* * *

Information about the dungeon’s interior constantly streamed from the smartwatch on Beom Sinje’s wrist.

Most of the monsters seemed to have been cleared.

Then came reports that signs of a transformation were appearing, prompting everyone to evacuate to the entrance just as they were getting out of the car.

“Set up solid defenses and maintain perimeter vigilance. Be particularly wary of a boss appearance.”

[Got it. But, Guild Leader, where are you? You said you’d be here soon.]

Even amidst the ongoing operation, tension seemed absent as Yeo Giwon cracked a joke.

“I’m almost there.”

[Ah, I see.]

Beom Sinje didn’t entertain the joke and answered briefly before moving with Doyoung.

Upon arriving at the dungeon entrance, the operations headquarters was nearly empty except for two government-affiliated hunters; all the civil servants had disappeared.

“They must’ve evacuated when they heard about the transformation,” Doyoung remarked coldly, a mocking sneer on his face.

Typical bureaucrats.

They shoved all the danger and hardship onto the hunters, only to swoop in for the glory.

Surprisingly, even the intruders, who had stubbornly held their ground, were nowhere to be seen.

‘Let’s send Beom Sinje in first and confirm the situation.’

It was doubtful those intruders had simply retreated.

“Go.”

He planned to send Beom Sinje into the dungeon quickly and grasp the situation.

“Why?”

Beom Sinje didn’t move but fixed his gaze on Doyoung.

“Aren’t you tired? You should rest in the car.”

“I’m not at that point yet.”

Beom Sinje’s unwavering stare made it clear he didn’t trust him.

[Guild Leader! You said you were almost here! Why aren’t you showing up? The transformation seems imminent!]

As the tense standoff continued, Yeo Giwon’s voice urged them on.

There was no time to waste, yet Beom Sinje’s gaze lingered, unyielding.

“Fine. I’ll go,” Doyoung said, raising his hands in surrender.

There wasn’t much curiosity about the situation ahead, anyway.

‘I just wanted to check what happened with those guys. I’ll pretend to head back and return once Beom Sinje enters the dungeon.’

Since real-time updates were available, he could afford to wait and move later.

Yet even after Doyoung conceded, Beom Sinje’s persistent gaze weighed heavily on him.

“Sigh…”

With a resigned sigh, Doyoung turned and began walking toward the car.

Only by feigning compliance would Beom Sinje finally move.

When Doyoung glanced back after a few steps, Beom Sinje was still standing there.

‘What a relentless guy.’

Once Doyoung reached the car, he lingered momentarily, listening to updates from his smartwatch before returning. T

hankfully, Beom Sinje was no longer visible.

“Has Guild Leader Chunho entered the dungeon?”

Approaching the operations headquarters, Doyoung addressed a government hunter, who looked startled that he’d spoken.

After blinking in surprise, the hunter confirmed with a nod.

“When did everyone else leave?”

“…”

This time, the hunter didn’t respond, merely staring at him.

While Beom Sinje’s silence might intimidate Doyoung, it had no effect on others.

“Did they leave with those dungeon research lab people or whatever?”

Prodding gently, Doyoung’s question prompted the hunter to sigh deeply before answering.

“As soon as they heard about the dungeon’s upgrade, they left. Those weirdos from the intruder group tried sneaking in without permission but got chased out by your guild members.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Please don’t file a complaint over that incident. It caused enough trouble for us already.”

The hunter’s frustration was evident.

Understandable, considering the civil servants had fled as soon as the dungeon upgrade was confirmed, leaving chaos in their wake.

“It’s fine. You know Chunho doesn’t do things like that.”

At Doyoung’s reassurance, the hunter nodded.

‘Well, it is Beom Sinje’s guild.’

Though its internal management was still a bit rough—being a new guild lacking professional staff—it operated cleanly and efficiently in external matters, earning it a solid reputation.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Hearing Doyoung’s words of comfort, the hunter sighed so deeply it seemed the ground might cave in.

Another hunter nearby echoed the sentiment.

Feeling sorry for them, Doyoung handed over two potions he had on hand.

“Here, drink these.”

“What is it?”

“Energy boosters for hunters.”

“Really?”

The skeptical look didn’t faze Doyoung.

“Haven’t you heard? Chunho just signed an MOU with ATE Pharma today.”

“Oh, right!”

Remembering the news, the hunter’s eyes lit up.

ATE Pharma was a rising star in the hunter community, known for its effective overseas treatments.

“This is their new power energy drink, right?”

“Power energy drink?” Doyoung frowned, checking the bottle.

The name was indeed printed there in bold.

“Seriously, what kind of name is that…”

Though not his company, Doyoung felt a secondhand embarrassment at the unimaginative branding.

Meanwhile, the hunters eagerly gulped down the potion.

“Wow, it works instantly!”

“Amazing! The rumors were true!”

Watching their enthusiasm, Doyoung felt a small swell of pride.

“Too bad it’s not available for direct purchase yet. When will it hit the market here?”

“Well, the deal was just signed, so it’ll take time. But it’ll be distributed through Chunho soon. Spread the word.”

Before Doyoung could finish, a group of government hunters swarmed him with questions about the potion.

While promoting the product, the dungeon’s situation took a drastic turn.

As expected, the dungeon underwent a transformation.

“S-Class upgrade confirmed!”

A tense shout rang out, reverberating through the area.

◇◆◇◆◇

As the news of the dungeon’s grade upgrade spread, the atmosphere became so heavy that even the sound of water droplets felt deafening.

“H-holy…”

When someone audibly gulped, the silence broke, giving way to gasps and exclamations.

“No way! S-rank? Did he just say S-rank? How long has it been since we had one in our country?”

“Let me think… Ten years, right?”

“Sounds about right. The last one I recall was in South America.”

“Oh yeah, Argentina. The government was in such a panic back then because no guild wanted to step up.”

“True. They only managed to stop the overflow thanks to some mercenary guild intervening.”

Listening to the buzzing chatter around him, Doyoung nodded slightly.

‘Man, that was hell.’

Memories of the Ushuaia S-rank dungeon flooded back.

It had been an indescribable ordeal, a nightmare he wouldn’t dare recount to others.

‘I got through it only because I didn’t know better. Ugh…’

Ignorance is bliss, or perhaps recklessness.

Even though he was in the body of a top-tier hunter, he had grossly underestimated his limits.

Back then, Doyoung had become what one might call a troll in gaming terms.

What good were high stats when he couldn’t control them?

His blunders were so frequent that one of his subordinates had cautiously asked if he was having trouble at school.

‘Ah… I thought I’d die of shame.’

No one knew that after his humiliation in Argentina, he had embarked on grueling training, pushing himself to the edge to rebuild his pride as a leader.

But at least it wasn’t all in vain.

His hard work had earned him Levatein.

The thought brought a small, proud smile to his lips, his eyes softening momentarily.

* * *