RG 41

Once a rift opens, it doesn’t close easily. The number and difficulty of monsters pouring out vary greatly depending on the rift’s rank, and it only disappears after several waves of monsters have been dealt with. In other words, once a rift appears, all the monsters that emerge must be dealt with continuously until the rift vanishes. The rank of the first rift appearing in Ui-dong was A-class.

The rapid expansion of the rift was quickly noticed by other nearby Hunters, who were horrified. Quickly assessing the situation, Kwon Taehyeok shouted to me and Eun Woojeong, “Hunter Cha Seohu, take your brother and head to the Support team immediately. Mr. Eun Woojeong, please evacuate quickly with Hunter Cha Seohu!”

“Guildmaster!”

Leaving us with the order to evacuate, Kwon Taehyeok rushed off with his guild members to the opposite side, aiming to form ranks and prepare for battle before the monsters could escape.

“…Let’s go.”

I hurriedly moved toward the tent where the Support team was gathered, holding Cha Sahyeon close.

Once the monsters start pouring out, most of the Supports will retreat, leaving only a few behind. I planned to stay in the tent, send Cha Sahyeon off with the evacuation, and then go back to help Kwon Taehyeok.

As I rushed, holding the compliant Cha Sahyeon, I frowned.

‘Why is the rift appearing now?’

The rift had appeared three hours earlier than expected. This was no small issue. Before my regression, the first rift had appeared exactly three hours later. This made it unlikely that there was a problem with the technology used to detect the rift.

So, for some reason, the rift had appeared three hours early this time. But why? What could have influenced the rift?

‘Wait, influence?’

Still running toward the tent, I suddenly remembered a similar situation. Swallowing hard, I looked down at Cha Sahyeon in my arms. He was leaning his head on my shoulder, completely calm despite the situation.

Hadn’t the monsters swarmed in the previous dungeon as soon as Cha Sahyeon’s mood soured? But there had been a status window notification then.

Cha Sahyeon seemed to be in a good mood, and there were no warnings from the status window. Was my suspicion incorrect? Could the early appearance of the rift have nothing to do with Cha Sahyeon?

My mind was a tangle of thoughts. By the time I arrived at the tent, I set Cha Sahyeon on a nearby empty chair.

His hair was slightly tousled from being carried. I looked at his clear green eyes, then took a small chocolate from my inventory and handed it to him. “Here, eat this,” I said, smoothing down his hair, and he obediently unwrapped the chocolate and put it in his mouth.

He really seemed fine. Maybe I was just overthinking things. Just then, a leisurely voice interrupted us, “You’re really close to your brother, huh?”

I turned to see Eun Woojeong standing there with a curious expression. How had he followed us without me noticing? There wasn’t a hint of tension in his demeanor. For an ordinary person to be this calm with a rift opening right before them was impossible. If he was going to pretend to be non-Awakened, he could at least do it properly. It was just distracting me.

“Is he your real brother?”

“Of course, he’s my real brother. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s just rare to see brothers this close. Maybe it’s because of the age difference?” Muttering to himself, Eun Woojeong tilted his head and asked, “Do you have any other brothers? Are you the oldest?”

“No, I’m the eldest.”

“Got it.”

I answered smoothly, but it was clear he didn’t fully believe me. I could see right through him.

‘He’s guessing that Cover and I might be brothers.’

Eun Woojeong must see my newly established guild, One Guild, as insignificant. He’s probably wondering why an S-class Hunter who took down Kwon Taehyeok and claimed the top rank is protecting such a small guild. Let him rack his brain over it. As I silently enjoyed the sight of Cha Sahyeon quietly eating his chocolate, I gave him a gentle pat on the head.

Suddenly, a shrill, eerie screech echoed from outside the tent.

Kiieeek! Kikikik, kkkik!

The monstrous wailing signaled the start of the monster wave spilling from the rift.

“Damn, the monsters are already out?”

“That was fast!”

“Finish prepping! We’re pulling out now!”

“Load everything up! Move to Zone 2!”

Hearing the monsters’ cries, the Supports in the tent scrambled to continue their evacuation preparations. It was my cue to move as well. Amidst the chaos, I spoke to Cha Sahyeon, “Hey, kid. Remember the promise we made?”

“…”

“Get in the car with the people from this tent. It’s safe where you’re going.”

Thanks to the documents I had received from Kwon Taehyeok, I already knew where Zone 2 was. There was a building about 1km away, set up to prevent monsters that had strayed out of Zone 1 from attacking the villages. There were DPS Hunters waiting there too, so it shouldn’t be too risky. There were several cars parked behind the tents, with plenty of space, and once you got in a car, you could go all the way to Zone 2 without stopping, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Let’s go, time to get in the car.”

Cha Sahyeon, who hesitated with blinking eyes, leaned on me again. He didn’t want to be separated from me, but it seemed he had no choice because of the promise.

I was worried he might refuse to go, but thankfully, he made an effort to keep his promise, even if reluctantly.

‘Is my education paying off somehow?’

I might have exaggerated calling it “education,” but anyway, seeing Cha Sahyeon listening to me like this was both moving and gratifying.

I hugged Cha Sahyeon tightly. As we headed toward the back of the tents, cars were waiting to take us to Zone 2, as explained earlier.

I settled the child in the back seat of the last car and reminded him once more before closing the door, “Don’t go anywhere else, make sure you wait for me in Zone 2. Got it?”

“…”

“No response? You’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Yes…” Cha Sahyeon, looking at me anxiously, nodded reluctantly after hearing my plea.

Hoping the child would stay quiet until I returned, I caressed his cheek and closed the car door. Now it was time to go back to Kwon Taehyeok, use a skill once, pretend to be weakened, and head to where the second rift would appear.

‘By that time, the sun will be setting, so I should be able to use my hidden skill.’

Just as I was about to move my feet after checking the sky turning dark…

Suddenly, a large hand popped out from the side and grabbed my arm firmly. Feeling a sharp pain, I frowned as I turned to see Eun Woojeong, who looked puzzled.

“Where are you going?”

“Mind your own business.”

Why does this guy ask so many questions all of a sudden?

I wanted to brush off his questions and continue on my way since I didn’t have time to spare, but I couldn’t seem to shake off the hand holding onto my arm.

“Let go.”

“You’re not going to get in the car? Are you really planning to head to where the rift appeared?”

“What does it matter to you whether I get in the car or not? I’m telling you to let go, second warning.”

Getting annoyed at Eun Woojeong’s persistent behavior when I was already busy, I felt my irritation rising. Unlike me, who had grown cold, Eun Woojeong still had a smile on his face as he spoke, “What are you planning to do? I’m genuinely curious. Hunter Cha Seohu, you’re a B-class.”

“So what?”

“Don’t fool around and just get in the car with your little brother. It’ll just cause trouble if you go.”

What? Fooling around? Before I could even respond, Eun Woojeong smirked. But his eyes looking down at me were colder than ever.

“Know your place and act accordingly.”

“…”

“What’s the point of receiving support from just a B-class?”