Feigned Defeat
Sparks began crackling from Kim Jun's lowered palm with a sharp zzzt. The moment he slammed it into the warehouse floor, bursts of electricity scattered in all directions.
A Water Mine planted three meters ahead detonated with a boom. As the three carefully hidden water-attribute mines exploded in succession, Jeong Myeong-ho was left speechless.
That's really Po-noe Strike. What the hell is that guy's deal?
The kid was definitely a detection Raider.
There was no other way he could've spotted the Water Mine. With skills like that, he could probably sniff out dungeon items even inside a relic.
Kim Jun burst through the fog and dust from the Water Mine explosions.
His speed surpassed all expectations.
Jeong Myeong-ho cupped his hands and thrust them forward in one motion, unleashing Water Explosion.
Boom!
Kim Jun, caught in the shockwave, flew backward, crashed into the warehouse wall, and slumped to the floor.
Fucking punk. Acting like hot shit as a team leader.
Kim Jun lay motionless for a long while.
"Huh? Did I go too hard? He didn't die, did he? That'd be a problem."
Fortunately, Kim Jun staggered to his feet. He collapsed again from the heavy impact, but his eyes burned with life.
At that moment, An Seong-ho dropped through the roof.
Jeong Myeong-ho, who had already sensed him, casually blocked the attack with Water Defense, then morphed the barrier into a rope, wrapped it around An Seong-ho, and hurled him at Kim Jun.
Thud.
Spare!
Kim Jun tumbled backward, and An Seong-ho landed on top of him.
Kim Jun shoved An Seong-ho aside and rose like a zombie. His left arm hung limp, likely broken, but his bloodshot eyes glared at Jeong Myeong-ho with murderous intent.
The media darling... even officially recognized by Jushin... was staring him down with a face full of rage.
Jeong Myeong-ho was over the moon.
He wrapped Baek Seungtae in a Water Rope and spun him around before flinging him at Kim Jun via centrifugal force.
Kim Jun's eyes widened.
Thud!
Direct hit again.
Jeong Myeong-ho approached Kim Jun slowly.
Kim Jun was pinned under Baek Seungtae. He struggled to rise, but with his arm broken, he couldn't budge. Only his eyes remained defiant.
Jeong Myeong-ho stood before him.
"Feel that power gap now? I'll slot Pink Team into B Group, so get ready. Don't make a big fuss and annoy people. Play nice with me, and I might even help you grow."
Kim Jun just glared at Jeong Myeong-ho.
Jeong Myeong-ho loved that expression.
If he'd been crushed by the expedition leader's prowess, he'd be trembling in fear. If he'd spewed curses and thrown a tantrum, it would've shown a lack of reality.
Kim Jun was right in the sweet spot.
Perfect type to use.
Jeong Myeong-ho stepped over Baek Seungtae and exited the warehouse, whistling cheerfully.
An Seong-ho lay still with his eyes closed.
He heard Jeong Myeong-ho's car drive away, but knowing how sharp a Level 4 Raider's senses were, he didn't twitch a finger until Kim Jun gave the signal.
His mind raced with worry.
Was Baek Seungtae okay?
How badly was Kim Jun hurt after taking those hits from Jeong Myeong-ho?
Thankfully, things went exactly as Kim Jun planned—Jeong Myeong-ho basked in his victory high and left the warehouse.
"We're good now."
Kim Jun said.
An Seong-ho sprang up and rushed to him. Baek Seungtae, beaten to a pulp with swollen eyes narrowed to slits, looked up at his old team leader.
"...You came... to save... me...?"
"Hang in there just a bit longer. We're heading to the hospital right away."
An Seong-ho shifted Baek Seungtae aside, and Kim Jun groaned as he sat up.
An Seong-ho eyed the limp arm.
Kim Jun grinned and crack—popped his shoulder back into place. The pain vanished instantly.
In that moment, An Seong-ho realized: Kim Jun had dislocated his own shoulder.
Which meant... even getting blasted by Water Explosion and staying down from the damage might've been part of the plan.
He couldn't match a Level 4 Raider's combat power, but he'd likely played weak on purpose to stroke Jeong Myeong-ho's ego.
When An Seong-ho had charged into the warehouse from the car, his only thought was saving Baek Seungtae, even at the cost of his life.
It didn't matter who the opponent was. He was ready to fight without holding back.
But Kim Jun shattered his half-maddened resolve with one question.
"Say you get lucky and take down Jeong Myeong-ho, saving Baek Seungtae. What happens next?"
An Seong-ho had no answer.
Who struck first wouldn't matter. With an expedition leader from one of the four great guilds—Brave Guild—attacked, the Association, media... even the guild master and fellow Raiders would side with Jeong Myeong-ho.
Within a day, maybe two at most, he'd be expelled from Guanpo Guild... his Raider career in ruins. No one would take him in.
An Seong-ho looked at Kim Jun with despair.
Only then did Kim Jun reveal the plan.
"You think that'd work?"
"Yeah."
Calm certainty.
An Seong-ho had no other choice, so he followed half-doubting, half-trusting.
Amazingly, Kim Jun's plan played out perfectly.
Baek Seungtae was badly hurt, and so were he and Kim Jun, but a head-on fight with the expedition leader would've left them critically injured, bedridden in the hospital.
Kim Jun, carrying Baek Seungtae on his back, glanced at An Seong-ho.
"Let's go."
"...Yeah."
A chill raced up his spine.
Jeong Myeong-ho would strut around thinking he'd won. But the real victor in this warehouse was this guy.
