I pulled Eun Woojeong’s coat over Cha Sahyeon’s head to hide her face, then held her tightly in my arms.
"Try not to show your face, okay?"
"Mm-hmm."
Even as I gave her the warning, the unease in my chest refused to settle.
I had no idea how to resolve this situation. I swallowed dryly, feeling the warmth of Cha Sahyeon’s body seep into me as she clung to my chest.
Once the reinforcements arrive, I’ll group up with them... then find a place to hide and activate the Hidden Skill—no, wait. What about the kid?
There was no way I could leave Sahyeon alone in a chaotic place like this.
And wasn’t Kwak Seunggyu nearby too? For all I knew, there could be even more lab-related scum around that neither I nor Kwon Taehyuk had identified yet. The more I thought back to Kwak’s expression right before the rift broke open, the more suspicious it seemed.
If it really was Kwak Seunggyu who created the rift...
Whether it was technically possible or not was beside the point—someone planning to cause a disaster of this scale wouldn’t be acting alone. There had to be someone protecting Kwak Seunggyu, especially since he wasn’t even Awakened.
Leaving Cha Sahyeon behind now would be far too dangerous. At the very least, I needed someone strong enough to protect her before I could move.
Nothing’s going the way I need it to.
Suppressing the sigh rising up my throat, I followed Kwon Taehyuk out of Main throne hall.
Because of the rift, the sky was even darker than before. Not a single cloud in sight—the black sky now cracked open like shattered glass, streaked with electric-blue lightning flashing around the edges of the rift.
While we had been searching inside Main throne hall, it looked like Ryu Sunghyun had successfully evacuated everyone. There were no civilians in sight—just fallen event props and monster corpses scattered across the plaza. Kwon Taehyuk scanned the area, then pulled out weapons from his inventory.
Chiiing! Sharp blades rang out as five swords materialized, hovering in the air beside him. Turning toward me, Kwon Taehyuk spoke.
"The reinforcements will gather at the front gate of the Royal Palace. We’ll move through Bridge of Eternal Relief to get there."
"Got it."
Whatever came next, right now it was best to go along with Kwon Taehyuk. I also needed time to monitor Kwak Seunggyu’s movements while we made our way to the gate.
Kwak Seunggyu – current location: beside Hall of Pure Governance
Still no unusual activity... for now.
In the worst-case scenario, I had to be prepared to let him go.
It made no sense to risk Sahyeon’s life just to chase some lab bastards. Right now, her safety was the most important thing—and the only reason I was chasing the lab in the first place was because of her.
Losing the lead we’d come so far to get was a bitter pill to swallow... but I had no choice. I could only hope another opportunity would come around later.
I was just starting to gather my thoughts as we passed through Gate of Diligent Governance and raced toward Bridge of Eternal Relief when—
RUMBLE!
"...!"
The thunder shook the ground as bright lightning tore across the jet-black sky. A chill ran up my spine. When I looked up, I saw the color of the rift’s entrance changing.
Normally, rift entrances were deep blue—this was universal, regardless of rank. But now, the entrance was turning red at an alarming speed.
That starry blue, once like a galaxy, was mixing with crimson—like blood. And then, with a shattering sound, the rift split wider.
GIIIIIIING!
An earsplitting screech rang out.
A twisted, indescribable sound—one I knew all too well. That was the signal a new wave was about to begin. As expected, a fresh swarm of monsters burst out of the rift.
Kyaaak! Krek!
If the first wave had been crows, this one was bats. Giant bats, each the size of a grown man, flapped enormous wings as they came flooding out.
Kwon Taehyuk narrowed his eyes grimly at the sight.
"Vampire ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) bats..."
There were many types of bat monsters, but vampire bats were by far the most dangerous.
You could tell them by their protruding fangs and unnaturally red eyes. No doubt about it—the ones flooding out of the rift now were vampire bats.
Regular monsters that smashed anything in their path were bad enough, but vampire bats were even worse—they locked onto the scent of blood and pursued living creatures obsessively. And in the middle of the city? This was enough to trigger the highest-level rift emergency alert.
Skreee! Keeek! Kyaaak!
Dozens of bats soaring through the air turned and dove toward us. We were the closest living beings they could smell.
