Chapter 8

He would support Kwon Hae-joo’s growth from the shadows. Then, around the time Hae-joo took his own life, Shin-hoo would stay by his side to prevent the worst from happening.

He would secure Hae-joo’s weapon earlier than in his past life and save his younger brother, too. Helping the Epic Guild grow would be even better. The more precious things one has to protect, the heavier the value of one’s life becomes.

Having settled his thoughts, Nam Shin-hoo stood up and brushed off the dust. Judging by how the aura beyond the boss room door was fading, the raid seemed to be over. It was an astonishing clear speed for a brand-new dungeon.

As expected, Epic Guild members walked out of the boss room one after another a moment later. Some were injured, but no one was in critical condition.

Hae-joo was the last to exit. He looked completely unchanged from when he went in, right down to his slightly annoyed expression.

“Gather up, gathering team! An exit portal will open soon. We’ll leave after a headcount,” an Epic Guild member shouted.

While names were checked and people lined up, the exit portal formed. Shin-hoo joined the line, blending in with the crowd. The eyes of the people in front of and behind him trembled violently, but he gently waved his gathering tool at them. The brand-new tool, untouched by even a speck of dirt, gleamed silver.

The guild member checking the roster approached.

“Uh, Hunter Nam… Shin-hoo? You’re listed on the roster as a… Rank-D herbalist. Is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Good grief…”

Muttering under his breath, the member looked Shin-hoo over with wide eyes and politely gestured toward the exit.

“You worked hard.”

“A-ah, not at all! It’s an honor to meet you.”

“By the way, I have a question.”

Shin-hoo caught the guild member’s arm. Patting the startled hunter on the shoulder, he asked in a low voice, “The boss raid seemed to end rather quickly for the dungeon’s rank.”

“Well… it was actually a bit strange. The boss was weaker than we expected. It was hard to believe it was a Rank-B dungeon. It was barely stronger than the regular monsters in the previous zones. There must be a reason, but since it’s a new dungeon, we don’t know the details.”

“Really?”

The boss monster was just weak, huh. Had there ever been such a case? In Shin-hoo’s memory, dungeons only ever grew stronger. He had faced hardships when bosses of a higher rank than the dungeon appeared, but never the other way around.

Could there be an anomaly?

Shin-hoo patted the back of the guild member who provided the information and walked outside. The member flinched at his touch and bowed deeply, the tips of his ears turning bright red.

Once outside, Shin-hoo checked his wristwatch. The hands pointed to 1:00 AM.

For such a late hour, a pitch-black night sky should have greeted him, but…

“…Well, look at that.”

The world outside the dungeon was burning in a blinding shade of crimson.

A crack.

It was an unexpected rupture that formed around the terrain where a dungeon appeared, causing monsters that belonged inside to spill out into the field.

“G-Guild Master! We have a huge problem!”

An Epic Guild member who had been waiting outside fell to his knees in front of Hae-joo with a panicked look, his legs giving out from exhaustion.

“A massive crack opened up near the dungeon just moments ago, and monsters poured out! The personnel outside couldn’t contain it, so…”

“I understand the situation.”

Hae-joo buttoned up the combat uniform he had loosened earlier. He tightened the straps on his gloves and gripped his weapon.

“Which direction?”

“Every… everywhere. They burst out so suddenly that we couldn’t control them. Um… I’m so sorry.”

Shin-hoo frowned at those words. It was a complete mess. He knew Hae-joo was carrying the guild alone, but he hadn’t realized it was this bad.

Even if they couldn’t stop the crack, they should have at least tracked the monsters properly. Wasn’t that why personnel were left outside in the first place? In the Saint Guild, such an act would warrant immediate disciplinary action.

“Squads will remain as originally formed. Squad 1, protect the dungeon entrance and the gathering team here.”

Orders followed in rapid succession.

“Squad 2 heads west, Squad 3 heads south. I’ll cover the north and east, so keep monitoring your communicators.”

“Wait.”

Shin-hoo stopped Hae-joo, who was about to rush north on his own.

“Should I just stay here?”

“…”

Hae-joo bit his lip. It seemed to be a habit of his. At the same time, he quickly caught the underlying meaning in Shin-hoo’s words. Realistically, Shin-hoo was too valuable an asset to leave sitting idle. But asking him for help would hurt Hae-joo’s pride.

