RG 91

I pulled my coat over Cha Sahyeon’s head, shielding his face, and then held him close. “Try not to show your face, alright?”

“Okay.”

Even after giving him a firm warning, the uneasiness in my chest wouldn’t subside. What the hell am I supposed to do in a situation like this? Feeling the warmth of Cha Sahyeon pressed against me, I swallowed hard.

‘Once the support team arrive, I’ll regroup with them… Then I could use the hidden skill in secret… No, but what about the kid?’

There’s no way I can leave Cha Sahyeon alone in this chaotic place.

And to make things worse, Kwak Seunggyu is nearby. There’s a good chance there are more people connected to the lab around here, even if Kwon Taehyeok and I don’t know about them. The more I think about Kwak Seunggyu’s behavior before the rift appeared, the more suspicious it seems.

If Kwak Seunggyu really was the one who caused this rift… Whether that’s possible or not, there’s no way he acted alone to create a disaster of this scale. Someone has to be protecting Kwak Seunggyu, who isn’t even Awakened.

Leaving Cha Sahyeon alone right now would be far too reckless. At the very least, I need to leave someone capable of protecting him by his side.

‘Nothing’s going right today.’

Suppressing a sigh that threatened to escape, I followed Kwon Taehyeok out of Geunjeongjeon Hall.

The sky, already dark from the effects of the rift, was now pitch black. What had once been a clear sky was dominated by the shattered rift entrance, electric-blue lightning flickering violently around its edges.

While we’d been checking the hall, Ryu Seonghyeon must’ve managed to evacuate everyone. Thankfully, there were no civilians left in sight. The ground was littered with overturned event props and monster corpses. Kwon Taehyeok surveyed the area briefly before pulling weapons from his inventory.

With a sharp, metallic clang, Kwon Taehyeok’s signature swords materialized one by one. Gripping five of them, he turned to me and said, “The reinforcements will gather at Gwanghwamun. We’ll move there via Yeongjegyo Bridge.”

“Got it.”

For now, it was best to follow Kwon Taehyeok’s lead. The journey to Gwanghwamun would also buy me time to figure out Kwak Seunggyu’s next move.

• Current location of Kwak Seunggyu: Beside Sujeongjeon Hall.

‘So far, there haven’t been any noticeable movements, but…’

If things go south, I might have to accept losing track of Kwak Seunggyu.

Risking Cha Sahyeon’s safety just to chase the lab’s trail would be sheer madness. His safety is my top priority—it’s the whole reason I’ve been tracking the lab in the first place. It stings to let this lead slip away after coming so far, but I don’t have a choice. I can only hope another chance will come later.

Clearing my muddled thoughts, I followed Kwon Taehyeok past Geunjeongmun Gate and toward Yeongjegyo Bridge.

BOOM!

“…!”

A deafening thunderclap shook the ground, and multiple lightning bolts streaked across the pitch-black sky. A cold chill ran up my spine as I instinctively looked up, only to see the rift entrance starting to change color.

Rift entrances are always a dark blue, regardless of their rank. But now, it was rapidly turning red.

The galaxy-like deep blue had transformed into a blood-red hue in an instant, as if it had been stained. At the same time, the entrance cracked wider, growing even larger.

SCCCRREEEECH!

A sound like nothing I’d ever heard before ripped through the air, sharp and unrelenting.

It was the sound that always preceded the start of a wave. And, just as we feared, a new swarm of monsters began pouring out of the rift.

Caw! Caw! The first wave had been crow-like monsters, but this time, it was bats. Massive bats, each the size of a grown man, flapped their enormous wings as they emerged, one after another.

Kwon Taehyeok’s expression darkened as he narrowed his eyes at the scene.

“Vampire bats…”

There are plenty of bat-like monsters, but vampire bats are the ones you really have to watch out for.

The vampire bats had razor-sharp fangs sticking out of their mouths and glowing crimson eyes—sure signs of their identity. And judging by the monsters now swarming out of the rift, there was no doubt about it: these were vampire bats.

Dealing with ordinary monsters that smashed everything in their path was bad enough, but these creatures were far worse. Vampire bats could smell blood and relentlessly pursue any living being. And here we were, right in the middle of the city—this was easily a top-tier emergency.

Shriek! Screech! Caw!

Dozens of bats swarming through the air suddenly turned their attention to us. They’d caught the scent of our blood, the closest targets.

The sheer number of them was overwhelming, forming what looked like a massive plume of black smoke. With these flying monsters dominating the skies, we were effectively pinned down, unable to move.

“Found you two!”

