"Guildmaster, are you not busy?"
"I'm fine. This isn't the time to be worrying about me."
Who said I was worried about you...
Apparently unable to read the dumbfounded look in Cha Seohu's eyes, Kwon Taehyuk kept talking without pause.
"I heard you signed up for the Great Dungeon raid team the moment recruitment opened. Is that true? Could it be that someone threatened you into applying? If so, you can cancel it right now—"
"Let's talk inside first. Move."
What the hell are we doing, blocking the entrance to someone else's guild building?
Cha Seohu shoved Kwon Taehyuk's shoulder, and despite being S-rank, the man staggered like a clump of weeds.
With Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun trailing behind him, Seohu climbed to the second floor, where a familiar figure greeted him from down the hall.
"Hunter Cha Seohu!"
Song Jiwoon ran over with a beaming smile.
"How have you been? Are you here to see the Guildmaster?"
"Yes. Have you been well too, Sanjigi-nim? Ah, I guess I shouldn't call you that anymore."
"I'm fine with it... but other titles work too."
Apparently delighted to see Seohu again, Song Jiwoon couldn't hide the joy on his face.
Ahh, an angel...
Just as Seohu thought how beautiful Jiwoon looked with his eyes crinkling and smiling brightly, his hand reached for the representative's office doorknob—when it happened.
"Ah, Hunter Cha Seohu. I heard the news. You're joining the Great Dungeon team."
"Yes."
"I'll be going to the Great Dungeon too. It'll be our first time entering one together."
"...What?"
Cha Seohu froze in place. His head creaked stiffly like a rusted machine as he turned to face Jiwoon.
"Why would you be in the Great Dungeon...?"
"There was an official letter from the government recommending participation. My brother also suggested I try it out..."
"By 'your brother,' do you mean... the current Circle Guildmaster?"
"Yes."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"...Pardon?"
Unaware of how rigid Seohu's expression had become, Jiwoon answered brightly—only to flinch at the ominous muttering.
Before Jiwoon could ask why, Seohu threw open the representative's office door without knocking and barked out in frustration.
"Are you out of your damn mind?"
"Hmm?"
Song Jiwon looked up from the documents he was reading.
Gone was the radiant and divine appearance—now back to his older, human self, he spotted the trembling-with-anger Cha Seohu and asked Ryu Sunghyun and Jiwoon, who had followed behind:
"What's gotten into him this time?"
As Ryu Sunghyun smiled awkwardly and Jiwoon fidgeted nervously, Seohu exploded.
"Are you in your right mind? Where do you think you're sending someone who's only just starting to adjust after coming down from the mountain? Even if he's S-rank, you're supposed to begin with lower dungeons for basic adaptation training. What kind of lunatic sends someone straight into an S-rank Great Dungeon? Do you think being Guildmaster gives you the right to do whatever you want?"
As the flood of complaints poured in nonstop, Song Jiwon smiled with satisfaction.
This damn kid, as always.
Anything related to Circle always pressed his buttons. Did he even realize he had just hurled all manners out the window? As if using polite speech alone made up for everything.
In the end, cleaning up the mess fell to Song Jiwon.
"Haha, seems Seohu's pretty mad at me. Guess our closeness got exposed~ Let's all sit down and talk. Your little brother's legs must be tired."
Gesturing toward the sofa, he roped in Cha Sahyeon, who was sitting quietly holding his hand. Seohu glared but eventually moved toward the couch.
Maaaak.
A cat sprawled on the sofa lifted its head to greet him. Seohu's irritated expression melted into a smile at the sight.
"Eunbok."
Mweong.
As he gently petted it with his fingertips, Eunbok purred and nuzzled into Seohu's hand.
Though he'd visited Circle Guild a few times recently, he hadn't run into Eunbok until now.
The cat had a wandering soul—never stayed in one place, always roaming. The guild members were used to it; as long as it didn't leave the building, they let it be.
Just like before the regression.
For some reason, today the cat hadn't left the office. It ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) seemed to like seeing Seohu again after so long, promptly claiming his thigh the moment he sat down.
"So."
The instant he planted himself on the sofa, Seohu cut to the chase.
"Why is Sanjigi-nim going into an S-rank Great Dungeon?"
"Haa..."
Song Jiwon sighed loudly enough to be heard as he poured tea into a cup. Seeing the exhausted Guildmaster, Jiwoon rushed to explain in his place.
"Um, Hunter Cha Seohu. I'm the one who decided to participate. My brother only suggested it might be worth trying."
