RG 40

‘I see, that’s why he wore a mask that covered his entire face last time.’

Though it wasn’t necessarily bad for me to meet Eun Woojeong like this, given that he was also a “main character” designated by the system… it was clear he was a suspicious individual.

As soon as he let go of my hand, Eun Woojeong asked me, “Hunter Cha Seohu, are you a Support?” Internally, I scoffed at how disingenuous it was. He probably already knew everything about me, pretending not to. Such a natural act—he truly was an actor.

“Yes. I’m a B-class Support.”

“I see.”

Seeing Eun Woojeong bring this up made me realize something.

Why would he be in such a dangerous place where monsters would pour out in a few hours? It must be because of me.

He doesn’t know that I am ‘Cover.’ Instead, he thinks I’m someone being protected by ‘Cover’… So he came here to learn more about ‘Cover’ through me.

‘I don’t like this kind of attention.’

Whether it was Kwon Taehyeok or Eun Woojeong, their excessive interest, though necessary for me to get close to them, was burdensome. 

Swallowing a sigh, I finished the awkward greeting with Eun Woojeong.

Kwon Taehyeok, who had been silently watching our exchange, noticed Cha Sahyeon standing beside me and said, “You brought your brother again today.”

“I get anxious leaving him alone.”

“It’s probably more dangerous here.”

At Kwon Taehyeok’s unsympathetic response, I shrugged and gestured toward Eun Woojeong with my eyes. It meant, “Why are you nagging us when Eun Woojeong, a regular person, is here too?” Even if Kwon Taehyeok didn’t know Cha Sahyeon’s exact rank, he could sense that he was an Awakened individual.

Kwon Taehyeok, understanding my gesture, responded with a tired expression, “…Mr. Eun Woojeong will be moving to a safe place soon.”

“I came nearby for a shoot and thought I’d drop by when I heard the news.”

“Ah, I see.”

Knowing full well this wasn’t a place to drop by for fun, Eun Woojeong smiled innocently.

It seemed Kwon Taehyeok had no idea that Eun Woojeong was the leader of Spider’s Web. If I hadn’t seen the status window, I wouldn’t have realized it either.

‘He must think there’s nothing to fear since he’s an S-class Hunter.’

I still couldn’t figure it out. How could he hide his aura as an Awakened individual and pretend to be an ordinary person? Maybe he was using an item?

With the emergence of dungeons and rifts, various items made from monster by-products and mana stones were being produced worldwide. There were so many that it was nearly impossible to keep track of them all. It was entirely possible that an item existed to make someone appear as a regular person. After all, there were illusion artifacts that could hide tattoos and scars on the body.

“The rift is scheduled to open in three hours and 17 minutes from now. It’s fine for now, but at least an hour before it opens, you should send your brother to the shelter,” Kwon Taehyeok explained, checking the time on his wristwatch, then added coolly while looking at Eun Woojeong, “Mr. Eun Woojeong should leave even earlier.”

His stern and authoritative tone was enough to intimidate anyone. Of course, such a demeanor only worked on certain people.

“Don’t be so harsh in kicking me out. It’s a chance to get to know Hunter Cha Seohu better, considering we’ve met like this.”

“Ha…” I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at Eun Woojeong’s shameless words.

The more I observed Eun Woojeong, the more I realized he was indeed the leader of Spider’s Web. Ignoring the words of Yesung Guild’s master, Kwon Taehyeok, and remaining relaxed in a place where monsters would soon rain down from the sky—he could only do that because he wasn’t just an ordinary actor but the head of a shadowy information organization.

Pushing aside my bewilderment, I kept smiling as I spoke, “Even if you get to know me, you won’t gain much. I’m just a weak and pretty useless B-class Support.”

“Gain?” Eun Woojeong tilted his head, a peculiar expression on his face as he touched the corner of his mouth. “Do I look like someone who cares about gaining or losing something?”

“…”

“Whether it’s beneficial or not doesn’t matter. I just admire and respect Hunters.”

