"Why do you get to decide which side you want first? Taking the easiest one for yourself? Aren't you the strongest one out of us all?"
Choi Giseok scoffed, turning his head away as he remarked, a clear mockery toward Cheon Areum. Anyone with eyes could see that the side that appeared the most normal was the desert without sun rays. Even though it could be a deceiving one, it was still the better option for everyone. Cheon Areum had expected some retaliation too; he nodded thoughtfully.
"You do have a point. I will concede..."
"No, you take Cheon Areum. We agreed he'd be the leader. If you have any complaints, write them in your report, Mr. Choi Giseok."
Han Kakta spoke in turn for him, urging the others to support him too, but Cheon Areum hadn't finished his words yet.
"If you're also pregnant, you can take the most appealing side."
"..."
Leaving everyone speechless and dumbstruck at his condition, except Yoon Seoyul, who was familiar with Cheon Areum and knew he would never be this charitable to Choi Giseok—the one who had opposed him. An alpha and already bearing white hair, currently single with two divorces already and no children of his own, Choi Giseok stared at him for a good minute.
"You see, I have a big heart. I won't argue with a sensitive pregnant person."
Branding himself as a kind person caring of such things, Cheon Areum spoke with conviction, shaking his head. True to his statement, he won't fight against another pregnant person who would be weaker than him.
"Yeah, that's right. As if it's something to brag about. Just use that pregnancy of yours as an excuse."
"It is something I should brag about, though?"
Mid-laughing, Choi Giseok stared at him as Cheon Areum replied with unblinking eyes.
"If it's easy, why don't you become pregnant too? Oh, wait—you're an alpha... You will have to be born again as an omega, and even then, you might not succeed in finding a partner who will be willing to stay with you and start a family. So, you know what? It doesn't seem that easy, does it?"
It had started as a joke, but the more Cheon Areum spoke, the more emotionless he became. By the end, his eyes contained the look of a crazed person, entirely terrifying. Unable to brush off the joke, Choi Giseok, who had ridiculed him for using his pregnancy to gain an advantage, was frozen solid. The S-Class hunters could feel it—the ominous energy radiating from Cheon Areum. It was as if they were facing an S+ Class boss who could completely overpower them in a single sweep.
"Areum."
Burning with a killing intent that was rising the more he gazed at Choi Giseok's irritating appearance, the voice that called out his name from the side broke the trance as he instinctively turned to face Yoon Seoyul.
"Does he annoy you?"
Uncaring of the person in question standing right there, Yoon Seoyul coddled him and patted his back gently.
"We can go play in the sand. You don't have to think about anyone, just yourself. Leave the rest to me, okay?"
"Hmm..."
Successfully coaxed by Yoon Seoyul, the energy putting the hunters on needles settled gradually. Cheon Areum had noticed he could lose control more easily of his energy because of his unstable energy levels, but after just a glance at Yoon Seoyul, he would return to his usual self in record time. Cheon Areum smiled and pouted, hugging his precious husband, but everyone who saw the sight was scared out of their wits, not moving for the longest time. Hugging him back, Yoon Seoyul spoke to Choi Giseok with an unamused stare.
"Let's resolve our problems out of the dungeon, since that's our first priority. I will come over to your guild personally, without Cheon Areum, to settle this dispute."
Realizing he was becoming the bad guy here, Choi Giseok quietly walked away from the center of attention, taking his guild members with him.
"Just let us know which one we are in charge of."
"You're going in the sewers. Despite it being kind of dirty, it's the most untroubling side out of the four. Take Kang Yura with you. You both should be enough."
Having checked out all three of the sides to make sure nothing could potentially hurt an S-Class hunter, Cheon Areum assigned them accordingly to what he thought would do best in there.
"The right side will be for Park Dojin and Kim Yebin. I will keep my energy around everyone just in case, so you can go out first."
Separating into their own duos, the four of them jumped down to their own respective sides, signaling they were fine as they began to advance further inside.
"Jihyeon and Kakta? Are you sure about this, Areum?"
Between the both, no one was an offensive type, which was clearly very needed for the blood-drenched, fleshy side. Cheon Areum put some distance between them and glanced up at Yoon Seoyul to break the news.
"You're going with Yoo Jihyeon to the front side."
Since Yoon Seoyul was prone to breaking his bones and getting heavily injured as he went berserk on the monsters, he was best with a healer, and Yoo Jihyeon was perfect for that. While Han Kakta and him were undoubtedly inseparable due to him losing energy anytime inside the dungeon. Yoon Seoyul gripped his wrist tightly, despite knowing it was better the way Cheon Areum had decided, he was unwilling to part from him.
"I have Han Kakta with me. What do you have to worry about? I may be reckless, but I won't put our baby in any danger, alright..."
Explaining patiently, Cheon Areum tried to take his wrist back, but Yoon Seoyul couldn't agree with him.
"Put yourself before anyone. Not me, not our baby—just you."