"That's the problem. Suggested?! You should've talked him out of it!"
Seohu slammed the table in front of the sofa in outrage.
Even so, Eunbok yawned peacefully, still curled on his lap.
"I mean, you're going too—so why scold me and the perfectly fine S-rank here?"
Song Jiwon retorted with a baffled look.
If I could avoid going, I wouldn't go either.
Just a few nights ago, it was Song Jiwon who practically shoved him out the door to join the dungeon team. Seohu found him equally ridiculous—but more importantly, he had another reason.
《A Main Quest has arrived!》
《Main Quest: Succeed in conquering the S-rank Great Dungeon. (S-rank) (Time remaining: 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes)》
[Main Quest: Succeed in conquering the S-rank Great Dungeon.]
You must personally enter the newly appeared S-rank Great Dungeon in Incheon and complete it.
*Countdown begins upon entry into the dungeon.
The quest had slammed into him the moment the Great Dungeon appeared.
Damn it...
He was going to go anyway, but now that the System made such a blatant move, it just made him feel grimy.
And that wasn't all.
《A Side Quest has arrived!》
《Side Quest: Protect the key individuals in the Great Dungeon. (S-rank)》
[Side Quest: Protect the key individuals in the Great Dungeon.]
You must ensure that the following key individuals do not die inside the dungeon.
Key individuals: Sahyeon, Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, Song Jiwoon, (Locked), (Locked), (Locked)
Warning! If even one listed 'key individual' dies, the quest will fail.
And as a bonus, a side quest demanding he protect "key individuals" came along too. Both quests were stamped with S-rank difficulty for the first time in a while.
Now they're not even calling them 'main characters'—just 'key individuals'? You fucking system. You got any shame?
Dragging in people who didn't even qualify for the 'main cast' and forcing him to keep them alive—he hated it with every fiber of his being.
It's human nature to hate being told what to do—even for something you already intended to do.
It's like sitting at your desk ready to study, only for your parents to walk in and nag you about studying. Makes you not want to do it anymore.
In truth, he'd already planned to go—he didn't feel right sending only Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun in alone, especially with those cult bastards messing around.
But he had a reason to go. Without that, why suffer? Lying in a hotel bed would be a hundred times better.
Given that, it was only natural for Seohu to feel exasperated seeing Song Jiwoon volunteer for the raid while he was being forced into it.
"Hunter Cha Seohu. I know I might not be very reliable... but I've already made my decision. I didn't come down from the mountain to live a comfortable life in safety."
Seohu's protest only seemed to fuel Jiwoon's determination.
"Sanjigi-nim."
"I know how dangerous it is. It wasn't a decision I made lightly."
What began as a hesitant voice firmed up as Jiwoon continued speaking.
"I'm going to be the next representative of Circle Guild, aren't I? The guild members are all kind and caring. They told me it's okay to take my time adjusting—but I want to do more. I believe this experience will help me grow a lot."
The quiet tone carried Jiwoon's sincerity. Seohu could tell just how deeply the man had thought about this before choosing to go.
No matter how many people say it's okay, if you yourself don't feel it is, then it's meaningless. Seohu knew that better than anyone.
Jiwoon had only recently come down from the snow-covered mountains. That he'd adapted this much was already remarkable—but of course he must be feeling anxious. He probably wanted to repay the guild members who believed in him and waited patiently.
It was just like a new recruit who had just joined a company, but was already named the future CEO. Naturally, he'd want to prove himself by taking on a challenge.
"...Fine."
Understanding Jiwoon's resolve, Seohu finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
"I'll be going too. So if you get hurt or something happens, come to me immediately."
Noticing their conversation had reached a pause, Kwon Taehyuk quickly jumped in.
"Hunter Cha Seohu. About the Great Dungeon—"
"I'm going to the restroom."
But Seohu walked out of the office without even pretending to listen.
Just like he'd done with Jiwoon, Kwon Taehyuk had been about to persuade Seohu to reconsider joining the raid—but once again, he missed his chance.
Myaaak.
From beside the deflated Kwon Taehyuk came a meow from Eunbok.
"Phew."
Cha Seohu, who had come not to the executive office bathroom but to the one used by regular guild members, confirmed it was empty and stood in front of the sink.
"Item shop."
He murmured quietly, and the item shop window immediately appeared in front of him.
He had no choice but to relocate from the executive office—there were S-ranks with extraordinary hearing and even two transcendent beings there.
"I'm going in with the Guildmaster now, so I need to be fully prepared."
