The moonlight washed over Seoul, painting the skyscrapers and streets in silver and soft shadow. The city glowed with an electric hum of life, but in one particular high-end restaurant nestled on a quiet rooftop overlooking the Han River, the world seemed to stand still.
Po leaned back in his seat, an amused, devilish glint in his amber eyes as he watched Cha Hae-In across the table. Her usual cold, stoic expression was replaced with a faint blush on her cheeks, her gaze nervously flickering down to the menu and back up to him.
She wore a flowing cream-colored dress that shimmered faintly in the soft golden light, modest and elegant, yet outlining her curves in a way that made Po's gaze linger. Her hair was tied loosely to one side, and a small braid tucked near her ear gave her a soft, romantic look.
Po, by contrast, had shown up dressed like the rogue he was: an open-collared shirt of midnight black, slacks that hugged his frame, and a crimson overcoat slung casually over his shoulders.
"You know," he murmured, twirling his wine glass with a slow, deliberate motion, "You've been staring at me like I'm the main course tonight."
Cha nearly choked on her water, eyes widening. "W-What?! I wasn't—"
Po leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "You were. It's okay. I like being admired." His voice dropped into a husky whisper. "Especially by someone like you."
Cha's heartbeat thundered in her chest. She gripped her utensils tighter. Why does he do this to me?
She tried to focus on her plate—perfectly seared salmon with a delicate lemon herb sauce—but her thoughts kept circling back to the man in front of her.
Po…
He's bold, shameless, magnetic… dangerous.
And I like it.
He caught her staring again and gave a slow smile that made her knees go weak even from across the table. "So, what do you see in me, Cha?"
She fumbled. "I… I see a strong man. A kind one. And…"
He tilted his head. "And?"
"…someone I want to know better," she whispered.
Po's gaze softened, and for a moment, the teasing melted away. "Then I'll make sure you do. Every part of me. No lies. No masks."
Her breath hitched.
Gods, help me, she thought, I'm falling for this man. Hard.
After dinner, they walked side by side through a nearby riverside park. The night air was cool, laced with the scent of cherry blossoms and distant river mist.
The moon hung high above them, and lights from the city glittered across the surface of the Han River.
Cha tried to hide the occasional shiver that ran through her body. Her dress, beautiful as it was, wasn't made for chilly evenings.
Without a word, Po slipped off his crimson overcoat and draped it gently over her shoulders.
She looked up at him in surprise. "Po…"
"Can't have my girl freezing out here," he said with a soft smile.
Her heart skipped a beat at the casual use of my girl.
She buried herself deeper into the coat, inhaling.
His scent… gods, it's addicting. Warm, smoky, like spice and shadow.
"So warm," she muttered, not realizing she'd said it aloud.
Po gave her a lopsided grin. "Glad you think so. You know, I could warm you up another way…"
She smacked his arm, laughing despite herself. "You're unbelievable."
He winked. "I get that a lot."
They continued walking, shoulders occasionally brushing, breaths misting in the cool air. The silence between them was comfortable, filled with unspoken words and growing tension.
Eventually, they reached a quiet bench beneath a canopy of sakura trees. Lanterns swayed above them, casting golden hues across the ground.
Po sat first, leaning back lazily. "Tired?"
Cha joined him, holding the coat tightly. "A little."
He looked at her. "Wanna rest your head on my shoulder?"
She hesitated—only a second—then nodded.
As she leaned into him, his arm slid around her back, holding her close. The world melted away.
She turned her head slightly, her nose brushing his jaw. "Po…?"
He tilted her chin with two fingers, gently, as if afraid she'd vanish.
Their lips met.
Soft at first. Hesitant.
Then—More.
He guided her, his lips dancing with hers in a slow, intoxicating rhythm. Her hand clutched his chest as the kiss deepened, growing heated and hungry but never harsh.
Her body trembled with need and emotion, her senses overwhelmed. She could taste his warmth, feel his strength, hear nothing but the thundering of her heart.
Po pulled back slightly, breathing against her lips. "You're amazing, Cha."
"I… I've never kissed like that before," she whispered.
He smirked. "Me neither. Guess we've got good chemistry."
They kissed again. Deeper this time. Her fingers tangled in his shirt as he pressed her softly against the bench. The night, the world—it all vanished.
Suddenly—
A BOOM.
A rumble in the distance.
Both of them turned toward the sound.
Crimson light erupted a few blocks away.
A Dungeon Break.
Po grinned, standing. "Guess our night's not over yet."
Cha stood, already drawing her sword from her spatial ring. "Think they'll mind if we crash the party?"
He pulled her close one more time, whispering against her ear, "Let's show 'em what a real power couple looks like."
They dashed off toward the chaos, side by side, laughter and excitement in their eyes.
The scene was a mess—B-rank monsters rampaging through an empty shopping district, lights flickering, cars overturned.
A lizard-like beast turned to snarl—only to be cut clean in half by Cha's blade, her sword glowing with golden energy.
Po appeared behind a charging ogre, cracked his knuckles, and slammed his palm into its face with a grin.
BOOM.
The monster cratered into the pavement.
"Two down," Po called.
