RG 61

The day after meeting with Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon, I lay on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, completely drained of energy.

‘I don’t want to do anything…’

Every time I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but see Ryu Seonghyeon’s face. The more I thought about him rejecting my request, the more deflated I felt.

‘Honestly, wanting Circle Guild not to lose to Ronic is just my own selfish desire.’

If given the choice between losing to a rival guild in a fair competition or winning through underhanded tactics, both Ryu Seonghyeon and Circle’s guildmaster would choose the former without hesitation.

Of course, I would choose the latter. Fair play only matters when both sides respect it, and Ronic Guild isn’t the kind of opponent that values such things.

I guess that makes me the bad guy. I should just keep quiet and not bother good people with my selfish desires.

“I’ll deal with Ronic later.”

Just because I respected Ryu Seonghyeon’s decision didn’t mean I intended to let Ronic Guild off the hook. I might give up on the competition, but I still planned to get back at Ronic. As I smirked, imagining ways to mess with them, a shadow fell over my face.

“Hm?”

It was Cha Sahyeon, who had been sitting on the opposite couch playing a game. He seemed to have grown bored of it, abandoning the console and staring down at me intently.

“What’s up? Hungry?” I knew full well we’d just had lunch, but I asked anyway, sensing he needed some attention.

When I gently pulled on Cha Sahyeon’s arm, he immediately moved closer, letting himself be lifted onto my lap. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me.

“Want a snack? We’ve still got some of those cookies from last time.”

“Mhm.”

“But you have to have it with milk.”

“Mhm.”

Cha Sahyeon nodded obediently, snuggling up to me and wrapping his arms around my neck, resting his forehead against me. The warmth of his body was comforting.

“I thought you wanted a snack.”

It was clear that more than a snack, he wanted some affection. I teased him gently as I patted his back, and as expected, he shook his head, staying right where he was.

I continued to pat his back for a while when suddenly, a vibration buzzed from somewhere nearby. It was my phone, tossed aside on the couch.

“Oh, Hyeon Dowun,” I answered the call, saying his name, and Hyeon Dowun’s voice came through, sounding a bit off.

— What is it?

 “What do you mean?”

— Did something happen again?

“No, nothing happened.”

Something had happened, of course, but I didn’t feel like explaining it to Hyeon Dowun, so I played it off.

After a brief pause, Hyeon Dowun clicked his tongue and said.

― I found out what you asked for.

“Which one?”

― So you do realize how much you’ve asked me to do. The last one. About what went down between Ronic and Circle.

For a moment, I thought the information was pointless now, but since Hyeon Dowun had gone through the trouble of finding it, it was better to listen. It might be useful later.

“Tell me.”

― Well, the thing is…

Hyeon Dowun’s tone was hesitant, drawing out his words. After a long pause, he finally spoke again.

― This is a first for me too.

“Did something go wrong?”

― Hold on… it’s just coming up now. If you’re at the office, turn on the TV and check the news. Channel 12.

The news? Though I was puzzled, I figured he had a reason for telling me to do this. I set Cha Sahyeon next to me and grabbed the remote.

Beep. The TV turned on, and I switched to channel 12 as instructed. Just as he said, the news was on.

『A video showing a Ronic Guild Hunter assaulting someone has gone viral, drawing significant attention. The situation is particularly concerning because the victim is reportedly a Hunter from Circle Guild. Here’s more from reporter Shin Kyungmin.』

My breath caught in my throat as the news played out. “No way, that can’t be…”

― Yeah. It’s exactly what I found out.

As I sat there, stunned, the news continued. The screen changed to a video clip. The quality wasn’t great, and the faces were blurred, but I recognized the people immediately.

‘Kim Suho…’

The Circle Guild Hunter being beaten by three Ronic Guild members was definitely Kim Suho. The image of him warning me about Ronic Guild in the dungeon flashed through my mind.

『Three A-class Hunters are seen punching and kicking a C-class Hunter. The three A-class Hunters belong to Ronic Guild, and it’s reported that they have frequently harassed members of Circle Guild.』

In the video, Kim Suho eventually collapsed to the ground. He tried to prop himself up against the alley wall, struggling to lift his upper body, while the group who had attacked him spat on the ground and walked away, laughing.

