Siwon sprinted toward the blood clump, aiming his gun at Serhi.
Bang! Bang!
The pulse from the bullets blasted Serhi far back.
Shaaack!
As he was thrown backward, Serhi activated a skill.
A mannequin’s arm clung to Siwon’s body. Magic-cloaked hands grabbed hold of Serhi.
But when Siwon’s high resistance nullified Serhi’s skill, Serhi clicked his tongue.
In that moment, Siwon turned his gaze to Barrett, who was devouring mannequins.
“Barrett!”
The white snake appeared at his side and opened its mouth. As a mannequin slid into its jaws—hurk—Serhi coughed up blood.
Siwon moved toward the blood clump again.
I have to protect the dungeon core.
If the blood clump was purified, the guild members suffering in that hellish mess would stop being contaminated too.
But—
The acorn touched the blood clump—and nothing happened.
“Hmm?”
It tapped against the clump’s outer membrane, rolled off, and dropped into the swamp with a plop.
Irina, watching right next to the blood clump, tilted her head.
“Hm...”
She strolled over lightly and picked up the acorn.
Now she understood.
“This thing’s a fake acorn, huh?”
Guru sniffled, snf, drawing in air through her nose.
Just a little while ago, she’d felt like a superhero flying squirrel.
Now she was dangling helplessly in Ham Honggi’s hand.
He had shown up the moment she stepped into the contaminated zone and lifted her by the scruff of her neck.
“You were the flying squirrel?”
“...Ehh?!”
She’d let her guard down. She never imagined she’d run into him here. She should’ve snuck up and bonked him from behind.
Deflated, Guru wiggled and pulled a sticker from her bag.
“You came all the way here for me? Because I scammed you?”
She twitched her tail, narrowing her eyes into sharp triangles as she glared at him. The painful memory from that time came rushing back.
“Sssiiiiiick...”
“Hey, you four-year-old. You’re seriously persistent. I already thought you were a damn nuisance back when you were whining for an apology.”
“Peopow who nevew eawned monee wif deir own wittow hands don’t unduhstand!”
“You think I’ll ever need to earn money with my hands?! Do you have any idea how much my family’s worth?!”
Ehhh... Guru scrunched her eyebrows like a figure-eight and stared up at him. This was her first time seeing an adult proudly declare they’d never be self-reliant.
“Hanghangi. Unewiabow.”
“It’s not Hanghangi, it’s Ham Honggi! Damn brat, you’re really pissing me off.”
“Wowse dan a 4-yuh-ohd......”
“Shut the hell up!”
Ham Honggi shouted, his face twisting with rage.
Hmph! Guru smacked his hand with her tail, which had a custom-made sticker on it.
[‘Zappy Zap Pop!’ has been activated.]
A jolt of static hit the back of his hand.
“Shit!”
The electric current wasn’t strong, since it came from a kiddie lie detector, but it was enough to startle him.
Just as expected, in that instant of surprise, Guru slipped free from his loosened grip.
“Eut-cha!”
She landed lightly and checked the pouch on her chest. The bulge inside was the acorn.
The Supreme Acorn was still in her possession.
Gotta bwing dis back to Mastuh Sensei.
Before confronting Serhi about being part of Gnosis, Guru had secretly stashed the real acorn away.
Because she was the only one who could tell the real one from a fake.
If, like Siwon said, Gnosis’s goal was to interfere with the dungeon clear—then the acorn had to stay out of their hands.
Which meant she had no time to waste on scammers like this!
“Dats it! Gwuu’s busy, so Hanghangi, don’t fowwow!”
“What? Where do you think you’re going? This is a contaminated zone, you little four-year-old!”
“Gwuu KNOWS! Dat’s why Gwuu GOTTA go!”
“Where the hell does a tiny thing like you think you’re—kuh!”
Ham Honggi let out a strange sound and twitched once. His head tilted halfway to the side like a broken doll.
The movement was mechanical, stiff and unnatural.
Eeeek?!
Guru’s ears and tail stood straight up at the creepy motion.
