
He stood and dramatically pulled out a gold-leaf contract scroll from a drawer.
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THE WHITE TIGER GUILD?! We'll start you at 1 trillion won, give you custom gear, penthouse housing, and all the bad bitc—"
BAM!
Tara and Arin both punched him in the ribs.
Alaric:
"Thanks for the offer… but I'll pass. That was a one-time thing."
He stood up, turning slightly away.
Tara blinked, surprised.
Arin: "Seriously?"
Jinhwan sighed, brushing off the dream-crushed dust from his clothes.
"Ladies. Give us a moment."
Tara and Arin nodded and stepped out.
The air changed.
Jinhwan's tone hardened. He leaned forward on his desk.
"Do you remember the two Black Snake members you killed in the alley? About six months ago?"
Alaric's expression darkened slightly.
"I remember."
Jinhwan continued:
"Someone—probably the guild—found footage. Grainy, but real. And they're pissed. Word is, you're marked now."
"And after what you pulled at that dungeon… your presence has been felt. The world's watching."
"There will be more."
Alaric's eyes narrowed. "Why are you telling me this?"
Jinhwan's lips curled in a strange half-smile.
"Call it fate. Or maybe I just hate those demonic bastards as much as you do."
He leaned back.
"There's been more dungeon breaks. Too frequent. Too organized. Something's pushing them. Cult? Fragment? No clue yet."
Alaric: "…Noted."
Jinhwan exhaled deeply.
"Just… keep your eyes open."
There was a long pause.
Then Alaric smirked.
"Alright, now that we've covered that…"
He leaned in.
"Let's talk payment for saving your guild member."
Jinhwan froze. "W-What do you mean?"
"You owe me. Big time."
Jinhwan nodded slowly, expecting a divine relic or something ridiculous.
"Name it."
Alaric raised one finger.
"Fried chicken. Unlimited. For life."
He grinned like a kid.
Jinhwan paled.
"…Goddamn it."
Neo-Seoul, Alley Behind the Guild
Night had settled deep into the 8th Ward.
A young White Tiger member turned a narrow corner, checking over his shoulder. His guild badge glinted faintly under a streetlamp. Waiting in the shadows were two figures — rough, ragged, with obvious Black Snake tattoos across their forearms.
One smoked something burning purple. The other held a black comm crystal.
"He was in the guild today," the White Tiger member whispered. "The one you're looking for. He met with the Guildmaster."
The shorter Black Snake operative snorted.
"So it's true. The White Devil's alive."
The taller one narrowed his eyes.
"We'll need help. We can't touch someone like that alone."
He tapped the comm crystal. It flared.
"Get me a contact in Crimson Hydra."
The White Tiger spy blinked.
"Wait… Crimson Hydra? They're ranked third—they don't deal with scum like us."
The Black Snake agent grinned.
"They will this time. Their guildmaster's been itching for new prey… and someone just dropped a lighthouse into the city."