“Admire, you say?” I couldn’t help but ask again, disbelief coloring my voice. Eun Woojeong surely sensed my incredulity, but he just smiled as he answered.

“Yes. For someone like me, without any special abilities and weak, it’s only natural to find Hunters who fight terrifying monsters admirable. Besides, I’m a fan of a few Hunters, including our guildmaster here.”

“Ha…” Kwon Taehyeok let out a deep sigh, unable to hold it back any longer at the mention of being a fan. His lack of surprise suggested that this wasn’t the first time he’d had such a conversation with Eun Woojeong.

‘I heard that Kwon Taehyeok and the leader of Spider’s Web don’t get along.’

It was something I had heard multiple times in the news before my regression.

In my previous life, the world was in constant turmoil due to the emergence of the Great Calamity. Large and small incidents occurred worldwide, and people were dying every day. In such chaotic times, the leader of Spider’s Web, who had been operating secretly, began to show his face more and more.

I couldn’t remember if Eun Woojeong had operated with silver hair and a mask back then, but I did recall the news of his frequent clashes with Kwon Taehyeok. Although the timeline was earlier now and events could unfold differently from before my regression, if Kwon Taehyeok had already met the leader of Spider’s Web and harbored ill feelings, this situation was rather amusing.

‘If I play this right, it could be very useful.’

Surely, even the great Kwon Taehyeok couldn’t imagine that the unawakened actor smiling next to him was the leader of a vast information network. If things went south with Eun Woojeong or if I needed to strike a deal with Kwon Taehyeok, it might be worth considering revealing this information.

‘Eun Woojeong might suspect me, but who cares? It’d be satisfying to get back at that smug jerk.’

Pushing aside the main quest to become allies with the protagonists, I smirked inwardly. Suddenly, Eun Woojeong’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“By the way, since we’re talking about Hunters, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask Guildmaster of Yesung.” With an innocent and kind-looking expression, he addressed Kwon Taehyeok.

“What is it?”

“What do you think about Cover? You’ve met and even had a ranking match with him.”

The familiar name from Eun Woojeong’s lips made my fingers twitch involuntarily. The only one here who knew my true identity, Cha Sahyeon, glanced up at me subtly.

“Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?” Kwon Taehyeok’s expression tightened, clearly uncomfortable with the subject of Cover.

It made sense. Of all people, Kwon Taehyeok had every reason to feel this way. I had snatched the number one ranking spot from him in a way he found unacceptable, leaving him with unresolved frustration.

Despite Kwon Taehyeok’s sharp reaction, Eun Woojeong continued smiling as he spoke, “I’m curious. Watching him beat you in the ranking match made me a fan.”

“…”

“…”

With that one seemingly innocent statement, Kwon Taehyeok glared at Eun Woojeong with a look of disgust, while I turned my gaze to the distant mountains.

‘He’s really crazy…’

From openly asking Kwon Taehyeok about his loss to Cover, to mentioning it in front of me, who presumably knows Cover—Eun Woojeong was brazenly fishing for reactions.

Given that he’d managed to gather both Kwon Taehyeok and me, two people associated with Cover, in one place and subtly probe us, he must have found his encounter with Cover quite memorable.

‘I can’t just ignore him since I have a deal with that bastard.’

I would have to meet him several more times as Cover, and until then, he might continue to meet and investigate people associated with me.

Revealing that I was Cover was out of the question. As I scratched my forehead in frustration, someone tugged on my right hand.

“Huh?” I looked down to see Cha Sahyeon pointing at something.

Turning my head in the direction of his small hand, I saw a sparkling light in the middle of the sky. The blue line, etched in the sky like a crack in glass, began to widen gradually.

“That…”

Seeing the chaotic blue through the widening rift sent a chilling shiver down my spine, as if my blood had turned to ice.

I wasn’t mistaken. That was definitely a…

“Rift…!”

Hearing my murmur, Kwon Taehyeok quickly looked up. Even in that brief moment, the rift continued to grow rapidly.