Without hesitation, Cover entered the front gate of the Royal Palace and immediately sensed a powerful energy approaching fast from the opposite side.
Just as he passed through Gate of Flourishing Rites and arrived at the front gate of the Royal Palace, Cover raised a hand in greeting when he recognized the face rushing toward him. But the other person scowled sharply the moment he spotted him.
“You...!”
“Yesung Guild—urk!”
With his dark blue hair whipping behind him, Kwon Taehyuk reached Cover in a single bound and, without even a greeting, grabbed him by the collar.
What the hell? This feels oddly familiar...
While Cover stood dazed from the strange sense of déjà vu, Kwon Taehyuk shook him by the collar and growled,
“Where the hell have you been?!”
“...Huh?”
“Can’t you see the situation’s a complete disaster?”
“Excuse me?”
Cover blinked as he flapped in the air like a piece of paper, dragged back and forth by Kwon Taehyuk’s grip.
A disaster, huh? He never expected that kind of language from Kwon Taehyuk. Though, to be fair, the situation really was a mess.
Still, the way Kwon Taehyuk spoke—as if it was only natural that Cover should have come to help—was baffling. Clearly, Kwon Taehyuk had gotten the wrong idea about him.
Well... I did come to help, sort of.
Though technically, he had come to find Kwak Seunggyu.
His plan was to check the place where he’d first seen Kwak Seunggyu, then head to Hall of Pure Governance to intercept him. He hadn’t expected to run into Kwon Taehyuk the moment he passed through the front gate of the Royal Palace.
“Ahem, Guildmaster Kwon.”
Cover subtly pried Kwon Taehyuk’s hand off his collar and started with the most urgent explanation.
“Support teams have arrived outside and are securing the civilians. I already cleaned things up a bit, so it should be mostly under control.”
The reason Kwon Taehyuk had rushed into the front gate of the Royal Palace was obvious—he must have realized that a few monsters had breached the perimeter and came charging in.
As expected, upon hearing that reinforcements had arrived, some of the tension left Kwon Taehyuk’s twisted expression. Still, his sharp gaze didn’t let up.
Why the hell did it have to be this uptight guy? Cover grumbled inwardly as he subtly tried to widen the distance between them.
“Well, since I’ve given my report, I’ll be on my—”
“Wait.”
A large hand clamped down firmly on the back of his neck.
Startled by the unfamiliar contact—far worse than being grabbed by the collar—Cover instinctively hunched his shoulders. But Kwon Taehyuk only tightened his grip.
“And just where do you think you’re going? There are still monsters left to deal with.”
“...And what does that have to do with me?”
Kwon Taehyuk’s black eyes flashed at the reluctant response, veins bulging on the hand gripping Cover’s neck.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Then why are you even here?”
Cover groaned under the pressure. He wasn’t exaggerating—it really hurt.
“I came for something else!”
“Something else?”
Kwon Taehyuk hesitated, then finally released him. With a slightly uncertain expression, he studied Cover and asked,
“If it’s something else... are you here looking for someone?”
Huh? How did he know? Cover, who was indeed looking for Kwak Seunggyu, couldn’t answer right away. His hesitation only deepened Kwon Taehyuk’s certainty.
“Are you here to meet Hunter Cha Seohu?”
“Ah.”
Right. Thanks to Eun Woojeong, there’d been that misunderstanding earlier about them knowing each other.
How should I even react to this?
Rubbing his masked jaw in thought, Cover eventually nodded.
“Let’s say... something like that.”
It was a vague answer, but it was the best he could offer. It was already bad enough that Kwon Taehyuk knew he was acquainted with Cha Seohu—there was no need to make it sound like they were close.
Still, Kwon Taehyuk didn’t drop his troubled expression.
“Hunter Cha Seohu evacuated earlier.”
“I see.”
Pretending not to know would probably only drag the conversation out longer, so Cover nodded easily. But that only made Kwon Taehyuk look like he had even more to say.
What is with this guy? Cover, getting frustrated, was just about to speak up when—
SCREEEEEEE!
“Urgh...”
A piercing noise erupted from above, sending a chill crawling over their skin. Both Cover and Kwon Taehyuk immediately turned toward the rift.
Skreeeee! Skrrrk!
Beastly cries echoed from inside the rift. Cover’s brow furrowed.
Another wave already? Again?
As if to confirm this was no ordinary rift, dozens of hands stretched out from the red glow inside.
Damp, sinewy, mummified arms with flesh clinging to bone. Bulging eyes protruding from twisted humanoid faces—disgusting monsters in the shape of goblins.
A whole swarm of goblins spilled from the rift. There were easily over fifty. If they weren’t contained here in the front gate of the Royal Palace, the damage would be catastrophic.
Noticing a group of them landing near Main throne hall, Kwon Taehyuk muttered, clearly for Cover to hear,
“Hunter Ryu Sunghyun must be holding the line alone.”
“...What?”
Cover’s heart dropped at the familiar name. Grabbing Kwon Taehyuk’s arm, he asked,
“Are you saying the Circle Vice Guildmaster is guarding Main throne hall alone?”
“The last wave wasn’t fully cleared yet, so... wait!”
Before Kwon Taehyuk could finish, Cover shot off like an arrow. Kwon Taehyuk, narrowing his eyes, chased after him.
So Cover, like Cha Seohu, is connected to Hunter Ryu Sunghyun too.
Once, that might have seemed suspicious. But now, what intrigued Kwon Taehyuk more was the connection between Cha Seohu and Cover. Just what kind of relationship did they have?
