S-Rank Dungeon Raid Cooperation Request (1)

It had been a few weeks since I had returned from the Heavenly Demon Cult headquarters.

Today was a weekday, yet I had used annual leave today because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had business to attend to. So I was now heading somewhere other than the Flame headquarters.

During that time, I had continued participating in the intern program and gone on several dungeon and security dispatch missions. In the meantime, I had naturally become familiar with my current body, which had released the first-stage seal.

“If I release the second-stage seal, will I be able to return to the days at Eins Academy?”

Once I received recognition of mastery from the Ancient Gear, a contract would begin between me and the gear.

The stage of that contract being completed was the first form. From the first form onward, only the Ancient Gear could use its special abilities, and the contract holder could wield them.

According to the old man Yeon Moon-woo, the three stages before Hongok’s seal were like the evolutionary forms of the Ancient Gear.

Therefore, right now I was in a state where I could use a portion of the gear’s power.

“Only the power of the first form for now…”

During my Eins Academy days, I had evolved Hongok to the second form, “Release.” Yuri’s Nibis had also reached its second form by now.

So if I could only release up to the second-stage seal, it would mean I could also perform the duties of a hunter rather than a mere operator.

Of course, using Hongok’s power, which was binding my life, would shorten my lifespan by the same amount. But that was a minor concern.

“I only barely caught the Doubtful Monster in the final moment by turning Hongok into the third form. To approach Red Lake, I need even greater resolve.”

It was time for Flame to move on to the next event.

Flame, which was replacing the guild created by Si-woo in the original *Aca Hunter*.

The original protagonist had died, yet the remaining legitimate supporting characters would continue the story of *Aca Hunter*. Soon, a large-scale dungeon raid would be mentioned even in the original work.

At that exact moment, I stopped in my tracks. The place I had come to was Eins Academy — my alma mater.

Today, the graduation ceremony of the 21st-year students was being held here. Arin was a member of Eins’ 21st cohort, so I had come to celebrate her graduation.

“She’s changed so much.”

The Eins I remembered had changed quite a bit. Many of Eins’ buildings had been destroyed during the Doubtful Monster’s attack, so they all looked freshly rebuilt.

And because it was different from the old scenes I remembered, it was actually a relief.

The graduation ceremony appeared to be already underway, yet I had no intention of entering it.

I had been avoiding Eins’ staff all this time. In fact, coming this far had required no small resolve of my own.

A little more time passed, and the graduation ceremony seemed to have ended. I stood at the entrance buying flowers and wandered around a fair distance from the auditorium where the ceremony had taken place.

Only later did I check my smartphone. As I was about to reply to the mountain of messages from Arin, Arin herself appeared right before me.

“Senior! What were you thinking just standing around like that? If I hadn’t found you, it would have been a disaster!”

“I was here.”

“Well, that goes without saying. If it’s anywhere near Senior, I definitely would have found you.”

Arin threw out a remark that could be taken as a joke or as pure sincerity.

She found out my apartment’s password every single time I changed it. And right now she had found me immediately.

Arin was doing something mysterious.

“Was it the holy power?”

Unlike Min-ah, Si-woo’s girlfriend, Arin had joined the White Cross Society after the Eins tragedy. Yet even in that short two years, her holy power had grown tremendously.

It was as if she had risen to the level where she could evoke the image of Min-ah from the original work.

Chae Min-ah had not only been Si-woo’s girlfriend but had also earned the title of Saintess in the third part of *Aca Hunter* through spectacular feats.

“Perhaps the current Arin is standing in for Min-ah’s absence.”

Even though her role was smaller than Yuri’s or Soso’s in the original story, Arin was more than qualified to carry on their wishes.

She had been a childhood companion of the two from when they were young.

“Si-woo and Min-ah’s wishes…”

Si-woo and Min-ah, who had become orphans after being swept into the war caused by the villains.

In the third part of *Aca Hunter*, Si-woo himself had created the guild because he had dreamed of a world without villains and monsters.

In reality, large corporate guilds had no interest in the disappearance of villains and monsters. Of course, they were a means of legitimately acquiring power and a highly valuable livelihood.

“Whether in the original or now in reality, the goal of the chronicler is not that.”

Arin spoke to me, who had gone silent for a moment.

“Senior! What are you thinking about right in front of me? Hmph? Don’t tell me you’re thinking about another woman?”

