Ryu Sunghyun, frozen on the spot, was overwhelmed by the murderous intent so thick it was hard to believe it came from such a small frame.
"Hyung!"
A guild member who had followed behind him grabbed his shoulder with a concerned look.
"What’s wrong? Are you okay?"
"...It’s nothing."
Barely managing to pull himself together, Ryu Sunghyun glanced at the guild member before looking back at the child.
But the child had already turned away, resting her forehead against the shoulder of the man holding her. The murderous aura had disappeared without a trace.
It felt like he had just woken from a dream. While Ryu Sunghyun was still dazed, the guild member tugged on his arm.
"Guildmaster Kwon is calling for you. Looks like he wants to discuss something."
Ryu Sunghyun hesitated for a moment, glancing between the man and the group of guild members, but eventually followed after his teammate.
Walking over to where Kwon Taehyuk stood, he found the representatives of each guild already gathered. As the last to arrive, the others turned to look at him simultaneously. Among them, a hunter who had been wearing a particularly sour expression twisted his lips when his eyes met Ryu Sunghyun's.
"Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin," Kwon Taehyuk said, glancing around at the gathered representatives.
"As you all have probably noticed, the number of monsters inside is much higher than previous records. We need to come up with countermeasures."
"Have you identified the cause?"
"This is the first time something like this has happened, and without a dungeon expert, we can’t analyze the situation properly."
"That's troublesome. With the monster numbers fluctuating like this, everyone's fatigue is going to skyrocket."
"At least it’s a B-rank dungeon and not a long one..."
The representatives all wore troubled expressions at the dungeon's unexpected change.
Even if the dungeon wasn’t high-ranked, a single mistake could cost lives. As those responsible, they had no choice but to take it seriously.
If it weren’t for the fact that the Yesung Guild—the top guild in Korea—was leading the raid, the complaints would have been far more aggressive.
They all knew it wasn't the organizer's fault, but they still wanted to preemptively decide who to blame if things went wrong.
"There won’t be an issue clearing the dungeon with Vice Guildmaster Ryu Sunghyun and me leading."
Kwon Taehyuk, sensing their intentions, calmly continued as if he hadn't noticed.
It was true that the situation had become more dangerous than planned, and he was willing to take responsibility for that. There was no need to waste time pointing fingers. Right now, gathering opinions to safely clear the dungeon was the priority.
"We'll maintain the current formation, but Vice Guildmaster Ryu Sunghyun and I will take the lead. We’ll handle as many monsters as possible to reduce the burden on the others. Hunter Ryu Sunghyun, do you agree?"
Kwon Taehyuk looked at him, and Ryu Sunghyun nodded.
"I’m fine with that. But please extend the rest periods. The frontline dealers are getting really exhausted."
"Of course, that’s—"
"Extend the rest periods?"
A sharp voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
It was the same hunter who had mocked Ryu Sunghyun earlier. He leaned lazily on one leg, sneering.
"Monsters are already slowing us down, and now you want to add even longer breaks? What are you thinking?"
"I don't know about that. Our guild members aren’t struggling. Isn’t it ➤ NоvеIight ➤ (Read more on our source) just your guild that's having a hard time?"
Ryu Sunghyun kept his composure, but at those words, he couldn’t help narrowing his eyes.
"Even if it's a B-rank dungeon, how can you bring low-ranked guild members to a joint raid?"
"......"
"If you want to work your low-ranked members to the bone, you should do it in your own guild-owned dungeon."
Knowing full well that the Circle Guild didn't own a dungeon due to its small size, the other hunter deliberately brought it up. Despite the provocation, Ryu Sunghyun only pressed his lips tightly together.
The other hunters, watching the scene, wore uncomfortable expressions but didn’t step forward to support Ryu Sunghyun. After all, they weren't as exhausted as the Circle Guild and wanted to clear the dungeon faster rather than take more breaks.
Just as the tense atmosphere thickened and Ryu Sunghyun endured the humiliation in silence, Kwon Taehyuk sighed, about to step in and mediate—
"How about this, everyone? Instead of longer breaks, why don’t we just tighten the schedule—"
Thud!
