RG 58

― Are you seriously out of your mind? Did you sell your conscience when you left home? Is that it?

“Why do you have to say it like that?”

― Don’t give me that crap, damn it!

“Woof.”

I mimicked a dog barking, and the sound of something breaking loudly came from the other end of the phone.

As I leisurely sipped my coffee, Hyeon Dowun, sounding utterly exhausted, spoke again after a moment.

― If you’re going to be like this, just tell me what you want straight away…

“Hey, you need to get the money first. Typically, you get a down payment before taking on a job.”

― I don’t need it, just tell me!

His patience was running thin. Despite being my friend, he’s really too kind and gullible. I hope he doesn’t get taken advantage of.

“I’ll send you a text. It’s something that’s better written than spoken.”

As I answered, I glanced at Cha Sahyeon. He was still engrossed in his game, but that didn’t mean I could let my guard down.

Explaining it through a message would make it easier to understand, considering it’s not a simple matter to discuss verbally.

‘Asking him to investigate a crazy cult that kidnaps people and offers them as sacrifices… even Hyeon Dowun would probably ask if I was dreaming.’

Even I couldn’t fully grasp it after visiting the church last night. There’s no way Hyeon Dowun, who isn’t directly involved, would believe it easily. Whether he believes it or not, since I’m asking, he’ll look into it.

― If you’re going to send it via text, why did you call in the first place?

“You would’ve ignored a text request. Haven’t I known you long enough?”

Amusingly, Hyeon Dowun’s responses varied between direct requests and other forms. So, whenever I needed his help, I met him in person, or if that wasn’t possible, I called him.

― …

Maybe I hit a nerve because he didn’t respond. It was funny enough to make me laugh.

『Our next news story. Three hours ago, the Management Bureau announced the 48th Guild Competition. Let’s watch the footage.』

The announcer’s voice from the TV caught my attention. I turned to look at the screen.

“…?”

An all-too-familiar face appeared in the footage. It was definitely Ryu Seonghyeon’s picture.

‘What? Why is his photo on the news?’

While I was in a daze, the reporter’s voice continued.

『Last Tuesday, the Ronic Guild challenged the Circle Guild to a competition.』

The TV screen now displayed side-by-side photos of Guildmaster of Ronic and Guildmaster of Circle.

『Given the frequent disputes between the Ronic Guild and the Circle Guild, concerns are being raised about whether this is the beginning of a new power struggle initiated by the Ronic Guild.』

Seeing the photo of the damn Ronic’s guildmaster next to Circle’s guildmaster made my blood boil. And what? A competition? I continued to listen to the news to grasp the situation.

『The Ronic Guild has clarified that the competition was not initiated out of petty emotions but out of a desire to test their mettle against the much-improved Circle Guild formally.』

‘What a load of crap.’

Much-improved? Who are they to judge our improvement and make such claims?

『On the fourth day since the application, the Circle Guild has agreed to the competition. The detailed schedule will be decided through mutual agreement between the two guilds.』

“Ha…”

I rubbed my aching head and sighed deeply.

It was absurd that a guild as large as Ronic would openly challenge a small guild like Circle, but it was equally baffling that the Circle Guild accepted it.

Honestly, I never expected to learn about the Circle Guild’s competition this way. This never happened in the previous timeline. Although the Ronic Guild and we clashed frequently, it never escalated to a full-blown competition.

‘Has the future changed so much that my regression is pointless?’

A bitter laugh escaped me.

I wanted to grab the collar of whoever caused my regression and demand an explanation. Why send me back if this is how things turn out?

― Hello? What’s going on? Hey, can you hear me?

Amidst my tangled thoughts, Hyeon Dowun’s voice broke through, reminding me the call was still connected. Pressing my temples, I responded.

“I’m listening.”

― What’s with you disappearing in the middle of a call?

“Something came up. Hyeon Dowun, I need another favor.”

― You said you’d text me. What’s this now?

“Not that. This is a new request.”

― What is it?

