Kwon Taehyuk glanced between Cha Seohu’s hand resting on the back of his own and Seohu’s face, then asked:
“Hide you? What do you mean...?”
“I need to use my skill to heal the injured,” Seohu said, withdrawing his hand and stepping away. “But I don’t want others to find out.”
He continued walking.
“I don’t mind using the skill itself. The problem is, even though it’s an area skill, I don’t know the exact range. So I can’t stray too far from where the injured are.”
Seohu lifted his gaze and looked around.
The sudden rift and monster appearance had reduced everything to rubble. There wasn’t anywhere left to hide.
The throne hall in the distance was relatively intact, but it was far too removed from the injured.
No matter how powerful an S-rank AoE skill was, it had limits. If he was lucky, it might reach, but there wasn’t enough time to bet on uncertainty.
“I have to use the skill right here where the injured are... but there might still be CCTV, and drone cameras are a concern too.”
“So that’s why you asked me to hide you? But...”
“Yes. Obviously it won’t be perfect. But what choice do we have? There are too many hurt people.”
“......”
“Could I borrow your coat? At least to cover my face. And I need to head to where the Vice Guildmaster of Circle is...”
“I understand.”
Kwon Taehyuk, watching anxiously as Seohu picked his way around the demon blood splattered across the ground, finally couldn’t take it anymore and reached out to grab his arm.
So as not to startle him, he gently pulled Seohu onto his polished shoes.
Caught off guard as he ended up standing atop Kwon Taehyuk’s feet, Seohu looked confused.
Kwon sighed.
“Try not to step on the ground unless you have to. It’s dangerous.”
“No, it’s fine, really—”
As Seohu pushed against his shoulder awkwardly, uncomfortable in the position, Kwon Taehyuk preempted him and wrapped an arm around his waist, then kicked off the ground.
‘This guy doesn’t even pretend to listen.’
Kwon Taehyuk knew full well that Seohu didn’t like physical contact, and yet here he was, doing whatever he wanted. It was infuriating.
As Kwon ran toward the Gate of Flourishing Rites, Seohu glared at the back of his head—but when their eyes met, he just smiled.
‘Fine. Do whatever you want.’
It was more convenient this way anyway.
Inside, he gave a thumbs-up to Kwon’s obsessive sense of protection. Honestly, they didn’t have time to argue about trivial things.
When they arrived in front of the gate, Ryu Sunghyun, who had been moving injured people, widened his eyes in surprise.
“Hunter Cha Seohu?”
“Good to see you again.”
Seohu nodded toward him and quickly scanned the area. There were easily more than twenty wounded lying on the ground, and far more demon blood soaked this area than around the Gate of Eternal Relief.
Ryu Sunghyun had been shifting unconscious Hunters into the center, and surprisingly, Eun Woojeong was still helping, moving bodies using his chains. Apparently, his earlier comment about not wanting to get on Cover’s bad side had been sincere.
Kwon Taehyuk carefully ensured the area was clear of demon blood before setting Seohu down. Ryu Sunghyun approached and looked around.
“It’s dangerous here. Why did you...? Where’s Cover Hunter?”
“Ah, she had something else to do, so she went ahead...”
“She ran off again. She said she’d bring Hunter Cha Seohu, but sent him alone and vanished.”
Kwon Taehyuk cut Seohu off sharply. His voice carried a heavy dose of bitterness, and Ryu Sunghyun turned to Seohu in confusion.
“You came here to...?”
“To heal the injured.”
“...Sorry?”
Ryu Sunghyun looked utterly baffled, and Seohu responded with a slight smile.
“I have a healing skill.”
He had to tell him anyway, and it might as well be now.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have bothered—but this was Ryu Sunghyun. If he knew Seohu had healing abilities, he might ask for help again in the future. And when Ryu needed buffs or healing, Seohu wanted to be the one to help him.
“You have... healing skills? But I thought you were a buffer?”
Ryu Sunghyun still didn’t understand. His frown deepened with skepticism, but Seohu didn’t mind.
“You don’t have to believe me. I’ll just show you.”
Seeing is believing, right?
That simple phrase made Ryu Sunghyun blink slowly—and something shifted in his gaze.
[“Seeing is believing. You know that, right?”]
Cover had said the exact same thing.
Ryu Sunghyun recalled that moment in the dark hallway—her face hidden behind a mask, her pale blond hair glowing under moonlight.
That memory convinced him.
‘So they really do know each other...’
He hadn’t fully believed it before. The idea that Cover and Cha Seohu had some connection didn’t feel real. But now, with that uncanny similarity, he couldn’t deny it.