An Seong-ho hurried ahead, opened the car door, and carefully secured Baek Seungtae in the back seat with the seatbelt.
Kim Jun climbed into the passenger seat with a groan. A Level 4 captain's power... had etched pain even he could barely endure.
"You okay?"
"Like hell."
"...Thanks."
An Seong-ho meant it. Kim Jun had no reason to personally rescue Baek Seungtae. Yet he'd stepped in without hesitation, treating it like his own problem.
He started the car.
As they left the remote warehouse area and hit the main road, tension eased.
Kim Jun spoke up.
"Feels off."
"What does?"
"He said he'd merge Pink Team into B Group."
"That pollock bastard said that?"
"Pollock?"
"Jeong Myeong-ho's nickname. Brave Pollock. Looks the part too."
"Kuku, kukuk, ah, it hurts!"
Kim Jun grimaced mid-laugh. He was definitely picturing Jeong Myeong-ho's face.
An Seong-ho got why it felt off.
No matter how much of a captain Jeong Myeong-ho was, arbitrarily shoving Pink Team into B Group without regard for the other team leaders would be tough.
C Group teams—third-rate guild scraps—were pebbles to kick aside, but treating B Group leaders the same would spark backlash. If they boycotted, the whole expedition force could collapse.
Even by the time they reached the hospital, An Seong-ho couldn't figure how Jeong Myeong-ho would force Pink Team into B Group.
Doctors and nurses swarmed, rushing Baek Seungtae to the ER. Thankfully, he regained consciousness and gave An Seong-ho a thumbs-up.
Kim Jun stayed in the parking lot.
Showing up at the ER together might cause a scene if someone recognized him. Worst case, rumors could spread that Kim Jun had crushed Baek Seungtae.
Heading to the parking lot, An Seong-ho recalled Kim Jun's words right after the team leaders' meeting.
Too bad.
Back then, he'd said reality wouldn't allow ignoring it. Kim Jun, pacing by the car, approached.
"How is he?"
Genuine concern in his voice.
"He'll be fine with rest. Guy's got bones like a tank—should've been one instead of a dealer."
"Good."
"One thing I wanna ask."
"Shoot."
"Any way to fix the expedition's chronic issues?"
Having seen how Kim Jun's plan to save Baek Seungtae unfolded... An Seong-ho wondered if this guy could revolutionarily overhaul the stifling structure where even item distribution ratios went unquestioned.
"Nope."
"...What?"
An Seong-ho was stunned. He'd expected some feigned pondering.
"Not yet."
Kim Jun grinned.
"If I help?"
An Seong-ho mustered courage.
"Odds go way up."
"Deal. Let's do it."
"There's something you need to do."
An Seong-ho frowned.
"No plan, huh?"
"Info first."
An Seong-ho's eyes lit up. This guy valued information as much as he did.
"What do you need?"
Kim Jun, as if he'd been waiting, opened his mouth.
An empty one-room apartment.
A lone monitor sat on the table by the window.
"Fuck, why's the view count this high...?"
Per episode, it was in the millions. The finale of her last Changwon Dungeon raid series had hit 3.84 million views. Even accounting for duplicates... it was insanely high.
That series had 210,000 comments.
Highlights spread like wildfire on SNS. Searching hashtags like #KimJun or #PinkTeam pulled up over five million related posts.
Park Myeong-hwan searched for his own Daily Raider article. A measly 30,000 views. Nineteen comments, mostly "shit reporter" insults.
He pulled up Skyla's series site again. That damn face occupied one corner.
"Lucky bitch has all the fortune."
Even after leaving Daily Raider, Skyla's writing wielded massive influence.
Back at the paper, she'd gotten special treatment. Editor-in-Chief Choi Yeon-hee had given her unprecedented leeway to focus solely on Raider stories.
No wonder her scoops exploded.
What pissed him off more was Skyla's pitying gaze. He'd scrambled to beat his rival, but she'd just given a sympathetic fist pump, like "keep trying."
A silent declaration: not even worth competing with.
Park Myeong-hwan poured soju into his glass. Third bottle already, but his mind was sharp.
He'd poured his youth into chasing scoops. Obsessed with being the best, he'd missed his kids growing up.
Now his grown children ignored their dad. He'd divorced his exhausted wife, given everything to the job—yet the spotlight went to Skyla.
The world was so unfair.
If he just got a chance!
If luck came his way!
He could tower over the likes of Skyla.
Then his phone buzzed on the side table. Park Myeong-hwan glared at it.
Answer it.
No, don't.
His habits won.
He reached out as usual and hit accept.
"Hello? Daily Raider, Park Mye—"
—This is Jeong Myeong-ho of Brave. I'd like to meet now.
The voice sobered him instantly. No prank. A top Raider from one of the four great guilds calling at this hour.
Scoop alert.
A thick one.
"Where are you?"
Park Myeong-hwan was already on his feet, heading out the door.
Skyla stood before the ice factory's main gate.
Time: 3:45 a.m.
She'd finally made up with her freezer-smashing friend. Thanks to Kim Jun.
Now, only this place remained.
She kicked off the wall, vaulted the gate effortlessly, landed lightly, and scanned the area.
No suspicious movement.
She slipped slowly into the factory.
She'd learned of this place while covering an ice Raider special. It made ice without ammonia or R22 refrigerant.
Even more shocking: no "ice can" equipment purchased. And its power usage was unbelievably low.
No refrigerant, no machines, not even much electricity—yet it produced and shipped ice everywhere.
Digging deeper, pressure descended from above.