“I’ll pay whatever it takes—ten million won or a hundred million. Just look into this first. I guarantee you’ll get the information quickly.”

Sensing the urgency in my voice, Hyeon Dowun spoke more seriously.

― What’s going on? You need to explain properly.

“…I just saw on the news that the Ronic Guild and the Circle Guild are going to compete.”

― Yeah, I’ve heard. It seems like the Ronic Guild has finally gone mad with jealousy. Regardless of the reason, the Circle Guild is at a significant disadvantage due to the difference in scale.

Hyeon Dowun already believed that the Circle Guild would lose. Probably everyone who heard this news thought the same.

There was no time to be upset. I tried to steady myself and continued, “Find out what happened between Guildmaster of Ronic and the Circle’s… vicemaster. The more details, the better.”

― Wait, that’s the request? Digging up information about those two?

“Not digging up, just find out what happened between them. There must be a reason the Circle Guild accepted such a disadvantageous fight.”

― Hmm. Alright, I understand. I can certainly find that out quickly.

“Again, don’t look for any personal information on the Circle’s vicemaster. Got it? We don’t need that.”

― You’re really worried about everything, huh? Alright, got it.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting for your call. Bye.”

After ending the call with Hyeon Dowun, I stared at my phone for a moment.

I entrusted the information gathering to Hyeon Dowun, but that was only to understand the cause of this situation. Someone else was needed to resolve the competition.

‘…There’s no other choice.’

No matter how much I thought about it, no other method came to mind.

I didn’t want to reach out to this person in this way. With an irritated sigh, I searched through my call logs for a number that wasn’t Hyeon Dowun’s and dialed it.

I had considered the possibility that the person might not answer, but surprisingly, the call connected quickly.

― Hunter Cha Seohu?

Kwon Taehyeok’s voice sounded surprised as he called my name.

I had saved the number from the business card Kwon Taehyeok gave me, but how did Kwon Taehyeok know my number?

Well, now wasn’t the time to dwell on such minor issues. I deliberately let out an awkward laugh.

“Haha, hello.”

― I didn’t expect you to call me first. This is surprising.

“Well… it’s been a while since the rift incident, so I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”

Even though I have a pretty thick skin, it felt a bit awkward to call someone I wasn’t close to and immediately ask for a favor.

After some polite small talk, Kwon Taehyeok responded calmly.

― I’m doing well. Thanks to you, the guild members who were treated have recovered nicely.

“That’s good to hear.”

― So, what’s this about?

Kwon Taehyeok swiftly cut to the chase, skipping further pleasantries. Since he had set the stage, I should reciprocate appropriately.

“Actually, I have a favor to ask of you. It’s not a very difficult one.”

― Even if it’s difficult, I’ll help. Please, go ahead.

“Oh, um…”

His unexpectedly accommodating attitude left me feeling a bit off balance. He must have really appreciated my help during the rift incident. It was surprising to see someone like Kwon Taehyeok so readily offer assistance.

‘Could it be related to the interest level increasing twice after completing the quest?’

Ultimately, I needed to earn his trust and become his ally, so his kindness was both welcome and a bit overwhelming. Kwon Taehyeok wasn’t particularly fond of my other persona, Cover, after all.

Clearing my throat, I steadied my voice and began to speak, “I just heard on the news that the Ronic Guild and the Circle Guild are having a competition.”

― Yes.

I wondered what Kwon Taehyeok thought about this competition. Everyone believed the Circle Guild would lose—did he think so too?

“…What I’d like to ask is for you to arrange a meeting.”

I pushed aside the irrelevant question that had been on the tip of my tongue and got to my main point.

― A meeting?

“Yes. A meeting with Ryu Seonghyeon, the vicemaster of the Circle Guild. But it needs to be a natural setting so that he doesn’t get suspicious.”

If the Circle Guild hadn’t accepted the competition, things might be different. But now, cancelling the competition seemed impossible. Thus, my task was clear. I needed to ensure that the Circle Guild won. I would not let the likes of the conniving and deceitful Ronic Guild defeat my people.