* * *

That kind of dramatic reaction could mean only one thing.

“Ahhh!”

“B-boss?! What’s that doing here…?!”

From a distance, screams and desperate cries echoed, and chaos erupted in an instant.

Before the terrorists could respond, something swiftly beheaded them.

“What’s going on?!”

Preoccupied with fighting off the swarm of Scaphognathus, the man in the plaster mask couldn’t grasp the situation.

Only Doyoung witnessed the pitch-black entity tearing through the terrorists like a blade through paper.

‘It’s coming.’

As he clenched his fist, something soared into the air. It was a monster with gleaming wings.

Its body resembled a human’s, but it stood a towering three meters tall.

It had bat-like wings devoid of fur, and its grotesque appearance was further accentuated by the complete absence of hair or eyebrows.

Keeaaaahhh!

Its slit-like eyes, shrouded in dark circles, and corpse-like blue lips opened to reveal jagged teeth.

Among them, its elongated fangs gleamed, sharp enough to pierce anything.

“A vampire?”

Its glinting fangs seemed poised to search for a victim.

The boss mob, having noticed their presence, locked its glinting gaze on them, reinforcing its predatory aura.

Even as he dodged diligently, Doyoung kept a close eye on the boss’s movements.

Bang. Bang. Bang, bang!

The loud gunfire briefly pulled Doyoung’s focus.

The plaster-masked man, who had been struggling, finally lost the cover that had been protecting his face after a sharp beak struck him.

His revealed face was that of a striking Latin man, his features so chiseled they seemed more fitting for a model than a villain.

‘Huh, not bad for a bad guy.’

Though, of course, not quite on par with him.

Even in the midst of chaos, Doyoung couldn’t help but apply his biased judgment in favor of his favorite.

However, the plaster-masked man snapped at him.

“What the hell are you doing, idiot?!”

He was urging Doyoung to hurry and help.

“I know you’ve got a gun on you. Take it out, now!”

Apparently, he even knew that Doyoung had packed a pistol for emergencies.

At this point, it was clear that running away wouldn’t suffice.

‘What now?’

They could manage the Scaphognathus together, but the real problem was the boss mob, which looked ready to lunge at any moment.

And sure enough—

Keeaaaahhh!

The boss spread its bat-like wings and shot into the air. Just as Doyoung tensed, thinking it was about to attack—

“Hyung! Doyoung hyung!”

A familiar, unexpected voice rang out.

Simultaneously, a burst of flame roared through the air, causing the boss mob to retreat.

Its gaze, now glaring their way, was menacing.

“How did you get here?”

Doyoung guessed that he—Beom Sinje—was furious.

“Well, um…”

But the expression he was met with wasn’t anger—it was concern. The words caught in his throat.

“When did you come in? Do you even know where this is? How could you just barge in recklessly?”

It wasn’t like he wanted to be here.

He’d planned to turn back quietly if possible.

But he knew explaining would only make Beom Sinje worry more, so he stayed silent.

“Sigh… And why didn’t you signal the moment you entered? You could’ve gotten seriously hurt!”

What could he even say to that?

That he’d been held at gunpoint by terrorists?

Instead, a wry smirk crept across Doyoung’s lips.

“Hey, what’s with all the scolding? This area’s cleared anyway. Besides, if I came in, you or the other guild members would’ve gotten the signal, so what’s the big deal?”

The words slipped out before he realized it, fueled by his frustration at the absurd situation and the nagging that greeted him the moment he saw Beom Sinje.

Of course, he knew Beom Sinje was just worried about him.

But still—it wasn’t like he’d come here willingly.

“Do you hear yourself? Who says a cleared zone is safe? Look at this! Do you see that? If you’d slipped up, the boss would’ve ripped you apart!”

“Then why didn’t you clean it up properly? Leaving something that dangerous in the rear—don’t you know the basics of dungeon clearing? Eliminate all threats. No exceptions.”

“What, are you calling our guild incompetent?”

“Our guild? Hey, I’m still your assistant. Are you trying to draw a line between us?”

“What? No, that’s not—”

Feigning indignation, Doyoung let his voice drip with disappointment.

For a brief moment, Beom Sinje’s eyes wavered, and Doyoung seized the opportunity.

“And if I hadn’t shown up, you wouldn’t have even noticed the boss. You would’ve kept moving forward, completely unaware, until it ambushed you. The damage could’ve been huge.”

The words came out sharper than intended, and he realized they sounded petty even to himself.

“So, sneaking in here is something to be proud of now? What are you even going to tell the guild members outside?”

“…”

Doyoung glanced at the plaster-masked man, who was now watching the exchange with arms crossed, thoroughly entertained.

“What’s his deal, anyway?”

As if catching on, Beom Sinje’s gaze turned disapprovingly toward him too.

Doyoung hesitated.

‘It’s not like I can tell him they’re terrorists.’

And claiming he was a government-affiliated Hunter would be just as unbelievable, given his obvious foreign appearance.

Kyaaaahhh!

Luckily, the conversation was cut short.

The boss mob’s surrounding monsters, gathering in swarms, began charging at them.

“Let’s deal with this first and finish talking later.”

Beom Sinje raised his massive sword, ready for battle.

“Hey! Guild Leader! You can’t just charge in alone!”

At the same time, reinforcements from the Chunho Guild arrived.

Yeo Giwon, grumbling loudly, spotted Doyoung and waved before doing a double take at the unfamiliar face next to him.

“They’re coming. Focus!”

There was no time for explanations.

The Scaphognathus swarmed the air while bizarre, brutal monsters surged toward them on the ground.

Kyaaak! Kyaaaah!

Beom Sinje fired volleys of flaming arrows, scattering the airborne Scaphognathus and forcing them to change direction.

Some weren’t fast enough and crashed into the advancing ground monsters, causing chaos in their ranks.

“This feels like Jurassic World.”

Doyoung muttered under his breath.

Beside him, Gieun chuckled.

“When did you get here, hyung?”

Gieun tapped Doyoung’s shoulder with his wagging tail.

“Not long ago. Don’t ask why—no time to explain.”

Cutting off the conversation before it could drag on, Doyoung heard Gieun’s growling laugh.

“Seriously, hyung, you’re such a troublemaker. Learn to pick your battles.”

“Pick my battles?”

“Yeah, know when to jump in and when to step back.”

“Is that an insult?”

“Think of it as advice for survival.”

No matter how he thought about it, it sounded like a veiled jab.

Watching Doyoung’s eyebrows arch in displeasure, Yeo Giwoon burst out laughing again.

“Like last time at the Antithesis base. You always show up in the most unexpected places! Hyung, step aside for now.”

Not noticing how Doyoung flinched at the mention of “Antithesis base,” Giwoon leapt forward in an instant.

With his body as massive as a house, he charged into the forefront of the monsters, scattering their formation.

“Huh…”

Doyoung let out a breathy laugh, taken aback by the sheer brutality of Giwoon’s attack, so far removed from his usual smaller, delicate build.

‘Honestly, the guy’s way rougher than he looks.’

* * *