As soon as the call connected, Jurim's voice ca through.
"Hanguru, you're staying at ho, right?"
"Yeees. I'm staying well."
"The housekeeper will be staying late today, so if you need anything, let her know."
"Okayyy."
Jurim had dropped off Guru at ho while taking calls left and right, before hurrying off. He seed busy dealing with the Malikian situation.
"But, Guild Master-nim."
"Yeah?"
"Where’s Dani-oppa?"
"......."
"Is he okay?"
"He has to be."
It was a cryptic response.
"Does that an he's not okay right now?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because he's acting like On Jurim."
"Eh?"
What did that an? Was Dani-oppa in that much of a disastrous situation?
A small sigh followed.
"He's acting like he can handle everything on his own."
Gidan pushed his team away. Not because they didn’t accept him—he had a sociable nature, so fitting in wasn’t an issue.
Even so, he refused to coordinate with the team and insisted on going solo.
Especially when entering high-ranked dungeons, he displayed an extre fear of having anyone by his side.
To him, being in a situation where he couldn’t go in alone was equivalent to running away—a cowardly act.
Because of that, Gidan admired Jurim, who had once closed a high-ranked dungeon completely by himself.
He both wanted to beco the Jurim of that ti and loathed himself for having {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} survived by running away.
But unless one was a special case like Jurim, solo play was practically suicide.
Dungeon raids were always structured around teamwork, whether one liked it or not.
Even Jurim had climbed the Tower with his team.
The fundantal reason for working with a team was necessity—survival and success.
To reject that ant...
"Being alone..."
Guru murmured the words Jurim had spoken.
"Dani... wants to accomplish sothing that can’t be done without a team. That’s why he’s not okay. Gidan isn’t On Jurim, and right now, he can't beco him."
Guru vaguely understood what he ant.
The terrifying S-rank monster that had been overwhelming Gidan had turned and fled at the sight of Jurim.
Being alone was sothing only On Jurim could manage.
Gidan still needed help. But he was deliberately pretending otherwise.
"I can’t just ignore it when he keeps acting recklessly... but he keeps insisting on pushing forward alone."
"Guild Master-nim!"
A voice called out to Jurim from the other side of the call. There was a brief exchange of urgent conversation before Jurim spoke again.
"I have to go. I'll be late, so go to sleep first."
"But what about 'pat-pat'?"
Lately, Jurim had been taking responsibility for Guru’s bedti every night.
If Guru pestered him to pat him to sleep or read a book, Jurim would sigh in exasperation but still stay beside him until he drifted off.
"Tell the housekeeper."
Guru pouted.
"Okayyy..."
"Hanging up now."
"Guild Master-nim!"
"Yeah?"
"Co ho quickly. Guru might not sleep and wait for you."
A quiet chuckle echoed in his ear.
"Got it."
After hanging up, Guru returned to the sofa and lay down, opening his skill window.
The Deeply Rooted Attachnt compendium now included Gidan's face.
He glanced again at the news clippings he'd been reading earlier. The last page contained details about Gidan's awakening.
[Fifth S-Rank Awakener: Gidan!]
The article mostly covered Gidan’s past—his reputation, achievents, and an interview with the aunt who had taken care of him.
It also ntioned that he had once won a youth baseball championship.
A photo showed Gidan smiling alongside his teammates.
"Gangneung Chungyeon Middle School Baseball Team..."
In the photo, the baseball team was gathered around Gidan with their arms draped over each other's shoulders.
Back then, had he been happy being with his teammates?
As Guru stared intently at Gidan’s photo, his eyes drifted to a note scrawled in ssy handwriting on the corner of the page featuring Malikian.
It was clearly Jurim’s writing.
"Gnosis?"
What was that?
Just as Guru tilted his head in curiosity—
Ding!
A system notification popped up before his eyes.
[Ergency! Guardian in danger detected!]
****
Hyeonak's Underground Training Room.
Seated on a chair, tightly bound in a rough knot, was Gidan. Arms crossed, Kim Jongwon, the leader of the 1st Strategy Team, leaned against the wall.
Having rushed back to headquarters after an ergency call, he had already heard the full story from Jurim.
