It didn’t take long for the S-ranks to gather on the rooftop.
Kwon Taehyuk, leaning against the rooftop railing, asked Eun Woojeong, who was standing there, “Are you all right?”
It was closer to asking whether he could still operate than to worrying about him.
Eun Woojeong shrugged. The jawline and neck exposed beneath the mask were chalk white.
Thanks to an S-rank’s remarkable recovery, the bleeding had barely stopped, but his condition wasn’t exactly good.
“We need to meet Mr. Cha Seohu as quickly as possible.”
At that moment, Mook Jeongho, who had been standing quietly with his arms folded, spoke up.
“Report where you were injured and the degree of injury. We need to confirm whether it will hinder our escape.”
“......Aha.”
Eun Woojeong tilted his head.
“A dagger grazed my side. Must be an item dagger—the recovery is unusually slow. But... why ask where I was hurt? It’s already happened, so it won’t be relevant to the escape to come, will it?”
“It means there exists an enemy who can attack S-ranks. We should know and assess this in advance.”
“Ahh. In that sense? Hahaha......”
A laugh slipped out of him. It was a thoroughly calculated, hollow laugh.
“In that case, there’s no need to ‘report’ to you. It’s not exactly a situation you people need to be bothered with. Let’s just focus on escaping, shall we?”
“I won’t say it twice.”
Unfolding his arms, Mook Jeongho strode up to Eun Woojeong and repeated his demand.
“Report. I’ll decide whether the data is necessary or not.”
“Hm.”
Eun Woojeong made a short, intrigued sound. Proving it wasn’t a positive reaction, a chilly killing intent rose off his body.
“Mr. Mook Jeongho, was it? It seems you... have mistaken yourself for the leader of this place. You’d best stop putting on airs now.”
“Situation, time, location, and information on the assailant. Sharing all of it makes us that much safer. A noncooperative attitude invites danger. Dealing with it here and moving is to our advantage.”
Mook Jeongho raised a gloved hand.
The cold air surrounding the two made even Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun, who were watching, tense up.
“Enough.”
Cha Sahyeon, whose ragged robe fluttered as he stood expressionless, opened his mouth.
“A way out. We find the exit.”
At that dry line, with no emotion felt in it, Eun Woojeong let his killing intent fade and cocked his head.
“Excuse me, sir? You’re briefing the obvious like it’s some crucial operation. Any more detailed explanation?”
“I agree with the assumption that this space was created by my brother’s mind. If so, the probability is high the exit lies in a place deeply connected to him.”
“A place deeply connected to Mr. Cha Seohu, huh.”
“...There are more than you’d think.”
Kwon Taehyuk spoke, knitting his brow.
“If the ‘brother’ you mean is the real Cha Seohu, then from the building where the Won Guild was, to the District, Circle Guild, the Snowy Mountain, even the Association. He also stayed in our guild building, so that’s included. It’s too broad.”
After a moment’s thought, Ryu Sunghyun cut in.
“I don’t know what this exit supposedly looks like, but there wasn’t anything odd inside Circle Guild. What about Yesung Guild?”
“The building’s interior is so large. Besides, I didn’t drop by the room Hunter Cha Seohu used, so I can’t say for sure.”
“The District?”
To Ryu’s question, Mook Jeongho—who had been eyeing Eun Woojeong with a dissatisfied look—answered.
“No abnormal signs were found in the central building. But we didn’t inspect the exterior. We came here the instant we found the spatial error.”
“We’ll have to check the Snowy Mountain and the building where the Won Guild was, too. And if we add the District, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) that’ll take some time.”
“The only way is to go ourselves one by one and—”
“No.”
Cha Sahyeon lowered his gaze. Soon, pitch-black shadow spread from beneath his feet in all directions like ink bleeding out.
“......!”
Kwon Taehyuk’s shoulders jolted as he drew in a breath.
Darkness as deep as a lightless abyss. Even the mere brush of that shadow brought a strange sense that, for an instant, all sensation had been deleted.
Alarm bells rang through his head, and gooseflesh surged. His heart rate spiked with instinctive aversion.
Without meaning to, he hurriedly put distance between them; behind him, the other S-ranks also unconsciously tightened their bodies.
'What is that?'
Swallowing dryly behind the mask, Eun Woojeong tightened his grip on the railing. His breathing, calm even through injury, turned rough at once.
'I’ve already profiled that ‘Cha Sahyeon.’ A hunter clearly stronger than conventional S-ranks. A dealer. And... someone rescued from the human experimentation lab along with Cha Seohu. I’ve seen him use his skill several times.'