When assigned a new dungeon, clearing it and handling all aftereffects were the sole responsibility of the assigned guild. Asking Shin-hoo for help now would be an admission that the Epic Guild was inadequate for the raid. As a Guild Master, that was a damaging assessment.

“Then…”

Watching Hae-joo struggle between pride and reality, Shin-hoo smiled bitterly. He really is still young. His thoughts were completely transparent.

Hae-joo wanted to protect the guild’s pride, but his personality would never allow civilians to get hurt over stubbornness either. If Shin-hoo stayed quiet, Hae-joo would likely swallow his pride and ask for help.

Before Hae-joo could speak, Shin-hoo cut in first.

“Ah, come to think of it, you told me not to do anything and stay put quietly. In that case, following the leader’s orders seems like the right thing to do.”

“…”

“Like a proper herbalist. Right?”

Hae-joo closed his mouth and bit his lip again, looking frustrated. Without meeting his gaze, Shin-hoo looked around.

“Why don’t you take the rest of your guild members with you? Leaving them here might make me feel like I’m being watched, and I don’t really like that feeling.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll be here, so don’t worry about this place.”

Hae-joo paused, seeming to doubt if he had understood correctly. In his mind, Shin-hoo was the type of person who would act arrogant and condescending if Hae-joo bowed his head to ask for a favor.

Another loud explosion erupted from the north. Flames soared along with clouds of black dust.

“Shouldn’t you get going?”

“…Changing the plan. Squad 1, move east instead of guarding the dungeon. I’ll go check that explosion.”

“Yes, sir!”

Once the orders were set, the members moved in perfect sync toward their designated areas. Before disappearing, Hae-joo offered a small, respectful nod toward Shin-hoo.

Shin-hoo lightly brushed his mouth at the unexpected greeting.

‘Not bad at all.’

If Shin-hoo hadn’t stepped up at the end, Hae-joo would have asked him for help. Hae-joo could have clung to his pride to keep a rival guild in check, but he was someone who knew how to lower his head when it mattered most.

Hae-joo was only twenty-four years old. Anyone could see he had the talent to become a great figure in the future. It truly was a waste.

Not just because he was the savior in the quest, but on a human level, Hae-joo was someone too valuable to lose. It would have been wonderful if he had lived a proper, settled life. He would have been a great asset to their forces later on.

Watching the hunters vanish into the distance in an instant, Shin-hoo found a suitable rock near the dungeon entrance and sat down.

The people watching the two from nearby had wide, sparkling eyes. They had seen the most famous hunters in the country in person. On top of that, they had witnessed the two working together. Even with explosions around them and monsters running wild, it was only natural that curiosity won out over fear.

Shin-hoo gestured toward a small cave near the dungeon entrance.

“Everyone, get inside the cave and don’t come out. It’s dangerous out here.”

“Y-yes, sir. Understood.”

“Nothing will happen. Cracks are a common occurrence.”

In truth, a crack chaotic enough to set the outside of a dungeon ablaze was rare. Judging by the earlier hunters’ reactions, boss-level monsters seemed to have escaped through the crack, which was no trivial matter.

Even so, Shin-hoo spoke casually to the others for a reason: in his memory, no major mass-casualty incident caused by a dungeon crack had occurred around this time.

In his past life, if civilian homes or people had been harmed due to a mistake by the Epic Guild, the Saint Guild—which was constantly watching for any misstep—would never have missed it. They would have tipped off the press right away to run front-page headlines and mock them.

Scanning his memories, no such record existed. That meant this incident would be resolved smoothly.

‘Still, I hope it gets wrapped up quickly.’

Shin-hoo’s real business would begin after the dungeon was cleared. The situation needed to be resolved before sunrise so he could visit Han Woo-yeon without complications.

‘Maybe I should have stepped in and handled it myself.’

He shook his head at the fleeting thought. This balance was just right. Providing help within appropriate boundaries without hurting Hae-joo’s pride was the best approach.

Shin-hoo slowly closed his eyes and sharply focused his senses on his surroundings. He monitored the situation, feeling the tremors in the earth through the soles of his feet and catching the scent of ash carried by the wind. Listening to the distant sounds of battle, he held back the urge to rush over immediately.

‘I wish Say was here at a time like this.’

The hunter-support AI program, Sayros. If Say were here, Shin-hoo could instantly check where battles were taking place and what the exact situation was. Being unable to see the whole board at a glance—something he used to hold in the palm of his hand—felt frustratingly restrictive.