RG 88
by Lubai‘A rift suddenly appeared? And the entrance opened as soon as it appeared?’
My heart pounded at the unexpected sight. A rift exuding such a powerful energy had to be of a high grade. Yet, no matter how high the grade, no rift had ever emerged like this before.
While I stood frozen in the incomprehensible situation, monsters began poking their heads out through the wide-open rift.
Keaaak! Kyaaaah!
A massive bird, resembling a crow, let out a high-pitched shriek.
The sharp, ear-piercing sound caused people to belatedly look up, and all at once, panic ensued. Screams echoed everywhere.
“Monsters! Monsters are…!”
“A-a rift? Why is there a rift here…?”
“Run, now!”
As people abandoned their drinks and fled in chaos, I snapped back to my senses and quickly scanned my surroundings.
‘He’s gone!’
Kwak Seunggyu, who had been across from me just moments ago, had vanished.
I couldn’t afford to lose focus. How could I possibly find Kwak Seunggyu again amidst all these people? Biting my lip in frustration at my incompetence, I moved toward the spot where he had last stood. At that very moment:
Ding!
A familiar notification sound rang, and a status window popped up in front of me.
《Main Quest has arrived!》
《Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall (Time remaining: 9 hours 59 minutes)》
[Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall]
Capture lab associate Kwak Seunggyu and uncover the lab’s secrets.
- Current location of Kwak Seunggyu: Beside Geunjeongjeon.
- Warning! If the distance from Kwak Seunggyu exceeds a certain limit, the quest will automatically fail.
“What the…?”
For once, the quest details were decent.
Capturing Kwak Seunggyu was already my goal. If the system was giving it to me as a quest, that worked in my favor. I could capture him and complete the quest for rewards. It was unusual to receive such a timely and advantageous quest, even revealing Kwak Seunggyu’s location. This was almost too helpful to be true.
The realization helped me regain some composure. Right, now wasn’t the time to sit around blaming myself. If I wanted to find Kwak Seunggyu amidst this chaos, I had to act quickly.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“The monsters are coming down!”
Crack!
Monsters began forcing their way out through the widening rift, one after another. The first wave was a flock of massive crows.
Kaaawk!
These gigantic, three-eyed, man-eating crows—each with razor-sharp teeth protruding from their beaks—were one of the more common monsters emerging from the rift. They flew in flocks, snatching up humans in an instant to devour them whole, making them particularly tricky to deal with.
“Help, please!”
“Get inside the buildings! Move into the buildings!”
People ran in terror, some aimlessly fleeing, while others, aware of how to handle the monsters, barked out instructions. Meanwhile, a frantic crowd poured out from Yeongjegyo.
To reach Geunjeongjeon, where Kwak Seunggyu was, I’d need to go back through Geunjeongmun. But getting through that throng of people was impossible.
‘What should I do?’
The faces of the fleeing crowd were pale, overtaken by fear. Forcing my way through could result in more casualties. Was there another route? No, all the exits were likely in the same state.
‘Should I transform into my S-class form somewhere secluded?’
No other solutions came to mind. I had come prepared to operate as Cover anyway, so maybe now was the time to transform amidst the chaos.
But… disappearing like this would surely make Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon suspicious of me.
“…”
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to use my hidden skill. I had no choice. Hesitating here and losing Kwak Seunggyu would cost me far more.
I abandoned my plan to head toward the gates and looked for a place to hide. That’s when it happened.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed, and scorching heat brushed against my skin. Startled, I looked up and saw a massive fireball hurtling down from the sky. As the blazing mass loomed directly overhead, I muttered blankly, “This is insane…”
If I stayed frozen any longer, I’d die without being able to do a thing. Just as I panicked and prepared to dive out of the way, someone grabbed me by the waist before I could move.
“Ugh…!”
The strong grip yanked me backward, flipping my vision upside down. At the same time, searing flames roared past where I had been.
BOOM!
The shockwave rattled my brain, and the heat that grazed my skin was intense—but the person holding my waist shielded me from the worst of it.
“Hunter Cha Seohu, pull yourself together.”
A familiar voice reached my ears. Blinking, I pushed away the large hand covering my face and looked up to see the speaker.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-yes.”
Looking up, I saw Kwon Taehyeok standing amidst the swirling sparks, staring down at me.
