Chapter 151
Meanwhile, the White Tiger Guild was facing a serious struggle in their pursuit of the escaped villains.
“Vice President, we’ve lost the villains’ trail again.”
“…I see.”
At the guild member’s report, Baek Miho furrowed her brows.
The area surrounding Jisan Prison in Pocheon City was particularly dense with forests and mountains.
For two days now, the White Tiger Guild had been thoroughly scouring every possible escape route along the Hantan River, covering Mount Bojang, Mount Bulmu, and Mount Eunjang.
But the results were always the same.
“B Team and C Team also just reported that they lost the trail.”
“…As expected.”
Baek Miho nodded, scanning the sunlit ridgeline with a somber gaze.
Whoooosh—
A cool breeze swept through the thick forest.
It was an ideal environment for fugitives to hide in, yet there was no trace of them.
“……”
Baek Miho reviewed all the clues they had gathered so far.
‘The villains who escaped from Jisan Prison scattered at some point.’
Initially, their trails suggested they had broken into separate groups due to conflicts after escaping.
That was a realistic assumption.
They had only banded together for the sake of escaping, and their so-called leader, Hwang Dongseok, was merely a C-rank villain.
There was no way his leadership could hold them together for long.
‘But then… every single one of them disappeared? Without leaving a single trace?’
Could that really be a coincidence?
‘No way.’
There was a clear purpose behind their movements.
And that purpose could only lead to one conclusion.
“No matter how I look at it, they weren’t really splitting up. They must have planned to regroup at a specific location.”
Hearing Baek Miho’s analysis, the guild member nodded grimly.
“I think so too. It’s hard to believe, but it looks like all 500 of them are moving with a common goal. We don’t know what that goal is, but the most likely possibility is…”
“Hwang Dongsoo.”
“……”
The guild member fell silent.
There was nothing more to say.
If an S-rank villain was involved, this was no ordinary case.
Baek Miho sighed and continued.
“So the chances of Hwang Dongsoo being involved in this incident are increasing.”
“But didn’t Hunter Sung Suho say that was unlikely?”
“Yes, that’s what I was told.”
Baek Miho recalled the information Suho had given her.
“Hwang Dongseok and Hwang Dongsoo weren’t close.”
Suho had learned that from Kang Taesik almost immediately after meeting him.
As a token of gratitude, Baek Miho had shared all of White Tiger Guild’s search routes with Suho.
That way, Suho could track the villains outside of their designated search zones, using Gray to cover more ground.
They had been sharing intelligence and working together accordingly.
Baek Miho had been relieved to hear that information from Suho.
Even Kang Taesik, a professional bounty hunter, had deemed it valuable enough to share only with Suho.
After all, the real reason so many hunters were reluctant to get involved in this prison break was the possibility of Hwang Dongsoo’s involvement.
“…But there’s always a chance that information was wrong. Or rather, even if they weren’t close, no matter how estranged they were, would a younger brother truly want his older brother dead?”
“Blood is thicker than water… Is that what you’re saying?”
At her guild member’s words, Baek Miho’s expression darkened.
The last thing she wanted to happen was starting to become reality.
An S-rank Awakener was practically a natural disaster.
White Tiger Guild’s current force was not enough to handle Hwang Dongsoo.
‘Even if we fought with everything we had, we might be able to injure him…’
But they would have to risk their lives.
They might even face total annihilation.
‘Only another S-rank can deal with an S-rank.’
After weighing the situation, Baek Miho made a decision.
“I have to request backup from my father—the Guild Master.”
“Yes! I’ll contact him right away!”
As soon as she spoke, the guild member immediately called headquarters.
Moments later, the response came.
“The Guild Master is heading to Pocheon as soon as possible!”
Baek Miho let out a breath of relief.
The reason Baek Yunho, the Guild Master of White Tiger, hadn’t personally intervened earlier was simple—
He was too busy.
It wasn’t a matter of prestige.
S-rank hunters were few and far between, and they spent all their time clearing the most dangerous dungeons in the country.
That was why field operations like this were typically handled by Baek Miho, the Vice President.
It was efficient.
And it was the best way to protect civilians from dungeons and monsters.
However—
‘We’ve gathered all the information we need.’
Their efforts hadn’t been wasted.
By systematically eliminating potential hiding spots, only a few locations remained.
And one of them was…
Yamiri.
Baek Miho and her team were now heading toward an unsearched village in Pocheon City.
Then, a thought crossed her mind.
‘Ah, right. Hunter Sung Suho mentioned he was searching in this direction as well.’
That meant Suho had probably already passed through the village.
And since she hadn’t received any updates from him, it was likely he hadn’t found anything.
Even from a distance, the village looked far too peaceful for anything unusual to have happened.
Baek Miho let out a dry chuckle and gave instructions to her team.
“Let’s pass through the village quickly so we don’t alarm the residents.”
And so, they stepped into Yamiri Village.