"So he tried to take on Malikian alone..."
When facing an S-rank monster, the standard protocol was to assign at least one S-rank and ten A-rank hunters.
Trying to fight Malikian alone? That was no different from suicide.
"I get why... I understand it completely... But—"
This kid needed to learn that once reason was lost, nothing could be accomplished.
Gidan’s eyes slowly opened. His face was paler than usual due to the effects of "Purple Blood Flow."
"Jeez, look at our team’s poster boy."
"......."
Jongwon stepped closer, crouching with his arms still crossed. Seeing the boy’s gaunt face up close only fueled his frustration.
"Hey, hey, Gidan. Can’t you trust your teammates just a little?"
Hyeonak was the guild with the most elite hunters in Korea. And among them, the 1st Team was the best of the best.
They had fought S-rank monsters more than once. If they worked together, they could definitely take it down.
Yes, definitely... If this kid would just accept that.
But no answer ca.
Despite Gidan’s usual easygoing and adaptable nature, when it ca to this, he was stubborn.
It was as if he had locked himself inside an impenetrable suit of armor—no words could get through.
Jongwon, feeling exasperated, thumped his chest, while Gidan simply stared blankly at the back of his hand.
"......."
A small unfamiliar mark stood out, as if sothing had been imprinted there.
"This is..."
A dull, throbbing pain spread from it, like roots digging deep.
At that mont, along with the team leader’s nagging, a voice echoed in his ears.
"Gidan. Why aren’t you answering?"
— "You reek of blood."
Gidan’s gaze drifted downward.
"Dani, don’t do anything reckless on your own."
— "It’s a nostalgic scent. My once-glorious land slled the sa."
Jongwon didn’t seem to hear it. This voice was ant for him alone.
Suddenly, a mory resurfaced—the Yeti Clan boss, who couldn't take his eyes off Guru.
As if he had sohow known Malikian was there.
Malikian had ridden the spatial currents by attaching himself to Guru.
"Then this...?"
Suddenly, in front of Gidan’s eyes, three swirling pupils appeared, spinning in eerie synchronization.
— "I am the last heir of Biat. I must reclaim my sword from you."
At the ti of his awakening, when the world’s eyes were focused on his rise to S-rank,
Gidan had stord into Hyeonak, demanding to join.
The sword, "Biat’s Aspiration", had been thrown to him by Jurim.
"Use it if you need it."
From that day on, he had stopped wielding his baseball bat and took up the sword instead.
— "You, too, have unfinished business with , don’t you?"
The sa Malikian that had fled in disgrace before Jurim was now resting in his hand.
A thrilling mix of rage and competitiveness made his mind buzz. His vision burned, as if his pupils were lting.
Malikian’s mocking laughter echoed like a hallucination.
"Ha, haha."
A low chuckle escaped from Gidan.
Jongwon frowned.
"Dani, have you seriously lost it? Should I take you to the hospital?"
Suppressing his laughter, Gidan looked up. A bitter, self-deprecating smile lingered on his ghostly pale face.
"...Hyung, I’m sorry."
"Hey, I’m not here to get an apology out of you."
Jongwon ruffled his hair roughly.
"Guild Master-nim isn’t in the office, right?"
Jurim’s presence was absent from headquarters.
Jongwon hesitated for a mont, then answered bluntly, realizing lying would be pointless.
"He got summoned by the Bureau Director. He’s at the National Managent Bureau, but he’ll be back soon."
It was probably to explain and undergo questioning about today’s events.
Even in the unpredictable world of dungeons, the appearance of an S-rank monster like Malikian was far too unusual.
"And ?"
"...?"
"I can’t forgive myself."
A dungeon was the boss’s domain—a shadowed world shaped by the boss’s will.
And all S-rank monsters were categorized as bosses.
"Malikian."
Gidan unleashed his mana.
The reason Malikian wasn’t showing himself was because he feared Jurim.
And that was also why he was only speaking to him.
Malikian was mocking him.
Even now, despite him being an S-rank hunter.
"Open your domain."
With a flick of his wrist, Gidan effortlessly slipped free of his restraints and stood up.
"If you want your sword back—"
"Then co and get it."
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