『Ronic Guild has stated that this was a personal dispute and unrelated to the upcoming competition. They’ve also mentioned that the three Hunters in the video will face disciplinary action, but have not specified what that entails.』

My chest grew cold. Even after the news shifted to the next story, the image of Kim Suho being beaten lingered in my mind.

“…When was it?”

At my brief question, Hyeon Dowun let out a small sigh before answering.

― The video was recorded six days ago. It matches the day Ronic Guild challenged Circle Guild to the competition. Both events happened within an hour of each other.

“And the location?”

― It was in an alley about five minutes from Ssangmun Station. The footage was from a CCTV camera, so if Ronic Guild wanted to erase it, they could’ve easily done so.

There was only one conclusion. As soon as I heard the news describe the footage as “leaked,” the possibility that had come to my mind solidified.

“Ronic Guild deliberately leaked the video, didn’t they?”

― Most likely. They probably went there specifically to find a Circle Guild member. Ronic Guild’s building is in Gangnam, so why else would they go all the way to Ssangmun Station?

“Is there any other evidence that those bastards leaked it on purpose, pretending it was an accident? Their guild’s reputation would take a hit; it doesn’t seem like they’d gain anything.”

― That’s why I dug a bit deeper…

There was a rustling sound as if Hyeon Dowun was searching for something, and then he continued.

― I got this information just ten minutes before calling you. The Bureau held a meeting between Ronic and Circle Guilds. The purpose was to adjust the ranks of the guild members participating in the competition.

“And the result?”

― Ronic insisted on bringing seven A-class Hunters. Seven A-classes, one S-class, and four B-classes.

“What?”

I had expected Ronic to push for an advantage in the rank adjustment, but this was beyond excessive.

Seven A-class Hunters? The S-class was likely the Ronic’s guildmaster, and the four B-classes were probably split between Support and Tank roles, but seven A-classes? That was absurd.

“How is that supposed to be an adjustment? There’s no way Circle Guild can match those ranks.”

― The adjustment failed, of course, and the decision was postponed. But the atmosphere isn’t good. Ronic Guild stated that if Circle Guild couldn’t match the ranks they proposed, they’d cancel the competition altogether.

“…And then the video gets leaked?”

― Exactly.

I slowly closed my mouth, finally understanding what Ronic was trying to pull.

The leaked video clearly established who the aggressor and the victim were. With Ronic Guild members caught on tape assaulting a Circle Guild member and the two guilds set to face off in a competition, the public and the media would undoubtedly criticize Ronic harshly.

But that would only last for a short while. I’d seen Ronic Guild use this tactic multiple times before in my previous life.

For now, they’d endure the backlash, but as time passed and Ronic Guild started making donations here and there, spreading positive stories, the narrative would shift. The public’s anger would dissipate, and soon enough, people would forget they ever criticized Ronic in the first place. Even if a year passed, most people would forget that such a video had ever been leaked. Conversely, what about Circle Guild?

Right now, people might sympathize with and feel sorry for the powerless Circle Guild, but over time, the lingering image would be that they couldn’t protect their own Hunter who was unfairly beaten. Unlike Ronic, which could endure such image damage due to its size, this would be a critical disadvantage for a small guild barely surviving with a few members.

‘No Hunter would want to join a guild that can’t protect them.’

Both Ronic and Circle would end up with bad reputations from this incident, but Ronic would be the only one able to withstand the fallout. Circle, even if it somehow endured, would spiral into a far worse situation than it was in now.

This was inevitable. When the strong and the weak clash, the weak are the ones who crumble.

“…”

I swallowed the burning emotion that rose to my throat and closed my eyes. The voice of Ryu Seonghyeon from yesterday echoed in my ears.

“Is it such a bad thing to want to approach this competition fairly, no matter who the opponent is?”

I understand and respect your feelings. You must have accepted the competition knowing it was unfavorable, for Kim Suho’s sake. How could I disregard that sentiment?

‘That’s why… I’ll help you win fairly.’

Having made my decision, I slowly opened my eyes and spoke to Hyeon Dowun, “Right now, send an anonymous tip to every media outlet.”

— A tip? About what?

After taking a short, deep breath, I replied, “Say that Cover will be supporting Circle Guild in the competition.”