Cha smiled. "You're slacking. I've got four."
"Oh? Gotta catch up then."
Together, they moved through the battlefield like a deadly dance, cutting down monsters, saving trapped civilians, and laughing through the chaos.
By the end, they stood amidst a pile of defeated beasts, breathing hard, bodies pulsing with adrenaline.
Cha looked at Po, chest rising and falling. "That… was fun."
He stepped closer, gently brushing blood from her cheek with his thumb. "So's kissing you."
She flushed again. "We… can do that again later."
He leaned in. "I'll hold you to that."
As the sirens of arriving cleanup teams echoed in the distance, Cha and Po stood under the moonlight, fingers interlocked, hearts pounding in sync—two warriors, two souls, united by blade and desire.
While Po and Cha Hae-In danced through moonlight and monster blood, somewhere much quieter—but no less important—a different kind of spark was being lit.
The office was quiet, dimly lit by the warm glow of a desk lamp. Jinah sat cross-legged on a couch with a laptop in her lap, while her older brother, Sung Jinwoo, stood near the window, looking out over Seoul's night skyline.
"Oppa," Jinah said, peering over her screen, "you can't really call your guild Duo Dungeon Crush Gang."
Jinwoo turned with a slight frown. "What's wrong with it?"
"Everything?" she deadpanned. "You and Po are cool. Mysterious. Powerful. 'Duo Dungeon Crush Gang' sounds like a K-pop parody group."
Jinwoo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We couldn't come up with anything better, and Jinho didn't stop us. That counts as consent."
Jinah giggled. "Poor Jinho probably went into shock and forgot how to speak."
She set her laptop aside and stood up, walking over to her brother. "Why don't you name the guild something meaningful? Something that speaks to who you are."
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
She grinned. "How about 'Ah Jin'? It's Chinese. It means 'I move forward.' Seems pretty fitting, doesn't it? You've never let anything stop you—not death, not monsters, not fate."
Jinwoo blinked, thoughtful. The name echoed in his mind.
Ah Jin…
It felt… right.
"I'll talk to Po," he said. "If he doesn't throw something at me, we'll consider it."
America
Across the ocean, in Washington D.C., inside the secure depths of the Bureau of Hunter Affairs, Ms. Sellner sat across from two men who held immense power.
President Michael Connor, gray-templed and broad-shouldered, leaned forward with his hands clasped. Beside him stood Director Brennan, a sharp-eyed man who rarely blinked and never smiled.
"You're saying," Michael began, voice low and serious, "that these two Korean Hunters—Sung Jinwoo and this… 'Po'—are more than S-Ranks?"
Ms. Sellner nodded, anxiety making her throat dry. "I'm not sure we can even classify them anymore. When I read their auras…"
She trembled slightly, remembering.
"…they weren't just strong. They were Primordial. Sung Jinwoo's power is boundless—drawn from darkness itself. He's… becoming something beyond human."
She paused, licking her lips.
"But Po… he's different. Worse, maybe. I couldn't see through him at all. His power was like staring into the eye of a storm—Chaos, Darkness, and strangely… Light. Balance. It doesn't make sense."
Michael leaned back, expression grim. Brennan said nothing, but his fingers flexed slightly at his side.
Ms. Sellner continued, her voice a whisper. "If Jinwoo is a King of Shadows… then Po is something older. Wilder. He's not bound by the same rules."
Michael gave a slow nod. "Thank you, Ms. Sellner. That'll be all."
She stood, bowed, and left the room without looking back.
Floor 24 — The Forbidden Vault
The elevator descended deep beneath the Bureau—levels not shown on any map, hidden even from most agents.
When the doors opened, Michael and Brennan stepped out onto Floor 24.
It was cold. Sterile. Lit by long white panels overhead. At the center of the massive chamber was a sealed, reinforced vault, and beside it, something both majestic and terrifying.
A carcass.
Even after all these years, it hadn't decayed. The remains of Kamish, the dragon.
The largest, most powerful monster to ever appear on Earth.
It lay preserved, sealed in crystal stasis. Its wings curled, massive skull lined with rows of obsidian fangs, its scales glistening with residual mana that could melt steel.
"They never truly killed him," Brennan murmured, stepping up to the barrier. "He just… stopped moving."
Michael didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the display in front of the vault.
There it sat, glowing faintly:
The Kamish Rune Stone.
A treasure so powerful it could elevate any Mage-type to a realm unseen before. But the United States had never used it, not even once.
Because they didn't have anyone worthy. No Mage powerful enough. No one who could bear its power.
Until now?
Michael crossed his arms. "If what Sellner says is true… maybe we've been looking in the wrong direction. Not toward controlling them—"
"—but toward surviving them," Brennan finished.
They both stared at the stone. Glowing. Waiting.
Meanwhile, back in Korea…
Po grinned as he stepped into the office, coat draped over his shoulder and Cha Hae-In glowing beside him.
Jinwoo looked up and said casually, "So, I think I've got a better name than Dungeon Crush Gang."
"Oh?" Po smirked. "Hit me."
"'Ah Jin.' It means I move forward."
Po blinked. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"…I like it."
To Be Continued…