The Guildmaster he was referring to wasn't Song Jiwon, but Song Jiwoon.
Chewing his lips anxiously, Cha Seohu bought every item that seemed even remotely useful.
Of course, all the good stuff had been bought last time, so what was left were just mediocre items—but this wasn't the time to be picky.
His growing anxiety made him pour his saved cash into the shop, buying a massive load of items. Only after roughly twenty items had piled up in the cart did he finally close the item shop window.
"This should be enough for now."
The unease inside him eased slightly. From now on, he'd just check the item shop whenever he had the chance before entering the dungeon and stock up then.
Cha Seohu washed his hands and left the restroom. As he dried his wet hands with the handkerchief he always carried, he bumped into Kwon Taehyuk standing in the hallway.
"Guildmaster?"
"Hunter Cha Seohu."
Kwon Taehyuk, arms crossed and leaning against the hallway wall, turned toward him.
"Do you really... have to enter the Great Dungeon?"
This bastard. Did he seriously come out here and wait just to argue about that?
Cha Seohu was a bit exhausted by it, but since he needed to maintain a good relationship with Kwon Taehyuk, he answered without resistance.
"Of course. Do you think I signed up the moment recruitment opened for no reason?"
"But didn't you just say earlier to the Circle's next representative that no one knows what the inside of a Great Dungeon is like, and that it'll be crawling with powerful monsters? Even for a Support, the situation could easily turn dangerous."
"Sanjigi-nim and I are different. The issue I pointed out was Sanjigi-nim's lack of experience. You know how important that is, Guildmaster. I've entered dungeons many times, and I know exactly where a Support's position and role are."
"I'm not trying to downplay your skills or experience."
Kwon Taehyuk added with an awkward cough.
"Inside a dungeon, you never know when or where someone might get injured—or die. It's no different from a sudden disaster. You might be the one caught in it, and that's what I'm worried about..."
"Then you can protect me, Guildmaster."
Cutting off Kwon Taehyuk's words, Cha Seohu smiled brightly. His pale, delicate face lit up with a full-blown smile.
The System's quest already pissed me off to no end, and now this guy won't stop telling me what to do.
Unfortunately, that's what he really thought inside.
Cha Seohu stepped a little closer to Kwon Taehyuk.
"Honestly, is there another Support out there who buffs and heals as well as I do?"
"That's..."
"If it's really that dangerous, shouldn't I be going to save even one more person?"
Kwon Taehyuk's eyes shook violently.
He couldn't refute it. In the past, he absolutely would have thought the same.
If there were a capable Support with buffs and healing, he'd have done anything to bring them along to minimize casualties.
But what about now? He'd tried to convince Cha Seohu again and again, even waited out here in the hallway just to stop him.
Realizing that contradiction made something inside Kwon Taehyuk collapse entirely. The shock hit his mind like a wrecking ball, and his heart pounded wildly.
Unaware of this shift, Cha Seohu continued his argument with fervor.
"Think about it carefully, Guildmaster. Do you really think you can perform well in a Great Dungeon without my buffs? You're S-rank, sure—but even so? I'll probably hide my healing skills as much as possible, but I'm not going to ignore someone dying. It's a matter of life and death. Do you really, truly not want me to go?"
"I, I..."
Kwon Taehyuk faltered, overwhelmed by how close Cha Seohu had gotten, his face reddening as he leaned his upper body back.
Seeing him flustered and unable to respond, Cha Seohu sensed his victory and went in for the final blow.
"You always took my buffs whenever you needed them... and now, at the most critical moment, you can't trust me? That's... honestly a little heartbreaking."
He subtly grasped Kwon Taehyuk's wrist and put on a sorrowful expression. Kwon Taehyuk let out a groan and covered his face with his other hand.
"F-Fine... I get it."
He finally responded in a strained voice. What his hand couldn't fully hide—both his cheeks—had turned completely red.
What the hell?
Even Cha Seohu couldn't help but notice that something was off.
What's with him?
Starting to get an ominous feeling, Cha Seohu slowly let go of the wrist he was holding and took a couple steps back. That action seemed to relieve Kwon Taehyuk, who regained composure and spoke in a much calmer tone.
"I was only saying this out of concern, not to force you. You're right in what you said."
"Well, yeah, I guess."
Even with his lukewarm reply, Kwon Taehyuk clenched his fist with firm resolve and declared with conviction:
"Once we enter the Great Dungeon, no matter what happens—I will protect you."
"..."
That was a sentiment Cha Seohu had absolutely not asked for.

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