* * *

What was that about?

Doyoung, who’d been watching the specialized hunter like a snack, looked back at Beom Sinje.

“You seem cold and detached on the outside and speak bluntly, but your actions are surprisingly kind. You like looking after people…”

What does that mean?

It’s like calling me a baguette—crusty outside, soft inside.

Doyoung looked at him in disbelief, but Beom Sinje didn’t care.

“You looked after me, who has no family ties, and Yeo Giwon as well. Even the organization you ran before—and now you’re even trying to scout a hunter with whom you have no real connection.”

Come to think of it, he probably did seem overly meddlesome to others.

Feeling awkward, Doyoung ran his hand through his hair.

Of course, he had his reasons back then, too.

Beom Sinje was the protagonist and held his life in his hands.

As for Yeo Giwon, he was a young kid destined to die due to a misguided path.

Antithesis was a group he was responsible for anyway, so it made sense to pick people who were competent and easy to work with.

‘Whether it’s a university student or a researcher, choosing the wrong team members is the same pain.’

Doyoung recalled the writer and fellow researcher who had recommended hunter stories to him.

It all started when he’d asked him one day what he was doing, seeing him typing furiously.

The researcher had nearly jumped out of his skin when Doyoung spoke to him, snapping his laptop shut and stammering that it was nothing.

Then, eager to change the subject, he’d asked Doyoung what he watched on his breaks and if it was enjoyable.

‘What if I hadn’t mentioned liking superhero movies then?’

Hearing that Doyoung liked superhero genres, the researcher’s eyes had sparkled, saying he also enjoyed similar stories and recommending a few.

It wasn’t until later that he realized his colleague was the author—right after discovering a villain with his own name in the story.

‘I don’t regret reading it… but if I see him again, I’d like to ask what he was thinking when he wrote this.’

Not that he knew if he’d ever get the chance.

“I’m really not like that.”

“Are you?”

Is he really that unaware?

Watching Beom Sinje’s expression, Doyoung thought again.

‘And I’d like to ask what kind of character he imagined Beom Sinje to be.’

In the novel, Beom Sinje was the quintessential lone wolf protagonist.

But meeting him in person, there was something about him—his slightly prickly yet surprisingly caring side—that seemed…

‘Kind of cute.’

Just as he was musing on this,

“Measurement’s complete!”

The call came from the specialized hunter who had been surveying the dungeon.

Immediately, the other hunters and government officials nearby gathered around.

“Looks like the results are in.”

As Doyoung spoke, Beom Sinje’s interest also shifted toward the scene.

The conversation among the group was easy to catch, even from a short distance away.

“It looks like a C-grade.”

“Can’t we go deeper?”

“They’re saying the terrain makes it difficult, but based on the distribution of monsters, it’s a C.”

“Any chance of mutation?”

“Doesn’t seem likely. The scale…”

Dungeon evaluations weren’t immediate.

The grade required a combination of terrain, monster type, and behavior.

Although they didn’t have the luxury to debate for days, they usually reached a decision within the day.

“Send the research data. And since we’re confident it’s a C-grade, start preparing a list of guilds for the assault.”

“But Chief Park, it’s not confirmed yet…”

It wasn’t something to rush, yet Chief Park, the government official overseeing the initial inspection, seemed to think differently.

“Just do it. With the Olympics approaching, the top brass is on edge. We can’t afford to waste time and get blamed.”

“Understood. I’ll compile the guild list right away.”

Listening to their conversation, Doyoung realized why the dungeon’s grade had been misclassified.

‘So he’s the problem.’

Just because of the Olympics, they were rushing an assessment that could lead to bigger problems down the line.

Before they could designate an inappropriate guild, Doyoung decided to step in.

With that thought in mind, he called out to Beom Sinje.

“Stay here for a moment.”

Beom Sinje, who had been busy fiddling with his smartphone, seemed to grasp why he was being called and started striding forward without hesitation.

As he moved, the government officials and Hunters who had been pretending not to pay attention showed a hint of nervousness.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“And who might you be?”

When Beom Sinje approached, a civil servant who was casually tasked with evaluating the dungeon’s rank responded rudely, despite knowing full well who was in front of him.

It was almost amusing how he pretended not to recognize him.

“Now that the dungeon exploration is complete, we will form a team on our end for the next phase.”

Unlike Doyoung, who was taken aback, Beom Sinje calmly stated his purpose.

“What?”

“Is there a need to draw up a separate list? Since I’m here, we can proceed more efficiently if you simply reach out to me.”

The civil servant, who had been ready to argue about who dared to interfere, suddenly paused as his phone started ringing loudly.

He checked the caller ID, and his expression changed instantly.

Without hesitation, his fingers hit the call button.

“Yes, yes. Oh, no, that’s not the case. We’re handling it now. What? Yes? Well, technically, that’s true, but…”

The official continued his phone conversation, bowing repeatedly and glancing at Beom Sinje from the corner of his eye.

After a moment, he spoke with forced politeness, though his eyes still betrayed annoyance.

“Are you with the Cheonho Guild? Well, fine. It doesn’t matter who leads the operation, so go ahead and organize the team. Just make sure it’s quick and clean, without any issues.”

The civil servant’s condescending tone, treating Beom Sinje like a subordinate, would have offended anyone.

Yet, Beom Sinje remained unbothered, as usual.

“Understood.”

Even after agreeing, the official continued to prattle on arrogantly, making unnecessary remarks.

Doyoung’s expression soured as he watched.

‘Should I leave that jerk alone or not?’

He knew it wasn’t his place to interfere directly, but the civil servant’s attitude grated on him.

And the fact that Beom Sinje just stood there listening quietly irked him even more.

‘Why is he listening so calmly? He’s usually the one who argues back with me, sometimes even resorting to force.’

It was baffling to see Beom Sinje, who never backed down in their own arguments, patiently endure the civil servant’s nonsense.

And it wasn’t that he didn’t understand why—it was precisely because he did that it irritated him even more.

‘Is that guy in charge of dungeon affairs?’

If so, the civil servant likely had significant influence here.

That’s probably why Beom Sinje held back.

Despite the rise of private guilds and their growing strength, the initial dungeon scouting, evaluation, and bidding were still government-controlled.

Naturally, this gave civil servants considerable power.

‘Still, it wouldn’t be hard to get rid of someone like that…’

The relationships with high-ranking government officials had been tidied up after the Hunter’s Night incident and the subsequent Antithesis Coup.

It wouldn’t be difficult to deal with a civil servant like this through connections from yesterday’s meeting with Sara.

Doyoung wasn’t the type to leave alone anyone who might be a nuisance to his favorite person.

“Hyung?”

While he was busy plotting, he heard a voice calling him.

When he looked up, Beom Sinje was standing close, watching him.

“Huh?”

“Why do you look so serious?”

“Do I?”

“Yes, like you’re about to do something drastic.”

Did this guy have mind-reading powers?

* * *