Arin, the pink-haired junior wearing the White Cross nun’s habit, looked exactly as she had today.

As if she had become a nun to pray for Si-woo and Min-ah, Arin had always worn nothing but that pure white habit.

If she had been the old Arin, she would have been the busiest person at the graduation today. Yet Arin had come straight to me without exchanging a word with her classmates.

Playfully replying as if she had no idea of that fact.

“Why? Can’t I think about another woman?”

“Never!”

“I’m not your girlfriend!”

“Even so, it’s never allowed! My body and mind are already completely tainted by Senior. Now you’re trying to look toward another woman?”

“Don’t say things that will cause misunderstandings if anyone hears.”

At that moment, Arin’s face turned sulky, and I handed her the flowers.

“Anyway, congratulations on the graduation.”

Arin accepted the flowers with a very happy expression.

“Thank you, Senior! And even if it’s not a graduation, flower gifts are always good, so I’ve been hoping you’d give me one occasionally… Wait. What kind of flowers are these?”

“Si-woo’s and Min-ah’s.”

At those words, Arin’s expression darkened for a moment. Yet before long she smiled brightly and linked arms with me.

“Si-woo Oppa and Min-ah Unnie would have been happy. Then let’s visit together.”

There was a mourning space dedicated to the Eins tragedy and its victims. Arin and I walked there together.

On the memorial stones were not only the names of Si-woo and Min-ah but also the names of more than a hundred victims. In addition to the deceased, several students who had gone missing during the tragedy were also commemorated.

I clasped my hands and prayed — no, I swore — in front of them. I swore to atone for my mistakes and to definitely take revenge on Red Lake.

And at that moment, the words the Doubtful Monster had spoken to me resurfaced.

“The words ‘Vessel’…”

Considering the old man Yeon Moon-woo’s story and the contents of the original work, the term ‘Vessel’ was undoubtedly…

After spending a brief time there, Arin and I left Eins. I told Arin.

“Today’s graduation, so anything you want, I’ll buy. What would you like to eat?”

“Eat? Hmph…”

Her pink eyes sparkled. Then she said quickly.

“You said anything, right?”

“Yes. Even if it’s expensive, it’s fine…”

“No! No need for expensive ones. I only want one thing.”

After a short pause, Arin blushed and said.

“So if we go out from here… Shall we go to Senior’s apartment?”

***

Time had passed quickly since Min-su had joined Flame. A full month had already passed.

The first quarter had arrived, and it was a very important period for the association’s guild rating evaluation. Half of that quarter had gone by.

“Min-su’s arrival was a stroke of good luck. The interns’ performance has been excellent.”

Yuri read the report compiled by Executive Director Maria.

Guild mission performance and financial soundness. The two most important evaluation indicators were not bad at all.

“With this, maintaining S-rank evaluation seems possible. Next quarter’s budget… is a little tight.”

At this point, it was important for Flame to maintain S-rank. Flame had been founded two years ago, and it was only now that the threads of the villain group Red Lake had been grasped to some degree.

“Min-su and the information provided by the Heavenly Demon Cult were crucial.”

The result of the association’s interrogation of Rex revealed that someone had been behind the A-rank villain.

It was unusual for someone of Rex’s stature to act on someone’s orders. Surprisingly, Red Lake had been behind him.

“Recently, the series of large-scale massacres had been nearly terrorist attacks. The mastermind behind them was undoubtedly…”

If Min-su had not been there, Rex would have succeeded in the mass massacre.

And recently, simultaneous terrorist attacks had occurred worldwide. They had been extremely brutal killings.

If Rex’s testimony could be trusted, those successive terrorists were clearly connected to Red Lake.

“And Seo Moon-yeom.”

Min-su and Soso had also brought other important information.

Seo Moon-yeom, the leader of the Evil Dao clan that had once been famous even in Muguk. The man who had become a villain was also connected to Red Lake.

“Compared to Seo Moon-yeom, Rex was like a small fry.”

When Cheonma Yeon Se-hwi, Soso’s father and the Heavenly Demon, unified the Evil Dao clans, the most resistant one had been Talhonma Seo Moon-yeom.

Although his strength was inferior to the Five Heavenly Stars’ Yeon Se-hwi, Seo Moon-yeom was an ultra-high awakening villain who made even S-rank hunters tense.

