RG 69

Cover walked to the dark corner of the unlit hallway, only stopping once he confirmed that there was no one else around. Following closely behind, Ryu Seonghyeon gazed at the soft blond hair shimmering white under the moonlight streaming through the hallway window before he spoke, “Hunter Cover… you’re right. Now that I’ve come this far, I don’t want to lose easily.”

Cover turned to face Ryu Seonghyeon at the calm sound of his voice. The two stood facing each other in the quiet hallway, illuminated by the moonlight. It was only the second time they’d been alone together since their first meeting at the guild building. Realizing this made Ryu Seonghyeon feel a bit strange.

‘Something…’

The atmosphere around Cover seemed much softer now than it had been in the waiting room. Even though his entire face was hidden by the mask, Ryu Seonghyeon couldn’t shake the feeling. Despite the discomfort and awkwardness of the situation, words flowed more easily than before.

“But I still can’t accept such an expensive item. As you said, I’ll return it to you after the competition is over.”

“Do as you like. What matters is that you use it during this competition,” Cover agreed readily and took a step closer to Ryu Seonghyeon. “Of course, the item is only an aid. To win the competition, you need to do your part, Vicemaster.”

“…Hunter Cover.” Ryu Seonghyeon hesitated for a moment, then tilted his head slightly as he asked, “Do you really think we can win?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be here to help if I didn’t think we had a chance.”

“As I mentioned earlier, I don’t want to lose either. I’ll do my best to win. But… reality is different…” Ryu Seonghyeon couldn’t finish his sentence and pressed his lips together tightly.

Even if they lost the competition, he could handle it. He was used to the pitying looks from others and the sneers from the Ronic Guild. But what kind of burden would this be for Cover and Han Go-eun, who were tied to him in this competition? He was also worried about disappointing the guild members and felt ashamed in front of Kwon Taehyeok, who had trusted him and sent such a valuable Support.

He desperately wanted to win, but reality was always harsh.

To be honest, he was anxious. The pressure and burden of leading in place of Song Ji-un, who usually avoided such events, weighed heavily on Ryu Seonghyeon’s shoulders. And now, seeing Cover confidently declare that they could win, his emotions were in turmoil.

In the midst of all that, when I saw Cover who showed up late and firmly declare that he could win… I couldn’t help but feel emotional.

“As long as you’re here, we can win.”

Cover had boldly claimed in front of everyone that they could win as long as Ryu Seonghyeon was there. That image kept replaying in his mind.

‘How can he be so sure?’

Even Ryu Seonghyeon didn’t fully trust his own abilities, so why was this stranger, Cover, who had only just met him, so confident in him?

There were so many things Ryu Seonghyeon wanted to ask Cover, but he was afraid that if he spoke, unfiltered questions would come pouring out.

“You’re right. Reality is different.”

Cover, who had been silently watching the clearly troubled Ryu Seonghyeon, reached out a hand. Slowly, the hand rose before hesitating briefly, then it dropped back down without touching anything.

“Effort is enough. You’re already skilled, Vicemaster.”

“Hunter Cover, I…”

“But this time, you need to direct that effort differently.”

Ryu Seonghyeon, who had been preparing himself for the usual reassurances, was taken aback by Cover’s unexpected advice.

“You’re too cautious and defensive in how you use your skills. It’s clear when you’re dealing with monsters, but it’ll be even more pronounced in a competition where you’re up against other people.”

“That’s because…”

“I understand the pressure you feel, being a powerful DPS. If you make a mistake, it could cost several people. But in this competition, you can’t afford to be safe. The more you try to act conservatively, the more your teammates will get hurt.”

Ryu Seonghyeon’s eyes narrowed at the mention of his teammates getting hurt. “What do you mean by that? How could they get hurt?”

“Well, it’s better to show you than explain it with words, don’t you think?” Cover shrugged lightly, adding playfully, “Seeing is believing, right?”

***

“Wait here for a moment.”

Just before entering the arena, the team was stopped in the hallway by a staff member.

“Oh, I’m nervous.”

“Do you think there’ll be a lot of spectators?”

“There has to be. Our opponents are Ronic, after all.”

The Circle Guild members lined up nervously, whispering to each other as they waited. Standing at the very back, Ryu Seonghyeon listened intently to the voices of the caster and commentator filtering through the door that led to the arena.

— Now, the players will enter shortly! But first, let’s check the results of the victory prediction poll.

Victory prediction polls were typically done as spectators entered the arena. The results would give a rough idea of how many people were attending.

— Ronic in red has 1,817 votes, while Circle in blue has 224 votes!

— There’s quite a difference in the number of votes. But Circle has two S-class Hunters, doesn’t it?

— That’s true, but this kind of upset is exactly what makes competitions exciting! We might just see one today.

— Exactly. Both Ronic and Circle are competing for the first time in this kind of event, so we’re in for some interesting scenes.