But right now, it was different.
'Was it ever like this? No. If I’d experienced this even once, I could never forget it.'
In reality, too, he had certainly possessed an aura chilling enough to be unsettling, but this was...
'Do I need to take him out?'
'Can I really leave something like that at Seohu’s side? Is ‘taking care of it’... even possible?'
Amid the confusion, holding his breath, Eun Woojeong quietly drew up his power. He wasn’t the only one. The other S-ranks also raised their energy, faces cold and set, ready to respond at any time.
“I’ll verify it.”
Plainly aware that the surrounding S-ranks were on guard against him, Cha Sahyeon didn’t care in the least and spoke evenly.
Soon, the great mass of shadow spreading from him turned into hundreds of black birds. With bleak caws, the birds beat their wings and scattered.
After sending the birds, Cha Sahyeon looked down at his own hand.
'...As expected.'
His energy was incomparably stronger than in reality. Which meant he was that much closer to catastrophe.
'Hyung.'
'What on earth are you hiding?'
Cha Sahyeon murmured gloomily toward Cha Seohu, who would be somewhere.
Having returned to the guild, Cha Seohu headed for his own room.
It was a small room the guild had given him out of consideration, since he had no home. He walked in listlessly and sat on the bed, letting out a weary breath.
The tears no longer fell, but the corners of his eyes were still a little red.
He was annoyed at himself for failing to control his feelings and crying. He bit back a curse and pressed hard on his stiff, sore eyes when—
Knock, knock.
A neat knock sounded.
He wanted to be alone. He wanted to refuse, but as someone borrowing the room, he wasn’t in a position to turn away a guild member at the door.
With a small sigh, Cha Seohu opened the door and looked at the visitor. His eyes widened slightly; his dark pupils trembled.
“Hyung?”
“Seohu, were you resting?”
It was Ryu Sunghyun who had come to see him—the hyung who had just left him and gone off with Yesung’s Guildmaster.
Watching the flustered Seohu, Ryu soon gave a gentle smile.
“It’s almost dinner time. Aren’t you hungry? Want to go eat with the others?”
“Huh? No, I...”
Backing up a step in confusion, Cha Seohu barely managed to ask,
“Hyung, you went after Yesung’s Guildmaster. You’re already back?”
“Yesung’s Guildmaster?”
Ryu tilted his head.
“I went after Yesung’s Guildmaster? When?”
“Just now, ten minutes ago...”
“Just now? I’ve been in the guild the whole time.”
“What?”
Cha Seohu became even more confused. At that, Ryu’s face turned serious in an instant.
“Seohu. What happened? Who did you meet?”
Even as he asked, he gently took Seohu by the shoulders.
Drawing the shaken Seohu into his arms, he led him into the room. Click—the door closed, and naturally only the two of them remained.
“Earlier, outside the guild... you and Yesung’s Guildmaster went somewhere together. Mook Jeongho was there too.”
“Mook Jeongho? The one from the District you told me about before?”
“Yeah. You told me...”
Cha Seohu couldn’t bring himself to continue.
'You treated me like a fake. You left me and went with Yesung’s Guildmaster.'
At least that explanation wouldn’t come out. He was scared—scared that if Ryu heard it, he would change again.
Looking worriedly at the bloodless Cha Seohu, Ryu gripped his hand tightly.
“Seohu. Listen carefully. I was in the conference room the entire time. Taeseong or Suho saw me, so ask them later. What you saw... wasn’t me. It might have been a monster. There have been reports lately of monsters being spotted around the streets. Or, perhaps, you had a very bad dream?”
“A dream?”
“Right. Was the ‘me’ you saw really me? Think carefully.”
Cha Seohu’s eyes shook wide.
'Now that I think about it, something was a little off.'
He’d felt somehow younger than the Ryu standing in front of him now.
The clothes he was wearing were a bit different too. With that, his tension let go with a snap.
'So it really wasn’t hyung?'
Was it just a bad dream? Did his anxious heart make him have a dream like that?
As Cha Seohu bit his lip and struggled to swallow his feelings, Ryu pulled him in by the shoulders and held him. Then, as if to a child, he slowly patted his back.
“It’s okay. I’m right here. Where would I go, Seohu?”
“.......”
“I—and we—promised we would never abandon you. You remember, right?”
In that familiar embrace, Cha Seohu blinked slowly. Then he gently closed his eyes in relief.
“...Yeah.”
Right—we promised.
This man is the real ‘Ryu Sunghyun.’ Little by little, Cha Seohu’s anxious feelings began to settle.

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