* * *

A monster the size of a house emerged.

It had just stepped out of the gate and was charging toward a nearby villa.

Its body resembled a human’s, but it had no neck.

I managed to intercept it in a hurry, but it was impossible to tell where its weak point was.

Not that I needed to know its weak point to defeat it—I simply crushed it with brute force.

Blood sprayed everywhere, like a fountain.

“Damn it…”

A curse escaped my lips.

According to the [Sage’s Eye], the monster’s grade was B.

I could handle it easily, but for any ordinary Hunter, it would be a tough fight.

Moreover, a dungeon break wasn’t just about a single monster emerging—more were bound to come.

Just as I expected, another identical creature began crawling out of the gate.

I crushed it the same way.

[Reassessing compatibility for the trait [Villain’s Qualities].

Control rate for the trait [Villain’s Qualities] is decreasing. The trait will run wild if the control rate reaches 0%.

Current control rate: 74%.]

What?

My control rate dropped just from killing a monster?

Was it because I was preventing an attack?

No matter how absurd that sounded, it had been steadily declining for some time now, but this…

This was too much.

Even though the penalties were gone, the slight decrease in control rate made my head ache.

I continued crushing the emerging monsters, only for my control rate to drop further, ever so slightly.

Was it possible that the control rate decreased every time I killed a monster?

My suspicion grew into certainty as I killed a few more.

Each time I took down a monster, the rate dropped, albeit in small increments.

In frustration, I decided to stop killing them.

Instead, I snatched the monsters out of the air and suspended them mid-air, using just enough strength to keep them alive.

With this approach, my control rate didn’t drop.

After capturing around thirty monsters, the rate eventually dropped slightly, but it was manageable.

I sighed deeply.

If I kept stopping this dungeon break, I’d be left with no control rate to spare.

It had always been annoyingly fragile, but I couldn’t afford to lose it entirely now.

I couldn’t afford to go berserk here of all places.

Most of the residents in the area seemed to have evacuated by now, so I decided to leave once the Hunters arrived.

When I’d captured forty monsters, a group of Hunters finally showed up.

I hid a little ways away from the gate, observing them.

Unfortunately, their ranks weren’t very high.

Most were grade C, and the best among them was grade B.

It didn’t look like they’d be able to handle this dungeon break on their own.

“Team leader, these things are tougher than we thought!”

“I know. I’ll request backup, so hang in there!”

Thankfully, they seemed to recognize the gravity of the situation quickly and called for reinforcements.

For now, I decided to wait and watch.

“What’s with those floating monsters?”

“No idea. I’m terrified they’ll drop on us any second…”

“Keep your heads up and fight!”

While holding the monsters in place, I watched the Hunters struggle against the ones that had already emerged.

At first, they seemed to be having a hard time, but they soon figured out the monsters’ weak points and began taking them down through coordinated attacks.

Clearly, rank wasn’t everything.

Their teamwork exceeded my expectations.

As they gained momentum, I began dropping the suspended monsters one by one for them to hunt.

“Team leader, this is…”

“Never mind, just take them down first!”

Their unease about the situation was clear.

They must have realized someone was interfering. It wasn’t hard to guess.

Though I was hidden for now, if this story reached my uncle or Baek Gunho, they’d figure out it was me.

After all, only an S-rank Hunter like me could handle B-grade monsters this easily, let alone manipulate them like this.

“Team leader, backup’s almost here!”

The reinforcements arrived soon after.

It was none other than Jung Eunji and Lee Jooyun.

Of all people, it had to be familiar faces.

I couldn’t help but stare at them, a sense of nostalgia washing over me.

Perhaps it was due to past memories, but their presence felt oddly comforting despite the dire situation.

“What is all this?”

Jung Eunji crushed a monster as soon as she arrived, looking flustered at the sight of the floating creatures.

“Someone seems to be suppressing them…”

“Could it be G.O. nearby?”

I flinched at the name.

Of course they’d figure it out—G.O. was as well-known among Hunters as any other S-rank.

Jung Eunji began scanning the area as if she wanted to find me.

I quickly ducked behind a wall.

Even at this distance, I couldn’t underestimate an A-rank’s vision.

Once the sounds of battle resumed, I peeked out again.

Jung Eunji and Lee Jooyun were working seamlessly together, their synergy as members of the same guild evident.

Being A-rank Hunters, they could manage this situation.

With the C- and B-rank Hunters’ support, they’d likely hold the line.

It was time for me to make my exit.

But then—

I felt an ominous flow of mana near the gate.

Something wasn’t right. I rushed over and saw a figure melting away, their body collapsing into a puddle.

Above them, a crack appeared.

The crack spread like fractured glass until it shattered completely, revealing another gate.

Something was coming through.

A dungeon break.

And not just here—the same eerie flow of mana was emerging all over the place.

Dungeon breaks were happening simultaneously.

Hovering above, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

‘They’ve come to make a final offer.’

Lee Jaehee’s words flashed through my mind, and I let out a bitter laugh.

Was he planning to drive me to the brink if I didn’t listen to him?

If this dungeon break was orchestrated to target me specifically, it was a laughable tactic.

Dungeon breaks alone wouldn’t lower the control rate.

It’s only when I intervene that the control rate decreases.

All I have to do is run away, after all.

“……”

I scanned my surroundings.

Standing in midair, the ground seemed to fall away beneath me, leaving me with a dizzying sensation of free fall.

There were five sites where dungeon breaks had occurred.

The monsters emerging from the gates were mostly converging in my direction, likely following the trace of human presence.

I looked at the scene with a sense of futility.

If the hunters here were forced to deal with monsters emerging from all sides, they’d be annihilated without a doubt.

And that wouldn’t be the end of it.

Once the hunters were gone, the monsters would scatter and attack the nearest shelters, slaughtering indiscriminately.

“Ugh…”

A wave of nausea hit me. Horrifying images, worse than the sight of a lifeless corpse, filled my head.

Innocent people, powerless and blameless, dying senselessly…

My hands trembled. I wanted to flee.

The fear was so overwhelming it made me want to cry.

If I helped these people here, if I faced that massive horde, the control rate would plummet—it was an inevitability.

I wanted to escape, regardless of what happened to others.

Running away was simple; all I had to do was turn my back and head somewhere else.

The trembling in my hands spread throughout my body.

A chilling wind swept past, but the shivering wasn’t just from the cold.

A thought took root in my mind: If only I’d left this place a little sooner. It was a cowardly thought, but I couldn’t suppress it.

I wasn’t a brave hunter. I was an ordinary person, living an ordinary life.

When danger occasionally loomed before me, I couldn’t completely ignore it, so I dealt with it just enough.

But that was all. I wasn’t selfless enough to risk my life for others.

I had helped in situations where I was the only one who could act, but I had never gone so far as to help someone when my own life was at stake.

I wasn’t cut out for that. I was just… average.

One of those countless ordinary people you’d see anywhere.

* * *