As the cover retreated, the commentators, who had been quietly observing the match, spoke up with a tone of surprise.
— "Looks like Cover Hunter won’t be fighting."
— "It’s a direct duel between Hunter Park Heeseok and Hunter Ryu Sunghyun!"
— "Hunter Park Heeseok has prior experience from defeating Red Blood Guild in a previous match, and he’s been shown fighting in the media plenty of times. But isn’t this actually Hunter Ryu Sunghyun’s first competition appearance?"
— "That’s right. He has far less public data available compared to Hunter Park Heeseok. Which is why it’ll be interesting to see how he fights in this debut match."
“Park Heeseok! Park Heeseok! Park Heeseok!”
Cheers for Park Heeseok erupted through the crowd, louder than even the commentators’ voices. No matter how closely one listened, there wasn’t a single voice cheering for Ryu Sunghyun.
It was as if everyone wanted only Park Heeseok to win. Yet amidst it all, Ryu Sunghyun—his opponent—felt only one person’s gaze truly reaching him.
Cover. He didn’t need any grand declarations to know. Cover genuinely believed Ryu Sunghyun would win.
“How... how can he be so sure?”
Flaaash—a radiant light burst forth from Ryu Sunghyun’s hand, quickly forming into shape.
Holding a long, golden longsword, Ryu Sunghyun once again returned to the question that had lingered since the day he met Cover.
“Why is he so certain I’ll win?”
Just as Park Heeseok tried to go after Cover, Ryu Sunghyun stepped in front of him, sword raised. With a horizontal sweep—whoosh—he slashed, forcing Park Heeseok to dodge and bare his teeth with a growl.
“Ryu Sunghyun!”
His voice, rough and laced with a beast’s snarl, sent a chill down the spine. Park Heeseok’s white irises gleamed with fury as he faced the one daring to obstruct him.
The masked bastard called Cover was annoying, sure—but Ryu Sunghyun had been a thorn in his side far longer. In a way, this was perfect. Now he had a chance to clear out all these irritating pests in one go and break through to the Nexus.
Setting his sights on Ryu Sunghyun first, Park Heeseok charged. Clang! Clang!—his claws clashed with the golden blade midair several times.
“Is that all you've got?!”
Park Heeseok slapped the blade aside and suddenly closed the distance.
“Urgh!”
Crunch!—just a momentary lapse in defense, and Ryu Sunghyun’s forearm was inside Park Heeseok’s mouth. He pulled back before it could be torn off, but sharp teeth sliced his arm open.
Gritting his teeth against the burning pain, Ryu Sunghyun quickly regained his stance. Another burst of light erupted.
The new light became thick chains of iron that coiled around Park Heeseok’s body. These chains were stronger and heavier than the earlier whip. While they restricted his movements, Ryu Sunghyun struck again.
Whoosh!
His sword sliced through the air, aiming straight for Park Heeseok’s shoulder. But even bound, Park Heeseok twisted his upper body and dodged easily.
“Pathetic bastard!”
Aiming for the shoulder when the neck is wide open? Even if that wasn’t Ryu Sunghyun’s intention, to Park Heeseok, it felt like an insultingly weak decision.
GROWL! With a feral roar, he flexed his arms. Muscles bulged, and the chains trembled—until they finally snapped.
Clang!
“You’re hopeless, Ryu Sunghyun!”
“Ugh, huh!”
Immediately after breaking free, Park Heeseok lunged and grabbed Ryu Sunghyun by the collar, slamming him into the ground.
CRASH!
“Guh...!”
The impact was hard enough to crack the floor. Blood burst from Ryu Sunghyun’s mouth. And it didn’t stop—Park Heeseok kept lifting him up and slamming him down like a punching bag.
CRASH! BANG! THUD!
“Ggh...!”
Over and over, Ryu Sunghyun was smashed into the ground. A high-pitched ring filled his ears, and his vision spun.
"As expected of Park Heeseok Hunter!"
"He’s just too strong. This isn’t even close."
Cheers erupted for Park Heeseok. The commentators yelled. Cover... watched him with unwavering faith.
Everything tangled inside Ryu Sunghyun’s dazed mind. It felt like all his senses were submerged underwater.
“I knew it’d end like this.”
With a lion’s face, Park Heeseok smirked as he sneered.
He tossed Ryu Sunghyun’s tattered body aside. He rolled across the arena floor, colliding with broken debris.
