Chapter 65: The F-rank Returnee’s Solo Raid

The F-rank Returnee’s Solo Raid on the Black Mist.

News reports flooded in, and the area around the Credit Guild once again buzzed with crowds. Everyone in Grisha was talking about this development.

How could an F-rank succeed when even Hestia’s D-ranks had failed and given up? Was this merely bravado, riding on the Credit Guild’s reputation? Such opinions were, however, a minority. Most people reacted positively.

This demonstrated the high level of trust and support people held for Sagyeol.

An F-rank returnee, appearing from seemingly nowhere, was inherently untrustworthy. Yet, if Sagyeol had decided to send such a returnee into the Black Mist alone, there had to be a compelling reason—that was the belief.

He was the strongest and most reliable man in all of Grisha. That was the reputation Sagyeol commanded.

Yeowon glanced back at him, his expression stoic. Sagyeol, having forgotten all decorum, was pacing around restlessly.

“Sagyeol.”

“Yes? What is it? Should I go back even now? Don’t worry, no matter what the media says, I’ll take care of everything—”

“…Calm down.”

Their base camp was situated within a flooded area. Accessible only by drone, these mobile camps were erected anew each time they ventured deeper into the deluge.

As guilds divided into groups and entered from various directions, multiple base camps were always established. The one they currently occupied was the [Hotel] to the southeast, primarily supported by three guilds, including the ‘Lullaby of Waves’ Guild.

Sagyeol, who had accompanied him, seemed to have belatedly grown anxious, constantly starting to speak only to trail off, repeating the cycle. Yeowon could easily guess what those unfinished words were.

“Sagyeol.”

At the quiet call, he froze, then rushed forward like a well-trained hound, stopping abruptly before Yeowon. Standing some distance away, Lee Hyun-su cast a resigned glance their way before resuming conversation with members of another guild.

“Calm down.”

“Damn it. I can’t help it.”

Uncharacteristically, he wrung his hands, his face etched with nervousness.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course… I do.”

“Good. You’re a good boy.”

Yeowon raised a hand and gently stroked Sagyeol’s head. A chilling silence descended upon the surroundings. No one moved. No one spoke. The witnesses held their breath, waiting for Sagyeol’s reaction to the unbelievable sight.

Someone swallowed hard. The Sagyeol they knew was, in a word, a madman with a grand cause.

To save Grisha. It was a heroic feat, one that everyone would nod in agreement with. Many citizens, slightly removed from the industry, revered Sagyeol as a hero.

However, the hunters who had witnessed his methods firsthand could never agree.

He wasn’t merely a madman; he was a rabid dog. It was almost impressive how persistently the Hestia Guild Master continued to involve himself, despite enduring such… treatment. Everyone stared at Sagyeol.

‘Still, rumors say that crazy bastard cherishes the returnee. How will he react now?’

“Did you just realize I’m a good boy?”

Sagyeol retorted with a sulky pout. The hunters’ jaws dropped. Several gripped their weapons tighter.

‘What in the world was that?’ they wondered. ‘Is that a monster disguised as the Guild Master? One that can change its appearance?’

“No. I’ve always known.”

Yeowon replied with an air of composure, a faint smile gracing his lips. It was the most profound smile Sagyeol had ever seen from him.

“Just keep being a good boy and wait for me.”

‘Sagyeol suddenly realized. Ah, I really like this bastard.’

Without a backward glance, Yeowon strode purposefully into the Black Mist. The hunters, belatedly, gasped in horror.

“Wha—what?!”

“He’s just walking in there like that?!”

“This is insane. Truly insane.”

Despite their reactions, the man who had entered was already swallowed by the surging mana, leaving no trace. And so, an invisible battle with the monsters began.

“Kaaauuagh!”

“Kruuaagh!”

The sounds had clearly begun as roars, but they ended as screams. They wondered if it was a trick of their ears, but it wasn’t. Gradually, the roars diminished, replaced only by the monsters’ shrieks echoing all around.

‘Was such a thing even possible?’ The image of the man who had just casually walked through the mana, his back unwavering, flashed through the hunters’ minds.

He had been utterly unperturbed. The truly terrifying aspect was his back, which conveyed no fear, no apprehension whatsoever. It was as if he were simply stepping out for a casual stroll.

A returnee.

Perhaps it was due to their prior experience with the incompetence of Hestia’s returnee. They had dismissed the F-rank’s entry as mere performance. Now, all eyes were fixed on the spot where Yeowon had disappeared.

They hadn’t expected much, but now, perhaps…

“Surely, he couldn’t actually…”

At someone’s quiet murmur, all gazes in the vicinity swiveled towards them. The speaker, flustered, clamped their mouth shut. They seemed not to have realized they’d spoken aloud.

