This place was a secret Gate that no one had discovered yet.
More than five years would have to pass from now before it would be discovered by chance.
So it was a place only Gyeom-shin knew about.
"Argh, that crazy man, seriously!"
SPLASH!
Seeing Gyeom-shin's smirk reflected inside the lake, Yeon Da-hee grew so angry that she jumped into it herself.
Shaaaa!
"Are you really going to be like this?!"
"Oh...? You came in faster than I thought."
Then, blue light overflowed from the lake.
It was the moment she passed through the Gate.
SHING!
"Try playing a prank on me one more time! When that happens, I will really use this sword to—!"
"Hold on. Well, getting worked up like that makes you look healthy and all, which is nice, but."
Having crossed over beyond the Gate, she even drew her sword, pointed it at Gyeom-shin, and raged at him.
However, there was not even time to leisurely get angry.
"For now, rather than striking me with that sword, wouldn't it be better to protect your own safety first...?"
"Aaagh...?!"
GRRRRR!
GRRR!
The place they had arrived at through the Gate inside the river water was a large temple.
And welcoming them were dozens of huge, large-sized dogs.
"...Those monsters are?"
"Hell Hounds."
No, they were hounds of hell.
They were terrible monsters several meters in size, with blazing hellfire wrapped all around their bodies.
"...They are hounds of the underworld."
This place was one of the hidden routes Gyeom-shin had mainly used in his past life.
Therefore, he knew better than anyone what kind of monsters were here.
"I-I have never once seen monsters like those...!"
"Probably not, since these only exist in Hell."
"Pardon...?"
The name of this dungeon was Hell.
Originally, it was an underworld where only the dead could come.
At the same time, it was also Yoon Chan-ho's grave that Gyeom-shin had prepared.
"I'm saying this place is Hell."
"Wh-why did we come to a place like this...?!"
Ordinary Hunters would have their breath choked right out of them and lose consciousness the moment they entered here.
It was an ultra-high-level dungeon to that extent.
To the point where only Hunters of at least A-Grade and Level 200 or higher could barely survive.
"I'm planning to recommend this place for our next joint guild mission with Phantom. Call it a preliminary site inspection."
"Aaah, you're crazy. You've lost your mind."
With vicious monsters right before her eyes, Yeon Da-hee could not help being terrified.
She was a B-Grade Hunter.
She was merely Level 150 and B-minus-Grade.
"You have to go crazy to succeed in the world these days. Isn't there a saying like that, Guild Master?"
"......."
Through her long-honed intuition as a Hunter, Yeon Da-hee was feeling a powerful threat.
Looking at Gyeom-shin as if staring at a madman, she tried to read his hidden intentions.
However, she could not understand them at all.
'I'm not enough on my own.'
The reason Gyeom-shin had brought only her here was simple.
First, that she was the Guild Master.
An accomplice was needed for this plan.
'The Guild Master has to grow stronger with me too.'
And second, a guild did not rise to prominence just because one person grew stronger alone.
Everyone, including the Guild Master, had to grow stronger.
'It'll be hard to expect a dramatic level increase like mine as a Player, though.'
He had wanted to bring the other comrades too, but it was not feasible.
In this dungeon, Hunters of B-Grade or lower would have their minds suppressed, preventing their souls from returning to the world of the living.
Even if he wanted to bring them, he could not.
'Still, it'll be enough to induce her growth more quickly.'
What strongly supported a guild were the Guild Master and the Vice Guild Master.
It meant that not only Gyeom-shin's growth, but hers as well, was necessary for the guild.
['Analyzer' has been activated.]
GRRRRR!
"H-hey...! Do something about this...!"
"Why? Weren't you the Sword Flower, second to none when it comes to swordsmanship...?"
Gyeom-shin deliberately provoked Yeon Da-hee's pride.
Even so, if she were to fall into danger, he intended to step in right away.
"Show me some of your skills too."
"Uuuugh...."
Though frustrated, Yeon Da-hee could not readily step forward.
She was instinctively sensing just how strong the enemies were.
GRRRRRR...!
「 Monster Name: Hell Hound
Grade: B0 / Level: 200
Type: Ghost / Attribute: Fire 」
Even though the Hell Hound was the weakest creature in this place, its level was higher than Yeon Da-hee's.
Every single one of them was a very powerful enemy.
GRRRRRRR!
"Kyaaa...!"
SWISH—!
As the hounds of hell lunged at her, Yeon Da-hee let out a scream and confronted them in a defensive stance.
'Her reaction speed... isn't bad.'
Even in his past life, Gyeom-shin had never once seen her let out such a loud scream.
"Uuuugh...! D-do not just stand there, fight with me...!"
