Honestly, I didn’t want to believe it. In the original story, there was plenty of friction between the foreign hunters and Kang Yoo-hyun, but they had never actually betrayed him. Whether it was out of self-interest or genuine friendship, they all seed relatively close.
But I had only read up to the middle of the novel, so I had no idea what happened during the final dungeon raid. Even the visions from Yggdrasil’s Essence hadn’t revealed much to yet.
In the original story, the world was destroyed because the final dungeon wasn’t cleared. Kang Yoo-hyun and the hunters were wiped out right before the boss monster—that was all I knew.
So, was the reason the main characters failed to clear the final dungeon—and the world was destroyed—because the foreign guild betrayed them?
If Han Yi-jin’s words were true, the only foreign hunters who’d entered this tid dungeon were from the Baldur Guild.
And if it really was the Baldur Guild—the so-called Guild of Light from the U.S., always acting like the embodint of righteousness—that betrayed them, it would be an unbelievable twist. It felt like we were about to be stabbed in the back at any mont.
"Hunter Han Yi-jin…?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have sothing to say to …?"
Maybe because I was staring at him so intently, Liam White tilted his head and asked. I imdiately hardened my expression. I couldn’t be sure yet if the Baldur Guild were really the traitors, and even if they were, I couldn’t let Liam White know I knew. So, I smiled as if nothing had happened.
“It’s nothing…”
"I know."
"Yes?"
"I'm just too handso, right?"
"…Yes?"
Liam White nodded vigorously, as if he understood, then shrugged his shoulders in a typical, exaggerated Arican gesture.
"I totally get it. So feel free to stare all you want."
"…"
I couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with him. Liam White. The blonde prince. Was he always like this?
In the novel, Liam White was famous for his striking looks and had a lot of female fans. But I didn’t think he was the type to make such narcissistic comnts.
It felt like every character turned strange when they got involved with . I sighed and opened my mouth.
"Yes, you're handso."
"Yi-jin-ah, is that the kind of face you like?"
"What?"
What is Eden even talking about now?
I frowned, watching Eden’s shocked expression. Eden wore a look as if the world was falling apart.
"Blonde… Should I dye my hair blonde?"
"What nonsense are you saying?"
"Should I wear contact lenses?"
"Is your eyesight bad?"
"…"
Just after Eden and I had that incomprehensible conversation, Park Yoon-sung shouted again.
“Let’s go now!”
"…!"
For now, the priority was clearing the dungeon before ti ran out.
It seed like I’d need to keep an eye on Liam White and Andrew Bailey, the guide, as we ventured deeper into the dungeon.
Once we got out of the dungeon, I’d smack Eden for still whining about dyeing his hair and we moved forward.
"How much ti is left?"
"…22 minutes!"
"…!"
The hunters who were extrely nervous let out a sigh at Seo Ji-an’s shout. The first group defeated the first mid-boss, only to encounter another right after.
As we had planned, the second group fought the next mid-boss, and another 20 minutes passed. It was now a critical ti—the boss monster still hadn’t appeared.
“Let's move faster this ti.”
"Alright."
The anxious hunters quickly prepared to leave. I checked my inventory, just in case the communicator showed up again.
“…”
But my inventory was empty—not even the Yggdrasil’s Essence. Well, that would drop from the boss monster, so it wasn’t realistic to expect it yet.
I needed to quickly gather information about the foreign guild that would betray us. Anxiety started to build inside .
"Ho, this is…”
Liam White, the main combatant of the second group, effortlessly defeated the mid-boss monster after receiving an auxiliary skill from . In front of him lay a spider-like monster, already half turned to ash.
Liam White looked at with his fancy musket guns in both hands. Our gazes t in the air.
“…”
“…”
Just then, a face suddenly appeared in front of , blocking my view.
"Yi-jin-ah!"
"Ah, you startled !"
Eden stared at with a displeased expression, his lips pouted.
What’s his deal now? Why again?
I inwardly groaned in frustration and pushed Eden’s face away with my hand, but of course, he didn’t budge. It was kind of amusing to see his mouth slightly agape, one cheek pressed against my palm, like a carp
“Ah, stop ssing around and move aside!”
"Why do you keep staring at him?"
“Who?”
“That golden-haired, sparkling guy!”
“…”
That golden-haired, sparkling guy?
