RG 25

Amidst the sudden monster onslaught, Kwon Taehyeok led the fleeing Hunters.

While checking for any stragglers from the rear to the very end, Kwon Taehyeok, with widened eyes, noticed Cha Seohu running down the right path without entering the room.

“What…?!”

“Hunter Cha Seohu!”

Ryu Seonghyeon, who was guiding Hunters alongside Kwon Taehyeok, belatedly grasped the situation and called out to Cha Seohu. However, Cha Seohu did not look back and kept running with the child in his arms.

One of the Ronic Guild members, who discovered the monsters chasing were after Cha Seohu, shouted, “Close the door!”

“Break the iron chains!”

“Wait…”

Just as Kwon Taehyeok tried to stop the Hunters attempting to close the door, knowing Cha Seohu hadn’t come in, a thick iron chain, severed by a skill cast by someone, flew through the air.

Chaeng, chwarrwarrwarr!

As the iron chain was pulled up, a thick and massive iron door fell. With a heavy thud, dust scattered. Beyond the iron door, the footsteps of the horde of monsters passing by reverberated loudly.

After staring at the closed door with amazement, Kwon Taehyeok turned his gaze to the Hunter who closed the door and the Hunter who severed the iron chain. Ironically, both were members of the Ronic Guild.

“Why did you close the door when there are still people who haven’t entered?”

Responding to Kwon Taehyeok’s sharp question, the Ronic Guild member, visibly displeased, replied with frustration, “W-Well, what should we do then? Are we all going to die because of one person?”

“That’s right. It’s unfortunate for the one who couldn’t enter, but we can’t let dozens suffer because of one person, right?”

Furrowing his brows in frustration, Kwon Taehyeok let out an exasperated sigh. “So you’re saying it is really not a problem that you closed the door without even attempting to wait, when we weren’t even in imminent threat?”

“No, even so, because of one person…”

“You were the first to run away, leaving behind the slower supports who were barely catching up from behind. And now you’re willing to abandon them because the support couldn’t arrive on time? If you can’t protect just one support, then why the hell are you even here?”

“Well…”

Facing Kwon Taehyeok’s sharp criticism, the Ronic Guild member remained silent, offering no rebuttal.

If they were his own guild members, he might have lectured them thoroughly, but he couldn’t do that to members of another guild. Brushing his head roughly in frustration, Kwon Taehyeok observed the reactions of other Hunters.

There were people avoiding eye contact with rigid expressions. They probably agreed with the words of the Ronic Guild member.

Kwon Taehyeok himself didn’t think his opinion was flawless.

The question of whether sacrificing the majority for the sake of the minority was right wasn’t an easy one to answer right away. However, considering that the situation wasn’t as dire to jeopardize the lives of the majority for the sake of a few, closing the door seemed like a hasty judgment.

Their initial escape was likely due to the sudden monster attack, causing everyone to panic. Once inside the room, they could have quickly established positions and calmly confronted the situation, having a good chance of winning.

Even if the number of monsters was significant, this was ultimately a B-class dungeon.

Dealing with a matter where human lives were at stake required careful consideration, and hastily closing the door like that seemed absurd. Would they have acted the same way if Cha Seohu had been a member of the Ronic Guild?

‘Well… enough of useless pondering.’

Kwon Taehyeok couldn’t afford to sit and debate the right and wrong of what had already happened. He first checked for any signs of monsters beyond the iron door.

“…?”

He expected monsters to gather outside the room and try to break down the iron door, yet there was an oddly absent sense of impending danger. Could it be that all the monsters had chased after Cha Seohu?

‘All those numbers swarming after one Cha Seohu?’

Realizing that the situation was much more serious than anticipated, Kwon Taehyeok clicked his tongue and urgently shouted, “Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon!”

“Yes?”

“We’re going to search for Cha Seohu from now on. The rest of you, move to the boss room first. Since the boss monster, Ogre, has come out, it should be empty now.”

To exit the dungeon, they needed to use the portal beyond the boss room. Since their ultimate destination was the boss room, it made more sense for the rest of the party to go there first.

“Guildmaster, should we come with you?”

“No. Stay here and command the party.”

It would be more efficient if fewer people go to avoid unnecessary chaos. Using S-class movement speed and keen senses, they could find Cha Seohu faster.

‘Although the likelihood of him already being dead is high.’

It was only natural to assume that Cha Seohu had died, and there might not even be a trace left, as his body could have been completely consumed.