“Guh... ugh...”
Blood poured out as Ryu Sunghyun lifted his head. His forehead had split open, sticky fluids dripping down.
“Can I win...?”
The question clawed at him. Can I really win?
Even among S-ranks, experience, skill, and ability divided the strong from the weak. The rank was just a final grade. There were S-ranks far beyond the minimum threshold.
Ryu Sunghyun had never once felt confident in his strength. He was just labeled “S-rank” after the test. Others said he was strong—so he believed it.
[You can win.]
A clear voice echoed in the gray fog of his mind.
[Because we have you, Vice-Guildmaster.]
Cover believed in him. Completely.
[You’ve always been strong.]
Words he’d never heard before. "Strong"? Others would laugh. But Cover said it plainly, without a hint of hesitation.
Ryu Sunghyun didn’t understand him. That faith just felt like pressure. But now...
“......”
Lifting his gaze, he saw Cover watching from afar. Blood blurred his vision. The mask covered the face. The distance was far.
And yet, he didn’t want to fall while Cover was watching. He felt... the desire to meet his expectations.
“This ends now.”
As Ryu Sunghyun slowly rose, using a shard of debris to steady himself, Park Heeseok approached with raised claws.
And in that moment—
FLASH!
Ryu Sunghyun raised his gloved hand. A spotlight-like light beamed down from above, illuminating Park Heeseok.
“Tch. Another useless trick...”
Park Heeseok paused briefly, then scoffed at the harmless-looking light. But as he moved—
SSSSHHHHK!
The light thickened—and started burning.
“GAAH—w-what «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the hell?!”
His eyes shot open, only to be blinded. Everything went white. He squeezed his eyes shut, flailing.
SSSSSHHHK!
The scorching light pressed down, burning skin, releasing smoke.
“FUCK! AAAAAAGH!”
No matter how far he ran, the light followed. With eyes shut, he couldn’t escape.
Meanwhile, Ryu Sunghyun rose completely, waving his hand like a commander.
Behind him, a golden halo and seven swords appeared. Holding the sword he never let go of, Ryu Sunghyun charged at the screaming Park Heeseok.
CHIIING!
The seven golden swords followed. They pierced into Park Heeseok’s large frame, slicing through flesh.
“......!”
Park Heeseok opened his eyes from the pain, just in time to see Ryu Sunghyun emerging from the pillar of golden light.
Same stance. Same sword. But this time—it was different.
The blade slashed clean across Park Heeseok’s chest.
SLASH!
Blood scattered through golden light. With that strike, Park Heeseok collapsed, crushed by the weight of light.
“Hah... hah...”
Only once Park Heeseok fell did Ryu Sunghyun finally release the light. Blood and sweat dripped from his chin.
WOW... WOOOOAAAHH!
The crowd, who had held their breath, erupted in delayed cheers. The commentators were ecstatic.
— “Unbelievable! Ryu Sunghyun has defeated Park Heeseok!”
— “This is why light-element skills are so incredible! Simple in form, devastating in power!”
— “Honestly, I thought Park Heeseok had it mid-match. But Hunter Ryu Sunghyun’s resilience is astounding.”
Despite his inexperience, Ryu Sunghyun had used the inherent power of “light” and borrowed from Cover and Kwon Taehyuk’s styles to deliver a perfect blow. Since this wasn’t a death match but a competition, this was more than enough to call it his victory.
As the praise rained down, Ryu Sunghyun turned immediately toward Cover.
The moment their eyes met, Cover raised a confident thumbs-up.
“Hah...”
It felt like he was saying, “Didn’t I tell you you’d win?” and Ryu Sunghyun couldn’t help but smile.
RUMBLE!
That’s when Park Heeseok, unconscious for a short time, came to.
He staggered upright, blood dripping from between his teeth.
Even while they fought, the battle between teams raged on. But Cover had already knocked out three A-ranks, and Ronik’s assault squad couldn’t break through to the Nexus.
And now, he himself had fallen.
Grinding his teeth, Park Heeseok assessed quickly. Ryu Sunghyun was tired from their fight, but Circle still had S-rank Cover.
Cover had been relatively quiet so far, but now that Ryu Sunghyun had defeated him, he’d likely make a move to take the gem and secure victory.
The idea of Circle winning sparked a hot rage in Park Heeseok.
“Lose? To those bastards? Me? Ronik?”
“Fuck. FUCK!”