SWISH—!
SWISH!
"Looks like you're pretty terrified."
"You! Are you really crazy?! Kyaaa...!"
A mere 1 minute and 32 seconds.
'...Is this her limit? Still, she fought well. Can't be helped.'
After that point, he intuitively sensed that Yeon Da-hee's life was on the verge of being snuffed out.
Judging that it would be difficult for her to hold out any longer, Gyeom-shin stepped forward himself.
Trudge, trudge.
"......."
GRRRRR...!
In his past life, he had caught hundreds of these bastards and even raised them.
However, the hounds of hell, which only paid attention to a Hunter's stats, were looking down on him.
Because his actual level was low.
"There, there. Good boys. That's right."
That was the mistake of the hounds of hell.
Not being on guard against the Demonic Sword at all.
GRRRRRRR...!
"...You really don't listen worth a damn."
In his past life, they were bastards Gyeom-shin had adorably raised like an owner, even feeding them himself.
Rather than scary, they were cute instead.
"I always feel this way, but with mad dogs of this type...."
Even if they were currently powerful monsters far stronger than him.
It was self-evident that the moment he was bitten by those bastards, his limbs would be severed on the spot and his neck would be torn off.
"A good beating really is the best medicine...!"
SWISH—!
Gyeom-shin had the Demonic Sword to protect him.
So he lightly swung it toward the lunging hounds of hell.
[Target has been afflicted with 'Combustion'.]
FWOOOOSH—!
"Yelp! Yipe, yipe!"
Then, the blue flames of Ades completely swallowed up the red flames of the hounds of hell.
Having temporarily lost their flames, the hounds of hell were now nothing more than oversized dogs.
"H-how could something like this...."
FLOP!
Having narrowly escaped death, Yeon Da-hee collapsed to the floor as if the strength had drained from her legs.
"...There's no need to be that surprised."
Looking down at her, Gyeom-shin spoke the whole truth with a composed expression.
"Since I'm just carried by my sword."
***
He had been to Hell and back.
"Gyeom-shin, hey. Where did you go with the Guild Master at dawn...?"
All preparations were finished.
Now, all that remained was to draw out the prey.
"How did you know?"
However, within the guild, a strange rumor mixed with misunderstanding was spreading.
"...One of the guild members said they saw you. The two of you secretly going out somewhere."
"Why? Afraid we went on a date or something?"
"...A guild is a company too, so wouldn't it be bad if a needless scandal broke out? Either just date openly or don't."
Jang-pil played along with Gyeom-shin's banter.
He had known for a long time that Gyeom-shin had no interest in romance whatsoever.
"Hmm... should I just do that instead?"
"What...? Don't tell me you really...?"
Even so, he was flustered.
Because what had happened at dawn really could not be explained as anything other than a date.
If it were an operation, there was no reason at all to keep it a secret from the guild members.
"Hyung, I'm twenty now too, so I should probably do some dating, right?"
If it were a normal operation, that was.
However, the operation Gyeom-shin was plotting was not normal.
"Right, keep it a secret from the guild members... Huh...? Hey, are you really...?"
For this operation, it was enough as long as the Guild Master alone matched her story with his as an accomplice.
Since the rest would naturally follow the flow.
"...Well, truth be told, I kind of noticed from the very first time you met the Guild Master and deliberately spoke informally to her."
"Oh, yeah? You're quick on the uptake."
Still looking half-convinced and half-doubtful, Jang-pil was sounding Gyeom-shin out.
"Childish punk. Is it something like, 'Because noona is my woman, I'll call you informally'...?"
"Oh, look at you, hyung—do you know a thing or two about romance?"
Jang-pil knew.
The fact that Gyeom-shin was not rude enough to immediately spit out informal speech to someone he was meeting for the first time, much less an older woman.
"Still, you punk, tone down the informal speech. Other guild members are watching, after all."
"Sure, I'll keep it in mind."
That was why he was misunderstanding even more.
However, that was also Gyeom-shin's own strategy through image-making.
"Though I'll have to keep speaking informally a bit longer for now."
"What, you punk...?"
"You just said it yourself, hyung. Didn't you tell me to just date her openly?"
Yeon Da-hee had a younger brother.
One who was the same age as Gyeom-shin, and who even resembled him a great deal in appearance and personality.
"I have to keep speaking informally so the quick-witted bastards will figure it out on their own, don't I?"
Her younger brother had also used a sword.
His personality had been reckless like Gyeom-shin's too, so he had only picked dangerous missions, pushed himself too hard, and ultimately died.
"...This punk. You're talking so confusingly today, I can't tell if you're serious or messing with me."