Could it really be... like that bastard hinted...?
Kwon Taehyuk shook the thought away with a sigh. This wasn’t the time for speculation.
Leaving Kwon Taehyuk behind, Cover sprinted past Gate of Flourishing Rites and Bridge of Eternal Relief, arriving at his original destination—Gate of Diligent Governance. But the walls had collapsed from earlier battles, and the spot where Kwak Seunggyu had been standing was buried in debris.
Damn it.
He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. Losing the one lead he’d managed to uncover left him with a bitter taste.
Clicking his tongue, Cover swept the area with his eyes one last time, then passed through Gate of Diligent Governance. With the clue now lost, Ryu Sunghyun’s safety became his top priority.
Thankfully, he hadn’t strayed far from the location Kwon Taehyuk mentioned. Near the massive Main throne hall, Cover spotted Ryu Sunghyun taking down monsters. His soft brown hair swayed amid the glow of his ever-beautiful skill.
“Vice Guildmaster!”
The shout left Cover’s lips before he realized it. Even though they had been together earlier—when he was Cha Seohu—it felt strangely good to see him again.
Startled by the call, Ryu Sunghyun turned. The hard expression on his face melted away, replaced by surprise.
“Cover Hunter?”
The familiar voice, the glint of blonde hair beneath the deep black cap—Ryu Sunghyun’s face lit up.
He had only hoped to see Cover again after the competition. He’d never truly expected it. Just as he was about to greet him with a smile—
“Your gloves!”
“...What?”
Cover didn’t stop running as he shouted,
“What happened to your gloves?!”
He’d wanted to ask since earlier, ever since their time together as Cha Seohu.
“Oh...”
Realizing belatedly that he’d stored them in his inventory, Ryu Sunghyun scratched his head awkwardly as Cover arrived and spoke again.
“Why aren’t you using them? You didn’t sell them, did you?”
“They’re in my inventory. I just... didn’t want them to get damaged...”
“I’ll buy you ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) new ones if they break. Just put them on.”
Cover sighed deeply, and Ryu Sunghyun obediently retrieved the gloves and slipped them on.
His words were sharp, but they didn’t feel unpleasant. If anything, the fact that Cover was treating him the same way as during the competition was comforting.
Once he confirmed Ryu Sunghyun had his gloves on, Cover drew his sword and sliced through a goblin lunging at him. Then he opened his quest window to recheck Kwak Seunggyu’s location.
Kwak Seunggyu – Current Location: Beside Hall of Pure Governance
What the hell is that bastard doing over there?
Did he hide a treasure chest or something?
Though Kwak Seunggyu’s lack of movement was suspicious, it worked in Cover’s favor. Hoping he’d stay there a bit longer, Cover turned back to Ryu Sunghyun.
“You’ve been alone this whole time? Anyone else come by—besides Guildmaster Kwon?”
“No.”
Then, as if something came to mind, Ryu Sunghyun quickly added,
“Oh, if you’re worried about Hunter Cha Seohu—he evacuated earlier.”
“...Hah.”
Kwon Taehyuk and now Ryu Sunghyun, both talking about Cha Seohu like it was the most natural thing in the world. Cover couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“No, the person I’m looking for isn’t Cha Seohu, it’s—”
“Me, I assume.”
Before Cover could finish, another voice cut in—one he knew all too well.
Clink. The sound of chains accompanied the arrival of Eun Woojeong, leaping from behind Main throne hall, masked and grinning. Like a spider riding its web, he swung in on shining white chains. Cover raised his sword.
Eun Woojeong chuckled at the pointed blade aimed at him.
“It’s been a while. Isn’t this a bit much for a reunion?”
Not in the mood to play along, Cover replied coldly,
“Changed careers while I wasn’t looking? You’ve been spewing a lot of bullshit.”
“Bullshit? Ah...”
With an exaggerated shrug, Eun Woojeong smirked.
“If you didn’t want me to misunderstand, you shouldn’t have come running all this way. Who’d believe you only came for Cha Seohu?”
“Your belief means jack shit. I told you, there’s nothing between me and Cha Seohu.”
Just then, Kwon Taehyuk finally arrived, having been delayed dealing with monsters.
Eun Woojeong glanced between Ryu Sunghyun and the scowling Kwon Taehyuk beside Cover, then spoke again.
“But didn’t you already meet him? You clearly know what I said. Huh, guess Hunter Cha Seohu really is the tattling type. Or maybe... it’s just you?”
“...Ha.”
The urge to blow his cover and expose Eun Woojeong’s identity surged violently. Gritting his teeth, Cover forced it down. With a swift motion, he turned his blade to slice through a goblin lunging at him, blood splattering through the air as more goblins swarmed in.
“If you’re just here to talk shit, get lost. I’m busy.”
“Did Cha Seohu not tell you? I came here to see you. Once we’re done here, let’s find a quiet place to talk.”
But the next reply didn’t come from Cover.
“No.”
Kwon Taehyuk, glaring at Cover, cut in.
“I’m first. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”
He meant back during the competition—when Cover ran off instead of talking. Seeing this, even Ryu Sunghyun hesitantly stepped in.
“Um... Cover Hunter. If it’s okay, I’d like to speak with you too...”
“......”
Three pairs of eyes stared at him intently. Cover rubbed at his aching eyes.
God, I really want to throw all this shit away and disappear.
[Main Quest: Locate the lab personnel hiding somewhere in the event grounds. (Time remaining: 6 hours 13 minutes)]

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