“A group that vowed loyalty to such a Seo Moon-yeom?”

The difference between villains and awakeners was desire-driven thinking. To satisfy their own desires, they destroyed the walls of humanity and drew close to monsters.

All villains were driven by desire; the stronger they were, the less they would submit to others. Submission had nothing to do with desire.

Moreover, Seo Moon-yeom was not a man who would bow his head even if he stood at the peak of villainy.

“And Red Lake’s network… was said to be denser and wider than imagined.”

We had only just grasped the threads, yet there were still many things left to do.

It seemed the association and the Snowfield Knights had already concluded a cooperation agreement with Red Lake.

“Once these major groups move, even mediocre guilds will not be able to get involved.”

If they helped only the villains’ side, they might not even approach Red Lake’s core.

And just as large corporate guilds wished for the disappearance of monsters and villains, those two groups could also consider Red Lake a necessary evil.

At the most critical moment, the association and the Snowfield Knights might not move.

“Ultimately, they must move independently. To do that, Flame must grow even larger.”

Flame had originally been a group bound by the desire for revenge against Red Lake. Even the general employees who worked at the headquarters felt that responsibility.

As the president of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the 19th student council, who bore the great responsibility for the Eins tragedy, Yuri steadied her heart again.

“There was an Eastern proverb: to settle a grudge, one must settle the debt.”

Yet even while steadying her heart, she could not deny that her true motive lay beyond that.

The other members of Flame might not know, but Yuri’s actions were always ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠driven by Min-su rather than her sense of responsibility as student council president.

Because Min-su wanted revenge against Red Lake. Even when he had been unconscious, she had thought that if it were Min-su, he would definitely do so.

Yuri knew Min-su’s personality well. For the Min-su who must have thought of revenge, she had become an S-rank hunter and created an S-rank guild. She had wanted to help him.

“Yes. I must become the person Min-su needs…”

When Min-su had joined Flame, she had felt her faith confirmed.

But in truth, Yuri had been wavering lately.

“I… am I really the person Min-su needs…”

She muttered that thoughtlessly. She had generously supported the budget for Min-su’s exclusive equipment. Yet after his trip to Hong Kong, he had not even used a small amount of travel expenses.

The divine spell that had stabilized his mana heart had all been provided free of charge by Heavenly Demon Cult personnel.

“Heavenly Demon Cult. Soso’s family.”

The family of Soso, the largest hunter clan in Muguk. Even the people of that group had recognized Min-su. And in that matter, Soso’s role in accompanying Min-su would have been natural.

“Soso… her limit line has risen sharply recently.”

She had shown extraordinary performance in the raid after returning from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the trip. It would not be long before she became an S-rank hunter. As guild leader, it was a very happy thing, but…

Yuri felt jealousy toward her.

“Could it be… that something happened between Min-su and Soso during that trip?”

Her uneasy heart only deepened. And especially today, she could not maintain her composure.

Even though it was a weekday, neither Seong Arin nor Min-su had come to work. She had heard they had used annual leave because of the Eins graduation ceremony.

It was already deep evening. Yuri finally could not hold back and sent a message to Min-su pretending it was for work, but there was still no reply.

“The two of them… have grown much closer since their Eins days… like back then… like Min-su and me.”

Deepening night. And Arin, who had graduated from Eins and felt liberated. An adult woman like her might actively involve herself in such a night.

“Or perhaps they already are… No, what am I thinking!”

Thinking about the two of them together late at night, Yuri’s heart suddenly felt painfully torn.

Once they had been close, but now they were distant. So saying “they stole Min-su from me” was wrong, but…

Because of her unchanged feelings for Min-su, Yuri felt a chilling cold that froze her mana heart.

“I really can’t allow this!”

Yuri scolded her wavering heart. Even if it was for Min-su, she was the guild leader of Flame. She had to draw a line between duty and personal feelings.

“I am responsible for the lives of the guild members.”

Yet she could not stop touching the red mana-stone necklace Min-su had given her.

Just as she had done for the past two years. Because of the warm aura of that mana stone, her heart had calmed a little, as if Min-su’s warmth was reaching her.

Yuri turned her attention back to the monitor screen. There was a mountain of work to do.

And at that moment, Yuri checked a cooperation request from the association.

“S-rank dungeon raid cooperation request…?”