Therefore, even in his past life, Gyeom-shin and Yeon Da-hee had had a somewhat complicated relationship in private.
Because every time she met Gyeom-shin, she was reminded of her dead younger brother.
"Well, she hasn't told me to stop first, anyway. I'll play it by ear and handle it myself."
The only thing different between Gyeom-shin and her younger brother was that because her brother was a genius, he had awakened as a Hunter at a young age.
Yet that had instead been his undoing.
"You never know, right? She might feel lonely too and actually prefer me acting like this."
The fact that at far too young an age, he had taken on a dangerous mission he never should have taken.
So Gyeom-shin had aimed for that vacant spot.
"...Crazy bastard."
"Thanks for the compliment, hyung."
To completely take control of the guild, he had to grow mentally close to her as well.
Creeeak.
"...What is it?"
"Ah...."
Just then, Yeon Da-hee entered the conference room with the executives.
"Why are you looking at me with eyes like that? Were you talking about me or something...?"
"N-no, we were not, Guild Master."
Flustered, Jang-pil glossed it over.
'As expected, whenever hyung lies, it shows right on his face.'
She looked particularly prickly today.
"...Then please take your seats. Since we have an important meeting starting now."
"Yes, understood."
The reason was obvious.
"Guild Master, are you doing well?"
"...Does my face look like I am doing well right now?"
Because just half a day ago, she had nearly died.
A living person had been to Hell and back.
"No, not really."
"Then quietly focus on the meeting."
For Yeon Da-hee, this was her first time in a dungeon so brutal it could be mistaken for the afterlife.
"...Yeah, sure."
It was fortunate enough just that she had not fallen ill and been bedridden.
"Now then, let us begin the meeting."
However, she who cared so much about manners was still not penalizing Gyeom-shin's insolent tone at all.
Gyeom-shin's strategy had worked.
"...First, we have accepted the Phantom Guild's proposal for a joint mission."
SLAM!
"Hah, those sons of bitches! Aren't their dirty ulterior motives obvious, noonim?!"
As soon as the topic of the Phantom Guild came up, Choi Sang-hyeok slammed the table and stood up.
"Shh, I have not finished speaking yet. Please take your seat."
"Ah... I am sorry, noonim."
"...It is not noonim, it is Guild Master."
There was no one in this room who did not know the fact that the guild had been pushed to the brink of collapse by those bastards.
"See, she corrects Choi Sang-hyeok's way of speaking. Told you she secretly likes it."
"I-is that so...?"
When Gyeom-shin whispered in his ear, Jang-pil merely tilted his head.
"However, since we are in a situation where we cannot trust them 100%, we negotiated so that our side will decide the hunting ground."
He had already won Yeon Da-hee over.
As the Guild Master, she was moving perfectly as Gyeom-shin wanted.
"And the dungeon we will be entering with them... is a place that has not been revealed until now."
As if performing a flawless act according to a pre-written scenario.
"Pardon...? A place that has not been revealed?"
"Yes, at dawn today, I even finished a preliminary exploration together with the Vice Guild Master."
"Ah? So that is why at dawn, the two of you...."
The rumor about their dawn date had already spread all throughout the guild.
Upon learning that it was false, everyone wore deflated faces.
"Phew, what a relief."
There were also those who felt relieved like Jang-pil.
Yeon Da-hee was a beauty to that extent.
Even within the guild, there were many executives who secretly harbored feelings for her.
"Hah, this punk, seriously...."
Glare.
Even so, Jang-pil's expression was sour.
He had only now realized the fact that he had been completely fooled by Gyeom-shin.
"For now, it is a relief that the misunderstanding... has been cleared up."
Jang-pil gritted his teeth and hid his anger.
Because something important still remained.
"By the way... what about that Hidden Dungeon...?"
For someone like him who drew a line between public and private matters like a knife, the meeting as an executive took priority.
"What is its difficulty level...?"
How many people they would dispatch for this mission.
And whom they would dispatch were the matters of interest.
"Please deploy as many of us as possible!"
"We have suffered at their hands too!"
"Should we not pay back our grudge?"
Everyone was gearing up for it.
Sooner or later, everyone knew they would clash with the Phantom Guild someday.
It was not a matter that could be quietly brushed aside.
"...I know everyone's anger better than anyone."
Yeon Da-hee felt the same way.
She looked ready to pay them back in full for everything they had suffered during this joint guild mission.
"Because they even manipulated the Kaiser Guild from behind the scenes to try to ruin our guild. However...."
However, no one could do that.
Except for one single person.
"In this mission, only one person, Vice Guild Master Lee Gyeom-shin, is scheduled to participate."