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Many people harbored suspicions about that video. Baek Jiun wanted to dispel them.
Having risen to the surface thanks to his own footage, he wasn’t rotten enough yet to let himself sink back down.
“Honestly, if I were only looking out for myself, I’d make more money chasing after famous Hunters like a paparazzi. Especially… hyung Yeonhu, who’s become S-rank. But that’s not why I’m here to film you.”
A pensive gaze weighed on him. Baek Jiun met his eyes quietly, anxiously awaiting Dokyeom’s answer.
After a moment, Dokyeom let out a short sigh and scratched his neck.
“So when do you want to film?”
Before Baek Jiun could even cheer, as if heaven had ordained it, a blaring siren pierced between them.
Beeeeep—
The noise erupted simultaneously from all directions. Everyone—people walking on the streets, those waiting at the nearby bus stop—looked down at their phones.
The timing was impeccable.
Beeeeep—
It was a disaster alert about a Gate Break. And it had occurred nearby.
Baek Jiun grinned.
“How about now, hyung? Looks like a perfect opportunity just dropped in our laps.”
He waggled his phone showing the disaster alert in Dokyeom’s direction.
***
[Emergency Disaster Alert]
Casualties are mounting, and Hunters have been deployed to suppress the situation. For more details, please refer to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety website.>
Thud—
Lee Namhyeong, the Executive Secretary of Sahyeon Guild, dropped the documents he had been carrying onto the desk and plopped down into his chair. Then, absentmindedly, he pulled out his phone, checked it, and tilted his head.
“…It’s really strange.”
It had been quite a while since he received the disaster alert. He had gone down to the lobby to deliver a message when the warning sounded, so about thirty minutes ago.
In that short time, Lee Namhyeong had witnessed some bizarre sights. And that too, in the first-floor lobby, which was always populated by seasoned Hunters.
As usual, everyone had ordered a coffee and was sitting in the lounge, idly flipping through magazines or phones, waiting for their gate entry applications to be approved by the management team. That was how it was, until one Hunter suddenly jumped up with a shriek.
‘Ah, shit, this damn E-rank…!’
‘What now? What happened?’
‘Another trash article? Those journalist bastards must have nothing better to do. Nothing but MSG in their heads.’
‘No, but seriously, why is that E-rank’s mental state so messed up? I swear, when rookies see that guy, they all look deflated. And I’m talking about B-ranks, A-ranks! Does that make sense?’
Every word they spat was grumbling. But as soon as the Hunter who had screamed showed something to the others, slapping their backs, the atmosphere turned icy. Then suddenly, everyone started cursing and hastily left the lobby.
‘Ah, shit, let’s go! If word gets out that we sent an E-rank alone, our guild is finished!’
‘Are those Uhwa Guild bastards already watching?!’
Lee Namhyeong and the receptionist could only stare blankly.
By the time he thought to ask what was going on, not a single Hunter remained in the guild lounge. In the end, Lee Namhyeong had to blink and return to the executive office.
“What’s with them all?”
Leaving me curious.
He was itching with curiosity about what could have made those Hunters—who would usually just glance indifferently even if a Gate Break happened right in front of them—turn pale and rush out.
“An E-rank… they must mean Hunter Han Dokyeom.”
Then, suddenly, Lee Namhyeong let out a gasp. Since the first Hunter who stood up had provided information, it meant he had seen something. On his phone.
Lee Namhyeong immediately went online, typed ‘E-rank’ into the search bar, and began looking for information. But nothing satisfying came up.
Eventually, he even went on NewTube and managed to find a livestream channel.
There, he discovered a video that had hit number one in real-time views. Its title even prominently featured ‘E-rank Hunter’—the most perfect piece of information he could have hoped for.
Lee Namhyeong quickly clicked on the video. And when he saw a familiar face in the footage, he involuntarily jolted upright.
“Th-this guy…!”
It was Hunter Han Dokyeom!
The surroundings were chaotic with the crushed carcass of a suppressed monster, screams, and the gruesome roar of beasts. In that vivid scene, Lee Namhyeong spotted not one, but several familiar people.
The more he looked, the more there were. And they were none other than the Hunters who had bolted out of the guild just twenty minutes ago.
“No, why are they all there…!”
This isn’t even our guild’s jurisdiction!