"Ugh!"
The hunter, excited at the thought that the tide was turning in his favor, was suddenly knocked flat with a loud impact.
"Hello~?"
Startled by the crash, the representatives lifted their heads to see where the cheerful voice came from.
Beneath a cascade of jet-black hair, impossibly pale skin contrasted sharply. The dungeon, dull and oppressive, seemed almost to brighten for a moment thanks to the man's strikingly handsome face and soft smile.
Not only Kwon Taehyuk but even Ryu Sunghyun was shocked. Especially Ryu Sunghyun, who hadn't even managed to greet him properly earlier, now faced him in such a chaotic situation.
"I asked nicely several times to move aside, but you kept ignoring me. So, I had no choice but to push a little aggressively."
The man's innocent words shifted the representatives’ attention from the fallen hunter to him.
"A little aggressively...?"
"You literally kicked him in the back."
The hunter who had been knocked over, his face flushed with humiliation, jumped to his feet and shouted.
"What the fuck? Who do you think you are?!"
"Guildmaster Ronik."
Kwon Taehyuk furrowed his brow at the outburst, but before he could intervene, the man answered brightly.
"Me? I’m a guild representative."
"What?"
"I said, I’m a guild representative. Isn't this a meeting for guild representatives? I don’t see why I was excluded."
He smiled casually and glanced at Kwon Taehyuk. Remembering belatedly that, although small, he was indeed a guildmaster, Kwon Taehyuk clicked his tongue inwardly.
"You’re a guild representative?"
Facing Ronik Guildmaster’s suspicious glare, the man introduced himself.
"Yes. I’m Cha Seohu, Guildmaster of One Guild. B-rank, supporter."
"B-rank?"
"You got kicked by a supporter..."
The other representatives began whispering amongst themselves after hearing Cha Seohu's words. Realizing the situation, Ronik's face turned even redder.
"Anyway, I’m interested in the discussion you were having."
Ignoring Ronik completely, Cha Seohu directed his words at Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun.
"I agree that we should increase the clearing speed. Staying in this dreary dungeon for more than three days would be awful."
"Hunter Cha Seohu. We appreciate your input, but we can’t set the pace based only on that reason. Some hunters won’t be able to keep up—"
"What if I could help those struggling hunters regain their stamina?"
Cha Seohu interrupted, flashing a refreshing smile.
"Vice Guildmaster Ryu. You mentioned your guild members are struggling. Wouldn’t it be easier if they had a supporter helping them?"
"That’s..."
The Circle Guild, already suffering from a lack of supporters, would certainly benefit. But accepting help from a stranger wasn't an easy decision.
While Ryu Sunghyun hesitated, Cha Seohu made the decision for him.
"I’ll assist the Circle Guild members. Other guilds said they don’t have struggling members, so problem solved, right?"
"A single B-rank supporter won’t be able to handle four people."
"Even if it's hard, it has to be done. It’s not like I’ll be suffering alone."
At his nonchalant reply, Kwon Taehyuk turned a questioning gaze toward Ryu Sunghyun.
"Hunter Ryu Sunghyun, do you agree?"
"...Understood."
"Problem solved, then. I look forward to working with you during the dungeon raid, Vice Guildmaster Ryu."
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Cha Seohu brightly extended his hand for a handshake. Looking down at the neatly offered hand with an awkward expression, Ryu Sunghyun finally grasped it.
"Yes... I look forward to working with you too."
He had wanted to greet him earlier, but he hadn’t expected things to unfold like this.
'Is he trying to repay the favor because I helped him last time...?'
If that was the reason, it felt even more burdensome.
Still, it was already decided. Refusing now would just make things more awkward. It was true that the Circle Guild alone was struggling to keep up.
'If only our guild were a bit stronger... No, even just having one properly affiliated supporter would have made a difference...'
It was a thought that crossed his mind every time they faced a situation like this. Ryu Sunghyun bit his lip, suppressing the frustration rising inside him.
[Main Quest: Successfully clear a B-rank or higher dungeon with the villain. (Remaining Time: 4 days, 1 hour, 12 minutes)]

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