Despite knowing this, Kwon Taehyeok did not reverse his decision to go and search for Cha Seohu. As the organizer of this strategy, he had to take on that responsibility. And beyond this reason…

[Oh, I overexerted myself a bit and got dizzy…]

The pale and nauseated appearance of Cha Seohu, staggering with a twisted expression, kept flashing in Kwon Taehyeok’s mind. Why did someone so weak, to the point of collapsing after using a skill only a couple of times, not enter the room and instead run elsewhere?

Although he temporarily set aside his doubts due to the urgent situation, it was definitely strange.

After handing over the leadership position to his guild member, Kwon Taehyeok turned to Ryu Seonghyeon and said, “If you don’t want to go, speak up. I can handle this alone.”

Ryu Seonghyeon, who stood with a complex expression, hastily regained his composure at these words and nodded. “No, no, I’ll go.”

“Alright, let’s depart immediately.”

Although they had to take a slightly circuitous route when going out the opposite side of the iron door, they could eventually head in the direction Cha Seohu had run.

Following Kwon Taehyeok, who led the way without hesitation, Ryu Seonghyeon lowered his head uncomfortably.

‘Pathetic…’

When the iron door closed before Cha Seohu could enter the room, Ryu Seonghyeon, like Kwon Taehyeok, felt shock and simultaneous anger.

However, that was all. Unlike Kwon Taehyeok, Ryu Seonghyeon couldn’t confidently express his opinion or voice his protest to the Ronic Guild members even though Cha Seohu had volunteered to help their guild first.

Ryu Seonghyeon clenched and unclenched his fist. The energy Cha Seohu had replenished in him earlier still lingered, but now, he didn’t know if the owner of that skill, Cha Seohu, was alive or dead.

Guilt weighed heavily on his chest. This situation was a significant burden for Ryu Seonghyeon, who didn’t particularly appreciate receiving help from strangers.

***

Thud!! Thud!

Keek… Keek…

Clang, clang, clang.

The ground shook with each slow step of the Ogre. Swallowing dryly, I listened to the footsteps of the monsters roaming nearby, searching for me.

I had arrived at a room after running like crazy. Fortunately, there was a small gap in a corner just enough for one person to slip into, allowing me to hide. It was nothing short of a stroke of luck.

I considered using my hidden skill, but even if my physical abilities were enhanced, handling such a large number of monsters on my own was an impossible task.

Moreover, since this was a dungeon owned by the Yesung Guild, they would later confirm who killed the monsters. My true identity, known as ‘Cover’, could be exposed.

‘This is insane.’

In the cramped space, I held Cha Sahyeon close in my arms and turned my head slightly to peek outside. Clang, clang. Simultaneously, pitch-black and sharp spider legs passed right before my eyes.

The monsters outside were a problem, and Cha Sahyeon, nestled angrily in my arms, was also a problem.

It seemed like the monsters were drawn to Cha Sahyeon’s energy, refusing to leave this room and continuously wandering around. Maybe if Cha Sahyeon’s mood improved, the monsters would back off a bit?

‘To be honest, I still don’t know why this kid is so mad…’

I needed to know the reason for the anger to apologize or calm him down. I couldn’t stay stuck in this narrow space forever. Nearby monsters made it difficult to have a proper conversation with Cha Sahyeon.

“Sigh, kid… Why are you doing this to me?” Leaning my head against Cha Sahyeon’s shoulder in a situation where no clear answer was visible, I whispered. The strands of hair near the child’s ear trembled slightly with my sigh. In response, Cha Sahyeon’s body stiffened, and the tips of his ears turned a shade of red.

‘Unless someone comes to rescue us, there’s no way out.’

I had no choice but to use the hidden skill, risking my life to fiercely battle the monsters. I would deal with being exposed later.

Alternatively, I had to calm Cha Sahyeon down, but that was difficult without alerting the monsters.

“…!”

When I was contemplating intensely, I realized the presence of the monsters had changed, and I quickly lifted my head. With a cautious glance outside, hoping it wasn’t just my imagination…

‘…It’s not a mistake.’

The monsters that had been roaming nearby just moments ago were now noticeably far away.

[Main Quest: Successfully conquer a dungeon of B-class or higher with the antagonist. (Remaining time: 3 days 9 hours 38 minutes)]

[Sudden Quest: Prevent the Progress of the Seed of Calamity]