Chapter 62

That was when Eui-rim snapped back to the matter at hand. Just as he had caught himself staring into Hae-gun’s tinted lenses, the guttural rasp dragged his attention across the table.

Turning to face Kim Si-hoon, Eui-rim saw the man’s jaw locked so tight the tendons bulged. His complexion was flushed a feverish crimson, as though coated in wet paint.

Blinking calmly, Eui-rim addressed the man still drowning in the quagmire of his debuff. “I apologize for leaving the clinic so abruptly, Guild Master Kim.”

“What?”

“I am no longer a civil servant assigned to the public health center. Furthermore, as requested, I am attending today as the negotiating representative of Cheongho Guild, so I ask that you treat me accordingly.”

Of course, being a public health worker had never given anyone the right to treat him like dirt, but poking that hornet’s nest was pointless. What good would come of antagonizing someone already blinded by paranoia? It would only fuel his hysterics and exhaust Eui-rim.

“Ha, unbelievable,” Si-hoon scoffed.

When Eui-rim held his gaze without flinching, a scornful laugh burst from Kim Si-hoon. He seemed utterly dumbfounded that the meek healer dared to look him dead in the eye.

“Daring to call yourself a Hunter when all you possess is a single mental barrier? How adorable.”

…Should I just stop time and punch him right in the solar plexus?

“Want to hit him?” Hae-gun whispered.

As if reading his mind, Hae-gun leaned in close to Eui-rim’s ear. Beneath his composed facade, his eyes danced with wicked mischief.

After a second of genuine temptation, Eui-rim shook his head. Despicable as the man was, they needed his cooperation to secure management authority.

“Fine. Then let me ask our esteemed Hunter here,” Kim Si-hoon sneered. “Do you honestly believe the Association rescue team will fail? Even with Yoo Tae-geun leading them?”

“I heard it took the rescue team an entire week to clear Ice Plaza, which was only a C-rank,” Eui-rim countered evenly. “Hunter Yoo Tae-geun was injured subduing debuffed victims, and his wounds were severe.”

“…”

“The Isolation Ward is a B-rank dungeon, meaning the danger exceeds Ice Plaza by several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the root cause of the debuff remains unpurged. No matter how formidable Hunter Yoo Tae-geun is, there is a hard limit to what one man can shoulder.”

Finishing his assessment, Eui-rim looked at the Association official, who nodded in reluctant agreement. Cleaning up after an anomalous dungeon mutation was notoriously treacherous.

“…Still, handing it over to another guild right off the bat would ruin our standing,” Si-hoon argued, crossing his arms defensively. “I’m on the mend, so if the rescue team fails, it’s only right for the original rights holder to clear it.”

His pride was on the line. For a man who regularly sabotaged raid schedules just to spite Cheongho, relinquishing authority was an intolerable defeat.

“Last time we were caught off guard without proper preparation. If we re-enter, a clear is guaranteed. There’s no reason for Cheongho to butt in—”

“Doesn’t White Noise consist almost entirely of vanguards vulnerable to mental attacks?” A languid voice sliced through Si-hoon’s excuses. Straightening his posture, Hae-gun added with a thin smile, “He’s entirely right. Should the rescue team fail, the Association will inevitably deploy Cheongho anyway.”

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up, ajussi? You aren’t even an awakened New Human! Can’t you see this is a conversation between Hunters?” Si-hoon spat.

A second ago he was mocking my mental barrier, and now he suddenly counts me as a fellow Hunter to exclude Hae-gun. His logic is completely unhinged.

“We are presenting you with a pragmatic solution, Guild Master Kim,” Hae-gun countered smoothly.

“What?!”

“Rather than watching more lives squandered to satisfy your stubborn pride, it is far wiser to implement the proper precautions.”

“Are you done flapping your gums, ajussi?”

When Kim Si-hoon surged to his feet, the bolted steel table groaned and rattled violently under his fists. In his blinding fury, he had reflexively activated his physical reinforcement skill.

“Guild Master Kim, please calm down! If you deploy combat aura indoors, we will be forced to restrain you!” the staff member cried, leaping back.

“Restrain who, you piece of shit?! I haven’t gone berserk! Stop treating me like a monster!” Si-hoon roared.

Even the official’s stern warning failed to curb his fury; the man carried on as if he ruled the entire facility.

Yet in the face of Si-hoon’s explosive rage, Hae-gun remained utterly unshaken. Whatever calculation was ticking behind his mask, his expression maintained an infuriatingly pleasant smile.

No—he wasn’t simply smiling. Though half his features were concealed beneath the white fabric, Eui-rim could read the truth with absolute clarity.

Seo Hae-gun was enjoying this. An electric thrill danced behind his brown contacts, radiating a dangerous, predatory luminescence that made Eui-rim’s hairs stand on end.

