RG 89

Kwon Taehyeok naturally stepping up to save people was what I had assumed. When that expectation crumbled, I was left utterly speechless.

While I stood there, stunned, Ryu Seonghyeon nodded solemnly at Kwon Taehyeok’s serious words, mirroring his expression. “Understood. Please go.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“Wait, hold on!”

With me caught in the middle, these two were perfectly in sync, as if they were playing a duet without consulting me. I quickly brushed Kwon Taehyeok’s arm aside and interjected, “Why are you insisting on coming with me? I can handle finding Kwak Seunggyu by myself. Isn’t evacuating the civilians a more urgent priority?”

“The monster wave will escalate soon. I can’t let you go alone.”

“The civilians here are in greater danger. I might be just a Support, but I have enough experience to manage this.”

“Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon will take care of the civilians.”

Why is he dumping that responsibility solely on Ryu Seonghyeon? My poor brother!

I glared at Kwon Taehyeok, annoyed by the unnecessary burden he was placing on Ryu Seonghyeon. Sensing my frustration, he quickly added more justification, “Even after we find Kwak Seunggyu, there’s the issue of what comes next. It is unlikely he will comply willingly. How do you plan to subdue him?”

“You said he’s an unawakened civilian, didn’t you? I can handle him just fine.”

“It’s dangerous.”

No matter how many times I assured him, Kwon Taehyeok remained unshakably firm. Watching his unyielding stance, I found myself at a loss. My plan had been to find Kwak Seunggyu and switch to Cover at the right moment, but that idea was on the verge of collapse before it even started.

‘Why is he acting like this instead of sticking to saving people as usual?’

I felt so bewildered and frustrated that I let out a sigh, unable to understand what was going through Kwon Taehyeok’s mind.

‘And I can’t just outright tell him to leave me alone, either.’

Under normal circumstances, I would’ve brushed him off without worrying about appearances. Unfortunately, Ryu Seonghyeon was standing right there, watching everything unfold. That made it hard to handle the situation harshly.

“I appreciate your concern, Guildmaster, but…”

“Um, Hunter Cha Seohu.” Just as I began trying to reason with Kwon Taehyeok again, Ryu Seonghyeon spoke up first. “I think it’s better if you listen to Hunter Kwon Taehyeok.” My heart sank when Ryu Seonghyeon sided with Kwon Taehyeok. Before I could recover, he continued, “This is someone deeply tied to the laboratory involved in human experiments. Even if he’s an unawakened civilian, he’s too dangerous for you to handle alone. Hunter Kwon Taehyeok should go with you.”

“Well…”

“I’ll manage things here as best I can. Judging by the state of the rift entrance, there’s still some time before the next wave begins. Besides, additional support should arrive soon, so we can handle it. We also need someone to check if Eun Woojeong is safe while evacuating people.”

I closed my mouth. I didn’t fully agree with Ryu Seonghyeon’s reasoning, but the rebuttal stuck in my throat.

Fine. Considering their perspective, Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon’s decision made sense. They both assumed Eun Woojeong was an ordinary civilian and didn’t know about my hidden skill. It was a logical conclusion for them to reach. The only one struggling with all these tangled thoughts was me. With Ryu Seonghyeon siding with Kwon Taehyeok, I couldn’t help but feel a mess of emotions stir within me.

Of course… even before the regression, Ryu Seonghyeon might’ve said something similar. But back then, he wouldn’t have left it to Kwon Taehyeok—he would’ve come with me himself.

‘…Enough. That’s not what matters right now.’

Taking a deep breath, I calmed my thoughts and slowly nodded. “Understood.”

Ding!

The moment I gave my answer, a notification sound rang out, and a status window appeared.

《Specialty: Drenched Cat (Class E) activated!》

《Elicits sympathy from the opponent!》

‘Why the hell is this triggering for now, of all times?’

Already unsettled, this trait only added fuel to the fire. Sympathy wasn’t exactly useful in a situation like this. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I frowned deeply.

“Uh, um…”

“…”

“Vicemaster.”

Ryu Seonghyeon, who had been exchanging flustered glances with Kwon Taehyeok, blinked at my call. Instead of explaining, I grabbed his hand.

《Skill: Guardian’s Bond (Class S) activated!》

《Primary Skill damage increases. (Target: Ryu Seonghyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》

《Base Speed increases. (Target: Ryu Seonghyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》

《Stability effect applied. (Target: Ryu Seonghyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》

“Ah…”

Ryu Seonghyeon flinched as the sudden buffs surged through him, his shoulders jerking in surprise as he stepped back. Letting go of his hand, I spoke firmly, “Evacuating people is important, but make sure your safety comes first. At least until the backup arrives.”

“…”

“Let’s go, Yesung of Guildmaster.”

Without a second glance at Ryu Seonghyeon, I turned and briskly walked toward Geunjeongjeon.

***

“I’ll head out, then. As you saw earlier, my phone is with Hunter Cha Seohu, so contact me if anything happens,” Kwon Taehyeok said, leaving a word of caution to Ryu Seonghyeon before following me.

As the two of us entered Geunjeongjeon, Ryu Seonghyeon stood there, watching us with a peculiar expression.

‘They seem really close.’

