Chapter 55

"Hunter Hong Euiyoon. Do you have something to say to Yoon Seo?"

Yoon Seo was going to pretend not to notice, but Park Soobin nosily asked. Hong Euiyoon cleared his throat for no reason before speaking.

"No, not really. Ahem. Hey, Yoon Seo. I'm heading to train. What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going home."

"What?"

"I said I'm going home."

"You're just going to laze around at home when we're only three days away from raiding an S-rank Yellow Dungeon? Instead, why don't you train with me? I'll give you a chance to block my with . Aren't you curious if you can withstand it?"

"I already know the answer."

"Huh?"

"I said I already know."

"Ah, well, of course, there's no way a guy like you could block my attack, but I'm still offering you the chance to try."

Hong Euiyoon boasted. This was him holding back as much arrogance as possible because Kwon Jihan was present.

"No, I'm not doing it. I'm going home now."

"What?"

"You're repeating yourself a lot today. Hunter Hong Euiyoon, did you get hit by a curse skill that makes it hard to understand context?"

"Huh?"

"..."

Hong Euiyoon's face gradually turned red.

"…No, I did NOT! I'm completely fine! Damn it, I was even willing to train with you, and you're acting all high and mighty. I'm never training with you again! Even if you kneel and beg, I won't do it!"

Hong Euiyoon shouted before stomping out of the meeting room. Park Soobin let out a small sigh.

"If you send him off like that, he's just going to pick more fights with you later. Are you sure about this, Yoon Seo?"

"He wouldn't stop even if I humored him today."

"That's true, but… Are you really heading home?"

"Yes."

"If you're going to watch dramas, let's watch together. There's a home theater in Team 2's waiting room."

As Yoon Seo was about to leave the meeting room, Park Soobin tried to tempt him. He knew that among Yoon Seo's many hobbies, watching dramas was his favorite, so it was an effective strategy.

"What drama? Yoon Seo hyung, just come watch me fight. You won't regret it. I'll show you a scene so satisfying that all your fatigue will disappear."

Kwon Jihan quickly cut in. Park Soobin turned to him and spoke gently.

"Hunter Kwon Jihan, I was the one talking to Yoon Seo first."

"I was first, actually."

"..."

"Hyung, think about it. If you watch me fight in advance, it'll be like studying ahead. Don't you want to put a cocky brat like me in his place?"

Yoon Seo didn't outwardly react, but inwardly, he scoffed. Like hell that would be useful preparation.

Kwon Jihan was an Awakener who leveled up, meaning he would undoubtedly showcase new skills when fighting Yoon Seo.

"I'm not watching a drama, and I'm not watching a fight. I'm just going home to rest. Also, Hunter Kwon Jihan, I was under the impression that your sparring match with the foreign S-rank was supposed to be top secret. Are you sure it's okay to blab about it everywhere?"

"It's fine as long as it doesn't spread outside. There's no way hyung would spread rumors."

Kwon Jihan spoke nonchalantly. Yoon Seo seriously debated posting about it on the hunter community right then and there.

"Are you really not going to watch?"

"I'm not."

"Hyung is seriously hard to tempt."

"..."

"Why do you look so exhausted today? You must've used up a lot of mana."

Kwon Jihan's tone was suggestive. His gray eyes blatantly signaled that he was testing Yoon Seo.

In truth, Yoon Seo had expended a massive amount of mana using , and on top of that, a significant portion of his mana recovery was going to Riceball, leaving him utterly drained. He was down to only 20% of his total mana.

Due to past experiences of suffering from mana depletion in the Great Dungeon, he had developed something akin to resistance, so he thought he had hidden it well. But apparently, Kwon Jihan had seen right through him.

"It must've been the stress of knowing I'd have to meet you today that kept me up at night."

"Hyung, are you sure you're not mistaking stress for excitement?"

"Oh? So you get excited when you see me?"

"Yeah, wondering how much power you're hiding gets me all excited. I can't wait to fight you."

"..."

Yoon Seo admitted defeat and shut his mouth.

"Since you really do seem tired, I'll let you off for today. But don't show up half-dead from exhaustion on raid day. It's an S-rank Yellow Dungeon, so even for you, you should be on edge."

Kwon Jihan smirked and waved as he left. His footsteps made no sound, and there was no trace of him retreating. When Yoon Seo peeked out the door, only a few staff members waiting to clean the meeting room remained in the hallway. Kwon Jihan was already gone.

"Park Soobin, sorry, but I'm heading home now."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. If you're tired, you should rest."

Park Soobin quickly replied. The two left the meeting room together and headed for the elevator. Inside, Park Soobin pressed the button for B3, where the underground training room was, while Yoon Seo pressed 1.

