RG 12

Now that a residence had been settled, the only thing left was officially establishing the guild.

All the necessary documentation for establishing the guild had been handled in advance by Hyeon Dowun, so all that remained was to finalize the guild’s name. However, coming up with this name turned out to be surprisingly difficult.

“What should it be?”

I lay sprawled on the sofa, which doubled as an office and reception area, unable to decide on a name for already two hours.

There were hundreds of guilds within the country, each varying significantly in size. The Yesung Guild, led by Kwon Taehyeok, was the largest, boasting an overwhelmingly high number of affiliated hunters.

The guild I was part of before my regression, “Circle”… Honestly, its scale wasn’t that impressive. No, it was rather small, consistently ranking lower in the annual guild rankings than the mid-sized guilds.

The number of Hunters affiliated was also significantly low, barely surpassing twenty. But I never minded that.

‘In fact, that’s what made it good.’

Everyone was kind and caring. Especially the guildmaster and Ryu Seonghyeon, they looked out for me without question.

Though both of them apologized for the guild being weak and lacking power, never once did anyone, including me, feel ashamed of the guild. Those were the kind of people who didn’t flee from facing the Calamity, fighting on the frontlines until their last breath.

“They could have just run away.”

Being a small and weak guild, nobody would have bothered if one such guild disappeared.

Sure, when the world ultimately faced its demise, dying was inevitable, but at least one could have died where they wished, away from the battlefield.

The more I thought about it, the more foolish and sentimental those people seemed. As the world didn’t end upon my regression, surely everyone was living their lives well now.

‘What about naming the guild something with a similar meaning to ‘Circle’?’

It was a sudden thought, but not a bad one. I just needed to be cautious not to make it too similar, to avoid potential issues.

With a rough idea in mind, I closed my eyes, earnestly contemplating which words could fit as the guild’s name.

‘’Circle’ means a circular shape.’

Come to think of it, something similar happened in the past, shortly after I joined the guild at Ryu Seonghyeon’s suggestion.

[Why did you choose the name ‘Circle’ of all names?]

As I grabbed Eunbok, the guild master’s cat, by its front paws and playfully shook them, I questioned the guildmaster, who was reviewing documents. He chuckled lightly in response.

[It seems the name ‘Circle’ doesn’t quite sit well with Hunter Seohu, does it?]

Raising his head, the guildmaster’s eyes widened. The sunlight hitting his eyes made them gently sparkle as they looked towards me.

[It doesn’t really have much impact, does it? Shouldn’t the name be more cool or straightforward like other guilds to stand out more?]

[Do you think so?]

[Yes. It was your choice, right? You named Eunbok, too. Frankly, it seems like you lack naming sense.]

[Hmm. I’ve heard that before, ages ago.]

The guildmaster grinned with a hint of self-consciousness, lightly scratching his cheek.

[But what can we do now? I actually like the guild’s name at the moment.]

[Is there something different? Like a specific reason behind choosing ‘Circle’?]

[Not particularly… but doesn’t it have a good meaning?]

[A good meaning?]

[Well, ‘Circle’ signifies a circular shape.]

Destiny revolves, and both the good and bad deeds committed return to oneself.

Even if the current situation feels abrupt and unfamiliar, in reality, the reasons behind it trace back to oneself. That’s how the world works…

“Circle…”

Echoing the fading voice of the guildmaster, I slowly opened my eyes. The sunlight streaming through the parted curtains stretched across the ceiling. After contemplating it for a while, I finally made a decision.

“Is this okay?”

As I made up my mind, a smile naturally emerged.

I took out my new cellphone and typed the guild name that had just come to mind into the message box.

「ONE」

It resonated quite well with me. It held deep meaning for me yet appeared common to others, alleviating worries about drawing attention.

Without further hesitation, I sent the message with the guild name written according to the number specified in the documents.

“With this, the guild matter is settled.”

With everything that had been swirling in my mind resolved, I felt a great relief.

Having some financial stability and with Cha Sahyeon comfortably by my side, it seemed wise to take some time off quietly, observing the surroundings.

I would have to keep an eye on the news to see how the attacked research facility was being handled. Considering that both Cha Sahyeon and I were seen by the Yesung Guild’s leader, as well as Ryu Seonghyeon, it might pose problems later on that needed verification.

‘Let’s take it easy, nice and easy.’

Chuckling softly, I closed my eyes once more.

