Chapter 34 - Last Lecture (1)
The raid had come to an end.
Robert had decided to retreat, steeling himself for the penalties that would follow.
Fortunately, nothing else went wrong after that, and the Night Team managed to return to the guild safely.
While regular team members went straight into rest after a raid concluded, executives like team leaders and vice leaders had plenty of cleanup to handle.
Especially in cases like this one, where team members died mid-raid, there was a strict protocol to report directly to the guild master.
"……."
A suffocating silence settled over the center of the guild master's office.
Even though his treatment wasn't fully complete and his body still ached, Robert stood ramrod straight in the at-ease position, head bowed before Guild Master Han Kang-seok.
No matter the circumstances, it was his misjudgment as team leader that had gotten a team member killed and botched the dungeon clear.
He had braced himself for reprimands and penalties, given the massive losses inflicted on the guild.
"Five dead. Any severe injuries?"
"……Thanks to Hunter Han Su-ah, there were no critical cases. Everyone's been transported to the hospital for checkups."
"The report says Kim Sun-woo essentially took down the Red Drake single-handedly. That accurate?"
"Yes."
Robert nodded calmly in affirmation.
"Neither I nor the Night Team could do more than tie its legs down. Any meaningful damage to the Red Drake, and the kill itself— all credits go to Hunter Kim Sun-woo."
"Hm."
Han Kang-seok finished reading the report through, let out a short breath, and shifted his gaze to Robert.
"Word from the Association."
"……The Association? About this incident?"
"Not unrelated. But this was from yesterday. Take a look."
Another document was handed over.
Caught off guard by the unexpected response, Robert cautiously reached out and took it.
As he scanned the contents, his eyes widened.
Then, in a slightly agitated voice, he asked the guild master,
"Is this…… real?"
"Hasn't been announced publicly yet. It's an unofficial notice sent only to guilds handling upper dungeons. Data's still insufficient for an official release, so they're just warning key personnel."
The unofficial notice from the Association the day before contained opinions that dungeon difficulties seemed to be changing lately.
The changes were especially pronounced in large-scale dungeons or those ranked C-rank and above.
B-rank and higher dungeons were to halt raids entirely, while C-rank and below were to proceed with reinforced forces beyond standard protocols.
Kwak.
Blue veins bulged over Robert's hand gripping the paper.
It had been a difference of one day—just one day.
If the Association had sent the notice a day earlier, or if the Night Team's raid schedule had been pushed back by a day.
They would have reviewed it and made a more cautious call.
"……."
Robert let out a deep sigh.
The world was full of such injustices.
As a survivor himself, part of this damned world, who could he blame?
"No penalties. It's regrettable how things turned out."
"……."
Regrettable.
Robert gave a bitter smile.
From the guild master's position, he had no choice but to say that.
"The guild will take responsibility for the deceased hunters' families. Robert, you rest up for a while too."
"……Understood. And……."
As Robert bowed to leave, he remembered something he'd almost forgotten.
"From what I saw during the raid together, I think bringing Hunter Kim Sun-woo into the Main Assault Team as a member would be better than making him a team leader."
"As a member of the Main Assault Team?"
Han Kang-seok's eyes twitched.
Not under one of the subordinate teams, but directly as a member?
"His movements are bold, creative, and aggressive. Regular hunters won't keep up with his tempo."
Robert recalled Kim Sun-woo's maneuvers against the Red Drake.
Even he, a C-rank hunter, would struggle to match such advanced techniques.
Lower ranks fixed to basic plane movements wouldn't even be able to track it with their eyes.
The Main Assault Team at Mugung headquarters, filled with higher-rank hunters, seemed a better fit than leading others.
"We'll put that on hold. The assault team's balance is perfect right now. Fresh blood isn't a bad thing, but I won't risk disrupting the harmony unless he shows something that surpasses it."
"Yes."
Robert nodded.
Mugung's Main Assault Team consisted of elites who'd been there since the guild's founding.
He could only recommend; the decision was the guild master's.
"……And separately from his skill, he seemed a bit lost."
"Lost?"
"Yes. On the way back, he asked why I'm a hunter."
This time, Han Kang-seok gave a wry smile, stroking his mouth.
"I can picture it. You know his circumstances, right?"
"Heard he lost both parents to a gate outbreak and spent ten years paying off the debt."
It was a story that had circulated endlessly around him, even without interest.
A hunter jumping from F-rank straight to C-rank was bound to draw attention.
"A life he thought had no light suddenly changed. Probably just struggling to adapt. Time will sort it out."
"Probably."
Both Robert and Han Kang-seok had been through it.
Finding one's own goal and direction would determine their path forward.
"Anyway, keep an eye on him for a bit. My apprentice."