It was the first time Ryu Seonghyeon had seen Kwon Taehyeok take such an interest in someone. Lending his personal phone, insisting on escorting someone for their safety—it was unusual. Recalling Kwon Taehyeok’s past behavior, which always prioritized the safety of civilians above all else, this level of personal involvement felt strange.

Ryu Seonghyeon unconsciously clenched and unclenched his hand, still feeling the warmth where Cha Seohu had grabbed it. He replayed the scene in his mind: Cha Seohu nodding weakly after they sided against him, his pale face and drooping eyes resembling a drenched, shivering kitten.

Ryu Seonghyeon couldn’t leave Cha Seohu to wander around such a dangerous place alone. Kwon Taehyeok likely shared the same concern, which explained his unyielding stance.

‘I hope Hunter Kwon Taehyeok takes good care of him.’

With that thought, Ryu Seonghyeon ended his musings and got to work. The S-class buffs would let him handle as many monsters as possible before backup arrived. There was no time to waste.

***

Inside the darkened Geunjeongjeon, Kwon Taehyeok surveyed the area. The room was pitch black, with no light from any source. Cha Seohu pulled Kwon Taehyeok’s phone from his pocket and used its flashlight.

“The lights were on earlier. I think something got switched off when everyone evacuated because of the rift.”

His voice was calm but carried an icy edge. Kwon Taehyeok, walking behind him, studied the back of Cha Seohu’s head.

From the moment Kwon Taehyeok had insisted on accompanying him, Cha Seohu had made it clear he wasn’t happy about it. Now, his dissatisfaction was as apparent as ever.

Kwon Taehyeok himself wasn’t entirely at ease.

‘He acts strangely meek around Ryu Seonghyeon.’

Kwon Taehyeok had noticed it before, during a dinner arranged to discuss the rankings match. Cha Seohu seemed unusually attentive to Ryu Seonghyeon, in more ways than one. It wasn’t really his place to speculate on what might have happened between them, but the thought kept nagging at him. Cha Seohu, who was so adamant about rejecting his suggestions, hadn’t uttered a single word of protest against Ryu Seonghyeon’s opinion.

Were they close enough for Cha Seohu to take Ryu Seonghyeon’s advice on anything? But then again, Ryu Seonghyeon seemed awkward around Cha Seohu.

‘Sigh.’

Suppressing the fatigue pressing on him, Kwon Taehyeok rubbed his eyes. At that moment, Cha Seohu hesitantly grabbed his arm. “Guildmaster, you can see well in this kind of environment, right? Do you notice anything unusual?”

“There are scattered items and some event equipment lying around, but nothing immediately concerning.”

“Hmm.”

Cha Seohu brushed his fingers against his lips, staring at a spot somewhere ahead. His gaze was unfocused, as if peering into empty space, or perhaps intensely fixed on something.

Following his lead, Kwon Taehyeok scanned the area again.

Broken lights, smashed decorations, and drinks splattered on the walls that looked eerily like blood in the darkness. Screams and the growls of monsters filtering in from outside only deepened the unsettling atmosphere.

Was Kwak Seunggyu really hiding somewhere here? If Cha Seohu had come alone, he might have been ambushed by Kwak Seunggyu—or worse, run into a stray monster in the dark. Coming along to protect him was undoubtedly the right decision.

‘Too weak.’

Before he realized it, Kwon Taehyeok’s gaze had drifted to Cha Seohu’s figure.

His neck, straight and slender, and the pale wrist peeking out from his sleeve appeared so fragile. Earlier, when Kwon Taehyeok had pulled him to safety, he’d been surprised by how slight Cha Seohu’s waist was—much thinner than he had imagined.

He hadn’t even used much strength, yet Cha Seohu had been gasping for air and wincing in pain. It made Kwon Taehyeok question:

‘Can someone really be this… delicate?’

Though Cha Seohu was Awakened, he was still a Support, meaning his body wasn’t far removed from that of an ordinary person. 

Kwon Taehyeok understood well enough that regular human bodies were fragile, but he hadn’t anticipated it would be this extreme. Having awakened as an S-class Hunter, he had always fought at the frontlines during battles. He’d never once found himself tasked with safeguarding a Support’s waist in such a close, hands-on manner.

As that thought surfaced, his brow furrowed. While his lack of restraint was partly to blame, it was also Cha Seohu’s tendency to recklessly throw himself into dangerous situations that caused concern.

“Guildmaster.”

It was clear to Kwon Taehyeok that Cha Seohu hadn’t been properly taught how much protection a Support was entitled to. He didn’t know what kind of life Cha Seohu had lived before founding his current guild, but if it had been up to him, he’d never have allowed things to be this way.

“Guildmaster.”

If Cha Seohu were to join his guild… He would ensure Cha Seohu received the treatment he deserved. He’d personally see to it that no harm came his way. And if that wasn’t possible, he’d assign trustworthy people to protect him at all times. Given that Cha Seohu was hiding the true rank of his skills, Kwon Taehyeok could even imagine being the sole recipient of his buffs. No, that would be ideal—better to avoid any friction that might arise from sharing the buffs with other Hunters unnecessarily.

“Guildmaster of Yesung!”

“…Huh?”

The sharp call abruptly snapped his train of thought. Blinking, Kwon Taehyeok looked up to find Cha Seohu narrowing his eyes, staring at him with a mix of exasperation and impatience.

[Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall (Time remaining: 9 hours 15 minutes]