As expected, it was just as quiet and peaceful as it looked from the outside.
As expected of an isolated village.
The streets were eerily empty, with not a single soul in sight…
Chill.
“What the hell?”
Baek Miho’s expression stiffened as she sensed something off about Yamiri Village.
The same went for the White Tiger Guild members—hunters attuned to their beastly instincts.
“Vice President! Something’s wrong!”
“I can’t sense anyone in this village…!”
—
Meanwhile…
“White Tiger Guild?”
Suho, still engaged in battle while following Beru’s lead toward Harmakan, caught sight of Baek Miho and her team entering Yamiri Village.
As they moved closer, Suho suddenly froze.
An unfamiliar system message had just appeared before his eyes.
Ding!
[You cannot leave the dungeon. Defeat the boss or use a return stone.]
“…Huh?”
Puzzled, Suho reached out and tapped the invisible barrier in front of him.
Thunk. Thunk!
“A barrier?”
Then, something even stranger happened.
“Vice President! Something’s wrong—”
“There are no signs of life in the village—”
Ssshhh…
The White Tiger Guild members walked right through the invisible barrier.
And the moment they crossed over—
They vanished.
“…What?”
Suho’s eyes widened.
It was as if the space beyond the barrier was an entirely different realm.
When Suho tried forcing his way through—
Ding!
[You cannot leave the dungeon. Defeat the boss or use a return stone.]
Realizing the situation, Beru placed a clawed hand against the transparent wall, his expression grim.
[This is…]
“You recognize this?”
[It seems we have entered an Instance Dungeon.]
“An Instance Dungeon?”
Suho frowned.
From what he knew, dungeons came in two types:
– Gate Dungeons, which required entry through portals.
– Field Dungeons, which existed naturally in the world.
But an Instance Dungeon?
Had he unknowingly stepped through a Gate?
[That’s not the issue. Instance Dungeons aren’t real dungeons.]
Beru’s concern deepened.
[Instance Dungeons were created by High Shaman Kandiaru—the architect of the Leveling System. And their sole purpose was…]
To help the Shadow Monarch’s vessel, Sung Jinwoo, grow stronger!
Suho’s expression darkened.
“Kandiaru created this dungeon? Then how is Harmakan able to use it?”
Before they could dwell on it further—
BOOOOM!
Harmakan’s colossal hand came crashing down at Suho from above.
Suho dodged the attack, his eyes glinting.
“Well, I’ll just have to ask him directly.”
[We’re almost there.]
Thanks to Beru, Suho finally pinpointed Harmakan’s exact location.
Ignoring the raging destruction, he punched through the intact wall of a nearby commercial building.
BANG!
[You…! You actually found me?!]
Harmakan, hiding within, gritted his teeth and began chanting.
[But finding me doesn’t mean you can kill me! The ritual is already complete!]
He thrust both hands forward, activating his sorcery.
KRAAAAAAH!
From his hands, countless wraiths surged toward Suho.
But Suho didn’t flinch.
“It’s all just illusions.”
He dodged the spirits effortlessly and hurled Vulcan’s Horn sideways.
‘Ruler’s Authority!’
SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH!
Brilliant light streaks carved through the air, slicing apart the empty space.
And then—
THUNK!
[…Kh!]
A sharp groan echoed.
Vulcan’s Horn had impaled something invisible.
Ssshhh…
And at that moment—
Harmakan’s true form began materializing.
A frail, skeletal figure with Vulcan’s Horn stabbed through his chest.
[H-how…?]
Then, something unprecedented occurred.
FWOOSH!
As Harmakan—the core of the sorcery circle—was struck, an unseen wave rippled outward.
Ding!
[Corrupted mana is being purified.]
[Corrupted mana is being purified.]
The tainted souls within the Death Knights began to cleanse.
But for Harmakan, none of that mattered.
[Th-this power… Could it be…?]
He stared at the Vulcan’s Horn piercing his body, overwhelmed with shock.
Not because Suho had found him.
Not because Suho had broken through his illusion.
But because he had recognized the power imbued in the weapon.
[Ruler’s Authority…?!]
Harmakan’s voice trembled.
[How… How can a mere human wield the power of the Rulers?!]
The true nature of Ruler’s Authority wasn’t just simple telekinesis.
That ability was, in fact—
A power that only the Rulers could wield.
The symbol of the angels born of light.
A divine force that allowed them to fly without wings.
Unlike the Sky Soldiers, who needed wings to soar—
Rulers could levitate at will.
And that ability came from Ruler’s Authority.
But how?
How could a mere human wield such power?
[No… it couldn’t be the Rulers’ Fragments inside you…]
Seeing Suho up close, Harmakan dismissed the thought.
He could tell Suho was different.
Yes, he was no ordinary human—
But he was clearly using the power of the Beast Monarch and the Monarch of Body Strengthening.
Power that was the exact opposite of the Rulers.
And then—
A terrifying realization struck him.