Clutching his phone, Lee Namhyeong paced restlessly near his desk. Eventually, his gaze turned toward the president’s office. Should he report this or not? He agonized over the dilemma for a long while.
Finally, Lee Namhyeong knocked on the president’s door.
Knock knock—
After the knock, he carefully opened the door, and immediately his eyes met Taeseongyeon’s profile as he leaned sideways against the office desk.
Taeseongyeon’s languid eyes fixed on him, asking what he wanted, and Lee Namhyeong involuntarily swallowed.
“What is it? If you came in for something, you should speak, shouldn’t you?”
Taeseongyeon tapped the tablet he was holding and asked in a flat voice. Lee Namhyeong finally opened his mouth.
“President, it’s nothing serious… but I think this issue might blow up if I decide on my own, so I’d like to show you something. Our Hunters are currently at the site of a Gate Break… and it’s not under our guild’s jurisdiction, plus a video of it is being broadcast. I’m not sure what to do…”
“A Gate Break?”
“Yes. Rather than explaining, it might be faster for you to see this first.”
Taeseongyeon’s gaze fell on the phone Lee Namhyeong was holding out. It seemed to be on mute, playing a video without sound.
“Let me see.”
As soon as Taeseongyeon reached out, Lee Namhyeong quickly handed over his phone. The transparent eyes, lowered precariously, gently absorbed the video.
Whether because the mute was turned off before handing it over, various noises soon emanated from the video.
Among them, a figure occupying the overall focus of the video caught Taeseongyeon’s eye.
[Can you see it well? Wow… it’s so noisy around here. Ah, that’s not something I can do anything about, so let’s skip it~ Huh? Closer? Nope. No way, I might die. That hyung is terrifying when he’s angry. Scary, but how did I convince him? There’s a way for everything.]
A cheerful voice contrasted with the chaotic atmosphere. The site of the Gate Break was on a Han River bridge where vehicle traffic had been blocked.
All around, there were crushed cars and the carcasses of deer-headed monsters that seemed to have been killed. In the midst of that mess, the camera captured a man who was grabbing and beating monsters pouring out of the Gate.
Water-blue hair, transparent scales covering the back of his hands. Skin as white as clearness.
It was Han Dokyeom.
He exuded a strangely precarious and indefinable eerie atmosphere. Perhaps it was the barely visible mark that piqued curiosity.
[Aigo, you all keep asking. Fine, I’ll tell only our subscribers a little secret. It’s nothing much… uh, I promised to cover the snacks for the hyung’s chimera for a month. Well, at most it’s about 200,000 won, right? Huh? You say it’s the size of an elephant? Wow… if you say that in front of our hyung, you’ll really die. You absolutely must say it’s skinny. No, but really, it’s skinny. I’m serious!]
The screen zoomed in, and Han Dokyeom’s profile filled the video. He was muttering something, and when the camera got closer, his voice became audible.
[Yeah… I’m an E-rank. E-rank Hunter Han Dokyeom…]
[Our hyung is at it again. Speak louder, hyung! So the viewers can hear you?!]
[You little brat, I swear…!]
[Whoa! Really scary, I mean it.]
The camera retreated momentarily as if pulling back. But soon, it approached Han Dokyeom, who was sighing, and slowly panned to the front.
[You bastard, aren’t you going to stop now?]
[No, hyung. Stop what? How can we get to the truth with that? We have to keep going until at least everyone realizes it’s not a composite. In this situation where people are scrutinizing every single video, does that make sense? Huh? Absolutely not. Come on, repeat after me. I am the E-rank Han Dokyeom.]
Han Dokyeom bit his lip hard. How unfair he felt was evident from the walnut-like wrinkles under his chin. But soon his fierce eyes closed and opened as if he had given up, and he grabbed a monster by the scruff and started punching it, muttering through gritted teeth.
[…I said it, I’m an E-rank. An E-rank, but how long do I have to keep doing this… hah…]
Taeseongyeon’s hand tapped his own lips, which were curved into a line. He hadn’t noticed the shadow in one corner of the video because his attention was fixed on Han Dokyeom. Only belatedly did Taeseongyeon see someone approaching quickly.
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore This Time, I Will Never Let You Go. Start reading now!
Read : This Time, I Will Never Let You Go