“Then how about White Noise retains the official clear credit, while the strike team consists solely of Cheongho?” Eui-rim proposed, cutting between them.

Eui-rim had to intervene before the S-rank decided to dismantle Kim Si-hoon on the spot. They hadn’t arranged this negotiation just to trade insults.

Looking straight into Kim Si-hoon’s inflamed eyes, Eui-rim laid out the compromise he and Hae-gun had finalized over breakfast.

Since system clearance rewards were registered automatically by the gate core, White Noise would preserve its reputation while Cheongho secured the objective. It was an exceptionally generous bargain.

“As Guild Master Kim knows best, enduring mental hallucinations is paramount in that ward. With my specialized mental barrier, I am uniquely suited to pinpoint and neutralize the anomaly at its source. Even without offensive skills, my utility will ensure a clean clear.”

“Healer Kang, you’re going into that dungeon yourself?” Si-hoon asked, his brow furrowing.

I corrected him twice that I’m a Hunter now, yet he refuses to drop the title.

“How the fuck is a mere D-rank supposed to step foot in there?” Si-hoon barked. “Just like you said, that ward is a death trap!”

“You needn’t concern yourself with that. Cheongho will take every precaution to ensure Hunter Kang Eui-rim’s safety,” Hae-gun replied coolly.

“Bullshit! How can those bastards guarantee anything when they haven’t even smelled the inside of that place?” Si-hoon spat, glaring murderously at Hae-gun before whirling back to Eui-rim. “With stats like yours, you won’t last five minutes! An A-rank like me barely made it out alive, so who the hell do you think you are when you can’t even cast a healing spell anymore?!”

“My guild will protect me. Exactly as my counsel just stated,” Eui-rim answered unflinchingly.

“Ah, seriously! Even if Seo Hae-gun goes in personally, that place is hell! It’s not like you can drag Shim Woo-joo in there to save your asses—the government banned that lunatic woman from entering dungeons permanently!”

It was absurd how swiftly he changed his tune after insisting moments ago that White Noise could clear it effortlessly. He was practically admitting his bluster had been a lie, his anger fueled by a guilty conscience.

With a leader in such an unhinged state, it’s a miracle his guild hasn’t dissolved. From what I recall, their Vice Guild Master wasn’t in much better shape either.

“That is precisely why we require Guild Master Kim Si-hoon’s personal assistance,” Hae-gun noted.

At Hae-gun’s sudden pivot, Kim Si-hoon’s shouting died in his throat. As the room fell dead silent, Hae-gun offered a calm, measured smile.

“…”

“Why that look? Do you object to our proposal?” Hae-gun asked.

“Who said I objected?” Si-hoon grunted, caught off guard.

“Ah, you appeared rather hesitant, so I was concerned. If that isn’t the case, what a relief,” Hae-gun said smoothly.

Look at him baiting the hook with a smile. Hae-gun truly has an undeniable talent for psychological warfare.

Eui-rim pressed his lips together, struggling to maintain a solemn expression. Hae-gun was playing Kim Si-hoon like a fiddle.

“Uh, but Cheongho… no, pardon me, Counsel. While having the managing rights holder present is standard protocol, given Guild Master Kim’s ongoing debuff…”

“Hm?” Hae-gun arched an eyebrow.

The Association official, who had been nervously reading their expressions, raised a hand. At Hae-gun’s silent nod of permission, he hurried to voice his concern.

“Guild Master Kim is currently undergoing concurrent medical treatment and official investigation. Dispatching a hunter suffering from psychological aftereffects poses a substantial liability that Cheongho would be forced to shoulder.”

“Ha! Unbelievable. Every single one of you treats me like an incompetent fool,” Si-hoon sneered.

Astonishingly, Kim Si-hoon’s attitude flipped on a dime. Though he had looked reluctant when Hae-gun first proposed it, being told he was unfit to enter instantly ignited his volatile pride.

“Non-stop with this ‘aftereffects’ bullshit since morning… You told me I didn’t need inpatient care and summoned me for questioning, so why the fuck are you treating me like a cripple now? You want to die?”

His chest heaved violently as he leaned threateningly across the table. Watching him pant like a rabid hound, the Association staff member shrank back into his chair.

Suddenly, Eui-rim felt a subtle nudge at his side. Glancing down, he found Hae-gun’s index finger lightly prodding his waist beneath the edge of the table.

“…What is it?” Eui-rim muttered.

Keeping his voice barely audible, Eui-rim saw Hae-gun tip his chin toward Kim Si-hoon. Though he couldn’t fathom his exact scheme, the S-rank looked entirely confident.

Hesitating for a fleeting second, Eui-rim leaned toward Hae-gun’s ear. “Are you truly planning to take him along?” he whispered.

It wasn’t that Eui-rim failed to grasp Hae-gun’s logic. Dragging the rights holder along in person bypassed layers of Association red tape.