"I had no idea Yoon Seo was tired. I've been watching you for over a year, and you look exactly the same as usual, but Hunter Kwon Jihan noticed immediately…"

"So you're openly admitting you've been stalking me for over a year now?"

"I never thought my perception skills were lacking, but maybe they are… Even after hearing that you're tired, you still just seem indifferent, cute, and unbothered as usual."

"There's something terrifying in the middle of that sentence."

"This just makes me realize I need to study Yoon Seo even more. By raid day, you'll see a different version of me. Look forward to it."

"…Ah, sure."

Park Soobin would also see a different Yoon Seo on raid day.

Because right now, Yoon Seo had decided he needed to avoid Park Soobin even more.

***

Kwon Jihan was right. Of all times, right before an S-rank Yellow Dungeon raid, it was best to conserve as much mana as possible.

After the briefing, Yoon Seo stopped injecting mana into Existing Spirit and had recovered 90% of his mana by the day of the dungeon raid. However, even if he wasn't actively supplying mana, he still kept Existing Spirit close.

The most effective way to grow Existing Spirit was through mana infusion, but even without injecting mana, simply keeping it near him allowed it to absorb his mana little by little and grow. That's why he had taken it out of his inventory.

'How am I supposed to carry this inside the dungeon…?'

Others would see the status window of Giant Bird Egg created by , but those with would see a blacked-out status window filled with blank squares. There was no way they wouldn't find it suspicious.

At least in front of that person, he would have to be careful.

"Sticky Rice, I'm heading into the dungeon. This time, it'll take a while."

"How long will it take?"

"Maximum two weeks, minimum one week."

"Then I won't go into power-saving mode. Please return safely."

"Yeah, say goodbye to Riceball too."

"Riceball, come back safely."

The AI imitated a rather gentle voice as it bid farewell. Fortunately, Sticky Rice showed no hostility toward Riceball. The problem was Riceball itself. Since it had a possessive streak toward Yoon Seo, he worried that once it hatched, it might assert dominance over Sticky Rice. If it started scratching or tearing the sheets with its claws, Sticky Rice would definitely get angry.

The dungeon entry time was 8:00 PM, and it was currently 7:50 PM. While Yoon Seo usually prided himself on arriving precisely on time, past experiences had taught him that arriving late drew too much attention. So, it was about time for him to leave.

"Sleep well."

He gently tapped Riceball with his finger before placing it into his inventory.

This dungeon marked Perfect's first official raid, and since it had been widely publicized, a large number of reporters had gathered. Yoon Seo activated the signal jammer he had prepared in advance and put on a mask that only revealed his eyes. As soon as he stepped out of the car, a Seokyoung Guild member, who had been waiting, quickly approached to guide him. On both sides of the path, reporters bombarded him with questions.

"Are you a member of Perfect's first team?"

"Please state your hunter name and rank!"

"Why are you so late?"

Late? There were still ten minutes left…. Yoon Seo felt wronged but held back his frustration.

After passing the designated filming area and confirming that there were no more cameras around, he finally turned off the signal jammer. However, he kept his mask on.

As expected, this portal was also located in the mountains, though it required going slightly deeper than the one at Homyeongsan.

Near the portal, over a hundred people were busily making preparations. Since S-rank Yellow Dungeons had a tendency to result in casualties, not only were the raid hunters and their families present, but also high-ranking Seokyoung officials, as well as association and government representatives. The trees near the entrance had been cut down in advance, leaving a clearing where multiple tents had been set up.

Dungeons of this level typically had a base camp established at the entrance. It served as a station for guild medical staff, managers, Hunter Association personnel, and journalists. When hunters cleared the dungeon and returned, they would first undergo a medical examination, then report dungeon details and collected resources to their respective guilds and the association. Afterward, their team managers would conduct interviews with the press. This area was always bustling on both entry and expected clearance days.

"You're late, Hunter Yoon Seo."

The manager, who had been reviewing a U-Pad, noticed Yoon Seo and quickly approached. He was holding something in his hand.

"Hello. Is it another lens camera this time?"

"You'll be attaching a body cam to your collar. Are you entering with that outfit?"

"Yes."

Yoon Seo had worn the same clothes as last time. The manager observed him for a moment with an unreadable expression before attaching the camera to his collar.

"We're heading in immediately, so check your items, weapons, and potions."

"Yes."

As soon as the manager left, Hong Euiyoon approached, as if he had been waiting for this moment. Yoon Seo thought he might start picking a fight right away, but since Kwon Jihan was nearby, Hong Euiyoon kept his voice low.

"Took you long enough. You're the last one here."

"What about Hunter Hwashim?"

"He's over there."