Ham Honggi muttered like something inside him had glitched.
“Ah... flying squirrel... gotta catch...”
Suddenly, she remembered what Siwon had said.
That Ham Honggi was likely being controlled by Gnosis.
This weird reaction might be because of that.
Guru cautiously opened her mouth, still watching him.
“Hanghangi...?”
“Flying squirrel. I gotta catch.”
Ham Honggi touched his temple and activated a skill.
Rustle—sounds came from the bushes, and in an instant, snow leopards swarmed in.
“Gotta catch the squirrel...”
His index finger pointed at Guru.
“Bring her. Dead or alive.”
Dead?!
The snow leopards moved on command. Their spear tips turned toward Guru.
I—I gotta wun!
Just as she turned to bolt—
Snow leopards appeared behind her too.
Evewy side... bwocked...
Following the general’s orders, the beastkin snow leopards closed in, surrounding her in a circle.
Ham Honggi jerked his head again. His arm rose like a marionette and pointed straight at Guru.
“Get her!”
“Hik!”
No!
The snow leopards all moved at once. The circle around Guru collapsed inward.
The moment Guru squeezed her eyes shut—
[Update complete.]
Mephisto opened his eyes.
[Caregiver ‘Mephisto’ has detected danger to ward.]
[Do you wish to inherit Caregiver ‘Mephisto’s’ Title?]
There was no hesitation.
Her instincts shouted Yes on her behalf in order to survive.
As the snow leopards’ hands and spears reached for her—
[Title inheritance complete.]
With his presence—
Even the wind trembled.
[You are the ‘Monarch’ of this world.]
“This never ends!”
Chun Gyuri slammed down a hippo with her «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» spear, then flung it right to bring down the next contaminated creature.
“That acorn or whatever—are you sure it doesn’t work?!”
“We used all of them! No effect!”
Ham Honggi, you bastard... You really set us up?
Chun Gyuri clenched her teeth.
Her precious brother-in-law had always been rotten from the roots, never once useful—but this? This was by far the worst.
Messing with my actual job? Now that’s crossing the line.
The only reason she even got tied up with that family was because of the guild.
Back when she was just a former soldier, she needed their help to run a major guild.
“Everyone fall back. I’m gonna have to use a skill.”
“Wait—here? In a space this narrow?!”
“No choice!”
Chun Gyuri snapped irritably.
“I’m sealing this waterway off completely.”
“You’re insane! That’s way too extreme!”
“Am I the one who’s crazy? Or is it Ham Honggi?! I’m not summoning full force, but I can’t fine-tune the direction, so cover for yourselves.”
“Objection! I object!”
“Me too!”
But Chun Gyuri, already steaming, ignored the protests. A surge of mana drained out of her in one wave.
She pulled a massive greatsword from her inventory and stabbed it into the ground.
As the earth dented from the impact—
[Activating skill: ‘Heavenly Lightning Greatsword.’]
—A lightning-forged sword began descending from the sky.
Thunderclouds clustered thick above, swirling with glowing ball lightning in an elliptical shape.
From within the clouds, the tip of a massive blade emerged—aimed straight for the ground.
“AAAAH!”
The Brom guild members screamed and scattered.
Chun Gyuri’s eyes burned with fury as she gritted her teeth.
This polluted-ass waterway—just erase it, and it’s over!
Then—
The falling sword froze mid-air.
What the hell?
Chun Gyuri pushed more power into it, but the greatsword wouldn’t budge—like it was jammed into bedrock.
...No way.
Someone had stopped it—on purpose.
And only a handful of people could block her skill like that.
Chun Gyuri turned her head.
Just as her instincts warned, a man stepped out from the thicket.
The man who had easily blocked Heavenly Lightning Greatsword slowly opened his mouth.
“Gidan.”
At his call, the boy unsheathed his sword and spoke.
“Using that thing here is poor manners, Guildmastuh Chun.”
With a flick, the blade in his hand—Void of Beart—extended.
“...You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Chun Gyuri planted her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky in disbelief.
Seriously, why the hell is Hyeonak even here...?!

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