Perfect timing. Gasping for breath, I managed to say, “Thanks for saving me, but… haah… my waist really hurts.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“No, no.” I grabbed Kwon Taehyeok’s hand, which was about to let go of my waist, and guided it back. “Don’t let go. Just ease up a bit. I need to get somewhere right now.”
Kwon Taehyeok complied, holding my waist as lightly as possible, and gestured for me to explain further. After confirming on my status window that Kwak Seunggyu was still near Geunjeongjeon, I continued, “I spotted Kwak Seunggyu right before the rift opened. He’s likely still near Geunjeongjeon.”
“If he’s near Geunjeongjeon…”
Kwon Taehyeok narrowed his eyes and looked toward Geunjeongjeon. He stood still, deep in thought, so I pressed him, “I know it’s chaotic, but we have to at least try. Just get me there, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“…What do you mean, you’ll handle it?”
“You’re the guildmaster; you need to stop the rift and protect the people. I’ll take care of Kwak Seunggyu.”
“…”
Despite my reasoning, Kwon Taehyeok’s expression only grew more complicated. I was running out of time and patience. If he was here, transforming into my S-class form unnoticed was impossible—I had to use his help somehow. Suppressing my growing anxiety, I urged him again, “Guildmaster, there’s no time to—”
“Understood.”
With a short sigh, Kwon Taehyeok leaped forward, carrying me. Instead of heading for the crowded gate of Geunjeongmun, he effortlessly vaulted over a high wall and sprinted straight toward Geunjeongjeon.
Beyond the wall, the event hall surrounding Geunjeongjeon was complete chaos. Tables once laden with food and drinks were shattered, and the elegant traditional decorations were engulfed in flames.
The number of monsters that had emerged from the rift wasn’t overwhelming yet, so injuries were minimal, but it was far from a safe situation.
This was exactly the kind of scene where someone like Kwon Taehyeok was needed. Once we reached Geunjeongjeon, I’d have to let him go handle the situation.
“Hunter Cha Seohu!” As we arrived at Geunjeongjeon, Ryu Seonghyeon, who was helping evacuate people, spotted us and ran over. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
Relief flashed across his face as he saw me being carried by Kwon Taehyeok. But without pause, he immediately addressed the guildmaster, “I couldn’t find actor Eun Woojeong. It seems he got swept up in the crowd and ended up elsewhere.”
Eun Woojeong is missing? I frowned at the unexpected news.
‘Could it be that he also spotted Kwak Seunggyu and went after him?’
Considering the chaos, it wouldn’t be easy for him to move around openly as actor Eun Woojeong. Still, he’s an S-class, so there’s no need to worry too much.
“The, um… the person close to Hunter Cha Seohu also disappeared somewhere the moment the rift opened,” Ryu Seonghyeon informed hesitantly.
“You don’t need to worry about Kwon Seoyul,” I replied without hesitation. He either went off searching for me and we missed each other, or he received a new order and left. Either way, he’d handle himself just fine. Kwon Seoyul is an S-class too, so he wouldn’t be in any real danger moving alone.
I didn’t have time to stand around either. I pried myself free from Kwon Taehyeok’s hold and spoke firmly, “I’ll find Kwak Seunggyu. The two of you should focus on helping the civilians.”
Thanks to the status window, I knew Kwak Seunggyu was somewhere near Geunjeongjeon. But it didn’t pinpoint his exact location, and with such a wide area to cover, finding him wouldn’t be easy—especially since he wouldn’t stay put in one spot for long.
‘If searching proves fruitless, I’ll just hide and use the hidden skill to—’
Just as I was about to head inside Geunjeongjeon to start my search, someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see Kwon Taehyeok, his expression unusually rigid.
“Guildmaster?”
“…Wait a moment,” he said quietly.
“What?”
He hesitated, his lips parting as if to speak but closing again repeatedly. Then, as though he’d finally made up his mind, he turned to Ryu Seonghyeon and said decisively, “Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon, can I leave this situation in your hands for now? Support from the government and the guilds should arrive shortly.”
Both Ryu Seonghyeon and I were stunned. What was he even saying?
Before either of us could voice our shock, Kwon Taehyeok continued, “I’ll accompany Hunter Cha Seohu to search for Kwak Seunggyu.”
“What?”
Excuse me? Accompany who? To do what?
[Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall (Time remaining: 9 hours 43 minutes]