After a while, he returned to the hotel he was staying at.
The room was still dim, the curtains drawn shut against the morning sun.
Sungjun stepped inside quietly, careful not to make a sound.
His gaze landed on the bed where his daughter was still curled up, her dark hair sprawled over the pillow. Her slow, steady breaths indicated she was deep in sleep. He sighed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Still not awake, huh?" he murmured.
After adjusting the room temperature slightly, he pulled the covers up her shoulders before quietly stepping out, heading towards the fitness center.
Downstairs, the receptionist greeted him with a professional smile. "Good morning, sir. May I have your room number for confirmation?"
"Room 1207," Sungjun responded smoothly.
After a quick check, she nodded, motioning toward the entrance. "You're all set. Enjoy your workout, Mr. Alexander Han."
With a slight nod, he pushed the glass door open and entered the gym.
The space was relatively empty, save for one other occupant. A woman was already working out with the assistance of a personal trainer.
Even without makeup, she was stunning—sharp yet delicate features, a well-toned physique, and a presence that demanded attention. However, Sungjun barely spared her a glance upon realizing that she is a plain folk—an adult who wasn't awakened.
Generally, almost 90% of awakenings happen before one reaches an adult stage when they stop growing. 9% of awakenings happen from 18-21. And 0.99% of awakenings happen before the age of 30. Those who crossed 30 should more or less give up on awakening their abilities. While beautiful she was, she had almost no prospect of awakening at all. But then again, not everyone goes out there and fights the monsters. Only a fraction of awakened people become hunters. Many of them choose normal jobs and live a peaceful life. So, it doesn't matter for many, but for Sungjun, if one doesn't have abilities, they are of no use.
Hence, he made his way to the stretching area.
He set his bag down near the treadmill, rolled his shoulders, and began his warm-up.
Sungjun started with arm circles, then leg swings, torso twists, and hip openers—five minutes of dynamic stretching to loosen up. Just basic stretching, which he didn't do even a fraction of it in his past life but felt so natural as if it was a daily thing for him. Once satisfied, he stepped onto the treadmill, setting it at a 6% incline and beginning his run at a steady pace.
As the minutes passed, he gradually increased the speed, his breathing steady, his body moving effortlessly. 10kph, 15kph. Then 25 kph. Then 35 kph. His pace remained strong and unwavering as if he had done this a hundred times before. Sungjun couldn't help but feel ecstasy in the body that could bear such speeds, which not even an athlete with the best physique could have done for even half a minute back in his past life. Well, due to mana enforcement, people born in this world were naturally tougher than those in his other world, but still… 35 kph treadmill sprinting for more than five minutes, and that too in a 6% incline, is still impressive in this world.
The woman nearby, mid-set on a lateral raise, found her eyes drifting toward him. She hadn't noticed him at first, but now… it was impossible to ignore him. The rhythmic pounding of his footsteps, the way his muscles flexed under his fitted workout shirt, and that sharp, almost indifferent expression—it all caught her attention. It was almost like a main character from a drama. "Was he showing off to impress me or something?" She couldn't help but wonder.
Her grip on the dumbbells slackened slightly, and her trainer cleared his throat. "Miss, focus."
She blinked, snapping out of her trance. A hint of irritation crossed her face—whether at the unexpected distraction or the trainer, she wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, Sungjun remained oblivious. He lost in the rhythm of his workout. His feet pounded against the treadmill belt as he increased the speed further to check his limits—35 kph became 45, 45 became 53, and he eventually reached 60 kmph, the limit of this premium treadmill in the gym. The machine vibrated quite a bit beneath him, but his breathing remained steady. Sungjun could also feel high pressure on his legs, sweating heavily from top to bottom.
Lee Hye-rin couldn't help but steal another glance.
Something was compelling about him—not just his looks, which were striking enough to rival an A-list actor's, but the sheer focus he had. He didn't seem like he was showing off or seeking attention. It was rare to see someone so entirely engrossed in their workout. Those who have powerful physiques would rather go and fight monsters unless they are not awakened.