Those calm, golden eyes staring down at him were infuriating. And Cover’s unwavering belief in Ryu Sunghyun? Just as annoying.
No. This couldn’t be. Ronik had to win. No other result could be allowed.
With a growl, Park Heeseok suddenly sprang to his feet.
Ryu Sunghyun tensed, ready for another attack—but Park Heeseok charged right past him.
“What the—”
“Tch.”
Beside Ryu Sunghyun, Cover clicked his tongue.
“He’s rushing the Nexus. He knows he’ll lose otherwise and wants to force it through alone.”
“......!”
Realizing it too late, Ryu Sunghyun chased after him.
“We have to stop—!”
“No, Vice-Guildmaster.”
Cover stepped in his way.
“You’ve got a job to do. I’ll handle Park Heeseok.”
He gestured past Ryu Sunghyun’s shoulder—with his chin.
The Red Team Nexus. Five Ronik guild members were guarding it.
“Your skill is better for fighting multiple enemies. Go. I’ll stop him.”
“But—Cover Hunter!”
Park Heeseok radiated dangerous energy. Ryu Sunghyun hesitated, unsure if Cover could face him alone.
But Cover had already kicked off the ground, sprinting after Park Heeseok.
‘Right. There’s no time to hesitate.’
Steeling himself, Ryu Sunghyun ran in the opposite direction toward the Red Nexus. His lungs burned and legs ached—but there was no time to feel pain.
As he sprinted forward, a sudden thought struck him.
‘Wait... has Cover even used a skill yet?’
“Grrrgh! Out of my way!”
“W-we have to hold the line!”
BOOM! BOOM!
With the ground trembling under his feet, Park Heeseok charged like a wild beast. The Circle Guild members guarding the front of the Nexus paled with fear. Despite their terror, they still stood their ground, forcing Park Heeseok to exhale in frustration.
‘Persistent little shits!’
Everyone in Circle reminded him of Ryu Sunghyun. Weak, but annoyingly persistent like a swarm of gnats.
Without mercy, Park Heeseok plowed through the hunters blocking his path. Aagh! Screams rang out as they were flung to the side, unable to withstand his brute force.
At the rear of the formation, right in front of the Nexus steps, stood Han Goeun. She swallowed hard as Park Heeseok’s massive figure charged toward her at terrifying speed.
“Get lost!”
He snarled, fully aware that Han Goeun was a Supporter.
Faced with an S-rank’s bloodlust and the face of a lion, Han Goeun’s body trembled instinctively. But even as her face turned ghostly pale, she shouted back.
“I won’t let you through!”
And then she threw her arms up in front of the steps.
Her arms and hands were visibly shaking, but she didn’t move. Even as Park Heeseok stormed up to her face, she didn’t step aside.
“I said get out of my way!”
Panic surged in Park Heeseok. A powerful aura was closing in from behind at breakneck speed—Ryu Sunghyun, without a doubt.
He needed to clear the blockers and get to the Nexus before Ryu arrived. And yet this lowly Supporter didn’t run—she blocked him.
‘You son of a bitch!’
An overwhelming mix of panic, humiliation, and burning rage surged through him. Unable to suppress the searing emotions, Park Heeseok finally raised his hand and struck at Han Goeun.
It was something he would never have done under normal circumstances. He was a dealer—a guildmaster. Striking a Supporter, someone essentially the same as a civilian? And in full view of the crowd?
Gasp!
All at once, the spectators let out a horrified breath. But it was already too late.
Han Goeun squeezed her eyes shut as the massive beast’s claw swept toward her.
“Ggh...!”
SHLNK! The horrific sound of flesh being pierced, followed by a choked gasp.
When Han Goeun slowly opened her eyes, she was met with shock—the sight of someone standing in front of her, shielding her.
Park Heeseok’s eyes also went wide, stunned to see who had intercepted the blow.
“Haa...”
A quiet exhale came from behind a mask.
Park Heeseok’s beastly claws were massive—thicker and longer than most daggers. And now, two of those claws were buried deep through someone’s shoulders, jutting out from behind.
Gripping the claws impaled through his own shoulders, Cover spoke in a low, icy voice.
“You fucking disgrace... attacking a Supporter? Aren’t you supposed to be a dealer?”
[Main Quest: Win the competition match against the Ronik Guild alongside the Circle Guild. (Time remaining: 2 hours 24 minutes)]

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