“Haa...”
Ryu Sunghyun let out a breathless sigh as the buff poured through his body like a tidal wave. A dizzying rush of sensation surged through him so powerfully that his vision blurred for a moment.
The energy he’d felt from simply holding hands was now magnified several times over.
If possible, he wanted to feel it again. Just once more—through contact deeper than a mere embrace...
“Vice-Guildmaster?”
That spiraling train of thought came to an abrupt halt. Snapping back to his senses, Ryu Sunghyun hurriedly released his arms and stepped back.
Cha Seohu tilted his head as he watched Ryu Sunghyun retreat in a fluster.
‘The system window popped up, so the buff must’ve applied properly.’
What’s with that reaction? Just in case, Seohu asked,
“Are you alright? Did something go wrong—?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine. The buff worked perfectly.”
Swallowing hard, Ryu Sunghyun forced a casual smile.
“It was just much better than holding hands, so I was a little surprised. I didn’t realize the difference last time.”
“That’s a relief. I’d appreciate it if you could give me feedback on the buff effects. I need that data too.”
“Of course.”
For a buff that powerful, he’d gladly do anything.
While Ryu Sunghyun was already planning how to use that excuse to see Seohu more often, Seohu turned and gestured at Kwon Taehyuk.
“Guildmaster, your turn.”
Kwon Taehyuk, who had been narrowing his eyes while watching Ryu Sunghyun receive the buff, flinched slightly at the invitation.
He clenched his fists tightly behind his back before stepping forward, his face tenser than usual from the nerves.
“You saw how it’s done, right? Just roll up your sleeves and hug me like the Vice-Guildmaster did.”
“Ahem. Right.”
Kwon Taehyuk rolled up his sleeves with hands marked by prominent veins and moved in.
Following Ryu’s example, he pulled Seohu into his arms and slid his hands beneath the hoodie. His palms and forearms touched Seohu’s waist, and their cheeks pressed together. Then—
“Haa...!”
A jolting current shot from the point of contact to his chest, and Kwon Taehyuk squeezed his eyes shut.
His heartbeat spiked. A searing heat welled up inside him.
‘This feeling...’
What was it, exactly?
Was it the thrill of growing stronger? Or was it the aggression stirred by a combat instinct buried deep within all dealers?
‘No. No, this feeling is...’
A chilling, electrifying intensity that prickled across his skin. This couldn’t be reduced to mere excitement or arousal.
It was far more raw and intense. Like...
“......”
Kwon Taehyuk deliberately cut off the thought and bit his lower lip. Like a rusty machine, he lowered his stiff arms and took a step back.
“The buff applied correctly, right?”
Cha Seohu looked puzzled. If anything, Kwon Taehyuk seemed more rigid than before the buff.
“Yes.”
Kwon Taehyuk answered quietly—just as his gaze met Ryu Sunghyun’s.
They hadn’t exchanged a single word, but Kwon Taehyuk already knew exactly what was running through Ryu Sunghyun’s mind.
“Would you like to receive it too, Mountain Keeper?”
“Are... you sure?”
“Of course.”
Song Jiwoon, who had been staring at them with visible longing, perked up in surprise.
He had assumed the buff was only for the other two, so the offer delighted him.
Having envied them both, Song Jiwoon wasted no time. He rolled up his sleeves and hugged Seohu tightly.
“Ugh? Hnn...?”
The moment the buff kicked in, Song Jiwoon moaned softly and his face flushed red. His reaction wasn’t any different from the other two.
‘What... the hell is this?’
Even after releasing Seohu, his mind remained half blank. He covered his burning cheeks with one hand while Ryu Sunghyun and Kwon Taehyuk looked on with complex expressions.
Their eyes met. The three of them were thinking the exact same thing.
‘Should we... tell Cha Seohu about this?’
About that strange, electrifying feeling that struck every time they received a buff?
Sure, it was kind of embarrassing to bring up. But what if they mentioned it and Seohu got horrified and never gave them a buff again?
‘For now...’
‘Let’s just wait and see...’
‘And make damn sure no one else gets it...’
Their unspoken agreement solidified in silence as they plastered on fake smiles. To outsiders, they just looked like contented dealers basking in the afterglow of a good buff.
Unaware that these three were betraying him with grateful smiles, Seohu beamed and said,
“The buff duration should’ve increased a lot—maybe up to two hours. But I’m not sure if the actual effect got stronger too. Please check during combat. Just compare it to when we used hand contact.”
“Understood.”
“Even just checking skill casting speed, damage output, or aura intensity is fine. Oh, Vice-Guildmaster and Mountain Keeper—see if your skill shapes manifest faster too.”
“Will do.”
The three freshly buffed men answered dutifully.
Then, Song Jiwoon’s eyes drifted toward Cha Sahyeon. Seohu’s younger brother stood still like a sculpture, his expression gloomy. He was supposed to be an A-rank dealer.
‘So... Seohu doesn’t give buffs to his brother?’
He was curious but didn’t ask. No matter how close they were, he didn’t want to see Seohu hugging another man—even if it was his brother. And butting into a family matter wasn’t polite anyway.
‘Though... if the buff feels like that, wouldn’t it be kind of weird to do it with your own sibling?’
Song Jiwoon rubbed the corner of his mouth with a conflicted look.
“Let’s head back now.”
Having completed his mission of buffing the three, Seohu turned around with a refreshed smile.
He was in a good mood. Everything had gone exactly as planned.
As he walked back toward the group, he squinted slightly. He couldn’t see him, but he knew Kang Haeil was watching from somewhere.