‘Cover... must’ve joined the competition because Cha Seohu asked her to.’
It had felt suspiciously sudden at the time. He never imagined the mystery would unravel like this.
Of course, it didn’t erase the gratitude he felt toward Cover. But realizing she had helped him as a favor to someone else... it stung.
As Ryu Sunghyun stood silently, lost in thought, Seohu turned to Eun Woojeong. He hadn’t moved closer, merely watched from a distance.
Seohu had plans for him too.
He’d already witnessed Seohu using divine power during the previous rift incident. He wouldn’t leave just because he was told to, so if he already knew, Seohu might as well make use of it.
“You should help, too. Cover said you would.”
At the mention of “Cover,” both Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun narrowed their eyes.
Eun Woojeong tilted his head.
“Hm. And what do I get out of helping?”
“Ask Cover.”
Seohu deflected shamelessly, leaving Eun Woojeong to snort inside his mask.
“You think she’ll even meet with me?”
“Of course. We made a deal, after all. Isn’t it a bit untrusting of you?”
He implied Cover still had something to collect from Eun Woojeong—so she’d show up.
Eun Woojeong seemed to understand the hint and clicked his tongue.
“What do you want me to do?”
With Eun Woojeong now looped in as well, Seohu looked up.
Right on cue, the sound of buzzing filled the air, and a black object appeared in the distance.
Just as Seohu had suspected: now that the rift was gone and the monsters had disappeared, the drones were returning.
They had to act before the cameras started filming.
Without taking his eyes off the incoming drone, Seohu spoke.
“If the three of you help me, this will be over quickly.”
Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, and Eun Woojeong stood in a loose triangle around Seohu, shielding him.
Seohu hid behind their tall, broad bodies, draped in Kwon Taehyuk’s long black coat. Even flying drones couldn’t catch a clear view of his face—maybe just a leg or part of his outfit at most.
They could’ve used Ryu Sunghyun’s skill to conceal him, but that would’ve interfered with measuring the skill’s range.
To heal as many as possible, Seohu needed to see who needed help and act quickly.
‘So damn inconvenient.’
He hadn’t realized before regression how much of a pain hiding his identity would be.
“Activating skill.”
《Skill: Divine Power (S-rank) activated!》
《Holy energy overflows!》
As soon as the skill activated, pure white light burst from Seohu’s body. Ryu Sunghyun, standing to his left and shielding him, widened his eyes at the brilliance.
《Due to the high level of Divine Power, special effects are added!》
Fuck.
The familiar status window appeared, and Seohu swore internally.
As before, the thing he hated most appeared—those luminous wings unfurled behind him, made entirely of light.
《All who witness the Divine Power are filled with awe!》
“...Whoa.”
Ryu Sunghyun gaped at the sudden wings.
God, this is so embarrassing.
Seohu blushed under the coat, drawing in more power to speed things up and end it quickly.
The radiant light spread far and wide, flying outward and seeping into both the wounded and the demon blood soaking the ground.
“The wounds... they’re really healing...”
Ryu Sunghyun couldn’t contain his awe as he watched.
The injured were recovering rapidly. Torn flesh regenerated. Swollen, poisoned skin returned to normal. Deathly pale faces regained color.
Even the black, reeking demon blood turned to clear water the moment the light touched it.
Kwon Taehyuk and Eun Woojeong—seeing the purification effect for the first time—looked genuinely stunned.
The conscious Hunters stared blankly toward the light. Though they couldn’t see who cast the skill, they couldn’t tear their eyes away—possibly due to the awe effect tied to Divine Power.
There were more drones in the air than before, but thanks to the human wall and the coat, they couldn’t # Nоvеlight # get a good shot. Seohu was glad he had the foresight to shield himself with people.
Everyone near the Gate of Flourishing Rites was now fully healed, but there were still injured people beyond the Gate of Eternal Relief. The light hadn’t reached that far.
He considered moving positions when suddenly—
Ding!
《Hidden Quest unlocked!》
《Hidden Quest: Heal 50 injured with Divine Power (B-rank)》
《Quest Complete!》
《You are granted a reward for completing the Hidden Quest.》
《New Divine Power effect added!》
《Contemplative Prayer: S-rank (Divine Power Effect) acquired!》
[Contemplative Prayer: S-rank (Divine Power Effect)]
If you clasp your hands together, the skill’s effect is amplified and the range is extended.
Seohu blinked with a dead expression.
Is this system actually insane?
Now it was literally telling him to pray? Or was it just pretending to be prayer?
[Main Quest: Capture the hidden research staff somewhere in the event venue. (Time Remaining: 3 hours 43 minutes)]

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