VSP 75

“What’s with that guy again?”

“He keeps complaining that the current special management period for S-rank members is just letting them monopolize A-rank dungeons.”

“Ah.”

The ‘special management’ for S-ranks was originally implemented because the Association was conscious of public scrutiny following the disgraceful incident involving the former president.

It was also to avoid being caught off guard during the power transition period. Since A-rank dungeons weren’t particularly difficult for S-ranks, and to prevent any potential grievances, everyone had agreed that half of the byproducts obtained upon clearing a dungeon would be donated.

But even so, it seemed complaints were bound to surface.

Especially Lee Yongseok. Whether it was because of his nickname, the ‘Unlucky S-rank,’ he was a man who hated S-ranks for no apparent reason. The slightest hint of them benefiting, and he’d latch on, nitpicking and clinging like a stubborn pest. Perhaps birds of a feather flock together, but none of the Bacheon Guild members had a particularly pleasant demeanor either.

And now, this troublemaker keeps making claims?

“……That’s rough.”

Even after hearing about the difficulties Ryu Sehyun was facing, Sejun couldn’t think of anything he could do to help.

Asking him was pointless. Being kind-hearted is something even hard to fake. As Sejun came to this new realization, Ryu Sehyun smiled at his now meaningless words, saying, “Thanks for caring.”

After that, the atmosphere in the car remained pleasantly warm.

•••

While people now mostly think of Ryu Sehyun as the young Association president, right up until the Final Dungeon battle – that is, while the original story was still ongoing – Ryu Se-hyun was far more famous by his alias, the ‘Dungeon-Shattering Hunter’.

If you think of them in terms of a team image, Cha Dogyeong was the sleek Red, while Ryu Sehyun was the even sleeker Blue?

While Cha Dogyeong was an all-around hunter who toyed with enemies regardless of distance, Ryu Sehyun was the type who took down opponents from afar with his gun.

That’s why Ryu Sehyun’s other nickname was ‘Magic Bullet’.

Once, Sejun asked Sehyun which title he preferred: ‘Dungeon-Shattering Hunter’ or ‘Magic Bullet’.

“I hate both.”

Ryu Sehyun had replied without hesitation.

But personally, Sejun thought both nicknames suited Ryu Sehyun well. Regardless of his own preferences.

‎

Bang! The moment the trigger was pulled, the bullet tore through the boss’s body, blood spurting.

「Guh!」

‘Grrrr!’ As the agonized scream echoed, Hoya immediately charged in, attacking the boss’s torso and tearing it apart. Already fatally wounded by Sehyun’s bullet, the boss couldn’t withstand Hoya’s assault any longer and instantly turned to ash and vanished.

The moment the boss vanished into ash, a refreshing breeze signifying the dungeon’s clear swept through the interior.

“Cough.”

Sejun coughed softly. Hoya’s single attack had caused his mana to plummet. It wasn’t critically low, though, so he didn’t need to rush to drink another mana potion.

[It’s rewarding that your mana increased. Honestly, I’m deeply moved.]

Hoya licked his front paw leisurely, even after attacking. Sejun’s face paled slightly at the shock of his once-full mana plummeting, but that was the extent of it.

Just as the system had said, the benefits of increased mana were finally starting to show.

No wonder hunters go mad over mana. Sejun dismissed Hoya before his mana hit zero and faint.

“……”

Sejun clenched and unclenched his fist silently. Though his body felt slightly drained, and he had consumed a potion midway, he had summoned Hoya without significant strain, aided in clearing the dungeon, and simultaneously performed the unsummoning flawlessly.

As if he were truly an ordinary S-rank Hunter capable of holding his own. Of course, all Hoya had done was land the finishing blow on a boss Ryu Sehyun had already cornered. But remembering how he’d struggled even to summon properly, the feeling was overwhelming.

…All that effort flirting with Cha Dogyeong had paid off.

Of course, what flashed through Sejun’s mind in that moment wasn’t some sentimental feeling about finally being able to pull his weight.

The first, inexplicable feeling was the urge to brag about this to Cha Dogyeong.

If he told Cha Dogyeong about this and bragged about it, he would probably look at Sejun, give a sly smile, and ruffle his hair. Then Sejun would pout, “Do you even know I’m your hyung?” and Cha Dogyeong would… laugh. 

He could picture it clearly.