‘After all that ruckus, even if he didn’t see it, he had to have heard I was giving buffs.’
Seohu smirked as he recalled Kang Haeil’s warning before entering the dungeon.
Telling me to be cautious? Screw that. I’ll claw at your nerves until we’re out of this dungeon.
‘Once those three start going wild with their buffs, he’s gonna lose his shit.’
Seohu was grinning maliciously when someone suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Hyung...”
Cha Sahyeon stood there, utterly downcast, clutching Seohu’s wrist.
“Can we talk? Please?”
The look in his eyes made it clear he had a lot to say. Seohu turned to the three men following him.
“Go on ahead. I’ll talk to my brother and catch up later.”
“...Don’t be too long.”
They didn’t like the idea of leaving him behind, but since he was with Sahyeon, they had no choice. The S-rankers reluctantly returned to the group.
Once they were far enough that their voices couldn’t be heard, Seohu crossed his arms and asked,
“So? What did you want to talk about?”
“About earlier—when you got mad. I didn’t know you’d hate it that much. If I had, I never would’ve kept it from you.”
“......”
“I wasn’t trying to defend him either. Really. You’re always my number one.”
Even as Sahyeon explained himself desperately, Seohu remained silent, arms still folded.
Yes, he had been angry that Sahyeon hid the fact that the kidnapper had entered the dungeon.
But it was closer to shock than fury. Sahyeon had never hidden anything from him before.
‘He only didn’t say anything because he didn’t know how to talk about the Catastrophe. It wasn’t on purpose.’
Proof of that was how he’d answered every question Seohu had. He’d helped track down and clean up those cursed flowers spread by the cultists.
Sahyeon had even taken the initiative to hide that man. The fact that it was the kidnapper that he chose... that part had been hard to process. But Seohu had suspected there must be a reason.
Still, Seohu had deliberately buffed the S-rankers in front of Sahyeon. Not because he didn’t care—but because he couldn’t keep accommodating Sahyeon’s jealousy forever.
‘Good thing I took that pearl Chronos gave me.’
Seohu remembered when he’d taken Sahyeon to a B-rank dungeon.
The moment he touched Ryu Sunghyun’s hand, the Seed’s progress had surged.
Back then, Sahyeon had been like a child, with no memories. But now... now it wasn’t so easy to overlook.
He was a buffer. His skill required physical contact. If Sahyeon got upset every time he gave a buff to someone else, Seohu would be helpless.
And it would be nonsense to just waste an S-rank buff.
Seohu planned to keep showing Sahyeon buff scenarios during this period, now that he’d taken Chronos’s pearl.
Eventually, Sahyeon would realize—this kind of physical contact wasn’t something to be jealous of.
“Are you still mad?”
Seohu didn’t answer right away, so Sahyeon mumbled in a dejected voice. Seeing him so crestfallen, Seohu let out a sigh.
“I’m not mad anymore, but I still don’t understand what you did.”
He’d planned to scold Sahyeon and tell him never to hide anything again—but seeing those teary green eyes made his resolve weaken.
“I’ll listen. Just explain. Why did you make that decision? And why can’t that guy be killed?”
He reached out and gently patted Sahyeon’s face.
“Okay... I’ll tell you everything.”
Seohu’s tone softened again, warmth returning to his voice—and Sahyeon finally relaxed, resting his face against Seohu’s hand as he began to explain.
As the explanation went on longer than expected, Seohu’s expression gradually shifted into something strange.
[Follow and observe.]
Clang. A bloodstained chain rattled against the altar. White robes fluttered as a dagger slashed without mercy.
Guurgh! The sacrificial victim shrieked as the blade plunged into them. Blood gushed beneath the altar.
[You’ll do well, right? J.]
Surrounded by the sharp stench of blood, J simply bowed his head.
[I believe in you. You were the most successful ❖ Nоvеlight ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеlight) among the failures.]
J slowly opened his eyes, recalling his final meeting with the cult leader before entering the Great Dungeon.
Chaos still reigned around him. While other Hunters stared at walls or planned their next move, no one paid attention to J crouched quietly in the corner.
He’d been reducing his presence, blending in like air—when suddenly, a piercing sensation stabbed through his chest like a needle.
The aura around his heart wavered violently. Even the shadow beneath him flickered like a candle in the wind.
Only one person could touch and manipulate his aura like that.
J turned his head.
“...!”
Far away, Cha Sahyeon was glaring at him with eyes like sharpened blades. J swallowed hard.
‘W-what the hell?’
He’d been keeping his distance, staying silent, doing everything not to provoke him—so why was Sahyeon staring him down like that?
As J looked around, confused, Sahyeon moved his lips in a silent command.
Now. Get over here.
‘Get over there? Me...?’
J hesitated but obediently began walking toward him. Even if he’d followed secretly, Sahyeon was the one who called him—and J had no choice but to obey.
As he approached, another figure came into view behind the crowd.
Cha Seohu. The guy living with Sahyeon. The one who grated on his nerves in so many ways.
J didn’t want to run into him—but Sahyeon had summoned him, so there was no avoiding it. He pulled his cap down low and hesitantly stepped forward.
“Hyung. You called.”
Gone was the glare; Sahyeon spoke softly to Seohu.
Cha Seohu looked at J with open displeasure, scanning him from head to toe. Then he pinched his temple.
“...Hey. You...”
“...?”
“...Is your name... actually J?”
J furrowed his brow at the sudden question. Seohu, sounding equally unimpressed, asked again with a grimace.
“Answer me. Is it capital J?”

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