Ryu Seonghyeon vaulted over the wall of Geunjeongjeon and hurried toward us. His body was glowing faintly, and his clothes were soaked with monster blood, a clear sign he’d rushed over after finishing off monsters elsewhere.

“The wave started way earlier than we expected, and—oh…”

As he came closer, his gaze fell on me and the younger brother cradled in my arms. He seemed startled, but Kwon Taehyeok didn’t let him dwell on it.

“We need to push through to Gwanghwamun.”

“Understood.”

Ryu Seonghyeon quickly sized up the situation and began focusing his energy. The two of them stepped forward, shielding me and Cha Sahyeon from the encroaching danger.

I tightened my grip on Cha Sahyeon and took a step back. Staying out of their way was the best thing I could do to help right now.

“They’re coming,” Kwon Taehyeok warned.

The vampire bats let out piercing cries and hurtled toward us like a barrage of arrows. The gusts from their approach sent my coat flapping wildly. Just as the bats were about to collide with Kwon Taehyeok’s blades—

Swish!

A faint, metallic clink echoed as silver chains streaked past, tearing through the bat swarm. The chains whipped and slashed in every direction, their hooks sinking into bat flesh and shattering their heads. Each strike sent chunks of flesh and blood raining down to the ground.

Both Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon froze momentarily, surprised by the sudden interference. From behind them, I spotted the same silvery chains, but my reaction was different—I was alarmed.

‘This skill… could it be…?’

A familiar voice confirmed my suspicion almost immediately.

“Long time no see.”

I turned toward the source, and there he was, standing atop the high roof of Geunjeongmun Gate. His white hair, as striking as his skill, fluttered gently in the wind. Wearing a mask, the man scanned each of us before speaking again, his tone calm yet distinctly mocking. 

“Guildmaster of Yesung.”

There was an undeniable hint of amusement in his voice. No, I wasn’t imagining it—this guy was enjoying the chaos.

My jaw clenched tightly. 

‘Eun Woojeong…’

I had a hunch when I heard he’d disappeared during the evacuation, but I never expected him to show up so brazenly like this.

Kwon Taehyeok’s expression hardened as well. He clearly recognized Eun Woojeong, though not necessarily in this form—as the infamous “Leader of the Spider’s Web.”

Without a word, Kwon Taehyeok maintained his wary stance, refusing to respond to Eun Woojeong’s greeting. Undeterred, Eun Woojeong leaped gracefully from the roof, his chains retracting one by one as he approached.

The vampire bats, now thinned out by the earlier attack, hesitated to dive toward us again, hovering uncertainly in the sky. But that didn’t make the situation any less dangerous. And yet, Eun Woojeong’s relaxed demeanor was infuriating. His crimson robe billowed with each step he took—always the same outfit he wore when appearing before Cover. Judging by the faint energy radiating from it, it was likely a defensive item.

“…Why are you here?”

Kwon Taehyeok’s tone toward Eun Woojeong was nearly identical to how he addressed Cover.

Ah, I see. To Kwon Taehyeok, I’m on the same level as that bastard. Not surprising, but still irritating.

“I didn’t particularly want to drop by like this, but… there’s someone I need to meet.”

Eun Woojeong sighed in mock frustration, fiddling with the edge of his mask with a gloved hand. Then, instead of continuing with Kwon Taehyeok, he turned his gaze toward me.

“…?”

Though his expression was hidden behind the mask, I could feel his intent. His heavy, lingering gaze crawled over me, making my skin prickle with unease. 

Kwon Taehyeok seemed to pick up on it too. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer, as if staking some kind of protective claim.

Eun Woojeong chuckled softly, amused by Kwon Taehyeok’s overprotective gesture, and finally broke the silence, “No need to glare at me like that. The person I’m looking for isn’t here.”

“What?”

“Guildmaster of One,” Eun Woojeong addressed me directly. This was the first time the Spider’s Web leader, in this particular guise, had spoken to me.

“Where is Cover?”

“…What?”

The name that came out of Eun Woojeong’s mouth made me instinctively furrow my brows. I blinked at him in silence, unsure how to respond. He repeated his question, undeterred, “Cover. I figured now would be about the time he showed up, so I came to meet him. You know where he is, don’t you?”

“…”

“You two are very close, after all.”

Eun Woojeong emphasized the word “close” with deliberate weight, tilting his head just enough to make the taunt unmistakable.

“…Ha.”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh, baffled by his sheer audacity. His words were a blatant provocation, and he clearly enjoyed delivering them. I could feel the sharp stares of Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon boring into me from either side.

[Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall (Time remaining: 8 hours 27 minutes]