Countless reporters flocked outside the Basan dungeon, with the Korean Hunter Association members trying to keep them from getting too close to the gate.
Before the raid started, interest had already piled up since the country's sole SS-Rank Hunter was known to have entered the dungeon. Even though he was just there to observe, everybody would naturally be intrigued as he is currently the strongest hunter in Korea.
They knew that conquering dungeons would normally take days, but that didn't stop them from camping outside in order to get even the slightest glimpse of him.
However, it got worse when the dungeon gate acted out of the ordinary outside and the Association had no choice but to reevaluate the grade of the gate.
One of the men in charge brought out a mana-meter, a tool used to determine how strong the monsters inside a dungeon would be. It then became the standard practice to measure the gate's grade when assigning teams for conquering dungeons.
The man in a black suit pointed the mana-meter to the gate, and the meter went from blue, to purple, and stopped at red.
「Warning! Unidentified!」
The reading made him gasp out loud. Exactly as he was trained, he quickly contacted his superiors at the Association. The members present scattered when they informed the Blackmane Guild about the change in the gate's grade.
Staff at the Blackmane Guild began panicking. They all knew who they sent as a support inside that dungeon. They looked at each other in fear as they remembered the face of their guildmaster.
We're all screwed!
If something happens to their guildmaster's little brother, who knows who would be left alive to see another day? The guildmaster was usually easy-going, but when his little brother comes into the picture, things change.
There was an unspoken rule at the Blackmane Guild.
You can do anything you want, but no harm shall befall on Baek Haemin.
Otherwise, Baek Raehwan would do everything within his power to get back at you.
Members of Blackmane Guild immediately sent people to check on the dungeon gate, and delivered the message to their guildmaster. The reporters swarmed when they saw the logo on their clothes.
"Oh? Why are there so many of them here?"
One reporter asked his cameraman out of surprise.
The cameraman shrugged,
"Well, the Blue Dragon Guild would have obviously commissioned a support hunter from them. I guess, it's only normal to have someone check on their member?"
"No, wait. Isn't there way too many of them, though?"
A woman chimed in.
An old man beside them nodded his head.
"Right, there have been cases of dungeons changing grades in the past, but never have they sent so many of their people all at once. They're usually busy running around different guilds, so unless someone very important was inside the gate, I doubt they'd bother causing such a fuss."
The cameraman's brows lifted.
"Someone important? Who? Baek Haemin?"
"Hey, that's impossible. That guy would never go in a dungeon."
A reporter smirked.
"But look, isn't that man the head of the Hunter's Aid Department? Why would he come here?"
The cameraman pointed at a distance, and everybody turned their heads only to see a man with long hair wearing glasses.
Everyone who was silently listening to their discussion paused. They all looked at each other as their eyes slowly widened.
It was Hunter Han Seokmin, an A-Rank healer, the man in charge of the Hunter's Aid at the Blackmane Guild. He wasn't someone who'd go out of his way for an ordinary member of the guild.
Someone very important to the Blackmane Guild. If you mention that, then there's one person whom people would naturally think of.
Blackmane Guildmaster's precious little brother, whom he cherished so dearly. They finally realized who it was inside the dungeon.
Everybody quickly went wild and ran towards the Blackmane Guild members.
"Did Baek Haemin go inside the dungeon?!"
"Is he inside?!"
"Why did the Blue Dragon Guild commission him?!"
"Did Hunter Ryu Jinmu personally ask him?!"
"How did Hunter Raehwan react to sending his little brother inside a dungeon?!"
Questions poured out and the Association swiftly moved to prevent them from approaching too close. Forget the dungeon grade changing mid-raid, there was only one thing inside the reporters' minds.
Hunter Ryu Jinmu and Hunter Baek Haemin together inside a dungeon! For the next few weeks, it became the biggest scoop in the country.
***
At the same time, inside one of the tallest buildings in New York. A man holding a cigar between his fingers put it on his lips and opened the messages app.
The smoke drifted from his mouth, slow and bitter, as his red eyes glimmered in the dim room that has barely any light on. He tapped the cigar on the tray while staring at his phone.
He heavily exhaled before massaging his temples.
"Hmm, he's not responding to any of my messages. As expected, he's still mad at me, huh?"
The muscles under his shirt hardened and his teeth ground against each other. He had to travel overseas for business, so it's been a while since he's been home.
Just a little more, he told himself. Just a little more, and he'd seal the deal. After that, he could go back and see the person he adored so much.
The man slicked his hair back while taking another drag from his cigar. The messages on his phone came into view when he put it on top of his desk.
「My Minmin ♥」
「How are you? Are you eating well?」
「Hyung will be back soon. Just wait a little longer, okay?」
「Why are you not replying? Still mad at hyung?」
「I apologize, okay? Hyung has lots of gifts prepared for you.」
「At least read them. You're making hyungie sad. :(」
「Come on now, it's been a week. Answer me.」
The door creaked open with a man peeking. He seemed anxious, but still went inside.
"G, Guildmaster. I have a report on Hunter Haemin-nim."
He said, clearly avoiding his guildmaster's eyes.
His guildmaster tapped the cigar on the tray before responding.
"Speak."
A gulp could be heard before the man with glasses continued,
"The Association said that the d, dungeon that Haemin-nim went from… A, A-Rank to S-Rank or above–"
Crack!
His words were cut short when a cigar came flying in his direction, stabbing the wall behind him. The veins on the man's jaw appeared while he stood in anger.
"I don't remember allowing my little brother to go inside an A-Rank dungeon."
Baek Raehwan's bloodshot eyes shot glares at his secretary.