The entire area fell silent, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over everyone.
“...What did you say?”
It was only after a long pause that Ryu Sunghyun finally spat the words out, grinding his teeth so hard that his jaw muscles visibly bulged.
“Who exactly are you saying you're going to arrest right now?”
“Hunter Cha Seohu. If you have any conscience, you won’t deny the charges.”
Park Minhyuk ignored Ryu Sunghyun entirely, focusing solely on Cha Seohu as he continued.
“Every single member of the raid team here is a witness. Don’t resist—come quietly.”
Only then did people begin to murmur, finally realizing this wasn’t some hidden-camera prank.
The reporters, who had just been shouting for interviews, fell silent and gestured to their cameramen. The live broadcasts instantly focused on Park Minhyuk and Cha Seohu.
The raid team’s Hunters were just as bewildered.
“Why are they lumping us in with this...?”
“But still, he did fake his rank, didn’t he?”
The moment of stunned silence created by the bombshell announcement of an emergency arrest quickly broke into chaos.
Scanning the noisy crowd for a moment, Seohu flicked his eyes toward Cha Sahyeon, who was standing at a distance.
Sahyeon had deliberately distanced himself, standing off to the side to make it easier to escape unnoticed. Catching the signal from Seohu, he sent a shadow bird soaring into the air.
It flew effortlessly toward the sky. Then, Sahyeon vanished without a trace.
He probably hadn’t gone far, but what mattered was that he had left the area. At the very least, he wouldn’t be dragged off alongside Seohu.
Confirming that Sahyeon had escaped safely, Cha Seohu responded to Park Minhyuk in a calm tone.
“I guess I don’t have much of a conscience, but yeah, I won’t deny this one. Like you said, Team Leader, there are way too many witnesses.”
Park Minhyuk’s pupils trembled slightly at Seohu’s composed demeanor.
He clearly hadn’t expected him to respond so calmly. Though his expression initially faltered in surprise, he quickly composed himself.
“Then you’re admitting to the charges.”
“Hah...!”
A bitter sneer came from beside Seohu.
Ryu Sunghyun’s golden eyes blazed like they were moments away from unleashing a skill.
“You’re alive thanks to Cha Seohu—who here’s the one with no conscience, Team Leader Park Minhyuk?”
“...”
Unable to refute that point, Park Minhyuk fell silent.
As Ryu Sunghyun openly stepped forward, the Hunters who had only been watching until now jumped in, seizing the opportunity to voice their support.
“He saved people. Even if he lied about his rank, this isn’t the way to treat him.”
“Seriously—he just came out of a Great Dungeon and you’re arresting him? What kind of crime could it possibly be?”
“Those Association bastards have some kind of hidden agenda, don’t they?”
“Wait, wait—this looks like the Association trying to snatch up Cha Seohu for themselves!”
The mood was quickly turning hostile.
Equally furious, Kwon Taehyuk stepped in front of Seohu protectively and spoke in a calm yet firm voice.
“Hunter Cha Seohu is a Supporter under the protection of the Yesung Guild. Speak with me.”
The implication was clear—if they pushed any further, the Yesung Guild wouldn’t stand by.
“Still, Hunter Cha Seohu isn’t officially affiliated with Yesung, is he?”
Though well aware of this, Park Minhyuk didn’t back down.
“I now inform you that anyone protecting Hunter Cha Seohu may be subject to charges as well.”
The Association’s blatant disregard for the country’s top guild was essentially a snub to every other guild as well.
Guild-affiliated Hunters, glaring at the line of Association staff standing firm ahead, could no longer hold back their anger.
“Oh, is that right? Charges for aiding and abetting? Do it! I dare you!”
“Goddamn Association bastards. Pretending to be clean while pocketing bribes under the table—who do you think you’re fooling?”
“Excuse me, what did you just say?”
As the guild Hunters shouted insults, the Association Hunters began to lose their temper as well.
“Bribes? That’s rich coming from you guys. Guild corruption scandals break like every other day.”
“And you want to talk about who’s dirty? You can’t even follow one fucking law.”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“What if I did? And what—did you just swear at me? Are you serious?”
Watching guild and Association Hunters bare their teeth at each other, Seohu rubbed his face with an exhausted expression.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous.”
They had split into dealers and healers inside the dungeon, and now it was guilds versus the Association.
Watching them hurl profanities like street thugs—it was hard to believe they were Hunters.
And they all seemed to have forgotten that this was being broadcast live. Judging by the excited faces of the camera directors and reporters, there was no chance they’d pull the footage now.
“This isn’t good.”
If a fight broke out between the guilds and the Association here, it would only make things harder—for Seohu.
Because he needed to be taken by the Association, one way or another.
“Can’t be helped.”
He had planned to be dragged off looking pitiful and sorrowful, but it seemed the plan would need adjusting.
“I’m fine, Guildmaster.”
Seohu stopped Kwon Taehyuk by placing a hand on his arm and stepped forward.
“But Hunter Cha Seohu—!”
“I don’t want this to hurt you. Or the Vice-Guildmaster. Or the Mountain Keeper.”
Lowering his gaze, he gently insisted. The three of them all grimaced.
“You all should stop too.”
“Shut the hell up!”
Before Seohu could even finish, Park Heeseok shouted at the guild Hunters.
What a laughable bastard, right to the end.