About 2,000 people participated in the poll. Considering that not everyone votes, there were likely more than 2,000 spectators in the arena.

‘That’s more than I expected.’

Competitions like these weren’t regular occurrences like sports events. While some guilds held them for publicity or to build a strong image, they were typically unpredictable, one-off events.

Usually, if a competition didn’t involve a famous or popular guild, it didn’t garner much attention. But this time, Ronic’s recent assault scandal and the involvement of a Yesung Guild member as a mercenary had drawn considerable interest.

‘Not that I’m complaining.’

Though the event was being broadcast nationwide, it felt even more satisfying knowing that a large crowd would witness Ronic’s defeat firsthand.

As I smirked behind my mask, the caster’s enthusiastic shout echoed through the arena.

— And now! Let’s meet the competing Hunters! First up, the Ronic Guild!

With the caster’s introduction, the tension in the air was palpable. Ryu Seonghyeon, standing beside me, stole a glance in my direction, his unease clear in his eyes. I gave him a small shake of my head, silently telling him not to worry. Yet, instead of calming down, his expression only grew more complicated, and he turned his gaze away.

— And now, let’s welcome the Circle Guild! Please give them a big round of applause!

“Please proceed,” a staff member said, opening the doors to the arena. Led by Ryu Seonghyeon, our team walked out into the bright light of the arena.

The roar of the crowd hit us immediately as we stepped into the massive space. I took in the sight of the special arena, built specifically for this type of competition. The floor was made from a unique material, designed to withstand the intense battles that would take place. The arena was a dome, with the audience seated in elevated rows, allowing them to watch the action from above. In the center, a transparent barrier surrounded the combat zone, protecting the spectators from any stray attacks.

At the northern and southern ends of the arena stood tall altars, each topped with a fist-sized gem. These were the Nexuses—the core of the competition. Each team’s goal was to capture the opposing team’s Nexus. Our objective was to take the red gem guarded by Ronic.

— The Ronics are waving confidently to the crowd.

Ronic Guild members walked out from the opposite side of the arena, waving and winking at their fans. In contrast, the Circle Guild members were too tense to acknowledge the audience, their shoulders stiff as they marched forward like toy soldiers.

‘No cheers for Circle, huh?’

The vote earlier had made it clear that most of the spectators were Ronic fans. Given the size disparity between the guilds, it was understandable, but still disappointing. A little support might have helped our team relax.

Just then, a loud cheer came from the stands beside us.

“Cover!”

“Cover, fighting!”

“Let’s go, Circle!”

Startled, I turned to see a group of spectators waving blue balloons and calling my name. My fans? It made sense—after all, I was currently ranked number one, so it wasn’t surprising that I had attracted some supporters. Regardless of how I got here, having people cheering for us was a comfort.

I raised my hand and waved to the group, just as Ronic had done. The response was immediate; they waved their balloons even more enthusiastically, and my face appeared on the arena’s large screen.

— Circle Guild is also greeting the audience.

— That’s Hunter Cover, participating as a mercenary in the competition. Haha, still wearing that trademark mask, I see.

— I hear that mask has become his signature look. It suits him well.

— This is the second time we’ll see Hunter Cover in an official broadcast. I’m excited to see what he’ll show us today.

— Absolutely. Let’s hope for some impressive performances.

Hearing the commentators talk about my mask as a trademark brought a smile to my face. If Eun Woojeong, the leader of the Spider’s Web, heard this, he’d have something to say about it.

— And now, both teams have taken their positions in front of their Nexuses.

Our formation was a classic and effective one: Tank, DPS, and Healers in a line. The B-class Tank stood at the front, followed by Ryu Seonghyeon and me as the primary DPSs, with the A-class Support taking the rear. Since we only had one B-class Tank, we split the DPS into those who would push forward and those who would hold back.

Ryu Seonghyeon and I would lead the charge, breaking through the enemy’s lines, while the remaining B and C-class DPSs would stay behind the center line. Ronic didn’t have an S-class on their team, aside from their guildmaster, Park Huiseok, so we were confident our strategy would hold. Our team needed to hold the line while Ryu Seonghyeon and I moved quickly to breach the enemy defenses.

— The countdown begins.

The numbers flashed on the screen above the arena, accompanied by a series of beeps as the countdown began.

10, 9, 8, 7.

The guild members’ faces were tense as they gripped their weapons. Han Go-eun, standing by the Nexus, swallowed nervously, her face pale.

6, 5, 4, 3.

I unsheathed my sword, feeling the familiar weight in my hand. Ryu Seonghyeon beside me took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his gloved hand.

2, 1.

— The competition begins now!

《Main Quest: Win the Competitive Battle against the Ronic Guild alongside the Circle Guild. (Time Remaining: 4 hours, 12 minutes)》