Today’s most important task of deciding the guild name was finally done, and I felt like taking a nap or just dozing off as it was. Feeling the gentle breeze coming through the open window, I closed my eyes on the plush sofa, and sleep began to beckon. It was just then, as my consciousness began to fade…

Ding!

A cheerful notification sound resonated from nearby. It was an all-too-familiar sound to ignore.

No way. Sensing a foreboding feeling, I reluctantly opened my eyes slightly, and there it was—floating in the air—an interface panel that came into view.

‘Ah, damn it.’

I silently cursed as I squeezed my eyes shut again.

I didn’t see anything. I didn’t see a thing. Let’s just ignore it and go to sleep. As I covered my eyes with my hands, the interface panel rang out with the notification sound again, as if urging me on.

Ding!

“…”

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

“Seriously!”

This is driving me crazy, seriously!

I abruptly sat up on the couch in frustration. Cha Sahyeon, who was eating the lunch box I bought at the two-person dining table, turned to look at me as I checked the interface panel hovering in front of me.

“Uh?”

What’s this all about? I was amazed and checked again, but the newly arrived quest content didn’t change. I rubbed my groggy eyes and read through the quest once more.

《Main Quest has arrived!》

《Main Quest: Defeat the current Rank 1 Hunter ‘Kwon Taehyeok’ and claim the Rank 1 position (Remaining time: 6 days 23 hours)》

[Main Quest: Defeat the current Rank 1 Hunter ‘Kwon Taehyeok’ and claim the Rank 1 position (Remaining time: 6 days 23 hours)]

Rank 1, ‘Kwon Taehyeok’, must be defeated to claim the top position.

Warning! Failure to complete the quest within the specified time will result in quest failure.

Quest Failure: ���� Decrease

Quest Success: ���� Increase

“…?”

As I scrutinized the quest details, I noticed strange characters in the failure and success sections, causing me to furrow my brows.

Is that… text glitched or deliberately obscured to prevent revealing penalties and rewards?

‘Something decreasing and increasing… I should aim to succeed if possible.’

But the difficulty of this quest was too extreme…

“Achieve Rank 1… sigh.” I exhaled deeply, touching my forehead.

The idea of fighting and winning against the current Rank 1… who happened to be Kwon Taehyeok. How am I supposed to beat that guy?

Kwon Taehyeok didn’t earn the Rank 1 title for nothing. He’d been a recognized genius from the moment of awakening, consistently holding the top position among S-class Hunters for years.

There aren’t many S-classes, but Kwon Taehyeok wasn’t the only one; he was significantly superior even within the ranks of S-class Hunters.

Fighting against someone like Kwon Taehyeok, let alone defeating him? Does that even make any sense?

“I might as well turn back.”

Even worse, there was a time limit.

Even if I failed after a fight, I still had to challenge him, which meant I had to meet Kwon Taehyeok within a week and engage in combat.

‘It’s just impossible in my current form. My only chance would be transforming using my hidden skill before battling.’

Honestly, even if I became an S-class with my hidden skill, defeating him would be challenging. I’m not yet used to my S-class body, and I’m not proficient in using weapons.

In contrast, Kwon Taehyeok, with a skill like ‘Blade Rush,’ handled it to the point where his opponents feared him.

‘Success seems highly unlikely…’

The more I thought about facing Kwon Taehyeok, the more my confidence dwindled. Rubbing my throbbing head and sighing deeply, I felt a small hand tugging at my sleeve.

“Hmm?”

Turning my head, I saw Cha Sahyeon, who had been eating at the table, suddenly close by, looking at me. It seemed like he had come to see what the fuss was about, as I had suddenly gotten up from lying on the couch.

‘Is he genuinely worried about me?’

When I met his green eyes, I sensed a feeling of concern coming from him. It could be an illusion, but still, it didn’t make me feel bad. I smiled and gently ruffled his head.

“I’ve got something to do. I need to make a call, so finish your meal.”

Giving him a pat on the back, he finally turned back towards the table after keeping an eye on me until the end. He’s pretty good at following instructions.

Confirming that Cha Sahyeon resumed his meal, I picked up my phone.

I didn’t know if I could really win against Kwon Taehyeok in a fight, but I couldn’t just abandon the quest like this. I had to officially apply for the Ranking Match and move forward.

[Main Quest: Defeat the current Rank 1 Hunter ‘Kwon Taehyeok’ and claim the Rank 1 position (Remaining time: 6 days 23 hours 54 minutes)]