Then, a quiet warning echoed.

“Don’t covet him.”

The voice resonated with a heavy weight.

“He’s mine.”

Sagyeol smiled languidly, but his eyes held no mirth. His dark pupils gleamed with a dangerous light.

The startled hunter nodded involuntarily. In retrospect, it was quite a shameful act, yet their hunter’s instinct screamed.

‘Your life depends on this.’

Sagyeol, who had seemed utterly displeased, turned his head once more. He quietly gazed at the spot where Yeowon had entered. Now, the entire Black Mist was roiling.

The mana fog, which had stood like a solid wall, shimmered and stretched its tendrils in every direction. Its form distorted, then reformed, repeating the cycle as if the mana itself were writhing in agony.

“Kuaaaagh!”

Then, a roar of a different caliber than any before shook the surroundings. The hunters’ expressions instantly changed.

“A boss?”

“There was a boss involved?!”

A ominous premonition struck Lee Hyun-su, and he rushed to Sagyeol’s side. He had been skeptical until Yeowon entered, only letting out a sigh of relief when the monsters’ screams consistently echoed from within.

But a boss—that was an entirely different matter. Even among a horde of C-rank monsters, their leader was typically A-rank.

While such appearances were rare, a single boss could elevate a normally C-rank gate to an A-rank designation.

“But a monster boss living in the Black Mist?!”

As expected, Sagyeol’s expression hardened, and he instantly assumed a battle stance, charging towards the Black Mist. Lee Hyun-su, as if pouncing from behind, restrained him.

“You can’t go in there!”

He was so frantic that he even dropped his honorifics.

“I won’t.”

“Then stop your feet and speak properly, sir!”

Though Lee Hyun-su belatedly regained his composure and used polite speech, Sagyeol seemed oblivious. In fact, he wasn’t listening to Lee Hyun-su at all.

As proof, Sagyeol leaped forward, dragging Lee Hyun-su along. The terrified Lee Hyun-su shouted, attempting to weigh Sagyeol down with a gravity spell.

“You said you trusted him!”

Sagyeol, who had been advancing with a face like a demon from the underworld, faltered. He glared at the Black Mist, which writhed before him like a living creature. Surging mana brushed against his cheek.

Sizzle. That spot immediately turned black, showing symptoms of acute mana poisoning.

“Ugh.”

Lee Hyun-su grimaced in disgust but couldn’t release the arm he held.

Sagyeol knew he was being irrational. Even for him, entering the Black Mist unprotected would be an act of suicide.

Nevertheless, his feet kept moving forward. Had it not been for the intermittent screams of a boss-level monster from within, he truly might have walked straight in without a second thought.

“Kaaargh!”

“N-now?”

Anyone could tell it was a death throe. Roughly twenty seconds had passed since the boss’s encounter. Those few objective tens of seconds felt incredibly long to Sagyeol.

After that, utter silence. The mana that had been stretching in every direction also calmed.

Thump-thump.

Footsteps echoed. Everyone present recognized them. The man who had walked fearlessly into the mass of mana, a sight that made everyone shudder just by being near it, was returning.

Finally, Yeowon emerged. He was covered head to toe in blood. Blood dripped steadily from the axe clutched in one hand.

Sagyeol’s expression froze. He reached for Yeowon’s shoulder, then stopped, seeing the blood, and pressed him, “Where are you hurt?”

“I’m not hurt.”

“…Not hurt?”

Yeowon nodded silently.

“Then this is all monster blood?”

“It’s been a while, so I couldn’t control myself well.”

His embarrassed hand scrubbed at the blood-stained area near his jaw. It was clear he was making excuses, even if he didn’t quite know why.

“Normally, I’d just cleave their heads in one strike.”

“…”

“It’s true.”

‘Void’ wasn’t typically used unless it was a large-scale battle. His signature combat style was simply rushing in and smashing heads with his axe.

However, once inside, the mana was simply too dense. Thanks to the sinister killing intent directed at intruders, locating the enemies wasn’t difficult, but their precise forms remained obscured.

“I had no choice but to hack them apart piece by piece, which took some time.”

The hunters, who had been silently listening to their conversation, shivered.

‘Hack? Hack what?’

‘To say such things so casually.’

‘That Credit Guild Master, he just had to bring someone like this monster…’

‘Right. Sagyeol brought him, so he couldn’t possibly be normal.’

‘I-is this something we should be happy about? Right?’

Yeowon, sensing the subtle shift in atmosphere, surveyed the crowd.

“Did something happen here too?”

“No. It was perfectly peaceful.”

‘Peaceful, my ass.’

Lee Hyun-su bristled, but swallowed his retort and stepped back.

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