* * *

It wasn’t difficult to guess who his attackers were.

The surprising part was their use of a foreign language.

Earlier, when they had been throwing off the government hunters, their Korean had been flawless.

‘Could it be someone else?’

Unlikely.

The only group active right now was the terrorist faction impersonating the International Research Institute.

But that wasn’t the priority.

“Who are you?” (English)

Remaining calm, Doyoung assessed the number of enemies around him—six or seven, with three in close proximity.

The rest maintained a bit of distance.

And all of them were at least B-rank.

‘They came prepared.’

It was clear that acting rashly wouldn’t work.

He needed to wait and observe.

“State your affiliation.”

“Are you from the Chunho Guild?”

The question came as another question—a confirmation rather than an inquiry.

When Doyoung gave a small nod, the arm around his neck loosened.

“Don’t do anything foolish, or I’ll turn you into Swiss cheese.”

Feigning compliance, Doyoung subtly moved his gaze to identify his attackers.

‘Seriously?’

He barely managed to suppress a groan.

Their outfits screamed of an attempt to mimic a certain notorious group.

The black combat gear and masks, reminiscent of the infamous Antithesis, were clearly chosen to frame someone else.

The glaring difference was that Antithesis used only silver masks, whereas these people had opted for a mix of bizarre, Halloween-style disguises likely bought online.

Among them, the person aiming a gun at Doyoung wore a white plaster mask with eerie blue-painted eye sockets and lips.

“Once again, are you the Chunho Guild Master’s secretary?”

The attacker clearly knew who Doyoung was, waiting to confirm it before striking.

“Yes. And who are you?”

Not that he expected an answer.

“We’ve got the right one. Lead the way.”

As expected, they didn’t bother answering, instead jabbing his side with the gun to urge him forward.

“Where to?”

Rather than reply, the masked figure gestured toward the path Doyoung had come from.

By now, the rest of the group surrounded him with an oppressive atmosphere and sharp gazes.

“We’re entering the dungeon. Lead us inside.”

Surprisingly, the plaster mask laid out their objective clearly.

However, whether “leading” referred only to entering the dungeon or included guiding them further was unclear.

“As the Guild Master’s secretary, you should manage that much.”

Their first goal became evident—they wanted Doyoung to persuade the guild members guarding the dungeon to let them in.

‘Not that I didn’t see this coming.’

It matched their earlier behavior—lingering around, trying to sneak in.

Pretending to retreat after the dungeon was upgraded to S-rank, only to return with a plan like this.

‘By now, the battle inside the dungeon must have resumed.’

If they had calculated that far and decided to hold onto me, it meant they weren’t ordinary people.

Doyoung obediently allowed them to tag along and resumed walking toward the dungeon.

When he appeared, surrounded by the suspicious group, the onlookers at the scene were visibly shaken.

The guild members dispatched from Chunho seemed even more unsettled than the government-affiliated ones.

“Secretary Na!”

“Who the hell are you guys? Let him go immediately!”

Their wary eyes and expressions told Doyoung they had grasped the situation.

Before the guild members could draw their weapons, Doyoung quickly spoke up.

“I’m fine. Don’t act rashly.”

Causing a commotion would only escalate things.

Better for them to contact the guild quickly instead.

Reading his gaze, the guild members refrained from moving and cautiously kept their eyes on the group.

Meanwhile, the terrorists escorting Doyoung moved closer to the dungeon.

The agitation grew.

Government hunters, who lacked an official on-site to give orders, were especially at a loss, not knowing how to react.

“What’s going on? Who are those people?”

“Shouldn’t we stop them? Or report this to the higher-ups?”

“What’s the point? They’ll just complain we didn’t handle it ourselves.”

The sight of Doyoung, who had been kind to them, in such a precarious situation left them more flustered.

Among them, Kim Jinsoo, who had personally received medicine from Doyoung, was particularly shocked.

“Shh.”

Noticing Kim Jinsoo’s trembling lips, Doyoung wordlessly warned him.

While Jinsoo probably wanted to do something for the awakened Doyoung, who he’d grown fond of, he needed to understand that acting impulsively could worsen the situation.

Thankfully, though naive, Jinsoo wasn’t entirely clueless; he clamped his mouth shut.

Then, Jinsoo discreetly pulled something from his pocket.

A small robot fell to the ground and quickly scurried toward Doyoung, moving like a living insect.

The tiny robot, the size and color of a spider, went unnoticed by anyone except Doyoung, who was already on high alert.

Even the man in the plaster mask aiming a gun at him didn’t notice.

“Impressive,” Doyoung muttered as the robot swiftly climbed up his leg and slipped into the pocket on his chest.

He couldn’t be sure, but the robot was likely a tracking device or an emergency communication tool.

It was a clever move for someone as inexperienced as Jinsoo, who would later become an ally to Beom Sinje.

“We’re going in.”

When they finally reached the dungeon, the terrorists wasted no time entering.

“What are you doing?!”

“Stop them right now! How dare you enter like that!”

“Where are you taking Secretary Na?!”

“If the guild leader finds out about this, you’re done for!”

As the expected chaos erupted, Doyoung internally groaned.

The last comment caught him off guard.

“What? Am I supposed to be some damsel waiting for Beom Sinje to save me?”

Doyoung wanted to roll his eyes, but the terrorists reacted quickly.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The men pulled out hidden guns and fired warning shots.

To emphasize their threat, the man in the plaster mask pressed his gun to Doyoung’s neck.

The guild members gritted their teeth in frustration but stopped in their tracks.

“Move,” came the order.

It was clear that their intentions went beyond simply using him as a guide.

If they were trying to intimidate him, they wouldn’t leave him alive afterward.

“Well… no choice then.”

Doyoung glanced briefly at the robot in his pocket before looking forward again.

“Move faster.”

The pressure against his side increased.

If he delayed further, they’d hurt him for real.

Even so, he still had something to do.

“Ugh, listen, I’m not combat-capable. If you want me to guide you, you’re going to get me killed first.”

He deliberately raised his voice to be overheard, earning him a sharp, icy sting in his side.

“Ice? Cryokinesis?”

It wasn’t a bullet, but something cold had grazed his skin, leaving a chilling sensation.

“Don’t play games.”

“Alright, alright. I’m going. But seriously, I’m non-combat.”

“We know. Don’t worry, we won’t kill you.”

The assurance lit a spark in Doyoung’s eyes.

They’d clearly misunderstood his capabilities after researching him. Perfect.

Satisfied he’d set things up properly, Doyoung threw one last glance at the bewildered guild members.

“Alright, I’m going in. The rest is up to you.”

He could only hope nothing major would happen before he encountered Beom Sinje.

“I wonder what expression he’ll make.”

Would their meeting stir anxiety, fear, or… excitement?

Swallowed into the dungeon’s gaping maw, Doyoung disappeared.

* * *