"……Understood."
Robert chuckled softly, nodded, and left the office.
After the raid ended.
Once Kim Sun-woo confirmed at the hospital that there were no issues, he attended the funeral.
It was a joint funeral for the Night Team hunters who died in Blazing Peak.
From the entrance, wreaths from Mugung Guild and various other places lined up in rows.
The mourners passing by wore utterly composed expressions.
It wasn't strange.
In this line of work, people dying was as common as stones on the roadside.
Of course, not everyone accepted their deaths so calmly.
As he went deeper inside, anguished wails pierced his ears.
It seemed to be the deceased's relatives gathered there, still unable to accept reality and sobbing uncontrollably.
He wanted to light incense but the atmosphere was all wrong, so he offered silent prayers for their souls before moving further in.
"Oh, you came."
"You okay?"
In a corner of the packed funeral hall, the Night Team hunters greeted Kim Sun-woo.
As he nodded that he was fine, Han Su-ah subtly raised her hand, signaling the empty seat beside her.
He sat there, and soon a staff member brought food and drinks.
"Where's Team Leader Robert?"
"He stopped by early this morning but headed back to the guild for work. Treatment isn't even fully done yet, but he's pushing too hard. Said he'd come back after dinner."
Vice Team Leader Seong Ha-rin answered with a worried look.
He'd taken such heavy damage from the Red Drake that nearly all his bones were shattered.
Even with Han Su-ah's healing, moving around freely would be tough, yet as team leader, he was dutifully handling responsibilities.
"……."
Kim Sun-woo turned to look at the surrounding hunters.
Not just Robert— everyone else was the same.
The drinking gathering was lively, but the gloom etched on their faces couldn't be hidden.
Comrades they'd laughed and joked with just moments ago were gone in an instant; it was inevitable.
After spending appropriate time mingling with them, Kim Sun-woo stepped out for some fresh air.
Inside was stuffy with people, but thanks to the fire resistance gained from Blazing Peak, it felt no different from usual.
Even if dunked in lava, seared with a lighter, or boiled like dried squid on a gas stove.
His skin would just redden slightly—no burns like before.
"Weird."
Kim Sun-woo looked down at his hand.
Was this thanks to his senses, or the White Flow Divine Art?
……No matter how he thought about it, it was the former.
No matter how superior the White Flow Divine Art, it couldn't perform such feats.
"Unaffected by heat or cold, was it?"
A realm where heat and cold held no sway over the body.
A quick search showed it was beyond even drawing basic sword aura—utterly unattainable for his current level.
He didn't know how, but he'd somehow acquired a similar ability.
For reference, the boosted resistance was only to fire; his sensitivity to cold remained unchanged.
If the chance arose, he'd hit a frost dungeon next.
Maybe he'd gain cold resistance like in Blazing Peak and truly reach that unaffected by heat or cold realm.
"Oppa!"
Lost in thought staring into space, Han Su-ah emerged from inside.
Her face flushed red from the alcohol.
She stood beside Kim Sun-woo, tidying her disheveled hair, and asked,
"What're you doing tonight?"
"Gonna check out the place I'm moving into today. Gotta decide soon."
"I see."
Han Su-ah smacked her lips in disappointment.
She wanted to tag along, but pushing too close too fast might make him uncomfortable.
Coming from a funeral, the mood was somber anyway—better to call it here.
"Invite me sometime. I'll bring a gift."
"Sure. A housewarming with close friends sounds good."
He couldn't stay cooped up in that tiny one-room forever.
He planned to decide today and move immediately.
'And…….'
Like the move, there was another long-postponed matter.
Baek Ryuk Geom's final lecture.
Alongside the heart method, footwork, and sword techniques, it contained the essence of the White Flow Divine Art—now reaching its last chapter.
Until now, he'd lacked time, and some reluctance had made him hesitate.
If he'd chosen lectures teaching other martial arts instead of the White Flow Divine Art, would he have reached this point?
His talent had the biggest share in mastering martial arts, but the White Flow Divine Art had undeniably played a significant role.
With the lectures ending, it stirred a certain regret in Kim Sun-woo.
'But I can't put it off forever.'
After taking down the Red Drake in Blazing Peak.
Kim Sun-woo had already resolved himself.
To climb higher, he'd watch the final lecture.
If lucky, he might even meet Baek Ryuk Geom in person.
What reaction would the master show if the one who'd mastered his art showed up unannounced?
……Of course, reality was more likely to be less hopeful.
"Gonna head out. Say bye to everyone inside for me."
"Okay. Be safe."
Leaving Han Su-ah with a polite bow, Kim Sun-woo departed the funeral hall.
To hear Baek Ryuk Geom's final teaching.