Is he also a plainfolk like her? Or was he just showing off to impress her, as she originally thought? Hye-rin wondered.
If the gym had been busy with clients around, she wouldn't have bothered much but since he was the only other person who was working out, the woman was quite distracted.
But Sungjun? He didn't remotely pay any attention to her.
After a few more minutes, he finally eased into a jog, gradually reducing the speed until he came to a stop. His breathing slowed as he stepped off the treadmill, rolling his shoulders. After resting for just about a minute, he moved on to his next routine.
Deadlifts—heavy and controlled, his form precise.
The trainer approached, finally offering silent assistance. Sungjun acknowledged him with a slight nod, allowing the man to spot him. The weight rose and fell in steady motions, muscles flexing under the strain.
Then came lat pulldowns. The cable machine groaned slightly under the weight he selected, but he pulled smoothly, upper body tensing with each rep.
Bench press. Plank to push-ups. Russian twists.
He pushed through each set with quiet determination, trying to push himself to the limit and mentally noted them down. By the time he moved to the stationary bike for a cooldown, he had lost so much sweat that the mana inside his body was burning to give him energy.
Finally, when he was done with that one, too, his attention shifted.
Hye-rin stood near the counter, sipping a shake. From the corner of her eye, she noticed him approaching.
"Here it comes. Finally…"
She had seen this scenario play out more times than she could count. It was inevitable—especially in places like this, where wealthy, young, and good-looking men often show off their physique in workouts and lingered a little too long after they were done, ending up striking up a conversation with the lady.
It was as if she was looking forward for him to approach her to flirt around after showing off like that. Of course, she didn't plan on flirting back. If anything, she was preparing herself to reject his advances.
Just as she took another sip of her shake, she heard a voice—calm, even.
"Excuse me."
Hye-rin turned, half-expecting the usual smooth remark or an attempt at conversation. Instead, she was met with Sungjun's impassive gaze.
"Could you move aside?" he said simply, his tone polite but firm. "I need to use the stair climber."
For a moment, she just stared, caught off guard. "Eh? What?"
"The Stair climber," Sungjun repeated, pointing at the machine behind her.
Then, realizing she had been standing in front of the machine without thinking, she quickly stepped aside. "Ah... sure," she muttered, her ears reddened in embarrassment.
Without another word, Sungjun adjusted the settings to max incline and continued his workout.
The rhythmic thud of his steps filled the gym as he pushed himself through another grueling set, his movements precise, and relentless.
The woman, now idly stirring her drink, found herself watching again. This time, her gaze lingered on him quite longer.
She wasn't sure why.
Perhaps it was because she might be really impressed by his stamina. Or perhaps it was because of how effortlessly he had dismissed her presence.
Whatever it was, she found herself staring at him, until her eyes glanced toward her, meeting her eyes. She immediately lowered her gaze and turned away in a hurry.
She exited the gym, heading toward the spa treatment rooms.
Sungjun, on the other hand, continued to work out.
Once satisfied with his stair workout, he returned to the treadmill for a cooldown jog, gradually bringing his heart rate back down. He wiped his sweat with a towel before checking the time. "54 minutes… just under one hour as planned."
Without wasting another moment, he left the gym and made his way to the 16th floor—the infinity pool.
*
Meanwhile, somewhere far in the suburbs, in some internet cafe, a middle-aged man with a mask covering the lower half of his face was texting someone on the dark web.
Clown Mask: Target just left her residence in casual attire.
Curator: Who is following her?
Clown Mask: Spark
Curator: Is Spark up to the task? The last few missions given to him ended up as failures.
Clown Mask: Yes, I'm aware of his reputation. That is why I didn't give him the artifact. The artifact lies with me.
Curator: Then, I suppose you will handle this by yourself?
Clown Mask: Yes, you can be assured that the target will die.
Curator: Make sure you don't miss this opportunity. The Japanese delegate is arriving on this evening flight. If she meets him and hands over the last piece, our efforts will be in vain.
Clown Mask: No, I don't miss it.