Of course, it wasn’t something he could actually brag about to Cha Dogyeong, so the thought remained just a fleeting impulse.

How could he say it? “I got mana by flirting with you!” And the ultimate goal is to be eaten by you, no, to eat you!

That’s crazy, he could never say it. Sejun shook his head vigorously.

But perhaps because of that, a strange sense of regret lingered in the back of his mind.

Sehyun, who had been quietly watching Sejun, holstered his gun and approached him.

“Sejun, did your mana increase?”

“Huh?”

Sejun’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Ryu Sehyun to notice.

“How did you know?”

At that, Ryu Sehyun only smiled softly, offering no further explanation.

It seemed naive to think he wouldn’t know. After Seo Sejun himself, Ryu Sehyun was probably the one who knew him best.

Sejun’s eyes sparkled. He couldn’t quite boast about it to Cha Dogyeong, but he could brag to Ryu Sehyun right in front of him. Sehyun wouldn’t pry about the source of the mana either. Sejun acted on his thoughts immediately.

“Since my mana increased a bit, I don’t need to drink as many potions. That means potion addiction sets in slower, and Hoya can stay active. It feels great.”

Sejun beamed as he proudly listed Hoya’s accomplishments.

Sejun didn’t explain how his mana had increased, and since it was a sensitive matter, Sehyun didn’t ask him either.

What was certain was that, even though Ryu Sehyun was the main focus, this moment was no different from Seo Sejun’s first time flawlessly completing a Hunter mission without any issues.

Sehyun simply looked at that face, couldn’t help himself, and reached out to stroke Sejun’s head. It was something he often did, so Sejun didn’t think it was unusual and let his head rest in his hand.

Taking advantage of the moment, the hand that had slipped down tickled his soft cheek and moved on.

Huh.

A sudden, familiar impulse reared its head, only to calm down again after a moment of deep breathing.

Then, he suddenly thought, Why am I holding back?

“……”

The thought followed that it wasn’t necessary anymore.

‘Things are strangely revolving around Sejun now. You felt it too, Ryu Sehyun.’

And the words Na Yookyung had once spoken to him.

After clearing the Final Dungeon, the world changed significantly. With the disappearance of the Final Dungeon that had mass-produced countless others, the threat of dungeons diminished greatly.

Cha Dogyeong became the world’s sole EX-class Hunter, and the world grew more peaceful than before.

It was as if every crisis had vanished, as if they’d reached a happy ending.

From that point, many things changed. Not just that the world actually grew more peaceful, but… how should he put it?

It felt like certain rules that had naturally governed the world had vanished.

For instance, the thick walls that had separated Seo Sejun from those around him.

Ryu Sehyun’s feelings for Seo Se-jun weren’t a recent development.

But whenever he tried to express them or draw closer, an indescribable pressure, like something he ‘shouldn’t do,’ would overwhelm him.

That intangible pressure, impossible to ignore, had constantly restrained his ovements. An invisible force that kept him from intervening, even though he knew Sejun was being tossed about and hurt by his surroundings.

All that pressure and force vanished as the world became peaceful with the Final Dungeon’s clear.

Sehyun still didn’t know what it was. He couldn’t even dare to define it if asked.

“Hyung?”

“Ah.”

As his touch grew more insistent, Sejun’s puzzled expression made Sehyun belatedly pull his hand away, despite how familiar it felt.

Even if that pressure was gone, suddenly touching him like this must be startling.

Sehyun skillfully suppressed his desire. Endurance and patience were his specialties.

On the way home, even after getting in the car, Sejun still couldn’t calm his excitement and chattered on for a while. But soon, he frowned, staring blankly into space.

“It’s already like that?”

Scratching the back of his head, Sejun crossed his arms with a troubled expression. Sehyun, who had been watching him out of the corner of his eye as he switched from chattering to looking suddenly serious, focused on driving.

Sejun was unusually close to the self-aware system, often conversing with it. Even to Sehyun, who generally looked favorably upon most things Sejun did, this was definitely an unfamiliar sight.

“Hyung, can I make a quick call?”

After Sejun had been chewing his nails anxiously for a while, seemingly deep in thought, he finally asked, as he’d made up his mind. Sehyun nodded.

Sejun immediately picked up his phone. Though he seemed determined, he hesitated for a long moment after taking it out. He let out a sigh, then finally dialed the number.