There were so many, it looked like a black cloud descending. Flight-type monsters like these were especially dangerous—they made it hard to move or escape once surrounded.
"Are you two here?!"
Just then, someone vaulted over the wall of Main throne hall and landed beside us—Ryu Sunghyun.
His body was wrapped in light, and his clothes were soaked with monster blood. It looked like he’d dealt with another group and rushed straight here.
"The wave started way faster than expected—ah..."
Ryu Sunghyun trailed off as he caught sight of me and Sahyeon, still cradled in my arms, behind Kwon Taehyuk. His eyes widened, and Kwon Taehyuk said firmly:
"We have to break through to the front gate of the Royal Palace."
"Understood."
Ryu Sunghyun quickly pulled more energy into his body, and the two of them positioned themselves in front of me.
I didn’t move. I just held Sahyeon tighter and stepped back. Right now, staying still was the best way to help them.
"They're coming."
Kwon Taehyuk’s warning came just as the vampire bats shrieked and dove down like arrows.
The wind whipped violently around us. Just before Kwon’s blades met the descending horde—
Clink!
A silvery flash shot past my face—chains rattling through the air.
Dozens of metal chains lashed out, slicing through the bat swarm. Hooks at the ends of the chains pierced bodies, burst skulls, and sent flesh and blood raining to the ground.
The sudden intervention stunned both Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun, who had been ready to strike. From behind them, I too saw the silver chains—recognizable chains.
That skill... no way...
Just as the thought crossed my mind, a familiar voice rang out.
"Long time no see."
I looked up and saw a man standing on the high roof of Gate of Diligent Governance. His white hair fluttered gently in the wind, just like his skill.
With a masked face, the man scanned each of us slowly before speaking again, voice smooth and tinged with amusement.
"Guildmaster of Yesung."
That amusement in his tone wasn’t my imagination.
He had been enjoying this whole thing from the start. I bit down hard on my lip.
Eun Woojeong...
I had my suspicions when he vanished during the evacuation. But I didn’t think he’d reveal himself this boldly.
Kwon Taehyuk’s expression was just as grim. Did he also know Eun Woojeong as the leader of Spiderweb, not just as an actor?
Kwon didn’t return the greeting. He simply stared up with caution.
Unbothered by the silence, Eun Woojeong jumped down from the roof, dismissing the chains one by one as he walked toward us.
The damage he’d done to the bat swarm left them hovering warily overhead, no longer diving in waves. Still, this was no time to let our guard down—but Eun Woojeong’s casual confidence made my skin crawl.
Each step he took sent the hem of his red robe fluttering. It was the same robe he wore whenever we met in cover operations. The energy radiating from it made it clear it was a defensive item.
"...Why are you here?"
Kwon Taehyuk asked with the same cold tone he used when dealing with cover agents.
Yeah... to Kwon Taehyuk, I really was in the same category as that bastard. Not that I hadn’t expected it.
"I didn’t really want to come uninvited either... but there’s someone I need to meet."
Eun Woojeong sighed playfully, fingers toying with the edge of his mask. Then he turned—looking straight at me, not Kwon Taehyuk.
"...?"
Even though I couldn’t see his face behind the mask, I could feel it—something wasn’t right.
The heavy weight of his stare pressed against my skin. It was disgusting. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Kwon Taehyuk pulled me slightly closer by the wrist, like he was trying to shield me.
Eun Woojeong let out a light laugh at the protective gesture.
"No need to glare like that. The person I’m looking for isn’t here."
"What?"
"Guildmaster Won."
He called out to me by that title. It was the first time he was addressing me as the leader of Spiderweb’s opposing faction, not as the usual undercover contact.
"I’m looking for Cover."
"...Excuse me?"
At the name that came out of Eun Woojeong’s mouth, I instinctively furrowed my brow. I blinked without responding, and he repeated himself.
"Cover. I thought it was about time she showed up, so I came to find her. You know where she is, don’t you?"
"..."
"You two are... very close, after all."
He emphasized the word close on purpose, tilting his head mockingly.
"Hah..."
A hollow laugh escaped me at his blatant provocation. Both Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun were staring daggers at me now.
[Main Quest: Capture the research lab member hiding somewhere in the venue (Time Remaining: 8 hours 27 minutes)]

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