Ugh, the vocabulary…
Anyway, he must be talking about Liam White, right? It seed like I’d stared at Liam so intently that Eden beca aware of it. I figured it’d be better to rein myself in now. I cleared my throat and spoke.
"Ahem, I wasn't looking at him like that."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying!"
“You know I can tell when you're lying, right?”
"What?"
Do I really have that habit? I asked, looking at Eden in surprise.
Eden grinned, a smug look spreading across his face.
"When you lie…”
"When I lie…?”
I swallowed nervously. The only thing I could count on, thanks to my passive skill, was my smooth talking. If even that beca noticeable and useless, I wouldn’t be able to survive here.
If anyone saw acting so conspicuously, it would be a huge problem. I had to get an answer from Eden, no matter what.
“Do you want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“Then…”
“Wait.”
For a mont, I cleared my mind and stared at Eden.
I had a bad feeling about this. At tis like this, there was nearly a 100% chance that Eden would start spouting nonsense, and the reasons behind it were usually absurd.
Once I regained my composure, I spoke seriously.
"Based on my past experience, there's a high chance you'll start talking nonsense in situations like this."
"What? Nonsense?"
"That's right. When have you ever said anything reasonable?"
"I have! Plenty of tis!"
"When?"
"That's…”
Eden looked pensive for a mont, but soon his expression turned upset. He probably couldn’t think of anything, no matter how shaless he was. I clicked my tongue and turned away from him.
"Ah, wait. Hold on, Yi-jin-ah."
"Get lost."
“I'm serious. You really have a habit of lying, you know?"
"…"
I deliberately gave Eden a colder look before asking.
"What is it?"
"Well, if I were to say…"
"I don’t believe you, so just tell what it is."
"Uhh…"
Eden was taken aback by my cold deanor and looked genuinely wronged. It seed like I really did have a habit that showed whenever I lied.
"You wrinkle your nose when you lie, Yi-jin-ah."
"…"
"It's so bunny-like and cute!"
"…"
…I see.
As expected, it was a pointless conversation. I sighed and turned away without saying anything.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Sigh…"
Still, I should be careful not to wrinkle my nose—just in case. I don’t know who, other than Eden, would actually pay that much attention.
"We'll depart now!"
"Yes!"
With about twenty minutes left, the hunters finished preparing and lined up in formation.
This ti, the third group took the lead. Since the next nad monster they would face was undoubtedly a boss, tension was visible on the hunters' faces.
But I wasn’t too worried. I already had two combat-type hunters who’d received my auxiliary skill, and now Park Yoon-sung—an S-rank hunter and one of the world’s top rankers—was about to get one too.
The hunters assisting him were also guildmasters from major guilds. Honestly, with this lineup, it would be absurd if we couldn’t take down the boss monster. I ran alongside them, confidence swelling within .
"Kiaaak!"
“They're coming!”
As we pushed through the swarming monsters in the tunnel, a vast space unfolded before us—one that felt oddly familiar. It was clear at a glance that the boss monster would be here. And then, a long howl echoed from the ceiling.
"That …!"
"…!"
But what hung from the ceiling, where I had expected the boss monster to be, was sothing completely unexpected. It was the sa bat-like nad mid-boss monster we’d first encountered in this dungeon.
「The One Who Hides in the Darkness
Rank: ??
Level: ??
? ?? ?? ??, ?? ?? ??
…」
"What the hell is going on…!"
"Kyaaaa!"
The mid-boss monster attacked while the hunters were still confused. Then, Park Yoon-sung, who was at the front, gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Attack first!"
"Damn it!"
"…"
I watched blankly from behind as the hunters fought.
Tick, tick. The watch on my wrist kept ticking. If we defeated this third mid-boss monster, it would definitely be midnight.
What’s going on? Where did we go wrong? Why hasn’t the boss monster shown up yet?
"Fuck …"
I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t afford to give up now or waste any more ti. I needed to figure sothing out before the hunters finished their fight.
In a typical dungeon, taking down one or two mid-boss monsters would trigger the boss's appearance. Once the boss was defeated, the dungeon would be cleared and the portal would open.
“…!”
But this was a tid dungeon—a rare and unpredictable one. Its clearing conditions couldn’t be the sa as those of regular dungeons. I realized this a bit too late and quickly scanned my surroundings.
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