Once the guild side went quiet, the Association naturally followed. Amid the tension, Seohu turned back to Park Minhyuk and asked:
“You mentioned false rank reporting and failure to register, right?”
“Are you trying to deny the charges?”
“Not exactly. But don’t you think the explanation’s a bit lacking? You’re arresting me without a warrant and now you’re skipping proper explanation? That’s a bit ridiculous.”
“That’s...”
Park Minhyuk’s eyes flicked to the cameras still broadcasting live.
Seohu smiled slyly.
He understood why Park Minhyuk wanted to avoid making a big fuss and arrest him quietly—not out of ill will, but to minimize chaos.
But things had already escalated. There was no turning back.
So Seohu raised his voice with confidence.
“Let’s stop beating around the bush and just say it!”
“...Excuse me?”
“That I was officially ranked B-class, but I’m actually an S-rank buffer!”
“Wait—Hunter Cha Seohu—!”
“And I have an S-rank healing skill too!”
“Hunter Cha Seohu...!”
The commotion around them exploded. Park Minhyuk looked horrified, while the cameramen and reporters practically vibrated with excitement.
“And even an S-rank purification skill!”
“Please stop!”
“And all of them are wide-area effects, by the way!”
“Ha...”
“A B-rank buffer suddenly unleashing wide-area S-rank buffs, heals, and purifications just before the boss fight—of course our upright civil servant Team Leader Park Minhyuk was shocked. I understand.”
“......”
Pale-faced, Park Minhyuk covered his eyes with one hand. He’d clearly given up trying to control the situation.
Even the Association Hunters seemed stunned. They hadn’t heard the full details from Minhyuk yet, it seemed.
“W-what is all this?!”
“Team Leader Park Minhyuk, is what he just said all true?!”
While the reporters clamored, Park Minhyuk silently rubbed his eyes for a moment before finally lowering his hand.
Letting out a long, weary sigh, as if he’d just endured unspeakable hardship, he declared:
“...Based on the statements you’ve just made, I am placing you under emergency arrest. We’ll discuss the details back at the Association.”
“Hm...”
“If you refuse, under Awakener Law—”
“Go ahead. Arrest me.”
“Hunter Cha Seohu!”
His sudden agreement caught everyone—especially the S-ranks and Park Minhyuk—off guard.
“This can’t be happening. Hunter Cha Seohu didn’t gain any benefit from lying about his rank. If anything, he saved lives. He should be rewarded, not arrested...!”
“Mountain Keeper.”
Seohu looked at Song Jiwoon, who was visibly fuming on his behalf, and gave him a gentle smile.
“I’m really okay. It’s something I was going to face sooner or later anyway.”
“...”
“Well then, I’ll be going first.”
Turning without hesitation, Seohu walked over to Park Minhyuk. The S-ranks clenched their fists but didn’t step forward.
If he had begged or asked for help, they might have intervened. But since he willingly submitted, they had no choice but to hold back their frustration.
Park Minhyuk, his jaw tight, led Seohu to the Association’s waiting vehicle.
Though he used the term “emergency arrest” to create urgency, both of them knew the basis was shaky.
So there were no handcuffs.
“Get in.”
Park Minhyuk opened the back door for him.
Before stepping in, Seohu looked off in the distance.
There stood a tall man—Kang Haeil.
Seeing Kang Haeil pale with shock, Seohu scoffed.
By now, Kang Haeil must have realized what Seohu’s plan had been. That it wasn’t just about evading “foresight.”
“I might visit the zone eventually, but being dragged there is a different story.”
Landing a hit on Kang Haeil was enough.
With a mocking smile thrown his way, Seohu climbed into the car, feeling quite pleased. Park Minhyuk started the engine and drove off immediately.
The car sped away from the restricted zone and onto the main road. As Park Minhyuk had said, they were headed to the Hunter Association.
It would take hours to get there—enough time to sort his thoughts and rest.
Seohu gazed idly out the window.
“...What’s your plan?”
Park Minhyuk, who had been driving in silence, finally snapped.
“Wouldn’t have made a difference. Isn’t that why you arrested me?”
He had buffed, healed, and purified close to a hundred Hunters—wide-range, all at once.
Buffing a few S-ranks was one thing, but this scale was another.
Of course the news would spread, and the Association would come knocking. Possibly even other Hunters would’ve made trouble first.
Before all that happened, Park Minhyuk had chosen to take the blame.
Of course, that didn’t mean Minhyuk was entirely without ulterior motives.
“Well, I had my reasons for going along with it. So don’t worry. Just do your job, Team Leader.”
“....”
Looking like he had more to say, Park Minhyuk stole glances at Seohu—but in the end, said nothing.
TV news broadcast:
“A newly emerged S-rank Supporter capable of buffs, healing, and purification has become a hot topic. Around 11:30 AM, the Great Dungeon raid team returned safely, and the mysterious Supporter...”
The TV showing the dungeon site abruptly went black. A faint wisp of smoke trailed over its darkened screen.
A man lowered his phone after a call and approached his superior.
“...He went there of his own will. His current confirmed location is the Association.”
Hearing the report, the superior stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
“Of course he did. Looks like Kang Haeil got played.”
A low voice tinged with amusement.
“What will you do?”
He stood up from his seat. Though the cigarette was out, smoke continued to curl in the air around him.
Brushing aside the dark crimson hair falling over his forehead, the man gave a simple order:
“Go get him.”

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