* * *

“Hey, guild leader! Are you even supporting us properly?!”

Beom Sinje, checking his smartwatch, looked up. Yeo Giwon, in his werewolf form, growled at him.

“Get over here, damn it!”

At Beom Sinje’s silent gaze, Giwon roared.

His once pristine, white fur was matted with blood, his body covered in wounds from the grueling fight.

Though they’d anticipated difficulty in tackling an S-class dungeon, the numerous airborne monsters made it particularly challenging despite their strategy.

That they’d avoided casualties or severe injuries was solely thanks to their leader, Beom Sinje, who, though appearing indifferent, delivered results when it mattered.

Still, Giwon growled in frustration.

“Come on!”

“Wait.”

Beom Sinje waved his massive sword, flinging blood and monster flesh off the blade.

His attention shifted to the glowing weapon in his hand.

The Flaming Sword, Levatein.

Doyoung had called it by this name, derived from the Norse mythological sword of the fire giant Surtr.

Its hidden powers were no surprise.

Whoosh.

The sword ignited with a brilliant blaze, instantly raising the temperature around it.

“Every time I see it, it’s amazing,” a guild member marveled, pausing from blasting a monster’s head off to admire the fiery weapon.

Hunters valued their weapons as both crucial partners in battle and desirable collectibles, but Beom Sinje’s weapon was on another level.

Boom. Boom!

Screeches of dying monsters filled the air as Beom Sinje swung his sword, unleashing pillars of fire that tore through the enemy ranks.

“That’s just overpowered.”

“Man, that’s sick.”

Even the guild members, accustomed to their leader’s overwhelming strength, couldn’t hold back their admiration at his upgraded abilities.

“Get a grip! They’re still coming!” shouted Giwon, leader of the raid team, snapping them back to reality. His bristling fur exuded a fierce and terrifying presence.

“His fur looks a little grimy now,” someone muttered.

“Can’t be helped. What’s the point of cleaning it when he’s ramming into monsters?”

“Typical brute force, huh?”

“He’s definitely brutal, but sometimes it feels like standing still and launching flames like the Guild Leader might be the better option.”

Even as they diligently dealt with the monsters, the guild members’ chatter never ceased.

Despite the tension in the air, none of them seemed particularly nervous.

The reason was clear: the solid presence of their Guild Leader, steadfastly backing them up, and the courage of their fearless Team Leader, known for his unrelentingly aggressive style, leading the charge.

Not to mention, there was also a revolutionary new item in play.

“They’re retreating!”

The monsters, which had surged in like a tidal wave, started to scatter, retreating across the land and sky.

“Don’t chase them!”

“Hold position!”

Some Pteranodons circled above, almost as if asking why no one was following, but the guild members didn’t fall for it.

They responded with minimal engagement and maintained their focus.

No one in this group was naive enough to fall for such bait. Instead, they guzzled down potions they’d carefully stowed away in their inner pockets.

“Ahh, this stuff is amazing!”

“Whoa, seriously, what is this? How does it hit so hard the moment you drink it?”

The guild members had been given power energy drinks by Doyoung before entering the dungeon.

True to its name, the tonic worked like magic: just one bottle restored their drained stats and revitalized their weary bodies.

“Right? I’m telling you, Secretary-nim is the best! We have to thank him properly when we’re out of here.”

Watching the others chatter excitedly, Beom Sinje looked down at his own hands.

All he had was the intimidatingly powerful ‘Levatein’.

Of course, it was a remarkable weapon in its own right, but…

“Why didn’t he give me one?”

Among all the hunters participating in this dungeon raid, Beom Sinje was the only one who hadn’t received Doyoung’s potion.

Even Yeo Giwon, in his beastly transformed state, had managed to down the drink using his furry front paws.

“You! Where’s your head at?”

Yeo Giwon snapped, practically pouncing on Beom Sinje.

“You’re acting strange.”

“What? Don’t tell me you messaged him in the middle of all this?”

At those words, Giwon snorted in disbelief.

His friend actually stopped mid-fight to chat with Doyoung?

Unbelievable.

“Did that really have to happen right now? During this intense battle?”

“Turns out the sword has some unique abilities. I thought he might want to see for himself.”

His answer was puzzling enough to baffle Giwon, who stared at Beom Sinje before suddenly realizing something.

“Wait, that sword… Did he give it to you?”

“Yeah.”

“Where did he even get something like that? That’s no ordinary market item.”

“No idea…”

Beom Sinje refrained from mentioning that the sword had been stored in the guild’s treasury, a building originally owned by Doyoung.

Only Beom Sinje knew that detail, and he intended to keep it that way.

No one else needed to know about Doyoung’s past.

The possessiveness stirring within him was brushed aside as insignificant.

“Huh, that guy really is a mystery. He looked like he was loaded before too. Maybe he’s a hidden heir to some chaebol family?”

Giwon tilted his head, scrutinizing the sword in Beom Sinje’s hands.

“Remember how he paid a fortune to get me out of that fight pit? Fed us, clothed us, took care of everything? He’s always so relaxed, even while being a hunter. And look at his face—it’s more refined than most celebrities’, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, he is good-looking.”

“Right? Like some prince who’s never known hardship. His expressions are so regal too. He’s got that icy corporate director vibe.”

Corporate director? Beom Sinje frowned at the odd comparison.

“Exactly! Even earlier, when he handed us the potions, he was so kind about it, but it felt like receiving a royal gift or something.”

“Yeah, I got that vibe too.”

“Same here!”

Two guild members chimed in, still buzzing from their potion-fueled revitalization.

“See what I mean? Secretary’s like an onion—you keep peeling, and there’s more to discover. Hey, Guild Leader, you know anything about him?”

“Nope.”

“Hmph… I see.”

Judging that no further information was forthcoming, Giwon stepped back.

“Anyway, what was that about messaging him? You thought he’d be curious?”

“Yeah. I figured he’d like to see the fight footage in real-time.”

“…Huh.”

Giwon’s expression turned peculiar.

“You’re kind of ridiculous, you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You go out of your way to fuss over him.”

Beom Sinje’s furrowed brows expressed his displeasure, rising and falling like the tide.

“He could’ve just watched the public footage after the raid. Why did you need to message him mid-battle?”

“Well, he made it clear he wanted to see it. Plus, he said he’d wait until we were done before going home. Might as well let him see it and rest.”

Giwon scratched his chin thoughtfully.

The problem was Beom Sinje didn’t even realize how unusual his own behavior was.

“Fine, if you say so.”

He let it go, realizing any further discussion would be a waste of breath.

“Did he watch it?”

The answer was unsettling.

“He watched it, but… his location seems off now.”

“What do you mean?”

“His coordinates—it’s like he entered the dungeon.”

Giwon’s eyes widened.

He quickly glanced at his smartwatch and gasped.

“Beom Sinje! Check your watch! There’s a boss nearby.”

* * *